It's been a good week for Forterra plc (LON:FORT) shareholders, because the company has just released its latest interim results, and the shares gained 9.3% to UK1.86. Forterra reported in line with analyst predictions, delivering revenues of UK122m and statutory earnings per share of UK0.24, suggesting the business is executing well and in line with its plan. Earnings are an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance, look at what the analysts are forecasting for next year, and see if there's been a change in sentiment towards the company. So we collected the latest post-earnings statutory consensus estimates to see what could be in store for next year. See our latest analysis for Forterra Taking into account the latest results, the current consensus, from the nine analysts covering Forterra, is for revenues of UK273.2m in 2020, which would reflect a not inconsiderable 12% reduction in Forterra's sales over the past 12 months. Losses are predicted to fall substantially, shrinking 1,329% (on a statutory basis) to UK0.029. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of UK264.0m and earnings per share (EPS) of UK0.0078 in 2020. While they've upgraded their revenue numbers for next year, the consensus also expects losses to increase, perhaps due to the investments required to grow revenue. In any event, it's not clear that these new estimates are particularly bullish. There was no major change to the consensus price target of UK2.23, with growing revenues seemingly enough to offset the concern of growing losses. Fixating on a single price target can be unwise though, since the consensus target is effectively the average of analyst price targets. As a result, some investors like to look at the range of estimates to see if there are any diverging opinions on the company's valuation. The most optimistic Forterra analyst has a price target of UK2.50 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at UK1.94. With such a narrow range of valuations, the analysts apparently share similar views on what they think the business is worth. Story continues Another way we can view these estimates is in the context of the bigger picture, such as how the forecasts stack up against past performance, and whether forecasts are more or less bullish relative to other companies in the industry. These estimates imply that sales are expected to slow, with a forecast revenue decline of 12%, a significant reduction from annual growth of 3.2% over the last three years. Compare this with our data, which suggests that other companies in the same industry are, in aggregate, expected to see their revenue grow 5.8% next year. So although its revenues are forecast to shrink, this cloud does not come with a silver lining - Forterra is expected to lag the wider industry. The Bottom Line The most important thing to take away is that the analysts are expecting Forterra to become unprofitable next year. Fortunately, they also upgraded their revenue estimates, although our data indicates sales are expected to perform worse than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at UK2.23, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets. With that said, the long-term trajectory of the company's earnings is a lot more important than next year. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for Forterra going out to 2023, and you can see them free on our platform here.. Before you take the next step you should know about the 2 warning signs for Forterra (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that we have uncovered. 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. NEWS.am digest: EU special rep. is in Armenia, Roma's Mkhitaryan turns 33 today Child injured in Artsakh car accident taken to Yerevan by Russian peacekeepers' helicopter Taiwanese woman faces death penalty for setting island's deadliest fire Turkey passes law to exempt converted lira deposits from corporate tax Blinken says he discussed Iran nuclear deal with Lavrov Erdogan says Turkey has peaceful relations with Russia like never before New German government wants to attract 400,000 skilled workers from abroad every year 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 Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson has praised rising American actor Michael Rainey Jr. The 45-year-old executive producer said the 19-year-old is going to 'deliver' in the lead role in POWER BOOK II: GHOST, as he's been 'groomed for it'. Michael returns as Tariq St. Patrick in Power's latest instalment, which airs exclusively on Stan in Australia. 'He's been groomed for it': Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson (pictured), 45, said Michael Rainey Jr. is going to 'deliver' as the 19-year-old lands the lead role in POWER BOOK II: GHOST When asked how the storyline will affect Tariq's mindset, 50 Cent said Michael has now found 'a real comfort' in the character that he's playing. 'Now it's just becoming a little more complex the things that they (the writers) have got him doing in it,' he explained in an interview this month. 'So I look forward to seeing his performance. I know that he's going to deliver because he's always been... he's been groomed for it.' On seeing Michael's talent rise in front of everyone's eyes, 50 Cent added that it's 'exciting' to see as 'he's the biggest prospect on the show'. Praise: 'I know that he's going to deliver because he's always been... he's been groomed for it,' 50 Cent said of Michael (pictured), in an interview this month 'Like Omari - he's Omari Hardwick. He's doing his thing,' 50 Cent said of the actor who plays Ghost on Power. 'Everybody else that's involved with the show is now established as a credible actor.' POWER BOOK II: GHOST picks up after the dramatic events of Power as Tariq St. Patrick grapples with a new world order: his father dead and his mother, Tasha, facing charges for the murder he committed. Insight on the industry: Last month, Michael told Daily Mail Australia the advice 50 Cent gave him that's 'always stuck' Truly on his own for the first time in his life, Tariq is forced to split his time between school, where he has to attend to earn his inheritance, and hustling to pay for the defense lawyer who is Tasha's only hope of getting out of jail. Tariq turns to the familiar drug game, entangling himself with a cutthroat family headed by Monet Stewart Tejada, played by Mary J. Blige. Last month, Michael told Daily Mail Australia the advice 50 Cent gave him that's 'always stuck'. 50 Cent is not only executive producer of the Power franchise, but also starred as Kanan Stark until season five. Both sides of the camera: 50 Cent is not only executive producer of the Power franchise, but also starred as Kanan Stark until season five. Pictured as Kanan 50 Cent's advice: 'He said, "Don't ever feel too entitled to anything, because that's when you deprive yourself". So I always keep that in mind,' Michael, who plays Tariq St. Patrick on Power revealed in an interview with Daily Mail Australia 'Something he [50 Cent] told me when we were filming season three, when Kanan and Tariq first started hanging out, has always stuck with me,' Michael said. 'He said, "Don't ever feel too entitled to anything, because that's when you deprive yourself". So I always keep that in mind. 'Or don't think something is always supposed to go your way, because that's when you deprive yourself and make the situation even worse,' he continued. Power Book II: Ghost airs Sundays only on Stan. New episodes are released weekly, same day as the US. Events for several Congressional races and two Illinois Houses seats are scheduled for the next two weeks and two events one for Congressional race and the other for the states Fair Tax Amendment proposal have already been held. The August Cork Persons of the Month: Director and CEO Cork International Film Festival Fiona Clark; and Jim Mountjoy, founder of the Cork Jazz Festival, with Paudie Donegan, Lexus Cork; Ann-Marie OSullivan of AM OSullivan PR and Manus OCallaghan, awards organiser. Photo by Tony OConnell Photography The contribution made to Cork's cultural life by a pair of major festival events has been recognised through the awarding of the prestigious Cork Person(s) of the Month award to two key figures behind their success. Cork International Film Festival director and CEO Fiona Clark and the founder of the Cork Jazz Festival, Jim Mountjoy, have been honoured for the roles they have played in ensuring both events remain as relevant as they did when first established. Founded in 1956, the Cork International Film Festival (CIFF) is a local, national and international celebration of cinema, running annually in November. Since taking over at the helm in 2016, Fiona Clark has overseen its expansion to become the largest and most comprehensive event of its kind in the country, showcasing films outside of mainstream cinema. The platform it provides has become hugely popular with filmmakers, with the festival welcoming over 4,000 submissions - three times more than all other Irish film festivals combined. Cork Person of the Year Awards organiser, Mallow man Manus O'Callaghan, pointed out that, in 2017, the CIFF was listed as one of the top 20 festivals to visit in Europe, a list that included Cannes, Venice and Berlin. "Fiona's dedication to delivering a world-class programme resulted in festival visitor numbers increasing dramatically each year, positioning Cork as a centre for cultural excellence, whilst simultaneously promoting Cork film makers," he said. Ms Clark said that being involved in the festival has been a hugely rewarding experience. "A lot of hard work goes into the festival each year - but it's the people of Cork that make the Film Festival so special," she said. Jim Mountjoy, the then-marketing manager at the Metropole Hotel, helped establish the Cork Jazz Festival in 1978, as a way of attracting the niche jazz market to fill hotel rooms over the October bank-holiday weekend. In his role as festival director between then and 1987, he travelled across Europe and the US promoting the event, helping it grow from humble beginnings as a gathering of local musicians to become a globally recognised event, attracting up to 50,000 people to Leeside each year to see some of the world's top musicians perform live at venues across the city and county. "It has been estimated that over one million fans visited Cork for the Jazz Festival, with a spend of over 250million in the Cork economy. Jim's work laid the foundation for one of Cork's most loved festivals, where fans have enjoyed performances by noted jazz musicians such as Ella Fitzgerald, George Shearing, Mel Torme, Wynton Marsalis, Buddy Rich, Oscar Peterson, Ronnie Scott, Dizzy Gillespie and hundreds more top world names," said Mr O'Callaghan. For his part, Jim Mountjoy said he was honoured to be part of a Cork tradition that has "added so much to the city's rich cultural heritage". "Every year the festival goes from strength to strength, and I am proud to have played a part in its foundation." Mr O'Callaghan that despite the COVID-19 interruptions this year, both festivals continue to be Cork's premier events. "The Cork International Film Festival's 65th birthday and the Cork Jazz Festival's 42nd birthday this year should be celebrated by all Corkonians everywhere," he said. Fiona Clark and Jim Mountjoy's names will now go forward for possible selection as Cork Person(s) of the Year, the winner(s) of which will be announced at a gala luncheon next January. Infosys INFY, on Thursday, announced its plans to hire additional 500 tech employees in Rhode Island, U.S., over the next two years. The companys move is aimed at reskilling workers who have been economically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest announcement is part of Indias second largest IT services firms Sep 1 commitment of adding 12,000 American workers to its workforce by 2023. In 2017, Infosys had committed to add 10,000 American workers over the next two years. The technology and consulting company has added 13,000 jobs so far across its U.S. offices. Infosys latest hiring announcements can be seen as part of its strategy to reduce dependencies on H1B work visas, which allow organizations to employee foreign nationals to work in U.S. offices. However, President Trumps administration has imposed several restrictions on H1B work visa in a move to help millions of Americans who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic-induced economic crisis. We believe with its planned hiring, the company intends to assure uninterrupted services across its largest market. North America accounted for nearly 62% of the Bengaluru, India-based IT consulting firms first-quarter fiscal 2021 revenues. Infosys Limited Price and Consensus Infosys Limited Price and Consensus Infosys Limited price-consensus-chart | Infosys Limited Quote Over the last three years, Infosys has launched six technology and innovation centers to build out its U.S. workforce. These technology and innovation centers are located in Indiana, Connecticut, North Carolina, Texas, Rhode Island, and Arizona and will focus on training and developing skills for critical IT service jobs. Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider Currently, Infosys carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A few better-ranked stocks in the broader technology sector are salesforce.com inc. CRM, Synaptics Incorporated SYNA, and Blackbaud, Inc. BLKB, each flaunting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Story continues The long-term earnings growth rate for Salesforce, Synaptics and Blackbaud is currently pegged at 18%, 10% and 7.6%, respectively. 5 Stocks Set to Double Each was hand-picked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2020. Each comes from a different sector and has unique qualities and catalysts that could fuel exceptional growth. Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor. Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report salesforce.com, inc. (CRM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Infosys Limited (INFY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Blackbaud, Inc. (BLKB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Synaptics Incorporated (SYNA) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Gun owners hold signs criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as they participate in a rally organized by the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights against the government's new gun regulations, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang Continue Reading Below Advertisement Sure it's frustrating to hear that a key mystery of the recent trilogy (one that was arguably resolved in the second movie) was managed about as well as Trump University, or Trump Steaks, or America. But perhaps we should accept that half-assed familial connections are as fundamental to Star Wars as monsters and space battles. Famously, George Lucas was always re-jigging genetic connections between characters while making the original trilogy. In early drafts of The Empire Strikes Back, the ghost of Luke's dad pops by at one point, and Luke's sister wasn't Leia, but some rando named "Nellith." Continue Reading Below Advertisement Lucas seemingly even dropped a twist also involving Obi-Wan Kenobi. Either because it was in the original screenplay or because they were putting cocaine in the drinking water in 1980s Hollywood, the author of the Return of the Jedi novelization included a scene where Obi-Wan reveals that Luke's Uncle Owen was his brother. Continue Reading Below Advertisement Plus, Boba Fett and Darth Vader, too, were almost brothers, because the Star Wars universe is somehow more inbred than the dreary German village from Dark. So really, any example of behind-the-scenes sloppiness can be chalked up as a loving homage. You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter! And check out the podcast Rewatchability Top Image: Lucasfilm TRC strikes a hard blow to counterfeit phones By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera View(s): View(s): From next month, all fake phones wont work. So despite a tantalisingly cheap price tag, the unforeseen trouble for such phones lies in the form of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC). From October, phones of only TRC registered telco vendors will work, Oshada Senanayake, Director General TRC told the Business Times. There are 24.43 million mobile phone subscribers in Sri Lanka as at December 2018, according to official data. As at January 2019, there are 13.5 million mobile phones equipped with 17.9 million active SIM cards. The number of SIM cards is higher because of multiple SIM use, according to a study done by LIRNEasia, a Sri Lankan think tank. Many consumers unaware they have purchased a counterfeit phone, inevitably experience malfunctions with their product. Believing their product to be genuine, consumers often send in their phones to the genuine manufacturers for repair. But some consumers do it knowingly. Buying a fake phone can pose a health risk such as high levels of radiation for an example. Its important to note that verified phones are safe, Mr. Senanayake added. Other drawbacks such as network disruption and poor product quality make buying genuine the clear choice. By next month consumer can identify a genuine phone through the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) which is a unique 15-digit number assigned to all cellular devices. This number is used to block a mobile phone from being used by another person or network operator if it ever gets lost or stolen. To check whether a phone is registered, one has to key in 1909 and insert the IMEI after which a response through a text will verify if the phone is registered or not. TRC-approved phones are sold by vendors registered with the regulator. Mr. Senanayake said that some 2, 500 vendors are registered with TRC now. He stressed that all mobile devices already being used will not have any issue by next month. TRC will provide an online portal to register device brought by individuals from overseas/online thereafter. This will ensure that consumers are protected, Mr. Senanayake said. He also said that conceptual agreement with all operators has been arrived upon to carry out the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) for both mobile and fixed lines. MNP enables switching of mobile and fixed-line numbers across competing service providers is a customer facility widely practiced internationally and is a key facet of a liberalised telecommunications market. Now technical discussions are in progress by a TRC-approved steering committee, Mr. Senanayake said. MNP will be in place ideally mid next year or late that year. This will offer seamless movement for customers without the hassle of losing their telephone number, Mr. Senanayake said. Basically, from then onwards a mobile/fixed line number will be agnostic or not tag to any operator. Mr. Senanayake said that MNP requires the setting up of technical infrastructure and number database management. TRC will finalise the technical nuances of these. 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After PM Modi came to power, the political culture of the country has changed. It was a politics of will-be-done. But after Modi came to power, we showed that we can do and things have been done, Nadda said. Before addressing the farmers in Muzaffarpur, Nadda held a crucial seat-sharing meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. At the meeting which lasted for more than half an hour, the leaders of the two parties have reportedly discussed the seat-sharing among alliance partners in the NDA, which also includes Ram Vilas Paswans Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). Of late, several differences have cropped up between JD(U) and LJP, which the BJP leadership is trying to iron out ahead of the elections. The schedule for assembly elections in the state is likely to be announced shortly. The Election Commission has indicated that it would like to conclude the exercise before end of term of the present house on November 29. (With agency inputs) 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. Brussels: A royal love child has demanded the title of Princess of Belgium after a 20-year fight to force the former Belgian king to recognise her. Delphine Boel won a seven-year legal battle against Albert II, her father, who was eventually ordered to take a DNA test after constantly refusing to admit she was his daughter. Delphine Boel and her lawyer Marc Uyttendaele, centre, leave the last hearing at the Court of Appeal in Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday. Credit:Getty Images Boel had first asked for recognition two decades ago. Albert stepped down from the throne in 2013, which is when Boel brought her legal action. He admitted he was her father in January. Lawyers for the 52-year-old artist and aristocrat have now lodged a demand at a Brussels court that Boel be allowed to take the title of princess, be referred to as "her Royal Highness" and bear the name of Saxe-Coburg. The title would also be extended to her children and she has demanded a share of the 86-year-old king's estate when he dies. Her half-brother Philippe is the current king. Insurance fraud seems like it might be an easy thing to do. Insurance companies are often so huge, one wonders how they might not even notic... New Delhi, Sep 12 : Percy Bysshe Shelley was a poet of the Romantic era who had inspired Mahatma Gandhi. Now, his 'Ode To The West Wind' written two centuries ago, Covid-19, an Italian director and an Indian producer have come together for "Human O.A.K.", a short film that is "absolutely poetic, something delicate, something that speaks about the pandemic but in a gentle way". The film "could only be thought and realised in the lockdown period. If there had not been the Covid-19 I would never have thought (of it) and shot it. I wanted to do something absolutely poetic, something delicate, something that spoke about the pandemic but in a gentle way. Because in such tragedies like the Covid-19, the affections of people who love each other and their possible loss, are the most important thing of all," the director, Ulisse Lendaro, told IANS in an email interview. "I wanted to start from a poem that was possibly related to a pandemic. I read 'Ode to the West Wind' by Shelley, all his biography and his connections with India, with Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore. So I immediately felt the strong need to talk about this idea with my friend and producer Jitendra Mishra who gave me a lot of good advice about the mood of the film. "It was an exchange, a continuous flow of energy and ideas. I started to write because I could 'see' the film. And so naturally we decided to co-produce this film," Lendaro explained. "Human O.A.K." is the story of a new type of humanity. The story of a child who, in the time of a sunset, becomes a girl, forced to quickly leave behind the life she had before everything changed, the memory of her mother with whom she used to play and their poems that now sound like an omen. In an abstract, melancholic present, drenched in nature, this little girl continues her journey until she reaches a large oak tree. There, among books hung to mature, she meets another child, a little boy. Maybe they already knew each other. Among visions of a recent past, memories, and nature, life is renewed for all humanity. How did the title evolve? "Human life is like the life of an oak tree. The west wind in autumn comes every year and takes out all the leaves of the tree but the tree stands tall to sprout new leaves again in spring next year. Humanity has always emerged stronger after such pandemic each time. This poetic film is a portrayal of change and hope for a new better life," said producer Jitendra Mishra. His most recent production, "The Last Color" directed by Michelin-starred Chef Vikas Khanna, starring Neena Gupta, has already been selected in more than 50 international film festivals and received more than 15 different awards as of now. The objective, he said, was to create a positive environment amongst the global film industry (between him and Lendaro, between Italy and India) "when everyone was getting negative because of the uncertain pandemic, to bring hope for others by making an international co-production possible even if we are sitting thousands of miles away and fighting against this dreadful situation". What was it like shooting amid the pandemic with its restrictions et al? Lendaro was with his family in the mountains, on the Dolomites, not far from Vicenza, when Covid-19 erupted. He understood immediately that a long period of confinement was about to begin and so the family decided to retire to their country house, just outside Vicenza. "We had three in the cast (including former Miss Italia Anna Valle) to shoot with and we did it with a very limited crew because of the social distancing norms of the Covid-19 lockdown. The entire film was shot outdoors and in a remote location outside the city, except for a few montages. That is the reason we didn't face many challenges I believe. "The only challenge was to have done a great job with a very small crew. The costume designer, for example is the Pluri-award-winning and talented Massimo Cantini Parrini, with whom I have worked at a distance via Skype: he was in Rome and I was in Vicenza. We - me and Jitendra - made a great post-production job of the film," Lendaro said. What are the plans for releasing the film and for future collaborations? "We are planning to do the festival round in the next two months. We have been invited and have already finalized a few festivals but can't reveal the names due to the non-disclosure agreement with them. We are planning to release it worldwide on a premium OTT platform by end of this year. "After this successful benchmark, of course, we are planning to make a feature-length film together that we will announce separately soon," Mishra said. What's the connection with Mahatma Gandhi? Shelley's ideologies of non-violence and vegetarianism were followed by Mahatma Gandhi, who would often quote the poet's "The Masque of Anarchy", that has been called "perhaps the first modern statement of the principle of non-violent resistance". "Shelley's eagerness for vegetarianism is connected with India. In 1812 he was converted to vegetarianism by his friend John Frank Newton, who had himself been converted while living in India. Shelley wrote 'Ode to the West Wind' in 1819 near Florence. It was originally published in 1820 by Charles in London as part of the collection 'Prometheus Unbound'. Shelley wanted his message of reform and revolution spread, and the wind becomes the trope for spreading the word of change through the poet-prophet figure," Mishra elaborated. (Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at vishnu.makhijani@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Mukesh Ranjan By Express News Service RANCHI: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) will be contesting Bihar Assembly polls together with RJD under Mahagathbandhan. Chief Minister Hemant Soren called on jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav at Kelly Bungalow of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi on Saturday and claimed that a blueprint was being prepared for contesting Bihar Polls together under the grand alliance. A blueprint is being prepared for contesting Bihar polls together, said Soren. Details on the role played by each of the parties will be discussed later on suitable platform by the people already authorized for the purpose, he added. Asked on how many seats the JMM will be fielding its candidates in Bihar, Soren said, Wait for some more time to know who will be contesting on how many seats and from where?" JMM, which had given seven seats to RJD in the 2019 Jharkhand Assembly elections under the grand alliance and also provided ministerial berth to the lone RJD MLA Satyanand Bhokta, had staked its claim over 12 seats for Bihar Assembly polls. According to JMM General Secretary and party spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya, the claim is being made on the basis of a survey conducted recently, which indicated that the party can directly prove to be beneficial for RJD on at least 40 seats. According to Bhattacharya, JMM had given 7 seats to RJD in the 2019 Assembly polls and expects similar generosity from it in Bihar. Incidentally, the Election Commission of India had frozen JMMs symbol bow and arrow -- in Bihar before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls following a complaint lodged by Nitish Kumars Janta Dal (United), saying that it may create confusion among the voters as symbols of both the parties looked similar. Assembly seats where JMM wants to field its candidates are Tarapur, Kataria (ST), Manihari (ST), Banka, Thakurganj, Jhajha, Rupauli, Pranpur, Banmankhi, Jamalpur, Peerpaiti, and Chakai. The party had won the Chakai Assembly seat in 2005. The United States was supported only by Israel on Friday in a vote against a UN resolution for a comprehensive and coordinated response" to the Covid-19 pandemic, a text that included recognition of the WHOs leadership role. The measure, which has been negotiated since May, was adopted by an overwhelming majority of 169 countries out of 193, with Ukraine and Hungary abstaining. The text, called an omnibus resolution because it covers multiple aspects of the pandemic, acknowledges the key leadership role of WHO and the fundamental role of the United Nations system in catalyzing and coordinating the comprehensive global response to the Covid-19 pandemic." The United States withdrew from the WHO this spring, accusing the body of mismanaging the coronavirus pandemic and delaying launch of a global alert. The text calls for intensified international cooperation and solidarity to contain, mitigate and overcome the pandemic and its consequences." And it supports UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres call in March for a ceasefire between countries in order to better facilitate the fight against the pandemic - a request that has been little followed. The text additionally calls for the urgent removal of unjustified obstacles," meaning sanctions, in order to create better access to products used in combatting the virus. It requests nations to maintain food and agricultural supply chains and encourages synching economic recovery strategies to promote sustainable development and combat climate change. Ahead of the vote, the United States unsuccessfully attempted to remove a paragraph on protecting women in the area of sexual and reproductive health, over objections about abortion. Libya and Iraq also voted for the paragraphs removal. However more than 120 countries voted to keep it and 25 countries abstained. Betty Who has secretly tied the knot with fiance Zak Cassar during quarantine. The Australian pop sensation revealed the exciting news, as she promoted her feature debut in the HBO Max film Unpregnant. She and the photographer announced their engagement back in November of 2017, and they still intend to have a big wedding when they can afford it, and when COVID-19 isn't as much of a factor. Quarantine nuptials: Betty Who has secretly tied the knot with fiance Zak Cassar during quarantine The 28-year-old told ET Online: 'Honestly, we have been waiting to have a big wedding because we want to do it right and do it fancy. I just have to be so much more rich to throw a fierce fabulous wedding that I can actually afford. 'But we just felt like it was the right thing to just lock it down. So if we want to travel, we're together, we have each others rights and everything. We just want to feel safe and know that we can take care of each other.' She also told Pride.com about how their honeymoon at home has been: 'Its honestly so special and wonderful. 'A silver lining of quarantine has been spending so much time together. Our lives have gone through a lot of changes so its almost like getting to know each other all over again. I feel really lucky.' Wedding bells: The 28-year-old said: 'Honestly, we have been waiting to have a big wedding because we want to do it right and do it fancy. I just have to be so much more rich to throw a fierce fabulous wedding that I can actually afford' Lock it down: She added: 'But we just felt like it was the right thing to just lock it down. So if we want to travel, we're together, we have each others rights and everything. We just want to feel safe and know that we can take care of each other' Girl's best friend: Betty showed off her diamond engagement ring on Instagram back in November of 2017, as she announced their engagement Betty showed off her diamond engagement ring on Instagram back in November of 2017, as she announced their engagement. She wrote: 'Okay @zcassar I GUESS Ill marry you. Now my best friend has to work 100 times harder to get rid of me. I am the luckiest girl in the world today and every other day just because I know you. Lets OWN this marriage thing.' The Somebody Loves You artist began dating the son of Emmy-winning director Jon Cassar back in 2014. She and Zak put on a chic display this week in matching black suits, as they caught her feature debut at the drive-in premiere of the HBO Max film Unpregnant. Betty plays race car driver Kira, who has a particularly steamy kiss scene with Euphoria actress Barbie Ferreira. Date night: She and Zak put on a chic display this week in matching black suits, as they caught her feature debut at the drive-in premiere of the HBO Max film Unpregnant Vroom vroom: Betty plays race car driver Kira, who has a particularly steamy kiss scene with Euphoria actress Barbie Ferreira She said of the role: 'And I wont lie to you, it would be very full circle if I could make a budding, young queer girl feel 1/100th of the way Shane from The L Word made me feel' She told Pride.com of the role: 'I LOVED it. Kira is definitely way cooler than I am. I wish I could wear that racing suit every day. Its amazing how playing a bada**, powerful, self-assured woman rubbed off on me a little. 'Im still not as cool as her but I definitely learned a little something from her that lives in me now. And I wont lie to you, it would be very full circle if I could make a budding, young queer girl feel 1/100th of the way Shane from The L Word made me feel.' Largely considered to be a queer icon, she came out on Instagram back in October of 2018, when a fan asked if she felt 'exploitative' pandering to the LGBTQIA community. Betty responded: 'Not that I should have to justify myself to you or anyone, but I have been in relationships with both men and women. 'I have been deeply, earth shatteringly in love with both men and women. Just because I happen to be engaged to a man doesnt mean that I havent found a home within the gay community.' Four years ago this week, a Lyceum poll of likely voters showed Hillary Clinton 7 points behind Donald Trump in this state. This past week, the average of three new Texas polls had Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden within 1 point of Trump. If those numbers can be believed, they tell the story of a state that has gone, over a four-year period, from vaguely competitive to genuinely up for grabs. Its a narrative that deserves some skepticism because we all know that the last Democratic presidential nominee to carry this state was Jimmy Carter in 1976. You can only endure so many campaign cycles of talk about Democrats flipping this state before it starts to feel like some guy assuring you every morning that hes on the verge of winning the lottery. This skepticism leads some to argue that Texas is fools gold for Democrats; that the overwhelming size of the state and the high cost of advertising in the Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio media markets should be enough to discourage Team Biden from investing any serious resources here. Unsurprisingly, Gilberto Hinojosa disagrees with that take. The chairman of the Texas Democratic Party points to the growing diversity of the state and the fact that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is targeting 10 Republican-held Texas seats (and two recently flipped by Democrats) during this cycle. He also cites the 1.6 million mail-vote applications his organization has sent out since January and the estimated 1.3 million unregistered voters the Texas Democratic Party contacted in its registration drive over the first week of September. Hinojosa argues that a targeted advertising campaign by Biden in the right districts could not only secure him the states 38 electoral votes, it could get Democratic congressional and state House candidates across the finish line. Were not asking Joe Biden to invest $100 million in Texas. Were not asking him to invest $75 million, Hinojosa said. If the Biden campaign would simply invest one-third of that, which is a small amount of the money they hauled in during just this quarter, it would make the difference. The Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee recently announced that they jointly raised $364.5 million in August, $154 million more than Trump over the same period. That means Biden can afford to take a shot at Texas, with the understanding that even if he falls short, he will force Trump to deplete resources in defending this state, while potentially bolstering the Democratic majority in the U.S. House and enabling his party to gain control of the Texas House. Weve given this message to the Biden campaign, Hinojosa said. How much money can you put into Wisconsin, to make the difference? I mean, cmon. Without saturating that area, you can only do so much. The former vice president tested the Texas waters in July with a 60-second spot that was part of a six-figure, four-state ad buy. Last month, Bidens campaign listed Texas among 15 states that will be included in a $280 million TV and digital advertising push. Hinojosa believes that any spending in Texas would be best concentrated in the 12 congressional districts targeted by the DCCC as well as traditionally Democratic-rich areas (such as the Rio Grande Valley, El Paso and Laredo) where a big turnout could offset Trumps strength in rural counties. What is different about Texas than any other swing state in the country is this: Because the national party has targeted 12 congressional seats, and if you calculate 900,000 people in each of these congressional districts, youre looking at somewhere close to 11 million in population, most of that being in the suburbs and surrounding areas of the state of Texas, Hinojosa said. Time will tell if were seeing the long-term political realignment of American suburbs or simply a case of white-collar, anti-Trump Republicans temporarily straying from their old party. Its a phenomenon, however, that was evident as early as September 2016, when polling found that Trump trailed Clinton by double digits among white college-educated women in 37 states. Four years earlier, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney won 52 percent of the vote among college-educated women. For years, national Democrats have perceived Texas largely as an ATM and a source of manpower to be deployed to other parts of the country. Hinojosa points out that the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton enlisted Texas volunteers to make calls to voters in other states. He said that this year he has 100 paid staffers who are organizing volunteers, including some from other states, to make calls in Texas. Weve got it covered to a large extent. And thats what youre seeing in the polls, Hinojosa said. Whats going to happen if Biden makes an investment? That should push us over the top. 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 20:27:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait on Saturday reported 736 new COVID-19 cases and one more death, raising the tally of infections to 94,211 and the death toll to 558, the Health Ministry said in a statement. Currently, 9,249 patients are receiving treatment, including 94 in ICU, according to the statement. The ministry also announced the recovery of 744 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 84,404. 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 Flowers are placed at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York on Sept. 11, 2020, as the U.S. commemorates the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) As India is exploring options to set up air bubbles with more countries to facilitate international travel in a restricted manner, a number of foreign airlines from countries with which India has already set up air bubbles have resumed their operations in the country. Americas United Airlines has recently announced direct flights to Delhi and Bengaluru, which will start between December 2020 and January 2021. Heres all you need to know 1. International flight operations were suspended on March 22, before the nationwide lockdown was imposed to fight the spread of Covid-19. From May 7, Air India resumed repatriating flights under Vande Bharat Mission, which entered its sixth phase in September. 2. Starting from July end, India entered into air bubbles with a few select countries to facililitate two-way operations. While repatriation flights can operate one way, air bubble flights can operate both ways. These bubbles allow foreign airlines to operate in India as well. 3. So far, India has transport bubbles with the US, the UK, Canada, Qatar, France, Germany, Afghanistan, the Maldives, and the UAE. 4. India is in talks with 13 other countries, including Australia, Italy, japan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Bahrain, Israel, Kenya, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand, to set up air bubbles. 5. List of foreign airlines operating in India: United Airlines (Chicago),Emirates (Dubai), Etihad (Abu Dhabi), Air France (Paris), Lufthansa (Germany), Air Canada (Canada), Virgin Atlantic (England) 6. Not everyone can fly to foreign destinations at this moment. International travel is subject to several conditions by the Centre and also the destination country. 7. United Airlines has announced non-stop flights daily between Chicago and New Delhi starting from December. From January 2021, United will operate between San Francisco and Bengaluru. 8. Regular international flights are still suspended. Setting up more air bubbles is presently the only way to step up international travel. 9. Meanwhile, Air Indias Vande Bharat Mission flights will continue 10. Under air bubbles, foreign carriers cant fly passengers to and from any other destination apart from the countries which have entered into the pact. Don't you want to jump into the screen and drink these raspados right now?! Just wait until you see the picture of the tacos in this list. And the pumpkin pie. And the curry noodles. Gahh! Flouting self-isolation rules could be punishable with a fine under new rules reportedly being considered by ministers in a bid to stem rising coronavirus infections. Ministers have also discussed establish a hotline for reporting breaches of requirements for people identified as at risk of carrying Covid-19, a cabinet source told The Times. Police forces have already been given the power to issue 1,000 fines to anyone flouts the 14-day quarantine order after arriving in the nation from a country with high rates of the virus. The idea of expanding the threat of fines to people who have symptoms or who have been in contact with an infected person is said to be at an exploratory stage. But is unclear how readily such measures would be enforced if introduced, with only 34 people fined for breaking post-travel quarantines since the measure was introduced. Recommended Coronavirus has put our ability to understand each other under strain Police officers have also warned they do not have the capacity to enforce the new rule of six restrictions being introduced from Monday. The governments plan is reportedly part of a carrot and stick approach that will also include larger payments for those forced to stay at home. Last month the health secretary Matt Hancock was forced to defend the governments planned payment to isolating citizens, which in some instances was equivalent to just 13 a day. Responding to the Times report, Labours shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth called on the government to offer better financial backing for those isolating. He wrote on Twitter: How about offer those who need to isolate but in fear of losing jobs or wages proper financial security & support? The prospect of the new fines comes amid concern the nation is in the grip of a national spike in cases after a total of 3,539 new infections were recorded on Friday - the highest daily figure since May. Public Health Englands medical director Professor Yvonne Doyle warned the increased daily cases served as a reminder of the ongoing risk as the virus spreads throughout the UK. She said: Although younger people continue to make up the greatest share of new cases, were now starting to see worrying signs of infections occurring in the elderly, who are at far higher risk of getting seriously ill. People should continue to follow social distancing rules, wash their hands regularly and wear a face covering in enclosed spaces. You should not mix with others when unwell. Explained: Who decides to provide Y-plus security, who pays for it? India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Sep 12: Days after her spat with Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut has been accorded Y-plus category of CRPF security by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). As many as eleven commandos have been tasked with protecting Ranaut. Two of the commandos will provide her with mobile security, while one will guard her residence at all times across the country. Who decides the level of protection that is to be given to an individual? The level of security needed by any individual is decided by the Ministry of Home Affairs, based on inputs received from intelligence agencies which include the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). Home Ministry approves Y-Grade Category security to Kangana Ranaut It can be seen that the agencies mostly provide a subjective measure of the threat to life or injury to a person from terrorists or any other group, based on information generated from their sources. The information can include intercepts of phone conversations, human intelligence, or a credible analysis of an open threat. Some individuals, by the positions they hold in government, are automatically entitled to have a security cover. They include the Prime Minister and his immediate family. The Home Minister and officials such as the National Security Advisor too, generally get security cover because of the positions they occupy. Why did Deepika Padukone not get security when she faced a threat of beheading by the Karni Sena in 2017? Indian intelligence agencies are not accountable to any statutory body, and are subject only to the internal oversight of the MHA and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Because of this opacity in functioning, and the fact that there is virtually no accountability except to the government in power, VIP security is open to manipulation by the executive. What are the levels of protection extended by the governments at the Centre and the states? There are as many as six categories of security cover: X, Y, Y-plus, Z, Z-plus, and SPG (Special Protection Group). Maharashtra govt orders inquiry into drug use allegation against Kangana Ranaut While the SPG is meant only for the PM and his immediate family, other protection categories can be provided to anyone about whom the Centre or state governments have inputs of a threat. The number of personnel guarding the protectee differ from category to category. The X category is the most basic level of protection. a. The X category on average entails just one gunman protecting the person. b. The Y category has one gunman for mobile security, and one (plus four on rotation) for static security. c. Y-plus has two gunmen (plus four on rotation) for mobile security, and one (plus four on rotation) for residence security. d. Z has six gunmen for mobile security and two (plus 8) for residence security. e. Z-plus protectees have 10 security personnel for mobile security, and two (plus 8) for residence security. However, there are other types of security cover even within these levels. These include security of residence, mobile security, office security, and inter-state security. Each individuals are given different kinds of security cover depending upon the threat perception. For example, if the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh is assessed to have a threat from Maoists only in his state, the Centre may choose to give him residence and mobile security only in his state. He may be given appropriate security by the state police when he travels out. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 12, 2020, 11:26 [IST] Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 21:03:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUNMING, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Police in southwest China's Yunnan Province have nabbed a suspect and seized more than 13 kg of heroin in a drug trafficking case. After receiving a tip-off in late August that drug dealers were planning to smuggle drugs into China, police in Shidian County immediately set up a task force to investigate the case. They caught the suspect in a service area along the route from Yunnan's provincial capital Kunming to neighboring Guizhou Province on Sept. 4, seizing 40 pieces of heroin weighing 13.88 kg from the interlayer of the trunk of his vehicle. Further investigation into the case is underway. Enditem In a move to prevent tragic outcomes involving the mentally ill, San Antonio police officers now are required to take a more measured approach when responding to mental health calls that involve weapons or acts of violence. That includes making contact with someone at the scene other than the mentally ill person in order to gain a fuller understanding and potentially de-escalate the situation, Police Chief William McManus said Friday. We want to create some time or some distance before we have to confront that person, McManus said, and evaluate what other resources we may need at the scene to prevent anyone from getting hurt. If the call is found to be an escalated mental health crisis, a police supervisor will be called to the scene, as well as the SAPD Mental Health team. Responding officers will not approach the person in crisis unless that person initiates contact or someones life is in danger. In addition, City Manager Erik Walsh is in talks with University Health System and Bexar County officials about creating a mental health response group to help families in these situations. Im completely supportive of Chief McManus policy revisions, Walsh said in a statement. These encounters can unnecessarily put officers and the public in harms way. Over the course of the next few months, well continue to work with the community and evaluate SAPDs programs, policies and call response to align with best practices. The new order came down last week about a week after a Bexar County sheriffs deputy shot and killed Damian Daniels, an armed military veteran in mental distress. On Aug. 25, a brother of Daniels called the American Red Cross because Daniels was suffering a mental health crisis, the fourth such call to Daniels home in a 24-hour span. The Red Cross called the Sheriffs Office. Three patrol deputies responded and tried to detain Daniels, who had a gun under his shirt. Daniels resisted, and Deputy John Rodriguez shot him twice, killing him. McManus briefed the City Councils public safety committee about the new mental health order, as well as other updates to the departments use of force policy. The Police Department has banned the use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants, though officers still can take whatever measure they deem necessary if they feel someones life is in danger. The Police Department stopped teaching and authorizing chokeholds in 2014, the same year it began training officers in de-escalation tactics. I think (the policy) reads cleaner to emphasize that LVNR (lateral vascular neck restraint) is prohibited, McManus said. Theres no exception in that line. The exception is that in the overall use of force, if youre in the fight for your life, then you can do whatever it takes to survive. He added, You cant put a policy in place that absolutely prohibits an officer from taking whatever steps are necessary to save someones life, including their own. I think you have case law and statutory law that would support that. We have gone right to the line. No-knock warrants allow police officers to force their way into homes without warning to make an arrest or search for evidence. McManus suspended their use for both search and arrest warrants in June, the same month that District 2 Councilwoman Jada Andrews-Sullivan issued a Council Consideration Request seeking to stop them. The departments policy now requires the use of other strategies, such as setting up a perimeter and encouraging a suspect to surrender. Going through the door trying to arrest a dangerous person puts the officer at too much risk and anyone else in the house who may be an innocent party, McManus said. Its too risky, too much potential for someone to get hurt. He added, If the person says, Look, Ive got a hostage, two or three hostages in here, and Im going to start killing them in 30 seconds, well, were going to go through the door. District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda, who chairs the councils public safety committee, was pleased by the reforms. Im relieved to hear you say that theres going to be a ban on no-knock search warrants, a ban on no-knock arrest warrants and now a ban on chokeholds, she said. This is what hundreds of public comments, both verbal and written, have been asking for. Im very relieved to hear that and thankful for the community. (Natural News) If youre sick or if you have a chronic health condition, you may not think twice about getting your prescription filled at the nearest pharmacy. However, according to a leaked email, a CVS district leader warned employees not to tell customers that their medications were filled by a worker who has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). A deadly secret? Michael DeAngelis, CVS spokesperson, explained that it is not company policy to prohibit pharmacies from informing patients if their prescription was filled when an employee who tested positive for COVID-19 worked in the pharmacy. But according to the internal email shared by a Georgia CVS technician, the district leader asked employees to track down the prescriptions filled by a COVID-19-positive employee so they could be pulled from store shelves. Shockingly, the email said that if a patient had already picked up one of those prescriptions, the standard policy was to NOT make an outreach call. Customer safety at risk The technician shared that CVS employees were threatened with disciplinary action or termination if they tried to inform customers that someone in the store tested positive for COVID-19. After the email was leaked, 14 CVS employees from throughout the country have contacted Business Insider to complain of CVSs pattern of bullying staff and a tendency for flagrantly disregarding the safety of both staff and customers. After their identities were confirmed, Business Insider granted anonymity to all sources over job-security concerns. Unnamed staff revealed that CVS has ignored incidents of potential COVID-19 exposure. Last August, DeAngelis told Business Insider that, per CVSs policy, employees can report for work if theyve been exposed to someone who tested positive. However, asymptomatic employees who didnt test positive for COVID-19 can only work if they wear surgical masks, self-monitor for symptoms, and have their temperature taken before and after every shift for 14 days following exposure. (Related: The biggest lie of this coronavirus hoax is that the state cares about any of you.) DeAngelis also said that employees can ask for time off to quarantine if they were exposed to a coworker who tested positive. But after the Georgia technicians coworker exhibited symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus, staff whod worked closely proximity with the coworker were told not to get tested since CVS couldnt have anyone else out of work. Forcing employees to stay silent can make coronavirus spread faster As the pandemic continues to spread across America, gag rules where employers forbid workers from speaking out about coronavirus cases are becoming common. Employees hands are tied, especially since no one wants to be punished or get fired for telling customers of suspected or confirmed coronavirus cases at work. For the last few months, businesses across the country have been telling workers to remain quiet about potential and confirmed COVID-19 cases. Hundreds of U.S. employers in different industries warn workers not to share information about Covid-19 cases or even raise concerns about the virus. In some cases, employers have retaliated against workers for speaking up, as revealed by workplace complaints filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Employees at Amazon.com, Cargill, McDonalds and Target report that their employers want them to stay quiet about coronavirus cases. Similar gag rules have prevented employees from General Electric, Smithfield Foods and Urban Outfitters from speaking up, suggests OSHA complaints. According to an email, Delta Air Lines informed 25,000 flight attendants to please refrain from notifying other crew members on your own about any coronavirus symptoms or diagnoses. At Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), an employee texted to inform his colleagues that he tested positive. However, REI higher-ups told him not to tell anybody and to not post or say anything on social media. Not surprisingly, Amazon, McDonalds and Target deny the allegations. Several companies denied complaints from workers: Cargill Inc. was noncommittal, claiming it considers health information private. Delta claims it doesnt punish workers for sharing diagnoses. General Electric Co. shared that it hasnt threatened employees for discussing coronavirus-related concerns REI denies prohibiting employees from, or punishing them for, bringing up any concerns or talking about their health condition. According to Smithfield Foods Inc., its policy is the opposite of the allegations in the complaint. Urban Outfitters Inc. insists it encourages employees to report concerns and that OSHA hasnt found any wrongdoing on its part. One complaint reveals trailer manufacturer Great Dane LP has a Dont ask, dont tell policy. Meanwhile, another complaint alleges that plastics company Jeans Extrusions Inc. instructed workers not to discuss infections because the company cant afford to quarantine everyone. Teachers are also bound by gag orders Even teachers are receiving gag orders. By the end of July, when Florida prepared to go back to in-person classroom teaching, the school district in Jacksonvilles home county of Duval emailed a warning to employees. According to the email, social media posts that may reflect badly on the districts reputation may lead to disciplinary actions. The school district then backtracked, claiming that the email wasnt sent to prevent employees from expressing views on reopening. Most of the time, employees shared that higher-ups cite employee privacy to justify the gags, along with federal privacy laws like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. However, these laws dont require companies to prohibit employees from discussing safety matters. Rather, federal laws, like those that created OSHA and the NLRB, ensure that employees can communicate about and protest unfair or dangerous job conditions. Yet federal bodies have failed to make companies heed the law. There are thousands of OSHA complaints about coronavirus safety issues that have yielded citations against only two companies, a health-care company and a nursing home, with a total of at least $47,000. In a statement, the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHAs parent, said that the agency continues to field and respond to complaints, and will take the steps needed to address unsafe workplaces. The NLRB didnt comment on the issue. Profit over safety Gag orders from employers may cause a surge in coronavirus infections, which can make the end of the year more dangerous than it might be. David Michaels, a public health researcher who ran OSHA under President Obama, said that workplace exposures are behind the majority of infections in many places. Michaels, who is now a professor at George Washington University, advised that listening to employees instead of silencing them is key to effectively stopping the coronavirus pandemic. Sources include: BusinessInsider.com Bloomberg.com Ten people have been confirmed dead, at least one dozen are unaccounted for and hundreds have lost their homes as historic wildfires continue to burn throughout Oregon on Saturday. The blazes have scorched more than 1 million acres throughout the state, spanning from the southern border to the coast and Clackamas County. That figure is about twice the yearly average over the past 10 years. A top state official also acknowledged Friday that Oregon is preparing for a mass fatality incident as the states death toll continues to rise. The blazes have caused widespread evacuations, forcing more than 40,000 to flee their homes. Many evacuations remain in effect Saturday, though some had been downgraded. Here is the latest on wildfires burning throughout Oregon. This report will be updated as new information emerges Saturday. Air quality remains poor Portlands air quality was the worst among major cities across the world late Saturday morning. The five major cities with the worst conditions are all on the West Coast of the U.S. or Canada. Other parts of Oregon are worse off than Portland, and areas from Lincoln City to Eugene, Pendleton, Bend, Roseburg and Ashland are under dense smoke advisories. The National Weather Services Portland office said air quality will likely remain poor through the weekend. Health experts have advised all residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. Fire marshal put on leave, resigns The Oregon State Police on Saturday announced Fire Marshal Jim Walker had been put on paid administrative leave. Then, later in the day, the state police announced its superintendent had accepted a resignation offer from Walker. The state police did not said why Walker was put on leave. But a source familiar with the situation said Superintendent Travis Hampton had lost confidence and trust in Walkers ability to manage the historic wildfires. Walker, the source said, had effectively turned over day-to-day management of the fires to his chief deputy, Mariana Ruiz-Temple. Ruiz-Temple was appointed the acting fire marshal while Walker was on leave. She has since been appointed as fire marshal. Widespread looting, antifa rumors untrue Although rumors of widespread looting in evacuated areas have spread rapidly on social media, law enforcement officials throughout the state are saying these claims are inaccurate. Many rumors and conspiracy theories have surfaced during Oregons spate of wildfires, such as those claiming anti-fascists were operating a coordinated arson campaign throughout the state. Such rumors, as well as claims of widespread looting, are not true. Its typical for law enforcement agencies to step up patrols whenever residential areas are evacuated, to thwart any would-be thieves. But police agencies in evacuation zones have publicly confirmed just four cases of people breaking into vacant homes or businesses as of late Friday, several days after the fires began. Clackamas County fires The Riverside fire, now burning more than 132,000 acres, was still within half a mile of the small city of Estacada on Saturday afternoon, but the fires growth has slowed considerably. The fire was still 0% contained Saturday afternoon, with 246 people fighting the blaze, but the U.S. Forest Service said favorable weather conditions were limiting the rapid growth of the blaze, but conditions remained dangerous, and the fire remains active. A wide swath of Clackamas County, including Estacada, is under a Level 3 (go now) evacuation order. The rest of the county is under less immediate evacuation orders. Oregon City, Sandy and Canby were downgraded late Saturday to Level 1 alerts, meaning those cities faced less significant danger, but residents should still be prepared to evacuate if necessary. Marion County The Beachie Creek fire devastated Santiam Canyon on Tuesday, all but destroying entire towns and killing at least four people. But with lower temperatures Friday night, commanders have been able to move resources to the west and north sides of the 187,000-acre fire and let local fire departments do most of the mop-up work, Oregon State Fire Marshal spokesman Stefan Myers said. That work includes tackling flare-ups and getting ready to contain the fire in case it does reignite. Marion County Sheriffs Office search and rescue personnel have continued to look for the dead amid the devastated areas along Oregon 22, which straddles the border between Linn and Marion counties. Lyons, Gates and Detroit are among the towns devastated by the wildfires. Two of the people found dead have been identified as Wyatt Tofte, 13, and Peggy Mosso, 71. Sgt. Jeremy Landers said on Saturday evening that the other two confirmed fatalities have not yet been identified. As of Friday night, the sheriffs office confirmed that 10 people were missing from the fires. The Marion County Sheriffs Office on Saturday reduced the evacuation levels of several cities. Lyons, Gates and Detroit are among those that remain under Level 3 evacuations. Oregon National Guard helps with traffic control on Oregon 22 which is still not passable. Wildfire tracker: See all fires in Oregon and across the nation Jackson County Five people have now been confirmed dead in the aftermath of the Almeda and South Obenchain wildfires burning in southern Oregon. Rich Tyler, spokesman for the Oregon fire marshal, said authorities will not release the names of those who died until all next of kin have been notified. The Jackson County Sheriffs Office said detectives have found all but one of the 50 people reported missing after the fire. Tyler stressed the number tied to the two Jackson County fires is fluid and subject to change as officials work to track down displaced people. 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. Sheriffs officials in Douglas and Jefferson counties, where large fires also continue to burn, have said they have no reports of people who are unaccounted for. The 3,200-acre Almeda fire is 50% contained, and the 25,000-acre South Obenchain blaze is 20% contained. Some areas near the South Obenchain fire were moved up to Level 2 near the perimeter. More information here. Several areas near the Almeda fire were lowered from Level 2 (get ready) to Level 1 on Saturday as conditions improved. Josephine County The Slater fire is estimated at 122,000 acres as of Saturday, prompting evacuations of residents along the Redwood Highway near the California border, as well as all areas of the Oregon Caves National Monument. An evacuation map is available on the county website. Firefighters have kept the fire away from towns like Cave Junction and Kerby, but parts of those towns remained under some level of evacuation orders. No residential structures are known to have burned in the fires. County officials said evacuees can find shelter at the county fairgrounds in Grants Pass. Lake County Firefighters are conducting burning operations Saturday in an effort to protect the small town of Paisley and outlying homes from the Brattain fire. The operations prompted a Level 3 evacuation for all residents of Paisley, which is home to over 300 people. The American Red Cross is establishing an evacuation area at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeview. The human-caused blaze covers 8,000 acres and is completely uncontained. 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 156,664 acres and is completely unchecked as of Saturday morning. When fire crews went to survey damage near Vida Friday, they discovered a body inside a home on Goodpasture Road, the local sheriffs office said. Douglas County The Archie Creek fire now covers 115,857 acres east of Roseburg. Firefighters made some progress Saturday, and now estimate it is 10% contained. Road crews are also working to clear downed trees from Oregon 138. Some evacuation levels were lowered Friday, though some residents remain under Level 3 orders and all county residents remain under at least a Level 1 (be ready) order. The sheriffs office said residents of areas under Level 3 evacuation orders can learn more about their properties in a private meeting Sunday afternoon at Glide High School. Residents must provide proof of address to attend. Lincoln County The Echo Mountain Complex hasnt grown significantly in the last 48 hours, fire officials said Saturday. The blaze covers 2,435 acres and is 15% contained. Some areas remain under Level 3 evacuations while other evacuation levels have been downgraded or removed. The Statesman Journal reported Saturday that U.S. 101 through Lincoln City is reopened to traffic. Oregon 18 remains closed. Washington County Th Chehalem-Bald Peak fire is now 75% contained, and most residents can return to their homes as evacuation levels are decreased. Portland General Electric will start restoring power to homes that were previously in Level 3, go now zones. Level 2 area residents need to remain ready to go at a moments notice. Residents can enter the address into this interactive map to determine their evacuation zone: Jim Ryan, Jayati Ramakrishnan, and The Oregonian/OregonLive staff Noelle Crombie, Fedor Zarkhin, K. Rambo, Jeff Manning, Jamie Hale, Aimee Green and Shane Dixon Kavanaugh of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report, which has been updated throughout the day. By Tanishaa Nadkar and Pushkala Aripaka (Reuters) - 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 Aviva's 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) (Reporting by Tanishaa Nadkar and Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru, and Anshuman Daga in Singapore; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila, Shounak Dasgupta and Louise Heavens) New Pima County cases of the coronavirus started increasing in late August, roughly two weeks after the University of Arizona community returned, prompting the countys chief medical officer to suggest were in for a little bit of a rough patch here. Nearly 600 Pima County cases of the coronavirus have been added to the Arizona Department of Health Services dashboard for the week that ended Sept. 5, representing a 16% increase from the week prior, the highest increase since the middle of June, data shows. That suggests the reversal of a mostly two-month downward trend that started in mid-July, said Dr. Francisco Garcia. He added that the UA recently submitted its data to the state health department and that numbers for the late August weeks will likely experience a bump at some point in the next few days. UA officials acknowledged this past week that things are not looking good, and that they are mulling over additional restrictions on students to combat the outbreak. The UA has confirmed 1,148 positive cases since July 31, including more than 600 positives this month. A dot map of new cases in Pima County in the week that ended Sept. 5 shows that nearly a dozen clusters of outbreaks had been confirmed at off-campus student complexes, dormitories and sorority and fraternity houses, with 112 cases from those sites. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- While the Staten Island Mall in New Springville reopened on Wednesday after being shuttered for nearly six months during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some stores -- including Justice and New York & Company -- will remain closed, according to Mall management. The Mall was able to reopen Wednesday after Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave the green light last week for malls in New York City to open at 50% capacity. At least 25 top Bollywood personalities including Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh are currently under the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) scanner after Rhea Chakraborty, in her questioning, reportedly admitted to having consumed drugs with them, according to Times Now. Fashion designer Simone Khambhattas name also came up during the investigation, reports Times Now, which states that these names have been given by Rhea Chakraborty in her interrogation by the NCB that went for three days. Times Now also accessed Rhea Chakrabortys call detail record (CDR) which showed that she was in touch with Rakul Preet and Simone. Meanwhile, a Mumbai sessions court on Friday rejected the bail plea of Rhea, along with her brother Showik and four others. 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 that Rhea and Showik financed and arranged drugs. All the six accused - including Samuel Miranda, Dipesh Swant, Abdul Basit and Zaid Vilatra - are likely to move the Bombay High Court for bail, Rheas lawyer Satish Maneshinde said shortly after the ruling. Until she gets further relief, Rhea, 28 - who was arrested on September 8 and sent to judicial custody till September 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. Sylvester Ofori, a Ghanaian pastor in the United States' wedding video with Barbara Tommey has surfaced online - This comes shortly after Sylvester shot his wife multiple times in broad daylight until she passed away into glory - One could see on the faces of the bride and groom in the video that they were looking forward to a blissful marriage that would last a lifetime. Sadly, just five years after they tied the knot, Sylvester shot his wife in broad daylight seven times and she died from the unbearable pain and injuries. Beautiful wedding video Of Ghanaian couple hits online after pastor husband shot wife dead in the US#AtinkaNews #Ghana #SylvesterOfori #BarbaraTommey pic.twitter.com/NE60R22Oza Kabutey (@KabuteyMensah) September 10, 2020 Source: youtube/twitter 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 HOLYOKE Martin J. Dunn is being remembered as a loyal friend and someone always happy to help others. A native son of Holyoke who served his city as alderman, mayor and state senator, Dunn died Friday at age 64. I valued his friendship and loyalty, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal said of Dunn. When he ran for the mayors seat in Holyoke, we would meet and I mentored him. He was a gifted and gritty politician. You cant come through urban politics without being determined, and he was. I lost a good friend. Neal said Dunn was a Holyoker through and through, but when he later ran for and won the state Senate seat, he was a good regional representative. The people of Holyoke love Holyoke no matter what, and Marty was one of them, Neal said. But when he was in the state Senate he advocated for the whole district, Holyoke and Chicopee and Easthampton. Kathy Dunn said her husband was a happy guy who lived well. He had a great life, he had a great career with wonderful friends and family. He had no regrets, she said. Kathy Dunn said she has been hearing from many people her husband helped over the years. Someone brought me a letter from 40 years ago, she said. It was a thank-you. Marty had gotten this man a job and it changed his life. It gave the man a career he just retired from. I didnt know. The nephew of one of the Paper Citys most storied politicians, the late Senate President Maurice A. Mossie Donohue, Dunn began his political career as an alderman in 1984. He was elected Holyokes 39th mayor in 1987 and served two terms before he was elected to the state Senate. As a senator, he was chairman of the Committee of Local Affairs and was named Legislator of the Year in 1992 by the Massachusetts Teachers' Association. An attorney, Dunn did not seek reelection to the Senate in 1993 but continued to work as its legal counsel for more than a decade, participating extensively in the state budgetary process and the drafting and analysis of legislation. Afterward he returned to private practice. He was a partner in the law firm of Dunn & Wilson, with attorney Thomas N. Wilson, until his death. Fellow attorney Jack Ferriter said he met Dunn when he was 10 years old and Dunn was 12. He was actually a friend of my older brothers, Ferriter said. Even though he was older he treated me the same as anyone else. He always did that. It didnt matter if you were a king or a pauper, Marty treated everyone the same. The two became close friends and colleagues, many times working on the same cases together. But the most important time for each was the early morning walks they took almost every day at the Whitney Reservoir. They were joined by mutual friend Aaron Bennie Wilson many days. He would talk about the things he did for people, how he wrote a letter of recommendation for someone or helped with an application for another, Ferriter said. It occurred to me that for all the favors he did for people, he never asked for anything back. He just loved helping people. I would hear it all the time on our walks how much he did for people but he never expected anything in return. Ferriter said one of the best things he can remember about Dunn was he called everyone his friend. When he talked about someone he said, my friend whomever, or when he introduced you to someone he would say, Id like you to meet my friend, Ferriter said. One time we were out somewhere and we bumped into a friend of Martys and he said to the person, I would like you to meet my friend Jack Ferriter. Just hearing that made my day. I felt as though I had made it into the inner sanctum. I will miss my friend. Wilson agreed. Marty is one of the finest Americans God ever made, he said. A fellow attorney, lifelong Holyoke resident and one of the reservoir walkers, Wilson said his younger brother was a childhood friend of Dunns. Later they got to know each other through work. We walked the reservoir and solved the worlds problems, Wilson laughed. One thing about Marty was he was always doing something for somebody. He was getting someone a job or asking favors for someone else. Half the time he didnt get paid for what he did for his clients. It didnt matter. He loved to do stuff for people. Former City Councilor Patti Devine said Dunn was thoughtful and did his homework as alderman, mayor and senator. He also had an irrepressible sense of fun. He had the greatest laugh, she said. You could hear him over anything. He got along with just about everyone, even a lot of the old-time politicians. Current City Councilor Joe McGiverin has known Dunn since they were in the third grade together. He said the two bonded over Catholic Youth Organization and YMCA sports. In 1984, with McGiverin already sitting on the Board of Alderman, Dunn ran and was elected. He was all about taking care of Holyoke and the people who elected him, McGiverin said. He worked to try and bring jobs and good housing. He was a strong supporter of Holyoke. Always doing things for people, his constituents or colleagues. If you asked him for his help he could not say no. Some say it was a fault, but that is who he was. It was ingrained in his fabric. He was always looking out for people. Current Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse hailed Dunn for his loyalty as well as his service to residents. Morse said he could tell Dunn was unwavering in his support for friends and supporters. Marty worked hard against me when I first ran for Mayor in 2011 not because he disliked me, although maybe he did at the time but because he was a model of what loyalty looks like to those he knows and supports, Morse said in an emailed statement Saturday. Everyone who knows Marty knows he would do anything for a friend. He loved people; he loved to help others. Its what made him happy and brought him joy. Dunn was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Holyoke Democratic Committee in 2015. In 2018, he was awarded a medal by the St. Thomas More Society for his achievements and years of service to the community. More is the patron saint of lawyers. A graduate of Columbia University, Dunn earned his law degree from Suffolk University Law School in 1982. Dunn graduated from Holyoke High School in 1974 and Mount Hermon Academy in 1975. Funeral arrangements will be handled by the Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home in Holyoke. Details have not been finalized. The Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy has joined a U.S.-led multinational maritime exercise in the Pacific, military officials said Saturday. According to the officials, the navies of South Korea, the United States, Japan and Australia are engaged in the three-day joint maritime exercise, Pacific Vanguard, in waters off Guam, that is scheduled to continue through Sunday. The ROK Navy dispatched the 7,600-ton Aegis destroyer Seoae Ryu Sung-ryong and the 4,400-ton Chungmugong Yi Sun-shin to take part in the exercise. Joining from the U.S. were an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, DDG-97, alongside a replenishment oiler and a submarine. During the three-day exercise, the navies will engage in a range of drills, including anti-submarine operations and a simulated surface battle. Military officials said the ROK Navy's participation in the latest Pacific Vanguard, the third of its kind since being launched last year, was requested by the U.S. Before Pacific Vanguard, the four nations' navies also took part in exercises together off Hawaii for the biannual Rim of the Pacific exercise (RIMPAC) from Aug. 17 to 31 and additional ones near Guam, Wednesday and Thursday, the officials said. (Yonhap) A dad who shot dead his son and daughter in a horrific murder suicide displayed a 'World's Greatest Daddy' shirt before turning the gun on himself. John Edwards, 67, killed his daughter Jennifer Edwards, 13, and his son Jack, 15, in West Pennant Hills, Sydney's north-west, on July 5, 2018. The children were later found 'crumpled together' under Jack's bedroom desk with multiple gunshot wounds. Edwards killed himself at his rented home near Normanhurst on the night of the murders. But before taking his own life, Edwards hung the black 'World's Greatest Daddy' shirt on a chest of drawers at the end of his bed, NCA NewsWire reported. Jack (pictured left) and Jennifer's (pictured right) body were found under his bedroom desk with multiple gunshot wounds Police officers found the display and Edwards' lifeless body sprawled across his bed. 'I believe this T-shirt had been strategically placed on the side of the chest of drawers so it could be seen when entering the bedroom,' Detective Sergeant Tara Phillips wrote in her statement. Six months after the murder suicide, the children's mother Olga took her own life. An inquest into the deaths began on Monday and the NSW Coroners Court heard Edwards had 'a propensity for domestic violence', including physical and psychological assaults against the women of his life and his many children. One ex-partner said he was never physically violent but 'controlling' while another said he was 'unbalanced and a narcissist', the lead investigator told the inquest. Including the two he murdered, Edwards had 10 children to seven partners. Edwards (pictured) killed himself at his rented home near Normanhurst on the night of the murders. But before taking his own life, Edwards hung the black 'World's Greatest Daddy' shirt on a chest of drawers at the end of his bed Edwards was awarded licences to shoot rifles and pistols in June 2017 after NSW Firearms Registry staff used a police database report that had failed to pick up several matters related to domestic violence. Over the next year, he legally acquired five weapons including the Glock 17A 9mm semi-automatic pistol he used to shoot dead Jennifer and Jack. Edwards hired a car and stalked his daughter on her way home from school in order to learn their new address before he followed or chased his daughter inside. Neighbour Bruce Wilson heard five shots over about a minute and approached the home, knowing 'someone is shooting the children'. He eye-balled Edwards as the 68-year-old 'half skipped' down the home's front stairs. 'I said ''Is everything OK, what have you done?''' Mr Wilson told the inquest. 'He didn't say anything, he just walked towards me. 'He was in no hurry, he didn't rush at all. Everything was methodical and well-thought-out.' A bloodstained piece of paper with Jennifer's train timetable and movements was found in Edwards' pocket during his post-mortem examination. Edwards, 67, turned the gun on himself at a rented home near Normanhurst, northern Sydney (pictured) It is not known how Edwards initially tracked down his daughter's movements before following her home as he burned his mobile phone and tablet before his death. Based on his history and the note, the lead police investigator suspects the financial planner could have hired private investigators to find the family. '(The note) appeared to be a timetable of Jennifer's movements to and from school,' Detective Sergeant Tara Phillips told the NSW Coroners Court on Monday. Edwards had previously used a private investigator to track his most recent ex-wife and the children's mother, Olga, the officer said. Six months after the murder suicide, the children's mother Olga (pictured) took her own life Having tracked down and spoken to numerous ex-partners of Edwards and many of his children, the detective painted a picture of a controlling, narcissistic, self-centred and calculating man. 'He had a history of exerting control over the women in his life and his children. He had a propensity for domestic violence,' she said. When Edwards' 15-year marriage to Olga broke down in 2016, he 'became consumed with maintaining a relationship with Jack and Jennifer' and blamed Olga for the children's estrangement, the detective said. After the children's murder, Olga detailed to Det Sgt Phillips how Edwards had over the years physically abused the children over minor things, such as touching his phone or CD collection. But exactly how he found the family in West Pennant Hills may never be known. 'He'd set fire to all his electronics, so we were unable to extract (anything),' Det Sgt Phillips said. The inquest, which is expected to run until September 25, will closely examine how Edwards was able to legally acquire the handguns he used to kill his children and then himself. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or 1800respect.org.au Lifeline 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (R) meets with the visiting Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe (L) in Manila on the afternoon of September 11, 2020. (mod.gov.cn) MANILA, Sept. 12 -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte met with the visiting Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe in Manila on the afternoon of September 11, 2020. Duterte said that the delegation is the first high-level one to visit the Philippines since the COVID-19 pandemic, showing that China attaches great importance to the China-Philippine relations. Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, China has overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Philippine side hereby expresses congratulations on it, he stated. After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese government and military provided a large amount of selfless assistance to the Philippines, and the Philippines side is sincerely grateful for that, he added. Maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea is in the common interests of all countries in the region. It is hoped that all parties will resolve their conflicts and differences through friendly consultations on the basis of respect for international law, and jointly achieve long-term peace and stability in the South China Sea, Duterte expressed. General Wei Fenghe said that China and Philippine enjoy a long-established friendship, and the relations between the two countries continue to make new progress under the joint guidance of President Xi Jinping and His Excellency the President Duterte. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries support each other, which reflect the good-neighborly and friendly relations of mutual assistance. The Chinese military is willing to develop closer and more pragmatic cooperation with the Philippine military, said Wei. Maintaining the stability of the South China Sea is the shared responsibility of the two countries. It is necessary to persist in resolving issues within the region through consultations, strengthen communication and coordination, so as to properly manage differences, and jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the South China Sea, Wei added. On Friday morning, General Wei Henghe also held talks with Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. They exchanged views on the international and regional situations, the relations between the two countries and the two militaries, the South China Sea issue, etc. Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe (1st R) holds official talks with Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (1st L) in Manila, the Philippines, Sept. 11, 2020.(mod.gov.cn) On Friday, Bahrain has agreed to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel. The move makes the country the latest Arab nation to become part of the peace agreement launched by United States President Donald Trump. The move aims to tone down conflicts and isolation among Jewish states. On the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, President Trump announced the agreement. The decision came after a phone call between Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, and Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of Bahrain. Historic peace agreement According to AP News, the three country leaders issued a short joint statement that marked the second normalization agreement with Israel in the last two months. The agreement's announcement also came after Trump hosted a White House ceremony branding the foundation of full relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel. The event was something that Trump and his Middle East team organized in August. During a press briefing at the White House, Trump told reporters that the 9/11 terrorist attack was undermined by the powerful message the agreement delivered to the world. The agreement is another major diplomatic win for Trump's administration and his efforts for another presidency as the general elections are less than two months away. It also paves the way to gaining support from pro-Israel evangelical Christians. Last week, Trump also announced agreements in principle for Kosovo in recognizing Israel. The Republican leader also aimed to have Serbia relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Also Read: Kamala Harris Voews to Provide Security to Israel, Denies Destructive Nuclear Power From Iran However, the agreement also adversely affects Palestinian leaders. They continue to argue that Arab nations should not move forward with recognitions until they have an independent state. A senior Palestinian official, Wasel Abu Yousef, said the agreement was another indiscriminate move against his nation's cause, its citizens and their rights. He added the order was a mark of betrayal of Jerusalem and the Palestinians and that they do not see the normalization with Israel as a just move. Growing Middle East relations On Friday, Trump told reporters that the agreement between Bahrain, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates would hold a signing ceremony on September 15 at the White House, as reported by Aljazeera. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior White House adviser, considered the agreements as historic moments in American history and are the culmination of four years of his father-in-law's great work. The senior adviser said that recent events mark the beginning of a new Middle East and that President Trump has continued to gain allies and partners to support that endeavor. Prime Minister Netanyahu said in his native language that he was emotionally moved while he announced the agreement with Bahrain. The official added that decision marks a historical era of peace with the United Arab Emirates. The BNA state news agency said that on Friday, Bahrain stated it supported a fair and comprehensive peace effort in the Middle East. King Hamad of Palestine said that the peace agreement must be based on a two-state solution in order to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Related Article: Historic Peace Agreement Between Israel and UAE Results in Suspension of West Bank Annexation @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Mumbai: The Shapoorji Pallonji Group that owns 18.37 per cent in Tata Sons on Friday said the Tatas moving the apex court to block its plan to pledge shares for raising funds reeks of vindictiveness and oppression of minority shareholder rights. On September 5, Tata Sons had moved the Supreme Court seeking to restrain the Mistry group from raising capital against their Tata Sons shares. Through the petition, the Tatas have sought to prevent the SP Group from creating any direct or indirect pledge of shares. The SP Group was planning to raise Rs 11,000 crore from various funds and had signed a deal with a marquee Canadian investor for Rs 3,750 crore in the first tranche against a portion of its 18.37 per cent stake in Tata Sons. The SP Groups shareholding in the countrys largest business house is valued at over Rs 1 lakh crore. Tata Sons acted just one day after the SP Group signed a definitive agreement with the investor. This vindictive move by Tata Sons (to block pledging of shares) is solely aimed at creating delays and roadblocks in the fund raising plan, and will jeopardise the future of 60,000 employees and over 1 lakh migrant workers of various SP Group entities, an SP Group spokesperson told PTI. The move is also intended to inflict irreparable damages on the group, the spokesperson said, adding it will vigorously contest these claims in the Supreme Court. The group also said these actions are a departure from the values and ethos of the Tata Group founders. The current fund raising was intended to mitigate the stress caused by the pandemic, deleverage the balance sheet, support the financial obligations and protect the livelihoods of the large workforce, especially in its construction and real estate sector verticals which are hit the hardest and are also the mainstay of the group, the spokesperson said. The SP Group further said the articles of association of Tata Sons only regulate transfer of shares, and the Tata Sons board only has a right of first refusal to buy back at fair market value the shares of any minority shareholder who is seeking to exit. There is absolutely no provision in the articles of Tata Sons that restrict the creation of a pledge or encumbrance, the SP Group said. Stating that it will challenge the Tata petition in the apex court, the spokesperson said it will ask the Supreme Court to dismiss Tatas application at the threshold by highlighting the settled position in law that a mere creation of a pledge on shares would not amount to a transfer of title of the shares. Questioning the motive and timing of Tatas application, the SP Group pointed out that had raised funds against Tata Sons shares in January 2020. The security documents, which are in public domain, clearly record that lenders would comply with the articles of Tata Sons in the event they seek to enforce the pledge of shares. The Tatas have suppressed this vital information in their application in their desperate bid to mislead the apex court, the spokesperson added. When contacted, a Tata Sons spokesperson declined to comment. In their 152-page supplementary petition against Cyrus Investment submitted to the Supreme Court on September 5, Tata Sons sought to prevent the Mistry group from creating any charge/pledge/interest/ encumbrance on the shares of Tata Sons in any manner, either directly or indirectly and also to further direct them to forthwith remove any charge/pledge/ interest/ encumbrance created by them. The plea came after it was found that the Mistry camp, since January 10, had pledged almost 82 per cent of their 18.37 per cent holding in Tata Sons first for Rs 825 crore with Axis Trustees, which was then increased to Rs 3,957 crore by April. Then again through a letter of urgency on the same day to the Supreme Court registrar, the Tatas pointed out that when the court heard the petition on January 10, 2020, no shares were subject to any pledge, charge or encumbrance. It is respectfully submitted that creation of a pledge in this manner, without informing Tatas and seeking the leave of this SC, is in absolute derogation of the spirit of this courts January 10 order, wherein the Tata voluntarily gave a good faith undertaking to not exercise their rights under Article 75 against Mistrys, it said. In January, the Supreme Court, while staying the NCLAT verdict reinstating Cyrus Mistry as Tata Sons chairman, had said the squeeze out provision of article 75 of the Tata Sons articles of association will not be used on the SP Group. Article 75 gives Tatas the power, via a special resolution, to squeeze out the Mistry family by buying out their shareholding at fair market value, which the NCLAT had pegged at more than Rs 1 lakh crore. Cherag Balsara, leading advocate at the Bombay High Court and an expert on commercial laws, told .. Police in Pakistan's port city of Karachi have released a local journalist accused of spreading hateful content against the country's militay on social media as a court reprimanded the police for overstepping their mandate, a lawyer for journalist Bilal Farooqi said. The court asked the police if a FIR (first information report) does not stand ground, who has given you authority to pick up people from home, Ghulam Shabbir, Farooqi's lawyer told Reuters on September 12. Farooqi, who works for the English-language Express Tribune newspaper, was arrested at his home on September 11. "Through his [social media] posts, Bilal Farooqi defamed the Pakistan Army and anti-state elements used these posts for their vested interests," a police report seen by Reuters said. The report also alleged that his online activity spread religious hatred and incited mutiny against the military. Shabbir said he expected the police report to be submitted within a week and for the case to be discharged. "The charges against me are so absurd, that I am spreading religious hatred and defaming institutions, these are all bogus charges," Farooqi told Reuters before his court appearance. Earlier, Farooqi's family told local media that police seized his mobile phone during a search of their home. Journalists and press freedom advocates have accused the Pakistani military and its agencies of pressuring media outlets to smother critical coverage. Farooqi's arrest and subsequent release is the latest in a series of such moves against journalists who have been critical of the government or military. It also comes days after Prime Minister Imran Khan insisted that Pakistan has a free media. Police cited the country's cybercrime law that critics say contains vague language, which can be used to criminalize basic online activities. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights earlier this week expressed concern at instances of incitement to violence against journalists and human rights activists. "We have raised our concerns directly with the government and we have urged immediate, concrete steps to ensure the protection of journalists and human rights defenders who have been subjected to threats," it said in a statement. Based on reporting by Reuters and AP The attack on an Indian Navy veteran by Shiv Sena workers for a WhatsApp forward has caused the Maha Vikas Aghadi government a major embarrassment yet again. The WhatsApp message had a cartoon mocking Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, who was shown bowing before Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP founder Sharad Pawar. Incidentally, Uddhavs father and late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray was himself a cartoonist and founder of Marmik, Saamana and Dopahar ka Saamana. On Friday evening, a group of Shiv Sainiks manhandled Madan Sharma (65), a Navy veteran and a resident of Lokhandwala Complex in Kandivali East. A CCTV clip of the society complex posted by local BJP MLA Atul Bhatkalkar shows the attackers chasing Sharma, dragging him by the collar, pulling his shirt and attacking him. Sharma had to be taken to hospital for treatment. Later, in a significant development, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Sharma. Spoke to retired naval officer, Madan Sharma who was attacked by hooligans in Mumbai and enquired about his health. Such attacks on ex-servicemen are completely unacceptable and deplorable. I wish Madan ji a speedy recovery, he said. Meanwhile, Sharma said: In our country, everyone has the freedom to express and WhatsApp is a medium to stay connected and share the news. The government should take steps to identify the source of a message, from where did it generate." Brig (retd) Sudhir Sawant, the president of Sainik Federation, said that on Sunday a web meeting would be held to discuss the future course of action. What has happened is highly condemnable, he said, adding that he would take up the issue and take it to a logical conclusion. Meanwhile, the Samata Nagar police station arrested four persons including Shiv Senas shakha pramukh Kamlesh Kadam. On Friday, Kadam and three others named Sanjay Manjare, Rakesh Belvekar and Pratap Soond were granted bail. They have been booked for unlawful assembly and rioting, said Additional Commissioner of Police (North) Dilip Sawant. Maharashtras Leader of Opposition in Assembly and ex-chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his counterpart in Council Pravin Darekar have launched a scathing attack on the government. It is an extremely sad and shocking incident. A Navy veteran got beaten up by goons because of just a WhatsApp forwardplease stop this goonda raj, Fadnavis said and urged Thackeray for strong punishment. They should not have got bail, the police made a weak case, added Darekar. Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has tweeted "shame..." on the incident. Actor and activist Swara Bhaskar said: The attack on an elderly gentleman by the Shiv Sena for a joke on Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is shocking, shameful & utterly condemnable. Violence of this kind has no place in a civilised democracy & you cannot claim good governance if basic law & order isnt maintained. Shame!. The attack on an elderly gentleman by the #ShivSena for a joke on @CMOMaharashtra @OfficeofUT is shocking, shameful & utterly condemnable. Violence of this kind has no place in a civilised democracy & you cannot claim good governance if basic law & order isnt maintained. Shame! Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) September 11, 2020 In a tweet, Preity Zinta said: Goons in Mumbai beat a 62-year-old retired Indian Navy veteran black and blue because he forwarded a political cartoon on WhatsApp. Seriously? What happened to freedom of speech? What happened to respecting our veterans? Very upset and sad to hear this. This is not ok. She has been spending time in Ibiza in recent weeks. And Demi Rose put on another smouldering display during her getaway, as she shared a series of sexy snaps on her Instagram page on Friday evening. The model, 25, showcased her more than ample assets in a plunging LBD, which she teamed with a very racy belt, which spelt out the word 'sex' in gold. Sexy: Demi Rose put on another smouldering display during her getaway, as she shared a series of sexy snaps on her Instagram page on Friday evening Demi's mini dress was ruched and highlighted her hourglass figure to perfection as she posed up a storm for the camera. The Birmingham native complemented her dress with a chic black and gold Yves Saint Laurent handbag, no doubt full of her essentials. She wore her brunette locks in a bouncy, flowing style, while highlighting her pretty features with a soft pallet of make-up. Racy: The model, 25, showcased her more than ample assets in a plunging LBD, which she teamed with a very racy belt, which spelt out the word 'sex' in gold Wow! Demi later slipped into a sequin gown with an equally plunging neckline, which she wore with a gold snake-shape necklace Fire: She kept her make-up simple and swept her locks back into a chic French plait Demi later slipped into a sequin gown with an equally plunging neckline, which she wore with a gold snake-shape necklace. She kept her make-up simple and swept her locks back into a chic French plait. The snaps come a day after Demi emotionally discussed losing both her parents at 24 and detailed how she copes with her ongoing grief. She appeared on Sky News on Thursday to talk to Kay Burley in a bid to raise mental health awareness on World Suicide Prevention Day. Demi lost her father Barrie Mawby at the end of 2018, with tragedy striking again soon after when her mother Christine passed away in June 2019. Heartbreaking: Demi emotionally discussed losing both her parents at 24 and detailed how she copes with her ongoing grief Discussing losing both her parents at just 24-years-old, the model said: 'Well, my mother, when I was 17, she had a heart attack which caused a stroke and it left her disabled. 'Then in 2018, my dad passed away from cancer, then my mum, after being sick for so long, she passed away from a stomach infection. So it was really hard.' Asked how she copes with the grief, Demi said: 'I mean, it was really difficult, I've gone through stages of feeling my worst and now I'm at a place where I feel a lot better. It just takes time really.' Discussing what helps her manage her grief, the star said: 'I have some amazing friends and I do meditation. I have a lot of faith, so I pray and sound healing. I love sound healing.' Grief: Demi lost her father Barrie Mawby (pictured) at the end of 2018, with tragedy striking again soon after when her mother Christine passed away in June 2019 Sad: The model, 25, appeared on Sky News on Thursday to talk to Kay Burley in a bid to raise mental health awareness on World Suicide Prevention Day It comes after Demi admitted that her world 'could have spiralled out of control' following the deaths of her parents Amid her heartache, the star also discussed her mental health, telling how it almost 'got the better' of her during lockdown, in a candid chat to mark World Suicide Prevention Day. Speaking to the Evening Standard, Demi shared how she's coping with her personal tragedy and reveals how her heartbreaking loss has in a way made her 'stronger'. The star revealed how she was forced to 'grow up' from a young age after her mother was left disabled following a heart attack, resulting in a then 17-year-old becoming her carer. Grief: Asked how she copes with the grief, Demi said: 'I mean, it was really difficult, I've gone through stages of feeling my worst and now I'm at a place where I feel a lot better. It just takes time really.' She recalled that after losing her loved ones in quick succession left her 'angry, sad, bitter and lonely', but added that she was 'lucky' that she had a 'good support system' around her and didn't 'bottle up' her grief. Admitting that she could have easily succumbed to her anger and grief, Demi said: 'When my parents died my world could have spiralled out of control but you have to hang on.' She went on to say that she was helped greatly by doing a lot of self-care and reading books about 'spirituality' and 'enlightenment', while she tried to look at her tragedy as part of 'life's plan'. Demi added that though she's been through trauma, she's come out 'stronger' and tries to reflect her strength through her positive and 'confident' social media posts. 'I was caring for her for so many years, about seven years,' explained the social media star. Demi then went into detail about the impact the death of her parents had on her and how she aims to help others experiencing the same thing. She explained: 'Then my dad passed away with cancer and then my mum then sadly passed away seven months after him with a stomach infection, and it just made me grow up really fast and be really really strong about things. If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org For many investors, the main point of stock picking is to generate higher returns than the overall market. But in any portfolio, there are likely to be some stocks that fall short of that benchmark. Unfortunately, that's been the case for longer term Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE:BDN) shareholders, since the share price is down 39% in the last three years, falling well short of the market return of around 40%. And more recent buyers are having a tough time too, with a drop of 30% in the last year. More recently, the share price has dropped a further 8.3% in a month. Check out our latest analysis for Brandywine Realty Trust In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. 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. Although the share price is down over three years, Brandywine Realty Trust actually managed to grow EPS by 32% per year in that time. This is quite a puzzle, and suggests there might be something temporarily buoying the share price. Alternatively, growth expectations may have been unreasonable in the past. It's worth taking a look at other metrics, because the EPS growth doesn't seem to match with the falling share price. Given the healthiness of the dividend payments, we doubt that they've concerned the market. We like that Brandywine Realty Trust has actually grown its revenue over the last three years. If the company can keep growing revenue, there may be an opportunity for investors. You might have to dig deeper to understand the recent share price weakness. The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). We know that Brandywine Realty Trust has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time. Story continues What About Dividends? As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. We note that for Brandywine Realty Trust the TSR over the last 3 years was -29%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return. A Different Perspective Investors in Brandywine Realty Trust had a tough year, with a total loss of 25% (including dividends), against a market gain of about 15%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 1.2%, each year, over five years. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For instance, we've identified 4 warning signs for Brandywine Realty Trust (2 are concerning) that you should be aware of. If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Sorry! This content is not available in your region 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

Confirming the news, US President Donald Trump tweeted: "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!"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a "new era of peace", adding: "We have invested in peace for many years and now peace will invest in us."

Mr Netanyahu said he envisaged "very large investments in the Israeli economy" and thanked "our friend, President Trump" for his "important help".

However the Palestinian Authority said in a statement: "The Palestinian leadership strongly rejects and denounces the US-Bahraini-Israeli tripartite declaration... and considers it a betrayal... The (Israeli) occupation controls the Palestinian lands and annexed them by military force.

"It works diligently to Judaize the city of Jerusalem, control the Islamic and Christian holy sites, and commit crimes against the Palestinian people."

Bahrain follows its neighbour the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which announced last month that it would normalise ties with the Jewish state, marking a significant change in the region.

The UAE deal was brokered by Donald Trump's administration, and a signing ceremony to be attended by Mr Netanyahu and the Emirati foreign minister is set to take place in Washington DC on Tuesday.

It is expected now that Bahrain's Crown Prince, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, will attend the ceremony too.

Not since Egypt and Jordan formed diplomatic ties with Israel, in 1979 and 1994 respectively, has any Arab country been prepared to recognise it.

The move by the UAE, and now Bahrain, upends a long-standing convention among Arab nations that they would not form any ties with Israel until the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was resolved with the formation of a Palestinian state.

Last month, just weeks after announcing their accord, Israel and the UAE marked the new ties with the first commercial flight between the two countries.

Bahrain said last week that it would allow flights between Israel and the UAE to use its airspace, following the same decision by Saudi Arabia.

The Trump administration is framing the historic emerging alliances as proof that the American president is capable of forging a new pathway in the Middle East. The developments are sure to feature as part of his re-election campaign.

The accords are motivated, in part, by the various countries' common enemy, Iran.

The Trump administration is trying to persuade other Sunni Arab nations to follow Bahrain and the UAE.

Countries including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia share America and Israel's concern over Iran, and what they see as its malign regional influence.

Saudi Arabia has signalled it is not yet ready to sign any deal with Israel, citing the Palestinian issue.

The Arab Peace Initiative of 2002, led by Saudi Arabia, made clear that any normalisation of ties between Arab nations and Israel was conditional on a settlement with the Palestinians.

The initiative states that normalisation would only follow a full withdrawal by Israel from the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the formation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Breaking that initiative, the UAE brokered its deal with Israel after Mr Netanyahu agreed to suspend his plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank.

While the new alliances will forge important new economic, trade and tourism ties between the former foes, it is not yet clear how they might further efforts to find peace between Israel and the Palestinians - the conflict at the core of the Middle East peace process.

U.S. Military Chief in Korea Confirms North Korean Kill Zone on China Border Eugene Whong 2020-09-11 -- 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 they've got an additional buffer zone, 1-2 kilometers up on the Chinese border," he said. "They've got North Korean SOF [special operations forces] out there manning 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 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 RFA's Korea Service last month in a series of reports from North Korean sources along their country's 1,420-km (880-mile) border with China. On Aug. 26, RFA quoted sources in the North Korean military as saying that North Korea's 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 Korea's 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 don't 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 Korea's eastern provinces one right after the other over the past week. Abrams said the country's 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. Copyright 1998-2016, 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 Peyton likes her subjects; thats obvious. But I dont think shes concerned with how you feel about their accomplishments, morals, or reputations. Her concern is to paint them on a small, accessible scale, with sincerity and skill, but also a playful self-awareness about what she is doing. That includes an implied recognition that there may not be a tremendous or immediately obvious difference between her painting and something being sold in a flea market on the Sunset Strip. Greeces Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced a robust arms purchase programme and an overhaul of the countrys military, amid tension with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean. The time has come to reinforce the armed forces these initiatives constitute a robust programme that will become a national shield, Mitsotakis said in a keynote address on Saturday in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. Mitsotakis said Greece would acquire 18 French-made Rafale warplanes, four multipurpose frigates, and four navy helicopters, while also recruiting 15,000 new troops and pouring resources into the national arms industry and cyberattack defence. New anti-tank weapons, navy torpedoes, and air force missiles will be secured, Mitsotakis said. The programme, which includes upgrades of the existing four frigates, is also designed to create thousands of jobs, he said. More details on the cost of the programme and origin of the weapons purchases will be announced at a news conference on Sunday, a government source told AFP news agency. Red lines Mitsotakis is believed to have hammered out the programme after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron during a southern European leaders summit in Corsica this week. 200813065238935 France has strongly backed Greece in its burgeoning showdown with Turkey, as well as Cyprus. Macron has told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan not to cross red lines and has sent warships and fighter jets to the region. Turkey in August sent an exploration ship and a small navy flotilla to conduct seismic research in disputed waters that Greece considers its own. Turkey says it has equal rights to the resources in those waters. Greece responded by shadowing the Turkish flotilla with its warships, and by staging naval exercises with several European Union allies and the United Arab Emirates in its show of force. Turkey threatens Europes eastern border and undermines regional security, Mitsotakis said on Saturday. Dont mess with Turkey Meanwhile, Erdogan took aim at Macron following the French criticism about Turkish maritime activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, as tensions between the NATO allies continue to escalate. You will have many more problems with me, Erdogan said in a televised speech in Istanbul on Saturday. Dont mess with the Turkish people. Dont mess with Turkey. Erdogan also said France has no right to criticise Turkey, considering its colonial record. On Friday, Macron said Europe needed to be clear and firm with Erdogans government over its actions. France and Turkey have also been at odds recently over an arms embargo on Libya. 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 Panaji, Sep 12 : The Aam Aadmi Party in Goa on Saturday accused Chief Minister Pramod Sawant of trying to discredit Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led government's efforts to rein in the Covid-19 pandemic in the national capital. "Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Friday, that it was Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan who had controlled the pandemic in Delhi. This is objectionable," Goa Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Suren Tilve said. "If that was the case, why haven't Amit Shah and the Health Minister made any efforts to rein in the pandemic in Goa, which has assumed severe proportions," Tilve said. On Friday, Sawant, who is currently in home isolation after testing positive for Covid-19, had said that it was intervention by the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre, which had managed to control the pandemic in the national capital and suggested that the credit should not go to Delhi's AAP government. "Some people are now pretending that they are saviours of Covid-19 patients in Goa. They are talking about a Delhi model. But they should understand that it was in fact the Union government that provided the facilities in Delhi to manage the outbreak," Sawant had said without naming AAP. The BJP and AAP are currently at loggerheads over the state government's Covid-19 management efforts, at a time when the state is witnessing an unprecedented spike in coronavirus cases. Days after AAP started an oxymitra campaign, which involved making oxymeters available to asymptomatic Covid-19 patients to take oxygen saturation level readings when in home isolation, the Goa government on Friday had launched a fresh initiative to provide Covid-19 essential kits (which include an oxymeter) to all patients who are in home isolation. Goa currently has 23,445 confirmed Covid-19 cases, which include 5,104 active cases. The state has also recorded 276 deaths due to the dreaded viral infection. According to Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, a majority of the deaths have occurred on account of existing comorbidities in the patients or late reporting of cases. Rane also said that Goa may witness a spike of 1,000 cases per day in the near future. She said jobs need to be filled but young people are turning down opportunities Young people on JobSeeker payments have been urged to 'get a job' as positions in bars, restaurants and holiday parks in Western Australia remained unfilled. Social Services Minister Anne Ruston said she was 'concerned' by the number of young people on the $1,115.70-a-fortnight payment. 'Right now with the number of people that are unemployed it is very concerning that we have jobs that need to be filled,' Ms Ruston told The West Australian. 'We need to make sure that we get those jobs filled because we don't want people to remain unemployed. But clearly something needs to be done to make sure we are providing the right incentives for people to take up these jobs. 'To any young person or anyone unemployed, think about the long-term implications of not pursuing or getting a job or turning down a job. These are temporary payments that will not last forever.' A young bartender pours a beer at the Rose Hotel in Bunbury, WA where COVID restrictions have almost completely eased Social Services Minister Anne Ruston (pictured) said she was 'concerned' by the number of young people on the $1,115.70-a-fortnight JobSeeker payment The coronavirus supplement to the JobSeeker allowance is set to reduce by $300 on September 25, bringing down the total fortnightly payment to $815.70. Nationally, more than 1.6 million people were on JobSeeker payments or youth allowance in June. Unlike restrictive NSW and locked-down Victoria, WA is largely open to business with little to no restrictions on the hospitality and tourism industries - although its border remains closed to other states. WA has recovered 88 per cent of jobs lost since March 14 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but still has 12 per cent to go. Victoria has only recovered 10 per cent of jobs lost since March 14 due to its lockdown, while other states had fared much better. New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland have recovered roughly two thirds of jobs lost in the initial lockdown. Tasmania and the ACT have only recovered half of lost jobs while the NT has recovered 85 per cent. A line outside of CentreLink in Melbourne. Nationally, more than 1.6 million people were on JobSeeker payments or youth allowance in June The dream jobs are being offered by Discovery Parks in some of Australia's most sought-after locations, including Rottnest Island (pictured) On Friday, it was revealed jobless Australians were turning down roles on an idyllic island resort offering cheap food and free rent at multi million-dollar venues. 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 the resorts, bosses say they've only had international and interstate applicants - many have been rejected due to border closures. 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?' Rottnest Island offers a series of glamping options (pictured) for holiday makers Last month, WA employers said they were desperate for workers but are unable to fill vacancies because Aussies have become too accustomed to government benefits. Pete Firth from Froth Brewing in Exmouth said people are treating the pandemic like it's a holiday because of the cushy payments. 'Understandably, people are experiencing what they call the 'Scomo's surf team' and they're being paid to cruise around the state or wherever they want to and enjoy the remuneration of a pretty healthy weekly payment,' he told the West. While the local tourism boom has led to a 40 per cent boost in business for the Brewery, it has left Mr Firth struggling to find staff. ALH Group WA manager Ric Torchia agreed, saying young people who live in affluent areas are particularly reluctant to return to work at the 27 bars he manages across the state 'I'm calling people offering them their shifts back and they're saying, 'I'm good, thanks. I'll come back when JobSeeker ends',' Mr Torchia told The West Australian. 'JobSeeker is actually hurting us because it's like this designer drug they don't want to get off. They're not interested in coming into work for 20 hours a week when they can earn the same amount at home. The same issue is being seen across across Western Australia's accommodation sector and even childcare centres. Heres what I witness now: an accretion of power in the executive that the Constitution was explicitly designed to prevent, with Article I powers increasingly eviscerated or, sadly, abandoned. I have seen the Trump administration traduce senior intelligence officers I have known men of extraordinary integrity and ability simply because they have done their duty and upheld their oaths of office. That, not incidentally, is a traducement unfortunately extended to the intelligence community more broadly. I have watched with dismay as the administration has sacked inspectors general, thus to insulate itself from a rigorous and honest accountability. I have been disconcerted to see the Mueller Report mischaracterized, even as congressional subpoenas have been summarily dismissed. I have seen vacancies languish in essential departments (where only acting appointments have been made since April 2019) and critical reports (say, of the EPA) bowdlerized or shunted aside because the truths they tell are inconvenient, or worse. I have seen the Justice Department essentially subverted to become, in effect, the administrations personal counsel. The handling of the pandemic should leave anyone paying attention appalled and gasping (literally) because the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment, overseen by the administrations hand-picked director of national intelligence, explicitly warned of it. Moreover, Republicans once believed in science; conservatives still do, and they explicitly reject quackery as a viable disease treatment. And the transparent efforts to hamstring the USPS, thereby endangering our sacred national election, is simply a horror. Global Times says the release comes as tense situation seems to be cooling down after high-level official meetings. China will release five Indian nationals it detained earlier this month in a region bordering Tibet, the state-back Global Times newspaper has reported, citing unnamed sources. The five were Indian intelligence agents dressed as hunters, the paper said, disputing claims that they had been kidnapped. Relations between China and India have been unusually tense since hand-to-hand fighting involving clubs and rocks at a disputed border area in June that killed 20 Indian soldiers, with an unknown number of Chinese casualties. Tens of thousands of troops from each side have since amassed across the disputed border On Tuesday, following reports that five Indians from the state of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders Chinas Tibet, had gone missing, an Indian minister said that the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army confirmed they had been found in China. Their disappearance coincided with a border confrontation in the western Himalayas, during which both accused the other of firing in the air. The nuclear-armed neighbours have long observed a protocol avoiding the use of firearms in the undemarcated frontier, though violence has erupted in the past. On Thursday, Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met in Moscow and agreed to de-escalate the border tensions. 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 said. Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin said on the Chinese social network that China-India relations were stabilising. Observers of Chinas foreign relations often watch Hus messages on social media to gauge sentiment from Beijing policymakers. It seems that the successive meetings between the Chinese and Indian defence ministers and foreign ministers have played a positive role in cooling down the situation, Hu wrote. In addition, the Peoples Liberation Army defended every inch of the countrys land, and the Indian Army ultimately failed to take advantage of it. Latest standoff India and China have differing perceptions of what constitutes the Line of Actual Control the de facto border that runs through the disputed territory on their Himalayan border. The disputed and undemarcated 3,500km (2,175-mile) border between India and China stretches from the Ladakh region in the north to the Indian state of Sikkim. The two nations fought a border war in 1962 that also spilled into Ladakh and ended in an uneasy truce. Since then, troops from opposing sides have guarded the undefined mountain border area, occasionally brawling. India unilaterally declared Ladakh a federal territory and separated it from Indian-administered Kashmir in August 2019, ending its semi-autonomous status and straining the already prickly relationship between New Delhi and Beijing. Prior to the latest diplomatic breakthrough between the two sides, India had banned dozens of Chinese apps, including popular video-sharing app TikTok, and has placed restrictions on Chinese investments amid the backlash against Beijing following the deadly border clashes. New Delhi, Sep 12 : The Congress on Saturday slammed the Modi government over the three central laws promulgated through ordinances on June 5, saying it is acting like the "East India Company" to enslave the farmers. Addressing a virtual press conference, Congress national media in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "Earlier the Modi government brought the law to acquire lands of farmers and now it has brought new laws to acquire the produce of farmers." Surjewala said that the three laws have been brought to take away the lands and produce of farmers. He also alleged that the BJP is conspiring with the corporates to take away the produce of farmers. He said, three central laws promulgated through ordinances on June 5 -- The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 -- are a big jolt to farmers. These new rules are meant to squeeze the farmers, their markets and to keep them under debt of corporates, he alleged. "It is a conspiracy to keep farmers under debt of corporates. It is clear that the Modi government in connivance with its corporate friends is acting like the East India Company," he said. Surjewala further said that Modi came to power by promising 50 per cent more return to farmers on their investment but he is trying his best to finish the farming sector through these three ordinances. Claiming that the real intention of the government is to implement the Shanta Kumar Committee report, Surjewala while quoting agricultural experts said, "The Modi government does not want to give a minimum support price, and thus wants to save nearly Rs one lakh crore in a year. It will directly hit the farmers". Shanta Kumar Committee Report in 2015 had recommended that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) should hand over all procurement operations of wheat, paddy and rice to the states. "FCI will accept only the surplus (after deducting the needs of the states under NFSA) from these state governments (not millers) to be moved to deficit states," recommended the report. Alleging that if the Modi government dilutes the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), it will destroy the whole system of agrarian trade and the economy, Surjewala said through the ordinances, the government wants to benefit the capitalists and multinational companies. He further accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being "anti-farmer" since the beginning and said that after coming to power in 2014 the government brought in the Land Acquisition Act to end the practice of compensation to farmers. He also alleged that in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic the government is trying to create opportunities for its industrialist friends by keeping the interests of farmers at bay. The Culver City Chamber of Commerce will host an online City Council Candidates Forum next Tuesday, September 15, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. All eight candidates who are running for three seats on the City Council -- are expected to participate in the forum hosted on Zoom. They will answer questions pertaining to the business community, impacts of Covid-19, and detail their platforms and positions on local issues. The Council hopefuls include Mayor Goran Eriksson, former Civil Service Commissioner Albert Vera, civic leader Freddy Puza, Dr. Khin Khin Gyi, Yasmine-Imani McCorrin, Darrel Menthe, Heather Wollin and Robert Zirgulis. Following are condensed candidates' statements that were provided to the Chamber: Mayor Goran Eriksson: Mayor Eriksson has been getting the job done. "From creating the Emergency Rental Assistance Program to championing the 5-year economic development action plan, to helping spearhead the local Feed Culver charity, Goran has proven to be a councilmember of action and progress." An immigrant from Sweden, Eriksson has lived in Culver City since 1987 and he now runs a small business with his wife Britta. "He embraces the necessity for Culver City to adapt to the future while maintaining its quality of life and his business background helps him understanding the city's financial needs." If re-elected to a second term in office, Eriksson will "continue to fight for responsible economic development, fiscal and environmental sustainability and public health and safety for everyone in our community." Albert Vera: Vera has dedicated his life to helping Culver City thrive. He is the owner of the iconic Sorrento Italian Market and Vera Ranches, an industry leader in sustainable and organic farming. Continuing a legacy of leadership begun by his father, who served 12 years on the City Council, Vera is eager to bring his civic and business experiences to City Hall. Vera is a member of the Culver City Exchange Club and has served on both the Culver City Landlord/Tenant Mediation Board and the Culver City Civil Service Commission. He also serves on the Board of the Upward Bound House and the Culver City Palms Family YMCA Board of Managers, as well as given generously to a number of local organizations, including Culver City School District, Upward Bound House, Culver City Education Foundation, Saint Augustine Volunteer Emergency Services and Culver City Senior Center. "We face many challenges, but I know that together we can thrive. My goals on the Council will include stopping overdevelopment, reimagining public safety, redoubling our efforts to house the homeless, helping small businesses and bringing the best of sustainability practices to our city government." Freddy Puza: A Culver City resident since 2011, Puza currently serves on the General Plan Advisory Committee and previously sat on the Committee on Homelessness. Freddy is a strong advocate for equity and inclusion, housing, and sustainability. If elected, he pledged to work with business, community, and elected leaders to ensure every resident is a part of Culver City's post-pandemic renaissance. Freddy is the Associate Director of Community Relations at LMU, where he is responsible for partnering with neighbors, businesses and elected officials on strategic initiatives. He co-founded the LMU chapter of the Alliance of White Anti-Racists Everywhere, and served as the co-chair of the LGBTQ Faculty and Staff Network and as an Implicit Bias instructor. Freddy has "the skill set to navigate change in this historic moment and he is a community advocate who brings people together to solve problems." Dr. Khin Khin Gyi: Dr. Gyi came to this country with her parents as immigrants when she was a teenager. "The opportunities in this country allowed me to thrive as a physician scientist, business woman and community activist. In addition, we have been challenged to the core by the pandemic, climate change and the economic adjustments related to these twin disasters. Extraordinary challenges require new leadership trained in medical knowledge, combined with an understanding of climate change that allows us to follow a path of a healthy recovery." As a practicing physician, Dr. Gyi continued: As recent events have strengthened our moral imperative, we can achieve our future goals with equity, inclusivity and fairness for all." Yasmine-Imani McMorrin: McCorrin believes everyone deserves a community that values the well-being and safety of all who live, work, and play here. She is an attorney, education equity advocate, and mom. She works at the USC Gould School of Law as Interim Dean of Students and Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. "We often talk about the value of diversity in Culver City. But without making sure that everyone's experiences and voices are valued, we won't become the inclusive and equitable town we can be. I am especially interested in making sure that small businesses are able to thrive, because they are so vital to the economic health of our community. My vision as a Councilmember is to ensure that as our city recovers from the pandemic, we prioritize equity, making sure that everyone shares in the progress that we create together." Darrel Menthe: A local resident since 2007, Menthe said: "I am running for City Council because I love this city. Both my children were born here and attend Culver City public schools. Culver City has been building a bright future and is becoming an economic powerhouse. I want to ensure we continue to build that future together despite the shocks of pandemic and recession. That means building housing, mobility options, and walkable neighborhoods. It means securing our city's finances as well as planning for a future that includes all the different communities who call Culver City home. As President of the Culver City Downtown Business Association, I understand that the success of the business community is vital to everything we want to accomplish in our city." Heather Wollin: A second-generation Culver City resident, Wollin is a graduate of Culver City High School and have an associate's degree in Paralegal Studies from West Los Angeles College. "I work full time as a family law paralegal and I love what I do. It is my goal to bring back the community's faith and trust in our City Council by listening and working to ensure that all residents are represented. I am running to focus on local issues which include supporting the Culver City Police Department, Culver City Fire Department, helping small businesses and bringing fiscal responsibility back to our city council. It is my belief that by listening to all members of our community, engaging in more community outreach, and by having diverse thoughts and opinions, we can come up with ideas and policies that better the lives of all residents." Robert Zirgulis: A 36-year resident of Culver City, Zirgulis is running for the City Council on the platform "to support our good cops and firemen who saved Culver City from the raging mob of looters and rioters that ravaged Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Hollywood. Instead of thanking our police, a vocal group of racists, radicals and cop haters is calling for the Defunding of our police by 50% and removing police from protecting our children in our schools. I am the common-sense candidate standing up to the Cancel Culture mob that tries to extort and intimidate anyone trying to defend our police and our city." A UCLA graduate with a Master's in Business from CSUN, Zirgulis have taught for 13 years in the Culver City School District. "Please vote for me if you want a common-sense fighter to protect our children, our first responders and Culver City." The Chamber is urging residents to register for the Zoom meeting if they are planning to attend the forum as space is limited. Click the link below to register for the event and lock your place in our live City Council Candidates Forum. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7015988590982/WN_0fyWpWM8RuqvVlquY_0pyQ For six months, small businesses have relied on PPP loans, operational pivots and no small measure of hope to keep their doors open during the pandemic. They may be on borrowed time. More than 225,000 Paycheck Protection Program loans worth nearly $23 billion were approved in Illinois alone. Without additional federal relief, some experts project a flood of small business bankruptcies this fall as the PPP money runs dry. The PPP money kept people out of bankruptcy this summer, said Brian Shaw, a bankruptcy attorney and partner with Cozen OConnor in Chicago. Youre going to see a wave of closures after Labor Day. Businesses just are not going to be able to continue. The Small Business Administration wrapped up the PPP Aug. 8 after approving more than 5.2 million loans totaling $525 billion. The program, which was tweaked several times after its April launch, offered businesses with fewer than 500 employees forgivable loans of up to $10 million, if 60% of the money went toward payroll. Part of a broader coronavirus relief package, the $659 billion paycheck program has been beset by problems. It initially came under fire after banks allegedly prioritized larger clients ahead of smaller businesses. Extended for a second round, demand for the loans fell off, leaving about $130 billion of funds on the table. A Sept. 1 House subcommittee report found that billions of dollars in PPP loans may have been diverted to fraud, waste and abuse through lack of oversight from the SBA and the Treasury. The loans covered 24 weeks of payroll, but with no end in sight to the pandemic, the money is looking increasingly like a bridge loan to nowhere. Since the same troubles that started with the pandemic are still in play, a lot of these businesses are floundering, Shaw said. Nationwide, large commercial bankruptcies are up 55% this year, with 207 public and large private companies -- those with more than $50 million in assets -- filing through Sept. 1, according to BankruptcyData, which tracks commercial bankruptcies for the restructuring industry. The largest bankruptcy filings since the pandemic hit include rental car giant Hertz, LATAM Airlines, Frontier Communications, Chesapeake Energy and Ascena Retail Group, which owns womens clothing chains Ann Taylor, LOFT and Lane Bryant. Experts say small businesses will soon follow suit. While the evidence is largely anecdotal at this point, the pandemic appears to have outlasted the PPP funds for a growing number of small businesses, a trend that may fuel bankruptcy filings well into next year, said James Hammond, CEO of Boston-based New Generation Research, publisher of BankruptcyData. Theres certainly a lot of companies that despite their PPP success at getting some funding, havent been able to hold it together and already have shown up in bankruptcy courts, Hammond said. Thats the case in federal bankruptcy court in Chicago, where a handful of Chicago-area companies filed for bankruptcy after receiving PPP loans of at least $150,000, according to publicly available SBA data and court filings. In April, Michael Marinov, a Sarpinos Pizza franchisee, received about $210,000 in PPP loans through Fifth Third Bank to support payroll for 39 employees at four of his six suburban Chicago locations. Two months later, he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The decision was driven both by the pandemic and an unrelated federal lawsuit brought by three former employees alleging labor law violations at the Countryside location, said Ben Schneider, a Skokie attorney representing Marinov in the bankruptcy case. He had spent considerable resources over the last couple of years defending himself, and it just got to the point where he couldnt afford the cost of litigation anymore, Schneider said. Marinov declined to comment. Tammy Coakley, owner of two suburban Chicago beauty salons, received PPP loans totaling more than $439,000 in April. In late May, she put the businesses into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The loans enabled her to hire back 70 furloughed employees and reopen her Spa Bleu salons June 1. The bankruptcy filing seeks to reorganize more than $1 million in debt, including loans for a failed cryotherapy business. For me, the PPP has been a blessing, and the reorganization is something that I needed to do based on one business that was weighing the other two businesses down, Coakley said. It was just all commingled and it ended up becoming a mess. Coakley opened her original Spa Bleu location in West Dundee in 2004. A second location in South Barrington opened in 2008. In 2017, she diversified her business empire, opening the Bleuroot restaurant in West Dundee and the Inspire Bleu wellness center in South Barrington. Neither of the new ventures panned out. Last year, she sold the farm-to-table restaurant to the chefs, and converted Inspire Bleu to a cryotherapy center, a concept that never quite caught fire either. When all of her businesses were initially shut down by the states stay-at-home order in March, Coakley consulted with her attorney to discuss options for the Inspire Bleu space, which she knew was not going to reopen soon. In early April, Coakley secured a $215,000 PPP loan for the West Dundee salon and a $234,000 loan for the South Barrington store, plus a $30,000 loan for Inspire Bleu. Coakley said she had not been planning to file for bankruptcy when she got the loans. The plan now is to reorganize her debt, cut her losses on the cryotherapy center and focus on her salons. The basic strategy is a sound one, said Thomas Salerno, a bankruptcy attorney and partner at the Stinson law firms Phoenix office. I think youre going to see the wave of bankruptcies in September for reasons totally separate from the PPP loan, Salerno said. Youre going to see it because theyve got to right size their balance sheet anyway. Theyve got to renegotiate their leases. Theyre going to want to take whatever long term debt they have and dig themselves out of this hole. For some small businesses, getting a PPP loan and then filing for bankruptcy may have been the plan all along. The SBA barred bankrupt companies from applying for PPP loans, causing banks to deny applications and precipitating dozens of lawsuits by small businesses. The policy was ultimately upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans. While Congress is considering extending the PPP program and expanding it to include bankrupt companies, some have already employed a workaround: defer or in some cases dismiss the bankruptcy filings until after the PPP loans were approved and funded. The SBA didnt have a problem with that -- as long as you didnt have the b word attached to you at the time the loan was made, Salerno said. I called it the SBA tango. Filing for bankruptcy after getting a PPP loan will nonetheless complicate the reorganization process. Beyond adding the government as an unsecured creditor, PPP borrowers are able to seek loan forgiveness, raising the question of whether or not it is actually a debt in the bankruptcy proceeding. Youve got a significant debt that you believe youre not going to have to pay, but you have to wait for the government six months from now to make that decision, Shaw said. A Chapter 11 reorganization plan is used by businesses to restructure debt and continue operations. Businesses can also file for Chapter 7 to liquidate assets, while Chapter 13 is a reorganization plan that can only be used by businesses owned by a sole proprietor. Chapter 11 commercial filings are up 28% this year through August, according to data released Friday by legal services firm Epiq, which provides bankruptcy research. While the PPP rules precluded bankrupt companies from participating, the government has actually encouraged businesses to file for bankruptcy through another facet of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act passed in March. As part of the stimulus plan, Congress expanded access to a streamlined new version of Chapter 11 known as Subchapter V, which enables smaller companies to reorganize more quickly and retain control of the business at a lower cost. The provision was approved by Congress in August 2019 and took effect in February -- one month before the pandemic shut down much of the retail economy. The CARES Act temporarily increased the debt limit from $2.7 million to $7.5 million to allow more companies to use the fast track Chapter 11 bankruptcy option. Nationally, Subchapter V bankruptcy filings increased steadily from 82 cases in February to 140 last month, according to data from the American Bankruptcy Institute. There have been 32 such filings to date in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Shaw said he guided two Chicago companies through Subchapter V bankruptcy filings in May. But bankruptcy is not the only measure of the economic disruption wrought by the pandemic on small businesses, Shaw said. These little restaurants and convenience stores and small family businesses, half of them that are going to go away wont even file for bankruptcy, Shaw said. Some of these businesses will just shut their doors and go poof. PHOTOS: Have you seen these missing Illinois children? Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Arabella Del Busso's own mother Isobel has slammed Channel Seven for casting the controversial ex-WAG in new reality show SAS Australia. In comments made to The Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday, Isobel Preusker said it should be 'criminal' to pay someone on TV when they have hurt 'so many people'. 'I am disgusted they (Seven) would put my daughter on air as a celebrity,' she said. Not holding back! Arabella Del Busso's mother Isobel Preusker (pictured) SLAMMED 'disgusting' Seven for giving the controversial ex-WAG fame and money by casting her on SAS Australia, in comments made to The Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday 'It's bad enough she has hurt Josh Reynolds now they are rubbing his face in it by paying her to be on TV,' Isobel continued. 'He doesn't deserve this; not from her. He has been through a lot and had his reputation questioned or ruined by her. It's disgusting. It really should be criminal.' Fans threatened to boycott SAS Australia if she appears, after Arabella, 30, was seen standing next to Schapelle Corby during a scene in the show's latest trailer. Giving her fame and money: 'It's bad enough she has hurt Josh Reynolds now they are rubbing his face in it by paying her to be on TV,' Isobel continued. Pictured: Arabella, 30 Outrage: 'He doesn't deserve this; not from her. He has been through a lot and had his reputation questioned or ruined by her. It's disgusting. It really should be criminal,' Isobel continued to say of her daughter's casting The influencer appeared very briefly, wearing her hair in long, dark braids that were pulled off her face into a ponytail. She first made headlines when she went to the police with a video of her ex-partner Josh Reynolds yelling at her. The charges against the 31-year-old Wests Tigers player were dropped in February, but fans aren't happy that Arabella has now landed a role on a major reality show. There she is: The controversial ex-WAG (right) can be seen standing next to Schapelle Corby, 43, (left) during a scene in the show's latest trailer New look: The influencer appears very briefly, wearing her hair in long, dark braids that are pulled off her face into a ponytail Angry rugby league fans vented their frustration on Twitter after it was revealed that Arabella would be joining the cast. 'I'll never watch Channel Seven putting a loser like that on. Shows how much credibility they have,' one critic tweeted. 'I, for one, will not be tuning in... Absolutely disgusted in your efforts for ratings,' another added. Same look: On her Instagram account, Arabella wore the same long braids in pictures shared seven and eight weeks ago, likely around the time the show had just finished production Not happy: Angry rugby league fans vented their frustration on Twitter after it was revealed that Arabella was tipped to be joining the cast Arabella last appeared on television in May, when she addressed her bitter split with Josh on Channel Nine's 60 Minutes. During the interview, Arabella tearfully denied faking pregnancies and miscarriages during her tumultuous relationship with the footy star. However, she did admit to passing off another woman's ultrasound scan as her own in order to 'spite' her then-boyfriend. No stranger to attention: Arabella first made headlines when she went to the police with a video of her ex-partner Josh Reynolds (left) yelling at her. The charges against the 31-year-old Wests Tigers player were dropped in February Filming for SAS Australia begun earlier this year in Queenstown, New Zealand. But production was later relocated to the NSW Snowy Mountains due to travel restrictions being enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Arabella joins the growing list of celebrities set to appear on the show, including Schapelle Corby and publicist Roxy Jacenko. Notorious: Arabella last appeared on television in May, when she addressed her bitter split with Josh on Channel Nine's 60 Minutes. During the interview, Arabella tearfully denied faking pregnancies and miscarriages during her tumultuous relationship with the footy star Candice Warner, Merrick Watts and Nick Cummins are also confirmed. The military-style program will see the contestants endure sleep deprivation, interrogation techniques and physical challenges. SAS Australia premieres in October on Channel Seven A spokeswoman for Mr. Ness, Kristen Hamman, declined to confirm his remarks, saying that the Independent Petroleum Association had not produced an official transcript of the meeting that would allow her to do a comparison. Mr. Ness has publicly spoken against the need to strengthen regulation of methane, a major component in natural gas, calling stronger rules an unnecessary burden and saying the industry already produced valuable energy resources in a responsible manner. The remarks reflect the concerns of an industry that has presented itself as part of the solution to climate change, and natural gas as an important bridge fuel that can help the world shift away from coal, the dirtiest-burning energy source, toward renewable energy. Natural gas, when burned (whether in a flare, or to fuel a household oven), typically emits just half the planet-warming greenhouse gases that coal does. But by flaring off natural gas, rather than capturing it for use, companies are creating pollution without creating usable energy. Many companies do directly drill for and capture natural gas for use. But researchers have warned that drilling for the gas also causes sizable leaks of methane directly into the atmosphere, which is even more damaging for the climate than flaring the gas. Methane can also escape faulty flares, and companies sometimes also deliberately release the gas from wells and pipelines in a practice known as venting. Methane can trap more than 80 times more heat in the earths atmosphere than carbon dioxide, over the shorter term. Research has shown that methane emissions from oil and gas production are far larger than previously estimated. To address the issue, the Obama administration had proposed new regulations that would have required, among other measures, that oil and gas companies install technology to detect and fix methane leaks from their wells, pipelines and storage facilities. Image Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, said of natural gas: The value of it is very minimal. But youve got to manage your gas to produce your oil. Credit... Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune, via Associated Press But a coalition of oil and gas companies pushed the Trump administration to abandon those rules. It said the industry was already regulated by state laws and was already equipped to plug leaks on its own without federal rules. Lobbyists argued that the companies were already incentivized to rein in methane emissions, given that gas is a valuable resource. Next week, President Xi Jinping will hold a video conference with Chancellor Merkel of Germany, President Michel of the European Council and President von der Leyen of the European Commission. This would be another meeting between Chinese and European leaders in just over two months. It shows that both sides place importance on China-EU relations and aspire to strengthen dialogue and cooperation. This year is a significant year for China-EU diplomatic ties, as the two sides mark the 45th year into their relationship. Although COVID-19 undermined the chances of face-to-face exchanges between China and the EU, the two sides have since engaged in more frequent meetings through more flexible means online. Since June, important meetings including the China-EU Summit, the China-EU High-level Strategic Dialogue, and the China-EU High-level Economic Dialogue have been completed successfully. High-level communication between the two sides in green development and the digital economy have also produced fruitful results. Yang Jiechi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of Central Commission for Foreign Affairs and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi have just concluded their respective visits to Europe, marking the resumption of face-to-face diplomacy between the two sides. Frequent high-level exchanges have enhanced the mutual understanding between China and Europe, advanced practical cooperation in various areas and made good preparations for the coming China-Germany-EU Leaders Meeting. President Xi Jinping pointed out that China and EU are two strong forces, big markets and major civilizations in the world. What the two sides stand for, against and cooperate on is globally significant. Major forces are expected to do what they are supposed to do. Against the backdrop of changes unseen in a century and COVID-19, this coming meeting is important for not only China and Europe but the whole world, drawing attention and expectations far and wide: - It is anticipated that China and Europe will lead international cooperation against COVID-19. As the virus is still spreading globally, the world economy is plunging into deep recession. China and Europe are at the forefront in vaccine development. Both sides stand that COVID-19 vaccines are global public goods and work to enhance their accessibility and affordability in the world. In the critical juncture of jointly fighting COVID-19 and working for post-COVID economic recovery, it is anticipated China and Europe will further enhance their unity and cooperation and lead the world to success against the virus. In this darkest hour for the world economy, we are expected to fully leverage our power as the twin-engine, resume dialogue and cooperation in various areas and contribute our share to world economic recovery. - It is anticipated that China and Europe will deepen trade and investment cooperation. During the first half of this year, the trade volume between China and Europe have increased and for the first time in history, China is on track to becoming the EUs biggest trading partner during the year. China and the EU account for one third of the global economy, we are two major economies and the major force for economic globalization. Various parties and especially the business sector are following closely the negotiation progress of the Bilateral Investment Agreement and the Agreement on Geographical Indications. It is hoped that China and the EU can further open up to each other, deepen business cooperation, enhance the well-being of the two peoples and work for an open world economy. - It is anticipated that China and Europe will join forces in addressing climate change. China highly values ecological conservation. We have completed our emission reduction target two years ahead of schedule and are now actively looking at formulating medium and long term targets. The European Commission announced in its European Green Deal, striving to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Next year, China and Europe will respectively hold important international conferences on climate change, biodiversity, and conservation. It is expected that the two sides will play a leading role in green development, strengthen mutual support, jointly address global challenges, promote a green lifestyle and build a beautiful homeland. - It is anticipated that China and Europe will strengthen cooperation in the digital economy. Though a new round of scientific and industrial revolution is emerging with a flourishing digital economy, there is still a huge deficit in global digital governance and blanks to fill in the rules regarding digital security. China has a burgeoning digital economy and the European Union is advancing an ambitious plan of digital transition. The two sides have huge potential for complementary cooperation. The Global Initiative on Data Security just proposed by China speaks volumes to Chinas sincerity, openness and confidence in the field of data security. It is anticipated that China and Europe will jointly advance the digital economy, work to forge China-EU digital partnership and contribute to global standards and rules in the digital area. - It is anticipated that China and Europe will jointly safeguard multilateralism. Multilateralism is essential for the development of all countries, especially for medium-sized and smaller countries. To safeguard multilateralism has become the biggest common understanding between China and the EU. Right now, unilateralism and hegemonic practices are rising up, which jeopardizes international rules and the international order. It is anticipated that China and Europe will uphold the commitment to multilateralism, take multilateral actions, observe multilateral treaties, strengthen multilateral institutions and prevent the world from repeating the mistakes of following the law of the jungle and engaging in cold wars. This year marks the opening year for the new EU administration, and another German presidency of the EU in 13 years. China-EU relations are now enjoying a great opportunity for further development. It is believed that the China-Germany-EU Leaders Meeting to be held at this critical juncture will steer post-COVID China-EU relations to go further, inject impetus into all-round dialogue and cooperation between the two sides and bring more stability and positive energy into this world full of uncertainties. The author is an International affiars observer. The night before her wedding, Maya Posey-Pierre crouched on the living room floor of her Brooklyn apartment watching YouTube tutorials on floral design. She neatly laid out rows of orange and white roses, which she bought in bulk from Trader Joes. Armed with floral shears and sheer determination, she got to work. We wanted to go to an actual florist, Mrs. Posey-Pierre, 29, an actress, said. The only reason we didnt go timing. I believed I could do it, so I told myself, Im going to make it work. Make it work is the unofficial mantra for many couples who planned their dream weddings for 2020, only to have the coronavirus pandemic turn everything upside down. While some postponed their nuptials to 2021 or beyond, others decided to plow through, emboldened by the love is not canceled philosophy thats become somewhat of a rallying cry on social media. By Finian Cunningham September 11, 2020 " Information Clearing House " So now the Navalny poison episode takes on a new twist with German military intelligence subsequently claiming they found traces of Novichok on a bottle of water the Russian dissident had purportedly been drinking from. Rather, it sounds more like the authors of this false-flag operation have bottled meaning became unnerved by the absurdities inherent in their own narrative. Last week the German government announced that a Bundeswehr military laboratory had detected Novichok in the body fluids of Sergei Navalny. That promptly led to charges that the Kremlin was responsible for the attempted murder of Navalny using the Soviet-era nerve poison. The trouble for the German side was that their narrative soon ran into contradictions from the Russian toxicologists who first treated Navalny when he apparently fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20. The Russian medics said they had tested Navalny for a whole range of poisons, including organophosphate-type chemicals which attack the nervous system. The Russian doctors affirmed they found no poison traces. They concluded Navalnys coma was induced by an existing medical condition, presumably diabetes. Furthermore, the doctors at the hospital in Omsk where Navalny was taken to on August 20, said they have original samples of his body fluids. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter Its the latter detail which seems to have obliged the Germans to elaborate their narrative with the new element of a poisoned bottle of water. If indeed the Russians have Navalnys biological samples showing no presence of toxins then the German version falls apart as a fabrication. That could only mean that the claimed detection of Novichok by the Germans was the result of deliberate contamination of his body fluids while he was being treated in the hospital in Berlin where he was airlifted to on August 22 from Russia. It is reported by Der Spiegel that Navalnys family relatives kept the alleged bottle after he fell sick on the flight from the Siberian city Tomsk. They purportedly did not hand the bottle over to the Russian toxicologists in Omsk, but rather provided the bottle instead to the Germans when Navalny arrived in Berlin two days later. This bottle twist is a convenient and necessary foil to avoid the potentially damning contradiction from the Russian side. The Germans can now claim to have evidence that was not available to the Russians. But such a ploy creates more questions that still make the German narrative implausible, if not absurd. If Novichok was used in poisoning Navalny, the 44-year-old dissident would most likely be dead by now. Also, the aides and flight attendants who came into close contact with him during his flight would have shown symptoms of poisoning. It is inconceivable that a bottle contaminated with the deadly nerve agent could have been transported by Navalnys family to Germany without them being stricken. The strange Navalny affair has an unerring resemblance to the equally outlandish Skripal affair. Yet the latter is cited as a precedent for the former in order to substantiate incrimination of Russia. The alleged Novichok weapon seems to have an amazing ability to lose its deadly potency on bystanders. The immediate victims apparently go into mysterious comas and are not seen or heard of again in public, detained in secret by the British and now German government. There is also the curious introduction of bottles in both cases: the perfume bottle which allegedly conveyed the Novichok weapon in the Skripal incident in England in March 2018, and now the water bottle in the Navalny incident. As with the alleged assassination attempt on MI6 double agent Sergei Skripal, the latest incident involving Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny is undoubtedly a false-flag provocation to foment Western sanctions and hostility against Moscow. Immediately following reports of alleged German detection of Novichok in Navalnys body, there were predictable calls for the cancellation of the Nord Stream-2 gas project between Russia and Germany. It is no secret that pro-Washington German politicians have long been opposed to the ambitious energy trade with Russia. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has up to now been resolute in wanting Nord Stream-2 completed in spite of immense pressure from the Trump administration and the U.S. Congress to abandon it. The American agenda is transparently to replace Russian gas energy supplies with American exports. Navalnys apparent poison-assassination fits neatly with this strategic American agenda. Given the allegiance of German military intelligence and certain politicians to the transatlantic axis it is not difficult to conceive of how a false-flag provocation against Moscow could be orchestrated. The problem is that in their haste to set up Navalny as a victim in order to sabotage Nord Stream-2, the authors overlooked the unfortunate anomaly of Russian doctors potentially disproving the claim of detecting Novichok in Navalnys body. Realizing their clumsy mistake, the authors are obliged to invent another twist in the story involving a contaminated water bottle. In terms of credibility, however, their invention doesnt hold water. This has grave implications for the survivability of Navalny. As an opposition figure long lionized and exaggerated by the West as the nemesis of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Navalny is more valuable dead than alive as a propaganda weapon. With its false-flag narrative failing, the temptation may be to up the ante dramatically by amending the script of Navalny succumbing to Novichok. Sacramento: California Governor Gavin Newsom has offered some of his most impassioned comments on climate change, denouncing the ideological BS of those who deny the danger and vowing to accelerate the state's already ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gases. Newsom spoke against a backdrop of ghost-like trees and ground covered in snow-like grey ash left by the deadliest of the record-breaking fires that have charred huge swathes of California in recent weeks. California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks to reporters after touring fire-affected areas outside Oroville on Friday. Credit:AP The data is self-evident, the experience that we have in the state of California just underscoring the reality of the ravages of climate change, he said. Mother Nature is physics, biology and chemistry. She bats last and she bats 1000. Thats the reality we're facing, the smash mouth reality this perfect storm. The debate is over around climate change." California had its hottest August, with world record-setting heat in Death Valley. It had 14,000 dry lightning strikes that set off hundreds of fires, some that combined into creating five of the 10 largest fires in the state's recorded history. And it has had back-to-back heat waves. Ever the funny guy, Ryan Reynolds couldn't help but joke about his discomfort during his COVID-19 test on Saturday. The 43-year-old actor is getting back to work on the set of Red Notice, and like the rest of the cast and crew, was required to take the test as a precaution before filming got started. Ryan's wife Blake Lively snapped some photos as a doctor performed the test, capturing the actor's reaction. 'Just deep enough to tickle your childhood memories': Ryan Reynolds reacted after a doctor put a swab up his nose for the COVID-19 test on Saturday The father-of-three could be seen outdoors and sitting on a patio chair as a medical professional wearing gloves pushed the swab deep into his nostril. Ryan shared three photos to Instagram, showing him before, during and after the test. The Canadian star made sure to put a humorous message in the caption of the album of images, as he wrote: 'Back to work on #RedNotice. The Covid Test is quick and easy. The doctor places the swab up your nose, just deep enough to tickle your childhood memories and then it's over. The Deadpool star ended his caption with a final quip, 'No matter what you say to him, he won't buy you dinner first.' 'He won't buy you dinner first': As usual, the 43-year-old actor had a funny caption to accompany the photos taken by wife Blake Lively Precautions: Blake caught the moment the swab went up his nostril for the test so he could get back to work on Red Notice Last month Ryan urged young people in Canada to stop partying 'so they don't kill his mom'. The Hollywood star left a humorous message on his Twitter page warning 'young folks' to appreciate the risks of the coronavirus pandemic after a request from a politician in his birthplace of British Columbia. Politician John Horgan recently said in a press conference: 'This is a call out to Deadpool right now. Ryan, we need your help up here. Get in touch with us.' Ryan responded by posting a voice memo on Twitter, jokingly saying: 'I'm not sure it's a great idea, frankly. I don't think they want medical advice from guys like me, no sir. 'Unless it's plastic surgery, which - a lot of people don't know this - Hugh Jackman.' The actor added: 'Young folks in B.C., they're partying, which is of course dangerous. They probably don't know that thousands of young people aren't just getting sick from coronavirus, they're also dying from it too.' Partner in crime: Ryan's wife Blake Lively took the photos of Ryan as he got back to work on the action movie Called your office. Left a message. pic.twitter.com/CGp2IZagrD Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 14, 2020 Reynolds explained how British Columbia is home to the 'coolest older people on Earth' such as his mother and environmental activist David Suzuki. He quipped: 'My mum, she doesn't want to be cooped up in her apartment all day. She wants to be out there cruising Kitsilano Beach looking for some young 30-something Abercrombie burnout to go full Mrs. Robinson on. She is insatiable. 'I hope young people in B.C. don't kill my mom frankly. Or David Suzuki. Or each other. Let's not kill anyone. I think that's reasonable.' Ryan then concluded the message with a reference to his wife, Blake Lively. He said: 'I love parties. My favorite thing to do is sit alone in my room with a glass of gin and the first 32 seasons of Gossip Girl. That's a party.' Police officers and soldiers patrol Treasury Gardens as they enforced strict lockdown laws in Melbourne, Australia on Aug. 5, 2020.(William West/ AFP via Getty Images) Arrests at Melbourne Anti-Lockdown Protest At least three people have been detained by police and others have been told to move on during a peaceful COVID-19 anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne. Some walkers on the shores of the citys Yarra River on Sept 12 stopped and displayed signs, including I am just exercising my human rights. An AAP photographer witnessed three people, some in handcuffs, being led away by police, while officers directed others to move on. There were no groups gathered and the number of people out walking which is permitted for exercise were outweighed by a heavy police presence. Social media organisers of the Freedom Walk suggested there might be similar actions in other locations. Promotion of the main Melbourne event was taken down earlier in the week by Facebook. An anti-lockdown rally was held at the Shrine of Remembrance last weekend resulting in 17 arrests and more than 160 fines being issued for breaching health directions. Premier Daniel Andrews pleaded with people not to take part in further protests. All youre potentially doing is spreading the virus, he said on Friday. The Melbourne Freedom Walk asks citizens to come together, get healthy and talk about getting our freedoms back. Victoria on Saturday reported a further six COVID-19 deaths and 37 new cases, which is lowest number of daily diagnoses since June 26. Andi Yu in Melbourne Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 23:26:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Brunei recorded a 57.8-million-Brunei dollar (42.2-million-U.S. dollar) trade deficit in June 2020 due to a major decrease in exports, marking the first-ever trade deficit since January 2014 when historical data became available. The latest International Merchandise Trade Statistics released on Saturday by the Department of Economic Planning and Statistics at the Ministry of Finance and Economy showed that Brunei's trade balance in June 2020 recorded a deficit of 57.8 million Brunei dollars compared to a surplus of 39.0 million Brunei dollars in June 2019, a 248.2-percent year-on-year drop. This was largely due to a decrease in exports valued at 537.4 million Brunei dollars from 634.4 million Brunei dollars, a 15.3-percent year-on-year drop. Imports maintained almost unchanged in the time frame, amounting to 595.2 million Brunei dollars. Mineral Fuels recorded the highest contribution of total exports (77.7 percent) with a value of 417.6 million Brunei dollars. The highest share of exports in June 2020 went to Japan (38.0 percent), followed by China (28.0 percent) and Singapore (7.6 percent). The highest share of imports in June 2020 came from Singapore accounting for 23.6 percent, followed by Malaysia (15.2 percent) and China (11.0 percent). (1 Bruneian dollar equals 0.73 U.S. dollars) Enditem By Trend Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday underlined the cooperation and warm relations between Turkey and Senegal following a meeting with his Senegalese counterpart Amadou Ba in the West African country, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah. Senegal is a friendly country for us and is a grand actor for the whole world, Cavusoglu stated, adding: We thanked President Macky Sall for the trust they have in Turkish companies and the support they gave them while we also expressed our expectation that Turkish companies should be more widely represented in the Emerging Senegal Plan (ESP). He said they also laid the foundation for Turkey's new embassy in Senegal's capital Dakar. Hopefully, we will complete this construction as soon as possible in a manner worthy of Turkey and Senegal, he said. Cavusoglu earlier attended the groundbreaking ceremony of Turkeys new embassy building in Dakar. Sharing photos from the ceremony on his Twitter account, the minister expressed his best wishes. Cavusoglu also indicated during the news conference that regional issues were discussed along with bilateral ones and said, Especially regarding Libya, we voiced that the African Union, as well as African countries, must play a more active role. The two diplomats also discussed the situation in Mali, where a group of army colonels has been ruling the country since the ousting of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on Aug. 18. No consensus has yet been reached on the makeup and duration of a transitional government ahead of promised elections. Cavusoglu said that Turkey and Senegal were on the same page regarding Mali and that the transitional period as well as the return to constitutional order have to be established as soon as possible. We stated that Turkey is ready to support the people of Mali in this regard. This process has to be completed with the cooperation of the international community and especially civilians and the (15-nation West African regional bloc) ECOWAS," he said. Cavusoglu invited Foreign Minister Ba to visit Turkey. Saying that this was the first visit from Turkey at the level of foreign ministers, Cavusoglu added: "We agree upon holding a joint economic commission which involves our relations with Senegal in all aspects in Turkey as soon as possible. Regarding the agreements signed between the two countries during the visit, Cavusoglu said that importance was also laid on educational and cultural cooperation beside economic relations. "We wish to see more Senegalese students in Turkey," he continued. Ba, for his part, indicated that the bilateral trade volume increased to $250 million (TL 1.86 billion) between the years 2008-2019 and said that Senegal wishes to increase it to $400 million. He underlined that relations between the two countries are based on a win-win principle. Cavusoglu arrived in Senegal Thursday, marking the final stop of his three-nation Africa tour. Cavusoglu was due to be received by President Sall during the day. Cavusoglu visited Mali and Guinea-Bissau earlier in the week. The visits to Guinea-Bissau and Senegal represented the first official visits by a Turkish foreign minister. Cavusoglu and his counterparts addressed bilateral relations at all levels and reviewed possible new cooperation opportunities between the countries. Regional and international matters were also discussed at the meetings. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Your browser does not support the video tag. China might be reluctant to allow ByteDance to sell the US operations of its hit app TikTok to an American company. It would rather see TikTok face the ban that looms over the short-video platform than seeing it being sold. The purchase of TikTok by an American company would make Beijing look weak, especially at a time when the pressure on Chinese companies in the US is mounting. According to Reuters that cites three people with direct knowledge of what China thinks of the impasse between ByteDance and the Trump administration. Donald Trump has warned to ban TikTok in the US latest by mid-September but that can be circumvented if the app can cut its connection with China. Following that directive, China's ByteDance was reportedly reaching out to different companies with American roots to sell the operations of TikTok in the US. ByteDance sought an extension on this deadline but the US said it will not budge. ByteDance told Reuters that Beijing never suggested it to shut down TikTok in the US or any other market. This statement does, however, not confirm if ByteDance has obtained the go-ahead for selling TikTok and its operations. Two sources privy to the matter also told Reuters that China is willing to opt for the revisions to the technology exports list on August 28 to delay the deal that ByteDance may have forged with an American company. It is willing to go as far as blocking the sale of the technology and algorithms that TikTok uses to popularise videos and that are registered in China. Microsoft and Oracle have so far been on the front to buy TikTok for the US, and perhaps for global markets to assuage China-related fears. India blocked TikTok back in June on the grounds that it was found siphoning data off to China and posing as a threat to the country's sovereignty. If TikTok loses its Chinese parent, then, analysts believe, it might re-enter India to wrest its position. TikTok is all the rage with millennials not only in India but several other countries, owing to its short-form video remix format. China has detested the move that Trump administration is slated to take against TikTok. It might involve so much as banning it completely, much like what happened to the app in India. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a presser that the US is "abusing the concept of national security". Lijian also urged the US government to stop "oppressing" foreign companies. Previously, the US cracked down on Huawei over espionage allegations and this time it is ByteDance, both having their roots in China. DHE will begin operating the two Volvo VNR Electric trucks out of its facility in Ontario, California, which manages a fleet of 40 Class 8 trucks. The Volvo VNR Electric trucks will run daily routes varying between 60 to 80 miles, transporting goods from Ontario to warehouses throughout Southern California. By completing several different routes, the trucks will collect performance data under various operating conditions, producing crucial real-world operational data on the trucks' power, performance, and range. This information will help Volvo Trucks validate customization measures to provide the most seamless transition to battery-electric trucks for its customers. In addition to zero tailpipe emissions, the Volvo VNR Electric trucks simplify maintenance and improve working conditions for drivers by offering state-of-the-art responsiveness, a quieter cab free of engine-related vibrations, and by eliminating exposure to diesel fuel and exhaust. "DHE is incredibly proud to be one of the first fleets to deploy Volvo VNR Electric trucks in North America," said Joe Finney, chief operating officer, Dependable Highway Express. "DHE is a family-run business that considers our employees as family, which is why we want only the best for our drivers. Volvo's entire line-up of Class 8 trucks offer our drivers the safest and most comfortable environment on the market, which is why we've only purchased Volvo trucks for our fleet since 2014. The Volvo VNR Electric truck cabin is nearly identical to its diesel counterpart, but with a whisper-quiet engine, a super smooth ride, and zero emissions. Our drivers can't wait to get behind the wheel of the VNR Electric trucks and put them to work." Dependable Highway Express (DHE) is a core division of Dependable Supply Chain Services, a full-service logistics provider established in 1950. DHE's services include trucking, warehousing and distribution, harbor drayage, third-party logistics, air and ocean freight forwarding, and freight transport. "Working with DHE as a trusted fleet partner for years, they've come to expect the reliability, performance, and safety that is synonymous with a Volvo truck. We look forward to DHE putting these VNR Electric truck models through the rigors of their daily operations and experiencing that same level of quality," said Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America. "These zero-emission trucks will start delivering benefits to drivers and communities today, while providing us with the valuable real-world data we need to successfully introduce these trucks commercially in the very near future, a milestone in the transition to wide-scale, sustainable transport solutions." The Volvo VNR Electric trucks were deployed as part of the Volvo LIGHTS projectan innovative collaboration with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) and 13 other organizations to develop a blueprint to successfully introduce battery-electric trucks and equipment into the market at scale. "The Volvo LIGHTS project is figuratively paving the road toward achieving meaningful emission reductions in the freight movement sectorthe largest single source of air pollution in our region," said Janice Rutherford, San Bernardino County, second district supervisor and South Coast AQMD board member. "I am pleased to see these zero-emission Volvo VNR Electric trucks driving through my district in San Bernardino County and look forward to larger scale deployments." In June, the first Volvo LIGHTS VNR Electric truck was deployed at Volvo Trucks North America TEC Equipment dealership in Fontana, California, which will provide DHE with ongoing maintenance support for the Volvo VNR Electric trucks. On the near-term horizon, additional announcements about fleet customer demonstrations will be made. "By operating our own all-electric VNR for the past four months, our maintenance and repair crew has already gained incredible hands-on experience," said Mike Reardon, general manager of TEC Equipment's Fontana dealership. "We're thrilled to extend our contracted maintenance services with DHE to include their two Volvo VNR Electric trucks and look forward to helping their team maximize their uptime." The Volvo VNR Electric model was recently certified by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) enabling the vehicle to be commercially sold in all 50 U.S. states. This step helps Volvo Trucks move one step closer towards the highly anticipated commercial launch of the VNR Electric. Beginning in 2021, Southern California businesses will have the opportunity to lease commercial Volvo VNR Electric trucks from TEC Equipment to gain firsthand experience with these advanced trucks in their fleet operations. Volvo LIGHTS is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environmentparticularly in disadvantaged communities. To learn more about the Volvo LIGHTS project, visit www.lightsproject.com . Volvo Trucks provides complete transport solutions for professional and demanding customers, offering a full range of medium to heavy duty trucks. Customer support is secured via a global network of dealers with 2,100 service points in more than 130 countries. Volvo trucks are assembled in 14 countries across the globe. In 2019, approximately 131,000 Volvo trucks were delivered worldwide. Volvo Trucks is part of Volvo Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks, buses, construction equipment and marine and industrial engines. The Group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. Volvo Trucks work is based on the core values of quality, safety and environmental care. For further information, please contact Jennifer Edwards, Volvo Trucks, phone 336-392-9396, email [email protected] www.volvotrucks.us www.volvotrucks.ca www.volvotrucks.mx SOURCE Volvo Trucks North America 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 Juarezs husband had to use the family car to drive to work at a meat company on Friday. Though the Centre had on September 8 released guidelines to start schools for students from Class 9 to Class 12 from September 21, parents and teachers in Maharashtra are yet to get clarity on the issue as the state government and education department have not made any official announcement on it. Over the past few days, the state education department has held several discussions with all the stakeholders, including school managements, teachers and parents along with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to get their views on the physical reopening of schools. State education minister Varsha Gaikwad did not respond to calls and messages. However, an official from the state education department said, The popular opinion seems to be against the physical reopening of schools anytime soon. With the rising (Covid-19) cases in the state, there seems to be a lot of risk involved in reopening schools. However, the governments decision is awaited. The official added that the plan to reopen schools only post-Diwali break is also being considered. The guidelines released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) for partial reopening of schools stated that only those schools which are outside containment zones will be allowed to reopen for Class 9 to Class 12. The guidelines further stated that before resuming classes, schools have to be sanitised and seating arrangements have to be based on social distancing norms. Anyone who develops symptoms in the school has to be isolated, and in the case of students, the school would have to immediately inform their parents. Recently, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) ordered the sanitisation of all its schools which were used as quarantine facilities and were later handed back to the civic body. Similarly, other schools were asked to ensure basic cleaning of classrooms and school premises. Teachers, however, said that starting schools, especially in places like Mumbai where the number of cases is growing every day, is not a good idea. Rajesh Pandya, a teacher at Fatima Devi English High School, Malad, said, Most teachers in Mumbai travel by the train and even if they follow the 50% attendance rule as suggested in the central government circular, it is not possible to do so. Several teachers from private schools have not even got their full salaries for the past few months. They wont be able to afford transport on a daily basis. A police officer who suffered severe burns in an incident in Newquay has been named as PC Darral Mares. Pc Mares, 51, is currently in a stable condition at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth after sustaining life-changing injuries. Following the incident in question, which happened on Trevenson Road in Newquay on Friday morning, a 30-year-old man was charged with grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent against a police officer, and arson with intent to endanger life. Pc Darral Mares, pictured, is recovering in hospital following an incident in Newquay Pc Mares was airlifted to hospital following the incident on Friday morning in Newquay, pictured Blagovest Hadjigueorguiev, a Bulgarian national of no fixed abode was charged with grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent against a police officer, and arson with intent to endanger life as well as attempted GBH with intent against a second police officer Blagovest Hadjigueorguiev, a Bulgarian national of no fixed abode, was further charged with attempted GBH with intent against a second police officer. Hadjigueorguiev appeared at Truro Magistrates Court on Saturday, speaking only to confirm his personal details. Hadjigueorguiev will next appear at Truro Crown Court on October 13 via video link. In the meantime he has been remanded in custody. Army veteran Pc Mares is a popular and well known officer in the town and has been in the police force for 18 years. Pc Mares suffered serious burns to his arms and legs while a second police officer, Pc Alan Lenton, was not injured. Newquay Police posted an update on Twitter on Friday on behalf of PC Mares, which said: 'The injured officer and his colleagues @PoliceNewquay@NewquayResponse would like to sincerely thank all those who have sent kind messages of support. His condition is stable and he is receiving treatment. #oneteam.' Dave Meredith, who recently retired from the position of police inspector in Newquay, added: 'I have had the privilege of working alongside this officer for over a decade. You could find no better police officer and friend. All the best and get well soon mate!' Pc Mares suffered serious burns to his arms and legs while a second police officer, Pc Alan Lenton, was not injured His successor, Inspector Guy Blackford, thanked the wider community and other emergency services for their support. Chief Superintendent Ian Drummond-Smith, of Devon and Cornwall Police, also provided an update on PC Mares' condition on Saturday morning, writing on Twitter: 'An officer was airlifted to Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske, with serious burns. 'He was later transferred to Derriford Hospital, where he remains in a stable condition. He is sat up and in good spirits.' Pakistan on Friday welcomed 14 members of two Hindu families upon their return to the country from India on Friday. Nanak Ram and Kanhaiya Lal, the two heads of the families, told the reporters that they returned to Pakistan after facing issues settling down in India. They returned to Sindh provinces Ghotki city in a bus from the Wagah Border. As the 14 people came out of the bus, they were greeted by the leaders of the local Hindu community and members of some welfare organisations with welcome banners. Lal claimed that around 25,000 Hindus who have migrated to India from Pakistan want to come back but were stranded in Jodhpur. It was not easy for us and after reaching there, we realised that there was no acceptance for us and we were first and foremost identified as Pakistanis. There are also some families with educated persons and even they are struggling to make ends meet. Many are living in poverty. They also face threats from the locals, he claimed. They went straight to a Hindu temple to offer prayers. Soap operas like General Hospital are known for having extremely absurd plot lines that are far removed from real life. However, these shows often manage to captivate viewers with touching scenes as well. Actor Dominic Zamprogna, who plays Dante Falconeri on General Hospital recently found himself in an emotional-filled scene. In fact, the scene in question was so touching that Zamprognas wife reportedly cried while watching it. Dominic Zamprogna | Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images Dominic Zamprogna recently returned to General Hospital Zamprogna joined the cast of General Hospital in 2009, and after almost 10 years on the show, he decided to take a break from filming in 2018. He returned for a bit in 2019 before leaving again. Zamprogna decided to return to the show in 2020, and fans got to see him again after General Hospital returned to TV in August. As Zamprogna has shared before, he wanted to take a break from General Hospital because of his desire to act in different roles. However, he later revealed he missed the cast and crew while away, and it was a part of the reason he decided to come back to the show. He told Michael Fairman TV in June 2020, Since last September, I started feeling like, I kind of miss my buddies. I miss my family over there, and I miss the day-to-day of what GH was to me I miss Maurice (Benard), I miss Lisa (LoCicero), I miss Chad (Duell), and I miss the crew. I get emotional thinking about the crew because they were all buddies of mine. What happened on a recent scene with Dominic Zaprogna? RELATED: General Hospital: William deVry Wants to See This A-List Actor Cast as Julians Brother Before Zamprogna left General Hospital in 2019, his character began showing symptoms of PTSD. As a result, he decided to get away from Port Charles. When Dante was seen again in 2020, he was in Switzerland, where he is still getting treatment for PTSD at a private mental health facility. However, his location has been kept a secret from the other main characters on the show. Recently, Dantes mother, Olivia (Lisa LoCicero), got an opportunity to visit him. She flew to Switzerland only for Dante to tell her he did not feel ready to see her. Dante remained in his room and the two of them talked through a door, with Olivia crying and begging her son to let her see him after they had been apart for so long. In the end, Dante did not open his door and Olivia left without meeting her son face to face. Dominic Zamprognas wife reportedly cried during the scene with Lisa LoCicero RELATED: General Hospital: Fans Think Ned Has Been Insufferable On Recent Episodes The scene between Dante and Olivia at the facility was a touching one that showcased a mothers love for her child. It is not surprising, then, that many viewers were touched by it, including Zamprognas wife, Linda. Several hours after the episode aired on Sept. 8, Zamprogna took to Twitter to talk about the emotional scene. He wrote, I just wanna tell @lisalocicerogh the Zs just watched this and were collectively blown away by you. Also you made Linda cry. It is still unknown when Dante will return to Port Charles again, but given how many loved ones are still waiting for him, we have no doubt there will be more tearful moments to come. UK and EU negotiating teams are set for emergency talks after Boris Johnsons government provoked outrage over plans to flout international law by rewriting key aspects of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. The extraordinary meeting of the joint committee between London and Brussels is being held after the European Commission demanded clarifications from Britain on the full and timely implementation of the agreement signed earlier this year. It follows the publication of the governments Internal Market Bill providing ministers with powers to override aspects of the Brexit agreement if current talks collapse and ministers admitting it will breach international law. Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, will meet senior EU official Maros Sefcovic to discuss the fragile situation, as talks on a future trading agreement continue in London between the UKs chief negotiator David Frost and his opposite number Michel Barnier. On Wednesday evening, the spokesperson for Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, who has expressed deep concern over the measures, said: Following todays announcement by the UK, Marcos Sefcovic will travel to London tomorrow to meet Michael Gove for an extraordinary meeting of the joint committee. The EU seeks clarifications from the UK on the full and timely implementation of the withdrawal agreement. The bloc is also considering legal action against the UK government, with Bloomberg reporting a document concluding a breach of the agreement would open the way for legal remedies. The meeting comes after the prime minister faced warnings that flouting international law would weaken the UKs standing in the world and hinder its ability to negotiate free trade deals after Brexit with other countries such as the United States. Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives, said there would be absolutely no chance of a trade agreement between the UK and the US passing Congress should Mr Johnsons government override the EU agreement. The Good Friday Agreement is the bedrock of peace in Northern Ireland and an inspiration for the whole world, she warned in a statement. 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. "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." Ministers argue the new proposed legislation is necessary to protect the Northern Ireland peace process if London and Brussels are unable to agree a free trade deal before the current Brexit transition period runs out at the end of the year. Defending the plans, Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: This is do with some very technical changes to the way we would ensure theres a safety net. To ensure that if we dont have any kind of further agreement, which we want to have, but if its not possible the Northern Irelands businesses and producers can enjoy unfettered access to the rest of the UK. It would be unreasonable to suggest that a sovereign nation isnt able to trade within its own borders in certain circumstances. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 20:10:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- A senior Palestinian official on Saturday accused the United States of pressurizing Arab countries into normalizing relations with Israel. "Washington exploits its political and economic power to force the Arab countries to normalize ties with Israel," said Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, in a press statement. "The U.S. government is using all means of incitement, intimidation and pressure" to achieve the goal, she added. Ashwawi's comments referred to U.S. President Donald Trump's declaration that the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain agreed to normalize their relations with Israel. The U.S.-sponsored normalization agreements between Israel and the Arab countries have outraged the Palestinians who consider the deals a stab in their back and at the expense of the Palestinian cause. "The American efforts aim to approve the Israeli plan of annexing what remains of the Palestinian lands, which is a flagrant violation of international legitimacy and international resolutions," Ashrawi noted. "(Israeli) normalization with Arab countries will not bring security and stability to the region. On the contrary, it will bring division and instability," she concluded. Enditem Charlevoix man denies wrongdoing despite signing illegitimate election document 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. A drug courier in Australia crashed a van packed with methamphetamine into two marked police cars. Officers who busted the van full of drugs called the incident as one of the easiest drug busts ever made. The courier was jailed on September 11. Millions worth of meth The courier, Simon Tu, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison on the charge of supplying a massive commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, according to the New South Wales district court. Tu will be eligible for parole in July 2023. The incident happened last July in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales. Police officers at a station heard a loud crash outside, and when they went out to see what happened, they saw two cars severely damaged, according to CNN. The car that crashed into the police vehicles was nowhere to be seen, according to a news release from NSW Police. Tu immediately fled the scene. Also Read: Massive Fire at Beirut Port Broke Out Just a Month After Explosion After the police checked surveillance cameras and talking to several witnesses, the police were able to identify the car that was responsible for the wreckage. They tracked it down and pulled it over. That was when the officers found Tu behind the wheel. The police officers who responded to the call noticed that Tu was acting suspiciously when they engaged him in conversation; this prompted them to search his car. Police found 273 kilograms or 600 pounds of crystal meth packed neatly into cardboard boxes, and they seemed like they were ready to be delivered, according to the police statement. The drugs are said to have a street value of 200 million Australian dollars or 145 million U.S dollars, according to the police. The officers immediately seized the meth and the van. Tu was arrested and denied bail. Detective Glyn Baker of the Ryde Police said in a press conference shortly after the incident took place that the 26-year-old suspect has had a very bad day for running in with the police like that. Tu crashed into police cars with that amount of drugs on board, and that kind of incident is unheard of and is an exceptional set of circumstances. Detective Baker told Seven News that what happened is one of the easiest drug busts that NSW Police has ever made, adding that he found the whole ordeal incredible. Drug busts in Australia Australian authorities have made a lot of massive drug busts recently. In October 2019, authorities found 400 kilograms or 880 pounds of meth, worth more than $208 million, hidden in hundred of bottles of Sriracha-branded hot sauce, according to CTV News. In December 2019, federal border police seized a record-breaking $820 million worth of crystal meth, which had been hidden inside stereo speakers shipped from Thailand, according ABC 57. The crystal meth trade has not slowed down even during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Shipping items from one country to another became more strict, so smuggles got more creative. In May 2020, the border force found 2 kilograms or 4.4 pounds of meth hidden in face mask boxes and hand sanitizer bottles, which are two of the essential items right now. Related Article: Thousands Evacuated and 15 People Killed as Wildefire Spreads in Three Different States @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Photo: CTV News Police say an officer and a suspect in an alleged theft are in hospital following a police-involved shooting at an outdoors store in Abbotsford. Police say in a news release that officers responded on Friday to a theft in progress at a Cabela's at McCallum Junction. They say a responding officer challenged two suspects as they exited the store and one fled while the other allegedly pepper-sprayed the officer. Abbotsford police say the second suspect then ran away but returned moments later, allegedly spraying the officer again and physically assaulting the officer. Police say the officer then shot the suspect. Emergency Health Services spokeswoman Leslie Dickson says one patient was airlifted to hospital in critical condition, while a second patient in serious condition was taken to hospital by ground crews. Police say both suspects are in custody and the public is not in any danger. British Columbia's police watchdog, the Independent Investigations Office, says it is investigating. The IIO is a civilian-led oversight agency that reviews all incidents of death or serious harm that may have been the result of a police officer's actions. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 23:51:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka (CPSL) D.E.W. Gunasekera speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sept. 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Tang Lu) COLOMBO, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), of which Sri Lanka is an early participant, are beneficial to developing countries and multipolarity in world affairs. Former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka (CPSL) D.E.W. Gunasekera told Xinhua that the China-Sri Lanka ties have reached a new high due to the implementation of BRI and massive Chinese investment in infrastructure and energy projects in the island country. BRI, a reference to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, is aimed at building a trade, investment and infrastructure network that connects Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes. Gunasekera, who served as the general secretary of the CPSL for 16 years until his resignation in August, said China's development has enabled a multipolar world with new economic centers emerging in Africa, Latin America and Eurasia. "A new continent called Eurasia is emerging due to the Belt and Road Initiative," Gunasekera said. "The Asian economy is the vanguard of the world economy." Cooperation with China is imperative for developing countries like Sri Lanka so as to safeguard national interests and make use of China's massive market, Gunasekera said. He said that the CPSL played a significant role in convincing the then government of Sri Lanka to sign the Rubber-Rice Pact with China in 1952, and establish the formal diplomatic ties with China in 1957. Commenting on China's development, Gunasekera recalled that he was part of a CPSL delegation to visit Shenzhen in 1980s, when only basic infrastructure had been built in the fishing village in south China, which has now been transformed into a global technology hub. Enditem A pple may be about to launch another range of 1,000+ phones next week but recent developments in phone tech have proved you dont always need to spend megabucks on a new device. In fact, the mid-range is where tech companies are starting to really invest. Take OnePlus, a company that has always put out great, affordable phones with high-end specs. This year, it has decided to try and crack the mid-range market with its new Nord device. Not to mention the fact Apple reinvigorated its SE range with the new iPhone SE, featuring the best single-camera tech its ever produced. Here are some of our favourite mid-range phones for the year that proves you dont need to spend 1,000 to be spoilt for choice. Apple iPhone SE Apple There have been rumours for years that Apple was bringing back the SE and 2020 delivered. With a 4.7-inch body, the thick bezels of the pre-iPhone X era, and the return of TouchID, this is a decent, well-functioning smartphone without the bells and whistles found on the more expensive Apple devices. The big plus here is that the SE runs the same A13 bionic chip found in the iPhone 11 range, which brings all the great AI features you expect in iPhones such as Siri and improved photography. It also helps that its the most affordable phone Apple has produced in years. From 419, apple.com Google Pixel 4a Google The Pixel 4a is another great device that shows you dont need to spend hundreds on a phone. Like the SE, it has a small compact body, at 5.8-inches, but with a better design thanks to a tiny punch-hole camera in the top left corner of the screen and virtually no bezels. If the plus of the SE is that it has the brain of an iPhone 11, then the plus with the Pixel 4a is that it has the camera found in the main Pixel line but for much less. It also doesnt have facial recognition like Apple, but thats one of the compromises made for this device. If you were choosing between the 4 and the 4a, its also worth noting that the 4a has a bigger battery too. 349, available to pre-order at store.google.com and on sale from October 1 OnePlus Nord OnePlus The OnePlus Nord is an exceptionally fun phone. It boasts a casual four camera lenses on the back: 48MP main camera along with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a macro camera and a 5MP depth sensor. Not to mention there is a 32MP main selfie lens and an ultra-wide lens with 105-degree field of view for wide-angle selfies. Its quite a big phone, at 6.44-inches, and comes in two colours: aqua blue marble and grey onyx. One of the big differences between the Nord and the more expensive OnePlus phones is that it has a 90Hz screen refresh rate, whereas OnePlus has opted to offer 120Hz on the 8 range. It also comes with a solid mid-range chip, the Snapdragon 765G processor, which also allows for 5G connectivity. From 379, oneplus.com Samsung Galaxy A51 5G Samsung If youre a Samsung fan, its time to turn away from the flashy S and Note ranges, to the Samsung Galaxy A range. This is where you get the cool, new features at a lower price range. Take the A51 5G for instance. You get a gorgeous AMOLED 6.5-inch display, quad camera, 5G and long-lasting 4,500mAh battery. Download films in an instant on the go, or stream high-quality games - the AI-powered Game Booster feature ensures the device is working at optimum performance in the middle of the action. 429, samsung.co.uk Oppo Find X2 Lite Oppo Oppo is still relatively unknown in the UK but the Chinese tech brand makes impressive tech to rival the likes of Apple and Samsung. The Find X2 Lite is a great introduction to the brand. On the back, theres four camera lenses: a 48MP main sensor, 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, 2MP depth sensor and 2MP monochrome sensor. Design-wise, theres a 6.4-inch AMOLED screen, and a glossy glass panel on the back. Inside youll find the same chip as the OnePlus Nord, so you can get access to 5G speeds if you want, along Oppos fast-charging tech. 399.99, carphonewarehouse.com (Newser) It's bad enough a group of college students at Ohio's Miami University hosted a house party over Labor Day weekend, despite the fact that their school has had upward of 1,100 students test positive for COVID-19 since the middle of last month. But what a local cop discovered when he arrived to break up the gathering elicited head-smacking from him and everyone else who's since heard about it. CBS News and the New York Post report that an officer from the Oxford Police Department dropped by the off-campus residence on Sept. 5 to break up the party, where several young men milled about on the front porch, drinking and listening to music, not a mask in sight. With one of the students estimating that about 20 people were at the house, the officer cited the city's current ban on gatherings of more than 10 people. The cop's bodycam footage shows what happened next. story continues below He asks for the ID of one of the students, then goes back to his car to run it. What he found out shocked him. "Can you come here?" he asks the student, who strolls over to the squad car. "There's an input on the computer that you tested positive for COVID?" The student confirms that fact, saying his test came back about a week ago, and when the officer asks if the student is supposed to be quarantining, the student answers, "Yeah, that's why I'm at my house." The student then tells the officers all of his housemates, as well as some party attendees, also had the virus. "[This is] what we're trying to prevent," the incredulous officer says of the gathering. "We want to keep this town open." It's not clear if there were people without COVID-19 at the party. Five men in the house received $500 fines, as did one guest. Without commenting on this specific case, the college told CBS that "we take these matters most seriously, and students can face suspension or dismissal for these types of violations." (Read more college students stories.) RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Cade, Brazil's anti-monopoly regulator, has recommended that some of the nation's largest fuel distributors be found guilty of anticompetitive practices in the aviation gasoline market, BR Distribuidora said on Friday night. In a securities filing, Petrobras Distribuidora SA , as the country's top fuel distributor is formally known, said that it was found at fault alongside competitors Raizen and Air BP, for anticompetitive practices at Sao Paulo's Guarulhos airport, Brazil's busiest. Cade's opinion has no immediate legal effect, but the body will present its findings in court, which could lead to significant fines. The nature of the allegations was not immediately clear, but Cade has previously said it was investigating whether those companies were acting to bar competitors' entry into the aviation gasoline market at Guarulhos. In the Friday filing, BR Distribuidora said its business model was "based on the best commercial and competitive practices," adding that it would "adopt all means necessary for its defense." Raizen, a joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Brazil's Cosan SA, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did BP PLC, the parent of Air BP. (Reporting by Gram Slattery Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) Advertisement Do you remember the 1970s? If so, youll undoubtedly have tucked into that dessert trolley favourite Black Forest gateau, with its rich layers of chocolate, boozy cherry jam, whipped cream and black cherries on top. And while the cake may have fallen from fashion, its namesake (although not the inspiration for its name), a heavily wooded region of south-west Germany, is still an absolute foodie heaven. For irresistible cured hams and sausages, fruit brandy and craft beers, the Black Forest takes the countrys most show-stopping gourmet experiences to delicious new levels. The region is a popular holiday destination for Germans. With evergreen forests, romantic hills and beautifully preserved Gothic towns, it offers the best of Germany in microcosm and better still, no crowds. High drama: An astonishing 15,000 miles of walking paths are marked and often lead to mirror-clear lakes and bewitching panoramas. Pictured is Germanys largest waterfall, near Triberg And its easy to get to. Fly direct to Stuttgart, or into the equally convenient Strasbourg airport in France, or even Basel or Zurich just across the border in Switzerland then hop on trains and buses to do a loop of the entire Black Forest. The area can be divided into three bitesize chunks: the northern, central and southern highlands, together nearly as big as Devon, but focus on a manageable slice and youll make the most of your stay. In autumn, the hiking, biking and fishing are at their best. Pick up a rental car and drive to Schonach im Schwarzwald in the central Black Forest. This wild woodland is known as the Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte or Black Forest gateau capital of the world, and there is certainly no shortage of opportunities to discover why. Triberg, the closest the central highlands has to a tourist town, is a steep-sided scattering of half-timbered, crooked houses and Rapunzel towers. Its home to two of Germanys most celebrated cake shops, both of which attract a steady stream of fans. Cake town: A colourful street in Triberg, loved by tourists for its gateau shops The Black Forests legendary gateau has many origin stories, but the most popular points to it being created in 1915 by Josef Keller, a confectioner from Lake Constance. He used kirschwasser, or kirsch, a brandy made from the forests black cherries, then passed the recipe on to his apprentice, August Schafer. Cafe Schafer claims to still use the original recipe, and here Augusts son Claus the regions answer to Paul Hollywood sells his signature cake topped with mini chocolate pines and creamed rosettes for 2.50 a helping. Across the street, though, is my absolute favourite: Cafe Adler, with utterly scrumptious chocolatey sponges soaked in cherry brandy. Cakemaker Claus Schafer, who uses his fathers original gateau recipe For lunch or dinner, try nearby Restaurant Bergseestuble, run by the Weis family. The menu tackles Black Forest classics including bread dumplings, pork loin with wild mushrooms and spruce-smoked ham. And just for a change at dessert, sample the apple strudel with lashings of cream. Tribergs star turn is Germanys largest waterfall, while nearby Schonwald is where the inventor of the first cuckoo clock, Franz Ketterer, lived. The hand-crafted souvenirs have been produced here since the 1700s. Schonach im Schwarzwald is home to the worlds largest cuckoo clock, with a 24ft pendulum and a cuckoo the size of a plumped-up Christmas turkey. Most days, the Black Forest begs to be explored on foot. An astonishing 15,000 miles of walking paths are marked and often lead to mirror-clear lakes and bewitching panoramas, so pack a picnic basket and an extra slice of cake. The countryside here is soul-stirring, and save for the odd Red Riding Hood-style cottage en route, theres usually little sign of life at all. One of the most scenic trails leads to Blindensee, a raised bog lake where, in the right light, its not hard to imagine a troll crouching behind a rock. Hike from here through a hangar of forest to gable-roofed Gasthaus Wilhelmshohe, a hunting lodge that serves smoked pork shoulder, coarse sausages and cheese spatzle, or pillowy dumplings, all for 10 each. You could continue through the woodlands to Rohrhardsberg nature reserve to see cuckoo nests, capercaillie and roaming wild boar, but lunch here shouldnt be rushed. On a sunny afternoon, why not stake out the terrace with a frothy Furstenberg beer, brewed in the area since 1283. The rest of the wider Black Forest, if you decide to venture farther, feels just as enchanting. One hour to the south, Lake Titisee, with its idyllic rowing boats and electric skiffs, is a mini German Riviera with spa hotels, biergartens and gelato huts to boot. The Gutach Valley to the north is another must-see its the Black Forest at its most untouched and medieval. As you travel around, you might spot a local woman in folk dress wearing a traditional bollenhut a straw hat with gigantic, cherry-shaped pom-poms. At the end of a refreshing week here, I defy you to leave without feeling full of hearty cheer, or gemutlichkeit, as the Germans say. Ongole : , Sep 13 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district police have busted a two-year old fake certificate racket and arrested seven people for issuing certificates for up to 500 courses under 'JNTC' name, mimicking a reputed technical university, on Saturday. "We busted a nationwide operation which was being conducted through a front called Jawaharlal Nehru Technical Centre (JNTC), obviously made with an intent to confuse it with Jawaharlal Nehru Technical University (JNTU)," Prakasam district Superintendent of Police (SP) Siddarth Kaushal told IANS. The arrested seven are Jampani Venkateshwarlu, 49, Silarapu Bala Srinivasa Rao, 53, Silarapu Sujatha, 47, Siddi Srinivas Reddy, 25, Koduri Pradeep Kumar, 32, Anaparthi Christopher, 47 and Batta Potula Venkatshwarlu, 48. Police arrested them for cheating, forgery, using forged documents, falling under IPC Sections 420, 468, 471 and others. Using JNTC as a front, the accused were operating in 11 states across the country. "They were issuing fake certificates in almost every field of study and on the ground there is nothing. We catalogued almost 500 kinds of certificates they were issuing. From three-month courses to 3-year degrees," said Kaushal. Certificates were issued in disciplines such as management, hospitality, even critical sectors like healthcare, aviation, fire and safety and others. Until now, police were able to establish the paper trail for almost 2,400 odd certificates issued across 11 states which is likely to rise. Meanwhile, police presented the case to the public at large as soon as possible to alert them of the people who may have used these fake degrees. "We made the details of this investigation public immediately in the public interest because we suspect that many of these certificates have been used to gain illegal employment with the government or the private sector in sensitive places as well," observed Kaushal. The SP hopes that employers and employees will get alerted on suspicious candidates Explaining the modus operandi, the IPS officer said that the racket had 155 conduits in Andhra Pradesh alone, operating under the guise of a computer training institute or a similar setup which serves as a front to give any kind of certificate. "For example in Ongole there may be a Srinivasa Computer training institute which offers any certificate just on payment of money, such as a diploma for a lab technician, diploma in agriculture or whatever," he said. In Andhra Pradesh, the gang issued 1,900 fake certificates. To further trace each and everyone involved in the racket, police have listed out all the certificates and JNTC branches and alerted the respective district police. "You can expect a lot of criminal cases, cheating cases and etc. in other districts as well. I am also sending these details to other states," said Kaushal. Though the racket is busted, Kushal fears that many people would have already misused these fake certificates to benefit. Police managed to crack the case when they went for a regular stock checking of a fertilizer shop, which needs an agriculture diploma to run. "The person running the shop seemed a little suspicious and when we verified everything, we found out that his diploma was fake. When we started digging deeper, we found a whole racket," he said. Learning that the accused were operating from Visakhapatnam, police raided their place to discover fake certificates, stamps, holograms, computers and hard drives used for forgery. The arrested seven are the masterminds of the racket who engaged several local accomplices to sell the fake certificates at any unfixed price, starting as low as Rs 2,000 to up to Rs 80,000, depending on the desperation and affordability of a buyer. The main accused person in this case is the son of a former Air Force employee who smelled an opportunity when he worked in a fire and safety training field in Kerala. "Now if you start issuing fake diploma and certificates for fire and safety and in factories you have these fire safety officers and supervisors, if they don't know their job, tomorrow it poses a risk to everybody," said Kaushal. He lamented that the accused did not even spare critical sectors such as aviation, medical and fire and safety. For further probe, police will set up a special investigation team (SIT). The Serum Institute of India (SII) on Saturday said phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine candidate will resume after receiving the green signal from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). The development came shortly after pharma giant AstraZeneca said it had resumed clinical trials after getting the all-clear from British regulators. Once DCGI (Drugs Controller General of India) gives us permission to restart the trials in India, we will resume the trials," said SII CEO Adar Poonawalla. In a tweet, he urged people to not jump to conclusions until the trials are fully concluded". As Id mentioned earlier, we should not jump to conclusions until the trials are fully concluded. The recent chain of events are a clear example why we should not bias the process and should respect the process till the end. Good news, @UniofOxford. https://t.co/ThIU2ELkO3 Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) September 12, 2020 The statement came in response to AstraZenecas announcement that vaccine trials have resumed in the UK. 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. The Drugs Controller General of India, Dr VG Somani, had directed SII to increase the safety monitoring of the subjects already vaccinated as part of the trial, and submit the plan and report. This was days after AstraZeneca said it had paused the trials because of an unexplained illness in a participant in the study. The central drug regulator authority 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". The Pune-based firm on Thursday had said it was pausing the trials and reviewing the situation until AstraZeneca restarts them. AstraZenecas vaccine candidate is one of nine around the world currently in late-stage Phase 3 human trials. Caracas: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Friday that a "US spy" had been captured spying on the largest refining complex in the country. In a live state TV broadcast, Maduro said the man was arrested on Thursday in the north-west state of Falcon where he was spying on the Amuay and Cardon oil refineries. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is engaged in a war of words with the United States. Credit:AP Maduro said the American was "a marine" who had served on CIA bases in Iraq. "He was captured with specialised 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. The country is going through a severe fuel shortage crisis. Photo: (Photo : 5 Things to Mull Over When Deciding Whether to Send the Kids Back to School) 2020 is crazy for everybody, and parents are probably feeling it more than most. You have yourself to worry about, and also your children. One of the things you'll have to think about is whether you feel safe sending them back to school now that we've arrived at the fall season. There are several things you'll need to consider very seriously as you try to determine whether you can send your kids back. Different parents may arrive at different conclusions, and there's nothing wrong with that. Here are five pressing factors that will determine whether you send your kids back to a physical classroom this fall. What Are Things Like Where You Are? All good parents question whether it is safe to let their children go to school in the middle of a pandemic. It's impossible not to. However, it's not always the easiest question to answer. Parents know the Covid-19 dangers. They know that: 190,000 Americans are dead Children can contract the virus Even if the virus doesn't affect them, they can bring it home and spread it to adults The thing is, while it might feel safer in one part of the country, it may be completely different somewhere else. There is no uniformity as to how America is dealing with the virus. Some states are resistant to mask-wearing and social distancing. In others, the virus rate seems to be dropping more every day. That's going to make a difference in terms of whether you let your kids go back to school. If things seem to be under control, you'll probably feel better about the situation. Do You Have Immunocompromised Individuals at Home? Let' say for a moment that you're in a state that seems to be doing well fighting the coronavirus. You might want to let your kids go back to school. However: You have an immunocompromised relative in your home You're immunocompromised yourself Immunocompromised means that the individual in question has a medical condition where they cannot fight back so well from something like Covid-19. Generally speaking, medical experts feel that if these individuals catch the coronavirus, then it can easily kill them. If you have someone in your home like this, or you're like this yourself, you may need to keep the kids away from school for that reason. If you have an immunocompromised child, then you must keep them away too. How Old Is Your Child? Your child's age will also play a part in whether you send them back to school. Maybe you have a five-year-old who you were going to send off to kindergarten for the first time. If so, then you'll probably think twice about sending them this year. For one thing, they're still quite young, and their immune system might not be all that strong yet. At the same time, them missing the first year of school at age five is not the worst thing in the world. You do not have to fret about them falling behind if they haven't gotten far along in the educational process. You can even do some activities at home that are similar to the ones the teacher might do with your child in class. It's true that your kid can't socialize with other children this way, and that might disappoint them, but missing a year at such an early age is by no means the worst thing in the world. Are There Online Options Instead? Almost all cities and states in the country, regardless of how bad the coronavirus is in your area, do have some online teaching options for your kids this fall. The classes might not be as rigorous as they'd get if they went in person, but it's not as though they'll have to sit at home twiddling their thumbs if you decide to keep them away. Your kids might want to go back very badly. They might miss their friends and socializing with them. They probably don't want to fall behind either. Alternatively, if your child does not like school very much, then they might love that you're keeping them home. In either case, they have to accept that you know what's best for them. This is an extraordinary circumstance and not one that you could have predicted. They'll have to follow your lead. Ultimately, you are their parent and what you say goes. What Are the Conditions Going to Be Like at the Local Schools? You also might decide based in part on what local school boards, teachers, etc. say the conditions will be like. If teachers say that they're going to wear masks, and they require all students to wear them, then you'll probably be glad to hear that, and you might be willing to try sending your kids. On the other hand, some politicians on both a state and national level have politicized mask-wearing. If you're in an area with no mask requirements, you should automatically keep your kids home. Many school districts face overcrowding, so it will probably be almost impossible for your kids to stay six feet away from other students at all times when they're sitting in class or moving around in the hallways or cafeteria. If you know that your kid's school won't at least require masks and periodically sanitize surfaces, then it's simply not worth it to send them. Even if you feel like they're young and it probably won't harm them, they can easily contract Covid-19 and bring it back to your home. Besides, while few children die from the virus, some still do. We do not really know enough about it yet to be cavalier: this is your child's life and your own life on the line. Education matters and you don't want your child to fall behind. However, this is an unprecedented and uncertain situation. It's better to keep your child home and have them miss some algebra right now than to potentially risk their life. In July 2020 the U.S. Air Force placed its first order for an upgraded F-15 to replace elderly F-15Cs and Es that will soon have to be retired or flown a lot less. The initial order, for eight F-15EXs, will cost $1.2 billion. Ultimately the air force wants to buy as many as 400 F-15EXs to replace retiring F-15Cs and Es. The entire program is supposed to cost no more than $23 billion and deliver new F-15EX aircraft at a cost of about $88 million each. The F-15 entered service in the 1970s and the last one was built in 1989. The two-seat F-15E fighter-bomber entered service in 1989 and only 236 were built over the next 15 years. After that new models of the F-15E were developed and built for export customers. These included Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Qatar and Israel. All have entered service except the Qatar and Israeli models. The Qatari F-15QA made its first flight in April 2020 and the F-15EX is based on that QA model. Because of that the first two F-15EXs are already being built. Israel has not yet decided to buy the F-15IA, in part because it has ordered additional F-35s and cannot afford the F-15IA as well as all the F-35s the Israeli Air Force wants. The F-15QA is the latest model F-15E that actually exists. Qatar is buying 36 of these. Back in early 2019 the U.S. Air Force was planning to buy two models of the F-15X; the single seat F-15CX fighters to complement the new F-35 and (unofficially) make up for the fact that the air force is not getting as many F-35s as it believes it needs. There were to be a smaller number of two-seat F-15DX. Normally the two-seat version is for training but in this case the DX version provides the option to provide a GIB (Guy in the Back) to help with the use of the F-15X as a bomb truck for F-35s and F-22s. These two stealthy aircraft, especially the F-35, have demonstrated the ability to remain silent (few radio and radar transmissions) to detect targets and have less stealthy aircraft (or missile units on the ground) launch weapons to destroy the target. Israeli F-35s, the only ones with combat experience, may have already demonstrated this technique over Syria. The X version would combine years of experience and upgrades for American and foreign F-15s to produce a more capable (better electronics and larger bomb load) and durable (built to operate for 12,000 flight hours) aircraft. The X model would carry up to 14 tons of bombs and missiles and be built to avoid a lot of the structural fatigue problems F-15Cs encountered. While the two-seat F-15E fighter-bomber is still available for sale new, all existing F-15Cs are at least 30 years old. At this point the air force realized it could save a lot of money on development by just buying two-seater X models as the F-15EX. Basing this aircraft on the existing F-15QA would save a lot of time and development costs. Because of this the first F-15EX order was placed in record time and the first of these will be flying in 2021 and enter service by 2023. A growing number of the elderly F-15Cs and overworked F-15Es will be grounded unless replaced or put through an expensive refurbishment. It is more cost-effective to go with the F-15EX. Theres another factor. On paper, the F-35 will eventually (5-10 years) become cheaper to maintain and operate than the F-15C. The F-15EX will have a cost advantage immediately because as a new aircraft it is cheaper to operate than an older model, and EX also have new tech that reduces maintenance costs. The manufacturer is willing to produce them at a fixed cost (about $88 million each) and absorb any unforeseen costs. The manufacturer has additional incentives to make the F-15EX work; export sales. Meanwhile, the F-15E continues in service and demonstrates how well an updated F-15 design can work. But the production of the F-15E is scheduled to end in 2022 and the EX model would keep F-15 production going as a more advanced F-15E. This willingness to produce the X model should not be a surprise as there have been signs for a long time that an updated F-15 would be useful. For example, in 2008 the air force announced plans to operate its 36-ton U.S. F-15E for at least another ten years, and probably longer. In service for twenty years now, the F-15E can carry up to 11 tons of bombs and missiles, along with a targeting pod and an internal 20mm cannon. It's an all-weather aircraft that can fly one-way up to 3,900 kilometers. It uses in-flight refueling to hit targets anywhere on the planet. Smart bombs made the F-15E particularly efficient. The backseater handles the electronics and bombing, and the F-15E remains a potent air-superiority fighter, making it an exceptional combat aircraft. This success prompted Israel, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Singapore and currently Qatar to buy it, paying about $100 million per aircraft. In the U.S. Air Force, the F-15E is one of the most popular aircraft for combat pilots to fly, even more so than the new F-22. The F-15EX is cheaper to operate, carries more bombs and can also carry the new hypersonic missile, which is too heavy for any other fighter and was designed to be launched from heavy bombers. With the F-15EX the air force has a lot more aircraft that can handle the hypersonic missile. The F-15E entered service in 1989 and within a decade Russia decided this novel fighter-bomber design was worth emulating. Russia developed its own F-15E, the 45-ton Su-34, which was yet another variant of the 33-ton Su-27. Su-34s cost $36 million each (less than half the cost of an F-15E) and included a full set of defensive and offensive sensors (radars, targeting cameras, laser designators) and electronic warfare gear, and can carry eight tons of missiles and smart bombs. Although development work began in the late 1990s, the Su-34 did not enter service until 2014 and proved capable in Syria. Meanwhile, the older F-15s, which entered service in 1976, are falling apart. In 2009 the air force retired the last of its 384 F-15A fighters. Long flown only by reserve units, these were old aircraft and all built in the 1970s. Air force reserve units got the F-15As in the 1980s and 1990s, as active duty units got the new F-15C. But by 2009 the F-22 is was entering service, and more F-15Cs were going to the reserves. Many of those F-15As flew for over 30 years. Unfortunately, the later model F-15s are not aging well. In 2007 the air force grounded all of its 442 remaining F-15As and Cs (and the smaller number of two-seat B and D trainer models) for 18 days, then grounded them again, all because of suspicions that portions of the aircraft structure have been weakened by stress (lots of maneuvering during combat training). Before that, the air force halted non-critical flights of its F-15C (the interceptor version) fighters after a National Guard F-15C crashed. It appeared that the crash was the result of structural failure. In 2002 an F-15C traveling at high (over 2,000 kilometers an hour) speed crashed when its left tail fin broke off. At the time the F-15Es operating in Afghanistan were not grounded initially, but soon were when it was realized that the problem might be a design flaw, not age, that caused the 27-year old F-15C to go down. The F-15Es were restored to flight status after about a week, once each aircraft had undergone an extensive structural examination (taking about 13 man hours each). Most F-15Es were less than ten years old. But some F-15Cs were over twenty years old. This time around, the F-15Es were not grounded, because metal stress in the older F-15s would not occur in the F-15E, which is somewhat different in its internal structure and was designed to avoid the fatigue problems the F-15A and C models encountered. Structural failure is more common in older fighters that have lots of flight hours (over five thousand) on them. When originally designed, the F-15 was believed to have a service life of only 4,000 hours. But new materials and design techniques increased that to 8,000. In peacetime, F-15s are in the air 250-300 hours a year. But because of the 1991 Gulf War, the 1990s "no-fly-zone" patrols over Iraq, and the operations after 2001, the F-15 fleet piled up the hours more quickly, and many are approaching the 8,000-hour mark much more rapidly than planned. The F-15E faced a similar problem as it was used far more after 2001 because of the war on terror. Peace time use was no more than a few hundred flight hours a year. Under wartime conditions the popular and versatile F-15E flew 500 to 1,000 hours a year. While the F-15E wasnt engaging in violent maneuvers it was regularly carrying heavy bombloads and these stressed the airframe. Thats why the more recent F-15Es ended up as worn out as the older F-15Cs. Most of the F-15Cs are used as interceptors to defend the continental United States plus Hawaii, Alaska and some overseas areas where a lot of American troops were based. The stressed out structural components have long been a problem. If weak components are detected, they can be replaced with stronger ones, made of materials not available when the F-15 was originally built. But you want to find the weak components before they fail. While scanning technology has improved, it's still not good enough to detect all the F-15 components possibly weakened by years of use. As a result, flying an F-15C became a bit more stressful from then on. To some in the air force, this situation has a bright side. One can now make a more compelling case to build more F-22s, to replace F-15 that are wearing out faster than expected. That did not happen and the delays in getting the F-35 into mass production kept the idea of designing an improved F-15 to fill the gap. Because of that, the F-15X/EX was not a recent idea but the accumulation of proposals that have been showing up for over a decade. Another area that is getting a lot more attention from engineers than journalists is the impact of heavy and sustained stress on combat aircraft. This component failure problem is not unique to the F-15 and has been occurring with increasing frequency among aging fighter aircraft all over the world. The end of the Cold War in 1991 led to the cancellation of many warplane replacement programs. Air forces were compelled to make do with thousands of increasingly older aircraft. Whenever an aircraft goes down because of a structural failure, you have to ground all planes of that type until you know exactly what caused the loss, and made any needed repairs to other aircraft of that type. Pilots are a pretty sharp lot, so governments don't dare try to play games with this. If the pilots suspect they are being set up to fly dodgy aircraft, they will not fly them, or not fly them in a useful (stressful) way. Imperial Valley News Center Proclamation on Patriot Day, 2020 Washington, DC - 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. DONALD J. TRUMP September 11, 2020 Release The Maldives and U.S. Sign Defense Agreement Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia Reed Werner and Maldivian Minister of Defense Mariya Didi signed the "Framework for U.S. Department of Defense-Maldives Ministry of Defence Defense and Security Relationship" in Philadelphia on September 10. The Framework sets forth both countries' intent to deepen engagement and cooperation in support of maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean, and marks an important step forward in the defense partnership. DASD Werner and Minister Didi also discussed U.S. support for the Maldives' response to COVID-19 and areas for future cooperation, and agreed to work toward scheduling the first Defense and Security Dialogue. Both sides reiterated their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific that promotes the security and prosperity of all nations in the region. https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2344512/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sure, it might be warm Wednesday, but what about the rest of the week? The largest project, worth VND500 billion, aims to map the seafloor terrain for the entirety of Vietnams waters to serve the sustainable maritime economic development strategy until 2020 with a vision to 2045. It will be undertaken by the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands in partnership with the authorities concerned, with the final products being maps at the scales of 1:10,000, 1:50,000, 1:250,000 and 1:500,000, which will be stored electronically and printed on paper. Other projects include the surveying of the resources and environment of the southwestern waters; and of the natural conditions, resources and environmental state of the central regions waters to a depth of 1,000 metres. The geological structure and geodynamic characteristics of the deep-water area in the East Sea/South China Sea will also be surveyed in order to assess its oil potential and orientate deep-water exploration in conjunction with asserting national sovereignty. MONRE is also looking to assess the potentials of wave energy and wind power from Quang Tri to Ca Mau; draw a map of marine environmental pollution risks; and simulate the saltwater intrusion process in underground water layers along with its impacts on water security, food security and the ecology of coastal areas. By PTI NEW DELHI: Flights from Darbhanga airport, the construction of which is nearing completion, will begin in the first week of November before the Chhath Puja festival, said Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh, Puri, on Saturday. Puri on Saturday reviewed the under-construction airports in Darbhanga district of Bihar and Deoghar district of Jharkhand. "The bookings for daily flights will start by end of September from Darbhanga to Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru," Puri was quoted as saying in a statement by the Civil Aviation Ministry. The minister said flight operations at the Darbhanga airport will begin in the first week of November, before Chhath Puja. He also said that most of the work at Darbhanga airport is almost complete. Puri mentioned the arrival and departure halls, check-in facility, conveyor belt, and others have already been installed at the airport and the remaining work will be completed before October-end, the statement said. He said work at Deogarh airport is at an advanced stage and will be completed on schedule, it noted. "Puri said that the (Deogarh) airport would be operationalized very soon. He added that the government would be taking some key decisions in this regard by next week," according to the statement. You dont have to go all the way to Alabama to see Black history its everywhere, Fager says. For her, one of the most powerful aspects of the experience came in seeing how connected the students became to their people as they tried to fill in that space between the two dates on their headstones. As I told Garrett, its so important to talk about the dash. A new book argues the U.S. should aim for massive population growth through aggressive housing policy, enhanced support for families and a major increase in legal immigration. Why it matters: Because size does matter at least geopolitically. If the U.S. wants to counterbalance a rising China, it needs to compete on sheer numbers. What's happening: In his new book "One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger," Vox co-founder Matthew Yglesias identifies one of the few areas left where there is broad bipartisan agreement: China is challenging the U.S.'s place in the world and "America should aspire to be the greatest nation on Earth." By the numbers: There are roughly 93 people in the U.S. per square mile, far fewer than countries we might not think of as densely populated, like Belgium (976 people per square mile). Even if the U.S. were to add people only to the lower 48 states while tripling overall population, the country would still be less than half as dense as Germany. To reach that goal, Yglesias writes, "it would just require more immigrants and more programs to support people who want to have additional children." The U.S. still has the advantage of being the destination of choice for tens of millions of people around the world far more than are currently allowed in. Vastly increasing immigration to the U.S. would require bucking recent trends. In 2018 the net increase of immigrants in the U.S. population dropped to about 200,000 people, a decline of more than 70% from the year before. Yet according to a recent Gallup survey, support for increased immigration is now at the highest it has been since the polling firm first began tracking the question in 1965. Family size is another tricky political issue, but Yglesias notes that while he supports reproductive rights, the gap between the number of children that women in America say they want to have (2.7) and the number of children they will likely have (1.8) is the highest it has been in 40 years. There are many reasons for that gap, but a foundational one is the sheer cost of raising children in the U.S., much of which is shunted onto working parents. Yglesias advocates for vastly increased public support for day care for young children, as well as after-school and summer programs for older kids, and universal financial benefits for parents. Lastly, that 1 billion would need a place to live perhaps the biggest challenge at a moment when housing costs are increasingly burdening Americans. The solution, Yglesias writes, is simple at least in concept: "letting builders make whatever kind of housing their customers want to buy." But, but, but... The negative consequences of vastly increased population growth are many: increased traffic, potentially higher rents and more pollution, including carbon emissions. The biggest obstacle is a small-c conservative political culture that Yglesias says "does nothing because we can't agree to do anything" even on policies that a majority of Americans support, like building more housing. But if we continue on our default course, Yglesias says we risk ending up with "a shrinking, aging, inward-looking America." The bottom line: I don't expect to see a billion Americans any time soon, in part because global population trends are pointing toward an ultimately shrinking world. But proactively deciding to support more Americans would better prepare the U.S. for the future. Go deeper: The aging, childless future By Marco Aquino LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's prosecutor's office said on Saturday it raided eight homes of former government employees and associates tied to a case of alleged irregular hiring that has led the opposition Congress to call for the removal of President Martin Vizcarra. Congress voted to start impeachment proceedings against Vizcarra on Friday, plunging the Andean country into political crisis even as it battles a major economic slump and coronavirus outbreak with one of the highest mortality rates in the world. The state prosecutor said the raids included the home of Richard Cisneros, a little-known singer who goes by the name Richard Swing, who has become a focal point of the political furor, as well as two officials close to Vizcarra. Cisneros was awarded government contracts for motivational talks worth around $49,500, which some lawmakers allege were due to links to Vizcarra. The leaked tapes appear to include Vizcarra discussing meetings with Cisneros with aides. Peru's Congress has summoned Vizcarra to make his defense next Friday. The President, who has no party representation in the legislature but remains popular with voters, has rejected the accusations against him and accuses parliament of a plot. The abrupt move to oust Vizcarra would need the support of 87 votes from the 130 legislators. The motion to start the impeachment process, citing "moral incapacity", passed with 65 votes in favor and 36 against. The raids sought evidence related to an investigation that does not include Vizcarra directly, but does involve some of his senior aides. Vizcarra assumed the presidency in March 2018 after the resignation of Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who was cornered by Congress with allegations of irregularities. In September last year, Vizcarra dissolved Congress over a dispute with the opposition over anti-corruption reforms, and in January a fragmented parliament was elected to complete the legislative term until July next year. Story continues If the dismissal is approved, the head of Congress, Manuel Merino, would assume the position of head of state according to Peru's Constitution. There is currently no vice president due to the resignation of the previous one. Vizcarra had already called for the presidential and legislative elections for Apr. 10 next year and has said that he will not run. Peru is the world's no. 2 copper producer. (Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) 4 given Progressive Leadership awards ALBANY Four community leaders have been honored for commitment and dedication to social progress with the 2020 Jim Perry Progressive Leadership awards by the Citizen Action of New York's Capital District Chapter: Laura Felts, executive director of United Tenants of Albany; Lisa Good, founder of Urban Grief; Angela Warner, director of social justice ministries at St. Vincent de Paul Church; and Darian Henry and Bhawin Suchak, co-founders of YouthFX. Named in honor of Jim Perry, a founding member of Capital District Citizen Action, the awards honor the president of the Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club who was instrumental in forming the Empire State Pride Agenda and was dedicated to grassroots activism, progressive politics and coalition building. For 28 years, the awards have supported the Capital Region's work to end mass incarceration, fully fund our schools, get dark money out of politics and hold corporate polluters accountable for the climate crisis. The ceremony was streamed live on Sept. 10 from the Capital District Latinos in Albany. Programs explore pond at Wilton Wildlife Preserve GANSEVOORT Pond exploration programs will be offered at the Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park, 80 Scout Road. Revolving around discovering aquatic wildlife at Delegan Pond, these informal programs will be held 10 a.m. to noon Fridays through Oct. 2. Participants can use the dip nets provided to search for pond life, including frogs, salamanders, tadpoles, crayfish, and aquatic insects. Face masks must be worn throughout the program. Also, yoga At Delegan Pond will be offered 2 to 3 p.m. Wednesdays Sept. 16 through Oct. 14. Unwind and enjoy the sounds of nature in a flow style yoga class that is great for first time and more practiced students. Certified instructor Lauren Winkler will lead sessions of moderate intensity but breaks and variations are encouraged. Bring your mat or towel and water. Registration is required for both programs and face masks are expected must be worn throughout the programs. For more information or to register, call 518-450-0321; email: info@wiltonpreserve.org or go to http://www.wiltonpreserve.org. Farmers market coupons for qualifying seniors The Saratoga County Office for the Aging has announced drive-through events to distribute farmers market coupons to qualifying residents: 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, Mechanicville Library / Senior Center, 190 N. Main St., Mechanicville 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sept. 21, Corinth Senior Center, 22 Hamilton Ave., Corinth 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sept. 25, Moreau Community Center, 144 Main St., South Glens Falls One booklet per individual age 60 and older, income eligibility $1,968 a month for one-person household or $2,658 a month for two-person household. For more information, call 518-884-4100. New exhibits at Cedar Hill Schoolhouse Museum SELKIRK The Cedar Hill Schoolhouse Museum, home of the Bethlehem Historical Association, is now open 2 to 4 p.m. Sundays. Visitors will be greeted by building improvements and new exhibits at the museum, 1003 River Road. They can explore how transportation formed Bethlehem history with Rivers, Roads and Rails; step into an early classroom and see how our formal education system developed; go around the Mulberry Bush with early 20th century housewives as they go about their weekly chores and get acquainted with the Wilke family who farmed on Beaver Dam Road. Also, learn about events that took place in Bethlehem that led to the passage of 19th amendment 100 years ago. For more information, or to visit by appointment, call Dawn Pratt, 518-767-2285 or go to https://bethlehemhistorical.org. Niskayuna to stream school board meeting The Niskayuna Board of Education meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15 in the Rosendale Library Media Center with a livestream for the public. In light of social distancing requirements, there will be no in-person public attendance. The meeting agenda is available on Niskayuna BoardDocs. Livestream information will be posted on the district calendar and BoardDocs ahead of time. Azra Haqqie As Tropical Storm Sally strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico and aimed at Louisiana, New Orleans officials scheduled a 5:30 p.m. public briefing on the city's preparations. Watch it live on NOLA.com's Facebook page. Mayor LaToya Cantrell's office said she will provide the update along with Emergency Preparedness Director Collin Arnold and Ghassan Korban, executive director of the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans. Can't see video below? Click here. Get hurricane updates in your inbox Sign up for updates on storm forecasts, tracks and more. e-mail address * Sign Up Tropical Storm Sally was forecast to become a low-level hurricane before it lands near the Louisiana-Mississippi border on Tuesday. It formed in the Gulf of Mexico near south Florida earlier Saturday, making it the earliest named "S" storm in recorded history. Forecasters said the storm brings "increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and dangerous hurricane-force winds," along with potential for significant rainfall and flash flooding in low-lying spots or areas with poor drainage. S&WB staff said 97 of the city's 99 drainage pumps were ready for the storm, with one pump out in New Orleans East and another idled in Lower Algiers. Officials said the city has enough pump capacity to drain New Orleans should it flood. The heaviest rain was expected to start Sunday and continue into the week. President Nicolas Maduro said Friday that an American spy" had been arrested near two Venezuelan refineries, after authorities foiled a plot to cause an explosion" at another oil complex. Yesterday we captured an American spy who was spying in Falcon state on the Amuay and Cardon refineries," Maduro said in a televised address. According to Maduro the individual was a marine who was serving as a marine at CIA bases in Iraq" and who was captured with heavy weapons" and large amounts of cash." The arrest, he said, occurred after authorities on Wednesday discovered and dismantled" a plan to cause an explosion" at El Palito refinery the closest to Caracas located in Carabobo state. Maduro did not say, however, where the individual was being held. Last month two former US soldiers, Luke Alexander Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41, were sentenced to 20 years in prison in Venezuela on charges including terrorism, after a failed bid to invade the Caribbean country last May. Just hours before Fridays announcement, the Venezuelan government said it was establishing an emergency plan" intended to regulate fuel distribution" in light of severe gasoline shortages in the country, where people wait in lines stretching miles (kilometers) to fuel up their vehicles. Venezuela suffers fuel shortages despite having the largest proven oil reserves in the world. The petroleum industry was the cornerstone of Venezuelas economy a century ago, but production has fallen to a fraction of the 3.2 million barrels per day produced just over a decade ago. With Robert Downey Jr.'s net worth, he could well be a real-life Tony Stark. Before "Iron Man" happened, RDJ earned little from several films and movies. He even went through a lot of legal troubles due to drug and alcohol addiction. After he passed through the rockiest roads in his life, he successfully made a return to Hollywood and grew his finances more through his Marvel film. With that said, we take a look at how much Robert Downey Jr.'s net worth increased through "Iron Man" and his "Avengers" films. What Was Robert Downey Jr.'s Net Worth Before Marvel? RDJ started his acting career in the early 1970s. In 1985, he successfully had a brief stint as a Saturday Night Live cast member. However, he was fired after one year. Although he was evicted from SNL, his fame continued to skyrocket. Per Looper, from 1985 to 1989, he appeared in at least two films per year. RDJ is also renowned for playing Charlie Chaplin in the biopic "Chaplin," which landed him a nomination in the Academy Award for Best Actor. He also won a BAFTA Award for his role. Between those years, he scored minor and major roles in several films and series. Despite that, his pay never went as high as what he got from his MCU films. What Is Robert Downey Jr.'s Net Worth Now? According to Celebrity Net Worth, Robert Downey Jr.'s net worth this 2020 has reached $300 million, pushing him to the list of the world's richest actors. After getting sober and returning to the film industry, he immediately raked in a reported $2 million when he landed the Iron Man role in 2008. Initially, he accepted a low salary of $500,000, but due to his first Marvel film's unexpected impact, his valued continued to grow. He scored another sweet back-end deal when the 2010 blockbuster sequel "Iron Man 2" gave him a rumored $10 million paycheck. Two years later, in 2012, "The Avengers" ended up bringing $50 million to his bank account, thanks to the film's billion-dollar success. RDJ's wealth continued to increase during the third and final phase of the "Iron Man" trilogy, pushing his MCU running total to $122 million. His other MCU earnings include "Avengers: Age of Ultron" ($50-$80 million), "Captain America: Civil War" ($64 million), "Spider-Man: Homecoming" ($10-$15 million), "Infinity War" ($75 million), and "Avengers: Endgame" ($75 million). Because of his $345.5 million MCU salary, he entered Forbes' 2019 list of highest-paid actors. Whether his work in the MCU as Iron Man will continue or not remains a mystery, especially since Marvel Studios has not announced his official departure yet. But director Anthony Russo previously claimed that his return is possible but "must be earned" after his last appearance in the upcoming movie "Black Widow" (since it was set before "Infinity Wars"). Anthony also thought that if they suddenly resurrect Iron Man without a good reason to do so, it would nullify his previous sacrifice and put "Avengers: Endgame" to waste. So before it happens again, fans should spend more time wishing for RDJ's comeback soon. READ MORE: Who Is Robert Downey Jr.'s Wife? 3 Intriguing Facts You Need To Know About His Miracle A: Nothings new under the sun. During lockdown and this has been the first, but there may be more there was an opportunity to reflect on all we have. My mantra at the moment is that we have what we need, we just need to look and see it. Some schools reopened after the nationwide closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but following the reopening, a rumor circulated that health officials had recommended parents and guardians to plan ahead for a possible sudden sleepover at school. COVID-19 sleepover The sleepover will happen in the event of an emergency or natural disaster, and now it includes COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC did, in fact, issue a statement, but it was taken out of context and was politicized. The advice was published by Intellihub, a website that media background-checking tool Newsguard found to have promoted false theories and unsubstantiated conspiracy theories. Newsguard also stated that Intellihub has inconsistent information about its content creators. The article in question read that the government must be "expecting some sort of disaster," which placed the CDC's advice in a paranoid context. Also Read: Senate GOP Unveils 'Slimmed Down' Coronavirus Relief Bill According to Intellihub's article, the CDC issued a three-step preparedness card questionnaire that asks parents the unthinkable and insinuates what should be done when it comes to protecting "your child during emergencies in school day." The alleged guidelines also stated that parents must complete a backpack card would state extra medicines, special foods, or supplies that the child would need if separated overnight. Intellihub did not mention COVID-19 when the article was released. The pandemic was added by Ohio Statehouse News on September 5, 2020. The publication noted that the CDC was advising parents to prepare for a sudden sleepover for their children, in case of a disaster, which could include COVID-19. The truth The CDC did offer advice to schools for reopening amid the pandemic, including the "backpack emergency card" that is available on CDC's website. In the advice, health experts recommended three steps for parents to take in order to ensure that their child is safe in case of an emergency or evacuation at school. The advice includes asking how a parent or a guardian would be reunited with their child during an emergency, bringing extra medicines, special food, or supplies that a child might need if they were separated overnight. The backpack emergency card should be kept in both the child's backpack and the parent's wallet. CDC did not specify if the backpack card was created for the 2020-2021 academic year or if the backpack emergency card had previously existed as a part of general emergency planning recommendations. The Ohio Statehouse News article reported that the CDC had listed COVID-19 as a biological threat that may require children to suddenly sleep at school overnight. Though it is true that the health agency included infectious diseases as a biological threat that may pose harm to children, the CDC specified that for an infectious disease to be considered a biological threat, it must be intentionally released. There is no evidence that COVID-19 was released as a weapon by humans or intentionally released to cause harm to numerous countries in the world, which is why it does not fall under the "biological threat" category. If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, the CDC noted that schools should have a response plan that the agency said should be communicated to parents. But in the document, there is no "sleepover" or "overnight" at schools that were indicated. Related Article: How to Protect Children's Eyesight During Remote Learning @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Missing out: Lorna Griffin feels that students from previous years were forgotten about in this years allocation of college places Lorna Griffin (19) from Kerry repeated her Leaving Cert last year and got 577 points after missing out on the course of her dreams - pharmacy in UCC - by 50 points in 2018. She took a year out after repeating the exams in Intermediate School in Killorglin and was offered the fifth choice on her CAO, biomedical science in UCC yesterday, after the pharmacy course shot up to 590 points. She said that even though she was offered her fifth choice and is disappointed, it is a "silver lining" because she has secured accommodation in the county already. "I'm excited to go to Cork because my friends from my year are going into third year of college now - because I repeated as well as taking a year out," she said. Read More "The accommodation is kind of a silver lining because I had paid the deposit. Thankfully I have a course in Cork, so I have accommodation." She said she was shocked when she saw her offers yesterday. "I'm kind of in shock. I hadn't really researched the course because I didn't think I'd go down that low. "It's fine, but it's not what I would have hoped." She had included other choices on her CAO form, courses for which she had the points last year. However, she missed out on them this year. "I had others down: veterinary in Dublin was 566 points - I had enough for that and I had actuarial maths in Dublin down too and I had enough for that last year," she said. "This year I didn't have enough points for any of them." Ms Griffin said students who had completed their Leaving Certificate in previous years had been forgotten about this year, as they couldn't benefit from having additional points due to practical subjects being automatically assigned full marks. "I checked today the percentile in our own year and what percentile we would have got in this year's Leaving Cert. I would have got over 590 which would have been enough for pharmacy [in UCC]. "It's just really annoying. We've been ignored and I know that there is no completely fair solution but it's just how they've treated us, it's been awful." The Central Crime Branch police of Bengaluru have arrested one more accused, Vaibhav Jain in the Bengaluru drug racket case in which several well known Kannada actors including Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjanaa Galrani have already been taken into custody. Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Patil confirmed on Saturday that Vaibhav Jain who is an accused in the case registered at the Cottonpet police station has been arrested. Jain is said to be a businessman and the son of a prominent jeweler in the city. He is accused No.5 in the FIR which lists 15 people of whom nine have now been taken into custody. Ragini Dwivedi was arrested on September 5 and Sanjjanaa Galrani was taken into custody on the 8th of this month. Both their houses have also been raided. An Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrates court in Bengaluru has ordered that all the arrested should be in police custody till Monday. In an unrelated incident, 62 kilograms of marijuana was seized from Salagara Basantpura village in Chincholi taluk of Kalburgi district in Karnataka. Police said that Dhanasingh Rathod who is accused of growing marijuana has been arrested and a case registered under relevant sections of the NDPS act. The police said that this was a part of the continued statewide crackdown on illegal drugs. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Legalizing recreational cannabis to support economic relief should be a no-brainer. Pennsylvania has lost over 400,000 jobs, and recreational cannabis is projected to bring in $580 million in tax revenue. But even if this projection is correct, which remains an open question, half a billion dollars is still not nearly enough to fill the Commonwealths depleted post-COVID coffers. Nonetheless, legalization is the right thing to dobut only if it is done correctly. A century of cannabis prohibition has produced dramatic racial inequities. These persist even after laws change. After Philadelphia decriminalized cannabis in 2014, Black people still accounted for 80% of marijuana possession arrests and were six times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than Whites. Across the state, Black people are almost 4 times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession. Legalization alone will not address these injustices. Lawmakers who have long championed legalization must also expunge marijuana convictions and pass policing reforms. Legalizations also requires prosecutorial reforms to ensure whatever controls are placed on legal cannabis are applied evenly. Fifteen states now have expungement laws and in Illinois Governor Pritztker has issued over 11,000 pardons for low-level marijuana convictions. Addressing racial injustice may be most significant, but it is only one of several challenges facing an ethical and responsible rollout of recreational cannabis. Proponents of legal recreational cannabis now should openly address the potential public health and medical ramifications of legal recreational marijuanaissues other states with recreational cannabis, like California and Colorado, continue to struggle with. Legalization means Pennsylvania clinicians will need education in both the pharmacology of cannabis as well as the ethical and legal aspects of legalization. Cannabis use is modestly associated with increased chances for several mental health conditions, including serious psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. That doesnt mean cannabis causes mental illness. Teasing apart the association is a complex task. It could be that cannabis is used by individuals who self-medicate conditions like schizophrenia, anxiety, and ADHD. Or it could be that THCthe psychoactive molecule found in cannabisincreases the likelihood of a psychotic episode. Because the connection remains murky, doctors will have to ask about and know the signs of both mental illnesses and cannabis use. For adults using recreational cannabis who also are at higher risk of adverse mental health consequences or addiction, physicians will need to recognize misuse and shift patients to a monitored clinical context. This may require refining the Commonwealths medical marijuana program to expand the role of physicians from simply card authorizers to enable them, in some cases, to more closely monitor and help manage their patients' cannabis use. Second, legalization proponents must carefully consider risks to children. Cannabis acts differently on developing brains. Cannabis use younger in life correlates with greater chances of dependence and other adverse outcomes. Educating parents, child-safe packaging, restricting advertisements, and age-restricted sales are a necessary condition of legalization. Similarly, while the evidence for effects of cannabis on neonates is mixed, physicians in prenatal settings will have to be prepared to have conversations with patients about avoiding cannabis use, like alcohol, during pregnancy under a principle of prudence. Similarly, though childhood exposure should not be considered abuse because the overall risk is low, pediatricians need to educate parents about how recreational use may lead to risky behaviors in minors. The negative impacts of cannabis tend to occur in a dose dependent mannerthe higher the dose, the greater the chances. Setting THC concentration and potency limits seems a prudent path as research continues. This would include restricting the level of THC in edibles, concentrates, and flower while reserving high potency preparations for medical purposes. Cannabis legalization will not eliminate the illicit market trade. In fact, limits of potency of cannabis, how it is sold, and what is available, will produce a secondary marketthough likely a smaller one than currently exists. As has happened in other states, Pennsylvania will have to set up either a state licensure system or state-run stores. Here, a consideration of racial justice is essentialracial bias in who financially benefits from legalization may compound the inequities produced by the war on drugs. A portion of licenses should be earmarked for minority business owners. Ending discrimination against Black marijuana users--and offering those arrested expungement and restitution--is the ethical keystone to any recreational cannabis policy. After that, a raft of ethically fraught public health, educational, and clinical challenges must be met. In order to responsibly and ethically legalize cannabis, a significant portion of revenues will have to be directly reinvested to study and mitigate potential harms. Legalizing cannabis in Pennsylvania is not simply the preferable thing to do. Financial benefits notwithstanding, at this point in our historyknowing all we do about the damage caused by prohibitioncannabis legalization amounts to an overdue ethical obligation for policymakers to finally meet. Aaron Glickman is a research associate with the University of Pennsylvanias Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy and a policy analyst at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. Dominic Sisti is an assistant professor in the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Penn. (Twitter @domsisti) Firefighters have continued to make progress containing one of the largest wildfire fronts in Oregon, in Marion County, allowing the state to more aggressively tackle the still-burning areas that pose a risk to life and property, officials said Saturday. The Beachie Creek fire devastated Santiam Canyon Tuesday, all but destroying entire towns and killing at least four people. WILDFIRE TRACKER: See all fires in Oregon and across the nation But with lower temperatures Friday night, commanders have been able to move resources to the west and north sides of the 187,000-acre fire and let local fire departments do most of the mop-up work, Oregon State Fire Marshal spokesman Stefan Myers said. That work includes tackling flare-ups and getting ready to contain the fire in case it does reignite. Its good to see in a community we care deeply about, Myers said. Statewide, officials expect the wildfires -- which have already burned about 1 million acres -- to be a mass fatality incident." And in what appears to be a sign of official disarray, the states top fire official, Fire Marshal Jim Walker, has been replaced because a leadership change was needed, Oregon State Police Superintendent Travis Hampton said Saturday. Meanwhile, Marion County Sheriffs Office search and rescue personnel have continued to look for the dead amid the devastated areas along Oregon 22, which straddles the border between Linn and Marion counties. Lyons, Gates and Detroit are among the towns devastated by the wildfires. Ten people were unaccounted for as of 6 p.m. Friday, the sheriffs office said. A 13-year-old and his 71-year-old grandmother are among the confirmed dead. The remains of the other two people who died have not yet been identified, department spokesman Ethan Griffith said. Myers, the fire marshals spokesman, said the agencys firefighters tell the county when they believe theyve come across human remains. He does not yet have a specific sense of the casualties. The area in and around the Beachie Creek fire is still under a Level 3 evacuation alert, which means people must leave immediately and stay out. About 20,500 people have evacuated from the area, Myers said, an estimate based on the number of empty homes. Fire officials' main concern late this week has been that the Beachie Creek fire could merge with the Riverside fire to the north, in Clackamas County. That has not happened as of Saturday morning. The firefighters on the north side of the Beachie Creek fire are currently working to protect homes and get people out of the area, Myers said. -- Fedor Zarkhin fzarkhin@oregonian.com| 503-294-7674| @fedorzarkhin 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. Thousands of anti-Shiite protesters including demonstrators linked to Sunni extremists rallied in Pakistans Karachi Friday, sparking fears that rising tensions between the religious groups may unleash a new round of sectarian violence. The rally follows a raft of blasphemy accusations against major Shiite leaders in Pakistan after a televised broadcast of an Ashura procession last month showed clerics and participants allegedly making disparaging remarks about historic Islamic figures. Ashura commemorates the killing of the Prophet Mohammeds grandson Hussein at the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD - the defining moment of the religions schism and the birth of Shiite Islam. Fridays demonstration saw thousands of protesters rally near the tomb of the countrys founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah where participants chanted infidels" and God is the greatest". We will not tolerate any more defamation," said Qari Usman from the Islamist Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam political party during a speech. Pockets of demonstrators held banners of the extremist anti-Shiite group Sipah-e-Sahaba, which has been linked to the killing of hundreds of Shiites over the years. Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in conservative Pakistan where laws can carry the death penalty for anyone deemed to have insulted Islam or Islamic figures. Even unproven allegations have led to mob lynchings and vigilante murders. Sectarian violence has erupted in fits and bursts for decades in Pakistan, with homegrown anti-Shiite militant groups bombing shrines and targeting Ashura processions. Thousands were killed in the previous decade sparking a fierce crackdown by security forces in 2015 which resulted in a dramatic drop in sectarian violence. The crackdown culiminated in July 2015 when Malik Ishaq the chief of the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) was killed in a firefight with police along with 13 fellow militants. The shootout wiped out much of the top leadership of LeJ, a driving force in the violence targeting Shiites, who make up around 20 percent of Pakistans 220 million population. Karachi Pakistans largest city which is also a major business and industrial hub was once rife with political, sectarian, and ethnic militancy with thousands killed. However a years-long operation by security forces starting in 2013 has brought a considerable lull in the violence but scattered attacks still take place. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, September 13 2020 Every year, 10-nation ASEAN prides itself on being able to convene major powers with interests in Southeast Asia, offering a stage for diplomatic rivalries and geopolitical dynamics to play out. This year is no different, even though Vietnam as chair of the bloc has had to move the four-day summitry online as a result of the current pandemic. 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 this aerial view from a drone, search and rescue personnel from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office look for a missing elderly resident in a mobile home park on Friday in Ashland, Ore. Hundreds of homes in Ashland and nearby towns have been lost due to the wildfire. (David Ryder / Getty Images) Seeing the charred ruins of her home for the first time after wildfires ripped through the towering firs and oaks of surrounding Santiam Canyon, killing a neighboring boy and his grandmother, Mary Chenault stifled tears in the smoky air. Weve never seen anything like this, said Chenault, 68, who moved to the lush canyon east of Salem with her husband 30 years ago from Anaheim, never expecting wildfires to follow them to the Pacific Northwest. I dont think theres going to be anything to save. Across Oregon on Friday, fire officials reported 35 fires were raging after a week of deadly blazes fueled by unseasonably strong winds and dry weather turned much of the Pacific Northwest into an inferno. Blazes have burned more than 1 million acres 1,500 square miles, a span larger than Rhode Island and about double the destruction of smaller fires in years' past. The scene was at once historic and horrific as tens of thousands evacuated, and houses and buildings were consumed. At a Friday briefing, Gov. Kate Brown said the states air quality ranked worst in the world. Chris Favor, 34, a construction worker from Mill City, Ore., uses a makeshift fire hose and water tank to douse the embers of a wildfire still burning in the Santiam Canyon area east of Salem on Friday. Favor's neighbors Ricky Keen, 38, and brother Jesse Keen, 25, also construction workers, joined him. "We're just trying to help," Ricky Keen says. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times) Almost anywhere in the state you can feel this right now, she said. Seven people had died and at least 60 were still missing, and Oregon was preparing for a mass fatality event, said Andrew Phelps, the state's emergency management director. Outside Portland, the states largest metro area of about 2 million, hundreds of firefighters battled two large fires Friday that threatened to merge. The city's convention center and the state fairgrounds in Salem had both been turned into shelters. East of Salem, firetrucks and hot spot teams lined the highway, battling two fires that merged earlier this week. As 40,000 people fled their homes, and more than 400,000 others prepared to do so, the White House approved an emergency declaration to help provide immediate assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Fires blanketed fields and farms from Portland south to Eugene with snowy ash, turning vineyards and pumpkin patches into surreal moonscapes. In rural canyons and logging towns to the east, some tried to save their crops and animals, ushering horses and livestock into trailers. Others forced to flee at the last minute left barn doors gaping, cattle and chickens roaming free. To the south, near the California border, residents returned to find the towns of Phoenix and Talent flattened, gray and smoldering. Story continues The Chenaults, like many of their neighbors, escaped with just the clothes on their backs after being awakened by a police officer who knocked on their door early Tuesday and told them to leave. Mary Chenault, 68, a retired Oregon state transportation worker, holds a cellphone photo of her home of 30 years in Lyons, Ore., while standing in front of the charred ruins Friday. Up the road, a 12-year-old boy and his grandmother died in the wildfires. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times) When they returned Friday morning, their rural road was engulfed in an ashy haze, the sun an ominous red ball. Across the road, the canyon dropped off into the Little North Santiam River, a natural fire break that saved some of their neighbors homes. Steve Chenault, 68, who works part time for the state Department of Transportation, watched as his wife combed their wreckage for jewelry and other keepsakes. She thinks she knows where it is, he said, You know hope. The couple worried about thieves targeting the area. The day before, they had seen police arrest two men nearby on suspicion of looting, a special charge covering burglary and theft during a state of emergency, and others have been arrested in neighboring canyon towns. But after a brief search, the couple left empty-handed, more concerned about their safety in what was an active fire zone. Fire crews and neighbors were spraying hot spots nearby. Many surrounding roads were closed, but a police officer had let them through out of sympathy. State fire managers met at the Lyons fire station to plot strategies in the parking lot as donations piled up inside near Fire Chief Bob Johnston and Gary Rychard, president of the departments board. An exhausted firefighter walked past, face covered in ash. Johnston said he was awaiting the arrival of the latest crews from out of town to help his volunteer departments 15 firefighters. We had firefighters on the fighting line for 40 hours. They didnt know what had happened to their own houses, Rychard said. Were a small community and well stick together. Mike Walz, 65, who fled wildfires in Mehama, Ore., carries a jug of water to douse several small fires in the yard of the home where his Dorothy Keasey and her husband David live in Mill City, Ore. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times) A few miles up the road in Mill City, population 2,000, retirees David and Dorothy Keasey avoided police roadblocks by walking a mile past the smoking remains of homes to reach their property. They passed streets that were mostly silent except for a few shrill smoke detectors sounding in the hazy half-darkness. Once they reached their driveway, the couple scrambled over fallen trees and smoldering roots to reach their home, which had not burned yet. Her brother brought a jug of water he used to douse several small fires in the yard. They ran into the mayor, Tim Kirsch. He was driving around with a public works employee, assessing damage and ensuring the citys water supply didnt run dry. Earlier this week, firefighters had almost exhausted it, he said, but he considered them "blessed": They lost 20 structures, far less than canyon towns a few miles east like Gates, which was 75% burned. The ridge over there is still actively burning, Kirsch said from his pickup, praising local volunteer firefighters. Right across the river here, the Fire Department held the line. If they hadnt, it would have wiped out the city. Lori Hopkins, 53, evacuated from Gates with a friend early Tuesday as the house where they were staying was destroyed by wildfires. They drove west Friday to an American Red Cross shelter at the state fairgrounds in Salem, already filled with several dozen cars and RVs. We were going to go down the coast now theyre evacuating too, Hopkins said. Jon Pennick, 16, whose family lost their 108-year-old farmhouse in the wildfire in the tiny canyon town of Gates, Ore., east of Salem, joins some friends to defend the few structures that remain. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times) In Gates, a town of about 500, some residents had already returned Friday after evacuating, determined to defend the few structures that remain from hot spots and stray embers, mesmerizing as dangerous fireflies. They drove around town in pickups outfitted with water tanks and fire hoses, dousing still-smoldering properties as they passed. On the back of one of the trucks was Jon Pennick, 16, whose familys 108-year-old farmhouse was destroyed. His grandparents' home nearby burned too. The high school junior hadnt been able to see the sites yet, because roads were still blocked by sheriffs deputies. So he was staying with friends and fighting fires near their homes. We just need more help at this point. Fire crews dont have enough, he said. Nearby, his neighbor Eric Benolken was hauling water in a four-wheeler to fight small fires. Benolken, 56, a contractor, said his 87-year-old mothers house and his entire neighborhood burned except his home near the river. His mother evacuated to stay with family in Portland. Benolken wasnt sure whether she would have to evacuate again as fires spread there. I cant keep up, he said. Rosalind Chao can tell a lot about people based on which of her roles they want to talk about. If its Star Trek, I know it will be an intelligent conversation. If they bring up Joy Luck Club, I say something like, You must love your mom! I get a lot of What Dreams May Come and I know theyre open to different ways of thinking of the universe, Chao notes, before adding, Then there are people who just think Im their gynecologist or their daughters teacher. Chao can add Mulans mother Hua Li to her long list of impressive credits; since the epic live-action adaptation of Disneys beloved 1998 animated feature debuted on Disney Plus last week, it has already leapt to the number one movie on the service, despite an additional $30 price point. Its also the second most popular of all content on the site, only behind The Simpsons, which boasts over 500 episodes. The film stars Chinese actor Yifei Liu as the titular heroine who doesnt quite fit in until she dons the disguise of a man and goes to war in her fathers place. Chao and Tzi Ma play her patient and supportive parents, and while the epic battles are earning praise, the film also excels because of the personal stakes. Its a joy for Chao to see, as she rarely saw Asian representation on screen growing up. If you were an Asian girl and this movie had come out when you were nine years old, wouldnt that have made a difference if how you felt about yourself? she says. When I was starting out, everyone would say, Why would you do that? Do you see any other Asians in movies? The daughter of Peking Opera performers who relocated to Anaheim, Calif. just steps from Disneyland, Chao began performing at an early age but wasnt thinking of it as a long-term career. For a time, she flirted with journalism. I remember seeing Connie Chung on TV and that was my first memory of seeing an Asian-American woman who spoke like me and looked like me on camera. I think thats why I flirted with being a journalist. I thought, Thats something I can do. But opportunities kept arising, such as when she almost took a job as a reporter at a local Northern California station but landed a pivotal role as Klingers wife in the M*A*S*H TV series which led to a starring role in the spin-off AfterMASH. And, Chao admits, she loves it. Acting is an addiction, she says with a laugh. It kept coming back and there was nothing I loved more. Story continues Still, when the opportunity came in to audition for director Niki Caros Mulan, she hesitated she was fairly sure she would be in London performing the play The Great Wave when the film was shooting. Casting director Debra Zane told her to come in anyway, as films push all the time. God bless her, Chao says. Because you dont want to go out for something and have to turn it down. And, as it turned out, the scheduling worked. She found out she landed the role under tough circumstances; she was in London and just been hit by a car and broke her arm when her agent called. When she said she had landed the part of Hua Li, she was still in the hospital and terrified at the idea of traveling. The next day, once my arm was in a sling, I came to my senses, she admits. The filming was under such secrecy, she didnt even know her dear friend of many years, Ma, would be playing her husband. Chao had to turn down another project with Ma as she didnt want to be away from her family for too long and when Ma asked her why she was saying no she said she had to travel in September. He got quiet for a moment and then said, Im also traveling in September she says. I was like, Where are you traveling to? And we figured out we were both in Mulan. Still, Chao didnt allow herself to get intimidated by taking on such a beloved classic until she arrived on the set in New Zealand. My first costume fitting was a gasp moment, she recalls. The scope of the set, the people from all over the world working so hard to build this world. And she immediately bonded with her onscreen daughters, Liu and Xana Tang. However, she wasnt aware of just how well-known Li was for her work in Chinese films. We went to dinner and that was when I got a sense of the scope of her fame, Chao recalls. At the restaurant, people would literally stand behind her and just stare. It was like nothing Ive seen before. And she was so gracious through it all. The film was originally scheduled to come out in March and was pushed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before Disney decided to air it on its streaming service. When Chao first heard the news, she admits to being briefly disappointed. But that didnt last long because this gives people the chance to see it during a time when they really need to be uplifted, she notes. Ive already received so many messages from people who are inspired and I love the idea of families watching together on the couch and talking about family and learning anything is possible and being seen. While Chao has a lengthy list of credits and is one of those actors who always seems to work, she admits there were times where she struggled to be seen, particularly as a woman of Chinese descent. She auditioned for the role of Thea in a prominent production of Hedda Gabler, only to be told it didnt make sense to have an Asian person in a period piece. Another time, she was up for a potentially life-changing theater role when the shows producer pulled her aside and told her the unvarnished truth: She said, Youre my choice but the director doesnt want to cast you because youre the face of the enemy, recalls Chao. But she wants to be clear that the majority of her experiences have been positive. For every backwards-thinking person, there were many people who were forward-thinking and gave me amazing opportunities. Chao also has taken breaks from work to raise her two children; she was pregnant with her first child when she was cast in Joy Luck Club and admits to still harboring guilt about it. The first six months of my sons life was on a set and he was starving because I was breastfeeding, she reveals. To this day, my son cannot be hungry for even a second. And after that, I really had to weigh whether it was worth it before working again. When her daughter was born in 2000, she wanted to be present, particularly when her husband, Simon Templeman, landed the ABC series Neighbors. When The National Theatre in London wanted to cast her in their heralded 2018 production of Francis Turnlys A Great Wave, it was Chaos daughter who told her to take it. I was going to turn it down because it was overlapping with her senior year, Chao reveals. And she told me, If you dont do this, youre sending me the message you dont think I can handle senior year and pre-college and auditions all on my own. Up next, Chao will appear in The Starling, director Theodore Melfis follow-up to Hidden Figures. Chao worked primarily with Melissa McCarthy and Kevin Kline on the ensemble story; she can only say that she plays Klines wannabe love interest; its fitting, as she admits to crushing on the actor in her youth. Right now, Chao is enjoying the success of Mulan and enjoying seeing the world embrace a film with an Asian cast and a message of hope. Though its difficult to ignore those who want to spout anti-Asian sentiment due to the pandemic, she is also celebrating a time when she sees far better representation. For a long time, we werent as visible, we were all about assimilation. With the success of Parasite and The Farewell, we had grown as a community and were used to being seen. So when we were slapped down again it really made us rise to the occasion, she says. I love seeing how strong our community is and how supportive we are of each other. More from Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In his interview on REAL FM with journalist Nikos Chatzinikolaou, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis described the diplomatic offensive Greece has mounted on all levels to inform partners and allies with regard to Turkey's provocations. In this context, he will brief the European Parliaments Foreign Affairs Committee tomorrow. Asked about Germany and its role, given its economic interests in Turkey, Mr. Varvitsiotis highlighted that, its not only Germany that has economic interests but other partners also. Turkey is one of the EUs key economic partners. But we expect Europe to express itself based on its principles, and not just on its wallet, he said, adding that it is very important that the German Chancellor is talking about the solidarity framework. We believe that this solidarity should be expressed in both words and actions. And these actions consist in sending Ankara this message: that it cannot continue to behave as an unstable factor in the region, provoking tensions and conflict and creating the sense it can use weapons to change the status quo. This is contrary to European practice and logic and must be condemned by the Union on all levels, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 20:34:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HERAT, Afghanistan, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Two unknown militants riding a motorbike opened fire on civilians killing seven in the western Herat province on Friday, police spokesman in the province, Abdul Ahad Walizada said Saturday. The victims were coming out from a mosque in Jabrael area of Herat city at 08:00 p.m. local time when two unknown militants riding a motorbike opened fire, killing seven civilians including three women and a child and wounding five others, the official said. No group or individual has claimed responsibility. However, the official said that efforts are underway to arrest and bring to justice those behind the crime. Enditem STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Heres a look at the top criminal-justice related headlines from around the borough this week: OFF-DUTY SANITATION WORKER FROM GREAT KILLS SENTENCED FOR RAPE ATTEMPT OF TEEN Sean McDade allegedly raped a girl under age 17. Prison is next on the route for a Sanitation worker from Great Kills who admitted to attempting to rape a teenage girl last year while he was off-duty. Sean McDade, 56, was sentenced Wednesday under a plea agreement to 42 months behind bars and seven years' post-release supervision. The defendant was busted last Sept. 22, the same day he was accused of sexually attacking the victim. Click here for the story. NYPD DATA: NORTH SHORE PRECINCT HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF REPORTED HATE CRIME INCIDENTS IN NYC In a comparison of all police precincts citywide, Staten Islands 120th has seen the most hate crimes reported so far this year, new data released by the New York Police Department shows. Of the 180 hate crime incidents reported to the NYPD since January 2020, the North Shore precinct had a total of 12, or 6.6%. The NYPD received 16 hate crime reports on Staten Island altogether this year. Click here for more details. 18-YEAR-OLD CHARGED IN PORT RICHMOND SHOOTING The victim was shot and wounded in the shoulder and foot near Park Avenue and Ann Street on July 3, 2020, said police. An 18-year-old Port Richmond resident has been indicted for allegedly shooting and wounding another person in his community two months ago. Supreme Johnson, of Faber Street, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Wednesday in state Supreme Court, St. George, to attempted assault, weapon and firearm charges stemming from the alleged July 3 incident. A criminal complaint said the events unfolded at around 3 a.m. on Park Avenue near Ann Street. Click here for more details. 19-YEAR-OLD CHARGED AFTER SHOTS FIRED IN CLIFTON Police were called to 260 Park Hill Ave. on Sept. 4 2020 in response to a shooting.(Staten Island Advance/Jordan Hafizi) A 19-year-old man faces multiple charges after being arrested in connection with an alleged shots fired incident in Clifton last week, authorities said. Justin Vasquez, 19, of Cedar Street in Stapleton, faces charges including second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, first-degree reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a firearm, according to a criminal complaint. Police responded to shots fired in front of 260 Park Hill Ave. at around 1:55 p.m. Friday, according to a spokeswoman for the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information, and found a window at the location was damaged. Click here for the story. BROOKLYN MAN NETS UP TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON FOR CRIMES ON STATEN ISLAND A Brooklyn man is headed upstate for crimes he committed on Staten Island. Daniel Garcia, 33, was sentenced Tuesday to up to three years behind bars under plea agreements which resolved several cases. The defendants troubles with the law began on July 14, 2019, when he entered a commercial building at 60 Bay St. in St. George and swiped a cell phone, phone charger and office supplies, an indictment alleged. Click here for the story. GRANNY SCAMMER MUST REPAY VICTIM $9,100 He preyed on a concerned grandmother, and now hell pay for it. Wenjiang Kong bilked the 76-year-old Michigan resident of more than $9,100 when she was conned into sending the cash to an address in Stapleton, authorities said. The woman was led to believe the money was needed to post bail for her grandson. Click here for the story. 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. Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris spoke briefly Sept. 9 on a national call with volunteers for the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris campaign. There is a new coalition of conscience taking to the streets of our nation, the Indian American senator said, thanking volunteers for their work with the campaign. (screen grab) Three men were killed in the early hours of Friday at an ancient temple in the Mandya district of Karnataka during a robbery, according to police officials. The three men killed include an assistant priest and two security guards at the 12th century Arkeshwara Swamy temple at Guttalu. Mandya police have registered a case and are investigating the incident. Police said that the three men, identified as Ganesh (55), Prakash (60), and Anand (42), were murdered by the burglars, who broke open the hundi (donation box) and decamped with an unknown amount of money and other offerings. Also Read: South Western Railway increases platform ticket price in Bengaluru by 400 per cent Chief minister B S Yediyurappa expressed condolence to the families of the slain men and announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for the next of kin. The CM tweeted saying, It is very disturbing to learn that the priests of the Arkeshwara temple in Mandya, Ganesh, Prakash, and Anand have been murdered by 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. Also Read: Ragini Dwivedi, Sanjjanna Galranis police custody extended in drug case Due to the coronavirus-induced pandemic, people have been asked to stay indoors to avoid getting infected. There are safety protocols to be followed while stepping out and large public gatherings are not allowed either. However, now that the lockdown as more or less been lifted, people have started trickling back to normal life, but the rising number of cases in the country are hinting at the fact that now is the time when people should stay inside as much as they can. Amid all this, one of India's most celebrated festivals is on its way - Durga Pujo. TOI Since pandals are overly crowded to begin with, going to one during a time like this might be unwise. So, in an effort to provide an alternative to that, a website is offering a digital solution so that people can celebrate festival, without having to endanger their and others' lives. Sharing the offer on their Instagram page, Shaktipeeth digital is putting out an online Coronavirus Relief Puja for people who would like to pray to the Goddess from the safety of their homes. TOI Claiming that an online puja will also help people get Durga Maa's blessings and protection, their post says, 'Durga Saptashati Path is a powerful puja of Maa Durga that will help overcome trying times by giving you strength and relief. By evoking her blessings, Maa will protect her devotees from this pandemic. Let's all pray to Maa Durga for health, wealth, and victory over negative influences (sic)'. Arranging a puja will cost around Rs 2,100 plus an extra 18 percent GST. Capitalism does have many ways to become a part of one's life, hasn't it? However, this does give people an opportunity to accentuate their homely celebrations without stepping out at such a precarious time, and that is a brilliant alternative to have. Boeing 737 MAX airplanes are stored in an area adjacent to Boeing Field, on June 27, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. After a pair of crashes, the 737 MAX has been grounded by the FAA and other aviation agencies since March, 13, 2019. Photo: Stephen Brashear/Getty A review for the grounded Boeing (BA) 737 Max jetliner, will kick off on Monday in London, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced. The Joint Operations Evaluation Board is due to meet for around nine days and will take place at Gatwick airport, to review how pilots react to the updated aircraft. The multi-agency effort will see civil aviation authorities and airline flight crews from the US, EU, Canada and Brazil review Boeings proposed training for 737 Max flight crews. Once the nine-day review is finalised, the FAA plans to incorporate the findings into the draft FAA Flight Standardisation Board report, which will be made available for public comment. However, there are a few steps to complete before we can expect to see any 737 Max planes return to the skies. First, Steve Dickson, FAAs administrator will undergo recommended training and evaluate flights at the controls of a Boeing 737 MAX, he will share his findings with FAA technical staff. Then FAA will conduct a review into Boeings (BA) final design documentation to see whether it complies with the agencys regulations. The multi-agency technical advisory board will first review Boeings submission, before the FAA reaches a decision on compliance. Finally, the US aviation authority will issue a notice of significant safety actions and publish a final order addressing known issues for grounding. FAA will also advise operators of required corrective actions before it can re-enter commercial service. In an overhaul, FAA will retain authority to issue airworthiness and export certificates for all 737 Max aircrafts manufactured since the grounding and it will also perform in-person, individual reviews. READ MORE: Designed by clowns, supervised by monkeys: Damning Boeing emails published It comes as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) conducted test flights this week of the aircraft, ahead of its possible recertification and eventual return to services. Story continues While EASA has not specified how many flights it testes or the scenarios, it did reveal that the test flights took place in Vancouver due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions. Canada has also conducted its own tests. As the next step in its evaluation of the aircraft for return to service, EASA is now analysing the data and other information gathered during the flights, EASA said in a statement. The decision will likely take a few weeks. The 737 Max has been grounded globally since March 2019, following two fatal crashes that took the lives of 346 people. Following the grounding of the jetliner, the company swung to a $636m (498m) annual loss in January 2020 its first loss in more than 20 years Boeing put the total costs of the grounding at $19bn. Boeing suspended new deliveries of the plane, following the biggest crisis in its 103-history. The US manufacturing giant also set aside a further $9.2bn to cover the costs of airlines that cancelled 737 Max flights and towards higher higher costs related to compensation. The crisis, led to the firing of chief executive Dennis Muilenburg, caused layoffs at suppliers and put Boeing behind rival Aribus (AIR.PA) in sales and deliveries of new jetliners. Karachi, Sep 12 : A senior Pakistani journalist associated with a leading English daily was arrested in Karachi after he was accused of sharing "highly provocative posts" against the country's Army, the media reported on Saturday. Karachi police chief, Additional Inspector General Ghulam Nabi Memon, confirmed to Dawn news that "Bilal Farooqui of The Express Tribune" had been "arrested by the station investigation officer (SIO) of Defence police" on Friday evening. Farooqi works as a news editor at the newspaper. According to the FIR reviewed by Dawn news, the complainant, a Karachi resident, said upon checking his Facebook and Twitter accounts, he found "highly objectionable material" shared by Farooqi on the two platforms against the Pakistan Army. The complainant added that the posts also contained material pertaining to religious hatred. He further alleged that Farooqi had "defamed" the Pakistan Army and therefore, legal action should be taken against him. In a statement on Friday night, the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) said the arrest was part of the "nefarious and concerted campaign to gag the free and independent voices". The KUJ added that Farooqui "never indulged in any kind of violation of Pakistani laws". The government is appointing independent assessors to review everyone on the National Disability Insurance Scheme to ensure the funding is fairly distributed and not just given to "those who can pay the most for a report". There are concerns in the government that wealthier people are getting a bigger share of the taxpayer funding that covers therapy, equipment and other costs of disability, while those in greater need are potentially missing out. As of December 2019, NDIS figures show people in Northern Sydney were receiving the biggest funding packages in NSW, with an average of $30,079 compared with the NSW average of $23,066 and the national average of $20,564. The Inner East of Melbourne topped Victoria, with an average package of $27,516 compared with the state average of $19,209. Government Services and NDIS Minister Stuart Robert said the government would introduce independent assessment from early 2021, removing the need for applicants to spend time and money on reports from various health providers to prove eligibility for a package. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 17:45:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PRETORIA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in South Africa donated one million rand (59,700 U.S. dollars) plus 50,000 surgical masks and 400 forehead thermometers on Friday to help the country to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The donation was handed over by Li Nan, Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese embassy and received by the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga. South Africa faces shortage of the personnel protective equipment and other health supplies as the country resumes schools. "We fully understand the anxiety of Minister Motshekga and the department of basic education. In order to alleviate your worries and anxiety, we have decided to earmark one million rand from the embassy's budget to support the purchase and installation of water tanks for primary and secondary schools in the Province of Northern Cape," said Li. Motshekga welcomed the donation which she said would assist the country to fight the pandemic. "Northern Cape is one of the driest areas in the country. It's a permanent solution and this would help the community living there. This would go a long way in addressing the water shortages in the province," she said. Motshekga pointed out that as the schools resume classes, they are trying to avoid the spreading of the pandemic and the donation would help in that aspect. The Chinese embassy in South Africa as well as Chinese enterprises and community have been donating to people across the society to help fight the COVID-19 and cushion people against the effects since the pandemic hit the country in early March. Enditem EC rejects more than 100 party applications View(s): Financial statements signed by dead accountant, dummy reports and pictures submitted Some 150 political parties have applied to the Election Commission for registration, but the EC is only interviewing officials of less than two dozen parties while the others have been rejected outright. It transpired that some parties had submitted dummy financial reports and false annual reports to meet the requirements. Most of them were rejected outright for failing to meet registration criteria in addition to documentation errors. The Commission is carefully examining the applications for such errors and party representatives were told of the reasons for the rejection during the formal interview. Prof Ratnajeevan Hoole, who is from the academic background and one of the three members of the Commission, is among those sitting on the interview panel. He insists on verifying and double checking documents. It was found one party submitted an application along with the audit financial reports of the last three years, certified by a registered accountant, but the accountant, who happened to be known to a Commissioner, passed away a couple of years ago. Worst still, another party submitted a shady audit report with the official rubber stamp of another accountant. When Commission officials called the accountant, he said he was not aware of auditing such reports in recent past. Then there was this brand new book with an impressive cover. It was submitted by a party which claimed the book contained reports of party activities during the past several years. By checking the barcode pasted on the back cover, Commission officials found the book had been bought one year ago. Another political party attached some images to show how it worked for the betterment of the people during the COVID-19 crisis by donating dry rations. Following a careful analysis, it was found those pictures were taken during the tsunami disaster some fifteen years ago. All those applications were rejected outright. Hard-hitting 50-minute speech by JVP leader With Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MPs walking out in protest over the swearing in of Premalal Jayasekara as an MP, it was left to minor parties in the Opposition to carry forward the debate on the Annual Report of the Central Bank. The absence of SJB MPs in Parliament on Tuesday gave the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National Peoples Power (NPP) extra time to speak in the debate. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake used it expertly to deliver a hard-hitting speech lasting more than 50 minutes. Mr. Dissanayakes comments during the speech about punishing corrupt MPs drew jeers from the Government ranks. Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando accused Mr. Dissanayake of being part of the Yahapalana Government that threw Opposition MPs in prison. You put us in prison. You were focused on putting us in prison and not allowing us to come to Parliament, he told the JVP leader. If I had the power to punish fraudsters and criminals, I know that the vast majority of MPs in this Parliament would not be here. I know that even now, there would not be anyone in this Parliament to rise up and speak against me, Mr Dissanayake quipped, adding that he regretted not having such power. State bank chief blasted A political boss has castigated the head of a state bank for giving a broad range of benefits to a private company. The company chief, they say, used his clout as the top-runger in a state body to win the concessions. House search for MPs Parliamentarians have complained of a lack of modern facilities in the 36-year-old MPs residential complex in Madiwela and this has led to a search for apartments in and around Parliament area, a senior government official said. The 125 unit Madiwela housing complex located in a four acre land, is in need of renovation that will take about 2-3 years to complete, he said adding that MPs would need to reside closer to Parliament until renovation was completed. He said the proposal in this regard has been forwarded to the government. Meanwhile, new MPs have complained they are yet to receive official residences as 30 previous MPs have not moved out. What a shame, suicide was a show for them About 15 motorists have been issued with fine tickets in Katugastota after they were found watching and some taking videos of a girl committing suicide by jumping to the Mahaweli River from the Katugastota new bridge. The motorists were issued with 2000-rupee fine tickets, as they were blocking the bridge. Meanwhile about 300 persons are reported to have been witnessing the incident, with some video recording using their phones without attempting to save the girl or even calling police for help. Later, a traffic police officer informed Katugastota police and the body was recovered by divers. Katugastota Police Inspector W.M.S. Uvindasiri has reprimanded the onlookers for not fulfilling their duties as responsible citizens. Sony has taken numerous opportunities to show off PlayStation 5 gameplay ahead of the consoles launch, but its ready for another. The company has announced a PlayStation 5 games showcase event that will stream live on Twitch and YouTube on September 16th at 4PM Eastern. It didnt tease what games would appear, but the 40-minute virtual presentation would include titles from Sonys Worldwide Studios and development partners and include games arriving on launch and beyond. Of course, theres a lingering question: what about price and availability for the PS5 itself? Now that Microsoft has revealed Xbox Series X and S pricing and ship dates, Sony doesnt have much of an excuse to keep quiet on PS5 release details. Theres no guarantee youll hear about availability during the showcase stream, but now would be as good a time as any. After all, you cant pre-order the system without those key details. File photo of a researcher working on the development of a vaccine against the new coronavirus COVID-19, in Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. AP Photo The Covid-19 vaccine race has heated up, but one of its main participants out of 141 in total has taken a pit stop. After a participant developed tranverse myelitis, AstraZeneca paused trials for its coronavirus vaccine candidate, Covishield, also known as the Oxford University vaccine. After a rap from the Drug Controller General of India for proceeding regardless, the Pune-based Serum Institute of India, too, paused its own adenovirus trials. So now other frontrunners must have forged ahead, and they include Russia, China, the United States and Canada, although a majority of scientists see Sputnik V, allegedly put together with the help of research pilfered by Russian cyber-intelligence agents, as a rush job. The spotlight is now back on Moderna Therapeutics which has a year-end launch tentatively lined up for its messenger RNA jab. But the hype surrounding T cells and spike protein and neutralising antibodies can be a bit misleading. At a time when the world is increasingly politically polarised, with epidemiologists and economists switching roles, as has been frequently complained of, this mad dash for the vaccine is actually being taken with a pinch of salt, and not only by evolution-deniers and anti-vaxxers. The common man interested in protecting his home and hearth, for instance, without being led astray by red herrings, is also asking the valid question did this race not begin as a profit ploy by Big Pharma? Pertinently, the industry may well have been in cahoots with the government as the discovery of a vaccine before November 3 might well boost US president Donald Trumps chances in the election. Closer home in India, there did emerge a parallel deadline a controversy erupted over Bharat Biotechs Covaxin after the Indian Council of Medical Research was reported to have been pushing for an August 15 launch. Phase 2 trials of Covaxin are expected to start this week. In addition to Bharat Biotech, and Zydus Cadila, other Indian companies involved in the battle against SARS-CoV-2 are Biological E, based in Hyderabad, and Gennova Biopharmaceuticals, also in Pune. Biological E is licensing the recombinant protein Covid-19 vaccine being developed at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, USA, while Gennova is developing an mRNA vaccine in collaboration with HDT Bio of the United States. There is no data yet for the efficacy of any vaccine for the coronavirus. How long they will work is also uncertain. The US Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organisation have both put out a point estimate of 50 per cent only as the answer to the first query. However, even a 40-50 per cent successful vaccine taken in the form of seasonal shots will go a long way in preventing disease in a population as large as Indias, now clocking close to one lakh daily infections. But then there appears the question of the vaccines accessibility. If made by multinational manufacturers, the cost of these shots could be in several hundreds of dollars. Luckily, this falls in an area that is our forte and our indigenous pharmaceutical companies do have the technology and wherewithal to mass-produce the vaccine. Also, India has a fairly robust vaccine delivery system, as part of the universal immunisation programmes for pulse polio and tuberculosis. It is the duty of the Union government, therefore, to stop wasting more time and swiftly put in place a standard operating protocol, ensuring parity of access to all, so that once it is time for state health administrations to take over, the cure reaches the last citizen quickly and inexpensively. The latest Medical Missionaries of Mary report features stories on more of the 16 MMMs who mark fifty years of profession this year. The four women in this issue have served in a wide variety of ministries in nine countries. As a consequence of COVID-19, various planned celebrations with family and friends have been cancelled. Seven Sisters did manage a small get together earlier this year at Beechgrove to mark the occasion in some way, thanks to Fr Barry Matthews. Among those celebrating in 2020 are Sister Sally Davis from Kilteevan, Co. Roscommon. After training as a nurse in Baggot Street Hospital in Dublin she worked in Cherry Orchard Hospital and in Nigeria before joining MMM. During her novitiate she was sent to Nigeria to relieve during the Biafran war. She worked there until 1973, when she returned to Ireland for training in midwifery. She was again assigned to Nigeria in 1974, where she served for about twenty years, especially in community-based health clinics in Abakaliki, Ikot Ene and Ndubia. Sally was also infirmarian in the Motherhouse. After helping for several months in Ganta, Liberia, where she administered a programme for people with Hansen's disease, she was assigned to Lagos, Nigeria. There she worked in a busy urban clinic and was involved in primary health care. Sister Sally returned to Ireland in 2004 and was a nurse in the Motherhouse clinic until 2013. She then helped with telephone duties and had a special ministry of visiting the MMMs in the nursing facility Aras Mhuire. She moved to Aras Mhuire for nursing care in August 2020. Sister Sheila Devane was born in Boyle, Co. Roscommon. When she was nine, her family transferred to Dundalk. She found this change challenging and a preparation for missionary life in Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia, with periods of study in the USA and UK. A qualified nurse before joining MMM, she trained in midwifery and later as a clinical psychologist. Some experiences Sheila gratefully looks back to are: working in the Turkana Desert, in a famine camp in Ethiopia, taking over a midwifery training school during the HIV pandemic in East Africa, assisting with the establishment of Aras Mhuire Nursing Facility in Drogheda, setting up a community mental health service in Tanzania, and leading the evaluation of a counselling service set up by Trocaire in Rwanda after the genocide. Now she has become a frontline mental health worker in Trinity College Dublin during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sister Rita Kelly is from Dublin. She trained as a nurse before joining MMM. After profession she completed midwifery training and in 1973 she was assigned to Kenya. After five years she trained in public health and worked in Kenya for another six years. In 1987 Rita returned to Ireland and worked in the matron's office in the International Missionary Training Hospital for three years and then as acting matron. Rita served in MMM leadership and accompanied the junior professed MMMs from 1991 to 1996, when she was assigned to the community on the USA/Mexico border. From 1999 to 2009, Rita was based in Dublin, helping returned missionaries through the Irish Missionary Union, especially those coping with traumatic issues, and doing vocation work. Sister Patricia O'Connor is from Athlone, Co. Westmeath. She trained as a nurse in England and worked there for some time before joining MMM. After profession she completed midwifery training and was assigned to Tanzania in 1971. Over ten years she served in Makiungu Hospital and also helped for a year in Winchester, MA, USA. Patricia was then assigned to Dareda, Tanzania, as matron and then served in MMM leadership before moving to Kenya. In Aror she was in charge of a health centre for five years. Patricia she was assigned to the Motherhouse in 1996. She was clinic Sister for eleven years and during that time also served in MMM leadership. Since training in chiropody in 2007 she has been providing this service for the Sisters in Drogheda. What we were hearing back from them was that to jump on Zoom calls and trying to do everything remote was a bit difficult to make happen, Taylor said. But the special packages, the kids loved them, and there wasnt a kid that was being treated that wouldnt love an opportunity to receive something like this. Dream On 3 then created the DreamBox program, where hospital providers identify kids who meet the Dream On 3 criteria to receive a box. CDP then stepped in to help design and provide the boxes, Taylor said. When this came up, they stepped up and said, Hey, if you guys want to do these boxes, we would love to contribute this. They were right there with us when we were formulating this programming, she said. Each box has the Dream Kids name inside the front flap, Taylor said. The CDP team donated 30 custom boxes to Dream On 3 when the care package idea first started. Once the DreamBox program began, Dream On 3 purchased each box at cost, as opposed to the regular rate. Since the start of the program, CDP has sent out over 100 boxes. Contempt conviction: Prashant Bhushan moves SC seeking right to appeal India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 12: Activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan, convicted and awarded one rupee fine for his contemptuous tweets against the judiciary, on Saturday moved the Supreme Court seeking the right of appeal against convictions in original criminal contempt cases to be heard by a larger and a different bench. Bhushan on August 31 was directed to deposit the fine with the Supreme Court registry by September 15 and failure to comply would entail a three-month jail term and debarment from law practice for three years. In a fresh plea filed through lawyer Kamini Jaiswal, he has sought a declaration that a "person convicted for criminal contempt by this court, including the petitioner herein, would have a right to an intra-court appeal to be heard by a larger and different bench". Bhushan, in the plea, suggested procedural changes to reduce the chances of "arbitrary, vengeful and high-handed decisions" in criminal contempt cases saying that in such cases the top court is the aggrieved party, the "prosecutor, the witness and the judge" and hence they raise fear of inherent bias. The petition said the right of appeal is a fundamental right guaranteed under the Constitution and is also guaranteed under international law and this would act as a "vital safeguard against wrongful conviction and would truly enable the provision of truth as a defence". The plea, to which the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Registrar of the apex court have been made parties, has also sought a direction for framing rulesand guidelines "providing for intra-court appeal against conviction in original criminal contempt cases". Under the present statutory scheme, a person convicted for the criminal contempt has the right to file review petition against the judgement and that plea is decided in chambers by the bench usually without hearing the contemnor. Bhushan said his petition has been filed for the enforcement of fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 (right to equality), 19 (Freedom of speech and expression) and 21 (right to life) of the Constitution. "That the existing Act and Rules, do not bar or prohibit the prayers as sought by the Petitioner. In fact, it is in the spirit of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 to lay down such a procedure. This Hon'ble Court has in the past framed special rules to deal with cases concerning death penalty and has also devised special remedy in the nature of 'curative petition' against a final judgment of the Supreme Court on certain limited grounds," it said. The plea said it has been filed in order to bring important procedural safeguards when the top court considers cases of criminal contempt in original proceedings that is those proceedings where it does not act as an appellate court. "In such cases, considering the fact that there is inherent unavoidable conflict of interest involved, and the fact that liberty of the alleged contemnor is at stake, it is of utmost importance that certain basic safeguards are designed which would reduce (though not obviate) chances of arbitrary, vengeful and high handed decisions. "It is extremely important to minimise such decisions since they not only cause great injustice to the alleged contemnor, but also bring disrepute to the court itself and are likely to be harshly judged by legal historians," it said. That the right to appeal against conviction in original criminal cases is a substantive right under Article 21 and flows from principles of natural justice. The absence of such a right thus violates right to life, it said. "Right of Appeal is an absolute right according to Article 14(5) of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which India has ratified and is therefore binding upon the Indian State. Under ICCPR, first appeal is a right even where trial is by the highest court and review is not a substitute for an appeal," it said. Contempt proceedings are one in which the aggrieved party is the Supreme Court itself which acts as the "prosecutor, the witness and the judge" and hence raises the fear of inherent bias, it said. "As a judge the power of the Supreme Court to convict and sentence the accused is unlimited and arbitrary... No one can be at once a suitor and a judge. Thus, there is a need for an intra-court appeal," it said. It said that the contempt proceedings are "quasi-criminal in nature, akin to acriminal trial" and thus, similar procedural safeguards must apply as in criminal trials. Besides the contempt case lodged for his tweets, Bhushan is facing another contempt case of 2009. The apex court had in November 2009 issued contempt notices to Bhushan and Tarun Tejpal for allegedly casting aspersions on some sitting and former top court judges in an interview to news magazine 'Tehelka'. Tejpal was the editor of the magazine. On September 10, the top court accepted the plea of Bhushan to seek assistance of Attorney General K K Venugopal in the case. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 12, 2020, 20:06 [IST] A California doctor has warned that poor air quality could lead to a spike in coronavirus cases. Dozens of wildfires are raging in the American West. Blazes are getting larger in densely-populated northwest Oregon with hundreds of thousands of people told to evacuate. The death toll in a northern California wildfire rose to at least 10 people, making the blaze the deadliest of the year so far. Along with the immediate threats from fires, Dr Brad Spellberg, chief medical officer at LAs County-USC Medical Center, pointed to the complications that smoke and ash can pose, particularly during a pandemic. Several studies have suggested that Covid-19 cases may be more severe due to poor air quality. According to the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), people who live in polluted cities are more at risk from the virus. Poor air quality has been linked to hypertension, diabetes and respiratory diseases, conditions that place patients at greater risk. There is evidence that exposure of lungs to bad air quality can increase the protein in the virus that binds to the infection in the lungs, Dr Spellberg told KTLA. On Friday, a paper published in Environmental Research Letters, linked hazardous air pollutants, known as HAPs, to higher death rates from Covid-19. HAPs are known to cause cancer and other serious health impacts, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The research, conducted by State University of New York and ProPublica, looked at data on air pollution and coronavirus fatalities in more than 3,000 counties in the US. A strong correlation was established between toxic pollutants and the per-capita death rate from Covid-19. There is evidence that exposure of lungs to bad air quality can increase the protein in the virus that binds..to the infection in the lungs. Dr Brad Spellberg Exclusive data, shared with The Independent earlier this month, found that emission levels had soared during Californias wildfires. In the second half of August, carbon monoxide (CO) levels were, on average, almost double what they were before the blazes, which are being driven by the climate crisis, broke out. Nitrogen dioxide levels (NO2), from 18-30 August, were around a quarter higher than normal levels (CO is the primary air pollutant emitted from wildfires). CO is a colourless, odourless gas that has the potential to kill. It can accumulate in indoor areas and poison those who breathe it in. Along with other nitrogen oxides, NO2 contributes to particle pollution in the air and interacts with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form acid rain. The air pollutant can cause a range of health issues, according to the American Lung Association, including increased inflammation of airways; cough and wheezing and reduced lung function. The group also points to new research which warns NO2 to be the likely cause of asthma in children. WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM/DUBAI (Reuters) - 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 WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM/DUBAI (Reuters) - 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. 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 $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. (Reporting by Steve Holland, Dan Williams and Aziz El Yaakoubi. Additional reporting by Alex Cornwell and Lisa Barrington; Editing by Nick Tattersall) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Delhi court convicts 9 ISIS operatives India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 12: A Delhi court on Friday convicted nine operatives of Islamic terror outfit ISIS for hatching a criminal conspiracy to establish its base in India by recruiting Muslim youths through different social media platforms to carry out acts of terrorism in the country. Special Judge Parveen Singh convicted accused Abu Anas, Nafees Khan, Najmul Huda, Mohd Afzal, Suhail Ahamed, Obedullah Khan, Mohd Aleem, Mufti Abdul Sami Qasmi and Amjad Khan after they pleaded guilty. Their advocate Qausar Khan said the court convicted them under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC, and various sections of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosive Substances Act. The judge accepted their application pleading guilty and posted the matter for September 22, when he will hear the arguments on their quantum of sentence. On the next date of hearing, the court will also hear arguments on the quantum of sentence of six others - Mudabbir Mushtaq Sheikh, Mohammad Shareef Moinudeen Khan, Asif Ali, Mohammad Hussain Khan, Syed Mujahid and Mohammad Azhar Khan - who were earlier convicted after they pleaded guilty. The court have directed the jail authorities to file reports regarding their conduct and asked the defence counsel to inform about their background and family's condition. While pleading guilty, the accused told the court that they were "remorseful for the acts alleged against them", and undertook not to indulge in similar acts and activities in future. Advocate Khan has further told the court that the accused wanted to return to the mainstream society and rehabilitate themselves. "The accused are having clean antecedents, even their conduct in jail are satisfactory and there is nothing adverse against them... The accused are pleading guilty voluntarily without any pressure, threat, coercion, inducement or undue influence and he that he understands the consequences," their plea had said. The advocate said though the maximum punishment for the offences in which the accused persons are convicted after pleading guilty is life imprisonment, the court may consider all other aspects mentioned before it while pronouncing quantum of punishment. The case, registered by the NIA on December 9, 2015 under relevant sections of the IPC and the UA(P) Act, pertains to the larger criminal conspiracy hatched by the ISIS to establish its base in India by recruiting Muslim youths for the proscribed terror group through different social media platforms, the NIA said. The accused had formed Junood-ul-Khilafa-Fil-Hind organisation, seeking to establish a caliphate in India and pledging allegiance to ISIS, to recruit Muslim youths to work for the ISIS and commit acts of terrorism in India at the behest of Syria-based Yusuf-Al-Hindi who is purportedly the media chief of ISIS, the NIA said. The NIA filed chargesheets against the accused persons in 2016-2017. This case was first of its kind in which terrorist conspiracy of this magnitude involving online radicalisation was effected on cyber space in the aftermath of declaration of Islamic Caliphate by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2014, the NIA had said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 12, 2020, 11:12 [IST] As Oregon battles the worst wildfires in living memory, more than half of the states National Guard helicopters are unavailable to help fight the fires as they are deployed in Afghanistan. Helicopters are crucial tools in fighting large fires as they can efficiently move people and water about to help contain a blaze. The Oregon National Guard has a fleet of Black Hawks and CH-47 Chinooks, but the six Chinooks have all been in Afghanistan since May, Vice reports. Equipped with large water buckets, the Chinooks have been used to fight forest fires in the state as recently as 2018. However, in May the national guard unit sent 60 soldiers and all six Chinooks to Afghanistan. The heavy lift capabilities of the helicopters makes them perfect for the planned drawdown of troops in the country. A Chinook can transport 44 people and carry a payload of 26,000 pounds, and is ideally suited to treacherous, high-altitude terrain. Moving at 200mph, in firefighting they can douse large areas very quickly with up to 2,000 gallons of water enough to cover 100m (328ft) on the ground With 500,000 people having already evacuated, and 900,000 acres of forest already lost to the fire, the National Guard is relying on its smaller Black Hawks, five of which are equipped with bambi buckets with the sixth assigned to search and rescue. While Black Hawks are faster, they can only carry 10 people and 2,600 pounds. Their buckets also only hold 600 gallons of water. Chinooks are named after a tribe of Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest whose lands lie on the border between Oregon and Washington. New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi, accompanied by her son and Congress MP, Rahul Gandhi, left for abroad on Saturday for a routine health check-up, partys chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said. While Sonia Gandhi is expected to miss much of the 18-day monsoon session of Parliament which begins on Monday due to her visit to the US, Rahul Gandhi is expected to miss a few days at the least, according to a leader who did not want to be named. Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi is travelling today onwards for a routine follow up & medical check-up, which was deferred due to the pandemic. She is accompanied by Sh. Rahul Gandhi. We take this opportunity to thank everyone for their concern & good wishes, Surjewala said in a tweet. The Congress functionary, who requested anonymity, said Rahul Gandhi will return in a few days in order to attend the monsoon session, and that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will then join her mother. Before leaving, Sonia Gandhi on Friday carried out major organisational changes, reconstituted the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and her team of office bearers, and also formed a special panel to help her in organisational and operational matters till the next session of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), to be held within six months. Apart from Surjewala, the committee to assist Sonia Gandhi comprises of AK Antony, Ahmed Patel, Ambika Soni, KC Venugopal and Mukul Wasnik. She also chaired a meeting of the partys parliament strategy group on Tuesday. It was decided in the meeting that the Congress will raise the issues of India-China border standoff, the Covid-19 situation across the country, the impact of lockdowns, the current state of economy, GST compensation to states, job losses, agrarian distress and restoration of Question Hour during the session. A recap of key dates since the deal between the US and the Taliban in February 2020, paving the way for peace talks with Afghanistan's government in Kabul. Historic deal On February 29, 2020 the US and the Taliban sign an agreement in Doha in which all foreign forces are supposed to quit Afghanistan by May 2021 provided the Taliban start talks with Kabul and adhere to other guarantees. The talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government are due to start on March 10. The deal requires the Afghan government -- not a signatory to the accord -- to free 5,000 Taliban prisoners, and for the insurgents to release 1,000 pro-government captives in return. The Taliban make the release of prisoners a precondition for any future discussions. Political crisis On March 9, Afghanistan plunges into crisis after head of state Ashraf Ghani and his rival and former minister Abdullah Abdullah both declare themselves winners in the presidential election. Ghani and Abdullah sign a power-sharing deal on May 17, ending their bitter months-long feud. Abdullah takes the role of leading the peace negotiations. US retreat On March 10 the US army begins pulling out troops from two bases -- in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province in the south, which is considered a Taliban stronghold, and another base in Herat in the west. First meeting On March 31 and April 1, a Taliban delegation meets government officials in Kabul to discuss the prisoner exchange after the administration drags their feet starting the process. Prisoner swap On April 8 Kabul begins to release the Taliban prisoners. Four days later the insurgents begin their own release of Afghan security force captives. Surprise ceasefire On May 23, in a surprise move, the Taliban announce a three-day ceasefire during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of Ramadan. It is only the second ceasefire since the US-led international coalition ousted them from power in 2001. As a sign of encouragement, Afghan authorities release some 900 Taliban prisoners. On July 28 the Taliban announce another three-day ceasefire. Hundreds of Taliban prisoners are subsequently released. 'Loya jirga' On August 9, a "loya jirga" -- a traditional Afghan meeting of tribal elders and other stakeholders -- agrees the release of about 400 controversial militant prisoners, including some tied to the killings of Western troops. Peace talks On September 3 Kabul and the Taliban announce the prisoner swap is nearly complete. Peace negotiations are cleared to begin after the fate of a final six militants is resolved on September 10. On September 11 Afghan government negotiators leave for Doha to hold peace talks with the Taliban on Saturday. Search Keywords: Short link: Mumbai, Sep 12 : Three major agencies have unearthed huge evidence to prove in court that actor Sushant Singh Rajput was murdered and there is conspiracy involved, claims Subramanian Swamy, referring to findings so far of the CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). The BJP Rajya Sabha MP took to his verified Twitter account on Saturday to make this claim in two separate tweets. "SSR bhaktas ask when SSR case will reach prosecution. I can't say but: AIIMS team could'nt make independent probe since no body. So relied on Hospital records & said 'murder not ruled out but CBI can decide on circumstantial evidence'. So CBI,ED,NCB at it with vigour." "Now the Trimurti agencies have unearthed huge evidence by which I am confident CBI will find it easy to prove in Court that it was indeed murder by conspiracy. Not only justice will be done but SSR will be vindicated by the clean up that follows in Bollywood," he further wrote. The veteran politician, in a tweet posted earlier this month, had claimed there has been systematic destruction of evidence in the Sushant case. "There was systematic destruction in the evidence. This requires painstaking reconstruction. Since SSR was cremated next day, toughest is the re evaluation of the Cooper Hospital autopsy report. So circumstantial evidence obtained by CBI and confessions got have to fill the gap," Swamy had tweeted. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Anyone who has taken a coronavirus test in NSW is familiar with the process: a few questions, a stick up the nose and then home for a day or two to await the results. But not for everyone. A select few - about 1 per cent - are able to access rapid testing and receive their results in less than an hour. St Vincent's Hospital Registered nurse Damien Davis Frank holding a testing swab for a COVID-19 rapid test. Credit:Kate Geraghty In August, the White House mandated random testing for staff using rapid tests, after several workers there tested positive, while jet setters and tech founders in Los Angeles have been using 15-minute tests to check that party guests don't have COVID-19. However, these quick-turnaround tests are not available to everyone - in Australia, they're kept for urgent cases only. Across urban and rural NSW there are 37 laboratories that can currently perform rapid tests, providing COVID-19 results in 60 minutes or less. The CEO of Crowd Media Holdings Limited (ASX:CM8) is Dom Carosa, and this article examines the executive's compensation against the backdrop of overall company performance. This analysis will also look to assess whether the CEO is appropriately paid, considering recent earnings growth and investor returns for Crowd Media Holdings. See our latest analysis for Crowd Media Holdings Comparing Crowd Media Holdings Limited's CEO Compensation With the industry At the time of writing, our data shows that Crowd Media Holdings Limited has a market capitalization of AU$8.9m, and reported total annual CEO compensation of AU$494k for the year to June 2020. That's a notable decrease of 16% on last year. Notably, the salary which is AU$456.0k, represents most of the total compensation being paid. For comparison, other companies in the industry with market capitalizations below AU$274m, reported a median total CEO compensation of AU$608k. This suggests that Crowd Media Holdings remunerates its CEO largely in line with the industry average. Furthermore, Dom Carosa directly owns AU$592k worth of shares in the company. Component 2020 2019 Proportion (2020) Salary AU$456k AU$581k 92% Other AU$38k AU$8.3k 8% Total Compensation AU$494k AU$590k 100% Speaking on an industry level, nearly 68% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 32% is other remuneration. It's interesting to note that Crowd Media Holdings pays out a greater portion of remuneration through salary, compared to the industry. If total compensation veers towards salary, it suggests that the variable portion - which is generally tied to performance, is lower. A Look at Crowd Media Holdings Limited's Growth Numbers Crowd Media Holdings Limited has seen its earnings per share (EPS) increase by 11% a year over the past three years. In the last year, its revenue is down 31%. Shareholders would be glad to know that the company has improved itself over the last few years. It's always a tough situation when revenues are not growing, but ultimately profits are more important. We don't have analyst forecasts, but you could get a better understanding of its growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow. Story continues Has Crowd Media Holdings Limited Been A Good Investment? Since shareholders would have lost about 88% over three years, some Crowd Media Holdings 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 noted earlier, Crowd Media Holdings pays its CEO in line with similar-sized companies belonging to the same industry. Meanwhile, shareholder returns paint a sorry picture for the company, finishing in the red over the last three years. But on the bright side, EPS growth is positive over the same period. It's tough for us to say CEO compensation is too generous when EPS growth is positive, but negative investor returns will irk shareholders and reduce any chances of a raise. We can learn a lot about a company by studying its CEO compensation trends, along with looking at other aspects of the business. In our study, we found 5 warning signs for Crowd Media Holdings you should be aware of, and 3 of them shouldn't be ignored. 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. NARA identifies places for trawling amid protests from fishermen By S. Rubatheesan View(s): View(s): Despite the ban, hundreds of locally-owned mechanised trawlers still use bottom-trawling, prompting the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) to recommend specific sea areas for such purposes. The NARA move came in the wake of protests by local fishermen who say their livelihood is threatened by both Indian and Sri Lanka trawlers which use the illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing method. NARA Chairman A. Navaratnerajah told the Sunday Times that following disputes between fishermen using traditional methods and those using mechanised trawlers, NARA was instructed to identify special sea areas for trawling. In 2017, the bottom trawling practice was banned in Sri Lanka with the passage of an amendment to the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act. The law makes it illegal to either fish from, operate, or own a boat engaged in bottom trawling. The offence carries a fine of Rs 50,000 and up to two years of imprisonment. Foreign fishing vessels found to be engaged in bottom trawling in Sri Lankas waters face fines ranging from Rs 1 million to 100 million. The law also makes illegal the import of bottom trawling equipment. The NARA chief said that after commissioning a field study by experts, the agency had identified four sea regions in the countrys territorial waters for trawling practices. The identified places include Delft in Jaffna for some 300 trawlers from Gurunagar, Pesalai in Mannar, Negombo, and Kendela in Wattala where a significant number of local trawlers operate. Prof Navaratnerajah said some forms of trawling were allowed as they were less destructive compared to the bottom trawling practised by Indian fishermen whose mechanised trawlers wipe out the sea bed with all the rich marine resources. Recently, a group of Vadmarachchi fishermen met NARA officials and urged them to allocate a dedicated sea region for trawling after local fishermen organised a strong protest. A NARA team is scheduled to visit the identified regions in the coming weeks. But the NARA move has drawn criticism from the Federation of Rural Fishermen Communities in Vadama-rachchi. Its president Nagarasa Varnakulasingham said, If every group demands a dedicated sea region to carry out their fishing method which is banned in Sri Lanka, where can we go. He said the NARA decision would affect the livelihood of thousands of fisher families who were facing enormous difficulties due to IUU fishing by Indian fishermen. He said several nets which fishermen had purchased through bank loans had been destroyed in recent weeks by Indian trawlers in the northern sea. On Dec. 26, 2004, French author Emmanuel Carrere, his girlfriend and their respective sons were vacationing at a cliff-top hotel in Sri Lanka. Their relationship was dying, and, feeling out of sorts, they decided not to go down to the beachfront scuba diving lesson theyd signed up for. It was a consequential decision, for that was the morning the tsunami hit. A family they knew was staying on the beach. That morning the grandfather, Philippe, was reading the paper while his 4-year-old granddaughter, Juliette, happily played in the wavelets nearby. Suddenly Philippe felt himself swept up by an enormous wall of black water, pretty sure he would die, certain his granddaughter already had. In his memoir, Carrere bears witness to the days of suffering and endurance that followed the wave. When Philippe tells his daughter and son-in-law about the death of their child, Juliettes mother, Delphine, screams. Her husband thought, I can no longer do anything for my daughter, so I will save my wife. Carrere had lamented that he had always been unable to love, but in those horrific days he and his girlfriend stayed with the family, searched among the corpses, enveloped the family with compassion and practical care. He observes how at mealtime Delphines hand shakes as she brings a forkful of curried rice to her lips. He is with Delphine when they come across a woman, Ruth, who was on her honeymoon and has lost track of her husband, Tom. For two days she sat outside the hospital, not eating or sleeping, convinced that if she nodded off Tom would never emerge alive from wherever he was. Her determination is frightening, Carrere writes. You can sense that shes quite close to passing to the other side, into catatonia, living death, and Delphine and I understand that our role is to prevent this. Carreres memoir describes how a self-absorbed man is altered in crisis and develops a deep and perceptive capacity to see the struggles of others. The book is called Lives Other Than My Own. I thought of that book this week because the sensitive perceptiveness Carrere displays is the opposite of the blindness Donald Trump displayed in quotes reported by Jeffrey Goldberg in the Atlantic and Bob Woodward in his latest book about the administration, Rage. Goldberg says Trump told people that he sees the war dead as suckers and losers. Trump cant seem to fathom the emotional experience of their lives their love for those they fought for, the fears they faced down, the resolve to risk their lives nonetheless. If he cant see that, he cant understand the men and women in uniform serving around him. He cant understand the inner devotion that drives people to public service, which is supposed to be the core of his job. 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. This is not an intellectual stupidity. I imagine Trumps IQ is fine. It is a moral and emotional stupidity. He blunders so often and so badly because he has a narcissists inability to get inside the hearts and minds of other people. Its a stupidity that in almost pure clinical form, flows out of his inability to feel, a stupidity of the heart. In most times and cultures, people realized that understanding a person or situation is as much an emotional process as an analytical one. In the Bible the word to know covers a range of activities, from having a conversation with, to having sex with, to entering into a commitment with and much else all the different ways we come to understand each other. St. Augustines theory of knowledge begins with emotion. Love is a focus of attention. Love is a motivation to learn more about a person. Love is a reverence for the image of God in each person. Through his own failures, Trump illustrates by counterexample that the heart is the key to understanding. To accurately size up a human situation you have to project a certain quality of attention that is personal, gentle, respectful, intimate and affectionate more moving with and feeling into than simply observing with detachment. Carrere achieved that quality of attention after the tsunami. Maybe I spend too much time on Twitter and in media, but I see less and less of this sort of attention in America, even amid the tragedies of 2020. Far from softening toward one another, the whole country feels even more rived, more hardened and increasingly blind to lives other than our own. Democrat Kevin Van Ausdal bowed out of the race against Marjorie Taylor Greene for 'personal and family reasons' The Democratic candidate for an open U.S. House seat in Georgia dropped out of the race Friday, clearing a near-certain path to victory for a QAnon-supporting Republican contender who has been criticized for her incendiary comments. Democrat Kevin Van Ausdal bowed out of the race against Marjorie Taylor Greene for 'personal and family reasons,' his campaign manager Vinny Olsziewski told The Associated Press. Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs said Friday that the window has passed for Democrats to replace Van Ausdal, likely sealing a win for the already-favored Greene. Georgia law says a candidate who withdraws less than 60 days before the election cannot be replaced on the ballot. Van Ausdal faced long odds in Georgias deep-red 14th Congressional District. He posted a statement to Twitter on Friday saying, 'The next steps in my life are taking me away from Georgia,' disqualifying him from the seat. Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs said Friday that the window has passed for Democrats to replace Van Ausdal, likely sealing a win for the already-favored Greene (pictured) Van Ausdal posted a statement to Twitter on Friday saying, 'The next steps in my life are taking me away from Georgia,' disqualifying him from the seat. Greene has become notorious for her remarks about minorities and ethnic groups. In a series of videos unearthed in June, she alleges an 'Islamic invasion' of government offices, claims Black and Hispanic men are held back by 'gangs and dealing drugs,' and pushes an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that billionaire philanthropist George Soros, who is Jewish, collaborated with the Nazis. Most recently, Greene has said mask requirements aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus in schools emasculate boys, and posted a photo montage on Facebook showing her posing with a rifle next to three progressive Democratic congresswomen. Greene also is part of a growing list of candidates who have expressed support for QAnon, the far-right U.S. conspiracy theory popular among some supporters of President Donald Trump. Greene is part of a growing list of candidates who have expressed support for QAnon, the far-right U.S. conspiracy theory popular among some supporters of President Donald Trump Greene has expressed strong support for Trump, touting a pro-gun, pro-border wall and anti-abortion message. She has also expressed support for law enforcement and railed against Black Lives Matter protests that have taken place nationwide in recent months in support of racial justice and equality. After winning her Republican primary runoff in August, Trump tweeted congratulations for Greene, calling her a 'future Republican Star.' Greene Tweeted Friday: 'Best wishes to @KevinVanAusdal, who stepped down from the #Ga14 race today. Now lets all work together to re-elect @realDonaldTrump, hold the U.S. Senate, repeal Nancy Pelosi as Speaker, and help GA Republicans win!' In another twist, Republican Rep. Tom Graves, who currently holds the seat, released a statement Friday saying that he intends to step down in October, raising questions about if and how the brief remainder of his current term will be filled. The Pune municipal corporation (PMC) has deputed officers at private hospitals to oversee management and allotment of beds 24x7. Additional municipal commissioner Rubal Agrawal issued the orders on Saturday and deputed the officials in the private hospitals. The officials will mainly monitor private hospitals which have a contract with the municipal corporation. These include Ruby Hall Clinic, Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital, Sahyadri hospital, Ratna Memorial, KEM and other private hospitals. Agrawal said, These deputy engineers will remain present 24 hours at the private hospitals. There are three shifts - 6am to 2pm; 2pm to 10pm and 10pm to 6am. In these shifts, different officers would remain present and ensure that the beds allotted for PMC are utilised by patients referred by the control room. Even if there is a direct admission of critical patients, the information should be passed to the control room, she said. The divisional medical officers will visit these private hospitals daily and watch whether deputy engineers are present and take rounds of beds. All the beds which are reserved for PMC should be earmarked and boards should be put on them so that these beds are occupied by patients referred by PMC, she said. Agrawal instructed in the circular that these officers present at the hospital will ensure that there would be real-time information of beds availability and occupied beds. After patients are discharged the information should be updated on the dashboard. To monitor all these systems, PMC had appointed senior officers who are at the deputy collector level rank and allotted them one at each hospital. Well, at least we have something to look forward before Christmas. The trailer for the epic, dystopian sci-fi Dune looks stunningly beautiful a world of monster worms roaming the desert, warring houses and strange creeds. Back in our epic, dystopian year of 2020, Boris Johnson is downbeat about the near future. He is threatening to unleash Covid marshals to roam the streets looking for anyone not following a strange creed called the rule of six. Meanwhile, the warring houses of the UK and the EU are set to hold an emergency meeting, as Brexit chaos looms ever larger. What a time to be alive! Inside the bubble Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick on what to look out for on Thursday: 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. The step is necessary in view of the rapid increase in positive cases in the city, the order said. Till Friday night, Thane city has recorded 29,463 coronavirus positive cases and 885 deaths. Other municipal corporations in Thane district have issued similar orders recently. The administration of neighboring Palghar district has also instructed the people to use face masks. Those flouting the order will be penalised on the spot, a senior district official has said. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Afghanistans warring sides started negotiations for the first time, bringing together the Taliban and delegates appointed by the Afghan government Saturday for historic meetings aimed at ending decades of war. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attended the opening ceremony in Qatar, where the meetings are taking place and where the Taliban maintain a political office. The start of negotiations was the latest in a flurry of diplomatic activity by the Trump administration ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November. Each of you carry a great responsibility, Pompeo told the participants. You have an opportunity to overcome your divisions. While Saturdays opening was about ceremony, the hard negotiations will be held behind closed doors and over a number of sessions. But following a meeting with the Taliban on Saturday in Doha, Washingtons peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said the U.S. and every Afghan would like to see a deal sooner rather than later. The sides will be tackling tough issues in the negotiations, which will include the terms of a permanent cease-fire, the rights of women and minorities, and the disarming of tens of thousands of Taliban fighters and militias loyal to warlords, some of them aligned with the government. Khalilzad said a quick, permanent cease-fire is unlikely, but held out hope for a gradual reduction in violence until both sides are ready to end their fighting. Mistrust runs deep on both sides, he said. The Afghan negotiation teams are also expected to discuss constitutional changes and power sharing during their talks. Subsequent rounds of negotiations could be held outside Doha. Germany is among the countries offering to host future negotiations. Even seemingly mundane issues like the flag and the name of the country the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan or the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as the Talibans administration was known when it ruled could find their way onto the negotiation table and roil tempers. Among the government-appointed negotiators are four women, who have vowed to preserve womens rights in any power-sharing deal with the hard-line Taliban. This includes the right to work, education and participation in political life, all denied to women when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan for five years. Taliban delegation arrive to attend the opening session of the peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/ Hussein Sayed)AP The Taliban were ousted in 2001 by a U.S.-led coalition for harboring Osama bin Laden, the architect of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America. No women are on the Talibans negotiation team, led by their chief justice Abdul Hakim. The insurgent movement has said it accepted a womans right to work, go to school and participate in politics but would not accept a woman as president or chief justice. Deeply conservative members of the government-appointed High Council for National Reconciliation, which is overseeing the talks, also hold that women cant serve in either post. At the opening ceremonies, there was some sign of Taliban changes in attitudes. Several Taliban jostled to to take photographs of leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar as he addressed the ceremony. Photography was banned during the Taliban rule as being against Islam. Baradar said the Taliban envisioned an Islamic system that embraces all Afghans, without elaborating. He also urged patience as the negotiations proceeded, urging both sides to stick with the talks even in the face of problems. The negotiation process may have problems, but the request is that the negotiations move forward with a lot of patience, with a lot of attention, and it should be continued with such kind of attention, he said. We want to give them (people of Afghanistan) this assurance that with full honesty we continue the Afghan peace negotiation, and we try for peace and tranquility, we will pave the ground in Afghanistan. Abdullah Abdullah, who heads Kabuls High Council for National Reconciliation, said in his remarks that the sides do not need to agree on every detail, but should announce a humanitarian cease-fire. Both sides will be peace heroes if negotiations bring about a lasting peace that protects Afghanistans independence and leads to a system based on Islamic principles that preserves the rights of all people, said Abdullaah.. Pompeo warned that their decisions and conduct will affect both the size and conduct of U.S. assistance. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo listens through his headphone at the opening session of the peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Hussein Sayed)AP He encouraged the negotiators to respect Afghanistans rich diversity, including women and ethnic and religious minorities. He said that while the choice of Afghanistans political system is theirs to make, the U.S. has found that democracy and rotation of political power works best. I can only urge these actions. You will write the next chapter of Afghan history, he said. Pompeo spoke the day after the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. He said the U.S. will never forget the 9/11, and that America welcomes the Taliban commitment not to host terrorist groups, including al-Qaida, which was responsible for the carnage. The intra-Afghan negotiations were laid out in a peace deal Washington signed with the Taliban on Feb. 29. At that time the deal was touted as Afghanistans best chance at peace in 40 years of war. Yet Abdullah noted that since that agreement was reached, 1,200 people have been killed and more than 15,000 wounded in attacks across the country. The United Nations has urged a reduction of violence and criticized civilian casualties on both sides. The current talks had been originally expected to begin within weeks of the signed agreement between the Taliban and the U.S. But delays disrupted the timeline. The Afghan government balked at releasing 5,000 Taliban prisoners, which was stipulated in the deal as a sign of good faith ahead of the negotiations. The Taliban were required to release 1,000 government and military personnel in their custody. Political turmoil in Kabul further delayed talks as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival in controversial presidential polls the year before, Abdullah Abdullah, squabbled over who won, with both declaring victory. The Taliban refusal to reduce the violence further hindered the start of talks. Still the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan does not hinge on the success of the talks. Washingtons withdrawal is contingent on the Taliban honoring commitments to fight terrorist groups, in particular the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan, and ensure that Afghanistan cannot again be used to attack America or its allies. The Taliban have work to do. We see progress, but they have work to do, said Khalilzad. We have a timetable which is that withdrawal should be completed if the conditions are met by the end of April. The U.S. has refused to give specific of the guarantees citing security reasons, but the withdrawal of U.S. troops has already begun. President Donald Trump has said tha"t by November, about 4,000 soldiers will be in Afghanistan, down from 13,000 when the deal was signed in February. All troops will be gone by April if Taliban fulfill their commitment to fight terrorists. Washingtons goals are very simple: It wants intra-Afghan talks happening as soon as possible, because these give the White House political cover for an imminent withdrawal, said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Washington-based Wilson Centers Asia program. Trump likely wants a peace deal before the election, so that he can garner political benefits galore and pitch himself as a Nobel Peace Prize candidate. But presumably even he realizes its wildly unrealistic to expect a deal so soon. These types of negotiations tend to be measured in years, not weeks. The talks in Doha follow the Trump administration-brokered recognition of Israel by two Gulf Arab nations - Bahrain on Friday and the United Arab Emirates in August. ALBANY More cars filled the lots at Capital Region office parks last week than any other week since pandemic lockdowns began in March. But most employers are still not requiring anyone to go back to the office just yet. Office managers in Stuyvesant Plaza and Great Oaks Office Park in Guilderland, in Corporate Woods in Albany and British American in Latham which together host businesses ranging from law firms to architects and insurance companies have seen more people coming into work this month. Estimates range from about one third to slightly under half, according to office park operators who speak to employers regularly. The share of all state agency employees who are back in the office remains unclear. However, of 120,000 state employees that the governor directly oversees almost 70 percent are reporting to work in offices, Senior Advisor to the Governor Richard Azzopardi said. Of the 120,000 state employees subject to direct executive control, almost 70 percent are reporting to work in offices and facilities across the state full time. Another 15 percent are splitting time between their office or facility and remote work. The remainder continue to work remotely. Decisions are made by agency heads subject to their facilities. It has been a real push pull process for employers going back to the workplace, said Richard Sleasman, president of commercial real estate firm CBRE-Albany. The office market is by far the most difficult one to assess going forward because of the ability to work remotely that we found over the last six months is actually a fairly efficient and productive way of doing business. Employers dont know yet if they are going to need less space because people are staying at home, or more space because they need more square feet per person to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and county mandated guidelines, Sleasman said. Companies that prioritize the direct interaction with their clients, such as public law firms or architects, seem to be coming in more than larger corporations that have offices all over the country or have a majority of workers only answering phones, said several office park operators. Some of the big companies are worried about liability. There is just a lot of anxiety and uncertainty, said Robert Daly of Picotte Companies, which operates Corporate Woods Office Park. More people than I thought are kind of waiting for the vaccines. Its still quieter than I would hope. Nationwide, most office workers are not going back and have been told to stay home through the end of the year, according to the Workforce Development Institute. Commuting plays a significant roll in how safe people might feel coming to work. In the Capital Region, most commute by car, often alone in their vehicle. Contrast that with large metros like New York City, where employees crowd onto trains or buses and it's difficult to maintain social distancing, according to Sleasman, the Business Council of New York, and some local office park operators. Many employers have implemented hybrid models that prioritize their workers feeling safe over where they actually perform their jobs. Meanwhile, employers are also contemplating what to do about their leases. I just think you're going to see a lot of procrastination on the part of employers when it comes to both space occupancy terms and, more important, when they bring people back into the office, Sleasman said. The typical response is to extend a lease short term, just to buy time, Sleasman said. But hes seen both extremes happening in the Albany area. One firm working with CBRE-Albany decided to shut down their office and experiment with a year without a physical space. Another major client was about to sign a 17,000-square-foot lease but decided instead to sign a 22,000-square-foot lease because they realized that they need more space per person going forward. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. British American, Corporate Woods, and Great Oak Office Park all had some tenants who asked for rent accommodations, but they arent seeing many tenants who want to leave the office completely, even if it is sitting empty for a few more months. More of the smaller tenants rolled up their sleeves and were too proud and too driven and too successful in their business to really want to ask for a lot of help, said Seth Rosenblum, the CEO of Rosenblum Companies, which owns Great Oaks Office Park in Guilderland. There were exceptions, but largely we didn't find that a lot of folks have requested accommodations, nor have we seen a lot of offices move toward close. Sleasman also expects to see more subleasing happening in the coming months as companies start to really evaluate their bottom line. For those working from home and expecting to do so long-term there's hesitation around even thinking about giving up the office space in the long term, wrote Vivian Benton, Deputy Director at the Workforce Development Institute, in an email. Considerations around what to do with all the office equipment and files seems overwhelming right now, even if companies could exit leases easily. There have been no outbreaks of coronavirus reported at corporate office buildings, according to the Albany County Health Department. I think that's kind of a little bit reassuring for those of us who want to be back in the office, Rosenblum said. I'm not saying it's never happened or it's never going to happen. But, you know, you're hearing about what's happening on college campuses. And that's a very different situation. People don't behave, at least not in any office I've ever worked in the same way as they would on a college campus." claire.bryan@timesunion.com This story was updated on Monday. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A $500,000 donation from AT&T and WarnerMedia will allow the YMCA to provide childcare across the five boroughs as more parents and guardians return to work. On Staten Island, the service will be offered at the Broadway YMCA in West Brighton starting Sept. 21, according to YMCA of Greater New York Spokesman Erik Opsal. President & CEO of the YMCA of Greater New York Sharon Greenberger said the organization was thrilled that the donation would allow them to provide childcare to hundreds of families in the five boroughs. The YMCA empowers tens of thousands of kids and families every year through childcare, afterschool, summer camp programs, and more, she said. We have continued these services during the pandemic and are proud to help our city recover by serving families in need. According to a joint media release from AT&T and its subsidiary WarnerMedia, the program will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the funding will help the YMCA staff supervise students when remote learning while also offering project-based learning, physical games and activities. Opsal said the Broadway YMCA will make applications available to all students participating in the Department of Educations hybrid-learning model, and coronavirus mitigation practices will be adhered to. The health and well-being of our communities is our number one priority, and well be following all guidelines and taking all precautions, he said. The YMCA will work with its partner schools to enroll students, and priority given to the children of essential workers and those experiencing homelessness. AT&Ts north region President Patricia Jacobs said she hopes the companies' donations encourages others to invest in childcare during the pandemic. The pandemic has created a tremendous amount of uncertainty around the upcoming school year, presenting the greatest challenges for parents who do not have the option of working from home, she said. Together, AT&T and WarnerMedia are honored to support the YMCA so they can provide urgently-needed school day remote learning supervision and support for hundreds of families across New York City. US President Trump hosts Serbia's President Vucic and Kosovo's Prime Minister Hoti at the White House in Washington - Reuters Serbia and Kosovos decision to set up embassies in Jerusalem has opened a fresh rift between Israel and the European Union, which faces accusations of pressuring Balkan states into adopting its foreign policy even though they may never be allowed to join the club. Serbia and Kosovo made the surprise announcement alongside President Donald Trump last week, granting a major diplomatic coup to Israel, which regards the city as its undivided capital. But EU officials have reacted to the deal with serious concern and have strongly implied that neither country would be allowed to become member states if they pushed ahead with the decision, which in effect would recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The EUs longstanding foreign policy is that the status of Jerusalem, which is claimed by both Israel and the Palestinians as their capital, should be decided between them as part of a wider peace agreement. Professor Eugene Kontorovich, the head of international law at Israels Kohelet Policy Forum, said he believed the Balkan states took the decision as they were frustrated with the slow pace of EU accession talks and suspect membership may never be granted. For a long time, the EU has used the very distant carrot of potential membership and financial benefits as a way of inducing Balkan countries to fall in line and adopt European policy decisions on a wide range of issues, he said. I think more and more countries are figuring out they are never getting the membership - its going to be a perpetual carrot. EU accession is a longstanding goal of both Kosovo and Serbia, but the process has faltered due to ongoing tensions between the two countries, which have lingered since the end of the Kosovo War in 1999. European Council President Charles Michel, right, greets Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic prior to a meeting at the European Council building in Brussels - AP Pool However, a key aspect of the Trump deal was normalising economic ties between Serbia and Kosovo, a gesture which may help to ease those tensions and unblock the talks on joining the EU. Israeli officials were delighted by the announcement, which was secured by President Donald Trump in the hopes of burnishing his foreign policy credentials ahead of the November election. Story continues But the Telegraph understands that Israel was infuriated by the EU response, which it regarded as an attempt to bully nations into following its foreign policy even though they may never be allowed to become member states. A correspondent for Israel Hayom, the countrys largest newspaper, went further and claimed the EU was showing blatant and ongoing hostility towards Israel in a furious opinion piece. President Donald Trump applauds Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a press conference in Washington - Reuters For his part, President Trump controversially recognised Jerusalem as Israels capital in 2017 and moved the US embassy to the holy city the following year. However, Serbia has already sought to play down the announcement, with foreign minister Ivica Dacic stressing that the final decision had not yet been discussed, and that it would depend on a number of factors. Meanwhile, a video of the moment the accord was announced by President Trump in the White House showed Serbias prime minister, Aleksandar Vucic, looking confused - as if he had only just realised he was making the commitment on embassies. Reacting to the signing ceremony earlier this week, the EUs foreign affairs spokesman, Peter Stano, expressed his serious concern and regret over the move. There is no EU member state with an embassy in Jerusalem, he said. Any diplomatic steps that could call into question the EUs common position on Jerusalem are a matter of serious concern and regret. Palestinian leaders have also reacted with anger to the US-brokered deal, warning that they had become "a victim of the electoral ambitions of President Trump." Egypt has sent numerous airlifts of medical supplies and humanitarian aid as part of an air bridge it launched following the blast Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron have urged coordinating efforts to provide support to Lebanon after the devastating blast last month that killed dozens of people and left hundreds of thousands homeless, the presidency said on Friday. Macron has visited Lebanon twice after the blast. He called on the world to provide support to Lebanon and urged reforms in the Arab country. He had also called for a fundraising conference shortly after the explosion, where donors raised pledges worth 253 million euros ($299 million) for immediate humanitarian relief. The damage caused by the blast is estimated at more than $15 billion, according to Lebanons President Michel Aoun. Egypt has also sent numerous airlifts of medical supplies and humanitarian aid as part of an air bridge it launched following the blast. During their phone call on Friday, El-Sisi and Macron agreed on the need to help the Lebanese people and government with all possible means against political and economic challenges to preserve the countrys sovereignty and unity. They also discussed the Libyan crisis and reiterated their countries support of a political settlement not influenced by foreign interference and armed militias. The two presidents welcomed the constructive international efforts targeting de-escalation and peaceful settlement in Libya, including the Cairo Declaration, which urged ceasefire and removing foreign fighters from the country. The Cairo Declaration was announced in June, during El-Sisis meeting with Libyan Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh and Khalifa Haftar, head of the Libyan National Army who is fighting against the forces of the Government of National Accord, led by Fayez Al-Sarraj. El-Sisi and Macro urged international efforts to resume negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides within the framework of the peace process in the Middle East to reach a comprehensive and just settlement for the Palestinian cause in line with international references. The two leaders affirmed their similar stances on issues related to the East Mediterranean region, including rejecting escalation and prioritising regional security and stability through coordination between France and Egypt. Search Keywords: Short link: Panaji, Sep 12 : Union Minister of State for Defence and AYUSH Shripad Naik was discharged on Saturday from Manipal Hospital where he was admitted after testing positive for Covid-19 in August. "I am feeling well now. After a few days of rest I will be able to start my work," Naik told reporters after his discharge from the hospital located near Panaji. Naik was admitted to the private health facility on August 12, after he tested positive for Covid-19. A central team from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) was monitoring the Union Minister's health. Naik, a senior BJP leader is a Lok Sabha MP from the North Goa parliamentary constituency. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Hyderabad, Sep 12 : A 12-year-old student has adopted a tiger at Nehru Zoological Park (NZP) here for three months by spending his birthday budget. Chinmay Siddharth Shah, a class 7 student of a city school, has come forward to adopt a Royal Bengal Tiger named "Sankalp". He along with his father Siddharth Kantilal Shah visited the office of the curator and handed over a cheque of Rs 25,000 to Deputy Curator A.Nagamani towards adoption of the tiger for a period of three months. Five other children also presented a cheque of Rs 5,000 each to adopt nocturnal animals and small birds. Havisha Jain and Vihaan Atul Shah, Preksha, Priyal, Dhwani and Bhakti Nagda handed over the cheques to NZP official. Nagamani thanked the children for showing great gesture, love and affection towards the conservation of wildlife by adopting the tiger and birds in the Zoo Park. She also appealed to the citizens to come forward in more numbers and adopt the animals. The zoo, which has suffered a loss of more than Rs 6 crore due to the ban on entry of visitors since March 22, is looking for celebrities and businessmen to come forward and adopt the animals, by sponsoring their expenses for a fixed period. The officials hope that this gesture would help the zoo tide over the financial constraint triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. In July, Tollywood actor Ram Charan's wife and superstar K. Chiranjeevi's daughter-in-law, Upasana Kamineni konidela came forward to adopt an elephant for one year. A businessman also adopted a Royal Bengal tiger for one year. Spread over 300 acres, the zoo is home to nearly 181 indigenous and exotic species, including 1,716 animals, birds, and reptiles. Known as one of the best zoos in Asia, it attracts around 30 lakh visitors every year on an average. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The Farm Bureau Feeding Texas Co-op Contributing program has resulted in $333,793 worth of donations to feeding families in local communities, according to a news release. The program is conducted by Texas Farm Bureau and county Farm Bureaus. It was established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, pairing food banks and other food-relief entities with local restaurants and caterers. New Delhi, Sep 12 : The Taliban and the Afghan government are both getting ready for the first intra-Afghan talks to be held in Doha, Qatar. The Talibans 21-member negotiating team led by the groups chief justice, Maulavi Abdul Hakim, along with former chief negotiator Abbas Stanekzai, now serving as his deputy, are already in Doha. Prior to the deal with the US, the Taliban refused to directly negotiate with the Afghan government. The US has ramped up pressure on Afghans on both sides of the conflict to open up negotiations over what a post-war Afghanistan might look like, how the rights of women and minorities would be protected, and how the tens of thousands of Taliban fighters and pro-government militias are disarmed and reintegrated. The US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad is also in Doha. "The Afghan people are ready for a sustainable reduction in violence and a political settlement that will end the war," the US State Department said in a statement. Meanwhile, Mohammad Naeem Wardak, a spokesman for the Taliban's political office, said in a tweet: "A number of its detainees have not yet been released, which slows down the preparation for intra-Afghan talks to take place in Qatari capital Doha. Once the process of freeing its prisoners are done, they will be ready to sit with Afghans and negotiate on peace in the country." The Afghan President's office announced on Sunday that preparations for the intra-Afghan negotiations are being finalized and the delay is due to Taliban's unpreparedness for the talks. "We have released all prisoners on the Taliban list. The Taliban should stop making excuses and start direct talks immediately," said Javid Faisal, spokesperson for the Afghan National Security Council. Sources said, the delay is due to issues in the leadership of the Taliban's negotiating team, adding that demands are being made on both sides. But releasing Taliban prisoners has made Afghan President "nervous". On Monday, the First Vice President Amrullah Saleh said in an interview to an Afghan Channel, "...releasing 5,500 Taliban prisoners-a hindrance to the intra-Afghan talks-were not upon our desire, rather the biggest cost paid to achieving peace in the country". Incidentally Saleh escaped an assassination attempt on his life on September 9, the attack being timed with the killing of legendary commander Ahmad Shah Massood on the same date in 2001. In fact, the Ghani government was not part of US-Taliban deal which was finalized on February 29 this year in Doha. According to the deal, the main condition put up by the Taliban was that the Afghan Government must release all its 5,500 prisoners. Ghani was apprehensive about it but after the Loya Jirga's decision, he agreed to it. It was a decision fraught with risk for Ghani as Washington speeds up its withdrawal plans. Already thousands of troops have exited Afghanistan following the agreement, bringing President Donald Trump one step closer to fulfilling his campaign pledge to get America out of its "endless wars." Approximately 8,500 US troops remain in Afghanistan, down from a peak of about 100,000 in 2010 and a full withdrawal expected by April 2021. According to Javid Faisal, spokesman of the Afghan National Security Council, "Of the Taliban prisoners, 156 were awaiting the death penalty", he said. All of the remaining inmates were convicted of major crimes including murder, rape and drug trafficking. "They are the worst of the worst," Faisal said. The Afghan president has claimed that the Taliban have failed to deliver on promises to reduce violence across the country, which remains stubbornly high despite the peace agreement. Since then about 3,560 Afghan security officials have been killed in attacks and thousands more maimed. He further added, "The government has fulfilled all its commitments in the peace process that the international committee had hoped for." Ghani said a "critical stage of peace" had been reached and the talks would help reduce violence and finalize a permanent ceasefire. Meanwhile, according to the magazine, Foreign Policy, the Taliban prisoners released by the government are returning to battlefields as commanders and fighters-a breach of the Doha agreement. The report says that a majority of the released Taliban have taken up arms again with the intention to overthrow the government. As doubts about the Taliban's integrity rise to the surface, a new research for Queen's University's Senator, George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, too has found that the released Taliban prisoners have indeed returned to the fight, or to previously held positions within the organization. Intelligence officials in Kabul have acknowledged the report: "... that the findings are accord to what we have observed". The talks have not begun yet, and the UN has said the Taliban still maintain links to Al-Qaeda. Khalilzad too said the Taliban has made some progress breaking with terrorist groups, but "they have to take a lot more steps." The situation is in flux and India is watching carefully. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently had a detailed discussion with the Iranian top leadership. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who stopped in Tehran before heading to Moscow for a foreign ministers meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has discussed the Afghan situation with his Iranian counterpart Java Sharif. Regarding India's foreign policy objectives, Jaishankar says, "Evidence strongly supports the view that India has advanced its interests effectively" precisely "when it made hard-headed assessments of contemporary geopolitics. Taking risks is inherent to the realization of ambition." It is time for such ambition to be tested in Afghanistan. It will mean taking risks, assessing costs, and accepting failures, but it will also mean doing everything possible to address very real challenges in a country that readily signed a Treaty of Friendship with India as far back as 1950. (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Saturday adopted the plan of action for 2021-25 that envisages greater cooperation in areas ranging from trade to maritime security and counter-terrorism. The plan of action will help the two sides to work towards the ASEAN 2025 vision for an economically integrated and rules-based grouping that narrows the development gap and enhances connectivity. Both sides will also cooperate on common challenges and enhance coordination at international forums. The virtual ASEAN-India ministerial meeting, co-chaired by external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai, adopted the plan of action. The meeting, which was joined by the foreign ministers of the 10 ASEAN states, also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and witnessed an exchange of views on regional and international developments. Also read: Afghanistans soil shouldnt be used for anti-India activities - Jaishankar The meeting reviewed the ASEAN-India strategic partnership in several areas, including maritime cooperation, connectivity and people-to-people contacts. It reviewed preparations for the upcoming ASEAN-India Summit and progress in implementing key decisions made at the last summit in Bangkok in November 2019. Under the new plan of action, the two sides will further strengthen the East Asia Summit as a premier leaders-led forum for dialogue and cooperation on broad strategic, political and economic issues... with the aim of promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity in the region. The plan envisages Indias active participation and co-chairing of joint exercises and activities, and strengthening of practical defence cooperation to address challenges in maritime security, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping operations, and cyber-security. Also read: India needs a refined toolkit to manage China The two sides will also promote maritime security and safety, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded commerce, the non-use of force, and the resolution of disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). In the field of economic cooperation, the two sides will continue efforts to make the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA) more user-friendly and trade facilitative by initiating a review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement and work towards ratification of the ASEAN-India Investment Agreement to facilitate further economic integration. In the realm of connectivity, the two sides will work closely to promote physical connectivity by completing the missing links between South and Southeast Asia, including, but not limited to, expediting the completion of relevant sections of the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and supporting steps to build an economic corridor along it and its extension to Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam. They will also encourage private sector participation in developing roads and railways and logistics networks. Minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan also participated in a virtual meeting of the foreign ministers of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on Saturday under the chairmanship of Vietnam. The ministers exchanged views on international and regional issues. Muraleedharan presented Indias perspectives on the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, threat of terrorism, and cooperation for a collective response to Covid-19. Several members of congress are demanding action over the Netflix film Cuties, which has drawn severe backlash for its representation of young girls since its release. Cuties follows an 11-year-old girl who joins a dance clique to rebel against her conservative Senegalese background. In a dance scene, the film depicts the young girls dressed in revealing clothing while performing sexually suggestive choreography. The movie has caused outrage since its release on 9 September with calls to boycott the streaming platform which culminated in the hashtag #CancelNetflix trending on Twitter. Several congressmen are now calling for Netflix to be investigated by the Department of Justice in light of its release. Tom Cotton, a Republican senator in Arkansas, accused the platform of peddling child pornography before lobbying for the justice department to bring action against the platform. Like any parent, I find @netflix decision to peddle child pornography disgusting. And its criminal. @TheJusticeDept should take swift action, he tweeted. Theres no excuse for the sexualisation of children, and Netflixs decision to promote the film Cuties is disgusting at best and a serious crime at worst, Sen Cotton told The Daily Caller. I urge the Department of Justice to take action against Netflix for their role in pushing explicit depictions of children into American homes. Indiana Representative Jim Banks said: As a father of three young daughters, I find Cuties sickening. Glad to join @SenTomCotton in calling on the DOJ to bring charges against Netflix for distribution of child pornography." Defenders of the film have said that it comments on the hyper-sexualisation of preadolescent girls, an argument that Netlix reflected in its own defense against complaints on Thursday. In a statement to Variety, Netflix insisted the film it functions as a social commentary against the sexualization of young children, and urged people to watch. Its 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 wed encourage anyone who cares about these important issues to watch the movie, the company said. Before the French title premiered on Netflix it received critical acclaim and won a directing award at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Screen Dailys Fionnuala Halligan said Cuties is explicitly designed to shock mature audiences into a contemplation of todays destruction of innocence. The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney also notes the film has a "critical view of a culture that steers impressionable young girls toward the hypersexualisation of their bodies". However, the critical interpretation seemingly did not appeal to many political opposers who strongly condemned its existence on the platform. As the mother of an 8-year old girl, I STRONGLY support #CancelNetflix, California congressional candidate Beatrice Cardines, a Republican, tweeted. @netflix child porn Cuties will certainly whet the appetite of pedophiles & help fuel the child sex trafficking trade. 1 in 4 victims of trafficking are children. It happened to my friend's 13 year old daughter. Netflix, you are now complicit. #CancelNetflix, Tulsi Gabbard added. Cuties initially became the subject of controversy after Netflix released a promotional poster for the film that was vastly different from the French version and emphasised the dance scene in which they wear shorts and crop tops. The French poster, by contrast, shows the group wearing less revealing clothes and throwing shopping bags into the air. The streaming giant ended up removing the poster and issued an apology for the inappropriate artwork. At its best, City College of San Francisco is a force for economic mobility, elevating tens of thousands of students to universities or the market for skilled jobs each year, and helping many simply to learn English. But its bedeviled by administrative dysfunction, a financial crisis years in the making and outdated technology. Thousands of students have fled, many motivated, perhaps, by the pandemic. The former chancellor was placed on leave in March, then resigned. Even so, 10 people lawyers, academics, city officials, an environmental activist and two incumbents want to help run the $222 million college and are vying to fill four seats on the seven-member Board of Trustees this fall. Two incumbents, Ivy Lee and Alex Randolph, arent running for re-election. More than 55,000 full- and part-time students enrolled last year. But the spring semester saw a 24% drop in enrollment compared with spring 2019 a loss of more than 10,000 students, to 31,443. Of nearly 2,000 employees City College reported last year, nearly 1,300 were instructors. More than half worked on year-to-year contracts, many of which have been canceled. The college has five vacant leadership positions. Without raising more money and spending less, the college expects to operate in the red for at least five years. The Chronicle asked the 10 candidates what the top issue facing City College is, what they would do to address its fiscal problems, and how they would respond to students and faculty who say the trustees are indifferent to their needs. Here is what they said: Alan Wong, education advisor to Supervisor Gordon Mar Top issue: Job training and economic recovery. Wong said he will partner with employers, labor unions and workforce nonprofits to improve student employment outcomes. CCSF finances: Dire. Wong would hire a fiscal-minded chancellor who values transparency and accountability. To raise money, he would lease empty facilities to nonprofits focused on job creation. Students and faculty: Wong said hes worked on issues important to both groups, including helping to draft Free City legislation, which makes City College free to city residents. Anita Martinez, former CCSF dean of students, English as a second language instructor Top issue: Selection of the next permanent chancellor. Martinez said the next leader must protect the identity of City College as a comprehensive community college serving the needs of youth, workers, immigrants and elders. She said unplanned budget cuts are reducing the school to a junior college. CCSF finances: A disaster with three consecutive years of overspent budgets. Martinez criticized City Colleges many class cuts one way the trustees have dealt with a shrinking budget and declining enrollment and said she would lobby the state to alter its funding formula to better favor City College. Students and faculty: Martinez said she would listen and respond to those groups, and would tell the chancellor to do the same. She favors allowing public comment throughout trustee meetings, rather than just at the beginning. Aliya Chisti, oversees Free City College at S.F.s Department of Children Youth and Their Families Top issue: Holding the chancellor accountable. Chisti said fiscal issues are a big concern, but the lack of sustained leadership has made it difficult to ensure that the college is achieving its goals with limited resources. CCSF finances: Of even greater concern now than before the pandemic. Chisti would require more frequent budget reports, hire a controller to prioritize fiscal oversight and lobby for additional local, state and federal funds. Students and faculty: She would meet regularly with students and faculty and bring their concerns back to other trustees and the chancellor as recommendations. Tom Temprano, incumbent, board vice president, and legislative aide to Supervisor Rafael Mandelman Top issue: Supporting students and faculty and staff who are having to work remotely. The college has spent millions of Cares Act funds to buy laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots, he said, yet thousands of students have dropped out, which means reduced state funding. CCSF finances: Really challenging. First elected in 2016, Temprano said he has helped improve fiscal controls and end conflicting budget reports. He campaigns for Proposition 15, which would allow more frequent appraisals of large commercial properties. He said City College could see more than $10 million a year from the extra property tax money. Students and faculty: I have worked really closely with faculty and students, he said, including making the Queer Resources Center a year-round operation. Shanell Williams, incumbent, board president, and director of community engagement and partnership at UCSFs Pre-Term Birth Initiative Top issue: COVID and revenue. Williams said the trustees have no choice but to reduce costs while seeking new sources of revenue. CCSF finances: Were in a challenging spot. The trustees have cut spending, but the pandemic has forced them to look line by line for savings, while seeking more revenue, she said. Students and faculty: I learned as a student activist and still believe today that a collaborative approach is the best way to make progress, she said. Han Zou, administrative aide to Supervisor Matt Haney Top issue: Enrollment. College funding is heavily dependent on enrollment, Zou said, but City College is losing students. One reason, he said, is the colleges convoluted online registration system, which he would work to make more student-friendly. CCSF finances: Not where it needs to be. Zou wants dedicated funding streams from the city and state. Students and faculty: A Mandarin speaker, Zou said it was important to elect a trustee who can communicate with the many students who speak little English. He said the trustees should have a presence on WeChat, a texting service popular in the Chinese community. Marie Hurabiell, Georgetown University regent and entrepreneur COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California. Top issue: Attract and retain students with a world-class educational opportunity befitting of our city. CCSF finances: Concerning. Citing a 2019 college audit that raised substantial doubt about City Colleges ability to remain a going concern, Hurabiell said the trustees must address every problem identified and use data to inform our choices. An untapped revenue source, she said, are wealthy San Franciscans who truly want to help underserved students invest in community college. Students and faculty: Hurabiell said she would show up for student, faculty and staff meetings when welcome, host office hours and employ radical transparency. Geramye Teeter, community organizer and environmental activist Top issue: Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic while prioritizing the chronic issue of solving the budget deficit. Teeter said trustees should pledge to offer courses, programs and support necessary to grow enrollment. CCSF finances: Not ideal. Hell use his experience in community partnerships to ensure taxpayer funds are aimed at career training programs, he said. Students and faculty: The recent closing of City Colleges Fort Mason campus and abandonment of the Southeast campus where I live in the Bayview indicates the trustees have failed to consider the input of the students and faculty negatively affected. Victor Olivieri, adjunct lecturer at Santa Clara University and president of the S.F. Veterans Affairs Commission Top issue: Righting the wrongs of (trustees) years of deficit spending and deferred maintenance. CCSF finances: Dire. Olivieri has a 10-point proposal based on the 2019 audit, including developing a plan to maximize revenue options for CCSF-owned properties. Students and faculty: Students have reason to feel bypassed by the trustees, he said, because, for example, many cant enroll in classes they need. But faculty are not ignored. He cites union-friendly trustees and faculty raises. Jeanette Quick, lawyer and CCSF student Top issue: The budget. City College is in a vicious cycle of slashing classes, which makes the college less attractive to students, which then makes the budget even worse, leading to more classes getting slashed, said Quick, who has taken classes for three years. CCSF finances: In the toilet. Quick promises to expand foundational support and private funding sources, solicit donations from alumni and companies, particularly those that have claimed to support racial justice issues. Students and faculty: Would hold office hours, attend their meetings, and rescind restrictions on how long the public can speak at board meetings. Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov WASHINGTON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said on Friday he hoped talks between the Afghan government and Taliban due to begin on Saturday would lead to an end to the country's long-running war, but said many challenges remain. Khalilzad told reporters in a telephone briefing that the United States would engage the participants and be willing to assist if needed, but the two sides would decide how to proceed. "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 they the talks would hopefully bring about a roadmap to end the war. "These negotiations are an important achievement, but there are... significant challenges on the way to reaching an agreement," he added. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Dan Grebler) Oregon transportation officials said a project to replace aging parts on the Interstate Bridge is now scheduled for Sept. 19. The rescheduling comes one day after the state abruptly delayed the project, which will necessitate closing the northbound span and redirecting traffic onto the southbound lanes for nine days, citing the significant wildfires burning across Oregon and Washington. Transportation engineers opted to keep all six lanes of Interstate 5 spanning the Columbia River open for another week to keep roads clear for wildfire evacuees. Now, Oregon said it consulted with Washington transportation officials, the U.S. Coast Guard and the construction company selected to work on its $13 million project and opted to start the construction Sept. 19 at 12:01 a.m. Rian Windsheimer, Oregons transportation manager for the Portland metro, said the project must be completed within the window of our Coast Guard permit and while the river level remains low. The project includes replacing the trunnion, a critical piece that allows the bridge to raise and lower, on the more than a century-old northbound span of the bridge. Its time to get prepared for this closure and make a plan to avoid the expected congestion, Windsheimer said in a statement. The project will wrap up Sept. 27, the state said. During the closure, traffic will be prioritized on the southbound span according to traffic needs. For example, during the morning commute southbound travelers will have two lanes of the bridge. Work crews will shift traffic patterns to allow for two northbound travel on the span during the afternoon commute. More than 70,000 Clark County residents, historically, travel to the Portland metro area for work each weekday. Andrew Theen DOHA (Reuters) - The head of Afghanistan's peace council, Abdullah Abdullah, said negotiators would discuss a reduction in violence as a priority when they met Taliban representatives on Sunday and that both sides would need to find compromises on contentious issues. A ceremony to launch talks aimed at ending 19 years of war took place in Qatar's capital of Doha on Saturday after months of delays, followed by a meeting between representatives of both sides to work out how talks should proceed. "One of the top most issues on the minds of the people is reduction in violence in a significant way ... and also getting to ... hopefully a permanent ceasefire," Abdullah told Reuters in an interview, adding it would be one of the first issues discussed when negotiators met the following day. Some analysts and diplomats have raised concerns that the Taliban is entering talks with the upper hand as violence has escalated in recent months in the war-torn nation even as the United States withdraws troops. But Abdullah said that now the Afghan government team was finally at the negotiating table, they had identified a process to ensure there were compromises on thorny issues. Negotiators would decide on priority issues, starting with those on which is was easiest to find common ground, he added. "One side pushes on one thing, the other side doesn't want that one - we need to find out what the solution is in between," he said. He also emphasised the government team would focus on protecting women's rights, which many have feared will be eroded if the hardline Islamist militants were to gain formal power. "A few things have changed dramatically in the country. Afghan women are ... in all walks of life in society, they are active participants," he said. "It's not possible to develop a country without facilitating conditions so men and women can play their role in development of the country." (Writing by Alexander Cornwell and Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Pravin Char) TV actor Devoleena Bhattacharjee shut a troll like a boss when attacked for her tweets where she supported Ankita Lokhande and took a slant dig at Shibani Dandekar regarding Sushant Singh Rajput death probe and the prime accused actor Rhea Chakraborty. The troll dug up Devoleenas past and tried to shame her for having been connected in a murder case. Not one to take things lying down, the actor replied to the troll in the same vein. Reminding the TV actor of a case she was being questioned in, a Twitter user wrote, Ap bhi kuch time pehle jail aur court ke chaakr kat rahi thi (You were also shuttling between jail and courts some time ago). Devoleena was quick to reply saying, By god grace aise naubat ayee nahi meri.God forbid kahin aapke chakkar naa lag jaaye.Sambhal k rahiye ga (It was never required but you must be careful. What if you have to visit courts and jails! Be careful.). By god grace aise naubat ayee nahi meri.God forbid kahin aapke chakkar naa lag jaaye.Sambhal k rahiye ga.. https://t.co/3HG8amuZB2 Devoleena Bhattacharjee (@Devoleena_23) September 10, 2020 The user also tweeted, Questioned in a murder case similiarly here rhea is questioned ,she is not yet found guilty, to which the actor responded, And yes i never used drugs ever in my life nor i fed anyone nor i have misused anyones finances etc etc..hope you understood what i mean. And yes i never used drugs ever in my life nor i fed anyone nor i have misused anyones finances etc etc..hope you understood what i mean. https://t.co/AFr13T2PM5 Devoleena Bhattacharjee (@Devoleena_23) September 10, 2020 Devoleena was questioned in regard with Mumbai diamond trader Rajeshwar Udanis murder case in 2018. Extending her support to Ankita after the Pavitra Rishta actor was slammed by Shibani Dandekar , Devoleena had tweeted, Whoever she is but I must say all the day she got that 2secs fame targeting our beloved @anky1912. I mean like seriously... yeh toh hadd hi hogayee hai..Kahan se chale aate yeh log & kaunse duniya mein jeete hai. More power to you @anky1912 (this is enough...From where do these people come, who are these people. More power to you Ankita). Whoever she is but i must say all the day she got that 2secs fame targetting our beloved @anky1912.I mean like seriously... yeh toh hadd hi hogayee hai..Kahan se chale aate yeh log & kaunse duniya mein jeete hai. More More power to you @anky1912 Devoleena Bhattacharjee (@Devoleena_23) September 10, 2020 Devoleena recently opened up about the way the industry works in an interview with Hindustan Times. Elaborating on the difference between TV and film actors, Devoleena said, During auditions or look test, we get to hear things like Listen, we dont want TV acting for this role. Imagine how demotivating that is just before youre preparing to face the camera with the hope of cracking a part. Someone should explain the difference between film and TV acting to me. Also read: Akshay Kumar revisits old life as waiter on Into The Wild with Bear Grylls: I have lots of money. But that life is something different They (people taking auditions) remind you that you are coming from TV, and that film world is something superior. I mean an actor is an actor, how does the platform matter? At times, we do go overboard on TV but thats because the audience and script demand. Whatever you expect from any actor, we would deliver, she added. Devoleena has worked in some popular shows including Sawaare Sabke Sapne Preeto, Saath Nibhaana Saathiya and Bigg Boss 13 . Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Elaine Tanzer, the local visionary behind one of Portlands first specialty food stores, Elephants Delicatessen, died Tuesday after a fall, friends and colleagues confirmed Friday. She was 77. Tanzer, who developed her passion for good cheese, pasta and wine during a year abroad in northern Italy while studying at Portland State University, bought a deli in Northwest Portlands Uptown Shopping Center in 1979 and started filling it with things she loved. It was a huge Old World deli kind of feeling, said Anne Weaver, who joined the store as a manager in 1980 and is now its CEO. There was a long, long, long deli case, and we sold braunschweiger and head cheese and all. We were going to the Fancy Food Show and getting all these cheeses and no one in Portland had seen this stuff. Well before the days of artisanal everything in Portland, Elephants Deli became one of the citys first modern markets to extrude its own pasta, squeeze its own orange juice, pour its own espresso and bake its own bread. The deli soon entered the Portland baguette wars of the 1980s, Weaver said, offering fresh-from-the-oven loaves to lines of hungry customers who would jockey for position as if they were at a Walmart on Black Friday. She started this curation of pesto and sun-dried tomatoes and things that we take for granted now, but they were truly revolutionary products back then, said Weaver, who notes that Elephants was among the first Portland markets to carry whole wheels of Parmesan cheese. (Along with husband Scott, who was hired as Elephants executive chef in 1983, Anne is now an Elephants' co-owner.) Soon, supermarket executives would stop by to see what all the hubbub was about, taking notes and translating Tanzers passions for a wider audience at their stores. And as specialty foods began to splinter, with coffee shops and micro roasters and juice bars and more, Elephants began focusing more on the companys prepared food and catering arms. According to Jim Dixon, the reformed food writer-turned-specialty foods guru at Northeast Portlands Real Good Food, there just wasnt much else in Portland when Elephants hit the scene. Its not like today when you can go into Whole Foods or New Seasons or even Fred Meyer and find interesting cheeses, Dixon said. You might find an aged white cheddar from Tillamook. But unless you went to a restaurant, unusual things were not widely available. According to Judith Rizzio, Dixons wife, Elephants was the place to go when people visited Portland in the 1980s, either for a quick lunch or to fill your pantry with items you would rarely find outside of upscale restaurants such as Southeast Portlands Genoa. You would go to Powells Books, then go eat at Elephants, Rizzio said. Especially if you were coming from the mid states. And you would always get to brag about what you got when you get there. It was just a fun, novelty food place. After testing the expansion waters with Packys at the PacWest center in the 1980s, Elephants began its modern growth period with Flying Elephants, a Parisian-inspired cafe with a greatest-hits menu opened in the Fox Tower development in 2000. The company now runs eight Elephants locations overall, including five Flying Elephants, each with a limited retail selection alongside the salads, sandwiches and soups. The tomato-orange soup, introduced by Scott Weaver in 1984, remains a customer favorite. According to Elephants food and beverage director Nick Doughty, Tanzer was a visionary with a flair for flair who loved to make a grand entrance whenever Elephants opened a new location. Perhaps no Elephants entrance was grander than the one arranged for the current flagship, when Tanzer and Weaver secured a marching band, stilt walkers, an elephant float and local celebrities Darcelle and Gerry Frank to make the short walk from the Uptown Shopping Center to the new home on West Burnside at 22nd Avenue. She would say things like, You cant bake the cookies too early in the day, because then the customers cant smell the cookies when they come in, Doughty said. She always wanted our kitchens to be open kitchens. She wanted customers to be able to see and interact with the people making the food. Tanzers husband, Jacob Tanzer, a Portland lawyer and judge who spent time with the U.S. Department of Justice, preceded her in death in 2018. His investigation into the 1964 slayings of civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, which helped secure indictments against Ku Klux Klan members, inspired the movie Mississippi Burning. Survivors include Tanzers nephew, Matthew Rhine; stepchildren, Joshua Tanzer, Jessica Tanzer Conroy, Rachel Tanzer and Elan Tanzer; and one grandson. -- Michael Russell, mrussell@oregonian.com, @tdmrussell As Kangana Ranaut's mother Asha Ranaut condemned the Maharashtra government over BMC's action against her daughter's office, the Queen actress says she's still scared of her mom's anger. For the unversed, Asha Ranaut told ANI, "What Maharashtra govt did is condemnable. I condemn that in harshest of words. I'm happy that entire India is standing with my daughter & people's blessings are with her. I'm proud of her, she always stood by truth & will continue doing that. I thank Amit Shah for providing her security, had she not been given security, nobody knows what would have happened to her." On this, Kangana tweeted, " , " (The way my mother used to take our class in childhood, she has reprimanded Shiv Sena in the same way. I don't know about Shiv Sena, but I'm still scared of her angry avatar.) Netizens applauded Kangana's mother's way of reprimanding the Maharashtra government, and asked the actress to stay strong. A user wrote, "I love your mother, we all relate to our mother Hugging faceRed heart caring and loving at the same time most protective. I really feel proud of watching this video, she gave born to another braveheart like her." Another user wrote, "Well a mother can turn from Gauri to Mahakali if her child is threatened. And when a Daughter like Kangana who has made entire Himachal and India proud of herself is threatened it's obvious that her Mother would be enraged. Hats off to u Ms. Asha Ranaut for Ur upbringing." Sona Mohapatra Blasts Kangana For Calling Rhea 'Small Time Druggie'; Says It's 'Deeply Disturbing' Kangana also shared with her fans that she's pleasantly surprised with the way her mother reacted to the situation. She said, "When they broke my office, mom's warning face flashed before my eyes " KAHA THA MAINE" haven't taken her calls ever since, this just flashed on my timeline, pleasantly surprised by her refreshing take on this whole matter." (Social media posts are unedited.) Afghan Rivals Gather in Qatar for Historic US-Backed Peace Talks By Ayaz Gul September 11, 2020 Representatives of Afghanistan's warring factions have gathered in Qatar for historic U.S.-brokered peace negotiations starting Saturday that aim to find a political settlement to the South Asian country's long war. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also arrived Friday in the Qatari capital, Doha, along with other foreign dignitaries to attend this weekend's special ceremony marking the commencement of what officially are known as intra-Afghan negotiations. The dialogue will bring to the negotiating table Doha-based negotiators of the Taliban insurgency and the Afghan government-appointed delegation. Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. envoy to Afghanistan reconciliation, told reporters on the eve of the talks that after Saturday's ceremonies, Afghans would be negotiating with each other, without a mediator or a facilitator. "For the first time in 40 years, Afghans will sit together, the government delegation that includes people who are not part of the government, as well as four very distinguished women, civil society, political groups will be sitting with an authoritative Taliban delegation," explained Khalilzad. The Afghan-born veteran diplomat said the two negotiating teams would discuss and "hopefully come to an agreement on a political road map to end the destructive war that Afghanistan has had." Khalilzad negotiated and sealed a historic deal with the Taliban earlier this year to close the nearly two decades of Afghan war, America's longest, and set the stage for the intra-Afghan negotiations. "These negotiations are an important achievement, but there are difficulties, significant challenges on the way to reaching agreement. This is a test for both sides, for the Taliban and the government. Can they reach an agreement despite differences, in terms of their visions for the future of Afghanistan? We are prepared to assist if our assistance is needed," the U.S. envoy emphasized. The U.S.-Taliban agreement, also signed February 29 in Doha, stipulated the talks between the Afghan parties to the conflict would begin March 10. But a controversy-marred protracted prisoner swap between the Taliban and the Kabul government delayed the peace process. The pact called for withdrawing all of the roughly 13,000 American forces and thousands of coalition forces from Afghanistan over 14 months. Washington has since reduced the number of U.S. soldiers to about 8,400. President Donald Trump said Thursday that the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan "will be down to 4,000 soldiers in a very short period of time." In return, the insurgents halted attacks on international forces and pledged to prevent the use of Afghan soil for terrorist attacks against the U.S. The Taliban also agreed to seek a political settlement with other Afghan factions. In his interaction with reporters Friday, Khalilzad was asked whether the Taliban were living up to their commitment of cutting ties with al-Qaida-led terrorist groups. He said the insurgent counterterrorism assurances were especially important as the U.S. marked the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on American cities, which were orchestrated by al-Qaida leaders out of their sanctuaries in the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan at the time. "Therefore, we do not want Afghanistan ever to become a platform to threaten the homeland like the one we faced on that dastardly day," Khalilzad stressed. Pompeo, while speaking to reporters on the way to Doha, echoed widespread skepticism and concerns that the intra-Afghan talks are likely to be "contentious." Trump's determination to wind up what he says is America's "endless war" in Afghanistan has worried skeptics and created some confusion about what impact the outcome of the forthcoming U.S. presidential election will have on the troop withdrawal plans. Skepticism In a report released on the eve of Afghan peace talks, the International Crisis Group anticipated that negotiators, particularly the government team, would try to slow down the process, holding out hope the U.S. may reconsider its current policy course. "Uncertainty over what Washington will do may create additional incentives for the parties to bide their time until November. The Afghan government, already seeking to stretch out the timeline, might hope for a policy shift under a new U.S. president or at least take advantage of the extra time a leadership transition might afford," the report noted. "While the Taliban seem to prefer a quicker negotiation process, they also seem determined to avoid appearing like the more eager of the two parties; if the Afghan government continues to stall as it has over the past six months, the Taliban are unlikely to make concessions in order to push the talks forward," observed the ICG. Pakistan's role Meanwhile, leaders in Pakistan, which shares a long border with Afghanistan, hailed the commencement of the talks between the Afghan adversaries. "Through relentless efforts, Pakistan has played a pivotal role in facilitating the Afghan peace process to this juncture. We feel deeply gratified today as we have fulfilled our part of the responsibility," an official statement quoted Prime Minister Imran Khan as saying. Afghan and U.S. officials have long accused the Pakistani military of providing shelter to Taliban leaders and covertly helping them to direct attacks in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies the charges, insisting several million Afghan refugees living in the country serve as hideouts for the insurgents. Washington, however, acknowledges Islamabad's role in persuading the Taliban to engage in the peace process with the U.S. and Afghans. "Successful culmination of an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process is indispensable for Afghanistan and for regional peace, stability and prosperity. We hope all sides will honor their respective commitments, persevere in the face of all challenges, and remain unflinchingly committed to achieving the desired outcome," Khan said. On Friday, the head of U.S. Central Command, Marine General Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie, visited Pakistan, where he met with the country's military chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa. An army statement said the two commanders discussed, among other issues, "Pak-U.S. military cooperation, including Afghanistan peace process." Cindy Saine contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan attended today the re-opening ceremony of a school building in Jivani community of Martuni region, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. The old school building has been fully renovated. The President of the Artsakh Republic got acquainted with the works conducted at this period and was interested in the launch of the study process. The ceremony was attended by philanthropist, State advisor of Artsakh Grigory Gabrielyants, Cabinet members, MPs and other officials. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan American politics used to divide itself into two generally opposing streams: Liberals leaned left. Conservatives leaned right. Then came the era of Donald Trump, and the political landscape shifted from a two-lane highway to a train wreck. Right was no longer adequate to include the fringe coalition of disaffected citizens whose views anti-establishment, anti-diversity, anti-feminist, anti-Semitic, anti-egalitarian, anti-immigrant were united by nothing so much as their communal anger. Fast-forward to last weeks events in Charlottesville, Va., when self-described alt-right protesters bearing torches and shouting racist slogans paraded through town, confronting an organized group of anti-racist counter-protesters and sparking a raucous melee that left one person dead and many others injured. Blame for the violence, President Trump said later, lay with both sides with the white supremacist demonstrators of the alt-right who organized the Unite the Right rally, and also with those from the alt-left who had confronted them. Advertisement The who? On Wednesday as mourners gathered in Charlottesville to remember the woman killed when a white supremacist from Ohio allegedly plowed his car into a crowd of counter-protesters Trumps characterization of the anti-racists drew a mixed response of confusion, anger and, among some of Trumps supporters, plaudits. What about the alt-left that came charging at, as you say, the alt-right? Trump said in attempting to describe the mayhem. Do they have any semblance of guilt.... What about the fact they came charging with clubs in hands, swinging clubs? What, exactly if anything is the alt-left? References to the alt-right movement have trickled slowly into the lexicon in recent years, used as a blanket term for a loose group united in their belief that white men have become disenfranchised. References to an alt-left are newer and, some civil rights groups say, simply wrong. The term, they say, provides a false equivalency. Since Trumps election, many so-called alt-right supporters have seen the ascendance of Trump and some members of his administration as the rise of powerful allies. (Stephen K. Bannon, a senior advisor to Trump who used to run Breitbart News, once referred to the right-wing website as a platform for the alt-right.) Thomas J. Main, a professor of public affairs at Baruch College, summed up the views of the far right as a belief that racial groups are not created equal, and said there is little with which to compare it on the left. They dont think blacks and Jews should have equal rights, said Main, who is writing the forthcoming book, The Rise of the Alt-Right. On the left, there is nothing analogous. Timothy Snyder, a historian and professor at Yale University, said alt-right is a term meant to provide a fresh label that would sound more attractive than Nazi, neo-Nazi, white supremacist, or white nationalist. Its not that society labels people in this way; it is that these Nazis and white supremacists now label themselves that way, he said. With alt-left its a different story. There is no group that labels itself that way. There are a few people who have decided to resist Nazis with violence, but they are not representative of the much larger group of Americans who oppose racism. Even before Trumps comments this week describing the counter-protesters, the idea of an alt-left also used to describe politicians and the media seeped into the mainstream dialogue from conservative groups and some of Trumps most ardent supporters in right-wing media. In November, just weeks after the presidential election, Fox News host Sean Hannity, a friend of Trumps, used the term on social media. Do you consider Occupy, Move on, BLM radical left? I call them alt radical left, he tweeted. Several weeks later, One Nation, a conservative-leaning advocacy group, sent an email blast to supporters, castigating Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts a pair of liberals whose populist messages of income inequality have ignited progressives. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders Lead Alt-Left in Hijacking of Bipartisan Medical Research Bill, read the subject line of the email. During the weeks to follow, Hannity, who regularly dines with the president, used the term on several occasions in op-eds, on social media and on his nightly broadcast. In a January opinion piece posted on Fox News, titled, Trump, Spicer, turn tables on alt-left media, Hannity lauded Trump and his then-Press Secretary Sean Spicer for how they battled the media. And in March, after Trump without evidence alleged that former President Obama had tapped his phones in Trump Tower, Hannity again used the phrase to describe the media. The Alt Left Propaganda media will run with every leak to help distract from Obamas & Cos role in spying on @POTUS @realDonaldTrump, Hannity tweeted. Even some Democrats have used the term to describe the most liberal wing of the party. Shortly after Trumps inauguration, Neera Tanden, who is president of the Center for American Progress and was a staunch supporter of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Democratic primaries, used the phrase while tweeting about her concerns over possible Russian hacking directed at the campaign. I remember last summer when I pointed out Russias role in leaking/ the elections and the alt-left attacked me for McCarthyism. #backwards, she tweeted in an apparent dig at Sanders supporters. Barry Bennett, a Republican strategist who briefly worked on Trumps presidential campaign, said Wednesday that an alt-left movement is alive in the country. There is an alt-left that is trying to define the progressive movement, Bennett said. They want church schools banned, guns banned, corporations eliminated. They hate the establishment. They throw rocks and light fires at protests. But when Trump used the term on Tuesday, it wasnt directed toward the media or politicians. Instead, he focused it on the counter-protesters in Charlottesville who pushed back against the white supremacists and neo-Nazis gathered for the rally. Among those were members of the Black Lives Matter movement and anti-facists, also known as antifa. Even so, Snyder said that in the months ahead Trump could use the term more often, just he does when calling critical news stories fake news. If his followers accept that there is an alt-left and that it is violent, Mr. Trump can then try to blame the alt-left when there is another, perhaps worse, incident of violence, Snyder said. Trumps effort to conflate the two terms has caused concern among some civil rights groups. The alt-left is an artificial construction, essentially an epithet, created by some on the right to hurl at people in the left that they do not like, said Mark Pitcavage, a research fellow at the Anti-Defamation League. It is simply a label, simply an insult indeed, it virtually exists to create an artificial and false equivalency. Heidi Beirich, a director at the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that tracks hate groups, agreed, saying Trump is seeking to promote a false equivalency between neo-Nazis and others who espouse heinous views, and those protesting those horrendous ideas. There is no equivalency between the racists and extremists that came to Charlottesville and those who were there protesting hate, she said. It is despicable to even suggest so and simply further emboldens white supremacists and makes them feel like they really do have a friend in our countrys highest office. kurtis.lee@latimes.com Twitter: @kurtisalee ALSO A guide to some of the far-right symbols seen in Charlottesville CEOs of Intel, Merck and Under Armour quit Trump advisory panel over Charlottesville controversy After violence in Charlottesville, cities rush to take down monuments as white supremacists gear up to fight WASHINGTON A top aide to the criminal prosecutor whom Attorney General William Barr assigned to scrutinize the Trump-Russia investigation has resigned unexpectedly from the Justice Department, a spokesman said Friday. It was not immediately clear why the official, Nora R. Dannehy a trusted assistant to John H. Durham, the prosecutor leading the investigation and the U.S. attorney in Connecticut stepped down. But The Hartford Courant, which first reported her departure, cited unidentified colleagues in Durhams office as saying that she had expressed concerns in recent weeks about pressure from Barr to deliver results ahead of the presidential election in November. Dannehy did not respond to a voicemail message seeking comment. A spokeswoman for Barr, Kerri Kupec, referred questions to Durhams office in Connecticut. His spokesman, Thomas Carson, said: We can confirm that Nora Dannehy has left the Department of Justice. No further comment from us. Several officials said expectations had been growing in the White House and Congress that Barr would make public, ahead of the election, some kind of interim report or list of findings from Durham before he completed the investigation. Barr had wanted Durhams team to move quickly, according to a person familiar with the matter. Trump has long promoted Durhams investigation as a way to back his own claims that the counterintelligence officials who sought to understand his campaigns ties to Russia were carrying out a deep-state plot to sabotage him. After the Justice Departments independent inspector general, Michael E. Horowitz, found serious errors last year with one aspect of the Russia investigation but debunked any politically motivated plot, Trump said: I look forward to the Durham report, which is coming out in the not-too-distant future. Its got its own information, which is this information plus plus plus. Whether Barr and Durham plan to take public investigative steps close to the election, flouting a long-standing Justice Department practice of avoiding overt activity within 60 days of an election if it could have a political impact on the vote, has been the subject of growing scrutiny. Barr has repeatedly raised tantalizing hints about Durhams work, contrary to the department norm against speaking about continuing investigations except through indictments. And he has put forward a narrow interpretation of the so-called 60-day rule, saying it only meant the department should not indict a candidate for office or a close campaign associate. 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, Barr said in an April interview with 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. Barr assigned Durham last year to scrutinize the early stages of the Trump-Russia investigation shortly after special counsel Robert Mueller turned in his report that documented Russias extensive operations to sabotage the 2016 election and Trumps efforts to thwart the inquiry. Durham had a history of being assigned to lead sensitive investigations of government conduct, including the FBIs ties to a crime boss in Boston and the CIA torture of detainees. While he is a longtime career prosecutor, Trump gave him a political appointment as the U.S. attorney for Connecticut in 2018. Dannehy, who successfully prosecuted former Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland on corruption charges, had worked closely with Durham for years. Her husband, Leonard C. Boyle, is also a close colleague of 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 Mueller when he was FBI director. After Barr assigned Durham to investigate the Russia inquiry, he asked 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 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 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. Pressuring a prosecutor to indict a case more quickly to affect the outcome of an upcoming election could be a corrupt attempt to influence the prosecution in violation of the obstruction of justice statute, Dannehy wrote. The same reasoning could apply to pressuring a prosecutor to take partisan political considerations into account in his charging decisions. Few details about her resignation were disclosed Friday evening, even as associates portrayed her as both a circumspect person and a prosecutor of rectitude. Nora Dannehy is apolitical, incorruptible and among the best prosecutors to ever represent the United States, said Christopher M. Mattei, former chief of the financial fraud and public corruption unit at the U.S. attorneys office in Connecticut. Stanley A. Twardy Jr., who was appointed U.S. attorney for Connecticut by President Ronald Reagan, said he had first hired Dannehy to be an assistant federal prosecutor around 1990. He said that Dannehy had been Durhams chief assistant and that she had also previously served as the acting U.S. attorney for Connecticut. He said that she was held in very high esteem and came from a family devoted to the law and the rule of law. This is completely out of the blue, Twardy said. Barrs appointment of Durham is part of a broader pattern in which he has repeatedly sought to cast aspersions on the Trump-Russia investigation, including by putting out an early public description of the then-still-secret Mueller report that a federal judge later said was so distorted and misleading in making it sound better for the president than it was that the judiciary could not trust his department on the topic. When Horowitz completed his own review of the early stages of the FBI investigation, he concluded that the bureau had a lawful basis to open the counterintelligence inquiry. In an extraordinary move, the Justice Department stepped on that finding by releasing a statement in the name of Durham disagreeing with Horowitzs conclusion based on his own continuing inquiry, and let it be known that Barr sided with Durham. Durham rarely speaks publicly, and prosecutors in his office were stunned that he had waded into political waters and publicly discussed a continuing investigation, one prosecutor who worked for him said. In later testimony, Horowitz said he had spoken about the disagreement with Durham, who thought the available evidence meant that FBI officials should have opened a preliminary counterintelligence investigation rather than a full one. Word of Durhams work has emerged in fragments as his team, including Dannehy, has questioned various current and former officials about actions and decisions at both the FBI and intelligence agencies, suggesting that they have pursued a series of conspiracy theories that have captivated Trump and his followers. At one point last year, for example, Durham and Barr traveled to Italy to seek help from officials there to run down a notion that perhaps the Italian government helped set up a Trump campaign adviser who was told in early 2016 that the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton in the form of emails a key part of the FBIs basis for opening the investigation. Italys intelligence services told Barr that they played no such role, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy said in a news conference. To date, the only publicly apparent concrete accomplishment of the Durham inquiry derived from Horowitzs review. The errors that the inspector generals team uncovered were in materials submitted for four wiretap applications under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act targeting a former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser with significant links to Russian intelligence officials, Carter Page. As part of that work, the inspector generals team uncovered that during the preparations to apply for the final renewal of the wiretap, an FBI lawyer assigned to assist the Crossfire Hurricane team, Kevin E. Clinesmith, prevented a colleague from recognizing that both that application and the three earlier ones had an important omission by adding words to a CIA email about Page and showing it to the colleague. Horowitz referred Clinesmith for criminal investigation, and Durhams team prosecuted the case. Last month, Clinesmith pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement by doctoring the email. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. 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. 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. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and officials overseeing the states wildfire response started with the good news on Friday: The weather system that pushed flames down the west slopes of the Cascades and fueled unprecedented fire growth most of this week has abated. Our firefighting teams tell me they can feel it, Brown said in an afternoon briefing. Doug Grafe, chief of fire protection at the Oregon Department of Forestry, said forecasters have increased confidence the next several days will bring good firefighting weather and perhaps even precipitation early next week. That will be a huge benefit for us. As firefighters shift from defense to offense, however, other emergency officials expect to deliver grim news in the coming days about the destruction wrought by the fires. There are early reports from our state police that there are dozens of missing persons related to the fires, especially in Jackson, Lane and Marion counties, Brown said. But she cautioned that numbers could change from the preliminary reports, and an emergency response official said authorities are working to check whether people listed as missing are in fact known to be safely sheltered elsewhere. Grafe said Oregonians should also be prepared for some of the largest wildfires to continue burning for months because thats simply the reality of having that much fire. Eight of the large fires will be on our landscape until the winter rains fall, Grafe predicted. Those fires represent close to 1 million acres We will see smoke and we will have firefighters on those fires up until the heavy rains. The fires he expects will persist include the Beachie Creek, Lionshead and Riverside fires burning along the Marion-Clackamas county line and north toward Estacada and Molalla; the Holiday Farm fire in Lane County; the South Obenchain fire in Jackson County; the Archie Creek fire near Glide; the Slater fire coming into Oregon from northern California; and the Thielson fire north of Crater Lake National Park. Grafe said the trio of the Beachie Creek, Lionshead and Riverside fires is where weve seen some of the most dramatic fire growth in the state. They stretch from Warm Springs to Estacada which is a span of approximately 56 miles, Grafe said. We have not seen the likes of this fire in this state, this integrated with our communities, ever before. On Friday, a spokesperson for the State Fire Marshals office told The Oregonian/OregonLive that 50 people remain unaccounted for in the Almeda and South Obenchain wildfires, which burned through the small southern Oregon towns of Phoenix and Talent. The governor and state emergency response officials declined to state roughly how many people are missing across all the areas burned by 16 large fires around the state, indicating they dont yet have solid information. Andrew Phelps, director of the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, said the state is working to deconflict missing persons information reported by counties by comparing it with people registered either in shelters or the Red Cross' Safe and Well website. So far, officials have confirmed seven deaths related to wildfires: two people died in wildfires southeast of Salem, one person died in the McKenzie River fire east of Eugene, two more died in the Beachie Creek fire and two other deaths are tied to the Alameda fire in southern Oregon that is being investigated as arson. We know were dealing with fire-related death and were preparing for a mass fatality incident, based on what we know and the number of structures that have been lost, Phelps said Friday. Adjutant General Michael Stencel said that in addition to the Oregon National Guard monitoring evacuated communities, directing traffic and sending trained teams to fight fires, the Guards fatality search and rescue team will report to Albany Saturday with 11 airmen and equipment to help with the recovery effort. Phelps, Brown and other state officials said they have asked for assistance from other states, the federal government including the White House and even Canada which is sending 20-person firefighting strike teams with fire engines. We know we need help, Phelps said. We have asked and many of these calls for help are being answered. The White House on Thursday night approved Oregons request for emergency funding to cover some of the costs from the wildfires. Even before the declaration, FEMA provided 15 tractor trailers with food, water, cots and blankets for immediate distribution in impacted areas, Phelps said. The governor said she also spoke Thursday night with President Donald Trump and his chief of staff Mark Meadows and they are working to make sure National Guard units around the country join Oregons wildfire fight. I explained to (Trump) that the situation on the ground was extremely dire, that at that point in time we had roughly 40,000 Oregonians who had been evacuated, the extent of the fire damage, Brown said. He said, You have all of our support, please let us know what you need and God bless Oregon. Phelps told reporters Oregons recovery will take years, just as northern California communities ravaged by wildfires are still rebuilding years later. Firefighters plan to aggressively work to gain control of and suppress eight other large fires currently burning, and resources are rolling in from around the nation to help us get there as quickly as possible, Grafe said. Those fires are the Alameda fire that has burned from Ashland to the southern edge of Medford and fires near Chiloquin, Paisley, Bay City, Lincoln City, Gaston, Newberg and Coos Bay. The governor hailed Oregonians helping others devastated by the fires, including a woman evacuated from Molalla who returned with water for firefighters and people who delivered so many donations to the Jackson County Expo that amid mountains of pillows, blankets and supplies organizers had to stop accepting more. Even in the darkest of times Oregonians step up to help one another in extraordinary ways, the governor said. Thats what we do in Oregon, we take care of one another and this is what gives me confidence that we will get through this. -- Hillary Borrud: hborrud@oregonian.com; @hborrud Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. By Stephen Nellis (Reuters) - Apple Inc on Friday published a revision of some of its App Store review guidelines https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines, loosening some restrictions on streaming game services, online classes and when developers must use its in-app purchase system, which charges a 30% commission. The company made the changes after criticism from developers over its App Store practices and after rivals such as Microsoft Corp and Alphabet Inc's Google declined to launch their streaming game platforms on the iPhone because of Apple's ... Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-13 03:03:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TIRANA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Albanian Minister of Health and Social Protection Ogerta Manastirliu on Saturday called on students to wear masks and abide by the measures after the start of the new school year as the only way to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The new school year 2020-2021 in Albania is scheduled to start on Sept. 14 (Monday). Via a video message posted on her Facebook, she said that the structures of the health system are fully ready to answer any problems, as well as to identify and isolate any suspected cases in time. "The coming period will not be easy and in addition to strengthening the capacity of the health system, for which we have taken measures in the autumn-winter plan, also requires the commitment of all citizens, especially every parent, for the important role that each of us must play to stop the spread of COVID-19," Manastirliu said, urging students and teachers to respect health protocols. "We need to get used to wearing the mask. For every concern you may have, please contact the school coordinator, who will then immediately notify the appropriate health authorities. Let's all contribute to safer schools, for our children and teacher's health, but also of our community," she added. On Saturday, health authorities reported 164 new coronavirus cases and three COVID-19-related deaths in the last 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Albania to 11,185, with 6,494 recoveries and 330 fatalities. Enditem Labor's home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally has stepped up pressure on the Morrison government and state premiers to lift the cap on international arrivals allowed into Australia each week, calling on national cabinet to end the "heartbreaking" stories of citizens stranded overseas. Without identifying an alternative number, Senator Keneally said the weekly limit of 4000 should be increased to ensure more Australians stranded overseas have the chance to fly home in a timely, affordable manner. Labor senator Kristina Keneally during a Senate select committee hearing on COVID-19. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen She directed her remarks at Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, arguing they controlled the country's borders although any agreement to lift the caps in each state would also require co-operation from the premiers. "The Prime Minister should go to national cabinet and get this done," Senator Keneally said. "For a person who has made a career out of playing politics with borders, Peter Dutton should be focused on the border he is meant to control our international border." Astonishing proposals have come from a Washington, D.C. government committee appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser to examine the names of schools, statues and parks after protests. The committee hunted for historical figures with key disqualifying histories, including participation in slavery, systemic racism, mistreatment of, or actions that suppressed equality for, persons of color, women and LGBTQ communities and violation of the DC Human Rights Act. Among the targets were the Founders of our Republic George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin identified among persons of concern. For multiple statues and monuments on federal land, the committee wants the federal government to remove, relocate, or contextualize them. These landmarks include the Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, a federally owned Franklin statue and the statute of Christopher Columbus. In addition, the committee seeks to remove Franklins name from an historic landmark school. Other school names they want scrubbed: Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence that declared all men are created equal; Francis Scott Key, author of the Star-Spangled Banner; Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone; and James Monroe, who negotiated the Louisiana Purchase and was Americas fifth President. They also want the names of Presidents Andrew Jackson, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor and Woodrow Wilson removed from D.C. schools. While Woodrow Wilson might be a candidate for a name change due to Wilsons public support for segregation, the committee didnt explain its case against Franklin who was late in life president of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery. Their report is not a thoughtful historical review. It seeks Orwellian ideological political reprogramming. It dishonors the Founders who created our Constitution. Most of the recommendations are definite non-starters, as many of the monuments and statutes stand on federal land, outside D.C. government control. They prompted immediate fierce blowback, including from President Trump. What is recommended in Washington, D.C. is a thorough, total, radical rewriting of American history. In very progressive Berkeley, California, icons of American history have already been purged as names for public schools. Berkeley is a political and cultural harbinger what starts there spreads. Fifty years ago, Berkeley schools were named for George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Christopher Columbus, James Garfield and Joseph LeConte. Over time, all these names of white male historical figures have been expunged. They have been replaced by Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks and Sylvia Mendez. Last June, the Berkeley school board unanimously unnamed both Washington and Jefferson elementary schools, commemorating the first and third U.S. presidents. Replacement school names are yet to be determined. In 2005, an earlier effort by racial justice activists to rename Jefferson failed. In 2018, these activists succeeded in ridding the name of Joseph LeConte from a Berkeley elementary school. LeConte was a celebrated UC Berkeley professor a physician and geologist and a renowned conservationist who co-founded the Sierra Club. LeConte critics contend his writings were racist. LeConte school got renamed the Sylvia Mendez elementary school, honoring a current Hispanic California school integration advocate. Previously, James Garfield Jr. High School was renamed for Martin Luther King shortly after his 1968 assassination. Abraham Lincoln elementary became Malcolm X in the 1970s. Christopher Columbus elementary was renamed for Rosa Parks in 2000. Benjamin Franklin elementary closed in 2002. John Muir elementary is presently the only public school in Berkeley named for a white male American historical figure. Muir, the Sierra Clubs iconic founder and father of the national parks is now under attack for racism by the Sierra Clubs current executive director. Will Berkeley school officials unname Muir elementary school? If we expunge from their place of honor all the historical figures who held views that were common in their time including the nations Founders where will it stop? This Cancel Culture is a purging of Americas history. Jim Hartman is an attorney residing in Genoa, Nevad. Write him at lawdocman1@aol.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Friendships in tinsel town are fake and fickle. Kangana, hated by most of Bollywood, suddenly gets support from Sonam Kapoor Anything can happen in Bollywood. Friends turn foes and vice versa within two shakes of a lambs tail! The latest to prove that case is everything that followed when Kangana Ranaut recently received a slice of empathy by the members of the same Bollywood mafia whom she had been campaigning against for months. After the Brihanmumbai Corporation of Mumbai (BMC) demolished parts of Kanganas Bandra office after citing illegal construction, many Bollywood stars, including Sonam Kapoor, came in support of the actress. Admonishing the demolition, Dia Mirza had tweeted, Condemn the demolition of Kanganas office. Condemn the harassment and abuse against Rhea. This is not about taking sides. This is about calling out what is unjust. Remember this could happen to you (sic). Sonam Kapoor, who was brutally trolled as an aftermath of Kanganas anti-nepotism stance on Twitter, also, shockingly, stood in support of the actress. Retweeting Dias aforementioned tweet, Sonam had written, An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Side-stepping the mud pits However, Sonams olive branch did not sit well with Kangana. It can be recalled, a few days ago, Sonam had shared a cryptic post allegedly attacking the Queen actress. Sharing George Bernard Shaws quote, she had written, I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it. Kangana, who is open about her dislike for many in showbiz, wasnt impressed with Sonams support. She hit back with a tweet, which read: All of sudden mafia bimbos have started to seek justice for Rheaji through my house tragedy, my fight is for people... dont compare my struggles to a small time druggie who was living off a vulnerable and broken, self made super star, stop this right away (sic). Why this sudden change? When Karan Johar literally got after Kangana, mocked her at so many platforms for commenting on nepotism in B-town, nobody in the fraternity stood up for Kangana. They laughed with him when the joke was on the Queen actress. But now, since the Union Home Minister granted Kangana Y+ category security, suddenly everyone has been talking about how the actress is being supported by the BJP. So when you have powerful people on your side, all the bullies will back off, right? And this is what seems to be evident in Kanganas case, too. Nobody in Bollywood is taking her on now! India logs over 3.17 lakh new Covid cases in last 24 hours; daily positivity rate up at 16.41 per cent COVID-19 fatalities may be much more than what is being reported New AI-based test uses X-rays to detect Covid in a few minutes 'Ready to restart': Serum Institute after UK Covid vaccine trials resume India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 12: Pharma company AstraZeneca's India partner Serum Institute said it will also restart the trials once the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) gives the nod. "Once DCGI will give us the permission to restart the trials in India, we will resume the trials," Serum Institute of India (SII) said in a statement. In a tweet, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla said: "As I''d mentioned earlier, we should not jump to conclusions until the trials are fully concluded. The recent chain of events is a clear example why we should not bias the process and should respect the process till the end. Good news, @UniofOxford." The statement came in response to AstraZeneca's announcement that vaccine trials have resumed in the UK. "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. The human trials resumed days after a pause had been announced in the trials after an adverse reaction in one of the participants. The SII had suspended recruitment for Phase 2 and Phase 3 India trials of the Covishield vaccine - being developed by pharma giant AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford - after concerns over the health of a trial participant in the United Kingdom. British regulators directed the UK trials to be halted. Following the suspension, the DCGI directed Serum Institute of India to suspend till further orders new recruitment in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the vaccine candidate. The central drug regulator authority had 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". For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 12, 2020, 23:22 [IST] By Trend President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory letter to Albert Likhanov, President of the International Association of Children's Funds, Chairman of the Russian Children's Fund, writer. "Dear Albert Anatolyevich, Accept my sincere congratulations and best wishes on the remarkable occasion of your 85th anniversary. You can rightly be proud of the years behind you, your brilliant life dedicated to caring tirelessly about the rising generation. Under your leadership, the Russian Children's Fund has been carrying out an important work for more than 30 years aimed at reinforcing family institution and family values, protecting children's rights and supporting children in difficult circumstances. Your long-term fruitful public activity in the field of child protection has earned you respect and recognition as a kind-hearted person not only in Russia, but all over the world. Your caring attitude towards the memory of the outstanding son of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev, his significant contribution to the noble cause of protecting children, and your joint work with him, which resulted in the establishment of the Children Fund of the Soviet Union, is highly appreciated in Azerbaijan. Dear Albert Anatolyevich, once again I congratulate you on your jubilee and wish you the best of health, inexhaustible energy, prosperity and new successes in your activities," the letter said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Nihar Raval was shopping at a Sayreville food store when the idea struck him for Bubbl an app that tells users how compliant businesses are with COVID-19 rules. I was shocked because the management seemed to have a blatant disregard for safety, Raval told NJ Advance Media. Despite it being May, near the height of the pandemic, there were no social distancing markers or plexiglass dividers and mask-wearing wasnt being enforced, Raval said. Leading agriculture ministers from the worlds top 20 economic nations took part in a virtual G20 meeting today (September 12) to discuss food and water security concerns during and post-Covid-19. The event focused on a variety of issues, including the importance of free trade, responsible investments in agriculture, food loss and waste, and the role of technology in ending global hunger. Mariam Almheiri, UAE Minister of State for Food and Water Security, was a guest speaker at the virtual G20 meeting which had in its agenda key issues such as how the worlds growing population is increasingly urbanised and interconnected, with food and water security issues having profound implications for global communities wellbeing, economic growth and the ability to cope with environmental and health challenges, including natural disasters, biodiversity loss and disease. By 2050, the worlds food production and supply networks will need to sustainably feed more than 9 billion people, meaning they will have to produce food to meet demand that will be 60% greater than it is today, stated Almheiri. "Ensuring adequate nutrition, water and sanitation for this growing number of people during a time of climate change, drought, and increasing desertification is in itself a momentous challenge, but it is one that has been further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic," she added. The key meeting saw agriculture ministers reaffirm their commitments made in the Ministerial Statement on April 21, when they agreed to cooperate closely and take concrete actions to safeguard global food security and nutrition. It also saw them recommit their respective governments determination to meet the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasising that free trade and unimpeded movement of goods and produce across borders is the cornerstone to meeting the worlds water and food security needs. "During the G2O virtual meeting we as participating ministers - reaffirmed our governments respective commitment to the UNs 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and reiterated our collective efforts to foster agriculture, food and water systems that are resilient, inclusive and sustainable," said the minister. Open, transparent and predictable trade that is consistent with World Trade Organisation rules enhances market predictability, increases business confidence, and allows the free flow of agri-food trade. It is this unencumbered flow of produce that is the foundation of global food security and nutrition," she added. Addressing the coronavirus crisis specifically, the ministers recognised the devastating human toll of Covid-19 and its far-reaching impact on food security and nutrition. They stated their intent to enhance water, sanitation and hygiene services to tackle the pandemic and called upon international organisations to continue monitoring and reporting on the impacts of the pandemic, to advise on emergency and recovery measures, and to provide recommendations on strengthening the global food systems resilience and sustainability. Highlighting the importance of adhering to the One Health approach that recognises that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and the shared environment, the ministers called for robust mechanisms for monitoring, prevention, detection and control of zoonotic diseases (diseases caused by germs spread between animals and humans), as well as the development of science-based international guidelines on stricter safety and hygienic measures for zoonosis control. The virtual meeting of G20 food and agriculture ministers concluded with an acknowledgement of the importance of intensifying efforts towards sustainable food security and resilient water management, as well as a strengthening of cooperation with all relevant stakeholders to achieve common goals. The ministers expressed their gratitude to Japan for its efforts on the G20 Presidency in 2019, thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their G20 leadership this year, and wished Italy the best for its G20 Presidency in 2021.-TradeArabia News Service The British Prime Minister said Brussels could carve up our country and seriously endanger peace and stability in Northern Ireland if Conservative MPs rebel to block his Bill. Mr Johnson is working to quell a plan to amend the legislation from senior Tories who are incensed that it could break international law by flouting the Withdrawal Agreement. By putting forward this Bill, the UK has seriously damaged trust between the EU and the UK. It is now up to the UK government to re-establish that trust. My statement following today's extraordinary Joint Committee on the #WithdrawalAgreementhttps://t.co/fiRyTxVNQD Maros Sefcovic (@MarosSefcovic) September 10, 2020 The EU has said the move is a serious breach of trust and has threatened to take legal action if Mr Johnson does not alter the UK Internal Market Bill by the end of the month. Advertisement But the Prime Minister 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 EUs 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. He said 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. Advertisement 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, Lets remove this danger to the very fabric of the United Kingdom. Lets make the EU take their threats off the table. And lets get this Bill through, back up our negotiators, and protect our country. Both Ireland and the EU, however, have warned that Mr Johnsons plans pose a serious risk to the peace process rather than protecting the Good Friday Agreement. The Prime Minister on Friday evening 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. Mr 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. Mr 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. 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 EUs chief negotiator Michel Barnier said there were many uncertainties about the UKs 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 Governments plan, describing it as a huge act of self-harm. Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, on Saturday, commissioned Ghanas third medical drone delivery centre at Vobsi in the West Mamprusi Municipality of the North East Region to improve healthcare delivery, especially, in hard-to-reach areas. The center would use drones to make on-demand emergency deliveries of vaccines, blood products, and life-saving medications to over 500 health facilities in the five regions in the North of Ghana. The Vice President said the decision of the government to adopt the revolutionary service of using drones to deliver on-demand, emergency medical commodities is significantly improving access to basic emergency medical commodities by health facilities across the country. An elated Vice-President recounted stories he has heard of how the Zipline drone delivery service is saving lots of lives in the hard-to-reach communities in Ghana. I was recently informed about one Doctor Issabella Amese, a Medical Superintendent at the Baptist Medical Center, Nalerigu who urgently needed four units of FFP O-units as late as 3:21am to save the life of a woman who was in critical condition. The hospital was in short supply and the only hope for survival was Zipline. Thankfully, Zipline got the necessary clearance from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority to fly this product at that time from this very distribution center [Vobsi] to the Baptist Medical Center. Today, this woman is alive and doing so well. Dr Bawumia believes the drone delivery service is boosting the morale of health workers across the country. There are lots of stories where our health professionals have openly testified how this single technology has boosted their morale, knowing very well that even in very difficult moments, like shortage of blood products during emergencies, Zipline will be available to deliver just in time. The Vice President reiterated the governments commitment to investing in the healthcare delivery system and further tasked the Ministry of Health to ensure that the services of Zipline are expanded to reach all parts of the country by next year so as to ensure that no one is left behind in the provision of basic healthcare needs of Ghanaians. its important that we speed up this discussion so that we can cover the entire country, especially the hard-to-reach areas, with this service so that we do not leave any community behind. Dr. Benard Oko-Boye, the Deputy Minister of Health, expressed his delight on how Ziplines drone delivery service is drastically helping reduce referrals that are based on the non-availability of medicines. He intimated that the reduction of the referrals is freeing many more beds in the referral hospitals and for that matter reducing the no-bed syndrome in those hospitals. The Deputy Minister also indicated that the significant partner between Government and Zipline in the fight against COVID-19 where Zipline delivered COVID 19 samples via medical drones to test centers has placed Ghana as the very first country in the world to use this technology in times of the pandemic. According to him, the partnership was also very instrumental in speeding up the testing regime thus saved lots of money for districts that were very far from the COVID 19 testing centers. Dr. Oko-Boye commended Zipline for its effort in organizing regular blood drives within their operational areas to support the National Blood Bank. On his part, The Managing Director of Zipline Ghana, Daniel Marfo, expressed his appreciation to all partners and donors to the project. He believes the effort of Zipline is yielding very significant results as the number of requests for deliveries keep rising by the day. This technology, no doubt, is saving lots of lives; demand for our services is rising by the day. On our end, we remain committed to our side of the contract by continuing to save lives when it matters the most The love child of a former king of Belgium has gone to court in an attempt to gain the same rights and titles as her royal half-siblings. Delphine Boel, a 52-year-old artist, forced King Albert II to admit that he fathered a child during an affair in the 1960s after a DNA test showed she was his daughter earlier this year. Ms Boel has now taken her case to the appeals court in Brussels to receive formal recognition as the former kings child. Rumours about Alberts love child emerged after a 1999 biography of his wife, Queen Paola, which referred to an affair and the birth of a girl in the late 1960s. Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, Ms Boels mother, claimed she had an 18-year-long affair with Albert before he was king. The former monarch, who abdicated in 2013 for health reasons, had long denied the paternity claim which was first alleged on record during an interview in 2005. Ms Boels lawyer Marc Uyttendaele said she was seeking the same rights as Alberts three other children, including Philippe, the current king of Belgium. If the legal challenge is successful, Ms Boels children could also receive the title of prince or princess of Belgium. Delphine's position isn't that she wants or doesn't want to be princess, Mr Uyttendaele said. 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. Alain Berenboom, the king's legal counsel, said he had discussed the case with Ms Boel and believed it was an administrative procedure rather than a judicial one. As far as the title is concerned, it is not a prerogative of the court but a prerogative of the executive power, in our opinion, Mr Berenboom said, indicating the title of princess could only be given by royal decree. Following the former kings admission of parenthood in January, Mr Uyttendaele said Ms Boels life had been a long nightmare because of this quest for identity. 56 Shares Share Thats the question that will be on the minds of many as the Food and Drug Administration releases a second study on the absorption of sunscreens. The reality is that answering the safe question is becoming more complicatedand more important as well, given the fact that so many of us use sunscreens as part of our own sun safety efforts, while others (me included) use sunscreen as part of our daily routine. Despite the questions raised in this study, the FDA concludes: These findings do not indicate that individuals should refrain from the use of sunscreen. It is a difficult balancing act pitting product safety up against the prevention of some very nasty cancers. It leaves many consumers and experts in the midst of a quandary of what to do and what to recommend. Here is a factoid that many of you may not be aware of: We really dont know as much as we need to know about the basic safety of most sunscreens. Some are considered safe with a low risk of absorption. They are the mineral-based sunscreens that use zinc and titanium. However, those arent particularly cosmetically appealing, since they can leave a visible residue on the skin after application. On the other hand, most sunscreens we use rely on a chemical base, and which do not usually leave whitish color on the skin. We apply them regularly, assuming that the ingredients have been tested to demonstrate that they do not cause harm. However, many of us have been surprised to find out that such testingat least by modern techniqueshas not been done. According to the FDA, we have a lot to learn about the safety of sunscreen, from the amount absorbed into our bodies to how long it stays in our bodies to whether there are other adverse consequences as claimed by some, such as affecting our endocrine and reproductive systems. The current saga began last February when the FDA issued what is called a proposed rule, which was a bit of a shocker to people like me: they outlined a number of concerns about sunscreen absorption and safety. They basically said that if sunscreen absorption into the body was a very small amount that we didnt need to be concerned. However, if the amount was above a certain level (0.5 ng/ml), then we needed to know more detailed information about the safety of sunscreen. And, they said, we would have a final rule indicating what safety tests had to be done by November 2019. There followed an article in the medical journal JAMA where the FDA reported research on four sunscreen ingredients, and guess what? They all were absorbed into the body and exceeded that minimal amount of absorption, adding fuel to the fire that perhaps we didnt have as complete an understanding of sunscreens as we thought. Now we have another study from the FDA, reporting on some of the same sunscreen ingredients, and adding a couple more. In addition, the researchers put the ingredients into several applications, including lotion, and various types of sprays (aerosol, non-aerosol, and pump). The researchers then did a careful examination in 48 volunteers of how much sunscreen was absorbed, how high the blood levels were, how long the sunscreen ingredient lasted in the blood, as well as how much stayed on the skin after application for how many days. All the sunscreen ingredients exceeded that minimal threshold for absorption, some by quite a bit. In addition, some of the formulations left residue on the skin for quite a while, suggesting that absorption could continue into the body for a long time after sunscreen application was discontinued (up to 21 days for some of the ingredients in some of the formulations). The conclusion: In this study conducted in a clinical pharmacology unit and examining sunscreen application among health participants, all 6 of the tested active ingredients administered in 4 different sunscreen formulations were systemically absorbed and had plasma concentrations that surpassed the FDA threshold for potentially waiving some of the additional safety studies for sunscreens. These findings do not indicate that individuals should refrain from the use of sunscreen. In an editorial that accompanied the research article, Drs. Adewole Adamson and Kanade Shinkai provided a balanced perspective on what is becoming a difficult question to answer: It is critical to recognize that these two studies conducted by the FDA do not provide any evidence that chemical sunscreens cause harm. However, the current study does provide important additional information documenting systemic absorption of commonly available chemical sunscreen filters and strengthens the need for current FDA efforts recommending safety testing for certain chemical sunscreen ingredients to confirm they are generally recognized as safe and effective. They go on to write: Because good evidence indicates that UV exposure is a key modifiable cause of skin cancer and melanoma, sunscreen should continue to be an essential part of UV safety, which includes photoprotective clothing, eyewear, and avoidance of intense sun exposure. In the absence of clear data demonstrating harm, the use of chemical sunscreen may still be considered appropriate, the use of mineral-based sunscreen is a well-established safe alternative. Elevating the science of the benefits and harms of sunscreen should be a priority. The sunscreen industry must begin conducting these safety studies as recommended by the FDA. Until then, the harms of absorption of sunscreen filters will remain uncertain. So, what do we do? First, we need to realize there are alternatives: as noted, mineral sunscreens are considered safe and effective. They just dont look too pretty. Second, we need to take the editorials advice to heart: There are other ways to stay safe in the sun. You can find recommendations on the American Cancer Societys website, and dont forget the message of Slip Slop Slap and Wrap: Slip on a sun-protective long sleeve shirt, slop on the sunscreen, slap on a wide-brimmed hat, and wrap on a pair of UV protective sunglassesjust like I do when I go to the beach. Avoid the sun at peak hours, seek shade, and of course, avoid artificial tanning beds. We will work our way through this. We need solutions, and we need the FDA and the sunscreen industry to come together and give us the information we need. Uncertainty has huge risks, since some will inevitably take this indecision as an excuse to avoid sun-safe behaviors altogether. However, dont forget that the risk of skin cancerespecially melanomais very real. And not being safe in the sun is avoiding the reality that skin cancer can be a deadly disease. J. Leonard Lichtenfeld is deputy chief medical officer, American Cancer Society. He blogs at Dr. Lens Cancer Blog. Image credit: Shutterstock.com A United Nations human rights expert called on the United States to consider halting the sale of surveillance equipment to Saudi Arabia at a congressional hearing on Friday, September 11. UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions Agnes Callamard made the comments in the light of the brutal assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. She further added that the ban on the export of surveillance equipment to Saudi Arabia should only be lifted if the country showed a marked improvement in its human right track record. Read: Saudi Arabia Overturns Death Sentence For 5 People Convicted In Murder Of Jamal Kashoggi Investigation urged In addition to a ban on the export of equipment, the UN Special Rapporteur told the US House Intelligence Committee that an investigation was also required in order to reveal any kind of misuse of surveillance equipment sent to Saudi Arabia from the US. In October 2018, Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. He was a vocal critic of the Saudi royal family and while Riyadh at first denied any knowledge of the killing, the Kingdom was later found to have played a significant role in his murder. Read: Russia - Saudi Arabia Discuss G20, OPEX Coronavirus Vaccine Deal Eight men convicted for killing Khashoggi Meanwhile, Saudi authorities have convicted eight men for Khashoggi's murder. The sentences to the guilty party were handed out on August 7. The identities of those convicted for the killing of the dissident journalist has not been revealed. As per reports, 5 men were sentenced to 20 years in prison while 3 were sentenced to 10 years. Five of those convicted had originally been given death sentences but back in May, Khashoggi's sons pardoned their fathers killers and therefore their death sentence was rendered void. Read: Saudi Arabia Allows 'all Flights' To Cross Its Airspace To Reach UAE Read: Saudi Arabia's Top Military Commander And Son Removed From Posts The number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases across the African continent reached 1,339,117, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Saturday, Trend reports citing Xinhua. The continental disease control and prevention agency said in a statement that death toll related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic also rose to 32,356 as of late Saturday afternoon. The Africa CDC, which noted that the virus has so far spread into the 55 African Union (AU) members, also said that some 1,076,207 people who have been infected with COVID-19 have recovered across the continent so far. The most affected African countries in terms of the number of positive cases include South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Ethiopia and Nigeria respectively, according to the Africa CDC. According to the Africa CDC, Africa's total COVID-19 cases represent about 5 percent of all cases reported globally. The Africa CDC also disclosed that nine African countries account for 81 percent of the new COVID-19 cases reported during the past week, including South Africa at 27 percent, Ethiopia at 17 percent, Morocco at 16 percent, Libya at 5 percent, Algeria at 4 percent, Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia and Egypt at 3 percent each. In terms of reporting the highest cumulative incidence COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in Africa, South Africa placed first at 1,079, Cabo Verde second at 647, and Djibouti at 539, according to the Africa CDC. Brasilia, Sep 12 : Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said that the country was "practically winning" the battle against the coronavirus pandemic due to a reduction in the number of single-day deaths over the last week. "We are practically winning (the battle against) the pandemic. The government has done everything possible to minimize its negative effects, either through emergency aid, which has reached 65 million people, or with help for micro and small companies, through credit," Xinhua news agency quoted Bolsonaro as saying at an event on Friday. "It is already beginning to appear, especially in the media outside the country, that Brazil was one of the countries that suffered the least from the pandemic due to the measures taken by the federal government," he said. The corona-sceptic Bolsonaro, who was infected with the virus in July, made the remarks at a time when Brazil has recorded nearly 130,000 Covid deaths and currently has more than 4.2 million cases. As of Saturday, the total number of cases in the country increased to 4,238,446, the third highest in the world after the US and India, while the death toll stood at 129,522. Brazil is also the country with the maximum amount of infections and fatalities in Latin America. Sao Paulo, the most populated state in the country and the epicentre of the pandemic, has registered over 883,000 confirmed cases and 32,338 deaths, followed by Bahia, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Ceara. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text (Newser) Dr. Anthony Fauci cautioned Thursday that Americans should prepare to "hunker down" for the fall and winter to keep COVID-19 at bay, and a new computer model is lending weight to that warning. CNN reports that the University of Washington's influential Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation forecast sees a possibility of more than 415,000 coronavirus deaths by Jan. 1an essential doubling of the current death toll in just four months. And that's not even the worst-case scenario, which would end in 600,000 fatalities. "We look like we're going to have a very deadly December ahead of us," IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray says. All of this comes amid a backdrop of hospitals steeling themselves for a "twindemic" of coronavirus and flu cases over the winter, a possible "nightmare" scenario that has prompted medical experts to urge people to get their flu shots ASAP, per the Washington Post. story continues below Getting one of those illnesses could make someone more vulnerable to getting the second, doctors worry, and contracting both at once "could be catastrophic to your immune system," one family physician tells CNN. Because both COVID-19 and the flu can weaken or inflame the heart, brain, respiratory system, and various muscles, having both together would up the risk "of longer-term effects of any of those," a critical care specialist at UC San Francisco says. It could also increase a patient's chances of getting hit with a third whammy: pneumonia. Meanwhile, a different scenario has emerged from our neighbors up north: Reuters reports that, for the first time since mid-March, Canada was able to claim zero new coronavirus deaths in a 24-hour period. Per public health agency stats, the number of COVID-19 deaths there on Friday stood at 9,163the same number logged on Thursday. (Read more coronavirus stories.) CHICAGO Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul saw a question pop up on his Facebook feed after George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis. How old were you when a cop 1st pulled a gun on you? Seventeen, he answered. It happened at the corner of 50th and Woodlawn avenues on Chicagos South Side. Recounting the scene decades later in an interview, Raoul, 55, said he and another kid were calling out to a friend who had just driven by. They were being loud the way teenage boys are, and running. A few beats later, a police car had rolled up and the officer drew his weapon before handcuffing them and taking them to the scene of a nearby mugging. The victims, who were white, initially thought Raoul and his friend looked like the perpetrators but said they had different jackets on. Raoul paused at the recollection, the first time he'd detailed the incident publicly. If it werent for the puffy jacket I wore that day I think about how that could have changed my life forever. It wasnt his last brush with the police even after he became a local prosecutor, and there are plenty of Black Americans with their own stories about confrontations with law enforcement. But few of them rise in power like Raoul, the son of Haitian immigrants, who served 14 years in the state Senate seat that opened up with Barack Obamas election to Congress. Now, nearly two years in as Illinois attorney general, Raoul is a figure to watch as a state official responsible for translating protest and outrage on the streets into actionable criminal justice and policing reforms after Floyds death and the August shooting of Jacob Blake in neighboring Wisconsin. While not ignoring the attorney general's role in consumer-protection issues, Raoul is steadily expanding the job to rethink how law enforcement approaches communities of color, including licensing officers and building a public database of police misconduct. Its an issue he championed in the Legislature, but the weight of an attorney general title and a world in which everyone can bear witness to police behavior with their mobile devices has offered him a chance to pull new levers on criminal justice. Story continues The timing of this atrocity during a pandemic offered an opportunity to do something bolder, he said of Floyd's killing. And this perfect storm has allowed me to convene people to discuss next steps in a way that was unthinkable before this moment. Its an impetus for law enforcement to help design real changes, Raoul said. Its allowing us to work toward creating a code of conduct and a real, statewide platform for police accountability. Raoul is one of seven Black people serving as independently elected attorneys general (theres only one Black woman: Tish James of New York). Though theyre small in number, their voices carry weight among state attorneys general nationwide, said Karen White, executive director of the Attorney General Alliance, a bipartisan group that convenes more than 40 state attorneys generals to discuss emerging legal issues such as cannabis regulation and sports betting. Hes one of the most prominent African American statewide leaders in the country, White said of Raoul. Their mere presence [during group discussions] asks us to look at things from a perspective that we might not if they werent in the room. Color is hardly the only factor. Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris climbed the ladder of California politics as the state's attorney general before getting elected to the Senate. Yet while she's aligned herself with the movement to make a less punitive criminal justice system, her past tough-on-crime positions as San Francisco district attorney dogged her presidential run among the party's left wing. And Black AGs are in charge of studying some the most heated police killings of the year with Minnesota's Keith Ellison investigating Floyds death and Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a rising star in the GOP who spoke at the Republican National Convention last month, is facing criticism for the pace of his probe into Breonna Taylors killing in Louisville. Raoul has rallied other attorneys general seeking clearer authority from Congress to pursue pattern-or-practice discrimination probes into troubled police forces that the Justice Department under President Donald Trump resists doing. And he is pushing for Illinois to license its police officers, an idea that languished in the state Legislature for years, including his own attempts to resurrect the issue. Now the states Legislative Black Caucus is crafting new criminal justice and victims rights legislation a Black Agenda to be considered in November when lawmakers briefly reconvene. Raoul, who said he also wants attention and comprehensive, effective services for crime victims, is on the phone or in Zoom meetings with state legislators and law enforcement officials hashing out the details. "I've heard the attorney general recount a story often about a shooting outside his home. His son was trying to get inside and officers on the scene expressed an attitude that was less than guardian or protective, said state Sen. Elgie Sims Jr., an active member of the caucus who has worked with Raoul for years. The frustration that you hear when he recounts that story illustrates what many Black people feel in those moments. Thats the type of experience he brings to the attorney general job. Raoul, who recovered from Covid-19 this summer, has pushed back at Trump, joining other Democratic attorneys general in suing the administration for greater protections for immigrants and to challenge White House efforts to limit the 2020 Census. But hes also sought support from the U.S. attorney and local special agents with the FBI, DEA and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to talk about tackling crime, especially gun violence and drug trafficking, which remain stubborn issues in Chicago and subject to Trump's public ire. The Floyd case and his own experiences facing a police officers gun have prompted Raoul to push the Chicago Police Department to collect data on all incidents in which an officer points a weapon at a member of the public. That work is part of a federal consent decree established in 2018. My office held strong on including that requirement in the face of resistance from CPD, and Im determined to ensure its implemented, he said. Raouls experiences growing up on Chicagos South Side, seeing gun violence outside his front door, navigating Illinois politics and surviving cancer, fuel his ambitions and leave some nerves close to the surface something that can be seen as a liability. Im a guy who wears my emotion on my sleeve, he said. As a state senator, he was known to tear up during committee debates. There is a larger question at hand: In a world in which more diverse voices are starting to reshape the corporate world, media, Congress and the criminal justice system, how do those people lets be clear, Black and brown people get elected to these posts? While Black candidates and officials do make successful runs for many state and federal legislative seats, short of Obamas presidency, its exceedingly rare to see one build a coalition that unlocks statewide support. There is an opportunity to right some of the wrongs of these systems by having more diverse leaders who come from these communities, who give lived experiences about how law enforcement treats people. Its critical, said Quentin James, president of The Collective PAC, which promotes African Americans running for local, state and federal offices. Collective PAC's numbers are startling: Of the 346 statewide elected offices in the U.S., 18 are held by African Americans. Five percent. In this Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014 photo, Illinois state Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, speaks with reporters at the state Capitol in Springfield Ill. Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly are proposing police reform as a result of police-related deaths in Ferguson, Missouri and New York and an ongoing concern about racial sensitivity among law enforcement officers. Raoul is sponsoring a bill that would set standards for how officers use body cameras. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman) Along with the seven Black AGs, there are only a handful of Black lieutenant governors, including Illinois Juliana Stratton. There hasnt been a Black governor in the U.S. since Deval Patrick in Massachusetts, and just 10 Black people have ever served in the U.S. Senate, including Harris. Ellison knows this delicate dance. After serving in the U.S. House for a dozen years, he was elected Minnesotas first Black attorney general in 2018, the same year Raoul and James won their races. You have to convince people that the drive to run statewide is to extend service to everyone in the state, and youve got to do it with a degree of concern of empathy for people who are outside of your experience, Ellison said in an interview. Its somewhat ironic that as African Americans, everyone takes it for granted that if youre a white AG, that the AG is looking out for everyone. But people somehow need to be convinced that Im not only going to be concerned about African Americans. Ellison tries to be authentic, and to prove his point he ticked off campaign trips to cornfields and dairy farms across the state, and his moms experience growing up on a farm in Louisiana. What I decided to do is say, Im just going to do me, man, he said. For Raoul, there was a sense that being himself with all his flair on issues he really cares about, like health care might leave the wrong impression with the news media and white voters. Talking to voters on the South Side of Chicago is natural to Raoul. But thats politicking in Chicagoland, where the city is split pretty evenly among whites, African Americans and Latinos. Its suburbs are much whiter and half the states population lives outside of Cook County. For his 2018 campaign, Raoul had to recalibrate his tactics in Southern Illinois, where Confederate flags still flapped in the wind on his way to campaign events and his name might not roll off voters tongues. Polls showed Raoul with a lead, but he had a foreign-sounding name and was seen by some downstate voters as a Chicago Democrat the stereotype of a machine politician. Barack Hussein Obama plowed through similar difficulties. Youve got to find the right balance between responding with the fervor and the passion the moment demands and not coming off to a statewide base of voters as being an angry Black man, said Christian Mitchell, an African American state representative (now deputy governor) who stepped in to help Raouls attorney general campaign after the primary. Raoul ultimately won the election easily, it turned out. Anti-Trump sentiment helped in the deeply blue state but voters may have been taken by Raouls heart-on-his sleeve approach. In his last ad before the election, he acknowledges Nov. 6, Election Day, is an emotional day for me. It's the anniversary of his father's death. In his victory speech, Raoul tweaked the skeptics who called his race a nail-biter and said, Numbers dont lie. 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. 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. Moe-tokyo.net scored 41 Social Media Impact. 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Referring domains for moe-tokyo.net by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND 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 description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The type of Facebook page. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The URL of the found Facebook page. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND GREENWICH Sydney Pelletier-Martinelli doesnt remember many details about September 11, 2001. Only 2-years-old at the time, she recalls it was her first day of preschool and that her mom drove her to school on that tragic day. Pelletier-Martinellis mother received a phone call that morning. It was Pelletier-Martinellis father, who worked in the World Trade Center at the time. The young Greenwich woman wouldnt share details about her parents conversation and she became tearful when asked about the occurrence. Although Sept. 11 remains a memory of tragedy for the now 21-year-old Greenwich woman, Pelletier-Martinelli said her family always takes time to reflect, and remember her father who died in the attacks, in a positive light. Obviously, it was a really bad thing that happened, but we remember it in a positive way, she said. 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 sixth annual Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony in Cos Cob Park. Family members of those who died in the attacks, almost two decades ago, were supported at the Greenwich ceremony by the towns elected officials, first responders and community members during a peaceful but solemn service that differed in many ways than 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 was hit by an aircraft. There was no seating this year and all attendees wore face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Co-organizers also said the ceremony historically invites in 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, almost identical to the Twin Towers, are situated with a view of 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 letters spelling the names of 32 Greenwich people who died in 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 come together to spell, forever, liberty, courage, freedom (and) love, Dunn Ashley said. She co-organizes the well-attended event each with Wells Noonan another Greenwich woman, who has also lost a loved one. 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 Greenwich people 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 Charter says soldier could be interim leader, despite objections from group that led protests before last months coup. Malis military government has pushed through a political charter to establish an 18-month transition government that could lead to the appointment of a soldier as interim president, despite objections from the coalition that led anti-government protests before last months coup. Approval for the road map, meant to chart the countrys course after the August 18 coup that toppled embattled President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, came on Saturday after three days of negotiations between the military government, political leaders and civil society groups. Regional and international powers, fearful that political instability will undermine a years-long fight against armed groups across West Africas Sahel region, have pushed for a swift transition back to civilian rule. The charter says the interim president can be a civilian or a soldier and will preside over a transitional period of 18 months before elections are held, said Moussa Camara, the spokesman for the talks. The interim president will be selected by electors chosen by the military government, Camara said. A previous draft of the charter had said the transition would last two years and the interim president would be directly chosen by the military rulers, the so-called National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP). We make a commitment before you to spare no effort in the implementation of all these resolutions in the exclusive interest of the Malian people, CNSP president Colonel Assimi Goita said on Saturday. What awaits us now is the hard work, the implementation of these resolutions. Collision course Even as some participants touted the consensual nature of the talks, the M5-RFP coalition that spearheaded months of protests demanding Keitas departure before the coup criticised the charters failure to ensure civilian rule of the transition. Its the people who overthrew IBK. Its up to them to choose the new president, said Youssouf Maiga, an M5-RFP supporter, referring to Keita by his initials. Late on Saturday, the M5-RFP said in a statement the final version of the charter did not reflect the results of talks, which it said included a majority vote for a civilian interim president. M5-RFP distances itself from the resulting document which does not reflect the views and decisions of the Malian people, the coalition said. The charter also puts the military government on a collision course with Malis West African neighbours, who have insisted the interim president be a civilian and the transition last no longer than one year. Leaders from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which imposed economic sanctions after the coup, will meet on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Mali. It was not clear if the interim president would be named by ECOWASs deadline of Tuesday. The body has not said what it will do if its demands are not met. Al Jazeeras Ahmed Idris, reporting from Abuja, Nigeria, said Mali needs the sanctions to be lifted since it is suffering from severe economic and social problems. And people will be looking at how the new transition government will address the deteriorating security situation in Mali not only from the armed groups in the north, but also inter-ethnic violence between herdsmen and farmers in central Mali, he said. Six civilians, including a pregnant woman, were killed in southern Mali when the ambulance they were travelling in struck a landmine, the health ministry said on Saturday. It was not clear who was responsible for laying the mine, but the incident on Friday represented a first for the southern Sikasso region, Mama Coumare, the ministrys secretary-general, told Reuters news agency. Idris said Saturdays agreement was fragile and the reaction of common Malians over the next few days could be crucial. Some are suggesting that Malians are tired of the situation, tired of protests, they wont tolerate any problems or any shortcomings being presented to them after this forum, he said. 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. KALAMAZOO, MI -- A 17-year-old showed up at a Kalamazoo hospital Saturday with a gunshot wound. The male showed up at Bronson Methodist Hospital sometime after police received a report of a possible shooting in the 1100 block of James Street about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. Police did not find a victim on James Street, but located casings from two different guns. The victims injuries are not considered life threatening. Anyone with information about the shooting can call the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety at 269-488-8911 or Silent Observer at 269-343-2100. More from MLive Two vehicles struck by bullets on U.S. 131 over two nights, police say Michigan adds 692 new coronavirus cases, 13 deaths Michigan State University students asked to self-quarantine as coronavirus cases surge Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Sat, September 12, 2020 09:03 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c445e5f7 2 Lifestyle Queen-Elizabeth-II,Britain,royals,Norfolk,drive-in-cinema,Movie Free Queen Elizabeth II will open the gates of her royal estate in Norfolk to movie buffs with wheels: A royal drive-in at the price of 32.50 (around $42) per car. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the renaissance of drive-in events throughout the world. Widely popular in the United States, drive-ins have spread to Europe these past few months, especially for cultural events where physical distancing is required. The trend is even extending to the queen of England herself, who is set to host film screenings in her private Sandringham House estate in the south east of the United Kingdom. Read also: Social distance cinema: 'Grease' draws crowds to Madrid drive-in A selection of Oscar-winning films Visitors in their cars will be able to park at Sandringham Country Park from Sept. 25 to Sept. 27, where they will be provided with transmitters to hear the movie audio in their vehicle. A giant LED screen will confer cinematic quality to this drive-in experience. Sam Mendes 1917 will be the first film presented during this outdoor event on Sept. 25 at 5 p.m., followed by Oscar-winning picture Rocketman by Dexter Fletcher at 9 p.m. The very first installment of Toy Story, as well as the musical The Greatest Showman and Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody will be on view the next day. For the last day of drive-in screenings, Moana, cult musical Grease and Oscar-winning A Star is Born will end the weekend. Guests can already book their tickets online. General admission costs 32.50 per car, but one can upgrade their drive-in night with private access to a deckchair, table and popcorn delivered to the side of their vehicle for an extra 7.50 (around $9) per person. First-come, first-placed policy will apply, all while respecting physical distancing guidelines. 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. But Basu also said the lack of reliable public transit is one of the most infuriating aspects of life in Baltimore. The state money for the Red Line should have been reinvested, either in the bus network or the neighborhoods that lost out on the project, said Basu, chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group. Photo: Wikipedia Panorama Ridge Secondary school Fraser Health has issued an "early possible COVID-19 exposure" warning concerning Surrey's Panorama Ridge Secondary school. The notice involves a person with a "confirmed case" of COVID-19 who was on the school campus on Tuesday, Sept. 8, the first day of the new school year. Only teachers and staff, however, were present on the campus on the day of the possible exposure, as students did not attend classes until Sept. 10, two days later. Fraser Health said that for "privacy reasons" they will not provide any further specifics about the COVID-19 case beyond what they are telling potential contacts of that individual. According to a letter sent by Fraser Health, public health staff have initiated contact tracing and are reaching out to anyone who may be at risk. Only those receiving the letter are considered at any risk. Those individuals are being asked to isolate for 14 days and self-monitor for symptoms. As of Friday, 3,198 people in B.C. were under active public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases. The province reported an additional 132 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, bringing B.C.'s total to date to 6,962. No new deaths were reported, which leaves the province's total lives lost to COVID-19 at 213. While parents, teachers, school staff, and students across the province have expressed concerns about returning to in-class instruction this fall, B.C.s medical health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has stressed that the back to school plan is focused on safety. However, Henry said cases in the school setting are "likely." 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. Henry also said the public will be informed if there are any COVID-19 outbreaks in schools. From 6am Saturday, Delhi Metro resumed services in all of its corridors, after a gap of over five months. This correspondent travelled in the Metro during the morning peak hour for a spot check. Around 6am, when the gates opened, there werent a lot of passengers. However, the crowd started increasing within a few hours, resulting in queues outside some stations, as all passengers were let in only after temperature screening and sanitisation of their hands and luggage. Also Read: All Delhi Metro lines functional, back to normal timings starting today Shikha Sharma, a passenger who was travelling from the Mayur Vihar Phase 1 interchange station to INA on the Pink Line, said that while there was a considerable number of passengers waiting for trains in stations, the crowd inside trains continued to be thin, which left enough space for everyone to travel while seated. I had my apprehensions about safety and the frequency of trains, but the trains are regular, so passengers can skip a train if it is nearly full and catch the next one, said Sharma. Compared to last week, the number of Metro officials and security personnel on the station premises was higher on Saturday to manage the larger ridership. Also Read: If youre travelling in Delhi Metro, strictly adhere to social distancing rules Since the Airport Express Line, which was reopened on Saturday, does not usually have a large footfall, we are anticipating the ridership to be similar to Fridays. However, since the timings have been regularised, we are wary of an increased number of violations, said a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) spokesperson on Saturday. The official also said that since it was Saturday, the number of people coming in could be lesser. The teams on the ground said they are prepared for the weekday crowd from Monday, which is when DMRC will face its real test. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON To say that Ratched, the new series from Ryan Murphy the man behind Nip/Tuck, Glee and American Horror Story is not for the faint-hearted is an understatement. Nurse Ratched, the stone-hearted head nurse at the psychiatric hospital in Ken Keseys 1962 novel One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, embodied the sadistic petty tyrant. When director Milos Forman began casting the 1975 film version, the idea of portraying the character was regarded as so thankless a task that five top actresses, including Anne Bancroft, Angela Lansbury and Ellen Burstyn, turned it down before the relatively unknown Louise Fletcher accepted it and won a Best Actress Oscar as a result. A new Netflix series staring Sarah Paulson explores the origin story of nurse Ratched, from Ken Keseys 1962 novel One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest. Pictured: Sarah as as Mildred Ratched Fast-forward almost half a century, and Murphy has cooked up an origin story for Nurse Ratched, taking her from a troubled young nurse to the monster who would torment Jack Nicholsons character RP McMurphy in the film, eventually having him lobotomised. The Netflix series, set in the late 40s, some 15 years before the book, starts with the brutal (and graphically depicted) murder of a houseful of Catholic priests. The killer, Edmund Tolleson, is taken to Lucia State Hospital, a fictional mental institution in California where dapper psychiatrist Dr Hanover inflicts hellish treatments on his patients in the name of science, and where a newly arrived nurse called Mildred Ratched is quietly following an agenda of her own while battling demons from her past. The show is a character study of loneliness, says Sarah Paulson (best known for her roles in Mrs America and The People V OJ Simpson), who plays the young nurse. Mildred Ratched has lived a very lonely, traumatised, abused life that has created in her a way of thinking that may not be the most healthy. I dont want to make her out not to be a villain because by the time One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest happens, shes the villain, no question. But as an actress, I had to find a way to align myself with her. 'Midway through the series we learn about things that happened to her that give some context to what people in desperate circumstances will find themselves doing. 'It was interesting to peel away those earlier views Id had of the character having done so I dont think of her as a monster. She does monstrous things, but I think shed say shes doing them for her own survival. Sarah agrees the shoes of Louise Fletcher were very daunting ones to fill. She put Nurse Ratched up there with Hannibal Lecter as one of the all-time greatest cinematic villains, so no pressure or anything! she laughs. I did feel like this was a big piece to bite off, because I could really mess it up if I did it wrong. She says she took some of her performance from Louises. In terms of how I stood, the way I held my hands and that thing of the character trying to maintain a sense of control of her own rage and sorrow. Sarah revealed her performance of nurse Ratched was inspired by Louise Fletcher. Pictured: Louise Fletcher and Jack Nicholson in the film 'But in the end I had to approach it as I would any character and think, Who is she, what does she want, whats in her way and hows she going to get it? Thats all you can do. Sharon Stone appears alongside Sarah as Lenore Osgood, an eccentric heiress with a pet monkey and a single-minded mission to get revenge on Dr Hanover for a horrific experimental treatment he executed on her son. Any mother will fight tooth and nail for her child, says Sharon. She drew on her own emotions when her ex-husband, newspaper editor Phil Bronstein, was temporarily granted custody of their son Roan. Now 20, Roan is back living with his mother and younger brothers Laird and Quinn, but Sharon admits the pain of it will live with her forever. Theres nothing you wouldnt do for your kid, youd take a bullet for him. So when this nightmarish event happens to Lenores child she just loses it. Sharon Stone who appears alongside Sarah as Lenore Osgood, said she drew on emotions from when her ex-husband was granted temporary custody of their son for her role. Pictured: A scene from the Netflix series Rather more down-to-earth is Sex And The Citys Cynthia Nixon as Gwendolyn Briggs, a political press secretary whos hiding the fact shes a lesbian. Cynthia, who is married to educational activist Christine Marinoni, says, As I was preparing to play Gwendolyn, I returned to a character Ive long been fascinated by journalist Lorena Hickok, who was Eleanor Roosevelts lover [Cynthia played the First Lady in 2005 film Warm Springs]. They were deeply in love, but that was a bridge too far back then, particularly for the First Lady of the United States. Lorena was a gay woman living in a very masculine world, and I shared a lot of photos of her with the costume designers. While Gwendolyn favours slouchy, androgynous clothes, the rest of the female cast are in full 40s glamour, with form-fitting dresses and bright colours. All the better, says Cynthia, to emphasise the disturbing subject matter. My son said it was so creepy; it wasnt black and white and laden with shadows, it was in terrifying Technicolor! 'Its one of the compelling things about it it takes that late 40s, early 50s saturated colour and brightness, so it looks like an MGM musical. But were not singing and dancing, were killing people. Ratched is on Netflix from Friday. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 11, 2020) - IAMGOLD Corporation (TSX: IMG) (NYSE: IAG) ("IAMGOLD" or the "Company"), together with joint venture ("JV") partner Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. ("SMM"), is pleased to announce the official ground-breaking for the Cote Gold Project ("Cote", or the "Project") took place on Friday, September 11, 2020. President and CEO Gordon Stothart announced, "This ground-breaking symbolizes the construction start of the Cote Gold Project, a project which will be a model for modern Canadian mining. Cote is transformational for our local community and First Nations stakeholders, project partners, employees and IAMGOLD, bringing economic benefits to the region while utilizing sophisticated technology and ensuring the health and safety of all. We are grateful for the support of the federal, provincial and local governments, and delighted to host this ceremony alongside the Prime Minister of Canada, Premier of Ontario, MP Marc Serre, MPP Michael Mantha, Chief Chad Boissoneau from Mattagami First Nation and Chief Murray Ray from Flying Post First Nation, Minister John Yakabuski and Minister Greg Rickford." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commented, "Creating more than a thousand jobs during construction and 450 full-time positions once it's completed, today's ground-breaking of the Cote Gold mine is good news for the Flying Post First Nation and the Mattagami First Nation, for Northern Ontarians, and for the Canadian economy. As the world continues to manage the impacts of COVID-19 and as we safely restart our economy, projects like this one will be vital to helping get Canadians back to work, and will continue to signal to international investors that Canada is a good place to do business. Working together, we will build a resilient, healthier, cleaner, and more competitive economy, that creates good middle class jobs and gives everyone a fair chance to succeed." Story continues "The opening of this mine is a prime example of how the Ontario government can help businesses grow and create jobs by cutting red tape and removing regulatory roadblocks, without cost to taxpayers," said Ontario Premier Doug Ford. "I want to thank IAMGOLD for making this significant investment in Northern Ontario, which will create good-paying jobs for the local community and support the long-term prosperity of both the region and Ontario as a whole." Cote, located in northern Ontario approximately 20 km southwest of Gogama, 130 km southwest of Timmins, and 200 km northwest of Sudbury, is a 70/30 JV with partner SMM. The Project demonstrates potential to produce 460,000 ounces of gold annually at low all-in sustaining costs of approximately $700 per ounce in the first six years of production with an 18-year mine life. Cote is anticipated to generate over 1,000 jobs during construction, 450 jobs during operations, C$5 billion in wages and more than C$10 billion in GDP over its lifespan. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "prospective", "significant", "significant potential", "substantial", transformative", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, failure to meet expected, estimated or planned gold production, unexpected increases in all-in sustaining costs or other costs, unexpected increases in capital expenditures and exploration expenditures, variation in the mineral content within the material identified as Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves from that predicted, changes in development or mining plans due to changes in logistical, technical or other factors, the possibility that future exploration results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, changes in world gold markets and other risks disclosed in IAMGOLD's most recent Form 40-F/Annual Information Form on file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by applicable law. About IAMGOLD IAMGOLD is a mid-tier mining company with three gold mines on three continents, including the Essakane mine in Burkina Faso, the Rosebel mine in Suriname, and the Westwood mine in Canada. A solid base of strategic assets is complemented by the Cote Gold development project in Canada, the Boto Gold development project in Senegal, as well as greenfield and brownfield exploration projects in various countries located in West Africa and the Americas. On July 21, 2020, the Company, together with joint venture partner Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd., announced the decision to proceed with the construction of the Cote Gold Project. IAMGOLD is committed to maintaining its culture of accountable mining through high standards of ESG practices and employs approximately 5,000 people. IAMGOLD's commitment is to Zero Harm, in every aspect of its business. IAMGOLD is one of the companies on the JSI index. IAMGOLD is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (trading symbol "IMG") and the New York Stock Exchange (trading symbol "IAG"). For further information please contact : Indi Gopinathan, VP, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications, IAMGOLD Corporation Tel: (416) 360-4743 Mobile: (416) 388-6883 Philip Rabenok, Senior Analyst, Investor Relations, IAMGOLD Corporation Tel: (416) 933-5783 Mobile: (647) 967-9942 Toll-free: 1-888-464-9999 info@iamgold.com Please note: This entire news release may be accessed via fax, e-mail, IAMGOLD's website at www.iamgold.com and through Newsfile's website at www.newsfilecorp.com. All material information on IAMGOLD can be found at www.sedar.com or at www.sec.gov. Si vous desirez obtenir la version francaise de ce communique, veuillez consulter le www.iamgold.com/French/Home/default.aspx. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/63686 Today, I have the pleasure of welcoming my dear friend, the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Malta, Evarist Bartolo, to Athens. It is his first visit to Athens since taking up his duties. First of all, we considered the level of our bilateral relations. And we agreed on the need for coordination to deepen our relations even further. In fact, I had the pleasure of noting to my colleague that the Greek-owned fleet includes about 700 vessels about 1/5 of the total under the Maltese flag. And of course, we believe that Greek shipping will continue to be a bridge between our two countries. We also had the pleasure, a short while ago, of signing a memorandum of cooperation in the field of diplomatic training. But naturally, as you can understand, we also talked about and will continue discussing during our luncheon everything that is happening in the Eastern Mediterranean. And this is ahead of the critical decisions that will be taken in the framework of the European Union. We talked about the situation taking shape due to Turkeys provocative and illegal actions in the region. From Libya and Cyprus to Iraq and Syria, Turkey is the only country that is opening military fronts everywhere. It is the only country threatening its neighbours with war if they should choose to exercise their legal rights. And this, as you know, is a flagrant violation of the UN Charter. At the same time, Turkey is carrying out illegal and provocative actions, such as issuing and renewal of NAVTEXs for survey activities on the Greek continental shelf. It makes incendiary statements and direct threats that are unprecedented. It carries out exercises with live ammunition. It violates Greek airspace. It alters religious monuments of global cultural heritage. It exploits the human suffering of migrants. These actions are not directed only against a member state of the European Union. They are directed against the Union itself, as we saw in Evros in February, as we see in the Aegean, as we see in the Eastern Mediterranean. They violate the substance of the Unions principles. The substance of the common European acquis. And this is why these provocations, which are common, demand common responses. The European Union is not a coalition of states. It is a family founded on common values, salient among which are solidarity and the rule of law. We understand very clearly that many members of the family often have different concerns. We understand very clearly the existential problems of many countries, especially the smaller countries. I myself was born on an island. I understand completely. I have experienced the concerns and special nature of islands. But we must not make concessions where our values are concerned. We must not make concessions regarding the foundation of the Unions existence. These concessions cancel out the European endeavour and send the wrong messages to third countries that taint these messages and the image of our Union, first of all in the eyes of our public opinion, and also in the eyes of humanity. We must not allow our self-evident European solidarity to be shaken. And I want to say that I am certain that Malta, an island state, cannot help but share the basic concerns and views of another island state of our Union, Cyprus. So, Europe needs to rise to the occasion. Europe needs to respond firmly, without hesitation, to Turkeys provocations. On security issues and on the migration issue. Europe can do this very effectively. The choice is simple, and it is up to Turkey itself to choose: dialogue without threats and blackmail, or sanctions. Greece has said repeatedly the Prime Minister has said this, as have I that it is always ready for dialogue with Turkey. But this dialogue must be within the framework of international law. Dialogue based on resolving our only actual dispute with Turkey. Our one and only dispute: the continental shelf and exclusive economic zones. And of course, dialogue under blackmail or threat is out of the question. And of course, dialogue with the presence of Turkish survey and naval vessels over the Greek continental shelf is out of the question. Greece is a modern European state governed by the rule of law. Greece respects international law. It acts in line with international law. It does not threaten or blackmail, and nor will it be threatened or blackmailed. My colleague and I also had the opportunity to talk about the situation in Libya, of which Malta has a full picture. We had the opportunity to talk about operation Irini and the potential for implementing the arms embargo on Libya. We were able to discuss how we can help towards creating a sustainable peace. However, I would like to make it clear again that Greeces firm pursuit is to play a positive role in Libya, through our participation in the Berlin Process and in any way that proves possible. And of course, Greece is fully aware that the situation in Libya is an enormous issue for Malta. That the situation in Libya impacts control of migration flows that can put the island society of Malta in a very difficult position. In any event, I stressed to my colleague that, in general, the developments in the migration issue and the experience we have of Turkeys exploitation of the migration crisis make it imperative that our states collaborate closely ahead of the revision of the common European asylum system. Just as there is a need for strict implementation by Turkey of the provisions of the Joint Declaration of 2016. Finally, we had the opportunity to exchange views on the MED 7 cooperation platform which is convening in a few days in Corsica and on the Union for the Mediterranean. Platforms that are useful tools for the promotion of our cooperation and our shared outlook, so that our common sea can become a space of peace and stability, for the benefit of our peoples. My dear Evarist, thank you very much for coming to Athens. It is a great pleasure to have you here with us today. The Marine Corps is struggling to retain women, the service's top general said this week, because many feel they must choose between a military career and their family. Commandant Gen. David Berger said the 12 weeks of maternity leave Marines get after having a baby are not enough. It's a topic he's been pushing since last year, when he said he'd consider extending the Marine Corps' maternity leave policy to a full year. Berger said he's "not there yet," but vowed to keep fighting for it. "Many of our very capable women Marines are leaving because they think it's either the Marine Corps, or a family, and they can't see how they can have it both ways," Berger said on Thursday during a Women in Defense Leadership Symposium. "We have got to solve that dilemma." Read Next: Marine Commandant Wants Answers on Why Women, Minorities Decline to Seek Command But there's a law that he must work on getting changed, he added, referencing the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act. That act, which was signed into law last year, gives parents up to 12 weeks off for the birth, adoption or fostering of a new child -- but that's the cap. Those benefits go into effect Oct. 1. "It's not just a Department of Defense policy," Berger said, "[But] I'm not anywhere near ready to quit on it." Berger's planning guidance, issued to the force last year, said the Marine Corps' parental-leave policies have failed to keep up with societal normal and modern talent management practices. "We fully support the growth of our Marine families, and will do everything possible to provide parents with opportunities to remain with their newborns for extended periods of time," he wrote. "In the future, we will consider up to one year leaves-of-absence for mothers to remain with their children before returning to full duty to complete their service obligations." The extension would be a notable change for the military, which has been slow to embrace some forward-leaning personnel policies. The Navy and Marine Corps briefly had an 18-week maternity leave policy that was later rolled back to 12 by the defense secretary at the time. Troops are currently eligible for a career-intermission program, which allows them to take up to three years off in exchange for an agreement to serve more time once they come back. But the program has been slow to catch on in a culture where mission is often valued above anything else. Berger said Marines see a program like that and assume their career will suffer if they take advantage of it -- that they're going to see their peers move ahead while they're left behind. "We've got to solve that problem because we should be able to create a process where they can step out, come back in and not lose anything," he said. "Could be for an education, could be to have a family -- we have to get a lot more flexible." Military.com recently reported on the plight of female service members who returned to duty just weeks after having a baby. One faced criticism for taking too many breaks to pump breast milk for her new baby. The Defense Department is conducting a review to stamp out policies that inadvertently discriminate against some personnel. Berger this week stressed the importance of diversity in the ranks. Women and minority officers too often opt out of being considered for command, he said, leaving the force with more white male leaders. "[I] 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," he added. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Related: Marines to Review Proposed 1-Year Maternity Leave Policy for New Moms The ruling NPP government has demonstrated its commitment to the legalisaiton of motorbike as commercial transportation popularly known in African circles as Okada business According to Ghana's Ministry of Transport, it will hold final consultations on the legalisaiton of the Okada business in October this year after which a report will be forwarded to Cabinet. 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 organisations would also be consulted, the ministry announced in a statement, adding that 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 It said: 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. Ahead of the press statement, the sector minister, Akwasi Ofori Asiamah, had told journalists that the Akufo-Addo government has been holding consultations with the relevant stakeholders on whether or not to legalise the use of motorbikes for commercial purposes (Okada) since 2019 and if there is the need for the law to be reviewed, it will be done. In August this year, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), former President John Mahama, promised to legalise the Okada business in his next administration. Speaking to the chiefs, people and party supporters at Kpando in the Volta Region on Friday, 21 August 2020, Mr Mahama said: I've been seeing young people who have finished school and they cant find a job and, so, they are look for something they can do and many of our young people are riding motorcycles and transporting people from place to place, and we call them Okada. But in our law, it says Okada is illegal but Okada is a reality, it has come to stay, you can't stop it, and, so, I've suggested and I say when we come into office, we will legalise Okada but we will regulate it, Mr Mahama said. He explained further: We will regulate it and we will give them training so that they can do their business safely without causing the lives of people, they must obey all the traffic regulations in order that they be allowed to pursue their profession. Speaking to journalists on the issue recently, the Transport Minister said consultations on that subject have been going on between the government and the relevant stakeholders long ago. Let me make the position clear on it: were now doing stakeholder consultation on the matter and whatever position will come out clear, well make it public to the people of this country to know but as of today, the position Okada is what is stated in 21 (80). Asked if the law will be reviewed by the Akufo-Addo government, Mr Asiamah said: Im saying that we are doing stakeholder consultations on the matter and when we are done, well make it public for you to know. He said: In coming up with a law, it is not about speed, it is about accuracy. According to him, whatever decision will be taken on the matter by the Akufo-Addo government will be what is decided after the consultations. Im not being hoodwinked about what President Mahama promises on his campaign tours. What Im saying is that the state of Okada and what this present government is doing now, that is what Im stating. We started this thing in late 2019 when President John Dramani Mahama had not made any promise to the people of this nation, he said. Let me tell you: theres a difference between people going on campaigns and promising and you governing the nation and we are the party in power and we are governing the nation, so, our activities are different from what somebody is promising on his campaign trail, so, those are two distinct things, the minister said. The Akufo-Addo government, Mr Asiamah noted, is not in the least shaken by Mr Mahamas promise. Let me tell you, were not frightened by anything. We are supposed to govern this country to the best of our ability and what will win the interest of this country. Let us not compare some of these promises and say that somebody has made this campaign promise so come and respond to it, the minister added. He pointed out that laws are not cast in stone and, so, could be changed at any time depending on the exigencies. In 2012, when the law was passed to make it unlawful, President John Dramani Mahama was the President. If today, he has come out and he has said that if he is voted into power, he will change that position, then maybe, I dont know what he means but we, as a government, know that this is a matter that we need to take our time, consult the people, come out with a view, then it will determine the law that we need to put in place because laws are made to be changed because they are not static. If you think that at the end of the day, you need to amend certain laws to take cognisance of the day or the time, you do so, he said. On the other hand, the minister said: If you think that we need to still implement what is there, it depends on the people that you consult, it depends on what you think that is at stake, well do it. Mahamas populist Okada promise sign of his inconsistency Akufo-Addo Speaking on Accra-based Oman FM on Mr Mahamas Okada promise recently, President Akufo-Addo said: A law was made during the Mills/Mahama era [against Okada]. Today he [Mr Mahama] has changed his mind. He said he is going to legalise it. How can that provide more jobs than NaBCo and Planting for foods and jobs? Mr Akufo-Addo wondered. According to him: We have provided over two million jobs with these social intervention initiatives. So, how can you say that okada will provide more jobs? he asked. Its just populist, the President asserted, adding: Its another sign of inconsistency: when you are in power, you say one thing and when you are out of power, you say something else. It doesnt help in creating better public discourse, Akufo-Addo said. ---ClassfmOnline British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has appealed to Conservative MPs to support legislation that could breach international law in overriding parts of his Brexit deal. Mr Johnson hosted a conference call yesterday evening to win backing for the bill that caused Brussels to threaten legal action. Mr Johnson told around 250 MPs that the clauses in the UK Internal Market Bill are "necessary to stop a foreign power from breaking up our country". 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 Bob Neill saying he was not reassured by the speech. Stormy Mr Neill, who is tabling an amendment to the bill which he says would impose a "parliamentary lock" on any changes to the Withdrawal Agreement, said it contains "objectionable" elements. The European Commission has given the UK until the end of the month to drop legislation enabling ministers to override provisions in the 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. European Affairs 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. Chinese authorities are calling on the countrys local governments to borrow and spend even more money in an effort to boost the struggling economy. But it comes as China continues to suffer a growing debt crisis. The last time China went through an economic crisis in 2008, the authorities ordered the construction of roads, railways, and bridges to pump up the economy. 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. While Agnivesh spent his early years in Andhra Pradesh, much of his social activism was based in Haryana Social activist Swami Agnivesh, who passed away at the age of 80 on Friday evening, was best known for his work on freeing bonded labourers, as also for his efforts to ensure inter-religious harmony. Along with his social activism, Agnivesh also took up several political causes, taking on various political parties at different points of time. He was jailed for opposing the Emergency, and several decades later, was also accused by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha for being a 'Naxal sympathiser.' For a short while, in what was perhaps the most unusual aspect of his long public life, he even appeared on the reality show Bigg Boss. Early life Agnivesh was born in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam and his original name was Vepa Shyam Rao. He studied law and had a brief stint of working with Sabyasachi Mukherji, who later went on to become Chief Justice of India. Agnivesh joined the Arya Samaj in 1968 and became a sanyasi in 1970, relinquishing his caste and surname. Later, he was jailed for opposing the Emergency announced by former prime minister Indira Gandhi. He remained behind bars for 14 months. After the Emergency, Agnivesh joined active politics and was elected to the Haryana Legislative Assembly in the cabinet of Bhajan Lal. He became the state's education minister. However, he resigned only five months later, after he protested against his own government, seeking a judicial inquiry into police firing in the Faridabad industrial township that killed 10 workers. Social activism While Agnivesh spent his early years in Andhra Pradesh, much of his social activism was based in Haryana. The state was carved out in 1966 after the reorganisation of the Punjab state. Among the first major agitations Agnivesh took part in was a demand for a fair share for Haryana after the state of Punjab was divided. He also took part in protests seeking total prohibition in Haryana, and for remunerative prices for farm produce. In 1981, he founded the organisation Bandhua Mukti Morcha (BMM). The organisation works on rescuing bonded labourers through checks and raids in industrials units, brick kilns, etc. An article in The Indian Express notes that the organisation is known for not just registering a case in such matters, but also pursuing the case to its logical conclusion. Apart from bonded labour, Agnivesh also campaigned against the Sati system, and in favour of the entry of Dalits into temples. On several occasions, he took public positions in favour of marginalised groups, such as on repealing Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (which effectively criminalised homosexuality until it was partially struck down by the Supreme Court). He also spoke out against incidents of mob lynchings and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). In 2010, during the UPA-II regime, Agnivesh was appointed as a mediator for a dialogue with Maoists. However, the attempt met with little success. In 2018, the activist was attacked by a mob in Jharkhand's Pakur, where he had gone to address a rally of the Pahadia tribal community. He had blamed the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, who had termed him a Naxal sympathiser earlier. While the Bharatiya Janata Party had denied involvement, it said that the attack was not a surprise given his 'track record.' Last rites to be conducted in Gurugram 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. He passed away on Friday evening. Agnivesh's mortal remains will be placed at the Bandhua Mukti Morcha office in Central Delhi on Saturday to allow people to pay their tributes. His last rites will be conducted at an ashram in Gurugram. By PTI UNITED NATIONS: India, along with 168 nations, voted in favour of a COVID-19 resolution in the UN General Assembly that reaffirms international cooperation to respond to one of the greatest global challenges and acknowledges the World Health Organisation's key leadership role in responding to the outbreak, a reference the US objected to as it opposed the resolution. The Omnibus Resolution on Comprehensive and Coordinated Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic was overwhelmingly adopted by the 193-member General Assembly Friday, with 169 nations voting in favour of the resolution that recognised the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the greatest global challenges in the history of the United Nations. The US and Israel voted against the resolution and Ukraine and Hungary abstained. India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador K Nagaraj Naidu tweeted "India votes in favour of the #COVID-19 omnibus resolution in the General Assembly recognising the pandemic as one of the greatest global challenges that calls for a global response based on unity, solidarity and multilateral cooperation. The resolution reaffirms its commitment to international cooperation, multilateralism and solidarity at all levels and as the only way for the world to effectively respond to global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and their consequences, and acknowledges the key leadership role of the World Health Organisation and the fundamental role of the United Nations system in catalysing and coordinating the comprehensive global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Afghanistan's UN envoy Adela Raz and Croatian Ambassador Ivan Simonovic were co-coordinators of the extensive and wide-ranging resolution, the third adopted by the General Assembly this year on the pandemic that has killed over 900,000 people and infected 28.3 million globally. The resolution is not legally binding. General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande said the omnibus resolution is a powerful and ambitious text and it reflects the collective will of Member States to overcome this unprecedented challenge as nations, united. Negotiations were intense but cooperation prevailed. The resolution urged member states to "enable all countries to have unhindered timely access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable diagnosis, therapeutics, medicines and vaccines, and essential health technologies for the COVID-19 response and recognised the role of extensive immunisation against COVID-19 as a global public good for health in preventing, containing and stopping transmission in order to bring the pandemic to an end, once safe, quality, efficacious, effective, accessible and affordable vaccines are available. It supported Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' appeal for an immediate global ceasefire, including to help create corridors for life-saving aid, open windows for diplomacy of dialogue. It called upon political and religious leaders to promote inclusion and unity in response to the pandemic and to prevent and take strong action against racism, xenophobia, hate speech, violence, discrimination, including on the basis of age and stigmatisation. The resolution also calls upon Member States to advance, with determination, bold and concerted actions to address the immediate social and economic impacts of the pandemic, while striving to get back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by designing recovery strategies out of the crisis to accelerate progress towards the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda. In its explanation of vote, the US said it does not concur with the references to the World Health Organisation in the resolution and criticised China for hiding the truth about the outbreak that originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Unfortunately, we might never know for certain how much of the pain and suffering caused by COVID-19 could have been avoided if the Chinese Communist Party had behaved like a responsible government and immediately warned the rest of the world of the virus that they uncovered in Wuhan, the US Mission to the UN said. Not only did they fail the world, but the World Health Organisation's failures in the early days of the pandemic also contributed to needless suffering and the worsening of this pandemic. The WHO needs to reform, including by demonstrating its independence from the Chinese Communist Party, the US Mission said. It added that Washington voted against the resolution as it cannot allow the resolution to be hijacked by several themes that are not pertinent to the discussion. In a tweet, the US Mission said it cannot, in good conscience, support a resolution including unrelated language supporting the advancement of Chinese Communist Party propaganda, abortion, and language against sanctions that are designed to constrain bad actors including removing unilateral economic and trade sanctions. The US said the text attempts to undermine the international community's ability to respond to acts that are offensive to international norms. Economic sanctions are a legitimate means to achieve foreign policy, security, and other national and international objectives, and the United States is not alone in that view or in that practice. The resolution emphasised that illicit financial flows, in particular those caused by tax evasion, corruption and transnational organised crime, reduce the availability of vital resources for responding to and recovering from COVID-19. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe In a major reform initiative that aims to overhaul the age-old revenue and land administration system, including registration of properties across Telangana, CM K Chandrashekar Rao on Wednesday introduced two Bills in the state Assembly. The Telangana Abolition of the Posts of Village Revenue Officers Bill and The Telangana Rights in Land and Pattadar Passbooks Bill, which were unanimously adopted by the Assembly on Friday, propose to fully digitise the land documentation process so as to crush the hydra of corruption. On the chopping block are the decades-old Village Revenue Office and Village Revenue Assistant posts, which is where graft begins at the grassroots level. Among the proposals are a scientific survey of every inch of land with geographical coordinates and doing all works related to land online through a portal called Dharani, including sale/purchase transactions. The current system of getting land details entered into pattadar passbooks, changing land use, registration of properties, etc., are a huge hassle as they involve a lot of running around and payment of speed money, leading to frustration. Instances of farmers going to the extent of committing suicide due to harassment by revenue officials keep cropping up intermittently. Just a few weeks ago, a revenue officer was caught red-handed by Anti-Corruption Bureau officials while accepting over Rs 1 crore as bribe. No wonder, many surveys have found revenue to be the most corrupt department in the state. To address the problem, the new Bills propose to divest all revenue officials of their discretionary powers. They would, for instance, have no say in certifying a mutation since it would be done automatically during online sale/purchase transactions. The whole idea is to offer full information on land at the click of a mouse to its owners. Since digitised documents like Aadhaar carry the stamp of authenticity, they need not be validated by any officer. By introducing the landmark legislations, KCR has fulfilled his promise on land reforms made in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. However, corrupt babus could look for workarounds after the new system is in place so as to keep lining their pockets. Therein lies the challenge for KCR to make the new plan work. 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. 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 This story was published in partnership with The 19th, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy. As Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden began his post-convention general election campaign in earnest last week, top surrogates were deployed for roundtables in swing states and events geared at women focusing on the topic on every parents mind: reopening schools. Bidens campaign is kicking into high gear after the former vice president largely remained at his home in Delaware for months due to coronavirus concerns, garnering criticism from President Donald Trump, who after a shorter hiatus resumed holding re-election rallies. During back-to-back visits to Kenosha, Wisconsin, where a white police officer shot an unarmed 29-year-old Black man last month setting off another wave of protests that have rocked the country over the past three months the two candidates also offered competing visions on race and crime. One in five Americans say it's safe to reopen schools now, survey finds But the surrogates focus on education as more than 56 million students return to schools or begin online learning reflects the Biden campaigns desire to keep attention on Trumps response to the COVID-19 pandemic, an issue on which they believe the former vice president has the upper hand. President Trump may not think this is a national emergency but I do, Biden said during a Sept. 2 speech on school reopening. Biden has released a five-step roadmap to reopen schools that would establish national safety guidelines, call on Congress to pass a languishing additional coronavirus relief package with school funding and establish a Department of Education project studying best practices in distance learning. Trump has also called for additional school funding, along with urging schools to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for identifying high-risk individuals and tracing transmissions. The White House has emphasized Republican efforts to more easily direct public funds to charter, private and parochial schools part of its school reopening plan. Story continues A sign announces that the Las Vegas Academy is closed, Wednesday, July 22, 2020, in Las Vegas. Clark County school trustees cited fears of spreading the coronavirus and unanimously decided Tuesday to begin the 2020-2021 school year using distance education. For families, educators and students across the country, it is back to school, but across America, too many classrooms are empty, Biden senior adviser Symone Sanders said in a Sept. 1 call on reopening schools, adding that Trump refused to heed the experts and take action and now eight months later, he still doesnt have a plan to contain the virus or safely and effectively reopen schools. Trump has called for schools to reopen, saying children are less likely to become infected with COVID-19 than adults and returning to in-classroom learning is essential for students mental, and sometimes physical, health. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has highlighted the economic benefits, arguing that schools provide child care so parents can return to work. The Trump administration and congressional Republicans have sought to incentivize in-person learning in coronavirus relief packages. DeVos said at a White House event last month that parents and students cant be held captive to other peoples feelings or agendas. But polling shows that most parents believe there are still risks to sending students back to schools, and many prioritize safety over potentially delayed learning. Some two-thirds of teachers would prefer remote learning until COVID-19 risks have decreased, according to a recent National Public Radio/Ipsos poll. Voters overall are becoming increasingly concerned about Trumps push for in-person instruction. In New York City, which has the largest school district in the country, a teachers strike was narrowly averted after Mayor Bill DeBlasio reached a deal with the teachers union to delay the start of hybrid in-school and at-home learning to Sept. 21. There is a growing partisan divide over the reopening of schools, with Democrats more reluctant than Republicans to send their children back into classrooms, and that dynamic was on display in the Biden campaigns school-centric events. In Biden campaign events, actor Sarah Jessica Parker, a native of Ohio, discussed reopening schools as she helped launch Women for Biden in the swing state. Maine Education Association President Grace Leavitt participated in a virtual event there on the topic. Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada warned of dire consequences if schools reopen without a plan. Bidens vice presidential pick, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California, appeared at several school-related events. It also became clear that Bidens wife, Dr. Jill Biden, a longtime educator, will tap that experience as she campaigns for the former vice president over the coming months. On Sept. 1, Dr. Biden launched a multi-week Back-to-School Tour that will include virtual events focused on visits in at least eight battleground states: North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, Nevada, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Florida. On Sept. 2, during a virtual panel with educators in Greensboro, North Carolina, Biden noted that no one wants to get our kids back to school more than we do. During another Women for Biden event on Sept .3, actress Scarlett Johansson discussed her own fears about sending her daughter back to the classroom. Rep. Jahana Hayes of Connecticut, a longtime educator and National Teacher of the Year in 2016, highlighted the emotional and mental health drawbacks to reopening schools without a safety plan. My teacher friends are scared, Hayes said on the call. Theyre scared theyre going to have to stand in front of kids and make promises they cannot keep. In an interview after the event, Hayes said that on a national level very basic planning has been missing from the conversation about reopening schools. She said one teacher emailed her saying the totality of support for educators in their district was five masks, a box of gloves and a refillable bottle of disinfectant. Other teachers have been told to move classroom furniture to encourage social distancing. Very few have been trained in providing online and distance learning. Everyone has been in tears this week, Hayes said. The most difficult thing Ive had to deal with in this Congress is making peace with the idea that we are having a national conversation about putting kids in a situation that we know to be dangerous, said Hayes, who was elected to the U.S. House in 2018. How each state is planning to reopen schools this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic Hayes added that her own son, whose school is in an older building with poor ventilation and little space to spread out, will be staying home until further notice. She and her husband considered every possible scenario before making the decision. We have to get healthy first, she said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: School reopening amid COVID-19: Biden focuses on safe return to class Kannur:: A 30-year-old engineer, who had returned from Kuwait and was in quarantine here, was found dead with his throat slit, police said on Saturday. T V Sharath was staying in an outhouse adjacent to his residence. When a relative went to give Sharath breakfast, the latter was found dead, the police said. A pair of scissors was recovered from near the body, they said. It is suspected he had died by suicide following mental stress, they said. Investigation is on, they said adding that the man had returned from abroad last month. 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 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 Russell Malcolm Watson was 17 when, in 1942, he ran away from his parents home in Elwood and joined the Navy. By the time his mother tracked him, demanding he was sent home, he was away at sea, a gunner aboard the Royal Australian Navys Q Class destroyer, HMAS Quiberon. A sister dubbed him Peter when he was a baby and it stuck. His would be an adventurous war the Quiberon came under air attack in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, destroyed a German submarine with depth charges, helped destroy an Italian fleet, patrolled the African coast and the Indian Ocean and saw significant action against the Japanese. Young Watson who also served on the corvette/minesweeper Kiama and the destroyer Arunta was the youngest aboard, and got the nickname Twinkle. Ships and the sea remained with him: only a few weeks ago, he was still using his binoculars to study ships in Port Phillip Bay from his room at the Elanora Aged Care Home on Brighton Beach. Mr Watson was never known by his given names. Almost 1000 fewer elderly Australians died in aged care homes during the first seven months of 2020 than the same period last year in a trend attributed to record low influenza rates, but experts warn this does not minimise the deadly threat of COVID-19. New data released by Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck on Saturday shows 32,398 residents died between January 1 and July 31, 2020 - 985 fewer deaths than the same period in 2019. Hundreds more COVID-19 deaths have been recorded in the sector in the six weeks since as Victoria's second wave reached crisis point in the state's residential aged care facilities, which account for 95 per cent of the nation's aged care deaths. A resident of St Basil's aged care home is evacuated to hospitals after a cluster of COVID-19 cases and deaths at the facility. Credit:Justin McManus Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth said it would be "misleading" to interpret the data to argue that COVID-19 - a "particularly wretched virus" - posed less of a risk than influenza for elderly Australians, and that infection control measures had to be "near perfect" to keep it out of facilities. RTHK: Belarus police violently detain women protesters Belarusian riot police on Saturday violently detained several dozen women demonstrators and threw them into vans, as thousands took to the streets of the capital to protest against police violence and electoral fraud. Ahead of a massive protest expected on Sunday, columns of female protesters gathered in central Minsk for a peaceful women's protest. Some beat saucepans with ladles and others chanted "Bring back our Masha", referring to opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova by her diminutive name. Kolesnikova, 38, was jailed this week after she resisted forced expulsion by ripping up her passport. But scuffles broke out in Minsk's central Freedom Square as men in black face masks sought to detain some women protesters and they pushed back, footage broadcast by Belsat TV channel and Tut.by, a Belarusian independent outlet, showed. Another video showed riot police officers roughly throwing female protesters into police vans. The Viasna rights group said 30 protesters had been detained. The spokeswoman for the interior ministry, Olga Chemodanova, said that "women had been detained" but could not say how many or provide other details. Belsat, a Warsaw-based opposition television channel, said on Telegram that two of its journalists covering the protest had also been detained. Unprecedented demonstrations broke out in Belarus after strongman Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet state for 26 years, claimed to have defeated opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and won re-election with 80 percent of the vote on August 9. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2020-09-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Authorities say around 8,800 children have been deported from the United States along the Mexican border thanks to a new pandemic-related measure that functionally stripped the rights of those seeking asylum. Donald Trumps administration has expelled nearly 160,000 people since the emergency order proclaimed by the CDC took effect in March including roughly 7,600 adults and children who came to the US in families. The emergency order temporarily suspends citizens, regardless of their country of origin, from migrating into the United States via Mexico and Canada. These figures on children were first reported by Border Patrol deputy chief Raul Ortiz as part of an attempt to defy an order that stops officials from housing the unsupervised children in hotels. The Trump administration has been doing so since at least August using private security firms which left those children outside the formal detention system and thus at risk of not receiving adequate food, access to phones, and health and medical care. Most children and familes were immediately expelled by the administration but more than 2,200 unaccompanied children and 600 people who came with families were held until flights to their home country were available. The administration asked the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn last weeks ruling that using hotels ignores fundamental humanitarian protections, decided on by US District Judge Doll Gee in Los Angeles who determined long-term detention in hotels violates a two-decade old settlement governing the treatment of children in custody. She ordered border agencies to stop placing children in hotels by Tuesday. Given the current health crisis, Justice Department attorneys argued the settlement is not applicable and deems hotels an appropriately safe place for children. While in these hotels, the attorneys claim, the government provides minors with supervision by specialists, recreation, amenities, and protective measure against Covid-19. Parents, family members, and lawyers have no way of determining the truth of these statements while children are detained in this manner. Prior to the pandemic, children without supervision were shuttled to state-licensed shelters under the direction of the Department of Health and Human Services and frequently released to family members seeking asylum in the US. The Associated Press contributed to this report By this point fans are so familiar with Breaking Bad its hard to remember a time before it existed. However, series creator Vince Gilligan took a big risk bringing his idea to the screen, and even admitted he wouldnt have done it if he knew about that other show featuring a suburban drug dealer (Weeds). Gilligans writing experience on X-Files coupled with his love of science and encyclopedic knowledge of Hollywood movies all contributed to Breaking Bad. The show includes so many references to classic films and television shows. But choosing the name of the series came from Gilligans upbringing. The Emmy award-winning director thought everyone was familiar with the phrase breaking bad until he realized they werent. Vince Gilligan created Breaking Bad during a midlife crisis Vince Gilligan | Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Variety The concept of Breaking Bad was born thanks to a lackluster life situation for Gilligan. He was close to 40 and hadnt yet achieved the success in life he craved. So, Gilligan created a character who was also stuck at a crossroads. [A friend and I] were just joking around on the phone about what we should do next: Should we be greeters at Wal-Mart? Should we put a meth lab in the back of an R.V. and cook meth and drive around the southwest? And that imageI dont know, it just stuck with me, the showrunner told Vanity Fair. He continued: I guess thats why I felt like a kindred spirit with Walter White, because hes a man whos having the worlds worst mid-life crisis, at least in my mind. He came from a town where breaking bad was common RELATED: Breaking Bad: What Vince Gilligan Meant By Walter White Turning From Mr. Chips Into Scarface Gilligan discussed the origins of the name and his surprise at finding out how many people werent familiar with the phrase which inspired the shows title. In an interview with the American Film Institute, he revealed how he found out that most people didnt understand it. I come from Virginia and its very much a Southern regionalism, but I thought everybody knew, Gilligan told AFI. It means to raise hell. So like, I was out the other night at the bar and I really just tied one on, and I really broke bad. I just really, oh man, I wound up in the back of a squad car. He continued: So I named it Breaking Bad. And when the first script went out, either people were too polite to question it or something. I remember the head of Sony said, Cant you think of a better title? and said, Well I kind of like this one. And he said, I dont know what the hell it means. But I didnt realize it was as regional an expression as it is. Breaking Bad is a cultural phenomenon Even if fans didnt immediately know what breaking bad meant, they quickly figured it out after watching Walter White go down his dark path of deceit. The symbolism on the show, plus all the subtle references and Easter eggs throughout, make it so memorable. The obscurity of the name Breaking Bad only helps add to that intrigue. Its a fitting title for an exceptional series. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 06:30:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Grandesso Federico VENICE, Italy, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- "If I just do something realistic and what is out in the street, I can catch immediately what the story is about." Hong Kong director Ann Hui told reporters about her likes and dislikes when shooting a movie, after receiving the lifetime achievement Golden Lion at the 77th Venice Film Festival this week. Hui is the first Chinese female film director to be bestowed the honor. "I don't like to do stories with a lot of production, because you have to spend a long time and you have to get along with the art director, the set builder etc.," Hui told Xinhua during the ongoing festival. Her latest film "Love after Love," shown out of competition at the festival, is clearly what she wants to devote herself to, although it took her more than one year to finish the work on it. The story is centered on Ge Weilong, a young girl from Shanghai traveling to Hong Kong in pursuit of her education in the 1940s. In order to pay for her studies, she asks her cynical aunt, Mrs. Liang, for help. Mrs. Liang is leading a shady life, and Ge gradually becomes her aunt's puppet in her game of luring rich and powerful men. As it happens, Ge becomes genuinely attracted to playboy George Qiao, whose aim is to marry a wealthy girl to maintain his own high-end lifestyle. Asked about the love element in the film, Hui said the idea of love in this film is different from what she did in many previous movies, and she believed this story is "more adventurous, original and interesting." "Here we have a guy with an intrinsic inability to love -- although she loves him a lot. She gambles that he might turn around one day, but he didn't." The Chinese Golden Lion winner explained the importance of casting in love stories. "I think that actors and actresses who can play love stories are very few." Some actors on set may seem to have good acting abilities, but they simply cannot act in love stories, because they don't have the right "lover eyes" expression, she elaborated. The 73-year-old director said she still has a lot of passion for films, and is just beginning to feel more confident about herself. "I hope I will be able to work for a few more years and try to make better films now that I know better how to motivate actors and deal with casting," Hui said. The Venice International Film Festival is the world's oldest film festival. Its 77th edition runs from Sept. 2 to Sept. 12. Enditem As a country girl, theres nothing Selina Scott loves more than enjoying the great outdoors. But over the past few years, shes been shocked by the piles of litter strewn across the moors near her home in Yorkshire. Now the 69-year-old, who became one of the most famous TV faces of the 80s presenting the news and Breakfast Time, has joined the Great British September Clean, organised by Keep Britain Tidy and backed by the Daily Mail. 1980s TV legend Selina Scott has stepped up to support the Daily Mail's clean up, joining volunteers near her home in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. She said she was 'delighted' to be involved in the campaign, claiming the issue of issue has been 'bugging' her for several years Miss Scott said it is not enough to complain and called for people to get a grip on tackling the litter epidemic. To that end, yesterday she carried out a litter-pick near her home in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. She told the Mail she is delighted the campaign is still going ahead and added: I have a thing about the filth that people are leaving behind and the litter thats everywhere. It has been bugging me now for quite a few years. She was horrified to hear that, over lockdown, remote areas in Yorkshire arguably some of Britains finest beauty spots were being used as lavatories and that people were leaving rubbish behind. Miss Scott said: Were supposed to love our countryside and appreciate its beauty. We dont get any more of it thats it. We have to look after it. One of her pet hates is plastic, especially coffee cups and takeaway trays left for other people to pick up. Its absolute disregard for the countryside, she added. She told the Mail one of the most distressing things she sees are empty helium balloons which end up scattered across fields. She has picked up at least 30 while wandering around her home farm and from the nearby road sides. But despite her efforts, and those of local litter picking groups, she says there is a constant tide of litter which keeps reappearing. Her anger is directed at manufacturing companies, who make it too easy for people to buy single-use plastic products. Supermarkets should be stopped from selling plastic, she said. If were serious about a clean and green Britain we should make sure the manufacturers dont put out this stuff. MIchael Gove was among those who joined volunteers around the country picking up litter Im so pleased to hear the Great British September Clean is still going ahead. It does take newspapers like the Daily Mail to make politicians see the problem. She added: A lot of the readers of the Daily Mail will be like me they will take care of the rubbish that they have and they will recycle and they will do all the right things. So in many ways, youre speaking to the converted. I think the politicians are the ones that need to get people sorted out. She recalled a time, just before lockdown, when she travelled to outer Mongolia to source cashmere for her sustainable clothing range, Naturally Selina Scott. There was not one piece of litter anywhere, she said. It was pristine. I travelled hundreds of miles and there wasnt any litter. It is not enough to complain. As a country, we should get a grip. Miss Scott started at the BBC aged 29, and co-presented Breakfast Time with Frank Bough the first breakfast television programme in the UK. After later presenting The Clothes Show, she crossed the Atlantic to join West 57th, a prime time current affairs show in New York. She now lives on a 200-acre farm in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has established a natural fibres business, sourcing sustainable cashmere from Outer Mongolia. The Election Commission of India (ECI)s four-member tech advisory group will assess technological alternatives and the landscape to enable remote voting, its members told Hindustan Times. The panel, which comprises people from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhilai, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and the National Informatics Centre, is gearing up to present a concept plan to the Commission to enable a two-way transfer of vote and ballot in the next two months. The panel was set up four months ago, professor Rajat Moona, director, IIT Bhilai, and former chief of the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, told Hindustan Times. Also Read: Busting fake news is Mamata Banerjees key battle strategy for 2021 polls The tech advisory group is exploring a spectrum of options, including blockchain technology to enable remote voting, said Moona. They have been holding regular meetings to address the issue. We are hoping to demonstrate a prototype in the next two months, then the Commission will take a call. However, many concerns will have to be addressed before virtual casting of votes can be implemented for elections, said sources. The remote voting exercise is not only for academic purposes, the source said. The machines will have to be flexible and ensure privacy and security of the vote. The source added that the group is advising the ECIs IT division on various aspects such as electoral rolls and storing, as the elections dependence on technology increases. The idea is that going forward, everything should have the backing of experts. Also Read: Ahead of Bihar polls, EC declares timeline for advertising criminal records The ECI has already conducted two webinars on the issue and is looking to conduct a third one on network and security later this month. There are a sizeable number of voters, such as migrant labourers and students, who will benefit from the move. The question of remote voting came up when we talked about whether postal ballots can have a two-way transfer system, said Moona. At present, postal ballots, meant for service voters such as army personnel who cannot travel for the elections, are sent electronically, but the reply is received via post. There will be logistical challenges, but we are working on it, Moona added. metamorworks/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images "Every time one starts a project, whether it's in a pandemic or not, it always feels like the first day of school, Cate Blanchett, 51, declared at last week's Venice Film Festival press conference. Urging her audience and industry members to be courageous despite their pandemic fears, the surgical-mask-wearing Blanchett arrived at the Lido to head this year's jury at the festival, Europe's oldest and one of the Big Five, along with Cannes, Berlin, Sundance and Toronto. International film festivals have long been out of the reach of the average American moviegoer. And yet, while this streaming era has been challenging for those for whom dinner and a movie has been central to their weekly routine, there is a silver lining. For AARP's avid movie watchers, the collateral benefit is that many domestic festivals have responded to the pandemic by migrating large parts of their programs online for the very first time. Home viewers have new access to elite and far-flung film festivals from their television consoles. Movie lovers from Poughkeepsie to Tulsa to Tempe can now access, for the price of admission, links to film offerings that might not have made it to their local cineplexes or art houses until deep into the fall prestige film season, if ever. Here's how to connect to five fantastic fall festivals in the U.S.: New York Film Festival (Sept. 25 to Oct. 11) Now in its 58th season, and boasting a vividly colored, irony-drenched film poster by the legendary John Waters, 74, the prestigious Gotham-based event has taken the lead in streamlining programming and migrating much of its content online for this social distancing era. Highlights: Frances McDormand, 63, makes another play for Oscar in Nomadland, written and directed by Chloe Zhao (The Rider), while Michelle Pfeiffer, 62, returns to the screen to close the festival with French Exit. Both are American premieres that won't open theatrically until December and early 2021. Online HQ: The New York Film Festival How to fest: General public tickets for virtual screenings are on sale. For a set fee, festival film links will be available to those in the United States and its territories for a specific time window. There's even a detailed support page with FAQs and an email help line. AFI Latin American Film Festival (Sept. 25 to Oct. 7) Now in its 31st year, the American Film Institute's annual celebration of Latin American cinema has gone entirely virtual, presenting 26 films from 20 nations and seven U.S. premieres. Highlights: Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain, the director of the 2016 creative biopic Jackie, which reaped a best actress nomination for star Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, returns with opening nighter Ema. The film, which will also play at the Toronto International Film Festival, pairs Gael Garcia Bernal (Neruda) and breakout Mariana Di Girolamo in the title role as a choreographer-dancer couple coping with an adoption gone awry set against a reggaeton backdrop. Online HQ: AFI Latin American Film Festival How to fest: Access to festival films is currently available here. Viewers have two options: a full festival pass at $150 for general admission or individual title links. While all films will be available via links, a minority will be available only to residents of Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland, where the festival is based. (Natural News) In a twist of irony, the endless rioting in Portland calling for the police to be defunded and abolished has ended up costing taxpayers more. The city has now had to cough up an extra $6.9 million to pay for police overtime. According to data obtained by local news network KATU, from June to July, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) spent over $6.9 million in overtime alone. This represents a 200 percent increase in overtime spending compared to the same period last year when the PPB only spent around $2.3 million. This data is also incomplete, as it does not take into account how much the city paid the bureau in overtime fees during the whole month of August. Furthermore, if local and state public officials continue to refuse to treat rioters with a heavy hand, theres no telling when the civil unrest in Portland will end. Thus it can be easily assumed that the overtime costs have gone well above $7 million and will likely continue increasing. From January up to the end of July, the PPB spent $11.4 million on overtime. This means that, before the rioting started, the PPB was only spending around $900,000 per month on overtime costs, but these fees suddenly ballooned come June to around $3.45 million per month. Last year, from January up through mid-July, the PPB only spent $7.7 million. This, however, is not the only thing that the PPB has had to spend on thanks to the relentless rioting facilitated by Antifa and the Black Lives Matter movement. In early June alone, the PPB had to spend nearly $50,000 on crowd control munitions like tear gas and pepper spray. By mid-June, they spent over $20,000 to replenish their supplies of the same items. The PPB also had to spend a lot of taxpayer money on fencing. Around $35,000 was spent on fencing to surround public buildings at Chapman and Lownsdale squares in the citys downtown neighborhood. These are where Antifa and Black Lives Matter rioters have spent almost every night since the start of the engineered civil unrest attacking local and federal government buildings. Also, more than $20,000 of what the PPB spent was for damages and lost equipment. Meanwhile, in early June, Portland Mayor Ted Wheelers office also spent over $30,000 to erect wooden fencing to surround and protect Portland City Hall Riots and demonstrations all over the country costing taxpayers millions in police overtime During the first 12 days of demonstrations in Seattle, right up to around the time the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone was established, the city of Seattle paid its police department $6.3 million in overtime. In Los Angeles, George Floyd riots that occurred up to mid-June helped the Los Angeles Police Department get paid $40 million, which the city says they will be giving to the officers in the form of paid time off. In New York, just two weeks of rioting cost the citys taxpayers over $115 million in overtime fees for the New York Police Department. This is happening all across the country. In Boston, Massachusetts, defund the police demonstrations between May to July helped Boston police officers get paid nearly $5.8 million in overtime pay. In Phoenix, Arizona, 30 days of demonstrations cost the city over $7.24 million in overtime pay for the citys police. In Philadelphia, just under one month of rioting cost taxpayers $18 million in overtime. Oregonians united in disapproval of Antifa, BLM riots in Portland It turns out, the actions of Antifa and the Black Lives Matter movement in Portland are not popular among residents, many of whom feel that the PPB needs to step up and use a lot more force to decisively end the conflict in their city. This revelation was brought to the public thanks to a poll conducted by Portland-based research company DHM Research. These findings come just hours after Mayor Wheeler announced that he was banning the PPB from using CS gas, a particularly toxic form of tear gas, after the city was bombarded with lawsuits by Antifa- and Black Lives Matter-affiliated people who want to make it more difficult for the PPB to disperse rioters. (Related: Cotton, Loeffler introduce trio of Senate bills to crack down on rioters.) The poll was answered by 502 likely voters. It was conducted from September 3 to 8 and nearly half of the participants lived in the tri-county area that includes Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties. Around a quarter of the other participants live somewhere else along the Willamette Valley, and the rest are from other parts of Oregon. According to the poll, over one-third of the respondents feel that the rioting in Portland is the most important issue for them, more important than the economy, healthcare, racism, policing, and the ongoing pandemic. Sixty-six percent of survey participants disapproved of the rioting in Portland, and they feel like it has been very harmful to Black Portlanders, race relations as well as to legitimate, peaceful efforts to pass meaningful police reform. Just 28 percent said they believe the riots have been helpful to Black Portlanders. Around 56 percent of those surveyed believe that the riots were mostly violent. Thirty-six percent said they were mostly peaceful and seven percent were unsure. Fifty-five percent said that riot more accurately described the events in Portland, while 37 percent said protest. Forty-two percent said that the PPB did not use enough force in their response to the rioters. Another 18 percent said the amount of force used was just right, while 29 percent said it was too much and 11 percent were unsure. Finally, the survey also found that a majority of Oregonians disapprove of the actions taken by Mayor Wheeler and Gov. Kate Brown, another Democrat, in response to the riots. For Brown, 39 percent strongly disagreed while another 17 percent somewhat disagreed with her actions. Wheelers disapproval rate is slightly larger, as 44 percent strongly disagree and 14 percent somewhat disagree with his actions. The results of the poll are very surprising given that a plurality of the respondents 39 percent identified as Democrats, while only 28 percent identified as Republicans. Ten percent were registered with a third party, while 20 percent were independents. This shows that the light-handed approach that the state Democratic Party has been taking against Antifa and the Black Lives Matter movement is not resonating with likely voters. Learn more about how popular or unpopular the responses of local and state governments have been to the rioting by reading the latest articles regarding demonstrations in cities like Portland, Seattle and Kenosha at Rioting.news. Sources include: LawEnforcementToday.com KATU.com Marketplace.org Edition.CNN.com Boston.com KTAR.com Inquirer.com OregonLive.com 1 OregonLive.com 2 Assets.DocumentCloud.org [PDF] Niagara Regional Police have released some good news. After asking an unidentified woman to return an officers badge lost in St. Catharines, the NRP reported Sunday the item had been returned. No other details were provided. An NRP detective lost the badge at Walmart at 525 Welland Ave. at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday when he dropped his wallet in the parking lot. Video surveillance showed a woman picking up the badge and leaving the area. Police issued a press release asking for the woman to return the lost property. Read more about: WATERLOO REGION Cases of COVID-19 continue to spike locally and across the province as students head back to class. The number of active cases in Waterloo Region is now at 55, double the 27 reported last Monday. In Sundays update from public health, data shows the region reported six new positive cases. Five new cases were reported in Saturdays update. Over the past week (Sept. 6 to Sept. 12 inclusive), public health reported 47 new positive cases in the region. Throughout the month of August, new cases were increasing locally at an average rate of two to three a day. The last time the region had 55 active cases was on July 25. The lowest active case count the region has achieved was on August 5, with 17 active cases. Since March, there have been 1,515 cases reported and 1,340 of them have been resolved. Public health had stopped providing active case count updates on weekends, but due to the recent increase in reported cases, the daily updates have resumed. Two-thirds of the new cases reported over the past week were transmitted through community spread. The other third was through close contact. Younger people between the ages of 10 and 29 make up two thirds of the new cases reported over the past week. The other third comes mainly from people aged 40 to 49. No one is in hospital, and the number of covid-related deaths in the region is still at 120. There is one active outbreak in the region, at the Village of University Gates Long Term Care home. This outbreak involves one staff member and was declared on Sept. 5. Across the province, daily cases are also spiking. Ontario saw 213 additional infections reported on Friday, 232 on Saturday and 204 on Sunday. Three consecutive days of cases above 200 havent been seen in Ontario since early June. Today, 64 per cent of new cases are in people under the age of 40, Health Minister Christine Elliott wrote on Twitter on Sunday. US Announces Troop Drawdown in Iraq Then we want to look at all of the proposals at once, Lord said at a press briefing Wednesday. It isnt going to be a first in, first out, and we have to rationalize using the rules weve put in place what would be reimbursable and whats not. And strongly suggesting that it wont be the last of such stimulus for defense firms who have already profited immensely off post 9/11 wars of choice launched under Bush and Obama, Lord said, I would contend that most of the effects of COVID havent yet been seen. To recall, heres what Trump said at the start of this week: Im not saying the militarys in love with me, Trump added, as he advocated for the removal of U.S. troops from endless wars and lambasted NATO allies that he says rip off the U.S. The soldiers are. 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, he added. Some people dont like to come home, some people like to continue to spend money, the president said. One cold-hearted globalist betrayal after another, thats what it was. The outrage that followed included reporters claiming that Trumps words were unprecedented. But thats far from the truth, as Glen Greenwald reminded his fellow journalists: After fighting a brutal war & then serving eight years as US President, here was Dwight Eisenhower's 1961 warning about the menacing joint power of the US military and the private arms industry. This was before Vietnam, the Reagan Cold War build-up and post-9/11 militarism: pic.twitter.com/IRl8ZTdpIo Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) September 7, 2020 Well over a half-century ago, Eisenhower warned, In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. And further: We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. Read more at: ZeroHedge.com 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) Chris Smalling has continued training away from the first team squad after asking Manchester United to resolve his future with Roma. The clubs have been negotiating over a fee with United pushing for around 20million for the 30-year-old centre-back. Smalling was absent from training on Tuesday and Wednesday as he discussed his future and with no assurances forthcoming from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, he has made up his mind to leave Old Trafford. Chris Smalling is training away from the Man United first-team amid talk of a move away Smalling impressed on loan last season for Roma, who are looking to sign him permanently Smalling returned on Thursday to train on his own and do gym work as he waits for Roma to meet United's valuation. Solskjaer is in the market for a new centre back but that is likely to come next summer. United are continuing discussions regarding Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish of Aston Villa while they will monitor developments with Real Madrid's Gareth Bale. A back-up left back for Luke Shaw could also be brought in. Meanwhile, United lost 1-0 to Aston Villa in a friendly on Saturday, with Ollie Watkins scoring the decisive goal. Lady Kitty Spencer put on a loved-up display with fiance 80million fashion tycoon Michael Lewis as they shopped for rings in Florence today. Princess Diana's niece, 29, looked chic in a floaty blue and white striped dress for the occasion and wore a mask, teamed with her 30 carat diamond engagement ring worth an estimated 300,000. The society model reportedly got engaged to fashion tycoon Lewis, 61, who is 32 years her senior and five years older than her father Earl Spencer, after Michael proposed in Cape Town over Christmas. Last week, Lady Kitty Spencer led the fashion pack as they descended on Florence for a busy schedule of dinners, dancing and haute couture runway shows in a lavish celebration hosted by Dolce & Gabbana. Lady Kitty Spencer, 39, joined fiance 80million fashion tycoon Michael Lewis, 61, as they shopped for rings in Florence today Michael, who is worth an estimated 80 million, donned a pair of blue denim jeans paired with a smart blazer and pale blue shirt. Lady Kitty and Michael went public with their relationship during a stroll through New York in May and were seen kissing after leaving Club 55 in St Tropez in August. An expert previously revealed that the society model was wearing an emerald cut diamond engagement ring with an estimated 30 carats of flawless diamonds. Speaking to MailOnline, appraiser Oliver Horner from Prestige Pawnbrokers of Channel 4's Posh Paw, said: 'This gorgeous full hoop diamond full band engagement ring is of extremely high quality. The couple put on a loved-up display as they walked through the city, where they popped into shops and went ring shopping at the Bvlgari 'The full band is set with large emerald cut diamonds, each stone looks to be approximately one and a half carats and I would estimate the total diamond weight of the ring to be between 25 and 30 carats. 'Judging from the image the diamonds look to be of exceptional quality and I estimate a clarity grade to be between flawless and VVS1 and to be of D to F colour which is the very best. 'I believe a ring of this exceptional quality would have an would cost between 200,000 - 300,000 maybe even more given the provenance of such a piece.' Kitty grew up in Cape Town and spent Christmas, her birthday and New Year's Eve in South Africa, where Michael is also based. The couple, who have a 32 year age difference, appeared relaxed as they strolled through Florence on the outing Michael has three adult children and was previously married to a woman named Leola in 1985. Kitty, who was spotted at the tycoons 19 million mansion in central London last summer, told the Mail at the time that she didnt feel 'in any rush' to start a family. 'I can see myself having children at some point... but I'm only in my twenties. I do have friends my age who are having children, and they are so, so, sweet, but I think everyone should do things in their own time.' Princess Diana's niece jetted off to the French Riviera earlier this month and has now made her way to Italy, where she has enjoyed the views of a volcanic crater south of Rome, visited the town of Nemi and toured the Pope's summer palace. Pictured, in Nemi in a 1,750 D&G dress Lewis' previous wife, Leola, 59, signed a prenuptial agreement but it's not yet known whether Lady Kitty will do the same. Last week, Kitty joined a host of other fashionistas who flew into Tuscany to enjoy at least three different events hosted at exclusive venues across the city by D&G. She jetted off to the French Riviera earlier this month and has now made her way to Italy, where she has enjoyed the views of a volcanic crater south of Rome, visited the town of Nemi and toured the Pope's summer palace. Washington: The US has signed a framework for defence cooperation with the Maldives to deepen engagement in support of maintaining peace and security in the strategic Indian Ocean, the Pentagon has announced, as the Trump administration looks for strengthening alliances in the Indo-Pacific to counter China's growing presence in the region. The framework for defence and security relationship was signed in Philadelphia on September 10 between Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia Reed Werner and Maldivian Minister of Defence Mariya Didi. "The framework sets forth both countries' intent to deepen engagement and cooperation in support of maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean, and marks an important step forward in the defence partnership," the Pentagon said. The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean. During discussions after signing the agreement, Mariya said the framework will strengthen defence and security cooperation between the two countries, Maldivian portal Sun Online reported. Mariya said that peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean region are tied to the best interests of both countries. She stressed the importance of bilateral dialogue and engagement, against a backdrop of growing transnational threats such as piracy, violent extremism, terrorism, and illicit trade, which she said remained relevant, even amidst the coronavirus pandemic. According to a statement released by the Defence Ministry, the framework outlines a number of bilateral activities, including senior-level dialogues, discussions, engagements, and opportunities in areas such as maritime domain awareness, natural disasters, and humanitarian relief operations, the report said. Mariya said that the Maldivian government sees the framework as an "important milestone" in defence and security cooperation between the Maldives and the US. Werner and Didi also discussed US support for the island nation in its response to COVID-19 and areas for future cooperation, and agreed to work toward scheduling the first Defense and Security Dialogue, the Pentagon said. Both sides reiterated their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific that promotes the security and prosperity of all nations in the region, the Pentagon said. The Central Indo-Pacific includes the numerous seas and straits connecting the Indian and Pacific oceans. The resource-rich Indo-Pacific region is where China has been trying to spread its influence. The US has also been pushing for a broader role by India in the strategically important region. China is eyeing to expand its influence in the Indian Ocean region. China has already taken control of Pakistan's strategic Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea. Tanner Lake Wall, 13, died on August 2 after contracting a brain-eating amoeba while vacationing with his family. Now, Tanner's mom is speaking out in hopes of warning other parents about this rare but deadly amoeba that took her son's life. Alicia Whitehill, 39, of Palatka, Florida, told TODAY that she and her family, including Tanner's stepdad and his twin sisters were vacationing at a campground from July 23-26 and that Tanner went swimming in a lake that Friday and Saturday. Tanner's mom said Watch TODAY All Day! Get the best news, information and inspiration from TODAY, all day long. The parasite likely went up the boy's nose while he was swimming. By Tuesday, the boy was complaining of a headache that became more painful as the week went on. Two days later, Tanner started developing other symptoms, including nausea and fever. "On Thursday, we took Tanner to Putnam Community Medical Center in Palatka, Florida," Whitehill said. "The ER doctor diagnosed strep throat and advised that Tanner would be discharged." Whitehill said she disagreed with the decision to discharge Tanner as his condition appeared to be worsening and requested that he be transferred to another hospital. Related: Lily Avant has died after falling sick last week, according to her aunt. "This angered the ER doctor," she said. "They told us to give the medications time to work. They refused to call for medical transport so we demanded they release Tanner so we could take him to another hospital." When Tanner arrived at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, about 50 miles west of Palatka, he was admitted for observation and testing. By Friday morning, doctors advised the family that they suspected he had meningitis and ordered a spinal tap to confirm their suspicion. "Tanner tested positive for bacterial meningitis and was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit," said Whitehill. "Tanner's condition seemed to be stable most of Friday till the evening hours when his vitals were declining and sent him for a CAT scan and placed him on a ventilator. On Saturday, the scan showed excessive swelling and fluid build up on the brain. Doctors advised us that they needed to put a drain tube in his head to release the fluid build up for fear of brain damage." Story continues Related: The amoeba cannot be spread from person-to-person, but can affect warm freshwater areas or water supply systems. The drain tube initially appeared to be working but early Sunday morning, Tanner's condition took a drastic turn. That was when doctors saw that his brain had shifted and that the fluid from his brain showed signs of the parasite. The family was told he had a brain-eating amoeba and a very slim chance of survival. "At 12pm on Sunday, doctors met with us and said that Tanner was in fact brain dead, and the decision was made to remove the ventilator," said Whitehill. Tanner's mom said that their July trip was the first time they had visited Ragans Family Campground in Madison, Florida, and that she had read online reviews of the place. She was aware of the existence of brain-eating amoebas she told TODAY, but unaware of how they were contracted. "The water looked very clean and looked like it was filtered and colored," she said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Naegleria is an ameba (single-celled living organism) commonly found in warm freshwater (for example, lakes, rivers, and hot springs) and soil. Only one species (type) of Naegleria infects people: Naegleria fowleri." People can become infected when they are swimming and water containing the parasite goes up their nose and travels up to the brain, where it destroys the brain tissue. The lake at the campground has since been closed and Whitehill is asking people to sign a Change.org petition in Tanner's honor, asking for warning signs to be placed at public swimming areas. Whitehill and her family are mourning the loss of their boy, who she said loved hunting, fishing, sports, swimming and wildlife. Tanner loved being outdoors. (Alicia Whitehill) "The doctors told us that if he had not been misdiagnosed and treated with wrong medications, that he might have had a better chance of earlier identification of the virus and faster treatment of correct medications with a small hope of survival," she said. Whitehill said her family is seeking legal representation due to the misdiagnosis. For now, she's trying to comfort her other children and remember her son. "He was a very mature and responsible young man for his age," Whitehill said of Tanner. "He was loved by everyone and he loved everyone he met." Whitehill hopes parents will be more aware of the rare but deadly amoeba after learning Tanner's story. "Don't think that because the water looks clean that it is safe," she said. Tanner is survived by his mom, his stepfather George Whitehill, 50, his dad, Travis Wall, 40, his brother Tucker Wall, 18, and his twin sisters Abigail and Cheyenne Wall, both 9. NEW DELHI: India will be present at the intra-Afghan talks ceremony that will happen in a short while from now. The ceremony starts the process of negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban. India will be present along with around 30 other countries at the ceremony. All the countries that border Afghanistan have been invited, including Iran, Pakistan and many central Asian countries. An official negotiations will start on Monday. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will join the ceremony virtually while Joint Secretary, Pakistan Afghanistan and Iran (PAI) division in ministry of external affairs, JP singh will be present physically. Earlier this year, India was present at the signing of US-Taliban deal which was signed on February 29, 2020 in Doha. The then Indian envoy in Doha P Kumaran had represented India. India is Afghanistan's major development partner and has built and has built India-Afghanistan friendship dam in the western province of Herat and the Afghan Parliament in capital Kabul. The Afghan government's negotiating delegation left for Doha on Friday to start peace negotiations with the Taliban group. The Afghan government will be represented by 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. The Afghan government in a 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." The Taliban said, "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 United States welcomed the announcement of Afghanistan peace negotiations, saying, "This opportunity must not be squandered." US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo is in Qatar to attend the opening ceremony of Afghanistan peace negotiations. Americans continue to wait on a second round of stimulus checks during the coronavirus pandemic while Republicans and Democrats continue to try to iron out the details. Both sides appear in agreement that the country needs another stimulus deal. They just cant agree on how to make it happen. As we creep further into September, the question now appears to be whether they will come to an agreement in time to get money to Americans who need it before years end? And, while the answer to that has appeared, for the past couple months, to be that theyd find a way, things are beginning to be a bit murkier. They just might not get it done. A CNN article this week, in fact, reported that a deal would be unlikely until after the November presidential election. Well, looking to the House and for that matter our colleagues across the aisle -- its a sort of a dead end street, and very unfortunate, but it is what it is, Sen. Pat Roberts, a Republican from Kansas, said according to CNN. And there does appear to be a big-time impasse. The Republicans pitched a scaled-back plan this week, and CNN reported, not a single Democrat voted for it. Sen. Dick Shelby, a Republican from Alabama, told CNN It looks that way, when asked if a deal was dead. But theres still hope because, again, both sides agree the country needs economic relief. Sometimes things look bleak and theyre revived, Shelby told CNN. This turn in negotiations comes as almost all of the benefits from Marchs $2.2 trillion CARES Act have now come to an end. That included $600 federal unemployment checks. President Donald Trump, last week, floated an idea that he said he believed could get money to Americans sooner. According to the New York Post, he urged Congress Friday to approve stimulus checks by redirecting $300 billion in unused coronavirus pandemic relief funds. According to the New York Post, he urged Congress Friday to approve stimulus checks by redirecting $300 billion in unused coronavirus pandemic relief funds. Things did seem to be more hopeful prior to the past week. And, as negotiations took place, the numbers at least as it pertains to money that Americans might see in their bank accounts seemed to be consistent. That first round paid individuals as much as $1,200 with as much as $2,400 going to married couples with a $500 bonus paid to parents for each child under 17. According to a CNBC repot, full payments went out to individuals who made up to $75,000 and to married couples making up to $150,000. But, it said, the payments were gradually reduced for folks making more than that, and totally phased out for individuals making more than $99,000 and married couples making more than $198,000. CNBC reported, however, that there would likely be some changes if a second check comes. Democrats had put $1,200 checks back on the table, but want to up the bonus for dependents to $1,200 each for as many as three children. They also proposed taking the age cap 17 off the table Families could get as much as $6,000 under the proposal. The Republicans were proposing cutting that age cap of 17, and checks of up to $1,200 but they want to keep it at $500 for dependents, according to CNBC. But even those payments were not likely to come until October or later, according to that report. So, for a stimulus package to help Americans this year, the sides will need to reverse course quickly and find a way to come to agreement. LifeStyle The best Lifestyle shows are right here, from Australia and around the world. Catch up with the experts on home design and interiors, food and cooking, the property market, and get fresh ideas with the savviest of renovators. Whether you need inspiration for cooking up a storm, to refresh a tired room, or tips to sell your property, Foxtel Lifestyle will always something new for you to watch. Enjoy your favourite experts like Andrew Winter and Neale Whitaker, or Shaynna Blaze and Jamie Oliver live or On Demand. WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday Washington is deeply concerned about 12 Hong Kong democracy activists being held in China, saying they have been denied access to lawyers and local authorities have not provided information on their welfare or the charges against them. The United States questions the Hong Kong leadership`s commitments to protecting citizens` rights, Pompeo said in a statement. The activists were arrested about two weeks ago off the coast of Hong Kong, according to the statement. At the end of August, the provincial Coast Guard Bureau said on its social media site that it had arrested at least 10 people after intercepting a boat off the cost of the southern province of Guangdong. Hong Kong media, citing unidentified sources, said the 12 were headed to Taiwan to apply for political asylum. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said earlier this week that if they "were arrested for breaching mainland offences then they have to be dealt with according to the mainland laws." "We question Chief Executive Lam`s stated commitment to protecting the rights of Hong Kong residents, and call on authorities to ensure due process," Pompeo said. On Saturday, the Chinese foreign ministrys Hong Kong office expressed "firm opposition" to Pompeo`s remarks and demanded that US politicians cease interfering with Hong Kong`s internal issues. "The United States has its own economic and social problems, frequent racial conflicts, and a high number of coronavirus infections and deaths. It should have focused on handling domestic affairs," it said in a statement. In Hong Kong, families of six of the 12 detained activists donned masks and hats to shield their identities and demanded the urgent return of their relatives. It was the families` first public appeal for help and information on their plight. The arrests come as local activists and politicians fear a worsening clamp-down across the former British colony as a sweeping new national security law imposed by Beijing in July takes full effect. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at a joint press conference with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg at Belvedere Palace in Vienna, Austria, on Aug. 14, 2020. (Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images) US Deeply Concerned About 12 Hong Kong Activists Detained in China: Pompeo The U.S. administration is deeply concerned about the dozen Hong Kong activists held in China for weeks since they were caught fleeing to Taiwan, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Sept. 11. The 12 Hongkongers were arrested by Chinese coast guards about three weeks ago in Chinese waters off the coast of southern Guangdong Province. They were on a boat reportedly en-route to Taiwan where they were going to seek asylum. At least one of the activists had previously been arrested for violating the citys new national security law imposed by Beijing. Local pro-democracy politicians and their relatives have criticized the lack of legal protections in mainland China, and appealed for help in their plight. Pompeo, the first U.S. official to take a public stance on the issue, said he was disturbed to hear the activists are being deprived of access to lawyers. We question Chief Executive Lams stated commitment to protecting the rights of Hong Kong residents, and call on authorities to ensure due process, Pompeo said on Friday, referring to the citys leader Carrie Lam. He added that there has been scant information about their case and the official charges against them. A spokesperson at Chinese foreign ministrys Hong Kong office, without naming Pompeo, responded with strong disapproval in a statement on Saturday and demanded that the U.S. politicians immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and Chinas internal affairs. In Hong Kong, the families of the detained activists appeared at a press conference on Saturday in their first public appeal. Donning hats and masks to shield their identity, some tearful and sobbing, they pleaded for their detained relatives to be allowed to consult lawyers of their choice and for a chance to talk with them. The youngest being held is 16. Several also need medication, including one with asthma and skin allergies, the relatives said. These 20 days were very tough for us, said mother of 29-year-old arrestee Li Tsz-yin. I dont know if hes safe or alive, she said, adding that she hopes authorities could soon provide more information about whats going on and allow the activists to return to Hong Kong. Asked earlier this week by reporters on whether the government will seek to bring back the detainees from mainland, Lam said that if they were arrested for breaching mainland offenses, then they have to be dealt with according to the mainland laws. Lawyers Threatened A number of mainland Chinese lawyers hired by the activists families said that Chinese officials have warned them to stay off the case. Ren Quanniu, a human rights lawyer from central Chinas Henan Province, said that the Zhongyuan District Judicial Bureau in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, called him twice on Sept. 9 demanding him to withdraw from the case, going so far as to accuse him of not being patriotic. It was as if our lives were at stake. They made it sound really scary, Ren said, according to Hong Kong reports. He did not relent to the officials pressure. Ren said that the Hongkongers are likely to face charges for illegally crossing the border, but added that the allegations could change. Another lawyer hired by the families, Lu Siwei, from southwestern Sichuan Province, said he was denied a meeting with his client because the authorities had chosen another two lawyers for the detained activist. An official from Sichuans judicial bureau told Lu that this was a significant case for maintaining social stability and was overseen by the central government, Lu told Hong Kong media. The Yantian Detention Center in the southern city of Shenzhen, where the activists are held, similarly denied lawyer Ji Zhongjiu, of eastern Chinas Zhejiang Province, from visiting Li. An official from the center claimed over the phone that Li had appointed two lawyers on his own, andl hung up on Ji when he tried to seek further information. At least three Shenzhen-based lawyers hired by the families have been forced by authorities to withdraw from the cases, Hong Kong media reported. James To, a Hong Kong lawyer and local Democratic Party legislator, said that these detained activists legal right to representation has been undermined. Its very unusual that the mainland lawyers appointed by their relatives, their family members, are persuaded to withdraw from those cases, he said at the news conference where the relatives appeared. When deadly wildfires tinted Western skies a Martian hue this week, homeowners with their own rooftop solar systems were able to tell with great precision just how much useful sunlight reached them through the gloom: next to none. Wednesday was the worst generation day, ever, said Mary Holstege, a retired software engineer in Cupertino, California, who went solar a year ago. Her system, which puts out 40 kilowatt-hours a day in the summer, barely dribbled out 1.65 maybe enough to dry a load of laundry. Others fared worse. Bentham Paulos, an energy policy consultant in Berkeley, called the solar power system hes had for 10 years extremely predictable every single day, except this week. On Wednesday he peaked at about 12 watts, or enough to light one LED bulb, and it went away, he said. The solar blackouts highlight a cruel irony of life amid Californias climate crisis: Over the last few years, homeowners began investing in rooftop systems and batteries to hedge against intentional power outages aimed at preventing wildfires. But now some blazes have become so large, theyre effectively shutting down the solar. A worst-case wildfire scenario could reduce annual solar-energy production from affected installations by as much as 2%, according to Dan Whitten, spokesman for the Solar Energy Industries Association. We take any lapse in solar performance very seriously, he said, but the longer term and more serious implications of this environmental devastation are much more alarming and need to be addressed, in part by stronger clean-energy policies. Its not the first time a wildfire-stricken region has seen solar power misbehave, and far from the last. During the Australian bushfires that began last year, months of intense smoke resulted in decreased and harder-to-predict generation from the countrys rooftop-solar fleet, said Will Edmonds, a Sydney-based analyst at BloombergNEF. But this had little impact on customers losing power. Most can still draw needed electricity from the grid. In fact, several rapidly deployable solar and storage systems were used to restore power to critical infrastructure in some of the worst-affected regions, Edmonds said in an email. So far, theres no sign that smoky skies will erode interest in residential power and in fact, the fires and recent utility blackouts may be creating more demand. SunPower Corp. on Wednesday generated more appointments with potential new customers than all but two other days in a three-year-old sales initiative. We see more people saying, We need to do something,' Chief Executive Officer Tom Werner said in an interview. The bigger root cause theyre worried about is the fires themselves and their impact on their power supply. Solar companies have boasted that residential systems, coupled with battery storage, can make homes more resilient amid storms and power shutoffs. What happened this week doesnt necessarily undermine the case for solar-plus-storage as a form of backup, Logan Goldie-Scot, a San Francisco-based BNEF analyst, said in an email. A climate-resilient system would also have multiple layers to ensure that the power stays on. In California, the size and extent of utility-scale solar operations cushioned hits to the overall system, with the loss of production in northern parts of the state offset by slightly clearer skies in the south. Still, solar production across the state clocked in at 9 gigawatts at noon on Wednesday, lower than on that date last year, according to data from the grid operator. Scientists understand that climate change is making wildfires worse. The amount of land burned in the Western U.S. has doubled over the last generation, and fire season is two months longer than it used to be. Extreme temperaturesglobal warmings calling carddry out vegetation, which is exactly what happened before lightning-ignited fires last month. I am used to thinking about October as fire season, said Holstege, the software engineer. But now we seem to have a nine-month fire season instead. Given that we have already seen this year, and an very afraid for what real fire season will bring us. In addition to investing in solar, some, like Paulos, are seeking clean-energy policies that address the root problem of global warming. A member of the Berkeley Energy Commission, he pushed for the city to stand up a ballot measure in November that would establish a dedicated fund for its climate action plan, inspired by similar initiatives in Boulder, Colorado, and Portland, Oregon. This week, he said, made the need for such funding obvious to all. Im looking at the sky this week and the air, and thinking we dont need to advertise for this ballot measure, he said. We just need to tell people to look out the window. (Adds quote in third paragraph from the end. ) 12.09.2020 LISTEN "I am too old and too dead that anyone would be able to put shame on me and not listen to the truth that I can see with my very own spiritual eyes even from down under, from my grave. I see every corner of this country...rest assured on that aspect," looked Kwame straight into the eyes of his German friend. He continued his short lecture and said: "Once they sit in parliament all their focus is on portraying themselves as honest people, smiling at Ghanaians very well and telling them sweet lies into their hungry stomachs so that these stomachs get filled and anger will be cooled down. Only when time passes the Ghanaians ware waking up to realize they have been fooled for all those years...and years are gone and past, future of the past never comes back, opportunities missed. But for these people giving out contracts, rewarding them to family and friend, to close allies that behind the scene can cover up for them that they take their share to Switzerland into their secret bank accounts or to Jersey and establish private companies there for which the state, in the end, will have to foot the bill and pay all expenses once something is going wrong. Going corner and corner and corner for their own family welfare instead of the nation...that is the black mentality of our politicians. The once saying now that once they would be in parliament would not be part of our corrupt system...I have great doubts. When you hear the voices of the young once to change our nation for the better...as they grow older, they will change and follow their forefathers. As regards to me, I do not have much trust in such voices. They lack so much to make an effective change and vital make-over of our motherland Ghana. They have, like their fathers, sweet words for our people but no action plan, no new constitution draft, no concept of how a new Ghana should look like. Where is the big book with many pages to show future Ghana? I do not see anything like that. And as long as the call for the youth to take over is there and they proclaim themselves as the honest new leader of Ghana but have no concept that shows the alternative in all its details, that also brings the people together with a clear responsibility to hear Ministries and institutions etc., no written volume for a revised law system and what have you not. No, these sweet and nice words spoken and written in short, short articles and notes...that will never make a new Ghana. They are not a serious alternative." "You sound very depressed, my very good friend, " saw Mr Karl Doctor Kwame Nkrumah close to tears. "these short while that we are sitting here together...I think I start to love you even I saw many things around that you were responsible for and which I do not agree with." "When we are dead and gone...we all know better!" "Kwame...I know that, and I also do not see myself as the man with ultimate answers, only someone that tries to do his best to the best he knows of." "That`s it...my best friend. That`s it. We have had a good mind, a clean heart, a great vision, the power to fight for our people against a small group inside our society that does not want to change and move ahead but benefits from the wrongdoings in a society," was Doctor Kwame Nkrumah close to crying in tears. "Each night, believe me, Karl, I turn around and around in my grave...I can hardly sleep. The more nonsense my spiritual eyes can see, the less I can rest in perfect peace!" "You turn around in your grave...always when you see the nonsense here," repeated Mr Karl trying through the metal rods to hold Doctor Kwame Nkrumah close in his arms and give him rest. He appreciated the warm help of his German friend and knew how to honour it. He gave him a big smile. "Are you disappointed to see this nonsense, and do you regret what you did?" "As I said before, the open door was there...and we had to walk through no matter what. That what happened would happen...by no means would I have ever imagined it. Ghana should be far ahead of its current situation and make a very positive contribution to the African development and unity as a great raw model for change, but it lacks everything to fill that role...everything. In that regard it is still a naughty infant...that is all I can say to it." "Is Ghana going backwards even?" "The tendency is there to judge our nation in that form...and it saddens my heart, my friend," said Kwame with tears in his eyes. Mr Karl gave him comfort by holding his hands and saying that God never allows any development to end. All he does is to put it on hold. Weak and insecure leaders can kill other politicians, no problem, but once God had set his mind on the victory, he will bring another person time down the line to finish the job. An idea does not depend on a particular individual but on the decision, God is taking to make a certain development come to pass, sooner or later. "You are a true friend indeed, Karl," smiled Kwame and dried his tears. "We need someone like you...always!" "Malcom, I am glad you could make it and give me few minutes to talk," was Nana Kwabena Adom breathless entering the President`s Office in Flagstaff House. "Things are getting serious." President Malcom Osei asked his Assistant to leave both alone and not to return unless he asked him to do so saying to his political counterpart in opposition: "I guess you are right, we need to do something about our future!" What would America be like today if President Trump had acted decisively in January to tackle the coronavirus, as soon as he was briefed on the danger? One opportunity for decisive action came Jan. 28, when his national security adviser, Robert C. OBrien, told Trump that the coronavirus will be the biggest national security threat you face in your presidency. Trump absorbed the warning, telling Bob Woodward days later how deadly and contagious the virus could be, according to Woodwards new book, Rage. Yet the president then misled the public by downplaying the virus, comparing it to the flu and saying that it would go away. He resisted masks, sidelined experts, held large rallies, denounced lockdowns and failed to get tests and protective equipment ready and here we are, with Americans constituting 4 percent of the worlds population and 22 percent of Covid-19 deaths. The California Employment Development Department is taking steps to combat a sharp increase in suspected unemployment fraud that will require some people filing for benefits to jump through additional hoops to get paid. On Thursday, EDD said it will no longer automatically backdate Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims to the date a person said they lost work and will limit multiple claims at the same address. Other states have been combating unemployment fraud for months. As early as May, the Secret Service warned about a sophisticated international crime ring, likely emanating from Nigeria, targeting state employment systems. Criminals may be using identity information stolen in past hacks to file unemployment claims in the names of real people, many of whom are still employed. The EDD reported that between January and June, about 60% of the mail it sent out seeking additional information to verify a claimants identity was returned. That response rate dropped significantly to 15% in July and 9% in August indicating a strong suspicion of recent fraud that will go unpaid since the EDD will not receive the necessary documents on these claims to prove identity, it said in a news release. Many people across the state have received mail from EDD at their home addressed to strangers. On the flip side, some who were approved for unemployment said their Bank of America debit cards loaded with benefits were sent to the wrong address. Lena Emmery, who lives in San Francisco but owns a property with two small homes in San Rafael, received about a dozen letters addressed to a lot of different names at the two homes about a month ago when they were vacant. It was very mysterious, she said. We just crossed out the name and put it back in the mailbox. About three weeks ago, Don Scordino, president of the Fresno Association of Realtors, received three letters from EDD at a vacant home he had listed. He verified with the owners that they had no connection with the addressees, and returned them to the mail carrier, who said, This is happening a lot. Scordino asked other Fresno Realtors if they had this experience and I was amazed at how many other people responded with, Yeah, we have been seeing this. One agent said at a house he was showing, there were about six letters that had been brought inside. The next day, there was a broken window and the letters were gone. Another agent said 67 letters from EDD arrived at a house she was showing. We got pictures. There were 10 different names, none related to ownership, he said. I didnt open any of the envelopes, but about half felt like they had a debit card on them. Marc Dickow, president of the San Francisco Association of Realtors, said he got about 20 letters addressed to a vacant home he had listed on Dolores Street, all addressed to a person the owner didnt know. He said other San Francisco agents have gotten them at their listings. Many people living in their homes have also received EDD mail addressed to strangers, said Alisha Gallon, a spokeswoman for Assemblyman Jim Patterson, R-Fresno. Dave Robertson contacted Pattersons office on behalf of his 19-year-old son Forrest, who filed for unemployment at the end of April after he lost work as a mechanic at the shop where he was working as an independent contractor. At the end of August, he got a letter saying he was awarded benefits, which included Forrests full name and Social Security number. We waited about 10 days, contacted EDD, which is damn near impossible, Dave Robertson said. They said, The information you are giving us doesnt line up with what we have. What happened was that sometime between Aug. 19 and 31, someone had jumped into their system or something and absconded with his information, changed his mailing address, email address, phone number, dropped the middle initial out of his name. The debit card went to somebody here in Fresno and they had already cleared $14,876 in funds. Robertson went to the Fresno police, which referred him to the county sheriffs office, which took a report but didnt promise to investigate. EDD also told him there is nothing we can do about it, Dave Robertson said. Bank of America told him to report the issue to a BofA fraud number. Patterson, in an email, said, Its the EDDs job to have systems in place that provide timely and accurate benefits to Californians while at the same time protecting their identity. Theyve failed at all three. The first thing they can do is stop sending peoples full Social Security numbers through the mail. Californias spike in suspected fraud coincided with a sharp increase in claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a federal program for self-employed and other people who cant get state unemployment. The EDD was receiving an average of 200,000 new PUA claims per week in July through mid-August. Over the past three weeks, new PUA claims jumped from 223,000 to 345,000 to 524,000. PUA is more susceptible to fraud than regular state unemployment. When laid-off employees file for state unemployment, the EDD can verify their claim against payroll records and their former employer. But there are no payroll records for self-employed people; claimants merely have to self-certify they lost work because of the coronavirus. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes On May 26, the inspector general for the U.S. Department of Labor warned that a states reliance on self-certifications alone to ensure eligibility for PUA will lead to increased improper payments and fraud. Also, when someone qualifies for state unemployment, their benefits begin the week they applied, even if they got laid off earlier. Those who want an earlier start date must contact the EDD, which is no small task. By comparison, when someone qualifies for PUA, their benefits begin the week they said they lost work because of the coronavirus, which could be as far back as Feb. 2, regardless of when they apply. The EDD had been paying retroactive PUA benefits automatically to anyone who qualified. All unemployment benefits for weeks from April through July included an extra $600 per week in federal assistance. On Thursday, the EDD said it is no longer automatically backdating new PUA claims in order to stop perpetrators from targeting earlier months when federal stimulus payments were available. It added that legitimate PUA claimants who believe their claim should be backdated should contact EDD. They can submit an inquiry online by going to https://askedd.edd.ca.gov and using the drop-down menus to select Unemployment Insurance Benefits, then Claim Questions, then Backdate the Effective Date of my Claim Due to COVID-19. Or they can call EDD at 833-978-2511 or 800-300-5616. It also said it has shut down multiple claim situations (at a single address) following key identified patterns. These situations are believed to be fraud, and scammers will often try to intercept, redirect or gather mail associated with these claims. In an email, EDD spokeswoman Loree Levy said, There are legitimate cases of multiple workers at the same address who dont fall into such patterns and those will continue. EDD stressed that it will not send representatives to your home and asked anyone who receives EDD mail that doesnt pertain to you to send it to EDD, P.O. Box 826880, MIC 43, Sacramento, CA 94280-0225. Alternatively, you can write Return to Sender on the envelope and give it to your mail carrier. Envelopes that may contain debit cards have a return address in Tennessee. Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender New Delhi: The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr VG Somani on Friday ordered the pharma giant Serum Institute of India (SII) to suspend any new recruitment in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine till further orders. This DCGI`s orders come soon after Serum Institute submitted their reply to Dr Somani giving an explanation on the show cause notice issued to the drugmaker as to why they did not halt the ongoing clinical trial of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 coronavirus vaccine candidate till doubts about patient safety are cleared. On September 9, ANI first reported that DCGI issued a show-cause notice to Serum Institute for not pausing the ongoing clinical trial of the COVID-19 vaccine. The apex drug controller issued a show-cause notice 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.In an order issued on Friday, a copy of which is with ANI, the drugs regulator has said: "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 Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) in India, in the 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 phase 2 and 3 clinical trials till further orders." "Increase the safety monitoring of the subjects already vaccinated with the vaccine under trial and submit the plan and report. Submit clearance from DSMB, UK and DSMB, India to obtain clearance from this office prior to the resumption of future recruitment in the trial," read the order. "You (SII) have submitted your reply to the show cause notice vide your letter dated September 10. In your reply you have 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," it read. Further DSMB 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 concern, stated DCGI`s order. On Thursday, Serum Institute of India issued a statement: "We are reviewing the situation and pausing India trials till AstraZeneca restarts the trials. We are following DCGI`s instructions." The country`s 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. SACRAMENTO California will no longer require young adults to register as sex offenders for having anal or oral sex with a minor, eliminating a disparity in the states statutory rape laws that critics said unfairly targeted gay people. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB145 without comment on Friday, giving judges discretion over sex-offender registration in cases involving a teenager ages 14 to 17 and an adult who is less than 10 years older. It takes effect on Jan. 1. Current law allows a judge to decide whether to place a man who has vaginal intercourse with an underage teenage girl on the sex offender registry based on the facts of the case. But if anal or oral sex, or vaginal penetration with anything other than a penis, is involved, the adult is automatically registered as a sex offender a relic of a penal code that criminalized those acts until 1975, even between consenting adults. The California Supreme Court upheld the legal difference in 2015, arguing that because vaginal intercourse can lead to pregnancy, forcing a father to register as a sex offender would subject him to social stigmatization that could make it difficult to find a job and support his child. Under SB145 all sex acts would be treated the same. Though minors cannot legally consent, the law is meant to prevent sex-offender registration for voluntary relationships in which there is only a small age difference involved. LGBTQ rights groups warn that young people are vulnerable to unfair punishment for gay and lesbian relationships, especially when their families do not approve. I am so grateful that Governor Newsom one of the LGBTQ communitys strongest allies ever once again has shown that hes willing to support our community even when its hard, state Sen. Scott Wiener, the San Francisco Democrat who carried the bill, said in a statement. And make no mistake: the politics here are hard, with the massive Trump, QAnon, and MAGA misinformation campaign against the legislation. The bill generated national controversy in recent weeks, with the presidents son, Donald Trump, Jr., and other prominent Republican politicians warning their followers that California Democrats were pandering to pedophiles. Wiener reported received thousands of homophobic and anti-Semitic death threats from conspiracy theorists online. Despite claims by some opponents, the law does not legalize pedophilia, nor does it cover forcible sex. It is supported by organizations representing district attorneys and police chiefs as a way to keep people convicted of less-serious crimes off the sex offender database. Many law enforcement agencies say that, with about 100,000 registers offenders, the list has become too large to fulfill its purpose of tracking potential predators. Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @akoseff By Trend As many as 2,139 people have been infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours in Iran, said Sima Sadat Lari, spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Trend reports citing the ministry. According to Sadat Lari, 116 more people have died from the coronavirus over the past day. Sadat Lari added that the condition of 3,768 people is critical. The official said that Iran's Tehran, Mazandaran, Gilan, Qom, Isfahan, Razavi Khorasan, East Azerbaijan, Kerman, North Khorasan, Semnan, Yazd, Zanjan, and Qazvin provinces are considered 'red' zones. So far, more than 3.53 million tests have been conducted in Iran for the diagnosis of coronavirus. Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 399,900 people have been infected, and 23,029 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 344,500 have reportedly recovered from the disease. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease. The Islamic Republic only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19. The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz When I do disaster presentations these days I title them, "No one is coming to help." This is especially true for multi-state regional disasters like a Cascadia earthquake fault rupture, or for today -- wildfires on the West Coast.California, Oregon and Washington are all dealing with widlfires internal to their own states. Mutual aid from neighboring fire authorities are not available due to their having to fight fires in their own districts. Some resources were shared with California early in this firestorm, but those have largely been recalled to their own states. Other states to the east are having their own wildfires and we are entering the peak wildfire season (yes, we will see even more risk in the next couple of months).California has gotten some international help from as far away as Australia and Israel. But those numbers are few.The National Guard in each state is contributing what they can, and the last resource available are active duty troops who are not trained firefighters, but can help in areas that are being mopped up.Records continue to fall in what is shaping up to be an unprecedented fire season -- as four out of the last five in California have been. Candle cubes, e35 each or e95 for set of 3, colinharris.ie Eco-friendly, ethical and local - Sophie Donaldson rounds up some of the most covetable pieces for your home from Irish brands with a conscience. Expand Close Nesting bowls, price tbc, helenfaulknerceramics.com / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Nesting bowls, price tbc, helenfaulknerceramics.com Designed and made by Helen Faulkner, a Belfast-based pottery maker, these ceramic nesting bowls are cleverly designed to be narrow and deep, which allows for more space on food-laden table tops. Buy: Nesting bowls, 185 for set of 4, helenfaulknerceramics.com Expand Close Le Corb study desk, e299, homesweethome.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Le Corb study desk, e299, homesweethome.ie From restored barber chairs to doors repurposed as chic screen dividers, theres an eclectic collection of upcycled furniture to be found at this sustainable homewares shop. This slim, foldable desk has been created from reclaimed wood and finished with a pop of cornflower blue paint. Buy: Le Corb study desk, 299, homestreethome.ie This vibrant vase, made from recycled glass, requires an equally colourful bouquet. Find it in Article, a wonderfully curated homeware and decor boutique in Dublins historic Powerscourt Townhouse shopping centre. Buy: Recycled glass vase, 32, article.ie Industry is a haven for interiors lovers located on Dublins buzzy Drury Street. It sells a range of unique homewares and furniture, as well as sourcing one-of-a-kind vintage pieces like this reclaimed cabinet. Buy: Vintage cabinet, 825, industryandco.com Expand Close Tweed throw by Eddie Doherty, e250, irishdesignshop.com / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tweed throw by Eddie Doherty, e250, irishdesignshop.com Cosy up in this tweed throw by Eddie Doherty, a master weaver from Donegal who works on a hand loom to create classic soft furnishings. Buy: Tweed throw, 250, irishdesignshop.com Expand Close Terrazzo Clock from e70.00, heybulldogdesign.com / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Terrazzo Clock from e70.00, heybulldogdesign.com Hey, Bulldog! Design creates playful homewares from its Dublin studio. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face, this clock is handpoured using Jesmonite, an eco-friendly alternative to plastics and resins. Buy: Jesmonite clock, from 70, heybulldogdesign.com Form meets function in this sleek, marble-topped side table handmade in Ireland by designers Edward Coveney and Esther Gerrard. The pair use natural, locally sourced materials to create their highly covetable furniture.Buy: Side table, made to order from 900, elementsofaction.net Expand Close Deirdre Breen designed in collaboartion with Ceadogan Rugs. Photo: Brid O'Donovan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Deirdre Breen designed in collaboartion with Ceadogan Rugs. Photo: Brid O'Donovan Ceadogan Rugs collaborate with Irish artists like James Early and Helen Steele to create striking floor coverings. Its manufacturing process is grounded in ethical practices and it only uses natural materials. Buy: Brainstorm rug designed by Deirdre Breen, from 1,885.00, ceadogan.ie Expand Close Candle cubes, e35 each or e95 for set of 3, colinharris.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Candle cubes, e35 each or e95 for set of 3, colinharris.ie These chic candle holders are by Dublin-based designer Colin Harris who uses locally-sourced hardwood that has been blown down or is destined to be firewood. Buy: Candle cubes, 35 each or 95 for set of 3, colinharris.ie The fringed edges of fabric are usually destined for the scrapheap during the manufacturing process, but these savvy Galway designers have instead used these off cuts to create a soft, textured cushion, from 100pc tartan wool. Buy: Cushion, 350, thetweedproject.com Bunny and Clyde are an Irish design company that create modern nursery pieces designed to be future heirlooms. Their design ethos is centred around sustainability, using only Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood, which ensures it is ethically sourced and harvested. Buy: Rosaline rocking chair, from 1,590, bunnyandclyde.ie Add some old-world glamour to your walls with an antique gilded mirror. Find is an eclectic homewares boutique in Dublins Temple Bar, specialising in pre-loved and reworked furniture and homewares. A proper treasure trove for vintage magpies. Buy: Antique mirror, 135, findonline.ie Expand Close Large jug, e50, arranstreeteast.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Large jug, e50, arranstreeteast.ie The humble water jug has been elevated to lust-worthy status with this hand-thrown stoneware piece from Dublin-based makers Arran St East Buy: Large jug, 50, arranstreeteast.ie The Store Room in Laois creates unique, industrial-style furniture from reclaimed materials, and also stocks original vintage items. Buy: Cast iron stool, 135, thestoreroom.ie Expand Close Forager table lamp in Irish yew, e190, copperfish.ie Art Director: Kasia Ozmin Photographer: Eoghan Hanrahan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Forager table lamp in Irish yew, e190, copperfish.ie Art Director: Kasia Ozmin Photographer: Eoghan Hanrahan Copperfish Studio is a lighting firm based in Wicklow. They create unique, one-off lamps and lights using salvaged, reclaimed and storm-fallen timber which gives each beautiful piece its own character. Buy: Forager table lamp in Irish yew, 190, copperfish.ie Three humpback whales have been spotted in a crocodile-infested river in the Northern Territory for the first time. The pod of whales entered the East Alligator River in Kakadu National Park earlier this week and while the others have now left, one has remained in the river. Park staff and scientists have blocked off the area to boats and are hoping the whale will swim back out to sea but may have to intervene if required. Three humpback whales entered the East Alligator River in Kakadu National Park earlier this week An exclusion zone (pictured) to stop boats entering has now been put in place from the mouth of the East Alligator River to a point approximately 30km upstream In a statement, Parks Australia said the sighting of whales in the river is 'a very unusual event'. 'As far as were aware, this is the first time this has happened,' the statement read. 'The (remaining) whale is not in distress at the moment and it is not an emergency situation. The best case scenario is for the whale to make its way back out to sea.' An exclusion zone to stop boats entering has now been put in place from the mouth of the East Alligator River to a point approximately 30km upstream. 'The last thing we want is a collision between a boat and whale in waters where crocodiles are prevalent and visibility underwater is zero,' the statement read. 'We also dont want boats to inadvertently force the whale further up the river.' The whale is pictured swimming in the river, which Parks Australia said is 'a very unusual event' and the 'first time this has happened' Kakadu National Park staff are monitoring the remaining whale and gathering data. An expert working group of scientists has also been set up to monitor the whale and prepare plans for intervention if required. 'Kakadu National Park and NT Government scientists will continue to monitor the whale in the coming days,' the statement read. 'We appreciate that this is a very unusual and exciting event, however, our priority at present is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of visitors and the whale.' Cambodians have greeted the death earlier this month (September 2) of the 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. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is seen at Wall Street in New York City on Aug. 3, 2020. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) Wall Street Doubles Down on China Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty News Analysis The largest Wall Street banks and fund managers are stepping up their presence in China, even as tensions between Beijing and Washington are escalating. U.S. asset managers are making moves to establish a beachhead. BlackRock, the worlds biggest asset manager, has received Beijings approval to set up a Chinese venture in partnership with China Construction Bank and Temasek, Singapores sovereign wealth fund. Meanwhile, Vanguard, a major U.S. passive investment manager, said in August that it would relocate its Asia headquarters to Shanghai from Hong Kong. U.S. banks JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup also have announced plans to establish fund management divisions in China. Regarding securities firms, investment bank Goldman Sachs plans to take full ownership of its Chinese securities joint venture, according to mainland business magazine Caixin. While it currently owns 51 percent of Goldman Sachs Gao Hua Securities Co. Ltd., plans are to buy out its domestic partner, according to those with knowledge of the information. Other banks with majority (51 percent or more) ownership of their Chinese ventures include Japans Nomura Holdings, Switzerlands Credit Suisse and UBS, and United States Morgan Stanley. The moves by Wall Street investment managers and banks come as Beijing takes steps toward opening its extensive but heavily protected capital markets and financial services industry. Beijing first announced in 2017 that it would allow majority foreign ownership in financial services firms, and in July 2019, said that it would take away all limits on foreign ownership in 2020 related to brokerage, securities, and insurance companies. But Wall Street banks and investment managers are rushing into China even amid growing political and trade tensions ahead of the U.S. presidential election. This year, the Trump Administration has put the U.S.China relationship under additional scrutiny. The United States imposed sanctions on Huawei and a group of other Chinese companies with military and government ties, and stepped up efforts to eliminate regulation loopholes available to Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges. China has become an opponent to the United States on key fronts such as international trade, technology, and ideology. A Welcome Mat Why is China liberalizing its financial industry now? For one, its mandated by the phase one U.S.China trade deal published in January. One of the stipulations states that China must remove all foreign ownership limits on its securities, fund management, and futures industries and remove any discriminatory restrictions. One of the areas the Trump Administration has put pressure on Beijing is regarding reciprocity of market access. Besides financial services, Trump has most recently focused on the lack of media reciprocity by placing restrictions on Chinese media activities in the country. Chinese media are able to freely publish and disseminate their viewpoints in the United States, while U.S. media entities have no such freedom in China. China also needs to court investment to maintain its U.S. dollar supply. Chinese firms have almost $2 trillion in dollar-denominated debt outstanding that they need to service using U.S. dollars. And Chinese banks have been running out of dollars since 2019, as initially reported by The Wall Street Journal. While the Peoples Bank of China has $3.2 trillion in foreign exchange reserves as of August 2020 and can intervene if needed, the veracity of that amount has been questioned by some researchers. Weighing Risks, Benefits There are numerous risks for Wall Street firms seeking to operate in China. The recent snag in ByteDances pending sale of TikTok is a prime example of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intervention. Beijing may scuttle a divestiture deal, which ultimately may complete the destruction of TikToks valuation (which was begun by the Trump Administration). Seeing investors such as Sequoia Capital and KKR faced with a large write-off, will other investors be reluctant to invest in the next hot Chinese startup? Corruption is another potential landmine, one which Wall Street banks have already touched off. In 2016, JPMorgan was fined by U.S. regulators for its so-called sons and daughters program, hiring relatives of CCP officials in order to win business for its Chinese subsidiaries. It was a black eye for JPMorgan and other global banks that ran similar plans in hopes of currying favor with local officials. Can wholly owned subsidiaries of foreign financial firms compete effectively going forward? There are also ESG (environmental, social, governance) issues and other concerns that have taken on added significance for investors. A Chinese banks main clients are domestic Chinese companies, many of which have dubious ownership structures and governance issues. And kowtowing to the CCPa regime with a horrendous human rights recordin exchange for market access wont be accretive to a banks ESG marks. Walt Disney Co.s recent Mulan debacle is the latest reminder that doing business in China carries significant reputational risks. Assuming the Chinese ventures eventually will make a profit for the parent company, repatriation of cash often is a challenge for multinationals operating in China. Beijing maintains strict foreign capital controls, which means funds flowing into and out of China are heavily scrutinized. In addition to taxes and other prerequisites, companies face additional difficulties when paying dividends to the parent. But given the legal and compliance resources available to Wall Street firms its likely a costlybut ultimately solvableissue. At the end of the day, the CCP, when it counts, can skew laws to protect local securities firms. Whats the benefit? A slice of Chinas $45 trillion financial services sector, and the fees associated with arranging debt and equity raises, investment management, and mergers and acquisitions advisory. Wall Street is counting on its name brand and vast experience to take market share quickly. Companies are making a long-term bet that future growth in the industry will likely come from the East, not the West. And if the CCP collapses in the future, that trend would only accelerate and some of these risks could go away. It may be a valid strategy, albeit with high degrees of uncertainty and risk in the near term. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 17:47:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press briefing in Washington D.C., the United States, on March 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Does Washington want to maintain peace in the region, or does it just intend to turn the South China Sea into a geopolitical wrestling ground for its own interests? Washington's coercion tactics against ASEAN are not likely to work. The ASEAN countries share collective sentiments that stability and development are of vital importance to the region. MANILA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Washington has never stopped making waves in the South China Sea. In its latest malicious move, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, when meeting with his counterparts of Southeast Asian countries, accused Beijing of "aggressive campaigns" in the region and asked ASEAN countries to ban Chinese companies "helping build islands." Pompeo's China-bashing and impudent pressure on ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries only exposed his own intention to stir up troubles in the South China Sea and to sow discord between China and its neighbors, which will find no support nor succeed. While trying to portray China's action as "aggressive" in the South China Sea, the United States itself is the most dangerous factor fueling militarization and stoking tensions in the region. Facts speak for themselves. The United States, tens of thousands of miles away from the South China Sea, has sent nearly 3,000 sorties of military aircraft to the region in the first half of 2020. The PLA air force planes are seen conducting training exercises, Nov. 19, 2017. (Xinhua/Chen Liang) And despite the unfettered passage of tens of thousands of commercial ships via the waterways every year, Washington sent aircraft carriers and other warships here more than 60 times between January and June under the pretext of protecting "freedom of navigation." People cannot help but wonder the true intentions of U.S. muscle-flexing here. Does Washington want to maintain peace in the region, or does it just intend to turn the South China Sea into a geopolitical wrestling ground for its own interests? Washington's coercion tactics against ASEAN are not likely to work. Earlier this month, Philippine presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte had already rejected calls to halt infrastructure projects involving Chinese firms blacklisted by the United States. Roque said Duterte "clearly said that he would not kowtow to the directives of the Americans because we are a free and independent country, and we need the investors from China." The Philippines' position reflects the collective sentiments of ASEAN countries that stability and development are of vital importance to the region. In recent years, China and ASEAN countries have shown willingness and wisdom to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea and their efforts have yielded positive outcomes. Aerial photo taken on April 15, 2019 shows the Alliance Steel at the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park in Pahang, Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) Last year, China and ASEAN countries finished the first reading of the Code of Conduct (COC) Single Draft Negotiating Text ahead of schedule, an important step toward reaching an agreement. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, both sides have been working together to push forward negotiations. Defying the pandemic's economic shock, China's trade with ASEAN countries rose 7 percent to reach 2.93 trillion yuan (428 billion U.S. dollars) during the January-August period. China, ASEAN and some other regional partners are currently working toward the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement within this year as planned. In the future, ASEAN countries will see their trade with China even more prosperous. A peaceful South China Sea is to benefit all regional countries, while a troubled South China Sea would only serve Washington's selfish interests. If Washington really cares about peace and stability in the South China Sea and the development interests of regional countries, it should immediately stop any interference or muscle flexing and learn to respect the rights and wishes of relevant countries. Members of the Doneraile Drama Society will be dressed up in period costume as famous (and infamous) historical characters from the area and posing to have their portraits done during Culture Night Now a staple on the Irish events calendar, Culture Night has been proven to be instrumental in inspiring individual communities to shine the spotlight on the wide, varied and fascinating cultural heritage that has made Ireland the envy of other countries across the globe. On the evening of Friday, September 18, people will be able to immerse themselves in a programme of events and be part of a very special evening celebrating culture, creativity and the arts in all their forms. Just like many other planned events, Cork County Culture Night has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, organisers were determined that it would go ahead and have put together a 're-imagined' programme of physical and virtual events incorporating interactive online stories, aerial dance performances, concerts, tours and demonstrations. "Culture Night will share a hybrid programme of digital and physical events across a range of platforms, continuing to champion the Culture Night legacy as a night of shared cultural experiences - making culture free and accessible to all," said Cork County Culture Night ambassador, Charleville playwright Katie Holly. "For the first time ever, audiences in County Cork, of all ages, here and abroad, can seek out culture at home or in their locality. All one has to do is tune in and turn up." As in previous years, North Cork will have an abundance of events offering people of all ages an opportunity to immerse themselves in our history and culture and rekindle their love of all things Cork. In addition to the online broadcast of Katie Holly's new play 'Crosswords' the full programme will incorporate music, dance, visual art, reading, talks, and tours. In Fermoy, the Blackwater Valley Makers will feature '2 Metres Apart' an online series of photographic portraits taken by Lorna McDonald over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic; and 'Playing With Time', a collection of images showing what local children have been 'making, baking and dreaming up' over recent months, presented as s slide show with a specially commission soundtrack by Duncan O Cleirigh. The Mallow Camera Club will hold an online exhibition of images, the 'Heart Remembers' initiative, featuring hand-crocheted hearts for each person in Ireland that has died from COVID-19. This will be launched at the parish church in Doneraile, and the Doneraile 'Art For The Heart' project will be offering people the chance to have their own caricature picture done by Clonakilty artist James O'Donovan. Kelly's Bar in Kanturk will host 'McDonagh Is Dead', a work in progress by playwright Aidan O'Keeffe about people 'on the make, on the edge and on the run'; and the Schoolyard Theatre in Charleville will host Katie Holly's short comedy 'Pageant'. For full details of these and other events taking place across North Cork on Culture Night, follow the links at www.culturenightcorkcounty.ie. China warned US not to interfere with its relations with India With no sign of disengagement along LAC by China, Delhi pins hopes on diplomacy Outcome of Indo-China meet: Disengage, maintain distance along LAC, continue dialogue India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 12: India and China have announced that their troops should continue dialogue and quickly disengage along the Line of Actual Control. During the meeting between External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, it was decided that the troops should maintain proper distance and also ease tensions. The foreign ministers of India and China underlined the importance of disengagement at the Line of Actual Control as the first step towards de-escalation of tensions. Former ISRO chief explains the importance of space assets in India-China standoff 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. 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. 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. Aggressive PLA behaviour along LAC shows complete disregard for protocols: India tells China 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. Not willing to cede an inch: How Indian Armys stand along the LAC changed since May 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 11:24:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The China-Russia relations have become key forces of stability in a turbulent world, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Friday. Wang made the remarks at a joint press conference following a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has shown strong resilience against the backdrop that the COVID-19 epidemic has accelerated the world's profound changes unseen in a century, Wang said. Heads of state of the two countries have maintained strategic communication. This year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have had four phone conversations and exchanged letters multiple times, leading China-Russia relations from a strategic height to ride waves and move forward, Wang noted. At the beginning of this month, the two leaders exchanged congratulatory messages on the 75th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Facist War, demonstrating their firm resolution to safeguard the outcomes of the Second World War as well as international fairness and justice, sais Wang. The two countries have cooperated with each other in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in an effective and timely manner, he said, noting that Russia was the first country to send medical experts to China, and China has continuously provided Russia with support of anti-epidemic materials. Wang said the two countries have also forged an impregnable fortress against the "political virus" that poses even greater threat than the COVID-19 epidemic. International flights and cross-border cargo between the two countries remain unclogged even at the height of the epidemic, Wang said. The resumption rate of cooperation projects between the two sides has reached about 90 percent and the two sides are discussing measures to facilitate flows of personnels and freight, he added. Noting that bilateral cooperation has continued to yield positive results, Wang said over 1,000 projects will be held under the framework of China-Russia Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation. The two-way trade volume in the first eight months of this year stood roughly at the same level with last year, and the "China-Russia duo" of inter-connectivity has taken shape, which will further boost confidence in the prospect of China-Russia practical cooperation, he added. Enditem Under fire from various quarters for his comment that Rabindranath Tagore was "an outsider" in Shantiniketan, Visva-Bharati Vice-Chancellor Prof Bidyut Chakraborty on Friday apologised for the comment but insisted that it was misinterpreted. Tagore had founded Visva-Bharati in 1921 and it became a central university in 1951. Amid the row at Visva-Bharati over Poush Mela ground fencing, Chakraborty said in a statement on August 23 that Tagore had also come to Bolpur from outside to set up the institute. The VC's "outsider" reference was apparently aimed at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who said," Outsiders were present during the construction of the boundary wall on Poush Mela ground, an action not inconsonance with Tagore's ideals of education in the lap ofnature" "I do sincerely apologise if my use of the outsider word with respect to Tagore has hurt anyone's sentiment. I am deeply sorry. Yes, they are integral to Shantiniketan. And I had never meant anything else," Chakraborty told a news channel. A section of the faculty, the ashramites, past and present students of the institute objected to the VCs remark. "But if you examine my entire statement closely, you will see I had just referred to a historical and geographical fact. Rabindranath Tagore and (his father) Devendranath Tagorehad once stopped at this place many years back. They liked it and Shantiniketan came up afterwards," he said. "Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore was an outsider himself;had he not taken a liking to the area, Visva-Bharati wouldn'thave evolved," he had said in the statement. Chakraborty stood by his earlier comments that antisocial activities are being taken place on Poush Melaground and said, "We want the truth to come out. We demand an independent and impartial probe." Trouble had erupted at the central institute on August 17 after thousands of locals ransacked its property and tore down a gate to protest against the fencing work around Poushmela ground. Several people also vandalised the construction equipment on the ground. Visva Bharati has demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident and deployment of central forces on the campus while blaming a TMC MLA and some local ruling party leaders for the violence. Chakraborty alleged that his wife has been recently threatened by an unidentified motorcyclist when she went out of the campus to buy vegetables. Police said there was no complaint from the VC or his family in this regard. Asked about the charge that he is close to the BJP,the VC said "If anyone can substantiate it, I will do whatever that person will tell me. WARSAW, Poland (AP) The prime ministers of four central European countries said Friday that a new election should be held in Belarus to allow the country's voters to decide the course of its future. We all agree that Belarus should hold free elections so that the Belarusian nation can on its own and in a sovereign way determine their fate and future, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said after he hosted fellow Visegrad Group leaders at a meeting in Poland's eastern city of Lublin. Gearing up for a European Union summit later this month, Morawiecki and the prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary also called for all political prisoners to be freed in Belarus and proposed a plan of economic cooperation in the small business sector and in infrastructure to help the nation move forward economically. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said it was very important for the situation in Belarus to be discussed at the EU summit in Brussels on Sept. 24-25. Belarus has seen a month of street protests against the results of the countrys Aug. 9 presidential election, which is widely believed to have been rigged. Official results gave authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term with 80% of the vote, but protesters dispute the count and are demanding he step down after 26 years in office. Hungarian President Viktor Orban said that in addition to the economic plan for Belarus, a defense or military system should be worked out by the European Council, the EU's decision making body, in the coming weeks. He didn't specify what the security arrangement should be. Morawiecki added that some tested and proven mechanisms, which he didn't describe, will be proposed to help Belarus become a bridge between the East and the West. The four leaders also said that a new strategy should be discussed among all 27 EU members at the Brussels summit of how to best fight the spread of the coronavirus without more economic harm. Story continues We are waiting for initiatives and decisions by the European Commission, and we must act to minimize the effects of the pandemic, but we can't afford another lockdown, Slovakian Prime Minister Igor Matovic said. Orban said that fast-growing central Europe could be an engine of a pickup in the economy. We all suffer because of the coronavirus, but we also have all that growth potential and we should be confirming and strengthening it all the time, Orban said. Poland, the largest of the four and aspiring to take a leadership, currently holds the rotating presidency of the so-called Visegrad 4, central Europe's political and economic cooperation group. Boris Johnson is facing open revolt from Tory backbenchers over new lockdown restrictions in England limiting social gatherings to six people and introducing new Covid marshals to police compliance with distancing guidance. One former minister branded the tightening of rules absolutely grotesque, while another said: It is time for us to actually start living like a free people, not subjecting ourselves to constantly shifting legal requirements. Meanwhile, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle indicated his disappointment that the government had not provided an opportunity for MPs to debate the new rules before they become law in England on Monday. As with many previous lockdown restrictions, the new rule of six will simply be signed into law by health secretary Matt Hancock, without the need for a parliamentary vote. Reports suggest that senior Tories want younger children to be excluded from the maximum total of six members of two households permitted to meet, as they are in Scotland and Wales. Leaving them out of the tally would help larger families maintain social contacts and celebrate Christmas together, they argue. Tory former minister Steve Baker told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I think it is now time to say that this is not a fit legal environment for the British people. Its time to move to a voluntary system unless the Government can demonstrate otherwise. And 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 seems to me the effect of having Covid marshals will be to turn every public space in Britain into the equivalent of going through airport security where we are badgered and directed Im not willing to live like this. Conservative MP Sir Desmond Swayne said the new rules were absolutely grotesque. He told Times Radio: It is an intrusion into family life, to individual liberty, right of association and also were threatened with marshals in our streets. What powers are they going to have to direct us and order us to do things that wed otherwise not wish to do? All this is done without any debate in Parliament or any vote in Parliament. How has this happened in a democracy, that the Government can rule by order in this way without democratic restraint? Veteran Tory backbencher Sir Christopher Chope raised concerns in the House of Commons over the governments failure to lay draconian new Covid-19 regulations before Parliament. Raising a point of order, the Christchurch MP said: Im very concerned about the lack of opportunity for people, the public first of all, to see the text of these new regulations and Im also concerned about the continuing reluctance of the Government to give any opportunities to members to debate this. What we are talking about is the most draconian introduction of new restrictions on our liberty with criminal sanctions and we need to be made aware of whats happening and given the opportunity of debating it. The Speaker indicated his sympathy with Sir Christophers complaint as he responded: Can I say I share your disappointment as well. I think we should all be informed and the country should also know whats going on. UN registers sharp spike in Israeli demolitions of Palestinian houses Iran Press TV Friday, 11 September 2020 2:05 PM The United Nations (UN)'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says there has been a sharp increase in the number of Palestinian houses being demolished by Israel in the occupied West Bank during the coronavirus pandemic. "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 office said on Friday. "Sadly, demolitions during the period March-August 2020 left 442 Palestinians homeless, further exposing many to risks associated with the pandemic," it said. OCHA further said that in August alone, 205 Palestinians had been displaced, more than in any other single month since January 2017. The Israeli regime routinely demolishes Palestinian houses in the occupied West Bank, claiming that the structures have been built without permits, which are nearly impossible to obtain. They also sometimes order Palestinian owners to demolish their own houses or pay the costs of the demolition if they do not. Meanwhile, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Palestinian Territories Jamie McGoldrick warned that Israel's demolition of Palestinian houses during the pandemic would make the Palestinians more susceptible to health risks. "The destruction of property in an occupied territory is prohibited under international humanitarian law, unless absolutely necessary for military operations," McGoldrick said. "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," the UN official said. More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds. All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. The UN Security Council has condemned Israel's settlement activities in the occupied territories in several resolutions. Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address he new and highly accurate operation is being used to treat atrial fibrillation One million British patients with a racing heart condition that puts them at high risk of stroke could soon be offered super-fast surgery that slashes time on the operating table by a third. The new, highly accurate operation is being used to treat atrial fibrillation, in which heart nerves misfire, leading to a rapid, irregular pulse. The rhythm problem can lead to blood pooling and clotting inside the heart and if that clot travels to the head, it can cut off the blood supply to the brain, triggering a catastrophic stroke. The procedure, known as ablation, involves burning millimetre-wide areas of the heart using high-powered radio-frequency energy emitted by a tiny probe, threaded through an artery in the leg. This normalises rogue electrical activity that causes the abnormal rhythms. Conventional ablation has been used to treat these disturbances for 20 years, but until now this has been a difficult procedure, taking about three hours. Tony Blair suffered from the problem and underwent an operation for it in 2004 while he was Prime Minister. The new version, which was carried out for the first time in the UK last month, takes an hour. Each blast of heat creates a burn in just four seconds, compared with 30 to 40 seconds previously. Because the heart continues to beat during the ablation procedure, surgeons have to aim the probes rays at a moving target. As the new-high energy method creates a burn much faster, it allows them to be far more precise. Professor Andre Ng, consultant cardiologist at Leicesters Glenfield Hospital, was the first surgeon in Britain to use the technology. He said: Ablation is tricky, as an effective burn means keeping the probe on the same spot for 30 to 40 seconds at a time. It is like cleaning the top edges of a chimney using a long stick during an earthquake. The new technology greatly reduces the time needed for each ablation [burn], which not only speeds up the entire operation but also makes it more accurate. Prof Ng says he can now perform four procedures a day, rather than two. The first UK patient to undergo the treatment was Tim Pay, 57, a factory worker from Hinckley, Leicestershire, who was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation 18 months ago. During terrifying attacks while he was in bed at night, his heart would race to almost 200 beats per minute. The average rest rate for a middle-aged man is between 60 and 100. Beta-blocker drugs, used to slow the pulse, failed to work, but since having the new procedure, called Qdot Micro, earlier this month, Mr Pay says hes hasnt suffered a single attack. The new, highly accurate operation is being used to treat atrial fibrillation, in which heart nerves misfire, leading to a rapid, irregular pulse (file photo) Id be in bed and suddenly notice my heart beating rapidly it felt like Id been for a long, heavy run. When it was at its worst, I was having an attack once a week and they would sometimes last for seven hours. Id go to work in the morning and my heart would still be racing. Since the op, Ive felt fine. Im recovered, back at work, and Ive not had a single attack. During the operation, the patient is given local anaesthetic before a needle is inserted through the femoral artery, the main blood vessel in the front of the thigh. The Qdot Micro probe is threaded on the end of a long flexible tube a catheter through the circulatory system, and into the heart. The Qdot is fitted with a magnetic tip which is able to scan the inside of the heart, providing surgeons with a 3D computer image map of the organ. Once they have a clear picture, the same probe is used to emit blasts of radio frequency energy to create small burns which form circular scars that act as barriers, blocking the misfiring electrical signals in the heart. A second catheter is inserted into the heart, with another probe that measures the pulse. This allows surgeons to carefully monitor heart rate, and check that it is normal before finishing the operation. The probe is removed and the incision in the leg is stitched up. Recovery time is ten days to two weeks. Prof Ng says: This will allow us to treat more patients and treat them effectively. Dubais Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the Department of Planning and Development - Trakhees at the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, have agreed to step up co-operation in several fields of common concern. In this connection, the two parties recently signed a MoU to streamline the process of issuing permits of lands impacted by the Rail Protection Zone of Route 2020. "We are keen on cooperating with government and semi-government entities as well as private firms in the UAE in carrying out different projects and expanding the public transport network in Dubai along with the associated infrastructure," remarked Abdul Mohsen Ibrahim Younes, the CEO of Rail Agency, after signing the deal with Trakhees CEO Engineer Abdulla Belhoul. "Such efforts are in line with the call of our leaders to rank Dubai the happiest city in the world and bring happiness to the residents and visitors of the Emirate," noted Younes. Belhoul said he was excited about the signing of the agreement with RTA as it would facilitate the transactions of the public transport network and infrastructure in Dubai including the Special Development Zones. "Within its scope, Trakhees will issue permits of lands within areas impacted by the Rail Protection Zone of Route 2020. It stands ready to cooperate with all government, semi-government and private entities in constructing infrastructure projects in Dubai as well as Special Development Zones to improve on services and fulfil the aspirations of our leaders," he stated. According to him, the MoU promotes the RTA partnership through better coordination and exchange of information and knowledge. "It sets the procedures for the issuance of permits of construction works in respect of lands within the rail protection zones, impacted areas or planned railways," he noted. "The MoU charts out the partnership framework aimed to serve mutual benefits, support the vision of the two parties, and enhance the happiness of clients. It will also support the joint efforts to upgrade processes, simplify procedures and improve customer service in the interest of the community. The MoU also specifies the means of communication between both parties," added Belhoul.-TradeArabia News Service Yet the move to online service delivery has shown it doesnt have to be this way. Back in March, following the first COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria, Greta had her first Zoom speech therapy session at home. We propped the iPad up on her drawing table and there was her smiling therapist. Greta leaned in when she saw the familiar face. She was straight on board using the interactive spinning wheel on the screen. The session finished with Greta and the speech therapist drawing a butterfly together on the whiteboard. It was all so easy and it took exactly an hour out of our day. No stress about finding lost shoes before leaving the house. No need to reach into the back seat to jiggle her knee to make sure she didnt fall asleep. Straight after the session, when wed usually be fighting traffic on the way home, Greta joined her brothers setting up and doing obstacle courses around the house. On the days where its possible to imagine a post-COVID world, I can see a place for these virtual therapy sessions to continue - even if its just some of the time. Of course therapy and health services delivered online wont be suitable for every child or family. For some they will have highlighted how critical in-person delivery of therapy is for their child. But where it does work, this technology opens up the possibility of children receiving the intervention they need while not being taken away from their everyday world longer than necessary. Many children with disabilities have far more appointments each week than Greta and many families would have to travel much further. There is the potential for these families to benefit even more than ours. My family lives in the city now but I grew up in country Victoria. Many rural families will have already been a step ahead with their use of online therapy. I hope that now these families will benefit from a wider pool of therapists being open to them. Loading In the midst of Melbournes stage 4 restrictions, accessing therapy online has become routine. Greta has also received physiotherapy via Zoom. She had never met this physiotherapist in person and during the first appointment she needed cajoling from me to take part. She wasnt afraid to tell the physio I dont want to do that. But once she chose a teddy to exercise alongside her, she was away. Something I didnt know would be possible was a telehealth eye appointment. Before the appointment I was given instructions from the ophthalmology clinic about downloading the Visual Acuity app so we could test Gretas vision at home. We created our own private eye clinic in the living room - a kitchen chair sitting 10 metres away from the wall. Gretas big brothers both had a turn holding the phone up against the wall and controlling the app, enjoying their foray into amateur ophthalmology. The results showed that Gretas vision had become more even and there was no need to start patching one of her eyes. Shell be reviewed again in six months. Well have to wait and see whether this will be via telehealth or in person. MORIA, GreeceThousands of asylum-seekers have spent a fourth night sleeping in the open on the Greek island of Lesbos, after successive fires destroyed a notoriously overcrowded migrant and refugee camp during a coronavirus lockdown. Officials have said the Tuesday and Wednesday night blazes were deliberately set by some camp residents angered at quarantine and isolation orders imposed after 35 people in the Moria camp tested positive for COVID-19. With the camp gutted, Saturday morning found men, women and children sleeping under improvised shelters made of reed stalks, blankets and salvaged tents. Thousands gathered for a protest demanding to be allowed to leave the island, gathering on a road blocked by police buses. The demonstration was loud but peaceful, with mainly children and women at the front. Riot police observed nearby as protesters chanted slogans and held up improvised banners made of pieces of cardboard or sheets. We need peace & freedom. Moria kills all lives, read one. A few of the demonstrators wore masks in the tightly packed crowd of people who recently had lived in the camp, which had dozens of confirmed coronavirus cases before it burned down. Leaving the island would require a bending of European Union rules, under which asylum-seekers reaching Greeces islands from Turkey must stay there until they are either granted refugee status or deported back to Turkey. The Moria camp was built to house around 2,750 people but was so overcrowded that this weeks fires left more than 12,000 in need of emergency shelter on Lesbos. The camp had long been held up by critics as a symbol of Europes failings in migration policy. Moria was put under a virus lockdown until mid-September after the first case confirmed there was identified in a Somali man who had been granted asylum and left for Athens but later returned to the camp. On Friday, 200,000 rapid-detection kits for the virus were flown to the island for an extensive testing drive that would include asylum-seekers and islanders. The World Health Organization said Greece had asked for the deployment of an emergency medical team. Two such teams, one from Belgium and one from Norway, were expected to arrive on Saturday and Monday. Authorities have said none of the camps residents except for 406 unaccompanied teenagers and children would be allowed to leave the island. The unaccompanied minors were flown to the Greek mainland on Wednesday, and several European countries have said they will take some of them in. Other countries have pledged assistance for a new camp to be built on Lesbos, a move neither local residents nor the former inhabitants of Moria want. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, whose country has so far not offered to take in children from Moria, underlined his long-time hard line on migration in a video posted on Facebook Saturday. Now, some migrants have set alight and destroyed the Moria refugee camp on Lesbos to create pressure so that they can get from Lesbos to the European mainland, Kurz said. And if we give way to this pressure, we risk making the same mistake as in 2015. We risk people getting up false hopes and setting off for Greece, the smuggling business flourishing and once again countless people drowning in the Mediterranean. What we want to and will do is help on the spot, so that humane supply and accommodation is ensured, Kurz said. Soldiers have been setting up new tents to house about 3,000 people on a new nearby site, flown in by helicopter to avoid protests by local residents angered at the use of their island as a holding centre for thousands of people from the Middle East, Africa and Asia arriving from nearby Turkey. Morias overcrowded squalor created tension both among the camps inhabitants and with locals, whose initially generally welcoming attitude during the height of Europes refugee crisis in 2015 has waned over the years. Human Rights Watch said the Moria fires highlight the failure of the European Unions hot spot approach ... which has led to the containment of thousands of people on the Greek islands. European leaders should share responsibility for the reception and support of asylum-seekers. Also, Greek authorities should ensure that respect for human rights is at the centre of its response to this fire, the rights groups Eva Cosse said in a statement. Many of the asylum-seekers in Moria described life there as being worse than much of what they had endured on their long, often painful journeys toward what they hoped was a better life in Europe. While in Africa, we walked from 7 p.m. till 5 a.m. in the morning to avoid the heat and the police. That was hard. But being here, stuck, I think is worse, said Amados Iam, a 23-year-old from Mauritania. I didnt come all the way to stay here. (I) Want to leave Greece. Iam arrived in Moria three months ago with his 19-year-old brother. Both have suffered severe stomach issues, and a doctor in the local hospital in Lesbos told them it was due to the poor living conditions, including bad quality water and food, in Moria, Iam said. The brothers left Mauritania in 2017, crossing north Africa on foot and then making their way by truck to Turkey. Drought had ruined their mothers farm, so Iam couldnt continue studying, and the brothers feared conscription or being killed by the various armed groups coming from Mali and roaming in the south and west of Mauritania, they said. All their paperwork had been completed but the brothers had heard nothing about the status of their asylum request, they said. Their intended destination was France or Belgium. ___ Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed. Read more about: The United States should consider a moratorium on the export of surveillance equipment to Riyadh over the killing of former Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a UN human rights expert said in a congressional hearing on Friday. "[There] should be a moratorium... [on] the export of [US] surveillance equipment to Saudi Arabia," UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Agnes Callamard, told the US House Intelligence Committee. "It could only be lifted if there's been demonstrated progress in respect of human rights." Callamard also called for an investigation into any kind of misuse of the surveillance equipment the United States has provided to Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post, went missing last October after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Riyadh initially denied any knowledge of the journalist's whereabouts but eventually admitted that Khashoggi was killed and dismembered inside the embassy. Riyadh has repeatedly denied allegations that any members of the royal family were involved in the incident. A Saudi court has sentenced eight suspects for their role in Khashoggi's death, according to the prosecutor's office. (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.) Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha participated in an annual security forum with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Saturday, with a focus on mustering regional support for her government's push to resume its stalled dialogue with North Korea. Kang and her counterparts from more than two dozen countries, including 10 member states of the regional bloc, participated in a video ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on the last day of a series of ASEAN-related virtual meetings that began Wednesday. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon did not join the session, Vietnam, this year's host of the ASEAN gatherings, said. Instead, Pyongyang sent a senior diplomat in Hanoi to the ARF session. Kang was expected to use the multilateral session to reiterate Seoul's commitment to resuming dialogue with Pyongyang and pushing for inter-Korean cooperation in humanitarian and other areas that are not subject to international sanctions. Seoul's push for inter-Korean rapprochement and lasting peace on the divided Korean Peninsula has been thrown into doubt amid a deadlock in nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang. On Wednesday, Kang participated in the ASEAN Plus Three meeting, which includes South Korea, China and Japan; the South Korea-ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting; and the East Asia Summit (EAS) session. All these sessions were held via videoconferencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the sessions, Kang called for stronger multilateral cooperation in tackling transnational issues, such as the new coronavirus, while reaffirming Seoul's resolve to deepen relations with ASEAN under its signature New Southern Policy. (Yonhap) South Korea and the United States continue to move toward the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) of Korean troops back to Seoul and the issue will be discussed again at their annual defense ministerial meeting, the U.S. Department of Defense said Friday. Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense, Yonhap South Korea and the United States continue to move toward the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) of Korean troops back to Seoul and the issue will be discussed again at their annual defense ministerial meeting, the U.S. Department of Defense said Friday. "Delegation heads affirmed the progress made in preparation for eventual wartime OPCON transition," the department said in a joint press statement after the Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue, held Wednesday and Thursday. The biannual meeting was held virtually due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and involved South Korea's Deputy Defense Minister Chung Suk-hwan and U.S. Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia David Helvey. Seoul earlier said the OPCON transition was one of agenda items for the talks and that the two sides agreed their combined command post training held last month was a "step to specify conditions to evaluate a Full Operational Capability." The joint statement, released by the defense department, said the two sides have each agreed to produce a progress report on the envisioned OPCON transition by the start of their annual ministerial defense talks, known as the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM). The schedule for this year's SCM, the 52nd, have not yet been released. "Both sides recognized the importance of the ROK forces' acquisition of critical military capabilities, and committed to continue joint assessments through meetings of the special Permanent Military Committee (SPMC) to ensure a successful outcome. Both sides will provide a progress report on COTP (condition-based OPCON transition plan) requirements and discuss the next steps at the SCM later this year," said the statement. ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. Earlier this week, Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea and the Combined Forces Command, said the allies made more progress in 2019 than they had in the previous three years toward the OPCON transition, and that their goal has not changed. "The commitment that we have is that there's no movement of the goalposts." "As a matter of policy, of course, we fully support a ROK four-star [general] commanding the wartime forces," he said, noting the U.S. has "only 28,500" troops stationed in South Korea. The participants at this week's bilateral defense dialogue also highlighted the importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, as well as Northeast Asia. "The two sides also committed to continue bilateral security cooperation including senior-level policy consultations, information sharing, and personnel exchanges to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and throughout Northeast Asia," the joint statement said. (Yonhap) The United States said it would provide at least $153 million to Mekong countries for collaborative projects in the region, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported on Friday, citing U.S. State Department officials. The pledges, made at the first Mekong-U.S. Partnership ministerial meeting, will be for enhancing water resource data-sharing, disaster management projects and cross-border crime prevention projects, VNA said. Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries also met at a virtual summit hosted by Vietnam. The Mekong-U.S. Partnership, a U.S.-led, multilateral forum that focuses exclusively on the lower Mekong region, can contribute to the sustainable development of the Mekong sub-region and help Mekong countries narrow the development gap, seize new opportunities and overcome challenges, Vietnams foreign minister Pham Binh Minh said at the meeting. The 4,350 km (2,700-mile) waterway, known as the Lancang in its upper reaches, flows from Chinas Tibetan Plateau along the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, through Cambodia and finally Vietnam, where it forms the delta known in Vietnam as the 'Cuu Long' (Nine Dragons). For cooperation orientations in the upcoming time, the ministers held that amid challenges and opportunities the Mekong Sub-region is facing, the Mekong-U.S. partnership should focus on the target of promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the region and supporting the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and the ASEAN Community Vision 2025. Regarding the principles of cooperation, the ministers affirmed that the Mekong-U.S. partnership needs to heighten the principles of ASEAN as the center. Such principles include 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 emphasized 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. In the fields of cooperation, the ministers agreed that the Mekong-U.S. 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. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A father was left stunned after seeing hundreds of people standing in a 'five-hour' queue waiting for Covid tests at a walk-in centre in Manchester. Tony Kirvin, 43, needed to get his son Michael tested after the 14-year-old started showing mild symptoms and was sent home from school. The nearest testing centre was a 120-mile round trip, which he said was not feasible, so Mr Kirvin instead drove to a walk-in centre near their home in Bury on Thursday. But he was shocked to see hundreds of people queuing up outside the Mosses Centre, with many not wearing masks, video footage shows. It comes amid wider complaints that the NHS Test and Trace system is directing people to Covid-19 test centres hundreds of miles away from their homes. Health Secretary Matt Hancock recently claimed that an 'unacceptable' number of people were overloading the UK's coronavirus testing system by asking for a test when they don't have symptoms. Tony Kirvin, 43, was shocked to see hundreds waiting in a 'five hour' queue for Covid tests at Mosses Centre in Bury, Manchester, on Thursday While filming the queue, Mr Kirvin says: 'This guys is the queue for the walk-in Covid centre in Bury. Look at the f***ing size of this queue. 'Jesus f***ing christ it just goes on and on and on. No wonder we are in the middle of a pandemic.' Mr Kirvin said his wife was told there was 'no chance' they would get into the centre as the wait was at least five hours. He added that there was 'absolutely no way' they could join the line as his son, who has autism, would have 'had a meltdown' standing in a queue for that long. The father-of-four said: 'We couldn't find a test anywhere until I saw this walk-in place. 'But when we arrived the queue was huge - there must have been at least 100 people. 'My son is autistic, no way he could stand in a queue that long. He'd have a melt down. 'It's just shocking to see, but not surprising considering schools have been reopened and we've had the eat out to help out scheme. 'It was inevitable.' The full-time carer managed to get a test for his son at the Heywood site and is set to receive the results in the next two days. The father-of-four filmed the lengthy queue after driving his 14-year-old son Michael to get a test because he was sent home from school after developing mild symptoms Councillor Andrea Simpson, Bury Council Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: 'Bury has opened a number of walk-through testing centres to improve access and options for local people that are experiencing symptoms of coronavirus, additional sites are due to open very soon. 'Demand for testing is increasing at a national level and in response to this, having these local testing options helps to meet this demand locally. 'As a result of this demand, our walk-through centres have become increasingly busy, and whilst the centres will test as many symptomatic people as possible, at busy times, there may be a wait, and if demand is very high people may be asked to consider other testing options. 'It's really important that our walk-through centres are reserved for people who are experiencing symptoms of coronavirus, many people coming to the centres have no symptoms. 'People not experiencing symptoms should not request a test and will not be tested at the centres. 'For people with symptoms coming to one of the centres, it is important to stay a safe distance from other people and to wear a face covering on the journey to and from the site.' The nearest testing centre was a 120-mile round trip, which Mr Kirvin said was not feasible, so he instead drove to a walk-in centre near their home but was faced with shocking queues It comes amid complaints that the NHS Test and Trace system is directing people to Covid-19 test centres up to 175 miles (281km) away from their homes. People with coronavirus symptoms who try to book a test online have reported being told to drive three hours to reach their 'nearest' centre. And some of them have had to drive past closer testing centres on their way to the farther ones because of a flaw in the Government's booking system. In one example, a person from Ilfracombe in Devon could be instructed to make the mammoth journey to a test centre in Swansea, across the Bristol Channel. It would see them drive 175 miles each way, past their nearest drive-through in Taunton, 61 miles (98km) away, as well as Bristol and Cardiff on their six-and-a-half hour round trip. A person from Ilfracombe in Devon is directed to a test centre in Swansea, across the Bristol Channel. It would see them drive 175 miles both ways, past their nearest drive-through in Taunton, 61 miles (98km) away. People with coronavirus symptoms in Felixstowe, Suffolk, have been directed to Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, 40 miles (64km) away, despite there being a centre in Ipswich. A person in Gosport, Portsmouth, is directed to the test site at Chessington World of Adventures, in Greater London, a 67-mile (108km) journey. But the closest testing site is just 11 miles away (17.7km), in Portsmouth city Charlie Ledington, of Worcester, 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. The following day she was offered spaces in Droitwich, Bristol and Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, only to be told again no appointments were available. 'It's a mess. I've had to keep my children off school. We all have had to isolate for ten days now,' she said. 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.' Labour said problems with the booking system should be resolved as a 'matter of urgency'. The website flaw is the latest in a stream of criticism against the NHS Test and Trace system, which is considered key to getting Britain back on its feet. Statistics show the success of contact tracing has dwindled every since its launch at the end of May, with less Covid-19 patients and their contacts picking up the phone. The Government recently decided to axe 6,000 call handlers to bolster local health teams instead, after it was revealed tax-paid employees were being 'paid to watch Netflix'. The failings heap fresh doubt on whether Boris Johnson's 'Operation Moonshot' strategy is possible. The ambitious 100billion scheme aims to carry out millions of tests every day by early next year. It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock claimed that an 'unacceptable' number of people are overloading the UK's coronavirus testing system by asking for a test when they don't have symptoms It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock claimed that an 'unacceptable' number of people are overloading the UK's coronavirus testing system by asking for a test when they don't have symptoms. He warned there has been a 25 per cent spike in requests from those without symptoms, meaning many who need them cannot get tests. 'Of people who got symptoms, 92 per cent got a test within ten miles of (their home),' he told the Today programme. 'The reason we have constraints at the moment is not because capacity has gone down, it's because demand has gone up. 'For instance, I've heard stories of whole schools been told to get a test and all pupils. That is not what testing is there for.' Hancock also said he'd heard of cases of people requesting coronavirus tests because they were going on holiday and wanted to find out whether they had the virus. Testing capacity has recently been cranked up across the UK to 'record highs' but it is still meant to only be available for people who have coronavirus symptoms. MailOnline found that it was possible to order a coronavirus test, even if you didn't have coronavirus symptoms, by filling in a request form online saying that you'd been asked to take one. Bailiffs have been told they cannot evict people over Christmas in a winter truce announced by the government. A ban on eviction enforcement in the run up to and during the festival will hold in England and Wales except in the "most serious circumstances", such as anti-social behaviour or domestic abuse, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said on Thursday. Robert Jenrick, the housing secretary, added that bailiffs cannot enforce evictions in regions under local lockdowns at any time, where those conditions include restrictions on gathering in homes. He said: "We have protected renters during the pandemic by banning evictions for six months - the longest eviction ban in the UK. To further support renters, we have increased notice periods to six months, an unprecedented measure to help keep people in their homes over the winter months "It's right that we strike a balance between protecting vulnerable renters and ensuring landlords whose tenants have behaved in illegal or anti-social ways have access to justice. Our legislation means such cases will be subject to shorter notice periods and then prioritised through the judiciary's new court processes." The six-month notice period was announced as part of the governments extension of its eviction ban last month. The measure will be in place until at least March next year. Shelter, the homelessness charity, welcomed Mr Jenricks announcement as a step in the right direction but warned that it would not help people who had been served notice before August - who may still face automatic eviction after the ban on evictions ends in 10 days time. Chief executive Polly Neate added: "For renters served notice after August, the measures simply delay the threat of homelessness." Labour said the ban on evictions must not end until ministers had a "credible plan" to keep its promise that no renter should lose their home because of coronavirus. Shadow housing secretary Thangam Debbonaire said: "The announcement shows that the government is gearing up for a drastic increase in evictions this winter, just as coronavirus cases are rising. "They are threatening public health and putting lives at risk. They have failed to prepare for this crisis, and must urgently change course." The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said it would constantly review its eviction policy in light of public health advice. From 21 September courts will begin hearing possession hearings again, prioritising cases involving anti-social behaviour and other crimes as well as rent arrears, the department said. No cases from before 3 August will immediately proceed to a hearing but will have to be reactivated by the landlord and subject to a review hearing, it added. Landlords will also have to provide the courts and judges with information about how tenants have been affected by the pandemic. Proceedings can be adjourned until the information is provided. The MHCLG added: "No landlord, including those who only rent out a single property, has had access to the courts since March, including to regain possession in cases where the tenant has broken the law. "So it is right that landlords are able to access justice, alongside measures to protect the vulnerable. The government would like to thank landlords for their forbearance during this difficult time." Additional reporting by Press Association It's the dog fight that has captivated Sydney - or at least a small part of it - and this month it will command the attention of the state's peak lawmaking bodies: the Parliament and the Supreme Court. For five years, musician Jo Cooper has battled the strata committee of her apartment block, the Horizon, which stands tall among the terraces of inner-city Darlinghurst. Her quest: to keep her beloved 14-year-old schnauzer Angus, despite the building's bylaws banning pets. With its cast of colourful characters and long-running neighbourhood grudges, Cooper's story has been great fodder for gossip columns. But for apartment owners it is also a landmark case that may yet yield permanent legislative change to the way strata operates in NSW. Jo Cooper and her pet schnauzer Angus. Credit:Louise Kennerley Last month, Cooper's petition to Parliament was picked up by Animal Justice Party MLC Emma Hurst and transformed into a surprise late-night amendment to a government bill on strata laws. Blazes jumped from wildfires burning through scrub and forest to suburban firestorms that engulfed homes. About half a million people in the US state of Oregon have been told to evacuate their homes or prepare to, Governor Kate Brown said Friday, as dozens of extreme, wind-driven wildfires scorched West Coast states. Brown was dialling back a statement late Thursday issued by the state Office of Emergency Management that said 500,000 people had been ordered to evacuate statewide, AP news agency reported. More than 40,000 Oregon residents have been evacuated and dozens of people are missing as a result of the fires, the governor said, while the states emergency management director, Andrew Phelps, said officials are preparing for a mass fatality event. The blazes raging across several US states have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people, state and local authorities said. In southern Oregon, an apocalyptic scene of burned residential subdivisions and trailer parks stretched for kilometres 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 went 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, with residents running from house to house to warn neighbours. Everybody out, everybody out! a man screamed as firefighters tried to douse the flames. A stop sign is seen in a neighbourhood destroyed by wildfires near Bear Creek, Phoenix, Oregon [Carlos Barria/Reuters] The death toll from the siege of fires on the West Coast that began in August jumped to 24 after seven people were found dead late Thursday in torched mountain communities approximately 137km (85 miles) north of Sacramento, California, state fire authority Cal Fire 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. In southern Oregon, residents in communities such as Eagle Point were under evacuation orders, but few left their homes, most staying until they could actually see flames, the Reuters photographer said. Governor Kate Brown said Friday that dozens of people were missing across the state. Thousands more people were ordered to get out of homes to the north and south in 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 centre in Fresno, California, after he was forced to leave three of his 30 cats and flee the massive Creek Fire as it burned within a few kilometres of his home. Oregon bore the brunt of nearly 100 major wildfires raging across Western states, with some 3,000 firefighters battling nearly 36 blazes and officials saying about twice as many people were needed. Police have opened a criminal arson investigation into the Oregon fire that destroyed much of Phoenix and Talent and which 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 15km (nine miles) 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 364,220 hectares (900,000 acres) had burned, dwarfing the states annual 202,340-hectare (500,000-acre) average over the past decade. This will not be a one-time event, Brown told a Thursday news conference. We are feeling the acute impacts of climate change. Children looking at a burned bicycle after wildfires destroyed an entire neighbourhood in Bear Creek, Phoenix [Carlos Barria/Reuters] More than 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 aeons. 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. Scientists say climate change 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 USs most populous state, over 68,000 people were under evacuation orders, most from the North Complex of fires north of Sacramento, as the largest fire in state history, the August Complex, burned more than 299,470 hectares (740,000 acres). Wildfires have burned more than 1.25 million hectares (3.1 million acres) in California so far this year, marking a record for any year, with six of the top 20 largest wildfires in state history occurring in the last nine months. A drugs raid on the Welsh Guard's barracks has uncovered traces of cocaine and ecstasy. A stop-and-search operation was conducted by 30 Royal Military and civilian police officers on as many as 200 guardsmen from 1st Battalion The Welsh Guards. The joint team, who were accompanied by a drug detection dog, tested the cards and wallets of the soldiers. Five bank cards belonging to five soldiers tested positive for traces of ecstasy and cocaine. The five soldiers were not arrested but given a warning and are now subject to drug testing, the Mirror reports. Military and civilian police swabbed the possessions of 200 members of the Welsh Guard (pictured) and found traces of cocaine and ecstasy A senior military source told the Mirror: 'The Queen has been made aware of the situation and takes a great deal of interest in her guardsmen.' Last week, it was revealed that 13 soldiers who guard Windsor Castle and protect the Queen have been jailed for breaking lockdown rules. They were among a group of 16 guardsmen who attended a booze and cocaine-fuelled 'mini-rave' at a riverside park. They partied with members of the public which meant they had broken a 'bubble' put in place as the Queen and Prince Philip were shielding inside. The first 13 troops from the Welsh Guards were sentenced last week. A senior military source told the Mirror: 'The Queen has been made aware of the situation and takes a great deal of interest in her guardsmen' Their punishments ranged from 14 to 28 days at the military's Glasshouse prison in Colchester. It is thought to be the largest number of troops jailed for a single crime at the same time. Four of the men also tested positive for cocaine and will be kicked out of the Army after serving their sentences. The guardsmen were based at Combermere Barracks in Windsor. The party took place in late June, less than two weeks after the Queen attended a socially distanced Trooping the Colour the first time the ceremony had taken place at Windsor since 1895. During lockdown the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were protected at the castle by what became known as the 'HMS Bubble'. At the height of the pandemic, her band of 24 servants were split into two teams of 12 who worked three weeks on and then three weeks off. They also had to spend a week in quarantine before they got back from leave. The guardsman were treated as a single household and under the rules they were banned from mixing with other people. They could not even meet their families to make sure that the Royals were protected. But at the party they broke these rules by mixing with locals, sources said. An Army source added: 'There was never any danger to the Queen and Prince Philip. They would have had absolutely no contact with the royals or members of the royal household.' The other three guardsmen, including a more senior lance sergeant, will be told of their punishment in the coming days. Social activist and Arya Samaj leader Agnivesh passed away on Friday at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in Delhi. He was suffering from liver cirrhosis and was critically ill. Social activist and former Haryana MLA Swami Agnivesh passed away on Friday at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in Delhi. He was suffering from liver cirrhosis and was critically ill. Swami Agnivesh was associated with Arya Samaj and had led a campaign against bonded labour. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi paid his tributes on the demise of Swami Agnivesh. Gandhi said that the founder of Bandhua Mukti Morcha and revolutionary leader of Arya Samaj Swami Agnivesh passed away on Friday, his death was an irreparable loss for Arya Samaj and for the country. Rahul Gandhi said, My humble tributes. As a social activist and former Haryana MLA Swami Agnivesh breathed his last on Friday, veteran actor Shabana Azmi expressed sorrow over his demise. The Masoom actor took to Twitter to condole the demise of the 80-year-old social activist. Also read: Sonia reshuffles CWC, Surjewala makes it to core team Also read: DCGI directs Serum Institute to suspend recruitments in Covid-19 vaccine trials She wrote in a tweet that she was very saddened by the passing away of Swami Agnivesh due to multi-organ failure. She added that he was influenced by Liberation Theology and he worked to rescue and rehabilitate bonded labourers and was a force to reckon with in the eighties. She added RIP. Interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday expressed grief over the passing away of social activist and former Haryana MLA Swami Agnivesh and said that he fought for the marginalised sections of our society with great courage and conviction. Sonia Gandhi said in a statement, I am grieved to learn of the passing away of Swami Agnivesh. All his life he fought with great courage and conviction for the most marginalized sections of our society fearless in defending their rights and in facing up to those who exploited and oppressed them and terrorised the poor, often at great personal risk. She said that Swami Agnivesh was the most powerful and effective voice for the vulnerable and the defenceless and added, Swami Agniveshs energy and faith in constructive social activism was indeed admirable and inspiring. He worked with equal dynamism to promote interfaith understanding and dialogue, non-violence, and justice for the tribal people of Chhattisgarh caught in a violent conflict. The Congress chief further said, He will be widely mourned, and India will honour the memory of this brave and noble soul. May his soul rest in peace. Social activist and Arya Samaj leader Agnivesh passed away on Friday at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in Delhi. He was suffering from liver cirrhosis and was critically ill. Also read: US, Bahrain, Israel agree to establish full diplomatic relations between Israel and Bahrain H undreds of frontline NHS staff, many of whom worked throughout the pandemic, have marched through central London and in other locations around the UK to demand better wages. Campaigners wearing scrubs and other medical-related attire held banners which read stop clapping, start paying, priceless yet penniless and 640 healthcare workers dead, blood on their hands alongside images of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Demonstrators began a march to Trafalgar Square after a two-minute silence in honour of 640 healthcare workers who have died during the pandemic. The protest comes after nurses were excluded from the wage increase for around 900,000 public sector workers announced in July because they are in the final year of a three-year agreement. The pay increase does not apply to junior doctors after they agreed a four-year deal last year. NHS workers march for more wages across the UK 1 /29 NHS workers march for more wages across the UK Protesters take part in a march in Brighton, as rallies form across the country calling for a 15 per cent pay rise for NHS workers and an increase in NHS funding PA Nurses were excluded from the wage increase for around 900,000 public sector workers announced in July because they are in the final year of a three-year agreement PA Protesters outside BBC Broadcasting House in central London, as marches and rallies form across the country PA Dancers lead the march as they parade through Bristol city centre PA Protesters hold up signs during a March in Brighton PA Protesters outside BBC Broadcasting House in central London call out for change PA Campaigners of all ages were seen on the streets of Brighton PA A protester is seen wearing an 'I love the NHS' t-shirt PA People hold placards as they meet in Bristol city centre PA People wear customised face coverings as they parade through Bristol PA People march with placards through Bristol city centre PA People wear customised face coverings as they march for change in Bristol PA Signs called for the Government to increase wages PA Dancers lead the march as they parade through Bristol PA Marches and rallies form across the country calling for a 15 per cent pay rise for NHS workers and an increase in NHS funding. PA People is hospital scrubs dance as they parade through Bristol PA Rallies formed across the country calling for increased salaries and more NHS funding PA Many campaigners taking part worked though the Covid pandemic PA Some people held pictures of Boris Johnson PA People march with placards through Bristol PA People also remembered all the NHS workers who died during their job during the pandemic PA NHS staff and supporters march on Regent Street in central London PA Alia Butt, 33, an NHS psychotherapist in Essex and chair of Nurses Staff Voices, said: We have simply had enough. The money is there. They are simply just not providing it to NHS staff. It turns out that the only way to ensure the NHS is able to continue to function is by the sheer force of organising. Medics marched for a pay increase in several locations across the country / PA She added: The Government clearly has not got a clue about what it is doing and that is very scary. Nurses saved the lives of the Prime Minister. What more do we need to do to get paid properly? Its bizarre. Jordan Rivera, 43, an occupational therapist in Hackney, east London, said NHS workers are emotionally and physically tired, many are living paycheque to paycheque and the situation they have been left in is outrageous. She said: Working that hard when you are already exhausted from fighting the pandemic is an outrage. How can we be expected to work through a second wave when we are physically and emotionally exhausted and on top of that, we are worried about paying our bills? Every week during lockdown residents took to their doorsteps to clap in thanks for the NHS / REUTERS Protests calling for a 15 per cent increase in pay for NHS workers were also held in Manchester, Sheffield, Brighton and Bournemouth. Tania, a nursing sister who did not want to give her last name, said: They (the Government) are relying on our good nature and our moral compass to keep the NHS going despite treating us really poorly. We have had enough now and are saying pay us properly or we will take action. Clap for Carers: Thursday, May 21 1 /18 Clap for Carers: Thursday, May 21 NHS workers participate in a national "clap for carers" AFP via Getty Images Staff outside Abbeydale Court Care Home in Hamilton clapping to salute local heroes PA Hospital staff stand outside the Royal Hampshire County Hospital PA NHS workers participate in a national "clap for carers" AFP via Getty Images NHS staff outside King's College Hospital in Camberwell PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers Reuters NHS staff gather in a doorway at the Aintree University Hospital in Fazakerley, Liverpool PA Children applaud during the Clap for our Carers REUTERS Members of the public and NHS workers react at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital REUTERS NHS staff outside Aintree University Hospital in Fazakerley, Liverpool, during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers PA People outside their houses in Woodesford, Leeds PA Members of the public and NHS workers react at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital REUTERS An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital REUTERS Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson applauds outside 10 Downing Street REUTERS To cheers, demonstrators began chanting Boris Johnson hear us shout, pay us properly or get out as they marched through the streets of London. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn sent his support to all of our wonderful NHS workers, saying: NHS staff are absolutely brilliant but have suffered a pay freeze, under-funding and under-staffing. Yet when the coronavirus crisis comes along, they are all there working hours and hours more than they were paid to do care workers doing exactly the same. Now is the time to pay them properly and secure jobs for the future in the NHS. Grassroots groups including NHS Workers Say No to Public Sector Pay Inequality, NHS Staff Voices, Keep Our NHS Public campaign, Nurses United UK and Unite Guys and St Thomas Hospital Branch have backed the protest. Rachel Harrison, national officer for the GMB union, said: Loyal and dedicated NHS workers have been let down in the three-year NHS pay deal which GMB union opposed. Their pay, terms and conditions have been driven down for years. Many staff have worked throughout the coronavirus pandemic and now their efforts need to be recognised with a pay award that reflects their commitment and the real-terms losses they have suffered during a decade of austerity. Meanwhile, Unite said NHS workers should receive a pay rise of 15 per cent or 3,000, whichever is greater. The union said the claim would restore the pay that NHS workers have lost in the decade of austerity since 2010. National officer for health Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe said: Hundreds of health and social care staff have lost their lives in the continuing battle against Covid-19 which has heightened the deep appreciation that the public has for the NHS and those who work in it. This public esteem for NHS workers should be reflected by the Government which needs to respond by opening pay discussions, following our claim and those of our sister unions. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: We are grateful for the hard work and dedication of our frontline staff, particularly during the pandemic. NHS staff are currently benefiting from the final year of a three-year pay deal, agreed with trade unions, which has delivered year-on-year pay increases, such as increasing the starting salary for a newly qualified nurse by 12% by 2021. The independent NHS Pay Review Body makes recommendations to Government on pay increases for NHS staff, including nurses, and we will consider their advice when we receive it, while continuing to listen to our valued staff and the trade unions to ensure everyone is rewarded fairly. Jennifer Garner is setting the record straight over her pregnancy rumors. The "Alias" star recently posted a clip on Instagram introducing her "farm pets," a.k.a the lawnmowers namely Simon, Pete, Boaz, Pignut, Mistletoe and Mayapple. In the video, the 48-year-old actress -- who is currently in her hometown, Locust Grove, Oklahoma -- was seen donning a very casual outfit with a striped shirt underneath a medium wash denim overalls paired with red boots. Fellow actress Reese Witherspoon took to the comment section and responded, "You, in those overalls, made my day!" Meanwhile, the "Black Swan" star Natalie Portman told Garner that she looked "so gorgeous" in her outfit. However, one comment stood out after a fan straight up asked the Golden Globe winner if she is pregnant. Interestingly, the Hollywood A-lister responded with a savage comeback to shut down her pregnancy rumors for good. "I am 48, have three healthy kids, and am not-and never will be-pregnant. We can lay that pupper to rest," she wrote. "Have I gained the Covid 19? Possibly. But that is another story." Garner's response gained almost 13,000 comments, and one of them assured the actress that she looked "amazing." "uh you look amazing and no you DON'T look pregnant," a fan replied. Another user appeared to be disgusted by the inappropriate question, as she responded: "@jennifer.garner you look gorgeous, and we should as a society stop asking women if they are pregnant!" Meanwhile, one IG follower joked about having a bigger belly than the "Daredevil" star. "seriously? Look at her! She's tiny! My food babies are three times that size. Lol. @jennifer.garner you are and always will be goals." Co-Parenting With Ben Affleck The "Miracles from Heaven" actress is a mother to three children Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and Samuel, 8 -- whom she shares with her ex-husband and "Pearl Harbor" co-star Ben Affleck. The two called it quits in 2018 after 10 years of marriage. Now, both are great co-parents as they were often spotted spending time with their kids. In April, the 48-year-old actor was photographed arriving at his ex-wife's home at Brentwood, California to visit his three children. It came after the Hollywood star reportedly self-isolated with his newfound love, Ana de Armas, whom he met on the set of their upcoming psychological thriller film "Deep Water." For months, the "Argo" star is rumored to be dating the Cuban-Spanish actress after returning from their trip in De Armas' hometown. Meanwhile, Us Weekly previously reported that Garner is supportive of Affleck's budding romance with the 32-year-old actress. "She considers him a friend, thinks he is a good dad to their children, and respects him," the source revealed to the outlet. "She is happy in her own life and supportive of him and happy for him and his relationship,' the source said. As for Jennifer, she and boyfriend John Miller (who is the CEO of CaliBurger) reportedly called it quits after two years of dating. The reason behind their breakup is that the "Alias" star is not ready to commit to a serious relationship. "He was ready for marriage, and she just couldn't commit. They parted on very amicable terms," a source told Us Weekly. READ MORE: Goodbye, Kardashians: 3 Possible Reasons Why 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' Got Axed 'There are some things that I'm not sure I will ever understand. For example, why the Road Service would choose to begin major resurfacing work on the first day that schools are starting back.' There are some things that I'm not sure I will ever understand. For example, why the Road Service would choose to begin major resurfacing work on the first day that schools are starting back. Anyway, now I've got that off my chest, I will move on. Last week, as I was driving my son to school, I was diverted due to the above-mentioned roadwork. Elijah attends a small country school, so I was re-routed along narrow, winding back roads. It added around 10 minutes onto the journey. It got me thinking about how sometimes God takes us the "long way around". From our perspective, there appears to be a direct and straightforward route from A to B. And, yet, it seems as if God is diverting us onto side roads that we never intended to be on. There are delays and detours on the journey that we would rather avoid. We see this in Exodus 13. After 430 years of slavery in Egypt, God's people are finally released. One would think that God would lead them on the most direct route to the Promised Land. Yet we read: "God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land ... So, God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea." (vv16; 18). Why would God do that? We are told: "God said, 'If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.'" (v17) God knew that, if His people would face any significant resistance, opposition, or obstacles at this stage, they would likely be completely overwhelmed and run back to the certainty of slavery. The strange thing is, "The Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle." (v18). They thought they were ready to fight. But God knew they needed more time and preparation. Sometimes in life, I think I'm ready for the next challenge, or opportunity. Then I become frustrated because God isn't moving as quickly as I would like Him to. Often, it's only as I look back later that I realise that I needed time to mature, grow and develop. Perhaps right now, in some area of life, you're tired of waiting - for a job, a spouse, a new home, a promotion, a change to happen. It feels as if God has forgotten about you. Could it be that He's actually taking you the long way around because what He is doing in you at this time is more important than what He wants to do through you? I know that it's difficult to keep trusting in the waiting, but I pray that you will be able to see and discern how God is intimately involved in your life during this season. Luck eluded two young men on August 29, 2020 when they chose the wrong victim to rob at Dichemso in the Kumasi Metropolis. The two young suspected armed robbers, John Akwasi and Joshua Afriyie, both aged 18, attempted to rob a national security operative resident at Dichemso. Ghana's Political History - 70th Anniversary Photo Exhibition The victim, however, overpowered them, arrested and handed them over to the Airport Police in the Ashanti Region. Brief Addressing the press on the arrest of the two teenagers, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Commissioner of Police (COP) Kwasi Mensah Duku, said in the early hours of Saturday, August 29, 2020 at about 12:30 a.m., the two, armed with a machete and a pair of scissors, attempted to rob their victim of his personal effects. However their victim, who was armed, pulled a gun on them, disarmed them and handed them over to the police. He said the two were currently in police custody and would soon be arraigned before court on charges of attempted robbery. Security In a related development, the regional commander advised commercial drivers, especially cabbies operating within the metropolis, to be on the alert and avoid long-distance trips particularly in the evening. He said some criminals had devised a new means of snatching cars from their owners by taking them on long-distance trips and on the way, snatched the cars from them. He asked the drivers not to be lured by the money involved and risk their lives. Ghana's Political History - 70th Anniversary Photo Exhibition Another strategy that the criminals had adopted, according to him, was that they would initially demand that the drivers take them to a nearby venue and while going or when they get there, they will request to be taken to a different location further than the earlier one. He said when the drivers realised that, they should abort the trip and if the person insisted, drive to the nearest police station or checkpoint and park there. He said while the police would continue to do their part in ensuring that the region was safe for all, it behoves on all of us to take our personal security seriously and avoid situations that will compromise our security. 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 A man holds a placards as refugees and migrants from the destroyed Moria camp protest after the news about the creation of a new temporary camp, on the island of Lesbos, Greece, on Sept. 12, 2020. (Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters) Police Fire Teargas as Migrants Demand to Leave Greek Island After Fire LESBOS, GreeceGreek police fired teargas on Saturday during a protest by angry migrants left homeless by a blaze at Europes largest refugee center, who demanded to leave the island of Lesbos as authorities started building a new encampment for them. More than 12,000 people, most from Africa and Afghanistan, have been sleeping rough since flames swept through the notoriously overcrowded Moria camp earlier this week. Some residents had COVID-19, raising fears the outbreak could spread. Under a hot sun on Saturday, hundreds of migrants, many chanting Freedom and No Camp, gathered as bulldozers cleared ground in preparation for tents to be put up. Refugees and migrants from the destroyed Moria camp protest after the news about the creation of a new temporary camp, on the island of Lesbos, Greece, on Sept. 12, 2020. (Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters) Some carried handwritten signs carrying messages including We dont want to go to a hell like Moria again and Can you hear us Mrs Merkel? in an appeal to the German chancellor. Police fired rounds of teargas when some of the protesters attempted to march down a road leading to the islands port of Mytilene, which police had blocked while work on the new tent settlement continued nearby. The confrontation was short lived. The fire at the camp, which was holding four times the number of people it was supposed to, has returned the spotlight to the migration crisis facing the European Union, which has struggled to find a response that goes beyond temporary fixes. Greek authorities have refused any mass transfer off the island, located a few miles off the Turkish coast, despite growing hostility from local residents angry after years of bearing the brunt of the crisis. But officials said they were determined to provide shelter and proper sanitation and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. As of today, asylum seekers will start coming into the tents, into safe conditions, Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi told reporters at the site. The need to bring the situation under control has been made more urgent by the fact that authorities have lost track of 35 camp residents who had tested positive for coronavirus. Health authorities have promised to conduct rapid tests at the entrance of the new camp, with a quarantine unit ready for anyone testing positive. Still, the unsanitary conditions being endured by Morias former inhabitants in the fields and streets of Lesbos has caused deep alarm. This is a health bomb. These people havent even had access to water all these days, they cannot even wash their hands, Matina Pagoni, president of Athens and Piraeus hospital doctors union, told Skai television. By Lefteris Papadimas A roadside bomb in Kabul targeted first Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh on Wednesday morning but he escaped unharmed, his spokesman said. The attack killed at least 10 people. The former intelligence chief and the senior of President Ashraf Ghanis two vice-presidents, has survived several assassination attempts, including one on his office last year that killed 20 people. Wednesdays blast killed at least 10 civilians and wounded 15 people including Salehs security guards, according to the interior ministry. Such attacks wont weaken our resolve for a lasting and dignified peace in Afghanistan, Javid Faisal, spokesman for the National Security Council, said in a tweet. International powers including the European Union and Pakistan also condemned the attack. Appointment 12 September 2020 The Tru by Hilton Spokane Valley has filled their upper management positions with seasoned market leaders. Stacie Harper is the opening General Manager. The 92-room Tru by Hilton Spokane Valley will be the first hotel managed by Commonwealth Hotels in the Pacific Northwest. "We are excited to add the Tru Spokane Valley to the Commonwealth family of hotels," Brian Fry, President, said. "Their combined knowledge of the area and proven history of delivering superior service will ensure our hotel serves the community for years to come." Harper joins Commonwealth Hotels with an illustrious career that spans over 30 years in the hospitality industry. She worked with major travel brands like Hilton, Choice Hotels, Stay Alfred Inc. and was most recently Vice President of Sales & Marketing at RimRock Consulting. Additionally, she served in an executive role at the historic Spokane Club. Stacie has a unique perspective on the industry in a rapidly changing environment. Her vast knowledge and experience will be a perfect fit alongside her new Sales Manager. President Donald Trump's more conservative platform and ongoing feuds with elected officials may be hurting the value of his Trump-branded real estate in his more progressive hometown of New York City. Sale prices in nine glamorous, gold-bedecked, high-rise condos that bear the president's name in the city dropped by about 25% since he took the nation's highest office in 2016, according to a recent report from CityRealty. For comparison, Manhattan condo prices overall dropped by just over 4.9% over the same period. The New York City real estate platform created an index to track prices in Manhattan condo buildings that were either constructed or converted by the Trump Organization. It used sales data from the New York City Department of Finance to come up with its findings. The properties collectively fetched about $2,047 a square foot in 2016versus $1,534 in 2020. Many sellers have cut prices to attract buyers. "For political reasons, the Trump name is scaring off a lot of potential buyers," says Ondel Hylton, content director at CityRealty. "Its an election year. So depending on your political affiliation, if you dont want to be associated with the Trump name, there are a lot of other high-end options in Manhattan. Condo prices across Manhattan in older luxury buildings have struggled in recent years as more glitzy, luxury towers with all of the newest amenities have come onto the market, competing against one another for wealthy buyers. Over the past six months, the pandemic has also led to less demand for condos in the city as many well-heeled buyers have moved to the suburbs and beyond. The steep drops in Trump's properties are due to these factors as well as the age of Trump-branded real estate, fewer international buyersand his unpopularity with left-leaning, would-be residents, according to prominent real estate sources. "The buildings themselves seem dated," says luxury Manhattan real estate agent Chris Fry, of Elegran. Many buyers who may have considered a Trump property 20 years ago are now opting for newer, updated buildings. "There's a lot of gold, there is peachy marble." The Trump brand has also been more popular with foreign and out-of-state buyers looking for pied-a-terres than city residents. The president's tough stance on immigration along with the COVID-19 pandemic has led to fewer nonlocal buyers, which may also be hurting his real estate brand. "If youre looking around for a new place, the Trump name can definitely affect your decision-making," says Fry. However, he's continued to see interest in Trump properties from fans of the commander in chief. "If [you're] not a Trump supporter, [you're] going to look elsewhere." Since Trump was elected, six condo and apartment buildings on Manhattan's Upper West Side have voted to remove the president's name from their buildings. The former Trump Place high-rises, which stretch between West 59th and West 72nd streets, are not owned by the Trump Organization. The Trump SoHo hotel, also in Manhattan, was renamed The Dominick a little over a year after the 2016 election. Recently, the president and elected officials have been embroiled in a public battle as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo accused the president of "actively trying to kill New York City" by withholding federal funding. Meanwhile, Trump has charged that Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio are "destroying the place!" Last year, the president officially switched his permanent residence from New York City to Palm Beach, FL. ___ Watch: This Is Where Donald Trump Grew Up--and You Can Stay There, Too The post Donald Trump's Namesake Properties in NYC Have Lost This Surprising Amount of Value appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 12, 2020 08:48 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c445ca9b 1 National Rohingya,Rohingya-people,Rohingya-Muslims,aceh,lhokseumawe,UNHCR,Amnesty-International,Amnesty-International-Indonesia,AmnestyInternational,refugee Free A Rohingya refugee in Aceh died of a respiratory illness on Friday, only a day after two other refugees died of similar causes. Lhokseumawe city public relations head Marzuki said the refugee, a 19-year-old named Senowara, was admitted to Cut Meutia General Hospital (RSUCM) in North Aceh after complaining of high fever and breathing difficulties. Marzuki could not yet confirm whether or not she contracted COVID-19. "We've taken her swab sample, but the result has not come back yet," Marzuki said on Friday as reported by kompas.com. Senowara was laid to rest in Kuta Blang Cemetery, Lhokseumawe, on Friday. Marzuki said four other Rohingya refugees, all of whom complained of a high temperature and shortness of breath, were currently being treated at RSUCM. Read also: Rohingya refugee landing in Aceh dies of respiratory illness "All of their medical bills were paid for by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR]," he said. A total of 296 Rohingya refugees arrived in Aceh on Monday after reportedly being at sea for six months. They were spotted by local fishers several kilometers off the coast of Lhokseumawe. Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid urged the government to ensure that the refugees received sufficient food, shelter and essential health services, as well as protection from COVID-19 infection. Marzuki said he did not know how long the refugees would stay at a temporary shelter that they were sent to. The shelter is a vocational training center in Mee village, Muara Dua district, North Aceh. "I have not yet received information on how long they will stay here. We're waiting for the decision from the UNHCR and the central government. The authority lies in the central government," he said. (nal) Pressure mounted on the Pakistani media on Friday after a journalist was reportedly arrested in Karachi for spreading hatred and maligning a state institution on social media. On the same day, sedition charges were filed against another journalist, in Jhelum. Bilal Farooqi, news editor at the English language daily The Express Tribune, was picked up by police from outside his home in Karachi on Friday, two days after a report was registered against him. He was released on Saturday morning on the personal bail of his lawyer Jibran Nasir. Bilals family confirmed that he has returned home. The journalist has been reporting on sectarian violence in the country. Tashfeen Farooqi, Bilal Farooqis wife, earlier told the media that her husband was taken away by the police from right outside their home. She reportedly said their landlord had asked Bilal to step out of the house with his identity card as the police were conducting a survey in the locality. When he (Bilal) didnt return, I went outside to find out what happened. Bilal wasnt there. The landlord then told me the police took him away, Tashfeen said, adding that according to the landlord, Bilal was driven away by two policemen accompanied by two men in plainclothes. Reports say that after a while, Tashfeen received a phone call from Bilal, who told her that he was being held at the Defence police station. Soon after, police officials visited Bilals residence and took possession of his mobile phone from his wife. Meanwhile, an FIR citing sedition charges against journalist Absar Alam was registered in Jhelum. Alam, a former chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, was reportedly charged with using derogatory language against state institutions and personalities. Reacting to these two developments, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalist (PFUJ) said in a statement the government wants to suppress the media. PFUJ president Shehzada Zulfiqar and secretary general Nasir Zaidi said, If both the fabricated and concocted cases are not withdrawn immediately, we will be left with the only option to call a strike and protest cross the country, which may harm the current government and tarnish the image of the country just because of ill-conceived ideas of the decision-makers. Last week, Sajid Gondal, a joint director at the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, had gone missing and returned home five days later. Gondal is believed to have helped with a news story investigating the assets of Lt Gen (retd) Saleem Bajwa, the chairman of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority and an information aide to Prime Minister Imran Khan. In July, Matiullah Jan, a journalist known for his criticism of the military establishment, was reportedly abducted from Islamabad in broad daylight. He returned home after several hours after the incident sparked a public outcry. By Trend Tthe Armenians, as it is known, regularly raise the question at UNESCO in connection with the destruction of Armenian khachkars in Azerbaijans Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Azerbaijani MP Jeyhun Mammadov told Trend. These days they are trying to raise this issue again, Mammadov added. These claims are absurd and groundless. The Armenians themselves demonstrate blatant disregard towards the Azerbaijani monuments. The Armenians destroyed all our religious monuments, temples and mosques, as well as our cemeteries on the territories of Iravan, Zangezur and Karabakh provinces, the MP said. The destruction of our historical monuments, temples, mosques, cemeteries is an integral part of Armenia's vandalism policy, the MP added. Hundreds of our significant monuments located on these lands were destroyed. All this proves once again that inhumanity and vandalism are a priority in Armenias policy. We regularly witness that Armenia changes the names of historical monuments belonging to Azerbaijan, destroys historical house-museums of famous representatives of the Azerbaijani intelligentsia, Azerbaijani poets and writers, our museums and also commits other similar atrocities, Mammadov said. From time to time, some Armenian citizens, human rights defenders, as well as activists distribute video footages, photographs and information about these actions, the MP said. If we create a commission and inspect what has been done with our historical monuments on Armenia's territory, we will see that a lot more has been destroyed or looted or disrespected to the point that we can't imagine." Mammadov repeated that the information about the destruction of Armenian khachkars is groundless. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, the State Committee on Work with Diaspora, as well as the Azerbaijanis living abroad must work consistently, and by exposing Armenian lies, show the world that such acts of vandalism and atrocities are committed by Armenians. "There is an Armenian church in the center of the capital of Azerbaijan Baku, the MP said. The church and about 5,000 books and manuscripts there are protected by the state. He went on to add that not just Azerbaijani but also ancient Caucasus Albanian monuments were destroyed. "They destroyed what they could, the rest was either moved to other territories or misappropriated," he said. The indifference of the world community, encourages Armenians to continue such actions and commit new crimes, and they continue to do so, the MP said. Of course, this is unacceptable and completely contradicts the international law, The Hague conventions and other international conventions." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A mechanic in Lafia, Nasarawa State, John Simon, has got more than he bargained for as a customers car he drove to a brothel in the New Nyanya area of the state was stolen. City Round learnt that Simon was in the middle of an overnight romp with a sex worker, Stella Emeerga, when the 2014 Toyota Camry car was taken away by three men in connivance with Emeerga. It was gathered that Simon, a father of two, stopped by at the brothel while travelling to Abuja to deliver the vehicle to his customer who is a car dealer. While he was drunk in the brothel, one of the accomplices reportedly sneaked in and picked the car key on the floor. At dawn, when he did not find the car where it was parked, Simon reported the incident at the New Nyanya Police Station and he and Emeerga were arrested. After months of investigation at the station without headway, the owner of the car was said to have petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and the case was transferred to IGs Intelligence Response Team. One of the suspects, Monday Francis, recently arrested by the operatives owned up to the crime during an interview with City Round during the week. The 30-year-old suspect said the theft was planned together with Emeerga, noting that the car was with a member of the gang who is still at large. He stated, We were four including Stella (Emeerga) that planned to steal the car when the driver (Simon) arrived at the brothel. We planned to make it look as if Stella was innocent. I pretended that I wanted water from her and she came out of her room while one of us quietly opened the door and took the car key. Stella told us that the man was drunk and that we could try. Dodo and Ezekiel took the car away. They gave it to one buyer who is on the run. Boys hang around the brothel to steal from anyone who is careless. Most of them will sleep off. We will enter their rooms and steal their valuables. But Emeerga, 25, who said Simon had been her customer for over a year, denied conniving with the gang to steal the car. She said she did not realise the vehicle had been stolen until in the morning when she discovered that a piece of cloth she used to block a big hole on her door had been removed. She stated, That day, Simon saw me hanging outside the brothel waiting for a customer. He took me and his friend, Junior, to an ATM point in Maraba to withdraw money. We came back and stayed outside till around 12am. I told him that I want to go and sleep as I was feeling cold. He told me that he wanted to sleep with me that night. I resisted but since there was no customer, I obliged him. Around 1am, I heard someone knock at my door. I ignored it but the person knocked again. It turned out to be Francis. I opened the door and explained to him that I have a guest. He then asked me if I had water and I said no. He pleaded with me to help him collect water from the bar. I followed him and locked my door because I know bad boys might enter my room. Simon was awake but lying down. I came back and we slept. In the morning, our landlady knocked at my door that I should bring my N1,500 levy. We normally contribute N1,500 every month to settle security men. I discovered that a hole on my door was opened. I normally used cloth to block it. I never knew that something had happened. It was when Simon finished bathing and could not find the key that I realised that someone could have accessed my room through that hole. We went outside and discovered that the car was no longer where it was parked. We went to New Nyaya Police Station and reported the matter. They took our statement and detained us. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates With the easing of social distancing, some restaurants have welcomed back local patrons, while those near beaches remain closed due to the lack of tourists. At 6 a.m. on September 11, Dinh Song Bach Xuan, 38, opened her Bep Bo Ban restaurant after 45 days of closure due to the new outbreak in the central city. Located in a small alley on Hai Chau District's Hai Phong Street, the eatery had been closed three days after Covid-19 resurfaced in Da Nang on July 25, placing around 1,700 residents near three hospital hotspots into lockdown. Five days ago, Da Nang authorities started allowing local restaurants to serve take-out, but on September 11, gave the green light for customers to return to the table. "Business is not yet booming, though. Since morning, only 10 clients had been served," Xuan said. Xuan wears a mask to welcome patrons on September 11, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong. "Many people have gotten used to cooking at home. Some employees have yet to return to work too," she said. Around 5 p.m., Mai Thao, owner of a lemon tea shop, told her staff to place tables and chairs along the pavement on Hoang Hoa Tham Street. An hour later, with street lights glistening, trendy music is put on to lure young patrons back. "I have stopped my business for a long time, I hope my loyal customers will return and support me," said Thao, 30. After opening her business a couple of months ago, Thaos tea shop has become a hub for youngsters to hang out. But the Covid-19 pandemic forced her to close up. Luckily, her landlord agreed to defer rent during the semi-lockdown, which is usually around VND40 million ($1,724) a month. A tea shop on Hoang Hoa Tham Street at 9 p.m. on September 11, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong. In the last few days, with her shop serving take-outs, Thao had to pay rent of VND30 million a month. On Vo Nguyen Giap Street, located by the beach, many hotels, restaurants and beer parlors stand empty or closed due to the lack of tourists in the city. At Be Man, a popular restaurant on Vo Nguyen Giap Street, around 20 clients sit around four tables during lunch. Three of the tables are made up of the owner's relatives celebrating the social distancing ease. All tables are placed two meters apart, while hand sanitizers stand ready for use at all entrances. Before the pandemic resurfaced, Be Man welcomed a myriad of patrons. Open at 9 a.m. daily, it used to close right before midnight. Restaurants by My Khe Beach remain closed. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong. "We reopened mostly to maintain our business and serve our loyal customers. We dont care about profits at the moment. Tourism season is almost over in Da Nang, rain is coming," the owner said. During 45 days of semi-lockdown, Tran Quoc Cuong spent more time with his family and on his hobbies: working out and cooking for his two children. Working for a charity group, he has raised money to provide 20 mobile disinfection chambers and 1,000 face shields to local medical centers. According to him, the pandemic may well have allowed the central city a little respite from the growing tourism trade in recent years. "This morning, I went to the beach and realized it was much cleaner, the air is also better," Cuong maintained. Since July 25 when local transmissions returned to Vietnam after more than three months, Da Nang alone has confirmed 389 Covid-19 cases. The federal and provincial governments jumped into action this past spring with financial support for workers, parents, seniors, and businesses great and small. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion The federal and provincial governments jumped into action this past spring with financial support for workers, parents, seniors, and businesses great and small. So it would follow that some of societys most vulnerable those on Manitobas Employment and Income Assistance (EIA), sometimes referred to as social assistance or welfare would get a little help too. And its likely many receiving the benefit assumed the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) was there to help them too. After all some may have thought they had "earned" the minimum $5,000 in the last year, counting their EIA and additional money they may have earned. And certainly, for general assistance individuals, their monthly EIA (a maximum of $867) was less than CERBs cut-off for monthly income. Yet two community organizations helping low-income individuals are now concerned a fair number of Manitobas approximately 70,000 EIA recipients could be cut off those benefits because they also received CERBs $500 weekly benefit, aimed at covering food and shelter costs for unemployed Canadians during the pandemic. "The term Winter is coming is fitting its just daunting," says Millie Acuna, manager of asset building programs at SEED Winnipeg Inc. Game of Thrones references about impending doom aside, the coming months could indeed prove incredibly challenging for a segment of society that already faces many difficulties from mental and physical health problems to substance abuse and precarious employment opportunities. And its largely the result of confusion over CERB eligibility in April before the Manitoba government made clear at the end of that month that EIA recipients do not qualify for CERB. "Nobody knew at first how EIA would be impacted by CERB," Sandra Guevara-Holguin, an EIA advocate at Community Unemployed Help Centre (CUHC) in Winnipeg. "The province of Manitoba did not issue a clear understanding of how it would treat CERB until the end of April, and CERB applications started April 6, so there was this gap." Whats more, its likely many EIA recipients would have been unaware after the fact because EIA caseworkers have caseloads of up to 300 clients, she says. "In general, its an over-crowded system thats understaffed." As such its easy for individuals to slip through the cracks. In recent weeks, the province has begun examining EIA recipients finances, finding some received CERB. And Acuna says she has seen some instances where individuals benefits were cut off or reduced. Thats led SEED and CUHC to team up to provide seminars on how individuals and families can navigate the problem. Additionally, the organizations launched this month a helpline the Community Financial Helpline, 431-813-HELP (4357) for individuals seeking advice. "SEED and CUHC are just trying to give people some support and hope in a difficult situation," Acuna adds. Among the callers so far was "Ann," a pregnant, single individual on EIA, receiving $285 a month for rent in subsidized housing and $220 for other expenses. Ann, who did not want her real name published, says when CERB was first offered, she believed she qualified. Eligible or not, CERB has been a life-preserver financially during pandemic. "CERB has helped me get what I needed to prepare for my (baby)." Ann was able to buy a car seat, crib and baby clothes. Without that money she says she would have been unable to get these items because donations largely dried up because of the pandemic. She was also able to catch up on bills that were in arrears, including utilities and cellphone which is another necessity so she can touch base with her case worker, and other critical supports. All told, Ann has received several thousand dollars from CERB up to now. "They (the help line) told me to go talk to my EIA worker and be honest, but I am scared to do anything." For one, she fears being cut off both programs and then losing her apartment. In turn, Ann worries her baby would then be taken away because she has no place to live. Yet according to a statement from the province, Ann is unlikely to be cut off EIA as long as she tells her case worker she has been receiving CERB. "EIA will not recover or deny provincial benefits if someone received CERB, reported it to EIA and was later found to be ineligible for the federal benefit," the provinces statement to the Free Press explains. But if recipients like her dont come forward voluntarily, they risk losing EIA benefit in the future. "EIA may assess overpayments if a client received CERB benefits, but did not declare them to EIA," the statement further reads. Additionally EIA clients could find themselves on the hook for CERB payments if Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) determines they were ineligible. "In cases where claimants are found to be ineligible, they will be contacted to make arrangements to repay any applicable amounts," an email from CRA to the Free Press states. And the worry is receiving CERB could negatively affect the Canada Child Benefit, a federal program, that is a key source of income for many on EIA, Acuna says. "Sixty-per cent of our EIA clients I can say confidently rely on their Canada Child Benefits, and losing that would be detrimental." Guevara-Holguin says community agencies, working with economically vulnerable individuals and families, recognize the need for repayment of monies EIA recipients werent eligible for through small reductions in benefits over time. But they also want to raise awareness regarding just how desperate these individuals feel due the often intractable poverty they face (never mind the stress of a pandemic that UN research shows most negatively affects low income populations). "Unfortunately, many people think, These people are just lazy. They dont want to do anything," Guevara-Holguin says. 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 these folks struggle daily not just economically but with many related problems," including getting the skills to be employable. The province states EIA supports "help individuals who can work to find and secure employment" while providing money for basic food, shelter, clothing and other needs in this search. But the supports to get individuals back to work are not as robust as they could be, Guevara-Holguin says. Whats more, the EIA financial benefit speaks for itself, including the money received for food and other needs aside from rent. As Ann puts it: "$220 a month for a single person, what the? "Ive even asked a couple EIA case workers, Can you live off $220 a month? They never gave me an answer." A new mother who was battling with postnatal depression tragically killed herself just over a year after giving birth. Kristin Taylor, 35, from Kapiti Coast in New Zealand, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Greer, 15 months ago when she felt her life spiral out of control from anxiety. She had suffered from anxiety since she was just 13 and after eight years of being able to control it, her condition consumed her thoughts after giving birth. Kristin Taylor, 35, from Kapiti Coast in New Zealand, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Greer, 15 months ago when she felt her life spiral out of control from anxiety Ms Taylor's heartbroken husband Alistair Taylor (left) said he was devastated when his wife couldn't get the help she needed 'It's so tragic she doesn't get to fulfill that potential from being the mum she always wanted to be,' Ms Taylor's heartbroken husband Alistair Taylor told Stuff. Ms Taylor suffered from a traumatic delivery and was struggling with feeding and putting Greer to sleep. Doctors knew she was at high-risk of developing post-natal depression due to her mental health history, and professionals 'did their best' to help her. Mr Taylor said his wife was fine up until last year in June when her emotions were all over the place and would occasionally break down, then she would be okay before breaking down again. The new mother was fighting with demons and had tried to commit suicide several times. The 'hardest' attempt for Mr Taylor was when his wife tried to kill herself in hospital on their daughter's first birthday. 'That just shows how ill Kristin was,' he said. Last year in August, Ms Taylor was admitted to hospital again for a suicide attempt but was released for the weekend when she tried again. Ms Taylor unfortunately took her own life in late August this year. Ms Taylor (pictured) suffered from a traumatic delivery and was struggling with feeding and putting her daughter Greer to sleep Mr Taylor questioned how professionals could let someone go after they tried killing themselves without helping them. 'Clearly, she was in no state to be leaving the ward. It beggars belief. Here we are, I don't have a wife any more and Greer doesn't have a mum. It's tragic.' He added that there is an 'epidemic of mental health issues' and more services were required in their hometown which only has two psychiatrists and one psychologist. Alison Eddy, chief executive of the New Zealand College of Midwives, explained that there were only a few services that dealt with pre-natal depression which are for women with severe mental health needs. For urgent support call Lifeline 13 11 14 How the US government put Julian Assanges personality on trial By Noam Chomsky and Alice Walker September 11, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - On Monday Julian Assange was driven to the Old Bailey to continue his fight against extradition to the United States, where the Trump administration has launched the most dangerous attack on press freedom in at least a generation by indicting him for publishing US government documents. Amid coverage of the proceedings, Assanges critics have inevitably commented on his appearance, rumours of his behaviour while isolated in the Ecuadorian embassy, and other salacious details. These predictable distractions are emblematic of the sorry state of our political and cultural discourse. If Assange is extradited to face charges for practising journalism and exposing government misconduct, the consequences for press freedom and the publics right to know will be catastrophic. Still, rather than seriously addressing the important principles at stake in Assanges unprecedented indictment and the 175 years in prison he faces, many would rather focus on inconsequential personality profiles. Assange is not on trial for skateboarding in the Ecuadorian embassy, for tweeting, for calling Hillary Clinton a war hawk, or for having an unkempt beard as he was dragged into detention by British police. Assange faces extradition to the United States because he published incontrovertible proof of war crimes and abuses in Iraq and Afghanistan, embarrassing the most powerful nation on Earth. Assange published hard evidence of the ways in which the first world exploits the third, according to whistleblower Chelsea Manning, the source of that evidence. Assange is on trial for his journalism, for his principles, not his personality. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter Youve probably heard the refrain from well-meaning pundits: You dont have to like him, but you should oppose threats to silence him. But that refrain misses the point by reinforcing the manipulative tropes deployed against Assange. When setting a gravely dangerous precedent, governments dont typically persecute the most beloved individuals in the world. They target those who can be portrayed as subversive, unpatriotic or simply weird. Then they actively distort public debate by emphasizing those traits. These techniques are not new. After Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers to journalists to expose the US governments lies about Vietnam, the Nixon administrations White House Plumbers broke into Ellsbergs psychiatrists office in search of material that could be used to discredit him. NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden was falsely portrayed as collaborating with the Chinese, then the Russians. Obsession with military intelligence analyst Mannings mental health and gender identity was ubiquitous. By demonizing the messenger, governments seek to poison the message. Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy - a timeline The prosecution will be all too happy when coverage of Assanges extradition hearing devolves into irrelevant tangents and smears. It matters little that Assanges beard was the result of his shaving kit having been confiscated, or that reports of Paul Manafort visiting him in the embassy were proven to be fabricated. By the time these petty claims are refuted, the damage will be done. At best, public debate over the real issues will be derailed; at worst, public opinion will be manipulated in favour of the establishment. By drawing attention away from the principles of the case, the obsession with personality pushes out the significance of WikiLeaks revelations and the extent to which governments have concealed misconduct from their own citizens. It pushes out how Assanges 2010 publications exposed 15,000 previously uncounted civilian casualties in Iraq, casualties that the US Army would have buried. It pushes out the fact that the United States is attempting to accomplish what repressive regimes can only dream of: deciding what journalists around the globe can and cannot write. It pushes out the fact that all whistleblowers and journalism itself, not just Assange, is on trial here. Detroit: Takata Corp. has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal charge and will pay USD 1 billionin fines and restitution for concealing a deadly defect in its air bag inflators. The US Attorney's Office in Detroit announced the plea deal on Saturday. Takata will pay a USD 25 million criminal fine, USD 125 million to individuals who were injured by the air bags andUSD 850 million to automakers that purchased the inflators. The US district court in Detroit has appointed attorney Kenneth Feinberg to distribute restitution payments. Payments to individuals must be made soon. Money due to automakers must be paid within five days of Takata's anticipated sale or merger. Takata is expected to be sold to another auto supplier or investor sometime this year. Ant and Lisa first met in 1994. At the time Ant and life-long TV partner Declan Donnelly were reaching new TV and music heights as PJ & Duncan following their stint on Byker Grove. Lisa was in a band called Deuce at the time. The pair met in the 1994 Smash Hits tour in Newcastle, where Lisa's Deuce performed alongside Ant and Dec's musical alter-egos. They started dating and were together for over ten years before Ant decided to take it to the next level, proposing to Lisa while on holiday in Dubai in 2005. They were married in 2006 on July 26 at a country house hotel in Buckinghamshire. Dec was Ant's best man. In that time, Deuce split and Lisa retrained as a makeup artist, ultimately working her way up to become head of makeup and hair for BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. In 2013, Ant and Lisa spoke about their struggles to conceive, telling Radio Times: 'Lisa and I would love to have kids. We're trying. It's tougher than you think when you get a bit older.' The TV star also revealed that he wasn't holding off from having children until Dec, who at the time was single at the time, was with someone. 'There's a rumour that we do everything together and I'm holding off having kids till Dec finds himself Mrs Right. I love that idea, but I'm afraid it's not true.' Happier times: The pair made a public appearance when they attended Dec's wedding to Ali Astall, where Ant returned the favour and served as Dec's best man He also told Fabulous Magazine: 'I think I'm lucky. Lisa works in the industry and understands it. She's constantly working sometimes more than me! 'We would love to have a family so fingers crossed. If we're blessed with children, then we'd be over the moon!' The pair made a public appearance when they attended Dec's wedding to Ali Astall, where Ant returned the favour and served as Dec's best man. Lisa frequently supports Ant and his lucrative TV career, most recently attending the 2017 National Television Awardsjust 12 months before the couple announced their separation. In June 2017, Ant went into rehab for alcohol and drug addiction. In a statement to The Sun at the time, Ant said: 'The first step is to admit to yourself you need help. I've let people down. I'm truly sorry. I feel like I have let a lot of people down and for that I'm truly sorry. I want to thank my wife, family and closest friends through this really difficult time.' Lisa took to Twitter to thank the support her husband received: 'Completely overwhelmed by all your love & support it means so much. I'm relieved he's receiving the help he needs, we just need him better.' Ant then told the Sun about the impact his addiction had on Lisa: I've put Lisa through hell with mood swings and depression and how it affects you. I'm very sorry about the effect it has on partners. This kind of stuff puts strains on any marriage. All I can say at the moment is that she's been amazing fantastic throughout.' In autumn 2017, rumours of a split emerged after Lisa didn't accompany Ant to Australia for I'm A Celeb, something which she quickly denied, pointing out she has a job and hasn't been to Australia for years. On January 14, 2018, the couple announced that their 11-year marriage has ended. The couple announced their split in January when a representative said: 'In response to the recent speculation in the media, Ant is very sad to announce that, after eleven years, he is ending his marriage to Lisa McPartlin. In March 2018, Anne-Marie Corbett, the couple's personal assistant was seen giving Ant a packed lunch outside his house. She accompanied him to his court date in April. The pair continue to be seen over the next several months, and in June 2018, having revealed that she didn't know Ant and Corbett were dating, Lisa accused Ant's new girlfriend of 'breaking the girl code' by dating the TV star. In October 2018, just days before their divorce application was granted, Ant was seen holding his phone, which has him and Corbett as the screensaver. Their union legally came to an end during a 30-second hearing. In November 2018, the pair were said to be fighting over custody of their pet labrador, Hurley In January 2020, Ant and Lisa were said to have finalised their divorce deal Ant agreed to hand over 31m to his ex-wife in the settlement, including their 5million former marital home in West London The couple will share custody of pet dog Hurley A Slovakian man who was caught urinating in the middle of Longford town last month has been fined 100 by Judge John Brennan. Michal Milenko, 4 Ardrum Court, Longford pleaded guilty to an incident on July 3 2020. Sgt Mark Mahon, prosecuting, said the accused had previously failed to appear at a sitting of Longford District Court on July 7, culminating in a bench warrant being executed on July 24 . In defence, solicitor Frank Gearty said his client had missed court on that occasion due to inadvertence on his part. In reference to the incident before the court, Sgt Mahon said gardai had received notification of a drunken male and arrived at the scene at 4:30pm. Upon their arrival, Sgt Mahon said the accused was found to be highly intoxicated and urinating in a doorway. Mr Milenko was consequently arrested and brought to Longford Garda Station before being charged over the incident. The court was told Mr Milenko had 20 previous convictions to his name, all of which related to public order incidents. The last of those came at the end of May and resulted in fines totalling 125 being handed out. Mr Gearty said his client was a married fathe r of three who now found himself effectively homeless. He insisted Mr Milenko had never been before a court in his native homeland but due to ill health had turned to alcohol. He left the family home a number ofmonths ago and has been living rough in Dublin, he said, adding his place of accommodation was presently a Dublin hostel under the auspices of the Fr Peter McVerry Trust. Mr Gearty also revealed Mr Milenko is due back before Longford Circuit Criminal Court on October 6 in relation to an alleged robbery charge. Asked if he had recently engaged in the consumption of alcohol, Mr Milenko simply said: No, prompting Mr Gearty to comment on his client's all-round disposition. He appears in better shape than he was previously, he said. Judge Brennan, in his summation, said he was conscious of how Mr Milenko was not in a good place at the present time but advised him to steer clear of drink as a means to move past his current malaise. He has fallen on hard times and has had health issues but resorting to alcohol is not a good idea, he said. Judge Brennan said while Mr Milenko's previous indiscretions were an aggravating factor he said he would impose a nominal fine as a consequence. As such, he fined Mr Milenko 100, giving him four months to pay. Army Commander Hun Manet asked troops to be wary of opposition groups attempting to sow dissent among the ranks in an attempt to destroy peace, which is a thinly-veiled reference to Sam Rainsys past calls for the military to disobey orders if asked to kill Cambodian citizens. The deputy commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, and Prime Minister Hun Sens eldest son, was speaking at an anniversary celebration for the Bodyguard Unit in Kandal province, which is tasked with protecting the prime minister. Hun Manet said outside forces were trying to break up the military by trying to plant and exploit internal dissent. He took umbrage to accusations that the armed forces were being used as a tool to destroy democracy. A strong iron still has its internal weaknesses, Hun Manet said. If [a problem] emerges from the insiders, it would be difficult. The deputy commander-in-chief referred to the largely peaceful protests in the United States against police brutality and systemic racism. According to Hun Manet, the U.S. government should send in the military to control the situation. For the demonstrations in the United States, if it becomes a riot and a mess, the United States would send troops to take control, if the police cannot maintain control, he added. The comments came as the Cambodian government has cracked down on the freedom of assembly by arresting and jailing several youth and rights activists for protesting the arrest of trade unionist Rong Chhun in late July. Hun Manet also listed out freedoms enjoyed by Cambodians such as the freedom to go to the pagoda and practice Buddhism. Who forbids the freedom of the people to go to the pagoda, forbids the freedom of the people, forbids the freedom of all monks in religious worship?except for when someone wears monks robes for doing politics, he said. Among the nearly two dozen activists arrested by the Cambodian police, officials have also detained an activist monk, who was also defrocked and expelled by his pagoda. Meas Ny, a political analyst, said that while Cambodia was at peace, people were still struggling with land disputes and in expressing themselves about national issues, such as border issues. 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. Protesters demonstrate in front of the state Capitol in Harrisburg as Pennsylvania's electors cast their state's votes for Donald Trump on Dec. 19, 2016. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) To the editor: I was sort of buying columnist Jonah Goldberg's analysis of left and right until he wrote that the left was in favor of abolishing the electoral college and the filibuster "and other bulwarks of republican government." How can the electoral college be a bulwark of republican government when it can negate the popular will of the people? As for the filibuster, that's not even in the Constitution. I think Goldberg misspoke. He meant to say the left's opposition to the electoral college and the filibuster is meant to do away with the bulwarks of Republican Party government. Carl Martz, Redlands .. To the editor: I have always been proud to label myself a centrist. I hold views espoused by both sides of the political spectrum, but "liberal Republican" or "conservative Democrat" never fit me quite right. Many years ago, I heard Rush Limbaugh on the radio claiming that there is no such thing as a centrist, and that there's nothing "middle of the road" but dead armadillos. As a descendant of generations of Texans, I am very familiar with the sight of a lone "dillo" snuffed out by another differently armored vehicle a hundred times its size. But armadillos are tough critters, and an army of them could do serious damage to a puffed-up pickup truck. Imagine how an army of moderate voters can impact the coming election. Barbara Jackson, Cerritos .. To the editor: Goldberg spends an entire column trying to define a moderate, and he misses the most important trait of one. It's quite simple: A moderate is someone willing to compromise. But the destruction of the concept of compromise ended when then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell decided he would not allow Republicans to support anything proposed by the Obama administration. And so the polarization began. Tony Blake, Woodland Hills Nineteen years ago, the world watched in horror as thousands of innocent Americans were killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Today, the city of Katy remembered the men, women and children who died that day. In a ceremony hosted by the Katy VFW in Freedom Park, Katy residents and leaders congregated at the Armed Forces memorial to pay tribute to the victims. Mayor Bill Hastings issued a proclamation declaring Sept. 11 Patriot Day in the city of Katy. Related: Katy city council moves forward with proposed lower tax rate It's a solemn occasion, Hastings said. Everybody will always remember where they were at the time the attacks occurred. Congressman Pete Olson, representative from District 22, also spoke at the event. Olson described his own experience on Sept. 11. Ordinary Americans did extraordinary things on that day, he said. I was on Capitol Hill when the Pentagon was hit. As Olson evacuated, he met Heather Penney, first lieutenant for the National Guard. Penney, now known as the American Kamikaze, mobilized to take down Flight 93 to prevent more deaths after the World Trade Centers and Pentagon were hit. Penney didnt have time to load weapons to her F-16, so she was prepared to fly into the plane at the loss of her own life. Flight 93 crashed into a field before Penney reached the plane, but Olson never forgot her bravery. She was ready to die for us, Olson said. I knew I had been touched and protected by Gods Angel that day. On HoustonChronicle.com: Turner pulls out of housing task force that recommended eviction grace period ordinance Councilmember Chris Harris, who was also in attendance at the event, said that 9/11 memorials are a sorrowful yet powerful way to remember the lives lost that day. Its incredibly moving to see the city honor the people who died, Harris said. Nineteen years ago, the world changed forever. For Hastings, 9/11 ceremonies are vital to keeping the memory of the victims alive. The scary thing about this is that, yes, we remember it now, because we were there, and we saw it when it happened, Hastings said. But my grandchildren dont know a lot about it, even though it was so horrible, and so many people died. Its up to us to make sure theyre never forgotten. claire.goodman@chron.com In a new study released by the Centers for Disease Control Friday, health officials suggest a connection between the spread of COVID-19 and going to bars and restaurants. Researchers contacted over 800 adults who agreed to participate in the study conducted in July. Of the 802 adults, 332 reported symptoms at the time of testing and were enrolled in the study. The more than 300 symptomatic patients sought testing at 11 health care facilities across the United States, including Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Patients were asked about their adherence to social distancing protocols and wearing a mask as well as their work and recreational activities prior to receiving a positive diagnosis for coronavirus. Among the social activities asked about were shopping, dining in a restaurant and going to a coffee shop, gym or salon. About half of the participants reported shopping or visiting others inside a home within two weeks of reporting symptoms. No significant differences were observed between case-patients and control-participants in shopping or small gatherings of less than 10 people in a home. However, researchers say the data suggests a strong correlation between dining out and positive COVID cases. 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 report states. This included both indoor dining as well as patio and outdoor seating, researchers said. The CDC study cites the difficulty to maintain social distancing and mask use when eating and drinking on-site. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)AP This study comes as temperatures begin to drop and many in the restaurant industry push for more allowance of indoor dining, fearing the closure of many restaurants if seating capacity remains restricted. Bob Luz, of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, said in June more than 20% of restaurants in the state may close permanently in the aftermath of the coronavirus. Since March, Luz said, 93% or restaurants in the state have had to lay off or furlough employees. He said 87% of the 300,000 employees in the state have been laid off or furloughed. The hardest-hit areas, he said, could be downtown Boston and Cape Cod -- areas that depend on a high volume of people. In the case of Cape Cod, thats tourists and for downtown, office workers. Massachusetts restaurants were restricted to carry out service only in late March amid a series of COVID health orders, including the closure of schools and non-essential businesses. The state has reopened in phases over the months since, with restaurants allowed to offer outdoor dining under strict restrictions starting in early June, then indoor dining two weeks later. For indoor dining, tables need to be placed at least 6 feet away from each other unless the tables are separated by some of barrier. Tables may only have groups of up to six people. All patrons must wear a mask while waiting to be seated. Restaurants cannot hand out reusable menus and must either give out single-use paper menus or use a chalkboard or online menu to display items. Restaurants are being encouraged to use call-ahead seating or reservations. If a restaurant has a COVID-19 case, it must temporarily close to undergo cleaning. More on the guidelines can be found here. Bars cannot reopen until the state enters its final phase of reopening, which is scheduled to start when a vaccine is available. Bars were moved to the final phase in June. Gov. Charlie Baker said the decision was made in part due to issues presented in other states. The big issue with respect to bars is coming up with a model that we actually believe can be done safely, Baker said in June. As weve seen in a number of other places around the country that have moved forward very aggressively, theyve started to see a pretty significant rise in new cases, and were going to work very hard to make sure that doesnt happen in Massachusetts. Arcades were also included in Phase 4 of the reopening plan this summer, a decision that was reversed by the Baker administration this week. Baker announced Thursday he is signing an executive order to allow indoor and outdoor arcades to resume operations next week. The decision came after a Massachusetts arcade filed suit, accusing the Baker administration of violating the business' First and Fourteenth Amendment rights, requiring it remain closed while casinos are allowed to reopen and turn on their slot machines in Phase 3. Baker also plans to sign an executive order to extend the timeframe for municipal permitting for expanded outdoor dining. More than 16 weeks after gaming regulators ordered the three casinos in Massachusetts to shutdown, the casino floors were allowed to reopen in July. Undark Muhammad Rehman Shirzad, a government forensic scientist, inspects an Ephedra sinica plant in the Surobi District in eastern Afghanistan. Kern Hendricks/Undark Alam Gul Alam's symptoms had been steadily worsening for weeks when he decided to visit an herbalist named Haji Mohammad Alkozai. The 30-year-old civil servant from Kabul had intently watched a video clip making the rounds on Afghan social media, in which Alkozai claims to have discovered a cure for Covid-19 and describes dramatic recoveries of previously ill patients. Whatever this man was offering, Alam knew he wanted to try it. "I feared for my life," said Alam, who was diagnosed with Covid-19 in May. For weeks, he had struggled with severe chest and throat pain, along with shortness of breath. Doctors had prescribed medications, but nothing seemed to work. Alam was desperate. On the evening of May 29, he traveled by car to Alkozai's clinic in the northern part of the Afghan capital. Upon arrival, Alam joined a line of hundreds of patients that stretched down the road. Once inside, he had an additional wait in an overcrowded basement. After nearly four hours, he finally received three drops of the herbalist's purported miracle concoction. By the time of Alam's visit, hundreds of Afghans were praising the wonders of Alkozai's treatment, though the herbalist steadfastly refused to disclose the active ingredients. The clamor caught the attention of the Afghan Ministry of Public Health, which tested the compound and found that it contained several highly addictive ingredients, including opioids such as morphine and codeine. Afghanistan is the world's leading grower of opium, used to produce heroin and other illegal drugs, much of which is traded globally. An estimated 2 million Afghans use opiates according to a 2015 survey. During a press conference on June 9, Wahid Majrooh, deputy minister of public health, released the findings. He explained the substance's addictive potential and its lack of effectiveness as a remedy for Covid-19. Because narcotics are regulated under Afghan law, their distribution as an herbal remedy is considered criminal. The Ministry issued an order to shut down the Kabul clinic and then forwarded the findings to security agencies to take action. Story continues In Afghanistan's deeply conservative society, many viewed these moves to protect public health as an affront to Afghan culture and religious values. When government forces tried to shut down the clinic, some Afghans took to the streets. "Afghanistan is a very religious and cultural country and it is not uncommon here for traditional doctors to prescribe herbal medicines," said Maryam Shamal Ghalib, a general surgeon at Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital in Kabul. Local medicine men like Alkozai, she explained, are seen as doing holy work. On the frontlines of the pandemic in a country riven by decades of war, Ghalib wishes the government had taken a different tack. "Instead of confrontation, they should have created more awareness among the people," she suggested. Government officials are now working to do just that, implementing a campaign to educate the public about the drawbacks of untested herbal treatments. But they also acknowledge that some of their early messaging may have stoked fear, inadvertently creating a desire for unproven treatments. * * * Herbalists are not regulated in Afghanistan, and there is no official tally of their numbers. They are, however, quite common, particularly in rural areas that lack medical infrastructure. Many clinics are family-owned and operated, with recipes handed down from father to son. Historically, during times of war, herbalists have cared for their local communities in the absence of medical doctors. This history along with corruption in the Afghan medical system means that herbalists are widely popular, said Ghalib. Alkozai, who has received international media coverage over the past months, has been mixing herbs in the southern province of Kandahar for over 25 years, said his assistant, Sadar Mohammad Hamdard, in an interview with Undark. Alkozai, who declined to be interviewed directly, specializes in Unani medicine, a traditional medical system that originated in ancient Greece and is now primarily practiced in and around India. According to Hamdard, when SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, hit Afghanistan, Alkozai got to work. The result: a compound with 11 organic ingredients. Without sharing those closely guarded elements, Hamdard claimed that one component boosts the immune system, while another helps with symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. "This medicine can overcome coronavirus in one to two hours," he claimed. Alkozai tested the treatment on his family first, said Hamdard, and then started to distribute it free of cost to the people in his province. "I work with him in the clinic without any masks and deal with hundreds of patients daily," Hamdard said. To date, Hamdard says he has not shown symptoms of Covid-19, an achievement he attributes to having taken Alkozai's medication preventively. Of course, many people who carry the virus will not show symptoms, and officials like Akmal Samsor, an adviser and spokesperson for the Afghan Ministry of Public Health, say Alkozai's treatment is sheer quackery, offered up by an individual seeking to profit from the crisis. But as Covid-19 spread across Afghanistan, Alkozai's popularity grew. And those like Alam risked spending hours in crowded rooms for the hope of a cure. As of August 7, more than 37,000 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19, in a country of 37 million, according to figures provided by the Ministry of Public Health. * * * In a short video posted online, Alkozai can be seen invoking God as the source of Covid-19 and as the inspiration for the herbalist's newfound cure. "All past diseases," he proclaimed, have appeared "by the order of Allah to torment people." Alkozai claims that God revealed the special cure to him and a handful of others. The religious allusions resonated with many Afghans. Alam said that seeking the herbalist's help was a deeply spiritual pursuit, one that revived his faith in religion. The whole world is struggling with Covid-19, he explained, so when Alkozai said, "'With the grace of God, I have a cure for this,'" that gave people hope. Samsor agreed that Alkozai's words carry an emotional appeal. And he pointed out that many who sought treatment were motivated by a sense of pride in thinking that a person from their homeland could develop a cure for a disease that has overwhelmed communities across the globe. Within a few hours of taking the herbalist's drug, Alam says his health began to improve. He says he coughed less, the irritation in his throat subsided, and his pain vanished. The apparently quick recovery made him a devoted fan of Alkozai. Alam is now considering leaving his government job. "I have become more spiritual since my recovery. I read the Quran every day, and the translations and meanings of those verses just come to my heart. My aim is to now spend my life serving the religion," he said. Afghan medical authorities and experts are not convinced by such stories, and they're quick to point out that even small amounts of the substance can cause harm. Ghalib says that some Afghans are under the impression that because the dose is only three drops, it must be safe even if it does contain narcotics. "Those three drops can only provide relief for a few hours, at the most 24 hours," she says. "But the effect won't stay for long." Some patients take additional doses, which can be addictive, she warned. Patients can also develop a tolerance. "If you give someone three drops once, the next time they will need more" to achieve the same effect, Ghalib said. Ghalib believes that Afghan public health officials should have made a more robust effort to educate the public about these risks and to interview people who did not improve with treatment. ("There were many of them," she noted.) Instead, the government swiftly shut down the herbalist's clinic. Samsor acknowledged that the government's initial communication strategy may have missed its mark. "There was a lot of fear," he said. This may have inadvertently helped people like Alkozai. Even apparently healthy people waited in long lines so they'd have a treatment on hand in the event they became ill, Samsor recalled. But the government has since changed course, he said, targeting misinformation and urging Afghans to see a medical doctor if they need help with symptoms of Covid-19. "In our country everyone can be convinced that herbal medicines and [herbalists] work miracles," Ghalib explained. In her mind, the backlash was inevitable and worrisome from a public health perspective. "Those crowds [of protesters] could have caused the virus to spread further." Meanwhile, Alkozai continues to distribute his concoction through underground networks in Kabul. And despite government orders for closure, he still runs clinics in Kandahar and in Herat Province, the epicenter of the nation's outbreak. For Afghans, the burden of a pandemic is more than many can tolerate in a country already inundated with violence and poverty. And without access to a vaccine or widely effective treatment for Covid-19, any hope however obscure might seem worth fighting for, particularly when it resonates with one's spiritual beliefs. "There is no cure and our hospitals are not equipped to handle this crisis," Alam explained. "If in such a life and death situation, someone can offer you hope, of course you will take it." This article was originally published on Undark. Read the original article. Related Articles Covert Chinese Recruitment Plan Continues Despite US Scrutiny, Leaked Documents Show The Chinese regime continues to target top overseas talents through a well-financed recruitment programthe Thousand Talents Planwhich has come under close U.S. scrutiny for its perceived threats to national security, according to a series of internal documents obtained by The Epoch Times. Rolled out by Beijing in 2008, the Thousand Talents Plan is Chinas most prominent state-run recruitment program. Hundreds of similar operations exist at the central and local government levels, aiming to attract promising overseas Chinese and foreigner experts in the fields of science and technology to fuel Chinas innovation drive. From 2008 to 2017, more than 7,000 high-end professionalsmostly from overseashave participated in Thousand Talents alone, including six Nobel Prize laureates, according to Chinese state media reports. Amid deepening trade theft concerns and a string of notable U.S. federal prosecutions, the program has gone underground, with Chinese censors deleting online references to it. The documents seen by The Epoch Times revealed that a dozen researchers and experts who received nominations to the program hold doctorate degrees from Western universities or have previously worked in Western companies and academic institutions. One such list, compiled in late 2019 by a Shaanxi provincial government agency, showed all Thousand Talent recruits who were due to work in Xian city, the provinces capital. The document included their previous job titles and when they would begin working at a Xian local firm, according to the contract they signed. The experts, from the United States, the UK, Australia, Denmark, Germany, and Japan, specialize in fields such as artificial intelligence, biomedical, pharmaceutical, and biochemistryindustries Beijing has targeted as part of its ambitions to become a high-tech manufacturing powerhouse. One chemistry professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who specializes in nanotechnology and molecular biology was nominated to the program and signed a contract with an information technology company in Xian in September 2019, the document shows. Responding to an email inquiry, he told The Epoch Times that at the time, he was in transition to his current job and had considered going back to China to take the job of a part-time consultant at the Xian company. He later turned down the job offer and the nomination exactly because UIUC and the US news media were educating people that those programs may have the spy concern [sic], and therefore, he has never been in any talent programs, he said. UK-based Oxford Cancer Biomarkers, a developer of cancer diagnostic tests, didnt immediately respond to requests by The Epoch Times for comment about their employees whose names were on the list. Daiichi Sankyo Co., a Japanese pharmaceutical company, said in a Sept. 29 email that their company records showed no indication that the person listed in the government document works, or has ever worked, at any Daiichi Sankyo company. Party-Controlled Talents The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which plays a central role in executing the recruitment plan, is able to exert exceptional levels of control over members to ensure the program serves its priorities, a 2019 Senate report noted (pdf). Thousand Talents members sign binding contracts with Chinese institutions that may contain nondisclosure agreements, which can incentivize them to lie when applying for U.S. federal grants, set up shadow labs in China, and transfer U.S. intellectual property, the report said. The Party is in control of the talents, declared a Shaanxi Thousand Talents Implementation Plan published in 2017, a phrase that has appeared in many Party speeches and policies over the years. This wording in itself should arouse suspicions, said China affairs commentator Li Linyi. The reason for such an emphasis, he said, is that the CCP needs the overseas experts to obey the Party and help the Party steal advanced foreign technologies. Tourists walk on the city wall as heavy smog engulfs the city in Xian, China, on Dec. 18, 2013. (Getty Images) Between 2008 and 2016, China recruited about 60,000 overseas scientists, academics, entrepreneurs, and researchers using over 200 overseas talent recruitment programsincluding Thousand Talentsand at least 600 CCP overseas talent recruitment workstations, according to an August report by think tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute, citing official statistics. The United States alone has 146 such recruitment stations, the highest number in the world. Lucrative Rewards The financial benefits of joining Thousand Talents are enticing. The latest publicly available information from the Shaanxi government showed that in addition to their salaries, top talents and those selected to join its innovation team can expect up to 2 million yuan ($294,906) in financial assistance, with additional incentives for training and research development arranged on an individual basis. Under the program, recruits categorized as young talents and foreign experts also receive government awards of 300,000 to 1 million yuan ($44,236 to $147,453). The foreign experts would enjoy privileged treatment on visa stays, housing, health care, transportation, insurance, and their childrens education. The relevant departments will provide highly efficient and convenient services, according to the Shaanxi government. To encourage them to work in the Xian high-tech zone, authorities could reward up to 4.5 million yuan ($663,540) per individual, with additional housing subsidies of up to 700,000 yuan ($103,217), along with extra living allowances. Tourists visit the Xian Ming Dynasty City Wall in Xian of Shaanxi Province, China, on Oct. 16, 2007. (China Photos/Getty Images) The high-tech zone as of 2018 has trained 77 experts for Chinas national talent recruitment programs and 82 for the Shaanxi provincial level Thousand Talents program, and has recruited more than 4,600 foreign experts and over 5,400 Chinese scholars who studied overseas, according to the government. Some of the experts involved in Shaanxi Thousand Talents have worked on developing 5G technology, Chinas satellite navigation system BeiDou, and large-scale photonic integrated circuits (computer chips) to compete with U.S. computer hardware firms such as IBM and Intel, according to a separate internal document summarizing the programs accomplishments. US Actions Federal prosecutors in recent months have charged at least a half-dozen U.S. researchers in connection with ties to Thousand Talents. In July, James Patrick Lewis, a former West Virginia University professor who worked for the state-run Chinese Academy of Sciences under the Thousand Talents program, was sentenced to three years in prison for federal program fraud. Almost the same time, a Malaysian-born professor at the University of Arkansas since 1988 was indicted on 42 counts of wire fraud and two counts of passport fraudmostly connected to his failure to disclose ties to China and Chinese companies. Charles Lieber, former chair of Harvard Universitys chemistry and chemical biology department, was indicted in June for two counts of making false statements to federal authorities, and again in July for concealing the earnings he received from Thousand Talents. In a July 7 speech, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the agency is opening a new case about once every 10 hours to counter threats coming from China. American taxpayers are effectively footing the bill for Chinas own technological development. China then leverages its ill-gotten gains to undercut U.S. research institutions and companies, blunting our nations advancement and costing American jobs, he said during the speech. This article has been updated to include a response from Daiichi Sankyo Co. The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa 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 Governments 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 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 Governments 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. 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 STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Community Board 2 will hear from the city Taxi and Limousine Commission about a new accessible dispatch program, and the city Department of Environmental Protection will update members on the PS 317 Victory Boulevard Pump Station project during a virtual meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 15. Also during the Board 2 video conference, to be held at 7 p.m., the board will consider an application for a proposed self-storage warehouse at 95 and 105 Ridgeway Ave., Travis. Those wishing to participate must register at cb2si.com by 10 a.m. on the day of the meeting. Also on Tuesday, Community Board 1s Rosebank/ Ft. Wadsworth area committee will meet outdoors at 7 p.m. at 247 Virginia Ave. Additionally, the Mariners Harbor/Port Richmond/Elm Park/Arlington area committee will host a virual meeting on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Agenda items for the meeting include a presentation by Nicole Brooks of the city Parks Department on upgrades and progress to Luis Lopez Park and Faber Park, and a presentation about the COMEunity Fridge, located on Forest Avenue at Amity Place. Join the Zoom meeting here. The meeting ID number is 864 4546 2266. Community Board 3 has no meetings scheduled this week. Community Board meetings and meetings of their committees are open to the public. They provide an excellent opportunity for residents to learn about happenings in their neighborhoods and surrounding areas. Below is more information about the Islands three Community Boards: Community Board 1 Arlington Castleton Corners Clifton Concord Elm Park Fort Wadsworth Graniteville Grymes Hill Livingston Mariners Harbor New Brighton Port Richmond Randall Manor Rosebank St. George Shore Acres Silver Lake Stapleton Sunnyside Tompkinsville West Brighton Westerleigh The district manager is Joseph Carroll. The Board chairman is Nicholas Siclari. The telephone number is 718-981-6900. Community Board 2 Arrochar Bloomfield Bulls Head Chelsea Dongan Hills Egbertville Emerson Hill Grant City Grasmere High Rock Lighthouse Hill Midland Beach New Dorp New Springville Oakwood Ocean Breeze Old Town Richmond South Beach Todt Hill Travis. The phone number is 718-568-3581. The fax number 718-568-3595. Parking is available. The chairman is Robert J. Collegio, P.E. The district manager is Debra A. Derrico. Community Board 3 Annadale Arden Heights Bay Terrace Charleston Eltingville Great Kills Greenridge Huguenot New Dorp Oakwood Pleasant Plains Princes Bay Richmond Valley -- Richmond -- Rossville -- Tottenville -- Woodrow. The office phone number is 718-356-7900. The Board chairman is Frank Morano; the district manager is Charlene Wagner. Imagination Technologies British chip designer Imagination Technologies is adding the former chief executive of BT and ICL plc to its board in an effort to allay fears over growing Chinese influence over the company. Sir Peter Bonfield, a technology veteran who is currently chairman of Netherlands-based semiconductor firm NXP and a director of Taiwan's TSMC in Taiwan, will be joining Imagination as a non-executive director, in news to be announced on Monday. Sir Peter is expected to be the first of a number of non-executive hires Imagination is planning to announce in the coming weeks. The company is also still hunting for a new chief executive, after Ron Black left in April. His departure came amid growing fears that China Reform, the largest investor in Imagination's owner Canyon Bridge, was plotting a boardroom coup. Earlier this year, China Reform had attempted to add four people to Imagination's board, although, following a backlash from MPs, later backed down. Imagination develops around a third of the graphics processing chips used in mobile phones, and its customers include Apple. It has also developed a verification technology to test those chips, which MPs have warned could be used to find vulnerabilities in networks. To quell concerns over Beijing's influence, Canyon Bridge pledged to keep Imagination headquarters in the UK and hire new independent directors. Sky News reported last month that Imagination had approached Ed Vaizey, the former government minister, over a role. Carrigallen author, Kevin McManus is delighted to have signed a three-book publishing deal with UK publishers, Spellbound books. The English publishing company specialises in marketing and selling crime fiction which is the biggest selling genre in the world at present. Kevin has agreed to write a series of books featuring an Irish Detective called Ray Logue. The stories are all set in Western Ireland in the fictional town of Port Ard. The first of the Ray Logue thrillers will be published in Spring 2021. The author has produced six novels and three novellas since his debut book, 'The Whole of the Moon' was published in early 2016. He is an active member of the CWA (The international Crime Writers association). In 2016 the author was awarded the Leonard Trophy for his short story writing. In 2017 Under the Red Winter Sky and in 2018 New Blood were voted the best crime Novels of the year out of 2000 internationally nominated books. Alongside writing crime fiction, the author also writes poetry and is launching his first anthology next month entitled 'Spirits in the Forest'. His poems have been well received in numerous journals including The Galway Review. The following poem, 'September' will appear alongside over one hundred other poems in 'Spirits of the Forest.' The book has been formatted and designed by Tony Fahy, who has a wealth of experience in the field. September The light is weakening, with the sun retreating. As the year is ageing, the scent in the air is changing. Growth is slowing as the leaves are falling. The days grow short and the dark hours extending. The summer is fading into the fall. Pastor John D. Ogletree reflected Thursday evening that it had been a sad day in Houston, and a somber one. Four city police officers were fired that day for their roles in the April 21 death of Nicolas Chavez, in an incident captured on police video that was finally made public after months of calls, from activists, to release the tapes. The video, presented by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner at a press conference along with Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, was difficult to watch, Turner noted. Chavez was in the midst of a psychiatric crisis when police were summoned to the scene, and the officers spent some time trying unsuccessfully to defuse the situation, which escalated tragically when Chavez grabbed a Taser one of them had dropped. The officers had a lot of other opportunities and a lot of other options readily available to them, Acevedo said, explaining that the officers could have taken a few steps back rather than opening fire as they did, resulting in Chavez death. He could have lived and could have gotten the help that he desperately needed, concurred Turner. On HoustonChronicle.com: 4 officers fired as HPD releases footage of fatal shooting of Nicolas Chavez But as Ogletree noted Thursday evening, at the beginning of an online summit on justice coordinated by The Metropolitan Organization of Houston and the Network of Texas IAF Organizations, Chavez death wasnt an isolated incident. Chavez was the first of six killed by HPD officers during a two-month stretch, April and May, Ogletree said. All of these were men of color who were killed. He put these deaths in the broader context. Over the past six months, the nation has been roiled by a series of high-profile incidents of police violence involving persons of color: the shooting death of 26-year-old Kentucky emergency medical technician Breonna Taylor in March, after police entered her Louisville home on a no-knock warrant; the protracted death of 46-year-old George Floyd in Minneapolis in May, as a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes; the firing of seven shots into the back of 29-year-old Jacob Blake, in Kenosha, Wis. during an arrest last month, leaving the father of six paralyzed. The cry now across the nation is for justice, Ogletree continued. Since May, there has been a heightened sense of rage, desperation, and resolve to shift the way policing is done in America. Thats certainly true, and its the best reason to feel optimistic about the prospects for police reform in Houston, at least. Turner in June established a task force on the topic, which continues to do its work. In the interim, City Council members Martha Castex-Tatum, Jerry Davis, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Edward Pollard and Tiffany Thomas last month sent a letter to Turner calling for action on 25 proposals, including a complete overhaul of Houstons Independent Police Oversight Board. Turner on Thursday said he is nearly certain there will be some changes to the board, at least. At the state level, however, progress seems unlikely in the near term. State leaders have conflated calls for police reform with demands to defund the police. Gov. Greg Abbott this week called on all candidates running for office this year to sign a Texas Backs the Blue pledge, opposing efforts to defund the police. And on Thursday, he proposed new legislation that would crack down on any cities that might have different ideas: his idea is that cities that defund the police would lose their annexation powers in perpetuity. It is particularly offensive that some cities are disrespecting and even defunding our law enforcement agencies in communities across the state, Abbott said at a press conference Thursday, flanked by Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. All are Republicans. Earlier this summer, Abbott proposed a permanent property tax freeze for cities that defund the police. And both of these ideas might be described, generously, as a solution in search of a problem. While defund the police has become an increasingly popular hashtag in certain internet circles, very few Texans have embraced the idea. Even the left-leaning Austin City Council Abbotts bogeyman, in this and other contexts didnt outright defund the citys police department. Rather it cut its budget by roughly one-third, shifting most of those funds to other city departments. Victims services and forensic sciences would move to other departments, and $50 million would be used to create a Reimagine Safety Fund. Such details may or may not matter to Abbott. Polls suggest that his crusade against efforts to defund the police will probably be a popular one, even if the threat the governor is positing is an abstract one. Austin Mayor Steve Adler, in a statement, indicated that he sees the governors motives in this context as essentially political. Not surprising the Presidents rhetoric is finding its way to Texas as we get closer to November, said Adler, noting that Austin is one of the safest major cities in the country. Its not surprising, but it does represent a missed opportunity. Republican leaders such as Abbott should consider that the calls for police reform, coming from both sides of the aisle, are just that, rather than some kind of euphemism for a wholesale dismantling of law enforcement. And most of the reformers see police as a potential partner in this effort, rather than the enemy. That was one of the points many speakers made at the TMO and Texas IAF summit Thursday evening We are simply asking police to do too much, said Nick Hudson, a criminal justice policy analyst at the ACLU of Texas. We ask them to deal with people who are experiencing homelessness and mental illness, and addiction and overdose; to resolve conflicts between family members; to take accident reports; to deal with people who are suicidal. Look, these are real social problems, he continued, But the question is, are the police the best people to respond to them? I think that any fair-minded person would say no. The question is, how do we better define the role that we want police officers to play in our community? Thats an important conversation that our leaders should be willing to have with Texans on both sides of the aisle, rather than simply wielding election-year threats and pledges about backing the blue. erica.grieder@chron.com Karachi: A Pakistani journalist who has been a vocal critic of the military, government, and religious extremist groups, has been arrested on charges of defaming the country's powerful army and spreading religious hatred. "Through his [social media] posts, Bilal Farooqi defamed the Pakistan Army and anti-state elements used these posts for their vested interests," said a police report seen by Reuters, which added that his online activity also spread religious hatred and incited mutiny against the military. Farooqi's arrest is the latest in a spate of such moves against journalists who have been critical of the government and comes days after Prime Minister Imran Khan reiterated the country had a free media. Prime Minister Imran Khan says there is press freedom in Pakistan. Credit:AP In July, another journalist, Matiullah Jan, also a critic of Pakistan's military and government, was freed hours after being abducted after his disappearance sparked outcry amongst journalists and rights activists. The meetings in the Normandy format are underway. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the preparations for the summit of the Normandy Four (Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France) leaders are underway. "The meetings in the Normandy format are underway. If the advisors meet, and I already know the result, it means a meeting of the Normandy Four leaders will be planned," he told journalists during a working trip to Odesa region, as reported on the presidential website. Read alsoZelensky's Office reveals details of Normandy Four advisors' meetingAccording to Zelensky, the delegations of the Normandy Four countries did not put an end to many issues at the September 11 talks. Therefore, another meeting at the level of advisors to the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France will take place. "The most important decision we have today is the observance and extension of the ceasefire. Am I 100% satisfied? No. Was there a combat loss? Yes. But if we are moving toward the implementation of the Minsk agreements, if we are moving toward peace in the east of our country, the first and foremost issue is the compliance with the ceasefire. This means our guys will not die," the president said. Zelensky also stressed the ceasefire established in late July had been the longest one since the beginning of war in Donbas. Normandy Four: Latest developments Dublin GAA legend Bernard Brogan issued a beep test challenge to Katie Taylor, Brian ODriscoll and Paul Mescal to raise awareness for World Suicide Prevention Day, on The Late Late Show last night. Brogan, who did a beep test live in-studio, called on the trio to publish a video of their test to bring attention to mental health in Ireland. Read More Brogan challenged the three celebrities to partake in what he dubbed, the most horrendous fitness test you can do in sport. The seven time All-Ireland winner is an active ambassador for Aware, a non-profit organisation providing education, support and information around depression and bipolar disorder. He also pledged to make a donation to both Pieta House and Aware. Brogan had a playful jibe at Brian ODriscoll saying hes looking fit at the moment, but I want to see if he has the gas in the tank. Hes walking around with the guns but I want to see if he has the endurance. ODriscolls wife, Amy Huberman today disclosed the couple are expecting their third child and Brogan said, what better way to celebrate than with a beep test? The former Dublin corner forward nominated Katie Taylor, who he said would blow us all out of the water and also invited the man of the moment, Normal People star Paul Mescal to take the test. Pauls shorts went down pretty well, and Im sure lots of people would love to see him back in those shorts - he played a bit with Kildare underage so he is a GAA guy, Brogan said. Looks like Google is keeping the Chromecast branding, and this also hints at Android TV rebranding to Google TV. Googles upcoming Android TV dongle has been appearing in leaks for months now. Its codenamed Sabrina and what it could be called officially is Google Chromecast with Google TV. Thats a very long name for a tiny product. According to a new leak by Android Police's Artem Russakovskii, the Android TV dongle has been listed on Targets retail system with a price tag of $49.99. The listing also displayed the products name as Google Chromecast with Google TV. It looks like Google will offer the product with this branding which makes sense since it will be an upgraded version of the Chromecast. But another change here is calling it Google TV and not Android TV. Google is expected to revamp the UI along with the name change as well. It looks like Google will not follow the Nest rebranding for the Chromecast like it did with the smart speakers. But the new dongle will be a major upgrade from the current Chromecast and is expected to finally compete directly with the Amazon Fire TV stick. It is expected to come bundled with a remote control that will have a dedicated button for Google Assistant. The new Google Chromecast is also expected to bring support for 4K streaming at 60fps. It is also said to support HDR and Dolby Vision. In terms of specs, it could be powered by the Amlogic S905X2 processor paired with 2GB of RAM. It could also come with support for HDMI 2.1 with automatic low-latency optimisation. Google is rumoured to launch the streaming dongle on September 30. Its colour options could be pink, gray and blue. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Kyodo News) Tokyo Sat, September 12, 2020 13:35 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c446bee2 2 News business-travelers,Japan,Singapore,travel Free 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. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- After a nearly-six month closure as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum has begun welcoming back visitors. On Saturday, Sept. 12, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum officially reopened its doors to the general public one day after the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The site first opened on Friday exclusively to family members of the victims of 9/11, before opening to the general public on Saturday. During our temporary closure we remained steadfast in our commitment to commemorate, educate, and inspire, said Alice M. Greenwald, 9/11 Memorial & Museum president and CEO, on Friday. Today, we were honored to welcome the families of those who were killed 19 years ago, and we look forward to welcoming members of the public once again to pay tribute in person beginning tomorrow in a safe and sacred environment. Various health and safety precautions have been implemented by the museum to minimize any potential spread of the novel coronavirus. All guests will be subject to temperature screenings before entering the site. Masks are required at all times while on the premises. Hand sanitizer stations have been installed throughout the museum. Social distancing requirements will be enforced. Tickets are timed and must be purchased in advance on the museums website. And certain parts of the museum, like the cafe and coat check, are currently closed. The museum is currently operating under the following reduced hours. Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday: CLOSED Wednesday: CLOSED Thursday: 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday: 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. OTHER REOPENED MUSEUMS If youre looking for something to do this weekend with much of New York Citys recreational activities still on hold, various museums have begun reopening their doors to guests in recent weeks. In addition to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, five other New York City museums plan to reopen to the general public this weekend, including the Brooklyn Museum, El Museo del Barrio, the Rubin Museum, the Tenement Museum and the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Other New York City museums that are currently open include the American Folk Art Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Morgan Library & Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, the Museum of Modern Art, the New-York Historical Society and the Whitney Museum of American Art. The High Court is set to hear how a criminal gang has been trafficking dozens of vulnerable people from Lithuania and forcing them to sell heroin on the across Belfast and the Republic of Ireland since 2015 The High Court is set to hear how a criminal gang has been trafficking dozens of vulnerable people from Lithuania and forcing them to sell heroin on the streets across Belfast and the Republic of Ireland since 2015. Five suspected members of the gang were arrested late last month on extradition warrants, following co-operation between gardai, the PSNI and Lithuanian police. In a statement, the authorities claimed the arrests of 18 people across Ireland and Lithuania had dismantled the alleged organised crime group. The gang is alleged to have sought out and recruited at least 65 vulnerable Lithuanians, and lured them to the Republic and Northern Ireland with false promises of legitimate work. When they arrived they were forced to sell heroin in Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Belfast and Tralee. Some of the vulnerable people were drug addicts themselves and may have ended up before the Irish courts for minor offences, but all 65 named individuals are considered victims of the gangs activities by Lithuanian authorities. The five suspected gang members appeared before the High Court on Tuesday, where dates were fixed for their extradition hearings. Andrius Pagojus (39), who is alleged to be one of the gangs main organisers across Ireland, is accused of trafficking 65 named individuals to Ireland by taking advantage of their vulnerabilities and forcing them to sell heroin through the use of violence. Furthermore, Mr Pagojust is alleged to have organised the collection, storage and allocation of monies, including his own alleged share to pay for home improvements in Lithuania, and safe storage of tha cash, according to authorities there. Aurimas Mecius (32) is alleged to have controlled and supervised seven of the exploited street-dealers, particularly in Waterford. Mr Mecius is alleged to have distributed heroin himself directly and is also alleged to have beaten up one of the street dealers for losing a quantity of heroin and disobeying orders in an unknown flat in Ireland on August 15, 2017. Donatas Ravickas (28), is alleged to have controlled and supervised at least 15 vulnerable street-dealers in Cork and Belfast and is alleged to have distributed drugs himself. Furthermore, Mr Ravickas is alleged to have found and recruited a Mr Arturas Bogaciovas in Lithuania, in April 2018, knowing Mr Bogaciovas would be exploited to sell heroin in Ireland. Mr Bogaciovas was found dead of an alleged drug overdose before his suspected trafficking to Ireland could take place. Rokas Venckus (29), is alleged to have controlled five of the vulnerable street-dealers particularly in Tralee, Co Kerry, and to have distributed heroin himself. Mr Mecius, Mr Ravickas and Mr Venckus are alleged supervisors in the gang. They are each accused of exploiting vulnerable people by forcing them to sell heroin in Ireland, while using violence to intimidate, punish and maintain discipline. They are said to have kept their gang leader informed about the exploited peoples work, their disappearance or behaviour. The fifth person arrested in Ireland, Sandra Pagoje (31) is alleged to have arranged travel for people to Ireland, knowing they were to be exploited, and is alleged to have laundered the proceeds of crime. All five are wanted in Lithuania for trafficking in human beings, criminal association and drugs offences. Mr Pagojus and Ms Pagoje are additionally wanted for money laundering. A number of other individuals identified in extradition material as being key players in the gang have appeared before the courts in Ireland, north and south, in recent years. The High Court granted Ms Pagoje bail following her arrest while Mr Pagojus, Mr Mecius, Mr Ravickas and Mr Venckus were remanded in custody. Ms Pagoje was asked to explain through an interpreter to the High Court on Tuesday (Sept 8) why she had previously denied having a Lithuanian passport, when one was subsequently found in her home country. She undertook not to apply for a passport or book any tickets out of Ireland while on bail. Hearings into their proposed extraditions to Lithuania will take place in November. The gang is alleged to have distributed large quantities of heroin, which is believed to have been acquired from local suppliers, in Ireland since 2015. Monies were allegedly smuggled to Lithuania and laundered through the purchase of cars, real estate and other financial instruments, according to the authorities there. The gang is allegedly led by a Lithuanian national, who initially lived in Ireland before the gangs activities gained momentum. He was arrested along with nine others in Lithuania as part of the international raids last month. Three others were arrested in Northern Ireland. Jim Allister was a leading barrister before he became a politician and he did not mince his words when describing the Executive's latest Covid restrictions as "inherently absurd." The new restraints for Belfast, Ballymena and postcodes BT43, BT28 and BT29 - when "wet " bars have already been given the indicative date of September 21 to re-open - were widely lampooned on social media yesterday. Mr Allister's forensic demolition of Thursday's announcement was equally scorned by no less an authority than the former head of the WHO's cancer programme Karol Sikora as " ridiculous nonsense" and unlikely to impact the suppression of the virus. When Twitter is replete with people pointing out the inconsistency of being unable to meet your neighbours at home, but being able to see them in the pub, the Executive Office had to act. Its revised advice last night is basically "use your own judgment". Not surprisingly the Executive Office promises more details when the new regulations are introduced next week. Despite the welcome unanimity between the First Minister and Deputy First Minister at Thursday's press conference, the Executive ministers are torn between the need to suppress the virus and the necessity of not returning the struggling economy to the deep freeze. Health Minister Robin Swann has a difficult, though comparatively straightforward task, to beat the virus. Others have perhaps conflicting responsibilities to discharge. There is the awareness that success or failure rests with people living in - or commuting in and out of - the named areas. The PSNI simply cannot be expected to police the number of people gathered under roofs across Belfast and a swathe of Co Antrim and if the pandemic curve is to be flattened, people must see for themselves the benefits of suspending their civil liberties and observing the restrictions. Unfortunately the Executive's flurry of mixed messages and hasty revisions is perhaps not the best way to achieve its laudable goal. Express News Service By CHANDIGARH: A court in Mohali on Saturday issued an arrest warrant against former Punjab Director General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini in connection with the 29-year-old Balwant Singh Multani disappearance and murder case. The court had dismissed his bail plea on September 1. Judicial magistrate Ravtesh Inderjit Singh directed the police to arrest Saini and produce him in the court by September 25. The orders were issued on Saturday after the special investigation team of Punjab Police failed to arrest Saini despite conducting raids at several places including Shimla, Delhi, and Chandigarh in the last few days. On Tuesday, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had dismissed Sainis anticipatory bail plea and his second petition seeking the quashing of an FIR in the case or the transfer of investigation to the CBI. Saini had moved the Supreme Court on Friday after the High Court dismissed his bail petition. On September 3, Punjab Police had claimed that Saini absconded while leaving behind his Z plus security. As he had left his house in Chandigarh without security personnel, his bulletproof vehicle, jammer vehicle. Saini and six other police officers were booked in May this year for alleged kidnapping, torture and elimination of Balwant Singh Multani, a junior engineer at Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation (Citco) in 1991 and son of former Punjab cadre IAS officer Darshan Singh Multani. In August, police had booked Saini for the murder charge in the case after two former Chandigarh cops, who were co-accused in the case, turned approvers. Pentagon to Rescind Order Dissolving Stars and Stripes Newspaper By Carla Babb September 11, 2020 The Pentagon says it will rescind its order for a government-funded, independent military newspaper to cease publication by September 30, nearly a week after President Donald Trump tweeted that he would stop budget cuts from his own administration that would have closed Stars and Stripes. "You do not have to submit the Plan of Action and Milestones for a Stripes closure in FY 2021," Army Colonel Paul Haverstick, the acting director of Defense Media Activity, wrote in an email Thursday to the publisher of Stars and Stripes. The Department of Defense spending plans, released in February, eliminated all government funding for the paper for fiscal 2021, which begins October 1. But last Friday, Trump tweeted that he planned to reverse the Pentagon budget plans to cut government funding for the military news outlet. "The United States of America will NOT be cutting funding to @starsandstripes magazine under my watch. It will continue to be a wonderful source of information to our Great Military!" Trump tweeted. Trump's tweet came hours after media outlets reported on the Pentagon's plans to dissolve the publication. But the president's tweets alone do not indicate policy or dictate law. Earlier this week, Stars and Stripes employees remained worried even after the Trump tweet because the Pentagon order to defund the news outlet had not yet changed. "There's a great deal of anxiety in the staff," Max Lederer, publisher of Stars and Stripes since 2007, told VOA on Tuesday. "A little less anxiety since Friday, but since [the funding decision] is still not final, there's a lot of concern." The House of Representatives passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2021 on July 31, 2020, which included additional funding for the publication. The Senate did not include funding for the publication in its defense spending bill, but both houses of Congress have resolutions supporting its mission. A Defense Department memo by Haverstick last month instructed the Stars and Stripes publisher to provide a plan of action "no later than September 15" to discontinue Stars and Stripes publications and dissolve the news organization "no later than January 31, 2021." In the case of a continuing resolution (CR) from Congress, which would prevent a government shutdown and extend funding temporarily, the memo (obtained by VOA) instructed the publisher to plan the "last date for publication of the newspaper" "based on the end of the CR or other circumstances." A bipartisan group of 11 Democratic and four Republican senators sent a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper last week, calling on the Department of Defense to maintain funding for the publication, which has more than 1 million readers. "The $15.5 million currently allocated for the publication of Stars and Stripes is only a tiny fraction of your department's annual budget, and cutting it would have a significantly negative impacht on military families and a negligible impact on the department's bottom line," said the letter, signed by the senators. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and an Air Force veteran, also sent a letter opposing the budget cut, citing strong support for Stars and Stripes in Congress. Stars and Stripes started during the Civil War as a publication for Union troops. Today, it distributes to U.S. service members stationed around the globe, including in war zones. Most recently, the publication shed light on the Defense Department's failure to shut down schools on U.S. military installations in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite a Japanese public schools ruling that called shutdowns necessary to stopping the spread of coronavirus. "Stars and Stripes tells the military's story like no other publication can. It was held by GIs in the trenches of World War II and held by special forces members at remote outposts in Syria after being flown in by Osprey in the battle against ISIS," Tara Copp, a reporter for McClatchy who was the Pentagon correspondent for Stars and Stripes from 2015 to 2017, told VOA. "It is a rounding error [an inconsequential amount] to DOD, but it is much, much more than that to the men and women and their families who read it," she added. Copp said that the publication provides the time and resources to look into stories that many other outlets do not. For example, her in-depth investigation into the 2000 Osprey crash at Marana Regional Airport near Tucson, Arizona, for the publication in 2015 led to former Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work exonerating the two Marine Corps pilots who had been blamed for the crash. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Why this Seven Springs clip grabbed the attention of 1 million people The tweet has been seen by more than 1 million people so far. Many commenters asked if the clip was planned or fake. In a reversal that would block hundreds of thousands of potential voters from Floridas election rolls, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday that all Floridians formerly incarcerated for felonies must fully pay outstanding fines, legal fees, and restitution before regaining their voting rights. On May 24, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle had thrown out the financial barrier to reenfranchisement, describing the fines as a pay-to-vote system. But the 6-4 decision from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals stands to leave at least 774,000 people across Florida subject to a law evocative of Jim Crowera policy. Advertisement In 2018, Florida voters passed a state constitutional amendment that would restore voting rights to people who had served their sentences for felony convictions, excluding murder and sexual offenses. The state legislature, however, followed that up with a law to restrict voting eligibility to those who had fully paid their fines and fees. Those who could not afford the expenses were barred from reinstatement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It really goes against the foundations of democracy that people should not have to pay for the right to vote, said Julie Ebenstein, a senior staff attorney for the ACLU Voting Rights Project and the lead attorney on the case. Its hugely disappointing. Certainly making people pay to vote, disenfranchising people for being poor, especially when a disproportionate percent of those people are Black Floridians, is certainly reminiscent of [poll taxes], she added. Advertisement Advertisement Black Floridians are 16.9 percent of the states residents, but make up roughly 48 percent of the states prison and jail population. The incarceration rate for Black Floridians is 3.6 times higher than it is for their white peers and, as of 2016, nearly 500,000 Black residents with felony convictions have lost their voting rights. Most people affected by Amendment 4 are too poor to pay the fines and a broken court system further muddies the process. Court records are not straightforward, making it difficult for the formerly incarcerated to know if theyve settled their debts or how much they even owe. The four dissenting judges wrote that the system ultimately throws up its hands and denies citizens their ability to vote because the State cant figure out the outstanding balances it is requiring those citizens to pay. And anyone who inaccurately swears that they have no remaining court debt could face jail timedespite the strong possibility that the claim was a mistake. Advertisement Advertisement The reversal being handed down during a particularly devastating economic period further complicates how this could play out. Millions nationwide have lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic and in Florida the unemployment rate has remained relatively elevated. At the onset of the pandemic financial strain, twice as many Black Floridians were unemployed. Youre adding a poll tax during a time when people need help, said Jorge Vasquez, who leads the Advancement Projects national voter protection initiatives. This is a horrible message. Yes, its a poll tax but its more than that. Its a smack in the face of democracy. Advertisement Advertisement The ruling also serves as firsthand evidence of the impact of President Donald Trumps aggressive effort to fill the federal courts with right-wing picks. Five of the 10 circuit court judges on the case were Trump appointees, and all five voted to overturn the lower court and block the would-be voters. With the recent confirmation of Andrew Brasher to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Trump has now appointed half of the judges on this court, said Kristen Clarke, executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. This decision is not only a setback for democracy but a reminder about the devastating impact of Trumps nominees on our federal courts. SHOTLIST JISR ASH SHUGHUR, SYRIASEPTEMBER 11, 2020SOURCE: AFPTV 1. Aerial shot water truck of the Syrian civil defence, also known as the White Helmets, driving on a dirt road in the town of Jisr al-Shughur, in the west of the mostly rebel-held Syrian province of Idlib, ravaged by forest fires2. Aerial shot members of the White Helmets dousing a blaze with water in the town of Jisr al-Shughur3. Aerial shot fires burning trees and bushes in the town of Jisr al-Shughur4. Aerial shot members of the White Helmets dousing a blaze with water in the town of Jisr al-Shughur 5. SOUNDBITE 1 - Ahmad al-Yaziji, head of the Jisr Al-Shughour area in the White Helmets (male, Arabic, 30 sec): "Some obstacles have delayed the work of the civil defence such as the direct contact with the regime forces and their targeting of the area that we are extinguishing with artillery and rocket missiles, in addition to the presence of a very large number of cluster bombs from previous shellings, as well as rough roads, wind speed and temperature. We can say now that 90 percent of the fire is under control." 6. Cutaway: Aerial shot large area of charred trees and bushes in the town of Jisr al-Shughur 7. Cutaway: Aerial shot large area of charred trees and bushes in the town of Jisr al-Shughur 8. Cutaway: Aerial shot members of the White Helmets dousing a blaze with water in the town of Jisr al-Shughur 9. Aerial shot member of the White Helmets searching for forest fires to quell ///-----------------------------------------------------------AFP TEXT STORY: Syria battles forest fires for seventh day straight =(Picture)= Damascus, Sept 9, 2020 (AFP) - Syrian firefighters and army helicopters Wednesday battled forest fires for a seventh consecutive day in government-held areas of the war-torn country, state media said.Damascus ally Iran sent in a firefighting plane Wednesday carrying 40 tonnes of water to help fight the fires in the hilly woodlands of Latakia and Hama provinces, in northwestern and central Syria respectively, state news agency SANA said. State media has published repeated images of billowing smoke above tree tops and charred vegetation."Numerous fires have been put out, others brought under control, but the fires continue to rage in some areas" of Latakia, forestry official Hassan Fares told AFP.The agriculture ministry said steep terrain was an obstacle to fire trucks being able to reach the fire hit areas quickly.There was no immediate data for how large an area had been affected overall.But Hama governor Mohammed al-Hazouri said the blaze had ravaged eight square kilometres (three square miles) of agricultural land in his province alone.Summer fires, sometimes sparked by accident and generally not linked to the war, are common in Syria, but residents have said this year's are worse than usual. Syria's war has killed more than 380,000 people, displaced millions from their homes, and decimated the country's economy.mam/tgg/ah/dwo Coronavirus Updates:The state's overall COVID-19 caseload increased to 4,59,445 while the toll rose to 7,265, said the health department Auto refresh feeds A total of 15.97 lakh candidates have registered for the exam. The crucial National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), which is a pen and paper-based test, unlike engineering entrance exam JEE, has already been deferred twice in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The exam was originally scheduled for 3 May, but was pushed to 26 July, and then to 13 September. In order to maintain social distancing, the NTA has increased the number of exam centres from 2,546 to 3,843, while the number of candidates per room has been reduced from 24 to 12. Over 15 lakh candidates are expected to appear in medical entrance exam, NEET, on Sunday. The exam will be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) amid strict precautions in view of the COVID1-9 pandemic. Pune has reported 4,717 new COVID-19 cases and 90 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the districts tally to 2.2 lakh. This includes 1.7 lakh recoveries and 5,059 deaths. But on Saturday the trial was given the all clear by British regulators to resume following a safety review. The company also announced it was resuming clinical trials in Brazil next Monday after being given the green light there as well. The world's hopes for a reprieve from the pandemic were dealt a blow earlier in the week when pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University announced they had "voluntarily paused" their vaccine trial after a UK volunteer developed an unexplained illness. Clinical trials of one of the most advanced experimental Covid-19 vaccines resumed Saturday after a brief safety pause, as infection numbers continued to march upward in countries across the globe. Patients from other cities are also being admitted to the hospitals of Indore, so the local patients are unable to avail of the facility. Also, there is a shortage of staff in hospitals due to the spread of coronavirus among doctors and medical staff. With the increasing number of patients, there is a shortage of beds in the hospitals here. While many hospitals also lack oxygen and ventilator beds. With the highest single-day spike of 351 new COVID-19 positive cases, Indore has reported total 16,782 cases, said the office of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in a bulletin. With seven new fatalities, the death toll stands at 458 in Indore. Sources told India Today that he has been experiencing breathing issues post his recovery from coronavirus. It has been thought best he stay in the hospital where he can be constantly monitored, said a source at AIIMS told the news channel. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was admitted to Delhi's AIIMS last night, nearly two weeks after he was discharged from the hospital, according to multiple media reports . He was earlier admitted to the national capital's top hospital for post-Covid-care. Over the 24-hour period, 17 people died in hospital, bringing the country's total to 30,910. A total of 417 new patients were admitted to intensive care over the last week 28 on Saturday, the agency said. France reported more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, its highest daily number since wide-scale testing was launched in the country. The number rose to 10,561 new cases on Saturday, up from the previous day's 9,406 new cases on Friday, the French public health agency said. The Union Health Ministry on Sunday issued 'post COVID-19 management protocol', which included the use of Chyawanprash, Yogasana, Pranayama and walks among suggestions. Since re-opening in early April, life has gradually returned to normal and numbers of domestic flights serving the city, as well as the number of passengers, had both fully recovered, according to the operator of Wuhan Tianhe International airport. It said 64,700 passengers were transported aboard 500 domestic flights on Friday. The virus was first detected in Wuhan late last year and the city underwent a draconian 76-day lockdown as its hospitals struggled to deal with a tidal wave of cases that required the rapid construction of field hospitals to handle the overflow. Domestic air travel in Wuhan, the epicentre of the global coronavirus outbreak, has returned to pre-pandemic levels, authorities say. On Saturday, the district had recorded 127 new COVID-19 cases. There are 1,075 active coronavirus cases in the district as of now, officials said. The deceased included a 70-year-old man from Abkari locality, a 40-year-old woman from Kirshanpuri, a 65-year-old man from the New Mandi area and a 45-year-old woman from Meerapur town, they said. Four more people died of COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar, raising the toll in the district to 43, officials said on Sunday. The woman in her complaint alleged that the accused committed the offence while she was attending to an 11-year- old relative who was lodged at the quarantine centre, located in Mira Road area here, the official said. The incident took place in June, but came to light on Saturday when the 20-year-old woman lodged a police complaint, inspector Sampat Patil of Navghar police station said. A 27-year-old attendant at a COVID-19 quarantine centre in Maharashtra's Thane district has been arrested for allegedly raping a woman at the facility, police said on Sunday. Indias recovery rate is currently 77.88%, while the mortality rate is 1.65% Indias coronavirus tally reached 47,54,356 on Sunday, after the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported a rise of 94,371 cases in 24 hours. The toll rose by 1,114 to 78,586. India now has 9,73,175 active cases, while 37,02,595 people have recovered. Competition in the western zone restarts Monday with clubs from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan meeting in the regional 'hub' of Qatar, where all of the games will take place. The Asian Football Confederation confirmed on Saturday that five players and one official from Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal and one player from Qatari side Al Duhail had tested positive for coronavirus. The resumption of the AFC Asian Champions League has taken a setback with seven positive results returned from COVID-19 tests conducted on all the participating teams in the West Asian 'hub' of Qatar. No all-party meeting will be held before the monsoon session of parliament, which begins tomorrow, reports NDTV . The departure from the usual convention, likely the first time in two decades, is being seen as indication of the growing differences between the opposition and Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla and due to COVID-19 pandemic. "The lockdown was lifted on 5 August. We found that the COVID-19 caseload was increasing from 17 August, and a sharp growth was noticed from 26 August. Social events and political rallies have led to a rise in COVID-19 cases in Tripura capital after the lockdown was withdrawn on 5 August, a study conducted by the state government said. The survey, carried out by the administration of West Tripura district of which Agartala is a part, showed that the COVID-19 tally started rising from 17 August. "Maharashtra continues to lead with over 13,000 recoveries while Andhra Pradesh has contributed more than 10,000 to the single-day recoveries. Nearly 57% of new COVID-19 cases are reported from 5 States. These are also contributing 58% of new recovered cases" the Ministry of Health said in a tweet. Fifty eight percent of the new recovered cases are being reported from 5 states: Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. The health ministry on Sunday said that 78,399 recoveries were registered in the last 24 hours in India taking the total number of recoveries to 3,702,595 and recovery rate to 77.88 percent. The decision was taken at a meeting between the hospital authorities and the staff on Saturday, they added. Twenty-five health workers, including three doctors, were found to be positive for COVID-19 over the past few days, the sources said. The Rama Krishna Mission Hospital in Itanagar will temporarily stop all its services for a week from Monday after a spike in COVID-19 cases among its staff, sources at the medical facility said. Emergency services in the hospital have also been stopped from Sunday, they said. The recovery rate among COVID-19 patients in the state now stands at 70.34 percent. Arunachal Pradesh now has 1,698 active cases, Jampa said. Of the fresh cases, 63 were reported from the Capital Complex region, 22 from Changlang, 13 from Lower Dibang Valley, 10 from Upper Siang, seven from Tawang and six each from Papumpare and East Siang districts, State Surveillance Officer Dr L Jampa said. The COVID-19 tally in Arunachal Pradesh rose to 5,961 as 151 more people, including 20 security personnel, have tested positive for the disease, an official said on Sunday. Thangavelu was admitted to the hospital a couple of days ago and died without responding to treatment, they said. He had represented Tirupur South assembly constituency in 2011-16. He was the party Coimbatore district secretary and State executive committee member, they said. Former CPM MLA K Thangavelu died of COVID-19 at a private hospital in Coimbatore on Sunday, party sources said. He was 69 and is survived by his wife and two daughters. The recovery rate was 79.2 per cent, against the national average of 77.84 percent. A total of 24,674 people are in home or institutional isolation, the bulletin said. The samples tested per million population was 57,504, it said. The case fatality rate was 0.61 per cent against 1.65 per cent at the national level. Telangana reported 2,216 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the infection count to 1,57,096, while 11 fatalities took the toll to 961 on Sunday, the state government said. The active cases under treatment stood at 31,607 after cumulative recoveries of 1,24,528, a bulletin providing data as of 8 PM on 12 September, said. Odisha now has 34,849 active cases, while 1,15,279 patients have so far recovered from the disease. The state has so far conducted over 24.23 lakh sample tests, including 48,504 on Saturday, he said. The COVID-19 tally in Odisha rose to 1,50,807 with 3,913 more people testing positive for the disease on Sunday, while 10 fresh fatalities pushed the state's death toll to 626, a health department official said. The new cases were reported from all the 30 districts of the state, he said. NEET aspirants, many accompanied by their guardians, queued up in front of metro stations to reach their examination centres well before 10 am when the first trains started from both ends of the North-South line Noapara and Kavi Subhash. Regular passenger services will commence on Monday with social distancing measures and other safety protocols in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Metro official said. The wheels of Kolkata Metro started rolling again with passengers on Sunday after nearly six months with special services for NEET examinees and their guardians. Rajasthan recorded seven deaths and 731 fresh cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, according to a health department bulletin. While the number of positive cases in the state has increased to 1,01436, the total number of fatalities climbed to 1,228. Singh, who had recently resigned from RJD, had fallen ill after developing post-COVID-19 complications. His condition had deteriorated on Friday night, and he was admitted to AIIMS on Saturday with complaints of recurrent cough. He was later put on a ventilator. Former Union minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh passed away on Sunday morning while undergoing treatment in New Delhi's AIIMS. He was 74 years old. "Yesterday, we instructed 33 private hospitals to reserve 80 per cent of their ICU beds for coronavirus patients. This has been done since issues were being faced with regards to ICU beds in some private hospitals. I also held a video conference over this and an order has been issued in this regard," he told reporters. Delhi has been witnessing a surge in novel coronavirus cases from the last week of August. Delhi recorded its biggest single-day jump of 4,321 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday, taking the city's tally to over 2.14 lakh, authorities said. It was for the fourth day in a row that over 4,000 fresh cases were recorded in Delhi. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Sunday the city government has instructed 33 big private hospitals in the national capital to reserve 80 per cent of ICU beds for COVID-19 patients, amid a shortage of such beds at some facilities. The recovery period is likely to be longer for patients who suffered from severe Covid symptoms and those with any pre-existing health conditions. In a set of fresh guidelines, the Health Ministry has recommended physical exercise and taking prescribed immunity boosting medicines after recovery The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday released new protocols for patients recovering from the coronavirus, NDTV reported. Patients who have recovered from acute illness may continue to report symptoms such as fatigue, body ache, cough, sore throat, and difficulty in breathing, it said. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday addressed the media on the pandemic. He said: "We have been going through a difficult situation. I thank all the people of Maharashtra. We have also been working on Mission Begin Again to take our life back on track. We are increasing attendance in offices, industries and have restarted inter-district travel. Mission Begin Again, festivals and monsoon all coincided, and what I had feared is happening. Coronavirus has not gone down, the numbers are rising. It is increasing in rural areas." While continuing his address on Sunday, Thackeray said: "The health survey of all 12 crore Maharashtrians may be inconvenient but not impossible. I need the help of all public representatives to take responsibility of this for their wards. Door-to-door survey should be done to ask if someone is above 50, do they have any co-morbidities and what is their oxygen level. Before the virus reaches, we should reach their homes, this is 'My family My Responsibility'. As many as 184 police personnel of Maharashtra Police tested positive for COVID19 and 4 died in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of infections in the force to 19,074 including 3,728 active cases, 15,156 recovered cases and 190 deaths, said the Maharasthra Police on Sunday. "Whatever political storms come, I will face... I will fight coronavirus too," Thackeray said in a televised public address. A day after COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra crossed the 10-lakh mark, Thackeray said his government has done effective work to tackle the pandemic. Facing flak from detractors on both political and coronavirus front, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said a conspiracy is afoot to malign Maharashtra. Majumdar, who represents the Balurghat Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal, is in Delhi where he went through a test for COVID-19 and was found to be positive, party sources said. The Monsoon session will start from Monday and COVID tests have been made mandatory for those attending it. BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar said on Sunday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the Monsoon session of Parliament. In the wake of rise in number of COVID-19 cases in the coastal state, the new facility at the South Goa district hospital in Mrago would be made functional partially, Rane told reporters on Saturday after visiting the facility. As of now, COVID-19 patients in the state are being treated at the ESI Hospital in Margao (South Goa), the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) near Panaji (North Goa) and the Sub-District Hospital in Ponda (South Goa). A 250-bed COVID-19 facility will start operating at the South Goa district hospital from September 19, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has said. Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' wished luck to the candidates appearing for the exam and assured that arrangements are in place for their safety. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) began at 2 pm, but entry to centres started at 11 am. Students were allotted different slots for entry to ensure there is staggered movement and social distancing is maintained. Over 15 lakh candidates have registered for NEET, which was earlier postponed twice in view of the pandemic. Medical entrance exam NEET began on Sunday amid strict precautions in view of the COVID-19 pandemic at over 3,800 centres across the country with students queuing up as per their designated time slots, adhering to social distancing norms The country recorded a single-day spike of over 90,000 COVID-19 cases almost every day in the last week. India recorded 10.6 lakh COVID-19 in the first 13 days of September, making it the country with the worlds fastest-growing caseload. During the same period, Indias death toll from the disease, caused by the novel coronavirus, surged by 13,298. A total of 458 patients have died of the infection so far, and government data shows the mortality rate in the district is 2.73 per cent, which is higher than the national average at 1.65 percent Indore, Madhya Pradesh's worst coronavirus-hit district, witnessed a record spike of 351 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the COVID-19 count here to 16,782, an official said on Sunday. With detection of 66 fresh positive cases -- 37 in Leh and 29 in Kargil, the virus caseload in the UT has gone up to 3,294 till Saturday evening, the officials said. A 62-year-old patient, who had recently tested positive for coronavirus, died in Leh district on Saturday and the last rights of the deceased were conducted as per the set protocol, they said. His death was the 16th COVID-19 related fatality in Leh district, while rest of 23 deaths have taken place in Kargil district. The Union Territory of Ladakh recorded one more COVID-19 related death, taking the number of fatalities in the region to 39, officials said on Sunday. The total number of coronavirus cases in Andhra Pradesh touched 5.67 lakh on Sunday with about 46 lakh sample being tested so far. The positivity rate now stands at 12.33 percent, said the latest COVID-19 bulletin. A total of 10,131 patients had recovered from the infection in 24 hours ending 9 am on Sunday while 9,536 more tested positive. The state recorded 66 more coronavirus deaths, taking the toll to 4,912. negative for COVID-19, a senior Raj Bhavan official said. "At least 30 staff members have tested positive for coronavirus at the Raj Bhavan since Friday and more tests will be conducted tomorrow," the official told PTI. At least 30 staff of the Raj Bhavan in Shillong have tested positive for COVID-19, an official said on Sunday. Governor Satya Pal Malik and his ADC have tested Maharashtra's COVID-19 case count rises to 10,60,308 with 22,543 fresh cases while 416 deaths take toll to 29531, reports PTI. Amid a steady rise in COVID-19 cases in Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday said all possible measures are being taken to curb the spread of the infection and ensure treatment of patients in the state. The chief minister said the state has significantly enhanced its testing capacity for COVID-19 in the last couple of months, according to a statement. "In March this year, only All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Raipur had the facility for COVID-19 testing, and it was a big challenge to expand the testing facilities," Baghel said. At present, all six government medical colleges in the state and four private labs have RT-PCR testing facility. The Centre on Sunday urged Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to ensure adequate oxygen availability in all healthcare facilities and unrestricted intra- and inter-state movement of oxygen cylinders because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Union Health Ministry held a virtual meeting where Union Health Secretary, Secretary DPIIT and Secretary Pharmaceuticals participated. State Health Secretaries and Industries Secretaries of the seven states also participated in the meeting and discussed ways to ensure adequate oxygen availability in all healthcare facilities and unrestricted intra- and inter-state movement of oxygen, the statement stated. Karnataka on Sunday reported its biggest single day spike of 9,894 new COVID-19 cases and 104 related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 4,59,445 and the toll to 7,265, the state health department said. The day also saw 8,402 patients getting discharged after recovery. Out of 9,894 fresh cases reported on Sunday, 3,479 cases were from Bengaluru urban alone. The coronavirus tally in Tamil Nadu surged past the five lakh mark on Sunday with 5,693 fresh cases being added, the Health department said. The state's COVID-19 aggregate stood at 5.02 lakh as 74 related deaths were reported today, taking the toll to 8,381, the department said in a bulletin Recoveries continued to outnumber fresh infections as 5,717 people walked out from various healthcare facilities, taking the total of those cured to 4.47 lakh so far. Active cases including those in isolation stood at 47,012 in the state. With the addition of 1,326 coronavirus positive cases on Sunday, Gujarat's overall tally went up to 1,13,662, the state health department said. With 15 deaths, the fatality count reached 3,213, it said. A total of 1,205 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day, taking the number of recovered cases in the state to 94,010, the department said in its release. Punjab on Sunday reported the highest single-day spike of 2,628 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the infection tally to 79,679 in the state, while the death toll reached 2,356 with 68 more fatalities, according to a medical bulletin. There are 19,787 active cases in the state, as of now, according to the bulletin. So far, 57,536 people have been cured of the contagion. Coronavirus genomes in India have 5.39 percent mutation similarity with 72 nations, found a study by a group of researchers trying to identify the genetic variability and potential molecular targets in the virus and humans to find the best possible answer for combating COVID-19. Mutations in an organism's genetic material are natural 'errors' in the cell replication process that may give the virus new 'powers' of survival, infectivity, and virulence. It can affect the ability of vaccines and drugs to bind the virus, or to create a specific immune response against it. The study also reveals that the US, the UK and India are the top three nations with a geometric mean of 3.27 percent, 3.59 percent, and 5.39 percent, respectively, of mutation similarity score with other 72 countries. Former Maharashtra minister Arjun Khotkar on Sunday said he has tested positive for COVID-19. He shared the information on his Twitter handle.He said he would undergo treatment in Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. Khotkar, a Shiv Sena leader, was a minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government. negative for COVID-19, a senior Raj Bhavan official said. "At least 30 staff members have tested positive for coronavirus at the Raj Bhavan since Friday and more tests will be conducted tomorrow," the official told PTI. At least 30 staff of the Raj Bhavan in Shillong have tested positive for COVID-19, an official said on Sunday. Governor Satya Pal Malik and his ADC have tested Coronavirus LATEST Updates: Karnataka on Sunday reported its biggest single-day spike of 9,894 new COVID-19 cases and 104 related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 4,59,445 and the toll to 7,265, the state health department said. During an online interaction titled 'Sunday Samvaad', Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said a coronavirus vaccine could be ready by the first quarter of 2021. Vardhan said he would volunteer for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine if people had a "trust deficit". Delhi recorded 4,235 fresh coronavirus cases and 29 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 2,18304 and toll to 4,744, according to a health bulletin. Delhi has been witnessing a surge in novel coronavirus cases from the last week of August. Delhi recorded its biggest single-day jump of 4,321 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday, taking the city's tally to over 2.14 lakh, authorities said. A day after COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra crossed the 10-lakh mark, Thackeray said his government has done effective work to tackle the pandemic India now has 9,73,175 active cases, while 37,02,595 people have recovered. The recovery rate is currently 77.88%, while the mortality rate is 1.65% The crucial National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), which is a pen and paper-based test, unlike engineering entrance exam JEE, has already been deferred twice in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. India's total number of COVID-19 cases crossed 46 lakh with a record 97,570 infections being reported on Saturday, while 36,24,196 people have recuperated so far, taking the national recovery rate to 77.77 percent, according to Union health ministry data. The toll rose to 77,472 with 1,201 people succumbing to the infection in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. The total number of cases (46,59,984) also includes 9,58,316 active cases, which comprises 20.56 percent of the total caseload, the ministry said. The COVID-19 case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.66 percent, the statement added. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on 7 August, 30 lakh on 23 August and it went past 40 lakh on 5 September. The country has registered over 95,000 cases for the third consecutive day on Saturday. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative total of 5,51,89,226 samples have been tested up to 11 September, with 10,91,251 samples being tested on Friday. NEET 2020 to be held amid COVID-19 precautions Over 15 lakh candidates are expected to appear in medical entrance exam, NEET, on Sunday. The exam will be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) amid strict precautions in view of the COVID1-9 pandemic. In order to maintain social distancing, the NTA has increased the number of exam centres from 2,546 to 3,843, while the number of candidates per room has been reduced from 24 to 12. The crucial National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), which is a pen and paper-based test, unlike engineering entrance exam JEE, has already been deferred twice in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The exam was originally scheduled for 3 May, but was pushed to 26 July, and then to 13 September. A total of 15.97 lakh candidates have registered for the exam. "For ensuring social distancing outside examination halls, a staggered entry and exit of candidates has been planned. Adequate arrangements have also been made outside examination centres to enable candidates stand with adequate social distancing while waiting," NTA was quoted as saying by PTI. Serum Institute of India says awaiting DCGI nod to restart vaccine trials The Serum Institute of India said it will resume clinical trials of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine candidate after getting the permission from the Drugs Controller General of India(DCGI). British pharma giant AstraZeneca on Saturday said that clinical trials for its coronavirus vaccine AZD1222 have resumed in the UK following confirmation by the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA) that the trials were safe. "Once DCGI will give us the permission to restart the trials in India, we will resume the trials,"Serum Institute of India (SII) said in a statement. In a tweet, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla said, "As I'd mentioned earlier, we should not jump to conclusions until the trials are fully concluded. The recent chain of events is a clear example why we should not bias the process and should respect the process till the end. Good news, @UniofOxford." The human trials were temporarily paused after one of the participants developed an adverse reaction. Following the suspension by the British drugmaker's UK trials, the DCGI also directed SII to suspend orders new recruitment in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the vaccine candidate till further orders. News18 also reported that vaccine producer Bharat Biotech on Saturday announced that animal trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate 'Covaxin' have been successful. "It said the results demonstrated the protective efficacy of the vaccine in a live viral challenge model. It said the data from the study on primates substantiates the immunogenicity of the vaccine candidate," the report said. Delhi Metro resumes full services today The 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. "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. On Monday, the Delhi Metro had resumed services with curtailed operation of the Yellow Line and Rapid Metro. Meanwhile, the Delhi airport started its on-arrival COVID-19 testing facility on Saturday, wherein an international passenger can pay Rs 5,000 to avail an RT-PCR test and also use the waiting lounge, PTI reported. The Centre had on 2 September 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. Rahul Gandhi slams Centre over COVID-19 as PM warns against 'carelessness' Taking a dig at the Centre on Saturday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government's "well-planned fight" against the coronavirus pandemic has put India in an "abyss" of GDP contraction of 24 percent, 12 crore job losses, 15.5 lakh crore additional stressed loans and the globally highest daily COVID-19 cases and deaths. The Congress has been accusing the Narendra Modi government of not handling the COVID-19 pandemic effectively, but the government has dismissed all such claims. "Modi Govt's 'well-planned fight' against Covid has put India in an abyss of: 1. Historic GDP reduction of 24% 2. 12 crore jobs lost 3. 15.5 lac crores additional stressed loans 4. Globally highest daily Covid cases & deaths," Gandhi said in a tweet. But for the government of India and the media "sab changa si (all is well)", the former Congress chief added. According to the official data, the country's economy suffered its worst slump on record in the April-June quarter with the gross domestic product (GDP) contracting by 23.9 percent as the COVID-19 lockdown weighed on the already-declining consumer demand and investment. Meanwhile, Modi cautioned people against lowering their guard till an effective anti-coronavirus medicine is developed and introduced a slogan in Hindi to the effect. He said, "Jab tak dawai nahi, tab tak dhilai nahi' (No carelessness till a medicine is found)." State-wise data on fatalities due to COVID-19 Of the 1,201 new 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. Twelve fatalities each have been reported from Bihar and Puducherry, 11 from Uttarakhand, 10 from Telangana, nine each from Jammu and Kashmir and Tripura, eight from Goa, five from Himachal Pradesh, four from Meghalaya, three from Chandigarh, two from Ladakh while Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim have registered one fatality each. Of the total 77,472 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. So far, 1,691 people have died of COVID-19 in Madhya Pradesh, 1,207 in Rajasthan, 950 in Telangana, 932 in Haryana, 854 in Jammu and Kashmir, 797 in Bihar, 605 in Odisha, 532 in Jharkhand, 519 in Chhattisgarh, 430 in Assam, 410 in Kerala and 388 in Uttarakhand. Puducherry has registered 365 fatalities, Goa 276, Tripura 182, Chandigarh 86, Himachal Pradesh 71, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 51, Manipur 44, Ladakh 38, Meghalaya 24, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh 10 each, Sikkim eight and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu two. With inputs from agencies Amid a spat with the ruling Shiv Sena, Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut will meet Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai on Monday. According to a report in Hindustan Times, the meeting is scheduled for 4:30 pm. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had demolished the actors office in the citys Pali Hill area on Wednesday after she was involved in a verbal battle the Shiv Sena, having compared Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. On Friday, the governor denied having disapproved of the action against Ranauts office saying, I havent expressed resentment anywhere." His statement came after reports stated that he had summoned CM Uddhav Thackerays principal advisor Ajoy Mehta when the demolition was carried out and expressed his displeasure. Amid the escalation of threats and naval maneuvers between Turkey and Greece, Europe and the Middle East are teetering on the brink of war. This summer, Greek ships repeatedly collided with or threatened to exchange fire with Turkish vessels, their ostensible NATO allies, amid conflicts over maritime borders and access to undersea gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean, as well as the outcome of the decade-long war in Libya. The sharpest warnings must be made. Were fighting to break out in the Mediterranean, it would threaten to escalate into a global conflict. The risks are admitted openly by leading officials. Last month, before traveling to Athens and Ankara, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas declared, The tension is not just affecting the relationship between the EU and Turkey. A further escalation can damage all sides. In Athens, he added, The current situation in the eastern Mediterranean is equivalent to playing with fire. Every little spark can lead to catastrophe. Air force jets participate in a joined training drill with armed forces from Greece and the United Arab Emirates near the Greek island of Crete, September 4, 2020 [Credit: Greek Defense Ministry via AP] A century ago, conflicts in the Balkans triggered by the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 sparked the eruption of World War I in Europe, on August 4. Today, the imperialist powers are no more capable of halting the drive to a global conflagration than were their 20th century ancestors. The revival of century-old Greek-Turkish territorial disputes is inseparably bound up with the collapse of US world hegemony, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the breakdown of the NATO alliance between America and Europe. It is, in particular, the fruit of the bloody wars NATO launched in Libya and Syria in 2011, in response to revolutionary uprisings of the working class in Egypt and Tunisia. The resulting scramble for profits and strategic advantage is tearing NATO and the region apart. In 2013, in the initial stages of the Syrian war, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank described the maze of conflicts over eastern Mediterranean oil and gas reserves: The oil and gas resources of the Eastern Mediterranean sit, however, at the heart of one of the most geopolitically complex regions of the world. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, tensions between Israel and Lebanon, the frozen conflict on Cyprus, and difficult relations among Turkey, the Republic of Cyprus, and Greece all complicate efforts to develop and sell energy from the Eastern Mediterranean. The Syrian civil war has injected a new source of economic and geopolitical uncertainty, and standing in the background is Russia, which is seeking to enter the Eastern Mediterranean energy bonanza, and to maintain its position as the major supplier of oil and gas for European markets. These conflicts are far more explosive today even than in 2013. Athens feels emboldened to confront Ankara, even though Turkey has eight times Greeces population and a larger army, by French support. Paris is furious at Turkish support for the Islamist Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya against Frances Libyan proxy, the Libyan National Army (LNA) of warlord Khalifa Haftar. It sees Turkeys policy as an intolerable threat to its interests in its former African colonial empire. It has sought to weld Haftars other backers, especially Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), into a regional alliance with Greece against Turkey. Syrias territorial stake in the eastern Mediterranean also inevitably involves its allies, Russia and Iran. The debacle of the Middle East wars led by America over the 30 years, since the Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 eliminated the main military-political counterweight to NATO, is rapidly leading towards a new global war. Frances policy against Turkey reflects the European Union (EU) powers oft-stated determination to formulate an independent foreign policy from Washington. This involves an assertion of European imperialist interests against Washington, which has imposed trade war tariffs and sanctions on trade with Iran targeting Europe. Washington is undoubtedly also preparing new wars, though it has remained largely silent on the Greek-Turkish conflict amid growing social protests and strikes at home over police brutality and the pandemic, and explosive tensions in the presidential election. There can be no doubt, however, that Washington is monitoring EU policy in the Mediterranean and planning its own wars. Last year, on June 20, Trump aborted large scale airstrikes on Iran only 10 minutes before they were to be launched. In a speech four months later, US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt stressed the global significance of the eastern Mediterranean. He declared: In an era of renewed great power competition and the largest hydrocarbon discoveries of the past decade, this global crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa has returned to the forefront of American strategic thinking. After years of taking the Eastern Mediterranean for granted, the United States has stepped back to take a considered, whole-of-government look at how we advance US interests... History shows such conflicts cannot be peacefully resolved under capitalism, whether or not a temporary Greek-Turkish peace deal is somehow reached. The collapse of US hegemony and the shifting of the center of gravity of global industry to the east, towards countries like Turkey and China, brings to unprecedented intensity the contradictions of capitalism that the great Marxists of the 20th century identified as the causes of the outbreak of world war in 1914: between world economy and the nation-state system, and socialized production and private ownership of the means of production. The conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean is a warning of the advanced state of the imperialist drive to a new world war. The dangers must not be underestimated. There is no enthusiasm among workers in Greece, Turkey, France or other EU countries for a war, let alone one that could escalate into a global conflict. There is explosive opposition to war in the American working class and growing support for socialism. As capitalist governments around the world face growing social opposition and intractable international economic and geopolitical contradictions for which they have no solutions, the danger that they could launch such a war, and escalate it into a catastrophic global conflict, is very real. The last two years have also witnessed, however, a historic global eruption of class struggle. Strikes and protests erupted among US teachers and auto workers, with worldwide protests against police violence in America, and movements across Europe with the Polish national teachers strike, the Portuguese nurses strike and the French yellow vests. Anti-government protests erupted across Latin America, in India and particularly in countries surrounding the Mediterranean, with protests in Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan and Algeria. Back-to-work and back-to-school orders imposed as part of a brutal herd immunity strategy amid the pandemic sharpen class tensions in every country. What stopped World War I after it erupted in the Balkans a century ago was the taking of power by the Russian working class, led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky in the October 1917 revolution, and the formation of the Communist International to lead the working class in a revolutionary struggle against capitalism and imperialist war. The defenders of this strategic perspective today are the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), the world Trotskyist movement. Only an independent, international political mobilization of the working class against capitalism, to take state power and build socialism can halt the drive to war. Against war, the turn is to the developing movement in the international working class and the struggle to arm it with Marxist consciousness of the necessity to build an international anti-war and anti-imperialist movement in the working class. Historical and political roots of the Greek-Turkish drilling rights dispute The conflicts between Greece and Turkey over maritime borders and resources are rooted in unresolved problems of the 20th century. The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne established land borders between Greece and Turkey. This event and the subsequent conflicts in the region underscore the invariably reactionary character of attempts to divide up the Balkans and the Middle East along arbitrary national-state borders dictated by imperialism. The 19191922 Turkish war of independence, fought by the Turkish National Movement of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, defeated attempts by British and French imperialism to divide up the Anatolian territory of the Ottoman Empire after its defeat alongside Germany and Austria in World War I. In the 1916 Sykes-Picot agreementexposed before the world by the Soviet government in November 1917London and Paris had agreed to carve out and create Iraq and Syria. They then attacked the present-day territory of Turkey, joined by Greece in 1919, to divide up the remains of the empire. Against the imperialist-led colonial occupation in Turkey, Soviet Russia correctly supported the Turkish national resistance, which had strong support among workers and peasants, providing weapons and support to the Ankara government. Urgent military necessity also dictated Soviet policy: London and Paris, together with Berlin, Prague, Tokyo and Washington, had all invaded the Soviet Union, supporting the counterrevolutionary Whites in the Russian Civil War, in an attempt to crush the nascent workers state and restore a neo-colonial, anti-Semitic White regime in Russia. The Greek communists fought to mobilize opposition to the Greek occupation of portions of Anatolia among Greek soldiers. This did not imply, however, that workers should support either the Turkish bourgeois state, which sought to exterminate the Turkish communists and trampled on the cultural and political rights of Kurdish people, or the borders it agreed with imperialism. Enforcing these borders entailed horrific forced deportations of 1.6 million people in 1923, in an attempt to establish ethnically-pure Greek and Turkish states. Before its Stalinist degeneration, the Soviet government still based its policy on the perspective of an international socialist revolution that would lay the ground for the withering away of national borders within a world socialist federation. The Turkish-Greek maritime borders were never settled, however, even after both countries joined the US-led, anti-Soviet NATO alliance after World War II. Greece retained islands dotted across the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, often a few miles off the Turkish coast, making the tracing of a sea boundary contentious and impossible in practice. A lasting dispute also emerged over Cyprus, the island strategically located off the coasts of Greece, Turkey, Lebanon and Syria. Conflict exploded in 1974, when a coup by the CIA-backed Greek junta of the colonels put in power a far-right Greek Cypriot politician, Nikos Sampson, infamous for his attacks on Turkish Cypriots. The Turkish army invaded Cyprus, leading to the lasting division of the island and to the downfall of the Greek junta. Washington and the EU powers backed the Greek junta, however, and do not recognize the Turkish Cypriot enclave. What sparked todays military tensions between Greece and Turkey in the Mediterranean are international conflicts bound up with the bloody NATO wars in Libya and Syria. Facing revolutionary uprisings of the working class in January and February 2011 that toppled Tunisian President Zine El Abedine Bin Ali and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, France, Britain and the United States launched an Islamist proxy war in Libya against the regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. The Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) regime of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after briefly protesting against the wars, turned to support them. These wars had far-reaching and unintended consequences. Arming Islamist and tribal militias in Libya and bombing the country to provide air support, the NATO powers destroyed the Libyan government in six months. As Libya dissolved into civil war between rival militias, many Islamist fighters also went to fight for regime change in Syria, mainly via Turkey. Despite billions of dollars in support from the CIA and the Persian Gulf oil sheikdoms, however, these small, unpopular Sunni Islamist militias could not topple the larger, better-armed Syrian regime. By 2015, after the intervention of first Iranian and then Russian forces to back the Syrian regime, NATOs Islamist proxies were facing defeat. The shift by Washington, Paris and other NATO powers to using Kurdish militias as proxies in Syria ultimately led to a breakdown in Turkeys relations with the imperialist powers. Ankara, in line with its traditional hostility to Kurdish nationalist sentiment inside Turkey, increasingly opposed US and European policy in Syria. After shooting down a Russian jet over Syria in November 2015, nearly provoking a war, it then sought better relations with Moscow. Washington and Berlin retaliated with a July 2016 coup attempt to murder Erdogan; it failed, however, leaving Erdogan in power and disillusioned with his nominal NATO allies. NATOs reliance on Islamist and Muslim Brotherhood (MB) forces after the Egyptian revolution also led to bitter conflicts across the region. Amid mass protests by the working class in Egypt, the military regime re-established itself via a 2013 coup led by General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi against Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, and a massacre of MB supporters. Like the Persian Gulf oil sheikdoms of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which do not tolerate the MB or any dissident Islamic group within their borders, the Egyptian junta was deeply hostile to the Libyan Islamist GNA. Their hostility extends to the Islamist AKP in Turkey, which is an ally of the MB and denounced the al-Sisi regime in Egypt. The imperialist powers pursued the Libyan war not only eastward to Syria, but also southwards into sub-Saharan Africa. Rampaging across its former colonial empire, French imperialism intervened in Ivory Coast to topple President Laurent Gbagbo, deployed troops to the Central African Republic, and launched in 2013 a war in Mali against Islamist militias in the north of the country. On this basisand to prosecute the interests of its oil company, Total, against the Libyan GNA and the rival Italian energy corporation ENIParis also backed Haftar in Libya. In this explosive international context, the final stages of negotiations of an Israel-Cyprus-Greece EastMed pipeline to transport gas to Europe via Greece and Italy last year provoked a bitter reaction from Turkey. In August, Erdogan publicized a blue homeland map claiming large portions of the Aegean Sea. In November, after a bilateral maritime and military agreement with the Libyan GNA, Turkey claimed joint exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean and, in December, began these explorations. Athens responded by expelling the GNAs ambassador to Greece, and France and Italy announced they would send warships to Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete to defend them against Turkey. The signing of the Israel-Cyprus-Greece pipeline deal on January 2 led to a new escalation of conflict across the region. Turkey retaliated by announcing it would deploy troops to support the GNA against Haftars offensive on Tripoli. This drew condemnation from the French and Egyptian governments. On the sidelines of the Berlin conference on Libya that month, which voted for an EU military mission to Libya, France and Greece announced a formal military alliance. In April, Turkish forces in Libya intervened to crush the LNAs advance on Tripoli and forced them to abandon much of the west of Libya, and in May Turkey announced plans to drill for oil directly off the Greek islands of Crete, Karpathos and Rhodes. The situation escalated rapidly this summer. In June, when the French frigate Courbet tried to stop Turkish ships carrying cargo to Libya, Turkish warships briefly illuminated it with their targeting radar, indicating they were ready to open fire. The Egyptian junta then declared it was preparing plans for a full-scale invasion of Libya, which were adopted in July. In early July, unidentified warplanes rumored to be French or UAE Rafale fighters bombed the Watiya airbase in Libya, destroying key radar installations and wounding Turkish intelligence officials. Greece also began negotiating Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) deals on maritime borders with Italy and Egypt, a prelude to Athens demanding such talks with Ankara. Turkish officials have however rejected such talks, as the UN Convention on Laws of the Sea, which Turkey does not recognize, would allow Greece to demand a 12-mile zone around each of its islands studded across the Aegean. This would turn virtually the entire Aegean into Greek territorial waters, letting Athens blockade trade bound for Istanbul and Turkeys major northern cities. After Turkeys July 21 announcement that it would dispatch the Oruc Reis exploration vessel escorted by 12 warships to waters off the Greek island of Kastellorizo, Athens placed the Greek military on full alert. Fake text messages in Greece purporting to be from the Defense Ministry and calling on the population to mobilize for a military incident caused panic. Ultimately, a clash was reportedly only averted by a call to Ankara from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, after which the Turkish ships turned away from the disputed area. In August, as Greek and Turkish warships stepped up patrolsin one case, a Greek ship opened fire on a Turkish boat, wounding three peopleParis stepped up its campaign. It held joint naval exercises with Egypt and then with Greece; France and the UAE also both sent fighter jets to Greece. French President Emmanuel Macron announced he would draw red lines against Turkey, threatening it with war. Now, at the urging of Paris, the EU has agreed to prepare economic sanctions to try to strangle Turkey. The working class cannot support any of the capitalist governments leading this dangerous escalation. Paris, while it drapes its policy in rhetoric on international law, is defending its imperialist interests and its oil profits in its former colonial sphere. It continues the leading role Paris played in pushing for war in Libya, which ended in the devastation of the country and the building of EU detention camps where human rights groups have documented that refugees are enslaved, raped and murdered. These events, and not the speeches of Macron, a former investment banker, reveal the political content of imperialist rhetoric on law and human rights. A key force driving Macrons policy is fear and anger at the ongoing international resurgence of the class strugglea fear now intensified by mounting working class anger over the pandemic. Having brutally cracked down on protests at home, like the yellow vest movement and this years transit strike, Macron is also violently hostile to the movement developing among workers in former French colonies oppressed by imperialism. The past year saw million-strong anti-government protests in Lebanon and Algeria, mass protests against Gbagbos ouster in Ivory Coast, and strikes and protests in Mali against the French war. Erdogans verbal criticisms of Paris for its imperialist arrogance infuriate French officials. Macron, who on his visit to Lebanon last month after the port explosion spoke with those he met about the countrys former French colonial overlord, General Henri Gouraud, is determined to legitimize French colonialism and continue the imperialist plunder of Africa and the Middle East. The right-wing government of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was elected by default last year, as voters threw out the Syriza (Coalition of the Radical Left) government. Syriza, a middle-class party based on a fusion of Stalinism and identity politics, had carried out a stunning political betrayal: elected based on promises to end EU austerity, it trampled on repeated votes by the Greek public against austerity. It imposed the largest single package of social cuts in Greek history, while building a network of squalid EU detention camps for refugees. To outflank Syrizas right-wing record from the right while continuing its austerity policy, Mitsotakis has relied on police state policies, anti-immigrant measures, and anti-Turkish nationalism. Greek security forces worked with fascist Golden Dawn members to beat and shoot Middle East refugees crossing the Greek-Turkish border. Mitsotakis has included many well known sympathizers of the Greek junta, including Development Minister Adonis Georgiadis and Agriculture Minister Makis Voridis, in his cabinet. From this inevitably flows a militarist, anti-Turkish policy. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans government is seeking with its aggressive drilling policy to assert the interests of the Turkish bourgeoisie, which depends on imported oil and gas, and counteract its collapse in the polls. Workers' anger is mounting over the brutal back-to-work policy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, falling purchasing power and continuing wars in the Middle East. Within certain limits, Erdogan welcomes EU criticisms, which let him pose as an anti-imperialist, stoke Turkish nationalism and try to smother rising class conflict in Turkey. The Erdogan governments record confirms Leon Trotskys Theory of Permanent Revolution: in countries of belated capitalist development, the bourgeoisie is incapable of establishing democratic rights or opposing imperialism. A reactionary bourgeois regime maneuvering between various great powers, the Erdogan governments policies have led only to disaster. It has adapted to the imperialist wars in Libya and Syria while continuing the oppression of the Kurdish people inside Turkey and adopting a murderous herd immunity strategy on COVID-19. The struggle against war and to defend the lives, livelihoods and democratic rights of workers and oppressed sections of the middle class depends on the international unification of the struggles of the working class, drawing behind them the other oppressed classes, in a revolutionary struggle for socialism. The unraveling of American imperialisms world hegemony The war danger in the eastern Mediterranean vindicates the warnings and analyses the ICFI has made over a period of decades. The ICFI has long emphasized that the insoluble geopolitical contradictions of capitalist society in the era of globalization would again pose before billions of workers the alternative of world war or world socialist revolution. The Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 vindicated Trotskys warnings of the counterrevolutionary nature of Stalins nationalist theory of socialism in one country. It did not, however, resolve the contradictions of capitalism that had led to the outbreak of World War I and the Russian revolution, or put an end to the era of world socialist revolution opened in October 1917. Analyzing the 1999 NATO war in Serbia and ongoing bombing of Iraq, WSWS Editorial Board Chairman David North pointed to the significance of the explosive geopolitical conflicts unleashed by the Stalinist restoration of capitalism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He wrote: Just as the development of imperialism witnessed the efforts of the major powers to parcel out the world at the end of the last century, so the dismantling of the USSR has created a power vacuum in Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia that makes a new division of the world inevitable. The principal significance of Yugoslavia, at this critical juncture, is that it lies on the Western periphery of a massive swathe of territory into which the major world powers aim to expand. It is impossible for the US, Germany, Japan, France, Britain, and the other powers to simply look passively at the opening of this area. A struggle is unfolding for access to the region and control over its raw materials, labor and markets that will far outstrip the last century's "scramble for Africa." Warning of a series of wars to come, North noted that the potential for a conflict with Russia has actually increased, and the impact of the disappearance of the Soviet Union as the common enemy uniting US and European imperialism: The European bourgeoisie will not be content to forever accept a subordinate station to the US. Its position would be continually eroded as the US sought to press its advantage. North also drew attention to the implications of the Stalinist restoration of capitalism in China, and Chinas industrial growth based on access to world markets and modern technology: Open conflict between the US and China is inevitable. A historically oppressed country and not an imperialist power, China is well on its way to the restoration of capitalism: it aspires to be a major regional economic power. Such a development, as the present anti-Chinese hysteria in US newspapers reveals, is vehemently opposed by a substantial sections of the American ruling elite. The complex entanglement of wars and conflicts around the eastern Mediterranean dispute reflects the extremely advanced state of the crisis analyzed by the ICFI two decades ago. US imperialisms attempt to counteract its economic and social decline by using military forcein a broad arc running from the Balkans and North Africa across the Middle East to Central Asiahas failed. The imperialist wars launched in Afghanistan (2001), Iraq (2003), Libya and Syria (2011) ended in debacle. Fought for world domination but marketed to the public with liesas a war on Islamist terror, a hunt for nonexistent Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, and as support for a democratic revolution in the Middle Eastthey have discredited the political establishment. Tens of millions of people participated in worldwide protests against the Iraq war in 2002-2003. These wars have since caused millions of deaths and forced tens of millions to flee their homes. These wars have set the stage for a collapse of the NATO alliance and the drive towards a new world war. In Europe and in the Middle East, US imperialism faces significant great power rivals. In Europe, Germany announced the re-militarization of its foreign policy in 2014, for the first time since the fall of the Nazi regime at the end of World War II. Since 2016, when Brexit prevented London from vetoing their plans, Berlin and Paris have repeatedly pledged to design an EU military policy independent of Washington. On the Mediterranean coast and across the Middle East, Washington now faces entrenched great power opposition. Its wars have consolidated pro-Iranian regimes in Iraq and in Syria, which is also backed by Russia. China, which Washington has identified as its single greatest global rival, is also increasingly influential. As its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has developed energy, infrastructure and industrial projects across the Middle East, it has emerged as the largest trading partner for countries such as Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. In July, it reportedly offered Iran a treaty involving $400 billion in investment and assurances of mutual defense in case of US attack. This represents a decisive setback for US imperialist foreign policy as its leading strategists formulated it in the 1990s. In 1997, former US National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski called Eurasia the worlds axial super-continent and asserted: What happens with the distribution of power on the Eurasian landmass will be of decisive importance to Americas global primacy and historical legacy... In a volatile Eurasia, the immediate task is to ensure that no state or combination of states gains the ability to expel the United States or even diminish its decisive role. As the NATO alliance now breaks apart in the eastern Mediterranean, US imperialism sees potential enemies and rivals scattered across the Eurasian landmass, including inside NATO itself. These extraordinarily sharp conflicts preclude any peaceful, long-term resolution of the eastern Mediterranean crisis by NATO. When German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas addressed a meeting of French officials after his return from Athens and Ankara, he stated: The United States looks at the rest of the world ever more directly through the lens of its rivalry with China... American readiness to play the role of a global power ensuring stability has fallen. As the Marxist movement insisted after the outbreak of World War I, responsibility for the war danger rests not with one or another imperialist state or politician, however aggressive, but with the capitalist nation-state system as a whole. European imperialism is no alternative to the bankruptcy of US imperialism. Indeed, the initial attempt of Paris and Berlin to operate their own foreign policy in the Mediterranean has rapidly triggered an explosive conflict. It is also far from certain that the interests of German and French imperialism, which fought each other in two world wars in the last century, will prove to be compatible as they set out to loot ever larger portions of the globe. The pro-war role of the petty-bourgeois parties The only way to halt the capitalist powers spiral towards a new world war is the international unification of the struggles of the working class against war, the pandemic and capitalism on the basis of a revolutionary socialist program. The upsurge of the international class struggle since 2018 and the growing audience for socialism among workers and youth shows that the basis of such a policy exists in the objective situation. The principal obstacle remains the crisis of revolutionary leadership in the working class. Even as they rise up in struggle independently of or against established trade unions and parties, workers still face the residual influence of the pseudo-left parties of the affluent middle class. These forces, based on a fusion of Stalinism and identity politics, consciously oppose revolution and seek to tie workers to the capitalist nation-state system. During the mass uprisings of the Egyptian revolution between 2011 and 2013, they propagandized for workers to support whichever faction of the Egyptian bourgeoisieat first a military junta, then the Brotherhood, and finally the Sisi dictatorshipwas preparing to take power. This finally led in 2013 to the consolidation of the Sisi military dictatorship and the crushing of the upsurge of the Egyptian workers. Now they are working to tie workers in Greece and in Turkey to the war drive by demanding they support the national governments and armed forces in each country. The most striking example is the Syriza party in Greece. A coalition between fragments of the Stalinist Greek Communist Party (KKE) and anti-globalization movements based in the post-1968 middle class student movement, Syriza aggressively supports the militarist line of the Mitsotakis government. In Greece, Syriza leader and former prime minister Alexis Tsipras reacted to the eastern Mediterranean stand-off with a jingoistic appeal for a mobilization of the Greek military against Turkish vessels: The way in which these illegal seismic activities must and can be prevented is known to our Armed Forces since October 2018, when they attempted it effectively. We have full confidence in their abilities. The KKE itself gave a twist on Tsipras chauvinist remarks, calling for a patriotic stance in defense of Greek national interests and denouncing cosmopolitanism. It asserted, We must all put first the Greece of the workers, farmers, struggling self-employed traders and craftsmen, scientists, men and women, the young and pensioners. And not for a Greece of monopolies, cosmopolitanism, big capital and their political handlers who come in many forms. In a joint statement, the KKE and the Stalinist Turkish Communist Party (TKP) come out in support of the Lausanne treaty and the capitalist nation-state system in the Balkans. They declare that they are against border violations and the questioning of international Treaties that have defined the borders in the region, and against the change of borders and the Treaties that define them. This means that the KKE and TKP reject a struggle to unify workers across these borders and accommodate to the imperialist wars and intrigues that underlay the international treaties. This means the KKE and TKP today would side with the capitalist state against each other in case of war. In Turkey, the opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP), the traditional party of the Turkish ruling class, has sanctioned President Erdogan's governments eastern Mediterranean policy. CHP leader Kemal Klcdaroglu previously stated, regarding disputed islands in the Aegean Sea held by Greece, I will seize all of those islands. Nevertheless, a raft of parties including the Left Party (formerly the Freedom and Solidarity Party, ODP) and the Labor Party (EMEP) and the Workers Party of Turkey (TIP), are oriented to and support the CHP, backing CHP mayoral candidates in last years local elections. The Kurdish nationalist Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), which similarly backs the CHP as a lesser evil against Erdogan, has issued a statement declaring that all the natural resources in the region around the Cyprus Island belong to both Turkish and Greek Cypriot peoples, and these resources should be used by them together and simultaneously. Noting proposals for talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, it called for keeping all political, diplomatic and legal channels of dialogue open. The HDPs statement exemplifies the bankruptcy of Kurdish bourgeois nationalism. Its allies inside Syria have functioned as proxies of America, France and other imperialist powers. Within Turkey, it seeks alliances with reactionary bourgeois parties like the CHP, which are hostile to the democratic rights of the Kurdish people and oriented to the EU. These policies reflect the HDPs rejection of an orientation to the international working class: it has nothing to propose when war tensions mount, even as all diplomatic channels are kept open, because the different imperialist and capitalist powers towards which the HDP has oriented are driving towards war with each other. In France, the New Anti-capitalist Party (NPA) and Jean-Luc Melenchons Unsubmissive France (LFI), which is supported by the Stalinist French Communist Party, have both maintained a deafening silence on the Greek-Turkish dispute. These parties enthusiastically supported the Libyan war when NATO first launched it in 2011. NPA spokesman Olivier Besancenot led calls for Paris to arm Libyan rebels. LFI, which has close ties to the officer corps and the police trade unions, is a pro-war party that supports the re-implementation of the draft in France. A particularly reactionary role falls to the elements of this pseudo-left milieu who seek to tie workers to these nationalist organizations, while posturing as internationalists. This is the function of the Revolutionary Workers Party (DIP), the Turkish affiliates of the Workers Party (PO) of Argentina and its Greek sister party, and the Workers Revolutionary Party (EEK) of Savas Michael-Matsas. Their hostility to the working class is underscored by their support for Syrizas treacherous election promises in January 2015. The EEK called for a powerful United Front of all workers and popular organizations from KKE, Syriza, Antarsya to EEK, the other left organizations, anarchist and anti-authoritarian movements. It knew that Syriza is a pro-capitalist party, however. To cover its tracks, it advised voters to support Syriza but also to demand from their leadership to break with the bourgeoisie, the political staff, all opportunists and suitors of capitals power. As for DIP, it declared in the run-up to the elections: We will be so happy at how strong the camp of the working class and the toilers led by Syriza will emerge out of the election. Their joint statement today on the Greek-Turkish dispute tries to paint the reactionary nationalist politics of the pseudo-left milieu in internationalist colors. It criticizes the Greek and Turkish bourgeoisie for not securing more of the oil profits, and instead letting it go to the oil companies of the major imperialist powers: The fact of the matter is that the ruling classes in each country are offering the lions share in the partition of the natural riches of the Mediterranean to the great powers that pose as their protectors. This is a fight between the Totals and the ENIs and the Shells and the BPs and the Exxons, not between the workers of Greece and Turkey! Denouncing the Israeli state for usurping Mediterranean oil wealth from its rightful owners, the Palestinian people, it concludes with a bankrupt appeal: Let us step up class war against war! The main enemy is within our own countriesthe Greek and Turkish capitalists, their governments and regimes, at the service of their imperialist patrons. The EEK and DIP have a long history of sounding the drums of war and siding with their own bourgeoisie in times of crisis. When in 2010 Israel assaulted the Mavi Marmara, a ship carrying humanitarian supplies, killing nine Turkish citizens, the DIP did not appeal for a mobilization of the Turkish, Israeli and international working class. Rather, it appealed to the Erdogan government to Send warships, take back aid ships from Israel! The perspective of the EEK and DIP is to divide up the resources of the region between the artificial states created by the imperialist division of the Ottoman Empire. In fact, it is impossible to peacefully divide up the regions resources between its complex, overlapping ethnic groups, for the same reason it is impossible to trace boundaries for nation-states in the region. The region and its profits are divided by imperialist wars, in which the ex-colonial and semi-colonial bourgeoisies inevitably play a subordinate role. The working class cannot assign itself the hopeless and reactionary task of carrying out a division of profits and territory among nation-states in the place of the bourgeoisie and criticizing the capitalist class for not defending the national interest well enough against other nationalities. This bankrupt perspective, advanced by the EEK and the DIP, in any case rapidly devolves into the perspective of Syriza and the CHP. It means, as the Greek and Turkish navies face off in the Mediterranean and the Aegean to divide up oil profits, to rally workers for war for profits against the foreign enemy. For an international movement of the working class for socialism and against war The reactionary lie that workers and soldiers in Greece and Turkey are enemies destined to shoot each other must be rejected and opposed. The fight against war and for a rational development of the productive forces in the Mediterranean places the working class before the task of wresting control of Eurasian and global supply chains from the plunder and anarchy organized by the financial aristocracy. This great struggle requires a ruthless break with the nation-state system and all bourgeois and petty bourgeois parties. Explaining in his 1929 work Permanent Revolution the perspective that had underlain the October Revolution and the founding of the Soviet Union and the Communist International, Trotsky wrote: The completion of the socialist revolution within national limits is unthinkable. One of the basic reasons for the crisis in bourgeois society is the fact that the productive forces created by it can no longer be reconciled with the framework of the national state. From this follows on the one hand, imperialist wars, on the other, the utopia of a bourgeois United States of Europe. The socialist revolution begins on the national arena, it unfolds on the international arena, and is completed on the world arena. Thus, the socialist revolution becomes a permanent revolution in a newer and broader sense of the word; it attains completion, only in the final victory of the new society on our entire planet. The turn now is to the international working class, which has been immensely strengthened by three decades of the globalization of production. Since 1980, the industrial working class alone has nearly quadrupled, from approximately 250 million to nearly 1 billion human beings. Overall, the working class grew by 1.2 billion between 1980 and 2010. The percentage of the global labor force consisting of peasants has fallen since 1991 from 44 to 28 percent, as hundreds of millions of rural people move to the cities to find work. Over 1 billion people are expected to join the ranks of the working class in Africa alone in the next century. The fear of the French bourgeoisie in particular at the explosive strikes and protests in its former African colonies is bound up with projections that by 2050, 85 percent of French speakers worldwide could live in Africa, many of them in rapidly-industrializing sub-Saharan African countries. This would be a total of 700 million people, compared to Frances current population of 66.5 million, and a projected 2050 population of 74 million. The international eruption of the class struggle since 2018 reflects explosive political anger at staggering levels of social inequality and military-police violence produced by capitalism. The wave of mass protests and class struggles, including in dozens of former colonial and semi-colonial countries, also reflects the growing strength of the international working class and of the productive forces created by 21st century industry and economy. The unification of the titanic forces of the international working class in a socialist struggle against imperialist war and capitalism is the great task posed by the Mediterranean dispute. The way forward is a revolutionary struggle for the United Socialist States of Europe and the United Socialist States of the Middle East, against the EU and the Treaty of Lausanne settlement, as part of a world socialist federation. This means at all points advancing revolutionary class unity with struggles by workers of other nationalities against petty-bourgeois appeals for national solidarity with capitalist exploiters in each country. The last two years of the class struggle have, moreover, again confirmed the great lesson of the October Revolution and the 20th century: the working class cannot by spontaneous strikes and protests improvise an international organization and revolutionary strategy against capitalism and imperialist war. The struggle for internationalism and for socialism against the petty-bourgeois parties that seek to herd workers behind bourgeois warmongers in each country can only be waged consciously. It requires a revolutionary political leadership in the working class. Only the Trotskyist movement can lead the struggle for a break with the prevailing nationalist orientation fostered by Stalinist and bourgeois-nationalist parties over decades. This requires building sections of the ICFI in countries across the Middle East, Europe and internationally to unify the developing movement of the working class in a worldwide movement for socialism. The ICFI appeals to its supporters and to readers of the World Socialist Web Site to give active support, contact the ICFI and fight to build it as the international revolutionary leadership of the working class in the struggle against war. The government has decided not to hold an all-party meeting ahead of the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, people familiar with the matter. Generally, an all-party meet is conferred before a session of Parliament to set targets. According to a person aware of the details, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of both Houses of Parliament is scheduled to meet on Sunday to take decisions on allocation of time for businesses that will be taken up during the monsoon session, which is scheduled to take place from September 14 To October 1. According to a person familiar with the details, the BAC will be attended by representatives from all parties that have more than three members of Parliament (MPs) and all vice-chairpersons in addition to MPs who are part of the BAC. Since there will be representatives from nearly all parties except those that have fewer than three MPs it will nearly be an all- party meeting, said the person quoted above. The government is expected to face questions on the border standoff with China and the handling of the pandemic during the meeting. The government will have to make a statement on the Chinese aggression and Indias response. The government has kept the opposition informed. PM Modi met all opposition leaders in June to inform them about the developments along the LAC and most of the parties barring the Congress supported the Indian governments response, said a Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) functionary on condition of anonymity. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Smriti Kak Ramachandran Smriti covers an intersection of politics and governance. Having spent over a decade in journalism, she combines old fashioned leg work with modern story telling tools. ...view detail There were no Ukrainian army casualties. No violations of the ceasefire in the Joint Forces Operation zone in eastern Ukraine's Donbas were recorded on Friday, September 11. There were no Ukrainian army casualties, the JFO Command said in a morning update on Facebook on Saturday, September 12. The Ukrainian military continue adhering to the ceasefire and are ready to respond to any attack by the enemy, it said. Read also"One-time inspection" in Donbas could take place in a few days KravchukThe full and comprehensive ceasefire continued on Thursday. A landmine clearance operation is under way. Over 10 hectares in the frontline zone have been cleared with 42 landmines and improvised explosive devices sent for disposal. What is more, Joint Forces personnel are engaged in repairing and rebuilding houses and other facilities of civilian infrastructure. Ten facilities were fully repaired in the past 24 hours. Also, personnel of the State Emergency Service has provided medical and psychological assistance to 51 citizens at the entry and exit checkpoints. The situation is under full control of the Ukrainian military, the JFO HQ said. Donbas ceasefire: Background While appearing at a 9/11 memorial Friday, state Sen. Michael Doherty remembered the hundreds of emergency responders many from New Jersey who died during the 2001 terrorist attacks and how hundreds of others have succumbed to related illnesses in the two decades since. Doherty, one of the most outspokenly conservative members of New Jerseys Democratic-controlled state Legislature, then said recent calls across America to defund the police have come from Marxist organizations including the Black Lives Matter movement seeking to create chaos and mayhem in the United States. The lawmaker, who is white, also insisted systemic racism is an evil lie" and doesnt really exist in the country. Doherty, a former soldier in the U.S. Army, made the comments during a ceremony in Flemington honoring the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. When trouble arrives, and people need help, first responders, the police, fire, and EMS, step into the breach, the lawmaker said. We need to support these heroic individuals. Doherty, a frequent critic of Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and a longtime supporter of Republican President Donald Trump, proceeded to call 2020 a very disturbing year and that perhaps the most disturbing development has been the attack on law enforcement and calls to defund the police. These demands to defund the police are based upon allegations of systemic racism being thrown about by Marxist organizations, such as Black Lives Matter, which have burned cities, burned churches, destroyed private property, and terrorized American citizens, Doherty said. The United States does not have systemic racism, he added. It is an evil lie. We must have the courage to oppose these wicked, baseless allegations. What does systemic racism mean? How is systemic racism defined? Doherty continued. Is it systemic racism when an African American, Barrack Obama, is elected twice as president? Is it systemic racism to provide free, taxpayer-funded health care for anyone who cannot afford it, regardless of race? Is it systemic racism to provide free, taxpayer funded food vouchers for those who cannot afford food, regardless of race? Doherty delivered the remarks the same day Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver told law enforcement at a separate 9/11 ceremony in West Orange that we will never defund you. 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, said Oliver, a Democrat and the highest-ranking Black elected state official in New Jersey. Protests against police brutality and racial injustice, as well as calls to defund the police, have gained momentum across the U.S. in the wake of wake of the May 25 police-involved death of George Floyd, a Black man, in Minnesota. They have continued amid a number of other police-involved deaths of unarmed Black people in recent months. Protesters have called for police to stop using overt force 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. Many supporters say 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. Though a majority of protests against police brutality and racial injustice in recent months have been peaceful, some have led to rioting and violence in a few cities. Trump has accused Democratic leaders in cities like New York, Portland, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. of allowing anarchy, violence, and destruction." Murphy, New Jerseys proudly progressive governor, marched in a pair of Black Lives Matter protests in June and said in a speech around that time that systemic racism is a crisis that has infected every aspect of American life." He vowed to work tirelessly to address it and its cascading effects in New Jersey. The Democrat, who is white, was asked during his latest coronavirus briefing Friday in Trenton whether he supports Olivers comments that New Jersey will never defund the police. Murphy 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? Asked in June if he agrees with the defund the police moment, Murphy said: I recognize the passion right now on the notion of defunding police. To me, its, Whats the ultimate end state? What are we trying to get to? New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said a July webinar on police reform that immediately withdrawing these types of resources from law enforcement puts them in an untenable position and instead calling for increased funding to improve training. NJ Advance Media staff writer Josh Axelrod contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Clockwise from upper left: State Sen. Jim Nielsen, Assembly members Reginald B. Jones-Sawyer Sr., Ian Calderon and Patrick O'Donnell (California State Senate; California State Assembly) In California, cradle of renowned tech startups and Silicon Valley, elementary school students have had to figure out how to work remotely, but lawmakers have not. As the end-of-session frenzy gripped the state Legislature in late August, pandemic no-nos spiked: Lawmakers gathered indoors in large numbers and huddled closely, let their masks slip below their noses, smooshed together for photos and shouted Aye! and No! when voting in the Senate, potentially spraying virus-laden particles at their colleagues. It's terrible role-modeling, said Dr. Sadiya Khan, assistant professor of cardiology and epidemiology at Northwestern University. Why do we have to do this if they're not doing it? Legislative leaders are divided on whether remote voting violates the state constitution. Nonetheless, it was authorized should it be needed on a limited basis by both chambers in late July. In the last week of the session, the Democratic leader of the state Senate ordered 10 Republican senators who lunched together to vote via video after one of them, Sen. Brian Jones (R-Santee), announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus. But the remote-voting option didnt extend to others such as Assembly member Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), who brought her newborn onto the floor for a late-night vote on Aug. 31. .@BuffyWicks shouldve been home with her baby voting by proxy. That she came to #caleg is a testament to her but it didnt have to be this way. Expecting + new moms can be in the room where it happens by being in the zoom where it happens. #WeSaidEnough https://t.co/Bh00nohICv Christine Pelosi (@sfpelosi) September 2, 2020 Lawmakers insist the guiding forces behind their decision-making have been science-based protocols. Story continues But the science is clear: Stay home, wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth, wash your hands and keep at least six feet away from people indoors. Maybe let your pregnant and nursing colleagues work from home. Here at California Healthline, we let science and data guide our decisions, so we ran some of the legislators behavior by epidemiologists and infectious disease experts. Should Lawmakers Meet Indoors? Health officials have pleaded with the public to stay home when possible to minimize the spread of COVID-19. The virus, they say, is extremely contagious, especially indoors. But elected officials around the country continue to meet in person. In Californias Capitol, everyone must wear masks, the number of visitors to the Assembly and Senate floors was limited to provide more social-distancing space among members, and plexiglass dividers were installed in both chambers. These are absolutely unprecedented times in the California State Senate, and there was no prior experience with live remote voting or participation, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins said in a statement to California Healthline. So we proceeded with a method that maximized participation while respecting public safety and meeting the Legislatures constitutional duties, which, as you know, private businesses do not have to consider in their remote decision making. Despite the precautions, congregating indoors is not wise, public health experts say. I don't think it's a good idea for any large group to have gathered, even if you were all wearing masks in an indoor environment, Khan said. We know that wearing a mask consistently and correctly substantially reduces the risk of coronavirus spread but certainly does not eliminate it, said Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and visiting public health professor at George Washington University. And in this time of a pandemic, we should all be doing what we can to switch to virtual meetings and gatherings, when possible. Broken Social-Distancing Rules Time after time, California lawmakers flagrantly broke social-distancing rules. Some didnt wear masks that properly sealed their faces, or pulled their masks down to sip coffee. Impassioned senators yelled to cast votes, while their colleagues in the Assembly quietly voted at their desks by simply pushing a button. And lawmakers in both chambers huddled closely to confer. Physical distance is quite important, actually, said Dr. George Rutherford, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California-San Francisco. Its the second layer of protection after masks, he said. I realize it doesnt lend itself well to this kind of business, but you have to figure it out, he said. Thank you Majority Leader @IanCalderon for your incredible service to our legislature & all Californians! Youll be dearly missed but youve earned some well deserved quality time with your family. I know well see you in service again. Until then, wish you nothing but happiness! pic.twitter.com/phXFcXVPKf Ash Kalra (@Ash_Kalra) September 2, 2020 Lawmakers, Rutherford noted, are prone to dramatic speeches and like to yell passionately into microphones to make a point, which is not particularly good behavior under COVID. I mean, the louder you talk, the greater your exhalational force, the more likely you are to overwhelm the protections of the mask, he said. The Cry Heard Round the World A babys cry from the Assembly floor triggered national rebuke of Californias Legislature. When Wicks came to the floor to vote on a housing bill Aug. 31, her month-old daughter, Elly, wasnt pleased that her late-night feeding had been interrupted. Wicks had asked Assembly leadership if she could vote by proxy but was told she was not at high risk for COVID-19. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon later apologized. Inclusivity and electing more women into politics are core elements of our Democratic values, Rendon said in a statement. Nevertheless, I failed to make sure our process took into account the unique needs of our members. The Assembly needs to do better. I commit to doing better. The photo of Wicks holding her swaddled baby in her arms went viral a rallying cry for mothers across the country balancing the demands of work with children at home. Plus, requiring that she appear in person was not only unnecessary, Wen said, but dangerous. Newborns are extremely high-risk because they have no immunity, other than the immunity that they obtained from their mother, said Wen, mother of a 5-month-old. Every employer, every entity needs to do everything they can to be flexible during this time of a pandemic. Why Not Legislate Virtually? Congress continues to gavel into session in person, and many state constitutions require legislatures to meet in person. At least 30 states have allowed remote voting, extended bill deadlines or made other legislative accommodations since the start of the pandemic, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Only Wisconsin and Oregon already had rules in place for remote voting in case of an emergency. California dabbled with online hearings this spring and summer and witnesses testified remotely. There were the usual trip-ups: mute buttons still engaged, a crackly phone line or a lawmaker caught uttering a bad word. This moment says everything about 2020. State Sen. @ScottWilkCA, struggling with mute on his Zoom voting in Senate session, looked to have mouthed one of those not-so-nice words in frustration. The chamber laughed and his face was priceless. Senator, thanks for this moment! pic.twitter.com/2yphFgOp3M John Myers (@johnmyers) August 28, 2020 But the technology is available to conduct the peoples business, and public health experts urged lawmakers to consider updating their rules. It's not the same as being in person for sure. It is really hard to accomplish things the same way, Khan acknowledged. But in 2020, we're very blessed with a million different ways to remotely interact for video and audio that should be explored and exhausted before saying that there is no better option. Dr Jonathan Zinzi Ayitey, a Senior Lecturer, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, has stressed the need for the regulation of real estate agency services to rid the industry of fraud, laundering of illegal income, and tax evasion. He said appropriate regulation would minimise the effect of the vices on the national economy and enhance the international image of the country. Dr Ayitey was speaking at a stakeholders workshop organized by the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry under the auspices of the Ministry of Works and Housing with funding from the BUSAC FUND and donor partners DANIDA and USAID. In a detailed paper on the Real Estate Agency Bill, which is currently in Parliament awaiting passage, Dr Ayitey said the real estate sector is of great importance to the economy of every country and particularly to the financial market because of the large monetary transaction involved. The purpose of the Bill is to regulate real estate agency practice, the conduct of real estate agency practitioners, commercial transactions in real estate including the sale, purchase, and rental and leasing of real estate, and other real estate transactions. The practice of real estate agency has grown considerably in recent years as the property market has become more active with the buying, selling, and leasing of property as an asset class and also for occupation. One result of the increase in activities in the property market has been the influx of persons who have introduced fraud into the trade. Many real estate brokers and agents do not have any particular training in real estate agency and many others have no identifiable office accommodation. Investors in property who deal with real estate brokers have no guarantee against fraud and many have been swindled, he said. Besides, the real estate business shows the lack of appropriate internal control mechanisms, policies, training and audit systems, among other things which make the sector attractive to crooks. Dr Ayitey said the real estate transactions by their nature involved huge sums of money and there was the need to ensure that real estate agency practitioners and parties to real estate transactions keep records of their transactions for tax purposes. The lack of record-keeping by most real estate practitioners and parties to real estate transactions fails to pay tax on the incomes earned from the transactions. This denies the government the necessary income for developmental purposes, he said. He said in the countrys quest to adhere to international best practices, the Bill seeks to plug the avenues in which real estate transactions were used to launder money including the prohibition of the use of cash for real estate transactions. This will ensure that there is a detailed tracking of transactions and the persons involved in the real estate transactions. The bill would also help stem the current practice of the promotion of unhealthy competition between legitimate and criminal businesses because investment in the real estate sector offers advantages for legitimate law-abiding individuals and businesses and criminals who abuse the system. Additionally, Ghana, as a signatory to international conventions on corruption, including the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combatting Corruption and the United Nations Convention against Corruption, needs to adhere to international standards for the prevention of money laundering. The passage of the Bill will go a long way to strengthen the anti-corruption initiatives in the country and curb money laundering and other financial malpractices in the sector. It will also be in the interest of good governance and will give the country an improved standing in subsequent assessments by the International Action Group against Money-Laundering in West Africa, he said. The overreaching effect of the Bill will be the sanitization of the entire real estate market and the protection of all participants and the enhancement of tax revenue for development, Dr Ayitey added. Among stakeholders present were Rent Control Unit, Ghana Institution of Surveyors, Ghana Institution of Engineering, Ghana Real Estate Developers Association, Insurance Brokers Association, Ghana Bankers Association, and Financial Intelligence Centre. 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 MPs, who are part of a three-member panel constituted by state BJP president OP Dhankar to pacify protesters, said 'farmers have equal rights to raise their voices' Chandigarh: Two ruling BJP MPs Dharambir Singh and Brijendra Singh have condemned the way the recent farmers' stir at Pipli in Kurukshetra was handled by authorities and described the incident as "painful". Their statements after ally Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) and Opposition parties targeted the Manohar Lal Khattar government over the issue. The two MPs, who are part of a three-member panel constituted by state BJP president OP Dhankar on Friday to pacify farmers and hold talks, said farmers have equal rights to raise their voices. While Dharambir, the MP from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, on Friday said the action of resorting to lathicharge on farmers without listening to their voices is "condemnable", Hisar MP Brijendra said the incident was "painful". The BJP's coalition partner JJP also condemned the handling of the situation in Pipli. In a tweet after the incident, JJP leader Digvijay Chautala said the incident of lathicharge on farmers is condemnable. "We consider the pain of farmers as of ours. (Thursday's) Today's episode should be inquired. It's a painful incident which should not have occurred," Chautala said. Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Singh Chautala termed the lathicharge on farmers as "unfortunate" and said "instead of talking to farmers, the BJP government was raining lathis on peasants". The Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) and other farmer organisations had on Thursday blocked the national highway at Pipli to protest the Centre's three farm ordinances, which they claimed were "anti-farmers". The BJP MPs, whose constituencies are dominated by the farming community, came out in support of the peasants. "The episode which happened during the farmers' demonstration in Kurukshetra is painful. Farmers have equal rights to raise their demands," Brijendra Singh, son of former Union minister Birender Singh, tweeted on Friday evening. He said he condemns the attempt to justify the lathicharge that it was done as there were violations of restrictions imposed in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. "It is hoped that an inquiry will be held and the government will talk to the farmers and remove their doubts soon," he added. Dharambir Singh said, "...in a democratic country, the action of resorting to lathicharge on farmers without listening to their voices is condemnable." He said it was the duty of the government to talk to farmers' leaders to resolve the problem. However, Haryana home minister Anil Vij has claimed that no lathicharge took place and there was no medico-legal report of anybody receiving injuries. He said that no orders were passed to use force on farmers and police only wanted that roads should not be blocked when the coronavirus pandemic was at its peak and ambulances were moving with patients. Meanwhile, Dhankar constituted a panel, which also comprises Kurukshetra MP Nayab Singh Saini. The panel will hold a dialogue with farmers to resolve the issue. To allay fears of farmers, BJP leaders have maintained that minimum support price (MSP) mechanism will continue and appealed to peasants not to believe those trying to spread falsehood in this regard. Brijendra, meanwhile, welcomed the forming of the committee by Dhankar. "The committee formed to talk to farmers on farmers' issues is a meaningful step towards a solution through dialogue and shows the sentiments of the party towards the peasantry. As a member of the committee, I will try to resolve the doubts in the minds of the farming community through discussions," he said. However, BKU leader Gurnam Singh has rejected the constitution of the committee by Dhankar, saying the central government should first withdraw the three farm ordinances. Farmers in the state 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. Congress leaders on Friday visited Pipli to show solidarity with farmers and attacked the BJP-JJP government, saying that the voice of farmers cannot be muzzled and they stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them. State Congress chief Kumari Sellja said party workers will hold district-level ''dharnas'' throughout the state on September 21 to protest the three farm ordinances. Ambassador Tuan presented some medical equipment which was donated to the school by the Vietnam Ukraine Friendship Association and the Ukraine Vietnam Friendship Association. Speaking at the event, the ambassador expressed his hope that the school will continue to be a bridge for the closer friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Ukraine while paying great attention to repairing its room which showcases artefacts about President Ho Chi Minh. He also presented certificates of merit and awards to two members of the jury board and students who won top prizes in the writing competition on President Ho Chi Minh. The competition was launched by the Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine, in collaboration with the school, on the occasion of the 130th birthday anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh. Shulga Larysa Panteleivna, the schools principal, and Burdina Kateryna Mykolaivna, the manager of the room showcasing artefacts related to President Ho Chi Minh, affirmed that the writing competition on President Ho Chi Minh has helped Ukrainian students learn more about Vietnams history and the great leader of Vietnamese people. The Principal expressed her sincere thanks to Vietnamese peoples support as well as practical medical gifts in the context of complicated Covid-19 pandemic. A Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Law Faculty, Professor Emmanuel Yaw Benneh was Saturday morning found dead in his Adjiringanor house in Accra under circumstances suspected to be murder. A family source has confirmed the death to Graphic Online. Details of how he died is sketchy as of now but some sources have said it is a suspected case of murder. His colleague lecturer at the University of Ghana Law Faculty, Dr Poku Adusei for instance posted the following on Facebook: Folks, I had wanted not to be the breaker of such ominous news, but the calls are incessant: The world is damned evil; Prof. Yaw Benneh of Legon Law has been 'murdered' in JB-style in his Adjirigano mansion. It appears to be an act perpetuated about three days ago, but it was just discovered this morning, Dr Adusei wrote. Benneh earned both his M.Litt and LL.M (International Law Option) from University of Cambridge in the United Kindgom. He held a postgraduate Certificate in International and Comparative Law from University of Leiden. He earned his LL.B with Second Class Upper from University of Ghana and had enormous consulting experience and has published extensively. The police is yet to comment on the incident. 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 John Joe Quinn has become an overnight sensation after being photographed in a Galway pub with an alarm clock alongside him to make sure he did not overstay one hour and 45 minutes under the Government's Covid-19 restrictions. The photo struck a chord with the nation and quickly went viral on social media, while in the meantime the story was picked up by the New York Times in an article 'A Man, a Pint and a Timer Become Symbols of Irelands Pandemic Rules and had a poem written about it. Mr Quinn said he has been overwhelmed with all the attention: I am surprised, with all the people, a lot of people pulling me up in the shops... people Id never seen in my life, you know, congratulating me and everything. Speaking on Galway Bay FM, Mr Quinn said he was shocked to hear his favourite radio presenters discussing the viral photo of him: I like the radio in the morning, you know, Claire Byrne, oh especially Mary Wilson. She was talking the other day about the man in the pub, you know, and then I heard Bernadette Prendergast saying theres going to be a film out about me the other day, you know, and I said wheres all this coming out of, you know. Everything is a surprise to me. Publican Fergus McGinn took the original photo of his customer Mr Quinn at McGinns Hop House in Galway and posted in on his Facebook page. Britain and the European Union (EU) failed to reach any agreement in emergency talks Thursday, as Boris Johnsons Conservative government pressed ahead with plans to rewrite and effectively nullify the Brexit treaty reached with Brussels less than a year ago. On Wednesday, the Tories published their Internal Market Bill, which the government states will protect jobs and trade in the UK at the conclusion of this years transition towards leaving the EU. The legislation, to be put before parliament next week, will enable the UK government to provide financial assistance to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland with new powers to spend taxpayers money previously administered by the EU. Deliberately ramping up divisions with the EU, it negates clauses in the Northern Ireland protocol enshrined in the Withdrawal Agreement Bill parliament passed last December following Johnsons victory in the General Election. This was only agreed after three years of tortured negotiations that resulted in the fall of Johnsons predecessor, Theresa May, seeking to prevent hard trade border on the island of Ireland. A compromise was reached by keeping Northern Ireland close to the EU customs union at the same time as being in the UKs customs territory. Johnsons new bill would grant government ministers powers to intervene on matters relating to export declarations on goods shipped from Northern Ireland to Great Britain and to negate the application of EU state-aid rules in Northern Ireland. Johnsons actions are in breach of international law and this is explicitly recognised in the text of the legislation. It boasts that the powers in the bill have effect notwithstanding any relevant international or domestic law with which they may be incompatible or inconsistent. Therefore Regulations [of the bill] are not to be regarded as unlawful on the grounds of any incompatibility or inconsistency with relevant international or domestic law. The flagrant breach of the treaty led to the resignation of Jonathan Jones, the head of the governments legal department, Tuesday. On Wednesday, ahead of the talks with the EU, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis, when asked in Parliament about the legality of changing a binding international treaty, replied Yes, this does break international law in a specific and limited way. Tensions escalated further as the talks began, after the EU warned that if Johnson persisted with the legislation it might take the UK to court. Two sets of talks Thursday failed to reach a consensus. Cabinet Office Minister and arch Brexiteer Michael Gove held emergency talks with European Commissions Maros Sefcovic, while David Frost, the UKs chief negotiator, met his EU counterpart Michel Barnier. Gove stated that Sefcovic requested that the UK withdraw its Internal Market legislation. I explained 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. The EU has given the UK three weeks to withdraw the legislation. The European Commission responded in its statement, Violating the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement would break international law, undermine trust and put at risk the ongoing future relationship negotiations. The Tory government claims the measures are required to protect the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, which ended three decades of civil conflict in Northern Ireland. The EU did not accept the argument that the UK Internal Market Bill was needed to protect the Good Friday Agreement. In fact, it is of the view that it does the opposite, the EC statement stressed. Sefcovic, said the EC reminded the UK government that the withdrawal agreement contains a number of mechanisms and legal remedies to address violations of the legal obligations contained in the textwhich the European Union will not be shy in using. The talks between Frost and Barnier on tradeafter seven previous rounds that have gone nowhereended with officials on both sides saying that next to no progress had been made. Pressure is mounting to secure an agreement, with pro-Remain forces within Britains political establishment and even some Tories who support Brexit warning of the danger of Johnsons brinksmanship. Three former prime ministers, Tories Sir John Major and Theresa May and Labours Gordon Brown, issued warnings on the danger of the UK being unable to strike future deals and being ostracised as a nation that refuses to abide by international treaties. Brown declared Friday that to break the treaty would be a a huge act of self-harm and would see Britain plunged into battle with Europe for years ahead. The Financial Times editorialised Wednesday in a piece headlined, The UKs reputation for rule of law is in jeopardy, that Tories who have voiced private concern may have to side with the opposition [in Parliament] to strike out the key passage in the legislation. Such statements hailing the UKs supposed adherence to the rule of international law excise from history the filthy record of British imperialism, including the illegal invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. But they attest to the enormous concerns in ruling circles over the mounting tensions being exacerbated by Brexit that threaten Britains global position. Johnson has a majority of 80 and a staunchly pro-Brexit base of MPs, and his position is not imperilled by a threatened rebellion over the legislation among his backbenchers next week. It is understood that only up to 30 backbench Tories may be ready to vote against the government. An amendment to the Bill has been tabled by Tory former minister Sir Bob Neill, backed by Mays former deputy prime minister Damian Green. It aims to put a brake on provisions overriding the withdrawal agreement by requiring a separate Commons vote to approve the date on which they would take effect. However, given the mounting crisis developing over Brexit under conditions where his government is widely despised due to its overseeing the preventable deaths of tens of thousands during the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson made a plea Friday evening for Tory MPs to back him. If a no-deal Brexit is the outcome, this will inflame social and political tensions within Britain, as food and medicine shortages would follow as well as manufacturing production being hit. But were the Johnson government to cobble together a compromise deal with the EU, this would not bring an end to the crisis wracking the British and European bourgeoise. The central issue for the working class is that Brexit epitomises the malignant growth of inter-imperialist antagonisms that are plunging the world into a brutal trade war and exacerbating the threat of military conflict. The different factions of the ruling elite disagree violently over whether Britain is best placed within this global conflict outside the EU trade bloc and acting as a centre for global speculation and a deregulated cheap labour platform, in a diplomatic and military alliance with the US, or to maintain an alliance that accounts for over 40 percent of UK trade. These divisions will persist. But in or out of the EU, and with or without a trade deal between the UK and EU, the working class faces a ferocious attack on its jobs, wages and living standards. As the Socialist Equality Party has explained, the Brexit and pro-EU wings of the Tory party are insistent that whatever their disagreements, nothing can stand in the way of completing the Thatcher Revolution through an intensified onslaught against the working class: one that will be waged based on the dire social and economic conditions already created by the pandemic. Workers have no dog in the fight among the warring factions of the British ruling elite or with the capitalist politicians of the EU. What is posed is the necessity for the working class to intervene on its own independent programme, based on the perspective of the United Socialist States of Europe. The date for 'practical completion' of the Bray Town Centre shopping centre has been pushed back to December, due to Covid-19. Cllr Joe Behan asked who the tenants are going to be, and when the centre will open. District manager Lorraine Gallagher suggested arranging a walk-around for the elected members as the project progresses. Members said that they would welcome a site visit. Ms Gallagher said that the officials do not know either who the tenants are going to be. 'We know the developer is in discussions with anchor tenants,' she said, adding that retail is key to the scheme. Cllr Behan said he was glad to hear that. 'It should be just night-time economy,' he said. 'If retail isn't key that's a failure on our part. 'That's what we wanted to see delivered. 'I am focussed on finding out who the tenants are. We have to have major anchor tenants. 'Nobody seems able to tell us, and we don't know when we will know,' he said. Leas Cathaoirleach Cllr Aoife Flynn Kennedy, who was chairing the meeting, said she is as anxious as Cllr Behan to know who the tenants will be. Ms Gallagher said that it is unique to have a centre of that quality in the heart of the town. 'It is going to be amazing,' she said. 'It's fantastic to see work progressing.' A report prepared by developers Oakmount which was before the members indicated that work is progressing at pace. Heads of terms have gone out to several new retail and leisure tenants, according to the report. 'To date, there is excellent interest from a number of operators for the smaller retail units,' it read. 'We note a significant increase in the level of interest and the number potential tenants seeking to view of late. 'Letting agents, Savills are effectively managing to successfully conduct on site viewings while adhering to HSE standards and safety protocols on site' According to the report, agents dealing with the letting of units are focused on selecting the most suitable and complementary mix of new tenants. Due to Covid-19, there has been some impact on the works and programme. Alterations to the facilities on site have been put in place to accommodate and comply with Covid-19 government guidelines. The University of California is appealing a judges ruling that prohibits the university from accepting SAT and ACT scores in admission reviews. UC filed the appeal on Wednesday, a week after Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brad Seligman issued an injunction against the university system, saying Nondisabled, economically advantaged, and white test-takers have an inherent advantage in the testing process. UC had already agreed to drop the Scholastic Aptitude Test and American College Testing exam as admissions requirements, after low-income, minority and disabled students sued the university, saying the standardized tests were unfair to applicants who could not afford preparation classes and tutors, or whose first language was not English. But the move would not take effect until after 2022 and in the meantime students were given the option of submitting their test scores. Seligman said allowing some applicants to submit test scores tips the scales against disabled students. UC is appealing because The logical consequence of the courts decision is that the University may not consider any indicator that is not equally available to all applicants, the university said in a statement Friday. UC officials said, in using the courts reasoning of barring test scores, that same reasoning could logically be used when weighing a prospective students unnamed, various talents and abilities during the review process of applications. 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. This would be problematic because under the courts reasoning, many students with various talents including many with disabilities would lose the ability to put their best self forward in the application process, UC officials said. And UC would lose the opportunity to create a diverse educational environment that includes such talented students, if they achieved in areas not equally accessible to students with disabilities. Chronicle staff writer Nanette Asimov contributed to this report. Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByLHernandez Hundreds of people assembled at a church in Germany on Sept. 5 to hear an organ change chord. The big picture: The organ at the church of St. Buchardi is playing the composer John Cage's Organ/ASLSP (As Slow as Possible), which is meant to take 639 years so long that last week's chord change was the first in nearly seven years. How it works: The performance began on Sept. 5, 2001, on the avant-garde composer's 89th birthday. True to its title, the composition is meant to be played incredibly slowly so slowly, in fact, that the rest Cage wrote to begin the performance was so long that the first actual organ pipe chords weren't heard until Feb. 5, 2003. A compressor in the church's basement blows air into the organ to create continuous sound, though when a chord change occurs like on Sept. 5 it's done manually. At its current rate of performance, the piece will conclude in the year 2640. Details: You can see and listen to the chord change here. Context: The very conception of the piece is a hopeful one, that despite the existential challenges of modern life there will still be human beings to play the composition and listen to the organ hundreds of years into the future. The same spirit animates other futurist monuments like the 10,000-Year Clock, which is being built by the Long Now Foundation in a mountain in Texas. The clock is designed to tick for 10 millennia, its chimes occasionally ringing with a new melody. What to listen to: The next chord change at St. Buchardi is scheduled for Feb. 5, 2022. Book your tickets now. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a flood-hit village in North Hwanghae Province in the country's southwest for the second time in a month to check on recovery efforts, state media said Saturday. Kim inspected reconstruction at the flood-ravaged Taechong-ri area in Unpha County and "acquainted himself with the progress and plan of the reconstruction," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. This was the second time in about a month that Kim has visited the village. The previous one came in early August after torrential rain led to the failure of a levee that left more than 900 homes flooded or destroyed and 600 hectares of rice fields inundated. The trip was seen as part of efforts by Kim to highlight his image as a leader who cares about the livelihood of ordinary people. During last month's visit, Kim ordered officials to send his own special stock of grain to the flood victims and facilitate the use of necessary supplies. On Saturday, the KCNA said Kim expressed his happiness with the progress of the recovery efforts. "Such a village that has taken its shape as a fairyland within a short period of merely over 30 days is a miracle which can be created by only the service personnel of the Korean People's Army (KPA)," Kim was quoted as saying. Kim also called on officials and workers in agriculture to "redouble efforts to minimize the damage to crops and increase their yield in a consistent and responsible way." Hwanghae Province is the country's major rice-producing region. Officials were "immensely encouraged" by Kim's field guidance at the site and vowed once again to finish reconstruction there before the Oct. 10 founding anniversary of the Worker's Party, the KCNA said. "Our party has faced trouble and distress at the great damage caused by the recent series of heavy rain and typhoons but it will readily face the trouble and will take every possible measure for the sake of the great people and repay their great trust without fail," Kim was quoted as saying. The North has been hit by three consecutive typhoons in recent weeks, with the latest one, Haishen, lashing the country's eastern regions. Last month, heavy rainfall also pounded North Hwanghae Province. Kim has visited the flood-hit regions of Hwanghae and Hamgyong provinces, and last week presided over an enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party to discuss damages in the eastern mining region in South Hamgyong Province from Typhoon Maysak. (Yonhap) Advertisement Frontline NHS workers, many of whom have been helping to fight the coronavirus pandemic, have protested to demand better wages. Campaigners in central London, many wearing scrubs or other NHS uniforms, held banners which read 'stop clapping, start paying,' 'priceless yet penniless' and '640 healthcare workers dead, blood on their hands' alongside images of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Demonstrators began a march to Trafalgar Square after a two-minute silence in honour of 640 healthcare workers who have died during the pandemic. The protest comes after nurses were excluded from the wage increase for around 900,000 public sector workers announced in July. Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled salary increases which included doctors and dentists seeing their pay rise by 2.8 per cent - more than three times the rate of inflation - in recognition of their 'efforts on the frontline'. The largest increase of 3.1 per cent was being reserved for teachers despite the fact they have not been teaching full class sizes for months. But nurses saw no extra rise at the time because they were in the last year of a three-year pay deal which saw many in the profession receive a pay hike of 4.4 per cent. Frontline NHS workers, many of whom have been helping to fight the coronavirus pandemic, protest in London today demanding better wages. Protesters hold pictures of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove during the demonstration Dancers lead a march during a NHS workers pay rise protest in Bristol today as NHS workers engage in protests across the country The protest comes after nurses were excluded from the wage increase for around 900,000 public sector workers announced in July because they are in the final year of a three-year agreement A protester at the march in Brighton holds a sign reading 'I risked my life to get the clap once a week' today Protesters take part in a march in Brighton, as rallies form across the country calling for a 15% pay rise for NHS workers and an increase in NHS funding Alia Butt, 33, an NHS psychotherapist in Essex and chair of Nurses Staff Voices, said: 'We have simply had enough. 'The money is there. They are simply just not providing it to NHS staff. It turns out that the only way to ensure the NHS is able to continue to function is by the sheer force of organising.' She added: 'The Government clearly has not got a clue about what it is doing and that is very scary. 'Nurses saved the lives of the Prime Minister. What more do we need to do to get paid properly? It's bizarre.' Jordan Rivera, 43, an occupational therapist in Hackney, east London, said NHS workers are emotionally and physically tired, many are living paycheque to paycheque and the situation they have been left in is 'outrageous'. People march with placards through Bristol city centre, as marches and rallies form across the country calling for a 15% pay rise for NHS workers and an increase in NHS funding To cheers, demonstrators began chanting 'Boris Johnson hear us shout, pay us properly or get out' as they marched through the streets of London She said: 'Working that hard when you are already exhausted from fighting the pandemic is an outrage. 'How can we be expected to work through a second wave when we are physically and emotionally exhausted and on top of that, we are worried about paying our bills?' Protests calling for a 15 per cent increase in pay for NHS workers were also held in Manchester, Sheffield, Brighton and Bournemouth with many participants carrying banners emblazoned with socialist messages. Tania, a nursing sister who did not want to give her last name, said: 'They (the Government) are relying on our good nature and our moral compass to keep the NHS going despite treating us really poorly. 'We have had enough now and are saying pay us properly or we will take action.' Dancers lead the march as they parade through Bristol city centre, as marches and rallies form across the country calling for a 15% pay rise for NHS workers and an increase in NHS funding today Protests calling for a 15% increase in pay for NHS workers were also held in Bristol (pictured), Manchester, Sheffield, Brighton and Bournemouth Nurses were excluded from the wage increase for around 900,000 public sector workers announced in July because they are in the final year of a three-year agreement To cheers, demonstrators began chanting 'Boris Johnson hear us shout, pay us properly or get out' as they marched through the streets of London. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn sent his support to 'all of our wonderful NHS workers', saying: 'NHS staff are absolutely brilliant but have suffered a pay freeze, under-funding and under-staffing. 'Yet when the coronavirus crisis comes along, they are all there working hours and hours more than they were paid to do - care workers doing exactly the same. 'Now is the time to pay them properly and secure jobs for the future in the NHS.' Grassroots groups including NHS Workers Say No to Public Sector Pay Inequality, NHS Staff Voices, Keep Our NHS Public campaign, Nurses United UK and Unite Guy's and St Thomas Hospital Branch have backed the protest. People march with placards through Bristol city centre, as marches and rallies form across the country calling for a 15% pay rise for NHS workers and an increase in NHS funding Rachel Harrison, national officer for the GMB union, said: 'Loyal and dedicated NHS workers have been let down in the three-year NHS pay deal - which GMB union opposed. 'Their pay, terms and conditions have been driven down for years. 'Many staff have worked throughout the coronavirus pandemic and now their efforts need to be recognised with a pay award that reflects their commitment and the real-terms losses they have suffered during a decade of austerity.' Meanwhile, Unite said NHS workers should receive a pay rise of 15% or 3,000, whichever is greater. The union said the claim would 'restore the pay that NHS workers have lost in the decade of austerity since 2010'. Meanwhile, Unite said NHS workers should receive a pay rise of 15% or 3,000, whichever is greater. The union said the claim would 'restore the pay that NHS workers have lost in the decade of austerity since 2010' National officer for health Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe said: 'Hundreds of health and social care staff have lost their lives in the continuing battle against Covid-19 which has heightened the deep appreciation that the public has for the NHS and those who work in it. 'This public esteem for NHS workers should be reflected by the Government which needs to respond by opening pay discussions, following our claim and those of our sister unions.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: 'We are grateful for the hard work and dedication of our frontline staff, particularly during the pandemic. 'NHS staff are currently benefiting from the final year of a three-year pay deal, agreed with trade unions, which has delivered year-on-year pay increases, such as increasing the starting salary for a newly qualified nurse by 12% by 2021. 'The independent NHS Pay Review Body makes recommendations to Government on pay increases for NHS staff, including nurses, and we will consider their advice when we receive it, while continuing to listen to our valued staff and the trade unions to ensure everyone is rewarded fairly.' Mr Sugandh Rajaram, Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, has lauded the government of Ghana for the successful handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, describing it as one of the best on the African continent and the world at large. He said the success chalked by Ghana in handling the pandemic and its associated challenges was phenomenal and deserved commendation and that needed to be emulated by other African countries. Case management by the doctors, social interventions and reliefs for the vulnerable, the stimulus package for businesses, coupled with the gradual opening of schools and now the opening of Airport being the first country to have opened its Port on the continent affirms it, he stated. Speaking at a media interaction as part of his first official visit, to the Western Region, Mr Rajaram urged the government to consider building the capacity of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), provide startups and enhance agribusinesses for the swift recovery of the economy and food security. He called on the government to focus on mitigating the immediate effects of the pandemic and support the important elements of the economy such as giving tax rebates and stimulus packages to businesses. Mr Rajaram noted that the African continent was the most resourceful in the world and therefore needed to build its human resource capacity since it had a lot of mineral resources, manpower, and arable lands. Touching on the bilateral relations between the two countries, he said the Indian government had given a lot of scholarships to Ghanaians to study in India because they place a premium on infrastructural development and education. He disclosed that close to 16,000 Indians live in Ghana playing their roles in the various sectors of the Ghanaian economy, while the Indian government gives 250 scholarships annually as exchange programmes to public institutions especially, in the environmental sector. Mr Rajaram stated that the Indian government was focusing on making India a global business hub and providing a high quality of education at a lesser rate to people from all walks of life. He added that the Indian government was also trying to make India the center of the globe in terms of innovation, ICT, creative thinking, and artificial intelligence. 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 Appointment 12 September 2020 Chris Mumford is an advisor to the global hospitality sector in the areas of leadership and talent. The founder of Cervus Leadership Consulting, Chris provides services in executive search, compensation consulting, organizational structuring, succession planning and management due diligence. Over the past 20+ years, Chris has helped build leadership teams on behalf of some of the industry's most prominent operators, developers and investors throughout EMEA, Asia and North America. A frequent author and speaker on human capital issues in the hospitality industry, Chris is a promoter of hospitality as a career choice and an advocate for greater diversity in the workplace. As Head of Leadership Services for HoCoSo, Chris brings to the table his exclusive approach to holistic leadership and team engagement. A 35-year-old mother was arrested and charged for murdering her 5-year-old daughter. The suspect, Sutha Sivanantham, is accused of stabbing and killing Sayagi Sivanantham. The crime happened at their home in Mitcham, south London. Homicide Sutha appeared by video link at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on September 11, speaking only to confirm her name and date of birth, according to The Sun. The suspect was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on September 15. The pair were both found with knife wounds at the flat in Monarch Parade on the afternoon of June 30, 2020. Sayagi was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after. A post-morterm examination that was held at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital on July 3, 2020, found that she died of stab wounds. Also Read: Teen Boy Smashes Sister's Skull With Hammer While Asleep Because of Tablet Sutha was also rushed to the hospital in a critical condition after a neighbor, 47-year-old Elsa Gonzales, said that she found her lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Following the alleged murder, Gonzales described Sayagi as a smart kid, who was always smiling. She said that she was a "cheeky little girl, always playing with the neighborhood kids." It is still not clear why Sutha killed her daughter. Similar case In August 2020, a mother stabbed her 6-year-old daughter to death before turning the knife on herself. The victim, named Atarah, was described as a bright young girl with a "contagious smile and a huge heart." The incident happened in a home on New Haven Road in Arlington, Florida, according to News4Jax. The police said that it appeared the woman stabbed the child multiple times with a kitchen knife then stabbed herself. Local media reported that the woman is Purkanah Mayo, a 36-year-old who was arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office as a suspect in her child's murder. Six people were in the house at the time of the murder, including another child who was not harmed and is now in the care of the Florida Department of Children and Families. The authorities responded to a call from inside the house, but they stated that there had been no previous reports of domestic incidents. CBS47 revealed that the mother and child were both rushed to the hospital, but the child was pronounced dead while the woman was in critical condition. The DCF said that the mother's parental rights were previously terminated and that she was visiting the child's home when the crime happened, according to CrimeOnline. In July 2020, a mother was charged with attempted murder after her two children were found with stab wounds inside a Toronto apartment. Authorities were then called to a North York apartment building, in the Weston Road and Finch Avenue area. Police said that when they arrived, they located two children, a six-month-old girl and a 4-year-old boy, suffering from stab wounds inside an apartment unit. A viewer sent a video to CTV News Toronto, and it showed a woman being led into the back of a police cruiser in handcuffs. It also showed what appeared to be the children being carried into an ambulance. The children were rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. Their injuries were initially deemed life-threatening, but their condition improved, and they survived. Related Article: 13-Year-Old Boy Found Dead with Dog on His Lap After Trying to Flee Wildfire @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. New Delhi, Sep 12 : Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday consoled the demise of social activist Swami Agnivesh saying all his life he fought with great courage and conviction for the most marginalised sections of society. In a statement, Sonia Gandhi said, "I am grieved to learn the passing way of Swami Agnivesh. All his life he fought with great courage and conviction for the most marginalised sections of our society, fearless in defending their rights and in facing upto those who exploited and oppressed them and terrorised the poor, often at great personal risk." The Congress leader said that Swami Agnivesh was a "most powerful" and "effective" voice for the vulnerable and the defenceless. Swami Agnivesh's energy and faith in constructive social activism was indeed admirable and inspiring, she said. Recalling the works of Swami Agnivesh, Sonia Gandhi said, "He worked with equal dynamism to promote interfaith, understanding and dialouge, non-violence, and justice for the tribal people of Chhattisgarh, caught in a violent conflict. He will be widely mourned and India will honour the memory of this brave and noble soul." Swami Agnivesh died after suffering a cardiac arrest at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences on Friday evening. The hospital attempted to revive him for 30 minutes before declaring Agnivesh dead at 6.30 p.m. The social activist was admitted at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), Delhi on Tuesday. He was critically ill and suffered from liver cirrhosis and had been on ventilator support since Tuesday owing to multi-organ failure. His condition deteriorated on Friday. Body of Swami Agnivesh will be kept at the Bandhua Mukti Morcha (BMM) office on Saturday to allow the public to pay their final respects, albeit adhering to Covid rules, said Professor Vithal Rao Arya, his close associate and former general secretary of Bandhua Mukti Morcha. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Plans for the new 11 million Lidl in Lusk Planning permission granted for a new Lidl store in Lusk is set to see an 11 million investment in the local area and the creation of 35 permanent new jobs, the supermarket giant has stated. The development, recently approved by An Bord Pleanala, will see the creation of 35 permanent new jobs and 100 more indirectly over the course of the construction period. The site sits in a prime location in the newly developed Lusk Village Quarter which will also contain multiple shops, cafes, a creche, public square, playground and 150 new family homes. Speaking of the new store in Lusk, Kevin Duffy, Regional Portfolio & Facilities Executive, Lidl Ireland said: 'We welcome the decision from An Bord Plenala on our proposed site in Lusk, and are eager to support the local community with significant investment, job creation and the highest quality at the best prices when we begin trading. 'We have been blown away by the local community support for this store and we are looking forward to welcoming our new customers in Autumn 2021.' The design of the planned store has been tailored to keep in line with existing surrounding businesses on the site. The store will also incorporate a range of sustainability features including a certified Energy Management System, high performing energy efficient technologies, on-site electric vehicle charger spaces and the installation of highly efficient solar panels. It will also offer the retailer's growing customer base a superior shopping experience with a spacious interior layout, high ceilings and wide aisles creating a comfortable shopping experience for customers. Lidl Ireland employs 4,500 employees in its 163 stores, Head Office in Tallaght and three distribution centres and regional offices based in Charleville, Mullingar and Newbridge. MBABANE The jewellery worth E800 000 that was stolen at Nkoyoyo Palace was reportedly recovered in the Republic of South Africa where it had been sold to a jewellery shop and individuals. This is contained in the indictment which was filed by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Phila Dlamini, at the High Court yesterday. The filing of the indictment by the DPP means that the Crown is now ready to prosecute the duo of Nokulunga Zambane Simelane and Zandile Malinga. The items which were allegedly stolen by the two royal aides include two gold Jacobs watches valued at E400 000, a Jacobs necklace valued at E100 000, a Jacobs ring valued at E100 000, Swavroski bracelet valued at E50 000, Swavroski necklace valued at E50 000, a pair of earrings valued at E50 000 and Swavroski necklace valued at E50 000. The items are said to have been in lawful possession of Phangisile Mngometulu. In a statement made under oath, one of the witnesses to be paraded by the Crown, Mncedisi Tsabedze, spilt the beans. Tsabedze was reportedly present when the jewellery was sold in the Republic of South Africa. Disclosed He disclosed how he got involved in the deal, how much each item was sold for in South Africa and to whom, including the amount each of them received. He submitted that in December 2019 while at New Mall, Mbabane, he met one of the accused (Zambane), who is his childhood friend. According to the witness, the accused informed him that she needed assistance in selling expensive original jewellery which was given to her by her mother at Nkoyoyo Royal Palace. Tsabedze alleged that Zambane told him that she was approaching him because she knew that he frequented the Republic of South Africa as he buys and sells cars. He alleged that he told Zambane that he would contact Lihle Dlamini who had contacts concerning the black market of jewellery in Johan- nesburg. The witness recounted that in February 2020, he received a phone call from Zambane informing him that she was ready to go and sell the jewellery which her mother had given her as she was broke. Hired The witness said indeed in mid-February, in the company of the accused, Mayenziwe who is Zambanes boyfriend and Zikalala, who had been hired to drive, they proceeded to Johannesburg only to find that the jewellery shops did not open on Saturdays. Tsabedze claimed that he had seen the ring that was to be sold from pictures which Zambane had shown to him. He averred that it was a white gold ring coated with diamonds and with a purple centre piece. Operate Having found that the jewellery shop did not operate on Saturday, Zambane then removed the gold ring from her finger and sold it to a certain Kyle, a South African, for E5 000 and thereafter we returned to the Kingdom of Eswatini. He gave me and Lihle Dlamini E200 to share, alleged the witness. He narrated that on Sunday of the same weekend he received a phone call from Zambane who told him that she had arranged that they returned to Johannesburg to sell the jewellery. Upon arrival I saw the gold ring to be sold and a bracelet that was in a white box. Lihle called his contact, Pupu, who went inside the shop with Zambane and when they returned the former informed us that though the value of the jewellery was E250 000, E70 00 was to be paid in cash and the rest was to be deposited into her account, reads part of Tsabedzes statement. Zambane is reported to have given the witness and Lihle E1 000 each and after two weeks she (Zambane) gave them E5 000 each. The witness went on to disclose that during the month of March 2020, he received a call from the second accused (Zandile) who requested him to visit her at Fonteyn. Sell He alleged that upon arrival at Fonteyn, Nokulunga informed him that she had seen a deposit notification message of E110 000 on Zambanes cellphone and that she heard that they had been to Johannesburg to sell jewellery. Nokulunga is said to have disclosed to this witness that she stole some jewellery from Zambanes bag and he also wanted to sell same in Johannesburg. The jewellery included bracelets, necklaces, earrings and chains. The witness stated that he took the jewellery and contacted Lihle. He alleged that towards the end of March 2020 they proceeded to Johannesburg where they met Pupu to facilitate the sale. According to the witnesses, together with Pupu, they sold the jewellery which was a set of white earrings with a diamond centre piece and they were paid E55 000. After the sale, Pupu was given E10 000, I took E20 000, Lihle got E10 000 and Nokulunga was given E10 0000. The jewellery that was deemed valueless was returned to Zandile, he stated. The accused are both currently out on bail. Mumbai: A Kolkata resident, who was arrested on Friday for allegedly threatening Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, had also made similar calls at residences of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) officials said on Saturday. According to news agency PTI, the accused, Palash Bose, had projected himself to be a member of Dawood Ibrahim's gang while allegedly making these phone calls earlier this month, the ATS officials said. According to ATS, Bose (49) had lived in Dubai for more than 15 years and returned to Kolkata a few years ago. "He made these calls by using a SIM card which he had procured from Dubai," the ATS officials said, adding that Bose also revealed that he had used international SIM cards to make these calls. Police are now trying to find out if Bose has any connections to D-Company in Dubai. Meanwhile, a case has been registered under sections 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation), and 507 (criminal intimidation by anonymous communication) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on the complaint of Raut, said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Anti- Terrorism Squad, Vikram Deshmane. Police had also added section 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1932, he said. "During investigation, ATS Mumbai received information from a reliable source that the accused is hiding in Kolkata, following which he was picked up from that city by a team led by police inspector Daya Nayak," he said. Police recovered two mobile phones, four SIM cards - three international and one domestic - from the accused, the DCP said. Bose's motive behind making these threat calls is under investigation, the DCP said. He said Bose, a science graduate, had obtained phone numbers of politicians whom he had targeted from various websites. Mumbai Police were given the transit remand of the accused till September 14. On Sunday, police had beefed up security outside Thackeray's residence 'Matoshree' in Bandra after an unidentified caller, claiming to be fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim''s aide, called the bungalow's landline number. State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had received threat calls on more than one occasion over his stance in connection with the controversy involving actress Kangana Ranaut. Deshmukh had received the calls from Himachal Pradesh and another location from different numbers on Tuesday and at around 6 am on Wednesday, sources close to him had said, adding that the callers asked the minister not to get involved in the controversy. Earlier also, an anonymous caller had phoned Deshmukh's Nagpur office, threatening him and Sharad Pawar, a minister had said. Kolkata Police had said that Bose claimed himself to be a fan of Ranaut. The Shiv Sena and the actress are engaged in a war of words after the latter recently likened Mumbai to PoK and also said she feared Mumbai Police more than the movie mafia. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is ruled by the Shiv Sena, on Wednesday pulled down some illegal alterations made at Ranaut's bungalow in suburban Bandra. The Bombay High Court later granted a stay. (With Agency inputs) Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought the US support in repatriating Rashed Chowdhury, the proclaimed fugitive convicted killer of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. US Defence Secretary Mark Esper assured Hasina premier of extending cooperation in this regard, the press secretary of the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Ihsanul Karim told IANS. Rashed Chowdhury is currently residing in the US. Esper called Hasina over the phone on Friday and assured her of continuing his countrys support in bringing a peaceful solution to the protracted Rohingya crisis. He also lauded the role of Bangladesh as the number one troops contributing country in the UN Peacekeeping Operations. Esper added that the US government stands ready to offer any help to Bangladesh in handling the current flood or any other natural disaster that the country might face. He also expressed sadness for the damage of a Bangladesh Navy Ship in the deadly bomb blast in Beirut Port in August. He also talked with Hasina about the range of defence cooperation between Bangladesh and the US. Karim said the US defence secretary expressed his appreciation for the generosity shown by Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue and thanked Hasina in this regard. The US defence secretary also thanked Hasina for extending cooperation during the Covid-19 pandemic that hit the US hard. She expressed condolence for the loss of lives in the US and praised the support provided by the US to Bangladesh in handling the Covid-19 pandemic. The US defence secretary hoped that Bangladesh will continue to play its productive role" in peace-building with the Peace Keeping Forces and informed that the US will continue its support in this regard. Hasina also talked with Esper about the upcoming US election and hoped that the elections would be held in a befitting manner. If you didn't know that the Sunday World's crime correspondent Nicola Tallant's latest book, The Witness, was a work of non-fiction, this account of a young Dublin gangster's extraordinary life might be taken for a pitch for a gritty Netflix drama series. Joseph O'Callaghan was just 12 when his life of crime began, and six years later he became the youngest person in the history of the state to enter the garda's witness protection programme. Both he and the gardai knew that when he decided to give evidence in the trial of Dublin gangsters Brian Kenny and Thomas Hinchon for the murder of Jonathan O'Reilly outside Cloverhill prison in 2004, he would almost certainly be killed in retaliation by ruthless associates of the two accused. Joey, the fifth in a family of six children, grew up in a dysfunctional family that lived in Ballymun and, later, Blanchardstown. When his parents went their separate ways, his elder brothers went to live with their father, while the girls and Joey stayed with his mother, Mary. Back in the late 90s, Dublin was in the grip of a heroin epidemic and his vivid recollections of the desperate, skeletal addicts that populated Ballymun is heart-rending. He was 12 when a local milkman offered him a job delivering bottles to the apartments and houses in the neighbourhood. He was delighted with himself, the fastest lad in the delivery business, earning a few quid with ambitions to be a milkman himself. The milkman's name was Brian Kenny, an affable, smiling man who charmed everyone he met, including Joey's mother, who allowed him do the job provided he promised to keep going to school. But Joey soon discovered that Kenny's electric milk delivery float was a clever front for a widespread and lucrative heroin delivery service. Worse for Joey, a slight blond kid who looked much younger than his years, Kenny was a well-disguised vicious predator who was grooming him for sex. Soon Joey was spending all his time in Kenny's house. As the milkman's drugs business grew, the more ambitious he became and he branched out into other crime. He used Joey to break into houses, factories and shops to steal anything that wasn't nailed down. As he moved up in the hierarchy of Dublin's gangland, Kenny became more and more greedy. Worse still, he started beating Joey and smashing up the house. The final straw for O'Callaghan was when Kenny and his close associate Hinchon came home one evening, high as kites on adrenalin, telling him they had just shot Jonathan O'Reilly dead. They gave him the gun they had used, and the clothes they had worn, and told him to get rid of them. Joey secretly buried them, and with the help of his older sister, now a soldier, escaped the house and went to the police with his mother. While his evidence in court saw the two killers convicted, it was not the end of Joey's trials. He thought he would go into hiding in Ireland with his mother, both with new identities. However, he was sent to England basically to fend for himself. Video of the Day He felt, and still feels, bitter about this, and has had extensive therapy over the years to help him come to terms with what happened to him both before and after his involvement with Dublin's gang culture. Nicola Tallant, an expert on the evils of gangland crime, has, with Joey 'The Lips' O'Callaghan's honesty and insight, delivered a searing indictment on the utter misery Irish gangsters inflict on their own communities. Kangana Ranaut has been provided the Y-plus security cover after the Bollywood actors father requested the state government in Himachal Pradesh, Union minister of state for home G Kishan Reddy has said. Reddy said the Himachal Pradesh government had asked for security for Ranaut after her father wrote to the states chief minister Jai Ram Thakur. According to her father, Ranaut was responding to social issues which caused heartburn to some people in Maharashtra, the minister told reporters on Friday, according to news agency PTI. The Union minister said Ranauts father also met Jai Ram Thakur and submitted a memorandum that his daughter was being subjected to harassment and based on his request, the Himachal chief minister informed the centre about the situation. Reddy, however, did not clarify who is going to foot the bills for the security. This came amid an escalating war of words between the actor and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut. The verbal duel between the actor and Raut started after her Mumbai feeling like Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir comment. She had also said that she feared Mumbai Police more than what she has dubbed as movie mafia. Officials have said the decision to give the security cover was taken after a threat perception was carried out and the Himachal Pradesh government also approached the Union home ministry. Under the Y-plus category, Ranaut has 10 to 11 armed commandoes guarding her in three shifts, with two or three personnel security officers (PSOs) accompanying her round the clock and one security personnel deployed at her residence. Enjoy Matt Haig's hotly anticipated new novel, and go deeper into the work of one of Colombia's greatest writers Fiction 1. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is published in hardback by Canongate. Available now Between life and death, there is a library. When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library she has a chance to live all the lives she'd always regretted not pursuing. With the help of an old friend, she feels she can now track down her perfect, so far elusive, life. The Midnight Library is arguably Haig's best work to date; once inside the library, you really won't want to leave. Life-affirming without falling into cliche, the plot draws on Haig's own mental health battles, and experiences around suicide and depression. It is a work that will resonate with so many, is thoroughly thought-provoking and beautifully written. It fully lives up to the (well deserved) hype. Verdict: 9/10 (Review by Megan Baynes) 2. All Men Want To Know by Nina Bouraoui is published in paperback by Viking. Available now An introspective work of autobiographical fiction, Nina Bouraoui's narrative shifts seamlessly between a confused 18-year-old in 1980s Paris, and the narrator's childhood in Algiers, Algeria, which became independent from France in 1962. Offering disjointed snapshots of a life torn between two competing identities, All Men Want To Know is a deeply personal exploration of cultural and personal identity, sexuality and belonging. Written in a dreamy, lyrical style, the narrative gives a sense of unravelling as much as it does coming together. Raw and sensual, readers will be enraptured by the narrator's intense evocations of guilt, desire and longing, delivered in passages of beautiful, erotic poetry disguised as prose. Verdict: 8/10 (Review by Scarlett Sangster) 3. Sisters by Daisy Johnson is published in hardback by Jonathan Cape. Available now Booker-shortlisted Daisy Johnson's second novel is a darkly disquieting thriller. It features two teenage sisters, distinctly different from each other but intertwined, living in a crumbling house on the edge of the North York Moors that seems to embody a family's distress. Older by just 10 months, September wields a disturbing influence over her sister July, leading to an incident which causes their remote, depressive mother to seek refuge from their former home in Oxford, taking them with her. The minutiae of young July's off-kilter existence are relentlessly evoked with a closeness that at times feels almost claustrophobic. The descriptions are vivid enough to stop you in your tracks, and the narrative draws to a psychologically apt conclusion. Verdict: 8/10 (Review by Lucy Whetman) Non-Fiction 4. The Scandal Of The Century by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is published in paperback by Viking. Available now This newly translated collection of articles by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who died in 2014, reminds us the Nobel-laureate novelist wanted to be remembered foremost as a journalist. In the Hispanic world, his Foundation for New Ibero-American Journalism sustains that reputation. In fact, reading these articles spanning four decades demonstrates he was both novelist and journalist at once. The earlier articles, reportage of events ranging from petty crimes to the US embargo on Cuba, shows his ability to find a compelling story in any situation. The later articles are more reflective and personal. Marquez's matter-of-fact accounts of remarkable things - and his fanciful accounts of mundane things - will be familiar to fans of his novels, such as One Hundred Years Of Solitude. This varied collection offers English readers a more intimate acquaintance with Marquez the journalist, which enhances his fiction. Verdict: 7/10 (Review by Dan Brotzel) Children's book of the week 5. The Mega Magic Teacher Swap by Rochelle Humes, illustrated by Rachel Suzanne, is published in paperback by Templar Publishing. Available now Television presenter and popstar, Rochelle Humes returns with her second book for young kids after 2019's The Mega Magic Hair Swap. Best friends Mai and Rose, accompanied again by Coco, their trusty wish-granting coconut, are now moving into a new school year. Saddened to be leaving their beloved teacher Mrs Bee, they ask Coco to magic her back - a wish that doesn't turn out as hoped. Colourful illustrations by Rachel Suzanne are a delight and captivating for young eyes, but it is unlikely to electrify adults acting as reading co-pilots. However, as Humes has said herself, this is all about helping little ones feel confident about moving into a new school year. Given the turbulence of 2020, that's an essential message. Verdict: 7/10 (Review by Edd Dracott) BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING AUGUST 15 AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION) 1. Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer 2. Finding Freedom: Harry And Meghan And The Making Of A Modern Royal Family by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand 3. Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky 4. Bad Dad by David Walliams 5. Dirty Little Secrets by Jo Spain 6. Mythos by Stephen Fry 7. The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary 8. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 9. Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 10. The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson (Compiled by Audible) Warren, 43, is the first African American woman to lead Rochester, a diverse working-class city where 40 percent of residents are Black. But after more than a week of chaos here on the southern shores of Lake Ontario, Warren has been thrust into the nations cultural battles over policing. She joins Black female mayors across the country who are now at the forefront of leading in an increasingly polarized nation. They have been forced to respond to, and defuse, the nations boiling tensions over police accountability and protests that have sometimes turned violent, while showing support for the racial justice movement and talking about the challenge of being a Black woman watching Black people die at the hands of police. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Lim Ruey Yan (The Straits Times/Asia News Network) Los Angeles, United States Sat, September 12, 2020 18:08 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4476e9c 2 Entertainment Scream,Neve-Campbell Free Be prepared to scream again. Canadian actress Neve Campbell, who is known for her role as Sidney Prescott in the Scream slasher films (1996 to 2011), has signed on to reprise her role in the fifth installment of the franchise, according to a joint statement by Spyglass Media Group and Paramount Pictures on Thursday. Campbell, 46, will be joined by David Arquette and Courteney Cox, who appeared with her in the previous four movies and will return as Dewey Riley and Gale Weathers respectively. The new movie, which has new cast members Jack Quaid, Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, is scheduled to be released in January 2022. In the press statement, Campbell said she was "beyond excited to step back into the role of Sidney Prescott and return to Woodsboro", referring to the fictional town of the movies. The new movie is helmed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who have directed horror movies such as V/H/S (2012), Devil's Due (2014) and Ready Or Not (2019). Scream is a long-running genre-busting horror franchise, which generated four feature films - Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), Scream 3 (2000) and Scream 4 (2011). In the movies, a high school in Woodsboro is targeted by a cloaked killer called Ghostface, who wears a ghoulish mask based on The Scream painting by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch. The killer usually taunts Prescott with a phone call beginning with "Hello, Sidney". Directed by the late Wes Craven, the famed "maestro of horror", the four films went on to gross more than US$600 million in worldwide box-office receipts. Campbell has also starred in the action thriller Skyscraper (2018), the drama Castle In The Ground (2019) and Netflix's political thriller series House Of Cards (2013 to 2018). Topics : This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Xinhua) Los Angeles, United States Sat, September 12, 2020 13:11 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c446a8df 2 Science & Tech coronavirus,COVID-19,research,los-angeles,China,wuhan Free 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. "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. Read also: China's Wuhan reports first virus infection in over a month The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the first US 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." By Trend The resettlement of the Lebanese Armenians to the occupied Azerbaijani territories is contradicting international law, well-known Lebanese historian, Ali Bekraki told Trend on Sept. 11. The resettlement of Lebanese of the Armenian origin is the violation of the international law, which is confirmed by the fact that no country recognizes the legitimacy and jurisdiction of the regime in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, Bekraki added. "Nagorno-Karabakh is a historically Azerbaijani territory, an attempt to deny this historical fact, as well as to change its demographic composition, is doomed to failure," the historian stressed. The Lebanese Armenians apply double standards concerning Lebanon, Bekraki noted. It is difficult for the Lebanese Armenians to determine who they are - citizens of Lebanon or citizens of Armenia, the historian added. When their interests are touched, they proudly declare that they are Lebanese and have all inherent rights in Lebanon. However, when it comes to national interests, they claim to be citizens of Armenia. "If the Lebanese of the Armenian origin claim that they are citizens of Armenia, then how do they have six ministers, a party and MPs in the Arab Lebanese parliament?" the historian said. If Lebanese citizens, violating all the principles of the international law, move to the occupied territories, bypassing the international guidelines, they are certainly subject to the criminal liability and all channels that facilitate the illegal resettlement must be closed, Bekraki added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 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 SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A Chinese researcher accused of lying about her ties to the Chinese military to gain access to a lab at the University of California, Davis has been released on bail. But, federal officials are trying to return her to custody as a flight risk. Dr. Juan Tang was released from jail late Thursday after an attorney put up $750,000 in his home equity as bail. Tang, a cancer researcher, was arrested by the FBI in July after spending nearly a month at the Chinese consulate in San Francisco. The lawyer who put up his house for bail was identified this week as Steven Cui, a civil attorney from the Bay Area who had never met or spoken to Tang before. Cui, an immigrant from China, said he wanted to offer help to show that the U.S. justice system works fairly, the Sacramento Bee reported. Tang was ordered to spend 14 days in quarantine at Cuis house as a precaution against the coronavirus by U.S. Magistrate Judge Kendall J. Newman. She was told not to leave the home after that without the permission of pretrial service officials. She was also ordered to only consult with officials of the Peoples Republic of China at the consulate only in the presence of counsel via telephone or video-conference. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heiko Coppola filed a motion asking another judge to overturn Newmans orders and return Tang to jail, arguing that she has no reason to stay in the country once released. Because there is no relationship between the parties, Tang loses absolutely nothing of value to her if she flees the United States, he wrote. Mr. Cui and his family assume all of the risk for Tangs flight. Moreover, because the United States has no extradition treaty with the Peoples Republic of China, should Tang flee, it is unlikely that she will ever return. Tangs attorneys, Malcolm Segal and Tom Johnson, have argued that she is a respected scientist who would not choose the life of an international fugitive in order to escape the possibility of a prison sentence as low as six months. Her lawyers also say that any photos of her wearing Chinese military uniforms are from her days attending military school. But the U.S. government says that FBI agents found ample evidence that she has ties to the Peoples Liberation Army-Air Force and Chinas communist party and lied about those ties on her visa application. During a later review of the electronic media evidence seized from Tangs residence, agents discovered a myriad of different photographs of Tang wearing a military uniform, Coppola wrote. Agents also found a video depicting a presentation conducted by Tang in which she is wearing what appears to be the PLAAF military uniform found in their open source search, and she begins the presentation with a salute. The video presentation was recorded within days of Tangs entrance into the United States on the J-1 visa. The Hennessey Fire is the largest fire in Napa County since reliable data became available in 1932 and it isnt even close. The lightning-spawned Hennessey Fire that began Aug. 17 burned an estimated 306,000 acres in four counties, according to Cal Fires revised figures. It burned an estimated 165,000 acres in Napa County alone, which is roughly 30% of the county. That Napa County acreage might drop slightly, since Cal Fire recently dropped the estimated acreage for the Hennessey Fire as a whole by 12,000 acres. But the blaze has still seared itself into the local record books. As they go about daily life, most people in Napa County wont see Hennessey Fire devastation that includes about 300 homes lost. All of it is in the remote eastern county, out-of-sight from world-famous Napa Valley, the countys five cities and the main local roads of Highway 29 and Silverado Trail. To put the Napa County section of the Hennessey Fire in perspective, 165,000 acres is 257 square miles. Thats more than five times the size of San Francisco. Its more than five times the size of the city of Napa, American Canyon, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga combined. Another way to view the fires sizesomeone could walk from Lagoon Valley near Fairfield in Solano County north through the length of Napa County to Morgan Valley in Lake County, a distance of more than 40 miles, and never leave the burn zone. The county has had more conspicuous and destructive fires, but none so big. Cal Fire lists the states 20 largest fires that have taken place since 1932. The 165,000 acres that burned within Napa County during the Hennessey Fire would rank 19th on the list, if the Napa County portion were a separate fire. The 306,000-acre Hennessey Fire as a whole would rank fifth on the list. Instead, Cal Fire combined it with two other fires that began the same day in Sonoma County to create the 363,000-acre LNU Lighting Complex, which ranks fourth. No other fire involving Napa County since 1932 is on the list. This is a very, very large incident, historical, Cal Fire Incident Commander Sean Kavanaugh told the Napa County Board of Supervisors recently. A visual demonstration of historic fires is provided by an Association of Bay Area Governments map based on Cal Fire data. The map shows the perimeters of large wildfires since 1950. Although the Hennessey Fire has yet to be added, theres nothing depicted on the Napa County portion of the map that comes close to its size. To view the map, go to https://bit.ly/2QXIBJ6 and choose the layer on the hazard viewer map for historic wildfire perimeters. Many of the largest Napa County fires on the historic wildfire map burned over the past couple of decades. Among them are the 52,000-acre Atlas Fire of 2017 and the County Fire of 2018, which burned 90,000 acres in Napa and Yolo counties. For that matter, 17 of the 20 largest California fires on record have taken place since 2002. Five have taken place since Aug. 16. Napa County Fire Chief Geoff Belyea said hes not an expert on why many of the larger fires are of recent vintage. But, he said, theres lots of anecdotal information. My personal observation is a large driving force of it is weather, Belyea said. It seems like weve had more severe weather lately. The drought was certainly a big factor. They say were out of the five-year drought. Im not sure all of the vegetation has really recovered. Also unique about this particular fire, Belyea said, is the speed at which it spread without the presence of north wind-type conditions the kind that allowed the wildfires in 2017 to spread so rapidly. The Hennessey Fire showed some very extreme fire behavior even outside of an abnormal wind event, he said. That prompted some evacuation orders to be issued in the middle of the night, a time when fire conditions typically favor firefighting efforts. The already-burned acreage will likely not burn again this year, he said, adding that he expects grass to regrow there after winter and early spring rains. Portions of land that burned in the Hennessey Fire also burned in the Atlas Fire in 2017, he said. But fire season is far from over. This certainly does not take the threat of additional fires away from Napa County, especially if we (do) get the north wind events we typically see in the fall, Belyea said. A third of the county burned, but that still leaves a large swath of land that could be impacted for another wildfire. Here are some of the larger Napa County fires over the past 70 years: Hanly Fire in 1964 Valley is Flaming Nightmare, said the headline of the Sept. 21, 1964 The Napa Register. The 56,000-acre Hanly Fire broke out near Calistoga and burned to near Santa Rosa. Meanwhile, the 10,000-acre Nuns Canyon Fire burned in the Mayacamas Mountains and threatened the town of Sonoma. Still another 9,000-acre fire burned on Mount George east of the city of Napa. Napa Valley was in a flaming noose. The situation was eerily similar to what happened to the county with the October 2017 wildfires. September 1965 fires Eight fires breaking out at about the same time burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed at least 30 structures in what The Napa Register again called a flaming nightmare. One was the Kaiser Fire, which burned from south of the city of Napa to American Canyon Road and Interstate 80. Another burned near Monticello Road. Still another burned along Old Sonoma Road. Still another burned in Chiles and Conn valleys. Atlas Peak Fire in 1981 The Atlas Peak Fire in June burned 34,000 acres and packed a devastating punch. The arson fire destroyed 56 homes in the Atlas Peak/Soda Canyon/Silverado areas, The Napa Register reported at the time. Miller Canyon Fire in 1988 This 35,000-acre fire broke out in Solano County and burned much of its acreage in that county north of Vacaville, though it burned along the Blue Ridge and into southeast Napa County near Lake Berryessa. Reports at the time said seven homes were destroyed. Sixteen Fire in 1999 The 38,000-acre Sixteen Fire was name because it began near Highway 16 in Yolo County. It burned to northern Lake Berryessa, mostly in remote areas, though it neared the rural community of Berryessa Estates. Tubbs, Atlas and Nuns fires of October 2017 The 37,000-acre Tubbs Fire burned from Calistoga to Santa Rosa. The 52,000-acre Atlas Fire burned in such places as Soda Canyon, Silverado, Coombsville and near Lake Berryessa. The Partrick Fire later became part of the 56,000-acre Nuns Fire that burned in the Mayacamas mountains. As in 1964, the fires broke out at about the same time and Napa Valley was hemmed in by flames. The county lost about 650 homes. But even the Tubbs, Nuns and Atlas fires combined cant rival the Hennessey Fire in size. Plus, much of the Tubbs and Nuns burn zones were in Sonoma County. Then there are fires from the more distant past, with no acreage estimates. They are the fires of legend. One that The Sonoma Democrat called the Great Fire began in October 1870 when two fires in St. Helena and one in Calistoga merged and swept over the Mayacamas mountains into Sonoma Valley. One of the most extensive and destructive fires of which we have record, is how the paper described the fire back in pioneer days. A late September, 1913 fire in Sage Canyon threatened St. Helena, sending clouds of smoke as heavy as fog through city streets. That fire followed a Capell Valley blaze that raced 25 miles to the south, The San Francisco Call reported that year. But were these fires as big as todays Hennessey Fire? By the newspaper descriptions, thats doubtful, though the Great Fire might well rival the Hanly and Tubbs fires that seemed to burn a similar area. Register reporter Sarah Klearman contributed to this story. Watch now: Surveying the damage: Burned out Berryessa residents return to homes turned to rubble You can reach Barry Eberling at 256-2253 or beberling@napanews.com. 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. (Natural News) Back in January, when the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning to catch globe attention, Selco wrote an article stating, Its not the virus you need to worry about. Its the system. (Article by Daisy Luther republished from TheOrganicPrepper.com) Virus or illness on itself might not be a problem in its essence, but the impact that it brings to the system and people might be so huge through the media that it causes the system to stop working in the normal way. So you could find yourself in a collapse not necessarily because of a huge pandemic, but because of the reaction to it. Another case might be the simple unwillingness from the system to admit how bad the situation is in order to stop the panic when folks realized the truth. So, what might bring the system to collapse might be a real pandemic or a reaction to the pandemic (which might or might not be controllable) or simply the governments poor or late response to the pandemic. (source) As things were just beginning to unfold, the article took a lot of heat on social media, with people saying Selco didnt understand how things would go because he is not American and doesnt know how things work here. Whoops. I guess thats rather embarrassing in retrospect. Because here we are, seven months after Selco wrote his warning, and our system is indeed falling apart. Our system is failing in many ways. Its indisputable that our system is now failing in numerous ways. Some of these things directly relate to the virus and the subsequent lockdown, while others are tied to the nonstop riots that have been going on in some areas for more than 100 days. The riots began after the death of George Floyd when a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck until he suffocated. From the economy to the justice system to the infrastructure, our system is grinding to a halt in a variety of manners that stand to completely change the American way of life. Lets take a look. The economy As predicted, our economy took a massive hit when government-mandated lockdowns closed the doors to many businesses. Despite billions of dollars in relief (much of which went to large businesses in an act of crony capitalism), the new economy has been nothing short of disastrous. Millions of jobs are gone and are never coming back. Millions of small businesses have fallen. Corporate landlords arent getting paid rent and mom and pop landlords are being forced by the CDC (thats right the Center for Disease Control) to house people who cant pay their rent, while still maintaining their mortgages. Obviously, this trickles down to the average American who just wants to go to work and pay his or her bills. If youve lost your job, you are now in a heated competition for the few jobs remaining. The effect on the economy was swift and severe according to a paper published by the Brookings Institute. Now that the CARES Act financial assistance has run out, more and more families are being pushed into desperate levels of poverty. (If this is happening to you, please check out this article for essential advice on surviving this situation.) But it goes even further than that in a puzzling turn of events, our country is running out of coins. Many stores no longer give out change that is less than a dollar. You can choose to donate your change digitally to the charity of the stores choice or get it back on a store loyalty card. Many people are concerned that this is a push toward a cashless society, something that would cause even more day to day financial problems for people who are already struggling. (And this is not as far-fetched as it might seem its happened in Venezuela, too.) Consumer inventory And what about the folks who do have money? Well, spending it might be harder than it used to be. Remember when the first hints of a looming lockdown occurred and store shelves across the country were emptied? And remember when all the shortages were blamed on those selfish hoarder preppers? And remember when they said if you would just buy for the next few days or for the week all the inventory would quickly be replenished because the supply chain was A-OK? Yeah. I remember that too. And guess what? Store shelves are still pretty spotty in many parts of the country. Some places still have limits on how much meat or toilet paper you can buy. If you go to your local Target, its difficult to find things like bedding and certain cleaning supplies. Food plants continue to close due to outbreaks. Canned goods are still in high demand. (source) And what is affecting us even more is that we still arent getting the shipments from China that we used to receive. When all of this began, I posted a list of essentials that we were getting from China which might affect our supplies, and unsurprisingly, many of these items remain difficult to find. When you can find supplies in your local stores, you may find that the selection of options is far more limited than before. This is pretty startling, but something that I noticed when I spent several months abroad was that most other countries dont have chicken cut in 12 different ways or 47 different brands of laundry detergent. What feels like a shortage to us is somewhat normal elsewhere and this is something you can adapt to fairly well. At the same time, limits on purchases make it incredibly difficult to stock up for the future, and you can also expect to see fewer and fewer choices in the months ahead unless something happens to change the situation dramatically. Read more at: TheOrganicPrepper.com and Collapse.news. Outdoor parties were held on campus at Trent University this week where people werent physically distancing or wearing masks, and both the student union and university administration want it to stop. Photos posted to social media showed people barefaced and mingling closely at orientation week parties, states a letter to students from the Trent Central Students Association (TCSA) and Trent associate vice-president for students Nona Robinson. At least one party exceeded the 100-person limit imposed by the Ontario government for outdoor gatherings in the COVID-19 pandemic, notes the letter issued Friday. All of it the lack of masks and of physical distancing, and the size of the gatherings are denounced in the letter as unsafe. This puts the Trent and Peterborough community at risk, and jeopardizes the campus reopening, the letter states. If you are going to gather together with friends, on or off campus, its essential that you follow safety precautions. We have vulnerable people among our students, staff and faculty, and also in the Peterborough community. No charges were laid over the parties and police werent called, though Peterborough Police Sgt. Dan MacLean said Friday officers will continue to monitor the situation. A $750 ticket can be issued by police under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 for failing to follow the provinces health directives such as limiting outdoor gatherings to 100 people. The parties werent sanctioned or organized events, according to an email sent to The Examiner on Friday from the universitys marketing and communication department, and the largest gathering was held off-campus. Meanwhile Trent has COVID-19 safety protocols in place such as a mandatory mask policy, physical distancing and limitations on group gatherings, the email explains. Students must also complete online learning modules emphasizing the importance of physical distancing, hand hygiene and mask wearing, the email adds, and students receive regular social media reminders of safety protocols. Theres also campus security to ensure consistent patrols on campus, the email states. Medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra also has a letter on the Trent University website encouraging students to stick to their 10-person social circle. Its the safest choice, she writes. Salvaterra also notes in her letter that people aged 20 to 29 are the group at greatest risk of becoming infected with COVID-19. This is because young people who are infected often have mild versions of the COVID-19 illness and can unknowingly spread it before they know they are sick, she wrote to students. Peterborough isnt the only university city to recently have back-to-campus parties where COVID-19 safety protocols werent necessarily followed: Waterloo and Kingston have had them too. The City of Kingston had to close a popular pier and beach and police have issued several tickets so far this month after thousands of students returned to the city, The Canadian Press reported. In Waterloo last weekend, three tenants in a rental house faced five charges after more than 100 students gathered for a house party, the Waterloo Region Record reported earlier this week. And one student party on Aug. 30 in La Pocatiere, Que. is being blamed for a new wave of COVID-19 cases, The Canadian Press reported. Salvaterra asked Trent students in her letter to follow health guidelines to curb the spread of the virus in Peterborough. The choices you make and the efforts you take to follow public health advice will keep us all safe, she wrote. The community will be grateful to you for doing so. MBABANE The curtain is closing in on Washington Khumalo. The Central Transport Administration (CTA) General Transport Manager admitted that the issue of former Minister of Justice Edgar Hillarys BMW X5 SUV car was not painted but coated with plastic cotton. Khumalo was answering to queries by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in parliament yesterday. This was after the Chairman of the PAC and Matsanjeni North Member of Parliament Phila Buthelezi read a letter from the former Minister Hillary which disputed claims that he ordered for his car, given to him by government as per the Finance Circular No 2 of 2013, to be painted black. The issue of the motor vehicle made headlines in local publications as the PAC learnt with outrage that it cost the taxpayer E102 000 to repaint the motor vehicle just because it was not in the colour which the former minister preferred, which he was disputing in the letter. Initially, Khumalo had told the PAC that two BMWs were purchased by the ministry, one belonging to the Attorney General and the other to the former minister and the original colours of the vehicles were metallic silver grey. It was alleged that the former minister said he was not comfortable with the colour of the vehicle particularly because it was not black like the other vehicles which had been allocated to other Cabinet Ministers and asked if he could be furnished with a black one. In his letter, Hillary disputed all the claims that he wanted the vehicle to be repainted to black. In the letter, he said he was amongst the longest serving civil servants having served his entire tenure without any allegation of corruption or misconduct. He said it was for that reason that the matter was terribly discontenting. He said according to Finance No 2 of 2013, Ministers were issued with BMW X5 SUVs upon their appointment, which he received when he assumed office as the Minister of Justice in April 2015. Disruption However it amassed confusion in the wake of great disruption as I was appointed to replace a newly removed minister. Owing to this situation as well as the fact that a suitable vehicle could not be found on my appointment, I was not issued with a vehicle as is the standard procedure, he said. Hillary said around 2018, he was advised by Washington Khumalo, the General Transport Manager that they had found a vehicle for him that was grey and not black as was the standard practice. Hillary said Khumalo assured him that this would be of no consequence as it would be painted in the correct colour. The former minister said the situation did not alarm him in the slightest as firstly, he had not selected or purchased the said motor vehicle and he had been assured that it would be of no issue as it would be painted in the correct colour. He said when the vehicle arrived, it was black as indicated and he was informed that it was covered with a black substance. I did not raise an issue with this as I assumed that it was handled by professionals. Ive now been informed that the paint used on the motor vehicle cost an amount of E102 000, a fact which is alarming to me. I assumed at the time that the motor vehicle purchased for me would be black and that was the colour of all the vehicles at the time, he said. Hillary said he was not responsible for sourcing or purchasing of the said motor vehicle, any expenditure associated with the purchase of the motor vehicle falls exclusively to the Principal Secretary as the Controlling Officer in the Ministry of Justice. Therefore, for this reason I do not believe I should be liable for any expenditure and any inquiries should be directed to the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Justice as the Controlling Officer of the ministry, he added. Responding to the letter, Khumalo was astonished that the former minister was actually distancing himself from the repainting of the car when he actually made the call to have it repainted. We offered to give Hillary the car that was used by the removed minister and he refused it, citing that it was old and damaged. I must say that the car was in good condition and it is currently utilised by another minister. When we presented the car that we found for him, he insisted that we should repaint it so that it was uniform with the cars of the other ministers, despite alerting him that the AG had actually been given a green light by his Principals to use his car in the colour that it was presented to him, explained Khumalo. However, Khumalo did not deny that the car was not painted but covered, coated with plastic cotton, much to the confusion of the members of the PAC. Appointed MP Prince Mfanawemakhosi said it was astonishing that Khumalo had previously told them that the car was painted but yesterday admitted that it was actually coated with plastic cotton. Peeled The House was further shocked to learn that the plastic cotton had peeled off from the car as revealed by Buthelezi who said he actually saw the car in its original colour. Dvokodvweni MP Mduduzi Magagula posed a question to Khumalo where he wanted to know how many of the Government fleet of cars were coated with plastic cotton and how much did it cost to have a car coated with the same material. Khumalo said Hillarys car was the only Government vehicle to have the material. However, he maintained that the repainting of the vehicle cost E102 000. The consensus was that a consultation should be made to BMW South Africa to determine what really transpired in the repainting of the car and to also determine if the taxpayers were not robbed of their money through the exercise of repainting the car. Sue Perkins: Along The US-Mexico Border Monday & Tuesday, BBC1 Rating: Louis Theroux: Life On The Edge Sunday, BBC2 Rating: The Romantics And Us With Simon Schama Friday, BBC2 Rating: Everyone is always having a go at the BBC for one reason or another, yet Im rarely among them as theres so much thats great: I May Destroy You; that elephant on Blue Peter (still); no ad breaks where women get hyper-excited about yoghurt. But I wonder if there is something up with the people it deems fit to present documentaries. Sue Perkins in Along The US-Mexico Border. Perkins is obviously warm, kind and intelligent, and she does humanise issues. But you still sometimes wanted to throttle her I cant quite put my finger on what is going on, or say whether it began under the regime of the recently departed director general, Tony Hall (Oxford University), or whether it will continue under his replacement Tim Davie (Cambridge), or whether it has to do with a certain type of education and like recognising like and no one else getting a look in. Perhaps it will become clear as we go along. This week there were three new BBC documentaries, including Sue Perkins: Along The US-Mexico Border, as fronted by Perkins (Cambridge University), who travelled the length of the border wall. It is actually a wall (covered in vicious razor wire) in some places but is a virtual barrier in others, monitored by sensors and other surveillance equipment. (We werent actually told that. I looked it up, having wondered why people didnt simply cross where there didnt seem to be any physical obstruction. Why werent we told?) Weve heard a lot about this border, especially since Trump, but dont properly understand what goes on there, so I was properly interested to know. Perkins started in Tijuana, drinking tequila shots with her guide, having breakfast with his family, visiting a shelter where she met a Honduran mother with three small children, one of whom had to be hospitalised and rehydrated on arrival as theyd run out of provisions on their journey. What was she fleeing from? How did she flee? What were her expectations of America should she be granted asylum? These questions were never asked. Perkins is obviously warm, kind and intelligent, and she does humanise issues. That trip to Friendship Park, where families separated by the border can touch fingertips through the mesh fencing, was unbelievably upsetting. But you still sometimes wanted to throttle her. Format-wise, this didnt reinvent the wheel. You basically stick stuff in front of the presenter, they say something, and then we all move on. So across the two nights thats what we got, as she visited a Mexican town wholly devoted to dentistry (its where Americans go for cut-price treatment) and met a Texan cattle rancher who, living a mile from the wall, has 500,000 people a year crossing his land, and yet more families are so cruelly separated. Perkins said the wall failed everybody How many times do we have to put these things up to realise its not the way and Im with her on that, but its an incredibly complex issue and this, alas, was only ever travelogue-lite. On to Louis Theroux (Oxford!) and Louis Theroux: Life On The Edge, which wasnt in fact new, as it was only new-ish, if that. It was, essentially, a clip show as he returned to his first TV series, Weird Weekends, sometimes catching up with the people hed interviewed (via Zoom) but mostly not. Still, he did catch up with those American twin girls whose mother had formed them into a Nazi pop group, complete with salutes and who, in their spare time, played a computer game called ethnic cleansing where we get to shoot blacks and Mexicans. They were ten at the time and now completely disown that life. We didnt understand fully... those girls are so separate from what we are now. But it was brief, and he didnt ask what this meant for their relationship with their mother, which did seem an omission. Theroux said at the outset: Im trying to figure out what Ive learnt about life and also myself. But we didnt learn much about him either, except that his house is very nice (it was filmed at home) and he cooks oven chips and peas for his kids. So we did discover that, at least. Last, The Romantics And Us With Simon Schama, who walked pensively though Paris, or pensively leafed through books, or pensively considered works of art if there is one thing Schama can do well its pensive. All the while telling us that the modern world as we know it began 200 years ago with the French Revolution and Romantics such as Delacroix, Blake, Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft, who believed creativity was paramount, as was people power. Louis Theroux. Theroux said at the outset: Im trying to figure out what Ive learnt about life and also myself. But we didnt learn much about him either If youve ever been on a march youve experienced one of the things the Romantics brought into the world everyone could take to the streets to fight for freedom and justice, he said, before pensively joining a march. But wasnt the Peasants Revolt, which happened 400 years earlier, all about people power? So I was confused, didnt quite get his thesis, and couldnt get excited about any of it. But perhaps I failed it rather than it failed me, which is how, in these instances, I often feel, as Im not very well educated. That said, neither is Schama. Only kidding! Cambridge! BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.10 Trend: NATO Parliamentary Assemblys Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security held a video conference with participation of members and associate member countries to NATO, Trend reports on Sept.10. The member of Azerbaijani parliaments delegation to the assembly Kamran Bayramov also took part in the event. The agenda included the draft reports on Chinas role in the global liberal order and Enhancing information of the public about NATO, as well as organizational issues. Representatives of the member countries, who spoke during the meeting, expressed their opinions on the issues, and made proposals. Speaking at the meeting, Bayramov said that the corresponding draft report fully covered the efforts to better inform the public about NATO. At the same time, the MP expressed confidence that the individual member states will also contribute to raising the awareness. He also made a proposal regarding 4th item of the draft report on COVID-19 pandemic. This item stressed that NATO welcomes the exchange of best practices achieved by member countries in responding to the crisis. The proposal was to replace the words "member countries" with "associated countries", 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. According to Bayramov, as an example of global solidarity in the fight against COVID-19, Azerbaijan allocated a voluntary donation to WHO, sent humanitarian aid to over 30 countries of the world. The draft rapporteur Angel Tilvar brought to the attention of the participants that he welcomes this idea and this proposal will be submitted for discussion at the committees next meeting. As the MP further reminded, in order to ensure international solidarity in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and to spur the exchange of best practices in this area, at the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev, as Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), NAMs Contact Group held summit dedicated to the fight against coronavirus on May 4 in the format of videoconference. During the summit, the president of Azerbaijan put forward a proposal to hold a special session of the UN General Assembly at the level of heads of states and governments through videoconference, which was unanimously approved by the NAM members in New York, and up to 130 UN member states have officially supported the initiative. Bayramov also proposed holding a special video conference on the role and importance of NATO in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The November 3 poll in the United States promises to be an election like no other. To guide readers through it, I'll be sending a weekly Trump Biden 2020 newsletter. A bit about me: I'm Matthew Knott and I'm the United States correspondent for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. I previously worked as a political reporter in the Canberra press gallery before coming to the States to study politics at Columbia University in New York. I'm now based in Washington DC but in the lead-up to election day, I'll be travelling to the battleground states to speak to the voters who will decide this election. One of the big lessons from Donald Trump's surprise victory in 2016 was that you can't rely on polls and political pundits to understand what's going on in the country. You have to be out on the ground speaking to ordinary people. That's my passion as a journalist, and I'm excited to have the chance to tell the story of this fascinating country at such a unique moment in time: a presidential election colliding with the coronavirus pandemic. In the past couple of weeks, I've been in the crucial state of Wisconsin, where I spoke to African American voters about how they feel towards Democratic nominee Joe Biden and visited the troubled city of Kenosha to explore how residents there were responding to Donald Trump's law-and-order rhetoric. Some I spoke to, including Robert Nelson (below), said destruction in the streets had caused locals who had planned to vote against the President to think again. Polls, however, show support for Biden to better handle the protests than Trump. Robert Nelson outside what used to be the Danish Brotherhood Lodge in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Credit:Matthew Knott Next up I'm heading to speak to suburban voters in Detroit, Michigan, to see how this crucial demographic is sizing up the contest. I'll be sending an edition of the newsletter each Thursday gathering together the best news, analysis and features we have published over the past week. The four-month-long standoff between Indian and Chinese troops over disputed areas along their 3,475 kilometre-long border in the Himalayas has escalated dramatically over the past two weeks. The threat that a localized clash could spark a regional war that would drag in the worlds major powers is being increased by US imperialisms provocative support for Indias right-wing Modi government, and a renewed push by the major European powers to bolster their military-strategic presence in the Indo-Pacific region so as to thwart Chinas rise. Alleging a Chinese plot to seize Indian border territory, the Indian military launched what it termed a pre-emptive operation on the night of August 29 and 30. Deploying what it has now emerged were several thousand troops, India captured a series of strategic heights in inhospitable mountainous terrain near Pangong Lake along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the countries contested de facto border. The 134 kilometer-long lake lies at the junction of Indian-held Ladakh and the Chinese-controlled Aksai Chin region. In reality, the India manoeuvre was a provocative escalation of tensions that has brought heavily-armed Indian troops to within two hundred metres, or eyeball to eyeball, with their Chinese counterparts. Last Monday, live ammunition was fired at the border for the first time in more than forty years, violating a bilateral agreement that prohibits soldiers patrolling near the disputed LAC from discharging their firearms. India has claimed that Chinese forces fired into the air during a confrontation, while Beijing has countered that it was in fact Indian troops that opened fire at a Chinese patrol. Nobody was injured in the incident, but it resulted in an escalation of threats on both sides. Indian sources claim as many as 50,000 Chinese troops have been deployed to the Aksai Chin border region, along with fighter jets and artillery. India, which has similarly made major forward deployments to air bases and army camps, has fortified its newly-conquered heights in eastern Ladakh/Aksai Chin with tanks and additional troops. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi issued a statement pledging their respective militaries would quickly disengage, maintain proper distance, and ease tensions, following a two-and-a-half-hour meeting Thursday in Moscow, on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization conclave. This does not change the fact that the conflict remains on a knifes edge. The vaguely-worded statement outlines no concrete proposals on how the border standoff and rival claims over where the LAC lies are to be resolved. It needs recalling that the bloodiest clash to date, which occurred in the Galwan Valley on the night of June 15, erupted during an official period of de-escalation following two non-lethal clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in May, at points 1,000 kilometers apart. The June clash, which saw soldiers engage in hand-to-hand combat with rods, blades, and stones, resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese forces. Although some troop withdrawals took place after the June clash, tensions have escalated in recent weeks, with both sides insisting that the onus is on the other to defuse the crisis. Meanwhile, the number of disputed points along the border has increased. Late last month, Jaishankar declared the possibility of a military confrontation between the rival nuclear-armed powers is the highest since India and China fought a month-long border war in 1962. Any number of localized clashes, intended or otherwise, could easily blow up into an all-out war. In an ominous development, a senior Indian military official told the Times of India earlier this week that local commanders have been granted wide latitude to determine how to respond to Chinese military activities. Our soldiers on the heights are well-armed and fully-prepared, the unnamed official added. Indias provocative actions at its border with China are motivated by two interrelated factors. First, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his crisis-ridden Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government are using the tensions with Beijing to shift official politics sharply to the right and whip up a bellicose Indian nationalism. By so doing, they hope to overcome popular opposition to aligning India ever more closely with Washington, justify a further massive buildup of Indias military might, and divert attention away from the disastrous health and social crisis triggered by the governments ruinous handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondly, Modi and the entire Indian ruling eliteincluding the opposition Congress Party, which during the current crisis has repeatedly taunted the BJP government for not being sufficiently aggressive against Beijingknow that they enjoy the full backing of US imperialism in the conflict with China. Almost immediately after the border dispute erupted in May, Washington demonstratively inserted itself into the conflict, denounced China as the aggressor, and directly tied it to the US-incited South China Sea dispute. This is part of a bipartisan policy, pursued by Republican and Democratic administrations alike for two decades, to cultivate close military-strategic ties with India so as to transform it into a bulwark against an increasingly economic and geopolitically powerful China. The irreconcilable conflict between US imperialism and China, now the worlds second largest and by some measures biggest economy, was summed up by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a late July speech in which he repudiated the five-decade-old US policy of engagement with China. Pompeo unveiled a comprehensive strategy of diplomatic, economic, and military pressure against China, making clear that the US is now determined to bring about regime change in Beijing (see: US adopts policy of regime-change in Beijing). The India-China border dispute is made all the more explosive because it is becoming ever more enmeshed with Washingtons aggressive diplomatic-military offensive against Beijing. Despite the remote and almost uninhabitable character of the disputed territories, including some peaks that rise to 5,100 meters (17,000 feet) above sea level, they are of growing strategic significance. The $60 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is a key plank of Beijings broader Belt and Road Initiative to develop economic ties with the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, runs near the disputed border, and through Chinese and Pakistani-held territory claimed by India. Moreover, Aksai Chin provides the only road link between Chinas Tibetan and Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regions, where US imperialism and its allies have sought to exploit ethnic grievances to weaken the Beijing regime. US imperialisms incendiary role all but ensures that if a war erupts over the India-China border, it will take on global dimensions. Central to US strategy, beginning with Obamas Pivot to Asia and further underlined by the Pentagons 2018 declaration of a new era of great-power strategic competition, has been to transform India into a US frontline state against China. As part of its ever more aggressive stance towards China, leading US officials have begun to publicly call for the creation of a NATO-style alliance in the Indo-Pacific region to challenge China. They are pressing for the Quada four-country, US-led strategic dialogue revived in 2017 that includes India, and Washingtons two principal Asia-Pacific allies, Japan and Australiato serve as the basis for such an alliance. India is set to host a Quad ministerial meeting in October, where the prospects for deepening military-security cooperation among its members and adding additional member states, like South Korea or New Zealand, will reportedly be discussed. While US imperialism, as always, plays the most provocative and destabilizing role, its European and Japanese competitors are not far behind. Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe unveiled more than $2 billion in subsidies earlier this week to encourage Japanese companies to relocate their production facilities from China to India. At a meeting on Thursday, Abe and Modi also announced a bilateral logistics and military base-sharing agreement, patterned after that reached in 2016 between the US and India, which allows US warships and warplanes to make routine use of Indian ports and bases for maintenance and resupply. Two days earlier, India, France, and Australia held their inaugural trilateral dialogue, an annual meeting that will focus on strategic and economic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. India is particularly interested in securing access to French military bases in Reunion and Madagascar, which it hopes will enable it to combat the expansion of Chinas naval presence in the Indian Ocean through a recently established base in Djibouti and what the Pentagon claims is an undeclared based in Gwadar, Pakistan. Following the dialogue, French Defence Minister Florence Parly travelled to India for Thursdays induction of five Rafale fighter jets into the Indian Air Force, which is the first stage of a $7.8 billion agreement between the two countries for 36 fighter jets. Parly also held talks with her Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, on expanding industrial and logistical cooperation within the framework of Modis Make in India campaign. Not to be left out, Germanys cabinet adopted late last month a new strategic doctrine for the Indo-Pacific that commits Europes largest economy to engage strategically and militarily across the region. In keeping with the German ruling elites systematic drive to revive militarism and an imperialist world-power foreign policy, the 80-page document declares that Berlins role could comprise participating in security policy forums, participating in military exercises in the region, planning joint evacuations, sending liaison officers, as well as various forms of naval presence. In a statement announcing the publication of the document, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas underscored the predatory interests behind the plan, asserting, The Himalayas and Straits of Malacca may seem far away. But our prosperity and geopolitical influence in the decades to come depend precisely on how we cooperate with the states of the Indo-Pacific. The hotly-contested Indian Ocean, which accounts for more than 40 percent of global maritime trade and is relied upon by China for oil imports as well as much of its export trade, is rapidly emerging as one of the worlds most volatile flashpoints. The great power rivalries, which have been enormously exacerbated by the global economic crisis triggered by the pandemic, pose an immense danger to the working class of the region and the entire world. Working people in India, China, throughout the region and internationally cannot stop the mounting danger of a war, fought between nuclear powers, in the Indo-Pacific by appealing to any of the powers involved. While it is the target of aggression by the imperialist powers and their Indian bourgeois satraps, the Stalinist regime in Beijing, which is the guardian of the vast wealth of Chinas rapidly growing oligarchy of billionaires, has no progressive answer. China has responded to Indias provocations at their shared border with reactionary nationalist appeals of its own, and pledges to obliterate the Indian military with Chinas superior armed forces should a military conflict with New Delhi erupt. What is required is the building of a global, working-class-led, anti-war movement to stop the mad drive of the imperialist and great powers towards a catastrophic military conflagration. This movement must be based on the recognition that war can be fought only by taking up a struggle against its source, the capitalist profit system, on the basis of a socialist programme. Graduate students and workers at the University of Michigan have taken a courageous stand. In fighting against the unsafe reopening of campus, they are fighting for the health and safety not only of themselves but for the community as a whole. The outbreak of coronavirus at campuses throughout the country makes clear that the resumption of classes will inevitably mean a surge of cases. People will get sick and die. At UM, the administrations plan for reopening fails to include the most minimal requirements, including universal testing and remote learning. What is driving this insane policy? First of all, there are the financial interests of the university administration. The Board of Regents is dominated by officials with close ties to the corporations and political establishment (particularly the Democratic Party in Michigan). The university has a web of connections to powerful corporations. No doubt, taking the necessary measures to stop the spread of the virus will have negative financial consequences for not a few millionaires and billionaires. A broader policy, however, is involved. In relation to the pandemic, the ruling class in the United States, along with its counterparts internationally, has effectively adopted a policy of herd immunitythat is, that the virus should be allowed to spread without restraint, come what may. Businesses must resume, workers must go back to producing profit, schools must open. From the beginning of the pandemic, the social interests driving policy have been those of Wall Street, corporate executives and the capitalist class as a whole, not the concerns of masses of people who want to save lives. One could hardly have a more damning exposure of the criminality of the ruling class than the tapes released this week by Bob Woodward of interviews with Donald Trump. The world has now heard from the horses mouth that Trump lied to cover up the danger of the virus. Trump acknowledged that he deliberately downplayed the threat in order to avert a panic. What was the panic that kept Trump up at night? First, he was worried that the reality of the crisis would spark a fall in the markets before the ruling class could put together a massive bailout of the banks. Second, he was fearful of the growing opposition of the working class as it became clear what was coming. Trump, however, had many aiders and abettors. What he knew was known throughout the political establishment. At the end of March, Democratic and Republican politicians set aside their minor squabbles and passed, on a nearly unanimous basis, the so-called CARES Act. In doing so, they gave Congressional sanction to a bailout of the rich unprecedented in world history. Since March, more than $3 trillion has been funneled into Wall Street and corporate America through the US Federal Reserve. Having taken measures necessary to secure its wealth, the ruling class immediately began its back-to-work campaign and then its back-to-school campaign. Restrictions had to be removed. No measures were put in place to ensure universal testing and contact tracing. The policy has been, Let it rip. The results have been catastrophic. Already, nearly 200,000 people have died in the United states. As many as 410,000 may die by the end of the year. That is, in less than one year as many people may die from the coronavirus as US soldiers were killed in World War II in the course of nearly four years. This horrific reality underlies a social and political crisis in the United States that is unprecedented. Less than two months before the election, the Trump administration is intensifying its efforts to stoke a far-right, fascistic movement. Trump is not running for president; he is running for Furher. He is waging a hysterical campaign against socialism while encouraging his supporters, including within the state, to carry out violent reprisals against protests against police violence. The Democratic Party, however, offers no genuine alternative. The campaign of Biden and Harris is being waged on the most right-wing basis possible. Biden has joined the denunciations of looting and socialists and is committed to a program of austerity and war. The Democrats created the conditions for Trumps rise, covered up for his crimes, and facilitated and supported his right-wing policies. The strategy of the working class must be based not on the arithmetic of the election, but on the logic of the class struggle. The strike at the University of Michigan is an important advance. But what is the logic of this struggle? The issues at stakeprotection against the coronavirus, economic security, opposition to militarism and police violencecannot be resolved within the university. These are mass issues that require the intervention of the working class throughout the country, and indeed around the world. What is involved is a fight against an entire social and economic system, which subordinates social need to private profit and the accumulation of wealth by the rich. This is the central issue: The fight against the pandemic is a fight against capitalism and for socialism. Workers want to fight back. Teachers are beginning to take a stand against the back-to-school campaign, which has already led to a surge in new cases and at least six deaths of teachers in the last few weeks. Students and lecturers at New York University, Cornell, University of Iowa, University of California and many other campuses throughout the country are opposing the reckless openings. There is seething anger among autoworkers, Amazon workers, transportation workers, service workers and other sections of the working class to the back-to-work campaign and the effort by the corporations to use the pandemic to increase exploitation. The protests against police violence have been fueled by a broader social anger among millions of people. Workers have already begun forming rank-and-file safety committees, independent of the corporate controlled trade unions like the American Federation of Teachers, with which the GEO is affiliated. The unions have embedded themselves into corporate management and the state and are opposed to any struggle by workers against the homicidal policy of the ruling elites. At issue in every struggle ultimately is the question of political power: What class rules and in whose interests? Within academia, a great deal of energy has been devoted to arguing against the centrality of class conflict. The basic truth of Marxism, that the history of mankind is the history of class struggle, was supposedly superseded by conflicts centered on race, gender and other identities. Even the notion of objective truth was denied in the post-modernist attack on metanarratives. The conception that the problems of mankind could only be resolved through the revolutionary mobilization of the working class against the capitalist system was to be relegated to a distant past. The pandemic, however, has refuted these conceptions. Capitalism stands exposed as a historically bankrupt social and economic system. The overthrow of this system requires the mobilization of workers throughout the world on the basis of their common class interests. The wealth of the oligarchs must be seized and the gigantic corporations and banks turned into public utilities. The expropriators must be expropriated. The Socialist Equality Party and our youth movement, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, urge students and workers at the University of Michigan to continue and broaden your struggle. Turn out to the working class and take up the fight for socialism. There will be a lot more eyes from away watching Monday as New Brunswickers head to the polls for Canadas first major election during the coronavirus pandemic. The province is serving as a testing ground for pandemic politics. Can a leader leverage a well-handled public health crisis into success at the polls? Or will voters punish the politician who sent them to the voting booth at a time of COVID-19 anxiety? And, most importantly, can such an election be carried out safely? The answers to these questions some of which may not be clear until weeks after Mondays vote could open or shut the door for others weighing the risk and the benefits of a coronavirus campaign. Less than two years after forming a precarious minority government, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs called a snap election on Aug. 17, looking, observers said, to take advantage of his Progressive Conservatives largely successful handling of the coronavirus crisis and win a majority government. Hes not the only one in a position to do so. In B.C., Premier John Horgan, also leading a minority government, and also with soaring approval ratings attributed largely to his handling of the coronavirus crisis, has publicly mused about calling an election. At the federal level, Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus minority Liberal government, which is also enjoying a level of COVID-related popularity WE Charity scandal notwithstanding is also expected to be monitoring the results of the New Brunswick election ahead of a Throne speech later this month. The coronavirus case load is, notably, significantly lower in Atlantic Canada than in some other parts of the country. As of Friday, New Brunswick had only two active cases and had seen only two deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. Still, if Higgs gamble pays off and he gets his majority, light bulbs could well go on over the heads of political strategists across the country. At Elections NB, Chief Electoral Officer Kim Poffenroth has been preparing for a snap election since the minority government was formed in 2018. Since the August call for election, her team has shifted into high gear. They are tasked with smoothly running an election under the kind of conditions that no one in this country has had to face before. Small wonder, then, that Poffenroth has been getting emails from her counterparts in other electoral offices, wishing her luck. The October 2018 election cost New Brunswick $12.3 million to run. This one will cost an extra $1 million in personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and staffing costs for extra workers. Saskatchewan faces a legally mandated election in October, and the Election SKs CEO Michael Boda will have eyes on Poffenroths crew for hints of whats to come. For Saskatchewan, it cost $24 million to run the provinces previous election. Increased costs for the upcoming vote havent been tabulated yet, but Elections SK has taken on 17,000 electoral workers, up from its previous 13,000. A lot depends on just how smoothly the election goes, said Jack Cunningham, program director at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. It might make the electorate go into sort of a surly mood if their conclusion is: Well we had a New Brunswick election and it was a real dogs breakfast because it was undertaken under pandemic conditions. People might very well decide, Were not crazy about going to the polls federally or in another province. And who else would they take out irritation on but the party in power? So far, Elections NBs plans have been going smoothly. In the first two days of advance voting, for example, nearly 133,000 New Brunswickers cast ballots. That compares to nearly 88,000 over the same period in 2018, a difference of close to 45,000 votes. Most of the extra work put in by Elections NB is to ward off the spread of coronavirus as people cluster to vote. A spike in cases would be a severe disincentive to anyone in the rest of Canada thinking of calling a snap election. But the verdict on how well the province does on that score that wont be in until well after the polls close. If there was an increase in transmission associated with the election, wed expect it to take a couple of weeks before wed start seeing those cases and making the link back to the election, said epidemiologist Ashleigh Tuite of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. This is similar to what we saw with the phased reopenings, and with events, like the Black Lives Matter protests and political rallies in the U.S. we knew that there was a risk of seeing increases in cases, but it took a few weeks to see the effect or lack of effect. Thats because it takes time for people who do get infected to develop signs and symptoms of infection, and to seek testing and get diagnosed. Logistics aside, what politicians also want to see is the results of Higgs wager. Theres two areas Im really watching, said David Coletto. Hes the CEO of polling and research firm Abacus Data. First, is the logistics of the election itself. How smoothly does it go? Is there any spike in infections because of people gathering to vote at polling booths? Related to that, he says, is whether the people of New Brunswick show a willingness to come out and vote, whether on election day or in advance polls. That, he says, is an indicator of how enthusiastic or not the population is about an election. Then theres how voters react at the polls to being asked to participate in an election during a pandemic when one is not absolutely needed. If the incumbents win, that will be a signal to (other) incumbents that you can risk going to the polls, and not necessarily have a backlash from voters who may perceive the election to be unnecessary, he said. A recent poll by Narrative Research suggests that Canadians are moderately satisfied with their governments responses to the COVID-19 crisis, more so at the provincial level than at the federal level. But those satisfaction numbers with the exception of Quebec have been on a downward slide since May, so there may be a limited window of opportunity for government leaders to take advantage of that popularity. When Higgs dissolved the New Brunswick legislature, his PC party held 20 seats. Liberal MLAs held 20 seats also, with the Green Party and the Peoples Alliance holding three seats each. Two seats were vacant. While health care and education have dominated local conversation during the campaign, much has been made by the opposition of what is perceived to be the premiers politcal opportunism. According to Narratives research, Premier Higgs approval numbers took a hit right after he announced the election. But while his partys numbers have been trending downward since then, most polls show it maintaining a slight lead over its nearest challenger, the Liberals. If the Liberals led by former Irish ambassador and former House of Commons sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers were to win a majority or minority of seats, it may be seen as a demonstration of the risk of a backlash for incumbents trying to take advantage of their pandemic popularity boost. If Higgs wins a majority government, it could encourage others who are thinking of taking the same gamble. But if Higgs comes back with a minority government, as he had before, all bets are off; and scrutiny will turn, locally, at least, to which of the smaller parties the Greens, the NDP and the Peoples Alliance have enhanced or diminished their standing. The assumption may be tempting to make that people will reward popular governments for their handling of the pandemic situation, said Jack Cunningham of U of T. If the New Brunswick results suggest otherwise, that could also deter people like Trudeau or Horgan from going to the polls. Although my own guess, for what its worth is that, at least at the federal level, nobody really wants an election. I will be more surprised than not if, in fact, we end up going to the polls this fall. SM Steve McKinley is a Halifax-based reporter for the Star. Reach him via email: stevemckinley@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @smckinley1 Read more about: 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. Wachiwit via Getty Images 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. 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. Anatoliy Sizov via Getty Images 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. Soe Zeya Tun / reuters 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. Dado Ruvic / Reuters 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). 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) SALEM, Ore. - Wildfire smoke that posed a health hazard to millions choked the West Coast on Saturday as firefighters battled deadly blazes that obliterated some towns and displaced tens of thousands of people, the latest in a series of calamities this year. For people already enduring the coronavirus pandemic, the resulting economic fallout and political tensions evident in the Black Lives Matter protests and far-right counter protests, the fires added a new layer of misery. Whats next? You have the protests, coronavirus pandemic, now the wildfires. What else can go wrong? lamented Danielle Oliver, 40, of Happy Valley, southeast of Portland. The death toll from the fires in California, Oregon and Washington stood at 31 and was expected to rise sharply. Most of the fatalities were in California and Oregon. Oregons emergency management director said officials were preparing for a possible mass fatality event if many more bodies turn up in the ash. And the state fire marshal resigned after abruptly being placed on administrative leave. The state police superintendent said the crisis demanded an urgent response that required a leadership change. Oliver has an autoimmune disorder that makes her vulnerable to wildfire smoke, so she agreed to evacuate. She was nervous about going to a shelter because of the virus, but sleeping in a car with her husband, 15-year-daughter, two dogs and a cat was not a viable option. The temperature checks and social distancing at the American Red Cross shelter helped put her mind at ease. Now the family waits, hoping their house will survive. She has previously experienced homelessness. Im tired. Im tired of starting all over. Getting everything, working for everything, then losing everything, she said. Those who still had homes were not safe in them. A half-million Oregonians were under evacuation warnings or orders to leave. With air contamination levels at historic highs, people stuffed towels under door jambs to keep smoke out. Some even wore N95 masks in their own homes. Some communities resembled the bombed-out cities of Europe after World War II, with buildings reduced to charred rubble piled atop blackened earth. Residents either managed to flee as the flames closed in, or perished. Millicent Catarancuics body was found near a car on her 5-acre property in Berry Creek, California. The flames came so quickly she did not have time to get out. On Tuesday, she packed several of her dogs and cats in the car but later called her daughter to say she decided to stay. Firefighters had made progress battling the blaze. The wind was calm. The flames still seemed far away. Then they rushed onto the property. I feel like, maybe when they passed, they had an army of cats and dogs with her to help her through it, said her daughter, Holly Catarancuic. In Oregon alone, more than 40,000 people have been evacuated and about 500,000 are in different levels of evacuation zones, Gov. Kate Brown said. Fires along Oregons Cascade Range grew Saturday, but at a slower rate than earlier in the week, when strong easterly winds acted like a bellows, pushing two large fires the Beachie Creek Fire and the Riverside Fire toward each other and the states major population centres, including Portlands southeastern suburbs. Fire managers did get a spot of good news: Higher humidity slowed the flames considerably. In California, a total of 28 active major fires have burned 4,375 square miles, and 16,000 firefighters are trying to suppress the flames, Cal Fire Assistant Deputy Director Daniel Berlant said. Large wildfires continued to burn in northeastern Washington state too. In all, 22 people have died in California since wildfires began breaking out across the state in mid-August. President Donald Trump will visit California on Monday for a briefing on the West Coast fires, the White House announced. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and the governors of California, Oregon and Washington state all Democrats have said the fires are a consequence of global warming. We absolutely must act now to avoid a future defined by an unending barrage of tragedies like the one American families are enduring across the West today, Biden said. The same smoke that painted California skies orange also helped crews corral the states deadliest blaze of the year by blocking the sun, reducing temperatures and raising humidity, officials said. Smoke created cooler conditions in Oregon too, but it was also blamed for making the dirtiest air in at least 35 years in some places. The air quality index reading Saturday morning in Salem, the state capital, was 512. The scale normally goes from zero to 500. Above 500 is literally off the charts, said Laura Gleim, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Because past air quality was rarely so poor, the governments yardstick for measuring it capped out at 500, Gleim said. The department started monitoring in 1985. The weather conditions that led up to the fires and fed the flames were likely a once-in-a-generation event, said Greg Jones, a professor and research climatologist at Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon. A large high-pressure area stretching from the desert Southwest to Alaska brought strong winds from the east toward the West Coast, reducing relative humidity to as low as 8% and bringing desert-like conditions, even to the coast, Jones said. Instead of the offshore flows that the Pacific Northwest normally enjoys, the strong easterly winds pushed fires down the western slopes of the Cascade Range. It isnt clear if global warming caused the conditions, Jones said, but a warmer world can increase the likelihood of extreme events and contribute to their severity. The smoke in Portland filled the air with an acrid metallic scent like dull pennies. It was so thick that Ashley Kreitzer could not see the road when she headed out to work as a ride-hailing driver. I couldnt even see five feet ahead of me, she said. I was panicking, I didnt even know if I wanted to go out. George Coble had no home to return to. He came with some of his employees Saturday to a wasteland of charred tree trunks just outside Mill City, Oregon. Coble lost everything: his fence-and-post business, five houses in a family compound and vintage cars, including a 1967 Mustang. The family three generations that lived in the compound evacuated with seven people, three horses, five dogs and a cat. Well just keep working and keep your head up and thank God everybody got out, Coble said. There are other people that lost their family. Just be thankful for what you did get out with. Erik Tucker spent the day hauling buckets of water through what remained of his neighbourhood to douse hot spots smouldering in tree trunks five days after the wildfire tore through the area. Tucker, who lives in Lyons, Oregon, had expected the worst but found his familys home still standing while homes just down the street were gone. He was coated in ash and smudged with charcoal. No power, debris everywhere, smoke, cant breathe, he said. ___ Whitehurst reported from Portland. Associated Press writers Gillian Flaccus in Mill City, Oregon, Gene Johnson in Seattle and Adam Beam in Sacramento, California, contributed to this report. ___ This story has been corrected to say rarely instead of never in this sentence: Because past air quality was rarely so poor, the governments yardstick for measuring it capped out at 500, Gleim said. South Jacksonville trustees have agreed to ease a requirement department heads live in the village. The issue arose as the village searched for a new police chief. A vote on approving a candidate is expected to come this month. The board of trustees voted 5-1 in favor of easing the residency requirement that had required any department head to live within the village limits. Instead, it was amended to require anyone hired to live within Morgan County, Village President Harry Jennings said. The discussion about changing the requirement came in the hope of deepening its pool of candidates for department head positions. Although the change will benefit the existing opening immediately, it is meant to help the village find more applicants whenever a department head position becomes open. Specific details and requirements about the new policy, such as whether a village vehicle could be driven home by a department head who lives outside of the village limits, will be discussed in committee. Trustees spent August interviewing candidates for the police chief position. Jennings said he expects a vote to approve a candidate during the boards Sept. 23 meeting. If approved, the new chief will be sworn in Oct. 1. Current Chief Tim Mann announced his retirement in early August after spending 25 years in law enforcement and serving in his current position for over three years. Mann will remain in the position for the duration of the search for a replacement. Last weekend, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded that Greece engage in talks over escalating tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, warning that "They're either going to understand the language of politics and diplomacy, or in the field with painful experiences." The Greek government, meanwhile, announced further steps this week to bolster the country's defenses. New tensions between the two longtime rivals flared up in mid-August, when Turkey deployed the research vessel Oruc Reis, flanked by two warships, to explore for oil and gas in contested waters between the islands of Crete and Cyprus. Greece accused Turkey of violating its sovereign rights -- and dispatched warships of its own, precipitating a collision between a Greek frigate and a Turkish warship. How Greece and Turkey interpret international maritime law is key to understanding what's going on in this contested part of the Mediterranean, a conflict that risks drawing in other countries, including Germany, France and the UAE. Here's what our research tells us. - Parties are doubling down on dueling interpretations of the law of the sea. The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) asserts that countries may claim a territorial sea extending up to 12 nautical miles (nm) from their coasts, including sovereignty over the offshore oil under those waters. UNCLOS also grants nations the right to claim "sovereign rights and jurisdiction" over the waters, seabed and subsoil of an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) extending up to 200 nm, as well as a continental shelf extending up to 350 nm in certain circumstances. This might sound straightforward, but in semi-enclosed seas like the Aegean and Mediterranean, geographical limitations and overlapping claims make it near-impossible for any country to stake out its full jurisdiction. For this reason, Greece and Turkey customarily have limited their claims within the cramped Aegean Sea to 6 nm. Although Greece retains the right to extend its claim to 12 nm, Turkey has long warned that such a move would be tantamount to an act of war. An even greater source of contention between Athens and Ankara is their conflicting claims to EEZs and continental shelves. UNCLOS does not spell out how countries should address overlapping claims to such zones, instead asking countries to adopt "equitable" compromise solutions. Equitability is often in the eye of the beholder though, especially in the context of fraught historical circumstances, such as the dispute over Cyprus and a handful of other smaller islands between Greece and Turkey. Further complicating matters, Turkey has never ratified UNCLOS -- and specifically rejects the convention's provision that islands are entitled to continental shelves of their own. Since most of the islands in the Aegean are Greek territory, Turkey uses this legal position to claim rights to offshore oil in waters outside the territorial seas of Greek islands, arguing that this area is part of Turkey's continental shelf. Greece, a party to UNCLOS, rejects the Turkish position, arguing that the principles in UNCLOS -- including the entitlement of islands to continental shelves -- have come to represent customary international law and thus also apply to Turkey. Reflecting this stance, Greece argues that Turkey's recent exploration is on a continental shelf extending from the Greek islands of Crete, Karpathos and Rhodes and thus violates Greece's sovereign rights. - Maritime tensions are a microcosm of other politics. Turkey's behavior may also reflect Erdogan's desire to boost his flagging popularity, reflected by his AK party's losses in local elections in March 2019. During the past 17 years, Erdogan oversaw significant economic growth driven by current account deficits, which facilitated his hold on power as either prime minister or president. But an economic slowdown in 2018, and then the broader pandemic and global downturn saw the already weak Turkish lira tumble to a historic low in August. Erdogan has consistently used foreign policy to signal Turkey's strength, and pitches his efforts to strengthen Turkey's maritime jurisdiction as protecting the country's "Blue Homeland." Before Erdogan's tenure, Turkish foreign policy tended to prioritize outreach toward Europe, a legacy of Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Erdogan's approach is often characterized as "neo-Ottomanism," emphasizing Turkey's robust imperial Ottoman heritage to justify closer ties with, and sometimes intervention in, Muslim societies previously under Ottoman control. But other regional players see Erdogan's assertive maritime moves as a potential threat to their own ambitions. In 2019, Turkey signed a maritime agreement with the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) that ignored Greece's claim to continental shelves from islands such as Crete. In turn, Turkey offered material support to the GNA, placing it in direct conflict with the United Arab Emirates, which supports rebel forces in Libya. Erdogan's maritime deal with the GNA also provoked resistance from E.U. members and prompted Greece and Egypt to sign their own maritime deal. The maritime dispute between Greece and Turkey has thus become a microcosm of complex regional political dynamics. - International law might not ease the conflict. Ideally, international laws help prevent maritime disputes from escalating to war by clarifying the limits of countries' jurisdiction over the ocean and providing a process for arbitration of overlapping claims. In principle, Greece and Turkey could resolve their dispute short of war by dividing up maritime space or jointly developing oil resources. However, as they double down on legal claims that support their exclusive jurisdiction and control over coastal resources, both governments nurture domestic political grievances and international antipathies that may make it harder to back down and accept compromise. Due to these dynamics, international law offers no panacea for resolving the current quarrel. International arbitration could be a useful mechanism for settling the dispute -- but only if both parties trust the process will result in an equitable and acceptable outcome. In the meantime, it is unlikely the two countries will be able to move beyond the current impasse unless they exercise restraint in oil exploration and military deployments, and accept that compromise is preferable to conflict. - - - Odell is a research fellow in the East Asia program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. She wrote her PhD dissertation about countries' disagreements over how to interpret the law of the sea. Follow her on Twitter @resplinodell. Sheline is a research fellow in the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, and a nonresident fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. Follow her on Twitter @AnnelleSheline. For other analysis and commentary from The Monkey Cage, an independent blog anchored by political scientists from universities around the country, see www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage Mass vaccination sites are set to open across the City of Melbourne as the Andrews government looks at upskilling health workers to ensure there are enough staff to administer a COVID-19 vaccine. The City of Melbournes medical officer, Dr Ines Rio, said the council had identified five sites Melbourne Town Hall, Carlton Baths, Community Hub at the Dock, Kensington Town Hall and North Melbourne Town Hall where the public could be immunised against COVID-19 en masse. The state government has started preparing for the roll-out of a large-scale COVID-19 vaccination program that would immunise Victorians as quickly as possible. Credit:Siphiwe Sibeko/Pool via AP They work well from a flow point of view, they are big and we have the immunisation staff, said Dr Rio, who is also chair of the Australian Medical Association's general practitioner section. Priority groups, which are likely to be frontline health workers and older Australians, would access the vaccine first, with a security guard checking people's identification to ensure they qualified. Representational image Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on September 12 rapped airlines for failing to ensure compliance of no-photography rules in airport premises and onboard the flight. DGCA has also said if a scheduled flight is found violating such protocols, it will be suspended for a period of two weeks. Taking photographs at a government-operated airport or from an aircraft in flight, unless granted permission in writing by authorities, is prohibited under the Aircraft Rules 1937. "In spite of these regulations, it has been noted that at times, the airlines have failed to follow these stipulations primarily because of lack of diligence on their part," the DGCA said, adding that such deviations compromise in maintaining the highest standards of safety and therefore, is not to be allowed. The order comes after norms were allegedly violated on a Chandigarh-Mumbai flight on which Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut and members of the media were on board on September 9. The DCGA has further said that from now on if any such violation occurs on a scheduled passenger flight, the schedule of the flight for that particular route will be suspended for two weeks, effective from next day. The schedule will be restored only after the airline has taken all necessary punitive action for those responsible for the violation, the DGCA. DGCA on September 11 sought a report from IndiGo after it emerged that protocols may have been violated in one of its flights that flew actress 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 bungalow. 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. "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. According to the Rule 13 of the Aircraft Rules 1937, "No person shall take, or cause or permit to be taken, at a Government aerodrome or from an aircraft in flight, any photograph except in accordance with and subject to the terms and conditions of permission in writing granted by the Director-General, a Joint Director General, a Deputy Director-General or the Director of Regulations and Information of the Civil Aviation Department." TORONTO, Aug. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gran Colombia Gold Corp. (TSX: GCM; OTCQX: TPRFF) announced today the release of its unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying managements discussion and analysis (MD&A) for the three months ended March 31, 2020. All financial figures contained herein are expressed in U.S. dollars (USD) unless otherwise noted. Serafino Iacono, Executive Chairman of Gran Colombia, commenting on the Companys latest results, said, Our first quarter results continued to show strength, and that was when gold was more than $100 an ounce lower than where we are now. Quarterly revenue surpassed $100 million for the first time leading to adjusted EBITDA of $50 million. Operating cash flow and Free Cash Flow were up over 50% compared with the first quarter last year. The balance sheet also got stronger as we built up our consolidated cash position to about $100 million and by the end of April, we had reduced our Gold Notes by 40% since the beginning of the year. We are very pleased that Caldas Gold is up and running now. Drilling results from the Deep Zone at Marmato continue to be impressive and the PFS remains on track for mid-year. I am also very proud of what our Company has been able to do during COVID-19 to help out the communities in which we live and work. These are definitely unprecedented times and our people have done a tremendous job keeping our operations going while ensuring we all do the right thing to keep our workers safe. Second Quarter and First Half 2020 Highlights Gran Colombias gold production in the first quarter of 2020 was 56,247 ounces produced compared with 60,601 ounces in the first quarter last year. The Companys mines have continued to operate during the national quarantine implemented in Colombia in late March. However, restrictions on movement of people between communities has limited the availability of workers at the mines. Although Aprils gold production totalled 12,602 ounces, about 65% of the average monthly volume over the last 12 months, the situation has improved and the Segovia Operations have been operating at about 95% of normal since mid-April. in the first quarter of 2020 was 56,247 ounces produced compared with 60,601 ounces in the first quarter last year. The Companys mines have continued to operate during the national quarantine implemented in Colombia in late March. However, restrictions on movement of people between communities has limited the availability of workers at the mines. Although Aprils gold production totalled 12,602 ounces, about 65% of the average monthly volume over the last 12 months, the situation has improved and the Segovia Operations have been operating at about 95% of normal since mid-April. During the COVID-19 quarantine, the Company has stepped up its efforts to support the local communities in which it operates, providing medical equipment, supplies and sanitation kits to the local hospitals and groceries to families who have been economically affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Revenue amounted to $101.0 million in the first quarter of 2020, up 30% over the first quarter last year, getting a boost from the 21% increase in spot gold prices which increased the Companys realized gold price to an average of $1,570 per ounce sold compared with $1,298 per ounce sold in the first quarter last year. The volume of gold sales in the first quarter of 2020 was also up 8% over the first quarter last year, benefitting from a reduction in mineral inventories following a build up during the refinery shutdown during the holiday period at the end of 2019. amounted to $101.0 million in the first quarter of 2020, up 30% over the first quarter last year, getting a boost from the 21% increase in spot gold prices which increased the Companys realized gold price to an average of $1,570 per ounce sold compared with $1,298 per ounce sold in the first quarter last year. The volume of gold sales in the first quarter of 2020 was also up 8% over the first quarter last year, benefitting from a reduction in mineral inventories following a build up during the refinery shutdown during the holiday period at the end of 2019. Total cash costs (1) per ounce averaged $667 per ounce in the first quarter of 2020 compared with $621 per ounce in the first quarter last year. Segovias total cash costs were $604 per ounce in the first quarter of 2020 and Marmatos total cash costs of $1,215 per ounce reflected the impact of additional costs associated with the commencement of mine optimization activities and the adverse impact on production in January of a temporary explosives shortfall. per ounce averaged $667 per ounce in the first quarter of 2020 compared with $621 per ounce in the first quarter last year. Segovias total cash costs were $604 per ounce in the first quarter of 2020 and Marmatos total cash costs of $1,215 per ounce reflected the impact of additional costs associated with the commencement of mine optimization activities and the adverse impact on production in January of a temporary explosives shortfall. All-in sustaining costs (AISC) (1) and All-in costs (1) of $890 per ounce and $978 per ounce, respectively, in the first quarter of 2020 reflected increased levels of capital and exploration spending and arbitration-related costs in G&A, compared with $832 per ounce and $843 per ounce, respectively, in the first quarter last year. and of $890 per ounce and $978 per ounce, respectively, in the first quarter of 2020 reflected increased levels of capital and exploration spending and arbitration-related costs in G&A, compared with $832 per ounce and $843 per ounce, respectively, in the first quarter last year. The Company reported adjusted EBITDA (1) of $50.4 million for the first quarter of 2020, up 43% over the first quarter last year, benefitting from the stronger revenue performance in the first quarter of 2020. of $50.4 million for the first quarter of 2020, up 43% over the first quarter last year, benefitting from the stronger revenue performance in the first quarter of 2020. Net cash provided by operating activities in the first quarter of 2020 of $31.8 million was up 60% over the first quarter last year fuelling a 57% increase in the Companys Free Cash Flow (1) in the first quarter of 2020 to $17.8 million from $11.3 million in the first quarter last year. in the first quarter of 2020 of $31.8 million was up 60% over the first quarter last year fuelling a 57% increase in the Companys in the first quarter of 2020 to $17.8 million from $11.3 million in the first quarter last year. The Companys balance sheet strengthened in the first quarter of 2020 as total cash increased to $99.7 million at the end of March 2020 from $84.2 million at the end of 2019. Meanwhile, the Company used $21.1 million from the net proceeds of a CA$40 million ($30.1 million) private placement completed in February to redeem 30% of its Gold Notes ahead of schedule. At April 30, 2020, the aggregate principal amount of Gold Notes outstanding was down to $41.3 million. strengthened in the first quarter of 2020 as total cash increased to $99.7 million at the end of March 2020 from $84.2 million at the end of 2019. Meanwhile, the Company used $21.1 million from the net proceeds of a CA$40 million ($30.1 million) private placement completed in February to redeem 30% of its Gold Notes ahead of schedule. At April 30, 2020, the aggregate principal amount of Gold Notes outstanding was down to $41.3 million. The Company completed the spin-out of its Marmato Mining Assets through a reverse takeover transaction. The Company has a 74.4% interest in the resulting issuer, named Caldas Gold Corp., which commenced trading on the TSX Venture Exchange on February 28, 2020 under the symbol CGC. through a reverse takeover transaction. The Company has a 74.4% interest in the resulting issuer, named Caldas Gold Corp., which commenced trading on the TSX Venture Exchange on February 28, 2020 under the symbol CGC. As of May 15, 2020, the total issued and outstanding common shares of the Company is 61.3 million and after inclusion of stock options, warrants and the Convertible Debentures, the Companys fully diluted common shares would total approximately 89.4 million. of the Company is 61.3 million and after inclusion of stock options, warrants and the Convertible Debentures, the Companys fully diluted common shares would total approximately 89.4 million. The Company reported net income for the first quarter of 2020 of $24.3 million ($0.42 per share) compared with net income of $7.9 million ($0.16 per share) in the first quarter last year. Adjusted net income (1) for the first quarter of 2020 was $21.2 million ($0.37 per share), up from $13.0 million ($0.27 per share) in the first quarter last year. The year-over-year improvement in adjusted net income for the first quarter of 2020 largely reflects the positive impact of the Companys revenue growth resulting from higher gold prices in 2020 and the increased volume of gold sales in the current period. for the first quarter of 2020 of $24.3 million ($0.42 per share) compared with net income of $7.9 million ($0.16 per share) in the first quarter last year. for the first quarter of 2020 was $21.2 million ($0.37 per share), up from $13.0 million ($0.27 per share) in the first quarter last year. The year-over-year improvement in adjusted net income for the first quarter of 2020 largely reflects the positive impact of the Companys revenue growth resulting from higher gold prices in 2020 and the increased volume of gold sales in the current period. The Company has successfully completed Phase 2 of its 2019 infill drilling program in the Zona Baja Deep Zone at Marmato which focused above the 600 meter level and was designed to provide enough tonnes and grade in the Measured and Indicated mineral resource categories within the Main Zone to support the prefeasibility study (PFS) which is currently being carried out and is expected to be finalized by mid-2020. The Companys exploration program was also successful in extending the recently discovered New Zone along strike to more than 400 meters, opening up an opportunity for further mineral resource expansion. which focused above the 600 meter level and was designed to provide enough tonnes and grade in the Measured and Indicated mineral resource categories within the Main Zone to support the prefeasibility study (PFS) which is currently being carried out and is expected to be finalized by mid-2020. The Companys exploration program was also successful in extending the recently discovered New Zone along strike to more than 400 meters, opening up an opportunity for further mineral resource expansion. Gran Colombia recently signed a Letter of Intent with Renergetica Colombia S.A.S. to acquire, through its Segovia Operations, a solar project with a total installed capacity of 11.2 MW of power called Suarez, to be located in the Tolima Region of Colombia. Selected Financial Information First Quarter 2020 2019 Operating data Gold produced (ounces) 56,247 60,601 Gold sold (ounces) 63,701 59,045 Average realized gold price ($/oz sold) $ 1,570 $ 1,298 Total cash costs ($/oz sold) (1) 667 621 AISC ($/oz sold) (1) 890 832 All-in costs ($/oz sold) (1) 978 843 Financial data ($000s, except per share amounts) Revenue $ 100,976 $ 77,455 Adjusted EBITDA (1) 50,437 35,275 Net income 24,255 7,903 Per share - basic 0.42 0.16 Per share - diluted 0.42 0.16 Adjusted net income (1) 21,232 13,015 Per share - basic 0.37 0.27 Per share - diluted 0.31 0.24 Net cash provided by operating activities 31,811 19,818 Free cash flow (1) 17,831 11,277 March 31, December 31, 2020 2019 Balance sheet ($000s): Cash and cash equivalents $ 99,705 $ 84,239 Gold Notes, including current portion principal amount outstanding (2) 44,713 68,750 Convertible Debentures principal amount outstanding (3) CA20,000 CA20,000 Refer to Non-IFRS Measures in the Companys MD&A. The Gold Notes are recorded in the Interim Financial Statements at fair value. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the carrying amounts of the Gold Notes outstanding were $44.4 and $69.0 million, respectively. The Convertible Debentures are recorded in the Interim Financial Statements at fair value. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the carrying amount of the Convertible Debentures outstanding was $15.1 million and $21.1 million, respectively. Second Quarter and First Half 2020 Results Webcast As a reminder, Gran Colombia will host a conference call and webcast on Friday, August 14, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the results. Webcast and call-in details are as follows: Live Event link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/oc7986ix International: 1 (514) 841-2157 North America Toll Free: 1 (866) 215-5508 Colombia Toll Free: 01 800 9 156 924 Conference ID: 49825338 A replay of the webcast will be available at www.grancolombiagold.com from Friday, August 14, 2020 until Friday, September 18, 2020. About Gran Colombia Gold Corp. Gran Colombia is a Canadian-based mid-tier gold producer with its primary focus in Colombia where it is currently the largest underground gold and silver producer with several mines in operation at its high-grade Segovia Operations. Gran Colombia owns approximately 74% of Caldas Gold Corp., a Canadian mining company currently advancing a prefeasibility study for a major expansion and modernization of its underground mining operations at its Marmato Project in Colombia. Gran Colombias project pipeline includes its Zancudo Project in Colombia together with an approximately 21% equity interest in Gold X Mining Corp. (TSXV: GLDX) (Guyana Toroparu) and an approximately 20% equity interest in Western Atlas Resources Inc. (Western Atlas) (TSX-V: WA) (Nunavut Meadowbank). Additional information on Gran Colombia can be found on its website at www.grancolombiagold.com and by reviewing its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information", which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the continuation of operations during the COVID-19 situation, production guidance and anticipated business plans or strategies. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Gran Colombia to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements are described under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form dated as of March 30, 2020 which is available for view on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this press release and Gran Colombia disclaims, other than as required by law, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, results, future events, circumstances, or if management's estimates or opinions should change, or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Tom Holland says he had to go into unexpected places mentally for his role in the upcoming Netflix film The Devil All the Time. The actor explained in an interview shared by Variety that he was really nervous and scared coming on set for the first time because he wasnt certain he could pull off the role. He is a really complicated character and it is very dark, and I had to go to places mentally that I didnt know I could go to or dont think I ever want to go to again," he said. The Devil All the Time will be released on 16 September. Holland stars as the young Arvin Russell, who fights the evil forces that threaten him and his family in Knockemstiff, Ohio, according to Netflixs description. Robert Pattinson plays an unholy preacher, while Jason Clarke and Riley Keough portray a twisted couple, and Sebastian Stan a crooked sheriff. The cast also includes Bill Skarsgard, Eliza Scanlen, Mia Wasikowska, Harry Melling, Haley Bennett, and Pokey LaFarge. The Devil All the Time is based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Donald Ray Pollock. Representing the US interests in Iran, Switzerland is pushing for diplomatic efforts to ease tensions in the region as the US-Iran confrontation continues, with each taking moves to assert a tough attitude to the other side. Unilateral US sanctions against Iran have caused serious economic damage to the Muslim nation. In the context of a sharp currency depreciation, a high unemployment rate and being heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Iran is at risk of shortages of medicine and medical equipment, and is also facing challenges in terms of the humanitarian aspect. Representing the US interests in Iran since Washington broke off relations with Tehran following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Switzerland plays an important role in diplomatic efforts to mediate and alleviate US-Iran tensions, while serving as a channel of communication between the two sides. During his recent visit to Tehran, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis talked with Irans leaders on the co-establishment of the Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement (SHTA) channel to facilitate the transportation of aid items including food, medical supplies and other forms of humanitarian aid to Iran without violating US sanctions. Iran highly appreciated Switzerlands efforts to lessen the impact of negative US steps, especially as Washington is pushing for an extension of UN arms embargo on Tehran regardless of opposition from European allies and the international community. After the US withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and increased sanctions on Tehran, the remaining JCPOA signatories, including the UK, France, Germany, Russia and China, are all striving to save the deal. These countries have opposed the President Donald Trump administrations activation of the reverse process to re-impose UN sanctions on Iran, a step that could completely destroy the historic nuclear agreement. In addition to strengthening pressure on Iran through sanctions, the US has also implemented a policy on increasing its influence in the Middle East. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeos recent visit to the area aimed to discuss with allies regarding measures to prevent threats from Iran. He touched upon the possibility of Washington providing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the military equipment needed to defend itself against Iran. The US mediation for Israel and the UAE to reach an agreement on the normalisation of relations is also seen as a step to tighten the grip against Iran. In response to increased US sanctions, Iran has strengthened its defence and uranium enrichment. According to a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the volume of Irans enriched uranium has increased to almost ten times over the agreed limit. Irans Defence Ministry recently announced that the locally made cruise missiles are capable of hitting targets more than 1,000km away. Iran has been completely self-reliant in the manufacturing of rockets and the development of many varieties of booster rockets that use solid and liquid fuels. Tehran has announced the start of a large-scale military exercise on September 10 in the eastern part of the countrys southern waters, with the participation of naval, air, air defence and infantry forces. Meanwhile, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) said the country is building a new facility to house centrifuges to replace the facility that was severely damaged in the Natanz nuclear site in early July, which Tehran described as an act of sabotage. However, Iran also showed goodwill in cooperation with the IAEA by allowing international inspectors to access one of its two nuclear facilities. The prolonged confrontation between the US and Iran has not shown any signs of cooling down. Any diplomatic missions or goodwill attitude from the parties involved are encouraged. All attempts to contribute to creating positive movements and helping reduce the risk of conflict are welcomed by the international community. Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has waded into the controversial Agyapa Royalties deal, seeking for further and better particulars. Martin Amidu has written to Parliament requesting for documents on the deal to aid in the prevention of any form of corruption. 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" a portion of the statement read. Agyapa deal The Agyapa deal generated lots of controversies and tussle between the ruling government, the opposition and some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). The deal which started in June 2018 when Parliament passed the Minerals Income Investment Fund (Act 2018) to manage the equity interests in mining companies and also receive royalties on behalf of the Government of Ghana generated controversy when on August 14, 2020, the Majority MPs secured the numbers to pass the agreement causing the Minority to stage a walked out. Meanwhile, government insists the deal is for the country's own good 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 City Council amended the comprehensive plan to adopt a new small area plan to guide future development in Planning Area 7. It notes that the area serves as the downtown not only for the city but the entire region, and calls for keeping residents, local visitors and out-of-town tourists in mind. It adds that downtown faces a number of challenges, such as an underused and overgrown riverfront, but also presents a number of opportunities such as protecting its historic resources through careful adaptive reuse of buildings and appropriate new construction. Streetsense found that people are passionate about Fredericksburgs positive aspects, particularly the Rappahannock. The company came up with the idea of adding beacons along Sophia Street as a low-tech way to highlight the river and bring people down to the riverfront for events. It also proposed what is being called the Bankside Trail, which would run along the river from Amelia Street to Frederick Street and tie into the proposed Chatham Bridge Trail and East Coast Greenway. There was a party atmosphere in Aughrim on Sunday as local man Sean Kenny celebrated his 90th birthday. The special occasion was marked with a birthday lunch at the Woodenbridge Hotel for Sean. In other circumstances, it would have been a huge event to mark this very special occasion. However, the gathering was limited to close family members due to Covid-19 public health restrictions. A former postman, Sean took over the route from his father and was known to walk 28 miles every day to ensure the post was delivered. Later, he worked with his brother, the late Peter, selling trees. Sean is also the president of the Michael Dwyer Pipe Band. Bandmates joined in the celebrations of his milestone birthday by surprising him with some tunes on Saturday evening as he left Mass. A well loved part of the local community, Sean is known to be tech-savvy and among his gifts was a computer which will help him to call family members who are living in the United States. Paris: French Prime Minister Jean Castex says his government is not planning a new, nationwide lockdown to contain a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, but would instead implement a raft of less radical measures. France has the world's seventh highest coronavirus death toll, and President Emmanuel Macron's government is trying to curb it while ensuring that economic and social activities, such as school education, can continue as much as possible. People enjoy the outdoors along the Seine in Paris on Friday. Credit:AP Castex said new measures would include fast-tracked testing for priority cases to reduce time spent waiting for results, and targeted restrictions in areas hit especially hard. "The virus is with us for several more months and we must manage to live with it without letting ourselves get drawn once again into a narrative of nationwide lockdown," Castex said in a televised address. The UK is poised to miss a UN deadline to set out a plan to tackle the climate emergency, in the latest blow to Boris Johnsons claim to be leading the world. All nations are expected to announce tougher nationally determined contributions (NDCs) by the end of this year but Alok Sharma, the business secretary, repeatedly refused to make the commitment. Instead, he told MPs that the UK would be seeing what we can do and would try and put our best foot forward on this. The likely delay comes after the government was castigated for lacking an action plan to meet the legal duty to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. It is also potentially embarrassing for the UK, which will host the crucial Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow next year after it was delayed 12 months by the pandemic. The NDCs are seen as vital if the world is to meet the Paris Agreement goal of averting climate catastrophe, by holding the global temperature rise well below 2C. Governments are expected to explain how they will deliver deeper carbon cuts, to avoid Cop26 being a flop when it is eventually staged. Last week, Patricia Espinosa, the UNs climate chief, warned that only about 80 of the 197 signatories to the 2015 Agreement are likely to submit updated climate plans in 2020. Asked if the UK would be among them, Mr Sharma told the Commons environmental audit committee he was very well aware that the UK needed to act when it was calling for others to be ambitious. We will also be seeing what we can do, he said, adding: We want to try and put our best foot forward on this. But he then signalled the deadline would be missed, telling the MPs: There are a range of countries, which, because of the pandemic, that may well come later than the end of this year. Later, Mr Sharma, would not commit to whether the UK would include emissions from aviation and shipping in its next climate budget, the programme for cuts. And he was unable to say when a peat strategy which was two years late, Green MP Caroline Lucas protested would be published. This week, the Institute for Government think-tank warned there is no effective net zero plan because leadership has been lacking even with the clock ticking. Ministers had balked at measures that risk public opposition and failed to escape from a business as usual approach. There was criticism of the appointment of Mr Sharma to lead the Cop26 preparations, while juggling it with the business brief even before coronavirus intervened. The summit, billed by the UN as the last chance to avert the climate emergency, will now be held in Glasgow next autumn, after a one-year delay. On Saturday, 30 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in the Wyoming Department of Healths daily update. The department announced three new probable cases. Fourteen new confirmed recoveries were announced. Two new probable recoveries were announced. There are now 3,635 confirmed cases, 662 probable cases, 3,189 confirmed recoveries and 551 probable recoveries in Wyoming. Forty-two Wyomingites have died after contracting COVID-19. In Natrona County, 299 confirmed cases and 57 probable cases have been recorded. Probable cases are defined by officials as close contacts of lab-confirmed cases with symptoms consistent with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. A patient is considered fully recovered when there is resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and there is improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g. cough, shortness of breath) for 72 hours AND at least 7 days have passed since symptoms first appeared, according to the Wyoming Department of Health. Cases plateaued in Wyoming in late spring before beginning a spike in mid-June. That surge brought about an increase in the rate of reported coronavirus patients not yet seen here since the pandemic began. As a result, state health officials decided against their plans to eliminate almost all coronavirus restrictions. State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist is expected to extend the current orders soon. Cases tapered off somewhat in August but have trended back up and down since then. While Gov. Mark Gordon has said he is not considering a statewide face mask requirement, he has urged the states residents to wear them. The symptoms of COVID-19 include cough, fever and shortness of breath. Symptoms appear within two weeks. Health officials recommend self-isolating for two weeks if you have contact with a person who has the illness. Representative Image In an increasingly wired world, it was written off as a relic and ignored until the pandemic hit and turned things around. Now, in the new age of social distancing, the world is slowly rediscovering the necessity of the all but forgotten postal service. Nowhere is this being more clearly felt than in the United States where a raging political debate is happening over the course of its future. On the one hand, the pandemic has revealed just how much the country depends on the US Postal Service. On the other hand, cratering mail volumes further due to low business volumes, it is threatening to wipe it out. Making matters worse for the country is US President Donald Trumps reluctance to bail the service out, at a time when it is gearing up for a historic election set to be heavily reliant on in-mail voting. If the humble postal service is serving the larger goal of sustaining democracy in the US, in India, where it works as a bank, pension fund, primary savings instrument and delivery service, it is doing the job of literally saving lives. Since the beginning of lockdown on March 23, the service successfully leveraged its network of 1,54,000 post offices to help poor Indians access everything from cash benefits to lifesaving medicines, when all transport and services came to a standstill. According to data from Department of Posts, the service conducted 8.8 crore Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) transactions worth 1.53 lakh-crore, 3.8 crore India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) transactions worth 9,166 crore, and processed 801,000 money orders worth 857 crore by mid-June. Through the National Road Transport Network that it developed when the lockdown began, postal employees also delivered more than 2,000 tonnes of life saving medicines and medical equipment, including PPE kits and ventilators to both medical labs and citizens living in the remotest parts of the country. It was the postal services vast rural network that helped millions access their pension payments and social benefits, when the economy shut down during lockdown. In Telangana, the India Post helped disburse Asara Pension Payments worth 1,293 crore to around 5.6 million beneficiaries. In Karnataka, around 7 million divyangjan, old age and widow beneficiaries received pension payments through money orders worth around 600 crore at their doorsteps. Essential to Indias needs, on account of its vast network and last mile connectivity, the Indian Postal Service has been in need of reforms for decades now. Since the mid-Sixties, the service has been suffering from revenue deficit year-after-year, with the net postal deficit growing by 1,632.8 percent from Rs 91.81 crore in 1992-93 to Rs 1,590.97 crore in 1998-99. This year, the service has posted its highest-ever loss of Rs 18,255 crore that also happens to be the highest clocked by any public-sector entity. Of the postal departments expenses, salaries and pensions constituted more than 90 percent of the gross expenditure, with dependence on manpower, instead of technology resulting in the services manpower cost rising steadily. To be clear, the government is aware of the issues plaguing the service, and has tried resolving them by launching different projects from the years. For example, seeking to synergise technology, banking and postal services, it launched Project Arrow in 2008, to modernise Indian Post and run it as a pan-India network. The project, however, went into limbo, getting entrenched in bureaucratic hurdles and delays, lending the whole reform process ineffective. More recently, the government announced setting up of India Posts Payment Bank (IPPB) by merging 14,000 branches of 45 regional banks with the postal service a move many have said could be beneficial if the government implements it swiftly. Implementation is key, because as the last decade has shown, its at this stage that plans for reforming postal service seem to get stalled. The problem, though, isn't a lack of resources, or knowledge, or even investment. Much of that exists in the governments plans on paper. The real issue seems to be a lack of serious intent on pushing through with the plans, driven by the faulty attitude that led the post to be relegated as a side service for decades in the first place the view that the post isnt a necessary service, or at least not important enough to deserve comprehensive reforms. Its obviously a misguided view, because it grossly underestimates the value and power of a service that has been the backbone of Indias communication network for the last 150 years, and that holds the potential to power India's financial services, through its vast network coverage, in these tough, turbulent times. The trouble is that the government still thinks that the post is a service that it can afford to neglect. COVID-19 has revealed many bitter truths, one of them is just how costly this assumption can be. DOHA, Qatar The Taliban and the Afghan government began historic peace talks in Qatar on Saturday, aimed at shaping a power-sharing government that would end decades of war that have consumed Afghanistan and left millions dead and displaced. If realized, a peace deal would be the first time in generations that a new form of Afghan government was not being established at the point of a gun: The current model was ushered in by the American invasion that toppled the Talibans harsh Islamic regime in 2001, and each previous one back to the 1979 Soviet invasion was set off by coup, collapse or conquest. But as the Qatar talks begin, against the backdrop of an American troop pullout and grievous violence against Afghan officials and civilians, some critics of the process argued that the Taliban insurgency was still, in essence, holding a gun to the governments head. Inmate firefighters arrive at the scene of the Water fire, a new start about 20 miles from the Apple fire in Whitewater, Calif., on Aug. 2, 2020. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) California Governor Signs Law That Expunges Records of Former Inmates Who Fight Fires California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed a law that enables former inmates to withdraw guilty pleas and get their records expunged. The bill will help give people opportunity and hope, Newsom told reporters during a press conference outside of Oroville. And those are those prisoners that are out there, thousands of prisoners, that are on the frontlines, that are near the end of their time in prison, that are getting credits and want the opportunity, because of the training theyre receiving, once theyre out of the system, to be able to potentially join a workforce of which theyve been trained and actively participated in heroic ways. The Democrat signed the bill, A.B. 2147, on a picnic table in the middle of a town where numerous buildings were destroyed by the North Complex Fire. Some 3,100 inmates are currently working in California as firefighters and support staff through the states Conservation Camp Program. The program gives inmates who volunteer entry-level training before sending them to fight fires. When not fighting fires, the teams perform conservation and community service projects like clearing brush and reforestation. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs Assembly Bill 2147 after he toured the North Complex Fire zone with California Secretary for Environmental Protection Jared Blumenfeld and California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot in Butte County outside of Oroville, Calif., on Sept. 11, 2020. (Paul Kitagaki Jr./Pool/The Sacramento Bee via AP) According to the legislation, defendants who participate in the program, or similar programs on the county-level, and have been released from custody, can petition to withdraw guilty pleas or pleas of nolo contendere and enter a plea of not guilty. The bill would allow the court, if the defendant is eligible for relief, to dismiss the accusations or information against the defendant at the courts discretion and in the interest of justice and would release the defendant from all penalties and disabilities resulting from the offense, except as provided, it states. Defendants convicted of violent felonies and sex offenses are ineligible for the new path. The law was necessary because former prisoners struggled to obtain licenses and employment because of their criminal records, Newsoms office said. State law, for instance, allowed the barring of EMT certification to anyone who had been convicted of two or more felonies. Nearly 200 occupations require licensing from one of 42 state government departments and agencies, according to the office of Assemblymember Eloise Reyes, a Democrat who introduced the legislation, which was passed by state lawmakers earlier this year. A plume rises from the Bear Fire as it burns along Lake Oroville in Butte County, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2020. (Noah Berger/AP Photo) The bill is about giving second chances, Reyes said in a statement. To correct is to right a wrong; to rehabilitate is to restore. Rehabilitation without strategies to ensure the formerly incarcerated have a career, is a pathway to recidivism. We must get serious about providing pathways for those who show the determination and commitment to turn their lives around. Newsom acknowledged there were some who opposed the bill. Peace Officers Research Association of California, which represents more than 77,000 public safety personnel in the state, was among the opposition. To fully expunge a felons record in exchange for this work is not warranted, is dangerous to the public, and fails to recognize the impact to the victims of the inmates crimes, the group said in a recent statement. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 17:57:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed and seven others injured when a three-storey residential building caught fire in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Saturday, rescue teams said. The incident happened at the first floor of the building in a densely populated area of the city due to short circuit, Salman Qureshi, a rescue worker with a Karachi-based non-governmental organization Saylani Welfare Trust told Xinhua. He said that the fire erupted in the early hours of Saturday morning, but rescue work got a bit delayed because congested roads hindered fire fighters from shifting their engines and machinery to the affected area in a quick manner. Four families were residing in the building and the deceased belonged to the same family living on the first floor which was the worst-hit, he said, adding that residents of the other floors were safely evacuated by the rescue workers who also doused the fire. The injured people were shifted to a nearby hospital where one of them who jumped from the third floor in panic when the fire erupted is in critical condition, the rescue worker said. Enditem Eagle Point resident Joey Delcerro, whose family was displaced by the South Obenchain Fire, helps his daughter Charlie, 5, carry a bag of dog food from a makeshift donation organized by mothers from the Rogue Valley in White City, Oregon, U.S., September 11, 2020. REUTERS/Adrees Latif (Photo : Reuters Connect ) The authorities raised the death toll of victims of US wildfires to 15 after seven bodies were found in Northern California on Thursday. Five people have lost their lives in Washington State and Oregon this week. The fires moved at 45 miles per hour, burning through multiple West Coast states on Thursday. An estimated 500,000 or approximately 10 percent of Oregon's population has been evacuated, and the number continues to grow. Firefighters from all over the country were called to call to help in putting out the fires. READ: US Wildfires: An Unprecedented Devastation in California, Oregon, and Washington More than 100 fires all over 12 Western states raged through more than 3.4 million hectares, the National Interagency Fire Center said. The area is estimated to be the size of New Jersey or almost 7,000 square miles. In Oregon, Governor Kate Brown announced on a news conference that 40,000 people were under mandatory evacuation. She said that dozens of people were reported missing after the Jackson, Marion, and Lane counties' fire. Ms. Brown urged residents to stay away from the fire zones despite reports of looting. The state is also bracing for mass fatality events as firefighting operations carry on. Meanwhile, 68,000 people were under evacuation orders in California. READ ALSO: Amazon Fires in Pantanal Threaten Jaguars and Reserves Unhealthy Air Quality According to IQ Air on Friday night, the wildfires raging on the West Coast have resulted in the air that is dangerous to breathe for millions of Americans and the worst quality. Portland ranked as the worst air quality in the World and was then followed by Seattle and San Francisco, while Los Angeles ranked seventh. San Francisco turned orange in California as 14,000 firefighters are fighting the 28 significant fires amid a historic heatwave. Some San Francisco residents woke up to darkened skies, disorienting some into believing that it is still night time. Some were alarmed that it is still dark in the morning and felt strange having lunch in the dark. According to local media, it appeared to be dawn at 10:45 in the morning. The thick plume brought about by the wildfire made it difficult for the sun's ray to penetrate the thick smoke. Climate Fires California Governor Gavin Newsom said that the wildfire should be called "climate fires." Newsom said that the state is witnessing the reality of climate change in real-time and that the state's clean energy goals and slammed that the preventive efforts being done are inadequate and has directed state officials to make more and fast track more efforts. According to BBC, the fires across the region were triggered by several causes. Among them are downed powerlines to a gender reveal party. Experts say that there had been an increase in the number of extreme weather events. Climate change itself did not cause the fires, and it helped set the conditions for massive fires. These conditions include record-breaking heatwaves, including a day when the highest temperature ever recorded on the planet (130 F) in California. Last week, Southern California suffered a record-high temperature. The hot, dry conditions made the region ideal for sparking wildfires. People living near the wildlife-prone areas and brush undergrowth also contributed to wildfires. READ NEXT: Emergency Declared in Marion County as Wildfires Rage Across Oregon Check out more news and information on California Wildfire on Nature World News. Rajasthans former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot wrote to chief minister Ashok Gehlot over Gujjar issues on September 2, according to the letter released to the media on Saturday. This is one of the very few occasions when Pilot has been seen raising issues related to Gujjars, the pastoral community to which he belongs. Political experts link the release of the letter to the reshuffle in the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Friday. After the political turmoil spawned by an alleged rebellion by Pilot and 18 other Congress legislators blew away, it was being speculated that the party will induct him in AICC as a general secretary to compensate for taking away the position of deputy chief minister and state unit chief. However, Pilot was not given a central role in the reshuffle announced yesterday. It has been brought to my notice that the 5% reservation to MBC (more backward class) is not being provided in government jobs. The Congress party promised this in its manifesto for 2018 Assembly elections and the Congress government in 2011 had also promised to keep 4% posts in government jobs reserved as shadow posts for MBC, Pilot wrote. Pilot further said in the letter that development works under the Devnarayan scheme, a welfare scheme meant for Gujjars, had been put on ice. People meet me personally to demand proper implementation and sufficient budget allotment to this scheme, Pilot said. Also Read: At Rajasthan Congress feedback meet, slogans against minister, posters torn The former PCC president claimed reservation to MBCs had not been applied for police constable recruitment - 2018, REET recruitment - 2019, panchayati raj LDC - 2013, technical helper - 2018, nursing - 2013 and 2018, jail guards - 2018, ASHA supervisor - 2016, commercial assistant 2018 and second grade school teachers 2018. The Rajasthan government provides 5% reservation to Gujjars and four other communities (Banjara/Baldia/Labana, Gadia-Lohar/Gadalia, Raika/Rebari and Gadaria) in jobs and educational institutions under the MBC category. Gujjars constitute about 5% of Rajasthans population, according to the 1931 caste census, and are present in 21 out of the 33 districts of the state. Traditionally, Gujjars have been BJP supporters but in 2018 assembly elections, the community rallied behind Pilot assuming that he would become the chief minister. Also Read: Key changes, boost to Team Rahul as Congress rejigs panels Earlier governments provided reservation to Gujjars and the four communities under special backward class (SBC) category but this was struck down by Rajasthan high court. Political commentator Avadhesh Akodia said Pilot raising issues related to Gujjars was a significant political development. So far, he has stayed away from such issues fearing getting labeled as a Gujjar leader. Maybe, now he realizes that the community that has stood behind him so far may also wean away if he is not seen to be raising their issues, Akodia said. The trials for the coronavirus vaccine candidate, AZD1222, resumed in the UK following confirmation by the MHRA that it was safe to do so, AstraZeneca said in a statement London: Biopharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford on Saturday said that clinical trials for their coronavirus vaccine have resumed in the UK after the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority's (MHRA) confirmed that the trials were safe. The human trials resumed days after a pause had been announced in the trials after an adverse reaction in one of the participants. AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, as the trial sponsor, said that they cannot disclose further medical information but confirmed that independent investigations concluded that the trials were safe to restart. Clinical trials for the AstraZeneca Oxford coronavirus vaccine, AZD1222, have resumed in the UK following confirmation by the MHRA that it was safe to do so, AstraZeneca said in a statement. AstraZeneca is committed to the safety of trial participants and the highest standards of conduct in clinical trials. The company will continue to work with health authorities across the world and be guided as to when other clinical trials can resume to provide the vaccine broadly, equitably and at no profit during this pandemic, the company said. On 6 September, the standard review process triggered a voluntary pause to vaccination across all global trials to allow the review of safety data by independent committees, and international regulators. The UK committee concluded its investigations and recommended to the MHRA that trials in the UK are safe to restart. All trial investigators and participants will be updated with the relevant information and this will be disclosed on global clinical registries, according to the clinical trial and regulatory standards, AstraZeneca said. AZD1222 was co-invented by the University of Oxford and its spin-out company, Vaccitech. It uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 virus spike protein). After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack the SARS-CoV-2 virus if it later infects the body. AstraZeneca, the biopharmaceutical giant in tie-up with the university to produce the vaccine, had described the pause as a "routine" one following what was an unexplained illness". The Oxford University's Jenner Institute team started working to develop a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2, or the virus which causes COVID-19 in January this year and says it has been working with unprecedented urgency in a race against the coronavirus. Phase I and II results proved positive as they showed that the vaccine induced strong antibody and T-cell immune responses for up to 56 days after they were given. T-cells are crucial for maintaining protection against the virus for years. During the study, participants who received the vaccine had detectable neutralising antibodies, which have been suggested by researchers as important for protection, and these responses were strongest after a booster dose, with 100 per cent of participants' blood having neutralising activity against the coronavirus. The next step in studying any vaccine is to confirm that it can effectively protect against COVID-19 infection. According to the Oxford University scientists, of the hundreds of potential COVID-19 vaccines in development, six are in the final stages of testing, known as phase three clinical trials. One of these is the vaccine being trialled at the university along with AstraZeneca and is among the most promising candidates in the fight against the novel coronavirus. WASHINGTON During his 2016 bid, Donald Trump would sometimes pause from bashing elites and the media to speak with awe about a phone call he had with a Very Important Journalist. Trump puffed up with pride as he told the story to bemused rallygoers, who only moments before had been jeering at the press. It was, to say the least, a mixed message from the phony populist. During an interview in June 2016 at Trump Tower, Trump bragged to me about the call with the journalist, who turned out to be Tom Friedman. Lately, Trump has been boasting about Toms praise for the White Houses Israel-United Arab Emirates peace plan. Like Stella Dallas standing in the rain outside the gates of the mansion where her daughter is getting married, Donald Trump has always had his nose pressed up against the window of the elites. Former government adviser Professor Neil Ferguson said people should hesitate at the headlong rush to get everybody back into offices as coronavirus cases rise sharply across the UK. The case number increases we've seen in the last two weeks, do not yet account for the reopening of schools. So undoubtedly that may increase transmission still further and there may be a need therefore to reduce contacts in other settings, he told BBC Radio 4s Today. Professor Ferguson said he was still working from home, and cautioned: Certainly I think we should hesitate and maybe pause at the headlong rush to get everybody back into offices. But some people have to work and I completely understand the concerns in many quarters that everybody working at home has an economic impact, particularly on city centres. The comments from Professor Ferguson, a former government adviser whose work is credited with convincing Downing Street to impose the initial lockdown back in March, come as workers are being encouraged to return to the office. The governments back-to-work drive has hinged on warnings about the economy which critics have said are unlikely to prove all that encouraging for many people worried about the resurgent virus. Speaking shortly after Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, said the economy needs to have people back at work, London mayor Sadiq Khan called the governments efforts counterproductive. We must be honest that the health and economic crises caused by this pandemic are interlinked and cannot be separated. The truth is, as long as social distancing rules are in place, there is a limit to how many people can safely return to workplaces," Mr Khan said. "Londoners arent stupid, they read about the rising number of cases across Europe and predictions that a second wave here in the UK could be even worse than the first," he added. Alex Brazier, director for financial stability at the Bank of England, previously cast doubt on the governments drive, saying: It's not possible to bring lots of people back very suddenly. We should expect a more phased return, Mr Brazier told the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee. I feel safe coming to work, but I quite understand why many people might not. It's not possible to use office space, particularly in central London and dense places like that, with the intensity that we used to use it." Though the governments back-to-work drive has not yet resulted in any mass return, many employers have begun planning to bring staff back into the office, including banking giant Goldman Sachs where staff were told on Wednesday that they would soon be informed of a plan for allowing their return. The memo to staff sent by CEO David Solomon pointedly did not say staff would be required to return, saying rather that plans would give an opportunity to get back into the office. WILDWOOD Along Pacific Avenue on Saturday afternoon, a handful of restaurants and shops had signs telling patrons that colors were not allowed inside. The signs are generally a mark of the annual Roar to the Shore an effort by business owners to keep customers from coming in wearing vests and jackets emblazoned with the logos and patches of motorcycle clubs to stem any potential conflicts with other organizations. But there was no Roar to the Shore this year. Officially, that is. The event, which has brought in thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts over the past two decades, was canceled this year after organizers said the city denied them permits. But there were dozens of bikers at city restaurants and hotels, the most visible belonging to the Pagans Outlaw Motorcycle Club, a group state officials say is expanding in membership and criminality. But, during a year of financial struggles for many small businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in South Jersey shore communities, several business owners said they missed the bikers and the money they spend in the city. The fourth annual Fingal Festival of History was launched by the Mayor of Fingal Cllr. David Healy on Thursday, September 3. This year's festival will take place online with all talks being made available on the Fingal Libraries YouTube channel and social media platforms throughout the week of the festival from September 12 to 19. The centenary of the Sack of Balbriggan takes place this year and provides the main theme for our Festival. This year's programme again features the History at the Castle day with a variety of speakers presenting on topics relating to the Sack of Balbriggan, the War of Independence and other political conditions relevant during this period of Ireland's history. The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr. David Healy said: 'With everything that has happened so far this year it is important to have a perspective on things. It is important that we take time to look back on our history, and it is fantastic that this year's Festival of History will still be taking place. Like most events these days it will be done differently with all the history talks being recorded in the Chapel at Swords Castle. I would like to thank all of the Library staff of Fingal County Council who have made these talks possible.' County Librarian Betty Boardman said: 'We were determined to go ahead with the Fingal Festival of History this year despite COVID-19. However, this will be a festival with a difference, because due to very necessary COVID-19 restrictions, there will be no live audiences, but the talks will be recorded and broadcast for people to enjoy on our YouTube channel and our social media platforms. Staff in Libraries have put together a fascinating programme marking the centenary of the Sack of Balbriggan and the 175th anniversary of the visit to Ireland of Frederick Douglass, African American abolitionist and former slave.' Talks being recorded in the Chapel at Swords Castle include a retrospective view of the Sack of Balbriggan from local historian and former Senior Librarian, Fingal libraries, Jim Walsh, events interlinked to the Sack of Balbriggan by Cllr. Cathal Boland, how the Sack of Balbriggan inspired Brian Gallagher's successful children's novel Pawns and the life of Molly Adrian by Lou Boland. Declan Brady will examine Local Government and the War of Independence in Fingal; historian Brian Hanley will discuss the role of the Tans and Auxiliary forces during the War of Independence and Brian Dorney will discuss how the War of Independence unfolded in Dublin. To conclude David O'Connor accompanied by Aidan and Helen Lawlor will perform a selection of music and songs relating to the period and songs will include 'The Bold Black and Tan' and 'Kevin Barry'. AnnMarie Farrelly, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, said: "The Festival of History is such an important annual event for Fingal, and it is fantastic to see the dedication that our Library's team have put in to make sure that the Festival could take place this year. The focus of this year's Festival will be the centenary anniversary of the Sack of Balbriggan and a wonderful programme of talks have been lined up to commemorate this event, I would recommend to everyone to watch these talks across our various social media platforms." A special feature of this year's Fingal Festival of History is the specially commissioned exhibition produced about the Sack of Balbriggan. The exhibition, curated by Catherine Keane, Senior Librarian, Fingal Libraries will be on display in the Atrium at County Hall, Swords during September. This exhibition will also be available for viewing online. The exhibition will include six mounted information panels and the display of original documents specific to this event including, original hand-written Minutes of meetings of Balbriggan Town Commissioners, an original copy of the Decree of Compensation for Criminal Injury to Property awarded to a Clonard Street resident and the acknowledgement by William Cochrane that he will attend a meeting regarding the matter with the Provisional Government and Michael Collins. British Pathe news reels footage showing the aftermath of the destruction will also form part of the exhibition. U.S. historian Cecelia Hartsell who specialises in African American history and American social history will also present talks on Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglass in Ireland and Blood Sacrifice: Political struggles of Irish Nationalists and African Americans during the Great War Period. Director of Services Margaret Geraghty said: 'I am delighted to see this great programme continuing this year albeit in a different format than previous years. This is a very special year for Fingal, commemorating the Sack of Balbriggan which has a special focus in this year's programme, and I would encourage as many people as possible to view these talks on the various Fingal Libraries social media platforms.' Police in Colombia have arrested three Venezuelans who were part of a failed plot organized by a former U.S. Green Beret to sneak across the border and oust President Nicolas Maduro, The Associated Press has learned The three were arrested in simultaneous raids early Wednesday in the capital of Bogota, a person who was in contact with the men at the time of their arrest told AP. The person, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the continuing investigation, said the three were picked up on charges of arms trafficking and training to carry out illicit activities. Two of the men, Maj. Juvenal Sequea and Capt. Juven Sequea, are the older brothers of the confessed commander of the failed May 3 incursion, Capt. Antonio Sequea, who is jailed in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. The third, Rayder Ruso, is a civilian who has long sought Maduro's overthrow. All three lived for months in rustic camps along Colombia's Caribbean coast where Jordan Goudreau, an American war veteran, was helping organize a volunteer army for a rapid cross-border strike against Maduro. But the men deserted the ragtag effort, known as Operation Gideon, months before the beach assault was launched, viewing it as a suicide mission that lacked the necessary support from the U.S. What was dubbed the Bay of Piglets after the failed 1961 invasion of Cuba by anti-communist exiles ended in a propaganda victory for Maduro with the capture of dozens of would-be combatants, including two of Goudreau's former special forces buddies, Luke Denman and Airan Berry, who quickly pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 20 years in prison. Donald Trump OK'd my murder, I am not exaggerating, and they are trying to send a group of snipers or hire snipers in Venezuela to kill me, Maduro said Tuesday, recalling the bizarre attack. The U.S.-backed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido was also linked to the plot when it was revealed that two of his aides in Miami signed last fall a 42-page contract with Goudreau's Florida company, Silvercorp USA, to carry out regime change. The aides said they backed out of the deal before Christmas due to a mix of differences with Goudreau and a change in strategy. They said no money changed hands except $50,000 to cover Goudreau's initial expenses. A full telling of the plot and what, if anything, U.S. officials knew in advance has been elusive despite questions from Democrats in Congress angry over the raid. There were media reports that a fourth person, Yacsy Alvarez, who served as Goudreau's translator and assistant in Colombia, had also been arrested Wednesday in Colombia for aiding the plot. AP was unable to confirm whether she had been arrested. In January, Alvarez flew with the three Americans from Miami to Colombia on a plane owned by her one-time boss, Franklin Duran, a wealthy businessman with a history of close ties to Maduro's predecessor and mentor, the late Hugo Chavez. Duran was arrested in May on charges connected to the plot, including treason, rebellion, conspiracy with a foreign government and arms trafficking and terrorism. Alvarez was also an associate of Goudreaus would-be partner in arms, retired Venezuelan army Gen. Cliver Alcala, who like Alvarez had been living in Colombian city of Barranquilla after breaking with Maduro and fleeing his homeland in 2018. Alcala surrendered to U.S. authorities in March on unrelated drug charges, just a few days after Colombian police seized a cache of assault rifles, tactical helmets and night vision goggles that he said belonged to the rebel cadre that he and Goudreau were readying to bring down Maduro. It was not clear if U.S. officials played any role in Wednesday's arrests. But for months the FBI has been interviewing associates of Goudreau as part of their own investigation into whether he violated U.S. laws that require any U.S. company supplying weapons or military equipment, as well as military training and advice, to foreign persons to seek State Department approval. Goudreau did not immediately respond to a request for comment. , We're sorry, this article is not currently available A man working as a Border Patrol agent in Uvalde, accused in 2019 of soliciting a 16-year-old girl online and exchanging nude photos with her, has been indicted on child sex and pornography charges. The charges involving Spencer Allen Cox, 24, are part of 200 felony indictments returned this week by two Bexar County grand juries, the District Attorneys Office said Friday. On ExpressNews.com: Border Patrol agent accused of sending explicit photos to girl Charged in a four-count indictment, Cox is accused of engaging in sexual conduct and performance that resulted in the child creating a video of herself; possession, promotion or distribution over the internet or electronically of child pornography; and sexual performance of a child. The incidents were alleged to have occurred Oct. 15, Oct. 22 and Nov. 5 of 2019, according to details released by the DAs Office. San Antonio police arrested Cox in January, and he was released after posting $25,000 bail. Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox According to an arrest affidavit, a teen told police in November that she had been on the run for several weeks and had met several older men who gave her money and shelter in exchange for sex acts. But she declined to identify them, the document states. After searching the teens Snapchat account, police discovered a photo of Cox in uniform, his username and conversations between him and the girl. She told authorities she informed Cox that she was 16 and that he acknowledged the disclosure, but the communications continued, investigators said. A further look discovered sexually explicit images of himself that were sent to his account, and Cox allegedly offered the girl money for images of herself, the affidavit states. It is unclear whether Cox is still employed by the Border Patrol. His case will be tried by the Family Violence Division in the 144th state District Court. On ExpressNews.com: Man accused of shooting at police Also indicted this week was Greg Delgado, who is charged with murder in the fatal shooting of 35-year-old Luis Guerrero on Feb. 21. Delgado, 35, was arrested after he allegedly exchanged gunfire with police who were chasing him in connection with a body that was found in a truck after it crashed into a utility pole in the 200 block of Darby, southwest of downtown. The DAs Office said Delgado also was indicted on charges of attempted capital murder of a police officer, aggravated assault against a police officer, aggravated assault of a public servant, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance and three separate charges of having a deadly weapon in a penal institution. The DAs Office Criminal Trial Division will prosecute the cases in the 226th state District Court. The DAs Office declined to comment on the cases because they are pending. Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts in San Antonio. To read more from Elizabeth, become a subscriber. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 12:57:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- China will create more development opportunities for the world, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Friday. Wang made the remarks at a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization foreign ministers' meeting in Moscow. Wang noted that China in the first half of the year has achieved significant outcomes in the COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control, and experienced steady economic and social recovery. China in particularly recorded 3.2 percent growth year-on-year in the second quarter, making it the first major economy that has returned to growth across the world, which highlighted the great resilience and vitality of the Chinese economy, Wang said. Noting that the Chinese economy has seen sustained growth since the third quarter, he said China is confident and capable to achieve the established economic and social development goals. The Chinese state councilor stressed that China had put forward to establish a new development pattern in which domestic and foreign markets can boost each other, with the domestic market as the mainstay. This new pattern, he said, is both an inevitable choice as China's economic and social development run into a new stage and an important measure for China to deal with the new changes in the world economy. With a population of 1.4 billion people and a middle income group of over 400 million people, China is now developing into the largest market in the world, he said, noting that it is an important feature for a major country to drive its economic growth mainly on domestic demand. As the Chinese market grows bigger and more mature, immeasurable purchasing power will be created, which will provide wider markets both for China and the world, Wang added. The new development pattern also requires China to build a more open economic structure, which will bring about more development opportunities to the world, the senior Chinese official said. Quoting the three proposals put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2020 China International Fair of Trade in Services, which include jointly fostering an open and inclusive environment for cooperation, working together to invigorate momentum for cooperation driven by innovation and making joint efforts to break new ground in win-win cooperation, Wang said China has shown its willingness to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results with countries across the world. For the bilateral relations, the Chinese state councilor said that China and Russia are natural partners of cooperation, complementing each other's advantages, and the two countries have established complete and dynamic mechanisms in economic cooperation. Despite the disturbance of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two sides have never stopped cooperation, Wang said, adding that the resumption of work and production in various fields is accelerated and the cooperation projects of the Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation from 2020 to 2021 have been phasedly launched. Wang expects that the further advance of the Sino-Russian practical cooperation will bring about more tangible benefits to the two countries and their peoples. Enditem UK Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has joined Boris Johnson in warning that Brussels could break up the UK if MPs do not approve controversial legislation to override parts of the Brexit deal. Mr Gove echoed the British Prime Minister on Saturday in declaring that the EU could put at threat the integrity of the Union, and insisted the Government could see off a Tory rebellion. Read More In incendiary remarks, Mr Johnson said Brussels was threatening to put a blockade in the Irish Sea which could seriously endanger peace and stability in Northern Ireland. He was working to quell a plan to amend the legislation from senior Tories who are incensed that it could break international law by overriding the Withdrawal Agreement signed by Mr Johnson in October. The Prime Minister was joined by Mr Gove in attempts to drum up support for the UK Internal Market Bill ahead of a Commons debate on Monday. Were doing our part generously to help protect the EUs own single market, but were clear that what we cant have even as were doing all that is the EU disrupting and putting at threat the integrity of the United Kingdom, Mr Gove told BBC Breakfast. These steps are a safety net, theyre a long-stop in the event, which I dont 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. Mr Gove conceded that we are reaching a crunch moment, but insisted we have got the support of our own MPs. Both Ireland and the EU have warned that Mr Johnsons plans pose a serious risk to the peace process rather than protecting the Good Friday Agreement. But he doubled down, and argued it is crucial for peace and for the Union itself and said voting the Bill down would reduce the chances of a trade deal with the EU, which is hanging in the balance. Mr Johnson said the EU would use an extreme interpretation of the Northern Ireland Protocol to impose a full-scale trade border down the Irish Sea that could stop the transport of food from Britain to Northern Ireland. Lets remove this danger to the very fabric of the United Kingdom. Lets make the EU take their threats off the table. And lets get this Bill through, back up our negotiators, and protect our country, he wrote in the Telegraph. He also 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. 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. Tobias Ellwood, the Conservative who chairs the Commons defence committee, said on Saturday that unamended I cannot support this Bill. Already this Bill is damaging brand UK, diminishing our role-model status as defender of global standards. As we go to the wire lets see more British statecraft-less Nixonian Madman Theory, he said. Conservative former leaders Theresa May, Sir John Major and Lord Howard are among the Tories urging Mr Johnson to think again and remove the threat to breach international law. Talks between the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents start in Qatars capital Doha on Saturday with the goal of bringing an end to nearly two decades of a conflict that has laid waste to the country and killed tens of thousands of combatants and civilians. It is also the United States longest overseas military action, vexing three successive US presidents. Officials, diplomats and analysts say that although getting both sides to the negotiating table was an achievement in itself, it does not mean the path to peace will be easy. The negotiations will have to tackle a range of profound questions about the kind of country Afghans want, Deborah Lyons, the United Nations Special Representative for Afghanistan, told the U.N Security Council this month. The talks open with an inauguration ceremony which will be attended by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It takes place a day after the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States that triggered its military involvement in Afghanistan. U.S. forces intervened in Afghanistan on the orders of President George W. Bush a month after the attacks to hunt down their mastermind, Osama bin Laden, a Saudi who had been given sanctuary by the countrys radical Islamist Taliban rulers. They initially offered mainly air support to the Talibans local enemies. Although the Taliban regime was quickly toppled, they regrouped and have since waged an insurgency that has sucked in Afghanistans neighbours and troops from dozens of countries, including NATO forces. Negotiations to broker a comprehensive peace deal were envisaged in a troop withdrawal pact signed between the United States and the Taliban in February in an attempt to find a political settlement to end the war. After months of delay, a dispute over the Talibans demand for the release of 5,000 prisoners was resolved this week. Ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November, President Donald Trump is also looking to show progress in his pledge to end the U.S. involvement and pull out most of the foreign forces stationed in Afghanistan. The United States has reduced its troop levels and by November is expected to have less than 5,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, down from about 13,000 when the U.S.-Taliban deal was signed. More than 2,300 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001, and about 450 British soldiers. A European diplomat in Kabul said that a ceasefire - which the Taliban have so far rejected - should top the talks agenda. The Taliban leaders will have to stop fighters from attacking Afghan forces and civilians, violence continues to degrade the atmosphere and potentially derail negotiations, the diplomat said. How to include the Taliban, who reject the legitimacy of the Western-backed Afghan government, in any governing arrangement and how to safeguard the rights of women and minorities who suffered under Taliban rule are big challenges, experts said. Nevertheless many diplomats, victims of violence and members of civil society say negotiations are the only realistic way to bring an end to a conflict that has killed more than 100,000 civilians and hampered Afghanistans development, leaving millions in poverty. Solutions will not be found on the battlefield, we know this, Lyons said. "Gather Moon rocks" seems to be a tall order. Consider this. Normally, to get rocks from the Moon, someone needs to be sent there. So far, only three space agencies were able to accomplish this feat. But worry not. We're experiencing continuous scientific discoveries and progress in the realm of outer space and space travel itself. Gathering Moon rocks therefore can, in theory, be achieved without the actual need for humans to be physically present on the Moon's surface. Read also: Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Sony WH-1000XM3: Is Newer Always Better? Gather Moon rocks for a quite hefty payoff NASA announced on Thursday that it's in the market for Moon rocks. Gather Moon rocks and the space agency will pay you. That is, if you're part of a company that's capable of undertaking such gargantuan responsibility. NASA aims to pay companies to get samples, take photos, and then have those ready for collection by future Moon missions. The contract doesn't stipulate that people have to actually go to the Moon. Instead, robots can be designed and tested. Once they've passed the usually safety and functionality checks, they can then be launched by NASA or private companies to gather Moon rocks. Essentially, NASA is willing to buy lunar soil from commercial providers. Now this can be a bit problematic since this is technically the first time a space agency is willing to purchase pieces of "outer-space territory" from private contractors. As previously mentioned, the next frontier is outside our planet. And the nearest ones happen to be the Moon and some asteroids. The US aims to become one of the leaders in taking advantage of the resources available on the soil or underneath it of the Moon and asteroids. This is included in a policy outlined by President Donald Trump in one of his executive orders. This was put into play despite having an absence of international or legal agreements on the best possible way of addressing the mining of extraterrestrial locations. Currently, NASA is looking for companies who can gather Moon rocks amounting to just 50 to 500 grams. Aside from actual samples, there should be imagery to prove the samples' legitimacy. Afterwards, ownership of these materials will be transferred to NASA. Read also: The Poco X3 NFC: For Only $235, You Surprisingly Get a Really Giant Battery and a 120Hz Screen Pricing and future plans So how much are we talking about here? NASA estimates that such contracts could go up to some tens of thousands of dollars. NASA would determine and announce its preferred collection methods later on. This is quite vague since it doesn't specify if the Moon rocks will stay on the moon and would eventually be collected in the future by astronauts. At the same time, it also asks the question of whether the rocks would instead be brought to Earth. Either way, this move shows that one way or another, NASA might plan to send humans back to the Moon by 2024. But it doesn't stop there. By sort of taking a quick break on the Moon and using its resources, space voyagers can then have a "connecting flight" to Mars. Read also: Ready for the Manhart TR 850? Stunningly Gorgeous Porsche The new stimulus bill includes funding for schools, unemployment benefits, and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). However, the proposal lacked money for the second round of stimulus checks for Americans and other elements Democrats have been pushing for. According to a CNET report, the stimulus bill's rejection in the Senate blocked one avenue Democratic and White House negotiators could take to reach an agreement on a new stimulus relief package before 2020 ends. The Senate turned down the Republicans' "skinny" stimulus bill on Thursday. But there are more proposals on the table than another check for individuals and families. Congress has yet to agree on the terms of a larger package, even while there's been a suggestion of new executive orders that would sidestep a bill. These are the significant issues that Washington's been circling in the past weeks and how they could affect you: A new stimulus payment The new stimulus payment can help promote spending. The payment is not taxable, and you can use it for whatever needs you to need to utilize it. The people spending money will impact the recovery of the economy. The Senate's $1 trillion HEALS Act could also authorize up to $1,200 per eligible adult, like in the CARES Act. While the House of Representatives' $3 trillion HEROES Act also proposes $1,200 stimulus payments to reach more Americans. On the other hand, the "skinny" bill voted down by the Senate does not include the second round of stimulus payments. Enhanced unemployment benefits The CARES Act provided $600 per week for the unemployed, but the benefit expired on July 31. Lawmakers expressed their willingness to renew benefits. An extra weekly payment of the ordinary unemployment benefit assists unemployed individuals and their families to stand again. On Aug. 8, President Donald Trump issued an executive action for the federal government to provide $300 unemployment benefits per week. This action calls to end when the program reaches $25 billion or for weeks of unemployment, ending not later than December 6, 2020. Republicans want to extend the benefits but with a reduced rate. Democrats supported the resumption of the expired unemployment benefits and balked at the Senate proposal. The benefits would extend based on the 70-75 percent of lost wages. New eviction moratorium The Trump administration issues a nationwide order that temporarily pauses the evictions of millions of US renters through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The directive aims to reduce the spread of COVID-19. It will cover 43 million US residential renters as long as they meet the requirements, and the order will last through December 31. The CDC moratorium is in effect nationally, while some states had eviction protection previously. Financial assistance for renters and landlords facing closure could still be included in the future stimulus bill. US Postal Service funding Funding is needed to ensure the USPS can manage mail-in ballots' surge in the November election. On August 22, the House passed a separate USPS funding package, but the Senate did not pick it up. According to the New York Times, in 35 states, voters could request ballots on election day that there might not be enough time to mail them back and be counted. The money can help USPS to continue meeting delivery standards during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. The Republicans and Democrats seem to be using funding as a bargaining chip for the larger stimulus package. The question tied up in the broader issues of changes to the Postal Service. Aid schools in safely reopening Aids for schools would help pay for increased COVID-19 testing, enhanced cleaning, and other measures to help slow the disease's spread among the faculty and students. Data from the children's Hospital Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics shows a 21 percent increase in children's cases from August 6-20. The fund for schools could lend more resources to adapt education to the pandemic. Payroll Protection Program The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is intended to retain a job. This program provides forgivable loans to small businesses to keep employees on the payroll. The PPP aims to keep companies from employing workers who would lose their jobs during the pandemic without their support. During the bill's roll out, Senator Susan Collins said the Republicans' proposal would target the hardest-hit small business, which includes those who have lost revenue of 50 percent or more over the last year. Check these out: Senate Reveals $500 Billion Relief Bill, but Will It Include Stimulus Check 2? Stimulus Letters Bound to 9 Million People Who Have Not Yet Been Paid "Skinny" Stimulus Bill: Senate Republicans will Vote this Week There has been a truly incredible response to a GoFundMe page set up to help an Edenderry woman get to the UK for life-saving surgery. The fundraiser aiming to help 52-year-old Geraldine Kane to London for the surgery was set up locally on Thursday and has already surpassed 14,000. Geraldine and her husband David's life was turned upside down earlier this year when she was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour. The couple who have been an item since they were teenagers were eagerly awaiting the birth of their first grandchild when they received the shocking news. Geraldine began suffering from chronic back problems which became more and more painful as Christmas 2019 approached and she eventually had an MRI scan on Saturday, January 18. She was contacted on Monday morning, January 20 to go straight to hospital as a suspicious shadow had been detected on her scan. The GoFundMe page outlines her journey since then: "After numerous tests in Tullamore hospital, Geraldine was diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, the cancer was further advanced than the doctors would have liked, and she was transferred to St James hospital where Geraldine underwent a few minor operations before chemotherapy could be carried out. "The following four months were spent undergoing chemotherapy with the hope of shrinking the tumour before the surgeons could operate and remove it. "Unfortunately, the chemotherapy was unsuccessful and Geraldine had to undergo an intense five-week program of chemotherapy and radiation therapy together with the hope once again of shrinking the tumour. "The tumour is connected to vital organs and located in the pelvic area. In order to remove the tumour, part of the spine and pelvic bone may have to be paired away in the process of an extremely complex operation and there is a chance of damaging nerve endings. "COVID-19 has added to the already enormous complications involved and due to travel restrictions now in place." The surgeon, Mr Ian Jenkins, can only perform the surgery at St Marks Hospital in Harrow, London, meaning that both Geraldine and her husband David will need to travel to London and isolate for two weeks in a hotel before Geraldine can have her operation. During this time, David will have to stay in the hotel and will not be allowed into visit his wife due to COVID-19 restrictions. Geraldine will be kept in St Marks Hospital for two weeks after the surgery also, so David will need to stay in a hotel for at least one month in London before returning home to Ireland to care for his wife. This is the reason the community in Edenderry and friends and family have started this fundraiser. "The operation must be carried out within eight weeks of the completion of the chemotherapy and radiation treatment, so the doctors have advised it is likely the operation will be performed in mid-October. "Once Geraldine and David return from London, David will need to take at least another month off work to care for Geraldine until she becomes mobile again and it is very likely that he will not be able to return to work until January 2021 at the earliest. "We have created this GoFundMe page with the hope of giving David and Geraldine some much needed peace of mind in these extremely difficult times with some medical bills, accommodation, flights as well as household and utility bills all to be paid while both of them remain out of work." Any support is greatly appreciated and you can donate HERE. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has scheduled a Monday visit to a Catholic school in Grand Rapids, with the intent of showcasing how the school safely reopened during the coronavirus pandemic. DeVos plans to visit Sacred Heart Academy, located at 1200 Dayton St. SW. According to an itinerary, shell greet students at the start of the school day, then participate in a roundtable discussion with staff and also visit come classrooms. The purpose of the visit is two-fold, according to a U.S. Department of Education statement. One is to discuss how the school has safely reopened to serve its students and the other to highlight the important role Catholic schools play in providing students options for their education. Sacred Heart, which offers a preschool through 12th grade education, has a daily coronavirus screening protocol for students and staff, according to a reopening plan posted online. The school also requires masks or facial coverings for all staff and students in grades 6-12, according to the plan. DeVos came under fire earlier this summer for her push to resume in-person learning during the pandemic. Protesters even gathered outside her familys Lake Macatawa mansion in Holland Aug. 20 to voice their displeasure. They carried a Wake Up Betsy banner during the late-night display. Twenty school districts comprise the Kent ISD. Since schools reopened, generally in the last two weeks, a handful of districts in Kent County have reported cases of COVID-19 among students and/or staff. For example, Caledonia High School identified eight confirmed cases of coronavirus and closed the school for in-person instruction for two weeks. Students used a digital platform for learning. The school is set to reopen Monday, Sept. 14. David Faber, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Grand Rapids, could not be reached for comment about DeVos' visit or the academys reopening model prior to publication. During her visit, DeVos is also to discuss the important role Catholic schools play in providing students options for their education. More from MLive One dead, one injured in Southeast Grand Rapids shooting Michigan reports highest one-day spike in coronavirus cases since April Black Lives Matter Muskegon plans police brutality protest, voter registration event Advertisement Legendary British designer, retailer and restaurateur Sir Terence Conran has died peacefully today at his Barton Court after a remarkable 65-year-old career, his family said in a statement. Best known as the founder of households retailer Habitat, revolutionary home designer Sir Terence brought Scandinavian style and simplicity to London in the 1960s. The hugely successful Habitat chain eventually formed the nucleus of a retailing empire which included Mothercare, Heals, Richards Shops and British Home Stores. Sir Terence, who is credited with making stylish housewares and home decor available to a wider market beginning in the 1960s, was called a 'visionary' who 'revolutionised the way we live in Britain' by his family today. His sister Priscilla Carluccio started the Carluccio's cafe chain with Antonio Carluccio, while his children Sebastian, Jasper, Tom, Sophie and Ned from his four marriages have been successful in the creative sector. The family's statement, released by the Design Museum today, said: 'A proud patriot, Sir Terence promoted the best of British design, culture and the arts around the world and at the heart of everything he did was a very simple belief that good design improves the quality of people's lives. 'From the late forties to the present day, his energy and creativity thrived in his shops, restaurants, bars, cafes and hotels and through his many design, architecture and furniture making businesses. Legendary British designer, retailer and restaurateur Sir Terence Conran (left in 1956 and right recently) has died peacefully today at his Barton Court after a remarkable 65-year-old career, his family said in a statement The hugely successful Habitat chain eventually formed the nucleus of a retailing empire which included Mothercare, Heals, Richards Shops and British Home Stores. Pictured: Sir Terence with his wife, journalist and author Shirley Conran, in June 1955 Pictured: Sir Terence with Prince Philip at a reception at Buckingham Palace to mark the contribution made by the British design industry Sir Terence Conran left his indelible stamp on design in post-war Britain Some of the items you use every day were probably brought to a high street near you by Sir Terence Conran. There is the duvet, flat-pack furniture and back in the 1960s, a terracotta cooking bulb called a chicken brick which allowed the meat to cook in its own steam. Terence Orby Conran was born in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, on October 4, 1931, the son of Christina Halstead and Gerard Conran, who ran a rubber import works. His place as a master of modern British design stems from founding the Habitat high street chain. It gave Britons, who were slowly recovering from the war, a new, modern look to their homes. Small items were sold alongside large furniture and affordable modern design was on offer. Firms such as Habitat, Heal's and Mothercare have all been personally influenced by Sir Terence, and he created furniture for Marks & Spencer and JC Penney, bowls for Alessi and designs for Content by Conran. Advertisement 'Founding the Design Museum in London was one of his proudest moments and through its endeavours he remained a relentless champion of the importance of education to young people in the creative industries. 'Sir Terence enjoyed a remarkable life to the full and always maintained that his work never felt like a job - everything he did for business he would have done for pleasure. In his private life he was adored by his family and friends and we will miss him dearly. 'It gives us great comfort to know that many of you will mourn with us but we ask that you celebrate Terence's extraordinary legacy and contribution to the country he loved so dearly.' Leading dedications to the design icon, Lord Mandelson, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Design Museum, said: 'Terence Conran has filled our lives for generations with ideas, innovation and brilliant design. 'He is one of the most iconic figures of post war Britain, starting to recast the world of design when as a young man he joined the team working on the 1951 Festival of Britain and never stopping from that moment on. He leaves a treasure trove of household and industrial design that will stay with us forever.' A Habitat spokesman told MailOnline: 'Sir Terence Conran leaves a legacy of well-loved designs and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.' MP Barry Sheerman tweeted: 'Terence Conran was a design legend as well as a brilliant entrepreneur I enjoyed working with him promoting design & young designer education with the Parliamentary Group'. Television architect George Clarke tweeted: 'So sad to hear the news that #TerenceConran has passed away today. He was one of my all time design heroes.... #RIP.' Tim Marlow, Director and Chief Executive of the Design Museum said: 'Terence Conran was instrumental in the re-designing of post-War Britain and his legacy is huge. He is revered by generations of designers from Mary Quant and David Mellor to Thomas Heatherwick and Jonny Ive. 'He changed the way we lived and shopped and ate. He also created a great institution - the Design Museum - of which he was justifiably proud and with which he remained fully engaged right to the end of his extraordinary life. It was a privilege and an inspiration to know him.' Deyan Sudjic, Director Emeritus of the Design Museum said: 'No one has done more to create modern Britain than Terence Conran. He spent his whole career looking for ways to make life better for everyone.' His family said: 'A proud patriot, Sir Terence promoted the best of British design, culture and the arts around the world and at the heart of everything he did was a very simple belief that good design improves the quality of people's lives' Pictured: Sir Terence Conran started his design practice in 1956, and opened his first Habitat shop in Chelsea in 1964 Sir Terence, born on October 4, 1931, attended the Central School of Arts and Crafts (now a college at Central Saint Martins University of the Arts), where he studied textile design Best known as the founder of households retailer Habitat, revolutionary home designer Sir Terence brought Scandinavian style and simplicity to London in the 1960s (pictured: Sir Terence's furniture on display in Edinburgh) Sir Terence Conran, centre, poses for photographs during a media event to unveil plans for the new British Design Museum Sir Terence, born on October 4, 1931, attended the Central School of Arts and Crafts (now a college at Central Saint Martins University of the Arts), where he studied textile design. He established a furniture studio while a student, sharing the space with one of his professors, artist Eduardo Paolozzi. In 1950, he left school to work for an architect, whom he assisted in planning structures used for the 1951 Festival of Britain. He opened Conran and Company, in London's Notting Hill neighbourhood in 1952. Impressed by Gallic cuisine during a sojourn in France that year, Sir Terence, along with several friends, opened a French-inspired restaurant in London in 1953. In 1956 he formed the Conran Design Group, which, in addition to subsuming his furniture business, designed interiors and retail spaces. Among the nascent atelier's early efforts was a shop design for fashion designer Mary Quant. Though Sir Terence made much of his early furniture by hand, by 1963 he had moved operations to a large factory in Norfolk, England. In 1964 Sir Terence opened Habitat, a store selling his furniture as well as a range of then-obscure housewares such as woks, in London's Chelsea neighbourhood. His innovative 'flat-packaging' - which required the purchaser to assemble the furniture at home - allowed for substantially lower pricing. Sir Terence opened a succession of Habitat outlets in London, and by 1970 the retailer had merged with a stationery company, which gained controlling stock. By 1977 the chain had expanded to the United States, where it was known as the Conran Shop because of trademark conflicts. He reacquired Habitat in 1980, and in 1981 he took the company public. A year later it expanded to include Mothercare, a retailer of maternity and infant products. In 1986 Sir Terence folded those stores, along with British Home Stores and several clothing chains, into the conglomerate Storehouse, for which he served as CEO and chairman. Following the poor performance of the unwieldy holding company, investors ousted him as CEO in 1988, and he stepped down as chairman in 1990. His sister Priscilla Carluccio (pictured) started the Carluccio's cafe chain with Antonio Carluccio in the 1990s Designer Sir Terence Conran and his wife Shirley in the back of a car in St John's Wood, 1955 English designer and entrepreneur Terence Conran with his wife Shirley and their baby son Sebastian at home in 1956 Habitat, of which he had again lost ownership, was sold in 1992 to the Ikano Group, a Swedish company that also owned the mass-market IKEA housewares chain. Sir Terence, however, maintained some of his business interests under Conran Holdings, established in 1990. Among them was his growing restaurant business, established as Conran Restaurants in 1991, which oversaw a variety of eateries in London as well as internationally, and his architectural design firm (founded 1982). The latter, which became Conran & Partners in 1999 following a merger, designed portions of the massive Roppongi Hills development in Toyko (2003). He also managed to salvage the Conran Shop from Storehouse, buying back the retailer and erecting outposts in France, Japan, and the United States. Sir Terence was the author of numerous books, among them The House Book (1974), Terence Conran's Home Furnishings (1986), Terence Conran on Restaurants (2000), and Terence Conran's Inspiration (2008). He established Boilerhouse, an exhibition space at the Victoria and Albert Museum intended to showcase the intersection of form and function in industrial design. Boilerhouse opened in 1981 and evolved into the Design Museum, which moved to a converted warehouse in London in 1989 and then to a larger building in 2016. Sir Terence was knighted in 1983. Sir Terence Conran and Vicki Conran attend the wedding of Petra Palumbo and Simon Fraser in London Sir Terence Canron's successful family: From designer sons to the co-founder of Carluccio's cafe chain Priscilla Carluccio Priscilla Carluccio is Sir Terence Canron's older sister. Priscilla Carluccio is Sir Terence Canron's older sister After Guildford School of Art she worked as a photographer until her marriage and the birth of her three children. In the early 1970s she and her husband moved to France where he built schools and set up her first business importing English furniture. Her marriage fell apart and she moved back to London in 1975, before becoming first a buyer for the Conran Shop, then the creative director of the Conran Design Group. Carluccio's began life as a food shop and deli next to the Neal Street Restaurant in 1991, where her then husband Antonio was head chef. In 1991, they opened Carluccio's and expanded this in 1994 to a wholesale business. In 1999, the first 'Carluccio's Caffe' was opened in Market Place, London. A joint authentic Italian restaurant with integrated food shop, the premises opened to serve light, Italian-based breakfasts to diners. The chain expanded, initially across southeast England, and subsequently across the UK. Jasper Conran Jasper, the second son of Sir Terence Conran, and Shirley Conran, an author, is a designer who has worked on collections of womenswear, home, and productions for the stage in ballet, opera and theatre. Jasper, the second son of Sir Terence Conran, and Shirley Conran, an author, is a designer who has worked on collections of womenswear, home, and productions for the stage in ballet, opera and theatre He was educated at Port Regis School and Bryanston School in the 1970s and also studied at the Parsons School of Art and Design in New York. Conran's first collection was for Henri Bendel in New York. In 1978, aged 19, He designed his first womenswear collection under his own name. The following year he was elected to be part of the London Designer collections. Conran designed his first menswear collection in 1985. Conran designed the wedding dress of Lady Sarah Chatto (formerly Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones) in 1994. He also designed clothes for Diana, Princess of Wales. In 1999, he began designing a signature range of stemware for Stuart Crystal and later for Waterford Crystal. In 2001, he launched a fine bone china tableware collection for Wedgwood. In 1996, Conran launched a womenswear range for Debenhams. He has subsequently designed women's accessories, lingerie, hosiery, menswear, men's accessories, childrenswear, and homeware for the company. Conran has released furnishing, fabric and wallpaper collections for Designers Guild, as well as a range of signature fragrances and luggage. In 2004, Conran designed and launched a three-range fireplace collection for Chesney's. He launched the Jasper Conran Optical in 2008. Throughout his career, Conran has pursued his passion for the performing arts, designing costumes and sets for fourteen ballet, opera and theatre productions. He collaborated with David Bintley on the Royal Ballet's production of Tombeaux, held at Covent Garden, and a series of productions by the Birmingham Royal Ballet, including The Nutcracker Sweeties, Brahms/Handel Variations, The Shakespeare Suite and Arthur Part I & II. He also designed the set and costumes for Bintley's The Compleat Consort, produced for the Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich, Germany. Other works include the production of My Fair Lady directed by Simon Callow, Donzetti's opera Maria Stuarda for ENO and Galina Samsova's productions of Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty for the Scottish Ballet. In 1991, Conran won the Laurence Olivier Award for Costume Design for Jean Anouilh's The Rehearsal at the Almeida Theatre in London, UK. Sebastian Conran Sebastian Conran is the elder brother of Jasper Conran Sebastian Conran is the elder brother of Jasper Conran. Born in London, he was educated at Bryanston School in Dorset, in southern England. Conran studied industrial design engineering at the Central School of Art and Design in London, and later worked with the punk band The Clash, designing clothes, posters, promotional material, record sleeves and stage sets. In 1978, Conran was working at Wolff Olins, a corporate and brand identity consultancy. Three years later he was head of product design at Mothercare. Conran established Sebastian Conran Associates, a product and brand development consultancy, in 1986, and in 1992 started a separate design partnership with Tom Dixon, another designer. From 1999, he headed product and branding design at Studio Conran under Conran & Partners, part of the Conran Group led by his father Sir Terence Conran. In 2008, he re-established the design company Sebastian Conran Associates as managing director, based in west London. Conran has designed for John Lewis. As a writer he produced articles, books, and papers on design and has taught at the Royal College of Art. Conran is a trustee of the Design Museum in London. and is a member of the Council of the UK Design Council. Advertisement 'I have a lifetime of anecdotes': Legendary design icon Sir Terence Conran, who died today aged 88, once revealed how he started making furniture when he was 10 and would have been a gardener if he could have started over By Jack Wright for MailOnline 'Oh, I have a lifetime of anecdotes after a very long career in design, furniture and retail,' Sir Terence Conran once said. 'An early one that sticks in my mind was in the mid-50s as a member of the Royal Society of Industrial Artists, which had strict rules that members should not compete with one another. British designer, retailer and restaurateur Sir Terence Conran has died peacefully today at his Barton Court after a remarkable 65-year-old career, his family said in a statement 'I desperately needed more work, so produced a simple newsletter to send to potential clients telling them what work we had done and suggesting how our services might benefit them. 'I received an irate phone call from the secretary of the society, as there had been complaints about our newsletter from other members. He suggested a club in Pall Mall if I wanted more work. I was appalled by this and continued to produce my letters, and I was thrown out of the society. 'Can you imagine a company today not being allowed to promote themselves commercially in the marketplace? They would be out of business before they even began.' This is just one anecdote of many in the 65-year career of the man who made stylish housewares and home decor available to a wider market and left his indelible stamp over Britain. The revolutionary design icon, born on October 4, 1931, attended the Central School of Arts and Crafts (now a college at Central Saint Martins University of the Arts), where he studied textile design. He went on to found Habitat, the hugely successful furniture retailer which became the bedrock of a retail empire that included Mothercare, Heals, Richards Shops and British Home Stores. Looking back on his career in an interview with Furniture News, Sir Terence remarked that 'creating Habitat, and the thrill of seeing all our hard work and enterprise a decade earlier coming to fruition, was very special'. 'We'd overcome so much frustration at the established order who didn't believe in any of the ideals and beliefs that we were so passionate about,' he said. 'By the early 60s we'd designed first-rate furniture for a modern generation, but the retailers just wouldn't accept it or display it properly - so we opened our own shop instead.' His career high point? 'I suppose the high point would have been when we floated the business and we really knew we'd made it. Our little baby had grown up and there were stores not only all round Britain, but all over the world, too. We'd created a highly profitable, popular and successful global brand.' Sir Terence began making furniture at the age of only 10. He recalled having a small room in Warwick Gardens in around 1947 which he 'absolutely detested' - so set up a small workshop. 'That allowed me to do smaller pieces of work for other people, and it built from there. Establishing bigger premises, eventually employing staff, taking on machinery before you know it, you're running your own furniture business,' he said. 'Looking back, I'm rather proud of my early furniture and it seems relatively fresh today.' Best known as the founder of households retailer Habitat, revolutionary home designer Sir Terence brought Scandinavian style and simplicity to London in the 1960s (pictured: with his wife, journalist and author Shirley Conran, in June 1955) The design icon credited a young sculptor called Eduardo Paolozzi as his 'profound influence' while a student at the Central School of Arts and Crafts. 'He was a wonderfully rugged man, and from the first moment I met him he had a profound influence on my approach to art and design and, most importantly, life,' he remarked. For Sir Terence, though, his career low-point was the moment he lost control of Habitat. 'As we created a retail giant in Storehouse, it became too big to control or allow me the day-to-day personal involvement that gave me so much pleasure. It was a political log jam,' he said. 'I hadn't designed any furniture for near-enough a decade. While losing Habitat felt like the death of a much-loved family member, the money I had made from it allowed me to start a bright and exciting new chapter in my life and create a restaurant group, focus on The Conran Shop and get designing again.' But what career would he have pursued if he could start all over? 'I think I'd enjoy working with nature, either as a farmer or gardener,' he answered. 'My walled kitchen garden has been one of my great pleasures. 'A few years ago I was lucky enough to be able to purchase a significant amount of land around my home in the country, and have employed a small and passionate team to bring the area to life.' A special investigation team (SIT) of the Haryana Police on Saturday initiated a probe into the chopping off of the hand of a 28-year-old man. The man was also booked for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old boy on the same day. The SIT recovered Akhlaq Salmanis hand from the railway track near Kishanpura locality of Panipat city where the man was allegedly attacked by a few residents on August 23. Panipat deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Satish Kumar Vats, who is heading the SIT, said, We have found crucial evidence in the case. Akhlaqs hand and some blood samples have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination and matching DNA. We have also issued notice to Akhlaq to join the investigation as he was also accused of sodomising an 11-year- old boy on the same night, the DSP said. The first FIR was registered on September 7 after a resident of Kishanpura locality accused Akhlaq of kidnapping and sodomising his son. The complainant said when the local residents found the minor with Akhlaq, they beat him up and forced him to disclose his identity. Subsequently, Akhlaq managed to flee the scene and enter the railway track. Police say there is a possibility that his hand was chopped off by a train as the government railway police spotted him on the railway track the next morning. As per the zero FIR filed by the GRP, Akhlaq accused the area residents of beating him up and chopping his right hand with a sawing machine. Akhlaq said he was dumped on the railway track by his assailants. His brother, Ikram, However, told the local media that Akhlaqs hand was chopped off after the assailants spotted the number 786 tattooed on his right arm. The number has a holy context in Islamic scriptures. Police say the man who accused Akhlaq of sodomising his son has a sawing machine at his house but there is no evidence to prove that the machine was used to cut his hand. We have issued a notice to the boys father to join the investigation, too said the DSP. (Natural News) A team of archaeologists working at an excavation site near the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel have unearthed a 1,500-year-old mosaic that depicts the miracle of Jesus Christ Feeding the Multitude. Hippos, also known as Kinneret, is now located within Israels Hippos National Park. Thousands of years ago, it was once a Greco-Roman city that overlooked the Sea of Galilee and became the central city in the region. It was here that archaeologists dug up a church known as the Burnt Church. The Burnt Church was built by the Greco-Romans sometime during either the second half of the fifth century or the early sixth century. Archaeologists believe it was burned down around the year 614, when the Sasanian Persian Empire, the last pre-Islamic civilization in Iran, conquered Jerusalem and the surrounding regions. Not much remains of the ancient church. However, the mosaic-paved floor has been preserved for over a thousand years thanks to the fact that, when the church burned down, the roof collapsed on top of it, covering it with a thick, protective layer of ash. Well-preserved mosaic depicts Feeding the Multitude The well-preserved mosaic includes geometric patterns, depictions of birds, fish and fruit, as well as 12 baskets, some of which contain loaves of bread. These pictures, along with the location of the church and the date it was believed to have been built, immediately drew the archaeologists to connect the mosaic with the Feeding the Multitude, two miracles described in the Gospels wherein Jesus feeds thousands of his followers by multiplying several fish and loaves of bread. There can certainly be different explanations to the descriptions of loaves and fish in the mosaic, but you cannot ignore the similarity to the description in the New Testament, said Michael Eisenberg, head of the multinational excavation team in Hippos. (Related: Divers explore the first undisturbed Roman shipwreck in Cyprus: Findings include ancient jugs for oil and wine.) While the Biblical account of the miracle does not give a precise location for the miracle, Christian tradition posits that it occurred in the modern-day city of Tabgha, on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Here, Christians built a church in the fifth century, known as the Church of the Multiplication, to commemorate the miracle. However, Eisenberg believes that, with a careful reading of the Gospels and the discovery of this new mosaic, one interpretation could indicate that the miracle took place somewhere directly to the north of Hippos. The logic behind this hypothesis, Eisenberg argues, is that the artists or the persons, probably church officials or local politicians, who wanted the mosaic to be made wanted the community to create an affinity to the miracle, which might have taken place nearby. The church is located right at the western edge of Mount Sussita and is the most western point in the city and overlooks today as it did then the Sea of Galilee and Jesus ministry and where most of his miracles occurred, said Eisenberg. There is no doubt that the local community was well familiar with the two miracles of Feeding the Multitude, and perhaps knew their estimated locations better than us. However, there is not enough evidence for Eisenberg to fully believe that the Feeding the Multitude did happen in Hippos. He notes that there are many differences between the Biblical accounts and the depictions in the mosaic. Several of the baskets also contain fruit, which is not mentioned in the Gospel retelling of the miracle, and in some places the mosaic has three fish instead of just two. Fish have many symbolic meanings in the Christian world, so interpreting the mosaic requires caution, said Eisenberg. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk Israel21C.org LiveScience.com Thousands of year 12 students taking the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning are at risk of being unable to complete their studies this year because of coronavirus restrictions and school closures that have prevented them doing essential practical work. Principals at schools with large VCAL programs held urgent talks with Victorian education authorities this week, warning them that many students simply would not have enough time to complete the requisite number of hours of practical work they must do to pass. The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority has identified 321 schools in Victoria with students who could run out of time to complete their VCAL in term four more than 90 per cent of secondary schools in the state. There are predictions many VCAL students will be unable to complete year 12 this year. Credit:The Age A combination of remote learning, stage four restrictions that have forced businesses to close and school closures due to a positive COVID-19 case have denied many VCAL students the time they need to finish their assessments. TAT Governor urges industry patience and solidarity BANGKOK: Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn has appealed to the Thai tourism industry to be patient, united, and confident in weathering the current crisis, which under a best-case scenario will almost certainly be over by 2021. tourismeconomicsCOVID-19 By The Phuket News Saturday 12 September 2020, 02:17PM TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn. Photo: TAT Speaking to the Thai Hotels Association (THA), the countrys largest travel trade grouping, Mr Yuthasak said that although this was the worst of the many crises that Thailand has experienced, it would be overcome with the same spirit of solidarity and unity like in the past. He said the TAT would lead the countrys largest foreign exchange earner and job-creating industry into a new future that would see creative and innovative solutions being applied to building a more sustainable and resilient industry. Mr Yuthasak said he did not want to focus on how much pain the industry had suffered, but rather on how to prepare positively for the time when a vaccine would be found and restrictions on international travel lifted. He said that under a best-case scenario, if there are no more disruptions, the TAT is projecting 20.8 million international visitors in 2021, which would be about half the record arrivals of 39.8mn arrivals in 2019. The primary source markets would be Northeast Asia and the Asean countries, with a customer target of people in good health and high-purchasing power. The crisis had created an opportunity to deal with old problems, such as illegal hotels, tour operators and guides, waste problems and tourist exploitation. I would like to see these problems disappear along with COVID-19. Lets rebuild the industry. How can we learn to play a new game? How do we create this new future together? Citing one positive outcome, he noted that national parks had now set strict limitations on the number of visitors in line with carrying capacity principles. He expressed hope this would remain in place after the COVID-19 crisis recedes. Another positive outcome is the new focus on improving the quality of hygiene and sanitation. He said that the TAT was working overtime to help hotel businesses tap the potential of domestic tourism and maintain an occupancy of at least 30%, not so much to enhance business profitability, but rather to help maintain employment levels. Mr Yuthasak said he had formulated a three-dimensional (3D) strategy for the transition to a new era. 1) Domestic tourism, which would now get more priority than previously. It is clear that we have to stimulate and open up more opportunities to help each other, especially to tap the potential of the 12 million Thais who travelled abroad in 2019. 2) Digitalisation of business processes would open up many new opportunities to find new customers, improve retention, cut costs, create value and grow revenue. The TAT is very active on this front, and had many more projects in store for next year. 3) Dynamics: the industry as a whole has to create new dynamics and seek a better balance between creating efficiency and managing risk. We dont know what kind of crisis will happen next, but we have to be better prepared to deal with it. If there is ever a situation where we have to work from home, we will need a proper instruction manual on how to do it. Mr Yuthasak said that nothing will be the same again, but that the TAT is ready to help the industry adapt to new challenges and to support, encourage, motivate, and lead it towards a more promising future. We are ready to be the wind beneath your wings. I believe we have to come back stronger. Never give up. You are not alone. The TAT will help you all overcome the COVID- 19 crisis together. Orange skies seen across Britain on Friday were caused by wildfires currently burning 5,000 miles away on the West Coast of America. Britons awoke to unusually orange skies on Friday, which meteorologists have confirmed were a result of the wildfires that have ripped across California, Oregon and Washington states. The fires - which have burned through 470,000 acres of dry vegetation - have created large dust plumes, that have now travelled across the North Atlantic ocean. 'Noticed a bit of a orange glow this morning?' weather forecasters MetDesk tweeted on Friday. 'There is some evidence on trajectory models from NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] for traces of smoke originating from the U.S wildfires causing more of an orange tint to the cirrus clouds here in the UK this morning.' An orange sky is seen in Lyme Regis, Dorset, on Friday. Meteorologists have confirmed that the colour was due to the wildfires currently raging on the West Coast of the US, 5,000 miles away Senior scientist at Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service Mark Parrington said that the aerosol forecasts showed 'California fires smoke over Ireland before crossing the UK and North Sea throughout Friday'. Later on Friday, he added that there was more crossing the Atlantic at 12 UTC. Hugo Ricketts, an atmospheric physicist, tweeted: 'There was definitely a slight red tint to the sun over Manchester,' while meteorologist Paul Knightley said that at midday there was 'still a rather hazy look to the sky'. Pictured: A map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showing the smoke from the West Coast wildfires and its trajectory over the North Atlantic One Twitter user noted that he thought he even smelt 'burning pine' on his way to work in the morning, but Simon Lee, a meteorologist at the University of Reading, said this was unlikely, according to The Telegraph. 'Meteorologically speaking, in the last few days we have seen a very strong and straight, west-east, jet stream, flowing across the North Atlantic from North America to Europe, which has undoubtedly helped rapidly and coherently transport the aerosols from North America.' He added it was 'not too unusual for large dust plumes to travel huge distances for example, Saharan dust often arrives at the US southeast'. A person walks towards the setting sun, at low tide on a beautiful end to the day at Heacham, Norfolk on Friday. The fires - which have burned through 470,000 acres of dry vegetation - have created large dust plumes, which have now travelled across the North Atlantic ocean MetDesk tweeted to confirm the cause of the orange skies, showing a map of the trajectory of the smoke from the fires going across the Atlantic Ocean John Griffiths, meteorologist at the Met Office, said the orange glow would have been more obvious at sunrise and sunset because of the angle of the sun. He also said that Britons may have seen an Orange moon, noting 'the light coming through from the moon isnt as strong as the sun, so its more likely to get filtered by anything in the atmosphere.' Due to rising temperatures, however, Griffiths said that further orange skies in the UK would be less likely, with temperatures expected to reach 87 F (31 C). Meanwhile, authorities in Oregon, California, and Washington State reported at least 25 dead on Friday. Oregon's emergency management director, Andrew Phelps, said officials are 'preparing for a mass fatality event' and that thousands of structures have been destroyed. Embers swirl around City of Santa Barbara firefighter Mark Kramer as his crew sets a backfire along Oro Quincy Highway on Thursday Boaters pass by the Seattle skyline during hazy air conditions on Friday morning as smoke pollution from wildfires raging in California and across the Pacific Northwest worsened in San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland, Oregon A firefighting jet tanker drops fire retardant on the Bobcat Fire at the Angeles National Forest on Friday Governor 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. 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 world's major cities, according to IQAir. In California, one of the 28 major fires ravaging the state has officially become the largest blaze in the its history. The August Complex, which started as more than 30 separate fires in the Mendocino National Forest on August 17, has since burned more than 471,000 acres in and around Tehama County - surpassing the 2018 Mendocino Complex fire. The complex- which is just 24 percent contained - has destroyed more than 26 structures and killed at least one person. It secured the title of California's largest-ever fire on Thursday, as the state weathers its worst most destructive year on record. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 23:51:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Britain's International Trade Secretary Liz Truss (3rd L) holds a video conference with Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi (on the screen) in London, Britain, on Sept. 11, 2020. Britain and Japan on Friday secured a free trade agreement, which is Britain's first major trade deal as an independent trading nation after Brexit, the British government said Friday. (Andrew Parsons/No 10 Downing Street/Handout via Xinhua) LONDON, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Britain and Japan on Friday secured a free trade agreement, which is Britain's first major trade deal as an independent trading nation after Brexit, the British government said Friday. According to the British Department for International Trade (DIT), this deal means 99 percent of exports to Japan will be tariff-free and is expected to increase bilateral trade by 15.2 billion pounds (about 19.5 billion U.S. dollars). The DIT said the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was agreed in principle by Britain's International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and Japan's Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu. The agreement is also an important step for Britain towards joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), it noted. Regarding reaching this deal as a "historic moment for the UK and Japan", Truss said the deal "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." "Business will help support the Government in its efforts to secure more trade deals around the world and promote their benefits to communities. The Japan deal can be the first of many," said Director General of the Confederation of British Industry Carolyn Fairbairn. Britain and Japan launched free trade negotiations in June. The agreement came after trade talks between Britain and the European Union (EU) had suffered a major setback. "Whilst this agreement is undoubtedly cause for celebration, securing a Free Trade Agreement with the EU remains critical to the future of businesses in the UK," said British Chambers of Commerce Director General Adam Marshall. "We urge Ministers to redouble their efforts to reach a comprehensive partnership with our largest trading partner at a crucial time in the negotiations," he said. Enditem The Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday seized a cache of arms and ammunition, including three AK-47 and two M-16 rifles, from a field along the Indo-Pakistan border in Punjabs Ferozepur district. During the operation, the BSF personnel found the arms and ammunition from a bag which was lying abandoned on a field near Joginder Chowki, close to the border around 7:00 am, a BSF official said. Six magazines of AK-47 and 91 rounds, four magazines of M-16 rifles and 57 rounds, two pistols with four magazines and 20 rounds were also recovered along with the weapons, he said. Birbal Singh, the station house officer of Lakho Ke Behram, said a BSF patrol team spotted the weapons in a field near a border outpost in the morning. The area is adjoining the zero line. The weapons were found packed neatly in plastic bags. The weapons were recovered from different spots in the field. No person has been named in the FIR and preliminary investigation is on, Singh said. The arms and ammunition were allegedly sent by elements wanting to destabilize the country from neighbouring nations through Abohar in Ferozepur district in Punjab, along the international border with Pakistan, officials said. New Delhi, Sep 12 : Much has been written about cases of domestic violence having risen during the Covid-19 pandemic worldwide. However, shocking figures are coming out of Turkey where as many as 90 women have been killed between June and August, mostly by relatives or men they were in a relationship with. In the city of Osmaniye in the Cukurova region of Turkey, 57-year-old Fatma Altun was killed with a firearm by Mehmet Altun, the man she was married to. 28-year-old Sevgi Yavuz in Kahramanmaras was killed 'due to economic reasons' by Ali Yavuz as the divorce proceedings between the two were initiated. 31-year-old Yonca Tatarka, living in Balikesir, was shot dead by her former husband in the middle of a street. Dilek Akbulut, a 36-year-old mother-of-three, was killed by husband Bekir Akbulut at her workplace in Ankara with the excuse of jealousy. The list is long and unending. During the pandemic, there have been several high-profile murders and rapes of women in Turkey by men, including current or former partners. According to the 'We Will Stop Femicide Platform' - which was founded in 2010 to stop femicide and ensure protection for women from violence in Turkey - nearly 500 women were killed in the country last year. This year, the number of victims could hit an all-time high. The figures recorded for criminal acts of physical, psychological, digital, honor-related, sexual, economic violence, child abuse, etc., are obviously mammoth. While all over the world, domestic violence is considered as a violation of women's human rights and governments have an obligation to take reasonable and effective measures to prevent, investigate, punish and redress domestic violence, the Turkish government is planning to do just the opposite. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, widely accused of acting like an 'Ottoman Sultan', has made public his intentions to withdraw from the Council of Europe Convention (ironically, better known as Istanbul Convention as it was forged in the iconic city), the first European treaty specifically targeting violence against women and domestic violence. It is widely recognized as the most advanced legally binding treaty to prevent and combat gender-based violence, including marital rape, forced marriages, stalking, female genital mutilations and so-called 'honor crime''. No state has ever withdrawn from it. "An understanding, a regulation or an ideology which places a dynamite on the foundation of the family is not legitimate. I am of the opinion that we are highly capable to draft texts which honor human dignity, put the family at the center and which are appropriate for our social fabric. Instead of translated texts, we need to determine our frame on our own. Instead of saying Copenhagen criteria, we would say Ankara criteria and proceed on our way," Erdogan said last month while targeting the convention. Turkey was, in fact, the first country to ratify the treaty on March 12, 2012. The convention was also signed by 45 of the Council of Europe Member States and ratified by 34 of them. Following the statement that "we can withdraw if necessary", it has been observed that violations of rights against women have witnessed a surge in Turkey. In the past few weeks, thousands of women too have taken to the streets of Ankara and Istanbul leading massive protests with slogans like "let the Istanbul Convention be Implemented" and "keep the Istanbul Convention alive". "There is a bitter irony to the fact that the Turkish authorities are considering withdrawing from a Convention bearing the name of its most iconic city," says Amnesty International's Women's Rights Researcher, Anna Blus. "This discussion is deeply worrying, coming at time when Covid-19 measures, such as lockdown, have led to a spike in reports of violence against women and girls with many women and girls trapped at home with their abusers or unable to easily access safety and support services. Turkey's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention would have disastrous consequences for millions of women and girls in the country and to organizations providing vital support to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence," said Blus. The hardliners in Turkey, and there are loads of them now who've been promised the return of the Ottoman Empire by their President, are however in no mood to back off on convention, just as they were on Hagia Sophia. Leaders of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) agree with their boss when he says that Turkey is in need of a new convention unique to the country that would protect the family structure. Clearly, Turkey isn't bothered to better protect and promote the rights of women and girls. The death toll continues to increase as you read this while the killers roam scot-free. As Istanbul-based attorney Selin Nakipoglu, who has spent years facing off with men in court who say they were provoked into killing their wives, told Washington's publicly funded non-profit media organization National Public Radio, last year: "They show up in court wearing suits and ties, saying they're sorry but 'honor' made them do it. And the judges let (them) get away with it." (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty (C) struggles with media representatives gathering as she arrives at the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) office for enquiry regarding Sushant Singh Rajput case, in Mumbai. PTI Photo The reprimand of the media by two high courts on Thursday asking it to restrain itself while doing its job is a wake-up call for the practitioners of the profession in the country. While the Delhi court has asked the media to respect the sanctity of the lawful criminal investigation, the Bombay high court wondered why the electronic media comes under no government control. The Delhi high courts directive to Republic TV came in a plaint by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor alleging that the channel was portraying him as murderer in a case, which the investigating agency has concluded to be a suicide. The court was unequivocal in its stand that there cannot be a media trial parallel to the process as established by the law. The press cannot convict anyone or insinuate that he/she is guilty or make any other unsubstantiated claims, the court ruled. It rightly rubbished the channels claim that it had evidence with it and said statements from here and there do not make evidence. The Bombay high court was incensed at the way the media was chasing the suicide of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput as it heard a PIL, which said the reportage sought to malign the Mumbai police. The courts cannot be suspected of attempting to gag the media. The Delhi high court insisted that it was not interested in gagging the media and only directed the editor and the channel to be bound by the statement made on their behalf by their counsel. The Bombay high court gave the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) to act on the petitions even while mentioning that it has no teeth. Democracy sustains fair journalism. If the latter tries to exceed its brief, then the instruments of democracy, however weak they are, would try and resist it. Its time the media realised it and restrained itself. The governments decision to break international law over Brexit could have catastrophic consequences for Britain, gravely damaging the countrys reputation and undermining relations with allies while empowering adversaries, senior former diplomatic and security officials have warned. There is also deep concern about the seeming breakdown of relations between Downing Street and the civil service with the resignation of Jonathan Jones, the head of the governments legal department, in protest at the governments actions seen as the latest example of this development. Lord Butler, who was head of the civil service for 10 years, said he had never encountered anything as difficult as the current turmoil during his time as cabinet secretary and warned that the government had undermined the UK on the international stage. Boris Johnson has put forward only weak arguments to support the changes he wants to make to the EU withdrawal agreement, Lord Butler added. Former officials have also expressed disquiet at constant attacks on the judiciary, media and others who challenge the government, in what is seen as emulating the practices of the Trump administration in the US. The consternation about what is happening from those who have served the country comes as the prime minister faces a growing rebellion from Conservative MPs and peers to the proposed legislation which overrides key parts of the EU withdrawal agreement, with a former minister, Bob Neill, trying to organise a parliamentary veto. There is also rising criticism of the British governments conduct among European politicians and officials. The EU has already warned that it may take legal action if the British government went ahead with its breach of the treaty. The assessment of the damage the government is doing to the UK is damning. It has been pointed out that this country has repeatedly criticised states like Russia and China for breaking the rules-based international order and yet now holds that it is perfectly justified to breach international law. Asked by The Independent whether civil servants had been put in a difficult position by the government, Lord Butler said: Yes, well I think it might, [Jonathan] Jones felt so strongly about it that he felt he had to resign his position. Thats as it were a moral decision on his part, but thats a different thing from a breach of the civil service code. When pressed if he had dealt with anything comparable during his decade-long tenure as cabinet secretary, he replied: No, I didnt experience something as difficult as this. There were things that ministers decided to do, or governments decided to do which I didnt agree with, but I never had anything which I thought was so morally repugnant that I had to resign. Nor was I asked to do something that was illegal. So no, I think this is a particularly difficult issue. The former civil service chief added: They have put forward a justification for it. Its only a contingent thing: if they cant get an agreement and the EU act in such a way that the government considers that its obligations under the Good Friday Agreement are breached thats their defence. A lot of people think it isnt a good defence and I think thats why the government will have a lot of difficulty putting this bill through parliament. I think it is very difficult to justify breaking a recently agreed international agreement, the Northern Ireland Protocol I think their argument is weak. You can say if they thought this was a contingency, they should have thought of it before they agreed the protocol. General Sir Richard Barrons, the former chief of Joint Forces Command who served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Northern Ireland, told The Independent that what the government is proposing is short-sighted tactics which will do much harm strategically in the wider world. In fact what is being done is particularly stupid. It will undermine us with our enemies by giving them the opportunity to accuse us of hypocrisy when we call them out for breaking the rules-based international order. It will also undermine us with our allies who will doubt whether they can rely on us to keep to an agreement, keep to our word. General Barrons continued: The UK can be accused of being like Russia, which breaks international rule but then pretends it hasnt, or China, which is trying to change the actual rules. China may be big enough to do this, but I am afraid the UK is not. We are a middle ranking power and part of the influence we have is dependent on cooperation with allies and is spread through international laws which we have signed up to and we have actively promoted since the Second World War. Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Show all 37 1 /37 Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro-Brexit supporters celebrating in Parliament Square, after the UK left the European Union on 31 January. Ending 47 years of membership PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro Brexit supporters attend the Brexit Day Celebration Party hosted by Leave Means Leave Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage smiles on stage AFP/Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square People celebrate in Parliament Square Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A Brexit supporter celebrates during a rally in Parliament square AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Police form a line at Parliament Square to prevent a small group of anti-Brexit protestors from going through to the main Brexit rally PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square JD Wetherspoon Chairman Tim Martin speaks as people wave flags Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit Party leader, Nigel Farage arrives Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters gather AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Ann Widdecombe speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square People wave British Union Jack flags as they celebrate Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square on Brexit day Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square An EU flag lies trampled in the mud Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty He also spoke about growing concern about the fractious relationship between Downing Street and the civil service. The resignation of the treasury solicitor is yet another example of am emblematic problem between this government and the civil service, this is obviously a serious ongoing situation, Sir Richard said. Former diplomat John Ashton, whose posts have included being special representative for climate change, said: I hope that the bomb that has been placed in the withdrawal bill wont actually go off, either because we reach a deal with the EU including on the Northern Ireland Protocol, or because the offending clauses get removed from the bill as it goes through parliament. But if the government does what it threatens to do, that would be catastrophic for our reputation in the world, and for our ability to secure our national interests. Our friends would weep; our enemies would laugh. In that event we would be telling everyone that no promise we make from now on will be worth the paper it is written on. With the rules-based system already under attack from elsewhere, including the current US administration, we would be putting ourselves on the side of the attackers, not those defending it, with whom our real interest lies. Mr Ashton, who had also run an environmental think tank, pointed out that the UK was co-hosting a major international conference on climate change, COP26, next year. This will be the most significant international gathering since the pandemic (which led to its postponement). It will be crucial not only in moving the regime of obligations and promises forward to deal with the existential threat of climate change, but more widely in rebuilding confidence, post-pandemic, that we have it in us to respond successfully through cooperation to all the great global challenges we now face. At COP26, we will be saying to the world: we must all redouble the promises we have made to each other on climate change, and we must reaffirm our trust in each other that we will keep our promises. If we cant do that the COP will be a failure. What message will it send to everyone else if the host country has itself blithely, unilaterally and for reasons of short-term expediency walked away from its binding international obligations in another area? Sir William Patey, who served as British ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, told The Independent: The withdrawal agreement contains the mechanism to address disputes, as all major agreements do. The government could make use of these if it can show that the EU was acting in bad faith. One can also, of course, pull out of an agreement at the end of the day. But what this government is doing is keeping the agreement and then just taking out the bits which they dont like. This is breaking international law: their own lawyers are saying its breaking international law. This will have severe consequences. Never mind Britains reputation, this will be very, very bad practically, weakening Britains position in agreements and alliances, including future ones on trade and security, while giving adversaries the excuse to accuse us of hypocrisy. Sir William continued: We are also seeing some very worrying developments, both in America and over here. There seem to pretty regular attacks by some in government on people we need to hold those in power to account; institutions which are important for a healthy democracy like the media, neutral public servants, the judiciary. Sir Simon Fraser, the former head of the Foreign Office, accused the government of trying to jettison some of the most significant parts of the withdrawal agreement. He said: It is a very significant disapplication of important parts of that agreement. Brexit briefing: How long until the end of the transition period? The fact they are saying they are doing this because they signed the agreement in a hurry and didnt realise the implications is hardly a convincing argument. In an incendiary article on Saturday, the prime minister doubled down on his intention to introduce the legislation next week in the Commons and in an attempt to dissuade potential rebels from scuppering his plans, claimed the EU could carve up our country unless MPs pass the Bill. 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, he wrote in the Daily Telegraph. And in a broadcast round, Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister who held emergency talks with EU officials earlier this week over the governments plans, echoed Mr Johnsons comments and claimed ministers actions were entirely consistent with the rule of law. He added: Were doing our part generously to help protect the EUs own single market, but were clear that what we cant have even as were doing all that is the EU disrupting and putting at threat the integrity of the United Kingdom. "These steps are a safety net, theyre a long-stop in the event, which I dont 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." Some Tories, however, remained unconvinced and Tobias Ellwood, the senior Conservative MP who chairs the Commons defence committee, said on Saturday that unamended I cannot support this bill. Already this bill is damaging brand UK, diminishing our role-model status as defender of global standards. As we go to the wire, lets see more British statecraft less Nixonian Madman Theory, he tweeted. New Jersey officials on Saturday reported four more deaths attributed to the coronavirus and 487 more positive tests the first time in three days daily new cases were below 500. Meanwhile, the states rate of transmission dropped slightly for the third straight day to 1.07 but remained above the critical mark of 1 that shows the states outbreak is expanding. Gov. Phil Murphy announced the new figures on social media. He did not hold a public briefing. #COVID19 UPDATE: New Jersey has 487 new positive cases, pushing our cumulative total to 196,337. Sadly, we are reporting 4 new confirmed COVID-19 deaths for a total of 14,238 lives lost. Learn more: https://t.co/JW1q8awGh7 pic.twitter.com/MROB28vhoT Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) September 12, 2020 The state did not reveal when the newly reported deaths occurred. New Jersey, a densely populated state of 9 million residents and early coronavirus hotspot, has now reported 196,337 total coronavirus cases out of more than 3.14 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 16,027 deaths related to COVID-19 14,238 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 34,300 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. Overall, the number of new cases in New Jersey held steady this week. But 14 of the states 21 counties witnessed an increase in new cases per capita over last week. Murphy has said repeatedly in recent days that while the outbreak has improved, the state is not out of the woods. TRANSMISSION RATE New Jerseys latest transmission rate of 1.07 is down a tick from 1.08 officials reported Friday, state officials reported. The number has been above 1 for a week but has dropped incrementally the last three 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. HOSPITALIZATIONS There were 462 patients with COVID-19 or under suspicion for it across New Jerseys 71 hospitals Friday night, according to the states coronavirus tracking website. Thats 20 fewer than the night before. Of those patients, 84 of those patients were in critical or intensive care (three more than the night before), including 35 on ventilators (one fewer than the night before). There were 52 coronavirus patients discharged from the states hospitals Friday. New Jerseys COVID-19 hospitalizations have dropped dramatically since the states peak in mid-April, when there were more than 8,000 patients. CONTACT TRACING TROUBLES Murphy said Friday that the state is still having trouble getting people to take calls and answer questions from contact tracers trying to help prevent the virus from spreading. When a tracer has reached out, 18% of residents havent taken the call, while 59% of those who do refuse to cooperate. Thats not going to get you in the Hall of Fame, the governor said during his latest coronavirus briefing in Trenton. Please cooperate, and please remember, while we do not ever condone illegal behavior for instance, underage drinking, we dont condone that this is not about stuff like that, Murphy added. This is about public health. Its not a witch hunt. New Jersey has added 66 contact tracers over the past week, giving the state a 1,835 or nearly 21 tracers for every 100,000 residents, Murphy said. CORONAVIRUS CASES BY COUNTY Here are the latest county-by-county breakdowns of confirmed cases and fatalities as of early Saturday, according to the states tracking website: Atlantic County: 3,875 positive test results (11 new), 242 confirmed deaths, 11 probable deaths Bergen County: 21,935 positive test results (32 new), 1,798 confirmed deaths, 243 probable Burlington County: 6,694 positive test results (28 new), 448 confirmed deaths, 39 probable Camden County: 9,460 positive test results (25 new), 543 confirmed deaths, 53 probable Cape May County: 964 positive test results (7 new), 87 confirmed deaths, 7 probable Cumberland County: 3,684 positive test results (11 new), 149 confirmed deaths, 8 probable Essex County: 20,633 positive test results (25 new), 1,894 confirmed deaths, 229 probable Gloucester County: 4,027 positive test results (36 new), 217 confirmed deaths, 7 probable Hudson County: 20,362 positive test results (16 new), 1,352 confirmed deaths, 160 probable Hunterdon County: 1,253 positive test results (4 new), 71 confirmed deaths, 54 probable Mercer County: 8,481 positive test results (14 new), 598 confirmed deaths, 36 probable Middlesex County: 18,814 positive test results (51 new), 1,220 confirmed deaths, 202 probable Monmouth County: 11,158 positive test results (58 new), 771 confirmed deaths, 92 probable Morris County: 7,630 positive test results (22 new), 686 confirmed deaths, 145 probable Ocean County: 11,613 positive test results (52 new), 972 confirmed deaths, 64 probable Passaic County: 18,640 positive test results (33 new), 1,106 confirmed deaths, 143 probable Salem County: 1,014 positive test results (6 new), 83 confirmed deaths, 6 probable Somerset County: 5,552 positive test results (27 new), 494 confirmed deaths, 74 probable Sussex County: 1,442 positive test results (3 new), 161 confirmed deaths, 37 probable Union County: 17,299 positive test results (17 new), 1,188 confirmed deaths, 166 probable Warren County: 1,418 positive test results (4 new), 158 confirmed deaths, 13 probable There are another 306 positive cases that remain under investigation, with the patients' home counties not confirmed. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage State officials said Friday theyre concerned about cases rising among younger residents. They said people aged 19 to 24 now have the states highest positivity rate, at 6%, while the second-highest is among those aged 14 to 18, at 4%. 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 7,129 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. 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. 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, some K-12 schools in New Jersey have resumed with in-person classes, while others are all-remote, and some have a mixture. At least three public school districts had to change plans for in-person classes due to student infections. But officials said the state is not aware of any COVID-19 cases that have been transmitted in K-12 schools. In addition, 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. GLOBAL NUMBERS As of Saturday morning, there have been more than 28.53 million positive COVID-19 tests across the globe, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. Almost 916,400 people have died, while more than 19.25 million people have recovered. The United States has the most positive tests in the world, at more than 6.44 million, and the most deaths, at more than 193,000. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. There is no move in the offing to consult the Attorney General (AG) again on the matter of the Union governments obligation to compensate states for their Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue losses because of the Covid-19 pandemic, a government official said, requesting anonymity. Certain sections of the media are inaccurately claiming that a parliamentary panel discussed consulting the Attorney General again on the issue of GST compensation to states, the official said. The official said the panel on Friday did discuss audit-related matters pertaining to the Mach 2018 report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) with Union finance ministry officials, but there was no discussion on the GST compensation issue. Also Read: As some states oppose borrowing money, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jaganmohan Reddy says it is the only way to overcome GST shortfall The AG had already opined that the Union was not obligated to compensate state for the loss of revenue collection under the GST laws, the official said. According the AG, the GST council has to find ways to meet the shortfall in compensation, not the Central government, the official said. The Union government has given two borrowing options to states to meet their revenue shortfall of about Rs 2.35 lakh crore in the current financial year. Under the first option, states will not have to pay either principle or interest if they borrow only Rs 97,000 crore to meet the GST revenue shortfall because of implementation issues, but they will have to bear significant interest costs if they choose the larger borrowing option of Rs 2.35 lakh crore that includes revenue shortfall due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Rhea Chakraborty Has Been Provided With A Single Cell In Byculla Jail According to a report in NDTV, Rhea has been put in a single cell for security reasons as there are concerns that her fellow prisoners could be a threat to her. Rhea Chakraborty's Jail Cell Is Without Bed, Pillow And Fan The report further states that Rhea has been given a mat to sleep on, but doesn't have a pillow or a bed. She will be provided with a table fan only by court's permission. Further, her jail cell is being guarded rock-the-clock by two guards, in three shifts. Rhea Chakraborty's Neighbour In Byculla Jail Is Indrani Mukerjea The NDTV report further stated that her jail cell is adjacent to the one occupied by Indrani Mukerjea. For the unversed, Indrani is the prime accused in her daughter Sheena Bora's murder case. Rhea Chakraborty's Bail Plea Got Rejected Twice Earlier, on Friday, the Mumbai sessions court rejected the bail application of Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and others. This is the second time Rhea has been denied bail. Her lawyer Satish Maneshinde said in a statement, "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." It is an indispensable reality to fathom that Sri Lanka is another country that has fallen to Chinas debt trap and its long-term consequences can always play a bigger role in the foreign policymaking in the island nation by Punsara Amarasinghe and Eshan Jayawardane Sri Lanka has been often portrayed as being in the crossroads of geopolitical encounters with powerful nations throughout its history and its unique geographic location in Indian ocean closer to the Indian mainland, yet distinct from it has made the islands destiny extremely intertwined with India. Sri Lankas own historical identity is the best testimony proving how crucially India has played its influence in island nations destiny. From one side it has been an inexplicable factor that how Sinhalese community who represent the majority ethnic group in Sri Lanka perceive India as their stances on India embody a love-hate story. While they worship India as the county that brought Buddhism as a spiritual gift, the antagonism towards Indian among the Sinhalese is deeply rooted in the psyche of the people with the intense nationalist rhetoric which has always portrayed India as an invading force throughout Sri Lankan history. When India became an independent nation-state at the end of the British raj, there was a strong proposition arose from Indias scholar diplomat K.M Panikkar regarding the need of immediate cooperation among India, Burma and Sri Lanka as a pre-requisite for a realistic policy of Indian defence . In Panikkars fascination on making Indian Ocean Mare Nostrum to uphold Indias position, he further stated The first and primary consideration is that both Burma and Ceylon must form with India the basic federation for mutual defence whether they will it or not. It is necessary for their own security.(K.B Vaidya, The National Defence of India, 1949, p.30 ) Even Nehru himself had pointed to the ethnic, linguistic and cultural unity of India and Sri Lanka to support the view that later would inevitably be drawn into a closer union with India. Nehrus approach to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) was not a euphoric claim emerged in the eve of Indias independence mixed with mere chauvinist effusions, because many of Indian policymakers and strategists believe that departure of British power from Indian Ocean region has enthroned newly independent India as the natural successor to Britain as the guardian of the Indian Ocean. However, it was evident that Sri Lankas attitude to Indian in her foreign policy was sceptical in the first decade after independence with growing fear pervaded among Ceylonese politicians on a possible annexation of Sri Lanka to the Union of India. It was under this tense perception Sri Lankas first premier D. S Senanayake was eager to cementing a defence alliance with Great Britain which he considered being a practical necessity for Sri Lankas defence. It is a fact beyond any conjecture that Indias interest Indian ocean and Sri Lankas unique location in it are been decisive factors on carving the directions of every aspect of Indo- Sri Lanka relations. Indian naval historian Ravi Kaul wrote in the early 1970s about the strategic importance of Sri Lanka to the defence of India. Kaul stated Sri Lanka is important strategically to India as Eire to the United Kingdom. As long as Sri Lanka is friendly or neutral, India has nothing to worry about but if there be any danger of the island falling under the domination of a power hostile to India, India cannot tolerate such a situation endangering her territorial integrity ( 1974, Indian Ocean Power Rivalry, pp.66 ) These words still echo in New Delhis strategists in planning their foreign policy attitude towards Sri Lanka regardless of whatever the political changes taking place in both countries. In particular, the growing rivalry between China and India in the Indian Ocean stands as a crucial factor on the bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka. Even decades before China embarked upon their ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, in 1963, China and Sri Lanka entered into a Maritime Agreement giving most favoured nation status to the contracting partied agitated Indian public opinion at that time as Delhi suspected that such an agreement would provide facilities to Chinese warships. However, the stir created by Sri Lankas close ties with China in the aftermath of the Civil War was a notable factor in the recent past. The visit of the Chinese submarine in 2014 to Colombo harbour reached the climax of Indias tension on Chinese involvement in the island nation and Indian ocean. Given this critical background newly elected government of Sri Lankas India First policy seems to be a piece of consoling news for the policymakers in New Delhi. The statement made by Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Admiral Jayanath Colombage has affirmed Sri Lanka would adhere to India First policy in dealing with strategic security issues which would not undermine the interests of India while dealing with other players for the economic development. This position has given a clear signal to India about a paradigm shift in Sri Lankas foreign policy which was weighing between New Delhi and Beijing for years, but the acceptance of Indias position in Indian ocean by Colombo and her willingness to comply with it is a diplomatic triumph gained by India from the Sri Lankan government under president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. In his statement, the foreign secretary has accepted handing over of the Hambantota Port to China under 99 years lease was one of the biggest blunders made by Sri Lanka paving the path for Indias great anxiety over Chinas role in IOR (Indian Ocean Region). A detailed report by Pentagon to the US Congress has clearly shown that today the Chinese navy stands as the largest navy in the world which consists of 350 warships with two aircraft careers and the report issued by Pentagon to the US Congress indicates that China is determined to build another two aircraft careers with the eventual goal of overtaking the US. Yet, Indias unique geopolitical advantage will be a greater setback for China to reach its dominance in the Indian Ocean Region. Taking china biggest geopolitical headache Malacca dilemma into consideration, it is evident that India has the biggest advantage thwart Chinese naval engagements in the high seas of IOR and the closer ties with Sri Lankan government under their newly adopted doctrine India First policy would make Indias task easy in its grip over Indian Ocean region. Indeed, it will be the realization of what K.M Panikkar dreamed about the Indian Ocean as Mare Nostrum in the eve of Indian independence. Nevertheless, it is an indispensable reality to fathom that Sri Lanka is another country that has fallen to Chinas debt trap and its long-term consequences can always play a bigger role in the foreign policymaking in the island nation. Even in the statement made by Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka needs to look for other players for economic prosperity while giving first priority to Indias security concerns. In this situation Modis government needs to understand that assisting Sri Lanka to spur its investments, reduce its debt burden will Colombos affinity with New Delhi harmoniously without pushing Sri Lanka towards China due to economic imperatives. Punsara Amarasinghe is a research scholar at Center for Global Legal Studies in University of Wisconsin Madison and previously held one year research fellowship at the faculty of law Higher School of Economics in Moscow. Currently he is reading for PhD in International Law in Institute of Law, Politics and Development in Scuola Superiore Sant Anna, Pisa. He can be reached at punsaraprint10@gmail.com Eshan Jayawardane is an independent researcher currently based in New Zealand. He holds BA in Sociology from Delhi University and completed MA in International Relations at JNU in New Delhi. He served as a guest lecturer at Sri Lanka Open University. Securing a 99.97 percentile in the JEE-Main examination, the results of which were declared on Friday night, Shimlas Sarthak Diwan emerged as the state topper while Vanshita of Solan stood second with a 99.83 percentile. In order to focus Sarthak gave up all social media platforms for two years and studied for around six to seven hours a day. I only used the internet to get study material and the phone talk to family and friends, he said. Both his parents - Dr Yogesh Diwan and Dr Deepa Diwan - are doctors at the Indira Gandhi Medical College. They said they were proud of Sarthaks achievements. Sarthak wants to be a computer engineer and wants to study at an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Vanshita says she was sure she would get a good rank as she had worked hard. I am thankful to my parents and teachers as it is because of their guidance that I was able to accomplish this feat, she said. Vanshita a student of Navjyoti Century School, Baadi, had prepared for the competitive exam in Chandigarh. Her father Rakesh Thakur works at the Solan State Electricity Board while her mother is a teacher. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Residents of the Little Woods area in New Orleans East were advised to boil water before drinking it Friday afternoon after a car hit a fire hydrant, dropping water pressure in neighborhoods. The New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board said the advisory applies between Weaver and Paris avenues on the lake side of Morrison Road. Boil water advisories are issued in New Orleans when water pressure falls below 20 pounds per square inch. The S&WB did not say when it will lift the advisory but said it will alert residents when the notice is canceled. Advisories historically remain in effect at least 24 hours, while the water is tested for impurities. When under a boil water advisory, residents are urged to boil tap water or use bottled water to wash their hands, shower and cook, to avoid any bacteria that might enter water pipes due to low water pressure. For more information, visit the S&WB's website. Flash China and Russia should strengthen cooperation in the fight against COVID-19 and other areas to promote bilateral relations, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday. After 70 years of hardships, China-Russia relationship has become more mature, more stable, and more dynamic, Wang said at a press conference after meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. While commending the achievements of China-Russia relations, Wang said, "We must think deeply how we can maintain, consolidate and develop our bilateral relationship in the new situation," adding that it is not only related to the development and revitalization of the two countries and the well-being of their peoples, but also has exemplary significance globally. Therefore, the two sides should strengthen cooperation in four areas, said the Chinese top diplomat. First, China and Russia should be supporters for international cooperation in the fight against COVID-19, Wang said. Facing the pandemic, the international community needs unity instead of selfishness, collaboration instead of blame-shifting. China and Russia are willing to work together with all parties to firmly support the World Health Organization, do a good job in normalizing epidemic prevention and control, and make vaccines a universally accessible public product for the whole world. The irresponsible act of releasing "political virus" instead of controlling the spread of the novel coronavirus should be opposed, so as to nurture a sound political environment and favorable public opinion for international cooperation in the fight against COVID-19, he said. Second, the two countries should be examples of major powers living in harmony, Wang said. Being each other's largest neighboring country, China and Russia are the world's largest countries in terms of population and territorial area respectively, he said, noting that the larger a country's size, the greater its responsibility. The two sides will take the implementation of the consensus of the two heads of state as the core task, continue to deepen mutual political trust and strategic cooperation, push forward the docking of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with the Eurasian Economic Union, and promote the mutually beneficial development of the BRI and the Greater Eurasian Partnership, and set an example for cooperation between major powers, Wang said. Third, the two sides should be leaders in cutting-edge science and technology, Wang said. China and Russia have huge complementary advantages and potential for cooperation in the development of science and technology. They will take advantage of the Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation between the two countries, vigorously develop and implement strategic projects, deepen cooperation in the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, promote talent exchanges, and encourage high-tech and Internet companies to start businesses and invest in the other country, providing scientific and technological support for the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries and their respective national economy and people's livelihood, he said. Fourth, the two countries should be guardians of international fairness and justice, Wang said. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and the founding of the United Nations (UN), and the international community is faced with a historic test that needs it to make a choice between multilateralism and unilateralism, and between cooperation and confrontation, he added. As permanent members of the UN Security Council and major emerging economies, China and Russia are willing to work with the international community to firmly safeguard the core position of the UN in international system, abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, reiterate the commitment to multilateralism, actively reform and improve global governance system, advocate the construction of an open world economy, and join hands to build a community with a shared future for mankind, Wang said. Funds from Western Union and Western Union Foundation to support immediate relief efforts focused on most urgent needs of displaced Moria residents Western Union, a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments, and the Western Union Foundation have announced the Foundation's pledge of USD 250K in relief to support the immediate and long term recovery needs of refugees including the people displaced from Greece's Moria Camp. More than 12,000 people have been evacuated from the Moria Camp on the island of Lesbos, which was destroyed by fires earlier this week. The camp was the temporary home to migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from more than 70 different countries, among them elderly, pregnant women, children, and people with disabilities. With a fire devastating their only place of refuge, thousands are now without shelter and access to water and sanitation. The Foundation will deploy USD 100K to support the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in their immediate relief efforts for the Moria camp evacuees. Funds will support secure accommodations, mental health and psychosocial support, and distribution of urgent supplies, with a focus on safety to avoid the risk of COVID-19 transmission. An additional USD 150K in funding will support longer-term advocacy and relief efforts to enable sustainable living for refugees in Greece. "Western Union and our Foundation are unrelenting in our support of migrants, refugees and forcibly displaced people around the globe. Our hearts are with the people of the Moria camp," said Hikmet Ersek, Western Union President and CEO. "Many of our customers are migrants who have moved from their home to their host country for a variety of reasons economic, financial, family-driven, or security reasons." "We call on global leaders to come together to support this vulnerable community as their survival is at stake. We know first-hand that people thrive when they are given fundamental support and opportunities through education, job skills training, and access to the global economy." In a recent statement released by the IRC, Dimitra Kalogeropoulou, IRC Greece Country Director, said, "The recent events in Moria are unthinkable but, tragically, predictable. The dire situation on the islands has gone on for far too long. With the camp destroyed and residents evacuated, the situation is alarming as there is no secure place to live. These already traumatized people have now lost what few belongings they had; they have nothing." Since its inception, the Western Union Foundation has granted USD 10.5M globally to support displaced persons, including immigrants, refugees, asylees, conflict-affected, and migrants. This includes USD 2.5M across Europe. Since 2018, the Western Union Foundation, in partnership with MIT D-Lab, has been providing hands-on, experiential learning in design, innovation, and entrepreneurship for refugees in Greece. These individuals are being equipped with technical and soft skills to establish their own business while building confidence, agency, and problem-solving ability. Globally, more than 70 million people were forced from home by conflict and persecution at the end of 2018, according to the UN. Among them are nearly 30 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18. There are also millions of stateless people who have been denied a nationality and access to fundamental rights such as education, healthcare, employment, and freedom of movement. WU-G About Western Union The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments. Our omnichannel platform connects the digital and physical worlds and makes it possible for consumers and businesses to send and receive money and make payments with speed, ease, and reliability. As of June 30, 2020, our network included over 550,000 retail agent locations offering our branded services in more than 200 countries and territories, with the capability to send money to billions of accounts. Additionally, westernunion.com, our fastest growing channel in 2019, is available in over 75 countries, plus additional territories, to move money around the world. With our global reach, Western Union moves money for better, connecting family, friends, and businesses to enable financial inclusion and support economic growth. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com. About the Western Union Foundation The Western Union Foundation believes that education is the surest pathway to economic opportunity. After nearly 20 years of impact, we are continuing to deliver against our mission with our Opportunity Beyond Borders commitment, with a focus on empowering forcibly displaced and marginalized youth with the training and education needed to succeed in today's technology-driven global economy. The Foundation also provides funding to communities in crisis through disaster relief and other humanitarian efforts, a key reason for forced migration. To date, more than $126 million granted to fund projects and scholarships in 174 countries across the globe. The Western Union Foundation is a separate charitable corporation that is tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code and receives support from The Western Union Company, its employees, agents, and business partners. Contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible for US income tax purposes. To learn more, visit wu.com/foundation or follow us on Twitter @TheWUFoundation. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200911005525/en/ Contacts: Western Union Global Communications; Pia De Lima; Pia.DeLima@westernunion.com Western Union Americas: Margaret Fogarty; margaret.fogarty@wu.com Western Union Middle East Africa: Mohamed El Khalouki; Mohamed.ElKhalouki@wu.com Western Union Asia-Pacific: Karen Santos; Karen.Santos2@westernunion.com Western Union Foundation: Emily Larson; emily.larson@wu.com Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa and some in Asia continue to experience rapid population growth and high fertility rates. This fact is one of the insights from the 2020 World Population Data Sheet released by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB). It said the population of 25 countries including Ghana, is expected to at least double between now and 2050. The Data Sheet said adults aged 65 and above account for nine per cent of the global population, in part because of declining fertility rates. In 91 countries and territories, nearly 45 per cent of the worlds population, total fertility rates are below replacement level, the average number of children at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next in the absence of migration. In 21 countries and territories, including several that have suffered a devastating loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, people aged 65 and older account for at least 20 per cent of the population, with this trend most pronounced in Europe and Asia. Published since 1962, PRBs annual World Population Data Sheet tracks global population data. This years edition provides 24 population indicators for more than 200 countries and territories. Users can also explore key trends through an interactive map. Jeff Jordan, PRB president and CEO said: As the experience with the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us, population changes such as ageing and rapid urbanisation are important factors for countries to consider as they plan for future disease outbreaks, long-term health care needs and other developments. PRBs World Population Data Sheet provides objective data and analysis policymakers need to make these decisions. Among the key findings for 2020 are the world population is projected to reach 9.9 billion by 2050, an increase of more than 25 per cent from 2020. The global total fertility rate is 2.3 births per woman, while the replacement level is 2.1 births per woman. Western Europe and Southern Europe have the largest shares of people ages 65 years and older (21%), while sub-Saharan Africa has the smallest share (3%). It said that Angola and Benin are projected to grow by at least 150% of their current population between 2020 and 2050, while Nigers population is expected to increase by almost 175%. Thirty-eight countries and territories, including Armenia, Germany and South Korea, are projected to have a smaller population in 2050 than in 2020. On fertility, it said Niger has the highest total fertility rate (7.1 average births for each woman), followed by Mali (6.3) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (6.2). Some of the lowest total fertility rates are in South Korea (0.9), Taiwan (1.0) and Singapore (1.1). The Data Sheet noted women life expectancy at birth is highest in Hong Kong (88) and lowest in Central African Republic (55). Life expectancy at birth for men is highest in Australia (83) and lowest in Central African Republic and Lesotho (51). Among the regions, Eastern Europe has the largest gap in life expectancy between men (69) and women (79). Sub-Saharan Africa has the youngest population of any region, with 43% of its population under age 15. In contrast, 14% of Southern Europes population is under age 15. At 84%, South America has the highest percent of the population living in urban areas of any region with 12 countries and territories, at least 50% of the population lives in cities with a population of 1 million or more, including Republic of the Congo (63%), Australia (62%) and Israel (61%). 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 National Police estimated that some 500 people took part in a Saturday protest in Palma against the Sanchez government's handling of the health crisis. Organised by the Foro Baleares de la Solidaridad y del Progreso, the protesters demanded the government's resignation. Messages on banners included 'If we don't die of Covid, we'll starve' and 'Stop restrictions and fake news'. During the march, protesters stopped by a building where a Catalan pro-independence flag was draped from a balcony and shouted they were going to burn it. The route of the march was from Placa Espanya to the Balearic government's Consolar de Mar headquarters. Outside the HQ, the president of Foro Baleares, Sergio Bota, said that "I see people who refuse to be led by an indecent, criminal and incompetent government". He warned Sr. Sanchez and Sr. Iglesias (the Podemos second deputy prime minister) to be very careful. "Today, you have power, but the Spanish people have something you will never have: dignity and courage. Long live Spain!" Bota also referred to the fact that September 12 "was the original day for Majorca Day". "It was changed to December 30* by the Armengol Catalanist government." Among those taking part were members of Vox. * It is in fact December 31. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has set aside an order passed by rejecting a plea filed by Punjab National Bank to initiate insolvency proceedings against Mittal Corp and directed it to decide afresh "expeditiously". A three-member bench of the appellate tribunal observed that the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had dismissed PNB's plea on the basis of a circular issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on February 12, 2018, which was not applicable in this matter. "We set aside the Impugned Order dated December 20, 2019 and remit the case to the Adjudicating Authority (National Company Law Tribunal), Mumbai Bench, with a direction to decide the Admission of the Application on merits as expeditiously as practicable," the order said. The appellate tribunal said there was no evidence suggesting that PNB had moved to initiate insolvency proceedings based on the said circular, under which it was not eligible to file as the default amount was less than Rs 2,000 crore. "In the absence of any cogent evidence to show that the Appellant (PNB) has filed the Application only pursuant to the 'Circular' issued by Reserve Bank of India, which we hold at the outset, was not applicable to the facts of the instant case, it was not open to the Adjudicating Authority (NCLT) to reject the application on this ground," it said. Earlier, on December 20, 2019, the had dismissed the plea filed by the bank under Section 7 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) to initiate insolvency proceedings against Mittal Corp. This was challenged before the by PNB. The circular was issued by the RBI on February 12, 2018 mandating the banks to refer an account as NPA (non-performing asset) even for one day of default. Banks were to refer all such cases with over Rs 2,000 crore loans to the NCLT, if they failed to resolve the issue within 180 days of default. The Supreme Court had quashed the circular on April 2, 2019 and termed it to be "ultra vires" in the Dharani Sugar case. Following this, the RBI had revised the circular, offering lenders a 30-day period to label an account an NPA, along with other modifications. Mittal Corp had contended that the plea to initiate insolvency was filed by the bank following the circular, which was not applicable as its total debt payable to the consortium of lenders was Rs 1,077 crore, which was below Rs 2,000 crore limit. Moreover, the Joint Lenders Forum (JLF) of the company has already started the process of restructuring of debt and the lenders had acquired 51 per cent stake through conversion of debt. They were also in discussions to offer this stake to some investors. However, the appellate tribunal rejected it, saying the process was initiated by JLF prior to the issuance of the circular. Mittal Corp had outstanding debt and dues of Rs 245 crore towards the erstwhile Oriental Bank of Commerce, which has been now merged with the Punjab National Bank (PNB). Mittal Corp's total outstanding amount owed to its consortium of lenders is around Rs 1,077 crore. After default, the JLF decided to classify the account as Special Mention Account (SMA) in terms of the guidelines issued by the RBI and sanctioned a restructuring package for the company. A Master Restructuring Agreement was entered into between the PNB and Mittal Corp on March 30, 2015. However, it did not adhere to the financial norms, as a result of which the strategic debt restructuring (SDR) scheme was invoked and the account was declared an NPA. By PTI MUMBAI: Veteran Bollywood and television actor Himani Shivpuri on Saturday said she has tested positive for COVID-19. The 59-year-old actor said she is receiving treatment at Holy Spirit hospital in suburban Mumbai on the advice of her doctors. "The doctor suggested I should get admitted to Holy Spirit hospital because I am 60-year-old and I have history of diabetes. So today morning I got admitted," Shivpuri told PTI. Shivpuri, who recently shot for comedy show "Happu Ki Ultan Paltan", said even though adequate safety measures were followed on the sets, she still doesn't know how she contracted the disease. "I have no idea how I got COVID-19. Nobody seems to know where one would get it from," the actor added. Shivpuri had revealed her COVID-19 diagnosis earlier in the day in a post on her official Instagram page. "Gud morning this to inform you that I tested positive for Covid. Anyone who has come in contact with me kindly get yourself tested," she had posted. In her over three-decade-long career, Shivpuri has featured in many critically-acclaimed and blockbuster movies such as "Hum Aapke Hain Koun!", "Raja", "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge", "Khamoshi", "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai", "Biwi No.1", "Hum Saath-Saath Hain" and "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham". On the small screen, she has been part of shows such as "Yatra", "Sasural Simar Ka", "Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi" and "Astitva Ek Prem Kahani". As of Friday, Maharashtra's tally of COVID-19 cases crossed 10 lakh, with the death toll reaching 28,724, according to health official. By PTI LONDON: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called on his Conservative Party MPs to back a controversial parliamentary bill that would override parts of the Withdrawal Agreement struck with the European Union, or the so-called Brexit divorce pact. In a Zoom call with party members on Friday, he reportedly urged the members of parliament (MPs) not to return to the "miserable squabbling" over Europe and support his Internal Market Bill, which is intended to ensure no hiccups in Northern Ireland, the UK territory which shares a border with the EU member-state of Ireland. The bill is set to be formally debated in the House of Commons for the first time on Monday and focuses on the Northern Ireland Protocol the part of the Brexit divorce designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland. If it became law, it would give UK ministers powers to modify or "disapply" rules relating to the movement of goods between Britain and Northern Ireland that will come into force from January 2021, unless the UK and EU are able to strike a trade deal ahead of that. Writing in 'The Telegraph', Johnson sought to explain his reasons for the bill and warned that the EU could threaten to blockade parts of the UK unless it is passed. "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," he said. "We are being told that the EU will not only impose tariffs on goods moving from Great Britain (GB) to Northern Ireland (NI), 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, Johnson said. But many members of his own party and the Opposition have challenged the UK prime minister on his proposals, which are seen as a breach of international law. The European Union (EU) has called the move a serious breach of trust and threatened to take legal action if Johnson does not alter the bill by the end of the month. The two sides have less than five weeks to agree a post-Brexit trade deal to come into effect at the end of the Brexit transition period in December. Johnson has set a October 15 deadline for the talks, after which he says he is prepared to "walk away". Informal UK-EU talks are due to resume on Monday, with the next official round of talks the ninth since March starting in Brussels on September 28. Earlier this week, at the end of the eighth round of talks between the negotiators from both sides, UK Brexit Chief Negotiator David Frost said the exchange was useful but that a number of challenging areas remain and the "divergences on some are still significant". There are a number of sticking points in the talks, including the so-called "level playing field" criteria, fishing rights and the future role of the European Court of Justice. Britain formally left the 27-member European economic bloc in January this year after a referendum in favour of the exit in June 2016. The ongoing Brexit transition period means all EU rules apply until the end of December, before which both sides must agree on a new arrangement or end up with a no-deal Brexit and resort to trading on broad World Trade Organisation (WTO) norms. Only one person has been charged under Niagara Regions mandatory mask bylaw in the six weeks its been in effect and bylaw officials say compliance through education seems to be working. Niagara Falls resident Sandor Ligetfalvy confirmed he was charged by an NRP officer on Aug. 3 with failing to wear a face covering within an enclosed public space under the Regions bylaw. The bylaw charge was in addition to a criminal charge of mischief for scraping physical distancing stickers off the floor. The Standard polled all 12 of Niagaras municipalities, the Region and Niagara Regional Police. While local bylaw officials say they havent laid any charges, they have investigated complaints about people not wearing masks and have followed up with those not complying with the bylaw. Our focus has been more on educating the businesses and the public about why they should be wearing the mask, said Thorolds Chief Administrative Officer Manoj Dilwaria, adding bylaw officers have been working with businesses. At this point in time, if we were to enforce it, then we would have to go through Niagara regional bylaw and then wed have to take them to court, but we have not done that as yet. Dilwaria said the city is lucky because it hasnt received very many complaints about non-compliance. Niagara Region council adopted the temporary bylaw in July which makes it mandatory to wear a face covering or non-medical mask in enclosed public spaces. The bylaw, which was adopted to help slow down the spread of COVID-19, has exemptions for people who cannot wear a mask for medical or other reasons. It came into effect July 31 and is set to expire on Oct. 1 unless regional council extends it. Enforcement of the bylaw is handled by lower-tier municipalities. Regional bylaw officers or police can get involved in some cases. The Region has responded to 21 complaint calls since the bylaw came into effect, spokesman Andrew Korchok said in an email. He said 19 of the complaints were due to the callers misinterpretation of the requirements of the bylaw and the other two resulted in bylaw officers educating those in non-compliance. Lower-tier municipalities have received and responded to complaints from the public. Niagara-on-the-Lake said it has received about 10 complaints which were investigated, while Fort Erie has issued 10 warnings for infractions, such as not having required signage. Once bylaw officers explain the rules, they tend to get compliance. Lincoln CAO Michael Kirkopoulos said by email that town staff spoke to a number of businesses proactively and in doing that found three businesses that required much more follow up. He said they were able to achieve compliance in all cases, so there was no need to issue tickets. West Lincoln town staff have gone out to educate facilities after receiving a few complaints, including about churches. So far thats been working for us, said Brian Treble, West Lincolns director of planning and building services. In Wainfleet, bylaw enforcement officer Mark Tardif said theyve had to send out a couple of letters asking facilities to comply with the bylaw after receiving complaints. Within 24 hours of sending the first one, the facility came up with mask rules for all occupants of the building and they informed us what they had done to comply with the mask bylaw, Tardif said. I would say so far, the information session letters have been working. As people get used to the bylaw, complaints have been decreasing in St. Catharines, said manager of bylaw Mark Peat. Peat said when it first came out the city received a lot of calls about people not wearing masks and officers would go out to investigate and educate. Now its calmed down, he said. We dont get as many calls now regarding masks, but we get the odd one. Peat said many complaints are from people who are not aware of all the details of the bylaw, such as the fact that employees of a business who work behind plexiglass arent required to wear masks. Niagara Falls manager of municipal enforcement services Gerald Spencer said the city has received complaints about people not wearing masks outdoors something the mask bylaw doesnt cover. We recommend that all persons wear masks when social distancing might be impossible, nevertheless, the enforceable actions of the legislated mask bylaw provisions are specific to an enclosed space, he said by email. Niagara Falls has had 180 mask complaints and has given verbal education or cautions in 100 of the cases. Ali Khan, Wellands supervisor of traffic, parking and bylaw enforcement, said calls to that city related to the mask bylaw are generally from people who have questions about the details. We havent seen a lot of complaints coming to us, Khan said. Port Colborne, Pelham and Grimsby also reported they have issued no fines, with a preference for compliance through education. Correction: Niagara Falls resident Sandor Ligetfalvy was charged on Aug. 3 with failing to wear a face covering within an enclosed public space under the Regions bylaw. An earlier version of this story did not include that he was charged. U.S. Ambassador Accuses China's Huawei Of Misleading Romanian People By RFE/RL's Romanian Service September 11, 2020 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 company's 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 tomorrow's 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 Romania's 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. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-ambassador- accuses-china-s-huawei-of-misleading- romanian-people/30834136.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 (Photo : Loose Girls/YouTube) Chinese Whistleblower Dr. Li-Meng Yan as she appears in Loose Girls (Photo : REUTERS/Aly Song) A worker wears a mask during a government organised media tour at Tongji Hospital following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Wuhan, Hubei province, China September 3, 2020. Whistleblower virologist Dr. Li-Meng Yan promised to publish scientific evidence proving that coronavirus was made from the laboratories in Wuhan, China, and not at a wet market, which was a cover up by the Chinese government. 'The first thing is the meat market in Wuhan is a smokescreen and this virus is not from nature,' Dr. Yan told Loose Girls hosts who were stunned by her revelations. She appeared in the show as the first in a series of interviews with champion women. When asked where coronavirus originated, the scientist answered that it came from the lab. "The lab in Wuhan and the lab is controlled by China's government," she added. Speaking through a video call at a secret location, Dr. Yan said she will soon publish a report to prove that the virus was created from the Chinese laboratory. She added that everyone could understand the report, even those without a biology background. Dr. Yan explained that the "genome sequence is like a human fingerprint that can be used to identify these things and she has proof why this virus came the lab in China and why they were the ones who created it. "This is the critical thing for us to know, the origin of the virus," she said, otherwise we will not be able to overcome it. "It will be life-threatening for everyone," she added. Despite her fears, Dr. Yan came out in public after fleeing from Hong Kong because she "will be regretful" if she did not tell the truth. Read also: Is Coronavirus Man-Made? Baseless Conspiracy Theories about Its Origin Including China Bioengineering Debunked Dr. Li-Meng Yan: They ignored my research which could save lives Dr. Yan worked at the Hong Kong School of Public Health, specializing in virology and immunology. The university is one of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) global epidemiology network and the world's leading centers for infectious disease research. Since she speaks Mandarin, she was assigned to research in China and looked into the odd cluster of SARS-like cases. She claimed to have found evidence about human transmission and she immediately advised her supervisors about her findings. However, her bosses ignored her research, which could have saved lives. They even tried to silence her because they were worried. "So I kept silent," Dr. Yan said. However, she knew she had to expose the situation which she deemed urgent. With the help of a famous U.S.-based Chinese YouTuber, she exposed how the Chinese government already knew about the human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus even before reports emerged. In another interview with Fox News, the doctor said she came to the U.S. to expose the truth about COVID-19 adding that she "will be disappeared and killed" if she would have disclosed her story in China. "I know how they treat whistleblowers," said Dr. Yan who fled to the U.S. by herself as her husband "was totally pissed off." Meanwhile, her page was removed by the University of Hong Kong and revoked her access to her emails and online portals, although she was just on an approved leave. However, a school spokesperson wrote in a statement to Fox News that Dr. Yan "is no longer a staff member of the University." Earlier this year, China's national health commission denied that the outbreak started in the lab. Wuhan Institute of Virology director Yuan Zhiming also previously denied reports that the virus came from his facility. "There's no way this virus came from us," Zhiming said in April. Read also: Chinese Lab Coronavirus Theory: Virus Intentionally Created But Accidentally Released Says Report This is owned by Tech Times Written by CJ Robles 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Lausanne, Sep 13 : The International Olympic Committee and amateur wrestling's governing body United World Wrestling (UWW) on Saturday reacted to the execution of Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari. While IOC said that it was "shocked" by the development, the UWW said that the news has left the "entire wrestling community" mourning. Provincial prosecutor general Kazem Mousavi was quoted as saying by Iran's state television's website that 27-year-old Afkari was executed in a prison in the southern city of Shiraz on Saturday. Afkari had been found guilty of "voluntary homicide" for murdering a man during the anti-government protests in 2018. "United World Wrestling has learned that the scheduled execution of Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari took place this morning in Iran," said UWW in its statement. "It is deeply upsetting that the pleas of athletes from around the world and all the behind the scene work of United World Wrestling and the National Iranian Wrestling Federation, the IOC together with the NOC of Iran did not achieve our goal. The news is devastating and the entire wrestling community mourns his death," it added. Earlier, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that it is "shocked" by the development. "In letters, Thomas Bach, the IOC President, had made direct personal appeals to the Supreme Leader and to the President of Iran this week and asked for mercy for Navid Afkari, while respecting the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran," it said in its statement. "It is deeply upsetting that the pleas of athletes from around the world and all the behind-the-scenes work of the IOC, together with the NOC of Iran, United World Wrestling and the National Iranian Wrestling Federation, did not achieve our goal. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Navid Afkari," it added. The IOC did not specify if it is planning to take action against Iran on the matter. Before the coronavirus pandemic, Britains tortuous debate on how to exit the European Union while maintaining all the perks of membership was a perennial of global news. The long-running political drama went from one final Brexit deadline to the next until, at 11 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time on Jan. 31, 2020, Britain left the union. But not entirely. That moment started an 11-month transition period during which British and E.U. leaders were supposed to negotiate their future relationship. Until that period is concluded, Britain remains in the E.U. customs union and single market, and is bound by E.U. law, though it is without a seat on any E.U. institution. The talks have made no progress, and this week they descended into a nasty dispute over a proposed British law that, in the words of an E.U. executive, amounts to an extremely serious violation of international law. E.U. leaders have demanded that the law be withdrawn; the British say no way. Britains prime minister, Boris Johnson, who got elected 10 months ago on the claim that he had an oven-ready Brexit deal, is now threatening to leave the European Union, with or without a deal, on Oct. 15. Mr. Johnson says that leaving without a deal would be a good outcome for Britain, a claim as ill-founded today as it was when the British were on the brink of a deal-less exit last year. 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 following the historic deal that UAE, US and Israel had reached on August 13. It all started after His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received a phone call from US President Donald Trump with the participation of Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reported BNA. During the call, HM King Hamad 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. HM the King praised the pivotal role and steady efforts of the US Administration to advance the peace process, establish security and stability in the Middle East and strengthen international peace. President Trump extended an invitation to Bahrain to participate in the signing ceremony of the peace agreement that will be held at the White House between the UAE and Israel on September 15, stated the news agency. Following the call, the following joint statement was issued: "President Donald J. Trump, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel today spoke and agreed to the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain." The three leaders dubbed it as 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 the prosperity in the region," the joint statement said. The US expresses its gratitude to the Bahrain for hosting the historic Peace to Prosperity workshop in Manama on June 25, 2019, to advance the cause of peace, dignity, and economic opportunity for the Palestinian people. 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, reported BNA, citing the joint statement. Israel affirmed that as set forth in the Vision for Peace, all Muslims who come in peace may visit and pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalems other holy sites will remain open for peaceful worshippers of all faiths. King Hamad and Prime Minister Netanyahu express their deep appreciation to President Trump for his dedication to peace in the region, his focus on shared challenges, and the pragmatic and unique approach he has taken to bringing their nations together, it stated. The parties commended the UAE and Crown Prince Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed for his leadership on August 13 in announcing full diplomatic relations with Israel. Bahrain has also accepted President Trumps invitation to join Israel and the UAE at the historic signing ceremony on September 15 at the White House where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani of Bahrain will be signing a historic Declaration of Peace. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani has empsized the importance of the historic step taken by His Majesty towards achieving peace in the Middle East, with the prominent efforts of Trump to reach the Declaration of Peace with Israel. Dr Al Zayani said that Bahrain stresses the need to reach a just and comprehensive peace solution as a strategic option to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to the international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, in a manner that preserves the rights of the Palestinian people. He described the step as pragmatic in facing the strategic challenges and protecting national interests. The Shura and Representatives Councils too hailed it as a historical step that will contribute to promoting peace and stability in the region. They described the step as a continuation of the kingdoms efforts to boost security, stability and peace all over the world. The National Assembly underscored the Importance of intensifying efforts to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and achieve just and comprehensive peace according to the two-state solution and the relevant resolutions of the international legitimacy. The Shura and Representatives Councils affirmed that the step is in the interest of the regions security, stability and prosperity and is in line with Bahrains inherent approach and glorious history of promoting openness and co-existence with all and fostering social cohesion. UAE and Egypt too have welcomed the decision by the Bahrain to establish relations with Israel. In a statement on Friday, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation commended the move, expressing its hope that establishing relations would have a positive effect on the climate for peace and cooperation regionally and internationally, reported Emirates News Agency (WAM). The Ministry also noted that the move represents a significant step towards an era of security and prosperity, underscoring that it would expand the scope of economic, cultural, scientific, and diplomatic avenues of cooperation, it added. Egyptian President Abdelfattah El Sisi called His Majesty to congratulate him on kingdoms 'historical step' which will advance the peace process and open prospects for stability in the Middle East. Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been accused of racism after complaining that people are not allowed to use the word monkey anymore following the renaming of a classic novel to remove a racial slur. In a discussion on a television programme called Quotidien, Mr Sarkozy criticised elites who he said were like monkeys who listen to no one. Then, in a rambling rant, the 65-year-old said: I no longer know, do we have the right to say monkey. Because we no longer have the right to say What do we say? Ten Little Soldiers now? We perhaps have the right to say monkeys, without insulting anyone, the former president added. Mr Sarkozy appeared to be referencing the Agatha Christie novel And Then There Were None, which was originally published in 1939 with the title Ten Little N****** after a minstrel song that features prominently in the books plot. The novel has been referred to as Ten Little Indians or And Then There Were None in the UK since at least the mid-1980s, with references to the racial slur removed. However, other countries have been slower to change the books name, with the title only changing in France this year. His remarks were quick to draw criticism from political foes. Beyond the debate on what we have the right to say or not. Will he [Mr Sarkozy] understand that the most annoying part of this sequence is the speed with which his brain associates the word monkey with the word n*****? Adrien Quatennens, a politician for the La France Insoumise party, wrote on Twitter. Olivier Faure, first secretary of the French Socialist Party, described Mr Sarkozys comments as racism without a mask. The former president was accused of appealing to racist sentiments in 2015 when he singled out two non-white ministers in a largely white government for accusations of incompetence. The then-ruling Socialist Party criticised Mr Sarkozy over his decision to target Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, a Franco-Moroccan education minister, and Christiane Taubira, a justice minister. Although Mr Sarkozy did not use explicitly racist language, Socialist Party leader Jean-Christophe Cambadelis said his criticism had a certain connotation. This attack is slightly xenophobic, I believe, Mr Cambadelis told RTL radio at the time. Sarkozy was elected as French president in 2007 but served just one term before being voted out in 2012. He has subsequently retired from public life and rarely makes media appearances. It was reported earlier this year that he is set to stand trial on corruption charges related to his presidential election campaign. Belarusian Leader Set to Visit Russia as Protests Continue KYIV, UkraineBelarusian authorities detained scores of demonstrators on Friday while seeking to end more than a month of protests against the countrys authoritarian president, who is set to visit Russia to help shore up his hold on power after 26 years in office. Protesters in Belarus have spent a month denouncing the results of the countrys Aug. 9 presidential election as rigged and demanding the resignation of President Alexander Lukashenko from the sixth term he won. Facing criticism from the West, Lukashenko has worked to cement ties with his main ally and sponsor, Russia. He is set to head to Russia on Monday for talks with President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Some expect Belarusian authorities to take tougher actions against protesters ahead of the meeting. At least nine protesters were detained on Friday outside a court in Belaruss capital, Minsk, as they rallied in solidarity with industrial workers defending their right to launch a strike. Police detained more protesters in the cities of Vitebsk, Gomel, and Baranovichi, according to the Viasna human rights center in Minsk. The threats and detentions come before the protests set for the weekend, the head of the center, Ales Bialitski, said. Lukashenko would very much like to show the Kremlin that the protests are abating and he controls the situation, but so far repressions have had the opposite effect. The post-election protests have attracted the biggest crowds on Sundays, when up to 200,000 people have flooded the streets of the capital. Another protest is set for this Sunday. Belarusian medical workers gesture during a rally in support of Maria Kolesnikova, and other members of the Coordination Council created by the opposition, in Minsk, Belarus, on Sept. 9, 2020. (AP Photo) After a brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in the initial days after the vote drew international outrage and swelled the opposition ranks, Belarusian authorities have sought to squelch the dissent by targeting top activists. Prosecutors have launched a criminal probe against top members of the Coordination Council created by the opposition to push for a new election, accusing them of undermining national security. All of the councils senior members except for Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich have been either jailed or forcibly expelled from the country. Unidentified people attempted, on Wednesday and again on Thursday evening, to enter Alexievichs apartment in Minsk, and diplomats from several European Union nations gathered there to prevent her detention. Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics on Friday posted on Twitter that he had a call with Alexievich and expressed Latvias full support to the Belarusian society in the strive for political rights and freedoms. A leading member of the opposition council, Maria Kolesnikova, remained in jail after resisting her forcible expulsion from Belarus on Tuesday. She alleged that officers of the nations state security agency abducted her and threatened to kill her and pushed for a criminal probe into their actions. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Belarusauthorities to refrain from the use of force against those engaging in peaceful assembly and to ensure that allegations of torture and other mistreatment of people in detention are fully investigated and addressed, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Friday. The United States and the European Union have criticized Belarus election as neither free nor fair, and urged Lukashenko to engage in talks with the opposition, which he has rejected. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said the United States, in coordination with the EU, would be announcing sanctions on Belarusian officials and possibly companies in a few short days. He noted that the U.S. Treasury could also revoke several general licenses that it has issued in recent years to allow certain transactions with Belarusian businesses. There is no legitimacy delivered to the ruler of Belarus by the Aug. 9 election, Biegun said in a conference call with reporters, adding that the level of violence against protesters is unbelievable. That behavior will not be treated with impunity by us or our European partners, he warned. Amid Western criticism, Lukashenko has increasingly reached out to Russia, which has a union agreement with Belarus envisaging close political, economic, and military ties. Putin has said he stands ready to send police to Belarus if protests turn violent, stoking fears that Moscow could move to annex its neighbor. In an interview with Russian television stations earlier this week, Lukashenko ruled out a full merger of Belarus and Russia but spoke in favor of closer integration. By Yuras Karmanau Japan to Develop New Missile Defence Plan After Abandoning Aegis Ashore Systems, Abe Says Sputnik News 10:47 GMT 11.09.2020 TOKYO (Sputnik) - The Japanese government will develop a new plan for its missile defence systems by the end of the current year, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday, in the wake of Tokyo's decision in June to abandon the deployment of two US-made Aegis Ashore systems. "In response to the escalating security situation near Japan, it is planned to develop a new program of action [for security]," Abe was quoted by the Kyodo News agency as saying. Japan's new security strategy will also be in keeping with Article 9 of the country's constitution, which Tokyo currently interprets as allowing a military for self-defence purposes. In late June, Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono announced that Tokyo had abandoned its plans to deploy two US-made Aegis Ashore land-based missile systems in the country. At the time, Kono cited cost and technical issues with the systems as motivating the decision to pull out of the deal. The Aegis Ashore systems were intended to bolster Japan's defence capability in relation to North Korea. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address (Natural News) If youre someone who still believes that special counsel Robert Muellers Russian collusion investigation was anything more than a deep state coup attempt against President Donald Trump, you need to disabuse yourself of that fiction because its a myth. But dont take our word for it; let the actions of Muellers own team of Hillary Clinton donor lawyers provide the evidence. At least 27 phones used by members of special counsel Robert Muellers team had all of their data wiped before an official could review the devices for records, according to documents released on Sept. 10 by the Department of Justice, The Epoch Times reported. Citing DoJ information, the outlet said that some of Muellers team claimed their phones were accidentally wiped, while others were reset after they oh-so-clumsily entered the wrong user password too many times. And gee, wouldnt you know it, a phone that belonged to assistant special counsel James Quarles wiped itself without intervention from him. Wow for a bunch of supposedly savvy, smart lawyers, they sure are a clumsy and forgetful bunch, arent they? But it gets better, as news outlet reports: Andrew Weissmann, a key figure in the 22-month investigation of alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, wiped his phone twice, once by accident and once by entering the wrong password too many times. Weissman is accustomed to being a scumbag, by the way. He is a long-time Democrat operative posing as a Justice Department lawyer, and he has a history with Mueller, serving as his special counsel when Mueller was FBI director during the George W. Bush administration. He also destroyed accounting firm Arthur Anderson and Enron, which cost 85,000 jobs in a court ruling that was overturned 9-0 by the U.S. Supreme Court. In any event, the government losing data has become something of a regular occurrence in the age of President Trump; recall how, with all of its technology, the government somehow couldnt find 30,000 emails Hillary Clinton lost (deleted) that just happened to have been under subpoena by Congress at the time. Imagine that. The documents released on Thursday include a log of reviews for records on the iPhones used by the special counsel employees. The log shows 33 instances in which employees wiped their phones. At least two of the phones were wiped more than once, suggesting that at least 27 and as many as 31 phones were wiped, The Epoch Times reported. In the tranche of documents released is a spreadsheet that details review records for more than 130 phones in all that were used by members of Muellers office during his nearly two-year witch hunt, which did result in a number of indictments just none of them having anything at all to do with Russian collusion (because that was a hoax). The spreadsheet notes that seven of the phones were accidentally wiped while 11 others were wiped because the highly educated people using them somehow forget their passwords. The others were wiped without any particular reason listed. (Related: Its time to end the illegal Mueller investigation and ARREST Robert Mueller for committing multiple felony crimes.) The wiping of so many phones by attorneys and investigators working 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, The Epoch Times reported. Well, itll raise questions among Americans and media outlets still concerned about the truth, thats for sure. But that list wont include anyone from the Washington establishment media. If youre not doing anything wrong and youre acting within the limits of the law, then you dont have anything to hide to say nothing of the fact that getting rid of evidence like this is a breach of statutes requiring government officials to preserve official data and information. So, given that, what are we to think now about these acts of sedition? Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com NaturalNews.com Walter Cronkite said on receiving a global-governance award in 1999: I am in a position to speak my mind. And that is what I propose to do. Today, those who attend the journalism school named after the famed broadcaster are not so lucky. The spread of cancel culture in newsrooms declaring people henceforth canceled from society owing to ideological disagreements is nothing new. Look no further than the hysterical reaction to Senator Tom Cottons New York Times op-ed urging government to use its authorities under the Insurrection Act to restore order to our streets amid riots and looting. Newsroom activists flooded Twitter, objecting to its publication. The opinion editor was forced out. And the Times attached a note at the top of the op-ed (nearly 40 percent as long as the piece itself) apologizing for daring to publish the opinion of a sitting U.S. senator. It was entertaining that Cottons tame commentary provoked such a disproportionate meltdown from those who consider themselves serious journalists. But that this scourge is seeping into local campus newsrooms is deeply worrisome and seep it has. The first sign of cancel culture bubbling up at Arizona State Universitys Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication involved Sonya Duhe, whom the university named dean this spring. Her tenure was cut short almost instantly after she published a tweet praying for the good police officers who keep us safe. The protest-allied campus revolted against the incoming deans racist tweet and provoked a former student to accuse Duhe of committing four years of microaggressions against her. Other students would come forward to allege that she had made similar microaggressive comments to them. It wasnt one week before the Cronkite School revoked its offer and pledged to be more inclusive moving forward. Things have only gotten worse and, now that administrators have gotten used to the sweet taste of cancel culture, it appears that student journalists themselves are on the dinner plate. Story continues When Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS, published a poll following a May looting spree in Scottsdale, progressive students complained that the polls language was too friendly toward police officers so Cronkite News folded to the pressure. It deleted the poll and apologized for causing divisiveness: It was not our intention to downplay the actions of law enforcement. When a second young journalist published a Q&A with a former police officer in June, students complained that this exchange also was too friendly. Once again, Cronkite News folded to the pressure. It wiped the Q&A offline and replaced it with an apologetic note pledging to better serve and represent our communities, especially the black community and other communities of color. The list goes on. The most recent cancel target is RaeLee Klein, a young journalist at the Cronkite Schools Blaze Radio. After the police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., Klein, on her personal Twitter account, linked to a New York Post investigation and wrote: Please read this article to get the background of Jacob Blakes warrant. Youll be quite disgusted. Progressive students were apoplectic. The board voted to remove her as station manager, threatened to resign if she did not, and released a statement from Blaze Radio alumni condemning her for trying to dehumanize and insinuate blame on the victims of police violence. Luckily, Klein has refused to resign or succumb to this cancel culture flare-up, explaining on-air her decision to push back against a situation where our opinions and our beliefs are held against us or [are] characteristic of our ability to lead. While she plants her feet, other young journalists at ASU understandably are reaching for the escape hatch. In August, two such undergraduates founded The Western Tribune, an independent student journalism website, as a home to the oft unheard voices of our generation. They wont be the last. These campus newsrooms are a means for tomorrows leaders to write down, or say out loud, the opinions theyve been keeping in their minds and to see if those ideas stand up to the scrutiny of the real world. These young ideas rarely do and the invaluable lesson that students glean from that realization will be lost forever if administrators cut them off at the knees by continuing to appease oversensitive cry-bullies whose antics threaten these vital sandboxes. If things continue as they do, soon there will be no conservatives left to cancel, and progressive journalists will only be left to cancel themselves like a scorpion stinging itself to death. And thats the way it will be. More from National Review Geneva, 12 September 2020 (SPS) - The Polisario Front declared on Thursday in Geneva that the referendum on self-determination in occupied Western Sahara was urgently needed, calling on the UN General Assembly to set a date for the holding of this vote, which has so far been adjourned. "Any delay in the implementation of the settlement plan, UN/OUA to allow the Sahrawi people to exercise its inalienable right to self-determination and independence will only complicate the situation on the ground and risk destabilizing the region," the Polisario Front warned in a Memorandum signed by its representative in Switzerland, Omaima Abdesalam. "It is therefore imperative that the UN General Assembly sets a date for the holding of the self-determination referendum in accordance with the United Nations Charter on decolonization", insisted the Sahrawi diplomat. Since its invasion of Western Sahara in 1975, Morocco has acted in defiance of the Charter of the United Nations, the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the fundamental principles of international law, as well as the opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which had ruled the same year that Rabat had no sovereign over the territory of Western Sahara, recalled the Sahrawi Representation. Therefore, the United Nations and its members are called upon to take the necessary decisions and measures, individually and collectively, to compel Morocco to end its illegal occupation of Western Sahara. Moreover, the Memorandum noted, "Morocco is not prepared to choose the peaceful and democratic path in the settlement of the Sahrawi question". Since the resignation of the former Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Horst Kohler, in May 2019, "the Security Council has done nothing to reactivate the peace process in Western Sahara", regretted the Polisario Front's Representation. As a result, "the delay in appointing a new Personal Envoy only aggravates the state of paralysis", noted the document. The Saharawi Representation also reports massive violations of human rights in the occupied Saharawi territories. Saharawi civilians are constantly subjected to arbitrary arrests, torture, illegal detentions, extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances, and this, without international control, because of the strict media blackout and military blockade imposed by Morocco on the occupied Sahrawi territories." Despite repeated appeals from international human rights defenders and the Sahrawi people, the Security Council has not authorized MINURSO to monitor human rights violations in Western Sahara, the Representation is deplored. The Polisario Front also mentioned the other sad facet of the Moroccan occupation, namely, the persistent exploitation and plundering of Sahrawi natural resources in violation of international law, as confirmed in 2016 by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) which concluded that Western Sahara and Morocco are two "distinct and separate" territories. (SPS) 062/SPS/T Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alya Nurbaiti, Ramadani Saputra and Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 12 2020 Doctors have asked the general 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. 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 At that time, a girl and two other boys between the ages of 2 and 5 were all removed from their home in the 500 block of South California Avenue and taken to Stroger Hospital for treatment of malnutrition, bruises, scarring and welts, police said. Police said the family had no prior history with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. TRENTON Guess were not half-baked and fake news anymore. In a shocking turn of events, Mayor Reed Gusciora who has had his own fits and starts with this city tabloid seconded The Trentonians request for AG Gurbir Grewal to investigate city councils apparent violations of the Open Public Meetings Act. Please note that I wholeheartedly agree with [the newspapers] legal reasoning and feel equally that this matter warrants an investigation by your office, Gusciora wrote to the AGs office Friday. The mayor fired off his own screed a day after The Trentonian wrote to Grewal asking him to investigate councils repeated violations of the state Sunshine Law. During its Sept. 3 meeting, the council allowed John Liu, president of Elite Spiders LLC, to give a pitch about buying the historic Roebling Wire Works building for $200,000 to turn into a PPE manufacturing plant. The mayor asked the states top cop to look into who invited Liu to present to council in closed session and whether he was promised anything in exchange for the meeting. When the newspaper asked council president Kathy McBride who Liu was in contact with on council, she said it was neither here nor there. The administration told Liu the Wire Works building was not for sale and tried steering him toward available properties in Trenton, including Roebling Block II, the site of the failed Princetel deal. Although no action was taken, the $200,000 considered price falls well below any such appraised value for the building. Moreover, this unprecedented invitation for a private person to participate in Councils Executive Session, when no other public persons were allowed access, falls to the expected transparency mandated by OPMA, Gusciora wrote. Legislators also voted during the closed-session to issue Rice disciplinary notices to city employees a move the mayor suggested may have been improper. Guscioras backing of The Trentonian politically expedient given his constant clash with legislators and his administrations prior fights to keep secret police body camera footage was interesting given his fraught history with the tabloid that he once derided as fake news. The mayors skirmishes with The Trentonian include: accusing a reporter of laughing at his response to the citys gun violence in 2020; blowing a gasket when questioned about mayoral aide Andrew Bobbitts role in his administration; and his chief of staff name-dropping a Trentonian reporter as a possible suspect in a break-in that never occurred. Now here he was, enclosing a Trentonian editorial supporting his second-hated enemys push for an AG-led investigation into council. Whats that saying? The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Advocate Prashant Bhushan approached the Supreme Court on Saturday praying that an additional legal remedy should be provided in those cases where people are convicted by the Supreme Court in original criminal contempt cases. Original criminal contempt cases are those which are heard directly by the Supreme Court in the first instance. In such cases, if a person is convicted, he or she is left with no further remedy as the Supreme Court is the highest court in the country. Bhushan has prayed that in such a case, the convicted person should be afforded the right to an intra-court appeal, i.e. a larger bench of the Supreme Court, different from the bench which convicted the concerned person, should hear an appeal against such conviction. Also read: Judges are now soft targets with advent of social media - Justice Ramana The right to appeal against conviction in original criminal cases is a substantive right under Article 21 and flows from principles of natural justice. The absence of such a right thus violates (right to life under) Article 21, the plea stated. Moreover, contempt proceedings are one wherein the injured party is the Supreme Court itself and it acts as the prosecutor, the witness and the judge, thereby raising fear of inherent bias. Thus, there is a need for intra-court appeal, the petition said. If an intra-court appeal cannot be allowed, then as an alternative, review petitions filed against orders of conviction by Supreme Court in original criminal contempt cases would be heard in open court by a different bench, Bhushan prayed. Also read: Asking questions from govt constitutional right - Chirag Paswan demands Presidents rule in Maharashtra The Supreme Court had recently held Bhushan guilty of criminal contempt for his tweets criticising the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India, SA Bobde. The court had on August 31 imposed a token fine of Rs 1 as punishment for the same. Another contempt case, initiated by the top court in 2009 for his remarks that past Chief Justices of India were corrupt, is also pending before the apex court. Prime Minister Jean Castex has called on the French to act responsibly to limit the spread of Covid-19, after two days in a row of over 9,000 new infections. With 42 departments now in the "red zone", the premier said local officials would have enhanced powers to impose harsher restrictions if necessary, but again ruled out another nationwide lockdown. Castex repeated his appeal for people to respect basic measures such as regular hand-washing to stop the spread of the coronavirus, also reiterated the need for face masks and maintaining social distances. "The virus is here to stay for a few more months," said Castex. "We have to live with it without going into a lockdown." The first nationwide lockdown lasted between March and June as France fought to stem the spread of the illness which has claimed nearly 31,000 lives in the country and nearly one million worldwide. The restrictions in France were eased gradually as the government tried to assist the summer tourist industry and reboot the economy. Castex said that 42 of France's 102 mainland and foreign departments were now classified as high-risk "red zones" 14 more than at the beginning of the week. Health authorities on Thursday registered 9,843 new cases in 24 hours - rates unseen since the start of the pandemic. Self-isolation reduced, priority test result Castex, 55, made his 10-minute address from outside his offices at the Matignon in Paris where he has been in isolation after spending last Saturday in the Pyrenees in the company of Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme who subsequently tested positive for coronavirus. The prime minister, who cut the isolation time for those who had tested positive from 14 to seven days, hailed laboratories for conducting one million tests a week. "That's a good sign and good news," he said. "But waiting to get a test takes too long. Waiting isn't serious if it's not urgent," he added. "But it's more of a problem if you are a priority and showing symptoms of coronavirus and you're working in a hospital or a care home." He said measures would be implemented to ensure that frontline health workers jumped to the head of the queue for tests. "I call on all of us to show a sense of responsibility and for a few months more show proof of our civic responsibilities in a difficult times." OTTAWAPro-gun activists marched in Ottawa on Saturday to contest what they describe as the injustice and ineffectiveness of the federal governments assault weapon ban. The Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights is behind the outdoor event on Parliament Hill, dubbed an integrity march, to advocate for the rights of its members. The organization, which did not respond to a request for comment, said on its website the event was aimed at showing Canadians that gun owners are your friends, colleagues and neighbours. In a post on its Facebook page, the group chided the federal government for its ineffective and expensive gun ban, saying Canadians dont support it. The Parliamentary Protective Service said roughly 800 people attended the event. In May, the Liberal government announced it would be banning a range of 1,500 types of assault-style weapons, which it says were designed for the battlefield not hunting or sport shooting. Nathalie Provost, a survivor of the Polytechnique massacre and a spokesperson for gun control group PolySeSouvient, said the objective of the federal government was not to penalize everyday citizens who take part in activities like hunting, for example. A hunter has the right to hunt. My family has hunters theres no problem, Provost said. What worries us the most is there is little gun control. Provost said she believes pro-gun activists are organizing the march because they are worried. They are worried about losing a privilege, she said. I think they are very worried and they realize many Canadians want those weapons removed from the market. The Trudeau government announced in May that the newly prohibited weapons could no longer be legally used, sold, or imported. The government is in the process of setting up a buyback program to take the guns out of circulation, issuing a tender last month for 15 companies to come up with a range of options and approaches to inform the design and implementation/management of a potential buyback program for the recently prohibited firearms. Gun control advocates say the proposed buyback must be mandatory in order to effectively reduce gun violence. The tap that allowed the entry of new assault weapons is closed, but there are still quite a few in the pool, Provost said. Provost wants these types of weapons to disappear completely from the Canadian landscape. The worst horror scene of my life it didnt last very long, but it killed six people. And (for) me, its four bullets in my body, she said. Its maddening the speed at which these weapons destroy. For its part, the CCFR has challenged the constitutionality of the Trudeau governments ministerial order in Federal Court. It argues in its challenge that the banned rifles are weapons intended for hunting and sport shooting, since that is how their owners have used them for decades. The group argues that the new regulations, enacted by ministerial decree, are illegal and go beyond the scope of the powers conferred on the federal cabinet. A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Bill Blair defended the legality of the order, saying it came after months of public consultation. The use of an Order-in-Council is exactly the process the law provides for when it comes to classifying firearms, Mary-Liz Power said in an email. The Conservative Party, under Stephen Harper, used orders in council to downgrade the classification of several dangerous weapons just before the 2015 election without any public consultation. Read more about: Boris Johnson urged the EU to 'take their threats off the table' in a Tweet. Photo: Stefan Rousseau- WPA Pool/Getty Images Prime Minister Boris Johnson made moves to set out the UKs position in upcoming negotiations with the European Union on Saturday, Tweeting that the bloc should take their threats off the table. And lets get this Bill through, back up our negotiators, and protect our country, the Tweet continued. The UK and EU have been locked in a tussle over more controversial elements of the Internal Market Bill, which is due to be debated in parliament for the first time on Monday. Lets make the EU take their threats off the table. And lets get this Bill through, back up our negotiators, and protect our country https://t.co/7AXOO361js Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) September 12, 2020 Informal talks with the EU resume on Monday, with a ninth official round of talks kicking in Brussels on the 28 September. And with less than five weeks before Johnsons 15 October deadline - after which he says he is prepared to "walk away, heres what you need to know ahead of talks next week: The Ireland issue The bill looks at the Northern Ireland Protocol part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement designed to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Originally, the UK agreed it would follow EU state aid law for all matters that affected goods trade, yet now that is being brought into contention. Officials have argued that depending on its interpretation, article 10 of the protocol could give the EU power over state aid to UK companies operating outside of Northern Ireland. A Conservative MP has proposed an amendment to the bill which would affect trade between Britain and Northern Ireland. The EU has threatened legal action over the bill, which ministers have said will break international law in a "specific and limited way." The European Parliament threatened to take any UK-EU trade deal off the table if it becomes UK law. Story continues Johnsons take Meanwhile, Johnson has said the bill is designed to protect the countrys integrity. Among other things, with the EU stepping up planning for talks on trade to end without a deal, Johnson has accused its negotiators of threatening to impose a food blockade between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland. A comment piece by Johnson published in The Telegraph on Saturday said: If both sides want it, there is a great free trade deal there to be done. So I have become anxious in the last few weeks to discover that there is an obstacle. He said there might be a "serious misunderstanding" between the UK and EU over the Withdrawal Agreement. He said the UK must be protected from the EUs moves to "carve up our country" and "endanger peace and stability in Northern Ireland." The piece argues for a Canada-style agreement between the EU and the UK. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove echoed the Prime Ministers sentiments on BBC Radio 4s Today Programme, saying blocking food transportation under a third-country listing would be irrational. He argued the attorney general had said the government was acting within the rule of law, insisting the government was being "proportionate and generous" in its approach to the EU talks. Opposition Aside from the threat of a legal challenge from the EU itself, a slew of backbench MPs have voiced opposition to the bill. The Prime Minister attempted to rally the support of his MPs on Friday in a Zoom call some have called chaotic. Despite a majority of 80 MPs in parliament, discontent is brewing, with Johnson facing a possible revolt. "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," backbencher Robert Neill told Channel 4 News. Even if the bill passes smoothly through the House of Commons, it may struggle to get through the House of Lords afterwards, peers have warned. Brexit backing former Conservative Party leader Lord Howard of Lympne, told Sky he would be "very surprised" if it was passed. He said there is "no mandate from the British people to break treaties." A teenager on trial charged with murder told gardai that he was panicking and trying to break up a fight when he stabbed the 18-year-old deceased during a melee in a Dublin park, the Central Criminal Court has heard. The 17-year-old accused, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, said in a voluntary statement at a garda station that the deceased, Azzam Raguragui, "started the whole thing". He told gardai that he didn't know why he brought a knife with him and said he never intended to use it. He said the deceased ran at him and he took the first thing he could find in his pocket to "scare him [Azzam] off". "I didn't intend to kill him at all," he added. The accused pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to the murder of Mr Raguragui on May 10, 2019 at Finsbury Park, Dundrum, Dublin 14. Detective Sergeant John White told the prosecution that the accused gave a voluntary statement one day after Mr Raguragui's death. He agreed the accused told gardai that he doesn't smoke, drink or do drugs. He detailed his movements on the afternoon of the stabbing, saying he met up with friends and went to Finsbury Park in Dundrum. When they arrived, he said, they could see a large group of "lads" at the other end of the park. He recognised some of them and said hello. "All was fine and friendly," he said, but Mr Raguragui said there was a problem with another of the accused's friends. When that friend arrived, the accused told gardai, Mr Raguragui spoke with him and they walked together away from the group, but then two of Mr Raguragui's friends walked up behind and hit the accused's friend. He said three of them "jumped on him and started punching and kicking him and he fell to the ground". "We ran to break it up but they then started on us. They were a lot bigger and stronger than us," he added. He said he was frightened and tried to pull members of the other group off his friends but "it was pointless because of their size". After Mr Raguragui ran at him, the accused said he grabbed "the first thing in my jacket to smack him with, which was a knife that was in my jacket from earlier in the day". He said he had no intention of using the knife but he hit Mr Raguragui with it. He hit him two or three times, he told gardai. Following the stabbing he remembered Mr Raguragui running away while the accused ran after him "to keep him running away as he was the ringleader". He further recalled Mr Raguragui shouting at him: "Remember my face, remember my face." The accused then ran away and said that as he looked back he could see blood on Mr Raguragui's hands. He was frightened, he said, and threw the knife away. Scare He further told gardai that he "was only trying to break the fight up as [his friend] was getting beaten up. We were all a lot smaller. I panicked thinking I would be next on the ground getting beaten up". He said he wanted to scare Mr Raguragui off. "Azzam started the whole thing and then went for me. I just panicked," he said. He told gardai he had never used a knife before on anyone. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I was afraid they would really hurt us," he added. He said he was sorry it had happened and sorry for Mr Raguragui's family. He later led gardai to where he had thrown the knife. Earlier, the jury watched CCTV footage of the movements of the two groups of teens before and after the fight. Det-Gda Steven Dunican said he had condensed 100 hours of footage into a montage. The trial continues. Results for the second phase of Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains conducted earlier this month was announced late last night. Mumbais Swayam Shashank Chube topped the score with 100 percentile along with 24 students from across the country. Among girl candidates, Nagpur resident Indrayani Tayade topped Maharashtra with a score of 99.97 percentile. Swayam has been very focused on his preparation for the JEE exams, and would spend four to five hours studying over his classes, said Dr Shashank Chube, father. Swayams parents are doctors and his father has a clinic in Lower Parel. For the past two years, the Chubes, while originally residents of Dadar, had temporarily shifted base to Marol, Andheri, to ensure their son saved travel time to and from classes. Now, his focus is to ace JEE Advanced exam and then opt for a seat and course of his choice in an IIT, added the father. While Telangana bagged maximum 100 percentile scorers with 8 toppers, Delhi is at the second spot with 5 of the 100 percentile scorers followed by Rajasthan (4), Andhra Pradesh (3), Haryana (2 ) and one candidate each from Gujarat and Maharashtra. After a delay of more than four months due to the nation-wide lockdown and increasing Covid-19 cases, the National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the second phase of JEE Mains exams in batches between September 1 and 6. All safety protocols were followed across 232 cities and 660 exam centres, said the official NTA press statement. While students were allowed to challenge any questions between September 8 and 10, the final answer key was released by NTA around 11.30pm Friday. By 12.30am, students could check their individual scores on the NTA website. Since 2019, JEE Mains is conducted in two phases--January and April. The April exam was conducted in September this year. While 8.41 lakh candidates had registered for the April/September exam, only 6.35 lakh students appeared for the exam held earlier this month, which included 4.8 lakh students who had appeared for the exam in the January session as well. As per our rules, for those candidates who appeared for both the January and April/September examinations, their better of the two scores have been accounted for, said the official statement of NTA. The top 2.50 lakh candidates of the JEE Mains examination will now be eligible to appear for the JEE Advanced exam on September 27. JEE Advanced is the one-stop entry to the premier Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). IIT Delhi will act as the exam conducting authority for JEE Advanced this year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Beijing Sat, September 12, 2020 09:09 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c445e8df 2 World China,cyberattacks,election,presidential-election,Microsoft Free Beijing on Friday denied trying to meddle in US presidential election after American tech giant Microsoft said it had parried cyberattacks from overseas groups -- including from China -- against both the Republican and Democratic campaigns. Microsoft warned it had detected attempts at election interference from overseas, including Russia, Iran and the China-based "Zirconium", which targeted people linked to Democratic candidate Joe Biden's campaign. But China batted away the allegation, accusing Microsoft of "fabrication" and "creating trouble". "The US presidential election is the 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." China and the United States are trapped in a sprawling power struggle reaching into trade, the origins of the coronavirus, defense ambitions and tech security. Washington has called out Chinese tech firms -- from Huawei to TikTok -- as state actors working for the Communist Party of China, claims Beijing and the companies vehemently deny. Zhao returned fire on Friday, warning that the world should instead be on "high alert" for American tech companies "installing back doors" and harvesting personal data for security services. With the US presidential election two months away, Twitter, Google and Facebook have all said they are reinforcing protections to curb the spread of misinformation. (CNN) This asteroid has been full of surprises since a NASA spacecraft arrived to orbit it in December 2018. Bennu is a near-Earth asteroid that is currently being orbited by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission. And in October, the spacecraft will play "tag" the asteroid, collect samples from the surface and return them to Earth by 2023. While many asteroids seem dull and lifeless, this one is surprisingly active. And it may not be alone. The spacecraft's first detailed images revealed that Bennu is a rubble-pile asteroid shaped like a spinning top and covered with boulders, not at all the smooth asteroid they expected. Rubble-pile asteroids are literally piles of rocks held together by gravity. Shortly after the arrival of OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security -- Regolith Explorer) at Bennu, the spacecraft's cameras captured something else unexpected. The asteroid was releasing small plumes of material into space -- mainly little pebbles, and on a regular basis. "We thought that Bennu's boulder-covered surface was the wild card discovery at the asteroid, but these particle events definitely surprised us," said Dante Lauretta, the OSIRIS-REx principal investigator and a professor at the University of Arizona, in a statement. "We've spent the last year investigating Bennu's active surface, and it's provided us with a remarkable opportunity to expand our knowledge of how active asteroids behave." This week, a suite of studies detailing Bennu's particle ejections published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. At first, researchers didn't realize that Bennu was launching little pebbles into space. But Carl Hergenrother, the mission's lead astronomer and University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory scientist, took a closer look at the images captured by OSIRIS-REx. They were taken just days after the spacecraft arrived for its first up-close rendezvous with the asteroid. OSIRIS-REx used stars to help it reach the asteroid after launching in 2016. Its navigation camera images stars in the background, which are compared with star charts to keep it on track. Hergenrother was analyzing images sent back by the spacecraft when he realized the asteroid was surrounded by too many stars. "I was looking at the star patterns in these images and thought, 'huh, I don't remember that star cluster,'" Hergenrother, also an author on the study collection, said in a statement. "I only noticed it because there were 200 dots of light where there should be about 10 stars. Other than that, it looked to be just a dense part of the sky." It turned out that they weren't stars at all. Those dots of light represented clouds of particles ejected from the surface of the asteroid. Bennu's oddities Since OSIRIS-REx began observing Bennu's unusual behavior, the spacecraft has witnessed more than 300 of these particle ejection events. But they're not all the same. Sometimes, the particles are ejected with enough force to escape into space. Others orbit around the asteroid briefly. And many of the particles fall back onto the asteroid. Much of this activity happens during a two-hour afternoon to evening time period on the asteroid. These events have been witnessed by the spacecraft's "eyes," or the navigation camera suite that keeps a lookout for runaway particles around Bennu. The observations helped scientists realize that Bennu sheds material regularly. But these particles, the largest of which are about 2 inches in diameter, don't pose a threat to the spacecraft. Bennu's weak gravity means that the particles are moving in slow motion compared to the spacecraft. "Space is so empty that even when the asteroid is throwing off hundreds of particles, as we have seen in some events, the chances of one of those hitting the spacecraft is extremely small," Hergenrother said. "And even if that were to happen, the vast majority of them are not fast or large enough to cause damage." Between January and September 2019, scientists studied about 668 particles that popped off of Bennu. They measured between 0.2 and 0.4 inches and only moved about 8 inches per second, or the equivalent of a beetle moving over the ground. The fastest reached 9.8 feet per second, but there was only one instance of this. This averaged out to one or two particles being ejected from the asteroid each day, with the majority of them returning to the asteroid. This means Bennu isn't losing much mass. "To give you an idea, all of those 200 particles we observed during the first event after arrival would fit on a 4-inch x 4-inch tile," he said. "The fact that we can even see them is a testament to the capabilities of our cameras." What causes it? To understand the cause behind these particle dust-ups, scientists investigated the possible release of water vapor on the asteroid, impacts by tiny meteoroids or rocks cracking on the surface. Bennu completes a rotation every 4.3 hours, which constantly exposes boulders on the asteroid to day heating and night cooling. This would cause the rocks to crack and break down over time, flinging their particles out into space. It's also possible that small rocks like meteoroids are striking the asteroid in the afternoon, which would kick material on the asteroid out into space. Given the fact that the most activity was seen during the afternoon when the rocks are experiencing heating suggests either or both of these are strong possibilities. Based on the gravity of the asteroid, it doesn't take much to disturb its surface. However, more observations are needed to know for sure. But the particles revealed information about the asteroid's gravity that the spacecraft would only know if it got too close -- dangerously close -- to the asteroid. "The particles were an unexpected gift for gravity science at Bennu since they allowed us to see tiny variations in the asteroid's gravity field that we would not have known about otherwise," said Steve Chesley, lead author of one of the studies and senior research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, in a statement. By tracking the trajectories of the particles, the scientists noticed that some remained suspended around the asteroid for a few hours before landing again, while others are now orbiting the sun on their own. The researchers also witnessed interesting events like one particle that orbited the asteroid for as long as a week, and others that ricocheted back into space after they hit the surface again. "One particle came down, hit a boulder and went back into orbit," Hergenrother said. "If Bennu has this kind of activity, then there is a good chance all asteroids do, and that is really exciting." These findings have suggested why it's so important to send a spacecraft to study an asteroid, which is revealing that these celestial bodies can be dynamic, active and entirely unexpected. This story was first published on CNN.com, "This asteroid is ejecting particles into space. A spacecraft may tell us why." With the signing of the pact, the Quad grouping of India, Japan, Australia and the US is set to gain more heft now, notes Dr Rajaram Panda. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi with then Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo in Osaka, June 27, 2019. Photograph: Kiyoshi Ota/Reuters With an eye firmly on China's expansionist behaviour in the Indo-Pacific and beyond, India and Japan signed a Mutual Logistic Support Arrangement as Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo held their annual summit in a unique fashion over the telephone and decided to conclude the much anticipated pact. At a press conference on August 28, Abe announced his decision to demit office on health grounds. However, this did not deter him to go ahead with the leadership level dialogue as scheduled on September 10. The pact was signed by Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Japanese Ambassador Suzuki Satoshi in New Delhi on September 10. India has signed similar agreements with the US, France, South Korea, Singapore and Australia. The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) inked with the US in 2016 gives India refuelling facilities and access to American bases in Djibouti, Diego Garcia, Guam and Subic Bay. With the six countries with whom India has such agreements, India can now support each other's warships and aircraft as well as boost defence ties. Such a move shall enhance India's strategic reach in the Indian Ocean and can counter China's expanding footprint across the Indo-Pacific. IMAGE: Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Japan's Ambassador to India Satoshi Suzuki sign the agreement on Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the armed forces of India and Japan's self defence forces. Photograph: ANI Photo The India-Japan relationship has assumed a multi-dimensional perspective in recent times in the wake of geopolitical changes in the region, demanding a unified response to the threats perceptions stemming from such changes. During Abe's long tenure at the helm, India-Japan ties scaled new heights as convergence of interests on a host of issues provided a stronger spine to bilateral ties. Apart from defence and security cooperation, cultural and economic ties also deepened. The deepening of defence ties in recent years is in response to China's growing weight across the region. The India-Japan MLSA agreement will enhance the inter-operability between the armed forces of both countries. The agreement will provide their militaries access to each other's bases for supplies and services. The significance of the pact cannot be missed as it comes amid tensions with China along the Line of Actual Control and Beijing's aggressive behaviour across the Indo-Pacific region. The agreement will facilitate the smooth provision of supplies and services between the forces on the ground, thereby contributing further to global peace and security. During their telephone conversation, Modi and Abe concurred on a wide range of topics such as security, the economy and economic cooperation including the high-speed rail project where both countries can work together closely. Indeed, Abe has been a pillar of strength for India's Look East and Act East Policy, someone who developed a close bonhomie with Modi and his predecessor Dr Manmohan Singh. IMAGE: Indian Navy ships conduct a passage exercise with the USS Nimitz, the US navy's aircraft carrier, in the Indian Ocean amid the border stand-off with China. Abe's speech in Parliament in August 2007 during his first term wherein he proposed the Indo-Pacific construct and partnership across the region based on the confluence of two seas and ushered in the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor with India as a key partner amid Beijings BRI and Maritime Silk Route initiatives still reverberate in Indian minds. The subsequent quadrilateral concept including India, Japan, Australia and the US originally floated by Abe in 2007 and now reactivated has gained currency bearing Abe's footprint. The Malabar exercise between the navies of India, Japan, Australia and the US confirms to this assertion. In recent times, bilateral, trilateral and quadrilateral naval exercises between the countries in the Indo-Pacific have been taking place with regularity. The main objective is to send a message to China as it tries to unilaterally change the established regional order by trying to impose its will to the detriment of the interests of other nations in the region. China's rise coincides with the relative decline in American power. It is further aggravated by United States President Donald J Trump's inward-looking policies that seeks to correct the trade deficit with China. Such a stance has given rise to a trade war between the two largest economies in the world with ripple effect across the globe. This has not deterred China from pursuing its assertiveness on a host of regional issues, even though many countries in Asia like India, Japan, South Korea and also in Europe such as France and Germany are looking to shift their production bases from China either back to their home countries or other countries. The suspicion over information on the coronavirus released to the world by China is another trigger, leading to mistrust. This does not suggest that the US has abdicated its responsibility as a security provider to its allies in Asia. On the contrary, it has deepened security ties with a view to reassure allies and friends in the wake of perceived threat from China. IMAGE: US President Donald J Trump with Modi and Abe during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, June 28, 2019. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters India and the US signed the bilateral Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Association (LEMOA), the first of three foundational agreements proposed by Washington to deepen bilateral military cooperation between the two countries in August 2016. This logistics support pact with the US helps naval ties between the two countries. Following the signing of the LEMOA, a significant number of at sea replenishments have taken place between the Indian and US navies. Indian and US warships are being refuelled regularly by each other's tankers at sea, easing logistical constraints under the LEMOA legal framework. For example, an Indian warship deployed in the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy patrols was refuelled by a US tanker. All issues relating to cash payment or the reciprocal provision of logistics support were straightened out. Similarly, the amphibious transport dock, the USS Anchorage, with the Marine Expeditionary Unit that arrived in Visakhapatnam on December 22, 2018 for a four-day port visit was provided supplies and services under the LEMOA framework. At a time when China-US ties have nosedived, those between India and the US have grown. The full scope of the LEMOA enables the navies of the two countries in terms of reciprocal provision of logistics support, supplies and services. The pact served as a template for similar arrangements with other countries with whom India subsequently entered into such pacts. After tough negotiations, India and the US also signed the Communication Compatibility and Security Agreement (Comcasa), valid for 10 years. Comcasa aims to provide a legal framework for the transfer of highly sensitive communication security equipment from the US to India that will streamline and facilitate inter-operability between their armed forces. This effectively means opening up India's military communications network to the US military. Both nations are also exploring to sign the third foundational agreement, the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), to share geospatial intelligence. Negotiations on the military pact between India and Japan, on the 'reciprocal provision of supplies and services' between the armed forces of the two countries signed on September 10, 2020 had commenced in October 2018. With the signing of the pact, it is hoped that the 10-year agreement, to be extended automatically every decade unless one side decides to terminate it, will contribute to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific. With this, the Quad grouping of India, Japan, Australia and the US is set to gain more heft now, complimenting Chief of Defence staff General Bipin Rawat's remarks about the Quad as a 'good mechanism' to ensure freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific. An optimistic view on the churning of the geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific in the wake of the perceived Chinese threat would be that these pacts with six countries shall have a stabilising effect and dispel any alarmist perspective of a potential conflict. Dr Rajaram Panda was formerly Senior Fellow at the IDSA, New Delhi. Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com Ferozepur, Sep 12 : The Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday seized a cache of arms and ammunition from the Abohar sector in Punjab near the Indo-Pak border. The 124th Battalion of the BSF seized three AK-47 rifles, six round magazines, 91 round 7.62 mm ammunition, two M-16 rifles, four M-16 rifle magazines, 57 rounds 5.56 mm ammunition, two made in China pistols, four pistol magazines and 20 rounds 7.63 mm ammunition. BSF said its vigilant troops once again thwarted the attempt of anti-national elements to push the consignment of contraband items into India. The BSF in Punjab frontier has so far this year seized 394.742 kg heroin , arrested 77 who crossed Indian border, 10 Pakistan intruders, 32 (including Saturday's seizure) different kind of weapons, 57 different magazines (including Saturday's seizure), 650 rouns ammunition of various calibres, six Pakistan mobile phones and 10 Pakistan sim cards. The 2.65 lakh personnel strong force is mandated to guard India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders. New York: As US marked the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attack on Friday, New York City was seen shining in the twin beams of blue as a tribute to those killed in the terror attack which occurred in the year 2001. 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. On its 19th anniversary which was held during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum said on Twitter, ''NYC shines in blue on the 19th anniversary of 9/11. #TributeinLight's twin beams remind us of our loss and the blue lights shining from the facades and spires of buildings like @OneWTC and the @EmpireStateBldg remind us of our solidarity and strength together. #Honor911.'' 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. 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. 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 victims killed in the single-most deadliest assault on US 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 whileTrump began the day in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where passengers crashed a hijacked plane believed to have been headed to the US Capitol or White House. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani attend the signing of a US-Taliban agreement in the Qatari capital Doha on February 29, 2020. - Washington and the Taliban are set to sign a landmark deal in Doha that would see them agree to the withdrawal of thousands of US troops from Afghanistan in return for insurgent guarantees. The opening ceremony for talks between the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents began in Qatar's capital Doha on Saturday, marking the start of negotiations aimed at ending two decades of war that has killed tens of thousands of combatants and civilians. The 19-year conflict is also the United States' longest overseas military action, vexing three successive presidents. The ceremony began at 9 a.m. (0600 GMT) with a recitation from the Koran, followed by opening comments by Qatar's foreign minister. Major players in the process, including Afghanistan's peace council chairman Abdullah Abdullah and Taliban leader Mullah Baradar Akhund, and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are also scheduled to speak. Officials, diplomats and analysts say that although getting both sides to the negotiating table was an achievement, this does not mean the path to peace will be easy. "The negotiations will have to tackle a range of profound questions about the kind of country Afghans want," Deborah Lyons, the United Nations special representative for Afghanistan, told the U.N Security Council this month. The inauguration ceremony comes one day after the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States that triggered its military involvement in Afghanistan. U.S. forces intervened in Afghanistan on the orders of President George W. Bush a month after the attacks to hunt down their mastermind, Osama bin Laden, a Saudi who had been given sanctuary by the country's radical Islamist Taliban rulers. They initially offered mainly air support to the Taliban's local enemies. Although the Taliban regime was quickly toppled, they regrouped and have since waged an insurgency that has sucked in Afghanistan's neighbours and troops from dozens of countries, including NATO forces. Negotiations to broker a comprehensive peace deal were envisaged in a troop withdrawal pact signed between the United States and the Taliban in February in an attempt to find a political settlement to end the war. After months of delay, a dispute over the Taliban's demand for the release of 5,000 prisoners was resolved this week. Ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November, President Donald Trump is looking to show progress in his pledge to end the U.S. involvement and pull out most of the foreign forces stationed in Afghanistan. The United States has reduced its troop levels and by November is expected to have fewer than 5,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, down from about 13,000 when the U.S.-Taliban deal was signed. More than 2,300 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001, and about 450 British soldiers. A European diplomat in Kabul said that a ceasefire which the Taliban have so far rejected should top the talk's agenda. "The Taliban leaders will have to stop fighters from attacking Afghan forces and civilians, violence continues to degrade the atmosphere and potentially derail negotiations," the diplomat said. How to include the Taliban, who reject the legitimacy of the Western-backed Afghan government, in any governing arrangement and how to safeguard the rights of women and minorities who suffered under Taliban rule are big challenges, experts said. Nevertheless many diplomats, victims of violence and members of civil society say negotiations are the only realistic way to bring an end to a conflict that has killed more than 100,000 civilians and hampered Afghanistan's development, leaving millions in poverty. "Solutions will not be found on the battlefield, we know this," Lyons said. An accused paedophile has had his bail revoked after he allegedly 'expressed an intention to infect children with HIV'. Jadd William Brooker, 38, has been charged with multiple counts of disseminating and possessing child exploitation material between December 2015 and August this year. Police have allegedly identified potential victims in Australia, Canada and Italy. Brooker, who lives in Glenelg East, South Australia, was granted bail on Thursday at Christies Beach Magistrates Court in Adelaide. He was ordered to live with his grandmother in home detention until his next court appearance. This is was despite police gathering evidence which allegedly showed that Brooker, who is HIV positive, intended to infect children and adults with the disease. However the Supreme Court overturned the decision to release the alleged paedophile on bail on Friday, remanding him in custody until April next year. Jadd William Brooker, 38, has been charged with multiple counts of disseminating and possessing child exploitation material between December 2015 and August this year On Friday, the Supreme Court overturned the decision to release Brooker on bail Brooker allegedly pursued 19 children for sex over apps like Skype and Telegram and had ongoing sexual relationships with two teenagers. One of the teens has since committed suicide, while the other had no idea Brooker was HIV positive and is awaiting test results. Police insist that this is just the beginning of their case against Brooker after seizing his phones, computers and hard drives which allegedly contained 4.5million images. Officers have viewed 350,000 photos so far, with 10,000 of them allegedly depicting child exploitation. A further 7,000 mages did not even 'exist' on the internet. 'These images are certainly of the most heinous nature (and) the allegations are extremely serious in respect to (the interstate teen), prosecutor Lucy Boord told the court, Adelaide Now reported. 'There is footage of unprotected sexual interaction with that child, who is now having to be tested.' Police allege one of the teenagers Brooker allegedly had sex with did not know he was HIV positive Police are also investigating a massive 50,000 messages from Brooker's devices Police are also investigating 50,000 messages from Brooker's devices finding 'eight or nine additional, unidentified potential victims'. When he was contacted in prison by his mother she volunteered to delete Brooker's Facebook account and he asked her to wipe other accounts for him, the court heard. Brooker allegedly provided his email and password for his Microsoft Live account and asked his mother to delete it. 'Given the nature of the charges, a lot of potential evidence is stored in the cloud potentially millions of pieces of evidence and this is an attempt to destroy it before police can uncover it,' police prosecutors said. Despite the warnings from police Magistrate Rodney Oates granted bail as he had no prior criminal history, no breaches of bail and the presumption of innocence. Brooker is yet to plead to multiple counts of disseminating and possessing child exploitation material. Press Release September 12, 2020 Bong Go: enhancing public healthcare must be prioritized in 2021 budget to ensure sustainability of public services amid COVID-19 Senator Christopher "Bong" Go highlighted the need to invest in the country's health sector amid the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. During the Development Budget Coordinating Council Briefing last Thursday, September 10, Go said that "perennial gaps in the system have been exposed especially in the health sector" by the crisis that must be addressed in the 2021 national budget. "The coronavirus disease has considerably put us a step back, but as we withstand this crisis, we must rebuild our lives. As mentioned in the President's budget message, we need to reset, rebound, and recover," Go said. "I want to reiterate that we must learn from this experience. More than ever, the need to invest in healthcare is highlighted. We have to be pro-active and there is a need to revisit our policies and recalibrate our priorities in this new normal," he added. Go emphasized that the budget for 2021 must respond not only to the country's goal to overcome the pandemic, but also to be more prepared for, and more responsive to any other health crisis that may come the country's way. "Bigyan po natin ang ating mga kababayan ng bagong pag-asa at mas maayos na kinabukasan," Go quipped. Go then vowed to fight for the sustainable implementation of the Universal Health Care Law, saying "President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act 11223 or the Universal Health Care Law, a landmark legislation that will give all Filipinos guaranteed equitable access to quality and affordable healthcare goods and services." "While there are concerns surrounding the implementation of the law amid the pandemic, I vow to fight for its continuous implementation. Napaka-importante ng kalusugan. Prayoridad natin 'yan ngayon lalo na sa pandemic na ito," he added. During the deliberations, Go asked how much of the 2021 budget will be allotted for health and the implementation of UHC. "How much of the budget will be needed? Magkano po kailangan para ma-fully implement ang ating Universal Health Care apart from 71.4 allotted to PhilHealth?" the Senator asked. Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado responded, saying that the Department of Health and the PhilHealth need to be consulted to determine the recommended additional amount needed to fully implement the UHC Law. The Senator then asked how much budget has been allotted for the procurement of PPEs for the safety of the country's health workers and the procurement of the COVID-19 vaccine once available. "How many can we vaccinate at pwede bang unahin natin 'yung mga vulnerable at mahihirap na wala pong access sa vaccine at 'yung mga taong pinipilit nating lumabas at mag-trabaho po?" Go added. Avisado responded, saying that the budget allotted for procurement of PPEs is around PhP2.6 billion. Meanwhile, the initial allocation for the vaccine is around PhP2.5 billion to immunize about 3.8 million poor Filipinos. "There's also another 10 billion at the moment provided under Bayanihan 2 for COVID 19 medication and vaccine under the standby fund of Bayanihan 2 and an additional 1.3 billion is appropriated under the 2021 NEP or the procurement of RTCPR cartridges to be used for fast accurate testing of COVID-19," Avisado added. Meanwhile, Go sought clarification in regard to the budget of DOH's Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) that reflected a decrease from PhP8.4 billion to PhP2.7 billion. Avisado clarified that the total budget for the program in 2021 is actually PhP11.6 billion if the PhP5.5 billion in the Unprogrammed Fund is included. "Naka-lodge po 'yan sa -ang 4.7 po nasa regular 'yan, ang 5.52 nasa unprogrammed po 'yan kaya ang total niya ay 11.6 billion. Kaya po hindi lang po 4.7 po 'yan, mayroon pang 5.2 pero naka-lodge po yan sa unprogrammed fund," Avisado responded. The Senator then expressed his support to shifting priorities and realigning spending policies to focus on containing the spread and mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, funding the procurement or production of vaccines; restarting the economy to create jobs and attract investments; and alleviate our poverty. Ending his statement, Go expressed the need to look into the country's future and ensure sustainability of services for all Filipinos, especially the poor and vulnerable sectors. "As we move forward, we need to make long-lasting plans not only for our recovery but also for our sustainable future," he said. India on Saturday joined the inaugural session of intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha and communicated its national stand on the issue, stating that any peace process must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled. External affairs minister S Jaishankar participated in the session which marks the end of decades of war by coming together of Taliban and delegates appointed by the Afghanistan government in a historic moment. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also attended the opening ceremony in Qatar. India believes any peace process must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled, has to respect the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, a statement released by MEA read. Here is the full text of Indias statement: External Affairs Minister (EAM) participated in the inaugural session of the intra-Afghan negotiations held in Doha on 12 September 2020 via VTC. EAMs participation was in response to an invitation extended to him by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the State of Qatar, H.E. Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. In his address, EAM referred to the millennia old relationship between India and Afghanistan, which he said had withstood the test of time. EAM highlighted Indias role as a major development partner of Afghanistan with over 400 projects completed in all the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. EAM conveyed that Indias policy on Afghanistan had been consistent. India believes any peace process must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled, has to respect the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and preserve the progress made in the establishment of a democratic Islamic Republic in Afghanistan. The interests of minorities, women and vulnerable sections of society must be preserved and the issue of violence across the country and its neighbourhood has to be effectively addressed. EAM wished for the success of the Intra-Afghan negotiations in delivering to the people of Afghanistan what they have longed for - a peaceful and prosperous future in an independent and sovereign nation. A senior official delegation led by Shri J P Singh, Joint Secretary (PAI) in the Ministry of External Affairs participated in the inaugural ceremony in Doha. Vietnam announced five COVID-19 recoveries, including the countrys oldest patient who had retested positive several times during treatment, on Saturday as the last groups of backup medical workers left Da Nang after helping the previous epicenter contain the local outbreak. The five recovered patients had been treated at the Quang Nam Central General Hospital in the namesake province, which borders Da Nang. Among the five is a 100-year-old woman, L.T.H., hailing from Duy Trung Commune in Quang Nams Duy Xuyen District. H. was hospitalized on August 1 with a diagnosis of severe pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, along with sepsis from the gastrointestinal tract, heart failure and complications of respiratory failure. She is the oldest patient infected with COVID-19 in the Southeast Asian country to date. She retested positive multiple times during her treatment. Thanks to the doctors effort, her condition improved and she had tested negative for the coronavirus for four consecutive times before being declared free of the virus. She was in good health and able to walk at the time of the hospital discharge. Da Nang chairman Huynh Duc Tho (third left) gives a bouquet of flowers to a medical team who assisted the city during the COVID-19 outbreak before sending them home at a farewell ceremony in Da Nang, Vietnam, September 12, 2020. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre Quang Nam Province has treated 96 COVID-19 patients, with 82 having recovered and been discharged, according to the provincial Department of Healths deputy director Mai Van Muoi. The 14 under-treatment patients include 13 at the Quang Nam Central General Hospital and one at the provincial general hospital. On Saturday morning, the last groups of backup medical workers from the northern city of Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City and the north-central province of Nghe An left Da Nang as the beach city has managed to control the local outbreak of COVID-19 after over a month of fighting. Your support brought us hope to stand our ground in this battlefield and repel the epidemic over the past month and a half, gave us more confidence that Da Nang is not alone in this fight, and gave us motivation and optimism to fight the epidemic, the municipal chairman Huynh Duc Tho told the medical teams at a farewell ceremony on Saturday morning. A team of medical workers from the northern city of Hai Phong wave goodbye to Da Nang after aiding the central city in its fight against the COVID-19 epidemic for over a month, September 12, 2020. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre Da Nang was Vietnams COVID-19 outbreak epicenter until recently. A total of 551 local cases, mostly linked to Da Nang, have been registered in Vietnam since July 25, when the beach city reported the first domestic transmission after the nation had gone 99 days without any community-based infection. It has been 15 days since the central city last recorded a locally-transmitted COVID-19 case. Currently, only 29 cases of COVID-19 are still being treated in Da Nang. The tourist city has gradually relaxed social distancing rules in place since July 25 to curb the spread of COVID-19. Vietnam has documented 1,060 COVID-19 cases, with 902 having recovered and 35 virus-related fatalities as of Saturday afternoon, according to Ministry of Health statistics. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! (CNN) As wildfires ravage the West Coast, one boy and his dog died huddled together in a car, where they sought safety from the flames. Wyatt Tofte, 13, died Tuesday in the wildfires in Marion County, Oregon, along with his 71-year-old grandmother, Peggy Mosso, a family spokesperson told CNN. Mosso was found dead in a car that went up in flames, as her daughter and Wyatt Tofte's mother, Angela, stood nearby attempting to save her. Angela survived but is in critical condition. Her husband and Tofte's father, Chris, also survived. "Our family is devastated by the loss of our kind-hearted 13-year-old Wyatt and his beloved grandmother Peggy in the Santiam Fire in the early morning of September 8th," a family statement said. "After a long search for Wyatt, he was found in a car with his dog on his lap, but unfortunately, was not able to escape the fire. Angie is in critical condition with full-body burns," the statement said. "We want to thank all emergency personnel and people who helped in the search. Our family appreciates the love and support we have received from everyone during this terrible tragedy." The Salem Statesman Journal reported Chris Tofte's search for his wife, son and mother-in-law as the fire raged around him. On Tuesday, he found his wife badly burned, walking along the road to their home when he returned with a borrowed trailer to retrieve their belongings. He didn't recognize her at first, he told the newspaper, and he told her he was searching for his wife and son. "I am your wife," Angela replied, according to the Statesman Journal. Wyatt Tofte was found in a different car, and the family assumes he ran and got into the car thinking he would be protected from the surrounding flames, the family spokesperson said. "Wyatt, just the sweetest little boy; loved to fish, played video games, like a lot of kids, just a very sweet polite, boy," said Susan Vaslev, a family spokesperson. At least four people have been killed by the fires in Oregon and Washington state. And wildfires in California have killed at least 20 people since mid-August. In southern Oregon, two small cities -- Phoenix and Talent, home to 11,000 people combined -- have been almost completely destroyed by the fires. "This could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfire in our state's history," Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said Wednesday. This story was first published on CNN.com A young boy was found dead with his dog in his lap after trying to escape Oregon wildfire Regional Development Bank transforms to specialised micro finance bank By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s): The Regional Development Bank (RDB), a state-owned licensed specialised bank, is now being transformed into a fully-fledged micro financial institution to assist the rural poor and alleviate poverty, Chairman of the Bank Mahinda Saliya told the Business Times. The RDB will be mainly concentrating on micro finance with the aim of rescuing the rural poor being caught up in debt trap and poverty, he said. RDBs mandate is to improve rural living standards by providing accessible and affordable financial services. It is one of the 10 participating banks in ADBs SME Line of Credit Project and has been proactively utilising ADBs funds for enhancing Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) access to finance. Its focus on women and borrowers that are rural MSMEs is evident in its performance in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Line of Credit Project; Mr. Saliya said adding that the bank is now being developed as a microfinance development specialised bank. It provides small business loans to lower-income rural communities to assist in economic development through financial and non-financial assistance to vulnerable gropes specially women in villages countrywide. The banks poverty lending initiative is focused on donor-funded credit for the poor with the aim of reducing poverty and commercial microfinance for the economically-active poor, he explained. The RDB implements Isuru micro fiance scheme with many low cost innovative approaches developed in line with the Grameen model (Bangladesh) and Self Help Group (SHG) methodology. It has become a popular rural finance programme and it has been able to provide financial assistance to a large number of beneficiaries in several districts he disclosed. In microfinance delivery under the projects, target beneficiaries were organised under SHG methodology. They were provided with credit for commencement of Income Generating Activities along with a package of necessary services including training/awareness on financial literacy, entrepreneurship development and required skills. Further, provision of market linkages for their produce has also been arranged where necessary. The RDB was able to bring hundreds of low income families into the formal financial sector under the microfinance poverty alleviation programmes. Impact evaluation studies have confirmed that 65 per cent of beneficiaries under microfinance programmes were able to cross the poverty line within 35 year period, he added. The Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Act (MCRA Act) will bring all the unregulated microfinance institutions and moneylenders under regulatory purview eliminating difficulties faced by debt ridden local poor, a senior Treasury official said. Only four licensed microfinance companies are currently operating in the country and the enactment of the MCRA Act will compel microfinance and money lending institutions to obtain license to operate, he revealed. The regulatory framework for microfinance institutions, including the customer protection mechanisms, is expected to be strengthened with the enactment of the proposed Act. The governments stake in RDB further increased to about 91 per cent during post acquisition/merger programme of state-owned Lankaputhra Development Bank (LDB) by RDB. RDB issued its shares to the Treasury as LDBs purchase consideration. RDB is involved in extending banking services and facilities to rural communities having limited or no access to formal credit services, making it a key credit delivery channel for these borrower segments. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-13 02:52:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Members of staff prepare food for customers at a restaurant in Baghdad, Iraq, Sept. 12, 2020. During the past few days, the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, headed by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, took several decisions to ease health restrictions, including permitting movement among the country's provinces, reopening the border crossings for commercial movement, restaurants, tourist facilities of the five-star hotels, and lifting the ban on sporting events. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood) BAGHDAD, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry reported on Saturday 4,106 COVID-19 new cases, raising the total nationwide infections to 286,778. It also reported 60 more deaths, the lowest in recent weeks, bringing the death toll from the infectious virus to 7,941 in the country. A total of 1,883,048 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease, with 18,949 done during the day, according to the statement. Meanwhile, Ryadh Abdul-Amir, head of the Public Health Department in the Health Ministry, told the official Iraqi News Agency that the ministry will not sign a contract about the COVID-19 vaccine with any company without the approval of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). During the past few days, the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, headed by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, took several decisions to ease health restrictions, including permitting movement among the country's provinces, reopening the border crossings for commercial movement, restaurants, tourist facilities of the five-star hotels, and lifting the ban on sporting events. Iraq has taken a series of measures to contain the pandemic since February when the first coronavirus case appeared in the country. China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad. Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem The Assam government on Saturday announced a slew of infrastructure projects, including hospitals, colleges and road corridors, worth Rs 12,000 ahead of the assembly polls due early next year. Himanta Biswa Sarma, who holds PWD and Finance among other portfolios, also announced the partial withdrawal of austerity measures imposed on the state government departments in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Out of the total Rs 11,928.46 crore planned investment, Rs 5,854.46 crore will be put in from the state exchequer, while the remaining Rs 6,074 crore will be funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)," Sarma told reporters. Elections to the 126-member Assam assembly is likely in March-April next year. We will construct four new medical college and hospitals for Rs 2,050 crore, nine womens colleges for Rs303.3 crore, six degree colleges for Rs 100 crore and 10 law colleges for Rs 33 crore," he said. All the projects, barring the ones funded by the ADB and the AIIB, will start by December. The foreign-funded projects may commence in March. However, that may change depending on the announcement of the model code of conduct for the polls," the minister said. He said the 800-bed Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (MMCH) and the 500-bed Kalapahar TB Hospital in Guwahati will be merged to construct the largest" medical college and hospital in entire east India. Three other medical college and hospitals will be established in Charaideo, Biswanath and Goalpara districts, Sarma said. The womens colleges will be constructed in Cachar, Barpeta, Nagaon, Darrang, Dhubri (two institutions), Goalpara, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts, the minister said. The degree colleges will be set up in Sonitpur, Tinsukia, Majuli, Chirang, Udalguri and Baksa districts, he said. Dhubri, Nalbari, Kamrup, Nagaon, Karbi Anglong, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur, Cachar and Lakhimpur districts have been identified for the law colleges, Sarma said. Also, the state PWD will construct two flyovers in Guwahati and Tezpur for Rs 420.75 crore and Rs 321.41 crore respectively, the minister said. The PWD has never built any road corridor before. We will spend Rs 2,626 crore to develop 10 such corridors across the state," Sarma said. He said the ADB and the AIIB will fund 12 road projects, which have been approved by the state government. Sarma said the revenue collection in Assam is increasing slowly and the state is in a comfortable position". We have got assurance from Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman that the commitment made in the Finance Commission will be met. Besides, the Centre will repay the loan that the state will take against its due GST compensation," he said. Announcing partial withdrawal of austerity measures imposed on April 29, Sarma said all the departments will be able to approve their projects from now on and the limit for establishment expenditure has been removed. Expenditure pertaining to industrial exemptions, subsidies and incentives of various schemes and GST reimbursement were suspended. Now all these are restored," he said. The minister said the suspension on the release of the MLA Area Development Fund is also withdrawn. However, some other austerity measures like ban on vehicle purchase, holding of conferences and meetings, accommodation at five-star hotels and foreign travels will remain in force. Except the chief minister, no one else will travel in an executive class of a plane. Also, the cut in the salaries of the legislators will continue," he said. Sarma, also the Education Minister, said a total of 10,789 teachers posts have been advertised as part of the second phase of the recruitment drive and they will be appointed by December. The third phase of the drive will begin by the end of this month. This way, we will be close to our target of recruiting 50,000 teachers," he added. It has been six months since the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on our lives but some people are clearly having a hard time understanding the magnitude of the situation. According to a LadBible report, a student in the US, who has COVID-19, was caught hosting a house party with 20 other people. Also read: Social Distancing Goes For A Toss In 'Go Corona Go' Party In Bhopal; MP Has 17,000 Active Cases Twitter The police stopped the party which was taking place at the Miami University student's home in Oxford, Ohio. An officer ran the young man's details and found that he had tested positive for the virus on August 31. He should have been in the middle of his quarantine period. When asked why he was hosting a party when he should be in quarantine, he said, "Yeah that's why I'm at my house." WATCH: While hosting a large house party, Miami University students admit to police they recently tested positive for COVID-19 https://t.co/7LbUJvHSw5 pic.twitter.com/lW3gDqByYj CBS News (@CBSNews) September 11, 2020 Are you face-palming yet? No? Just me? Okay. The student went on to say that eight out of the 20 people present lived at the house. He added: "Everyone in the house has COVID-19 and two people across the street have COVID-19." The cops evacuated the house but it is still unsure whether the guests were aware of the fact that people in the house had coronavirus. 6 students aged 20 to 21 were fined $500 (Rs 36,738) and everyone has been told to get tested. Also read: Nightclub Busted In West Delhi For Hosting Illegal Party During Coronavirus Lockdown Twitter Lieutenant Lara Fening at the Oxford Police Department told Local 12: "This particular case is egregious, but I think for the most part, by in large, the students have been very well behaved. The way I interpreted the video from the bodycam footage was - he felt like he was at home and quarantining like he was supposed to be and that the majority of the people that were at the house had passed by and stopped by." She said, "Some residents came over from across the street that were reportedly COVID-positive as well. 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, "We want to stay safe; we want to be healthy; we want everyone around us to be healthy; we want this town to be thriving; we don't want this town to be shut down again. We want the underclassmen to come back." The Municipal (Lieutenant Lara Fening) Local 12 also reported that more 1,000 students at Miami University had tested positive for the virus. The educational institute has also been informed about the house party. Also read: Gender Reveal Party Triggers Massive Wildfire In US, More Than 10,000 Acres Destroyed Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for a free weekly newsletter at spotlightpa.org/newsletters . 100% ESSENTIAL: Spotlight PA relies on funding from foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. If you value this reporting, please give a gift today at spotlightpa.org/donate . Gunmen numbering over 70 have reportedly invaded Kagara town, the headquarters of Rafi local government area of Niger state. PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! The Nation reports that the gunmen stormed the town on motorcycles, shooting sporadically as residents scamper for safety. The newspaper said its correspondent heard gunshots raging from the town as the source called on phone. It was also learnt residents have abandoned the town into a nearby bush. 70 gunmen invade Kagara town in Niger, residents flee. Photo source: Channels TV Source: UGC The state has been recently embroiled in violence just as many parts of the country grapple with security challenges. A recent report by Daily Trust indicated that three soldiers and one vigilante were killed by gunmen in Yakila, Rafi local government area of the state. The gunmen had abducted one Chinese expatriate along with his driver on a construction site in the village and fled to an unknown destination. According to the report, the soldiers and a vigilante member were trying to rescue the expatriate and his driver when they were killed in a gun battle. In another related report, youths under the auspices of Amalgamation of Youths Development Association recently took to the streets to protest what they described as government inaction and insensitivity following the killing of people by armed bandits. The youths in their hundreds drawn from 14 communities in Rafi local government area of Niger state defied the states stay-at-home order and marched through Kagara highway. Chanting Enough Is Enough', the youths were aggrieved that the government has paid little attention to control the situation following the relentless massacre by bandits. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the governors of Niger and Kaduna states, Alhaji Sani Bello and Malam Nasir El-Rufai hailed the successes recorded by the Nigerian Army in dealing with banditry in the North West and North Central part of the country. The governors gave the commendation during a visit to the Special Army Super Camp 4 in Faskari, Katsina State on Wednesday to ascertain the level of successes of the recently launched Exercise Sahel Sanity. On his part, Bello said the establishment of the super camp and exercise Sahel Sanity had achieved tremendous successes against bandits within one month. Can Nigerian Soldiers really not deal with Boko Haram fighters?| Legit TV Source: Legit.ng Digvijaya Singh on BJP MLA's call to break legs of Congressmen: I'll go to his house to recite Ramdhun Digvijaya, Khurshid and Anwar- the comeback men in Congress rejig India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 12: With the Congress effecting a major rejig ahead of internal polls for a new chief, political pundits feel the entire exercise is as much about stamping Rahul Gandhi''s authority as it is about a careful balancing act done through the return of stalwarts like Digvijaya Singh, Salman Khurshid and Tariq Anwar along with cutting down to the size of several dissenting voices. Political observers also feel these organisational changes may not quell the simmering dissent completely and it remains to be seen whether the country''s grand-old party eventually heads for a split, as those having sought large-scale reforms have been craftily divided -- a few have been co-opted, some have been given time to make up their minds and the rest have been left out in the cold. Several leaders and observers are of the opinion that some old-timers might have been brought back in the organisational fold to counter the ''Group of 23'', who had written to interim president Sonia Gandhi seeking urgent organisational overhaul, including an active and full-time leadership. But, not many of them were not willing to be quoted for their views, citing the ''sensitivity'' involved in talking about ''the family'' matters. The massive organisational shake-up is also being seen as having a dominant Rahul Gandhi imprint with Randeep Singh Surjewala and Jitendra Singh, both considered to be close to the former party chief, becoming new general secretaries along with the veteran Anwar. Even the reconstituted ''Central Election Authority'' has a Rahul Gandhi stamp on it with his loyalist Madhusudan Mistry heading it and Krishna Byre Gowda and S Jothimani becoming its members. Though several leaders such as Pawan Kumar Bansal and Rajeev Shukla, who are former Union ministers but did not have any significant assignments in the party till recently, have also made a comeback of sorts as AICC in-charges, the party watchers feel the big comeback has been of Singh, Anwar and Khurshid. Singh, once considered a close confidante of Rahul Gandhi, was dropped by him from the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party''s highest decision-making body, in 2018 ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Singh, who has been brought back into the CWC as a permanent invitee, seems to have won back the confidence of Gandhis in the aftermath of Jyotiraditya Scindia''s exit from the party. He had also openly backed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi amid rumblings over the leadership issue. Another interesting inclusion is that of Khurshid as a permanent invitee in the CWC along with that of Jairam Ramesh, who was recently appointed convenor of a five-member committee formed to discuss and formulate the party''s stand on key ordinances promulgated by the government. Khurshid, known to be among leaders considered close to the Gandhi family, did not have any significant party assignment after his Lok Sabha poll defeat from Farrukhabad. However, his steadfast support for the Gandhi family''s leadership seems to have worked in his favour. Asserting that there was no urgency to have an elected Congress president, Khurshid had recently told PTI that he "can''t see the heavens falling" for the need of a party chief as Sonia Gandhi was still at the helm and should be the one to decide on the leadership issue. Khurshid had also said he would not have signed the letter even if he was approached by the group of 23 letter writers. He was also named in the party''s manifesto committee for Uttar Pradesh earlier this week. Another dramatic comeback to the top echelons of AICC is of Anwar, who has been made general secretary in-charge of Kerala and Lakshdweep. In 1999, Anwar had raised the banner of revolt against Sonia Gandhi along with party stalwarts Sharad Pawar and PA Sangma on the issue of her foreign origin. Nineteen years later, Anwar returned to the Congress in 2018 after being with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) all along. After about two years of his return, Anwar has returned to AICC headquarters where he wielded enormous power in the 1990s. Rasheed Kidwai, senior journalist and writer of the book "24 Akbar Road", said the three leaders seem to have been brought in as a counterbalance to the letter writers. "It has been a very crafty act (by Sonia Gandhi). With a single stroke, she has dismantled this whole group of dissenters. The letter writers are now divided into three categories -- those who have been co-opted, those who have been given time to make up their minds and the ones who have been left out in the cold," Kidwai he told PTI. She has comprehensively outmaneuvered the dissenters, Kidwai said. Sanjay Kumar, Director at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, also echoed Kidwai''s views, saying that Singh, Khurshid and Anwar have benefitted from the letter issue. "At least two of them -- Singh and Khurshid -- are very strong Gandhi family loyalists. They (Gandhis) would not like to take a chance after the letter and, therefore, have brought in these loyalists whose loyalty cannot be questioned," he told PTI. Kumar, however, opined that the move to bring about organizational changes may not quell the dissent completely and Congress was likely to head for a split. While there are some comebacks in the rejig, a careful balancing act and striking of a conciliatory note is also visible. On one hand, Azad has been stripped of his post of general secretary, on the other he along with Anand Sharma, Mukul Wasnik and Jitin Prasada have retained their CWC spots. Prasada and Wasnik have also got a leg up in terms of responsibilities with the former having been made AICC in-charge of West Bengal and the latter being named to the six-member special committee to assist Sonia Gandhi in organisational matters. However, many of the 23 letter writers seem to have been ignored and their future remains uncertain. The likes of Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor and M Veerappa Moily have not been given any assignment, though they many within the party and outside feel these leaders have a wealth of talent and experience behind them and have held charge of important ministries during the UPA rule at the Centre. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 12, 2020, 17:37 [IST] President Donald Trumps pick to run Latin Americas top development bank was elected Saturday to lead the institution, solidifying his administrations influence on the region regardless of whether he wins or loses the U.S. election in November. Mauricio Claver-Carone, the current senior director for Western Hemisphere affairs at the National Security Council, was elected by governors of the Inter-American Development Bank. The vote draws to a close weeks of tensions in the region over whether to support Trumps pick, boycott the election or somehow delay it to avoid having to vote for Claver-Carone without knowing the U.S. election results. And while Claver-Carone landed the job with support from more than half of the banks 28 regional member countries, it remains to be seen if the Trump official as bank president will be able to work with a possible Biden administration or potentially a Democrat-majority Senate. Prior to the election, U.S. administration officials and some congressional aides were worried that the Latin American leaders would successfully delay the vote over fears that Trump wont win reelection. However, Claver-Carone has repeatedly said he will stay away from partisan politics and welcomes the criticism of his nomination as a chance to draw attention to the little-discussed bank. My commitment remains the same: to work with the IDB member countries to outline a strategy to strengthen the bank, respond to the needs of the region, and create opportunities for shared prosperity and economic growth, Claver-Carone said in a statement. The IDB is a major source of financing for Latin American and Caribbean countries, loaning about $13 billion each year. And its expected to be more influential over the next few years as countries grapple with a major recession that predates the pandemic, but has only worsened in recent months. Already, influential Democrats have come out against Claver-Carone being elected to lead the bank, particularly since the IDB in its 61 years of existence has been led by a pick from a Latin American country not a U.S. partisan nominee. Story continues What does this say about the Latin Americans charting their own future? I have always believed that to achieve lasting results, countries need to take responsibility for their own development, and the U.S. should play a supportive role, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement on Saturday. Those roles have now been reversed, and we need to review whether this is the best use of resources to assist the people of those countries, Leahy added. Latin American leaders, former administration officials, Democrats and experts have also expressed concern that Claver-Carone, a divisive figure in Washington circles, wont be able to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to deliver on his promise to secure more money for the bank. Last week, Leahy and former Republican officials including World Bank President Robert Zoellick, former Secretary of State George Shultz and former U.S. Housing Secretary Carla Hills, made a last ditch effort to persuade countries against holding a vote for Claver-Carone as it would trigger an immediate institutional crisis at the IDB. We should unite behind a candidate from the region with the vision, the credibility, the temperament, and the skills to chart a better future for the people of Latin America and the Caribbean, they wrote in a joint statement . Claver-Carone is set to take over the bank for a five-year term, replacing Luis Alberto Moreno, a former Colombian ambassador to the U.S. who led the bank for 15 years, at the end of the month. He previously worked at the Treasury Department and as a U.S. representative to the International Monetary Fund. He is most widely known for his central role in crafting the Trump administrations policies toward Venezuela and Cuba. Claver-Carone, a Cuban-American, started his career in Washington as a lobbyist leading a political action committee that worked to preserve the U.S. embargo on Cuba. He also ran Capitol Hill Cubans blog, where he was pro-embargo on Cuba and argued against U.S. engagement with the communist-run island. Claver-Carone garnered the support of a majority of the regions countries, including: Colombia, Brazil, El Salvador, Ecuador, Jamaica and Haiti. Last month, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico and the European Union had sought to delay the banks vote, but did not successfully do so. The exact vote count is not formally made public per IDBs election regulations, but an NSC spokesperson said Claver-Carone received the support of 23 governors from the region and garnered 66.8 percent of the vote. Argentina, however, made public that it abstained from voting, arguing that there has not been adequate debate over the future of the IDB, the nations government said in a statement on Thursday. Ultimately, Claver-Carone was the only candidate running for IDB president. Former Costa Rican president Laura Chinchilla and Gustavo Beliz, secretary of strategic affairs to the president of Argentina, who worked at the bank for almost 15 years, were both in the running, but quit the race before the vote. Amid oil slick, CID probes New Diamonds safety procedures By Sandun Jayawardana and Tharushi Weerasinghe View(s): View(s): As the crippled super tanker MT New Diamond began to discharge oil in the sea off the southeast coast of Sri Lanka, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has launched a probe to ascertain if the vessels crew ignored safety procedures. Colombos Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne on Friday ordered the ship owners local agent to provide data records from the tanker to the CID. The magistrate also gave permission to the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) to collect samples from the oil slick near the ship to determine what type of oil it was and if it indeed came from the ship. In Colombo, the authorities were assessing the environmental damage that may have been caused by the oil spill. The magistrate told the Navy to help in the sample collection. The court also ordered the Coast Guard and the Merchant Shipping Secretariat to assist in the investigations. MEPA Chairperson Dharshani Lahandapura told the SundayTimes her agency requested the courts permission to collect samples of all oil substances in the ship. This includes engine fuels and the ships cargo of crude oil. The request was granted. CID detectives are due to interview the ships crew members in the coming days. The probe will cover the safety procedures that should have been followed and the crews response to the situation. The surviving 22 crew members, comprising 17 Filipinos and five Greeks including the captain, are currently at an isolation centre set up at a hotel in Galle. One Filipino crew member died in the initial explosion inside the boiler room of the ship. The Attorney Generals advice has been sought regarding legal action against the ships captain and crew, Merchant Shipping Director General A.W. Seneviratne said. The jurisdiction of the Merchant Shipping Secretariat extends up to 12 nautical miles under the Merchant Shipping Act and the power to arrest has to be granted by a court in Sri Lanka, he explained. As of yesterday afternoon, the tanker was situated 45 nautical miles east of Batticaloa after the fire onboard was completely doused. Sri Lanka Navy divers conducted an operation yesterday to assess damage to the ships hull below the waterline. They found that the internal pipe system connecting two sea water inlets on either side of the super tanker had been damaged, Navy Spokesman Indika de Silva said. The navy divers took steps to close off the inlets. It was observed that fuel oil had been leaking from the ship via the damaged pipe system connected to the sea water inlet on the starboard (right) side of the vessel, Capt de Silva said. With firefighting operations aboard the vessel coming to an end, the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) has stopped air surveillance of the area, SLAF Spokesman Dushantha Wijesinghe said. The air force submitted the necessary information and patch area footage of the oil slicks spotted earlier this week to MEPA and the Navy, he said. Group Capt. Wijesinghe noted, however, that the SLAF was on standby and ready to assist the Navy again. Two helicopters an MI7 and a Bell 212 and another aircraft, which were used in the opertions have been on standby since Friday. He noted that a Y-12 and a B 200 Beech King were also on standby if assistance was required. He said the SLAF would present a report on its costs, including ground crew costs and flying hours, tomorrow to MEPA which would present it to the AG. The Ghana Police has stopped aggrieved customers of the defunct Gold Dealership Company, MenzGold from a planned anniversary protest in pressing home their demands for settlement after two years of their financial dilemma. This comes on the back of the Police securing an interim injunction from the court against this action. Inspector-General of Police (IGP) James Oppong-Boanuh filed an injunction to prevent the event, which is being championed by the Coalition of Aggrieved Customers of Menzgold, Ghana, from being held. It is hereby ordered that the respondents, the Coalition of Aggrieved Customers of Menzgold Ghana, Isaac Nyarko and Fred Forson are hereby restrained from the intended demonstration to commemorate two years of the collapse of Menzgold Company, the injunction document signed by Justice of the High Court, Justice Stephen Oppong directed. The Coalition announced a wreath-laying ceremony in commemoration of customers who lost their lives as a result of the locking up of their investments. Leaders of the Coalition wrote a letter to the IGP requesting for security during demonstration exercise slated for September 12, 2020. Since the collapse of the company, we have lost over 60 members and many have become bed-ridden due to the continued lock-up of our investment in Menzgold. It is our expectation that your outfit will provide security to help bring the programme to a successful because it will be highly-violent free. The programme is expected to last for two hours with an expected attendance of more than 200 people, the Coalition said in a statement to the IGP. Menzgold collapse Menzgold was asked to suspend its gold trading operations with the public by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2018. According to the SEC, Menzgold had been dealing in the purchase and deposit of gold collectables from the public and issuing contracts with guaranteed returns with clients, without a valid license from the Commission. This, the SEC said was in contravention of section 109 of Act 929 with consequences under section 2016 (I) of the same Act. The company was however cleared to continue its other businesses of assaying, purchasing gold from small-scale miners and export of gold. Despite initial protests, Menzgold complied with the directive. Two years on, the company has failed to fully pay its numerous aggrieved customers the value on their gold deposits as well as their entire investments. ---CitiNewsRoom We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Tens of thousands of people on the US West Coast have evacuated their homes as massive blazes continue to rage. Improved weather conditions on Saturday offered some hope to weary firefighters battling massive wildfires on the United States West Coast, authorities said, but the death toll linked to the fires has been steadily rising and tens of thousands of people are displaced. Oregon Governor Kate Brown said on Friday that more than 40,000 people had been evacuated from their homes since the fires began, while nearly 500,000 residents were under three different evacuation alert levels. The state advised some residents to pack and be vigilant, some to be ready to flee at a moments notice, and others to leave their homes immediately, Reuters news agency said. Evacuees have sought refuge in shopping mall parking lots, fraternal lodges and at the Oregon Convention Center in the heart of Portland, the states largest city, local news outlet The Oregonian reported, while some families are camping out in RVs. Danielle Oliver, 40, of Happy Valley, southeast of Portland, said she and her family agreed to evacuate. She told the Associated Press news agency that they were waiting at an American Red Cross shelter, hoping that their house would survive. Im tired. Im tired of starting all over. Getting everything, working for everything, then losing everything, Oliver said. Oregons top emergency official had warned that authorities are preparing for a mass fatality event, as dozens of people have been reported missing since the blazes broke out. Oregon Governor Kate Brown said on Friday that 40,000 people had been forced to flee their homes due to the deadly wildfires [Carlos Barria/Reuters] The total death toll in California, Oregon and Washington states stood at 27 by Saturday evening, AP reported, but officials said they expected the number to rise. Most of the deaths were in California and Oregon. Authorities said calmer winds blowing in from the ocean bringing in cooler, moister conditions have helped emergency crews respond to the wildfires. On Saturday morning, the US fire service for Mt Hood National Forest, about 32km (20 miles) east of Portland, Oregon, said a persistent smoke layer would limit the weather effects on fires in the area. The local weather service said people should remain vigilant though a dense fog or dense smoke advisory is in place and is making visibility difficult. Climate crisis The wildfires on the US West Coast over the past weeks have destroyed thousands of homes, sent massive plumes of smoke into the air, covered the landscape with ash and blanketed the sky in parts of California in an ominous, orange hue. The fires are some of the largest in California and Oregon history, the AP reported, and experts say increasingly dry conditions linked to climate change have contributed to the intensity and spread of the blazes. Authorities in Oregon and California said they fear that the receding flames could reveal many more dead across the blackened landscape. Speaking to reporters on Friday, California Governor Gavin Newsom said the impact of climate change on the fires could not be denied. Were in the midst of a climate crisis. We are experiencing weather conditions the likes of which weve never experienced in our lifetime. We are experiencing what so many people predicted decades and decades ago, but all of that now is reality, Newsom said. On Saturday, a White House spokesman said US President Donald Trump would visit California on Monday to be briefed on the wildfires. Trumps Democratic presidential challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, said in a statement Saturday that the wildfires show there is no challenge more consequential to our future than meeting and defeating the onrushing climate crisis. A tropical storm has formed in the Gulf of Mexico as it swirls towards the US, while Tropical Storm Paulette is poised to become a hurricane and strike Bermuda next week. The National Hurricane Center announced that Tropical Depression 19 has transformed into Tropical Storm Sally on Saturday. It will bring heavy rain, powerful wind gusts, flood watches and the potential for weather warnings. 'Sally' is the earliest 'S' storm to form on record, besting 2005's 'Stan' by three weeks, but is expected to intensify into a hurricane. There's potential for a hurricane watch this weekend with meteorologists noting that Sally will likely upgrade before it makes landfall. On Saturday, the National Hurricane Center announced that Tropical Depression 19 upgraded into Tropical Storm Sally in the Gulf of Mexico (pictured) Sally will remain a tropical storm until Monday evening, when it will bring hurricane conditions to a sliver of the Florida panhandle, as well as to coastal cities along Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Parts of Louisiana, specifically Lake Charles and the surrounding areas, are still reeling from the devastating affects of Hurricane Laura last month. The 150mph monster of a storm left nearly a million residents without power, killed at least 10 people and drowned out several homes with rain water. Damage sustained by Hurricane Laura will cost anywhere between $4million and $12million. Tropical Storm Sally is expected to affects parts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana this week Much of South Florida has experienced rainfall as a result and flood warnings have been issued along the Treasure Coast and Okeechobee Pictured: a National Weather Channel map that shows the predicted path for Tropical Storm Sally Those four southern states should expect to see as much as three inches of rainfall through Wednesday. Although Sally is currently confined to those four states, the wind and rain effects will be felt as far as Tennessee and Arkansas. By Wednesday at 8am, the NHC predicts it will settle back into a tropical storm and finally a tropical depression on Thursday. Between Sunday and Tuesday, Sally will see winds speeds starting at 45mph to 80mph. Satellite-derived wind data indicate that Tropical Storm #Sally has formed and is centered just off the southwest coast of Florida. Maximum sustained winds are 40 mph. https://t.co/wVCrCIjDrB pic.twitter.com/KC7Bq1Vror National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 12, 2020 Pictured: a National Weather Channel map shows which parts of Florida were put under flood watch in preparation for Tropical Storm Sally Lower Matacumbe Key of the Florida Keys has reported up to 12 inches of rain as of Saturday morning But already, Sally has caused scattered thunderstorms over South Florida that caused a Flood Watch along the Treasure Coast and the city of Okeechobee. That area, as well as many cities on Florida's west side and the Gulf Coast, are at risk of flash floods for the next three days. Meteorologists have also noted the potential for rip currents, tornadoes or waterspouts to arrive Saturday evening in the Florida Keys, the Everglades and Southwest Florida. Localized flooding is a big concern this weekend as Tropical Depression 19 is coming through our area. Ive already started feeling some of the wind gusts! https://t.co/lM0Rn8k9VF pic.twitter.com/IHLVzGcljP Devin Turk (@Devin_Turk) September 12, 2020 Lower Matacumbe Key of the Florida Keys has reported up to 12 inches of rain as of Saturday morning. Wind gusts between 40 to 55mph whipped around on Saturday from Boca Raton to Miami Beach, Weather Channel reports. Nearby, there is a second disturbance with the possibility to develop just below the Gulf of Mexico under Texas. There is a low chance that it will gain power but the weather event will bring additional rain and wind gusts to South Texas and North Mexico. The National Weather Channel noted that a second weather disturbance has the potential to develop just under Texas and near Mexico Just 60 hours away and the latest HWRF forecast for Tropical Depression 19 is to intensify into a hurricane prior to landfall. Another dangerous situation is developing for the Gulf States. Folks should begin to make preparations as this is a possible event in the very near term. pic.twitter.com/J5jfxWBDOD Doc V (@MJVentrice) September 12, 2020 Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Paulette is expected to bring damage to Bermuda early next week as it inches across the Atlantic Ocean. Similar to Tropical Storm Sally, Paulette broke a previous hurricane season record for the earliest 'P' storm. The Weather Channel reports that Paulette will keep its tropical storm strength through Sunday afternoon, but then will become either a Category one or two level hurricane. At the moment, Paulette has maximum sustained winds of 70mph and it moving at about 15mph. The tropical storm was slowed down by upper-level winds coupled with dry air, but a drop in wind shear will allow it to become a hurricane by Saturday night. Pictured: an satellite picture shows the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean as weather systems charge ahead Pictured: a Ventusky map from Saturday afternoon shows the various rainfall and precipitation happening Bermuda was issued a hurricane warning and could see up to 10 inches of rainfall A hurricane warning was issued for Bermuda with concerns over heavy, severe rainfall ranging between three and six inches. The territory could see up to 10 inches of rainfall. However, Paulette could transform into a serious hurricane after it leaves Bermuda and heads northeast into the Atlantic Ocean. Swells created by Paulette will spread from Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Bahamas and the Lesser Antilles, Weather Channel reports. Ocean waves will reach a peak in Florida this weekend, but similar occurrences will likely be found on Monday near the Carolinas. The potential for rip currents will affect almost the entirety of the East Coast between Tuesday and Wednesday. Washington: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States was deeply concerned about 12 Hong Kong democracy activists being held in China's Guangdong province, saying they have been denied access to lawyers and local authorities have not provided information on their welfare or the charges against them. The United States questioned the Hong Kong leadership's stated commitments to protecting citizens' rights and called "on authorities to ensure due process". The activists were arrested about two weeks ago off the coast of Hong Kong, according to the statement. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Credit:AP The call comes as China has announced new restrictions on the activities of American diplomats working in the mainland and Hong Kong, in what it said was a justified response to similar measures imposed on Chinese diplomats in the US last year. In a statement posted online late on Friday, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the rules would apply to senior diplomats and all other personnel at the American Embassy in Beijing and consulates throughout China. The SAD on Saturday appealed to the BJP-led Centre not to present the three farm ordinances for approval in Parliament until all reservations expressed by farmers are duly addressed. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the SAD core committee which was presided over by Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal here. The core committee felt that it was its responsibility to get the reservations of the annadaata (farmers) addressed and asserted that it was committed to taking up all issues raised by farmers with the Union government, said a party release here. The statement came, amid a widespread criticism by many farmers organisations of the three farm ordinances promulgated by the Centre. The appeal from the SAD for not enacting laws on ordinances came despite the party earlier maintaining that the Centre has assured that these ordinances will have no bearing on the existing crop procurement policy. Last month, Sukhbir Badal had even said that Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had written to him that there was no change in the present policy of the purchase of agriculture produce through Minimum Support Price through state agencies. Badal had even accused Chief Minister Amarinder Singh of trying to mislead people on this issue. Farmers have expressed apprehension that these ordinances would pave the way for dismantling of the MSP system and they would be at the mercy of big corporates. They have been demanding rollback of these ordinances. The ordinances are the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. The SADs core committee noted that the SAD leadership met farmer organisations representatives and those of khet mazdoor (farm labour) during the last few days. It also held discussions with farm experts to take their views, besides taking the view of grassroots party workers as well as the senior party leadership, the party said in a release. A considered view has emerged that the Union government should not rush for enacting laws on the ordinances till the apprehensions conveyed to the SAD were addressed, said the release. Badal conveyed to the core committee that he had also been approached by farmers as well as farm organisations from adjoining states and that all of them had expressed apprehensions about the central ordinances and urged the SAD to take up their issues and grievances with the central leadership. Taking this into account, the SAD is also of the view that the concerns should be taken up for consideration by the Centre, said the party. The core committee felt that it is appropriate that the SAD president lead a delegation to discuss the concerns of the farmers with the central government. The Congress-led state government, which is spearheading a campaign against the ordinances, had described these ordinances as a blatant attack on the federal structure. On August 28, the Punjab Assembly had passed a resolution, rejecting these farm ordinances. The CM had then said these are not only against the interest of farmers and landless workers and time-tested agriculture marketing system established in the state but are also against the Constitution of India. "This facility has a bunch of ladies that I have grown to just love and just pray for and give them encouragement every day," Walton said. "There's nothing being handled. I'm here (outside) all the time, and I haven't seen anyone come and handle anything." For Brown, Thomas' death gives her anxiety about the health of her 21-year-old daughter, who is incarcerated at Eddie Warrior, likely until sometime in 2022. She said it's been a struggle to process the knowledge that COVID-19 is continuing to spread there. "I told my boss, I said, 'Hey I need to take off,'" Brown said. "For me, because my daughter is my only child, I have a tendency to try to be really strong for her. But it took me until last night to really process all of this." Brown and another attendee, Angie Pitts, called on Gov. Kevin Stitt to evacuate Eddie Warrior for cleaning and for the release of as many prisoners as possible during the pandemic, even if they are given ankle monitors. Pitts, an activist from Tulsa, kneeled on the grass just beyond the prison's fence and said, "These people matter, governor. I'm pleading with you." Egypt has lost up to 490,000 feddans since 1980 to building violations and land encroachments Egypts Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly reiterated on Saturday the states adoption of resolute measures to stop building violations on agricultural land nationwide. At a press briefing in Qalioubiya, Madbouly said building violations and land encroachments were among the most important and complex issues and challenges facing the state. He said the state aims to overcome a decades-long crisis through reforms and putting an end to further violations and accumulated mistakes, adding that failing to address the issue would lead to its exacerbation. Madbouly announced on Saturday a 25 percent discount off the settlement fees for citizens seeking a full reconciliation payment without installments. He said reconciliation fees for building violations in rural areas were set at EGP 50 per metre as ordered by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. The prime minister said the reconciliation is not meant as a punitive measure against the people who own illegal buildings, but rather to rectify the status of their assets. The goal is for everything to be legal, instead of them [building owners] being exposed to corruption and fraud to receive services (water and electricity), he said. At a press conference on Wednesday, Madbouly said the government will stand against unplanned construction and building on state lands. He said Egypt lost up to 400,000 feddans between 1980 and 2011, and an additional 90,000 feddans in the past nine years, to building violations and land encroachments. Unplanned buildings constitute about 50 percent of the urban clusters in villages and cities countrywide, Madbouly pointed out. He vowed to introduce new facilities for citizens wishing to rectify the status of their buildings to encourage them to speed up the submission of settlement requests. Egypt said on Friday it has reduced reconciliation fees over building violations by 20 percent to 70 percent in 23 governorates, with Cairo seeing higher discounts. Egypt has seen a significant rise in illegal construction since the security vacuum that followed the 2011 uprising, with many people constructing multi-storey buildings without acquiring the necessary permits or complying with engineering safety standards. In January, Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ratified a law allowing settlement with the state over building violations, except for those pertaining to safety standards, authorised height or purpose, historic buildings, and others. The law sets a six-month deadline, which will expire by the end of this month, to put an end to violations in the country. Egypt is implementing a nationwide campaign to demolish illegal buildings that do not meet the requirements of reconciliation stipulated in the law. The government has already announced the removal of thousands of encroachments over the past few months. In late August, President El-Sisi slammed building violations on agricultural land in a heated speech, and waved at deploying the army if the problem persists. Search Keywords: Short link: Haiti - News : Zapping... 1.3 Haitians shot dead every day Thursday the National Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace (CE-JILAP) published its 75th observation report on the situation of violence and crime in the metropolitan region of Port-au-Prince for the period from April to June (90 days). The report reveals, among other things, that 114 people were shot dead during this period, or 1.3 people every day on average. A young man killed for stealing his motorcycle On Thursday, a man who had just bought a new motorcycle, according to witnesses, was shot dead in the head in rue Lamarre (Port-au-Prince) by unidentified armed individuals who were traveling aboard a motorcycle which escaped with the victim's motorcycle. The Ambassador of Haiti invited to the Congress The Ambassador of Haiti to the United States Herve Denis, was invited by the Commerce subcommittee of the American Congress to plead in favor of the renewal of the "Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act" (CBTPA), which expires on September 30, 2020 which led to the creation of the HOPE and HELP laws of which Haiti is the greatest beneficiary. Gary Conille appointed by UN Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, has appointed former Prime Minister of Haiti Gary Conille as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Jamaica, with the agreement of the Government of Jamaica. Assessment of the Ambulance Center For the month of August 2020, the National Ambulance Center - CAN intervened in 8 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 35 suspected cases, 27 respiratory distress, 125 chronic diseases, 253 obstetric emergencies, 122 road accidents, 64 transfers, 96 various ailments, 25 gunshot wounds, 18 stab wounds, 15 traumas and 10 burns. 264,324 people have already received the 3,000 Gdes grant 12,125 among the most vulnerable people received the 3,000 Gourdes of subsidy promised by the Government via the MonCash service of Digicel, bringing the current number of beneficiaries to 264,324 See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30405-haiti-covid-19-moise-promises-food-to-1-million-families-and-cash-to-15-million-others.html HL/ HaitiLibre Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 14:05:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Yosley Carrero HAVANA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Ailen Piquero, 20, a university student from Havana's outskirts, is eager for a Saturday night at Cuban Art Factory, the city's most popular cultural venue, located in El Vedado district, famous for its hectic activity during day and night. However, with a two-week night time-curfew, public transport suspended, and cultural venues closed, cultural life at the country's capital struggles to survive the coronavirus pandemic. Like many young people, she likes going to museums, attending plays, and dancing with friends until the early hours of the morning with artificial disco lights spinning around. Piquero said she prefers to stay home because an active cultural life can boost the risk of COVID-19 contagion in the country's largest city. "From watching a movie to enjoying a live concert, everything was possible at FAC, but mass gatherings have been postponed due to the health emergency," the 20-year-old told Xinhua. "But sooner or later, everything will return to normal." For the cultural venue, it was supposed to be a good year after it was included on Time magazine's 2019 list of the world's 100 greatest places to visit in 2020. Founded in 2014, the cooking-oil factory turned community project has quickly attracted thousands of locals and tourists eager to dance and see dance performances and art exhibitions in the middle of a relaxed and alternative atmosphere. COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything for all the people, said Cuban musician and songwriter X Alfonso, director general at FAC cultural venue, who is working on his new music album Inside as the virus continues to wreak havoc on the island. Beyond nightlife, he said, "We missed free summer workshops we carry out every year with more than 1,000 children and adolescents from the neighboring community". "With regard to the music industry, we are going through hard times, but we all have learned to reinvent ourselves and use social media to be close to the public," said Alfonso. In recent times, many events and music festivals in Cuba have jumped online bringing live concerts and special performances to the country's 6 million Internet users, according to official statistics. Cuba suspended cultural activities and closed theaters, movies and art venues two days after the onset of the pandemic in the country on March 11. Consequently, thousands of artists were given a furlough after the country's ministry of culture in April approved a special resolution to protect them during the health crisis. With social distancing measures, Havana reopened night clubs and bars after easing three-month restrictions in early July, but they were closed again in August after a spike in new confirmed cases. Ania Chibas, health expert and epidemiologist at Labiofam Laboratories told Xinhua that people in Havana should stay at home as much as possible and abide by social distancing guidelines and COVID-19 protocols. "Cultural life in the Cuban capital, as we know it, will return once the world has an effective cure for the virus, the enemy of the crowds and face-to-face interaction," she said. So far, Cuba has reported 4,593 COVID-19 confirmed cases, with 106 deaths. Enditem The afternoon sun is seen through a smoke-filled sky over fire-ravaged property in the Fresno County community of Pine Ridge in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California US officials girded Saturday for the possibility of mass fatalities from raging wildfires up and down the West Coast, as evacuees recounted the pain of leaving everything behind in the face of fast-moving flames. A prediction of cooler weather offered some hope of respite in coming days, but the true scale of the destruction from dozens of massive blazes in California, Oregon and Washington states remained hard to gauge. There were 16 deaths confirmed this week, with wide stretches of land still cut off by flames fueled by tinder-dry conditions of the kind caused by climate change. More than 20,000 firefighters are battling the blazes. "We're preparing for a mass fatality incident based on what we know and the number of structures that have been lost," warned Andrew Phelps, director of the office of emergency management in Oregon, on Friday. "We anticipate that number (of deaths) may potentially go up as we get back into areas that have been ravaged by flame and obviously, smoke begins to clear," warned California governor Gavin Newsom, as he visited a scorched forest near the raging North Complex Fire. Ten people have been confirmed dead from that blaze in Butte County, which was driven at unprecedented pace toward the city of Oroville earlier in the week by strong, dry winds and soaring temperatures. 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 September 10, 2020 But Newsom said the weather "is beginning to cooperate," with winds settling down and some rain forecast. In Oregon, where one million acres (400,000 hectares) have burned and three people are reported dead with dozens still unaccounted for, governor Kate Brown also expressed hope a corner had been turned. More than 40,000 Oregonians have fled their homes so far, with around half a million under evacuation warnings, Brown told a press conferenceclarifying previous higher figures given by state officials. "The weather system fueling these fires over the past few days has finally broken down," she said. "We anticipate cooler air and moisture coming in the next few days, which is really good news." In Portland, thick, choking smoke blanketed the downtown area Saturday morning, as local meteorologists said the city now ranks as having the worst air quality the world. Rebecca Manley and her son, James, accept a bouquet from volunteers handing out flowers at a fire evacuation site set up in the parking lot of the Clackamas Town Center in Happy Valley, Oregon, on September 11, 2020 "It is as if I had smoked 100 cigarettes. I've never seen this but we try to stay positive as conditions are getting better," said a 37-year-old man who gave his name only as Jessie. Elsewhere in Oregon, depending on the severity of a given place, evacuation instructions range from gather valuables and essential documents to get out right away. "It's like something in a movie. You don't expect it to actually happen to you, but when it's happening to you it's just scary," said Carrie Clarke, 25, who was evacuated from the Oregon town of Molalla and receiving food and other aid in a parking lot. She said she and others wondered what they would take if they go back and recover thingsin her case, it was mementos of her children from the time they were born. "If that burns, I have nothing. That's not something you can replace," she told AFP. Even as the weather forecast offered hope, Newsom painted a grim picture of California as the canary in the climate change coal mine. The San Francisco Bay Bridge is seen along Harrison Street under an orange smoke-filled sky in San Francisco, California on September 9, 2020 "I'm a little bit exhausted that we have to continue to debate this issue," he said in televised comments as he toured the damage. "This is a climate damn emergency. This is real, and it's happening. "This is the perfect storm." He added: "California, folks, is America fast-forward. What we're experiencing right here is coming to communities all across the United States of America unless we get our act together on climate change, unless we disabuse ourselves of all the BS that's been spewed by a very small group of people." 'Complete loss' The August Complex Fire this week became by far the biggest recorded blaze in Californian history, ripping through 746,000 acres of dry vegetation in the state's north, as multiple fires combined. But it is just one of around 100 large fires on the West Coast, and other rapidly growing blazes closer to populated areas have proven deadlier. The 20 largest Californian wildfires in recent history "We are at a complete loss for words right now," Bobbie Zedaker told the San Francisco Chronicle, after DNA tests proved her missing 16-year-old nephew was among those killed by the North Complex Fire. Two more people were killed near the rural community of Happy Camp, a CalFire spokeswoman told AFP Friday. Huge wildfires are becoming more common, with the World Meteorological Organization saying the five years to 2019 were 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 huge material and environmental damage. California has already seen more than 3.1 million acres burn this yearan annual record, approximately the size of Connecticutwith nearly four months of fire season still to come. 2020 AFP The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will open a regional office in Hanoi to increase its public health engagement in Southeast Asia, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced after an online ministerial meeting with the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations hosted by Vietnam on Thursday. The CDC is working with Thailand and Vietnam by funding event-based surveillance systems that monitor COVID-19, the DOS press release reads. The CDC has been leading the U.S. response to COVID-19. It has a number of local offices around the world, mainly in developing countries such as India and Indonesia. The existing Vietnam office has a staff of 64, according to the CDC website. In Thursdays press release, the U.S. State Department affirms that the country stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its ASEAN partners to mitigate the current pandemic, and also to strengthen ASEANs ability to prevent, detect, and respond to future zoonotic and other infectious disease outbreaks. Accordingly, the United States has provided more than US$87 million in U.S. government assistance to fight COVID-19 in ASEAN member states. Announcing new initiatives, the DOS said that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has planned US$1.5 million in funding to support the ASEAN Public Health Emergency Coordination System. USAID is also investing $16 million in One Health Workforce-Next Generation Project to transform the multi-sectoral health workforce and help ASEAN countries prepare for, prevent, detect, and respond to public health emergencies. At the same time, USAIDs IMPACT MED, a public-private medical education alliance, is expanding with new investments to help Vietnam build health sector capacity and become more prepared for public health threats. This program combines the strengths of American medical technology companies, Harvard Medical School, five U.S. and Vietnam universities of medicine and pharmacy, the Vietnam Ministry of Health, and USAID. In addition, the DOS created the Health Futures Alumni Network to bring together the more than 2,400 medical and public health alumni of U.S. exchange programs from ASEAN member states and Timor-Leste. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! (Newser) 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 he's in constant pain, the AP reports. Prosecutors say 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse of Antioch, Illinois, shot and killed two men during a chaotic protest Aug. 25. They've 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." story continues below Grosskreutz told CNN that he traveled to the protest because video of the Jacob 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. According to court documents, Grosskreutz approached Rittenhouse with his pistol after Rittenhouse had shot two other men during physical altercations. Rittenhouse then shot Grosskreutz in the arm and Grosskreutz ran away screaming for a medic. (Read more protests stories.) WASHINGTON - Nobody ever saw Steny Hoyer as a technological visionary, least of all the 81-year-old Democrat. "Let me tell you what - Steny Hoyer looks in the mirror and doesn't see that guy either," the House majority leader said in an interview Friday. Yet Hoyer, D-Md., has found himself at the forefront of one of the most radical changes to how the House conducts its business in decades. As Congress pulled together earlier this year to approve nearly $3 trillion worth of rescue legislation amid the coronavirus pandemic, lawmakers struggled to do their jobs in a safe and socially distanced manner. Pushed by rank-and-file Democrats to adapt, as the rest of America has done, Hoyer led a group that came up with new rules allowing lawmakers to vote from home to avoid risky travel and implementing technological changes that created virtual hearings in which members and witnesses could appear through video conferencing. Six months later, the House has regained its footing. Ten of the 12 annual spending bills for federal agencies got approved, as did the Pentagon's annual policy outline, along with some Democratic bills that served as markers on how they would overhaul police rules and guarantee safe delivery of mail ballots in the upcoming election. The House looks entirely different - up to 20 percent of members vote by proxy, through a lawmaker who is present, and some hearings are entirely virtual - yet it is functioning. Plenty of little gritty work that the public rarely sees is getting done. Yes, House Democrats are still clashing with the Senate in a higher-profile fashion, often ending in a gridlock that frustrates the public, and, yes, the Trump administration is still thumbing its nose at most of their oversight efforts. Yet, for however long the pandemic makes a normal Congress high risk, Hoyer believes this new normal is certainly better than the alternative. "The Congress could have been immobilized. I mean, a lot of state legislatures, they adjourned," Hoyer said. "The Congress can't do that." Republicans have fought these changes, first arguing that in drafting the Constitution the Founding Fathers wanted Congress to be physically present to cast votes. They filed a lawsuit in federal courts contesting these rules changes, a losing battle - a federal judge dismissed the suit in August - given that even the Supreme Court adapted to the pandemicwith remote hearings and voting. "That's so stupid," Hoyer said, dismissing the concept that a lawmaker violates his oath if he is not physically present. "My constituents don't care how I vote or where I am when I vote. They care that I represent their viewpoint and I articulate it." Hoyer, the longest-serving House Democrat, is an unlikely evangelist for a high-tech Congress. There's a running joke about how often Hoyer has to be reminded to turn off his mute button on the now-ubiquitous conference calls that have replaced in-person meetings for the caucus. He barely touches email, but he's adapted to FaceTime and text messages to stay in touch with grandchildren. "Look, I'm a hugger, I'm a shaker of hands, I'm a slapper on the back. I like to be together with people," he said, admitting he has gotten "a little buggy being at home all the time." He estimates that he used Zoom or Microsoft Teams' video technology five times, ever, before the coronavirus outbreak. Now? He's on Zoom or Teams about six hours a day. But Hoyer has adapted, out of necessity. Where Republicans see changes that are altering the fabric of the House as an institution, Hoyer views these moves as temporary steps to keep the institution functioning. On March 13, the last normal day of Congress, the House approved the second coronavirus bill and sent lawmakers home for a brief break. Within days, a handful of lawmakers tested positive for the coronavirus, and all travel was deemed risky. With 435 members at full capacity, the House is not fit for social distancing. The chamber practically stopped functioning. Over the next two months, the House came into session on just two days, to approve two massive relief bills worth more than $2.5 trillion, with only brief debate. No committee hearings were held to fully vet the legislation, with old rules even forbidding virtual hearings. "I kept thinking to myself, look, we have got to do our business. The Congress cannot be AWOL," Hoyer said. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who initially fought any remote voting or hearings, faced a rebellion within her ranks demanding change and eventually appointed Hoyer to lead a task force that included Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Republicans fought any changes, so Hoyer found himself being one of the most open to any sort of change, pushing to allow lawmakers to vote by video. He dismissed concerns about security. And he demanded committees be allowed to meet either in person or by video. In late May, House committees slowly went back to work, holding four meetings, according to Hoyer's office. From late June through July, the House held an average of 20 committee hearings a week. It's not a complete success. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., has made a habit of calling out Democrats who he says are abusing the proxy voting system, which is meant only for those who have health issues. In a late July exchange with Hoyer, Scalise noted that there is a 15% increase in those using proxy voting late in the last legislative day of the week. "You're literally signing a document on your stationery to the clerk of the House saying you're physically unable to be here, when you were physically here that day," Scalise said. Chagrined, Hoyer acknowledges that he has chewed out some Democrats and explained the rules state they can only take this option if they have a health safety excuse, not because they want to get a better flight option to make it to a family event back home. "I have reiterated time and time again on our conference calls and in person to people: This is not for convenience," he said. Elected in 1981, Hoyer has locked down support for another term as majority leader - as Democrats are expected to hold the majority - through 2022, which will mark 20 years as the No. 2 leader behind Pelosi. He said he wakes up "angry" every day and wants to keep serving as long as he is physically up to the task. After years of craving the speaker's gavel, Hoyer no longer views the promotion to the top job as something necessary to complete a career that began 60 years ago as an intern. "If you told me I was going to be the number two leader in the House of Representatives for 20 years, I would have said, 'I would have died and gone to heaven.' I would have said, 'Oh, I can't believe that.' This job that I have is a wonderful job," Hoyer said. Even if he has to sit on Zoom calls for six hours a day. By Trend President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory letter to Albert Likhanov, President of the International Association of Children's Funds, Chairman of the Russian Children's Fund, writer. "Dear Albert Anatolyevich, Accept my sincere congratulations and best wishes on the remarkable occasion of your 85th anniversary. You can rightly be proud of the years behind you, your brilliant life dedicated to caring tirelessly about the rising generation. Under your leadership, the Russian Children's Fund has been carrying out an important work for more than 30 years aimed at reinforcing family institution and family values, protecting children's rights and supporting children in difficult circumstances. Your long-term fruitful public activity in the field of child protection has earned you respect and recognition as a kind-hearted person not only in Russia, but all over the world. Your caring attitude towards the memory of the outstanding son of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev, his significant contribution to the noble cause of protecting children, and your joint work with him, which resulted in the establishment of the Children Fund of the Soviet Union, is highly appreciated in Azerbaijan. Dear Albert Anatolyevich, once again I congratulate you on your jubilee and wish you the best of health, inexhaustible energy, prosperity and new successes in your activities," the letter said. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Nothing could break this tradition, not even the pandemic. Nineteen years after the deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history, Staten Islanders gathered at the 9/11 Postcards Memorial in St. George on Friday evening to honor those borough residents who lost their lives in the tragedy. Since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Borough President James Oddo and his staff at Borough Hall had plans to adjust the format of the ceremony. With efforts to keep people safe, he decided to host most of the ceremony virtually, including family and friends reading the names of the 275 people with Staten Island ties who died 19 years ago on 9/11. "I hope, whether someone is at home watching the virtual, or if they came, they still can find some solace, " said Oddo. The one thing that is consistent is just how beautiful and important this memorial is. Screens were placed around the memorial to uphold the years-long tradition while ensuring social distancing practices. While it was not possible to have the normal seating arrangement at the ceremony that draws hundreds of people each year, the site remained open to the public. As the virtual ceremony began, the names of those lost were read by family members and friends via broadcast on television screens at the memorial site. Following the tribute readings, a memorial tribute video was shown. Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) Scenes from the Postcards memorial annual ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Alexandra Salmieri) 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. A devastated student who lost out on her dream course of primary school teaching feels that those who applied for places with Leaving Cert points from previous years "have been truly left behind". Abbie Biggane (19) from Charleville, Co Cork, only received an offer for her eighth CAO choice after points surged on the back of the highest Leaving Cert results in history. "I don't know what I'm going to do because teaching is what I really wanted, nursing was only a back-up option," she said. Read More "The reason I am so disappointed is I had a very complicated Leaving Cert experience last year. A month before I sat my exams my family found out that my mother was diagnosed with stage four metastatic cancer in her brain. "It was a very sudden shock to receive and obviously it was very hard to come to terms with this news. "However, whilst my mum was receiving treatment, I continued to study for my exams not realising my mother had not long to live." On the day she started maths paper one, Abbie found out that she only had a few hours left with her mother. "This was the most horrific thing that happened to me in my whole life," she said. She was only given three days off before she had to return to complete the rest of her exams. "I missed five exams which left me in a position where I had to travel to Athlone a month later to complete these five. "Following this, I received 467 points, which I was over the moon about, considering everything I went through during this time. I genuinely didn't think I'd even get 300 points." She decided it would be best to take a year out and try to come to terms with everything that happened following the tragic death of her mother. In January 2020, she reapplied to the CAO for primary teaching in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Marino College and St Patrick's College in Dublin. "I had been very confident that I would receive a course in Dublin as I had over the points needed for both St Pat's and Marino based on previous years. "I took the past year out in hope of getting a course this year, but sadly now it looks like I won't be getting to study teaching." Entry points for the courses she applied for rose by up to 30. "My boss told me I could take the evening off yesterday because of the whole situation," she said. "I found it hard to believe that those of us who sat our exams in previous years wouldn't even get a look-in for our dream course as the focus was on the Leaving Cert class of 2020." Abbie had also put down deposits for accommodation in Dublin, so will now potentially lose out on 900. "I'm so annoyed as I believe something could have been done to address this issue sooner. The Government only realised too late that it was going to be a problem, and even though more places were made available, it wasn't enough. "It was obvious from all the articles in the past few weeks that the points this year would go up, so I just feel like we have been treated really unfairly." Prosecutors: Do Your Job! Commentary There is a destructive crime and justice trend afoot that clearly endangers public safety. No, its not the actions of violent protestors and riotous thugs. Its the deliberate inaction of district attorneys who are refusing to prosecute violations of law. Youd likely be fired if you failed to do what you were hired to do. Its not that easy when dealing with an elected or appointed district attorney who is tasked with investigating and prosecuting citizens who break the law. Mike Schmidt, the DA in riot-scarred Portland, Oregon, announced hes dropping charges against hundreds of protestors arrested for criminal trespass, disorderly conduct, or interfering with a law enforcement officer. He wont prosecute those arrested for rioting either, unless theres some serious additional crime, such as arson, included. In July, Antifa and Black Lives Matter supporter Michael Reinoehl was arrested for illegally possessing a loaded firearm and resisting arrest. But the previous DA dropped the case, and Reinoehl was set free. In early September, Reinoehl confessed on videotape to fatally shooting Aaron J. Danielson, a pro-Trump supporter. Reinoehl said it was self-defense, but surveillance video showed him lying in wait for a target. U.S. Marshals hunted down the fugitive Reinoehl, and he was killed in an exchange of gunfire. Two men dead who didnt have to die. This DA dereliction of duty is occurring across the country. Progressive prosecutors are picking and choosing which laws to uphold and which to ignore. In Philadelphia, DA Larry Krasner decided to ease up on those arrested on gun-related charges. Hes also against prosecuting marijuana dealers and sex workers because, he says, Peoples freedom makes us safer. Homicide rates in Philadelphia have risen 30 percent from last year, and Krasner now agrees his prosecutors should work more closely with police to crack down on gun violence. Duh. In Contra Costa County, California, DA Diana Becton instructed her prosecutors to consider looters needs when deciding whether to file criminal charges. The head of the Antioch Police Officers Association says the policy is reckless and asks, At what point does our District Attorneys Office advocate for the victims, like local business owners whose shops have been destroyed? In Boston, DA Rachael Rollins has a decline to prosecute list of 15 charges, including drug possession and possession with intent to distribute, receiving stolen property, malicious destruction of property, and shoplifting. She says judges told her those crimes were bogging down the system, so she decided to ignore them. The Retailers Association of Massachusetts reports businesses there lose about $1 billion a year to shoplifting. Ignore the crime, and punish the victim? Sounds crazy. In Chicago, States attorney Kimberly Foxx campaigned on a promise not to prosecute low-level drug and shoplifting offenses and to change the way the system dealt with minority defendants. Shes the attorney who dropped the false-report charges against actor Jussie Smollett, who claimed a racial attack. An independent review concluded Foxx dropped 5,000 cases that would have been prosecuted by her predecessor. Yes, DAs have the discretion to decide which cases to take and which to drop, but this willy-nilly social experimentation with the law is dangerous. If laws are on the books, they should be upheld. If they are unfair, then state legislatures should change them. No, we dont want to be a country that locks up hungry people who shoplift food and necessities to survive, but a blanket pass for almost all shoplifters is counterproductive. Becton, Rollins, Foxx, and the DAs from St. Louis and Durham, North Carolina, (all female and all black) penned an opinion piece for Politico in which they openly blasted the very criminal justice system they swore to uphold. They wrote that the system was constructed to control Black people and people of color and called for major changes in prosecutorial attitudes. Look, its clear black people represent a disproportionate number of defendants in the criminal justice system. Is it because they commit more crimes, or is it because their skin color and lower-income status make them more vulnerable to failures within the justice system? It could be that both are true. Lets reach an honest conclusion about the why and who of crime before making a mockery of the legal system by ignoring those laws deemed by some DAs to be irrelevant. Diane Dimond is an author and investigative journalist. Her latest book is Thinking Outside the Crime and Justice Box. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 18:37:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia reported 58 new COVID-19 cases, the Health Ministry said on Saturday, bringing the national total to 9,868. Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a press statement that five of the new cases are imported and 53 are local transmissions. One new case cluster has been detected among those held at a detention center for illegal immigrants in the northern Borneo state of Sabah, with four testing positive so far. Another eight patients have been released after recovery, bringing the total cured and discharged to 9,189, or 93.1 percent of all cases. Of the remaining 551 active cases, nine are being held in intensive care and five of those are in need of assisted breathing. No new deaths have been reported, leaving the total deaths at 128. Enditem Current and former international students called for changes to Canadas immigration rules on Saturday as they face a job market still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dozens of demonstrators gathered at Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freelands office in Toronto in the first of two events scheduled this weekend. A second event in Mississauga, Ont., is planned for Sunday. The students say the requirements for graduates to gain permanent residency in Canada are too strict, and economic disruption from the COVID-19 crisis has made those requirements essentially impossible to meet. Sarom Rho, an organizer with the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change who leads the Migrant Students United campaign, said the pandemic has compounded the difficulties international graduates face when entering the job market in Canada. During the COVID-19 crisis, millions of people in Canada have lost work and wages, but for migrant students there is an added cost, Rho said by phone ahead of Saturdays rally. Without jobs, students cant apply for permanent residence. Postgraduate work permits are not currently renewable and Rho said this puts graduates who have been laid off or unable to find work during the pandemic at extra risk. Graduates experiencing unemployment face deportation if they do not complete continuous, high-wage work before their permits expire, she noted. The group is calling on the provincial and federal governments to make postgraduate work permits renewable so graduates struggling in the COVID-19 job market will not be deported or become undocumented. An online petition calling on the federal government to address the issues international students face had attracted more than 18,000 signatures as of Saturday afternoon. It reiterates the key demands in the Migrant Students United campaign, including making work permits renewable. We call on the federal government to make immediate changes that support students during the new global reality we are in, the petition reads. It also says families of international students should be able acquire work permits, asks that tuition fees be lowered to be on par with domestic rates and says all migrants should be granted permanent status. Rho noted returning home is not an option for many graduates who come from countries that have been destabilized by economic devastation and other crises during the pandemic. She said delays in immigration processing times have also left current international students on study permits without social insurance numbers, leaving them unable to find work. These pressing concerns about students futures could be avoided simply, Rho said. She said the weekends demonstrations call for simple fixes to a punitive system that sets students up to fail as they work to stay in Canada after their studies. This could all be fixed if there were a simple fix like making the work permit renewable, and even simpler, granting status for all migrants, she said. Neither Freeland nor Immigration Minister Marco Mendocino immediately responded to a request for comment. 191 Shares Share The current socio-political environment in the U.S. and worldwide has brought much-needed attention and heightened awareness to the plights of minoritized groups, especially Black and African-American communities. Police brutality, structural violence, overt racism, and discrimination are only a few examples prompting new activism. Along with the COVID-19 pandemic, they have amplified health inequities and disparities that have pervasively been threatening communities of color. As a response, academic medicine leaders, equity scholars, and medical educators alike have been restating their institutional commitment to values of equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice (EDIJ). For equity scholars and historically underrepresented groups in higher education, this also includes the usual actionable items perpetuating the same responses in higher education and academic medicine: the appointment of chief diversity officers promising climate surveys EDIJ consultants to reiterate what faculty and students of color have been stating for years the examination of culturally competent curricula Our leaders are quick to respond to challenges, criticism, and calls to actions by pointing to EDIJ initiatives as a success regardless of evidence. While cultural competence has been long recognized as the only approach in medicine, other concepts have tried to address its gaps: cultural awareness cultural sensitivity cultural humility cultural security cultural safety transcultural effectiveness Unfortunately, they also have reduced the potential for a shared understanding of what cultural competency represents. Academic medicine efforts are doubling down on implicit and unconscious bias training and discussing long overdue topics in health disparities within structural and social determinants of health. The connection to race and ethnicity can no longer be ignored or lightly veiled. Medical educators and equity champions are scrambling to elevate EDIJ-related education. For some, this has simply meant re-labeling current offerings as anti-racist education. To simply suggest, for example, that implicit bias and (micro)aggressions are the most salient parts of the anti-racist medical education agenda misses the foundation of this work in education. This would be a failure in the achievement of equity, a failure in medical education, and a failure to our patients. Anti-racist education emerged from the broader field of multicultural education over thirty years ago. It explicitly focuses on power relations, explores identity and its intersections, and institutional structures. It emphasizes the dismantling of systemic barriers that perpetuate racism within our educational environments. Anti-racist educations seek to correct educational inequities, making education more inclusive while acknowledging discomfort, tension, and vulnerability in addressing conflict and controversial issues centered on race. When combined with critical pedagogy, culturally relevant teaching, and inclusive pedagogies, it equips educators and learners with the confidence skills to own responsibility for their own teaching, learning, agency, and activism. Importantly, it eases the burden off historically excluded and marginalized groups in facilitating anti-racist education implementation and delivery. It initiates a framework for the development of anti-racist medical educators. As an educator in academic medicine, equity scholar, and a member of a historically underrepresented group in medicine, I offer that anti-racism in medical education should explicitly first present the historical facts, not those only presented through the lens of whiteness. This offers an opportunity to speak about the way medicine has failed communities of color from atrocities presented in medical and research ethics to those that acknowledge our professions pace in eliminating health inequities. Second, we need to center these discussions on our own identity and positionality within power and privilege. Positionality is the socio-political context that forms our identity in terms of race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability status (to name a few). In medical education, as in research, our positionality determines our approach as educators, how the questions are constructed, lessons designed, and how we negotiate students responses. Third, we should consider cultural humility and curiosity as the foundation from which to build racial equity conversations with learners and peers. Lastly, we have to look at medical education and explicitly tackle the power imbalances in physician-patient communications, in the health care system, in the academic and leadership hierarchy, in our institutions culture and climate. Anti-racist medical education may not be the vaccine we are looking for, but it deserves to be properly represented and not mislabeled. Our medical students are demanding a better and all-inclusive medical education. Sylk Sotto is a bioethicist. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Meat bosses' representatives didn't believe a second surge of Covid-19 would stem from their factories a few months ago. "Things have reached a point of perfection in the sense that we have reached the stage where we have no active cases, having had a significant peak in cases in the final two weeks of April and the first week of May," Philip Carroll of Meat Industry Ireland told a Dail committee in July. Another official from the same association disagreed with a union's assessment that if there was a second spike it would originate in a meat plant. A couple of weeks later, a wave of infections spread through meat plants. O'Brien Fine Foods, Irish Dog Foods, and Kildare Chilling in Co Kildare were among those hit. The outbreaks were a trigger for the Government's shock decision to order a Midlands lockdown. It doesn't inspire confidence that the same thing won't happen again. Covid-19 has become a scourge at meat plants since its first appearance in the early days of the pandemic. The first confirmed case at a plant was on St Patrick's Day. This was followed by a spike in late April and May before a big wave last month forced many operators to shut down. A total of 31 of 85 workplace outbreaks have been in meat or poultry processing plants. There have been over 1,500 confirmed cases associated with the meat plants, more than 30 people hospitalised, but no deaths. Of 30 meat and poultry factory outbreaks recorded by August 29 last, five were in Meath, four in Kildare, four in Tipperary, three in Cavan, three in Offaly, three in Monaghan, and two in Roscommon. There have been single outbreaks in plants in Clare, Cork, Longford, Roscommon, Waterford, and Westmeath. The meat industry has developed a reputation as a breeding ground for Covid-19 at home and abroad. There are many theories about why this is so. In the first place, there have been more opportunities for the virus to spread as the industry has been operating when many others weren't. It was one of the few sectors deemed essential enough to stay open during the lockdown. The industry accounted for 4bn of food exports to the UK, EU and world markets last year and contributes to the incomes of 100,000 farmers. It employs 16,000 people at 50 major processing sites across the country. There is little automation possible because it relies on workers specialised in making cuts who work side by side in boning halls. The cold, damp conditions of the processing plants have been described as the perfect environment for virus transfer. This is aided by a noisy atmosphere that causes staff to shout, spitting out droplets. The Health and Safety Authority has found most meat factories largely compliant with the guidelines. But staff at some plants under cover of anonymity have claimed there has been an ad hoc response from their employers; that they shared uniforms; that they were left short of PPE; that there was no social distancing in canteens and locker rooms; and that there was a dearth of Perspex screens. Siptu has claimed a lack of sick pay is a "key vector" in the transmission of the virus. It argues staff who won't get paid are reluctant to stay out of work. Employers have said many staff who tested positive have been asymptomatic. But there have been reports of workers taking Panadol to pass daily temperature checks. Perspex screens are allowed where health authorities have said social distancing is not possible. But surely two metres could be possible - though it means slowing down production. As things stand, one-metre distancing with Perspex dividers is allowed. Fault lines have appeared in terms of the involvement of the state bodies. Meat Industry Ireland told politicians that employers drew up their own robust safety protocols before the HSE produced interim guidelines for the sector - two months later. The Health and Safety Authority been accused of being too slow to start plant inspections. It has emerged that management was often given advance notification of these inspections. Mass testing was only launched recently. There have been concerns raised about the spread of infection from outside the plants due to workers sharing transport or living in crowded accommodation. This has been linked with agency staff on lower pay and people living in the direct provision system. As a result, some asylum seekers claim they have been segregated or had their hours cut. Less than a third of the workforce are Irish nationals. The meat industry body insists most are employed or on work permits, so their terms and conditions are subject to the scrutiny of State agencies. It claims agency staff only make up a tiny portion of employees. Six months into this pandemic, Siptu - representing 6,000 of the meat-processing workforce - and Meat Industry Ireland are meeting next week to sign off on a safety protocol. But they are still at loggerheads over the union's demand for standardised terms and conditions for staff. Kildare Chilling and Kepak are among employers set to be targeted with claims for a sick-pay scheme if the employer body refuses to negotiate industry-wide terms. The union is demanding the immediate shut down of production lines, departments, or entire facilities if the virus is confirmed - without loss of earnings. Its proposal is that a payment equal to a worker's after-tax wage is made by combining the state pandemic unemployment payment with an employer top-up. As Covid makes the winter months loom darker than before, the Government's third minister for agriculture has held out hope the meat plants will not heighten the threat of severe restrictions once again. Charlie McConalogue said the first round of ramped up Covid-19 testing in meat plants will end this week and then repeat on a two-week rolling basis. The results will be "closely monitored". But it doesn't bode well that since he spoke, testing of factory workers has been suspended due to demand from other members of the public. As COVID-19 cases continue to multiply across the State University of New York (SUNY) system, the state government is blaming students for the outbreaks. Just three weeks into the semester over 1,100 students have tested positive. Nearly 700 of these come from SUNY Oneonta alone, highlighting how quickly the virus can spread in school environments. Refusing to take any responsibility for this catastrophe, the SUNY system is on a crusade to punish groups of students for gathering and lay the ground for further police repression on campuses. The most severe example of this comes from SUNY Oswego in upstate New York. During move-in, Mayor Billy Barrow deployed city police officers to monitor students as they arrived at their off-campus housing. Since then, Barrow has ordered a surge in police officers during the weekends to patrol neighborhoods with college students and break up any suspected gatherings. He stated that the police have already intervened to break up parties off campus and have been going door to door in college rental neighborhoods. SUNY campus These measures are being used to impose strict punishments on students, often without any judicial review. In SUNY: five students and one organization were suspended at SUNY Oneonta, 13 students were suspended at SUNY Fredonia, nine students and three organizations were suspended at SUNY Geneseo and 43 students were suspended at SUNY Plattsburgh, just to name a few. This is a common story across the country, with students facing suspension or expulsion, resulting in the loss of a semester of learning and a full semesters cost. Thirty-six students have been summarily suspended at Purdue University in Indiana. West Virginia University suspended 29 fraternity students after they met for a party while in isolation. Decisions to suspend the students were made with disregard for proper judicial review and rights to due process. Despite the irresponsibility of some youth and the role that misguided celebrations and parties may have played in spreading the virus, such criticisms and attacks on students are founded on a lie. The unbridled spread of COVID-19 is not the fault of a relatively small number of students but is a direct consequence of the criminal response of the American ruling class. These crackdowns signal a turn toward coordinated police-state action directed against students as they arrive on campuses amid the socially and politically criminal drive to reopen schools and workplaces amid the pandemic. SUNY Chancellor James Malatras praised the relationship between the city police department and the university police department, which he expected would pay dividends in keeping down the amount of large gatherings and unofficial events that shouldnt be happening. Malatras, a former top adviser to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, has lauded Oswegos COVID policies as an example of a good plan well executed. The possibility is very real that local police will be deployed in other towns and cities to monitor students living off campus. The utilization of the police force dovetails with the implementation of greater on-campus monitoring and surveillance. According to the Chicago Tribune, several schools across the country have stated they will monitor social media and security camera footage to identify students violating school regulations. Such violations of student privacy serve only the purpose to bolster the repressive tools available to campus authorities and to direct all blame onto students. SUNY Oneonta President Barbara Jean Morris stated that the school would be working to identify the students [photographed gathering] and will quickly issue disciplinary actions and possible suspensions. We will also step up our monitoring of these residence halls to prevent this behavior from happening again. Efforts to monitor student interactions through the use of facial recognition software are not out of the question. Lock Port City School District in Western New York stoked controversy when it announced plans to implement a facial recognition system in its schools earlier this year. While such methods are nominally being used to break up unsafe gatherings, they inevitably will be used against students seeking to fight back against unsafe school reopenings, police brutality and other conditions being created by the authorities themselves. This march toward authoritarian police-state measures arises in New York state, a core bastion of the Democratic Party. Democratic Governor Cuomo was hailed by the media during the early days of the pandemic as a messiah who would lead the country out of the crisis. He was even encouraged to enter the race for the Democratic presidential nomination as a last-minute substitution for the flailing Joe Biden. In reality, Cuomos response to the pandemic was lethargic and inadequate, overseeing the deaths of 30,000 New Yorkers as the state became the global epicenter for several months. His policies only appeared superior because of the abysmally pathetic responses from the federal and other state governments. Now that the crisis has slowed in New York, he is free to embark on the path the Democratic Party has been taking in other states; pursuing the same deadly policies as the Trump administration. As recently as August 28 Cuomo tweeted out the battle cry Test Test Test. But where is all the testing on college campuses? Of the 64 schools in the SUNY system, only three required testing prior to or during arrival. So far, fewer than 38,000 tests have been administered on campuses. This is one test for every 37 SUNY students, who number 1.4 million across all schools. The abysmal state of testing on campuses is shown in the discrepancy between positive tests administered on campus and those administered at other testing centers. Cuomo has referred to college students as the canary in the coal mine and has stated that he expects similar outbreaks to occur in K-12 schools. However, keeping schools and workplaces closed to stop the pandemic would cut into the potential profits of the ruling class, a loss that Cuomo and his ilk are not willing to take. Of the 1,139 positive cases at SUNY schools only 478 were from campus testing centers. SUNY Buffalo has seen 64 COVID-19 cases since reopening. Only two of these were from campus-administered tests. Similarly, SUNY Fredonia has confirmed 84 positive cases, of which five were tested on campus. Again, 64 students tested positive at SUNY Oswego, where 15 were campus-administered tests. Students are being set up to fail. There has been no mandatory testing before arrival, limited testing available on campus and a lack of coordination and communication with the student bodies. Then, when an inevitable outbreak occurs, the administration blames the students and rinses itself of all responsibility. Students must organize on their campuses with faculty and staff to form rank-and-file safety committees that will fight for their health and lives. These committees are being formed by educators in schools all over the country. All students and educators interested in taking up the fight to protect the lives and health of students and workers should join the national Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee and work to build committees on their campuses. All educators, students, school workers and parents who support this initiative should join the online meeting of the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee this Saturday at 3p.m. EDT. Contact the WSWS Educators Newsletter and the IYSSE to get involved today! The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), on Friday adopted an omnibus resolution seeking a comprehensive and coordinated global response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This came six days to the end of the 74th Session of the Assembly under the leadership of Nigeria represented by its permanent representative to the UN, Tijani Muhammad-Bande. The U.S. and Israel voted against the decision, which sailed through by 162-2 votes with two abstentions (Hungary and Ukraine). Among other affirmations, the resolution notes that multilateralism, international cooperation, and solidarity are the only paths to an effective response to global crises such as COVID-19. To this end, it calls for intensified international cooperation and solidarity to contain, mitigate, and overcome the pandemic and its consequences. It underscores the need for this to be done through responses that are people-centred, gender-responsive, with full respect for human rights, multidimensional, coordinated, inclusive, innovative, swift and decisive at all levels. The resolution urges exchange of information, scientific knowledge and best practices by countries in addition to strengthening of platforms to inform mitigation and response actions and continuously monitor the impact of the pandemic. Strong opposition Voicing a strong opposition to racism, xenophobia, hate speech, and stigmatisation associated with COVID-19, it urges countries to ensure that all human rights are respected and protected in the fight against the disease. The resolution recognises the important leadership role of the World Health Organisation and the UN system towards a comprehensive global response to COVID-19. It reaffirms the UN Secretary-Generals appeal for an immediate global cease-fire to pave the way for a united front against the pandemic. In separate remarks following the adoption, delegates described the resolution as one of the most important products of the outgoing session. They attributed its success largely to the leadership, wisdom, diplomatic skills, and tenacity of Mr Muhammad-Bande and co-coordinators of the Assembly on COVID-19. Russia said Muhammad-Bande had brought greater glory to Nigeria with his sterling leadership of the 193-member body, adding that his work would long remain in the memories of the delegations. Wrapping up the remarks, the Assembly president expressed appreciation to representatives of member states for their patience and engagement in the process. Mr Muhammad-Bande gave the credit to the co-coordinators, Adela Raz and Ivan Simonovic, permanent representatives of Afghanistan and Croatia respectively. He urged member states to go beyond adoption by honouring the commitments they have made in the resolution. (NAN) 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: 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. Express News Service By NEW DELHI: The Peace and Harmony Committee of the Delhi Assembly on Saturday summoned Facebook India MD Ajit Mohan following complaints that the social media giant allegedly bent rules on hate content to benefit the BJP.The committee, headed by AAP MLA Raghav Chadha, has prima facie found Facebook complicit in Delhi riots of February 2020 on the premise of incriminatory material produced on record by the witnesses. The committee proceedings have been held live twice during which Chadha has talked to various domain experts and activists over the complaints.A report was published in the international media about the social media platform allegedly bending its rules on hate contents for the ruling BJP leaders. According to the chairman of the committee, the proceedings were initiated after he received multiple complaints alleging that despite Facebooks comprehensive policies and regulations, it turned a blind eye to mass manufacturing and propagation of vile, hateful communal content.Taking into account the gravity of the allegations, the Delhi Assemblys committee has decided to delve into the issue to unravel plans of rabble-rousers who want to wreak havoc in the country, particularly in the NCT of Delhi, the statement said. Last month, Facebook had said its platform prohibits hate speech and content that incites violence and these policies are enforced globally without regard to political affiliation. In 2015, India adopted The Brasilia Declaration, committing to cut down deaths by road accidents by half by 2020. However, the number of deaths has actually increased, though marginally, from 1,48,707 in 2015 to 1,54,732 in 2020. Despite several measures being taken to realise the goal, why have Indian roads continued to be death traps? The causes of road accidents are several and often, it is the result of an interplay of various factors like human error, road environment and vehicular condition. From untrained drivers, poor road design to the lack of traffic signage and inadequate road literacy, a number of reasons are cited for the unending accidents. The increase in the number of vehicles, poor quality helmets, and scant regard for traffic rules also find a place in the top of the list of the causes of rising accidents. Since 2000, there have been 81,49,079 accidents, 24,24,251 deaths and 88,60,070 injuries, making Indias roads one of the most dangerous in the world. Unfortunately, a majority of the accidents and even deaths are caused by situations that are avoidable. In October 2017, a woman was crushed by a truck in the heart of Bengaluru city while she was trying to avoid a pothole. The Karnataka government had to swing into action to fix the scarred roads after four people died in a week in accidents caused by potholes in that month. However, not much has changed on the ground. The government says the number of accidents, deaths and injuries has somewhat stabilised since 2010 "with only marginal year to year fluctuations". However, the World Road Statistics 2018 puts India right at the top of 199 countries when it comes to the total number of fatal road accidents, while the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Global Report on Road Safety says the country accounts for almost 11% of such deaths across the globe. Measures like weeding out bogus driving licences, setting up modern drivers' training schools, the rectification of black spots, crash barriers, road safety audits, making BIS specified helmets mandatory and the imposition of hefty fines on violators by amending the Motor Vehicles Act have been taken but when it comes to implementation, authorities lack intent. The 'Good Samaritan' rules put in place by the authorities have not yet instilled confidence among the public, who still fear that they might land in trouble if they take an accident victim to the hospital. Designed to kill When it comes to design, engineering norms are often circumvented, leading to faulty roads that are accident-prone, especially in rural areas, which accounted for 59.5% of the accidents last year. A senior official attributed the huge quantum of accidents in rural areas to faulty roads, which are built defying the norms set by the Indian Road Congress, and cited the example of curves on roads and potholes. "Not just that, most of them are in a dilapidated condition, the curves where a large number of accidents take place are faulty. When the road does not have a proper width, the ratio between the width and slope is compromised. This leads to accidents. Removing potholes does not happen most of the time," he said. The Road Accidents in India 2018 report by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) showed that roads with sharp curves, potholes and steep gradient tend to be more accident-prone because successfully negotiating them requires skill, extra care and alertness. The report also said that bridges, curved and straight roads saw the largest rise in accidents. As per National Crime Records Bureau data (NCRB), the national (NH) and state highways (SH), which respectively cover just 1.9% and 2.97% of the 58 lakh km of the road network in the country, accounted for 29.4% and 24.5% of the accidents last year. "These accidents are caused due to the tendency to over-speed on the good quality of Expressways and Highways wherein the safety parameters are often compromised to reduce costs," K K Kapila, President Emeritus of International Road Federation (IRF), told DH. To circumvent land acquisition troubles, a former Public Works Department official said that engineering standards are generally compromised. Kapila concurred and said, "For instance, curves of appropriate radius are compromised with those of lesser radius to reduce land acquisition costs. In fact, in PMGSY (Prime Minister's Grameen Sadak Yojana) roads, the mandate has been to develop existing roads only and not to go for land acquisition. As such, while connectivity has been the focus, the engineering requirements have been compromised frequently," he says. Land acquisition troubles also prompt authorities to water down the necessary requirements while developing new highways. When highways run through villages bifurcating them, not much attention is given to construct underpasses at reasonable distances. This prompts people to cross the highways negotiating the speeding vehicles. "This aspect is overlooked, which hinders the movement of villagers living on either side of the road. Quite often, these are curtailed and later taken up when it becomes a black spot a spot where many accidents take place," Kapila adds. Road discipline A senior Delhi Police official said road literacy is one thing that is lacking among drivers. "They think it is for the other drivers to follow rules and not for them. They put the responsibility on others, not on themselves," he said. Over-speeding caused 59.6% of the total accidents last year, while 25.7% of accidents took place due to dangerous driving, including jumping traffic signals, the NCRB report said. The MoRTH report of 2018 echoed the trend while attributing 29% of deaths to not wearing helmets and 16% to not using seat belts. Another aspect that is overlooked is that people tend to continue driving unfit vehicles, as the MoRTH report found out that 41% of the vehicles involved in accidents were more than 10 years old. Experts and officials say more traffic police on the streets will reduce accidents. According to the Bureau of Police Research and Development, the vacancy in traffic police is pegged at 26.31% as on January 1, 2019. Across the country, only 72,885 personnel are actually deployed on traffic duties, against a sanctioned strength of 98,909. Most of the traffic police personnel are not adequately trained while in some cases, personnel are transferred to the wing as a punishment. Also, police forces often conduct special drives, focused on imposing fines rather than using other ways to effectively enforce traffic rules. Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has set a target of reducing accident deaths by 25% by March 2021 but to achieve this, experts and officials say a lot needs to be done. The Centre has identified several measures to be adopted but there should be thrust on implementation; local authorities need to continuously conduct road audits, deploy adequate traffic personnel and ensure that road designs concur with the engineering norms, they said. Efforts for imparting road literacy is another aspect highlighted by experts, who also say that traffic police should be given the same importance as the law and order wing. India has already missed the target to halve road accident deaths by 2020. Urgent steps need to be taken to ensure that it gets on track to meet the new target. 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The fires, which started last month due to unusual lightning storms, have been raging out of control from Southern California, through Oregon and up into Washington, according to Financial Times. In California, the North Complex Fire, a monstrous group of blazes that includes the fast-moving Bear Fire, has spread to cover more than 200,000 acres northeast of San Francisco, claiming 10 lives in Butte County. Thick smoke and ash from the blazing fires are also mixing with cooler air from the Pacific Ocean, blocking the sun. This had the effect of blanketing San Francisco in an eerie, orange haze. Parts of Oroville in California are also under urgent evacuation orders as the North Complex Fire threatens to spread further north to neighboring Oregon. State officials in Oregon put the damage at almost 900,000 acres. The raging fires there have also devastated entire communities, including Detroit in Marion County, Blue River and Vida in Lane County and Phoenix and Talent in Jackson County. We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across our state, said Oregon Governor Kate Brown. In all, five of the states largest fires are still about one percent contained due to strong winds. During a virtual news conference, Brown has also announced that an evacuation order had been put in place for the Molalla area, where two fires being monitored are expected to merge. Meanwhile, dozens of wildfires are burning on both sides of the Cascades mountain range in Washington, burning at least five towns, reported Seattle Times. Firefighters stretched thin as fires spread to neighboring states More than 3.1 million acres have burned in California so far during this years fire season, according to officials from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Agency (CAL FIRE). In fact, six of the states 20 largest fires recorded to date have occurred in 2020, added CAL FIRE. The fires have also burned more than 3,900 structures, and at least 14,000 firefighters are still out battling major fires. But despite these record-breaking figures, CAL FIRE spokesman Daniel Berlant said Thursday that this number could continue to increase as this years fire season is far from over. This unprecedented firestorm has also prompted the Forest Service of the US Department of Agriculture to temporarily close all 18 of Californias national forests in a bid to protect the public. But despite state efforts to curb the spread of the fires, firefighters have been hard-pressed to contain major blazes due to unstable weather conditions, leading to the eventual spread of the fires to neighboring states. Fires are generating unhealthy air conditions On top of the insurmountable damage, the fires raging in California, Oregon and Washington are also generating bad air throughout the entire West Coast. It has even extended far out into the Pacific Ocean. Given this blanket of orange haze, state authorities are urging residents to prepare for unhealthy air quality. In particular, health officials are primarily concerned about fine particles found in smoke. If inhaled, these particles could cause health problems like itching and shortness of breath, said Bonnie Holmes-Gen, chief of the health and exposure assessment branch in the research division of the California Air Resources Board. People with preexisting lung or heart conditions and pregnant women are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of exposure to wildfire smoke. If smoke is present, Holmes-Gen recommends closing windows and turning on the air-conditioning to create a clean air space inside the house. Moreover, given the COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more important to protect oneself from air pollution due to wildfires, she added. Doing so can help minimize the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes that could lead to hospitalization or death. (Related: Study: Deaths in intensive care units for coronavirus patients are declining.) Read the latest articles about the ongoing California wildfire situation at ClimateScienceNews.com. Sources include: FT.com OregonLive.com SeattleTimes.com Fire.ca.gov LATimes.com WBUR.org Tesla got to where it is the hard way, with a modest 2010 IPO that raised around $260 million, followed by a decade of slogging through what CEO Elon Musk has often called "production hell." Maurizio Pesce A batch of electric-vehicle startups such as Lucid, Rivian, and Fisker has launched exciting new vehicles and attracted billions in investment. The traditional auto industry is also shifting to EVs and taking stakes in startups: GM acquired an 11% share in Nikola last week. Everyone is banking on the EV market growing and growing fast, but it's currently tiny, and Tesla has a commanding lead. Ultimately, the market may never grow large enough to support the level of investment that's now being undertaken. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. As Tesla was busy becoming the most valuable automaker in the world, minting a market capitalization well over $350 billion, a bunch of new names were entering the electric-vehicle race. Lucid, Nikola, Fisker, and more either made big announcements or pulled the cover off new, Tesla-fighting designs. Nikola and Fisker both went public in 2020 through "special purpose acquisition companies." For Nikola, that meant an initial valuation of over $3 billion that quickly shot up to $13 billion, and for Fisker, a $3 billion valuation with a cool billion earmarked to bring the carmaker's first vehicle, the Ocean, to market. Lucid unveiled its Air sedan last week, amid considerable hoopla. Understandable, as the $170,000 top-trim of the car has performance specs that put the Tesla Model S in the rearview. It gets better. Fisker has rolled out plans to produce a family of three vehicles and, in interviews with Business Insider, CEO Henrik Fisker outlined a business model that seeks to turn the traditional paradigm of auto ownership on its head. Meanwhile, Nikola teamed up with General Motors, trading 11% of the company's equity $2 billion as well as $700 million in "reimbursements" to manufacturer the Nikola Badger pickup truck, using GM's Ultium battery technology. And don't forget about Rivian, which was the talk of the auto-circuit in 2019 (back when there were auto shows) and looks like the old man of this group, thanks to a $500-million investment by Ford last year. Story continues Reality check! Competition only makes sense if there's something to compete for, beyond media attention. About 17 million people bought a vehicle in the US last year. Almost none of them bought an EV. Lucid That's a lot of action, but how about some context? Lucid has been around, in one form or another, since 2007, and got a huge shot in the arm financially in 2018 when the Saudi sovereign wealth fund invested at a $1 billion valuation. Skeptics could argue that it took the startup 13 years to reveal one car, which looks fantastic on paper but isn't, well, you know, built yet. Nikola founder Trevor Milton wisely realized that manufacturing the Badger while also bringing a semi-truck to market was too heavy a lift, so he effectively hired GM to make the pickup, turning it into a showcase for Ultium, a technology that GM has ambitious plans for over the next decade. Fisker has been arguing, refreshingly, that the old manufacturing model is hopeless for startups. So he's transformed himself, in his latest auto industry act he founded Fisker Automotive before the financial crisis and was widely seen as an early Tesla rival into a vocal advocate for asset-light car-making, with a focus on customer experience, rather than nuts and bolts. The difference between this next-generation trio of electric carmakers and Tesla is obvious: Tesla did it the hard way, with a modest 2010 IPO that raised around $260 million, followed by a decade of slogging through what CEO Elon Musk has often called "production hell." The reward is the titanic market cap and the awe of Wall Street. But Tesla still sold only 367,500 vehicles in 2019, while GM alone sold nearly eight million. It took Tesla 17 years to reach that mark, a pace that doesn't exactly augur rapid success for the likes of a direct competitor like Lucid, which has about four years of furious catch-up to play. The biggest player in a tiny market Mary Barra presented GM's electric strategy in early 2020. GM The critical issue is that Tesla now dominates what is a globally minuscule market for EVs just about 1 to 2% of total sales. Many analysts and experts expect that market to grow rapidly in the coming years, hence the enthusiasm for Tesla among investors (who've already reaped an 8,000% return since 2010). But while Tesla has had the market largely to itself, with its main challengers over the past decade coming from low-key EVs (such as the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Bolt) the traditional automakers and their enormous cash-flows and R&D budgets have now seriously leaped into the fray, and SPAC-powered investors are on the hunt for promising startups that can catch the Tesla wave. What's uncertain is whether the natural growth of the EV market is going to happen or whether it might need help from governments that want to address the threat of climate change through regulatory action. And even substantial exertion on that front might not move the needle. After all, consumers need to want to buy electric cars, and up to now, they've mustered plenty of reasons not to. If growth arrives, then both startups and established automakers intend to make a grab for it. The question then is whether they'll be able to convince people to buy something other than a Tesla or offer vehicles in segments that Tesla isn't pursuing. If the growth doesn't arrive, however, or doesn't arrive fast enough, then you have too much investment chasing too little potential market share. Big Auto can handle this, as 98% of its sales are of gas-powered vehicles. And Tesla already has more than half the EV market in the US, so it could consolidate its position. The nightmare scenario for the rest is that the bottom falls out, and fast. This isn't a death sentence for startups Fisker might have the best business model for an unpredictable EV future. Fisker If I were handicapping, I'd say Nikola and Rivian could hang in there and that Fisker should make the most of its money, getting ahead of Tesla with a flexible-ownership concept that actually creates something of an interesting side market, particularly for leasing. (Fisker wants to offer a sort of easy-in-easy-out lease structure, so people aren't stuck with a car if their financial situation changes.) But Lucid looks like it could be trying to replicate Tesla and become a competitor about 10 years too late, with a vehicle in the Air (base price: $80,000) that's chasing buyers in a slice of an overall EV market that's essentially a rounding error for worldwide sales. Competition is a funny thing. There looks to be plenty of EVs, what with mega-name-brands like Porsche bringing vehicles like the objectively stupendous Taycan to the party, and a fresh surge of combatants making a lot of noise in 2020. But competition only makes sense if there's something to compete for, beyond media attention. About 17 million people bought a vehicle in the US last year. Almost none of them bought an EV. The tide has turned a little bit toward the idea that EV market penetration could pick up in the next decade. But then again, top auto execs in 2010 were predicting that EVs could capture 15% of sales by now. The bottom line is that today, there is no meaningful competition in the EV market, so everything is a wager on not just the desire for competition to emerge, but for actual customers to buy actual electric cars. The jury's even out on Tesla, if you think about it. As I pointed out a while ago, Tesla is worth more than Toyota, the world's most valuable carmaker for many years prior to Tesla's epic stock-market rally in 2020. But Tesla has been valued at that level for less than a year, while Toyota has stewarded value for decades. Say the EV market tops out at 5 to 10% in the US and Europe and fails to dominate in China, the globe's big growth opportunity. Then, even if Tesla is number one, it can't defend a market cap of almost $400 billion on sales of just a few million vehicles annually. Where's my creative destruction? A Porsche Taycan being assembled. THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP via Getty Images Another thing that concerns me about Tesla bullishness and all the new aspirants to the EV throne is that what the economist Joseph Schumpeter called the "perennial gale of creative destruction" isn't blowing hard enough. We should be seeing EVs replacing internal-combustion-engine vehicles at a much brisker pace if the technology is truly superior, or at least superior enough to attract consumer dollars to go along with investor dollars (which aren't the same thing). We should also see traditional automakers enduring incredible transitional pain or even failing outright. Instead, before the coronavirus pandemic, automakers had been raking in cash, building up fortress-like balance sheets against a downturn, buying entire Silicon Valley startups, and posting consistently profitable quarters as pickups and SUVs flew off dealer lots. If you follow the logic, then unless the EV market quickly replaces the gas-powered market, or replaces a significant portion of it, there ultimately is no EV market. There could be a Tesla market, and I've already argued a couple of times that Tesla is on its way to establishing a micro-monopoly (one too small to deserve government anti-trust attention). EV startups, then, have a dual challenge. First, they have to draw even with the first-mover, Tesla, which will be difficult and costly. Then they have to hope that anticipated growth does more than arrive it has to beat expectations to make enough space for profitable competition. If you think that all sounds harsh, welcome to entrepreneurship in the transportation business! There's a good reason why Lucid, Nikola, and Fisker have reeled in billions the risk is so crazy that only fortunes are bold enough to favor it. Read the original article on Business Insider Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Chris Lefkow (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Sat, September 12, 2020 13:20 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c446b505 2 World Donald-Trump,Bob-Woodward,Richard-Nixon,COVID-19,Watergate,Washington Free Nearly 50 years after Watergate, Bob Woodward is still breaking front page news and rattling US presidents. His reporting about the Watergate scandal as a journalist for The Washington Post brought down Richard Nixon. Now a best-selling author, the 77-year-old Woodward's latest book, "Rage," is shaking the White House of President Donald Trump less than two months ahead of the November 3 election. In one of the 17 on-the-record interviews Woodward conducted with Trump for the book, the president admits to minimizing the threat from the coronavirus at the outset of a pandemic which has gone on to take nearly 200,000 lives in the United States. "I wanted to always play it down," Trump said in one conversation with Woodward. "I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic." Trump also told Woodward that he understood early on that the virus was "deadly stuff" and far more dangerous than the common flu. At the same time, he was reassuring the American public the virus would just "disappear." Trump's Democratic challenger Joe Biden attacked the president's decision to downplay the health crisis as a "life and death betrayal of the American people." "He knowingly and willingly lied about the threat it posed to the country for months," Biden said. Woodward, in an interview with the CBS show "60 Minutes," described as a "tragedy" the president's failure to inform the public early on about how deadly the virus was. "The president of the United States has a duty to warn," he said. "The public will understand that but if they get the feeling that they're not getting the truth, then you're going down the path of deceit and cover up." Watergate It was the unraveling of a cover-up -- Watergate -- that made the reputation of Woodward and his colleague Carl Bernstein. Woodward studied at Yale University and did a five-year tour in the US Navy, before turning to journalism. After a stint at a local paper in the Washington suburbs, he got his shot at the Post in 1971. Woodward had barely a year of reporting experience when he and Bernstein stumbled into the story of a lifetime -- the 1972 break-in by Republican operatives of the Democratic Party offices in Washington's Watergate compound. Their classic gumshoe investigation prompted congressional hearings and led to Nixon's resignation in 1974. Woodward and Bernstein wrote a best-selling book, "All the President's Men," about the scandal which was turned into a hit 1976 film starring Robert Redford as Woodward and Dustin Hoffman as Bernstein. "Rage" is already topping the Amazon bestseller list even before it goes on sale on September 15. Since leaving daily journalism, Woodward has put out 20 books, including authoritative tomes on Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. His in-depth reporting about Washington's corridors of power is unmatched, and his ability to back up whatever insider tales he hears has earned him grudging respect in the US capital. 'Curiosity' Why Trump agreed to conduct 17 on-the-record interviews with Woodward -- 16 of which were recorded -- is something of a mystery, particularly after his previous book portrayed the president in an unflattering light. Woodward's "Fear: Trump in the White House" published in 2018 painted a portrait of an angry, paranoid leader and a White House which Trump's own chief of staff described as "Crazytown." "Bob Woodward is somebody that I respect just from hearing the name for many, many years," Trump said on Thursday in explaining his decision to be interviewed. "I thought it would be interesting to talk to him," he said. "I did it out of curiosity." Woodward, who retains an honorific title of associate editor at the Post but no longer writes for the newspaper, has come in for some criticism for withholding the details of his interviews with Trump -- which were conducted between December 2019 and July 2020 -- for his book. "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 could prepare," Trump said. Woodward, in an interview with the Post, defended his decision to hold back the material for his book. Woodward said he wanted to deliver "the best obtainable version of the truth" in book form and with proper context and fact-checking. In addition, he said, in dealing with the president's revelations, "the biggest problem I had, which is always a problem with Trump, is I didn't know if it was true." We are starved for COVID-19 stories. Not so much the consequences of this terrible disease, they are tragic and often told, but rather the stories of how the virus is spreading. For months now Ontario and Toronto public health officials have released near-daily numbers of new and current COVID-19 cases. If youre a numbers person, theyve been fascinating to follow, and it was something to root for as Ontarios cases dropped in August. However, as theyve started to go back up, the numbers with little context, without the stories behind them, have been frustrating. The pandemic is in a kind of fog: its happening out there, but hard to see. How are these new cases being transmitted? Public health officials have been vague with these details, instead lumping cases into categories like community spread or travel. Even when more specific, like this week when Toronto Public Health said the rise here is driven by interprovincial travel, bars and other indoor gatherings, and people from separate bubbles socializing without masks, its better but still hard for people to relate to, as we spend so much of our time indoors in a variety of scenarios. We need more specifics to know exactly where the risk is. Numbers are abstract and for most people raw data is hard to relate to, so the ongoing decrees by well-meaning public health officials to stay vigilant have started to sound like the adults in Peanuts cartoons: the wah-wah of a muted trombone, droning on with the same lecture. No offence to those officials intended, but humans are storytelling creatures. Its how weve communicated for thousands of years. In her 1979 book The White Album, Joan Didion famously wrote, We tell ourselves stories in order to liveWe look for the sermon in the suicide, for the social or moral lesson in the murder of five. Stories are how we make sense of the world. When public health officials have decided to be forthcoming with stories, theyve resonated widely, like the Brass Rail strip club in Toronto or the karaoke bar in Quebec. We need more though. Without the contact tracing stories, were left to wildly speculate and toss accusations around in the void. Anecdotal stories we see passing through our social media feeds, of crowded beaches or some young people partying, become overly represented because its the only things we can see. Beaches are easy to photograph, so even completely reasonable, safely spaced out ones illustrated many COVID stories. And those millennials, perhaps the generation that shares the most on social media, bear the brunt of everyones scorn. They must be the cause of the increase in cases, right? Premier Doug Ford pleaded this week for young people to stop attending parties, even as photos surfaced of he and other members of his government attending MPP Stan Chos wedding without masks in late August. Mixed messages dont help either. Is it parties and bar hopping, or are young people contracting the virus because they often work low-paying, front-line service jobs that put them in contact with the public? Without the actual stories, we dont know. Ford also said the province isnt publicizing workplace outbreaks because he doesnt believe in targeting companies. This week 60 COVID-19 cases were linked to one workplace in Mississauga, but Peel Public Health is not revealing which one for privacy reasons. Is that in the public interest? Stories have power. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit knows this and made details of their elaborate web of contract tracing public after an August outbreak. They showed how 31 cases were linked to a single familys social life that spread to other families through social gatherings, a card game in a storage unit and a swimming party. They even provided an anonymous family tree-style diagram to show the spread. Fifteen years ago, I attended a conference where different kinds of storytellers talked about their work, including the chief storyteller at Motorola. He didnt work in marketing but rather in product design. Motorola found that there was a disconnect between the user testing data it collected and its engineers and designers. The storytellers job was put the data into scenarios stories that fleshed out the context: operating a car radio while driving in a rainstorm or trying to make a call on a cellphone while holding a baby. These stories helped them design better products. The contact tracing stories could help people make decisions to alter their behaviour. The vague stay the course messaging isnt working. Privacy concerns are quite real, but most stories can be anonymized. Hire professional storytellers and tell us the type of business, but dont name it. Who was at the family gathering? What were they doing? Was barbecue or pizza served? Paint a picture. Windsors card game is real, something we can imagine, that we can see. COVID fatigue has made it seem not real, but stories are the antidote. Presidente del Consejo de Ministros: Informo a la ciudadania que acabamos de realizar una sesion del Consejo de Ministros, que ha sido presidida por el presidente de la Republica con la participacion de los ministros de Estado. pic.twitter.com/u1ysds8JTp TAIPEI and SAN DIEGO, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Senhwa Biosciences, Inc. (TPEx: 6492), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on next generation DNA Damage Response (DDR) therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, announced today that the first patient with severe COVID-19 demonstrated remarkable recovery after treatment with the Company's investigational drug, Silmitasertib. On August 27, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first emergency IND and authorized use of Silmitasertib in a patient with severe COVID-19 pneumonia requiring supplemental oxygen. The patient had been treated with multiple therapeutics, including Remdesivir, Dexamethasone, Ceftriaxone, Azithromycin and Enoxaparin within two weeks, but remained hypoxic and required up to 2 liters of supplemental oxygen daily. As none of the available therapeutics worked well for this patient, the investigator decided to try Senhwa's investigational drug, Silmitasertib. Within 24 hours of the first dose the patient showed significant clinical improvement and the oxygen requirement was weaned to room air. The patient was discharged from the hospital five days after starting Silmitasertib. Marilyn Glassberg Csete, MD, Chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at University of Arizona College of Medicine/Banner University Medical Center Phoenix and Esa Rayyan, DO, her co-investigator, are now looking for five to ten more patients with severe COVID-19 to treat with Silmitasertib with a plan for a randomized clinical trial in the near future. "This is the first person in the world to receive Silmitasertib for this novel coronavirus, and it seems to have worked," said Dr. John Soong, the Chief Medical Officer of Senhwa Biosciences. "It is only one case, and it is still early to know how well the treatment will do in others, but if the same result is repeated in other patients, it will give us an opportunity to significantly reduce the average time of COVID-19 patient hospitalization and reduce the burden on healthcare systems," Soong added. "This first patient that received Silmitasertib was discharged in five days! We are encouraged by the patient's strong response to Silmitasertib and will make every effort to provide our drug to critically ill COVID-19 patients," said Benny T. Hu, Chairman of Senhwa Biosciences. Banner University Medical Center Phoenix is also planning to start a Phase 2, Investigator-Initiated Trial (IIT) of 40 patients. Another Phase 2 IIT will be conducted at the Center for Advanced Research and Education (CARE) in Gainesville, Georgia. The CARE trial will seek to enroll 10 patients once it is approved by the FDA. About Silmitasertib Silmitasertib is a first-in-class small molecule drug that targets CK2 and acts as a CK2-inhibitor. Silmitasertib is safe and well-tolerated in humans. To date, three Phase I trials of Silmitasertib in cancer patients have been completed; currently, there are one ongoing Phase I and two ongoing Phase II studies of Silmitasertib. In December 2016, Silmitasertib was granted Orphan Drug Designation by the US FDA for the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma. In July 2020, Silmitasertib was granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPD) in Medulloblastoma by the US FDA. An eIND was granted by the US FDA on August 27, 2020 to Dr. Rayyan for use in the COVID patient treated at BUMCP. About Senhwa Biosciences, Inc. Senhwa Biosciences, Inc. is a leading clinical stage company focusing on developing first-in-class, next generation DDR therapeutics for patients with unmet medical needs in oncology. Headquartered in Taiwan, with an operational base in San Diego, California, Senhwa is well positioned to oversee the development of their compounds. Development is currently focused on two lead products Silmitasertib (CX-4945) and Pidnarulex (CX-5461) with novel mechanisms of action and for multiple indications. Clinical trials are ongoing in Australia, Canada, United States, Korea, and Taiwan, with more currently in development. Visit Senhwa Biosciences for more details: www.senhwabio.com SOURCE Senhwa Biosciences, Inc. M ichael Gove has joined Boris Johnson in warning that Brussels could break up the UK if MPs do not approve controversial legislation to override parts of the Brexit deal. The Cabinet Office minister echoed the Prime Minister on Saturday in declaring that the EU could put at threat the integrity of the Union, and insisted the Government could see off a Tory rebellion. In incendiary remarks, Mr Johnson said Brussels was threatening to put a blockade in the Irish Sea which could seriously endanger peace and stability in Northern Ireland. He was working to quell a plan to amend the legislation from senior Tories who are incensed that it could break international law by overriding the Withdrawal Agreement signed by Mr Johnson in October. Michael Gove has warned that MPs need to approve controversial Brexit legislation / Jeremy Selwyn The Prime Minister was joined by Mr Gove in attempts to drum up support for the UK Internal Market Bill ahead of a Commons debate on Monday. Were doing our part generously to help protect the EUs own single market, but were clear that what we cant have even as were doing all that is the EU disrupting and putting at threat the integrity of the United Kingdom, Mr Gove told BBC Breakfast. These steps are a safety net, theyre a long-stop in the event, which I dont 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. Mr Gove conceded that we are reaching a crunch moment, but insisted we have got the support of our own MPs. Both Ireland and the EU have warned that Mr Johnsons plans pose a serious risk to the peace process rather than protecting the Good Friday Agreement. But he doubled down, and argued it is crucial for peace and for the Union itself and said voting the Bill down would reduce the chances of a trade deal with the EU, which is hanging in the balance. Mr Johnson said the EU would use an extreme interpretation of the Northern Ireland Protocol to impose a full-scale trade border down the Irish Sea that could stop the transport of food from Britain to Northern Ireland. Lets remove this danger to the very fabric of the United Kingdom. Lets make the EU take their threats off the table. And lets get this Bill through, back up our negotiators, and protect our country, he wrote in the Telegraph. He also 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. 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. Conservative former leaders Theresa May, Sir John Major and Lord Howard are among the Tories urging Mr Johnson to think again and remove the threat to breach international law. At Khartoum International Airport, a Qatari military plane has just delivered essential supplies. Much-needed aid is being flown into Sudan following the worst flooding in decades. The homes of half a million Sudanese have been submerged and at least 100 people have died. Al Jazeeras Mohammed Adow reports from the capital, Khartoum. With engineering work already underway, Turkey aims to develop its natural gas field in the Black Sea with a suitable model and prepare it for production, the countrys energy and natural resources minister said, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah. Our goal is to bring this gas to our coast and connect it to the system by 2023, the 100th anniversary of our Republic," Fatih Donmez said in a statement. Turkey says the discovery, the largest in the countrys history, which was announced last month, contains 320 billion cubic meters (bcm) of recoverable gas. The field is located in the Tuna-1 location of the Sakarya Gas Field in the Black Sea. High volume production at such sites does not occur in the first phase. The production planning itself is an optimization job. We anticipate that we will need a certain period of time to get to the highest level of production, but in 2023, we will make the first delivery of gas on land, Donmez said. We plan to drill 30 to 40 wells in total. Our friends are doing this work right now. We do not see any problem, God willing, we will extract it," he said. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in August also said Turkey would start pumping gas from the Black Sea field by 2023. Noting the target date set by the country, a senior energy ministry official Wednesday said full production would take longer. The timeline we announced is for the first gas delivery, he told reporters. Its not going to be the plateau production, which will take at least an additional two or three years. He pointed to the good quality of gas from the Sakarya field, meaning there is no need for a huge investment in processing. Also, he noted that the Sakarya Gas Field lies just 170 kilometers (106 miles) from an existing pipeline along the Black Sea coast. The official said there was little reason for Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) to ponder partnerships with foreign oil companies, considering the close proximity of the field to the coast and domestic demand. He said, however, that enlisting the help of service companies is likely. The gas will be brought onshore from a suitable location and will be connected to the main transmission line, Donmez continued. BOTAS (Petroleum Pipeline Company) is currently planning the land efforts where there is work to be done, like a coastal terminal. We will be working on structures under the sea. On other hand, we will increase our drillings. By drilling new wells according to the size of the field, we will make the field ready for production, the minister noted. Donmez had earlier said that data suggested more gas will be found as drilling continues deeper under the sea bed. On Friday, he noted there are two more similar layers under the current level and they will need to go another 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) in depth. Progress there continues. I hope that tests and analyses will be carried out soon. If we get a positive result from there as well, we will share it with the public, he said. Seismic research was carried out in an area of 2,000 square kilometers (772 square miles) 14 months ago. The size of the area currently discovered is 250 square kilometers. There is another neighboring area of 6,000 square kilometers. Seismic research on this region will also be carried out," Donmez said. A senior energy ministry official said the country expects to find out the full potential of its historic gas discovery next month when drilling of the prospects is scheduled to be completed. The timeline will most likely be in October because we are trying to analyze two additional potential reserve areas under the current level, the official noted. He said there could be an upside potential after the exploration reaches its targeted depth of around 4,500 meters. The discovery is critical for an economy that heavily relies on imported resources to meet its energy demand. It imports 92% of its crude oil needs and almost the entire gas demand. The country has been paying around $44 billion per year for energy imports over the last decade. Turkey expects the field to meet 30% of its domestic gas demand when plateau production is reached, which is currently planned for 2025. Donmez also reiterated the countrys aim of becoming a trading hub in the region for both natural gas and electricity, emphasizing the importance of natural gas discovery in achieving this. Natural gas that is transported from close geographies like Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia and, if possible, Iraq along, along with gas from the countrys own resources, coupled with possible discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean, can be brought and stored in Turkey, which already has four liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, Donmez said. He underlined that the purchases to be traded in Turkey provide a significant supply source, as some amount of that natural gas will be consumed within the country while the rest will be sent to neighboring regions. Southeastern Europe will be the initial target, but exports could possibly extend to the center of the continent. The important thing in this respect is to determine the price of the gas in competitive conditions, he said, noting that there are places in Europe with natural gas markets. Why can one not exist in Turkey, too?" Donmez went on to say that with the discovery of natural gas in the Black Sea, Turkey was proven to be a country capable of achieving success on its own, with its own resources, creating know-how in the field, developing technological opportunities and increasing its own competence. Our priority is Turkey, but foreign drilling services can be provided in time depending on conditions, he added, noting that the TPAO, with its many years of experience, can make a difference in the field as a new player. Donmez underlined that the upcoming period may reveal new cooperation opportunities for the TPAO as it is not only operating within the country but also has international partnerships, for example, in Azerbaijan, an important Caspian gas exporter. Donmez added that they expect cooperation opportunities to gain momentum in regard to both existing partnerships like those in Iraq, Afghanistan, various parts of Russia, Libya and some parts of Africa and new ones. Getting off to an ideal start Following his appointment last September, British International School, Phuket is delighted to welcome Neil Crossland to the school in his position as Principal of the Secondary School. He becomes the sixth Secondary Principal since the school was founded in 1996. Neil was formerly the Deputy Head Teacher at Dulwich College Shanghai and will be joined at BISP with his wife, Rachel, and their two daughters. We spoke to Neil about his professional journey and the personal values that have motivated and guided him throughout his career. Saturday 12 September 2020, 10:00AM BISP Principal Secondary School Neil Crossland. Could you tell us a bit about your teaching background? This is my 28th year in the teaching profession and my journey has been rich and rewarding. I initially held leadership responsibilities in the UK state sector working in three different schools, each with a unique culture and ethos. In 2012, I was appointed Vice-Principal of St Josephs Institution International in Singapore a high-performing International School that has a unique license to educate Singaporean students within an exclusive expat market. It was here that I was first introduced to the IB Diploma and the value that it has in developing the intellectual, social, emotional and physical wellbeing of students. I joined BISP from Dulwich College Shanghai, where I held the position of Acting Head whilst the school navigated through a period of re-organisation. I then reverted to the role of Deputy Head with responsibility and oversight of the holistic development of students. I am excited to join BISP as Principal of the Secondary School and look forward to further developing the excellent reputation that our school has in the region. What values do you hope to bring to your role at BISP? It is without a doubt that the values we uphold as a family transpose into my professional life, but I endeavour to bring integrity to the way I lead and relate to others in the workplace, which is largely built upon trust and respect. It is popular and right today for any school leader to espouse 21st-century values. It is equally important to look back and look within before projecting forward. I recently shared with staff the educational values and beliefs that have resonated with me since entering the profession. They are not particularly sophisticated, but each has certainly held true over the years. I am committed to providing an education where: Students are safe, happy and healthy; Students are academically stretched and challenged; Students are able to follow their passions and interests; and Students are good people. In todays educational world we would probably consider these ideals to encompass wellbeing; rigour in teaching and learning; enrichment; and character development; and I am lucky enough to inherit a school that has a fine reputation in each of these areas. I also believe that these ideals are pertinent to the situation we have all found ourselves in this year. When has it ever been more important to address our own wellbeing, to adjust to new styles of learning, or find purpose in our lives to come through the challenges with a deep sensitivity for those around us? What are you looking forward to most as you settle into school life? At the start of any new role, one is excited to discover the quality of the provision we offer to our students and the wider community. I am looking forward to working with the incredible coalition of minds that make BISP operate so effectively. It is already apparent that BISPs success is not superficial, but is based on real substance and a sense of mature compassion for students. As I adjust to island life, I hope to work with colleagues and the wider community to add further value to the programmes we offer here. What advice would you give to students, staff and parents as we embark on a new school year? The last six months have reminded us that nothing is certain in life and that we should grasp each day as if it were our last. I would say the same to students, families and staff, but in grasping each day we should also aim high in order to live a life well lived. Lastly, there is always room for kindness in any school and we should always be the person who makes others feel valued and included. On this note, I would like to thank the BISP community for the warm welcome it has offered my family and I since arriving in Thailand. Former NSW premier and federal Liberal minister John Fahey has died aged 75. New Zealand-born Mr Fahey dedicated almost two decades of his life to public service, leading NSW as premier from 1992 to 1995. He was elected as state member for Camden in 1984, but after his term as premier, made the switch to federal politics. Former NSW Premier and Federal Minister John Fahey has died aged 75. Source: AAP Mr Fahey went on to serve as a minister in the Howard government, before retiring from politics in 2001. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said his time in politics left a lasting legacy. "Personally, I am grateful for John's support and encouragement," she said in a statement. "He has always been a wonderful role model to generations of Liberals. His contribution to the state and nation will leave a lasting legacy." Mr Fahey led a major overhaul of the industrial relations system as a NSW minister, and appointed the state's first Minister for the Status of Women. Former Premier John Fahey was a kind, decent person dedicated to his family and fought for equality and opportunity for all. A wonderful mentor and role model. He will be sorely missed. pic.twitter.com/XNuUnarP6s Gladys Berejiklian (@GladysB) September 11, 2020 He also played a key role in the successful bid for Sydney to host the Olympic Games in 2000. But Mr Fahey is perhaps best remembered for crash-tackling a student who fired blank shots at Prince Charles at Darling Harbour in 1994. "History will also remember him as a brave man, for his quick-thinking and selfless action to protect Prince Charles from an attack on Australia Day in 1994," Ms Berejiklian said. Mr Fahey is survived by wife Colleen, his children and grandchildren. Ms Berejiklian said a state memorial service has been offered to Mr Fahey's family. 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 Iranian Foreign Ministry roundly condemned the announcement of plans for the normalization of relations between Bahrain and Israel in a US-brokered deal, Tasnim News Agency reported. Undoubtedly, the oppressed and right-seeking people of Palestine and the free Muslims in the world will never approve of normalization of relations with the usurping and lawless Israeli regime, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said, in particular, in a statement released on Saturday. Instead of gaining legitimacy from its people, the government of Bahrain has unfortunately turned its back on them in a fundamental mistake (...). The statement also warned against any act by Israel creating insecurity in the Gulf region, saying the Bahraini government and other supporting governments would be held accountable for all consequences of any action in this regard. US President Donald Trump had announced that Bahrain had agreed to normalize relations with Israel in a US-brokered deal. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 12 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Turkmenistan Francois Delaus has completed his diplomatic mission, Trend reports with reference to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. Minister of foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov met with Francois Delaus on September 11, 2020. During the meeting, the French ambassador thanked the leadership of Turkmenistan for the created opportunities for work and comprehensive assistance to the activities of the Embassy. The parties also considered the issue of expanding trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, in particular in the field of construction, agriculture, archeology, communications and communications. As the French Foreign Ministry told Trend earlier, France is interested in developing relations with Turkmenistan in all areas. "Economic cooperation is a priority," the French Ministry said. The countries signed a two-year cooperation plan in April 2019. "The plan is being actively implemented, an example of which is the bilateral political consultations held via videoconference on June 5," the ,inistry stressed. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva MAYNOOTH, IrelandAbout a week after another European country, the Netherlands, introduced a proposal to make sex work illegal again after 20 years of decriminalization, Ireland may soon consider changing a 2017 law that makes it a crime to purchase sexual servicesat least if the recommendations in a new report by Maynooth University are followed. The report, Sex Worker Lives Under the Law, was sponsored by the advocacy group HIV Ireland and paid for by Open Society Foundations. According to the report, researchers found that the 2017 Sexual Offenses Act has made life more dangerous for sex workers by adopting what is popularly called the Nordic model, or Swedish model of sex work decriminalization. Under that model, and the Irish law, sex work itself is decriminalized, meaning sex workers would no longer be arrested or fined for performing their jobs. But the act of paying for sexual services is now criminalizedallowing police to stop and arrest customers of sex workers. While some international womens groups and radical feminists support the utility of such sex purchase laws to send a symbolic message on sexual behavior there is little consideration of the impact on sex workers safety, the Maynooth University report says. The study was based on focus group studies involving sex workers in four Irish cities. Many of the sex workers interviewed felt that the 2017 law did not offer protection, but instead simply categorized them as victims. Protection is a very open-ended idea, its like they more want to protect you from yourself and your evil ways, these wretched women need to be brought into line and protected from themselves, said one respondent identified as Gina. Thats their version of protection. The sex workers in the study also said that they believed that they were subjcet to increased police surveillance, as law enforcement attempted to track and arrest their paying customers. As data from this study shows, sex workers perceive this to mean that abuse, harassment and violations of rights to services, supports, health and housing are justifiable to wider society, the report states. HIV Ireland Director Stephen OHare said that the law, despite decriminalizing sex work itself, has actually driven sex workers underground, increasing the danger of their activities, and restricting their access to health care and other social services. "Since the introduction of the law, what we have seen is sex workers are more reluctant to engage with authorities, and those authorities might include the police, with whom they may be seeking protection, or to report abuse or violence," he said. Also, they may be seeking community supports, such as health services and access to HIV services." The report concludes that repealing the law against paying for sexual services would take a significant step toward increasing the safety of sex workers. Photo By SG ZA / Wikimedia Commons They created the Freedom Georgia initiative to spearhead the purchase In August, Real Estate agent Ashley Scott and her friend, investor and entrepreneur Renee Walters, along with 17 other families, purchased nearly 97 acres of land that sits just East of Macon in rural Wilkinson County, Georgia. Im hoping that it will be a thriving safe haven for people of color, for Black families in particular, Scott said. Land purchased by the Freedom Georgia Initiative in Wilkinson County, Georiga (via CNN) According to CNN, Scott and Walters didnt initially plan to buy multiple acres of land, but they were certain that they wanted to launch an initiative that would create a new city founded by Black families. Being able to create a community that is thriving, that is safe, that has agriculture and commercial businesses that are supporting one another and that have dollars circulating in our community, that is our vision. Read More: Black landowners booted in 1857 to create Central Park honored with public monument After the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police, and Ahmaud Arbery who was shot to death while jogging outside Brunswick, Georgia, the women were motivated to search for a new community that they could start themselves. We both have Black husbands. We both have Black sons. And I was starting to get overwhelmed and have a sense of anxiety when my husband would leave the house to go to work, said Walters. So it was like, okay, what can we do? And once I saw the post of Toomsboro going viral, about a town being on sale, I was like, Oh, this is perfect.' I love this story: 19 families buy nearly 97 acres of land in Georgia to create a city safe for Black people I hope that other families will be inclined to do the same. As long as we have ppl like Trump and his racist White Nationalist there will be no peace. We want peace. Rhubarb (@bakingcutie) September 12, 2020 When it turned out that the town of Toomsboro itself wasnt actually for sale, Scott put her real estate skills to use and looked for land in the area. She found multiple acres for sale outside of Toomsboro in unincorporated Wilkinson County. Story continues After reaching out to family and friends, who all pitched in and joined their efforts, they created the Freedom Georgia initiative to spearhead the purchase. They hope to incorporate the land into a new all-Black city called Freedom, Georgia. Read More: South Africa to amend constitution to begin redistribution of land to Black owners By the end of their development plan, they hope to put Freedom, Georgia on the map as a fully operational, self-sufficient city. Just some behind the scenes footage of when CNN came to Freedom, GA 9/9/2020 and interviewed VP, Ashley Scott of the Freedom Georgia Initiative! pic.twitter.com/3LMTdNyl3j Kenya Jasmine Sheats (@MyWayKay_) September 12, 2020 To be able to pass this land down to my children and to the children that are represented by each of our 19 families, as a piece of legacy. Were hoping to create legacy, Scott said. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post 19 families purchase almost 100 acres of land in Georgia appeared first on TheGrio. Pompeo in Cyprus says US 'deeply concerned' over Turkey energy search US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo(R) and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades held a joint press conference in Nicosia during the US top diplomats brief stopover US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on Turkey to cease tension-raising activities in the eastern Mediterranean during a visit to Cyprus Saturday, urging all sides to back diplomacy. Ankara is at loggerheads with Greece and Cyprus over maritime hydrocarbon resources and naval spheres of influence, sparking fears of conflict. "We remain deeply concerned by Turkey's ongoing operations surveying for natural resources in areas over which Greece and Cyprus assert jurisdiction over the eastern Mediterranean," Pompeo told reporters in Nicosia after a meeting with Republic of Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides. "Increased military tensions help no one but adversaries who would like to see division in transatlantic unity," he added. "Regional corporation is absolutely necessary for durable energy security." The Mediterranean island of Cyprus is divided between the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus, a member of the EU, and a breakaway state set up after a Turkish invasion launched in 1974 in response to a coup sponsored by the military junta then ruling Greece. Pompeo met the Cypriot officials after a trip to Doha where he inaugurated long-awaited talks between Afghanistan's government and the Taliban. "Countries in the region need to resolve disagreements, including on security and energy resource and maritime issues diplomatically and peacefully," he said. Pompeo 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. Anastasiades welcomed the US' "firm stance on condemning Turkey's illegal drillings within (Cyprus') Exclusive Economic Zone". - Concerns over Russian warships - Pompeo's "visit at a time when crucial developments are taking place in the Eastern Mediterranean, due to Turkey's illegal actions, aptly demonstrates the sincere concern and interest of the US in preserving stability in our region," he said. Story continues Turkey's "unlawful activities... should be immediately terminated," he said, adding however that he conveyed Cyprus' support for resolving disputes in the eastern Mediterranean through dialogue. 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 then responded by shadowing the Turkish ships and staging naval exercises with several EU allies and the United Arab Emirates in its own show of force. Pompeo's trip comes shortly after the United States lifted a decades-old arms embargo on Cyprus, outraging Turkey, and days after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov paid a visit to Cyprus. Lavrov, who underscored Moscow's close relations with Cyprus, offered to play peacemaker in the region to ease tensions between Cyprus and Turkey in a dispute over maritime and energy rights. Pompeo took the opportunity to remind Cyprus that Washington was uneasy about Russian warships stopping off at Cypriot ports. "We know that all the Russian military vessels that stop in Cypriot ports are not conducting humanitarian missions in Syria and we ask Cyprus and the president to consider our concerns." Nicosia has repeatedly stated it provides facilities to Russian warships based on humanitarian grounds. Tensions rose in the region again when Turkey on Friday gave notice of a gunnery exercise off the coast of Sadrazamkoy in northern Cyprus between Saturday and Monday, despite the looming threat of EU sanctions. Cyprus' Joint Rescue Coordination Centre -- attached to the defence ministry -- late Friday called Turkey's move "illegal" because it "violates the Republic of Cyprus' sovereignty and sovereign rights". In a separate development, the Greek Cypriot National Guard said Saturday that it would take part in joint training manoeuvres with US forces and two boats. "Two combatant craft medium transport vessels of the US special navy forces are in Cyprus to participate in joint military drills," it said in a statement. The drills, which began Saturday and will last until September 20, are taking place in the "framework of the bilateral relations between the Republic of Cyprus and the US." cc/sw/hkb The Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning Monday is expected to be a stormy affair. While the government would like to keep its legislative business, including the passage of 11 ordinances on priority, opposition parties would want to corner it on key issues like management of the coronavirus pandemic, falling GDP numbers and the state of economy as well as the border stand-off with China. The mood has been set with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi constantly tweeting about how the nation needs to know what is happening on the border. Congress Lok Sabha floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary has also requested the government to apprise the Parliament on the development. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar on Friday said the government must keep Parliament in the know of developments at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Several opposition MPs have given notices in both Houses demanding a discussion on the issue. However, top sources in the government said a discussion on the India-China face-off is unlikely to be allowed soon. A senior Union minister aware of the developments said, Our government has never run away from any debate or discussion. But these are sensitive matters concerning the nation. Strategic issues concerning national security and integrity are not discussed openly." Sources said that when the matter will be raised in Sundays Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting, the government is likely to tell the opposition there is a lot of development likely to take place with regard to China in the next week or so, and that if they still insist, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh would be asked to make a statement before both Houses. The Opposition has been in power for long, especially the Congress," another Cabinet minister told CNN-News18. We would expect them to keep politics out of such a matter. We need to stand by our forces right now." Before every session of Parliament, both the government as well as the Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman hold an all-party meeting to set expectations. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, those meetings have been cancelled and all matters will be at the the BAC. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Thursday amid a massive spike in border tensions in eastern Ladakh, and will brief the political leadership once he is back from Russia. Sources said Jaishankar in the meeting stressed on the need to maintain peace and tranquillity in the region, reiterating that Indian forces never tried to change the status quo ante along the LAC. The Indian Army has 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 continue to hold separate talks to cool tensions in the region. Tension escalated again 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 the next day said Chinese troops attempted to close in on an Indian position near the southern bank of Pangong lake and fired shots in the air, a first such instance of bullets being used along the LAC after a gap of 45 years. The Armys statement had come after the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) alleged that Indian troops crossed the LAC and outrageously fired" warning shots near the Pangong lake. 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. Dantri donates VND20m to help heart disease patient Dantri/DTiNews has donated VND20m (USD860) to help a man from Thanh Hoa Province who is in need of help to take heart surgery. Dantri/DTiNews donated VND20m (USD860) to Thanh's family. Nguyen Quang Thanh said his daughter has a hand deformity at birth so he had always worked hard in order to give her an artificial hand. However, they incurred huge debts after his wife had a uterus problem. Thanh is also suffering from heart failure and dilated cardiomyopathy so he needs a heart transplant. There were times he was unable to breathe and collapsed. The neighbours had to take him to the hospital but he always asked to go home afterwards because of the lack of money. The burdens then fall on his wife, Nguyen Thi Nhu. "My wife is a factory labourer and earns VND4m (USD171) a month. Half of the money is spent on my medicines. It should be used for our children," he said. Their eldest child is 13 years old and the youngest is only two years old. They are also taking care of their 74-year-old mother. Nguyen Quang Thanh at the hospital. After their story was published, Thanh's family received VND460m (USD19,700) from readers. However, it was not enough since the heart transplant costs up to VND1bn. As this was an urgent situation, Dantri editor-in-chief Pham Tuan Anh signed the decision to donate VND20m to help Thanh reach the goal faster. "I don't know what to say. Thank you, everyone, for helping us during this time," Nhu said. Tran Thi Trang from the Social Work Office at Vietnam-Germany Hospital said, "We are grateful that Thanh's story was brought quickly to the attention of readers. And the urgent help from Dantri is a huge encouragement to Thanh and his family." Head Nurse Nguyen Thi Thu Ha said the hospital was working to help Thanh as much as possible and they have made plans for an operation. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 22:18:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SAO PAULO, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- China has been committed to putting people's lives first throughout its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, which is also contributing to its speedy economic recovery in the post-pandemic era, a Brazilian professor has told Xinhua. Since the beginning of the pandemic, it has been "very clear that the priority for the Chinese government is to save people's lives," said Luis Antonio Paulino, a professor in the Faculty of Philosophy and Sciences at Sao Paulo State University. During its fight against the virus, the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of health workers, and the rapid construction of new hospitals allowed patients to receive immediate treatment, the professor said, adding that all of these actions have made China's number of deaths per million inhabitants one of the lowest figures in the world. In addition, "it is important to note that China's strategy to prioritize people's lives also allows its economy to recover faster," said Paulino, who is also an expert in economics and public finance, noting that China's actions have proved "there is no contradiction between saving lives and preserving the economy." What's more, the Chinese government's leadership during the combat against the virus has also played a key role. Such success in combating the pandemic, one of the greatest challenges China has faced in recent decades, would not have been possible if the Chinese people were not united around their leadership, said the expert. When it comes to Brazil's domestic fight against COVID-19, Paulino pointed out that China's assistance toward developing countries, including Brazil, in sending anti-epidemic supplies, has been "invaluable." "It will certainly contribute to the further strengthening of the friendship between the Chinese people and the Brazilian people," Paulino added. Noting that the main threats facing the world today, such as global warming, pandemics and poverty, are problems for the planet as a whole, Paulino said the only possible way to overcome these challenges is through international cooperation. Enditem U.S. authorities arrest 27 linked to Mexican Sinaloa Cartel Mexico City, Mexico After a two year investigation, more than two dozen people have been arrested on drug charges that involved a Mexican cartel moving cocaine into the U.S. The 27 people were arrested via Operation Tripwire, an investigation U.S. authorities have been working on that involved members of the Sinaloa Cartel. The trafficking network spanned from Los Angeles, California to Tucson, Arizona and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where cocaine was moved from Mexico. The United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Scott Brady said this is a large organization that was trafficking hundreds of kilograms of cocaine throughout the country and has direct ties to the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico. According to US authorities, the investigations (involving different police corporations, including DEA agents based in Mexico), began when an agent in Pittsburgh identified an address that received large volumes of suspicious packages from California. From there, agents began working on identifying other members of the network throughout the U.S. For more than seven months, authorities intercepted U.S. calls by some of the alleged traffickers with the cartels leaders in Mexico. On Wednesday, the 27 were taken into custody simultaneously in California, Arizona and Pennsylvania. Mass amounts of drugs were also part of the Operation Tripwire bust U.S. Authorities reported the seizure of more than $1.3 million in cash and just over 140 kilograms of cocaine. The 27 arrested face a sentence of between 10 years and life in prison. Attorney General Ken Paxtons office issued a warning this week for Texans to beware of texts claiming false package delivery notices. The links provided are fraudulent, notes a news release from his office. The text claims the package is pending delivery and requests to claim ownership by sharing personal information. An electrician who came to Belfast to celebrate his engagement with his fiancee ended up spending the night in a cell rather than the luxury hotel he had booked. Tyrone man John Paul Savage appeared at Belfasts Magistrates Court on Saturday on a drunk and disorderly charge. The court was told Savage had travelled to city from his Tyrone home to pick a ring with his fiancee on Friday. A constable said the body worn footage captured by officers of the 31-year-old accused shouting and swearing was the worst I have seen in a long time. She added that the volume and language used by him was unprecedented. Savage was arrested outside the Grand Central Hotel where he and his partner had booked a room for their stay in the city. His barrister told the court that his client was an alcoholic who had engaged with Alcoholic Anonymous during the Covid-19 lockdown and that he recognised the folly of his ways. District Judge Mark Hamill said it was quite an achievement to end up spending the night in custody on a charge of disorderly behaviour. He spent the night in custody and she spent the night in the Grand Central, Im sure shes having second thoughts if she has any sense, he said. Judge Hamill released Savage on his own bail of 500 and ordered a cash surety of 500 to be lodged before he can be freed. He also banned him from consuming alcohol and excluded him from entering Belfast city centre. Ordering Savage, of McCrea Park in Clogher, to return to court on October 9, he said: Youll have a very interesting conversation with your fiancee, I would say. Several Bay Area engineers with H-1B visas say their visas are taking an unusually long time to transfer to TikTok, putting their status in the U.S. in limbo. (Associated Press) The hits to California's TikTok workers just keep coming: First, the Trump administration threatened to shutter the company's U.S. operations; then its CEO quit after just three months on the job. Now, aspiring TikTok employees without U.S. citizenship in California have been left in the lurch, with government officials apparently holding up approval of worker visas needed to start their jobs. Engineers hailing from other countries represent an important supply of the tech industry's labor force, and TikTok, with offices in Silicon Valley and Southern California, is no exception. Several employees who do not have U.S. citizenship who have already been hired at TikTok at its Silicon Valley campus find themselves facing a lot of uncertainty about their employment. Some foreign engineers who were recently hired by the popular social video app said they have been unable to collect a paycheck because U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services had not approved the transfer of temporary work visas from their former employers, or a change in their immigration status. Im in a lot of financial stress right now, said Liangyue Li, a 31-year-old Chinese software engineer and Bay Area resident who previously worked at Amazon. He was supposed to start his new job at TikTok on Aug. 31, but that was pushed back to Sept. 21 because of delays in securing his visa, he said. I really hope this situation gets better," Li told The Times. "I didnt expect all of this. Every day there is some new news that makes me worry." TikTok sent visa transfer requests for Li and other workers in August through the government's premium processing service, which typically takes 15 days or less. But the visa requests have not yet been approved, raising fears among the workers some of whom have been in the U.S. for years that they could be forced to uproot their families and return to their home countries. A 30-year-old Chinese software engineer, who left a San Jose start-up to take a job at TikTok in August, is still waiting for the government to allow him to work at the company under his H-1B visa. Story continues The engineer, who asked not to be identified for fear of jeopardizing his visa status, checks the government's website daily for updates on his application. You cant stop feeling that as an individual you were caught in the heat of the government pushing a company out of the country, said the engineer, who has lived in California for about a decade. As an individual you kind of feel like, OK, I am part of the collateral damage. But what can you do? TikTok acknowledged in a statement that there have been "unusually lengthy visa transfer processes moving from another employer to TikTok, which does not appear to match the process for those transferring to jobs at other companies in America." The company added: "We're committed to seeing that those who have been offered employment, applied for routine renewal of their work authorization, and resigned from other jobs are able to join us as soon as the government authorizes the transfer." U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said it does not comment on pending employment-based petitions related to specific employers. "The agency is committed to adjudicating all petitions, applications and requests fairly, efficiently and effectively on a case-by-case basis to determine if they meet all standards required under applicable law, policies and regulations," the agency said. Legal experts said the visa approval delay at TikTok is unusual. "We haven't really seen any cases that have exceeded that time frame," said Brittany Milliasseau, an attorney at Reeves Immigration Law Group. The visa delays at TikTok come at a time when Silicon Valley business executives have been sharply critical of the Trump administration's oversight over worker visas that allow foreigners to be legally employed in the U.S. President Trump in June issued a presidential proclamation banning many new H-1B visas, commonly used by foreigners to work in the tech industry, for the rest of the year. "It's made coming to the U.S. and coming to Silicon Valley more difficult than ever before," said Sean Randolph, senior director of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute. "Almost any company here would tell you that they have benefited in very important ways from having access to that kind of creative and innovative talent." Many H-1B visa holders end up applying to become permanent residents, with some going on to launch their own companies in the U.S., Randolph said. "The H-1B is a portal for the flow of many highly talented people where they can contribute to the economy longer term," Randolph added. "One effect is that they'll almost certainly discourage applicants who would have otherwise wanted to come to work here." Trump has also put pressure on TikTok's China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell TikTok's U.S. operations by Nov. 12, citing national security concerns over whether the company gives information to the Chinese government. TikTok says that it has not and will not share such data and that U.S. user information is stored in Virginia and backed up in Singapore. Among TikTok's potential suitors are Microsoft, which is partnering with Walmart on a bid, along with Oracle. A sale, however, grew more complicated after the Chinese government updated its export rules, requiring China-based companies to get government approval before selling artificial intelligence, which many believe would include TikTok's algorithm. On Thursday, Trump said he would not offer an extension of his deadline for a sale of TikTok's U.S. operations. Trump signed a separate executive order that goes into effect on Sept. 20, which legal experts believe could affect H-1B visa transfers. The order bans ByteDance's TikTok from transactions with individuals and American companies in the U.S. TikTok has sued the Trump administration to block the order, arguing it is unconstitutional. "Accepting employment with a company is a transaction with that company, so this individual could violate Trumps order by starting employment with TikTok," said Bryan Sullivan, a partner with law firm Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae. He added that H-1B workers with start dates after Sept. 20 could also be at risk. "When your visa is tied to your employment, it creates even bigger issues and immigration authorities may take a hard line against H-1B workers," he added. Meanwhile, the visa delays have created hardships for workers. When Li, a Chinese citizen, left Amazon in April to look for new opportunities, the COVID-19 pandemic was worsening and large tech companies stopped hiring. I didnt expect the pandemic could have such a profound impact on almost every corner of life, Li said. The headcount of all the companies shrunk significantly, so I didnt get a job offer that soon. TikTok was one of the few tech companies that was hiring, and Li was excited to work for a fast-growing company. He accepted the offer to be a TikTok software engineer in July and started the process to expedite the transfer of his H-1B visa to TikTok on Aug. 12. But his visa transfer still has not been approved, leaving him unemployed for more than four months and putting pressure on his savings as he pays $1,500 a month to rent a room in a townhouse in Sunnyvale. Now, he's worried about being deported. My best hope is that they could approve my H-1B as soon as possible so that I can get at least some protection from the company, given so many uncertainties, Li said. An Australian software engineer, who accepted a job offer from TikTok in July after being laid off from a San Francisco tech company, also has been waiting on his visa. "The situation is getting more and more complicated ... this is definitely not sustainable, said the engineer, who declined to be named to protect his employment prospects. He supports his wife and a 1-year-old daughter and 2-month-old baby. Since he was laid off in June, he has struggled to pay his $3,900 rent, in addition to more than $1,000 a month for healthcare for his family. We dont know whats going to happen, he said. So at this moment, I feel more worried than anything else. When the pandemic hit Americas restaurants, it was as if an anvil dropped on a bubble. To run a restaurant, any kind of restaurant, is a constant struggle to keep that bubble aloft. Every day is a negotiation: of labor costs, food costs, rent, insurance, health inspections, and the art and craft of creating an experience special enough to keep people coming through the doors. When the pandemic lockdown forced hundreds of thousands of establishments to close, there was no backup plan. No one was prepared for the extent of the fallout. The restaurant and fast food industry, the second-largest private employer in the United States, collapsed overnight. At least 5.5 million jobs evaporated by the end of April, and the number of people employed in food services is still 2.5 million fewer than in February. Technomic, a consulting firm for the food-service industry, estimates that 20 percent to 25 percent of independently owned restaurants will never reopen. And those restaurants uphold an ecosystem that extends to farms, fishmongers, florists, ceramists, wineries and more. The damage has been so severe that the James Beard Foundation announced in August that it would cancel its restaurant awards this year because of the pandemic and a need to re-examine structural bias. The most deeply affected were restaurant workers, who were either laid off so that they could file for unemployment or were asked to keep working and risk their health. These are people who often do not have access to health insurance, earn less than a living wage and disproportionately include undocumented workers, immigrants, and Black and brown people the most marginalized people in this country. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 20:50:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUSAKA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- As the COVID-19 continues to take a toll on the global economy, many charities are seeing a sharp drop in both human and financial resources. Reports by experts suggest that without continued financial support over the coming months, many charities will not be able to provide the much-needed support to the world's poor and marginalized populations. Visits to a number of non-profit organizations in Zambia revealed that most volunteers and charity staff are staying at home and avoiding high-risk spaces at the advice of the government. Fundraising activities, which are key income-generating initiatives for many charities, have been put on hold and donations to these entities have dropped to crisis levels. Social distancing measures introduced by governments aimed at preventing the further spread of COVID-19 is impacting the delivery of, and demand for, charitable goods and services. "We were forced to close our shops and other businesses following a sharp drop in sales even as people's incomes dropped. People began shunning public spaces for fear of contracting the virus and this also affected our ventures," said Florence Munguba, assistance in-charge of Cheshire Home for Aged situated in Zambia's capital Lusaka. Munguba revealed that the organization has also seen a huge reduction in the number of donations as most individuals and entities that had been instrumental in providing support are no longer able to do so. "At the moment we are only providing very necessities such as food and shelter. We are currently not in a position to provide things like educational support to some of the vulnerable children under our care because of limited resources," she lamented. Munguba asserted that going forward, charities should innovate and adopt practical ways of mobilizing resources otherwise they risk being extinct. According to her, charities would do well to embark on creative ways of raising funds such as online resource mobilizing initiatives and invest in ventures that require minimal or no physical interactions. And Mary Chiwala, Executive director for Nsungeni Orphanage which operates in Kapiri Mposhi district, central Zambia, said the demand for services provided by a number of charities, such as children's homes and homes for the aged has risen sharply during this period because many people have no sustainable sources of livelihood. Chiwala said many charities are unable to provide welfare services to the poor and marginalized populations which entails that many of them are likely to be pushed into extreme deprivation. "Sadly, we also have had to turn away children in need of shelter and food because of lack of capacity to help them. Providing for children in our care has been a challenge," Chiwala said. Chiwala however, said charities operating in rural areas should consider investing in agriculture production stating that Zambia has plenty of arable land and abundant natural resources from which communities including vulnerable populations can benefit from. In an effort to contribute to charities, a group of young people in Lusaka has been organizing online fundraising programs to help support charities that are providing essential services particularly to the poor and most vulnerable populations in society. The group, which is led by 23-year-old youth Clement Amani, has been mobilizing resources to help key charitable entities operating in Lusaka's poorer communities. "We believe it is the responsibility of every global citizen to help the needy in society by offering their time, talent or other resources. It does not necessarily have to be money or material resources," Amani said. He further explained that his group is not a registered entity but that plans are underway to formalize the operations of the group so as to ensure more transparency and accountability. Enditem Kerala has bagged the "Top Performer" honour for developing a strong start-up ecosystem for the second consecutive year in the States' Startup Ranking 2019, announced by the Centre, recognising the state as a leader across all pillars of startup ecosystem. While four states were adjudged as the top performers last year, only Kerala and Karnataka have been selected this year, a press release said. The ranking was declared in the presence of Railways and Commerce minister, Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Civil Aviation, Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri and Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash. The States' Startup Ranking Framework 2019, prepared by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, recognized Electronics and Information Technology Department of the state government as an institutional leader, regulatory change champion, procurement leader, incubation hub, seeding innovation leader, and scaling innovations leader. Kerala has taken several exemplary initiatives in establishing institutional support for women-led startups, including pre-incubation support, special subsidies and seed funding. Initiatives like robust venture funding mechanism for start-ups are being implemented through the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), the nodal agency for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state. It was noted on the occasion that Kerala and Karnataka have displayed visionary leadership and taken strategic initiatives to strengthen innovative entrepreneurship of the ecosystem. These states have exhibited unwavering commitment to the growth of start-up ecosystems by taking dedicated and focussed initiatives across all pillars of start-ups ranking exercise. It also recognised Dr Saji Gopinath, CEO Kerala Startup Mission and Ashok Kurian Panjikaran, Head, Business Development of KSUM, as "Startup Champions of the State." Gopinath said the recognition for the second consecutive year will encourage more young entrepreneurs to make use of the state's robust startup ecosystem. The States' Startup Ranking Framework 2019 was done across seven specific dimensions: Institutional Support, Easing Compliances, Relaxation in Public Procurement norms, Incubation Support, Seed Funding Support, Venture Funding Support, and Awareness and Outreach. The key objective of the exercise is capacity building, and to further the spirit of entrepreneurship in the Indian Startup Ecosystem. The 'State/UT Startup Ranking Framework' 2019 is spread across seven areas of intervention with a total of 30 action points, as compared to the 38 action points in the Previous Year State Ranking Framework. The framework provides the guidelines to support implementation of action points along with good practices against each action point. The State Ranking Framework aims to evaluate States/UTs in a balanced and transparent manner and has thus made documentary evidence of compliance on action points by the State/UT Government a pre- requisite for collection of feedback. Scoring was then done on the basis of the feedback received. Also read: Paytm Mall slaps legal notice on intelligence firm over data breach claim Charles Dickens wrote A Tale of Two Cities but Im less ambitious. I shall restrict myself to two warriors. Theyre both in the news and theyre equally critical to our survival. Yet, on one we heap adulation. The other we take for granted. The first are our soldiers. Weve placed them on a pedestal and look up to them as heroes. Theres nothing they can do wrong even when they actually have. Their faults are brushed under the carpet ignored by the media and rarely discussed by the rest of us. When they err, were only too ready to forgive. We see them as valorous, unselfish, patriotic and better. We use the term martyrs when they die without realising how incorrect it is. Forget its religious overtones, whats more inappropriate is martyrs want to die. They embrace death. Soldiers definitely do not. They want to live. They have wives and children, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers waiting for them. Its this world they want to be a part of, not that of the angels and spirits. The other set of warriors are doctors, nurses and health care workers. No doubt weve coined the term Covid warriors to refer to them, but its used very differently. We dont see them as heroes, we dont look up to them and rarely do we praise them. We only remember them when were sick. The rest of the time, they fade into the background. Yet, at the moment, its our doctors and nurses whove put themselves in the line of fire to keep the rest of us safe and alive. Unless theres a war, they face greater danger than any soldier in uniform. Every time they tend to a patient, they risk infection. Reports suggest 87,000 health care workers have been infected and 573 have died. Theres one further point that probably doesnt occur to most of us. Im grateful to Dr Saleem Naik for drawing my attention to it. When a soldier fights a war, its his own life thats at risk. When doctors, nurses and health care staff assist Covid-19 patients, they risk bringing the infection home to their parents, wives and children. As Dr Naik puts it: The enemys bullet doesnt enter the soldiers household. On the other hand, the threat of infection from Covid isnt restricted to hospitals. I know some state governments have announced lump sums when doctors and nurses die. However, the amount pales in comparison to what a dead soldiers family can receive. His casket will return draped in the tricolour, his funeral is broadcast on television and a grateful nation will honour him with medals and citations. In due course, Bollywood will romanticise his memory. Nothing of the sort happens when a doctor or a nurse falls victim to Covid-19. There are no 21-gun salutes, no politicians to praise their work, no television anchors to sing the chorus. Now consider how societys attitude makes the difference feel worse. Foolish gated communities and thoughtless residents welfare associations have tried to shut their doors on doctors and nurses for fear their presence could spread Covid-19. We stigmatise them, at times treat them like untouchables. Even when we chose to honour them, we did so more by farce than meaningfully. Army bands played outside hospitals whilst air force planes scattered rose petals. This may have been spectacle, but it lacked substance. To me, it seemed devoid of sincerity. If we really mean what we say when we call them warriors, let the Army line up when they die and let our ministers be present at their funerals. Let television tell their sad stories with the same tireless dedication with which it speaks of soldiers killed in action. As an Army officers son, I want to frankly say I despair of a society that values its soldiers more than its doctors and nurses. Perhaps thats because of our insecurity. In that case, it could be understandable. But if it reflects our values, its more than inexplicable. It feels wrong. Karan Thapar is the author of Devils Advocate: The Untold Story The views expressed are personal SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The death of a four-year-old child who fell off the stairs at his house and later succumbed to his injuries at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here on Friday, triggered vociferous protests by his kin on Saturday. The victims mother said, We rushed our son the to government hospital, Sarwal, where doctors asked us to take him to GMCH. At the GMCH doctors didnt attend him properly and then deliberately declared him Covid positive. They shifted him to isolation ward where he passed away. He was not provided proper medical treatment. Though he was critical , he was not provided ventilator and later shifted to isolation ward on flimsy grounds. Later, he was taken to the graveyard in secrecy, alleged the victims mother, adding that the Covid test came out negative. Additional district commissioner Ghanshyam Singh said he had gone to the hospital to pacify the family. Repeated calls to hospital authorities went unanswered. Just days after the return of indoor dining in Philadelphia and New Jersey, a new CDC study suggests there may be a correlation between restaurant visits and contracting COVID-19. The study found that going to locations that offer on-site eating and drinking options were associated with COVID-19 positivity" and that adults testing positive for coronavirus were approximately twice as likely to have reported dining at a restaurant. Interviews with around 800 people ages 18 and older across 10 different states (California, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington) were conducted for the study, which did not differentiate between outdoor and indoor dining dining took place in any area designated by the restaurant, including indoor, patio, and outdoor seating according to the study. Philadelphia this week lifted its restriction banning indoor dining for the first time since the shutting down of nonessential businesses in March. Restaurants have to follow an array of guidelines and protocols in order to offer indoor dining, including limiting tables to just four people indoors, having sneeze guards and partitions throughout the restaurant and restricting capacity to just 25 percent. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy allowed indoor dining to return Sept. 4 at 25% capacity nearly six months after dining rooms were shuttered to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. Murphy has said that he would pause indoor dining again if there was a COVID-19 outbreak following the reopening, but that we wouldnt know if one was occurring for 10 days. Murphy said the chances are relatively low there will be any significant spikes in COVID-19 cases after he lifted restrictions on restaurants. Eating and drinking on-site at locations that offer such options might be important risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, the study stated, referring to virus that cases COVID-19. Efforts to reduce possible exposures where mask use and social distancing are difficult to maintain, such as when eating and drinking, should be considered to protect customers, employees, and communities. The study suggests that direction, ventilation, and intensity of airflow might affect virus transmission, even if social distancing measures and mask use are implemented according to current guidance and that shopping and other indoor activities may be safer than dining because they dont preclude mask use like eating and drinking do. International India, China troops within shooting range NEW DELHI, SEP 12 (IANS) | Publish Date: 9/12/2020 12:16:04 PM IST China has mobilised thousands of soldiers, tanks and howitzers within rifle range of Indian Army deployment at Spanggur Gap in the southern part of Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh, sources said, even as Indian troops are on high alert. The Chinese Peoples Liberation Army made provocative military deployments at Spanggur Gap, which is between Gurung Hill and Magar Hill, from August 30 after Indian soldiers seized tactical heights on the ridge line on the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Seeing the Chinese PLA troop and guns mobilisation, the Indian Army too made mirror deployments at Spanggur Gap. Both the countries troops and guns are within shooting range, said a government official. Further, sources said, China has deployed its militia squads to consolidate the border and stabilise Tibet region. They have been tasked to try and dislodge the Indian Army soldiers from the tactical heights. Indian Army has clearly reiterated that the forces will retaliate if Chinese troops make provocative military moves. At the northern bank of Pangong Lake, sources said that even as PLA troops continue to occupy positions on Finger 4 mountain spur jutting into the lake, Indian soldiers have occupied some heights overlooking their positions. Our troops have occupied some heights overlooking the positions occupied by PLA, said a source. To de-escalate the situation, armies of India and China are holding interaction daily. Lawyers barred from taking phones inside, security strengthened By Ranjith Padmasiri Easter Sunday attack CoI View(s): View(s): Lawyers attending sittings of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) probing the Easter Sunday terror attacks have been barred from taking mobile phones inside the commission hall effective from tomorrow. The decision was taken after it emerged that a lawyer for a Maulavi attached to the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) had helped the latter to secretly record testimony given by Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagoda-aththe Gnanasara Thera before the CoI last Wednesday (9). The Comm-issions Chairman has ordered the CoIs Secretary to file legal action in the Court of Appeal against the Maulavi and his attorney over the incident. Meanwhile, security has also been tightened at the CoI premises. Accordingly, the entry of vehicles and persons into the area where the Commission is hearing evidence will be restricted while Special Task Force (STF) security will be provided to all five Commission members. Security will also be provided for State Counsellors who are leading evidence on behalf of the Attorney Generals Department. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-13 06:20:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close YAOUNDE, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- At least six civilians have been killed and 10 others injured in a suicide attack in Zeleved, a locality in Cameroon's Far North region, according to several security sources. Local officials interviewed by Xinhua confirmed the attack and said the traditional ruler and his wife were among those killed in the attack that occurred late Friday. Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to local journalist Dairou Mohammed. "The suicide bomber was among those killed. He detonated the bomb just in front of the traditional ruler and his family and friends. Luckily some survived," Mohammed told Xinhua. On Wednesday, officials said a grenade blast in the Far North region injured seven civilians. Enditem An executive member of the Trent University student union has apologized and resigned after posts he made to a digital message board were considered insensitive to Black people and therefore upsetting by some fellow students and union members. Allan Fabrykant agreed the messages about the late Micheal Brown, the Black teenager shot dead by police in Ferguson, Miss. in 2014 were insensitive, states a letter he published online jointly with the Trent Central Student Association (TCSA). Fabrykant did not want to comment for this story and no one from TCSA was available for interview on Friday. But a letter on the TCSA website explains that Fabrykant apologized and resigned as vice-president of student health and wellness. On Aug. 9, someone had posted to the message board in commemoration of the sixth anniversary of Browns death, the letter states. In response, Fabrykant posted a link to a United States Department of Justice report that doesnt exonerate former police officer Darren Wilson in Browns death and also concludes that the officers use of force was defensible. The 80-page report also refutes witness accounts of Brown having raised his hands in surrender before he was shot. Although the letter doesnt offer detail further detail about followup posts, screenshots are posted online of a subsequent exchange of messages between Fabrykant and another writer. In the screenshots, the other writer posits that it is never justified for police to kill a teen while Fabrykant insists they read the report and come to their own conclusion. That link to the report and Fabrykants followup posts upset many student union members, the letter states, because they felt Fabrykant was being insensitive. Fabrykant agreed and apologizes unreservedly for the post and the impact it has had on members of the organization and the TCSA. The union executive accepted the apology, the letter states, and although it was going to meet on Sept. 6 to decide whether Fabrykant ought to be allowed to keep his job he has since resigned. Yet theres also mention in the letter of Fabrykant feeling he himself became the target of discrimination at an emergency union meeting Aug 12 regarding his conduct. Fabrykant believes comments with anti-Semitic connotations were aimed at him at the Zoom meeting attended by 125 students, many of whom spoke. The TCSA acknowledges that some of the comments from people making representations at the meeting crossed the lines into personal attacks on Mr. Fabrykant, the letter states. Future meetings will be controlled in a matter that respects everyones dignity, since TCSA is committed to fostering an environment where students can learn free of all forms of discrimination, the letter adds. Dr. Robert Redfield, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention speaks while U.S. President Donald Trump listens during the daily briefing of the coronavirus task force at the White House on April 22, 2020 in Washington, DC. Public health specialists and the medical community are criticizing the Trump administration over reports that politically appointed communications officials have been meddling in coronavirus-related studies published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Politico reported late Friday that communications aides in the Department of Health and Human Services requested and received the ability to review and seek changes to studies published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports. Such reports are authored by career scientists and reviewed by the CDC before publication. They serve as one of the main bodies through which the nation's premier health agency communicates with physicians and public health specialists across the country. Politico reported that since Michael Caputo, a former Trump campaign official, was installed as the spokesman for HHS in April, "there have been substantial efforts to align the reports with Trump's statements." Politico cited emails and three people familiar with the matter. CNN and The New York Times confirmed Politico's reporting, citing federal health officials. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs "clears virtually all public facing documents for all of its divisions, including CDC," Caputo said in a statement to CNBC. "Our intention is to make sure that evidence, science-based data drives policy through this pandemicnot ulterior deep state motives in the bowels of CDC." On Saturday, members of the public health community aired frustration over the report, which has not been confirmed by CNBC. Dr. Carlos Del Rio, an infectious disease specialist at Emory University, called the reports "incredibly concerning." "It's very upsetting also for those of us in public health and medicine. The MMWR is a landmark CDC publication," he said in an interview with CNN's Fredricka Whitfield. "I think that MMWR are still trying to get the information out there, but certainly now, I will start reading with a degree of skepticism." Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at Harvard University, said on Twitter that the move is "outrageous and dangerous" to public trust in the CDC. He added that the move is "unsurprising." Politico's report cited an Aug. 8 email from appointee Paul Alexander to Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Robert Redfield and other officials calling on CDC to modify two already published reports. "CDC to me appears to be writing hit pieces on the administration," Alexander wrote, referring to reports about Covid-19 risk to children, according to Politico. "CDC tried to report as if once kids get together, there will be spread and this will impact school re-opening . . . Very misleading by CDC and shame on them. Their aim is clear." Caputo defended Alexander's remarks, saying that Alexander "is an Oxford educated epidemiologist" and that "he has been encouraged to share his opinions with other scientists." Dr. Atul Gawande, a professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Harvard, said on Twitter that political appointees "should have no role in scientific publications. None." Natalie Dean, a biostatistician at the University of Florida, urged the Trump administration to give career professionals at the CDC more freedom so speak. "It remains unthinkable to me that during a global pandemic that has so severely impacted the United States, we hear so little from the CDC," she said on Twitter. "The expertise is there. Let the scientists speak." Through MMWR, the CDC has continued to regularly publish important studies about Covid-19, including one this week that emphasized the risk of spread associated with dining at a restaurant and another demonstrating kids' ability to spread the virus despite not becoming severely sick with the disease. HHS Secretary Alex Azar, in a statement to CNBC, said Trump has always been receptive to "the data and science." The CDC falls under the responsibility of HHS. "As the Secretary of Health and Human Services, I have briefed President Trump alongside the nation's top doctors and I have insisted that he have direct access to these doctors throughout the COVID-19 pandemic," Azar said. "He has always been receptive to the data and science presented by me and other members of the task force. President Trump's science-based decision making has saved lives." ABC/Image Group LAArtists including Portugal. the Man, Robert Plant and The Black Crowes will be featured on an upcoming livestream celebrating the eighth anniversary of The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York. The 12-hour online event, which will feature a mixture of archival footage, live performances and special appearances, kicks off this Saturday, September 12 at 1 p.m. ET. You can watch via the streaming site Fans.com. Other artists featured on the stream include My Morning Jacket, O.A.R., The Revivalists, Widespread Panic, and Trey Anastasio Band. A portion of the proceeds raised will benefit NIVA, which supports independent music venues amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Capitol Theatre first opened as a concert hall in the '70s, and continued to hold shows off-and-on in the '80s and '90s. It was renovated and reopened in September 2012. By Josh Johnson Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the agreement. 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." September 11, 2020 Release Intersessional Meeting of the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Dean Thompson and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs David Helvey joined their Indian counterparts today for a virtual Intersessional Meeting of the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. The two sides welcomed the opportunity to discuss the U.S.-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, noting increased closeness and cooperation across multiple areas of the bilateral relationship. The United States underscored the importance of India's status as a Major Defense Partner, growing military-to-military cooperation, and other defense priorities. The two sides discussed a range of bilateral, regional, and multilateral issues, including combating COVID-19, counterterrorism, India's membership on the UN Security Council, support for good governance and sustainable development in the Indo-Pacific region, and efforts to counteract recent destabilizing actions in South Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region. Both sides agreed to further strengthen consultation through United States-India-Australia-Japan Quadrilateral consultations. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Thompson and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Helvey pledged to continue working with their Indian counterparts to advance the U.S.-India partnership for the benefit of both countries, the region, and the world. They looked forward to preparing for the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue later this year. https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2344616/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie and Sausan Atika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 12, 2020 13:39 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c446c44d 1 City COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-corona,virus-korona-indonesia,COVID-19-Jakarta,PSBB,large-scale-social-restrictions,pembatasan-sosial-berskala-besar,anies-baswedan,Greater-Jakarta,partial-lockdown Free The reinstated partial lockdown in the capital will last the usual two weeks, said Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, though further efforts to contain the pandemic are expected to take more time. Large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) will be back in place on Monday and presumably be lifted on Sept. 28. But I have to emphasize: Dont expect the pandemic to be over in just two weeks. It wont. If this high rate [of COVID-19s transmission] is not slowing down, [the PSBB] will continue, the governor said on Friday. After easing restrictions in mid-June, Anies announced on Wednesday that the city would reimpose PSBB measures after Jakarta saw a continuous spike in COVID-19 cases in the past several weeks, calling the situation worrying. Read also: Long road to full economic recovery as Jakarta PSBB returns According to the city administration, Jakartas COVID-19 cases jumped from 7,980 to 11,810 in the first 10 days of September alone. Meanwhile, the isolation bed occupancy rate has reached 77 percent. Health authorities have also confirmed 2,717 deaths from the novel coronavirus in Jakarta as of Friday. It is important for us to stay at home for the next two weeks. By staying at home, we can hopefully reduce transmission, said Anies, urging businesses to limit their activities in office spaces. President Joko Jokowi Widodo responded to the announcement by saying that a partial lockdown should be well and cautiously calculated. The capitals satellite cities are undecided about whether they should follow Jakarta in reimposing stricter COVID-19 restrictions. Health and transportation experts said another PSBB period in Jakarta would be pointless if restrictions were not implemented in surrounding areas, given that mobility across regions remains high. Black sataka protest marks death row MPs House debut Jayasekera becomes first convicted murderer to take oaths as member of Lankas Parliament View(s): View(s): The constitutional storm that loomed on the horizon last week between the Courts and Parliament did not make expected landfall when a two judge Appeal Court bench pre-empted its outbreak on Monday and allowed the Ratnapura MP-elect on death row, SLPPs Premalal Jayasekera, to attend Parliament and take his oaths as an honourable member of the House. Last week, the Parliamentary Speaker had ordered the Commissioner General of Prisons to produce Jayasekera from his death row cell to Parliament on September 8. The Attorney General had objected to Jayasekeras presence in parliament, stating that there was a constitutional bar to his attendance since Articles 89 and 91 explicitly disqualified a person who was under a death sentence, as Jayasekera was, from sitting and voting in Parliament. Jayasekera, who was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death by the Ratnapura High Court on July 31, just six days before the general election, for the shooting of UNP supporter Shantha Dodanpola while decorating a UNP stage for the then joint opposition candidate, Maithripala Sirisena, to address an election rally on January 5, 2015 in Kahawatte, Ratnapura, had, nevertheless, been elected to Parliament in the August 5th general election. Last week, Jayasekera filed a writ application in the Appeal Court, seeking the courts permission to sit in Parliament. The court ruled in his favour. Had the two-judge Appeal Court bench stood fast by the Attorney Generals stand that an appeal against the Ratnapura High Courts guilty verdict, only held the death sentence in suspense and not the conviction which could only be quashed by the Appeal Courts final determination, it may have possibly led to a standoff had the Speaker disagreed and insisted on Jayasekeras presence in the House. With the Appeal Court granting Jayasekeras request, the issue did not arise and a crisis was averted. The court may have given him a favourable flag off to rush to Parliaments winning enclosure the following day but it was to a hostile reception hosted by the main opposition party, the SJB, he walked into when he entered Parliaments portals to set an unprecedented record as being Lankas first convicted murderer sentenced to the gallows to take oaths as a member of Parliament. No matter how bizarre it may seem, no matter how dubious the historic incident may be, Sri Lanka earned another gold by being, perhaps, the first country in the civilised world to boast a convicted murderer in its supreme legislature and even as the opposition, lassoed in black satakayas, mourned the dismal turn of events, ruling party MPs cheered in celebration, the arrival of their prodigal son from death row to assume his high seat in Parliament. The opposition SJB spared no pains to demonstrate its vile abhorrence to breathe the same august Parliamentary air with one who had just come from Welikadas death row branded with the mark of Cain; and showed its displeasure in stinging tones of protest. As Jayasekera was escorted by the Sergeant-at-Arms to the Speakers chair to be sworn in, his every step was met with a parade of boos by the SJB with its members Harin Fernando, Nalin Bandara and Lakshman Kiriella shouting it was illegal to swear the convict as an MP. Addressing the floor of the House after Jayasekeras initiation rites had been concluded, Chief Opposition Whip Kiriella referred to the double standards adopted by members of the ruling party. He said: In 2010, when Sarath Fonseka was elected to this House but could not come to take oath as he was in the prison. We raised the issue and asked the Chair to permit him to take his oath. But Prof G.L. Peiris raised objections, citing the provisions of Article 89 of the Constitution and said the MP-elect could not take oaths if he or she had been convicted by a court. In addition Prof Peiris told the House that a person sentenced to death could not become an MP. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said in Parliament on Thursday that by allowing Jayasekera to take oaths the Speaker had set a wrong precedent. He said: In 1982, Selvarajah Yogachandran, also known as Kuttimani, one of the leaders of the TELO, was nominated to Parliament. His name was gazetted to become an MP. However, the then Speaker Bakeer Markar citing the Sections 89 and 91 of the Constitution did not permit Yogachandran to take oaths as an MP because the latter had been sentenced to death. Yogachandran too had appealed against the sentence. That is the precedent in Parliament. The Speaker, however, dismissed the objections, stating that it should have been raised in the Court of Appeal before it decided to allow Jayasekera to take oaths. Meanwhile, the man at the centre of the row, Jayasekera, claimed this week he had been framed by the Yahapalana Government and said he was innocent. He told Parliament the Yahapalana Government, the then justice minister and the CID were behind the moves to put him behind bars. Jayasekera, who was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death by the Ratnapura High Court on July 31 six weeks ago, claimed: I was convicted on false charges levelled against me by the Yahapalana Government to take political revenge from me. The Court of Appeals interim order will be taken up by the court for a full hearing on September 29. Upon the courts final determination, subject to a further appeal to the Supreme Court, will rest whether Jayasekeras flight from death row to Parliamentary heights, from prison grub to parliaments five-star luncheons, was a one off jaunt or a regular outing for the next five years; and whether the legal floodgates will be opened to make convicted murderers, rapists, robbers, pedophiles permanent parliamentary fixtures in the future. Meet the nations Yes men, for all reasons, for all governments They are the nations Yes men, people any government can count on to raise their hands saying aye to any amendment any government intends to bring to brighten the constitution in its own hue, to its own taste. In fact, this over 20 strong tribe of dependables have raised their hand to every constitutional amendment that has been brought before Parliament this century and are widely expected to repeat the exercise in the forthcoming 20 Amendment too. If there is any tinkering to be done with the Constitution, these are the trusted, tested, reliable pit stop supporters, no government can do without. All these MPs, who have sailed through the ups and downs of parliamentary life these last twenty years without hassle and survived every change of regime and political intrigue without scrape, voted for Chandrikas 17th amendment which sought to give a more liberal glossy touch to the Constitution in 2001. This was the first time any government ever dared to mess with the executive powers of the president and sought to trammel it. These brave knights were there in that shining hour to tilt the windmill. They were the first explorers to storm the epicentre of the constitutional universe. They were there again in 2010 to lend a helping hand in restoration and improvement work to the presidential office, the 17A had dented. The same bunch unblushingly raised their hands in ayes to Mahindas draconian 18th Amendment in 2010 which repealed 17A in toto and increased the ambit of executive presidential power more than JRs much maligned 1978 Constitution had ever contemplated. The 18th Amendment was also diametrically opposite to 17A to which they had given the thumbs up in 2001. But no matter. Their habit was to do or die; and to the new vista, voted the ever willing Y team. Then five years later when the Maithri-Ranil combo swept in to power and toppled Mahinda Rajapaksa from his 18th Amendment fortified executive presidency, they voted for the Yahapalana drafted 19th Amendment which repealed 18A and drew back the presidential frontiers 18A had so brazenly advanced. Now, five years later, they are expected to do another habitual U turn and vote in favour of the 20th Amendment which is set to roll back time and return to the 18A. With the general election having cost an estimated Rs. 10 billion according to Election Chief Deshapriya, the cost of each MP in Parliament has been placed at Rs. 45 million. Thats peanuts. The value of this special breed of MPs who have been blessed with the god given foresight to whiff the changing winds and realise what the government of the hour solely needs politically, is priceless; and not all the gold in the government coffers can outweigh their combined value in weight. They are the indispensables. Without them, without their ever ready willing yes, no government in the new millennium would have been able to implement their constitutional agenda. Hail! To the Yes Brigade! Glory be to them as it was in the yesteryear, is now, and soon ever shall be in this maze without end. Every dog must have his day In the days when cart bulls were used, it was the practice of some owners to extract the maximum work out of the animal and then, when hard toil had exacted its toll and hastened the end of its working days, to cart it off to the nearest abattoir and sell the work worn bull for whatever value its beef and carcass could fetch once the butchers knife had fallen on its neck. A similar policy, at least, in principle seems to have been practised by the Police with regard to the police dogs that aid crime detection, including drug and bomb detection. Once their working life is over and they are past their prime, the principal of ingratitude is allowed to dictate their future fate, Instead of affording them a dignified retirement with all gratitude for the service rendered, the auctioneers gavel is let to fall on their heads and condemn them to an old age of hell. They are sold to the highest bidder without any qualms troubling the police chiefs as to what their wretched fate might be in alien hands and unknown homes. Last month the Police Kennels division auctioned 25 police sniffer dogs which were 10 years old and had reached pensionable age. These were highly trained, one master dogs who need careful handling. But the police were happy selling them off to the highest bidder without a thorough background check on the buyers suitability to be entrusted with these dogs. Instead, the police were busy, gloating it had earned Rs. 310,000 through the auction, each dog fetching an average value of Rs. 12,400 which seems to be the present going rate of ingratitude. Horrified animal rights activists protested against these dog auctions held in Kandy on August 15 and began an online petition which was signed by thousands. They pointed that these were police dogs which had given a lifetime of service in helping police to track down drug dealers, robbers, murderers, missing persons and children. It would be crass ingratitude to cast their lot aside, once they reached retirement age. Luckily, help was at hand to save the canines. Defence Secretary Major General (Rtd) Kamal Gunaratne this week directed the Police Chief not to auction police sniffer dogs when the time arrived for them to be retired. A military spokesman said that he had informed the acting IGP to keep them and treat them under the care of the Police Department until their death. Bravo. Well done. Finally, mans best friends well known gratitude towards its master has been recognised and reciprocated in kind. Every dog, they say, has its day. Now, thanks to the Defence Secretarys praiseworthy order, police sniffer dogs can work assured that come retirement, they will have theirs. Patricia McCloskey and her husband Mark McCloskey draw their firearms on protestors, including a man who holds a video camera and microphone, as they enter their neighborhood during a protest against St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, in St. Louis, Mo., on June 28, 2020. (Lawrence Bryant/Reuters) St. Louis Police Cite 9 Protesters for Trespassing Near McCloskey Home The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department issued summonses to nine of the protesters who trespassed onto a private street in June near the home of Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who drew national attention after standing outside their home and bearing firearms to defend themselves. The St. Louis City Counselors office is still deciding whether to add formal charges on top of the summonses, police spokesperson Evita Caldwell told The Associated Press. The McCloskeys fueled a national debate over the right to bear arms after footage of them pointing guns at Black Lives Matter protesters went viral online. Mark McCloskey held an AR-15 rifle. Patricia McCloskey held a handgun. They have since been charged with one felony count of unlawful use of a weapon. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson called the charges outrageous and said he would without a doubt pardon the couple if they are convicted. Protesters entered the private street through a gate which they say was opened. The McCloskeys says the crowd broke through. At least 300 people gathered for the protest. The Rev. Darryl Gray, who led the event and did not receive a summons, claimed that the summonses are an act of intimidation. Were not going to be threatened, and thats whats happening across this country, Gray told the AP. Youve got local governments and states who are trying to charge protesters, financially charge them, wanting them to pay costs, he added. Youve got others who want to make it a law against exercising our First Amendment right. One protester, Ohun Ashe, said on Sept. 4 that she received a summons. I was just sent a summons to appear in court for trespassing on private property on Portland Pl aka the street Patricia and Mark McCloskey live on. I had a gun waved in my face by them but trespassing is what matters? Ashe wrote on Twitter. The McCloskeys spoke at the Republican National Convention last month and warned about violent protests spreading across the nation if Democrats win the election. These radicals are not content with marching in the streets, Mark McCloskey said. They want to walk the halls of Congress. They want to take over. They want power. When we dont have basic safety and security in our communities, we will never be free to build a brighter future for ourselves, for our children, and for our country, Patricia McCloskey said. Thats whats at stake in this election. And thats why we must reelect Donald Trump. Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report. FILE PHOTO: A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19 (Reuters) - Top government infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Friday he disagreed with President Donald Trump's assessment the United States has "rounded the corner" on the coronavirus pandemic, saying the statistics are disturbing. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread, open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser. * For a U.S.-focused tracker with state-by-state and county map, open https://tmsnrt.rs/2w7hX9T in an external browser. * Eikon users, see MacroVitals cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?navid=1592404098 for a case tracker and summary of news. AMERICAS * Chile has extended the country's state of catastrophe due to the COVID-19 pandemic for a further 90-day period, the government said, which would take it until almost the end of 2020. EUROPE * French Prime Minister Jean Castex said 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. * The UK government brought in new limits on households meeting up in Birmingham, England's second biggest city, and some surrounding areas, where COVID-19 infections has been increasing significantly. * The first European pandemic "travel bubble", created in May by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, burst on Friday, as Latvia said it was mandating a 14-day quarantine on everyone arriving from Estonia. * Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has become the highest-ranking Vatican official known to have tested positive for the coronavirus. * Armenia's government lifted a state of emergency, saying the coronavirus was spreading less quickly than before, but said some restrictions would stay in place until January. ASIA-PACIFIC * India's biggest and richest state, Maharashtra, recorded its millionth coronavirus infection, putting it on par with Russia in the pandemic and stifling India's attempts to turn around an economic plummet. Story continues * Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law a 165.5 billion pesos ($3.4 billion) emergency relief measure to expand healthcare and help businesses after the coronavirus pandemic plunged the economy into recession. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * A first official visit to Israel by United Arab Emirates delegates may be postponed or conducted under restrictions as a lockdown looms. * Nearly 100 Senegalese soldiers tested positive this week after returning home from a deployment in neighbouring Gambia, a source said. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * U.S. hospitals have turned down about a third of their allocated supplies of the COVID-19 drug remdesivir since July as need for the costly antiviral wanes. * The Brazilian state of Bahia has signed an agreement to conduct Phase III clinical trials of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine and plans to buy 50 million doses, officials said. ECONOMIC IMPACT * Britain's economy recovered half of its COVID-19 crash by the end of July, helped by pubs and restaurants reopening from lockdown, but the bounce-back is expected to slow as job losses mount and Brexit tensions rise. * Kenya's economy is expected to grow by less than 2.5% this year, the finance minister said, as more evidence of the economic damage emerges. (Compiled by Krishna Chandra Eluri, Sarah Morland and Devika Syamnath; Editing by Timothy Heritage and Arun Koyyur) Diminishing winds and rising humidity helped firefighters battling deadly blazes in Oregon and California. Diminishing winds and rising humidity helped firefighters battling deadly blazes in Oregon and California, but with dozens of people still missing, authorities in both states feared that the receding flames could reveal many more dead across the blackened landscape. Oregons emergency management director said officials were preparing for a possible mass fatality event. Search and rescue personnel from the Jackson County Sheriffs Office look for the possible remains of a missing elderly resident in a mobile home park that was destroyed by wildfire on September 11, 2020 in Ashland, Oregon. Hundreds of homes in Ashland and nearby towns have been lost due to wildfire. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images) In California, smoke that painted skies orange also helped crews corral the states deadliest blaze of the year. The smoke helped blocked the sun, reducing temperatures and raising humidity, officials said. Nine people, including a 16-year-old boy, have been confirmed dead in California since lightning-caused fires that started weeks ago fused into a monster blaze that largely destroyed Berry Creek, a tiny hamlet in the Sierra Nevada foothills northeast of San Francisco. Oregon authorities have not released an exact death count, but at least eight fatalities were reported from the blazes that have taken a toll from one end of the state to the other. Gov. Kate Brown said Friday that tens of thousands of people had been forced to flee their homes. Read More: California is experiencing one of its worst wildfires Two large blazes threatened to merge near the most populated part of Oregon, including the suburbs of Portland. More than 40,000 Oregonians have been evacuated and about 500,000 are in different levels of evacuation zones, having been told to leave or to prepare to do so, Brown said. The governor dialed back a statement late Thursday by the state Office of Emergency Management that said a half-million people had been ordered to evacuate statewide. Scores of people were missing in Jackson County in the southern area of the state and in Marion County east of Salem, the state capital, Brown told a news conference. Authorities also announced that a man had been arrested on two counts of arson in connection with a fire in southern Oregon. Story continues Searchers found two victims of the so-called Beachie Creek fire near Salem. A 1-year-old boy was killed in wildfires in Washington, authorities said. Improved weather helped efforts on the ground after days of high winds, heat and low humidity. The wind laid down quite a bit for us yesterday, said Stefan Myers of the states fire information team. Almost 500 firefighters were working on the fires near Portland, which were just a few miles (kilometers) apart. The rugged terrain between them limited efforts to contain the flames, Myers said. If the fires merge, they could generate enough heat to send embers thousands of feet into the air, potentially igniting other areas. Read More: California wildfires growing bigger, moving faster than ever More than 1,500 square miles (3,880 square kilometers) have burned in Oregon during recent days, nearly double the size of a typical year and an area larger than Rhode Island, authorities said. The land burned in just the past five days amounted to the states second-worst fire season, after 2015, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee noted. 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. Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler said 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. The fire that burned hundreds of homes had an ignition point in Ashland, near a spot where a man was found dead. Authorities said the man denied starting the fire. Officials were working to locate about 50 missing people, Sickler said. California crews made progress Friday in chopping or bulldozing brush-free lines to control the North Complex fire. Gusting winds that whipped up the flames days earlier eased while smoke blocked out the sun and lowered previously scorching temperatures. Saturdays high temperature was expected to top out at 80 degrees or less. Nearly 15,000 firefighters were battling 28 major wildfires across California, although 24 were sparked Thursday and quickly contained. The North Complex remained the deadliest this year. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea had said 10 bodies were found but on Friday lowered the figure. Remains found in a burned storage shed turned out to be from a resin model of a human skeleton that was used by an anthropology student, he said. A search continued for 19 missing people. Back in Oregon, evacuation centers were open across the state. Kim Carbaugh fled her home Monday in Lyons with her husband, two children and two horses. 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 an evacuation center at the state fairgrounds in Salem. A group of firefighters just landed from Guanajuato, Mexico to help fight the fires in Southern Oregon pic.twitter.com/6Q7Gzfnwjb Ambar Rodriguez (@AmbarKTVL) September 10, 2020 The site also housed hundreds of animals dogs, llamas, horses, pigs, cows and chickens. Many people chose to camp or stay in RVs. Charles Legg sat at a table with his 22-month-old son, who cooed and played with a dinosaur puzzle. Hes OK, Legg said. Hes not eating as normal. He knows something is going on. Associated Press writers Gillian Flaccus and Manuel Valdes in Phoenix, Oregon; Lisa Baumann and Gene Johnson in Seattle; Brian Melley in Los Angeles; and Terence Chea in Berry Creek, California, contributed to this report. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post Better weather aids battle against deadly Western wildfires appeared first on TheGrio. Billings Public Schools has asked a district court to weigh in on its COVID-19 positive case disclosure policy. The district currently does not provide any general notification of positive cases in its schools. Rather, only close contacts of someone diagnosed with COVID-19 are notified as part of contact tracing by county health officials. However, in response to a public records request, district lawyers have asked a local judge to weigh the interests of student and staff privacy vs. the public's right to know. The petition comes as groups like the Montana School Boards Association, Department of Education, and Gov. Steve Bullock have said the public should be notified about positive cases linked to schools, so long as a student or staffer isn't identified. Educational institutions and public health agencies around the state have adopted varying policies about disclosures of positive COVID-19 cases. A leading expert on isolated Amazon tribes in Brazil has been killed by an arrow which hit him as he approached an indigenous group, according to friends and a police witness. Rieli Franciscato, who was 56 years old, was an official for the Brazilian governments indigenous affairs agency Funai, where he had worked to set up reservations to protect tribes in the country. Mr Franciscato was hit by an arrow above the heart on Wednesday in the forest near the Uru Eu Wau Wau reservation in the western state of Rondonia as he moved towards a previously uncontacted indigenous group. 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 clip posted on social media. The Kaninde Ethno-Environmental Defence Association, which Mr Franciscato helped set up in the 1980s, said the group had no ability to distinguish between a friend or a foe from the outside world. Recommended Brazil sends thousands of troops to protect Amazon rainforest amid concerns about surge in deforestation Gabriel Uchida, a photojournalist in the region, told AFP news agency that the tribe was a peaceful group when they were last seen in June. This time, there were only five armed men, a war group. That means something must have happened for them to seek 'revenge', Mr Uchida said. Indigenous people in Brazil have recently faced increasing threat from invasions by illegal land grabbers, loggers and gold miners, who have been emboldened by far-right president Jair Bolsonaros attempts to reduce the size of indigenous reservations in the Amazon. We are feeling bewildered by so many deaths in this Brazil that no longer respects indigenous rights, Ivaneide Cardozo, a co-founder of the Kaninde association, said in a statement. Sydney Possuelo, a former head of Funai, said Mr Bolsonaro had defunded the agency and left it without the staff needed for security at its isolated posts. 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, Mr Possuelo said, adding that the presence of police could have triggered the attack. The Brazilian presidency did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Additional reporting by Reuters By Online Desk MUMBAI: Shiv Sena leader Kamlesh Kadam and five others, who were arrested for allegedly assaulting a retired Navy officer in Mumbai, have been granted bail from the Samta Bagar police station, police said on Saturday. According to the police, the Supreme Court order empowering the police station to release an accused on bail from police station itself in matters where maximum punishment is seven years or less was exercised in granting bail to the six accused persons. All the six accused were arrested by the Mumbai police overnight after an FIR was registered in connection with the incident on Friday. Speaking to ANI on Friday, Madan Sharma, the former Navy officer had said that he was attacked after he forwarded a message on WhatsApp. "Eight to ten persons attacked and 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," Sharma said. ALSO READ: Retired Navy officer assaulted by alleged Shiv Sena workers for forwarding cartoon on Uddhav Dr Sheela Sharma, daughter of the former officer said that he was attacked by people from the Shiv Sena after the received threats for forwarding a message on Whatsapp. "My father received threats for forwarding a message. A number of people from the Shiv Sena attacked him. Later, the police came to our residence and insisted on taking my father with them. We've registered an FIR," she said. Reacting to the incident, BJP and opposition leader in Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis had expressed shock and appealed to the state's Chief Minister to take action against the accused. (With ANI Inputs) The Riverside wildfire ravaging Clackamas County expanded to more than 132,000 acres Saturday and remained within a half mile of the small city of Estacada, but the fires growth has slowed considerably. The U.S. Forest Service said the fire was still completely uncontained Saturday, with 246 people fighting the blaze. But late in the evening authorities reduced Sandy, Oregon City and Canby to Level 1 evacuation notices a sign the threat is easing in those communities. With the moderating winds we have been able to have some successes out on the fire lines, Ralph Lucas, operations section chief for the agencies collaborating to fight the fire, said Saturday night. He said additional resources are coming to contain the fire. Until now, Lucas said, firefighting efforts have focused on the west side of the fire close to population centers. He said work will shift east in the coming days. All of Clackamas County remained under an evacuation notice Saturday, with the communities of Estacada, Molalla and Colton still under Level 3 evacuate now orders. Oregon City, Sandy and Canby are now on Level 1 alerts instead of Level 2, meaning residents should now get ready for potential evacuation. Statewide, wildfires have burned an astonishing 1 million acres this week alone and killed at least seven. Dozens remain unaccounted for. Sgt. Marcus Mendoza with the Clackamas County Sheriffs office said Saturday afternoon that there are no reports of serious injuries or deaths associated with the Riverside fire, and there are no outstanding missing persons reports connected to the blaze. The Riverside fire was at 130,000 acres Friday, so it didnt expand much overnight. The fire had presented an imminent threat to the Estacada on Thursday, when firefighters were battling it on a 36-mile front. But dry east winds that had fueled the fires growth gave way Friday to cooler, damper ocean breezes from the west. That has given firefighters the opportunity to begin making headway. On Saturday afternoon, Portland General Electric said it has begun turning on power near Mount Hood after shutting it off in the area Monday to prevent powerlines from sparking wildfires. Clackamas County established a 10 p.m. curfew Thursday that will remain in effect Saturday night, and perhaps longer; it does not apply to people working night shifts. The Riverside fire has displaced thousands, who set up camp this week in RVs and tents, seeking refuge in shopping center parking lots, a fraternal lodge and the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. Clackamas County spans suburban housing developments, rural farms and dense forestland. Evacuees and farm organizations are scrambling to find accommodations for livestock and pets. There is enormous concern among evacuees about potential looting. Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts said Friday that authorities had extra patrols in the evacuated areas but that patrols were encountering very few people in those places. The sheriffs office did arrest two people earlier in the week for trespassing. The Forest Service classifies the Riverside Fire as human-caused. Michelle Fidler, spokeswoman for the agencies fighting the blaze, said that designation merely indicates there wasnt lightning in the area at time time the fire began. She said work to determine the fires specific cause is only beginning. Authorities in Clackamas County and across the state have been fighting social media hoaxes that assert, falsely, that extremist groups were responsible for some of the fires engulfing Oregon this week. The FBI and local law enforcement agencies have repeatedly rejected those assertions. On Saturday, the Clackamas County Sheriffs office placed a deputy on leave after he was recorded making spurious claims about left-wing extremists and the fires. Theres a lot of lives at stake and theres a lot of peoples property at stake because these guys got some vendetta, Deputy Mark Nikolai said on the video. As soon as I was made aware of this incident, I moved swiftly to place this deputy on leave while we investigate, Sheriff Craig Roberts said in a statement Saturday. The Sheriffs Office mission is to provide calm and safety especially during unprecedented times such as these. I expect nothing less of our deputies, and apologize to all in our community. The Multnomah County Sheriffs Office said it is investigating a Friday incident in the Corbett area, well north of the Riverside fire, in which someone intentionally started a fire with an illegal firework. The sheriffs office said a neighbor quickly extinguished that fire, with help from the Corbett Fire Department. Separately, the sheriffs office said it responded to reports Friday of armed people stopping drivers on roadways in East Multnomah County and demanding identification. The sheriffs office said it warned those armed individuals that roadways are open to everyone and that their actions could be subject to citation or arrest. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 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. Joe Bidens personal tragedies have shaped his career, from policy to politicking, learning to mourn as a public figure and relying on his history of loss to reach out to voters, including his campaign for the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee. In December 1972, the former vice president then a 30-year-old senator-elect from Delaware, weeks away from being sworn into office lost his first wife Neilia and 13-month-old daughter Naomi in a car accident. Joseph Beau Biden III, an Iraq War veteran and Delaware attorney general, died five years ago this month following a brain cancer diagnosis in 2015. He was 46. In a statement following his death, his father wrote: Beau Biden was, quite simply, the finest man any of us have ever known. Beau Biden had experienced a stroke in 2010, but three years later he was treated at MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston, Texas, where doctors removed a lesion from his brain. His cancer returned two years later, when he received aggressive treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in Bethesda, Maryland. He was survived by his wife Hallie and his two children Natalie and Hunter. Beau Biden was 3 years old when his mother was killed in the crash that also took the life of his little sister. Beau and his brother Hunter, then 2 years old, were also in the car. Their father was sworn in at their hospital beds. During his 2012 speech at the Democratic National Convention, where he moved his father to tears while nominating him for vice president, Beau Biden said: One of my earliest memories was being in that hospital, Dad always at our side. ... He decided not to take the oath of office. He said, Delaware can get another senator, but my boys cant get another father. However, great men like Ted Kennedy, Mike Mansfield, Hubert Humphrey men who had been tested themselves convinced him to serve. So he was sworn in, in the hospital, at my bedside. In 1977, Joe Biden married Jill Jacobs, who became the boys stepmother, who helped rebuild the family, Beau later said in 2012. I have two moms now. Beau Biden studied at the University of Pennsylvania and attended law school at Syracuse University, where his father also attended. He served as a prosecutor in the US attorneys office in Philadelphia before running for attorney general in 2006. He won by 13,000 votes. In his reelection in 2010, he won by more than 149,000 votes. In 2008, as a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard, Beau Biden was deployed to Iraq during a war effort that then-senator Biden had previously voted to support. Beau Biden briefly returned to the US for his fathers vice-presidential swearing-in ceremony in January 2009, then was shipped out to complete his yearlong service. As Delawares chief law enforcement official, Beau Biden didnt seek a third term, as he planned to run for governor in 2016, before his health began to rapidly decline. In a statement following his death, then-president Barack Obama cited a poem by William Butler Yeats, adding: Beau Biden believed the best of us all ... For him, and for his family, we swing our lanterns higher. During an appearance on MSNBCs Morning Joe in January, candidate Biden said that Beau should be the one running for president, not me. Mr Biden recalled Beaus support on previous campaign trails, when his son told him: Look at me, dad. Remember: home base. Just remember who you are. Hed grab me by the lapel, Mr Biden said. He still grabs me by the lapel. Mr Biden said: Every morning I get up, Joe, not a joke, I think to myself, Is he proud of me? Because hes the one who wanted me to stay engaged ... He walks with me. I know that sounds to some people kind of silly, but he really, honest to God, does. I know hes in me. Beau was laid to rest at St. Joseph's on the Brandywine in Wilmington, Delaware, where Mr Bidens late wife Neilia and daughter Naomi are also buried. Five missing Indians handed over by China reached Arunachal Pradesh India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 12: The five Indians who went missing from Arunachal Pradesh were handed over by the Chinese and have reached India. The Chinese PLA has handed over the five men today. The handover took place in the Chinese territory. The five men entered Arunachal Pradesh through Kibithu Border Post. Union Minister, Kiren Rijiju said in a tweet, all the 5 Indian youths from Arunachal Pradesh who were received at Kibithu by our Army from PLA are fit and fine. However, they will be quarantined for a specified period. I also thank Raksha Mantri @rajnathsingh ji for the concern he had shown. "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," Union Minister Kiren Rijiju had said in a tweet. 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. China hands over 5 Indians who went missing from Arunachal Pradesh 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. "As a result of persistent efforts of Indian Army, five missing hunters from Indian side of LAC in Upper Subansiri, who had inadvertently crossed over to other side on 2 September 2020, were traced. Chinese Army on September 8 responded on hotline and confirmed that the missing Indians have been found on their side," a statement from the Army read. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 12, 2020, 17:25 [IST] GODFREY A passion for rivers and a desire to promote place-based environmental education inspired the National Great Rivers Research and Education Centers (NGRREC) new Director of Environmental Education Sarah Fisher to join the team at the Jerry F. Costello Confluence Field Station in East Alton. Even better, the opportunity has allowed Fisher to return to her home state of Illinois to help foster connections between individuals and their local environments. Watching the wonder in a students eyes as they develop connections with their local environment is very rewarding, because environmental education is relevant to us all, Fisher said. Between changing climates and increased demand for natural resources, our society needs to be well versed in what challenges and opportunities face our local and global ecosystem. In her new role, Fisher is responsible for designing and implementing environmental education programming while incorporating current research being done by NGRREC scientists. At the moment, we are working toward adapting our education programming for virtual and socially distanced audiences, Fisher said. Certified by the National Outdoor Leadership School, Fisher is a certified Wilderness First Responder. She has worked as an education coordinator at the Canyon Country Discovery Center in Monticello, Utah; education technician at Arches National Park in Moab, Utah; biological science technician at the Southwest Biological Science Center in Moab, Utah; and whitewater stand-up paddleboard guide for the Paddle Moab on the Colorado and Green Rivers, in Moab Utah. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Geology in 2009 from Oberlin College in Ohio and her Master of Natural Resources in Environmental Education and Science Communication in 2019 from University of Idahos McCall Outdoor Science School. Right out of college, she did a one-year volunteer internship with Americorps. Her position included leading an Ecology Club at a local high school as well as acting as a lead counselor within the parks and recreation department nature based summer camp. My interest in teaching came from my Americorps intern position, Fisher said. That led me to work as a Student Conservation Association (SCA) Intern in the education department at Kenai Fjords National Park for six months, which is where I really learned to combine place-based education and outdoor education/recreation. NGRRECs Environmental Education efforts include the CINet project with the University of Illinois, Swarovski Waterschool program, Stream Discovery program, and Mississippi River Exchange program. Founded in 2002 as a partnership between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and LCCC, NGRREC is dedicated to the study of great river systems and the communities that use them. The center aspires to be a leader in scholarly research, education, and outreach related to the interconnectedness of large rivers, their floodplains, watersheds, and their associated communities. To learn more about NGRREC, visit www.ngrrec.org. The total death toll in the city is 266 cases. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has said the number of confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the city rose sharply in the past day, i.e. by 428. "In the past day, another 428 residents of Kyiv tested positive for coronavirus, including 12 healthcare workers. There were five fatalities," Klitschko wrote on Telegram on September 12. "As of today, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city is 16,951." According to Klitschko, 223 women aged 18 to 89 and 186 men aged 18 to 90 are among those infected. Nine girls (from four to 14 years old) and 10 boys (from four to 16 years old) have tested positive. Read alsoKyiv mayor reports record daily high of 404 new COVID-19 casesKlitschko said 65 new patients had been hospitalized, while the rest are self-isolating, undergoing treatment at home under medical supervision. Ninety-seven people recovered from the disease in the past day, he said. In total, 5,267 Kyiv residents have already recovered. The highest number of the new cases in Kyiv was registered in Dniprovsky district (65), Darnytsky district (64), and Desniansky district (59). The total death toll in the city is 266 cases. Quarantine in Ukraine: Background Meghalaya power minister and elder brother of chief minister Conrad Sangma, James Sangma, tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday. The 44-year-old, who was on a flight with Conrad from Delhi to Imphal, tested positive after a rapid antigen test (RAT) was conducted after they landed in Manipurs capital. Conrad Sangma tested negative for the disease. According to Saidul Khan, OSD and press secretary to the CM, James and Conrad had taken a flight from Delhi to Imphal on Saturday morning. They were tested at the airport as per the standard operating procedure (SOP) where James tested positive for Covid-19. Conrad, who is the national president of National Peoples Party (NPP), and his brother, had gone to Manipur to discuss party matters with the Manipur unit. NPP is partner of the ruling coalition in Manipur headed by the BJP. Also read: Oxfords coronavirus vaccine AstraZeneca trial resumes after UK green light Following the detection of his infection, James left Imphal by road for Shillong around 4:30 pm. He is expected to reach Meghalayas capital city on Sunday morning. As responsible citizens, on arrival at Imphal airport from Delhi we followed the SOP and got ourselves tested at the airport. However, RAT result for James Sangma was positive and he was immediately isolated at the airport and later sent to Shillong via an ambulance, Conrad Sangma said. (With inputs from David Laitphlang in Shillong) Opioid overdose deaths in Peterborough have already surpassed last years tragic record total and the local death rate is more than twice the provincial average. Meanwhile, a woman writes in a letter to the Examiner that she no longer lets her kids swim in Little Lake after finding six needles either along the shoreline or floating in the water. Yes, this is a crisis, as local politicians and health officials officially declared last year. No, it is not an insurmountable one. The needle on the crisis clock can be shifted back. Floating needles are a flashpoint for the opiate conundrum how to treat widespread addiction issues when addiction is against the law. The letter writer came to her conclusion from the compassionate, social service side: Peterborough needs a safe injection site. Social media responses to her letter included opinion from the strict law and order view: dont cater to addicts, lock them up and clean them up. Both sides cant be right. And they arent. The evidence on safe injection sites is deep and consistent. Studies show they work. When addicts have a safe, supported place to take drugs fewer die and more get clean. Crime rates also go down. A study of the effects of a long-running safe injection site in Sydney, Australia also reports on an outcome more specific to the problem of needles at beaches. Five years after the site opened, researchers found that local business owners reported a significant decrease in public injecting or publicly discarded injecting equipment. Thats not to say a safe injection site would make needle litter disappear entirely. The number of needles Peterborough drug users go through is startling to anyone not directly involved in the issue. Two years ago, an exchange program run by PARN, the local AIDS prevention and support agency, and Fourcast, which offers support for addiction issues, provided users with more than 400,000 needles. The program is successful in that 90 per cent of those needles were returned. Consider how many potential discards that took off the street. On the other hand, more than 35,000 needles didnt come back. When one family finds six of them does it indicate the city is awash with dirty, used syringes? No. It seems likely that the currents of the Otonabee River and Little Lake flow in such a way that their property becomes a depository for floating debris. Needle litter is one unfortunate and potentially dangerous result of opiate addiction. It draws attention because it brings the problem to people who otherwise arent directly affected. Deaths, illness, poverty and broken families are more serious outcomes. There is no single solution. Over time, experts in the field have developed long-term strategies based on the four pillars of addiction response: prevention, harm reduction, enforcement, treatment. Safe injection sites contribute to the potential benefits of three of those four pillars. The biggest barrier to getting one here is public perception. The provincial government has been reluctant to fund a solution that some believe caters to addiction and landlords are reluctant to lease space for a site. Meanwhile, opiate overdose has claimed 30 victims this year and the toll is growing. The provincial government needs to approve and fund a safe injection and treatment site, and buy a building to house it. On Saturday, the Mexican government reported that there have been at least 122,765 excess deaths between mid-March and August 1. The excess death count, representing the increase in the overall number of deaths in a given country over the historical average number of deaths during the same period, serves to expose the gross underreporting of COVID-19 deaths, not only in Mexico, but in countries across the globe. Epidemiologists agree that estimating excess deaths is the best way to assess the impact of the pandemic. Mexico has reported some 69,095 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 629,409 cases. The country has the worlds fourth highest death toll, trailing India (75,062 deaths), Brazil (128,694 deaths), and the United States, which ranks first, with 194,367 deaths. Given that at least 600 people are dying on a daily basis, the excess deaths estimated up to August 1 would place Mexicos real death toll today ahead of the officially recorded toll in Brazil and near that of the United States. Between 15 to 20 days ago, many states began running out of death certificates. This has particularly been the case in impoverished and working class communities in the State of Mexicothe most populous stateas well as in Mexico City and Baja California, according to Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell, who leads the governments pandemic response. Mexican health workers protest; sign reads, I'm COVID-19 positive and they ordered me to work [Credit: Facebook] Despite the rapid spread of the deadly virus, the majority of Mexicos population has not been able to stop working. While many workers fear becoming infected, the catchphrase for the poor has become that their choice is to die of COVID or die of hunger. Half of Mexicos 127 million residents do not earn enough to meet their basic needs, and one in five suffers from hunger. Over half of Mexicos children live in poverty, and a United Nations study found that 14 percent of children suffer from stunted growth as a result of malnutrition. A study by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) found that at least 16 million more people will fall into extreme poverty. According to the UNAM, the Mexican government needs to spend 15 billion pesos (about $670 million) per month to ensure the provision of the basic food basket for the 32 million people in extreme poverty in the coming months. Compounding the problem, the Mexican population receives little to no state relief in the form of unemployment compensation or social assistance in a country where at least 58 percent of the Mexican working class relies on the informal economy, which comprises 30 percent of the countrys gross domestic product (GDP). Another 25 percent of Mexicos GDP is derived from the vast maquiladora industry run largely by multinational corporations on the US-Mexican border. This industrial sector remained open during the pandemic, due to pressure from international finance capital, particularly within the US. Sergio Moctezuma, the state labor secretary for Baja California said that in the state, The vast majority of infected people are factory workers. In mid-May the health secretary of Northern Baja California announced that, at the time, 83 percent of official deaths (432 of 519) were maquiladora workers, in an industry where the majority of workers are between the ages of 25 and 45. The vast degree of social inequality in Mexico, involving poor living conditions and public infrastructure for masses of the population, means that the virus has found ideal conditions for its spread. An April 2020 report by the World Bank found that 51.2 million people are considered at or below the poverty line. The report adds that inequality in Mexico ... is among the highest in OECD countries. Additionally, 6.2 percent of the population, or some 1.8 million people, have no access to limited standard sanitation. This same condition affects an estimated 35 percent of the worlds population or some 2.5 billion people, according to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC). President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) has done nothing to prevent the viruss devastating toll on the working class and the poor of Mexico. His government, moreover, has agreed to using the Mexican population as guinea pigs for pharmaceutical companies in the US, Russia and China to test their vaccines on a massive scale. While not necessarily protecting the Mexican population from the virus and potentially causing harmful effects, AMLO hopes to use these trials to suppress popular concerns as the coronavirus spreads out of control. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced in a statement this week that it had reached a deal with Landsteiner Scientific and the AMLO administration to distribute 32 million doses of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in November. Deliveries are expected to start in November 2020 subject to approval by Mexicos regulators, according to the RDIF representative. Mexico has also committed to participating in late-stage clinical trials for vaccines developed by US company Johnson & Johnson and two Chinese companies. Last month, AMLO announced in a disingenuous fashion that Mexicos poor would receive equal access to health care and free vaccines, stating that All the citizens will have access to the vaccine, and there should be no concern for poor people as they will be vaccinated with the same urgency. They will not be the last people to receive it. While AMLO paints a fantasy world where the poor have equal access to health care, the reality on the ground is that tens of thousands of poor are dying because they cannot afford to stay home from work or social distance, and lack access to basic sanitation. According to data by the IMF, Mexico has only spent 0.2 percent of its GDP in 2020 to address the pandemic, while other nations have dedicated 2.1 percent of their GDP on average. According to public records of Mexicos epidemiological oversight database, in at least 75 percent of Mexicos coronavirus deaths, amounting to 51,924 people, the patients never received any treatment with a ventilator before they died or any form of intensive care treatment, which could have saved their lives. The catastrophic COVID-19 health crisis has demonstrated the criminal negligence and incompetence of the Mexican bourgeoisie. According to the OECD, Mexico occupies the last place in implementing large-scale testing. On average, 0.4 tests are done per thousand people in Mexico, while the other 36 OECD member nations have carried out on average 22.9 tests per thousand inhabitants. The large death toll has also had a devastating effect on frontline workers. Amnesty International reported last week that Mexico has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths among medical personnel in the world. A total of 1,410 health care workers have died and 104,590 have tested positive. El Financiero reported that there have been more than 100 street protests by health care workers from various institutions, demanding safe working conditions to face the pandemic. AMLO and his Morena party came to power employing populist phraseology to cast themselves as the much needed change for Mexico. However, his government is the continuation of the longstanding reactionary rule of the Mexican national bourgeoisie, oriented to protecting its class interests and those of the transnational corporations. Along with every government worldwide, the Morena administration has made clear its indifference to the deaths of tens of thousands of workers that have resulted from its pro-capitalist policies. It is essential that, as a response, the working class unites on an international basis to fight for socialism. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sebastian Partogi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 12, 2020 15:10 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4472a87 1 Science & Tech design,technology,Samsung,mobile-phones,Samsung-Galaxy-Z-Fold2 Free More than ever people are relying on just a single digital gadget to conduct all their activities, from work to leisure. Therefore, a lot of brands have recognized that convenient and comfortable device design matters a lot for users daily lives. These brands have been incorporating user feedback to enhance both the design and the utility of their products. As part of this trend, the worlds leading mobile phone maker, Samsung Electronics, has launched the next generation of its category-defining foldable device: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2. The gadget brings together design and utility through refinements and meaningful user experience-based (UX) innovation. The gadget is dedicated to users who enjoy being on the cutting edge of technology. It distinguishes itself with a larger cover screen and massive main screen, combining solid design and expert craftsmanship with intuitive new features for a unique mobile experience offering just the versatility that modern users need in their daily life. Our journey toward the next generation of mobile devices is full of originality and innovation, Samsung Electronics Mobile Communications Business President T.M. Roh said. According to Samsung Electronics Advanced Mechanical Research and Development Group member Hwang Seung-hyun, the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 distinguishes itself from its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, by a more flexible folding mode, thanks its enhanced dual-CAM mechanism. With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2, we have closely listened to users feedback to ensure we were bringing meaningful improvements to the hardware, while also developing new innovation to enhance user experience, Roh continued, adding that the UX innovation had been powered by the brands partnerships with Google and Microsoft. The enhanced mechanism, according to Hwang, also prevents the device from accidentally folding upon use. The more sophisticated design is incorporated into the smartphones sleek design. He said that the stable folding experience enabled by the enhanced structure had garnered positive customer feedback. The new devices advanced engineering will also bolster your productivity day after day. For instance, its 6.2-inch Infinity-O Cover Screen affords maximum usability, so you can check your email, look up directions or even watch your favorite content without needing to unfold your device every time. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2's sleek design is anchored by its Hideaway Hinge, fitting seamlessly into the device body. (Samsung/File) When unfolded, the massive 7.6-inch Main Screen, with minimized bezel and notch-less Front Camera immerses you with a 120-Hz adaptable refresh rate for smooth scrolling and gameplay. The devices dynamic sound, meanwhile, is the best of its kind across all Samsung Galaxy devices to date, with enhanced stereo effect and clearer sound provided by high-dynamic dual speakers. The devices sleek design, meanwhile, is anchored by its Hideaway Hinge, fitting seamlessly into the device body. Its CAM mechanism enables free-standing capabilities, powering users Flex mode experiences. The new device also employs sweeper technology, having introduced it on the Galaxy Z Flip. The technology repels dust and undesirable particles within the gap between the body and hinge housing of the device. Users who want to have their own unique device-using style can also customize the Galaxy Z Fold2 with four distinct Hideaway Hinge colors: metallic silver, metallic gold, metallic red and metallic blue. This way, you can stand out with your device. The innovative foldable form and its sophisticated design also allow you to expand your usability, crossing the boundary between the devices cover and main screen. This allows you to create or view content that is curated to your very own preferences, from folded to unfolded. Catering to the needs of modern urbanites, the new cell phone also aligns mobile productivity with advanced multitasking capabilities thanks to its new intuitive ways to interact. Get the most out of your day by tailoring the Galaxy Z Fold2s tablet-sized main screen to fit in with your working style. For seamless multitasking, use the advanced multi-active window to control your screen layout with greater ease and flexibility. Experience more productivity now that you can open multiple files from the same app at the same time and view them side by side. With an improved Multi-Window Tray, you can open multiple apps at once with the integration of App Pair and the Edge Panel to enjoy added convenience. Use the drag-and-drop function to simply drag text, images and documents from one app and transfer the captured image into another seamlessly with Split Screen Capture. The device also has optimized app interactions to further support your workflow. Choose the most optimized UI on the Main Screen to suit your needs. Quickly and easily switch between a large screen layout or traditional phone layout in the Settings. Also, maximize every moment in your daily life and upgrade the viewing experience of your favorite apps, including Gmail, YouTube and Spotify, by benefiting from the new devices optimized app display. Use the Main Screen with Office apps in Microsoft 365 to mimic the tablet experience. For instance, use Microsoft Outlook to its true potential by viewing your inbox on the left side with current conversations at the same time. Draft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets or PowerPoint presentations with PC-like toolbar arrangements. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 in Mystic Bronze (Samsung/File) The Galaxy Z Fold2, meanwhile, will be available in Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze. You can already pre-order the Galaxy Z Fold2 smartphone in Indonesia from Sept. 11 to 19 on galaxylaunchpack.com. Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes, center, stands in front of uniformed first responders at the opening of the annual 9/11 memorial ceremony at the Richard Nixon Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, Calif., on Sept. 11, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Nixon Library Holds 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony Amid COVID-19 YORBA LINDA, Calif.The Richard Nixon Foundation in Yorba Linda held its annual 9/11 commemoration ceremony on the morning of Sept. 11, with the event taking a different shape due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony was held in the Pat Nixon Amphitheater, an outdoor area on the grounds of the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. In order to follow social distancing rules, the event was invite only, with a limited number of sheriffs deputies and first responders in attendance. To cater to the up to 800 member audience the event has had in previous years, the foundation livestreamed the ceremony for the public to watch. The event began with a bagpipe performance by the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) Pipes and Drums, followed by a prayer and the national anthem. Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes, right, watches as a color guard presents arms at a ceremony commemorating sacrifices made by first responders on 9/11 at the Richard Nixon Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, Calif., on Sept. 11, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Sheriff Don Barnes speaks in front of a crowd of first responders at a 9/11 memorial event at the Richard Nixon Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, Calif., on Sept. 11, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) The American flag flies above a ceremony honoring the sacrifices made by first responders on 9/11 at the Richard Nixon Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, Calif., on Sept. 11, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) The first to give a speech was Nixon Foundation Executive Vice President Jim Byron, who introduced various county luminaries and detailed the foundations history of honoring 9/11 annually. The events main speakers included OCFA Chief Brian Fennessy and Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes, who both spoke about the bravery of the first responders who gave their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. Nineteen years ago today, at 8:46 in the morning, the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history began. A hijacked airliner slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. It was the beginning of the day that changed our world forever, Fennessy told those in attendance, who were sitting in distanced chairs on the grass. What was intended for evil on Sept. 11, 2001, made our country stronger and more united. On that day, there were acts of heroism, courage, and compassion. Without hesitation, firefighters ran into the burning buildings in New York City to do what they had to do to save lives. A man plays the bagpipes at the annual 9/11 memorial ceremony at the Richard Nixon Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, Calif., on Sept. 11, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) An Orange County Fire Authority officer salutes his fallen brethren at the annual 9/11 commemoration ceremony at the Richard Nixon Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, Calif., on Sept. 11, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Sheriff Barnes spoke next. He visualized the wreckage and despair that the attack brought down on the country, but then detailed the great amount of unity that took place as Americans joined together to help one another. The horrible day is etched in the minds and hearts of all Americans, Barnes told the audience. We will never forget, and always mourn, those who perished as a result of that attack upon our country. Almost two decades later, the memories of that day are still vivid: the fires, the wreckage, the rubble, the pained look on the faces of those who lost loved ones. Equally as memorable was the prevalence of the American flag. Across our whole United States, Americans began flying the Stars and Stripes on their homes, on street corners, at their businesses, on their cars, and even on their clothes. In that moment, the flag symbolizes our defiance against those who attacked us, our grief for those who lost their lives, and our unity as a nation. And that moment, we stood together as proud Americans resolute in the defense of our values. The program also included a presentation of the colors by the Orange County Sheriffs Department, patriotic musical performances by the Orange Community Master Chorale, and the ceremonial ringing of the last alarm by the OCFA. The ceremony lasted approximately 45 minutes. Chinese Dissident Property Tycoon Defends Himself at Trial 2020-09-11 -- 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. 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 Cash doesnt have the status it used to. In fact, some state and local governments are forcing businesses like restaurants and retail shops to continue accepting cash concerned that cashless businesses effectively discriminate against consumers who do not have bank accounts or credit cards. New York City will require most stores and restaurants to accept cash as of November 19, 2019 joining cities including San Francisco; Berkeley, California; and Philadelphia, all of which mandated acceptance of cash last year. New Jersey required acceptance of cash state-wide in 2019, and it has been illegal for businesses to refuse cash in Massachusetts for decades. Many other cities and states are considering similar steps. Concerns about a decline in the acceptance of cash surfaced well before the coronavirus arrived, as consumers grew more comfortable shopping online with credit or debit cards and paying quickly with mobile apps. Many businesses like electronic payments because they speed up purchases and reduce concern about theft. Then, during the pandemic, restaurants and stores emphasised online ordering and digital payment to reduce interactions and the risk of infection among customers and employees. And as consumers stayed home, coin shortages occurred, making it difficult for some stores to give change. That added to a preference for electronic payments. The concern has been heightened as a result of the pandemic, said Susan Grant, director of consumer protection and privacy at the Consumer Federation of America, a non-profit advocacy group. But as digital payments become more widespread, were concerned that people arent going to be able to pay for necessities, said Linda Sherry, Director of National Priorities at Consumer Action, an advocacy group. Businesses that refuse cash put at a disadvantage people who lack traditional bank accounts or cant qualify for credit cards, consumer advocates say. About one-fourth of American adults were unbanked or underbanked in 2019 meaning they did not have a bank account or had one but also used alternatives like check-cashing services, the Federal Reserve found. Those consumers are more likely to be in a racial or ethnic minority group, have lower incomes and be less educated. Some may like cash because it helps them budget their money or teach their children about spending. Others may be wary of a loss of privacy and vulnerability to hacking with electronic payments, or simply prefer cash, Grant said. The decision should be the consumers. The federation and dozens of other advocacy and privacy rights groups are backing federal legislation that would prohibit brick-and-mortar retailers from refusing to accept cash. (Its unclear if the bill will be considered this year, given the menu of pandemic-related issues before Congress.) 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 behaviour. Cash was used for almost half 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, because many people continue to rely on hard currency. Some businesses that stopped accepting cash have reversed their policies voluntarily, Santana noted, after realising they were excluding some customers. No one, she said, wants to turn away business. Here are some questions and answers about paying with 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 theatres, 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.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. The rule has some exceptions. For instance, a business can decline cash if it offers a cash conversion kiosk, which transfers the cash value to a debit card and is sometimes called a reverse ATM, if the machine meets certain criteria. The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through close person-to-person contact, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says. Its possible that someone could become infected by touching a surface or an object with the virus on it, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, according to the agency. While there has been concern that handling cash can spread germs, touching a payment terminal or handing a plastic card to a clerk may also pose a risk. The CDC suggests using touchless payment if possible. If you must handle money, a card or use a keypad, use hand sanitiser right after paying, it says. The World Health Organisation has said that it is good hygiene practice to wash your hands after handling money, especially if eating or handling food. c.2020 The New York Times Company BJP leaders, and daughter of Madan Sharma, retired Navy officer who was allegedly beaten up by Shiv Sena workers in Mumbai, staged protest outside the office of Additional Commissioner of Police on Saturday and demanded the accused to be booked under non-bailable offences. BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar said that six people were arrested last night for beating retired Navy officer in my constituency but now they all have been given bail. BJP leaders, and daughter of Madan Sharma, retired Navy officer who was allegedly beaten up by Shiv Sena workers in Mumbai, staged a protest outside the office of Additional Commissioner of Police on Saturday and demanded the accused to be booked under non-bailable offences. BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar said that six people were arrested last night for beating retired Navy officer in my constituency but now they all have been given bail. He said we are protesting here to meet Additional Commissioner of Police to demand non-bailable sections against accused people. Speaking to reporters here, Bhathalkar said, Two unit heads and other workers of Shiv Sena beat up a retired Navy officer in my constituency and we had filed a complaint against them. The Police last night arrested six people in connection with the case but they all were given bail before 9 am today. We are protesting here to meet Additional Commissioner of Police to ask him to charge them under non-bailable sections. Section 326 and trespassing should be charged against them. Also Read: Now government reaches out to people PM Modi highlights how rural housing changed under NDA regime Meanwhile, Additional Commissioner of Police Vishwas Nangare Patil said that section 326 cannot be imposed as there should be an attack with a sharp weapon to charge a person under this section but we are verifying for the trespassing and if there is evidence of trespassing we will apply section 452 on them. We have arrested six people in connection with the case and applied serious charges but those sections are bailable and due to COVID-19 situation, it is mandatory to give bail. We are verifying for the section 452 for trespassing. If it applies, we will charge them under section 452. Section 326 cannot be applied as there should be an assault with the sharp weapon for it, Patil told reporters. Shiv Sena leader Kamlesh Kadam and five others were arrested by the Mumbai police overnight after an FIR was registered in connection with alleged assault of retired Navy officer in Mumbai. (ANI) Also Read: CM Khandu, Kiren Rijiju thank Indian Army after return of five missing Arunachal Pradesh men A Dubai-bound passenger, Ishaq Abubakar, has been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission following his arrest with 2,886 Automated Teller Machine cards and four Subscriber Identification Module cards concealed inside cartons of noodles. It was learnt that suspect with passport number A08333717 was arrested by the personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while travelling to Dubai, United Arab Emirates on August 22, 2020, via the Emirates evacuation flight. The Deputy Controller, Enforcement, NCS, Abdulmumin Bako, while handing the suspect to the EFCC during a media briefing in Lagos on Thursday, said Abubakar was arrested at the Departure Hall of the airport. Bako, who represented the Customs Area Comptroller, A. Maaji, said, Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service at the Departure Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, on August 22, 2020, intercepted the suspect with 2,886 ATM cards and four SIM cards, which he carefully concealed in packs of noodles. The suspect, who claimed to have come from Kano to travel to Dubai aboard the Emirates evacuation flight, was seen with one Mr Musliu, who was assigned to facilitate his movement through the airport checks, but the diligence of our officers, who insisted on conducting a physical examination, revealed the concealment. The Lagos Zonal Head, EFCC, AbdulRasheed Bawa, while receiving the suspect, said the ATM cards could be used for money laundering or foreign exchange malpractices, adding that everyone involved in the conspiracy would be arrested and prosecuted by the commission. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates While much of the focus this month has been on the general election coming in November, a handful of candidates New York state villages have been campaigning for seats in elections that are taking place on Tuesday. Village elections are happening across the state that day as a result of postponements that took place last March and June due to the coronavirus pandemic. As part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's emergency orders aimed an minimizing COVID-19 spread, village elections were pushed to Sept. 15. In Cayuga County, seven villages have elections scheduled, although just two feature contested races. In notices posted in advance of Tuesday's voting, most villages said that masks will be required at polling places and social distancing protocols will be in place. Here's an overview of what's on Cayuga County village ballots: Aurora: Voters will select two village trustees to serve four-year terms. The candidates are Marie Dentes, Thea Miller and Janet Murphy. Voting hours are noon to 9 p.m. at the Aurora Firehouse meeting room, 456 Main St. Cayuga: Two seats on the village board of trustees are open. Seeking to fill the two-year terms are Andrew Wright and Patricia Hanford. The polls will be open noon to 9 p.m. at the village office, 6205 Railroad Street. Fair Haven: Elections for mayor and two trustee seats are taking place, with all carrying four-year terms. On the ballot for mayor is James J. Basile, with Walter J. Krehling and Judith A. Dunaway running for trustee. Voting takes place from noon to 9 p.m. at the village hall, 14523 Cayuga St. Moravia: There are two candidates looking to fill two trustee seats. Anthony A. Peppe and Michelle A. Lyon are on the ballot for the two-year terms. Voting hours are noon to 9 p.m. at the Village of Moravia Justice Center, 48 W. Cayuga St., Moravia. Port Byron: Two board of trustee positions and a village justice seat, all with four-year terms, are on the ballot. Mary Jump and Jeffrey Girvin are running for trustee, while Joann Bell is the candidate for village justice. The polling place, at the village office, 52 Utica St., is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Union Springs: The village has two trustee seats up for election. Seeking the two-year terms are Brian Cornell and Donna O'Hara. Voting runs from noon to 9 p.m. at the village meeting room at 26 Chapel St. Weedsport: Four-year terms for mayor, two trustee seats and a justice will be on the ballot. Tom A. Winslow is running for mayor while Geoffery Fritsch is seeking the justice seat. Trustee candidates are John Clark, Francis Gross Jr. and Chere Perkins. Voting takes place from noon to 9 p.m. at the village office, 8892 South St. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 The family of unarmed black man George Floyd are pushing back against claims he died from a drug overdose. Floyd, 46, passed away May 25 while being arrested by Minneapolis police officers on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Officer Derek Chauvin was filmed kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes as he lost consciousness. Floyd was pronounced dead by medical technicians who responded to the scene, and Chauvin was subsequently charged with second-degree murder. During a pretrial hearing on Friday, defense attorneys claimed Floyd had taken fentanyl prior to his arrest, which likely caused his death. But outside court, Floyd's family disputed those claims, stating: 'The only overdose that killed George Floyd was an overdose of excessive force and racism by the Minneapolis Police Department.' Floyd's family lawyer, Ben Crump, continued: 'America saw what happened. The world saw what happened. And so, who are you going to believe, your eyes or these killer cops?' The family of unarmed black man George Floyd are pushing back against claims he died from a drug overdose while in police custody on May 25. Relatives are seen outside a court in Minneapolis on Friday following a pre-trial hearing Floyd, 46, passed away May 25 while being arrested by Minneapolis police officers on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Officer Derek Chauvin was filmed kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes as he lost consciousness Floyd's death sparked national outrage and led to nationwide protests. Millions of Americans took to the streets calling for police reform and an end to systemic racism 'The world witnessed Floyd's asphyxiation on video, and now defense counsel is asking us to disbelieve our own eyes. Multiple autopsies determined that he died of asphyxiation because of the officers kneeling on his back and neck.' Meanwhile, Floyd's brother, Philonese, also took to the microphone, emotionally telling reporters: 'Watching our brother die on video was the most painful experience of our lives. But listening to those defending these officers blame him for his own death today felt like a knife in the heart. 'It shows the degree to which the justice system works to protect those in authority at our expense.' 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.' However, 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. Floyd's brother, Philonese, took to the microphone, emotionally telling reporters: 'Watching our brother die on video was the most painful experience of our lives' 'America saw what happened. The world saw what happened. And so, who are you going to believe, your eyes or these killer cops?' Floyd's family attorney, Ben Crump, spoke outside court The Floyd family were seen arriving for the pretrial hearing early Friday Chauvin was one of four cops on the scene at the time of Floyd's death. Officers Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and are out on bail. On Friday, Chauvin appeared in court for the first time, clad in 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. Friday's pretrial hearing 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. 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 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.' (@FahadShabbir) The authorities in North Macedonia are exploring the possibility of procuring Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 following consultations with Moscow, the Russian Embassy in Skopje told Sputnik on Saturday BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th September, 2020) The authorities in North Macedonia are exploring the possibility of procuring Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 following consultations with Moscow, the Russian Embassy in Skopje told Sputnik on Saturday. North Macedonia's minister of health Venko Filipche held talks with Russian officials in mid-August to discuss the ongoing clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine. During the consultations, Filipche was also made aware of the possibility of organizing the delivery of the vaccine through the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). "The issue has been discussed both with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and Health Minister Venko Filipche. The North Macedonian side is still studying the available materials on the Sputnik V vaccine. It has been agreed that any issues of interest will be discussed directly between the North Macedonian Ministry of Health and the RDIF," the embassy said. Since the start of the outbreak, 15,694 cases of COVID-19 have been registered in North Macedonia, including the 140 new positive tests reported on Saturday. In total, 646 people have died as a result of the disease in the country. The Sputnik V vaccine has been developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology and produced jointly with the RDIF. The vaccine is currently in phase 3 of clinical trials. Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of the RDIF, has said that at least 20 countries have already submitted purchase requests for the Sputnik V vaccine, and it is hoped that production capacity will reach 500 million doses per year. BEFORE it went off the rails, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights was a source of pride for Winnipeg. The challenge now is to get back on track. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion BEFORE it went off the rails, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights was a source of pride for Winnipeg. The challenge now is to get back on track. Isha Khan started Aug. 17 as the museums new CEO. Her to-do list will be lengthy as she addresses issues identified in an August report into systemic racism and oppression at the museum. Most problems documented in the report were internal matters involving toxic workplace relationships between employees and managers. Indigenous and Black employees reported systemic racism. Female workers cited sexual harassment. Workers were told to censor LGBTTQ+ content at the request of religious school groups and donors. Its important these internal matters be addressed. If it doesnt exemplify its own teachings, a human-rights museum becomes a hypocritical-rights museum. But its also crucial the focus on internal housekeeping doesnt detract from the museums external goal to help the public ponder, and discuss, human rights. The dysfunctional management-staff relations were widely publicized, but an aspect of the report that got less attention described relations between front-line staff and the paying public. The report stated "BIPOC program interpreters reported near daily microaggressions and explicitly racist comments from the public on a regular basis." One Indigenous woman described being laughed at by visitors while performing a traditional song on a hand drum. Another visitor asked for the program interpreters name so she would pray for her. Front-line staff sent daily reports to management that listed racist remarks by visitors. The finding that some museum visitors act crudely wont surprise anyone who works with the public in other capacities. Ask retail employees, nurses or bus drivers. They know most members of the public are reasonable, but a few are crass and even rude. The museum staff on the front lines who are subjected to uncouth comments from visitors are heroes, in my view. They are the employees who shoulder the museums important mandate to educate the public, even when it gets messy. They know the museum doors must be open to everyone, including those whose enlightenment about human rights is incubating. In fact, the most important visitors to the museum could be those whose views are still primitive. The museums objectives include encouraging dialogue about human rights. That means inviting questions, even hot-button ones. Ideally, the museum staff dealing with the public will develop thick skin and unflappable poise, perhaps like veteran high-school teachers who get used to finessing classroom discussions that sometimes include sarcastic comments, heckling and emotional outbursts. For their crucial role, museum staff working the floor need full support from their bosses. Management should set and enforce boundaries so discussions about contentious human-right topics proceed with civility. The recent report recommended management develop a Visitors Code of Conduct, and erect signs that inform the public about acceptable conduct. Such rules should include the basics of respectful discussions: No inflammatory language. Avoid generalizations. No interrupting. Avoid blaming. Criticize ideas, not individuals. A second way management can help is by offering adequate training to prepare staff for discussions. Many issues raised by the public will be predictable, and staff can be trained to respond to inevitable questions, such as: Some Indigenous people and Black people openly disparage white people. Does racism work both ways? Whats the difference between Black Lives Matter and all lives matter? Most prisoners in Manitoba institutions are Indigenous. How has racism within the justice system, including policing, played a role in this over-representation? Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The museum should be a safe space to ask sincere questions, as long as courteous behaviour is observed. When staff is properly supported by management, well-informed guides can give questioners points to ponder, and can often steer the visitors to the relevant museum exhibits that offer background context to the discussion. Whenever a visitor is nudged to a wider understanding of human rights, thats a win for museum staff. Its time for the museum to return to its honourable mission. When it opened in 2014 with considerable hoopla, its self-described commitment included "to enhance the publics understanding of human rights, to promote respect for others and to encourage reflections and dialogue." Dialogue is needed now more than ever. Perhaps the museum should hang a sign that says: "Got questions about human rights? Youve come to the right place." carl.degurse@freepress.mb.ca Carl DeGurse is a member of the Free Press editorial board. Bahrain to normalize diplomatic ties with Israel, second Arab nation in 1 month in deal brokered by Trump Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Bahrain will establish full diplomatic relations with Israel, President Donald Trump announced Friday, making it the second Arab Gulf nation within a month to normalize ties with the Jewish state. A joint statement about the peace agreement that was released by Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, 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. The statement said that every nation would continue to work toward achieving "a just, comprehensive and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The announcement of the deal coincided with the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Johnnie Moore, a prominent religious freedom advocate and founder of the KAIROS Company, called the agreement as an "astonishing, diplomatic feat." "If this were any other President there would be wall-to-wall coverage heralding it as a once-in-generation achievement," Moore wrote on Twitter Friday. Bahrain is a small nation-state comprised of a small archipelago of 40 islands in the Persian Gulf with a population of approximately 1.5 million people comprised of mostly Arab Bahrainis and Asians. The country is situated between the Qatari peninsula and the northeastern Saudi Arabian coast and is home to the U.S. Navy's regional headquarters. Friday's announcement comes on the heels of Serbia and Kosovo a partially-recognized Muslim-majority nation in Eastern Europe normalizing economic relations last week. As part of that deal, agreements in principle were made for Kosovo to recognize Israel and for Serbia to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem as the United States did in late 2017. In August, the United Arab Emirates agreed to establish full relations with Israel. In response to the deal with the UAE, a Norwegian politician nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. The conventional thinking about Middle East affairs has been that a peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians in their long-running conflict is a necessary predicate for re-establishing diplomatic ties between Israel and other Arab nations. The Trump administration appears to be doing it the other way around, ironing out peace accords with Arab nations in view of ongoing efforts with Israelis and the Palestinians. That two peace deals happened so quickly has some believing that normalized relations might be broadened with other nations throughout the region. A senior Palestinian official called the deal with Bahrain "a betrayal." 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, according to The Associated Press. It is a betrayal of Jerusalem and the Palestinians. ... We see absolutely no justification for this free normalization with Israel. In the UAE agreement, Israel agreed to the freezing of its decision to annex Palestinian territories, a condition the Arab nation saw as essential. Yet a senior Israeli official has said Netanyahus annexation was only temporarily suspended to permit the signing of the deal with the Emirates. After the Arab League refused to condemn the normalization agreement between Israel and the UAE, Mohannad Aklouk, the Palestinian envoy to the Arab League, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday: With pride ... [Palestine] wanted a decision from the Council of Arab Foreign Ministers rejecting and condemning Emirati normalization [with Israel] ... but [Palestine] could not impose it ... We have honor, we have martyrs, we have prisoners, we have the camps of glory. .. And this is enough for us. The geopolitical shift in the region highlights easing tensions between Israel and some Arab states and the increased disdain mostly Sunni Muslim nations in the Persian Gulf have toward Iran, whose Shi'ite government is openly hostile toward Israel and funds proxies throughout the Middle East, such as the terrorist group Hezbollah. Bahrain has blamed Iran for arming militants in the island nation. Netanyahu indicated that other deals were in the works in a separate statement Friday, noting that it took 26 years between the second peace agreement with an Arab country and the third, a reference to a 1994 treaty with Jordan and the August deal with the UAE. But only 29 days between the third and the fourth, and there will be more, he said. China should not underestimate Taiwan's will to defend itself: Tsai ROC Central News Agency 09/11/2020 09:04 PM Taipei, Sept. 11 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen () on Friday warned China not to underestimate Taiwan's will to defend itself and the determination of the Taiwanese people to safeguard their free and democratic way of life. In a Facebook post, Tsai also condemned Beijing for disrupting regional peace by further ratcheting up tensions across the Taiwan Strait. She made the comments after the People's Liberation Army aircraft made multiple intrusions into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Wednesday and Thursday. Responding to the PLA threat, Tsai also tweeted Friday that the country's "men and women in uniform are committed to protecting Taiwan." "When it comes to our sovereign territory, we will not give an inch. When it comes to democratic freedoms, we will stand firm," she said. During a tour of the Air Force's air defense and artillery command earlier Friday, Tsai asked that military personnel remain vigilant in the wake of frequent incursions by China's military into the nation's ADIZ. On Thursday, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense slammed Beijing for its "increasingly provocative" actions after multiple incursions by Chinese Air Force planes and Navy vessels to within 90 nautical miles (166 kilometers) of Taiwan over the past two days. The ministry described the PLA maneuvers as endangering international aviation safety, and it urged Chinese authorities to exercise restraint and not be a "troublemaker" in the region. (By Hsieh Chia-chen, Wen Kuei-hsiang and Ko Lin) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address TANZANIA, TanzaniaThe UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a wide-ranging resolution on tackling the coronavirus pandemic Friday over objections from the United States and Israel, which protested a successful last-minute Cuban amendment that strongly urged countries to oppose any unilateral economic, financial or trade sanctions. The 193-member world body adopted the resolution by a vote of 169-2, with Ukraine and Hungary abstaining. It was a strong show of unity by the UNs most representative body, though many countries had hoped for adoption by consensus. The resolution, which is not legally binding, is the third and most extensive adopted by the General Assembly. A resolution adopted April 2 recognized the unprecedented effects of the pandemic and called for intensified international co-operation to contain, mitigate and defeat the new coronavirus. A Mexico-sponsored resolution approved April 20 urged global action to rapidly scale up development, manufacturing and access to medicine, vaccines and medical equipment to confront the pandemic. In Fridays resolution, the General Assembly says the pandemic poses one of the greatest global challenges in the history of the United Nations, and calls for intensified international co-operation and solidarity to contain, mitigate and overcome the pandemic and its consequences. The resolution urges UN member states to enable all countries to have unhindered timely access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable diagnosis, therapeutics, medicines and vaccines as well as equipment for the COVID-19 response. And it recognizes the role of extensive immunization against COVID-19 as a global public good for health in preventing, containing and stopping transmission in order to bring the pandemic to an end, once safe, quality, efficacious, effective, accessible and affordable vaccines are available. Afghan Ambassador Adela Raz, who co-ordinated the drafting of the resolution with Croatian envoy Ivan Simonovic, told the assembly the resolution is not only a response to the disease but a tribute to the victims, noting that more than 900,000 people worldwide have died and over 25 million have been infected. The world is experiencing the worst economic recession since World War II, and equality and poverty are increasing, and more people are experiencing hunger, she said. We are indeed facing the most significant global catastrophe since the founding of this important organization, the United Nations. Raz said adoption of the resolution shows the worlds nations are ready to respond, despite failing to reach consensus, and are committed to UN goals for 2030 including ending extreme poverty, preserving the environment and achieving gender equality for building back better after the pandemic. Simonovic said the great majority of nations have chosen the path of solidarity and multilateralism and called the resolution a powerful tool for mobilization of political will and financial resources. He said political and financial support are badly needed to curb COVID-19, strengthen our stressed health systems and to save jobs and livelihoods. The resolution calls on all countries and other relevant stakeholders to advance, with determination, bold and concerted actions to address the immediate social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, while striving to get back on track to achieve the 2030 goals. It calls on governments and international financial institutions to provide more liquidity in the financial system, especially in all developing countries. It supports recovery plans that drive transformative change towards more inclusive and just societies including by empowering and engaging all women and girls. And it urges UN member nations to adopt a climate- and environment-responsive approach to COVID-19 recovery efforts including by aligning investments and domestic policies with the UN goals and the 2015 Paris agreement to combat climate change. Cuba succeeded in changing a paragraph in the resolution that originally called for the urgent removal of unjustified obstacles in order to ensure the universal, timely and equitable access to, and fair distribution of, all quality, safe, efficacious and affordable essential health technologies and products, including their components and precursors that are required in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. By a vote of 132-3, the assembly amended the resolution to urge all countries to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations that impedes the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries. The United States was then overwhelmingly defeated in attempts to remove two paragraphs from the resolution, one referring to womens rights to sexual and reproductive health and the other to promoting global sustainable transport. In addition to arguing against the language on sanctions, the United States opposed all references to the World Health Organization, which the Trump administration stopped funding, accusing the UN agency of failing to do enough to stop the virus from spreading when it first surfaced in China. It accused China of hiding the truth about the outbreak from the world in the early days, which imperiled all of us and caused needless additional suffering and death. Chinese diplomat Xing Jisheng responded, alluding to the recent revelation that President Donald Trump recognized the danger of the virus at a very early stage, but deliberately played it down to avoid panic. He asked: Who is hiding the truth? Xing also asked why the U.S., with the most advanced medical system in the world, has the most COVID-19 cases. If the United States is serious about fighting the pandemic, it should focus on protecting lives and health of its people, instead of being busy with blame-shifting, he said. OROVILLE, Butte County While touring a smoldering Butte County on Friday morning, a visibly exasperated Gov. Gavin Newsom laid plain the climate-change emergency facing California during this record wildfire season and assailed the countrys response to it. Were in the midst of a climate crisis, Newsom said. We are experiencing weather conditions, the likes of which we have never experienced in our lifetime. We are experiencing what so many people predicted decades and decades ago but all of that now is reality. Climate change has led to drought and hotter weather that has left the states forests parched and dry and easy to ignite. Combined, the fires that have raged across the state this year have burned more than 3 million acres an area 26 times larger than what burned this time last year. Theyve also been blamed for 19 deaths and the destruction of nearly 4,000 buildings. Im a little bit exhausted that we have to continue to debate this issue. This a climate damn emergency. This is real and its happening, Newsom said during a visit to the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area, where he surveyed damage from the North Complex fires. Newsom said he is directing his administration to accelerate Californias transition to clean energy and other climate policies the state previously adopted. He offered few specifics, but suggested that the states target of getting 100% of electricity from carbon-free sources by 2045 was too slow. Our goals are inadequate to the reality were experiencing, Newsom said. That reality includes the fact that five of the 20 largest wildfires in the states history have burned in the past few weeks. And the worst of wildfire season may be yet to come. As we move into September and October, dont let these cooler temperatures fool you, Cal Fire Assistant Deputy Director Daniel Berlant said Friday. Do not let your guard down. Historically, it is September and October when we experience our largest and most damaging wildfires. Now Playing: Residents share their thoughts about the orange-red sky looming over the Bay Area. Video: Manjula Varghese / The Chronicle While the three fires closest to the Bay Area the LNU, SCU and CZU complexes saw no growth overnight, fires in Northern California continued to prove challenging. The Creek Fire, burning along the San Joaquin River in Fresno and Madera counties, had grown to more than 175,000 acres by Friday evening, officials said, having destroyed 369 buildings and threatening more than 14,000. The fire was 6% contained Friday, with officials not anticipating full containment until October. At midday Friday, the Oro Quincy Highway near Oroville was shrouded with a thick cloud of smoke as the massive North Complex raged to the east. Evacuated residents cars lined the side of the highway near a roadblock, waiting for word of whether they could get back in and whether their homes were still standing. Its just wonder and wait, said Jacky Wrybrowski, sitting in a beatup pale blue truck, white hair in a high ponytail above her blue eyes and surgical mask. Wrybrowski left her home of 40 years in Berry Creek when a neighbor called her on her landline late Tuesday afternoon, warning her to get out. She doesnt have a cell phone or internet and said she never got an official evacuation order. Its not the first time two years ago, she evacuated and slept in her truck for a week and a half during the Camp Fire. Cal Fire officials said on Thursday that a massive wall of fire destroyed the community of about 500 residents, leaving little standing. Amid the sea of dire news, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea had one piece of positive information to relay Friday evening. Correcting his offices earlier report, he said they have found remains of nine people in the fire zone, not 10. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California Honea attributed the miscount to a lifelike, anatomical model of a skeleton, found in the burned remains of a storage shed. The property owner confirmed he had used the model when studying anthropology. Ive seen pictures of it, Honea said. And I will tell you, in the burned condition that it was, it very, very much looked like an authentic set of human remains. The sheriff added that to date his office has received reports of 151 people unaccounted for or in need of a welfare check. Of those, deputies have successfully located 123, leaving 28 still unaccounted for. The Sheriff's Office has released the names of two people whose remains were found. One was 16-year-old Josiah Williams, and the other was 77-year-old Millicent Catarancuic. To date, the North Complex fires, which includes the North Complex West Zone, which struck primarily in Butte County, have burned 252,173 acres and is 21% contained. Just days ago, the green suspension bridge over Lake Oroville was ablaze with orange fire on all sides. On Friday afternoon, it was choked in smoke. Along the winding road leading from Oroville to Berry Creek, burned tree stumps lined the guardrail and a car sat charred, flipped on its roof. Along the ash-covered road, a brightly colored Cal Fire sign asked a chilling question: Is your house wildfire ready? Though there are 14,000 responders statewide fighting fires, Cal Fire has said its understaffed in the face of the giant blazes. But there was hope Friday that more help might eventually be on the way. During his visit, Newsom signed AB2147 by Assemblywoman Eloise Gomez Reyes, D-San Bernardino, which will allow formerly incarcerated people who have trained at state fire camps to more quickly expunge their criminal records. California, folks, is America fast-forward, the governor said. What we are experiencing right here is coming to a community all across the United States of America unless we get our act together on climate change. Michael Williams, Mallory Moench, Alexei Koseff and Megan Cassidy are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email Michael.Williams@sfchronicle.com mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com, megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @michaeldamianw @mallorymoench @akoseff @meganrcassidy OC Sheriffs Deputy Caught on Tape Burglarizing Dead Mans Home A deputy from the Orange County Sheriffs Department was arrested Sept. 10 after allegedly stealing items from the home of a deceased Yorba Linda, California, resident. Deputy Steven Hortz was booked on suspicion of burglary, possession of an assault weapon, grand theft, and possession of burglary tools after he was caught on a security camera breaking into the home on at least three different occasions. The Sheriffs Department said in a media release that it was contacted on Sept. 9 by an attorney representing the family estate who reported some items were missing from the residence. The attorney provided home surveillance video evidence of the deputy breaking into the home multiple times, and taking stolen items with him on the way out. Hortz, who had been with the department for 12 years, originally responded to a service call on July 20 regarding a man in his 70s who had passed away in his home from natural causes, according to the news release. The deputy returned to the residence in uniform on July 27 and broke into the home through the rear entrance. The department says its unclear whether he stole property at this time. Hortz returned to the unoccupied residence again on Aug. 10 and Aug. 16, this time in civilian clothes, and allegedly removed items including weapon safes, ceiling fans, and other cases full of unknown property. After being contacted by the familys attorney and seeing the video evidence, the department launched an investigation and ultimately arrested Holtz on suspicion of burglary. According to the department, the deputy is now being held on $20,000 bail in the Santa Ana jail. Additionally, the department is looking into prior calls the deputy handled to see if any similar thefts occurred that went unnoticed. The suspected criminal actions of this deputy are a violation of public trust, are inexcusable and intolerable, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said. This deputy will be held accountable through a swift and thorough process including a full criminal and internal administrative investigation. Barnes said Hortzs actions undermine the good work done every day by the men and women of the Orange County Sheriffs Department. I will hold accountable deputies who do not honor the oath they swore to uphold. It is imperative that we do everything in our power to ensure that the men and women who have the privilege to wear the badge humbly recognize the responsibility entrusted to them as a member of the Orange County Sheriffs Department. There are many avenues, of course. The simplest is to contact your GP and talk about getting a Mental Health Treatment Plan, which entitles you to 10 subsidised mental-health sessions a year. If you live in Melbourne, or another area subject to COVID-19 public health orders restricting your movement since July 1, you are entitled to 20 sessions. I pay $200 for my 50-minute sessions. Medicare rebates me $128.40, leaving me out of pocket by $71.60. I budget in advance for this expense under my health spending category. But theres a sting in the tail. While there are substantial benefits from seeking support, there can also be substantial financial ramifications under the current system. I know, because it happened to me. Let me explain. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man or woman in possession of a substantial mortgage must be in want of income protection insurance, to ensure you can keep a roof over your head should tragedy strike. Being the newly financially responsible adult that I am, I inquired earlier this year about my options through a financial planner. He talked me through the importance of getting a fully underwritten policy one where the insurer has a good look at you first and assesses your personal circumstances rather than an off the shelf type policy, which you may find does not cover your personal situation. So far, so wise. The planner also discussed the benefits of own job insurance. That is, a policy that would pay out in the event I am unable to perform the functions of my job. Otherwise, should the insurer decide I am still capable of performing some other job, like stacking shelves at Coles, they could deny my claim. However, heres the rub. To obtain a fully underwritten policy, you are required to disclose all relevant details about your circumstances, including your mental and physical health. Of course, I disclosed the mental health support I have received. Of the four quotes my planner sourced from potential insurers, each decided to slap me with a two or three year mental health exclusion, which is to say, they would not pay out in the event my inability to work arose from anything to do with my mental health. This could be reassessed after the exclusion period, and lifted, but only if I sought no additional support during that time. No thanks! I get that insurance companies are in the tricky business of balancing risk and return. And mental health claims are one of the fastest-growing types of claims. But denying or limiting cover for people who seek mental-health support is a classic example of what economists call a perverse incentive. It doesnt work for either insurers or the insured. Under the current system, many people actively avoid seeking professional mental-health care because they would lose out on their insurance. However, failing to get the support you need only undermines your ability to work, increasing the chances you might need to claim. Loading The twist for me is that as a journalist and writer, perhaps the one thing that could really stop me from working would be if my brain were in some way incapacitated. So, whats the point of insurance which doesnt cover that? Particularly at an annual premium cost of about $5000 a year (albeit tax-deductible). Im still investigating my options. But, at this stage, the plan is to effectively self-insure, by living like a monk for a couple of years and building up a substantial liquid savings buffer. (Newser) A Florida city has repealed its "saggy pants" law after critics said it unfairly singled out Black residents, Fox News reports. The Opa-locka City Commission repealed the 13-year-old ordinanceand a similar one targeting women in exposed underwearwith a 4-1 vote Wednesday by video conference. "I was never in support of it, even as a resident," Vice Mayor Chris Davis tells the Miami Herald. "I felt it disproportionately affected a certain segment of our population, which is young, African American men." Signs for the law show two Black men with pants below the waistline along with the words, "No ifs, ands or butts ... It's the city law!" The one holdout was commissioner Alvin Burke, who said the law wasn't meant "to target our young Black men, but to uplift our young Black men." story continues below "As of today, we still have our young men walking around with saggy, baggy pants," added the 66-year-old, who was voted into office in 2018. "If y'all see fit to do away with it and just continue to let our young black men walk around into our buildings like that ... then so be it." But not everyone considered the law necessary or even legal when it was instituted in 2007. At the time, the ACLU of Florida called it a "ridiculous waste of public resources" that would "impose overly harsh penalties for victimless behavior." It's unknown how often Opa-locka enforced the law and how much money has been amassed in fines. The south Florida city is 58% Black, per US Census data, and one of the state's poorest cities with roughly 47% living below the poverty line. (Read more Blacks stories.) Support continues to grow for striking graduate students across the University of Michigan campus and around the country. The strike launched by UM graduate student workers concluded its fourth day on Friday. The Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) recommended to extend the strike for another week, which will be voted on by its membership over this weekend and is widely expected to pass in favor of the extension. The strike at the University of Michigan is quickly turning into a focal point of a much broader opposition to the reckless reopening of both K-12 schools and college campuses everywhere. Section of the UM picket line on Friday Hundreds of students and supporters showed up at the picket lines Friday bringing food and supplies for the striking students. Residential Advisors (RAs) on campus also joined the strike on Thursday. The RAs along with a number of student groups, including the UMich Dining Workers, held a rally together with the GEO late Friday afternoon, attracting hundreds of students, staff and supporters. Construction workers and other trades workers initially honored the picket lines and shut down the job sites on South University in the morning. Abigail, a striking graduate student, spoke to our reporters about the growing support of the strike. I can say that the amount of solidarity in support of the strike is amazing. It is intoxicating. It keeps us going in the face of threats of retaliation from the University. She explained that support for the strike was spurred on after the GEO members rejected the universitys sell-out offer to end the strike on Wednesday. When I got out here on Tuesday, there were no supplies. A little bottle of sanitizer and no signs because they had melted in the rain. Section of Fridays picket line at UM Yesterday and today [after the Wednesday vote] our original picket line of nine people turned into 40. We suddenly had signs for everybody, several megaphones and very skilled drummers, and more food than we could eat. She continued, Yesterday we handed the megaphone around on the picket line, and there were undergrads, RAs [residential advisors], lecturers, people from other unions and others who had nothing to do with the university who were marching with us. In two days it had turned from a small desperate strike that could not win into a movement. Another graduate student, who wished to remain anonymous, discussed the recent vote on Wednesday. UM gave a sh*t offer, to be frank, and it was accompanied with threats. None of our demands were met. She continued, I thought Wednesday night was incredibly inspiring [at the meeting to reject the offer]. At the beginning of the meeting there was a poll, and 70 percent were in favor of ending the strike because everyone was scared, probably. But then there was vigorous discussion about what we were fighting forthe demands on COVID and policing, the others in the same situation on campusand it started to change. By the end it was 70 percent voting to reject the offer and in favor of continuing. I thought it was remarkable. Another graduate student worker from the Medical School commented on the broad character of the GEO demands: I think our demands are critical and interconnectedboth the COVID-19 demands and the demilitarization demands. He continued, Theres a lack of testing despite what the university is proposing, and its a dangerous situation because we really dont know whats going on. Also they are increasing policing on campus, including recruiting students to be informal police through this thing called the Ambassador Program. Were requesting a universal option to work remotely, but they wont grant us that. They respond with language that makes it sound like we already had that option, but they wont give us the universal option. He also discussed the poor conditions and precarious employment facing lecturers at the UM campuses and that such conditions were even worse at UM-Flint. The University of Michigan laid off nearly 41 percent of lecturers at the Flint campus earlier this year. Francy, another striking graduate student, commented, As weve seen for the last few days theres a lot of strength for our movement. Wed rather be at home teaching, we love to teach! We care about our students, we cant be with the university to kill our students by exposing them. Francy, a University of Michigan striking graduate student-instructor (WSWS photo) She also spoke on some of the primary motivations of the strike, preventing COVID-19 infections due to unsafe conditions: Corona isnt just about death but maiming our community permanently. Therere cases where young people are asymptomatic and lose lung capacity. Thats really important! The strike has won significant support among faculty and staff, 489 of which signed a letter to voice their support. Part of the letter reads: We are deeply disappointed that while so many of the Universitys constituents bravely risk their livelihoods to raise grave concerns about public health and safety on campus, the administration has used procedures and technicalities to silence, delegitimize or ignore their concerns. We believe that those striking and protesting do so for the health and safety of both the university and surrounding community, envisioning a more robust and just culture of care that all members of our campus and neighboring communities deserve. The strike has also reached well beyond the Michigan campus. Over a dozen graduate unions from universities across the country have issued solidarity statements. The Graduate Students Organizing Committee at New York University has also donated to the strike solidarity fund. Noah, a graduate teaching fellow at Columbia, told the WSWS, The graduate workers at Michigan are taking a remarkable action and putting themselves at great risk to fight for the better world that they imagine for themselves and their larger community. He continued, One of the things thats inspiring about this strike is that their demands are not limited only to their own contract. They are demanding decent support from their university under extraordinary circumstances, safe working conditions for everyone, and an end to cops on campus. And theyre willing to fight to make it happen! Referring to the solidarity statement issued by the Graduate Workers of Columbia University (GWC), Noah said, GWC recognizes that the injustices that GEO are resisting are shared by all of us, on campuses across the country. When universities continuously show disregard or even contempt for their workers and students lives, we have to act collectively. He explained that he was highly encouraged from seeing other groups of workers joining the fight and supporting graduate students. As Francy explained when asked about a nationwide general strike, This has a real opportunity to change the world and how everything functions. We need to resist going back to normal. Normal no longer exists. Everyone has lost friends and family members. Its bound to affect the entire society. In order to sustain the growing support for the strike of the graduate students and resident advisers it is critical that the struggle be expanded into broader sections of campus employees, nurses, educators, service workers and beyond. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality and the Socialist Equality Party are calling on students to turn to the working class and prepare for a nationwide general strike. Quebecers could face hefty fines starting Saturday if they arent wearing a mask in places the province has deemed it mandatory due to COVID-19. Police will be able to hand out tickets ranging between $400 and $6,000 for those who dont have a face covering in indoor public spaces or public transit. The province announced its intention to introduce fines earlier this week, with a ministerial decree being adopted Friday. The decree specifies that a face covering is understood as a mask or tightly fitting cloth that covers the nose and the mouth. The fines are similar amounts to those that business owners faced when the province brought in mandatory masks for indoor spaces in July. Face coverings have been mandatory on public transit and in indoor public spaces across the province since July, but enforcement in indoor public spaces was initially left to business owners. Read more about: New legislation giving gardai additional powers to enforce compliance with coronavirus restrictions comes into force today. President Micheal D Higgins has signed the Criminal Justice Enforcement Powers Covid-19 Bill 2020 Bill into law. Read More The legislation gives gardai powers to seek temporary closure orders of pubs breaching rules, such as the requirement to serve food. Closure orders issued by a district court could result in a pub being shut for up to 30 days. Gardai can also issue fines of up to 2,500 euros or a maximum of six months in prison if bars infringing social distancing regulations refuse to close for a day. It comes as Chief Medical Officer Ronan Glynn is urging people living in Dublin to limit their contacts with others in a bid to halt further spread of Covid-19. He said: "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 chain of transmission in our communities. "This weekend, please limit your social contacts, especially visitors to your home. Avoid crowds, keep your distance from others, and wear a face covering where appropriate." In a video message last night, Dr Glynn warned that the r number of cases in Dublin could double in a fortnight unless people reduce their social contacts. He said there are an average of 104 new cases in the capital each day and now is the time to grasp the "window of opportunity". Limit contacts, avoid crowds and prioritise the people you want to see, he added. The Department of Health yesterday reported another 211 confirmed cases of Covid-19. Forty-two cases yesterday were due to community transmission. The figures for yesterday show that 121 cases were in Dublin, 17 in Louth, 10 in Limerick, eight in Cork, seven in Westmeath, seven in Wicklow, six in Laois, five in Donegal, and five in Galway. The remaining 24 cases are in Carlow, Clare, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Meath, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary, and Waterford. Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari was executed on Saturday after being convicted of stabbing a security guard to death during anti-government protests in 2018, state media said, in a case that has sparked an international outcry. Afkari was executed "this morning after legal procedures were carried out at the insistence of the parents and the family of the victim," the media quoted the head of the justice department in southern Fars province, Kazem Mousavi, as saying. Afkari was convicted of killing Hassan Turkman, a water company security guard, and other charges. Iran`s Supreme Court rejected a review of the case in late August. Afkari, a 27-year-old Greco-Roman wrestler, had said he was tortured into making a false confession, according to his family and activists, and his attorney says there is no proof of his guilt. Iran`s judiciary has denied Afkari`s claims.7 Afkari`s attorney accused authorities of denying his client a family visit before the execution, as required by law. "Were you in so much hurry to execute the sentence that you also deprived Navid of the last meeting?," Hassan Younesi said on Twitter. There was no immediate reaction by Iranian officials to the attorney`s accusation. The International Olympic Committee said the execution of Afkari was "very sad news", adding in a statement that IOC President Thomas Bach had written this week to Iranian leaders asking for mercy for him while respecting Iran`s sovereignty. A global union representing 85,000 athletes had called on Tuesday for Iran`s expulsion from world sport if it executed Afkari. Afkari`s case had sparked an outcry from Iranians on social media and human rights groups. U.S. President Donald Trump also called on Iran this month not to execute the wrestler. The killing of the security guard took place during some of the worst unrest in a decade over economic hardships. Iran`s clerical rulers have blamed the street protests what they call "thugs" linked to exiles and foreign foes - the United States and Israel. Iranian state television aired a video last week in which Afkari appeared to confess to Turkmans killing. The television also showed what appeared to be written confessions by Afkari, but he said in a recording circulated on social media that he was coerced into signing the documents. I hit twice, once and then again, Afkari was shown saying with a stabbing gesture during a police reconstruction of the killing. Human rights groups frequently accuse Iran`s state media of airing coerced confessions. Iran denies the accusation. By Caitlin Johnstone September 11, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - A new report from Brown Universitys Costs of War project has found that at least 37 million people have been displaced as a result of Americas so-called war on terror since 9/11, a conservative estimate of a number that may actually be somewhere between 48 million to 59 million. That number, at least 37 million, happens by pure coincidence to be the exact same number of Americans reported to suffer from food insecurity because their government spends their wealth and resources killing and displacing people overseas. This inconvenient revelation, which was actually reported on by The New York Times for once, is causing conniptions for all the right people, with The Washington Posts neoconservative war propagandist Josh Rogin ejaculating, The @nytimes should be ashamed for running this as analysis. Blaming the U.S. for the displacement of 7 million Syrians is crazy and dishonest. Way to launder anti-American propaganda. The @nytimes should be ashamed for running this as "analysis." Blaming the U.S. for the displacement of 7 million Syrians is crazy and dishonest. Way to launder anti-American propaganda. https://t.co/c2hpAtHAok Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) September 8, 2020 Sure Josh, its not like the extremist forces who flooded Syria with the goal of toppling Damascus were backed by the US and its allies and sprung into existence as a direct result of the regional destabilization caused western interventionism in the name of fighting terror. Oh wait no thats exactly what happened. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter This has been one of the major forms of damage, of course along with the deaths and injuries, that have been caused by these wars, the lead author of the report David Vine told The New York Times. It tells us that U.S. involvement in these countries has been horrifically catastrophic, horrifically damaging in ways that I dont think that most people in the United States, in many ways myself included, have grappled with or reckoned with in even the slightest terms. Tens of millions of people forced to flee their homes in desperation as a result of the violence and destabilization caused by US interventions justified by the need to fight terrorism. How many Americans have indeed grappled with or reckoned with this in the slightest terms? Contemplated the scale and the depth of the suffering those interventions are causing real human beings with the same capacity for anguish as themselves? Asked themselves if the ends really justify the devastating means? And, perhaps most importantly, asked themselves if they are quite sure who the real terrorists are in this situation? "At least 37 million people have been displaced as a direct result of the wars fought by the United States since 9/11...does not include the millions of other people who have been displaced in countries with smaller U.S. counterterrorism operations"https://t.co/ztxw8K5wjp Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) September 8, 2020 The war on terrorism is just high-budget, mass-scale terrorism, and it creates more terrorism of the ordinary variety as well. Suicide bombings have been unequivocally shown to be almost entirely the result of western interventionism; they were simply a non-issue in Iraq and Afghanistan prior to US invasions there for example. The war on terror is not only terrorism itself, it is an established fact that it actually creates more of the type of terrorism it purports to eliminate. And why wouldnt it? Why wouldnt destroying and destabilizing entire nations cause people to want to fight back against you? It is self-evident that it would, just using your own empathy and understanding of human nature. As Jonathan Marshall wrote for Consortium News in 2017: The most authoritative new study of the sources of terrorism and insurgency on the continent, Journey to Extremism in Africa (September 2017), finds that what triggers many individuals to join violent groups are incidents of government-sponsored violence, such as killing of a family member or friend or arrest of a family member or friend. These findings throw into stark relief the question of how counter-terrorism and wider security functions of governments in at-risk environments conduct themselves with regard to human rights and due process, concludes the report, based on interviews with more than 500 former members of militant organizations. State security-actor conduct is revealed as a prominent accelerator of recruitment, rather than the reverse. . . These findings suggest that a dramatic reappraisal of state security-focused interventions is urgently required. Numerous other experts have drawn similar conclusions from conflict zones in the Middle East and Asia. In 2008, a RAND Corporation report on Lessons for Countering al-Qaida warned the U.S. military to resist being drawn into combat operations in Muslim societies, since its presence is likely to increase terrorist recruitment. . . . Military force usually has the opposite effect from what is intended: It is often overused, alienates the local population by its heavy-handed nature, and provides a window of opportunity for terrorist-group recruitment. Similarly, the Stimson Task Force on U.S. Drone Policy, composed of former senior officials of the CIA, Defense Department and State Department, warned in 2014 that U.S. strikes had strengthened radical Islamic groups in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. There is simply no doubt whatsoever that the war on terror does the exact opposite of what it purports to do in every conceivable way. This is an utterly and indisputably established fact. So why does it continue, then? Why is this mass-scale project of intervention and occupation not just continuing but actually escalating, despite the fact that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that all it does is create more misery, displacement and terrorism? Easy: because thats exactly what its designed to do. Step 1: Destroy nations and displace tens of millions of people. Step 2: Wait for some of those people to hate you and want to fight back. Step 3: Use their desire to fight back as justification to repeat Step 1. https://t.co/XVRyEVToZy Caitlin Johnstone (@caitoz) September 9, 2020 Perhaps the single greatest scam ever devised is the way the US-centralized empire found that it can kill and displace people in geostrategically crucial and resource-rich regions under the guise of fighting terrorism, then when violence and extremism inevitably arises out of that mass-scale trauma they can use it to justify even more interventionism under the guise of fighting terrorism. Its an endless self-reinforcing positive feedback loop of violence, and it enables imperialist forces to move ever more troops, bases and war machinery into the areas they need to lock down to help them choke off nations that disobey them. The more devastating interventionism there is, the more people want to fight the forces that are inflicting that devastating military interventionism. The more people want to fight the forces that are inflicting that devastating military interventionism, the more devastating military interventionism can be justified to an American public that doesnt grapple with or reckon with it in even the slightest terms. And the oil keeps flowing. And the money keeps stacking. And the beat goes on. We are ruled by monsters. Caitlin's articles are entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking her on Facebook, following her antics on Twitter, checking out her podcast, throwing some money into her hat on Patreon or Paypal, or buying her book Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers. https://caitlinjohnstone.com The picture embedded in this article by ICH. By Amy Swearer. September 10, 2020 In announcing the launch of "Sportsmen and Sportswomen for Biden," the former vice president's campaign demonstrated earlier this month how many gun control advocates misconstrue the purpose of the Second Amendment. The coalition of "50 prominent hunters and anglers" stated that Joe Biden would "protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans to purchase and responsibly use firearms for hunting and sporting." Unfortunately for gun control advocates, the Second Amendment is not, and never has been, concerned with the protection of hunting or sport shooting. It is concerned with the protection of something much more fundamental to American democracymaintaining the "security of a free state." An armed citizenry is the best and most natural defense against threats to individual rights, whether those threats stem from a tyrannical government, a foreign army, an anarchic mob, or an individual criminal. And although the threat from a tyrannical government or foreign army may appear remote or far-fetched, the threats from anarchic mobs and individual criminals are very common. ..... Will Trump threaten a US pullout or de-fund the United Nations? By Thalif Deen View(s): View(s): UNITED NATIONS (IPS) Back in 1998, Senator Jesse Helms, a rightwing Republican from the US state of North Carolina, carried out a virulent one-man hate-campaign against the UN and its very presence in New York. A fulltime chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a part-time UN basher Helms publicly complained that providing funds to the UN is like pouring money into a rathole. Helms wanted the Glass House by the East River shipped out of New York for good. Fast-forward to 2020. We are now in Trump country, where there is widespread speculation that when the US president addresses the UN general assembly on September 22 one of the few, or the only head of state, to do so in person in a virtually virus-shutdown world body he may either threaten to pull out of the UN or warn of possible cuts in financial contributions to the world body. The cry to de-fund the police, triggered by anti-black violence by law enforcement officials in the US, has prompted a new hashtag de-fund the UN. Asked for his comments, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters September 8: I have seen the hashtag. I think we prove every day the worth in investing in the United Nations for the betterment of peoples everywhere and the value that it brings, whether it is helping during the pandemic or what were doing all over the world, what were doing in our peacekeeping missions, as Ive just mentioned in South Sudan. So, we do our utmost to prove our worth every day by the work that we do, said Dujarric. Any proposed cuts or attempts to de-fund the UN will also likely be a retaliation against the failed US resolution last month in the UN Security Council against the resumption of sanctions on Iran. Suffering a devastating defeat of almost biblical proportions, the Trump administration was both isolated and humiliated when only one member state, the Dominican Republic, voted with the US in the 15-member UN Security Council, the most powerful body in the UN. The vote was short of the minimum nine yes votes required for adoption and 11 members, including Western allies such as France, Germany and the United Kingdom abstained, while China and Russia voted against the resolution. If the de-funding does happen, and since the US pays 22 percent of the UNs budget, it will be a devastating blow to a world body commemorating its 75th anniversary later this month. As a hard-core unilateralist, Trump has been openly antagonistic towards multilateral institutions. Since he took office back in January 2017, the Trump administration has either de-funded, withdrawn from, or denigrated several UN agencies and affiliated institutions, including the World Health Organisation, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the UN Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court (ICC), among others. And according to a report in the New York Times September 4, Trump is very likely to withdraw from the iconic 71-year-old military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) if he wins a second term as president. The Times quotes former US officials as saying that such a move would be one of the biggest global strategic shifts in generations and a major victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin. So, will the UN be far behind? Norman Solomon, executive director of the Washington-based Institute for Public Accuracy, told IPS the Trump administration is a wrecking crew that seeks to undermine if not demolish any international institutions that do not serve Trumps idiosyncratic whims or, more substantially, dont serve narrow interests of U.S.-based corporations and the military-industrial complex. While top leaders of the U.S. government have routinely seen the United Nations as primarily an instrument to be used to advance US geopolitical interests, during the last three-quarters of a century, some have recognised the overlap between humanitarian and nationalistic goals. No longer, he declared. The Trump regime has operated almost entirely from the basis of narrowly defined self-interest, to the point that it should be understood as the gravest threat not only to the UN but to the world as a whole, said Solomon, author of War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death When we evaluate international institutions, they should not be conflated. The United Nations and its potential are very far from comparable to NATO. The UN while significantly and by some measures deeply flawed, and badly in need of power restructuring has laudable aspirations, he argued. NATO, on the other hand, is far more of a threat to peace than a defender. Trumps hostility to the concept of the United Nations is in many ways categorical, whereas his intermittent criticisms of NATO are inconsistent and largely a function of unhinged nationalism, said Solomon. Ian Williams, President of the Foreign Press Association in New York and a former President of the UN Correspondents Association (UNCA), told IPS the UN system is in the sad position where the US acts as if it hates the organisation, but the other members do not love it enough to step into the gap. Historically, the US prizes the organisations dependence on Washington as was shown when the US rebuffed Swedish Prime Minister Olaf Palmes proposal to restrict its contributions 15%. Since then the other powers could at anytime have called the US bluff and met the shortfall- after all Ted Turner did, he said. But it goes beyond finance. The USs lawless attitude has proved infectious, Williams pointed out. If the US and its ally Israel can defy resolutions, then why cant Russia break the rules over Ukraine, or Beijing in the China Sea or India over Kashmir? he asked. Previous US administrations have been constrained in their public disdain of international law and order because they needed the UN rubber stamp their positions, as indeed Trump tried over the snapback on Iran but the prestige behind that legitimising power is a rapidly devaluing asset, said Williams, and author of UNtold: The Real Story of the United Nations in Peace and War. It is perhaps make or break time. The UNs figurehead, the Secretary General should invite President Trump to take his braggadocio and depart if he goes too far. If Trump loses in November then the Secretary-General will get some recognition and gratitude from the incoming administration, said Williams. If he wins the UN should have contingency plans for continuing without the US, while thanking the archaisms of the UN Charter that leave some counterweight to the unscrupulously expedient Russian and Chinese on the Security Council. At the worst, perhaps, realistically the General Assembly should set up and International Residual Mechanism to look after the collective obligations of the UN until such time as the members show signs of resuming their responsibilities effectively, declared Williams Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Almost eight decades ago, senior government officials gathered for a conference at a villa in Wannsee, a suburb of Berlin. The meeting was called by Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich, and its purpose was to come up with a way to carry out what was euphemistically known as the Final Solution to the Jewish Question. Most of the events of Red Pill, Hari Kunzrus new novel, also unfold in Wannsee. At one point, the venue of the conference is pointed out to the narrator, who comments: The house was too far away to see clearly. By the end, this unreliable narrator will be seeing a lot more than he bargained for. He is half-Indian and half-English, a freelance academic and writer living in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter. When the novel begins, hes occupied with thoughts of his next work, on the construction of the self in lyric poetry. His minor-league career has so far been marked by shifts and diversions. He explains this away by confessing that the only political slogan that had ever moved him was ne travaillez jamais, Guy Debords famous exhortation to never work, to resist the alienating effects of labour. All this may make it sound as though the book is pretentious and hard to get through. It is, however, absorbing, often gripping, and raises insightful questions of how our perceptions of reality can be shaped and even disfigured by political forces out to achieve their own ends. Bedevilled by thoughts of the fragility of life and instability of perceptions, the narrator embarks on a three-month fellowship at a prestigious institute for social studies in Wannsee, where he hopes to make progress on his book. Here, however, his state of mind deteriorates further. He finds the fellow-residents intolerable, the working conditions suffocating, and becomes paranoid about intrusions of privacy. He starts to feel that not only was I being watched, I was being gamified. To get over this, he goes for long walks around Wannsee, notably to the grave of Heinrich von Kleist, the restless German writer who explored human fallibility and extremes of feeling. He also compulsively watches episodes of Blue Lives, a TV police procedural with a twisted and brutal worldview. Incongruously, some of the cops and gangsters on screen utter monologues about mans bloodthirstiness and will to power by those such as Joseph de Maistre, Schopenhauer and Emil Cioran. In this unravelling state, the narrator coincidentally perhaps too coincidentally comes across an individual who calls himself Anton, the creator and showrunner of the same TV series. This is when the pill of the title starts to take effect. Its an ironic reference to the famous scene in The Matrix when the protagonist has to choose between swallowing a red pill that will reveal the true world in all its unpleasantness, or a blue pill to remain forever ignorant. The enigmatic Anton exerts a mysterious hold on the narrator; as he wickedly tells him, Im going to be living rent free in your head from now on. The scenario spirals outwards, with implausible journeys to Paris and Scotland, and the narrator spirals inwards, weaving notions of how the extreme right seeds its ideas and conspiracy theories online. He goes disappearing, as the bard would put it, through the smoke rings of his mind. Among his obsessions is the occult track on which all this normality is a paper screen over something bloody and atavistic that is rising up out of history to meet us. An antithesis of a statement from White Tears, Kunzrus earlier, blues-inflected novel: The present is dry, but add reverb and you can hear time reverse its flow, slipping on into the past, into echo and disaster. The middle section of Red Pill contains the story of a cleaner at the institute, who is revealed to be a former drummer with a punk rock trio from East Germany. She is unwillingly roped into spying on her bandmates and others by a sleazy Stasi operative, and then slowly starts to put her life back together after the collapse of the GDR. As such, this segment is supposed to mirror the novels themes of paranoia, political instability and manipulation. However, it sits uneasily within the whole, working better as a self-contained unit. Red Pill ends with a sombre, grounded coda, featuring reactions to Trumps winning the presidential election on that fateful November night in 2016. This is an external confirmation of the narrators internal state: The shift was bigger than one candidate, one country. The rising tide of gangsterism felt global. I saw nothing reasonable about what was coming. Nothing reasonable at all. Its a pity that the novels state-of-the-world ambition sometimes makes it more unwieldy than it deserves to be. Red Pill encapsulates a lot: right-wing scenarios, privacy rights, the plight of refugees, the effects of Soviet totalitarianism, the excesses of German Romanticism. At its core, though, it is a lithe and even suspenseful work that aims to illuminate the forces which shape the way we live today. Sanjay Sipahimalani is a Mumbai-based writer and reviewer. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Galih Gumelar (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 12, 2020 08:48 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c445ca5e 1 National sole-candidate,2020-regional-elections,politics,vote-buying,KPU,Perludem,Bawaslu Free The number of sole candidates running in Indonesias regional elections has steadily increased in the past five years, election data has shown, leading to growing concerns that the upcoming polls might ruin the electoral system. A total of 28 out of the 270 regions holding elections this December are likely to see a single candidate pair run for the top seats, according to recent General Elections Commission (KPU) data. This is more than nine times as many as when sole candidacies were first allowed in the 2015 elections, which were held in a similar number of regions as this years polls. The data shows that the number of sole candidates has steadily increased in every election year: From only three sole candidate pairs in the 2015 elections, the number rose to nine in 2017, 16 in 2018 and now 28. The trend has critics raising concerns over the possibility that the elections are becoming more unfair with each passing year, while also limiting the chances of independent candidates to succeed. Khoirunnisa Nur Agustyati, the executive director of elections watchdog the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem), said many factors were to blame for the rising number of sole candidate pairs. However, the biggest sticking point may be the tougher requirements that independent candidates have to meet prior to even registering their intent to run. Read also: KPU records sharp decline in independent candidates for year-end polls Based on regulations, independent candidates must be able to show proof that there is enough support for an eventual election campaign. In the 2015 polls, prospective candidates were required to gather the identity card numbers of 3 to 6.5 percent of voters on the final voters list in their respective regions, as per Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) No. 1/2014 on regional elections. But the threshold for public support was later raised to 6.5 to 10 percent of voters on the final voters list when the 2015 Regional Elections Law was passed, which was then enforced for the 2017 and 2018 regional polls. I believe that there might be individuals who are capable and willing to be regional leaders, but they just werent able to amass enough public support due to the higher bar set, Khoirunnisa said during a webinar on Thursday. A lone candidate pair contesting rarely loses to the blank box, a space on the ballot paper provided to voters who wish to reject the sole candidate pair. Read also: Blank box to compete with sole candidates Sole candidates have only been allowed since 2015, after the Constitutional Court struck down a clause in the Regional Elections Law requiring the KPU to confirm at least two candidate pairs in every provincial, regency or municipal election. But the new provisions have instead exposed the failings of the current political party system. Critics have long pointed to the failure of so-called regeneration among political parties as a possible driver for the lack of competent candidates running for office, resulting in a surge in one-horse races. Read also: Expert links sole candidacies to poor party regeneration Khoirunnisa said that instead of backing their own members as candidates, political parties tended to partner up in big-tent coalitions and support the candidate pair that was most likely to win, such as incumbent leaders or members of existing political cliques. According to KPU data, 16 out of 28 prospective sole candidates are incumbents, while the remaining few are either members of regional councils or relatives of prominent figures in the country. The list includes Hanindhito Himawan Pramono, a sole candidate running for Kediri regency in East Java from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). He is the son of Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, a former lawmaker and respected senior PDI-P politician. Read also: One political dynasty makes way for another as Kediri prepares to vote There were bound to be a lot of grand coalitions if all the political parties had the same mindset, said Khoirunnisa. This is the sort of situation that will lead candidates running for office to focus only on canvassing support from coalitions rather than the public, she said. But it wont be a healthy democracy because, when it comes to the elections, the public not the parties should be the main attraction. Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) political researcher Arya Fernandes said that any regional election featuring a candidate running uncontested with backing from a big-tent coalition would likely produce leaders of poor quality. Such candidates are prone to misusing their power, whether embezzling regional funds or political horse-trading for positions in the administration, he said. Both Arya and Khoirunnisa suggested revising the threshold for public support of independent candidates in order to pave the way for more healthy competition in future elections. Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) member Ratna Dewi Pettalolo said that her agency had found several cases of vote buying in elections where only a sole candidate pair was running. She said, however, that Bawaslu was unable to report the alleged perpetrators to the police due to a lack of supporting evidence. Most transactions involving political dowry are carried out in the dark. But now we are committed to tracing any information on such practices and will gather as much evidence as possible, Ratna said. Offering a political dowry that is, depositing a sum of money to political parties in the hopes of securing their support violates articles 47 and 187 of the 2016 revision of the Regional Elections Law. Louis Vuitton is releasing a $960 luxury face shield for people to wear amid the coronavirus pandemic, and while it was only a matter of time before the protective visor got a designer upgrade, critics are outraged by the high price point. The LV Shield, which also doubles as a cap, has gold studs that are engraved with the Louis Vuitton logo as well as a head-strap and trim featuring the French fashion house's signature monogram print. As an added touch, the visor's photochromatic shield changes color from clear to dark when in direct sunlight. In a statement, Louis Vuitton has described the high-end personal protective equipment as 'an eye-catching headpiece' that is 'both stylish and protective,' but some people would beg to differ. What? Louis Vuitton is launching a $960 luxury face shield. The COVID-19-inspired visor is slated to hit stores on October 30 as part of the French fashion house's 2021 Cruise Collection Ultimate luxury? The LV Shield, which also doubles as a cap, has gold studs that are engraved with the Louis Vuitton logo as well as a monogrammed print head-strap and trim Critics have taken to Twitter to slam Louis Vuitton for offering a designer face shield during the global crisis, with some calling it 'profiteering' and 'robbery.' 'Louis Vuitton really out here selling a face shield for 1k! Tf,' one person tweeted. 'I'm certain Louis Vuitton would have made "luxury" life jackets for the Titanic if they could have. Extortion and daylight robbery,' another griped. Someone else mocked the shield by sharing a photo of himself wearing a knockoff version made out of Louis Vuitton monogrammed tape and a plastic bag. Outrage: Critics have taken to Twitter to slam Louis Vuitton for offering a pricey designer face shield during the global crisis Others were quick to judge those who plan on buying the designer shield. The COVID-19-inspired accessory is slated to hit stores worldwide on October 30 as part of the French fashion house's 2021 Cruise Collection. 'I don't know how rich or how stupid one would need to be to drop a thousand dollars on an LV face shield. If absolutely necessary, I'll wait for the $5 counterfeit,' one Twitter user commented. 'If you plan to buy this new $1000 Louis Vuitton face shield, please let me know. I need to make sure I dont follow you,' another shared. Some Twitter users pointed out that a face shield isn't even proven to be effective in protecting people from the coronavirus. Made his own? One person mocked the shield by sharing a photo of himself wearing a knockoff version made out of Louis Vuitton monogrammed tape and a plastic bag 'Wow!! What a waste of money. People dont think that the virus can travel around a face shield?' one person asked. 'Nah cause wtf that Louis Vuitton face shield gonna do???? 1K for something that has a lot of open areas??? The rich are not serious,' someone else commented. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not currently recommend the use of face shields as a substitute for masks. According to a recent simulation done by researchers at Florida Atlantic Universitys College of Engineering and Computer Science, the shields prevent the initial forward spread of droplets, but the gap at the bottom actually allows the infectious aerosols to spread behind the person. High-end PPE: In August, Burberry debuted a $115 reusable face mask in its signature plaid pattern Worth it? The face covering features particle filtration efficiency (PFE) and is also said to come with antimicrobial technology that helps protect it from germs While some people are appalled by the luxury shield, Louis Vuitton isn't the first brand to put a designer spin on PPE in recent months. In August, Burberry debuted a $115 reusable face mask in its signature plaid pattern. The face covering features particle filtration efficiency (PFE) and is also said to come with antimicrobial technology that helps protect it from germs. The British fashion label said that 20 per cent of each purchase would go towards its Burberry Foundation Covid-19 Community Fund. Early on in the pandemic, LVMH, the French conglomerate that owns Louis Vuitton, helped fight COVID-19 by making hand sanitizer and protective masks out of its perfume and handbag factories, respectively. The company also provided 261 ventilators to hospitals in France and 2,500 cloth masks to MTA workers in New York City in May. Cloud computing is a change within the IT trade altering the character of the competitors throughout the pc trade. Organizations, resembling Cisco Systems, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and IBM, imagine that the cloud can be controlling the IT sources in addition to serving to in decreasing TCO. Cloud computing revolutionizes the way in which IT sources are being deployed, configured, and managed. Request For Report Sample@ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/10325 With the rise in using cloud computing, storage atmosphere has additionally modified. There are a number of converging developments resembling a rise in variety of customers, IT consumerization, and extra knowledge and gadgets pushing the storage atmosphere to a brand new degree. These applied sciences should not solely driving the cloud market, but in addition pushing using applied sciences that may help cloud computing. Cloud data center is a repository, which could be both bodily or digital used for administration, storage, and transmission of knowledge. It requires minimal upkeep price when in comparison with the servers. They have their very own energy provide in case of electrical energy failure. They are cost-effective and require much less useful resource, thereby attracting end-users to make use of cloud deployment reasonably than servers. Market Analysis: According to Infoholic Research, the Cloud Data Center market is anticipated to succeed in $67.5 billion by 2023, rising at a CAGR of round 28.7% throughout the forecast interval. Businesses are reassessing their knowledge centres and finding to completely different locations. They are attempting to make use of rising applied sciences to construct dynamic, scalable next-generation knowledge middle that may response to altering enterprise wants with out growing the associated fee and overspending on service ranges. Moreover, there may be rising demand from North American corporations because the cloud expertise will assist in storing knowledge and data cost-effectively, growing the effectivity, agility, and suppleness of the info middle. Software Analysis: Software is the main boosting issue for the cloud knowledge facilities market. The main expertise suppliers have joined palms with the cloud and third-party suppliers to supply modern knowledge middle options, which allow the end-users to retailer their knowledge on the cloud with higher safety features. The software program market is additional segmented into storage, server, and networking. In 2017, cloud storage had a serious share of the market and is anticipated to succeed in $22.99 billion by 2023, rising at a CAGR of 27.6% throughout the forecast interval 20172023. Get Complete TOC with Tables and Figures@ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/discount/10325 Regional Analysis: Currently, the Americas is having nearly all of the market share primarily as a consequence of developments in expertise. The market is witnessing distinguished progress in nations such because the US and Canada. Americas is adopted by Europe when it comes to excessive market share. The regional authorities initiatives for utilizing cloud computing and decreasing the operational price fosters the expansion within the area. APAC is spending vastly in improvement of knowledge facilities and sharing information about using cloud computing. LAMEA is anticipated to have a optimistic progress available in the market, which is able to supply enormous alternatives for key gamers to supply modern options within the area. Key Players: The key gamers lined within the report are Microsoft, AWS, Cisco Systems, IBM, and Google. Competitive Analysis: The examine covers and analyzes the Cloud Data Center market. Bringing out the entire key insights of the trade, the report goals to supply a possibility for gamers to grasp the most recent developments, present market situation, authorities initiatives, and applied sciences associated to the market. In addition, it helps the enterprise capitalists in understanding the businesses higher and take knowledgeable choices. <<>><<>> https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/covid-19-analysis/10325 Benefits: The report offers an in-depth evaluation of the cloud knowledge middle market aiming to cut back time to marketplace for services, scale back operational and cooling prices, enhance enterprise effectivity, and operational efficiency. The report talks about software program, companies, service fashions, end-user, and areas. With the knowledge supplied, key stakeholders can know concerning the main developments, drivers, investments, vertical participants initiatives, and public non-public partnership (PPPs) curiosity towards the adoption of the expertise. Further, the report offers particulars concerning the main challenges impacting market progress. Key Stakeholders: Data middle producers, community suppliers, software program suppliers, knowledge safety resolution distributors, coverage makers, normal improvement organizations, investor group, college researchers, weblog writers, and expertise magazines. Frances Musee dOrsay recently came under fire from feminists after a woman shared an open letter to the museum, slamming it for denying her entry because of her low cut dress". In an open letter shared on Instagram, a French woman by the name of Jeanne called out the prestigious French institutions double standards" after she accused a staff member working at the museum of denying her entry because her dress was too revealing. Jeanne, a student of French literature, took to Twitter to share a copy of the letter along with a photo of herself from the day she was denied entry. Attached is the robe of discord, she wrote white sharing the photos. 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 Arriving at the entrance of the museum, I dont have time to take out my ticket before the sight of my breasts and my appearance shocks an officer in charge of reservations," Jeanne wrote in the letter. At this moment, I am still unaware of the fact that my cleavage has become the subject of this controversy." Jeanne was later told by security that she could not enter as she had broken the museums rules. An infuriated Jeanne further added in the letter, Im not just my breasts, Im not just a body, your double standards shouldnt be an obstacle to my right of access to culture and knowledge". Jeanne, who had been making the trip to the museum along with a friend, said that ultimately, she was forced to put her jacket on and they were allowed to enter. I do not want to put on my jacket because I feel beaten, obliged, I am ashamed, I have the impression that everyone is looking at my breasts," Jeanne adds in the letter. As per the museums guidelines, persons can be denied entry if their clothing causes public disturbance. But did Jeannes low cut dress qualify as a public disturbance? Accusing the museum staff of discriminating on the basis of cleavage", Jeanne said that she questions the coherence with which the representatives of a national museum can prohibit access to knowledge and culture on the basis of an arbitrary judgment determining if the appearance of someone is decent". The incident has caused a hue and cry on social media with many attacking the museum for its apparent sexism. Many pointed out the hypocrisy of policing a womans dress while entering a museum that itself is full of paintings depicting nude or topless women. Dang. I would say Im much more conservative then a lot of people but I dont see the issue with this dress. She looks amazing. https://t.co/33cHviAzQ0 VtoTheT (@d0ntaskidk) September 11, 2020 Tell me more stories abt how everyone polices what women wear, clearly we are just some body parts https://t.co/zDsA1htset Mishi Choudhary (@MishiChoudhary) September 10, 2020 From the woman turned away from the @MuseeOrsay for wearing a low-cut dress (even though the museum is full of nudes) https://t.co/6XEuet8g7Q Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) September 10, 2020 Taking note of the untoward incident, Musee dOrsay itself took to Twitter and apologised to Jeanne. We deeply regret it and apologise to the person involved, with whom we are getting in touch," the museum tweeted from its official handle. C ounter-terrorism police arrested a man in his 20s after a bomb was sent to a home in north London. Scotland Yard were called shortly after 9am on Thursday after a resident received a suspicious package in Cricklewood. Specialist officers attended the scene and found a "small improvised explosive device" which they worked to make safe. Met Police teamed up with armed officers to arrest a suspect in Cambridge on Saturday morning just after 9am. Police brought armed police as a precaution when making an arrest in Cambridge (Google Maps ) / Google Maps He was held on suspicion of attempting to cause an explosion or making or keeping explosives with intent to endanger life or property. A Met Police spokesman said the man was currently in custody at a south London police station and officers were searching two addresses in Cambridge. He added: The arrest relates to a suspicious package received via post at a residential address in north London. Police were called shortly after 9.10am on Thursday to reports of a suspicious package in Cricklewood. Specialist officers attended and made safe what was assessed to be a small improvised explosive device. Police confirmed that there was no risk to the local area and enquiries continue. SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's state media condemned raids on the homes of Chinese journalists working in Australia, as relations between the two major trading partners become increasingly strained. China News Service said on Saturday that the raids "grossly violated the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese media reporters stationed in Australia, and caused serious damage to the physical and mental health of journalists and their families." That followed similar comments by Xinhua news agency, which said late on Friday that the actions taken by Australian authorities were "utterly appalling" and damaged relations between the two countries. China's state-backed tabloid Global Times reported earlier this week that Australian authorities raided the homes of four Chinese journalists residing in the country in June. "This gross, imperious and unreasonable act was utterly appalling. It fully exposes the Cold-War mentality and political prejudice of some Australian departments and officials," a Xinhua spokesperson said, according to the agency. "What they have done not only seriously harms the reputation and image of Chinese media, but also seriously interferes with the normal people-to-people exchanges between China and Australia," added the spokesperson, who was not identified. Australia's trade minister on Friday responded to the reports, saying that security agencies had acted in accordance with the law. Relations between the two countries have become increasingly fraught over a host of issues ranging from Australian accusations of Chinese meddling in domestic affairs to trade disputes and calls by Canberra for an international enquiry into the origins of the novel coronavirus. News of the raids coincided with the exit of two Australian journalists from China. The pair returned home with the help of consular officials after China's state security visited their residences in Beijing and Shanghai and questioned them. Another Australian citizen, Chinese television anchor Cheng Lei, was detained by Chinese authorities in August. (Reporting by Josh Horwitz; Editing by Kim Coghill) To the editor: Please support Annette Glenn for re-election as state representative for the 98th District in Midland and Bay counties. Rep. Glenns highest priority is keeping our children safe as the school year begins. She led the way on a bipartisan school safety plan requiring school districts to consult their local health department, while letting each district and medical experts decide the safest learning environment for students in their community and protecting parents freedom to decide what is best for their child. Rep. Glenns bill makes sure schools get the same per pupil funding, whether parents choose the classroom or remote learning online. When the state bureaucrats threatened doctors over their treatments for COVID-19, Annette Glenn pushed back. She fought to protect doctors freedom to treat their patients without fear. Dr. John Pfenninger, former Midland Daily News medical columnist, said Glenns action may have indeed saved many lives. Henry Ford Health Systems clinical trial found the treatment Representative Annette Glenn fought to protect cut the death rate in half. By 6 a.m. the morning after the dam flood, Rep. Glenn was visiting an emergency shelter in Sanford. She toured with the sheriff and state police. Then she took action. Rep. Glenn sponsored $6 million in disaster funding. It passed the Michigan House 107-1. She asked business owners to donate millions in equipment and manpower. They did! Rep. Glenn personally petitioned Vice President Mike Pence for federal relief. It came! She led demands for an independent investigation, winning bipartisan support. Rep. Annette Glenn recruited volunteers to help her clean out flooded homes. Lets keep Rep. Annette Glenn working for all of us. Please consider voting for Annette Glenn on Nov. 3. SHELDON AND MARY LEVY Midland Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday thanked Indian Army for securing the smooth return of five men from the state, who had recently gone missing. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday thanked Indian Army for securing the smooth return of five men from the state, who had recently gone missing. Rijiju said in a tweet that Chinas PLA had handed over our 5 boys to Indias side at Kibitu area, he appreciated the Indian Army for the smooth return of Indian citizens. He also said that he thanks the Indian Army Chief, his office and the local Commanders for constantly following up the matter and regularly updating him on the matter. Arunachal Chief Minister said he was wholeheartedly thankful to the government of India and Indian Army for their persistent efforts in securing their return. He said he was absolutely glad to know that five of Arunachali youths had been safely handed over to Indian Army by Chinese PLA. He said he was wholeheartedly thankful to the Govt of India and the Indian Army for their persistent effort in securing their return. Also read: Pakistan: Sea of people at Anti-Shia protest jolts Karachi All the 5 Indian youths from Arunachal Pradesh who were received at Kibithu by our Army from PLA are fit and fine. However, they will be quarantined for a specified period. I also thank Raksha Mantri @rajnathsingh ji for the concern he had shown. https://t.co/Wpg3pCkObz pic.twitter.com/1IpApYkxZz Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) September 12, 2020 Absolutely glad to know that five of our Arunachali youths have been safely handed over to Indian Army by Chinese PLA. I am wholeheartedly thankful to the Govt of India and the Indian Army for their persistent effort in securing their return. @PMOIndia @adgpi Pema Khandu (@PemaKhanduBJP) September 12, 2020 Also read: Covid-19 one of greatest challenges in history: UN General Assembly Five Indian nationals who had gone missing from villages in Arunachal Pradesh near the border of China earlier this month have been handed over by the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), the Indian Army said. Indian Army on Saturday took the handover of all five Indian nationals at Kibithu border post after completing all the formalities. Individuals will now be quarantined for 14 days as per COVID-19 protocol and will thereafter be handed over to their family members, a Defence spokesperson said in a statement. Arunachal Pradesh is known for its rich natural heritage and adventurous people fond of exploring the nature for medicinal herbs and possessing traditional flair for hunting which involves surviving off the land for weeks in jungles and far-flung remote areas. During such adventurous forays, at times youth have inadvertently strayed to other side of LAC, the statement read. The Defence Spokesperson said the Indian Army has always been proactive in tracing the lost locals and helping them return home. Three such incidents took place in the current year in Upper Subansiri and West Siang District including the latest one. All such individuals were brought back home safely after consistent efforts and coordination by the Indian Army in the past, the statement said. According to the statement in the latest case, five individuals from Upper Subansiri District had also inadvertently strayed across LAC recently. Indian Army approached PLA on the hotline to trace and return them. On September 8, the response on the hotline confirmed that the missing individuals had been traced. Also read: US, India agree to strengthen quadrilateral ties with Japan and Australia Women travelling alone across Andhra Pradesh can now find out whether they have the correct route and if the area is safe via an application that is soon to be launched by the Andhra Police. The mobile application will give all the information about the route, their exact location and the contact details of the nearby mobile police patrol, if required. Andhra Pradesh police departments unique mobile application AP Police Seva provides as many as 86 such services to citizens at the touch of a button. It is going to be formally launched by chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on September 17. Depending on the GPS location of the user, the mobile app will tell her whether her present location is safe. The department has geo-tagged all scenes of crime in their database. This feature will alert women when they could be in danger, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Technical) G Pala Raju said. Also read: BSF finds cache of arms near Indo-Pak border in Punjabs Ferozepur district Another unique feature of the AP Police Seva mobile app is house monitoring, which enables the police to keep a watch on ones house when one goes on a holiday along with family members for a few days. The individual can place a request on the mobile app to monitor his/her house when it is locked for a certain period. The police department will install a motion sensor at the residence of the person placing the request. If any unknown person tries to enter the house without prior intimation, it automatically triggers an alarm, alerting not only the local police but also the owner of the house via an SMS, the DIG said. There is also another option for citizens in the rural and remote areas where there is no possibility of installing sensors or CCTV cameras. The citizen placing the request for house monitoring will be allotted a constable on duty who will patrol the area regularly, click pictures of the house and send the same to the citizen. The mobile app is also programmed to alert individuals whenever they are approaching black spots and accident-prone areas without even having to open the app while travelling, using the location of the user. In a first, the police department has also provided a facility in the mobile app for a fact-check of fake news, he said. The app has many other features such as a request for a background check of a probable employee or a probable tenant, filing a complaint, downloading an FIR, checking the challan status, applying for passport verification, obtaining no-objection certificates, getting real-time updates on the status of complaints to identifying missing persons, et cetera. All the services are free of charge and there is no need for paying a single rupee to the department. Through this app, we want to minimize the reasons for which citizens will have to visit the police stations, especially in these days of social distancing, the DIG added. Mumbai Sep 12 : Actors Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Siddhant Chaturvedi and debutant Sharvari have wrapped up shooting their upcoming film, Bunty Aur Babli 2, with a fun song shoot. Although they shot amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Saif says due precautions were taken. "These are highly sensitive times and actors, producers and crew will have to be extra cautious because there is a risk element. I was amazed by the steps taken to ensure that we have the best shooting experience. It felt safer than at home," Saif said, adding that the precautions made the shoot a fun affair. Rani, who was seen as Babli in the first installment that released in 2005, was nostalgic shooting for the sequel. "We had an amazing time shooting with each other. It brought back so many memories of us shooting before the pandemic and the entire team brought it all to the dance floor," she said. "Bunty Aur Babli 2" will introduce Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari into the franchise. Siddhant was glad to meet the team after a hiatus. "It was so much fun meeting Sharvari, Saif sir, Rani ma'am, and the entire team of the film," he said. Added Sharvari: "'BB2 is my first film and the team of my debut film will always hold a very special place in my heart. I missed the entire team thoroughly and I was waiting to meet them again to wrap the film. As luck would have it, we had to wrap by shooting a fun song sequence and there was no better way to meet the entire team again and bring the house down with a lot of positivity, joy, and madness." The Yash Raj Films production is directed by Varun V. Sharma, who says "the crew operated with the highest possible safety measures". "These are precarious times and we have to follow the strictest health mandates, so that the industry restarts. I'm thankful that it all went well because this will give confidence to the entire film industry to return to shoot," Sharma added. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Expressing concern over the situation prevailing along the India-China border, a top US lawmaker on Friday said that Beijing should work with its neighbours to peacefully resolve disputes and respect international law. "I'm concerned by increasing hostilities along the India-China border and urge both countries to use its longstanding diplomatic mechanisms to de-escalate the situation," Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera said. Increasing military presence on either side of the Line of Actual Control is counterproductive and unhelpful, he said in a tweet. "I continue to be concerned about China's provocative moves on its periphery -- from its actions in the South China Sea to the Line of Actual Control," he added. "China should work with its neighbours to peacefully resolve these disputes and respect international law," Bera said. 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. Also read: India sets up obstacles along LAC; signals Chinese troops to back off Also read: India, China to "quickly disengage" troops after five-point consensus to de-escalate tensions in eastern Ladakh Ambassador of the Republic of Korea (RoK) to ASEAN Lim Sungnam has appreciated Vietnams cohesive and responsive leadership in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic as Chair of ASEAN in 2020. Korean Ambassador to ASEAN Lim Sungnam gives an interview to the Vietnam News Agency (Photo: VNA) The ambassador granted an interview to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s reporter in Jakarta following the ASEAN-RoK Ministerial Meeting, the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers Meeting and the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting, all held virtually this week. Talking about the outcomes of these events, he said in terms of efforts to deal with COVID-19, ASEAN has been very inventive under the leadership of Vietnam to promote the ideas, such as the ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund, the stockpile of medical supplies, as well as the Standard Operating Procedures for public health emergencies. He expressed his delight that all the participating countries agreed upon the importance of these projects, and they will be working together to continue to deal with the COVID-19 down the road. Regarding economic measures, ASEAN reconfirmed the importance of an ASEAN economic recovery plan which will be reported to the leaders this November, Lim said, adding that ASEAN and dialogue partners, including the RoK, will work together for the rapid economic recovery of ASEAN in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted the RoK very much appreciates the support of the ASEAN foreign ministers for the need to expedite the essential travel, in particular by business people, because without expeditious business travellers and trips, not just within ASEAN but also between ASEAN and the dialogue partners, it is almost impossible to have the rapid economic recovery. According to the diplomat, the meetings was also a useful and timely opportunity to have wide-ranging discussions on a variety of peace and security issues, including non-traditional security issues like terrorism, cyber security and illicit drugs. He highlighted the RoKs appreciation of ASEANs support for the resumption of dialogue process on the Korean Peninsula. With regard to the East Sea issue, Lim made three succinct points about the RoKs position on the issue: peace and stability in the East Sea is very important, the freedom of navigation and overflight in and over the waters is very important to the RoK as well, and disputes should be resolved peacefully through dialogue. In the interview, Lim said the RoK is an important strategic partner of ASEAN, and it has been doing its utmost to work together with ASEAN in the joint fight against COVID-19. More specifically, the RoK has been the first country among ASEAN dialogue partners to contribute 1 million USD to the ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund. It has also contributed 5 million USD to the bloc for enhancing the COVID-19 detection capacity of all the member states. He added that the RoK will continue to work together with ASEAN, including Vietnam, for instance, by establishing the RoK-ASEAN health ministerial meeting in the near future. The RoK can do more, not just in response to COVID-19 but also any other future public health emergencies, the ambassador said. He also said the RoK would like to see more or increase down the road, not just for trade, but also for investment and tourism between the RoK and ASEAN, and that it very much hopes that it can have a fast track entry programme with every ASEAN member sooner rather than later. In terms of Vietnams role as ASEAN Chair, Lim held that in the history of ASEAN, 2020 might be recorded as the most difficult year for the operation of ASEAN diplomacy, apparently because COVID-19. In this context, Vietnam has shown exemplary leadership for various ASEAN meetings and initiatives, and it has shown indeed cohesive and responsive leadership in dealing with the pandemic, he said. In that regard, the Vietnamese Mission to ASEAN in Jakarta and Ambassador Tran Duc Binh have played an instrumental role in promoting an expediting interaction between ASEAN and dialogue partners. One example of that leadership was the special summit on COVID-19 held in April, the diplomat noted. He also expressed his hope to see the continued leadership of Vietnam for all those important ASEAN meetings, including the November summit, and if the COVID-19 situation could be stabilised in the near future, he looks forward to the convening of that summit not online, but face to face./.VNA Al-Qaida has threatened the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo which republished caricatures of the Prophet Mohamed just before the start of the trial of the alleged accomplices of the three attackers who killed 17 people in January 2015. According to the US-based online monitoring news magazine Site, the group said that the assault on Charlie Hebdo was not a one-off incident. Fourteen people, including three in absentia, face various charges for helping to organise the attacks that left 17 people dead in the Paris region. Said Kouachi and his brother, Cherif, as well as Amedy Coulibaly died in shootouts with police after a three-day rampage targeting Charlie Hebdo, police officers and the kosher supermarket Hyper Cacher. If found guilty, the accused face la range of sentences including life in prison for complicity in terrorism, 20 years for complicity in a terrorist enterprise or a 10 year term for complicity in organised crime. The trial, which started on 2 September, is expected to end in November. A significant reduction in the Centres revenue collection will affect Bihars finances badly and it will be impossible for the state to compensate for the shortfall from alternate sources even if it tries to explore the possibility of generating more revenue from its own sources, a Patna think- tanks report has said. The report titled COVID-19: Issues and Challenges for Bihar, was released on Friday at Patnas Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI). It said the crisis has huge economic implication for Bihar with the limited fiscal space to provide financial support from their own resources. The report added the state has faced the dual challenges of handling the usual calamities of flood at the same time as the unprecedented pandemic. Hence, the Bihar government cannot handle those challenges without special financial support from the Central Government, as the reduced transfer on account of lower tax revenue pool of the Centre will affect the fiscal balance of the State. Also Read: Migrants in UP pack their bags as former employers lay out red carpet for their return It said there is also an additional dimension of the economic impact--the return of migrant workers and the loss of remittances that they used to send to their families in Bihar. During the initial phase of lockdown migrants returned in huge numbers. MGNREGA [Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act], a demand-based employment programme, proved to be an effective short-term relief measure for providing employment, especially for the rural and unskilled workforce. The state government took many short-term measures to handle the crisis but a lot more needs to be done to mitigate the impact in the medium to long term, the report said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Przepraszamy! Ogoszenie na stanowisku: Junior Process Officer in CMO Finland Payments wygaso z dniem 2020-09-20 Ta propozycja bya zozona przez Nordea Bank Abp SA Oddzia w Polsce Mozliwe przyczyny wygasniecia oferty to: oferta zozona przez pracodawce zostaa wycofana z serwisu praca.egospodarka.pl rekruter zakonczy proces rekrutacji uzyskujac odpowiednia ilosc osob rekruter zmodyfikowa tresc ogoszenia i jest ono dostepne pod innym adresem WWW dostawca tresci usuna ogoszenie z bazy danych zy adres WWW ogoszenia Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w branzy Bankowosc / Leasing, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Bankowosc / Leasing Jezeli poszukujesz pracy na stanowisku Junior Process Officer in CMO Finland Payments, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Junior Process Officer in CMO Finland Payments Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w miescie: odz, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca odz Pamietaj, ze mozesz takze rozpoczac poszukiwanie pracy od strony gownej, kliknij tutaj. Inne oferty, ktore mogy byc w kregu Twoich zainteresowan: "They have built up a large standing military while reducing the power and reputation of the people's militia," he said, adding, "I would say thank you to every soldier that has served ... it's unfortunate that politicians were put in charge of them." The document containing Tuttle's words was signed by attendees and walked to the governor's office. Helena resident Debra Brown said the event was important to her. "We want to stand for freedom. We feel our freedoms are being trampled on," Brown said. "And we want to show the BLM what a peaceful protest looks like." She said the order mandating the use of face coverings in public is only one of many oversteps by local, state and federal governments. Brown said she is concerned about taxes, reparations for Black Americans, abortions, sex traffickers and the implementation of Sharia, an Islamic form of law, in Montana. Rep. Theresa Manzella, R-Hamilton, also spoke to the protesters, warning them during an impassioned speech that other politicians are "stealing a whole bunch of our rights." Digital generated image of financial line chart showing fallings because of coronavirus COVID-19 on blue background. A record-breaking 150 funds have underperformed the market this year, in a more than 50% increase from the last time the same research was carried out. Tilneys and investment service Bestinvests annual report of dog funds ones that underperformed indexes showed a 65% increase from the 91 funds in its last report. This is the highest number on record and a sign of how much coronavirus has roiled financial markets. The Spot the Dog report found the level of assets held in dog funds has also increased significantly to 54.4bn ($69.6bn), up from 43.9bn in the last edition. Although there are many more funds included than last time, many of these are small in size with the median fund being valued at 133m. The report applies two filters to identify underperforming funds: First it looks at the fund universe to identify those that have failed to beat the benchmark over three consecutive 12-month periods. The second criteria is that the fund must have underperformed the benchmark by 5% or more over the entire three-year period of analysis. There are 18 funds which hold over a billion in assets from prominent fund groups. Of these, Invesco (IVZ) is crowned top dog for the fifth time, with 13 funds worth 11.4bn of assets. The combined value of assets represents 21% of all dog fund assets. St. Jamess Place (STJ.L) also ranked highly with eight dog funds totalling 6.9bn, while blue chip fund manager Schroder (SDR.L) is notable for now having 10 funds included with a combined value of 2.7bn, according to the report. READ MORE: Johnson accuses EU of plotting food 'blockade' on UK Private equity income and global equity income saw the highest proportion of dog funds, representing 26% and 25% respectively. This, in part, reflects the slew of dividend cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic and the outperformance of growth stocks, according to the report. Overall the lowest proportion of dogs were found in the UK All Companies and Global Emerging Markets sectors, both of which had just under 11% of their eligible fund universes classified as dog funds. Story continues The report found that serious, consistent underperformance was rare among funds focused on smaller companies parts of the market which are poorly researched by analysts and where there are more opportunities for fund managers to add value by spotting hidden gems. Those that have avoided the list include Aviva Investors, Baillie Gifford, BlackRock, Evenlode, Fundsmith, JO Hambro Capital Management, Lindsell Train and Stewart Investors. Jason Hollands, Managing Director at Bestinvest, said: Markets have given investors a rollercoaster ride this year. The COVID-19 crash between late February and the end of March was very rapid but the rebound in stock markets since then has been impressive. However, look beneath the bonnet and there have been big disparities in performance across industry sectors. The relative winners have been areas like technology, online stocks and consumer staples companies, but at the other end of the spectrum major sectors like energy and financials have been hit really hard. This has resulted in very wide disparities in performance between fund managers, depending on where their funds were positioned. A Confederate statue has been taken down in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a white supremacist rally three years ago resulted in a counter-protesters death. The Albemarle County Board of supervisors voted in August to remove the At Ready statue, which displays a Confederate soldier, from outside the county court. Racial justice protests in the United States, which began in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and have since been fuelled by other high-profile cases, have renewed calls for the removal of Confederate monuments across the country. On Saturday, a crowd in Charlottesville cheered as the At Ready statue, which has been in place for 111 years, was lifted off its pedestal with a crane. The crowd also cheered when the statues bronze plaques and an accompanying cannon were also removed, a livestream on the countys Facebook page showed. Starting in just a few minutes, livestream the removal of the At Ready Statue. https://t.co/5tM5cKHx5U pic.twitter.com/TZu3QT0ZVu County of Albemarle (@AlbemarleCounty) September 12, 2020 Confederate monuments have been criticised by many people in the US who say they glorify the countrys slave-owning and racist history. Their defenders, meanwhile, argue that the statues are symbols of pride for the history and heritage of the American South that extends beyond slavery. It is with pride that the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors takes action to remove the At Ready statue. We know that taking this action is not some end point, said Ned Gallaway, chair of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, in a statement in August after the board voted to remove the statue. We have a lot of work to do and that work is in our policy work, in affordable housing, in our schools we know we have a long way to go. Im looking forward to getting to that work, he said. The At Ready statue is about a block from the statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee, which became the focal point of the 2017 Unite the Right Rally. White supremacist and neo-Nazi groups said they decided to descend on the city to protect the statue amid a reckoning over Confederate imagery in the US. Heather Heyer, 32, was killed during the event when a man drove a car through a crowd of counter-protesters. The city of Charlottesville soon after voted to remove the statue of Lee, as well as one of Confederate general Thomas Stonewall Jackson, but a legal challenge has sent the case to the states Supreme Court. An attempt by the states governor to remove a huge statue of Lee on state property in Richmond, Virginia, has also been blocked pending a legal challenge. In June, protesters in that city pulled down a statue of Confederate president Jefferson Davis, prompting the mayor to order the removal of 11 Confederate memorials on city property. An Aughrim mum described the 'unusual' experience of giving birth during lockdown. Ciara Finuncane gave birth to her son Rian in Holles Street Hospital on March 23, but her family didn't get to meet the new baby until May 18. 'Our three-year old, Oisin, was born in Sydney and we didn't know what to expect from an Irish hospital as we had nothing to compare it to.' Ciara said. 'The staff were amazing. They offered support if you needed any help. In some ways, it was lucky that Rian was born at the beginning of lockdown. There weren't so many cases and the hospital was still preparing'. Dad Donald was present during Ciara's labour, but had to leave once mum and baby were moved to the post-natal ward. 'It was an unusual time, but it was great to have my husband present during labour. It was really sad to say goodbye once we moved to the post-natal ward'. The ward had been reconfigured to allow for social distancing between new mums, and Ciara said this meant mums were 'not really talking to one another because no one knew what this was at that stage'. The new rules also meant that no visitors were allowed. Plans for friends, based in Dublin, to see Rian during their time in the maternity hospital had to be put on hold. Despite this, Ciara said the quiet provided space for mother-baby bonding. Ciara and Rian were discharged from Holles Street after two nights. It was only at this point that big brother, Oisin, had the chance to meet his little brother. 'We had been hoping to bring him in so he could meet his new brother and then we'd all travel home together in the car. However, lockdown did come at a good time for us as it gave us all time to get used to becoming a new family unit. We didn't have to worry about tidying the house because visitors were calling.' While Ciara's parents live nearby, they were cocooning which meant they didn't meet the infant until May. Instead, a drive-by visit took place which allowed Ciara's parents and siblings to see Rian. Zoom video calls and photos helped the family to keep in touch during the Covid-19 lockdown. Unfortunately, restrictions have meant that Donald's parents, who live in County Kerry, have yet to meet the infant in person, but Ciara said they are hoping to visit in the coming weeks. 'My family didn't get to meet my baby boy until May 18 when four people could meet outside the home with social distancing in place. We were all sitting outside, but Rian had grown out of the newborn stage.' The first meeting was 'lovely', Ciara said. 'It was so nice to be able to talk face to face, but not being able to hug was hard. It was tough, but lovely to share the baby with them.' Now five months old, Ciara said Rian is 'easy going' and thriving. 'During lockdown, we were all in it together. Zoom calls were so important in helping us to keep in touch with everyone,' Ciara added. Union welcomes mandatory mask wearing in Wales shops and urges customers to comply and respect retail workers This article is old - Published: Saturday, Sep 12th, 2020 A retail union has welcomed the announcement that the wearing of face coverings in shops in Wales will be mandatory from Monday. Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) has urged the public to comply and respect shop workers when the measures come into play on September 14. Yesterday First Minister Mark Drakeford announced that in a bid to prevent a further rise of coronavirus cases, wearing masks will be compulsory in shops and enclosed public spaces in Wales from Monday. Those under the age of 11 and with medical conditions are exempt from the new rules. Up until now Wales has been an outlier in the UK in terms of mandatory mask wearing in retail environments and in enclosed public spaces. The changes come as parts of Wales have seen an increase in cases of the virus linked to people meeting and socialising with others indoors but without social distancing. From Monday, a new limit of six people will be introduced on the number of people who can meet indoors at any one time. All six must be connected by belonging to the same extended household group. Usdaw has welcomed yesterdays announcement after having previously called for mandatory mask wearing. Nick Ireland, Usdaw divisional officer, said: It is right to make the wearing of face coverings mandatory in shops and we welcome todays Welsh Government announcement. We have been lobbying for this for some time as a way of helping to limit the spread of Covid-19 and protect retail staff. We encourage customers to support shop workers by remembering to wear a face covering, unless they are covered by an exemption. We expect employers to display signage to remind customers about the rules. It needs to be made clear that shop workers are not responsible for enforcing the law. We are concerned that it may be another flashpoint for abuse of staff, which has doubled during the pandemic. Face coverings are not a replacement for existing social distancing measures, such as screens at tills, distance markers, hygiene measures and limits on the number of customers in stores. We expect employers to keep these in place and support our members in making sure that customers follow the rules. We ask all customers to wear a face covering and keep following social distancing measures. We also ask them to remember that shop workers are doing their best in a difficult situation and to always treat them with the respect they deserve. Last month Wrexham.com reported that research carried out by Udsaw had found that that between 14 March and 17 April 2020: 62.28% of shop workers had been verbally abused by customers during the pandemic, with 29.07% and 4.01% assaulted. Amaravati, Sep 12 : Under pressure from the dip in regular flow of taxes into the state's coffers due to the Covid pandemic and further burdened by the treatment expenditure and multiple welfare schemes, Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday hiked the tax rate on natural gas from 14.5 per cent to 24.5 per cent. "Taking all the factors into consideration, government has decided to increase the rate of tax on natural gas from 14.5 per cent to 24.5 per cent by revising the tax rate under Schedule-V of the APVAT Act," said Special Chief Secretary Rajat Bhargava. According to Bhargava, the Covid lockdown had resulted in the cessation of all economic activities in the southern state, affecting its revenues in the months of April, May, June, July and August. "In April 2020, the revenue realized in the state was only Rs 1,323 crore as against Rs 4,480 crore realized in April 2009, which accounts for only 29.5 per cent of the total expected revenue," he said. The tax revenue trend was similar in May, June, July and August. "While the fall in revenues from all sources continued, there is a steep increase in the expenditure relating to health services for combating Covid pandemic,a observed the IAS officer. At the same time, multiple welfare schemes such as Rythu Bharosa, Vaha Mithra, Jagananna Vidya Deevena, Jaganna Chedodu, Telemedine, Zero interest loan scheme to women, Amma Vodi, Nadu Nedu and others are incurring steep expenditure on the state. "Considering the fact that the revenues of the state are plummeting on one hand and the requirement for finances to implement the pro-poor schemes is escalating on the other hand, it has become imperative to augment the revenues of the state," said Bhargava. He said the government will publish the notification in an extraordinary issue of AP gazette, even as the government order (GO) comes into effect immediately. Meanwhile, the state government was compelled to issue a clarification as some media houses are publicizing the tax hike on non-domestic natural gas as a tax hike on domestic liquefied petroleum gas used in the kitchens. "It is being propagated in certain mischievous media that the government has increased tax on LPG. This is totally misleading. LPG is different from natural gas," said an official. According to the official, LPG got subsumed into the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2017, on which the state government has no authority to tweak its tax rate. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Chinas insects and other invertebrates are spoilt for choice with the countrys array of deserts, rainforests, mountains and tropical coastlines. The winning photographs of the Wild China Biodiversity Photography Contest hosted by Wild China Film present the countrys sweeping lands and rare plants from unexpected perspectives. Here is a pick of the crop Jan 21, 2022 06:20 PM The Texas Brotherhood Ride rolled into Richmond Fire Station Friday morning. They had come to honor late firefighter Ray Burciaga, who lost his battle with cancer last February. The Brotherhood Ride in an annual bike ride to honor fallen first responders. Dressed in matching blue and orange shirts, the cyclists began their journey across Texas on Sept. 6. There were 17 honorees this year, and despite impediments created by COVID-19, the brotherhood was determined to make each honor stop. Related: Fort Bend County, faith-based organizations team up with American Red Cross to help Hurricane Laura victims Its so beautiful what theyre doing, putting out such a positive message, said Caroline Burciaga, daughter of Ray Burciaga. My dad was very outgoing. This is the kind of thing he would have loved to have been involved in. The riders comprise firefighters, law enforcement officials and emergency medical personnel. The Texas chapter of the Brotherhood Ride started in 2014. Their mission is to raise funds and provide emotional support to the families of the fallen heroes. Related: Sugar Land City Council set to approve FY21 budget People dont realize how big of a family the brotherhood of first responders is, said Tim Dunn, president of the Texas Brotherhood Ride and a firefighter with the Houston Fire Department. We have people from Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Louisiana, all over the country. And theyre here to honor the guys who died in the line of duty in Texas individuals they didnt know at all. The Brotherhood Ride was founded in 2008 in memory of the Charleston Nine, nine firefighters who died in a furniture store blaze in Charleston, S.C. Ive been riding every year since that fire happened, said John Cole, founder of the Brotherhood Ride and a battalion chief with the Charleston Fire Department. The family of Ray Burciaga has started the Raymond V Burciaga Memorial Scholarship Fund in his name, which offers scholarships for children of local first responders. juhi.varma@hcnonline.com Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - The Kenyan media is facing a backlash over its reporting on corruption from wealthy citizens and top government officials named in mega-corruption scandals Articles Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles. Heir to the Spanish throne Princess Leonor and her sister Princess Sofia have gone into quarantine after a classmate at their school tested positive for COVID-19, the royal household said on Saturday. Princess Leonor, 14, arrived for her first day of term at Madrid's Santa Maria de los Rosales' School alongside her father King Felipe, 52, on Wednesday, before her sister Princess Sofia, 13, joined her on Friday. However after a classmate in Princess Leonor's year tested positive to the virus, the royal sisters will now have to isolate for 14 days and have to take coronavirus tests themselves. 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. Heir to the Spanish throne Princess Leonor, 14, and her sister Princess Sofia, 13, have gone into quarantine after a classmate at their school tested positive for COVID-19 The heir to the throne, who returned to school for the first day of term on Wednesday, will now take a coronavirus test and isolate for two weeks Despite their daughters quarantining at home, the king and Queen Letizia will continue their royal duties for the moment, a spokesman for the royal household said. Princess Leonor arrived at school for the first day on Wednesday and was dropped off by her father King Felipe. Both appeared relaxed as they arrived, before Princess Leonor, who is heir to the throne, stepped out of the vehicle and was temperature checked by a member of staff. She went on to accompany her younger sister for her first day on Friday this week. Princess Leonor had appeared cheerful as she arrived at school in Madrid for her first day back on Wednesday amid the Covid-19 crisis It is believed that Princess Leonor started her fourth year of secondary education, while her younger sister Princess Sofia began 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. 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.' King Felipe, 52, accompanied his eldest daughter, who is heir to the throne, on the school run on Wednesday last week 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 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. Meanwhile Queen Letizia drove Princess Leonor, 13, to school for her first day of term on Friday Spain continues to struggle 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. Despite the unwanted milestone, unlike then, hospitals have enough beds to treat Covid-19 patients. Despite their daughters quarantining for 14 days, King Felipe and Queen Letizia will continue to perform royal duties (pictured, together in November 2019) After a first wave in spring that ravaged Spain's elderly population and overwhelmed the hospital system, authorities brought the outbreak under control with the help of one of the world's toughest lockdowns. But as restrictions on movement were lifted and mass testing began in late June, infections rose from a few hundred a day to a new peak of over 10,000 around 10 days ago, outstripping other hard-hit nations such as France, Britain and Italy. The overall mortality rate since the pandemic first struck is around 6% in Spain, lower than in Italy, Britain and France. From her baby reveal on Instagram to her Beychella yellow hoodie, Beyonce Knowles-Carter is known to have a few memorable fashion moments. Thanks to the artists visual album, Black Is King, there are a few new looks for fans to analyze. That includes the hairstyle Beyonce showcased in the Spirit music video, explained further by the hairstylist, Kim Kimble. Blue Ivy Carter and Beyonce Knowles-Carter attend the World Premiere of Disneys The Lion King | Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney Beyonce recorded an album inspired by The Lion King This actor took her involvement with Disneys The Lion King one step further. After voicing the character Nala for the photo real adaptation, she created an album inspired by the story, titled The Lion King: The Gift. This album wasnt just Beyonce singing. She featured artists and producers from across the world, all working together to bring the sounds of Africa to a new audience. She even created music videos for songs like Bigger and Spirit, earning praise and admiration from fans of all ages. Beyonce featured African music and culture in her visual album, Black Is King The artist took her art one step further. Thanks to a partnership with Disneys streaming platform, Beyonce released a visual album featuring the music of The Lion King: The Gift. This production aimed to inspire young viewers, and was even dedicated to Beyonces son Sir Carter. However, Black is King also featured elements of African fashion, culture, and music. Hairstylist Kim Kimble broke down a few of the looks from the visual album for one interview, including those of the Spirit music video. RELATED: Will Lemonade Premiere on Disney+, Along With Beyonces Visual Album, Black Is King? Where did the inspiration for Beyonces Spirit music video come from Thanks to Kimble and her team, the stylist created the braided hairstyle featured in the Spirit music video. Beyonce sported the look along with the chartreuse gown and hoop earrings. Kimble says the look was inspired by a tribe in Chad, where the women had really long and intricate little braids. African hair and beauty is so unique, but its so colorful and very creative and very vibrant, Kim Kimble, hairstylist for Black is King, said during an interview with In The Know. That was one of the things I was really excited about for this project, that I get to work in this creative capacity, because I know African influence is out there and so that was probably one of the most exciting parts about it. The dances featured in the music video featured some of the same authentic elements, all while celebrating nature and telling the story of Disneys live-action adaptation of The Lion King. (Theres even some clips from the movie featured between Beyonce, her daughter, and the dancers.) The Lion King: The Gift is available on most major music platforms. Beyonces visual album, Black Is King, is available on Disneys streaming service. To learn more about Disney+ and to subscribe, visit their website. RELATED: How Beyonce Turned Disneys The Lion King Into a Celebration of African Culture The world's biggest carbon trading market faces a major overhaul under European Union climate change plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions faster this decade, a draft seen by Reuters shows. Under the EU emissions trading system (ETS) factories and power plants have to buy pollution permits to cover the greenhouse gases they emit, while airlines must do so for flights within Europe. The draft document, which confirms that the European Commission will next week propose that the EU sets a target to cut emissions from 1990 levels by "at least 55%" by 2030, lays out options it is considering to deliver the new goal. The Commission said it did not comment on leaked documents. The existing target of a 40% cut by 2030 will not be enough for the EU to meet its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. The new target, which needs national government and European Parliament approval, could be met both by reducing the production of greenhouse gases and removing them from the atmosphere. It would also require a tighter cap on the number of permits in the carbon market, and the rate at which this cap drops each year would need to go beyond the planned rate of 2.2%, the draft said. The Commission, which will propose a law containing the ETS reforms by June 2021, will assess what this means for the number of free permits given to industry, a system designed to avoid companies relocating outside Europe to avoid carbon costs. An initial analysis found a "significant amount" of free permits would still be available under a tighter cap, the draft said. The Commission will also propose reducing free permits for airlines, while changes to fossil fuel taxes could also help cut emissions, which could make jet fuel more expensive. The draft confirms plans to expand the ETS into new sectors, including "at least intra-EU maritime transport", and possibly road transport and buildings. However, it said the ETS should not replace existing emissions-cutting policies - such as the bloc's emissions limits for cars, which would be made more ambitious. Sarah Fortt, Counsel at Vinson & Elkins LLP By Sarah E. Fortt The topic of leadership gets a lot of limelight. A quick Google search always produces recent articles in well-known publications and countless YouTube videos Navy SEAL Techniques To Help You Lead And Motivate Your Team; Accountability And Success: A Leader Cant Have One Without The Other; Ten Tactics For Establishing Yourself As A Leader. It seems that no sooner does any newsworthy event takes place than there are articles critiquing how leaders did or did not govern effectively, and providing pithy lessons learned for others who lead or seek to do so. And yet, somehow there continue to be lessons to be learned, and many organizations are arguably more in need of effective leadership today than at any point in their past. Today, many organizations are facing multiple crises simultaneously, and even those that are not as exposed as others to the current economic, social and health crises are awash in the uncertainty those crises create. On a daily basis leaders are facing critical questions, and their answers to those questions will have a long-term impact on their organizations corporate strategy, reputation and culture. While some companies and their leaders are beginning to acclimate to our new normal, few have the time or energy to gaze into their crystal balls to determine what the future holds. And while having effective leaders does not provide all the answers to the questions organizations face today and will face tomorrow, an effective leader can be the catalyst necessary for moving a company out of a space in which it only reacts to crises and uncertainty into a space in which it can thoughtfully envision a strategic future. I have had the privilege of observing and counseling a significant number of leaders over the course of my career, both during times of calm and times of crisis. As a corporate governance lawyer and frequent speaker and facilitator on corporate culture issues and crises, I am often entrusted to help leaders navigate the challenges and opportunities their organizations face. And while there is no such thing as a perfect leader, or a leader whose approach will be effective across every organization and in every event, I have observed a few unique qualities that are required for leading effectively during periods of crisis. These qualities are not among those most frequently lauded in the public discourse on leadership, they are the quiet heroes of excellent leaders who are capable of steering their organizations through both still and wild waters. Story continues Courage is necessary, but true courage requires both sacrifice and humility. Much is made of confidence in leadership, and yet, particularly in times of crisis, it is courage rather than confidence that equips a leader to show the way. Anyone can be confident in good times, but it is often how we respond to our fears that defines us, both as leaders and as individuals. And while the professional life receives most of our focus in discussions regarding leadership, courage, much like integrity, is no respecter of the lines we draw between our professional and personal selves. It demands all of us or none of us. Whether I am working with groups of directors and c-suite executives, middle managers or a broader group of employees, it continues to surprise me how people across every level of an organization tend to respond the same to crisis, specifically, they all tend to look at the level above them for guidance, responsibility and courage. The best leaders acknowledge that, regardless of who they may report to and where they sit in the organization, the buck stops with them. Most organizations have, and need, leaders at multiple levels. And yet, particularly in times of crisis, our tendency is to look to those we believe have more control than we do to tell us we will be ok. The best leaders have the courage to be responsible to those following them, even though they themselves may be experiencing uncertainty and fear. And yet, real courage is not simply about putting on a brave face. Truly courageous leaders are willing to be challenged by those they disagree with, both professionally and personally, and are willing to trust the expertise and experience of others, including those who come from different perspectives and have different positions and priorities. This level of courage requires sacrifice specifically sacrifice of the image of ones self as autonomous and omniscient. Although these leaders are courageous, they do not use the organization to prove their bravery. Instead, they are brave enough to acknowledge their dependency on others. And this in turn requires a level of humility, an acknowledgement of ones own fears and vulnerability. These leaders, by tempering their courage with humility, equip those who follow them to also exhibit courage through crisis. Diversity prepares an organization for disruption. Diversity is having a moment. In response to recent events, companies are evaluating their public statements and internal programs and policies to better address their commitments to racial equality and justice. While those events and companies responses to them are not irrelevant to the discussion of leading through crisis, a broader principle is also applicable. Specifically, those who lead effectively through crises recognize that adversity is our greatest teacher, and seek out as their teachers those who have successfully navigated adversity in the past. An organizations diverse individuals, including not only those of different racial or ethnic backgrounds, but also those with different perspectives, have frequently honed an innate ability to think creatively about navigating adversity. This is because diversity of thought itself is a form of healthy disruption within an organization it challenges the status quo and provides opportunities for more creative problem-solving to take place. For that reason, the leaders and organizations that have learned to listen to their diverse individuals are often better equipped to address disruption and crisis. While inexperienced leaders may close ranks during a crisis and only seek the advice of those who share the same perspectives and, unfortunately, the same blind spots, experienced and effective leaders look more broadly for input. The best leaders have established relationships with individuals with different perspectives far in advance of any crisis and then can easily traverse complex conversations that might otherwise be uncomfortable or awkward. Empathy counts more than perfection. It has been observed before that leaders often get promoted because of technical competence, not because of emotional intelligence. The ability to prioritize other peoples safety, dignity and self-worth over ones own ambition or comfort is as critical in a crisis situation as it is unusual. And yet in crises even more than in steady times, empathy defines a leader that others will follow through the storm rather than abandon at the first opportunity. In the current global health crisis that has highlighted the socioeconomic differences in many organizations, this characteristic empathy will ultimately distinguish the leaders who are able to effectively reunite internal communities following the pandemic from those who do not and cannot. There is often the assumption that good people are good at empathy, but empathy requires practice. And the leaders who are most effective at navigating crises have practiced empathy in advance, and are equipped both to be challenged by events that highlight inequality and to address those events thoughtfully and without awkwardness or embarrassment. Effective leadership and great leaders are both more complex and more simple than we often acknowledge, and always a good deal more human than we are prepared to admit. Particularly in times of crisis, effective leaders are willing to recognize that the bright line we attempt to draw between our professional and personal selves is an apparition, and embrace the humanity in themselves and in those they seek to lead. MORE: Tuesday, September 15 Join Vinson & Elkins innovative Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Taskforce members for an exceptional series of conversations with industry insiders, top capital providers, and thought trailblazers on key developments and expectations regarding the alignment of corporate risks, oversight and strategy, and what the pandemic is teaching us about the future of ESG. Details are available here. Sarah Fortt is Counsel at Vinson & Elkins in Austin, TX. Her practice is focused on board-level matters and she regularly engages with boards, public and private, on matters regarding corporate governance, disclosure and regulation, and provides board education, representation and engagement on topics including corporate culture and disclosure, reporting requirements, ESG (environmental, social and governance) matters, investor engagement, board composition and board and c-suite succession planning and transition management. DCGI General Dr VG Somani on Friday ordered the pharma giant Serum Institute of India (SII) to suspend any new recruitment in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine till further orders. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr VG Somani on Friday ordered the pharma giant Serum Institute of India (SII) to suspend any new recruitment in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine till further orders. This DCGIs orders come soon after Serum Institute submitted their reply to Dr Somani giving an explanation on the show cause notice issued to the drugmaker as to why they did not halt the ongoing clinical trial of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 coronavirus vaccine candidate till doubts about patient safety are cleared. On 9 September ANI first reported that DCGI issued a show-cause notice to Serum Institute for not pausing the ongoing clinical trial of the COVID-19 vaccine. The apex drug controller issued a show-cause notice 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: Amid no breakthrough in talks, India increases deployment at fingers area in Pangong Tso Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput death case LIVE news updates: Rheas bail plea denied, Chakrabortys lawyer to move HC next week In an order issued on Friday, a copy of which is with ANI, the drugs regulator has said: 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 Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) in India, in the 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 phase 2 and 3 clinical trials till further orders. Increase the safety monitoring of the subjects already vaccinated with the vaccine under trial and submit the plan and report. Submit clearance from DSMB, UK and DSMB, India to obtain clearance from this office prior to the resumption of future recruitment in the trial, read the order. You (SII) have submitted your reply to the show cause notice vide your letter dated September 10. In your reply you have 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, it read. Further DSMB 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 doesnt pose any safety concern, stated DCGIs order. On Thursday, Serum Institute of India issued a statement: We are reviewing the situation and pausing India trials till AstraZeneca restarts the trials. We are following DCGIs instructions. 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. Also read: Kangana Targets Sonia Gandhi in latest tweet, says history will judge your silence Two west-central Illinois counties rejoined the states COVID-19 warning list Friday after being pulled last week. Morgan and Cass counties returned to warning level based on changes in two or more indicators, such as the number of new cases per 100,000 people, the number of deaths, or weekly test positivity rates. Cass County had spent more than a month with the high-risk designation before it dropped off last week. Schuyler County joined the list for the first time Friday. Greene County was on the list for the fifth week and Jersey County remained there for the third week. 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 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 and to 182 on Friday with the diagnosis of an additional case. Forty-seven of those cases are active and 132 have recovered, according to the health department. Greene County Health Department and the Illinois Department of Public Health have a free COVID-19 testing site open today and Sunday 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. 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. Morgan County recorded five new infections Friday, involving two teenage girls, a woman in her 20s, a man in his 20s and a man in his 80s, 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 606, with 541 people released from restrictions. There have been 21 coronavirus deaths in Morgan County. Cass County confirmed four new cases Friday, involving three teenage girls and a man in his 80s, according to Cass County Health Department. The countys total case count now is 348. The total number recovered is 310, with 11 deaths. Cass County was added back to the list of warning counties with case rates that are over six times the target for our county, according to a health department statement. As a county that is classified as orange, we know that there is an increased risk of spread in our community. This should be taken into account as Cass County residents make decisions on whether to attend social gatherings or be in places where social distancing is difficult. For those who cant avoid being in public, practice risk-reducing habits including social distancing and wearing a mask. Total cases in other west-central Illinois counties as of Friday were: 26 in Brown County (unchanged); 333 in Jersey County (unchanged); 455 in Macoupin County (up five); 2,117 in Sangamon County (up 31); 53 in Scott County (unchanged); and 32 in Schuyler County (unchanged), according to individual county health departments. Statewide, 2,145 new cases of coronavirus disease and 32 deaths were reported Friday, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. There have been 257,788 cases in Illinois and 8,273 deaths. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc addresses the meeting of the Government's permanent members on September 11 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked that each person and enterprise in Vietnam familiarise themselves with the new normal, while chairing a cabinet meeting on COVID-19 prevention and control on September 11. No new cases of community transmission have been reported for nine days and a continuous increase in the number of recoveries show that the disease has been brought under control nationwide, he said. He reiterated the need, however, to remain vigilant, especially in the health sector and at hospitals, as there remains a risk of the disease breaking out once more, especially with several re-opening measures being applied in the time ahead. Vietnam must continue working on the dual targets of disease prevention and economic development over the remainder of the year to achieve a positive growth rate, possibly 3 percent, he emphasised. He asked ministries, sectors, and localities to create the conditions necessary for trade to flourish, and required localities to stay ready to attract investment, especially from major partners. The Government leader asked the health sector to coordinate with ministries, sectors, and localities to publicise the latest disease prevention and control measures and to monitor and test all people entering Vietnam once international commercial flights resume. He urged the Transport Ministry to direct airlines to consider resuming commercial flights to and from several nations and regions and opening flights for those transiting through Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Laos, and Cambodia. The ministry was also requested to coordinate with the ministries of Health, National Defence, Public Security, and Foreign Affairs when considering issues relating to the re-opening of international flights, including selecting prioritised passengers and airports, monitoring and quarantining passengers, and taking test samples. He asked the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Transport to consider increasing the frequency of flights to and from countries that have not been so hard hit by the disease, to bring Vietnamese citizens home and facilitate investors, experts, and managers coming to the country. The ministries of National Defence and Public Security and localities need to control and strictly punish those illegally entering Vietnam, while the ministries of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Finance, and Planning and Investment are asked to continue submitting to the PM measures to carry out the second phase of the social welfare assistance package and propose other packages in support of others, especially the unemployed. FILE PHOTO: Visitors walk past a screen with the logo of Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo at the Atlapa Convention Center in Panama City By Andrea Shalal and Cassandra Garrison WASHINGTON/BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee on Saturday won election as president of the Inter-American Development Bank, the region's main economic development lender, making him the first U.S. citizen to lead the institution in its 61-year history. Mauricio Claver-Carone, Trump's senior Latin America adviser, told the bank's governors before voting began that he would be "a passionate advocate" for the bank, its staff and the region. He will take office on Oct. 1 and has pledged to serve only one five-year term. Trump's decision to nominate a U.S. candidate to head the bank broke with a tradition for the president to come from the region and sparked criticism from some Latin American countries, development groups and the European Union. But Claver-Carone won the backing of a majority of countries in the region. Thirty of the Bank's 48 governors voted for Claver-Carone, including 23 from the region, amounting to 66.8% of the vote, a spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council said. Three sources familiar with the vote said 16 countries abstained. Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Costa Rica - concerned about the precedent of the move - initially sought to delay the vote but failed to win sufficient backing to do so. The IDB vote turned into a geopolitical battle between the Trump administration, which is keen to gain leverage in resource-rich Latin America and counter the rise of China, and some in the region who wanted to retain control of the top job. Some countries also were concerned about electing Claver-Carone, a Trump loyalist, should Trump lose the Nov. 3 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden, whose campaign also criticized the nomination of the Cuba hawk. Argentina's foreign ministry thanked Chile, Mexico, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago and European Union countries for backing its decision to abstain from the vote, noting that the abstentions accounted for just over 31% of the votes cast. Story continues Chile reiterated discontent over the timing of the election, saying in a statement that a delay could have brought forward other candidates "who might have been able to convene, encourage dialogue and build consensus." Costa Rica said it decided to vote in favor of Claver-Carone after he committed to some proposals by former Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla, whom the country had planned to nominate for the job. Chinchilla dropped her bid to lead the IDB earlier in the month. Carone said he would work with member countries to "strengthen the bank, respond to the needs of the region and create opportunities for shared prosperity and economic growth." Claver-Carone is a key architect of the U.S. "America Rising" program, or "America Crece" aimed at accelerating private investment in the region. The Trump administration is also pushing U.S. companies to relocate manufacturing facilities from China to the Western Hemisphere. The IDB has been led by Latin Americans, with an American in the No. 2 job, since the institution's inception in 1959. Critics say electing Claver-Carone to head the bank and his pledge to appoint a Latin American as executive vice president sets a precedent that could harm Washington in the end by loosening its hold on the bank's No. 2 post. Senator Patrick Leahy, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the vote raised questions about Latin Americans "charting their own future" and signaled it could have consequences for U.S. funding of the institution. "...We need to review whether this is the best use of resources to assist the people of those countries, Leahy said in a statement to Reuters. (Reporting by Cassandra Garrison and Andrea Shalal; additional reporting by Alvaro Murillo; in San Jose; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Cynthia Osterman and Chizu Nomiyama) Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 08:56:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. - - - - RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Friday that the country is "practically winning" the battle against COVID-19 due to the reduction of average daily deaths caused by the virus over the last week. "We are practically winning (the battle against) the pandemic. The government has done everything possible to minimize its negative effects, either through emergency aid, which has reached 65 million people, or with help for micro and small companies, through credit," the president said at an event in the northeastern state of Bahia. - - - - QUITO -- Ecuador's National Committee for Emergency Operations, which is managing the health crisis caused by COVID-19, approved new guidelines on Friday that will come into force on Sept. 13 when the national state of emergency concludes. The new guidelines include requiring a negative COVID-19 PCR test in order to enter the country by air, while the country's land borders and seaports will remain closed. - - - - TUNIS -- Tunisia on Friday recorded 377 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total infections in the country to 6,259, said the Tunisian Ministry of Health. In its daily epidemiological report, the ministry confirmed four new deaths from COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 103. - - - - WASHINGTON -- A new ensemble forecast published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projects up to 217,000 COVID-19 deaths in the United States by Oct. 3. The new national ensemble forecast predicts that 3,300 to 8,000 new COVID-19 deaths will likely be reported during the week ending Oct. 3, and a total of 205,000 to 217,000 COVID-19 deaths will be reported by that date. - - - - BEIJING -- 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. - - - - BANGKOK -- Thailand's Ministry of Commerce on Friday reported that the country's cross-border trade fell 8.5 percent year-on-year in the first seven months, mostly due to the closure of border checkpoints amid COVID-19. Overall cross-border trade, including transit trade, totaled 741 billion baht (23.68 billion U.S. dollars) from January to July, said the Ministry's Foreign Trade Department. Enditem It took the photo finish camera to declare Babidibou the winner over Frido PV by a nose in the third leg of the Breeders Trophy Series for three-year-old trotters at Hippodrome 3R Friday (Sept. 11). The top eight point earners in the series will now return on Sunday, September 27 for the $65,000 finals and that means another rematch between Babidibou and Frido PV. The first race was the colt division of the series for a purse of $10,000 and as expected it was Frido PV and trainer-driver Yves St Jacques shooting to the early lead by the opening quarter mile in :30. Avoiding breaking horses, Babidibou and driver Stephane Gendron were able to move into second place and follow the live cover as Frido PV led past the half mile in an easy 1:01.2. Down the backstretch Tuscan Titan (Stephane Brosseau) challenged first-over past the three-quarters in 1:31.2 before going off-stride. On the final turn Gendron came out with Babidibou and they hooked up again Frido PV in a stride-for-stride race to the wire with Babidibou getting up by a nose in the final surge at the wire. The time of the race was 2:00. M Rosaire DLV (Martin Gingras) was third. For Frido PV it was the second time the son of Muscle Mass has lost a photo finish to Babidibou. Babidibou, the 2019 Quebec Champion, won his second straight for his fourth victory of the year. The gelded son of Royalty For Life is trained by Maxime Velaye and co-owned by Isidore Russo of Montreal and Guy Corbeil of Mirabel. He paid $2.60 to win. There was a full field of nine three-year-old trotting fillies in the $10,000 fifth race but none could hold a candle to Kinnder High Class, who pulled away from the field at the three-quarters to win by seven and one-half lengths. The started off with a fast pace as 50-1 Muscle Fern Jacky (Francis Picard) flew out of post eight to take the early lead and parked out a stubborn 99-1 Judys Program (Martin Gingras) to the first quarter mile in :28.3. As they came to the half mile in :59.4, Kinnder High Class with Pierre Luc Roy started up first-over with Miss Melodie (Stephane Gendron) grabbing the second-over cover. Down the backstretch driver Richard Simard took Lindas Pride three-wide and then at the three-quarters in 1:30.1, Roy asked Kinnder High Class for more and she responded with a burst of speed, winning in a romp in 1:59.4. Lindas Pride was second with HP Starlette (Stephane Brosseau) third. It was a lifetime mark for Kinnder High Class. The Royalty For Life filly notched her fifth win in eight starts this year for trainer, owner and breeder, Denitza Petrova of Melbourne. She paid just $2.10 to win. Track Notes: The 3R oval was in peak condition Friday as five of the eight race winners registered lifetime marks. Pierre Luc Roy led all horse people with a driving double. Live harness racing resumes at 3R on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. with an 11-race program and featured will be the final leg of the Future Stars Series for two-year-old pacing colts and fillies. There are two $10,000 divisions. To view the results from the Friday card, click the following link: Friday Results - Hippodrome 3R. (with files from the Quebec Jockey Club) (Newser) Details released in July already laid out that Naya Rivera died by accidental drowning. Now, an update reveals more of what happened in her final moments, including information obtained from her young son, who was with her on California's Lake Piru when she died. Per full autopsy and investigative reports from the Ventura County Medical Examiner obtained by People and The Hollywood Reporter, the Glee star's 4-year-old son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, told investigators that he and his mom had counted "1, 2, 3!" before jumping off their pontoon boat together into the water on July 8. Once they were in the water, the boy says, Rivera instructed him to get back in the boat. "She helped him onto the boat and then he ... heard [Naya] yell 'help' and she put her arm in the air," the investigative report notes. Rivera was then said to slip under the surface. story continues below While the 33-year-old actress was "considered to be a good swimmer" and was in generally OK health, the report adds that she did suffer from vertigo "that would get worse when she was in the water," and that could get to the point where she'd end up vomiting. She was said to use antihistamines to manage it. Rivera also had been on medication for a recent sinus infection, and toxicology tests she also had small amounts of anti-anxiety medication and an appetite suppressant in her system. The drugs were not IDed as factors in her death. Meanwhile, the toxicology report notes three cans of White Clawone empty, one opened but mostly full, and one unopenedwere found on the boat; the report notes Rivera had a BAC of 0.016. The man who rented Rivera the pontoon boat said she declined a life vest for herself, but he put one on the boat anyway, per THR. Her life vest was found on the boat. (Read more Naya Rivera stories.) Police in Belarus on September 12 arrested dozens of women who took part in a protest against the disputed reelection of longtime authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka and the detention of activists and others in the governments postelection crackdown. RFE/RLs Belarus Service said several thousand people gathered in the center of Minsk for what was planned as a womens march. Riot police reportedly warned the crowd that the gathering was not sanctioned before arresting demonstrators and forcing them into vans. Vyasna, a human rights organization in Belarus, said at least 45 people were detained in the capital city. A spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry, Volha Chemodanova, told the AFP news agency that "women had been detained" but could not say how many or provide additional details. Belsat, a Warsaw-based opposition television channel, said on the messaging application Telegram that two of its journalists covering the protest had also been detained. An RFE/RL correspondent said in some cases groups of women were defending others to prevent police from arresting them. Belarus has witnessed daily protests since the disputed August 9 presidential election. The 66-year-old Lukashenka, in power since 1994, was declared the winner, amid charges that the vote was rigged. No vote in Belarus under Lukashenka's rule has been deemed free or fair by the West. His main opposition challenger, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, now in Lithuania, said she won the poll with 60 to 70 percent of ballots. Thousands have been detained and hundreds beaten by the police in the governments postelection crackdown, sparking Western condemnation. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has for years pressed a reluctant Lukashenka on closer integration between the two countries, has backed the beleaguered Belarusian strongman who has maintained his grip on power by stifling civil society and the press. Putin and Lukashenka are due to hold their first face-to-face talks since the Belarusian crisis erupted in Sochi on September 14. Putin has promised Lukashenka aid, including possible military assistance under a bilateral military pact, including a police force. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said on September 11 that Russia risks losing the friendship of the Belarusian people if the Kremlin continues to back Lukashenka. 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. Biegun called on Lukashenka to hold talks with the Coordinating 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." His comments came as 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. "Why aren't you helping my little nation maintain its dignity and statehood," she said, addressing Russians. Alexievich, who is one of the seven members of the Coordinating Council's presidium, warned that, if Lukashenka doesn't negotiate, the problems will fester and "we will get nothing but a civil war." With reporting by Reuters I know that many will say every woman and family has the right to terminate her pregnancy, but an unborn child also has the right to live, one of them, Naira Zohrabian, wrote on Facebook this week. Zohrabian said that she and fellow BHK lawmaker Shake Isayan will circulate in the coming days a draft law on unborn childrens right to life. She did not say whether the initiative has been endorsed by their party led by businessman Gagik Tsarukian. Abortion has been legal in Armenia since Soviet times. Armenian law currently allows the procedure during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Citing official statistics, Zohrabian complained that as many as 434,000 abortions have been carried out in the country of about 3 million since 1991. The real number is definitely higher because in many cases terminations of pregnancy have been done illegally and not registered, she said. Zohrabian, who chairs the Armenian parliament committee on human rights, defended her initiative when she spoke to RFE/RLs Armenian service on Thursday. She said it is also necessarily for tackling the chronic problem of gender-based selective abortions in Armenia. Health experts and civic activists strongly objected to the proposed ban. Vahe Ter-Minasian, a Yerevan-based gynecologist, warned that it would force many women to undergo illegal and unsafe abortions or take abortion pills that can also be dangerous to their health. Ter-Minasian further argued that selective abortions are already illegal in Armenia. Tsovinar Harutiunian, the head of the Yerevan office of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), likewise insisted that a blanket ban on abortions would not prevent widespread gender-based terminations of pregnancy. We believe that we will solve this problem in the long term if we increase the role of girls and women in the society, Harutiunian told RFE/RLs Armenian service. She said that recent years government and civil society efforts to curb selective abortions have already borne some fruit. The disparity between the numbers of newborn boys and girls in the country eased from 115-to-100 in 2015 to 110-to-100 in 2019, she said. Zaruhi Hovannisian, a women rights activist, was even more critical of the proposed anti-abortion law, accusing the BHK of exploiting the issue for political purposes. Its an attempt to solve political issues by rallying reactionary masses around that political force, she charged. The Hraparak daily quoted Zohrabian as saying on Friday that she is planning to meet next week with representatives of non-governmental organizations concerned about her initiative. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 23:34:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Both Britons and Europeans woke up Friday to find that they seemed to be back in 2019 again: a wide gap remains between Britain and the European Union (EU) over the post-Brexit trade talks, which ended here Thursday night with no progress. The British government has rejected the EU's demand that London abandon its lawbreaking Brexit plan to override key elements of the Withdrawal Agreement, leaving the trade talks hanging in the balance. In a hastily arranged meeting here Thursday, European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic demanded Britain to withdraw the new bill "by the end of the month" or risk jeopardising trade talks. In response, British Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove insisted the government "could not and would not" drop measures in legislation tabled earlier this week. It prompted Sefcovic to accuse Britain of an "extremely serious violation" of international law. The eighth round of the Britain-EU trade talks and the emergency meeting both ended here Thursday with "significant differences" remaining between the two sides. A new round of trade talks will resume next week in Brussels even though Britain has rejected the EU's ultimatum. In fact, all Brexit negotiations are inter-linked: the Britain-EU trade talks, the process to implement their divorce deal, negotiations on fishing rights and Brussels' deliberation on British financial service. Britain published Wednesday the controversial UK Internal Markets 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 is intended to ensure Northern Ireland can continue to enjoy unfettered access to markets in the rest of Britain. It was published after London brushed aside warnings from Brussels that breaching the treaty would prevent any trade deal from being struck. North Ireland was one of the sticking issues in the Brexit talks last year. This reminds the world of what was going on in 2019 about the Brexit talks: the negotiations were deadlocked with trust and time running out on both sides. At the end of Thursday's meeting, Gove said he made it "perfectly clear" that London was not prepared to back down. The EU said this had "seriously damaged trust" and it would take legal action against Britain. After the latest round of negotiations, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said that "trust and confidence are and will be key" in the talks. Sefcovic said the British side needed now to rebuild trust which had been "seriously damaged" by the events of the past days. The provisions in the new 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 Britain refused. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set a deadline of Oct. 15 for an agreement to be reached. Otherwise he has said he will simply walk away from the negotiating table. Currently, the prime minister faces intense pressure from Brussels and his own Tory party to scrap parts of the bill that breach international law. On Thursday night, as many as 30 Tory lawmakers were reportedly prepared to rebel over the bill. By September last year, Johnson was preparing to face down the House of Commons (lower house of parliament) about plans encompassing a no-deal Brexit. As another series launches, Johnson also insists he "won't back down" and the status of the Northern Ireland Protocol is again being horse-traded before the final autumn deadline for a trade deal. It is 2019 once again: London and Brussels are being locked in a clash over Brexit talks, with similar threats, similar pressures and similar dilemma. However, hopes still remain that the two sides of the English Channel can still break the deadlock as their talks are not really collapsing at this moment. Enditem JERUSALEM - Thousands of Israelis demonstrated outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus official residence in central Jerusalem late Saturday, demanding he resign over his trial on corruption charges and what is widely seen as his mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic. With Israel reporting record levels of new coronavirus cases each day, the country appears to be headed toward a nationwide lockdown this week ahead of the Jewish New Year. Saturdays demonstration came a day after Israel announced an agreement to establish diplomatic relations with Bahrain, the second Arab country to normalize ties with Israel in under a month and just the fourth overall. But the surprise announcement had little effect on the thousands of demonstrators, who have been gathering outside Netanyahus residence every Saturday throughout the summer. Protests against Netanyahu over his corruption trial have expanded to include demonstrations against his handling of the health crisis and the resulting economic pain. Late Saturday, police detained several protesters. Israel earned praise last spring for its early handling of the virus crisis, moving quickly to seal the countrys borders and appearing to bring an outbreak under control. But Netanyahu has come under criticism for reopening the economy too quickly in May. Since then, new cases have soared, the government has been blamed for mismanaging the resurgence and unemployment has soared to double digit levels. Many struggling workers and business owners fear another closure will be devastating. Many of the demonstrators are unemployed. Last week Netanyahu announced overnight curfews on some 40 cities and towns hit hard by the coronavirus, but backed away from reported recommendations for full lockdowns after an uproar by politically powerful religious politicians. Netanyahu has been charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes for his role in a series of scandals involving gifts and alleged favours exchanged with wealthy associates. He denies any wrongdoing and accuses police, prosecutors and the media of conspiring to oust him. He has dismissed the protesters as leftists and anarchists. Read more about: When Kanye West announced on Twitter that he was running for president in the November election, Kim Kardashian West was one of the first people to show her support for the rappers political ambitions. However, many are now wary of the reality stars support for her husband, especially after rumors of divorce surfaced online. While the Wests have allegedly been making strides to save their relationship and are now in a much better place, we cant help but wonder, does West still have his wifes support as he continues his run for the presidency? Kim Kardashian and Kanye West | David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Kim Kardashian and Kanye Wests reported marriage problems made headlines in July 2020 The drama first kicked off on July 19, 2020, when West held his very first presidential campaign in South Carolina. During the event, the rapper revealed that he and Kardashian West considered aborting their eldest daughter North. Though Wests comment took many by surprise, it left the reality star upset. According to sources, the KKW Beauty mogul wasnt thrilled that her husband revealed such personal information. They also claimed that the couples relationship had started to deteriorate due to Wests remarks. While Kardashian West didnt comment on the state of her marriage at that time, the Selah rapper seemingly confirmed that he and the reality star had been going through a rough patch lately. Following his rally, West took to Twitter and made a string of shocking claims. One of which was that he had been trying to divorce the mother of his children since 2018. RELATED: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Reunited and Fans are Thrilled Seeing Them Together I been trying to get divorced since Kim met with Meek at the Warldolf for prison reform,' he wrote in a now-deleted tweet. In addition to that, West also accused Kardashian West of trying to lock him up and have doctors attempted to 5150 him at his Wyoming ranch. After days of silence, Kardashian West released a statement on Instagram, implying that West had been struggling with bipolar disorder before asking the world to show compassion. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are living apart but still spending quality time together On July 27, Kardashian West flew out to Wyoming to visit West at his ranch. Upon her arrival, the reality star was seen crying as she and the rapper conversed inside his car. A day later, Kardashian West was seen leaving the ranch without her husband. While many speculated what the couple could have possibly talked about in the car, a source later told People that the Wests had had a heated conversation about their future together. She isnt getting back what she needs from Kanye, the source shared. She was to the point that she flew to Cody to basically tell him their marriage is over and to say goodbye. After that, many were convinced that a divorce announcement was on the horizon. However, West eventually offered his wife an apology via Twitter. In early August, insiders revealed that the couple had traveled to the Caribbean with their four kids to focus on their marriage. Later that same month, the A-listers took a week-long family trip to Colorado in an attempt to breathe new life into their marriage. Where do Kim Kardashian and Kanye West currently stand in their marriage? Following their trip to Colorado, the Wests returned home but not to the same property. According to People, West flew back to his Wyoming ranch while Kardashian West headed to Los Angeles. While they are in a much better place in their marriage, insiders revealed to the outlet that the pair are choosing to live apart for the time being. RELATED: People Are Criticizing Kanye West for Moving Away From Kim Kardashian and Their Kids Kim still seems focused on making her marriage work, the source shared. She is pretty quiet about her exact plans for the future, but for now she seems okay with Kanye living in Wyoming. He is moving ahead with the presidential campaign. This is a decision that no one can change his mind about. As for where their relationship stands today, Kardashian and West are continuing to work on their marriage. But despite doing so while still living apart, its been reported that the couple is doing well. Kim and Kanye are doing well, a separate source recently told People Kanye is in a better mental state. Their marriage still needs work, but Kim is getting across to him. He is not shutting her out and wants to be with his family. Does Kim Kardashian still support Kanye Wests presidential campaign? Though Kardashian West is not very happy about West continuing his presidential campaign, insiders claim that she still supports his aspirations as she wants him to do whatever makes him happy. Kim continues to be incredibly patient and understanding about Kanyes desire to run for president, the source says. She just wants to get through the next few months peacefully. She is kind of standing back while Kanye does whatever makes him happy. Lets hope KimYe can keep this positivity going! French President Emmanuel Macron has urged European leaders to adopt a tough response to Turkey over its drilling plans in the Eastern Mediterranean. Despite a show of unity, consensus may be far off. An emergency summit in Corsica by leaders of seven European countries has wrapped up with a new warning to Turkey to end its "unilateral and illegal activities" in Mediterranean waters. Called for by France, the MED7 summit was aimed at adopting a "united and clear voice" on Europe's policy towards Ankara, ahead of a full EU summit later this month. Macron and the leaders of Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Greece and Cyprus agreed to back EU sanctions against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan unless it fails to end its "confrontational actions". But not all countries at the Corsica summit had Turkey on top of their minds. Different priorities "There are core differences," says Emmanuel Dupuy, president of the Institute of European Perspective and Security Studies (IPSE) in Paris. Despite the "polite show of unity" at the press conference following the talks, Dupuy noted that each leader had a different view when they took the floor. "Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Spain's Pedro Sanchez and Italy's Giuseppe Conte all said it was just as important to tackle migration or EU cooperation towards the southern part of the Mediterranean as it was the Turkish issue," he told RFI. Indeed, Italy, Spain and Malta are more concerned about migrant boats arriving from North Africa to their shores. While Portugal has little stake in the tensions around the eastern Mediterranean. French-Turkish ties Tensions have ratcheted up a notch ever since Turkey announced plans for energy exploration near a Greek island an area Ankara says is on its continental shelf, but which Greece also claims. Last month, France sent warships to the region that is already teeming with naval activity in a show of support for Greece and Cyprus. That triggered the ire of Ankara and a war of words between the two Nato allies. Paris said ahead of Thursday's summit that Ankara was "no longer a reliable partner" in light of its conduct in the Mediterranean and in Libya another area of tension between them. Turkey responded that Macron should quit trying "to give lessons by speaking pedantically with his old colonial reflexes". Turkey has repeatedly lashed out at France for extending its long history of colonialism, notably in Africa. On Thursday, even as EU powers gathered to mull sanctions on Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu wrapped up an African tour in Senegal. "The Turkish Foreign Minister was in Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and last month in Benin, Niger and Chad," comments Dupuy. "It is symbolic because Turkey is opening up new fronts to challenge France's position in its former territories." Good cop, bad cop Despite their rhetorical broadsides, Dupuy doubts it will lead to conflict. "Harsh words are better than a military option which is not on the table." The fiery language however is unlikely to facilitate mediation efforts being led by Germany, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency. "Macron is playing the bad cop" in facing down Turkey. "Germany is letting it so it can play the role of good cop," says Dupuy. He reckons Germany's position has been strengthened following the Corsica summit, while France leaves isolated. Going it alone "France has shown a robust solidarity for Greece which is absolutely not the case for other European partners. It was very clear in the words of Conte, Sanchez and Costa that we need Turkey. We cannot have cooperation with all of the Mediterranean countries without Turkey. "Their message to France is: we can back you but only to a certain point," he said. Victoria's health department has discovered how a hotel quarantine security guard spread the coronavirus to an aged care home. A Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) report tendered to Victoria's Hotel Quarantine Inquiry has linked a case associated with an Embracia Aged Care facility genomically to the Rydges hotel on Swanston St. A formal link has been pinpointed to a female security guard at Rydges hotel who shared a home with an aged care worker at Embracia, The Age reported. Pictured: Embracia Aged Care Home, Reservoir. A security guard from Rydges shared a home with an Embracia aged care worker who took the virus to Reservoir, infecting two others An elderly patient is removed from an aged care facility in Melbourne on July 31 This link only relates to two cases at the Embracia Reservoir aged care facility. Victoria's horror outbreak has so far killed 716 people, of which more than 550 were elderly, as the virus ripped through aged care homes. The state recorded 37 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday to bring the total to 19,800 of which 1,251 are active infections. Of those now sick, 625 active cases are related to aged care facilities, the DHHS said on Saturday, which is down from 861 a week ago. Victoria's second wave began in May when, instead of assigning Victoria Police to secure hotel quarantine, the Andrews Government instead hired private security firms. A Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) report tendered to Victoria's Hotel Quarantine Inquiry has linked a case associated with Embracia Aged Care facility genomically to the Rydges hotel on Swanston St. Pictured: Rydges on July 14 A medical worker enters an aged care facility on July 30. Victoria's health department has found how one hotel quarantine security guard spread the coronavirus to an aged care home Private security guards spread the coronavirus into the community after working at the Swanston St Rydges in Carlton and the Stamford Plaza in the CBD. The DHHS report found that a Rydges security guard lived with an Embracia staff member who worked at the aged care facility in Reservoir, in Melbourne's northern suburbs, and passed on the virus in June, leading to two cases there. The staff member did not work at Embracia's other care home in Avondale Heights, Moonee Valley, where a major outbreak killed five and infected 46 people connected to the centre. The Moonee Valley outbreak spread from the Menarock aged care home in Essendon where seven died and 68 people contracted the virus. Last month, the inquiry heard how 90 per cent of cases in the second outbreak can be traced to a family who moved into the Rydges on Swanston hotel on May 15 after displaying coronavirus symptoms Embracia managing director Sarah McKenzie said contact tracing by DHHS had often contained wrong information, including an attempt to trace a resident who died before the pandemic even started. When a coronavirus case was identified, elderly residents had to isolate in their rooms for long periods and that even when residents at the Moonee Valley centre had tested negative 10 times, they still werent allowed out. Ms McKenzie said some residents spent more than 40 days without symptoms, in their rooms alone. Victoria's Hotel Quarantine Inquiry is probing the decision to hire private security firms instead of using the police or military. Last month, the inquiry heard how 90 per cent of cases in the second outbreak can be traced to a family who moved into the Rydges on Swanston hotel on May 15 after displaying coronavirus symptoms. Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton will face the inquiry this coming week along with police chief Shane Patton and Emergency Management Victoria Commissioner Andrew Crisp. The execution of infrastructural projects in the Old Tafo Municipality has received a commendation from residents. The projects, which are being executed by the central government and the Old Tafo Municipal Assembly, are opening up the Municipality for economic growth, according to residents. They have therefore pledged to show appreciation to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the December elections for keeping faith with them. They expressed their excitement when the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Fred Obeng Owusu visited some project sites to inspect the progress of work. Some of them told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the construction of roads, in particular, had given the Municipality a facelift. Hawa Misbau, a middle-aged resident of the Old Ash FM area, said the construction of some drains in front of her house had saved her family from perennial flooding of their house whenever it rained heavily. She said for many years, the house had always been submerged by flood waters during rainy seasons but since the construction of the drains the situation had changed. Other commuters also narrated how vehicles could not use that portion of the road due to flooding anytime it rained and commended the Assembly for fixing the problem. They said the situation forced them to use other alternative roads which increased their operational cost and applauded the MCE and his team for addressing the problem. Some residents, who live along the OKESS Junction, Suame Magazine stretch which is also under construction were full of praise to the government for constructing the road. According to them, the poor nature of the road coupled with a dusty environment was a source of discomfort for residents and urged the contractor to speed up work to bring them some relief. The MCE said the Assembly would continue to address the pressing needs of the people to improve their livelihoods through socio-economic development. He said a total of four kilometres of roads at Ahenbronum was constructed with bitumen surfacing under the Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programme with another 8.5 kilometres asphalted by the central government. Mr Owusu said the NPP government was committed to the development and urged the electorate to reward the party in the forthcoming elections. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video An autopsy report released Friday reveals 'Glee' actress Naya Rivera raised her arm and called for help as she accidentally drowned while boating with her four-year-old son on a California lake. Rivera and her son Josey Hollis Dorsey had been swimming in the lake. Once she had helped him back on to the boat the boy 'noticed the decedent put her arm up in the air and yelled `help,' the report from the Ventura County Medical Examiner says. 'The decedent then disappeared in to the water.' Authorities had previously said that Rivera had drowned after putting Josey back on the boat at Lake Piru northwest of Los Angeles on July 8, but had not mentioned her shouting for help. Rivera's mother Yolanda told investigators that her daughter 'knew how to swim well,' the report said. 'Yolanda stated that according to Josey, he and the decedent counted '1,2,3,' and then jumped off the boat together,' the report reads. 'Shortly after they jumped in the water, the decedent told Josey to get back on the boat. She helped him onto the boat and he then heard the decedent yell 'help' and she put her arm in the air. She then disappeared into the water,' the report added. Scroll down for video An autopsy report released Friday says 'Glee' actor Naya Rivera raised her arm and called for help as she accidentally drowned while boating with her four-year-old son on a California lake. She is pictured above with son Josey Rivera's body was found five days after she disappeared and was floating in an area of the lake that is about 30 feet deep. Her body is seen being recovered above Rivera played Santana in the hit TV show Glee. Her death at 33 has been ruled accidental From child actress to Glee star: The life of Naya Rivera Naya Rivera, age four, as Hillary Winston on the CBS sitcom The Royal Family Naya Rivera was born to former model Yolanda Rivera and actor George Rivera on January 12, 1987, in Santa Clarita, California. She began her acting career at just months old, starring as a baby in adverts for Kmart before landing a significant role as Hillary Winston on the CBS sitcom The Royal Family at the age of four. Rivera's personal life came into in the spotlight during her stint on Glee, which began in 2009. She started dating artist Big Sean in April 2013, becoming engaged in October 2013 but ending the relationship six months later - later hinting that she had caught him cheating with singer Ariana Grande. Talking about the split in her book she wrote: 'We'd been fighting for five straight days while he was traveling, and then on the one day that he was back in LA, he said he didn't want to see me. 'Well, a******, I've got a key to your house. I walk in, go downstairs, and guess what little girl is sitting cross-legged on the couch listening to music? 'It rhymes with 'Smariana Schmande.'' She then began dating actor Ryan Dorsey, who she had previously dated in her early 20s. The pair married on July 19, 2014 in Cabo, San Lucas, Mexico - using the same date set for her marriage to Big Sean. Seven months later they announced they were having a son, Josey Hollis, who was born in September 2015. In November 2016 the couple filed for divorce. They briefly reconciled until November 2017, when Rivera was arrested and charged in Kanawha County, West Virginia, with misdemeanor domestic battery against Dorsey. She allegedly hit him in the head during a row over their child, but charges were later dropped. The couple finally divorced in 2018 and split custody of Josey. Rivera's stint on Glee won her nominations for numerous accolades. She had secured the breakthrough role at the age of 22 after years playing guest roles and recurring TV parts in shows including Baywatch and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. During this time, in 2011, she signed to Columbia Records and launched a solo singing career, releasing a single with rapper Big Sean in 2013 - who she was then dating - titled Sorry. Rivera made her movie debut as Vera in the horror film At the Devil's Door in 2014, then returned to TV to play the reoccurring role of Blanca on Devious Maids in 2015. A year later she published her memoir, at the age of 29, titled Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up. Rivera's brother Mychal Rivera is a former NFL player for the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars. Her sister Nickayla Rivera is a model. Advertisement The man who rented her the pontoon boat said she declined a life vest, but he put one aboard anyway. The report revealed that the 33-year-old had previous problems with vertigo, had a recent sinus infection, and had a small amount of prescribed amphetamines in her system, but did not identify physical conditions or the prescribed drugs as factors in her death. The report stated that Rivera 'used a marijuana vape pen and she would smoke about a pack of cigarettes per week'. It also said Rivera had 'no known history of suicidal ideation or attempt.' Toxicology tests also showed she had small, therapeutic amounts of the anti-anxiety drug diazepam and the appetite suppressant phentermine in her system. She had a blood alcohol level of .016%. Three 12-ounce cans of White Claw hard seltzer were found on Rivera's boat. One was empty, another was about three-quarters full and the third was unopened. The remainder of a 12 pack was found in her car. Investigators found her purse on the boat. In it was her cellphone, syringes with a still-unidentified pink fluid substance, ID and a filled prescription slip for amphetamine. The autopsy report states: 'Based on the autopsy findings, known circumstances surrounding the death, and absence of anatomic or toxicological explanation for the death, as currently understood, the cause of death is drowning, and the manner of death is accident.' Josey, Rivera's son with her former husband, actor Ryan Dorsey, was found sleeping and alone on the drifting boat later that afternoon. Five days later, her body was found floating in an area of the lake that is about 30 feet deep. According to her death certificate she died within minutes. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office said she was most likely trapped in thick vegetation underwater for several days before floating to the top. The day before her death, Rivera tweeted a photo of herself with Josey that read, 'just the two of us.' In her memoir, she called him 'my greatest success, and I will never do any better than him.' After her death Rivera's family released a statement which read: 'Heaven gained our sassy angel. 'We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers for Naya, Josey and our family over the past week. 'While we grieve the loss of our beautiful legend, we are blessed to honor her everlasting legacy and magnetic spirit. Naya was an amazing talent, but was an even greater person, mother, daughter and sister. 'Thank you to the men and women of the Ventura, Tulare, and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Departments for your commitment and unwavering effort to find Naya. 'We extend endless gratitude and ovation to the heroine who found her. Thank you to her friends, colleagues, and fans for your continuous support.' After her death her ex-husband Dorsey paid tribute to her and promised Josey would grow up knowing 'his momma loved him more than life.' 'Life is all about good times and bad times but with Josey it makes the bad a little less so because a part of you will always be with us. 'He'll never forget where he came from. We miss you. We will always love you.' Rivera's death was the third of a major cast member of 'Glee,' the Fox TV musical comedy that Rivera starred in from 2009 to 2015, playing a singing and dancing lesbian cheerleader Santana. The day before her death, Rivera tweeted a photo of herself with Josey that read, 'just the two of us.' In her memoir, she called him 'my greatest success, and I will never do any better than him' Security camera at the boat launch captured Naya Rivera and her son arrived to rent a pontoon boat at Lake Piru Naya Rivera's father, George Rivera, second from right, and mother Yolanda, second from left, with members of Ventura County Sheriff's Office, are seen in a boat after Naya Rivera's body was found in Lake Piru on Monday, July 13 The show has been dubbed as having a 'curse' after a string of heartbreaks and horrors surrounding it. Rivera's body was found seven years to the day after co-star Cory Monteith died at 31 from a toxic mix of alcohol and heroin. Another co-star, Mark Salling, who Rivera dated at one point, killed himself in 2018 at age 35 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges. Rivera's distraught mom was pictured crumpled on the banks of the lake as the search for the missing Glee star entered its fourth day. Her body was recovered on the fifth day of the search After her death her ex-husband Dorsey paid tribute to her and promised Josey would grow up knowing 'his momma loved him more than life'. They are pictured together in 2015 The Glee Curse: How TV's cheeriest show has been plagued by tragedy and scandal... including drug overdoses, pedophilia, suicide, domestic abuse and on-set bullying By Ciara Farmer for MailOnline While Glee was easily one of the cheeriest shows to ever grace television screens, behind-the-scenes a murky curse has long-prevailed among its troubled cast and crew. The death of Naya Rivera comes among a string of heartbreaks and horrors surrounding the show, including Cory Monteith's accidental drug overdose in 2013, Naya's ex-boyfriend Mark Salling's conviction for possession of child pornography and subsequent suicide and recent rumors of unrest on-set. The show ran for six seasons from 2009 to 2015 and throughout its time on air and the years following, trauma has reigned supreme - leading to claims of a 'Glee Curse'. Not so Glee-ful: While Glee was easily one of the cheeriest shows to ever grace television screens, behind-the-scenes a murky curse has long-prevailed among its troubled cast and crew (Pictured top row L-R: Chord Overstreet, Harry Shum Jr., Naya Rivera, Dianna Agron, Iqbal Theba, Heather Morris, Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch. Bottom row L-R: Kevin McHale, Mark Salling (floor), Amber Riley, Jenna Ushkowitz, Cory Monteith, Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison in 2011) CORY MONTEITH'S FATAL DRUG AND DRINK BATTLE In what was the start of the show's behind-the-scenes demise, on 13 July 2013, Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson, was found dead of a drugs overdose aged 31 in his Vancouver hotel room, after taking a lethal combination of heroin and alcohol. Four months before his death he had completed a stint in rehab. Cory Monteith played Finn Hudson Cory was dating Lea Michele at the time of his death. After news broke of his overdose, it was revealed that Lea rang his mother, hysterical and screaming: 'Is it true?' Following his passing, she released a statement. Through her representative, the actress said: 'Lea is deeply grateful for all the love and support she's received from family, friends, and fans. Since Cory's passing, Lea has been grieving alongside his family and making appropriate arrangements with them. They are supporting each other as they endure this profound loss together.' Lea, who is expecting her first child with husband Zandy Reich, began dating Cory in 2012, and after his death, she said: 'There was no greater man than Cory. So, for the time we spent together, I consider myself very lucky.' Five years after his death, Cory's mother Ann McGregor insisted her son had been on pain medication following dental work to cap his teeth in the weeks before his overdose and that he 'never meant to die'. She said he had battled his fair share of demons from a young age, drinking and smoking marijuana from 13, and with two stints in rehab by the time he was 19. While he managed to get clean for a time, he fell back into bad habits when he went to Hollywood. Ann, who admitted her son began using drugs again in December 2012, seven months before his death, said: 'He wasn't ready for the Hollywood world. Drugs were his way of checking out'. After his death, she said: 'I still can't pick up the pieces. My world totally stopped. And I'm a different person than I was before.' Heartbreaking: Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson on the show and dated his co-star Lea Michele up to the time of his death, was found dead of a drugs overdose aged 31 in his Vancouver hotel room, after taking a lethal combination of heroin and alcohol (PICTURED, LEFT, WITH LEA IN 2012, RIGHT, IN 2010) MARK SALLING'S HORRENDOUS CHILD PORN CONVICTION AND DEATH The most horrific of the show's woes was undoubtedly Mark Salling's 2015 arrest and subsequent conviction in 2017 for possession of more than 50,000 images and 600 videos which showed girls, some of whom as young as three, being raped. It was described as 'the worst pornography collection the nation has seen'. Mark Salling played Noah 'Puck' Puckerman Salling, who played Noah 'Puck' Puckerman on the show, had tried to conceal them by masking his IP address and storing them on an encrypted hard drive. They were revealed to police by an ex-girlfriend who he showed them to. She was sickened and notified authorities. In his plea deal, the extent of his collection was described in harrowing detail. He was found dead from suicide by hanging on 30 January 2018 near his home in Sunland, Los Angeles. His death came shortly before his sentencing, which was due to take place on March 7. He had attempted suicide the previous year by slashing his wrists, after which he was treated for psychological problems. Salling dated Naya from 2007 to 2010. In her 2016 memoir, Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up, the actress admitted that she was not surprised by his horrendous convictions. She wrote: 'I can't say I was totally shocked. When Mark dumped me, I thought it was the worst thing ever, but can you imagine if that didn't happen?... 'And I was laying there in bed when the battering ram came through the door?' Prior to his death, in January 2013, Salling's ex-girlfriend Roxanne Gorzela accused him of sexual battery by forcing her to have unprotected sex without consent. He denied the charges and filed a countersuit for defamation. In March 2015, they out of court with judges ordering him to pay her $2.7million. Horror: The most horrific of the show's woes was undoubtedly Mark Salling's 2015 arrest and subsequent conviction in 2017 for possession of more than 50,000 images and 600 videos which showed girls, some of whom as young as three, being raped (PICTURED, LEFT, ARRIVING AT COURT IN DECEMBER 2017, RIGHT, WITH EX NAYA RIVERA IN 2009) LEA MICHELE'S DRAMA BEHIND THE SCENES Lea Michele, who played Rachel Berry on the show, has been plagued with rumours in recent weeks, after a host of cast and crew members have come forth to accuse the leading lady of bullying on-set. Accusations of on-set bullying began with a tweet from Lea's co-star Samantha Ware last month, accusing her of being rude to her on-set and behaving with 'traumatic microaggressions'. Lea Michele played Rachel Berry Others then piled on to the actress with allegations of their own, including Heather Morris, Dabier Snell and Yvette Nicole Brown. Lea was subsequently dropped by her sponsor, HelloFresh. Morris, 33, who played cheerleader Brittany S. Pierce on the Ryan Murphy show, claims Michele was 'very' unpleasant to work with, saying: 'Was she unpleasant to work with? Very much so; for Lea to treat others with the disrespect that she did for as long as she did, I believe she SHOULD be called out.' Lea apologised and said she has 'never judged others by their background or color of their skin.' She also insisted she will learn from the mistakes she has made so she 'can be a real role model for my child' when she gives birth in a couple of months. Naya and Lea famously had on-set friction, with the former writing in her book: 'One of the Glee writers once said that Lea and I were like two sides of the same battery and that about sums us up. We are both strong willed and competitive not just with each other but with everyone and that's not a good mixture... 'We're all stressed, yes, but we're all working toward the same goal, so laugh it off and keep it movin'. Lea was a lot more sensitive, though, and it seemed like she blamed me for anything and everything that went wrong.' Shocker: Lea Michele, who played Rachel Berry on the show, has been plagued with rumours in recent weeks, after a host of cast and crew members have come forth to accuse the leading lady of bullying on-set (PICTURED, LEFT, LEA FRONTING HELLO FRESH, RIGHT, SAMANTHA WARE ON GLEE SET) CREW MEMBERS' PASSING: 'WE'VE LOST ANOTHER ONE' Between 2013 and 2014, the show saw three heartbreaking deaths. Three months after Cory's 2013 death, assistant director Jim Fuller passed away in his sleep, from heart failure. Production assistant Nancy Motes In Season Four, a subtle shout-out was given to Jim, while Glee cinematographer Joaquin Sedillo wrote on Twitter after his death: 'This is such sad news. Jim was such a great guy and was so good to me always.' Then in 2014, the cast were left 'devastated' by the death of the production assistant Nancy Motes, the sister of Julia Roberts. Nancy died aged 37, after drowning in a bath on February 9, 2014. She was found surrounded by non-prescription and prescription pills, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner. She claimed in her suicide note that the actress was so cruel that she 'drove me into the deepest depression I've ever been in'. She described the Oscar-winning star as a 'so-called sibling' who should get nothing if she died - except the memory that she pushed her over the edge. In the handwritten note, which was used as evidence in court amid a legal battle over her estate, Nancy said that Roberts' abuse had been so bad that 'I burst into tears because I wake up'. Following Nancy's tragic death, fellow production assistant Cristina Lageman spoke to MailOnline about Jim's death, Nancy's suicide and the concerns over 'a curse' on the show'. Cristina said: 'She was such a good friend to me. It's just shocking. Yes, she had her own little struggles, but when we got together, we just bonded and she never let them get to her. It's such a shock, what with Cory passing last year, then we had a crew member, Jim Fuller, die. Now we've got this hit and it's almost too much. 'Glee was like a family. We spent 12 hours a day together. We would refer to each other as The Glee Family. Colleagues have been posting on Facebook: 'We've lost another one.' Further pain: Production assistant Nancy Motes, the sister of Julia Roberts, died aged 37, after drowning in a bath on February 9, 2014. She was found surrounded by non-prescription and prescription pills, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner (JULIA ROBERTS AND HER SISTER NANCY PICTURED IN 2002) 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. 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. Two more cases of coronavirus related to a party held this summer by College of the Holy Cross students have been detected in Worcester, officials said Friday. In total, 23 cases are connected to that party, which was held in mid-August. Students who tested positive are no longer considered to have active cases, officials said. Holy Cross has said that any students who host a party will be held accountable under the colleges student conduct policy but has declined to specify what the consequences may be. Last week, Northeastern University in Boston dismissed 11 first-year students who were found partying at the Westin Copley Place Hotel. Separate from the Holy Cross party, another 15 cases of coronavirus have been reported at Holy Cross, according to city of Worcester spokesman Walter Bird. Holy Cross has a reduced number of students on campus this semester. The college is requiring testing twice per week for students accessing campus, as well as for certain classifications of faculty and staff, based on the amount of time on campus and the level of exposure to others," a spokesman said. A Holy Cross coronavirus dashboard indicates that there have been 2,105 coronavirus tests performed on campus, with one positive test detected Friday. There are 11 estimated active cases, according to the dashboard. Campus tests do not include those tested in connection with the party. A few students among the colleges 15 reported cases were tested outside of campus, which is why the dashboard only shows 10 student cases. Other institutions in Worcester have reported a small number of coronavirus cases in recent weeks. Some students may have already recovered from the virus following the positive test. There have been 11 positive tests at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Bird said, though WPIs coronavirus dashboard notes that there have been zero cases detected in the last seven days and 10 cases in the last 30 days. There are currently three students in isolation at WPI, according to the dashboard. In the last 30 days, 23,184 tests have been performed at WPI, according to the dashboard, with 7,322 of those tests performed in the last seven days. At Clark University, there have been four positive cases. Clarks coronavirus dashboard indicates a total of 21,162 tests have been performed this semester, with no positive tests in the past seven days. There are no students in isolation at Clark as of Thursday, according to the dashboard. The last positive test at Clark was detected on Aug. 21, the dashboard indicates. Assumption University currently has three cases, according to its dashboard. Two people who tested positive have recovered, according to the dashboard. There are no students isolated on campus, the dashboard indicates, and 7,948 tests have been performed. Bird said the city is not aware of cases at any other colleges or universities in the city. Other institutions in Worcester are Becker College, Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester State University, UMass Medical School and MCPHS University. Worcester on Friday reported that 140 new coronavirus cases have been detected citywide since last week. In total, the city has seen 6,041 cases of the virus through the pandemic. Related Content: For personifying the motto "Rangers lead the way," President Donald Trump accorded the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration, to U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Thomas "Patrick" Payne. Payne earned the award for his part in a daring rescue mission in Iraq in October 2015, which led to the liberation of 75 Iraqis who were held hostage by ISIS. Payne, whom Trump described as one of the bravest men anywhere in the world, is the first living member of the elite Delta Force to receive the award, according to a report on Fox News. The award was given on the September 11 anniversary of terror attacks in the U.S. in a ceremony at the White House. Incidentally, it was the 9/11 terror attacks that prompted Payne to join the army straight out of high school. He told the ABC News that when the Twin Towers in New York fell, he saw it as a call to service and love for country. He then decided to join the 75th Ranger Regiment. Aside from rescuing the hostages, 20 members of the ISIS also fell that day. On that day, Payne, who was then a sergeant first class, was called to be part of the joint U.S.-Iraqi special operations raid on an ISIS prison in northern Iraq. While giving the award to Payne, Trump described his actions and how he disregarded his own life in ensuring that all hostages would be rescued. Payne's heroism and his team were recorded on a helmet camera video donned by a member of the Kurdish special operation forces. The video was later released to the public by the Kurdish government. All in all, Payne has been deployed 17 times and has been part of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation New Dawn, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. At present, Payne is assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command as an instructor. Trump honored Payne's 17-mission deployments and said that the Delta Force member is now in the immortal company of the U.S. most revered American heroes, said a report on the National Public Radio. After receiving the award, Payne told reporters that more than being a recipient of the Medal of Honor, he will also act as a guardian of what the award means. Payne added that the spirit of the Medal of Honor resides in every American. He also said that he wants to be a man who wears the honor well and represent the army. Also honored during the ceremony was Master Sgt. Josh Wheeler who died in that operation. Trump paid a tribute to Wheeler and told his widow that her husband will be honored forever. During the ceremony, Payne was joined by his wife and six-year-old son, whom Trump told that he wanted him to know that his dad was one of the bravest man in the world. Check these out: Air Pollution Contributes to Higher COVID-19 Deaths in Some States Oregon Wildfire: Boy With Dog on His Lap Found Dead Inside Car Second Stimulus Check: Could Get You Up to $1,200 Based on Your Dependents Metropolitan Melbourne's 14-day average reached 61.6 on Saturday. Pet grooming premises not mobile vans would be allowed to resume operating under the second step on September 28. Beauty and personal services will also be allowed to open earlier than previously flagged, to bring them in line with hairdressers in the third step of the road map, providing masks are worn the entire time (meaning facials will still not yet be allowed). Under current predictions, Melbourne is expected to hit the third step of the road map on October 26. Six Victorians lost their lives to the virus overnight two women and a man in their 80s, and two women and a man in their 90s. All six fatalities were linked to outbreaks in aged care homes. "It was only five weeks ago that we had 725 cases in a day," Mr Andrews said. "Every single Victorian can be hopeful and positive that this strategy is working and we will hit our targets. If we get there beforehand, then absolutely." Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton addressing the media on Saturday. Credit:Eddie Jim Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton was to meet on Saturday with leading epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely to revisit modelling relied upon by health officials to draft Victoria's road map out of restrictions. "We will sit down and make further revisions of modelling and re-prosecute the inputs and the assumptions and follow the real data as we go and we can make judgments that are different at different points in time," Professor Sutton said. "The importance of the road map was to lay out general movements in those directions and have some really strong indicative numbers so that people understood where we were heading." Professor Sutton also suggested authorities could revisit the five-cases target. "It is possible that we will get to a point where the numbers are higher, but we will investigate those numbers, we will see where they are occurring and why they are occurring and how they are occurring, and we will make a judgment about whether five is the appropriate target. Loading "Or if it is 10 cases a day but eight are in aged care and that is not inconceivable we will absolutely focus our attention on containing all transmission within aged care, but otherwise lifting for the community." The softening of rhetoric comes after leading public health academics, whose modelling was relied upon in designing the plan out of restrictions, raised concerns with the tough approach. University of Melbourne dean of medicine Shitij Kapur and professor of mathematical biology James McCaw wrote in The Weekend Australian their modelling had been constrained by the fact it did not distinguish between COVID-19 cases in aged care settings, and those in the community. They called on the government to continue to refine its road map, by differentiating between aged care and community cases, or even regional versus metropolitan cases. Writing in The Age, University of Melbourne epidemiologist Tony Blakely said authorities should consider easing the requirement to move from stage three to stage two which currently would require cases to fall to fewer than five a day over 14 days, and fewer than five mystery cases over 14 days. "By this standard, NSW would be in stage three," he wrote. "I propose that we can relax the triggers to attain transition from stage three to stage two if cases are clustered. If mystery cases are low." The Victorian opposition called for a royal commission into the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been too many deaths, too much damage done and too many lies told," Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien said. "Victorians deserve the truth and only a royal commission will deliver it." 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. Crysbro strengthens Sri Lankas food security agenda with seed paddy production View(s): Sri Lankas leading poultry producer Crysbro recently initiated operations on seed paddy production in a bid to elevate the local rice production capacity. Spread across a 1000-acre stretch of land in Kantales Suriyapura Village, Crysbros operations are supported by a state-of-the-art laboratory and technical facility set on the companys farm in Kantale, the company announced on Tuesday. At present, Crysbro produces BG352, BG358, BG366, BW367 and BG300 varieties of seed paddy. With prime focus on soil and water conservation, this mega project is operated in a strictly eco-friendly fashion. At the time of Crysbros massive investment in Kantales Suriyapura village, most of its residents did not have a permanent source of income and crop cultivation was limited to just one season of cultivation during the availability of rain water. However, Crysbro brought the village to life with the introduction of seed paddy production which brought employment opportunities and a steady source of income for most of the villages residents, said Crysbro Senior Marketing Manager Amores Sellar. Although Sri Lanka is self-sufficient in rice, the high cost of seed paddy is currently forcing a number of farmers to move away from paddy cultivation to other, more viable crops. It was this realisation that inspired Crysbro to produce and provide seed paddy to these farming communities at concessionary prices, in a bid to strengthen the countrys rice production and thereby its food security. Among the numerous other effects of the COVID-19 epidemic, was its hit on the food supply chain in the country. With the deep shortage of imported food items, people were forced to rely solely on local produce. This unforeseen crisis has inadvertently shed light on a looming problem of food security and has presented us with an opportunity to enforce Crysbros deep commitment to this cause by focusing our efforts on securing local rice production through seed paddy production, he added. Crysbro is currently cultivating rice and maize on a large scale, benefiting more than 10,000 farming families in the Mahiyanganaya, Moneragala and Anuradhapura districts. Suriyapura, a village inhabited by people directly and deeply affected by the 30-year long civil war, has made great strides economically and socially with Crysbros many initiatives and investment in this region. Established in 1972 with just 100 chicks and a deep desire to be a market leader in quality and innovation, Crysbro has emerged as Sri Lankas first and most sophisticated, fully vertically-integrated poultry producer. Its operations span grandparent and parent farms, hatcheries, broiler farms and feed mills. This thriving Farm-to-Fork concept has formed the core of its success. In turn, it has yielded unprecedented benefit for numerous stakeholders including direct and indirect employees, outgrowers, domestic maize farmers and ultimately Sri Lankan consumers. Japanese technology brand Toshiba has launched a full range of 4k QLED, UHD, and smart televisions in the Indian market. Designed in Japan and Made in India, these TVs will be available starting September 18 across Amazon, Flipkart, TataCliQ, and Reliance Digital. As an introductory offer, Toshiba will be offering a 4-Year panel warranty on its entire range of 4K televisions for the first 4 days of the launch. "We are extremely elated to announce our next-generation Toshiba 4K televisions in India. As a reputed Global brand, our aim is to enhance the TV viewing experience of Indian consumers by offering bigger screen size televisions with ultimate technology in the picture, sound, and AI-enabled smart features at pocket-friendly prices. Our televisions deliver a deeply immersive viewing experience, intensifying the impact of every on-screen thrill and adventure. With the AI-based viewing recommendations, we are certain that the users will enjoy streaming a wide variety of content as per their viewing habits on a big screen seamlessly," says Rishi Tandon, COO, Toshiba Televisions India. Claiming to be Ultimate game-changers, Toshiba 4K televisions feature Dolby Vision with Full-array 4K Ultra HD resolution. It is equipped with Quantum Dot Technology for the vivid colour precision and Super Brightness Panel for HDR images. These televisions are powered with CEVO 4K HDR Engine graphic processors to deliver high performance. For sound, Toshiba has added DOLBY ATMOS technology. The smart televisions are powered with VIDAA OS that has more than 28 million users globally. The company claims that the television performs 20 per cent faster channel search. These TVs come with built-in Alexa and Screen Mirroring and has a one-touch access feature on the remote through which online streaming platforms such as YouTube, Netflix, and Prime Video. As a part of regular software upgrades and new app additions, VIDAA continues to onboard various leading apps & OTT providers in India. However, the company hasn't revealed the prices yet. For service, the company has over 450 service centres spanning across over 18,500 pin codes. Toshiba televisions are now marketed by Hisense Electric of China, which acquired Toshiba's TV business a couple of years ago. In July this year, Hisense had also introduced its TVs in India. Also Read: ICRA upgrades YES Bank's ratings on improved liquidity situation Also Read: COVID-19 vaccine COVAXIN shows 'protective efficacy' in animal trials: Bharat Biotech Also Read: Delhi's IGI Airport launches COVID-19 testing facility for passengers at international terminal Chairing a high-level meeting on Friday, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray asserted that the state government will not backtrack from ensuring justice for the Maratha community. This comes two days after the Supreme Court ordered a stay on the Maratha reservation. Maintaining that this was everyone's fight, he assured that all stakeholders will be taken into confidence on the Maharashtra government's future course of action. Moreover, Thackeray revealed that discussions will be held with the leader of the opposition party as well. He reiterated his government's commitment to resolving this issue. At the same time, he warned that attempts to provoke the Maratha community for political mileage will not be tolerated. Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray held a high-level meeting today, after the Supreme Court stayed Maratha reservation in the state pic.twitter.com/THjELIy2lr ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2020 Read: Sharad Pawar Hints At Ordinance Route To Override SC's Stay On Maratha Reservation . . . , . CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) September 11, 2020 Read: Marathas Should Get Concessions Till Quota Is Restored: BJP The SC verdict In the SEBC Act which came into force on November 30, 2018, the Maratha community has been declared as a 'Socially and Educational Backward Class'. The Bombay HC judgment reduced the quantum of Maratha reservation to 12% in educational institutions and 13% in public employment. On Wednesday, the apex court bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao, Hemant Gupta and S Ravindra Bhat prima facie held that the Maharashtra government has not shown any "extraordinary situation" for providing reservation to the Marathas. Maintaining that the 50% reservation ceiling could be relaxed only in extraordinary situations, it added that the Maratha community comprising 30% of Maharashtra's population could not be compared to the marginalized sections of society living in remote areas of the state. Moreover, the SC prima facie observed that the Bombay High Court had committed an error in treating certain circumstances as "extraordinary", justifying the relaxation of the reservation ceiling. The bench also said that the implementation of the SEBC Act for admissions and appointments during the pendency of the appeals will cause "irreparable loss" to the candidates belonging to the open category. Opposition steps up attack Post the SC verdict, Fadnavis expressed his anguish at the lackadaisical attitude of the Maharashtra government. He contended that the state government could have succeeded in the legal battle if it had taken the opposition into confidence. The BJP leader lamented that the Backward Classes Commission had not been constituted in the last 7 months despite his repeated pleas. Earlier in the day, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's descendant and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Udayanraje Bhonsle insisted that the Uddhav Thackeray-led government should bring in an ordinance to override the apex court order. FILE PHOTO: People walk past a Tiffany & Co. store in the Manhattan borough of New York City (Reuters) - Tiffany & Co has received regulatory approval from the Japan Fair Trade Commission and the Mexican competition authority for its contentious $16 billion acquisition by luxury goods group LVMH , the U.S. jeweler disclosed in a filing on Friday. Earlier this week, Tiffany sued LVMH, after the French luxury goods giant told the U.S. jeweler it could not complete a $16 billion deal to acquire it because of a French government request and due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. (Reporting by Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta) NHS workers attend the 'March for Pay' Demonstration outside the BBC Broadcasting House in London (Picture: Getty) NHS staff have once again marched in central London demanding a 15% pay rise. Campaigners smeared fake blood on themselves and lay on the street pretending to be dead in order to get their message across. Many of them, who wore scrubs or other NHS uniforms, held banners which read stop clapping, start paying, 640 healthcare workers dead, blood on their hands alongside images of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other cabinet members. The workers, who held a similar protest on the 27 August where they also used fake blood, marched from BBC Broadcasting House in Portland Place to Trafalgar Square through central London. NHS workers hold pictures of the prime minister and other Cabinet members during the march (Picture: Getty) Many of them wore scrubs or other NHS uniforms (Picture: Getty) The protesters are demanding a 15% pay rise (Picture: Getty) The 'March for Pay' protests come after nurses were excluded from the wage increase for around 900,000 public sector workers announced in July because they are in the final year of a three-year agreement. The pay increase does not apply to junior doctors after they agreed on a four-year deal last year. Alia Butt, 33, an NHS psychotherapist in Essex and chair of Nurses Staff Voices, said: We have simply had enough. The money is there. They are simply just not providing it to NHS staff. It turns out that the only way to ensure the NHS is able to continue to function is by the sheer force of organising. She added: The Government clearly has not got a clue about what it is doing and that is very scary. Nurses saved the lives of the Prime Minister. What more do we need to do to get paid properly? Its bizarre. (Picture: Getty) (Picture: Getty) (Picture: Getty) (Picture: Getty) (Picture: Getty) (Picture: Getty) (Picture: Getty) Jordan Rivera, 43, an occupational therapist in Hackney, east London, said NHS workers are emotionally and physically tired, many are living paycheque to paycheque and the situation they have been left in is outrageous. She said: Working that hard when you are already exhausted from fighting the pandemic is an outrage. How can we be expected to work through a second wave when we are physically and emotionally exhausted and on top of that, we are worried about paying our bills? Demonstrators began the march after a two-minute silence in honour of 640 healthcare workers who have died during the pandemic. Protests calling for a 15% increase in pay for NHS workers were also held in Manchester, Sheffield, Brighton and Bournemouth. Advertisement Police have arrested 14 anti-lockdown protesters after swarming the streets of Melbourne in a bid to shut down a 'Freedom Walk' rally. Officers on horseback and in riot gear were seen marching across the city in preparation for the protest that was due to kick off at 11am on Saturday in the city's Tan walking track. Demonstrators have already been taken away in handcuffs as police attempt to avoid a repeat of last week's protest that saw violent clashes leading to 17 arrests. One man was arrested on Saturday after holding an anti-lockdown sign and calling out to police outside the Shrine of Remembrance. The man told News Corp he wasn't a conspiracy theorist but was anti-government and nodded when asked if it was 'worth the fine'. A mask-wearing protester has already been arrested as police prepare for an anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne on Saturday Police are seen taking away the man who said he wasn't a conspiracy theorist but was anti-government and anti-lockdown Officers in riot gear were seen patrolling outside the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne on Saturday afternoon Another mask-wearer was seen being spoken to by an officer while holding a sign that read: 'I am just exercising...my human rights' Police have closed in on the Shrine of Remembrance as they prepare for the 'Freedom Walk' that was due to kick off at 11am in Melbourne Police detain a woman without a mask in Melbourne on Saturday. The 'Freedom Walk' was due to start at 11am as Melburnians vowed to walk for their 'freedom' Police have set up a checkpoint near the Shrine of Remembrance as they try to shut down the planned protest on Saturday Police confront one man who was at the protest in Melbourne on Saturday before being taken away by officers Police take the demonstrator away in handcuffs in Melbourne during the Freedom Walk protest on Saturday afternoon One protester was taken into the back of a police paddy wagon after he was arrested during the Freedom Walk rally in Melbourne Police lock up a protester inside a paddy wagon after arresting people at the Freedom March on Saturday Police moved to the Shrine of Remembrance and surrounding areas and set up checkpoints. Helicopters will also patrol the Tan track as officers block main roads to stop protesters. Another mask-wearer was seen being spoken to by an officer while holding a sign that read: 'I am just exercising...my human rights'. One elderly woman had her details taken by police after she held up a sign with the message: 'open our churches'. One woman was dramatically restrained on the ground by multiple officers at the Observatory Gate because she wouldn't give her ID, the Herald Sun reported. She was shoved into the back of a police car while screaming to be let go. 'They've arrested me because I won't say my name. I've been in Melbourne all my life, I just want to go for a walk,' the woman said. Meanwhile a man with a picture of Premier Daniel Andrews stuck to the back of his face shield paraded through the protest while another had a mask saying 'sack Daniel Andrews'. A couple were also seen walking through the Tan singing 'I Am Australian' while strumming a guitar. A 'Freedom Walk' planned for Saturday was allegedly organised by sacked Clive Palmer political candidate Tony Pecora (pictured) Meanwhile a man with a picture of Premier Daniel Andrews stuck to the back of his face shield paraded through the protest Another man is detained by police at the Freedom Walk protest in Melbourne on Saturday Two Victorian police officers lead another demonstrator away from the protest on Saturday A woman is placed in handcuffs on Saturday as police attempt to shut down an anti-lockdown protest thousands had vowed to attend A line of police officers is seen outside the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne on Saturday morning. Thousands had vowed to attend the protest Police direct a man to move away during the Freedom Walk rally in Melbourne on Saturday morning Victorian police officers swarm the streets of Melbourne on Saturday. Some officers were on horseback or in riot gear The 'Freedom Walk' is believed to be the doing of sacked Clive Palmer political candidate and conspiracy theorist Tony Pecora, 43. Mr Pecora was arrested by police after allegedly planning the event and charged with two counts of incitement. The 43-year-old allegedly created the event on social media under the alias Arkwell Tripellego. He believes the deadly coronavirus was 'genetically engineered by world banks to kill off weak humans'. He then quoted Midnight Oil, allegedly telling police if someone contracted coronavirus at one of his events 'it would be better to die on your feet than live on your knees'. Organisers say the event will be legal and only available for people who live within 5km of the Tan. 'Come together, get healthy and talk about getting our freedoms back,' the event says. There are talks surrounding another protest on Sunday. Marty Focker, who previously went viral after he was fined for having a barbecue in his neighbour's backyard was also arrested on Saturday. 'I'm not sure how far my house is but he ( police officer) said it's a bit further away,' Mr Focker said. His neighbour who was also arrested at the 'Freedom Walk' questioned why he wasn't allowed to be there. 'I'm walking, yes I'm 5km away but this is the place to be today,' he told police as they arrested him. 'You guys are all here, why can't I come here?' In a statement Victoria Police said it was 'disappointing to see individuals putting the lives of Victorians at risk'. 'Police responded to protest activity across Melbourne today, where approximately 100 people attended various locations,' the statement read. There are talks surrounding another protest on Sunday as police march through the city on Saturday. A man is seen being questioned by police Police detain a man during the protest on Saturday. Demonstrators claimed the march was legal but police will fine anyone they suspect of breaching coronavirus restrictions A protester is spoken to by police during the rally through the Tan in Melbourne on Saturday afternoon Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius (pictured) slammed anybody thinking about attending the march 'In total, police arrested 14 people and issued at least 51 infringement notices for breaching the Chief Health Officer directions. 'Police had significant prevention activity in the lead up to and duration of todays which included visiting 90 persons of interest to urge them not to attend. 'Our investigations into this protest will continue, and we expect to issue further fines once the identity of individuals has been confirmed. 'Anyone thinking of attending a protest can expect the same swift and firm response from police as has occurred today and at previous protests that were in breach of Chief Health Officer restrictions.' On Friday, Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius unleashed on anybody thinking about attending the march and warned police would be out in full force. 'I feel a bit like a dog returning to eat his own vomit,' he said. 'I am incredibly frustrated. If people were less selfish and a bit more grown up, we wouldn't have to keep doing this. 'Don't take us for fools. We'll have no hesitation in issuing fines.' Mr Cornelius said as well as the $1,652 fines, people could be charged in court and forced to pay up to $20,000. A woman is dragged away by police after attending the protest on Saturday. Police warned those breaching restrictions would be fined $1,652 A man wears a face shield with Mr Andrews' head on the back while speaking to police at the march Police carry a bicycle into the paddywagon after arresting a cyclist during the marches One man was arrested after calling out to police and showing them an anti-government sign on Saturday morning Mr Andrews also pleaded with people not to take part. 'All you're potentially doing is spreading the virus,' he said on Friday. Mr Pecora was granted bail on Friday with conditions disallowing him from using social media or contacting other organisers. Under Stage Four restrictions Melburnians can only leave their homes for exercise if they stay within five kilometres of their house and only for one hour. They can exercise with one other person. It comes a week after last Saturday's 'Freedom Day' protests that erupted at the city's Shrine of Remembrance with police tackling demonstrators to the ground and dragging them away in handcuffs. Thousands turned up to the protest - many without masks - but they were no match for the wall of police officers. Police arrested 17 people and issued 160 fines to those at last week's protest. Meanwhile, Mr Andrews has announced regional Victoria is on track to ease coronavirus restrictions in a matter of days as cases across the state continue to plummet. Another demonstrator is taken away in handcuffs by police. Victoria recorded 37 new coronavirus cases on Saturday Police on horseback are seen during the Melbourne Freedom Walk rally on Saturday A police officer with riot gear stands outside the Shrine of Remembrance on Saturday. Authorities had hoped the poor weather would keep protesters inside Victoria marked its ninth day in a row of double digit figures on Saturday with just 37 new coronavirus cases - its lowest daily increase since June 26. Mr Andrews said there are only 58 active coronavirus infections in regional Victoria and no new cases since Friday's update. He remains hopeful the Stage Three restrictions will be eased by the middle of next week, allowing regional Victoria to be 'essentially open'. 'Regional Victoria remains on track to be open to take not one but two steps,' Mr Andrews said on Saturday. 'It is very good news for regional Victoria and I hope every single person in metro Melbourne is looking to the numbers in regional Victoria and seeing what can be delivered. 'Regional Victoria is so close, just a few days and they will potentially be able to take not just a single step but two of those steps and be essentially open.' Police arrested several protesters on Saturday in Melbourne. Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said officers would not hold back to anybody attending Houston is famous for being the largest city without any zoning restrictions. However, some who live in one of the Bayou Citys 19 historic districts believe otherwise. Two homeowners in Heights East, Kathleen Powell and Paul Luccia, have taken their arguments to the state Supreme Court, arguing that Houstons Historic Preservation Ordinance constitutes as zoning. INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS: The first black city in Texas is on the verge of losing its identity. De-facto zoning In a brief filed on behalf of Powell and Luccia on Sept. 8, Houston lawyer Matthew Festa said that Texas law does not support, a vague and unlimited power for local governments to regulate property rights without limitation. He wrote that the mandates set by the HPO engages in, circular logic of the city which seems to argue that a land-use regulation by a geographic district that looks like zoning, operates like zoning, and is even defined as zoning under Texas law, can still be somehow allowed as long as they dont call it zoning. The law requires property owners in the HPO to get a certificate of approval to make major renovations, or to build or demolish structures. VINTAGE PHOTOS: The Houston Heights through the years Referring to the HPO as de-facto zoning, Festa argues that the city is limiting individual property rights to create restrictive historic zoning districts, ignoring the requirements set forth by the Texas Legislature and the people of Houston. They are saying the city cant have this HPO because its zoning, and we didnt vote for zoning. So they cant have it, said Sara Bronin, the Thomas F. Gallivan Chair in Real Property Law at UConn Law School. The argument is a relatively new one. I havent seen it in any court before, and I am a professor of Historic Preservation of Land Use Law. This is not the first lawsuit the homeowners have filed over the HPO Powell and Luccia submitted their first claim in 2014. After hearing evidence at a bench trial, the court rendered a judgment in favor of the citys HPO. The homeowners reasserted their claims on appeal but were rejected again, reaffirming that the HPO does not create regulations based on geographic district, as zoning does, but on the historic significance of a small number of neighborhoods, according to court documents. MORNING REPORT: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox This decision reaffirms the citys rights as a home-rule city to protect its precious heritage, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a press release in 2019. A complicated history In 1994, Houston amended the city charter so that it can only adopt zoning ordinances after it publishes any proposed ordinance for public hearings and debate during a six-month waiting period and then holds a binding referendum at a regularly scheduled election. MORE FROM RYAN NICKERSON: After consecutive flooding events, Meyerland residents learn to prep for the worst In 1995, Houston adopted the HPO, providing for the creation of historic districts. The ordinance required for property owners in designated historic districts to apply to the Houston Archeological and Historical Commission for a certificate of appropriateness for demolishing, modifying, or developing property situated within a historic district. In 2010, Houston passed the Transition Ordinance that created a one-time, process for the reconsideration of the designation of historic districts, as long as 10 percent of a historic districts property owners request it. Then Houstons Director of City Planning and Development Department would consider the request and make a recommendation to the city council, giving them the final say. Regarding homeowners in Heights East, more than 10 percent of homeowners petitioned for the reconsideration of the neighborhoods historic district status. The Panning Department then mailed each property owner in Heights East a survey asking whether they supported the repeal of Height Easts designation as a historic district. The Director found that, of the 780 tracts in Heights East, only 193 requested the repeal of the historic designation. The Director recommended to the city council it take no action. The council rejected the Directors recommendation but failed to pass any further ordinances or resolutions for Heights Easts status as a designated historic district. That vote should not have even taken place, said Festa, because its essentially an end-run around the zoning ban. Continuing litigation Powell and Luccias suit in 2014 alleged that the HPO is void and unenforceable. The two owned their Heights East properties well before the district was considered historic, and was subsequently not allowed to alter, upgrade or sell their properties without compliance with specific ordinance rules. The petitioners lost their case and their subsequent appeal in 2019. ONLY IN HOUSTON: The weirdest images to come from Houston's lack of zoning laws In short, the HPO is not zoning, said Bronin. The zoning would regulate land usage. It would say a house can go here; a retail store can go there. HPO regulates the outside of the building like the aesthetics, if there are certain ornaments on the doors or not, things like that. Its totally different than zoning. Festa, however, argues that the Texas legislature defined architectural and historic districts as an act of zoning. If you have a building in a historic district, you cant add a garage apartment, you cant expand the structure or footprint, said Fest. And that drives the land use itself because if you cant change anything about a house just because its been declared old, then that really does drive all the other parts of what we say as de-facto zoning. Bronin believes that if the Texas Supreme Court rules in favor with the Heights East homeowners, it could cause other communities around the state to have to look at how they adopted their historic preservation ordinances and could potentially upend their property rights. Festa believes the problem is only specific to Houston. He and his clients are currently waiting for the Texas Supreme Court to decide if they will hear oral arguments for the case. The people of Houston have said they dont want zoning at the ballot box, said Festa. My clients believe the HPO is an end-run around the charter, doing zoning without calling it zoning. ryan.nickerson@hcnonline.com NORTH HAVEN Police have arrested a man in a January burglary at a North Haven business. The forced entry burglary happened during the overnight hours of Jan. 23 at Aztec Grill and Grocery on Middletown Avenue. Detectives processed the scene and began gathering area surveillance from nearby businesses. A suspect was developed after coordinating with area departments experiencing burglaries of a similar nature, police posted on their Facebook page. The suspect, Joseph Marino, was located and a search warrant of his hotel room revealed he was in possession of several items which were missing from the Aztec Grill and Grocery store, police said. Marino was charged this week with third-degree larceny and criminal mischief. Police said Marino, who was incarcerated for unrelated crimes, was placed under arrest for this North Haven burglary. He was then taken back to jail. McDonalds business owner Rikesh Patel, hoping to provide relief to citizens in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in the wake of Hurricane Laura, made a desperate call to corporate headquarters late last month. The day after Laura, the strongest hurricane to strike Louisiana since 1856, hit landfall on Aug. 26, McDonalds had provided its portable, self-sustained mobile kitchen known as the McRig. Thats when Patel went to work, according to Fridays CNN report, finding employees to staff the truck to provide food for thousands who lost homes, running water or electricity. Six people died in Louisiana. Patel told CNN that 10,000 free brown bag meals were served in a six-day period. Pictures dont do it (destruction) justice, said Patel in the report. Its so much worse than what youre seeing on social media. Patel owns 25 McDonalds in Louisiana, including eight in the Lake Charles area, among the hardest hit areas. He estimated that 90% of residents and some businesses are still without electricity or running water more than two weeks after Laura made landfall. The majority of Patels 400-plus employees evacuated the area, with some returning to help serve the free meals. Patel offered employees time and half pay, plus housing if needed, to assist. We know that the rebuilding process will take a lot of time, Patel said. But we know that Lake Charles is going to come through this and that well be stronger than ever. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on September 11, 2020 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China Premier Li Keqiang will attend the World Economic Forum Special Virtual Dialogue with Global Business Leaders on September 15, where Premier Li will deliver an address and have discussions with the business leaders attending the meeting. CCTV:State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) yesterday. How do you comment on the outcomes of this meeting? Does China have any advice or expectation for the organization as it is heading into its second decade? Zhao Lijian: The holding of this face-to-face meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers by SCO member states in Moscow amid COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the importance they attach to the meeting and their expectations. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi put forward five proposals for strengthening SCO cooperation. First, to firmly support each other and uphold each other's core interests. Second, to stand in solidarity and cooperate with each other in this fight against COVID-19. Third, to persist in sharing weal and woe to resolve various security risks. Fourth, to adhere to coordinated development and boost economic recoveries in the member states. Fifth, to uphold multilateralism and improve global governance. He stressed that SCO member states should never allow external forces to intervene in their internal affairs, a "color revolution" to succeed in this region, or the regional peace and stability to be undermined. The SCO member states should also adhere to multilateralism, prevent power politics from dragging the world back to "the law of the jungle" and reject unilateral bullying that hinders the democratization of international relations. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang's proposals have been echoed by participants of the meeting. The SCO members underlined the need to preserve the basic norms of international relations with the UN Charter at its basis, defend the core position of the UN, firmly uphold multilateralism and oppose unilateralism, and reject interference by external forces in the internal affairs of countries in the region. The SCO members reiterated that they are committed to countering all forms of terrorism and promoting political settlements of regional hotspot issues through dialogue. We will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the SCO next year. China stands ready to work with all parties closely to ensure the SCO always stands on the side of multilateralism, the side of justice and fairness and the right side of history, in an attempt to more effectively address risks and challenges and make contributions to regional and world security, peace, development and prosperity. ITV: The Disney film Mulan is released in China today. I'm sure you are aware of its controversy surrounding the movie's credits giving thanks to Xinjiang and also comments on Hong Kong made by its lead actress Liu Yifei. Can I ask for your view on calls for an international boycott of the movie by human rights groups? Zhao Lijian: Hua Mulan is the heroin of one of the best-known folktales in China. The story of her joining the army in the place of her ailing father has been adapted several times for the big screen, winning the hearts of the audience all over the world. This latest version has caused some controversy for giving thanks to the Xinjiang authority in its credits. But in my view, nothing can be more natural than the film thanking the local authorities for offering convenience for the shooting. Disney has also made a statement to that effect. You mentioned that the film's lead actress previously made comments in support of the Hong Kong police. I want to say "bravo!" to that. China has repeatedly stated its position on issues relating to Xinjiang and Hong Kong. They are China's domestic affairs where no foreign government, organization or individual has any right to interfere. The several so-called human rights organizations have long been making false remarks on issues relating to China. Such frivolous comments filled with lies and bias are not even worth refuting. China Daily: The Caribbean countries have been severely impacted since COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Could you update us on the anti-epidemic assistance China has provided to the Caribbean countries? Zhao Lijian: The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the Caribbean countries. China relates to what they are going through and has provided assistance at the best of its capacity to friendly countries and regional organizations in the Caribbean region via various means and channels. The Chinese government has provided for free multiple batches of urgently needed anti-epidemic supplies to all countries with diplomatic relations in the Caribbean. In particular, the Special Vice-Foreign Ministerial Meeting on COVID-19 between China and Caribbean Countries was held successfully via videoconference on May 12 this year, during which Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang announced that China will provide another batch of anti-epidemic supplies, including masks, ventilators, protective suits and test kits to the Caribbean countries having diplomatic relations with China and the CARICOM Secretariat. By August 31, all the assistance from China has been delivered. Chinese localities, businesses and civil society including the Alibaba Foundation and the Jack Ma Foundation, have leveraged their strengths to offered support and assistance to the Caribbean side in a timely manner. Besides material assistance, China has conducted multilateral and bilateral technology cooperation with Caribbean countries via videolink and shared experience in epidemic control. The Caribbean countries commended and appreciated China for the anti-epidemic supplies, which stands as a token of friendship through hard times and played an important role in enhancing their anti-epidemic capabilities, improving medical staff's preparedness, and resuming socioeconomic development. While keeping the epidemic firmly under control at home, China has also played a constructive role in international anti-virus cooperation and made important contribution to the global fight. They also expressed readiness to work hand in hand with China to fight COVID-19 and foster a community of health for mankind to benefit all the people. In the face of the challenges posed by this global pandemic, China and Caribbean countries stand in solidarity with mutual assistance, writing a new chapter of friendship in trying times. China attaches high importance to relations with Caribbean countries and stands ready to build on the momentum of anti-epidemic cooperation to deepen exchange and cooperation in various sectors. The Paper: According to reports, American journalist Bob Woodward revealed in his new book that President Donald Trump claimed in an interview that the US is working secretly to develop a new nuclear weapons system. Anonymous US officials gave tacit confirmation. Does China have any comment? Zhao Lijian: Equipped with the largest and most advanced nuclear arsenal, the US not only goes against international consensus and refuses to fulfill its special and primary responsibilities in nuclear disarmament, but also pursues a regressive agenda dominated by Cold War mentality and major power rivalry, willfully withdraws from treaties and organizations, and vigorously strengthens nuclear build-up. Such practices severely undermine strategic mutual trust and heightens nuclear risks. The US owes the world an explanation. We hope it will respond to international concerns and earnestly assume its due responsibilities and stop damaging the system of international arms control treaties and undermining global strategic stability. APP: Yesterday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a meeting with China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of SCO Council of Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Moscow. Do you have more information and details to share with us? Zhao Lijian: Yesterday, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the meeting of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers in Moscow. The two foreign ministers agreed that the SCO foreign ministers' meeting this time has achieved positive results. In particular, against the backdrop of rising unilateral bullying practices, it has made a resounding voice of upholding multilateralism, defending the authority of the United Nations and international law, and jointly addressing various challenges, thus fulfilling the SCO's due international responsibilities. During the meeting, State Councilor Wang Yi stressed that China is ready to continue to provide support to Pakistan in fighting COVID-19 until the epidemic is defeated. China stands ready to work with Pakistan to better develop the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, including conducting agricultural cooperation to the benefit of the people. It is believed that with the joint efforts of both sides, the CPEC will play a greater role in boosting Pakistan's economic development and improving its people's well-being. China is ready to continue to firmly support Pakistan on multilateral occasions to safeguard international justice. Next year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan. The two sides should carry forward traditional friendship, plan for the future and elevate bilateral relations to a new height. Foreign Minister Qureshi said that Pakistan and China have always trusted and supported each other. Pakistan will continue to stand firmly with China and oppose any stigmatization and groundless accusations against China. Pakistan is ready to better develop the CPEC with China, enhance experience sharing in poverty alleviation, carry out agricultural cooperation and move forward the all-weather strategic partnership between the two countries. APP: It is reported that Mr. Nong Rong was appointed as the new Ambassador to Pakistan. Can you confirm it? Zhao Lijian: You are well informed. My knowledge is that Mr. Nong Rong will be the new Ambassador to Pakistan. He will assume the office as scheduled. AFP: Microsoft said yesterday it detected some cyber attacks coming from China, from Chinese hackers. Microsoft said these cyber attacks are targeting the US presidential campaign. Is China aware of these reported cyber attacks? What is China doing to prevent such cyber attacks? Zhao Lijian: The US general election, as we've said many times, is the US internal affair, in which we are not interested and have never interfered. I believe that you may have also noticed that several US intelligence officers have told the US media that they have not yet seen any evidence linking China to interference in the US elections. Microsoft should not target China and make such unfounded accusations. It is the US government and relevant companies that have been for a long time mounting a large-scale, organized and indiscriminate cyber theft, surveillance and attack, without any regard to international law and basic norms governing international relations. This is not a secret, but a well-known fact. All countries around the world should be on high alert against US hi-tech companies installing backdoors to gather personal data overseas and transmit them back to the US intelligence agencies. Examples like WikiLeaks, Snowden incident, Equation Group and Echelon System abound. They are proof that the US is the largest cyber attacker and no one deserves the title of Empire of Hacking, Bugging and Spying better than the US. Shenzhen TV: US Secretary Pompeo has leveled a barrage of attacks on the Communist Party of China (CPC), accusing it of exploiting COVID-19 to weaken democracy. I wonder if you have a response? Zhao Lijian: Facts are the best myth-busters. After the epidemic broke out, 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 nation-wide fight. By September 10, the Chinese mainland has not seen any newly-confirmed local case for 26 days in a row. In the meantime, the epidemic in the US has torn "the emperor's new clothes" off Pompeo's American democracy. According to the latest statistics, the number of confirmed cases in the US has surpassed 6.3 million, including 510,000 children, with more than 190,000 fatal cases in total. Our hearts all go out to them. However, faced with such grim circumstances, some US 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. As some sing high praises for social equality in the US, the epidemic has seen the rich given priority access to testing while the aged, the poor and the minorities suffer the most fatalities. A Time magazine commentary in May called the coronavirus crisis in the US "a failure of democracy". And yet, some in the US have been promoting their so-called "American democracy" and trashing China all over the world. I wonder what gives them the confidence and makes them think they are in any way entitled to do so! The US has no monopoly on democracy. What it has is but one version of democracy. And China has its own version. Regardless of their differences, all democracies must go through the test of COVID-19. Pompeo and his like can by no means represent the American people. They only speak for the minority ruling class and the interest groups behind it. No matter how they carry on bragging, facts will reduce them all to a laughing stock. I would like to ask you, friends of the press, to convey this message to those few American politicians: do away with your arrogance and bias towards China, spare a thought for American people's well-being, and work harder to fix your problems at home. Prasar Bharati: In a joint statement, India and US have asked 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. Do you have any comment on this? Zhao Lijian: Terrorism is a common challenge for all countries in the world. Pakistan's tremendous efforts and sacrifice in fighting terrorism should be recognized and respected by the international community. Countries should conduct international cooperation on counter-terrorism on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit to jointly safeguard international peace and security. Today marks the 19th anniversary of 9/11. The attacks brought into sharp focus the serious challenge to world peace and stability posed by non-conventional security threats including terrorism. The current international counter-terrorism situation remains grave. Frequent terrorist attacks put the security and stability of all countries under severe threat. China opposes terrorism in all forms and calls for stronger international cooperation to tackle this threat with the UN playing a central role. We reject double standards on this issue and oppose linking terrorism with any ethnicity or religion. We will continue cooperation with other countries to prevent and fight terrorism and maintain world peace and stability. As we mark the occasion, we hope the US will bear in mind that terrorism and COVID-19 are common enemies of mankind; China and Pakistan are not enemies of the US. NHK: Police in Inner Mongolia issued a notice saying that clues are needed for more than 100 people who are wanted for their role in the demonstration and protest against Mandarin language education. More than 20 people have already been arrested. Can you confirm this and what is your comment? Zhao Lijian: What you asked about is China's internal affair. I suggest you direct this question to the competent authority in China. Phoenix News: On September 10, US President Trump told reporters that he will not extend deadline for TikTok business sale in the US. If TikTok fails to sell its operations in the US as scheduled, these operations will be shut down on September 15. What is your comment? Zhao Lijian: As to TikTok, we have said many times that China opposes the unjustified suppression and targeting of these non-US companies by abusing their state power under the weakest pretext of national security. When we see the US pulling maneuvers of economic bullying and political manipulation over non-US companies, we see typical "coerced transaction by the government" and "forced transaction by the government", which is nothing short of broad daylight robbery. The US has not only violated market principles and international rules, but also negated the principles of market economy and fair competition that it has been priding itself on. The US should immediately correct its mistakes and stop its unjustifiable suppression on Chinese companies and other non-US companies. The Chinese side retains the right to take all necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese companies. Reuters: Do you have any more information to share on the meeting between State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the Indian foreign minister? Did they discuss the possibility of India removing its recent bans on Chinese apps or any other non-military issues? Zhao Lijian: We have released a press reading on this meeting. So far, I have nothing further to add. Reuters: Taiwan's defense ministry said yesterday that China's air and naval drills off its coast were a serious provocation and a threat to international air traffic. Do you have any comment on this? Zhao Lijian: It is not a diplomatic question. I would refer you to competent authority. Reuters: US Secretary of State Pompeo said yesterday that Southeast Asian countries should stand up to bullying by China and reassess business deals they make with its state-owned firms. Do you have any comment on that? Zhao Lijian: It is Pompeo's day-to-day work to lie about China. I don't think more time shall be wasted today to refute his meaningless lies. We should start our weekend in a good mood. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in St. Francois County this week is down 30 compared to last week, according to the St. Francois County Health Center. This week, 217 new cases were reported, last week it was 247. Of the new cases this week, 53 are related to the Department of Corrections outbreaks, while 44 are related to long-term care facilities. But the number of COVID-related deaths in the county have potentially doubled. Health Center Director Amber Elliott confirmed one new death on Friday, bringing the official count to six. But she also said there are six suspect deaths that they are waiting to be confirmed by a death certificate. We are sad to report that another COVID-19 related death has been confirmed, she said. The community member was of advanced age and had other underlying medical conditions. The health center reported 59 new cases on Friday; of those, 41 are community cases. The desire sometimes is to want to feel like they are all in DOC, but they are just not anymore, Elliott said. We do have a significant amount of community cases. The majority of our cases are coming from community spread. There are now 665 active and 1,513 total cases in the county. Of the active cases, 108 are DOC-related and 142 are related to long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations for the virus have gone up 15 this week. The testing positivity rate in the county is going down, according to a chart released by the health center. The week of Aug. 16 the county peaked at 18.7%. The next week that number fell to 16.8%. For the week of Aug. 30, the last reported, it was down to 12.4%. Even with that decrease, Elliott said, the numbers are still concerning. When we pull out the DOC cases and long-term care cases, we're still well above where we would want to be in the way of community transmission, she explained. CDC and Harvard both noted that anything that is 25 cases and over per 100,000 per day is indicative of substantial community transmission. For us, that adjusts down to 16, 17 cases, and we're there. Even when you pull out the DOC data and long term data, we are there, and with that, we're even farther above that. Vote on mask mandate The St. Francois County Health Center Board of Trustees plans to meet on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the Centene Center to vote on a possible mask mandate. The meeting will not be live streamed this time, but they have moved the meeting to a larger venue so more people can attend. Elliott said there will be a public comment period. I think it's always important to hear public comments on any public policy that is being made, Elliott said. Masks are evidenced base. There's no disputing that. That's not the question for the health center or the Board of Health. The question is, should it be mandated? and that's for the Board of Health to make a vote on. The board does have the authority to create health ordinances, Elliott said. It does not have to be approved by county commission, she added. I think ideally, it would be at least supported by county commission. If the board does vote in favor of a mandate, it would be in place until the Oct. 22 meeting and would then be reevaluated at the meeting. They do plan to do public surveillance to see if the mandate is effective if it is put into place. The public is divided on this issue, Elliott explained. I think the concern is, will a mandate be enough to get people to truly wear the masks or will we continue to be split and not really have a good community effort towards universal masking or majority of the population masking in public places? Another thing for the board to consider, she said, is how the mandate will be enforced. Ultimately, its up to the health center to enforce it, she said, but they arent law enforcement. And sometimes law enforcement officers are hesitant to get involved. We've had a lot of some law enforcement municipalities reach out to us and say that they do not support it and would not enforce it, Elliott added. A draft of the policy does include medical and mental health exemptions. The draft and an agenda for the meeting can be found on the health centers website at http://sfchc.org/covid-19-updates/. Community testing The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and the Missouri National Guard are conducting another drive-through COVID-19 community testing event for Missouri residents at the Farmington Firehouse on Sept. 21 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and at the Cherokee Pass Volunteer Fire Department in Fredericktown on Sept. 18 from 7 a.m. to noon. Register at health.mo.gov/communitytest or by calling the state hotline at 877-435-8411. The tests are open to all residents of Missouri. You do not have to be experiencing symptoms to be eligible for the test, and no doctors order is required. There is also no fee, and no need to present insurance information. The test is a PCR test done by a nasopharyngeal swab to determine if there is an active infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This is not an antigen or antibody test. Region On Friday, the Ste. Genevieve County Health Department reported the following possible exposure: El San Felipe Mexican Grill, Sept. 9, 12:15-2 p.m. The Iron County Health Department reported two new cases, bringing the total number of cases to 91 and nine active cases. On Thursday, the Washington County Health Department reported its eighth death from the virus. Nikki Overfelt is a reporter for the Daily Journal. She can be reached at noverfelt@dailyjournalonline.com. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 7 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. One of Luxembourg's major building contractors was a guest on RTL Radio on Saturday afternoon. Marc Giorgetti dismissed the concerns raised by the Robert Krieps Foundation earlier this week that so-called Specialised Investment Funds (SIF) were being used for tax avoidance schemes, stating that building contractors were "certainly" not taking advantage of anything. Giorgetti himself owns one of these funds together with associates such as the Lalux insurance company. While he admitted that the added value of such a real estate fund was indeed not being taxed, Giorgetti argued that those bringing a property into the fund, only brought in property that had already been taxed. He also added that in contrast to a company, it was not possible to deduct fees and loans with a fund. The building contractor stressed that if someone held more than 10% of the shares in such a fund, they would be taxed at 45%, if they were to take something out of the it. Giorgetti stated that this was the case with his own fund, i.e. if he took something out of the it to buy a different private property, he had to pay taxes. However, Giorgetti admitted that the bottom line was that SIFs were "a better deal". The ongoing housing crisis When asked about social inequality, Giorgetti again dismissed the issue. According to Giorgetti, people had to realise that Luxembourg's minimum wage was very high. However, he admitted that housing prices were indeed steep, and especially young people had a lot of issues finding a place to live. Giorgetti thinks that foreign investors are the cause of this problem, stating that the "rush" from abroad was "fierce". A limitation of the prices to 2% per year, as was recently proposed by the Christian Social Youth (CSJ), was difficult to pull off, according to Giorgetti, due to construction companies having to pay indexed salaries which leads to construction work becoming more and more expensive. Instead, Giorgetti proposed "increasingly dense development". He also stated that he was in favour of imposing 20% of low-cost flats for some projects, instead of 10%. This, however, under the condition that buyers of such plots were fully aware of the deal they were making. According to the Luxembourg Institute for Socio-Economic Research (Liser), 2/3 of Luxembourg City's building land is owned by 11 companies and 11 private individuals. Giorgetti defended himself against accusations of speculation, stating that his bulldozers were already running once the building permit came in. He also pointed out that he had to pay 1,600 construction workers. However, he admitted that he did not know whether other building contractors were holding back plots of land for the sole purpose of increasing their value. As such, Giorgetti stated that he also had nothing against a tax on unused building land within the development plan. MUMBAI: Veteran Bollywood and television actor Himani Shivpuri on Saturday announced that she has tested positive for coronavirus COVID-19. The 59-year-old actor further informed that she is receiving treatment at Holy Spirit hospital in suburban Mumbai on the advice of her doctors. "The doctor suggested I should get admitted to Holy Spirit hospital because I am 60-year-old and I have a history of diabetes. So today morning I got admitted. Shivpuri said. Shivpuri, who recently shot for the comedy show "Happu Ki Ultan Paltan", said even though adequate safety measures were followed on the sets, she still doesn't know how she contracted the disease. "I have no idea how I got COVID-19... Nobody seems to know where one would get it from," the actor added. Shivpuri had revealed her COVID-19 diagnosis earlier in the day in a post on her official Instagram page. "Gud morning this to inform you that I tested positive for Covid. Anyone who has come in contact with me kindly get yourself tested," she had posted. In her over three-decade-long career, Shivpuri has featured in many critically-acclaimed and blockbuster movies such as "Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!", "Raja", "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge", "Khamoshi", "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai", "Biwi No.1", "Hum Saath-Saath Hain" and "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...". On the small screen, she has been part of shows such as "Yatra", "Sasural Simar Ka", "Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi" and "Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani". As of Friday, Maharashtra's tally of COVID-19 cases crossed 10 lakh, with the death toll reaching 28,724, according to a state health official. CARBONDALE In 2017, Southern Illinois University officials considered doing away with Africana Studies as a major. Now, they plan to double its core faculty members from three to six and make the department a key part of helping ensure all graduating seniors are prepared to enter cross-cultural workplaces and other settings. Thats the difference a few years can make. Chancellor Austin Lane said the viability of the 50-plus-year-old program is as important now as its ever been. When we talk about research related to social justice, racial discrimination, systematic racism these are also scholars that were hiring, Lane said. And theyre going to have an expertise in those areas and be able to help the campus as we continue to focus on diversity and inclusion activities. Lane said its important that students have the skillsets necessary to communicate and interact in a cross-cultural society. The idea is we want our students to leave having some capstone experience as it relates to diversity and inclusion, he said. Our environments are pretty diverse, but they may go out into one more diverse. Leonard Gadzekpo, the departments interim chair for the past five years, said the plan to double the departments core faculty members is welcome news, as SIUs commitment to Africana Studies has been lackluster across multiple administrations. For decades, weve not had any new faculty hires, he said. Gadzekpo said the faculty additions to the department are whats needed, at a minimum, to keep it viable. Hes seen the departments core faculty numbers eroded from six to three. The department also relies on affiliated faculty members from other departments across campus, such as a history or art teacher that crosses over to teach an Africana Studies class. Thats a good thing, Gadzekpo said, but he noted that the department still needs seven to 10 core faculty members to operate up to standards, according to recent program reviews. The Africana Studies Department has a long history at SIU. Originally called Black American Studies, it was founded in 1968. The program is dedicated to the study of history and cultural traditions of African peoples, whether they live on the continent of Africa or elsewhere in the world, according to the departments website. The field of Africana Studies provides all the notes for the song we all hunger to sing, the website also says. Those who join in the circle of Africana Studies grow strong in the dance of culture and learn how to bring many voices into one conversation. Gadzekpo said that a major in Africana Studies opens up a number of opportunities for students to teach, work in museums, government or community organizing, among other fields. Some students choose to double-major in Africana Studies and another program, because it provides them with a speciality focus in their chosen career field. Until 2010, students could only minor in Africana Studies. It was a significant win for the department when it graduated to a major offering that year. But then seven years later, a Financial Sustainability Plan submitted to the SIU Board of Trustees that summer recommended returning it to minor-only status. The report also suggested eliminating majors in Mining Engineering, Business Economics and Physical Education, and a few other post-graduate offerings. The recommendations, according to the report, were based on asignificant history of low enrollment and substantially weaker comparative performance on other metrics. The plan had several detractors, but the call to eliminate the Africana Studies major was especially controversial. The late Carlo Montemagno assumed the role of chancellor one month after the report was issued to the board, and originally indicated support for the recommendation. Later, his stance shifted. In an email at the time, Montemagno told the Africana Studies faculty that his intent was not to eliminate this area of scholarly inquiry but that he also believed the program does not reach enough students and is economically unsustainable. Montemagno proposed the university examine how we can maximize the use of our resources to meet the needs of students interested in Africana Studies and simultaneously achieve our ambition to develop the cultural competency of the entire SIU community. He deferred any decisions on the program for a year, but then died the following October in office. Interim chancellors filled the job until Lane assumed the permanent role in July. Father Joseph Brown, a longtime Africana Studies professor, said hes been asking and asking and asking for additional hires for the department, for more than a decade. It couldnt have come at a better time, he said. In our department, the three core faculty, the median age is 70. Do the math. So this initiative is a blessing on every possible level. Brown said SIU administrators have long talked about a commitment to diversity and inclusion initiatives, but he believes that Lane and SIU President Dan Mahony are prepared to hold people accountable to see them through. The commitment to bring in three new tenure-track faculty home-based in Africana Studies is a concrete example that they are interested in more than talk, Brown said. According to Provost Meera Komarraju, the goal is to have the new hires in place by next fall. Brown said he hopes that more students are encouraged to take classes in Africana Studies, whether they choose them as part of a pursuit of a major or minor, or electives. Too many people, he said, lack an understanding of the Black experience in this country, and how it relates to the social unrest and calls for reforms and racial justice in cities across America, large and small. The whole philosophy behind Africana Studies is that race is central to understanding reality in America, he said. Brown said that regardless of a students chosen field, each would benefit from also having an understanding of how race matters in that field. For instance, he said any student majoring in political science, economics or history should have an understanding of how the federal government, through the Federal Housing Administration, created all-white suburbs in a post-World War II era by subsidizing the mass-scale buildings of entire subdivisions, while prohibiting the sale of homes to African-Americans through restrictive covenants. This happened around the same time the New Deal program built public housing programs across the country that segregated Black people into separate housing, often in neighborhoods that had previously been integrated. The consequences of the federal governments heavy hand in deeply segregating metropolitan areas in the north continue to economically impact Black families and neighborhoods to this day. But Brown said this history and this is but one example is most often glossed over or not taught at all in high schools or even many college programs, leaving students without a proper understanding of the world around them. The statement that is made every semester by more than one student is, How come I didnt know any of this? Gadzekpo said his department plays a significant role in helping fill in these critical knowledge gaps, and preparing students for whatever they do next upon graduation. In the real world, he said, they have to operate in a diverse community in the workplace or wherever they live. That includes in America, certainly, he said, but across the globe. The country of Brazil, he noted, is home to the second largest black population in the world, behind Nigeria. That context could be important for an international business major, for example, he said. I always mention that Africana Studies is not about race but about the interaction of people of African descent or Black people with the rest of humanity. Did you know? These 32 celebrities went to SIU. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. It has come to my attention through Director Compton that your office has mandated that we . . . are prohibited from using the term police brutality in our communications in an effort to correlate with Governor Hogans messaging, Wilson said in the July 31 email, which she also forwarded to state Sen. Jill P. Carter (D-Baltimore City) and all members of the commission. Would you please corroborate this by providing clarity to the mandate or correction if it is in error. Its been said it takes a village to raise a child. In this era of COVID-19, it will take all of Waterloo Region to educate one. Six months after Ontarios schools were shut down by the pandemic, a new school year like none other is slowly grinding to a start and no one knows where its going. Some children returned to a local classroom this week while some will go back in the coming days. Others will remain at home, trying to learn their lessons online. While kids learn to wear face masks and social distance along with their 3-Rs, parents will agonize over the welfare of their children and teachers will scramble to adapt to the latest Ministry of Education directive while trying to stave off the coronavirus. It all makes for a tense, nerve-racking September and the only way well get through it is if we act collectively and co-operatively. That means governments, school board staff, parents and yes the community at large must realize we have to work together because were in this together. While the Doug Ford government has been criticized for allowing elementary class sizes to remain too large, it definitely did the right thing in issuing a directive that individual outbreaks at schools must be reported to the public. And so last week, even before any classes were back, local residents were told a staff member at an elementary public school in Waterloo had tested positive for COVID-19. The news itself was alarming. The transparency on the part of local public health officials and the Waterloo Region District School Board was, however, reassuring. Its far easier to trust that the board and health authorities have a situation under control when the public knows theres a situation to begin with. In the days ahead, the public must be kept informed in a timely fashion and the free flow of information must continue unabated. Parents have a huge responsibility too. They have to be vigilant in monitoring the health of their children on a daily basis, even though the coronavirus can be spread by people with no symptoms. They must be ready to keep their children at home if they exhibit any symptoms even though such a decision would prevent many parents from being able to work and, possibly, earn a paycheque. Employers have to be ready for this, and be supportive. To be sure, the general public has a major role to play and that includes those who have no school-age offspring living at home. The number of new cases of COVID-19 is bumping upwards in many parts of Ontario. The return to classrooms will add new risks along with the likelihood of new infections. If we have any hopes of keeping schools from being shut down again, we must all continue obeying the rules about masks, handwashing and distancing. Of course, the success of it all depends on the teachers. As they explore unprecedented ways of teaching in unprecedented times, theyll have legitimate worries that they themselves might catch the virus from a student. More than ever, these front-line educators deserve the publics backing. We say this aware that Ontarios four teachers unions are legally challenging the provinces school reopening plan. We would hope that in this emergency the unions could back off from a disruptive, divisive confrontation with the province. One of the most important tasks of any society is to educate its young and prepare them for life in an adult world whatever dangers it holds. Lets show we can answer this challenge. Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. No carelessness till Covid-19 medicine is developed, urges PM Modi Reiterating his appeal to exercise utmost caution to stop the spread of Covid-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said until an effective medicine for the novel coronavirus is developed, there should be no lowering of the guard. Read more. BSF finds cache of arms near Indo-Pak border in Punjabs Ferozepur district The Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday seized a cache of arms and ammunition, including three AK-47 and two M-16 rifles, from a field along the Indo-Pakistan border in Punjabs Ferozepur district. Read more. China hands over 5 Arunachal Pradesh youths 10 days after they went missing Ten days after they strayed across the border during an expedition to hunt and collect medicinal herbs, five youths from Arunachal Pradesh were handed back to India on Saturday by the Chinese authorities, Indian Army officials confirmed. Read more. Brought back fond memories, says PM Modi as Japan PM Shinzo Abe tweets on ties with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday cheered his counterpart and Japanese PM Shinzo Abes Twitter thread for underlining Indias ties with Japan, terming it as a glimpse of the robust bilateral ties between the two countries. Read more. UP don Mukhtar Ansaris wife, her two brothers booked under gangsters act A case has been registered against gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansaris wife Afsan Ansari and her two brothers Sarjil Raza and Anwar Shahzad under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act for their alleged involvement in criminal activities, trespassing and earning money illegally, the Ghazipur police said. Read more. Watch: Scuffle among Cong leaders in Hyderabad, Covid-19 guidelines flouted A scuffle broke out among Congress leaders during a meeting in Telanganas Hyderabad. The brawl broke out at Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation preparatory meeting. The meeting held on September 11. The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee leaders violated Covid-19 guidelines. Read more. Saturday, September 12th, 2020 (12:01 am) - Score 3,903 The UK Government has today announced that their Rural Gigabit Voucher scheme has been given a 22.2m top-up boost by a total of 17 local councils in England, which has increased the size of their vouchers and meant that more homes and businesses can now potentially get a 1Gbps capable broadband ISP network installed. The existing 200m Rural Gigabit Connectivity (RGC) programme is designed to help properties, particularly those in some of the most remote rural UK locations, to access significantly faster broadband. One part of that involves a voucher scheme, which normally offers up to 3,500 for small businesses or up to 1,500 for residents, to help them get an ultrafast or gigabit broadband connection installed (at present around a quarter of UK properties 8 million premises can access a gigabit service, albeit mostly in urban areas via commercial investment). NOTE: The RGC voucher scheme is due to run until March 2021 or when its funding runs out, whichever comes first. However, over the past few months the Welsh Government (here) and various councils across England (examples here and here), have announced that they intend to inject some of their own public funding in order to top-up the value of these vouchers. Bigger vouchers are good because they make faster broadband available to locations where it might otherwise still be too expensive to deploy. For example, an additional investment of 1m in Dorset means that the maximum funding per voucher for homes has jumped to 2,500 (an extra 1,000), while the maximum funding per voucher for businesses will increase to 6,000 (an extra 2,500). Across England this means that 250,000 homes and businesses are now eligible for the boosted funding via 17 local councils. Summary of Top-up Schemes in England Live since Top-up budget Max resident value Max biz value Threshold speed* Buckinghamshire Sept 20 0.5m 3,500 7,000 100 mbps Derbyshire Sept 20 0.5m 3,000 7,000 100 mbps Dorset July 20 1m 2,500 6,000 100 mbps East Sussex Sept 20 0.5m 2,500 4,500 100 mbps Hampshire July 20 1m 3,000 3,500 100 mbps Nottinghamshire Sept 20 0.75m 3,000 7,000 100 mbps Oxfordshire Sept 20 1m 7,000 7,000 100 mbps Shropshire Sept 20 1m 4,000 7,000 100 mbps Warwickshire July 20 1m 4,000 4,000 100 mbps West Sussex June 20 2.65 4,000 4,000 100 mbps Worcestershire Sept 20 1m 3,000 7,000 100 mbps Borderlands June 20 4m 3,000 7,000 30 mbps Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Sept 20 0.5m 3,000 5,000 30 mbps County Durham Sept 20 0.5m 3,000 7,000 30 mbps East Riding of Yorkshire Sept 20 0.5m 3,000 7,000 30 mbps Kent** Sept 19 4.8m 7,000 7,000 30 mbps Staffordshire Sept 20 1m 3,500 5,500 30 mbps * The speed which must not currently be available at an address in order to qualify for a voucher/top-up. For instance, the main GBVS is available to anyone who cant access 100Mbps. In County Durham you would also qualify for the Durham top-up if you cant access 30Mbps. In Shropshire everyone who qualifies for the main GBVS voucher will also qualify for the top-up because the speed threshold is the same. ** In Kent, new housing less than three years old is not eligible for increased values compared to GBVS. Kents top-up budget includes a 2m boost to the 2.8m top-up which was announced in September 2019. The UK Government are also now in discussions with the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, as well as other local councils in England, about the potential and approach for gigabit schemes there, although its not yet known what the outcome of those talks will be. Matt Warman, UK Minister for Digital Infrastructure, said: This government is determined to connect every home and business to the fastest broadband speeds available from the Highlands to the Jurassic Coast. But we can only do this with collaboration at a local and national level so Im delighted English councils have committed to pump more money into our voucher scheme to help rural communities get gigabit speed broadband. A quarter of all properties across the UK can now access these fast and reliable speeds, and we have earmarked a further 5 billion so rural towns and villages across the four nations can get the speeds they need to seize all the benefits of new technology. So far nearly 45,000 gigabit broadband vouchers, worth more than 90 million, have already been issued and there is more than 70 million worth of vouchers on offer immediately to take companies and residents in rural towns and villages out of the digital slow lane (apply here). The current scheme is supplier-led, although the Government are also in the process of piloting a consumer-led approach across Cornwall, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Cumbria, Northumberland and the Borderlands (here), which could help to boost connectivity by making community demand much more visible to potential suppliers. We should point out that the Governments forthcoming commitment of 5bn under the Outside-In F20 programme also looks as if it will include additional voucher funding. This is focused on helping those in the final 20% of hardest to reach premises and forms part of a wider pledge to ensure that gigabit-capable broadband (via full fibre, DOCSIS, 5G or fixed wireless etc.) reaches every UK home by the end of 2025 (here). We already have some idea how this new programme will work (here), but the Government recently appeared to water it down to only go as far as we possibly can by 2025 (here). Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi at a party briefing (File image: Reuters) Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi has gone abroad for a routine medical check-up accompanied by her son and former party chief Rahul, several reports suggest. According to a PTI report, Gandhi has left for the United States and is expected to be away for around a fortnight. She would reportedly miss more than half of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. Her medical check-up was overdue and was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sources told the news agency. Gandhi would be returning in the last week of September, and had cleared the Congress' organisational restructuring before departing for her medical check-up. "Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi is travelling today onwards for a routine follow up & medical check up, which was deferred due to the pandemic.She is accompanied by Sh. Rahul Gandhi.We take this opportunity to thank everyone for their concern & good wishes," senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewal, who was appointed as the party's Karnataka unit in-charge recently, said in a tweet. Last month, Gandhi was admitted to New Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital for routine tests. I once prided my hometown of Lucknow as the world centre for satire, wit and an elegant inter-communal irreverence The film, Agraharathil Kazhutai, or Donkey in a Brahmin Village, was a surprise gift from a friend in Kerala to keep away the corona blues. The film is listed as one of the masterly satires by the late John Abraham though on an embarrassing shoe string budget. A baby donkey strays onto the doorstep of a tall, lanky Professor of Philosophy in a local college. The donkey in the bachelor professors house leads to amusement, gossip, graffiti until the principal, a stern looking Pastor, informs the Professor that his hospitality towards the donkey was affecting the colleges reputation. The Professor carts the donkey by bus and bullock cart to the Agraharam or the Brahmin village where his parents live. A deaf and mute maidservant looks after the donkey. The maid has an affair with the village washerman, delivers a stillborn male child which is left outside the temple. The Chief Priest declares it the most dreadful omen, unanimously attributed by the elders to the donkeys presence in the village. The animal is beaten to death. A series of unfortunate events follow, which the Agraharam, on second thoughts, blames on the fact that the donkey was killed in haste. A monument to the beast is planned. A wild fire dance burns much of the village leaving the Professor and the maid contemplating the scene for its deeper significance. The reason for my focus on the film is not cinema, but the fact that someone with a name like John Abraham could satirise the Brahmin Agraharam with such outrageous audacity. I once prided my hometown of Lucknow as the world centre for satire, wit and an elegant inter-communal irreverence. Over the years I bade goodbye to those values in my hometown. But I rejoice that they thrive in places like Kerala indeed the South and the East. A days visit to the Agraharam in Palghat was memorable. The neighbourhood was stately in its austerity. I saw no car on the street nor, in the middle of the day, was there any movement outside, dogs, cats, cattle, nothing. There is a lovely view of river Kalpathy below, like the Agraharams private pond for a holy dip. Away from the road, on the stone seat were occasional bare bodied men, sporting the fattest janyeus I have seen. The visitors room in a house I has a mural size painting of Palghat Mani Iyer, the great mridangam player and a local icon. The wall space in the main hall is covered with gods and goddesses. The master of the house, a retired civil servant, man of wit and music, had worn a shirt to appear hospitable. With amusement in his eyes, he showed us where he slept: on a narrow bed in the passage. And his wife? On the floor right below me. He puts his head back and guffaws. But it is not quite so unequal. She qualifies for the bed when she is unwell. I found it quaint, as an uncritical bird of passage would. But the Agraharam, like Peyton Place, would expose its darker side to a son of the soil, a few mohallas removed, like Abraham. His Christian name did not matter. That is what Lucknow once was. The film is refreshingly, informal across faiths. The other Kerala movie in this corona season was equally cerebral. The most popular political prisoner in Adoor Gopalakrishnans The Wall is Basheer, pining for Narayani on the other side of the wall and whom he has not seen. Adoor is quite unselfconscious about the fact that the protagonists belong to different faiths. Both these films took me to my earliest romance with Gods own country. It goes back to the late 70s-80s when I was editor of The Indian Express in the south. But my attitude to Kerala has changed: earlier I admired Kerala, indeed much of the South and Bengal (on which more later). Now I have begun to envy places beyond my bleak environment. India was always ones country, but the basic affiliation was with Awadh of which Lucknow was the markaz or centre. Mir Taqi Mir talked of Delhis destruction: Dill jo ek shaher tha alam mein intekhab rehte thay muntakhib hi jahan rozgar ke Usko falak ne loot ke barbaad kar diya Hum rehne waley haen usi ujre dayar ke. (Delhi which was once the worlds pride, where only those with good manners lived,Fortune turned upon the city, destroyed and looted it.In that desolate city I did once live.) Replace Delhi with Awadh/Lucknow and you have an idea of where I am coming from. Lucknow, indeed Awadh, was generosity personified. Ram Advani from Sindh was embraced as Lucknows very own. His bookshop was an incomparable cultural landmark. The Lucknavi was the exact opposite of parochial. The intellectual life of Lucknow University was dominated for long stretches by Radha Kumud and Radha Kamal Mukherjee. Little wonder, when Satyajit Ray, soaked in Bengaliness, ventured out of Bengal, it was towards Lucknow he deviated with his superb Shatranj ke Khiladi. Lucknow was in decline for years but my romance began to fade 30 years ago when the BJP and the Congress began to compete for the Hindu vote. The Congress read the 1984 landslide not as an emotional vote following Indira Gandhis assassination, but as Hindu consolidation against minority communalism, in this case the Sikh agitation. It says something of the Congress mind, that Sikh communalism, in its perception, seamlessly became Muslim communalism. Congress chose to play both sides of the street. Once, V.P. Singh tossed the Mandal Commission into the simmering cauldron, the Hindutva brigade ran away with the platform of brazen anti-Muslim Hindu consolidation. The Congress, between two stools, had its spine broken. In the subsequent political churning, I lost Lucknow. But the gift of the Abraham film reassures me that my country now thrives outside the cow belt. The director of public prosecutions (DPP) has concluded Harry Dunn's alleged killer did not have diplomatic immunity, the family have been told. Max Hill QC's conclusion contrasts with that of the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, who told Parliament on 21 October 2019 that Anne Sacoolas did have immunity. The news comes after Mr Dunn's parents, Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, met Mr Hill on Wednesday at the Crown Prosecution Service's headquarters in London. The family's spokesman Radd Seiger also said the DPP's legal team had also concluded the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) should not have allowed the suspect to leave the country in September last year. Mrs Sacoolas claimed immunity following a road crash outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire which resulted in the 19-year-old's death in August last year. The 43-year-old was able to return to her home country on 15 September but was subsequently charged with causing Mr Dunn's death by dangerous driving in December. An extradition request submitted by the Home Office was rejected by the US State Department in January - a decision it later described as "final". The family's spokesman also told reporters that the family were informed of the US government's position that they would only agree to a "virtual trial" if it was under US law - something Mr Seiger described as a "show trial". He said Mr Dunn's parents would only accept a virtual trial if the suspect was tried under UK law. The meeting came after the announcement that the family filed a civil claim for damages against Sacoolas in a court in Virginia. Mr Seiger said the foreign secretary had applied to support the parents' complaint by "applying to join the complaint as an Amicus Curiae" - also known as an "intervener". He said: "This extraordinary move has been welcomed by Harry's parents and the foreign secretary will now be available to the parents and the court in order to provide assistance to them in securing the right outcome in the complaint." Asked for comment on the civil claim, a FCDO spokesperson said: "The foreign secretary continues to support the family and do everything he can to seek justice for Harry." Mr Seiger said: "Harry's parents are entitled to bring a claim for civil damages for Harry's wrongful death in the US courts in Virginia. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 January 2022 The moon rises above the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, Hampshire PA UK news in pictures 15 January 2022 Demonstrators outside Downing Street during a Kill The Bill protest against The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in London. PA UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year PA UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic Getty UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty They have sought to avoid a formal dispute with Mrs Sacoolas so as not to put the parents through any additional unnecessary stress. Speaking after the meeting with Mr Hill, Mr Seiger said: "The DPP made it clear to the parents that his legal team had concluded that Anne Sacoolas did not have diplomatic immunity and that is precisely why they charged her in December with causing death by dangerous driving. "Had they concluded like the FCDO's lawyers have concluded that she did, they would not have charged her and called us to a meeting and told us that. "They also confirmed to the parents that they agree with us that Anne Sacoolas should not have been allowed to leave and that they too, like Northamptonshire Police, were kept in the dark in September. "Had they had the opportunity to look at the matter and consider the legal arrangements at Croughton they would have concluded then that she did not have diplomatic immunity and that she should not be allowed to leave." Also commenting after the meeting, Greg McGill, CPS director of legal services, said: "Today we have met with the family of Harry Dunn to update them on the various steps the CPS has taken over the last 10 months to secure justice in this tragic case. "The challenges and complexity of this case are well known, but the CPS and other partners have been working tirelessly to do all they can so that Anne Sacoolas faces the charge we have brought - causing death by dangerous driving. "We know this is a very difficult process for the family which is why we wanted to assure them personally that we continue to seek justice for them and for the public." PA (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Two decades after Bolivarian caudillo Hugo Chavez remade Venezuelan politics in his own autocratic image, the countrys opposition finds itself in a familiar place: splintered and at each others throats. National Assembly leader Juan Guaido, hailed by foes of the Chavista regime and more than 50 countries as Venezuelas legitimate leader, has stumbled. His enviable 63% approval rating upon taking the oath as interim president in January 2019 has tanked (25.5% in May). Guaidos mentor, firebrand Leopoldo Lopez, is a refugee in the Spanish diplomatic residence. Many other fellow apostates are in exile, incarcerated or compromised. President Nicolas Maduro has amnestied dozens of jailed opposition stalwarts, apparently on the condition they participate in the Dec. 6 legislative elections, so thwarting Guaidos call for an electoral boycott. If all that werent divisive enough, along comes rival opposition standard bearer and former presidential contender Henrique Capriles Radonski, who admitted to holding conversations with the Maduro government, criticized calls by Guaidos faction to abstain from the congressional race, and without naming Guaido, dismissed his purported attempts at government by internet. Yet Capriless impolitic outburst may be just the jolt Venezuelas dizzied democratic-minded champions need. Guaido is not wrong to be wary. While he and his band of rebels had the international communitys ear, Maduro had the guys with the guns. Maduro stacked the Venezuelan courts and regulatory agencies and created a constituent assembly to big-foot the opposition-controlled legislature. By jailing and then selectively amnestying political opponents, he showed that he can cherry pick his electoral rivals. It doesnt take a conspiracy theorist to see that the December elections are the governments to lose. Still, walking away from an impossible-looking race is not necessarily smart politics. Abstaining is exactly what Maduro wants the opposition to do. Their en bloc no-show not only would leave his besieged government a free hand but also allow him to claim the ostensibly ethical high ground of having obeyed the constitutionally mandated electoral calendar. A coalition of opposition parties did just that in parliamentary elections in 2005, gifting then-President Chavez with unfettered control over the National Assembly. They demurred again in 2018 after the Chavista-friendly electoral tribunal banned several opposition front-runners from the race, allowing Maduro to romp to reelection. Story continues Such serial vote rigging, understandably, has embittered opposition hardliners. It also led to the remarkable wave of street protests last year that put Maduro on the defensive and lifted Guaido to the international stage. Yet that wave seems now to have crashed. Young, articulate and politically adroit, Guaido once looked like the countrys best hope to galvanize the regimes feuding foes and force a clapped out leader from office. Oil production the countrys lifeline was collapsing. Venezuelans who could get out did so, creating an international refugee crisis comparable to Syrias, while those who stayed faced scarcity and hunger. With disarray at home and the U.S. and other western governments imposing harsh sanctions, Maduro would surely buckle or flee, so clearing the way for a transition to democratic rule. Such convictions fueled magical political thinking and adventures, such as the abortive military insurrection in April 2019 and this years bungled military raid by Keystone mercenaries who claimed to have Guaidos blessing. Now all that looks like a fever dream. If there is one common thread in the last 20 years of opposition to Chavismo, its the difference between the politics of short-term solutions and those banking on the long term, said Alejandro Velasco, a Venezuelan history professor who teaches at New York University. Either you concentrate on trying to push out the autocratic leader now, or you build a movement, organize politically and mobilize popular support to reach your goal down the road, eventually. If youre a short termer and Maduro stays in power, then by your own logic youve failed.While participating in a gamed election might seem a fools errand, it does not necessarily mean playing the useful idiot. The argument for fielding challengers to the Chavista machine is not the prospect of immediate victory much less regime change, but the opportunity to engage frustrated and disenfranchised voters around a compelling political goal. Better still if the race unfolds to an international audience, which the oppositions obstinate shadow diplomacy has enraptured. That diplomacy and political spadework are something that Guaido once got and to which Capriles appears to be committed. Capriles understands that a growing portion of Venezuelas opposition is interested in a pragmatic outcome and a negotiated path forward, rather than an all or nothing approach or the fantasy of military intervention, said Geoff Ramsey, a Venezuela expert at the Washington Office on Latin America. The literature on political transition is clear: Participating often yields better results than abstaining. Against withering odds, Capriles twice ran for president, losing once to the iconic Chavez in 2012 and narrowly to Maduro the next year, after Chavez died of cancer. Yet Maduros winning margin in 2013 was so thin and the balloting so ridden with charges of fraud that the opposition took heart and thence to the streets. Despite even more scandalous electoral fixing in 2015, Maduros fractious challengers drew close and captured the first parliamentary majority under Chavismo, building street cred that led to Guaidos rise. If Guaidos flagging fortunes today mean anything, its not that Maduro has won and theres no sense in challenging him under his own rules. Its that Venezuelas democrats can use the election to speak to the public, build their brand and make their case to the wider world. And since even authoritarians crave legitimacy, Maduro tellingly has broken a 14-year Chavista taboo by inviting international monitors European Union officials among them to observe the balloting. Thats an opportunity the EU should seize, notwithstanding the predictable pushback from Washington. Their account is one outcome that a Bolivarian autocrat cant rig. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Mac Margolis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Latin and South America. He was a reporter for Newsweek and is the author of The Last New World: The Conquest of the Amazon Frontier. 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. China could throw yet another wrench in TikToks attempts to secure its future in the US. Officials in the country are opposed to a sale and would rather see the app be banned than sold to an American company, Reuters reports. The report, which cites three people with direct knowledge of the matter, says that Chinese officials believe a forced sale would make both ByteDance and China appear weak in the face of pressure from Washington. It also comes just days ahead of Donald Trumps Sept. 15 deadline for TikTok to find a new home with an American company. Experts have said its unlikely a deal could materialize that quickly, but Trump said Thursday he would not extend the deadline. Further complicating things are new trade rules in China, which could prevent a buyer from acquiring TikToks recommendation algorithm. Reuters reports that China is prepared to use the policy to delay any deal reached by ByteDance, if it had to. The company is currently entertaining offers from Oracle, and Microsoft and Walmart, who have teamed up on a bid. Current TikTok owner ByteDance is reportedly considering deals that wouldnt include the apps algorithm. The Chinese government has never suggested to us that the company should shut down TikTok in the US or any other market, a ByteDance spokesperson said in a statement. TikToks current top executive in the US, Vanessa Pappas, previously said the company believes it has multiple paths forward that will allow the app to remain in the US. Foreign affairs officials from countries across the globe that share interests in the Asia-Pacific region attended an online meeting on Saturday to discuss regional security. Opening the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting that Vietnam is hosting via video conference, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said the event was taking place against a backdrop of profound and complicated change bringing uncertainty to the region. Minh addressed the meeting attended by representatives from 27 member countries and organisations including the US, North Korea, Russia and China. The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is considered Asia's largest security forum and a highlight during the annual ASEAN ministerial meetings, where ASEAN foreign ministers and their counterparts from dialogue countries discuss key security issues. North Korea has been a participant in previous ARF meetings and represented by its Foreign Minister, but this year only its ASEAN representative based in Jakarta participated in the meeting. 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Some of the distinguished firms working within the Global Elastomeric Foam Insulation Market embody BASF SE, PolyOne Corporation, Dow Chemical Company, SABIC, Armacell, and Ok-Flex. Report Scope: Application Acoustic Insulation Hybrid Thermal Insulation Were closing in on the deadline of September 15, which is when the Trump Administrations executive order will supposedly censor ban TikTok in the US due to unproven security concerns expressed by the US Government. ByteDance, TikToks parent company in China, would have until then to sell TikToks US business to an American company. Both Oracle and Microsoft have expressed interest in acquiring the business. The TikTok app According to an exclusive report from Reuters, Chinese believe that selling TikTok US to an American company amidst the forced actions from the White House (who threatened with the ban in the first place) would make China appear weak. This, according to anonymous sources. When asked about the ordeal at a briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that the US was abusing the concept of national security to oppress foreign companies. Since the start of the first executive order against TikTok, Instagram has already launched a TikTok copy-cat called Reels, Oracle and Microsoft both showed interest in buying TikToks US operations, and TikToks CEO resigned following backlash from President Trump. Instagram's answer to TikTok is "Reels" TikToks privacy concerns have been expressed by many US officials with worry that user data might be shared with Beijing. TikTok has previously stated that it does not and would not comply with any request to share user data with Beijing. A list of properties and technologies that TikTok uses was revised by the Chinese government, each item of which would need to be approved before being exported to the US company. This includes TikToks strong recommendation algorithm. China is prepared to enforce this list in order to delay any deal reached by ByteDance, if it had to. We are counting the days until September 15, which is coincidentally the day the Apple is also going to announce new hardware. It isnt clear whether the ban would go into effect on or after the date, but Trump has expressed that the deadline wont be pushed any further. Should any deal go through, it would not include the recommendation algorithm. Source We wear them when going to the store and when meeting people indoors. Many of us wear them as a courtesy, so as not to frighten others around us. But the odd thing is that you often see people wearing masks alone in their cars, or alone walking a dog, scooping up the dogs leavings in a plastic bag. Or someone masked and alone in a park, with absolutely no one within shouting distance. Reports surfaced this week that further reveal the provocative anti-China agenda driving the secret Australian intelligence raids on four Chinese journalists on June 26. A US-instigated witch hunt against China is being stepped up, fuelling a rapidly sharpening conflict between China and Australia. Operating on a warrant personally issued by Attorney-General Christian Porter, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), the domestic political spy agency, mounted dawn raids on the journalists, as well as a state Labor Party parliamentarian and a part-time member of his staff. Thanks to ASIO and its media conduits, the 6.30 a.m. raid on New South Wales MP Shaoquett Moselmane, the son of Lebanese immigrants, was splashed all over the media, with headlines falsely accusing him of being a Chinese agent. It was reported to be the first activation of the US-backed foreign interference legislation introduced by the Liberal-National government, with Labors full support, in 2018. What was kept secret at the time was that journalists from Chinese publications were also raided. After questioning the journalists for several hours and seizing mobile phones, computers and hand-written notebooks, the ASIO officers ordered the journalists not to inform anyone of the raids, the Chinese media reported this week. These police-state powers were first introduced under the cover of the war on terror. They give ASIO the power to secretly conduct interrogations and special intelligence operations. Anyone, including the targeted victims, who alerts the public to such operations can be jailed for up to 10 years. Following the ASIO raids, the journalists left Australia. According to media reports, they included Tao Shelan, the Australia bureau chief of the China News Service, and Li Dayong, China Radio Internationals Sydney bureau chief. Around the same time, the Australian government, citing ASIO advice, revoked the visas of two Chinese academics. One is Professor Chen Hong, who has been director of the Australian studies centre at East China Normal University in Shanghai since 2001 and a frequent visitor to Australia for decades. The other is Beijing Foreign Studies University Professor Li Jianjun, who is currently on a PhD scholarship at Western Sydney University. ASIO has refused to make any statement about the basis for the raids and visa cancellations. According to media reports, the journalists and academics shared chats with Moselmane on WeChat. Such is the apparently flimsy evidence of foreign interference. Professor Chen told Beijings Global Times it was preposterous that the chat group, where they shared jokes and photos of personal excursions, was regarded as a covert means of political influence. Chinese authorities only revealed the ASIO raids on the journalists this week in response to the latest chapter in the escalating anti-China campaign by the Australian media and political establishmentsensational headlines about two Australian journalists being questioned by Chinese police. The timeline of this affair is significant. On March 2, as part of a deepening US military, economic and diplomatic offensive against the Chinese regime, the Trump administration cut the number of visas for Chinese citizens working at Chinese media organisations in the US to 100, effectively expelling 60 journalists. The US government also declared Chinese media outlets, including the official news agency Xinhua, to be foreign diplomatic missions. As a result, they were publicly placed under heightened surveillance, with limits on their property and locations. In return, the Chinese government expelled most journalists from the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. In Australia, the corporate media outlets soon turned their attention to Moselmane, armed with material supplied by the intelligence agencies. On March 31 it was reported that he had posted an article on his website praising Chinese President Xi Jinpings leadership in alerting the world to COVID-19 and containing the pandemic in China. Moselmane was immediately publicly reprimanded by his state parliamentary leader, Jodi McKay, for making inappropriate comments. That underscored Labors bipartisan support for the alignment behind the US confrontation with China. A few days later, media outlets reported that Moselmane had written a commentary on February 5, saying that government and media efforts to blame China for the spread of the supposed Wuhan virus were xenophobic and designed to incite anti-Chinese hatred. For voicing this political opinion, the Labor Party immediately stripped Moselmane of a parliamentary post. Several weeks later, on June 26, ASIO raided his home and parliamentary office, and those of his part-time electorate officer, John Zhang. Labor then forced Moselmane to take indefinite leave from parliament. Despite the politically and personally damaging foreign interference accusations against them, which they both deny, no charges have been laid against Moselmane and Zhang. Zhang has launched a High Court challenge, exposing the nebulous nature of the accusations hurled against him and charging the government and ASIO with violating the implied freedom of political communication in the Australian constitution. Next, on August 14, Cheng Lei, a dual Chinese-Australian citizen working as a journalist for a Chinese government television network, was reported to have been arrested in Beijing. She was suspected of carrying out criminal activities endangering Chinas national security, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Little is known of these allegations, but the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs then ramped up the conflict. It advised the only two journalists employed by Australian outlets in China to leave the country. They were the Australian Broadcasting Corporations China correspondent Bill Birtles and the Australian Financial Review s Shanghai correspondent Michael Smith. Acting on this official advice, Birtles and Smith booked flights out of China for September 3. The night before, Chinese officials visited both and told them they could not leave until police had interviewed them about a legal case, apparently relating to Cheng Lei. The Australian embassy then told the two journalists to flee into Australian diplomatic residences. There they remained for five days before agreeing to answer questions from the police if they were granted exit permits. After one-hour police interviews, which Smith described as unremarkable, they flew out of China. One can only imagine the political and media furore if the Chinese embassy in Australia had taken similar action to block or delay the ASIO raids and questioning of the Chinese journalists. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian accused Australia of hypocrisy and double standards. The Australian side describes its questioning of Chinese journalists as normal procedure, but accuses the Chinese side of engaging in hostage diplomacy, he said. These developments are part of an accelerating campaign, designed to poison public opinion against China and create a wartime-like atmosphere. Last month, Prime Minister Scott Morrisons government announcedalso with Labors bipartisan supportan unprecedented Foreign Relations Bill, essentially designed to tear up or prohibit all agreements with Chinese entities by universities, as well as state, territory and municipal governments. A few days later, the government launched McCarthyite-style parliamentary hearings into foreign interference in the university sector. These actions are all part of sharp intensification of the anti-China propaganda drive that has been underway for years, spearheaded by the US-integrated intelligence apparatus and the corporate media. The Australian ruling elite has placed the population on the frontlines of an aggressive US confrontation with China that could lead to a catastrophic nuclear war as the US seeks to reassert the hegemony it obtained via World War II. As in the US also, the nationalist agitation against China is an attempt to divert the rising unrest being generated by the disastrous, corporate profit-driven response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the soaring levels of unemployment and social inequality. The use of the draconian ASIO powers under the terrorism and foreign interference laws is a warning that the drive to military conflict is being accompanied by attacks on democratic rights that will increasingly target domestic social and political opposition, not just academics and journalists. Public trust in vaccine safety is slowly growing in Europe even as it dips in parts of Asia and Africa, researchers said Friday, calling for more investment in health information campaigns for the forthcoming Covid-19 vaccine. The largest ever global survey of vaccine confidence, published in the Lancet medical journal, shows clear links between political instability and misinformation and the levels of trust in the safety of medicines. The World Health Organization 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. The survey of nearly 300,000 respondents shows trust in vaccine safety increasing -- with some exceptions -- across Europe. In France, where confidence in vaccines has been consistently low for decades, it shows 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. Poland and Serbia however saw significant declines in public vaccine confidence. Afghanistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan saw "substantial" increases in the number of people strongly disagreeing that vaccines are safe between 2015 and 2019. In Azerbaijan, public mistrust surged from 2 percent to 17 percent in that timeframe. Authors of the research attributed this "worrying trend" in part to political instability and religious extremism. Heidi Larson from the London school of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who led the research, said online misinformation was also a significant problem. "When there is a large drop in vaccination coverage, it is often because there's an unproven vaccine safety scare seeding doubt and distrust," she said. Larson said that public mistrust in politicians in general also likely played a role. As the world races to find a vaccine to potentially end the Covid-19 pandemic, the researchers warned that governments need to ramp up investment in public information campaigns and as well as distribution infrastructure. Without this, Daniel Salmon from John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said "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". By Stephanie Kelly and Jarrett Renshaw NEW YORK, Sept 11 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's allies in Iowa launched a pressure campaign seeking his support for the ethanol industry in recent weeks, ultimately leading to his decision this week to gut a program granting waivers to oil refineries from biofuel requirements, according to two sources familiar with the events. The push, led by Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, came as Trump's Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden was slamming Trump on the issue under the advice of rural Democrats who wanted the former vice president to capitalize on tightening polls in Iowa. The pressure that corn backers placed on both campaigns reflects the political importance of ethanol in the U.S. Farm Belt. That constituency helped elect Trump in 2016 but has become frustrated by the administration's handling of the Renewable Fuel Standard requiring refiners to blend billions of gallons of the corn-based fuel into gasoline. Trump's Environmental Protection Agency has quadrupled the number of exemptions handed to refiners, freeing them of this obligation and saving them tens of millions of dollars in the process. It also has refused to announce plans to pare down the waiver program in line with a court ruling from earlier this year. Sources told Reuters this week that such an announcement was likely to come soon, after Trump ordered his EPA to deny scores of pending waiver requests to assuage Farm Belt voters. Biofuel and corn industry advocates have argued the waivers hurt demand for their products at a time when Trump's trade wars have also slammed farm exports. The oil industry disputes that, saying small refineries under financial stress need waivers to cut regulatory costs. In recent weeks, Ernst had been leading the pressure campaign on Trump to announce a big policy win for biofuels at the expense of refiners, according to the two sources familiar with the matter. When Trump visited Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Aug. 18, he promised Ernst during a livestreamed event that he would speak with his EPA about the waiver program. Since that visit, Ernst has spoken by phone with both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence pressing the issue, the sources said. Ernst, who is seeking reelection in Iowa, has also spoken multiple times with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on the issue, the sources said. Story continues "Meadows is more plugged in on this," one of the sources said. "That's not always been the case with previous chiefs." The other source told Reuters that Iowa's former governor Terry Branstad, now U.S. ambassador to China, also recently asked Trump during a visit to the White House to step in on the waiver issue. Trump's campaign team in Iowa, meanwhile, had advised senior members of his national campaign team that biofuel waivers were hurting him and other Republican candidates among rural voters they need in November, that source said. Courtney Parella, spokeswoman for the Trump campaign, did not address the pressure the president faced on the biofuel issue, and criticized Biden as having an "inconsistent" track record on ethanol. BIDEN REACHES FOR RURAL VOTES Biden's campaign was also under pressure from advisers to support the biofuel industry. In August there was a "hammer session" from Biden allies, including former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, Representative Collin Peterson from Minnesota, Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois and Representative Cheri Bustos of Illinois - urging his campaign to take a strong stance in favor of biofuels, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Their push culminated in Biden releasing a statement on Aug. 25 reiterating his support of ethanol while lambasting Trump's handling of the RFS. Advisers told Biden that Hillary Clinton suffered in her 2016 campaign against Trump because she avoided speaking about detailed rural policy issues like the RFS. They noted that Democratic Senate hopeful Theresa Greenfield rose in the polls against incumbent Ernst while criticizing the Trump administration's ethanol policy. "You get the farm vote and that can make the difference between winning a state and not winning a state," Bustos told Reuters. A representative for Durbin said the senator has shared his perspective with Biden on the importance of rural issues, but did not give details. A spokesperson for Peterson did not respond to requests for comment. While Biden's campaign team said it had noticed the tightening senate race in Iowa, it did not respond to requests for further comment. (Reporting by Stephanie Kelly and Jarrett Renshaw; additional reporting by Chris Kahn; Editing by David Gregorio) Former NSW premier John Fahey has died aged 75 Former NSW premier John Fahey has died aged 75. Gladys Berejiklian confirmed Mr Fahey's death on Saturday morning and said he was 'a wonderful role model to generations of Liberals'. 'His contribution to the state and nation will leave a lasting legacy,' she added. Mr Fahey was premier from 1992 to 1995 and played a crucial role in Sydney's winning bid for the 2000 Olympics. He also helped take down a gunman who fired two blanks at Prince Charles during a royal tour of Australia in 1994. David Kang was wrestled to ground by Mr Fahey and Australian of the Year Ian Kiernan while the British heir to the throne was shielded by a bodyguard. Mr Fahey initially thought the shots were just part of the event. He said his wife alerted him to the fact that a man was running towards them with a gun, but he fired before they could stop him. The politician was later praised for his bravery. Mr Fahey (pictured with wife Colleen in 2019) was premier from 1992 to 1995 and played a crucial role in Sydney's winning bid for the 2000 Olympics A bodyguard shielded Prince Charles after David Kang fired two blanks during Royal visit in 1994. Mr Fahey wrestled Mr Kang to the ground David Kang was wrestled to ground by Mr Fahey and Australian of the Year Ian Kiernan while the British heir to the throne was shielded by a bodyguard in 1994 Mr Fahey moved to Australia when he was 10, settling in the NSW Southern Highlands, which was to remain his home. He became a solicitor and set up practice in Camden. In 1968 he married Colleen McGurren. They had two daughters and a son but the youngest, Tiffany, was tragically killed in a car crash on Boxing Day 2006. A life-long sports nut, Mr Fahey first made his mark through rugby league, playing for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and later captain-coaching local teams. He was encouraged to join the Liberals by the Whitlam government which, he once said, was developing a welfare state that encouraged people not to work. Mr Fahey entered the NSW parliament in 1984 and was in the shadow cabinet within a year. When Nick Greiner led the Liberals back to power in 1988, Mr Fahey became industrial relations and employment minister. In 1992 he succeeded Mr Greiner, saying, 'I never aspired to be the premier.' But helping win the Olympics and protecting the heir to the throne wasn't enough to save Mr Fahey's government in the 1995 election, won narrowly by Labor under Bob Carr. Later he said that being premier was an 'enormous honour, but a bloody sh****y life'. He went on to become the finance minister in John Howard's government before retiring from politics in 2001. As finance minister, he presided over heavy budget cuts, particularly in the early years, and a raft of asset sales. Greg Barns, who was his chief of staff from 1996 to 1999, said Mr Fahey, though never a great parliamentary performer, had a phenomenal memory, never got figures wrong and had a 'good bulls**t detector'. Mr Barns said he made his staff feel like family, never forgetting their birthdays or their kids. Mr Fahey was responsible for more than 40 privatisations which, he once mused, may be a world record. Following his death, Ms Berejiklian recalled the moment it was announced Sydney would be hosting the Olympic Games. Mr Fahey leapt out of his chair and hugged bid chief Rod McGeoch in 1993 after it was announced Sydney would host the Olympic Games THE LIFE OF JOHN FAHEY John Fahey was born to Irish migrants in Wellington, New Zealand, on January 10, 1945. The family moved to Australia when he was 10, settling in the NSW Southern Highlands. Mr Fahey became a solicitor and set up a practice in Camden, Sydney's south-west. In 1968, he married Colleen McGurren. They had two daughters and a son. Mr Fahey played NRL for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and later turned to captain-coaching local teams. He was motivated to join the Liberals by the Whitlam government and entered the NSW parliament in 1984. He was in the shadow cabinet within a year. Mr Fahey became premier in 1992. He was a key member of the bidding team for the Sydney 2000 Olympics. In 1994, Mr Fahey tackled a a gunman who fired two blanks at Prince Charles. Mr Fahey's government lost the 1995 election to Labor under Bob Carr. In 1996, Prime Minister John Howard made Mr Fahey finance minister. In early 2001, Mr Fahey found out he had lung cancer. One lung was cut out and the other failed. He quit politics that year. Then in 2007, 14 years after his successful lobbying for the Sydney Olympics, he threw himself into another battle, this time for presidency of the powerful World Anti-Doping Authority. The position was widely thought safe for WADA vice president Jean-Francois Lamour, a former French sports minister and dual Olympic fencing gold medallist. Mr Fahey - with Mr Howard's strong backing - embarked on a round-the-world lobbying whirlwind that was so successful Mr Lamour pulled out. Mr Fahey held the post until 2013 and went on to serve as Australian Catholic University chancellor. He died aged 75 in hospital from leukaemia this week and will be remembered at a state service to be held at Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral. Advertisement 'Many of us would remember the celebrations that immediately swept the nation after Sydney was announced as the winner and the image of Mr Fahey jumping for joy at the news,' Ms Berejiklian said. 'Personally, I am grateful for John's support and encouragement.' Mr Fahey had been in Monte Carlo in 1993 when it was announced Sydney would host the games. In a moment that captivated Australia, Mr Fahey leapt out of his chair and hugged bid chief Rod McGeoch. In early 2001, Mr Fahey found he had lung cancer. One lung was cut out and the other failed. As a last slim chance he was put on a lung support unit in the hope that, if he breathed through it long enough, the lung would be jogged back to working order. Though weak and drugged, he breathed through it for what surgeons said was an unprecedented seven hours. It worked. 'It's either a miracle or you're a tough b****rd,' a specialist said. Mr Fahey quit politics at the election later that year. Mr Fahey (pictured in 2018) worked as the finance minister in John Howard's government before retiring from politics in 2001 As state premier, Mr Fahey (pictured in 2001) introduced the disability services act, the seniors card and appointed the first minister for the status of women After leaving politics, Mr Fahey took on a new role as the president for the World Anti-Doping Agency. He also became a senior adviser to JP Morgan and a National Catholic Education commissioner, along with joining the board of the Cancer Institute and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. He was also later appointed as chancellor of the Australian Catholic University. As state premier, Mr Fahey introduced the disability services act, the seniors card and appointed the first minister for the status of women. Tributes have since poured in from other Australian politicians after the news broke across the country. Kristina Kenneally offered her 'heartfelt condolences' to Mr Fahey's family. 'John led a life of generous public service,' the Labor senator and former NSW premier tweeted. Former treasurer Joe Hockey said the news put a 'hole in the hearts' of the nation. 'It was my honour to work for, and with John Fahey. His passing creates a hole in the hearts of our state and our nation. He was decent, loyal, honest and patriotic,' he tweeted. 'A man of great faith and a loving family man. He embodied the best of Australia. RIP mate. I will miss you.' Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said he was 'saddened' to hear the news of Mr Fahey's passing. 'A proud Liberal who will be greatly missed, John as Premier and later Finance Minister provided great service to his State and country,' he tweeted. Mr Fahey is survived by wife Colleen, his children and grandchildren. A memorial service will be held by the state. Australian politicians have paid tribute to the beloved premier (pictured centre in 2014) who later took on the role as president for the World Anti-Doping Agency Mariners Church, one of Americas largest churches, announces reopening for in-person services Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Mariners Church, one of the largest churches in America and the second largest in the state of California, announced Tuesday that it will resume in-person worship services this weekend after officials in Orange County lifted some restrictions on businesses and religious organizations. In a statement to The Christian Post, the church said its Irvine campus will be open for live, socially distanced in-person and outdoor worship services at 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. Churchgoers are encouraged to wear face coverings and seating will be arranged to accommodate physical distancing. Worshipers will also be able to access a touchless experience through the Mariners Church app where guests can see sermon notes, worship lyrics and giving opportunities. The church will also continue offering a variety of socially distanced worship options such as its spacious outdoor campus to accommodate individuals and families. God has been so gracious in providing Mariners Church with a beautiful and spacious outdoor campus that enables us to safely welcome back the community, Senior Pastor Eric Geiger said in a statement. Were truly blessed to be in a position where people can unite in powerful worship, sing and pray together, reconnect with friends and hear Gods word all outdoors and physically distanced. Our weekend services will have something for everyone in the family to enjoy and at all comfort levels. On Tuesday, Orange County moved up from the purple to the red tier of the state's coronavirus tracking system, allowing many businesses to reopen and indoor religious services to resume with some restrictions, Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett told ABC 7. "This significant move to the red tier for Orange County indicates that we are hopefully getting the upper hand on COVID-19,'' Bartlett said a week earlier. "I look forward to cautiously opening up our local economy so we experience some level of normalcy once again in our day-to-day lives." Orange County can now reopen movie theaters and restaurants for indoor dining at 25% capacity and churches for indoor worship at 25% capacity. Shopping centers can also expand from 25% capacity to half capacity under the red tier. Since the start of the pandemic, Mariners Church said they have responded creatively to members with a variety of meeting options after indoor worship services were halted. These creative approaches include: Mariners Online weekend services; Mariners Hosted at Home, which is a program designed to allow Mariners' congregants to safely gather at home with a smaller group of friends and neighbors to worship together; Mariners in the Neighborhood, which brings the Mariners weekend worship experience to six outdoor and spacious Orange County venues to serve the communities of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Laguna Hills, Irvine, Santa Ana and Tustin. The church is expected to launch a new message series this weekend titled, Who is this God? Discovering the Character of the Creator. Additional details on the churchs safety guidelines can be found here. People are playing mind games these days, more than ever before. by Ruwantissa Abeyratne from Montreal You cannot enslave a mind that knows itself. That values itself. That understands itself. Wangari Muta Maathai.. first African woman to win the Nobel Prize People are playing mind games these days, more than ever before. This is largely because others let them do so and accept what they say. Often, when the miscreants are cornered and where denial is impossible, they put a spin on what they have said. Gullible minds swallow the spin hook line and sinker. Their minds are manipulated and enslaved. Politics and demagoguery use mind games to mislead and misdirect the mind to accept perfidious suggestions that intrude on the sub conscience where repeated untruths and baseless hypotheses compel the mind to accept mendacious suggestions. One example of this deleterious practice is called gaslighting a manipulative technique used by sociopaths, narcissists, and others - which, as someone has said, is a form of psychological manipulation in which a person or a group covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or group, making them question their own memory, perception, or judgment, often evoking in them cognitive dissonance and other changes, including low self-esteem. A comment on the celebrated book Gaslighting by psychologist Stephanie Moulton Sarkis, in the authors web page says: Gaslighting is often practiced by those with personality disorders (including Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder, and Borderline Personality Disorder). Whether its a spouse, parent, coworker, or friend, gaslighters use a series of manipulation and distraction tactics to distort the truthfrom lying, controlling, withholding, triangulation, and moremaking their victims question their own reality. Dr. Sarkis delves into the psychology behind the phenomenon, devoting chapters to specific scenarios, such as gaslighting in dating, in relationships, at work, and in families. With warning signs and examples of the destructive consequences along with practical tips and strategies, Gaslighting will help anyone trapped in a manipulative relationship to break free and heal from this toxic behavior. A more insidious development of mind games is revealed by author and historian Yuval Noah Harari who ascribes to the development of information technology - artificial intelligence in particular - the ability to one day hack into the human mind and accurately know what we are thinking that would give others the power to manipulate our minds. This manipulation could eventually coerce us to vote for someone of the manipulators choice at an election; direct us to buy certain goods; and alter our conduct. In short Dr. Harari says the progression of this technology would enable machines to know us better than we know ourselves: I think that we are now facing really, not just a technological crisis, but a philosophical crisis. Because we have built our society, certainly liberal democracy with elections and the free market and so forth, on philosophical ideas from the 18th century which are simply incompatible not just with the scientific findings of the 21st century but above all with the technology we now have at our disposal. Our society is built on the ideas that the voter knows best, that the customer is always right, that ultimate authority is, as Tristan said, is with the feelings of human beings and this assumes that human feelings and human choices are these sacred arena which cannot be hacked, which cannot be manipulated. Ultimately, my choices, my desires reflect my free will, and nobody can access that or touch that. And this was never true. But we didn't pay a very high cost for believing in this myth in the 19th and 20th century because nobody had a technology to actually do it. Now, peoplesome peoplecorporations, governments are gaming the technology to hack human beings. Maybe the most important fact about living in the 21st century is that we are now hackable animals. The CBS program 60 Minutes recently reported: advances in neuroscience have shown that, on a physical level, our thoughts are actually a vast network of neurons firing all across our brains. So, if that brain activity could be identified and analyzed, could our thoughts be decoded? Could our minds be read? Well a team of scientists at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh has spent more than a decade trying to do just that. In the words of Professor Marcel Just, a pioneer of the scientific process of mind reading which he offered 60 Minutes: I think it will be technologically possible to invade people's thoughts. But it's our societal obligation to make sure that never happens. There seems to be nothing we can do to stop this progression, unless we do our best to discipline our minds. How do we do this? And even so, can we obviate the march of progress of artificial intelligence hacking into our brains? For our part, we could at least try to help ourselves by disciplining our minds and avoid our minds being a prison within our heads. Whether this would help us in circumventing this march of technological process is yet to be seen. Dr. Edith Eger, a Holocaust survivor, in her book The Gift, offers some solace: Eger explains that the worst prison she experienced is not the prison that Nazis put her in but the one she created for herself, the prison within her own mind. She describes the twelve most pervasive imprisoning beliefs she has knownincluding fear, grief, anger, secrets, stress, guilt, shame, and avoidanceand the tools she has discovered to deal with these universal challenges. As Dr Harari has said, this is a philosophical issue. At the heart of the problem of human minds being vulnerable to hacking is a sociological and legal solution. Any act that is calculated to hack into and manipulate the human mind should be determinable ipso facto and actionable for adjudication under a codified system of international law and regulation. A starting point as an initial analogy should be the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union which goes to ensure privacy rights of the individual. It is time that legislators exercise their predictive intelligence to get ready for the inevitable progression of Moores Law which says that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles every two years, though the cost of computers is halved. This in itself is a good thing for progress as long as it is not used to manipulate our minds. We should stop trying to play God. Dr. Abeyratne is the author of Megatrends: Legal, Ethical and Economic Issues published by Springer in 2018 Immigrating to Canada from Saudi Arabia Canada offers 100 different economic class immigration options to residents and citizens of Saudi Arabia. Immigrating to Canada from Saudi Arabia Canada offers 100 different economic class immigration options to residents and citizens of Saudi Arabia. Immigrating to Canada from Saudi Arabia Canada offers 100 different economic class immigration options to residents and citizens of Saudi Arabia. Kareem El-Assal Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Saudi Arabia is a leading source country of immigrants and international students who move to Canada. Many of those who immigrate from Saudi Arabia are expatriates. Despite the high living standards they enjoy in Saudi Arabia, such individuals may choose Canada since it offers various benefits. Canada offers over 100 different permanent residence pathways, the opportunity to apply for Canadian citizenship after residing in Canada for three years, universal health care, good education, employment opportunities, among other appealing features. If you are looking to immigrate to Canada from Saudi Arabia, your best bet is to apply as an economic class immigrant. Canada is targeting over one million new immigrants by 2022, according to its Immigration Levels Plan 2020-2022. Economic class skilled workers account for nearly 60 per cent of the new immigrants Canada is targeting under this plan. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Canada continues to issue permanent residence invitations to successful economic class applicants, including applicants currently residing overseas. Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration Skilled workers are assessed by Canada based on criteria such as their age, education, language skills, and work experience. Given that Saudi expats and citizens tend to be young, well-educated professionals with strong English language skills, they are in strong position to succeed under Canadas immigration selection process. Express Entry Express Entry is the main way Canada manages skilled worker applications. If you want to apply for immigration under Express Entry, you must meet the requirements of at least one of these programs: the Foreign Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Foreign Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Chances are you will need to be eligible under the FSWP if you have never lived in Canada before. Assuming you meet the requirements of the FSWP, you can then go ahead and submit an Express Entry profile to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canadas (IRCC) website for free. You will also need to take a language proficiency test accredited by IRCC. If you wish to take the test in English, your options are either the IELTS or CELPIP exam. You must also get your foreign educational credentials assessed by a provider that is accredited by IRCC. Based on your criteria such as your age, education, language skills, and work experience, you will obtain a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Every two weeks, IRCC invites Express Entry candidates with the highest CRS scores to apply for permanent residence. Despite its coronavirus travel restrictions, Canada is still inviting successful candidates who live overseas since such individuals will be key to supporting Canadas economy after the pandemic. Find out if you are eligible for Express Entry Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is another major economic class immigration option for those coming from Saudi Arabia. The PNP is the second largest skilled worker pathway after Express Entry. The PNP gives Canadas provinces and territories the ability to nominate immigrants who meet their economic needs. You can apply to a province or territories PNP directly. You can also make yourself available to the provinces and territories for them to review your profile and then offer you an opportunity to obtain a nomination from them. You can do this by creating an Express Entry profile. If a province invites you to apply to their PNP, you will receive an extra 600 CRS points which will guarantee your success under Express Entry. Candidates are able to apply for a specific PNP stream directly. In addition, creating an Express Entry profile gives you more options. Once you are in the Express Entry pool, you may receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence, or you may receive an invitation to apply for a provincial nomination, if the province or territory is interested in your profile. Saudi expats and citizens have over 100 Canadian immigration options Saudi expats and citizens have over 100 skilled worker options they can benefit from. In addition to Express Entry and the PNP, Canada offers many other permanent residence pathways for skilled workers. Get a free Canada immigration eligibility assessment 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved Technavio has been monitoring the CBD skincare market and it is poised to grow by USD 1.64 bn during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 33% 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/20200911005365/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global CBD Skincare 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? Growing demand among the millennial and middle-aged population is a major trend driving the growth of the market. Growing demand among the millennial and middle-aged population 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 32.45% and the incremental growth of the market is anticipated to be 1.64 bn. The year-over-year growth for 2020 is estimated at 32.45% and the incremental growth of the market is anticipated to be 1.64 bn. Who are the top players in the market? Cannuka LLC, Cronos Group Inc., Elixinol Global Ltd., Endoca BV, Isodiol International Inc., Josie Maran Cosmetics LLC, Khiron Life Sciences Corp., L'Oreal SA, Medical Marijuana Inc., and The CBD Skincare Co., are some of the major market participants. Cannuka LLC, Cronos Group Inc., Elixinol Global Ltd., Endoca BV, Isodiol International Inc., Josie Maran Cosmetics LLC, Khiron Life Sciences Corp., L'Oreal SA, Medical Marijuana Inc., and The CBD Skincare Co., are some of the major market participants. What is the key market driver? The benefits of CBD in skincare is one of the major factors driving the market. The benefits of CBD in skincare is one of the major factors driving the market. How big is the North America market? The North America region will contribute 41% of the market share. The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Cannuka LLC, Cronos Group Inc., Elixinol Global Ltd., Endoca BV, Isodiol International Inc., Josie Maran Cosmetics LLC, Khiron Life Sciences Corp., L'Oreal SA, Medical Marijuana Inc., and The CBD Skincare Co. are some of the major market participants. The benefits of CBD in skincare 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. CBD Skincare Market 2020-2024: Segmentation CBD Skincare Market is segmented as below: Type Oils Cream, Moisturizer, And Cleanser Mask, Serum, And Lotion Source Hemp Marijuana Geographic Landscape North America APAC Europe South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR41134 CBD Skincare 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 CBD skincare market report covers the following areas: CBD Skincare Market Size CBD Skincare Market Trends CBD Skincare Market Industry Analysis This study identifies growing demand among the millennial and middle-aged population as one of the prime reasons driving the CBD skincare 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 CBD Skincare Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist CBD skincare market growth during the next five years Estimation of the CBD skincare market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the CBD skincare market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of CBD skincare 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 Value chain analysis Market segmentation analysis 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 TYPE Market segmentation by type Comparison by type Oils Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Cream, moisturizer, and cleanser Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Mask, serum, and lotion Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by type PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY SOURCE Market segmentation by source Comparison by source Hemp Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Marijuana Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by source PART 10: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 11: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 12: MARKET TRENDS Increasing collaboration among vendors and business expansion Growing demand among millennial and middle-aged populations Rising demand from emerging markets PART 13: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 14: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Cannuka LLC Cronos Group Inc. Elixinol Global Ltd. Endoca BV Isodiol International Inc. Josie Maran Cosmetics LLC Khiron Life Sciences Corp. L'Oreal SA Medical Marijuana, Inc. The CBD Skincare Co. PART 15: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 16: 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/20200911005365/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ By Devika Krishna Kumar NEW YORK (Reuters) - 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) By Devika Krishna Kumar NEW YORK (Reuters) - 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). U.S. 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. U.S. stock markets rose, after a pullback in the previous session. Still, the three main U.S. 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 U.S. 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. U.S. crude inventories rose 2 million barrels, compared with forecasts for a 1.3 million-barrel decrease in a Reuters poll. U.S. 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 week's 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. (Additional reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in London and Aaron Sheldrick in Tokyo; Editing by Marguerita Choy and David Gregorio) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. State officials said Friday theyre concerned about coronavirus cases climbing among New Jerseys younger population so much so that residents aged 19 to 24 now have the highest percent positivity in the state. The percent positivity among that age group is now 6%, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said. That means 6% of residents in that group that have been tested for COVID-19 have tested positive. Residents aged 14 to 18 rank second in the state, with 4% positivity, Persichilli said. The percent positivity among all other age groups is declining or remaining flat, the commissioner said at the states latest coronavirus briefing in Trenton. Gov. Phil Murphy said the percent positivity among young residents is really striking. Persichilli said the most recent increases began in mid-August and that there have been anecdotal reports of social gatherings like end-of-summer parties and back-to-school parties. Theyre helping to drive transmission, she said. Persichilli added that there are reports of increasing cases among college students in some parts of the state specifically those that have returned to off-campus housing, rather than on-campus studies. We know young people want to socialize, the commissioner said. But it must be done safely. She stressed that people should wear face coverings, practice social distancing, wash hands frequently, avoid sharing food and drink, and stay home if theyre sick. These steps need to be taken seriously, Persichilli said. Although they do not frequently experience severe illness, young people could spread the virus to other, more vulnerable populations. Especially those that live in the same household, such as elderly grandparents or parents with underlying medical conditions. The virus is much more dangerous to people who are older, especially those with underlying conditions, the data shows. 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. The new figures come 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. "The department is aware of students and staff that have tested positivity but as far is known, these illnesses are not related to school attendance. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage New Jersey, an early COVID-19 hotpot, has reported 16,023 deaths attributed to the virus, with 195,888 total cases, in a little more than six months since the outbreak here started. Daily numbers have fallen significantly since April, when the state was regularly reporting hundreds of new deaths and thousands of new cases a day. Officials on Friday reported nine more deaths attributed to COVID-19 and 518 new positive tests. Still, thats 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. New Jersey, an 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. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Delhi Legislative Assemblys Peace and Harmony Committee has summoned Facebook Indias Vice President and Managing Director Ajit Mohan for examination under oath on September 15. The committee had earlier said that it had prima facie found Facebook complicit in Delhi riots of February based on depositions of the key witnesses and incriminatory material placed before the panel. The panel, headed by Aam Aadmi Party's Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Raghav Chadha, has already examined four witnesses, eminent journalist and author Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, digital rights activist Nikhil Pahwa, senior journalist Awesh Tiwari and investigative journalist Kunal Purohit. Guha had deposed that Facebook as a platform is not as agnostic and content neutral as it claims to be. He also alleged that there was an unholy nexus between the ruling dispensation at the Centre and Facebook. Witnesses have reportedly said that an independent investigation must be carried out against Facebooks alleged role and complicity in the "orchestration and aggravation" of northeast Delhi riots. Also read | Delhi riots 2020: Amnesty International accuses police of rights abuses, demands probe Earlier this month amid a raging row over the social media giants alleged political bias, Facebook said it remains committed to be an open and transparent and allow people to express themselves freely on the platform. The comments came hours after Mohan appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology that is looking into alleged misuse of social media platforms. "We thank the Honorable Parliamentary Committee for their time. We remain committed to be an open and transparent platform, and to giving people voice and allowing them to express themselves freely, a Facebook spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement. Makeshift mine collapses in the town of Kamituga in South Kivu province following heavy rains in the eastern region. At least 50 people are feared dead after a gold mine collapsed in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), local authorities have said. The accident in the makeshift mine occurred on Friday about 3pm local time (13:00 GMT) following heavy rains in the town of Kamituga in South Kivu province. Provincial governor Theo Ngwabije Kasi deplored the tragic deaths of 50 people, most of them young. Kamituga Mayor Alexandre Bundya blamed soil subsidence caused by torrential rain for the accident and said the exact number of victims was not yet known. He declared a two-day mourning period and urged local residents to help extract the bodies from the ground. Several miners were in the shaft which was covered and no one could get out, said Emiliane Itongwa, president of the Initiative of Support and Social Supervision of Women, a local mining NGO. Photos and videos on social media showed hundreds of people at the site, some of whom could be heard wailing on a hillside around the mine-shaft entrance. Kamituga is in mourning, wrote Dieudonne Bazika, who shot and posted a video on his Twitter account. La ville de Kamituga dans un grand deuil; Au moins 60 morts dans un puits artisanal d'or au D3 Mobale en territoire de Mwenga au Sud-Kivu. Perte enorme ds des familles. @Presidence_RDC @TheoKASI @PrimatureRDC @mines_des @CTCPM_MINES_RDC @AKamituga @MaishaRdc @GouvSudkivu pic.twitter.com/uoO9XstBEM Dieudonne Bazika (@BazikaDieudonne) September 11, 2020 Jean Nondo, a local resident who was at the scene, said that according to witnesses, there are more than 50 dead. There is only one survivor. He said a river close to the mine had flooded after torrential rain. Water went into the three tunnels. When people tried to get out, there was no way as the water was flowing strongly, with high pressure, Nondo told AFP news agency. The mine was not located on the Kamituga gold concession owned by the Canadian miner Banro Corporation, the companys chief executive said. Thousands of informal miners operate in and around mines in DRC, which produces more than half of the worlds cobalt, a key component in electric car batteries. Mining accidents are common, with dozens of deaths every year in mines where often ill-equipped diggers burrow deep underground in search for ore. Last year, a landslide at a disused gold mine killed 16 people in October, while 43 people died in another landslide at a copper and cobalt mine in June. Row over murder convict-MP: Speaker takes cover behind court ruling as SJB fires salvo after salvo By Sandun Jayawardana, our lobby correspondent View(s): View(s): Less than a month into its five-year term, the Ninth Parliament of Sri Lanka achieved world-wide notoriety this week when a murder convict on death row was sworn in as a member of the august assembly, amid jeers and a walkout from Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MPs. The swearing-in of Ratnapura district Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP-elect Premalal Jayasekara was the first item on the agenda when sittings began on Tuesday (8). He was sentenced to death by the Ratnapura High Court on July 31 for the 2015 murder of an opposition activist, but was elected to Parliament at the August 5 election. In response to a writ petition filed by Mr Jayasekaras lawyers, the Court of Appeal had issued an interim order the day before directing the Commissioner General of Prisons to allow him to attend Parliament sessions. Mr Jayasekara was escorted before the Speaker by Parliaments Serjeant-at-Arms. He then took oaths as an MP, pledging to uphold and defend the Constitution, amid vocal protests from the SJB. After being sworn in, Mr Jayasekara took his seat in the back row of the Government ranks. Both front row Government MPs and backbenchers were seen congratulating him, while he was also seen speaking to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa later in the day. The SJB MPs led by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa wore black shawls to protest Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardenas decision to swear in Mr Jayasekara. Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy district SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella was on his feet to object to Mr Jayasekara taking oaths even as the latter was being led to the Speakers Chair. Yet Mr Jayasekara was sworn in as an MP, leading to furious protests and cries of Shame from the SJB ranks directed at the Speaker. After being allowed to express his views by the Speaker, Mr Kiriella pointed out that in 2010, parliamentarian and war-winning Army Commander Sarath Fonseka was prevented from attending Parliamentary sessions in similar circumstances. Speaking on behalf of the Government then, Prof. G.L. Peiris claimed that under Article 89 of the Constitution, a person convicted by a high court automatically loses his seat. He stated that the Speaker had no discretion on the matter, Mr. Kiriella said. House Leader Dinesh Gunawardena noted that Mr Jayasekara had been brought to the House to take oaths following a court order, and insisted that under Parliaments Standing Orders, another members presence can only be questioned via a substantive motion. In justifying his decision to allow Mr Jayasekara to take oaths and in response to opposition queries, Speaker Abeywardena took refuge in the interim order delivered by the Court of Appeal bench comprising its President A.H.M.D. Nawaz and Justice Sobitha Rajakaruna. He read out a section from the courts 11-page judgment, which noted that it is the view of this Court that the Petitioner would be clothed with all the rights of an elected Member of Parliament. He then insisted that he would have to adhere to this judgment. Yet, the Speaker was only reading out a section of the judgment, argued SJB National List MP Harin Fernando. He pointed out that in its judgment, the Court noted that the question of sitting and voting does not arise before us and as the passage clearly indicates, it is the province of the Speaker to deal with that matter or any other competent body. As such, the SJB argued that the Speaker should not have allowed Mr Jayasekara to take oaths. In the end, furious SJB MPs walked out of the Chamber after throwing their black shawls into the well of the House. The Government, on its part, accused the SJB of using Mr Jayasekaras matter as cover to escape the debate on the Annual Report on the Central Bank that had been presented to Parliament. The controversy over the swearing-in reverberated throughout the week, with the matter being brought up on all three subsequent sitting days, leading to heated exchanges in the House. The issue was raised even on Friday, which had been set aside for the Vote of Condolence on late Minister Arumugam Thondaman. Before the Vote of Condolence was taken up, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa raised a point of order stating that the Speaker had set a wrong precedent by allowing Premalal Jayasekara to take oaths. In 1982, Selvarajah Yogachandran, also known as Kuttimani, one of the leaders of TELO, was nominated to Parliament by the TULF. His name was gazetted to become an MP, but he had been sentenced to death under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Though he had appealed against his sentence, the then Speaker Bakeer Markar did not allow Mr Yogachandran to take oaths citing Sections 89 and 91 of the Constitution. This was the precedent that was set. You have violated this precedent by allowing Mr Jayasekara to take oaths and acted in violation of Sections 89 and 91, Mr. Premadasa told the Speaker. Speaker Abeywardena, though, said the point should have been raised at the Court of Appeal during the case. This is not the forum to raise this matter. The Court informed us of its decision and we will abide by it, he noted. SJB MPs then pointed out that previous Speakers had ruled Parliament to be supreme and had even ruled that it was not bound to follow orders from the court. When the court gave an order for the impeachment of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake to be stopped, the then Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa ignored the court order and took a different decision, Chief Opposition Whip Kiriella reminded. That is a separate issue, the Speaker asserted. House Leader Gunawardena accused the Opposition of canvassing to deprive a Member of Parliament of his rights. He called for all references made against Mr Jayasekaras swearing-in to be removed from the Hansard. The Speaker will take a decision on the matter later. With Premalal Jayasekara now allowed to attend Parliamentary sessions whenever they are held, the controversy is unlikely to die down anytime soon. The 33-year-old actress died during a boating trip at a Southern California lake with her four-year-old son in July. A medical examiner had previously ruled her death was an accident. The Ventura County Medical Examiners Office has now released an investigative report into Riveras death, revealing new details about her final moments. Rivera was a good swimmer, according to the report, and had made previous trips to Lake Piru. She is said to have declined the offer of a life jacket when renting the boat on July 8, however the employee ensured the vest was on the vessel. Before she disappeared, she and son Josey jumped into the water at an area known as Diablo Cove. Shortly afterwards, the report states, Rivera pushed the boy back onto the boat. When the child looked back, he saw his mother put her arm in the air and shout help, according to the report. Advertisement Boat rental worker Bryan Tomaszewski went looking for the rented vessel when it was not returned on time and found Josey wrapped in a towel, wearing a life vest and asleep. A spare adult-sized life jacket was also on the boat, along with Riveras possessions including her bag and mobile phone. Riveras mother, Yolanda, told investigators the actress had planned to have a barbecue at the lake but changed her mind and rented a boat instead. Rivera had no known medical history other than vertigo and a recent sinus infection, the report states. Her body was found floating on the surface of the lake on July 13. The post-mortem report states the death was as a result of accidental drowning. Rivera was best known for her groundbreaking portrayal of high school cheerleader Santana Lopez in Glee, an openly LGBT character who proved hugely popular with fans. The actresss devastated Glee co-stars were among those to pay tribute following her death. In a statement, Riveras family described her as a sassy angel. They said: We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers for Naya, Josey and our family over the past week. While we grieve the loss of our beautiful legend, we are blessed to honour her everlasting legacy and magnetic spirit. Naya was an amazing talent, but was an even greater person, mother, daughter and sister. Advertisement How do bona fide rock legends spend their Saturday afternoons? Sleeping off last nights binge? Flying down to their country estate in a private jet? For Jimi Hendrix, the surprising answer was go to John Lewis. In the late 1960s, the greatest rock guitarist of his generation regularly visited the Oxford Street department store, dressed in his trademark psychedelic garb. He astonished other customers as he browsed for curtain material for his 30-a-week Mayfair flat, which he said was the first real home of my own. House of rock: Visitors can look around Jimi Hendrix's restored bedroom in Mayfair, complete with overflowing ashtrays and his vinyl record collection Next week marks 50 years since Jimis death at just 27. The restoration of his Central London flat, which reopened to visitors only last month, gives a fascinating insight into the surprisingly domestic side to his personality. The bedroom at 23 Brook Street has been restored to look just as it did during Jimis two-year tenure with girlfriend Kathy Etchingham, including overflowing ashtrays, ancient copies of the TV Times and his vinyl record collection. The walls are covered with the written recollections of regular visitors to the flat, who noted the Seattle-born stars love of quintessentially British delights: milky tea and Coronation Street. But Hendrix wasnt the only musical genius to live in the Mayfair street. Thanks to the removal of internal walls, its possible to slip next door and travel from the late 1960s to the early 1700s and the main residence of George Frideric Handel. Next week marks 50 years since Jimis death at just 27 No 25 was tenanted for 36 years by the Baroque composer. Its creaking floorboards and narrow stairs must have been a hazard for corpulent Handel, who entertained as well as composed at the address paying 50 or so a year for the privilege. Handel composed many of his greatest works here, including Messiah and Zadok The Priest, the anthem used for every Royal Coronation since that of George II in 1727. On display are harpsichords, a clavichord and a chamber organ of the type Handel would have known; a replica of his oddly short four-poster bed (designed so he could sleep sitting up, to aid digestion); plus clues as to his character. Famously hot-headed he fought a duel with fellow composer Johann Mattheson in his youth Handel had a somewhat mean streak, too. When guests came to dinner, he would serve wine and food of average quality then, claiming that the muse had struck and he needed to write something down, would sneak into another room, where he would quietly consume finer vintages and delicacies. Rents may have gone up ever so slightly since their time here, but this is one corner of Londons richest neighbourhood where thanks to George and Jimi time travel, with a superior soundtrack, is only a steep staircase away. Hassan was deported from the UK on 3 September, aged 17. He had arrived in the country three months earlier, travelling across the Channel on a small boat after a treacherous journey from Syria. The teenager had hoped to build a new life in Britain, but his plans were dashed when he was forced onto a charter flight and sent back to Spain. Days later, Hassan is back in Calais, living on the streets and trying again to reach the UK by boat. He is among a number of asylum seekers who have been forcibly removed by the Home Office in recent months after crossing the Channel, and have returned to northern France within days or weeks to try again. Most say they are trying to reach the UK because they feel unwelcome or unable to stay legally in the EU country to which they were returned, while others say wish to reunite with family members in Britain. Campaigners say the fact that asylum seekers are returning to northern France after being deported demonstrates that the UK governments plan to remove almost 1,000 people under the Dublin Regulation in order to curb Channel crossings is all tough talk with no sensible action, and accuse the UK of "failing to take its legal and moral responsibilities seriously". The Home Office is reported to have returned 185 people under the Dublin III law which in some circumstances enables countries to return people to other EU nations where they have already sought asylum since October 2018, with 37 returned since August 2020. Another charter flight is scheduled for 17 September. Hassan left Syria in 2019 after his grandparents, whom he had been living with, both died. His parents had been killed in the war, and he didnt know where his siblings were. He says he sold all of the familys possessions and travelled through Libya and Algeria to get to Spain, where he had his fingerprints taken. It was a very difficult time. When I arrived in Spain the police arrested me and put me in jail without food, Hassan explains. They forced me to give my fingerprints, but I didnt want to stay there. I have cousins in England. I sold everything I had in Syria to save money to go to England. That is my dream. He left Spain after two days and headed for Calais, before arriving in the UK in June after paying 3,000 to cross the Channel in a boat. He told the authorities he was 18, because he says that was the advice he was given by other asylum seekers, who said that if they knew he was a child he would be held by police and not allowed to work. I had nobody else to listen to. I dont have parents. I didnt know what was best, he says. The teenager was placed in a hotel in Manchester by the Home Office, where he met an old friend by chance another teenager who lived in the same village in Syria. However, after two months in Britain, Hassan was detained and told he was going to be deported back to Spain. I felt like my life was finished and destroyed. I felt like I wanted to kill myself, he says, remembering the moment he found out he was being removed from the UK. But then I thought maybe I will stay in Spain, get documents here, learn Spanish, make a new life there. However, within hours of their deportation, Hassan and other Syrian asylum seekers on the same charter flight found themselves on the streets of Madrid, unable to access support from the authorities. At this point, the teenager decided that his only option was to try to reach England again. An activist in Spain offered to buy him a train ticket back to France. Now he is living in Calais with hundreds of other migrants hoping to cross the Channel. The police left us in the street and told us to leave Spain. Nobody accepted us or helped us, says Hassan. We didnt have money, only some pounds and we didnt know how to exchange them. We lived in the street for two days. For two days we didnt have anything. The Independent has spoken to three other asylum seekers who have been deported from the UK to EU countries in recent months, and have returned to northern France within days or weeks. One 32-year-old Syrian national was removed to Germany in August after arriving to the UK by boat in March. He left Germany for Calais on the same day that he was deported, saying he did not wish to stay in the country because he knew no one there and wanted to join his uncle and cousins in the UK. Another, Hassan al-Shari, 36, from Kuwait, was deported from Britain to France in August after reaching the Kent coast on a boat earlier in the year. On arrival in France, he was detained for seven hours before being told he must leave the country without delay, because the authorities had previously refused his asylum claim. He says he cannot return to Kuwait because he is from the Bidoon community, meaning the authorities view him as an illegal immigrant and wont let him enter. He says that if he cant reach the UK he will continue to sleep rough in Calais because he has no other option. Recommended Dangerous Channel crossings should prompt the UK to rise to its responsibilities to refugees James Wilson, deputy director of Detention Action, said the fact that people deported under Dublin III were back in Calais preparing to cross the Channel again came as no surprise. The government's approach to curbing crossings is all tough talk with no sensible action, and focused more on pleasing Nigel Farage than protecting people, including unaccompanied children, from making death-defying journeys, he added. If the government wants to prevent more loss of life on their watch, they must take this opportunity to heed repeated warnings, and create safe and legal routes for asylum seekers to come and pursue their legal right to have their claims heard in the UK. Sonia Lenegan, legal director of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA), said it was unclear why the government thought removing people under the Dublin regulations would stop Channel crossings. People have a variety of reasons for wanting to come to the UK, for example many have family here, and so it is unsurprising to hear that they wish to try again, she said. "The Home Office should ensure that the 1,000 people referred to by Chris Philps as facing removal before the end of the year have access to legal advice at an early stage, if the Home Office wishes to avoid further last minute court action." Tom Kemp, spokesperson for SOAS Detainee Support and Nottingham Trent University researcher, said the government's schedule of enforced mass removals was not only traumatising" for the those targeted, but it also marked a failure by the UK to take its legal and moral responsibilities seriously. Home Office to carry out review of hostile environment following Windrush says Priti Patel He added: The deportation of a 17-year old child, left homeless on the streets of Madrid is just the latest example of the Home Office's well-documented, callous and intentionally neglectful malpractice [] It is no surprise that people who have been treated this badly continue to move to seek safety and security. A Home Office spokesperson said: These crossings are illegally facilitated by criminals willing to risk peoples lives for money. France and Spain are safe countries with fully functioning asylum systems those seeking refuge can and should claim asylum there. We continue to return those who do not have a legitimate claim despite barriers to removals under the Dublin Regulation and legal challenges. The 2020 China International Tourism Industry Expo (CITIE) opened in the city of GuangDong with Iran's participation, Trend reports citing IRNA. According to Iran's consular office in GuangDong, over 1000 companies from 40 world countries including those from the region are taking part in the three-day event which covers a span of thirty thousand square meters. The exhibition is one of the most significant tourism event in China. Iran's pavilion in the exhibition is showcasing example of the diverse and beautiful handicrafts of the country and offers highlights of its tourism to visitors. China is one of world's most important patrons of tourism. In 2019, close to 150 million Chinese nationals headed to tourism destinations outside the country with the government expecting the figure to amount to 178 million in 2022 if the situation in world returns to normal once the CIVID19 pandemic is defeated. Iran became a destination for Chinese tourists in 2011. Since last year, Iran removed visa requirements for Chinese tourists arriving in the country. However, spread of coronavirus impedded the smooth exchange of tourists between Iran and China in 2019, causing a drastic decline in tourism industry between the two nations due to closure of borders. The exhibition is held after China declared the country clean of the deadly virus. Chinese premier to attend WEF Special Virtual Dialogue with Global Business Leaders 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. The DGCA 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. "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 (PoK) 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. On PTI's request for a statement, IndiGo 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. Also read: Kangana vs Uddhav: Mumbai Police asked to probe drug charges against Bollywood actor Also read: Kangana vs Sena in Maharashtra as actor moves Bombay HC over demolition of her office Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson and supporter Russell Schultz, who both face pending riot charges in Multnomah County, on Friday filed a federal lawsuit against the countys district attorney, alleging selective prosecution based on political beliefs. The suit accuses District Attorney Mike Schmidt of engaging in unfair prosecution by refusing to dismiss a sole felony riot allegation against both Gibson and Schultz in light of his new office policy. Schmidt announced last month that his office wouldnt pursue riot charges against people involved in recent Portland protests without an accompanying allegation of specific property damage or use of force. Gibson and Schultz are among six men who were accused of inciting a riot on May Day 2019 between right-wing Patriot Prayer and left-leaning antifa outside a Northeast Portland pub. Two of the six pleaded guilty and were sentenced in January. Gibson and Schultz have pleaded not guilty and their trials are set for Oct. 26. Their lawyers, James Buchal, chair of Multnomah Countys Republican Party, and D. Angus Lee, allege that Schmidt and his deputy district attorney are engaged in bad faith, selective, and retaliatory prosecution of Gibson and Schultz in violation of the offices own written policy. Gibson and Schultz want a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction to halt their state prosecution. The two mens riot charges stem from a clash on May 1, 2019, outside the Portland bar Cider Riot, which was hosting a gathering of antifa members celebrating demonstrations they held elsewhere in the city that day. Hostilities exploded after about 20 right-wing protesters, including Gibson, arrived outside Cider Riot near Northeast Eighth Avenue and Couch Street and confronted antifa members sitting on the patio. Several videos show people using pepper spray, throwing drinks and fighting. Gibson disputes the single charge of felony riot, his lawyers said. In court papers filed last year, a Portland police detective said Gibson could be seen in a video taunting and threatening members of antifa and later physically pushing a woman before she was hit with a baton and knocked unconscious by someone else. Gibsons lawyers contend the allegations that Gibson pushed the woman are completely false and said he was trying to defuse a fight between the woman and another man. Hours after Schmidt held a news conference at the Multnomah County Courthouse on Aug. 11 to announce his new policy on charges stemming from the citys recent protests, one of Gibsons lawyers emailed a deputy district attorney, inquiring if the new policy meant Gibsons riot charge would also be dismissed. Lee wrote to the deputy district attorney, requesting that the riot charge against Gibson be dropped, arguing Gibson hadnt engaged in any other alleged assault or property damage. We therefore call upon your office to provide equal application of the MCDA policy and dismiss the charge against Mr. Gibson just as you would for any other individual charged only with riot, Lee wrote. Deputy District Attorney Brad Kalbaugh, after consulting with Schmidt, responded in an email to Gibsons lawyers, informing them that the charge wouldnt be dismissed. My offices new policy pertaining to riot trials is not retroactive, Kalbaugh wrote. Gibsons lawyers pushed back, noting that nothing in the written policy that Schmidts office released said anything about retroactivity, yet it does say the policy will apply to all referred cases arising from the current protests. So, just so I understand, Lee wrote back by email, it does apply to cases from the protests that began around the end of May of 2020 through current, but does not apply back further to Mr. Gibsons case? Thats my understanding, Kalbaugh responded later, according to a thread of emails obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive. Day after a retired Navy officer was assaulted in Mumbai for forwarding a cartoon of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on social media, six suspected Shiv Sena workers arrested in the case were granted bail on Saturday. The release evoked allegations of political pressure on the police. Questioning the decision to grant bail, BJP leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, Its very wrong and a kind of state-sponsored terror situation. I called upon Uddhav ji through my tweet to stop this goonda raj. The six accused were released in 10 minutes." Fadnavis had slammed the Thackeray government on Friday over reports of the assault Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he spoke to the Navy veteran and wished him a speedy recovery. I spoke to retired naval officer Madan Sharma, who was attacked by hooligans in Mumbai, and enquired about his health. Such attacks on ex-servicemen are completely unacceptable and deplorable. I wish Madan ji a speedy recovery," ANI quoted him as saying. The six persons were arrested after local BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar posted a video of the Fridays assault on the retired officer, Madan Sharma (62), on Twitter. A complaint was filed against Sena workers at Kandivali police station. Leader of opposition in the state Legislative council Pravin Darekar, Bhatkhalkar and the victims family members staged an agitation outside the ACPs office in Kandivali. They demanded that the accused be booked under sections 326 (causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons and means), and 452 and 450 (house-trespassing) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which are non-bailable. Nangre Patil, who visited the site of the protest,told the protesters the accused were booked under section 325of the IPC for causing grievous hurt and rioting sections,which was a bailable offence. Six persons arrested yesterday under section 325 of the IPC. They were granted bail in view of the COVID-19 situation. There is no political pressure. I dont think section 326 can be invoked since that amounts to the use of sharp weapons. We will see the legal scrutiny of slapping trespassing clauses against them," the police officer said. The Shiv Sena heads the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) dispensation, also comprising the NCP and Congress. With PTI inputs 611,000 people are now on the list, while almost 145,000 of these have been waiting at least 18 months for an appointment. According to data from the National Treatment Purchase Fund, the list grew by nearly 10,000 between July and August. There has been warning about a new crisis in Irish hospitals this winter, as waiting lists have reached this record high. Dr Denis McCauley of the Irish Medical Organisation says the new record is largely due to Covid-19 measures in hospitals. I do accept that going forward there will have to be certain reduced capacity which will have an effect, but I do wish that they would reach that reduced capacity as quickly as possible, he said. I do not think that has been achieved yet and unless they maximise the work that they can do in the medium term, these will unfortunately lengthen. Urgent action Advertisement Over 841,000 people are currently on some form of hospital waiting list, according to the National Treatment Purchase Fund. The new figures also show 77,600 people were waiting for an inpatient procedure last month. Sinn Fein's health spokesperson, David Cullinane, says urgent action is needed. This is quite serious, and weve been saying for some time we are facing into a winter in our acute hospitals like we have never seen before, he said. They face an unprecedented challenge, and unless we can put the resources in very, very quickly, were going to see these numbers increase week by week and obviously thats on the watch of Minister Donnelly and he needs to act very quickly and very urgently. T he UK saw the largest daily spike in coronavirus cases in four months on Friday as fears grow of a devastating second wave. New data suggesting a rise in infections came as stricter measures were imposed on Birmingham in the latest local lockdown announcement, after a spike in cases there. The city and neighbouring Solihull and Sandwell boroughs all face a ban from next week on socialising between people outside their own household. Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said the 3,539 new cases of Covid-19 reported on Friday compared to 2,919 overnight cases reported on Thursday. She said there were 'worrying signs for the elderly' and that many of the new cases were coming from community transmission. assoon Salon employee in Leeds city centre, West Yorkshire, where tougher lockdown measures may be introduced locally after a rise in coronavirus infections / PA Most of these cases are people tested in the community. Although younger people continue to make up the greatest share of new cases, were now starting to see worrying signs of infections occurring in the elderly, who are at far higher risk of getting seriously ill. This is a reminder of the ongoing risk as the virus spreads throughout the UK. People should continue to follow social distancing rules, wash their hands regularly and wear a face covering in enclosed spaces. You should not mix with others when unwell. Also on Friday, the Government revealed a launch date for the delayed NHS app which it hopes will help to contain the virus during what the Health Secretary described as a "critical time". People in England will be banned from meeting in groups of more than six from Monday / PA The tracing app is due to be rolled out across England and Wales on September 24, and pub goers and diners will be among those urged to download it and check themselves in to venues. Matt Hancock said it is "vital" the NHS Test and Trace system is used to reach as many people as possible to prevent outbreaks and "stop this virus in its tracks". Data released by the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) shows the estimate for the R value - the reproduction number of coronavirus transmission - across the UK is between 1.0 and 1.2. According to Government advisers, the last time R was above 1 was in early March. Elsewhere, Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates suggested there has been a rise in daily infections in England. Loading.... The ONS said the rate of new infections in private households was estimated to be at an average of 3,200 people per day between August 30 and September 5, up from 2,000 the previous week. Bhopal,Sep 12: The Congress in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday kicked off its campaign for 27 Assembly bypolls with state unit president Kamal Nath offering prayers at famous Baglamukhi temple at Nalkheda in Agar Malwa district. Nath was accompanied by MLAs Sajjan Singh Verma and Jaivardhan Singh, who had earlier served as ministers in the erstwhile Congress-led government. We opened our campaign by offering prayers at the temple for prosperous Madhya Pradesh," said state Congress spokesman Bhupendra Gupta. Nath also addressed a public meeting in support of Congress nominee from Agar (SC) constituency, Vipin Wankhede. The Agar byelection became necessary due to the death of sitting BJP MLA Manohar Untwal who had defeated Wankhede in the 2018 assembly elections. The Congress had on Friday announced names of 15 candidates for the bypolls, whose schedule is yet to be announced. Meanwhile, the ruling BJP said it would launch campaign once the Election Commission announces a formal schedule for the bypolls. We are going to announce our candidates and formally launch our election campaign after the schedule for the 27 seats is announced," said Madhya Pradesh chief BJP spokesman Dipak Vijayvargiya. The 27 seats fell vacant following resignation of 25 MLAs of the Congress over the last five months and the death of two legislators earlier. While 22 of the 25 legislators exited then Kamal Nath government and joined the BJP in March this year under the leadership of Jyotiraditya Scindia, leading to its collapse, three more MLAs resigned later and joined the saffron party. Two seats had fallen vacant after deaths of sitting MLAs. 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 Wisconsin residents receiving an extra $300 in weekly unemployment benefits are being asked to pay back the money if Congress enacts new legislation to replace the jobless aid created by President Donald Trump's executive action last month. Labor and unemployment experts worry that this could leave many out-of-work Americans confused about what to do at a time when the money ordered by Trump has already been delayed and Congress has failed to pass a new aid package for the jobless. Some lawmakers say it's unlikely that more financial relief would reach Americans before November. If Republicans and Democrats do agree to new aid in the future, unemployed people who take the federal benefit could be seen as double-dipping: They would receive retroactive pay from the new legislation even though they already been paid through Trumps executive action. All of this confusion just makes for more administrative burdens at a time when people are going longer without benefits, living standards are declining and poverty is rising after millions lost their jobs through no fault of their own from the pandemic, says Heidi Shierholz, senior economist and director of policy at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. More pay cuts: More workers hit with pay cuts than in last recession, and stagnant wages could linger 'We shouldn't have to beg': Americans struggle without unemployment aid as Congress stalls on extending benefits A spokesman from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development said the state is following guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is funding Trump's Lost Wages Assistance program, and the Department of Labor. FEMA, however, said that states administer the program while the agency provides the funds. It's still unclear how widespread this is beyond Wisconsin. Colorado, Indiana, Georgia, Iowa, Alabama, Idaho, Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Alaska and Nebraska said they aren't advising recipients to return the money. Story continues The Louisiana Workforce Commission said it will monitor legislation from Congress, and added that it would ensure that any future guidelines are met as provided from the Department of Labor. The $300 weekly benefit is retroactive to Aug. 1 for workers who qualify. Wisconsin's DWD doesn't anticipate that it will be forced to claw back the aid from claimants, although its own website posted the warning to out-of-work residents who tried to file unemployment claims. It remains unclear whether future aid from Congress will be made retroactive to Aug. 1, meaning the payments would overlap, a spokesman said. The DWD is anticipating that if Congress passes new legislation, it will begin once Trump's Lost Wages Assistance program lapses for the week ended Sept. 5 so that there would be no overlap, they added. This screenshot provided by labor attorney Victor Forberger shows a message from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. Overpayment? Still, a potential overpayment issue threatens to create problems in other states beyond Wisconsin if Congress allows retroactive payments to overlap, experts say. States could face a reckoning over how to recover the money if people were overpaid, they warned. Theres a high chance that Congress could backdate a new relief program, creating problems for states that already distributed money from the Lost Wages Assistance program," says Andrew Stettner, an unemployment expert and senior fellow at The Century Foundation, a think tank. "If Congress doesnt address this in a new relief package, there would be an overpayment situation for many jobless Americans across the country that would need to be resolved," he added. A caravan protest on unemployment benefits in New Orleans on July 22, 2020. A house divided: As millions face evictions, others buy dream homes amid COVID-19 'Nightmarish' scenario for jobless Americans Michele Evermore, senior researcher and policy analyst with the National Employment Law Project, was concerned that something like this could happen as states rushed to get Trump's Lost Wages Assistance program up and running when it was enacted in August. The program replaces the $600 federal unemployment supplement that expired in late July. "This would be nightmarish for jobless Americans and state unemployment systems alike if people are forced to return the money," says Evermore. "Wisconsin isnt necessarily in the wrong for sharing a disclaimer. Its worth letting people know that this temporary benefit is uncertain. In August, Trump called for a $300-per-week federally-funded jobless benefit for workers who were unemployed due to the pandemic after coronavirus aid talks stalled in Congress. Trump directed FEMA to run the $300-per-week relief program through its Disaster Relief Fund, which would be capped at $44 billion. It was supposed to last until December. But experts estimate that states will exhaust the funds after about five or six weeks from early August, threatening to leave out-of-work Americans without the additional aid within a matter of weeks after Congress failed to pass another aid package this month. And some states including Arizona, Missouri and Montana have already exhausted the funds. And Texas said Wednesday that the disbursement of the extra $300 would expire for the week ended Sept. 5. The latest failed attempt to strike a deal in Washington may have been the last opportunity for lawmakers to reach an accord on a stimulus bill before the election in November. Some economists say that the lapse in aid could spell trouble for household spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic growth. Nearly 30 million Americans are receiving unemployment benefits, according to the Labor Department. State unemployment programs cover only about 41% of someones lost wages, data from the Brookings Institution shows. Some people cant cover their basic needs on regular state benefits. Its only going to get harder until the economy recovers," says Stettner. "People may be forced to make more drastic decisions by either raiding their 401(k)s or selling their homes, creating a bigger inequality divide in America. Nearly all states except for South Dakota have applied for funds through FEMA. So far, at least 25 of them have begun disbursing the money. States cant normally pay unemployment insurance that isn't authorized by Congress. So they have been forced to reconfigure their systems to distribute the funds, resulting in long delays. Wisconsin, a key swing state in the U.S. election, was approved to provide an additional $300 a week in federal aid for three weeks to those receiving unemployment due to lost wages from the pandemic. And additional weeks of funding will be determined on a weekly basis afterward. But the state warned earlier this month that it could take eight weeks to reprogram the state's unemployment system to disburse the funds. States lack guidance without new legislation Guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that the Lost Wages Assistance program from the Trump administration must end if Congress passes new legislation providing supplementary unemployment benefits, including extending the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program that expired in July. Still, the question of whether people must return the money provided by Trump's program can't be answered until new legislation provides guidance, according to the Department of Labor. Essentially, the federal government is saying it has yet to determine how possible overpayments through the program will be repaid. That has left the door open for states like Wisconsin to interpret how to recoup the money, according to Victor Forberger, a Wisconsin-based labor and employment attorney who specializes in unemployment cases. Wisconsin has made an administrative interpretation as opposed to what the law allows, argues Forberger, who added that the state is very aggressive when it comes to recouping overpayments. To be sure, its possible that Wisconsin could be overstepping its authority, some experts argue, since theres nothing in the current declaration that would allow states to require people to pay back the Loss Wages Assistance. The Department of Labor directed USA TODAY to contact FEMA for comment. FEMA provides the funding, the states administer the program, FEMA told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. FEMA cannot estimate if people will be eligible or ineligible to receive Lost Wages Assistance. Eligibility determinations are made at the state level. How people could return the funds Its unclear how people would pay back the money, but there are a couple of ways it could happen. If Congress passes a new enhanced unemployment program, people could have their retroactive federal payments reduced to cover overpayments, says Shierholz. Or they could get paid in full under the new program but have to pay back what they owe, she added. Contributing: Brent Schrotenboer and Charisse Jones This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Unemployment: Wisconsin asks residents to return $300 jobless aid Baylor University is a private Baptist institution located in Waco, Texas. Because it's Baptist-run, Baylor has always had a strict code of conduct. It's one of the few completely "dry" campuses in America; it forbids any alcohol, regardless of a student's age. This innate conservatism makes it all the more surprising that the Baylor Student Activities office decided that a simple display of flags to memorialize 9/11 needed to have a trigger warning. The Young Conservatives of Texas chapter at Baylor University has an annual practice of putting up a simple display of flags every September 11 to commemorate those people who died when jihadists launched their attack on America. There are never signs or political statements; there are only the flags. This year, however, there were signs on the flag display. What upset the Young Conservatives was that the signs came from the Baylor Student Activities office, which decided that the flags required a trigger warning notifying students that, merely by looking at the flags, they were being exposed to sensitive content. In a press release, the Young Conservatives explained that they had made it clear to the Student Activities office that this was a purely non-partisan activity: Less than 24 hours before the event, Baylor Student Activities informed us they would need to place "expression activity" signs near the flags. Baylor Student Activities placed a sign that read; "Please be advised: sensitive content". These signs amount to nothing short of a trigger warning for an event that should unite all Americans. My first thought was that the Student Activities Office might be a student-run organization, which would explain its ludicrous and demeaning decision. However, a quick check on the Baylor website revealed that the Student Activities Office has a staff of twenty adults who hold paid positions. No matter how one looks at it, the decision is shameful. If the (ahem) adults in the Student Activities Office thought American flags require a trigger warning, once conservative Baylor has become as much a cesspool of leftism as any other academic institution in America. To the extent it receives any federal funds, those funds should be withdrawn immediately. Alternatively, if the (ahem) adults in the Student Activities Office thought Baylor's students are so fragile that merely being reminded about 9/11 will cause mental breakdowns, that raises the possibility of two significant problems at Baylor. If the administration is correct in its supposition, then there's something deeply wrong with the Baylor student body. And if the administration is incorrect in its assumption, then the Student Activities Office is demeaning the young people it oversees. Whatever the reason behind the decision, the Young Conservatives would like an apology, and they are undoubtedly due one: As Baylor students, this is incredibly saddening for us to see. 9/11 is a day that we can forget our political identities and come together to remember those who died and celebrate the triumph of our nation over evil. We ask that the University formally apologize to the Baylor community for displaying the signs at our memorial in order to assert their commitment to the victims of 9/11. Displaying the American Flag to memorialize those who tragically perished in the 9/11 attacks is now considered Sensitive Content. Honoring those who died and first responders isnt Sensitive, its American. pic.twitter.com/0DHmY7h2sJ Baylor YCT (@BaylorYCT) September 11, 2020 Image: Baylor warning on 9/11 display Photo credit: Nikola From Autoweek Only days after General Motors and Nikola announced a major strategic partnership, a highly critical report from a short seller of Nikolas stock is claiming that most of the companys vaunted technology is smoke and mirrors. If true, the charges could be hugely embarrassing to General Motors. The company has been trying to gain ground against Tesla and claim some useful momentum for its electrification workand probably saw a nimble collaboration with a startup as a path to that goal. The GM/Nikola deal was announced September 8. GM will receive a $2 billion equity stake in Nikola and get 11 percent ownership. Nikola will gain access to GMs hydrogen technology, a more than $1 billion investment by the leading automaker without any significant production commitment to date. GM will also engineer, validate, homologate and build the Nikola Badger, a fast pickup truck with both full battery-electric and fuel-cell versions. Photo credit: Nikola Fuel-cell vehicles from major automakers have suffered in the American marketplace because the hydrogen infrastructure is so limited, especially outside California. But Nikola has proposed an elegant solutionfor clients with established delivery routes, it proposed to build the trucks and supply the hydrogen fueling stations along those routes. In 2018, Anheuser-Busch put in an order for up to 800 hydrogen-electric semi-trucks from Nikola, and made its first beer deliveries last year. The lengthy report from Hindenburg Research, which describes itself as a specialist in forensic financial research, was published September 10. It charges that Nikola is an intricate fraud built on dozens of lies over the course of its founder and executive chairman Trevor Miltons career.We have never seen this level of deception at a public company, especially of this size. The report was issued the same day Nikola canceled a previously arranged Autoweek interview with Milton. Nikola spokeswoman Colleen Robar told Autoweek, All the supporting evidence and documentation regarding the false allegations has been brought to the attention of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Milton tweeted, Everyone needs to know Im pissed too. You know me and normally I go straight at the BS and provide evidence like I always have. I have nothing to hide. Zero. Even the simple points I cant comment on right now. As a leader, you get shit on sometimes and you have to take it and watch as it hurts you and others. He said the companys refutation of the charges will be released as soon as they give me the green light. Story continues And Nikola said in a statement, 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. This was a hit job for short sale profit driven by greed. We have nothing to hide and we will refute these allegations. They have already taken up more time and attention than they deserve. Nikola also said it was evaluating potential legal recourse. Asked if the company had validated Nikolas technology before the deal was signed, GM Senior Communications Manager James Cain told Autoweek, This alliance isnt about Nikola technology; its about GM technology. GM is supplying our fuel cell (developed with Honda) for the Badger and Nikolas Class 7 and 8 trucks. For the Badger alone, we are providing our EV truck architecture and Ultium battery technology produced by the GM-LG Chem joint venture. We will engineer, homologate and build the Badger in a GM plant. In exchange, we get shares in Nikola. Cain added, Nothing has changed from GMs perspective. We are fully confident in the value we will create by working together. We stand by the statements we made in announcing the relationship. Photo credit: Nikola In that joint announcement, Milton was quoted as calling Nikola one of the most innovative companies in the worldYou couldnt dream of a better partnership than this. But the reportfrom a company that admits it has taken a short position in shares of Nikola Corp.makes a series of strong allegations. It says, among many other things: Nikolas battery technology is vaporware, and a former battery supplier was being sued by the company; The 3.5 megawatts of solar panels supposedly on the companys roof is, at least not yet, actually there; Miltons brother, Travis, was hired as director of hydrogen production/infrastructure when his previous experience was in pouring concrete driveways and doing subcontractor work on home renovations in Hawaii; Key Nikola components that the company had supposedly developed in-house were actually bought or licensed from third parties; The companys Nikola One semi-truck was not functional as claimed at the time of its reveal in 2016, and, despite H2 stenciled on its side, had absolutely zero hydrogen technology whatsoever; Key partners, and Milton himself, have sold off significant shares of Nikola. In an email, Nate Anderson, founder of Hindenburg, told Autoweek that his company has an extensive track-record in identifying and exposing fraud, and chided Nikola for not immediately supplying a detailed response. Nikola said its point-by-point response is forthcoming. We are pleased that Nikola is engaging with the SEC, and we are not surprised that Trevor Milton is not commenting further on advice of counsel, Anderson said. The allegations are explosive, but the source is not impartial. PORTAGE, MI -- A new restaurant is arriving in Portage to rival the big chains. Turbo Chicken promises to be better than its fast food competitors by making everything from scratch. Turbo Chicken will open its doors on Friday, Sept. 18 located at 5234 Portage Road. Donald Trump arrived at a rally in Michigan yesterday to the sound of Creedence Clearwater Revivals Fortunate Son a protest song railing against inherited wealth, inequality in military service, and violent hypocrisy on the part of elected leaders. Played between Laura Branigans legendary 1980s belter Gloria and Lee Greenwoods patriotic Proud to be an American, the song greeted the arrival of Air Force One at a large rally where Mr Trump gave a rambling speech in his usual style before a large crowd. The content of Fortunate Son chimes awkwardly with Mr Trumps biography, railing as it does against inherited wealth, tax avoidance, and the hypocrisy of presidents who arrive to the sound of Hail to the Chief but point the cannon at you. Mr Trump, who inherited hundreds of millions of dollars, is still embroiled in a years-long battle against a subpoena for his financial records. He has also been criticised over the summer for sending in federal forces to break up protests including one incident in Washington where peaceful demonstrators were cleared out of his way with tear gas so he could stage a photoshoot outside a church near the White House. The lyrics about service in Vietnam, however, come after a particularly difficult moment for the president, who was recently accused of repeatedly denigrating fallen soldiers as losers and suckers, in an article in The Atlantic. While he and the White House strongly denied the allegations, they were confirmed by multiple sources even to loyal outlet Fox News. Mr Trump also famously avoided the Vietnam draft, including with a diagnosis of bone spurs in his feet. There are inconsistencies in the story of how he obtained that medical deferment despite having been a keen college sportsman, and he has previously claimed he escaped the draft partly by receiving a high number in the lottery run to decide who was drafted even though the draft began 18 months after he left college. Mr Trumps rally playlists, which tilt toward classic upbeat rock and pop, have got him into trouble on more than one occasion, with artists from Neil Young to R.E.M. and Pharell Williams taking legal action to stop him from using their songs. He also caught flak for playing the Guns n Roses cover of Live and Let Die while touring a factory that produced anti-coronavirus masks. PLA carriers crucial in reunification-by-force Taiwan operation Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Source: Global Times Published: 2020/9/11 17:53:40 After the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted intensive aerial and naval exercises near Taiwan for two consecutive days on Wednesday and Thursday, the military on the island is fearing a potential island encirclement patrol by the PLA's two aircraft carriers, Taiwan media said on Friday. Mainland analysts said on Friday that the PLA drills are normal training missions with the aim of honing the capabilities to win a war should one break out in the Taiwan Straits, and are responses and warnings to secessionist moves including drills that simulate a PLA attack and encouraging top US officials to visit the island. Multiple PLA warplanes including Su-30 fighter jets and Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft again entered the island's "air defense identification zone" off the "airspace" southwest to Taiwan on Thursday, after PLA Su-30 and J-10 fighter jets conducted similar missions on Wednesday, Taiwan media reported on Thursday, citing the island's defense authority. Taiwan's defense authority said that the Chinese mainland conducted an aerial and maritime joint exercise 90 nautical miles off the island's southwestern waters, in which a total of 21 warplanes of various types entered the island's "air defense identification zone" for 48 times. A mainland maritime research ship, which was seemingly on a reconnaissance mission, also appeared in the east side of the island, reports by Taiwan media said. The PLA drills are likely routine exercises aimed to enhance its actual combat capabilities in the Taiwan Straits by further learning the air, sea and land areas and honing skills, Chinese mainland military expert Song Zhongping told the Global Times. The PLA activities come at a time when the computer-aided war games phase of Taiwan's Han Kuang drills, which has the PLA in mind, are about to begin on Monday, Taiwan media reported. Also, some Taiwan media reported that Taiwan authorities are actively promoting the visit of US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to Taiwan and may invite Keith Krach, undersecretary of State for economic growth, energy, and the environment to the island. The recent PLA drills can serve as responses and warnings to the Taiwan secessionists and the US, showing that the PLA is capable and is becoming even more capable of reunifying the island by force if they go too far, a mainland military expert who asked not to be identified told the Global Times. Secessionists still cannot or do not want to recognize the huge gap in military strength between the island and the mainland, and with more live-fire and real-combat-oriented exercises, the PLA should put this reality for them to realize, the expert said. Citing speculation by an officer at the island's naval force, a separate Taiwan media report on Friday said the Taiwan military is preparing for the possibility that the Liaoning and the Shandong, the PLA's two aircraft carriers, could conduct joint exercises and encircle the island around September 22. Both PLA aircraft carriers were spotted carrying out training exercises in early September, with the Shandong in the Bohai Sea and the Liaoning in the Yellow Sea, as of September 3, foreign media reported at that time, citing commercial satellite images. The PLA or the mainland's Defense Ministry has not confirmed the reported aircraft carriers' movements. Mainland experts said that the two PLA carriers can play important roles in a potential reunification-by-force operation by attacking the island from different sides and intercepting possible US intervention. It is only a matter of time before the carriers sail pass the island of Taiwan, and it will become very normal, because if they are to enter the South China Sea or West Pacific from the Bohai Sea or Yellow Sea where they are based now, they will need to sail through the Taiwan Straits west to the Taiwan Island or the Miyako Strait and Bashi Channel east to the island, analysts said. The Shandong will eventually leave its shipyard in Northeast China and return to its home port in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province, during which it will likely pass the Taiwan Straits again, observers said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The South African unit of Unilever will set up an advisory board and a diversity committee after apologising for a hair care advert which it admitted was "racist", the consumer group said on Friday. The advert by its TRESemme brand, was posted on drugstore Clicks Group's website last Friday, and described images of African black hair as "frizzy and dull," while a white woman's hair was referred to as "normal". It caused an outcry on social media and sparked protests led by the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in a country where unfair treatment of black hair evokes painful memories of prejudice during apartheid. The then-government used a "pencil test" to determine someone's racial identity: a pencil was inserted into a person's hair and if it did not fall, that person was considered not white. "We were shocked to discover that we had supplied images for the Clicks website that portrayed black hair as inferior. This was racist and we apologise unreservedly," Unilever said in a statement. The firm is reviewing all the marketing campaigns and images in its South Africa portfolio "to make sure they match our commitment to celebrate all beauty and promote diversity and inclusion." It will also set up a new diversity and inclusion assets committee and an advisory board with internal and external experts to review how its hair care products in South Africa can offer consumers solutions, it said. The household goods conglomerate behind the Omo, Sunlight and Domestos brands will also work with the new advisory board to develop programmes to deliver immediate support to black hair stylists and small professional salons. Lastly, Unilever will review its mandatory diversity and inclusion training to accelerate its training on unconscious bias for all staff. On Thursday, Unilever agreed to pull all its TRESemme haircare products from South African retail stores for 10 days to show remorse after some retailers had begun removing the products. (Reporting by Nqobile Dludla;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle) Breaking silence over the ex-Navy veteran Madan Sharma's assault by six Shiv Sena goons, the party's chief spokesperson, Sanjay Raut, on Saturday took to Twitter to condemn the veteran while claiming that Sena workers were 'punished'. He said that while the veteran had forwarded a 'shameful' cartoon, the actions of the Shiv Sena workers too were 'spontaneous' and 'angry'. Lauding the Mumbai police's immediate action of arresting the Sena workers, he said that it proved that Uddhav Thackeray's Maharashtra was one were 'rules were followed'. Assaulted Navy veteran seeks CM Uddhav's resignation; reminds him of Cartoonist Balasaheb Raut: Actions were 'angered and spontaneous' Lashing at the Opposition, he said it was condemnable that they were making this a political issue. Reiterating that if any individual misuses 'freedom of speech' while opining on President, Governor, Prime Minister or Chief Minister, he said that 'people's tolerance' is bound to break. Maintaining peace in society, he claims is the responsibility of both the Opposition and the ruling government. Rajnath Singh dials assaulted Navy veteran; condemns Shiv Sena goons' deplorable attack Madan Sharma: "CM must resign" Earlier in the day, the Navy veteran Madan Sharma demanded that CM Uddhav Thackeray tender his resignation if he is unable to control the law and order situation in the state. Sharma who was being discharged from Kandivali's Shatabdi hospital held Thackeray responsible if any untoward situation occurred to him or his family. Sharma's assailants - which include two Sena shakha chiefs have been granted bail. "Uddhav Thackerayji, if you can't control law and order then resign, let the public decide which government can handle it. Those (assailaints out on bail) are infuriated - hence I ask the CM to arrange for security to me and my family. Uddhav Thackerayji along with his party must apologise to the nation and ensure such an incident must not repeat," he said. Sharma also said that the Whatsapp group where he forwarded the cartoon had several high-profile ministers - none of whom had raised any objections. Alleging that the ongoing tiff between actress Kangana Ranaut and the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena had been the reason behind his attack, he claimed that the police may have been pressurised to grant bail to the assailants. Reminding Thackeray of his father- Balasaheb's skill as a cartoonist, he said that the cartoon had been misinterpreted. Navy veteran attacked: Shiv Sena shakha chiefs, 4 others get bail within 24-hour of arrest 62-year-old Navy veteran attacked On Friday, Shiv Sena goons allegedly attacked an ex-Navy officer over a Whatsapp forward. CCTV footage from the area shows the goons dragging Sharma, slapping him as he tries to run away. Sources report that Sharma- a Kandivali resident, was attacked by goons led by a Shiv Sena 'Shakha' head, who allegedly barged into Sharma's compound. Calling the ex-Navy officer to come out of his house, the Sena unit chief allegedly attacked him. The Whatsapp forward was a satirical cartoon featuring Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and his allies - Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi. The police arrested six people - Shiv Sena Shakha chiefs Kamlesh Kadam, Sanjay Manjre and four others on Friday. All have been granted bail now. Two Shiv Sena Shakha chiefs arrested for assaulting Navy veteran after complaint The Central Railway has announced that Mumbai local trains, which have so far been limited to only essential workers, will be open to students appearing in competitive exams or college, university final year examinations. NEET-2020, the entrance examination for medical college, is scheduled to be held on September 13. Students appearing for final exams and other competitive exams for advance studies, please see pic.twitter.com/hDRhFz1WPd Central Railway (@Central_Railway) September 12, 2020 With reference to the permission received from the ministry of railways, government of India, students appearing for final year exams and other competitive exams for advance studies as approved by state government of Maharashtra, are permitted to travel by special suburban services over Mumbai Suburban network, the Central Railway said. Candidates must have valid identity cards and hall tickets, which are to be displayed at the stations. Additional booking counters will also be opened. However, Mumbai locals are not yet open for others, the Central Railway has reiterated. The Bombay High Court on Thursday asked the Maharashtra government how long it plans to shut the services. Local trains, the lifeline of Mumbais public transport, have been shut for the last six months. In June, as the Centre announced Unlock 1, Mumbai locals resumed operations only for essential staff. U.S. hospitals have turned down about a third of their allocated supplies of the COVID-19 drug remdesivir since July as need for the costly antiviral wanes, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed on Friday. Some hospitals said they are still buying the Gilead Sciences medicine to build inventory in case the pandemic accelerates over the winter. But they said current supplies are adequate, in part because they are limiting use to severely ill patients. The Food and Drug Administration has allowed more liberal remdesivir use, but 6 out of 8 major hospital systems contacted by Reuters said they were not using it for moderate cases. The slowdown suggests that a shortage of the drug is over and threatens Gilead's efforts to expand use of remdesivir, which it sells under the brand name Veklury in some countries. An HHS spokesperson confirmed on Friday that between July 6 and September 8, state and territory public health systems accepted about 72% of the remdesivir they were offered. Hospitals in turn purchased only about two-thirds of what states and territories accepted, as previously detailed to Reuters by Michael Ganio, senior director of pharmacy practice and quality at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Gilead did not respond to a request for comment. A surplus of remdesivir - which costs $3,120 for a 6-vial intravenous course - marks a turnaround from earlier in the pandemic, when supplies of the drug had fallen short of demand in some regions. Government-led distribution of remdesivir will expire at the end of September. Hospitals said they have little information on availability after that. Remdesivir was first authorized by the FDA in May for emergency use in COVID-19 patients hospitalized and on oxygen support after data showed it helped shorten hospital recovery time. 'NOT TERRIBLY IMPRESSED' The agency last month expanded use to hospitalized patients who do not require oxygen support, based on data published in the JAMA medical journal showing that the drug provided a modest benefit for those patients. The newer data has left many experts unconvinced. "I am not terribly impressed with the study," said Dr. Adarsh Bhimraj, an infectious disease specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. He said he remains "skeptical" about using remdesivir in patients with moderate COVID-19, especially given the price. Dr. Rajesh Gandhi, an infectious disease physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said his center has stayed focused on using remdesivir for the narrower population of seriously ill patients who need supplemental oxygen. "No one wants to be in a position of making treatment decisions based on drug availability," he said. Houston Methodist Hospital is holding off on broader use of remdesivir, and instead is stockpiling it in case the pandemic flares up in winter - typically the peak season for respiratory illness. "At this point, we are buying far more than we are using because we are unsure about what will happen at the end of September," said Katherine Perez, infectious disease pharmacist at Houston Methodist. There is no evidence that COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital for a day or two due to an underlying health issue, like diabetes or high blood pressure, would benefit from the drug, she added. Mark Sullivan, associate chief pharmacy officer at Nashville's Vanderbilt University Hospitals & Clinics, said his institution also did not expand remdesivir use based on the newer JAMA data. "We have kept our treatment protocol the same," he said. Also read: Gilead raises 2020 sales forecast to include revenue from COVID-19 drug remdesivir Also read: COVID-19 treatment: Dr Reddy's launches Remdesivir under brand name 'Redyx' in India Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. High near 25F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low around 20F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. The University of Virginia Board of Visitors on Friday unanimously passed a package of six resolutions, including removing the George Rogers Clark statue and the Whispering Wall Confederate monument and providing context to the Thomas Jefferson statue near the Rotunda to include Jeffersons ownership of slaves. The board also voted to drop the name Curry from the Curry School of Education and Withers from Withers-Brown Hall. Among the resolutions was support for 11 recommendations to promote racial equity in the student body and faculty and other aspects of the university community and directing administrators to look for funds for the moves and to develop metrics to measure progress. Rector Jim Murray told the board the resolutions came from the universitys Racial Equity Task Force. The task force was created by UVa President Jim Ryan earlier this year as protests broke out over what Murray called the national catharsis that came out from the inexcusable, unforgiveable murder of George Floyd. This moment offers us a unique opportunity to take action that will leave a lasting and positive impact on the university we all love, UVa President Jim Ryan said Friday. [They are] actions that will make this place more clearly and obviously welcoming to all, and where all have an opportunity to thrive. The board voted to double the number of faculty from underrepresented groups in 10 years, review tenure and promotion processes and develop a plan and timeline for creating a student population that better reflects the racial and socioeconomic demographics of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The board also directed the development of educational programs that concern racial equity and anti-racism, including leadership development programs, and called for a thorough review of university police practices and policies to ensure fair, equitable, and transparent practices reflecting 21st century policing principles. Each of these goals contributes to our efforts to make UVa a welcoming, equitable and inclusive place for our students, faculty and staff to learn and pursue their work, UVa Provost Liz Magill said. Embracing and pursuing these goals but more importantly, achieving them will improve the quality of the experience and the value of the education provided at this university. In its resolutions, the board noted that UVa is reexamining its past and has removed or renamed a number of buildings and symbols of unequal treatment of racial minorities on Grounds, including removing the Confederate War memorial plaques from the Rotunda. The university has also built the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers and named a residence hall for a formerly enslaved couple who lived and worked at UVa. The Board of Visitors supports wholeheartedly the stated objectives of creating a more welcoming climate, investing in relevant education and scholarship, committing to healing and repairing a painful history, and ensuring equal access and success, a resolution supporting task force recommendations states. Adding context to Jeffersons statue regarding his ownership of slaves is part of the effort and crucial to reframing the historic landscape to tell a broader story about all of those who contributed to building the school, the resolution states. Throughout his lifetime Mr. Jefferson owned slaves and slave labor was employed by the universitys founders to construct and maintain the universitys Academical Village, in direct contradiction of the American ideals of liberty and equality that Jefferson had expressed so eloquently in the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, the resolution states. Clarks statue has been the recent focus of protests, vandalism and calls for its removal. It was funded by Paul Goodloe McIntire, who also funded the statues of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. Thomas Stonewall Jackson in downtown Charlottesville. The statues were erected in the 1920s as Virginia began passing racial purity and segregation laws. At the time the [Clark] statue was erected, it was described by the [UVa] Alumni News as Clark explaining the futility of resistance, which supports a popular sentiment at the time of the natural superiority of white Americans over Native Americans and other nonwhites, which is not a view endorsed by members of the University community now, the board resolution states. Although he was born in Albemarle County, Clark had no connections with UVa as he died prior to its founding. Renaming the Curry School of Education was first recommended in 2018, but the move proved controversial. The renaming of the Curry school has been contentious and drawn out because the first efforts were frankly short on scholarship, clumsy in process and unworthy of the University of Virginia, Murray said. J.L.M. Curry, for whom the education school is named, did not attend UVa or live in the area, although his son did attend the university. Curry was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, the First Confederate Congress and an officer in the Confederate army. After the Civil War, he promoted free education for Black students, but was a firm segregationist. The resolution quoted UVa professor Gary Gallagher about Currys problematic past. To reduce a complex history to a single sentence, Curry showed real vision in advocating free public education for the Souths Black children, but an overclouding blindness in refusing to recognize African Americans as having the same potentialities and capacities as whites, Gallagher said. The board also stripped Henry Malcolm Withers name from the law school building that was named for him after his daughter, Lacy Withers Armour, left the school a $3 million scholarship in honor of her father. The scholarship remains active. The elder Withers rode with Mosbys Raiders, a Confederate cavalry unit that conducted guerilla-style warfare. He studied law at UVa after the war and moved to Kansas City, Missouri, in 1870. He made many speeches favoring the Confederate cause and white supremacist beliefs at Confederate veterans events. The board also approved either rededicating the Whispering Wall memorial to Frank Hume, a Confederate soldier, legislator from Alexandria and Washington, D.C., liquor merchant, or moving it. Hume had no direct connection to UVa or central Virginia. The memorial was paid for and erected by his sons who attended UVa. The memorial is known for its designed ability to carry sound from one end of the arc to the other, earning it the Whispering Wall moniker. The Board of Visitors requests that the University Committee on Names undertake to determine if rededication of the Hume Memorial Wall is appropriate and feasible, or if the memorial should be removed, the resolution states. A final recommendation will be made later. There is plenty of work ahead, but I feel like this provides us with a decent roadmap, Ryan said of the boards actions. This will take effort from all of us. NICOSIA, Cyprus - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday called for a diplomatic solution to the confrontation between Greece and Turkey over energy reserves in east Mediterranean waters, saying ongoing military tensions between two NATO allies only serve the alliances foes. Increased military tensions help no one but adversaries who would like to see division in transatlantic unity, Pompeo said after talks with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades. Pompeo said President Donald Trump has already spoken with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in hopes of ending the standoff. Greek and Turkish warships have been staring each other down in recent weeks as Turkish research vessels and drill ships continue searching for hydrocarbons in waters where Greece and Cyprus claim exclusive economic rights. So far, three sizable gas discoveries have been made inside Cyprus exclusive economic zone where energy companies including Total of France, Italys Eni and ExxonMobil are licensed to carry out hydrocarbons searches. EU members Greece and Cyprus have accused Turkey of violating international law and have been trying to rally fellow bloc members to impose tougher sanctions against Turkey. Turkey, which doesnt recognize Cyprus as a state, insists it has every right to prospect in those waters and is doing so to defend its rights and those of breakaway Turkish Cypriots on ethnically divided Cyprus to a potential mineral bounty. We remain deeply concerned by Turkeys ongoing operations, surveying for natural resources in areas where Greece and Cyprus assert jurisdiction in the eastern Mediterranean, said Pompeo, repeating Washingtons support for Cyprus right to exploit hydrocarbon deposits in its territorial sea and exclusive economic zone. Cyprus has been divided into a Greek-Cypriot south and a Turkish-occupied north since a 1974 invasion by Turkey in response to a coup seeking to unite the island with Greece. A breakaway state in the north is recognized only by Turkey. The U.S. top diplomatic also repeated that any potential hydrocarbon wealth should be shared equitably between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. Anastasiades said he fully supported Washingtons position that regional disputes should be resolved through dialogue and not by gunboat diplomacy. The Cypriot president repeated his governments offer to either negotiate with Turkey directly on marking maritime borders or taking the issue to the International Court of Justice. Pompeos lightning visit to Cyprus also aimed to affirm Washingtons active engagement in tumultuous region just four days after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pitched Moscows offer to help ease tensions during his trip to the island nation. Reminiscent of a Cold War-era rivalry, the visits by Pompeo and Lavrov to Cyprus underscored a renewed interest in a region where Moscows footprint has grown larger due to its military involvement in neighbouring Syria. Security co-operation matters all the more as we see nations that dont share our values trying to obtain footholds in the region, said Pompeo. Cyprus has tried to leverage its geographic proximity to the Middle East by striving to bolster relations with the U.S. while at the same time maintaining strong ties with Moscow on whose support it counts on in the United Nations. Pompeo said U.S.-Cyprus relations have never been better, but repeated to Anastasiades Washingtons concerns over Russian money laundering activities in Cyprus as well as ports of call Russian warships make at Cypriot ports. The centerpiece of closer Cyprus-US links was last years congressional approval of the Eastern Mediterranean Energy and Security Partnership Act that underscores U.S. support for an energy-based partnership between Greece, Cyprus and Israel. Under the Act, the U.S. is providing Cyprus with funding for military training and has partially lifted an arms embargo that was enacted 33 years ago to prevent a possible arms race harming peace talks. The lifting of the embargo was made possible after Washington waived a requirement that Cyprus cease to offer refuelling and other port services to Russian warships. We know that all the Russian military vessels that stop in Cypriot ports are not conducting humanitarian missions in Syria, Pompeo said. The move as well as U.S. officials accusing Russia of playing a very destabilizing role in the region angered Moscow, with Lavrov accusing Washington of using divide and rule tactics to drive a wedge between Russia and countries in the region. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump will travel to California on Monday for an update on the wildfires that have scorched parts of the state. Trump will visit McClellan Park in Sacramento County, where he will be briefed by local and federal fire and emergency officials, the White House said Saturday. McClellan Park has served as the base for firefighter operations in the state The California stop will come on the last day of a three-day presidential swing through the West, which begins Saturday and includes campaign events in Nevada and Arizona. Since mid-August, Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have spoken by phone, and the White House and Federal Emergency Management Agency have remained in contact with state and local officials throughout the response to the disasters, White House spokesman Judd Deere said. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said in a press conference Friday that she also had spoken with the president Thursday evening to explain to him that the situation on the ground was extremely dire. He said you have all of our support, please let us know what you need, and God bless Oregon, Brown said. More: California governor signs bill giving prisoners battling wildfires a shot at becoming pro firefighters The Marsh Fire, shown burning on a hillside in Brentwood, is one of 29 active wildfires in California, according to the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Trump publicly addressed the fires for the first time Friday on Twitter, thanking the 28,000 firefighters and first responders battling the fires in California, Oregon and Washington.Trump said he has approved 37 Stafford Act Declarations, authorizing the FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts. The president has approved a major disaster declaration for California, which began Aug. 14, for individual and public assistance. The administration also has approved 10 fire management assistance grants and 24 grants for other Western states. The grants provide a 75% federal cost share for the mitigation, management and control of fires. Trump and his administration continue to monitor wildfires impacting states across the West, including Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, Deere said. Story continues More than 26,000 federal personnel and 230 helicopters have been deployed to the region to fight these fires. Tragic tale: 'Don't come back until you find him': The harrowing story of a father's desperate attempt to save his son in the Oregon wildfires At least 26 people have died and hundreds of homes have been destroyed in the fires in several states. California has reported at least 19 deaths, while Oregon has reported 6 and Washington state has had one. California has experienced five of its 10 largest fires in history this year, as well as two of its 20 most deadly. This fire season, more than 6,300 structures have been damaged or destroyed, and nearly 5,000 square miles have been burned, according to Cal Fire. Oregon and Washington state have also been hit hard. More than 1,400 square miles have burned in Oregon, and nearly 1,000 square miles in Washington state. Michael Collins covers the White House. Reach him on Twitter @mcollinsNEWS. Devastation: 'We have never seen this': 10% of Oregon faces evacuation; death toll at 26 from Western wildfires This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California wildfires: Trump to visit Monday for update on devastation The sky was a dark red when Karol Parham, 57, stepped outside her home in Molalla Thursday morning. She checked her watch twice to make sure it was really daytime. Within an hour, she and her neighbor, Wylie Roakes, 82, had evacuated to the countys emergency shelter space at Clackamas Community College. It was the beginning of a long day. After the county shut down the shelter in the afternoon due to the spread of the Riverside fire, Parham and Roakes went in search of a motel. Everything was full or, it seemed to them, inflating prices. They finally drove to Clackamas Town Center, which had opened up emergency space for recreational vehicles. They slept at the shopping mall in Parhams Chevy, alongside her cat and parrot. We dont have anywhere else to go, Parham said. The fires raging in Clackamas County have displaced thousands of people since Sunday night. The Riverside fire, the largest fire threatening the county, grew to 130,000 acres Friday and spread to within a half mile of the city of Estacada, which sits just 30 miles from downtown Portland. Evacuees have spilled out from Clackamas County across the Portland metro area, seeking refuge in shopping mall parking lots, fraternal lodges and at the Oregon Convention Center in the heart of the city. Clackamas is Oregons third-largest county, with 418,000 residents directly to Portlands south and southeast. It spans upscale, suburban homes, rural farm communities and a substantial portion of the Mt. Hood National Forest. As conditions grew more dire Thursday, Molallas 8,000 residents were told to leave immediately and residents of Oregon City, Canby and Sandy were told to be ready to head out at a moments notice. By the afternoon, the roads out of Clackamas County were clogged with vehicles stuffed with family treasures or towing trailers hauling livestock as people tried to escape the county. Michael Schmidt, 57, and his wife left their home in Beavercreek Thursday and immediately hit gridlock traffic. Schmidt hadnt expected the traffic and didnt have any food to give his two-year-old grandson during the long drive. It took the family five hours to reach Clackamas Town Center, where they are now staying in their camper in the parking lot. The traffic was crazy, Schmidt said. It was incredible. Ive never seen anything like this. A FULL-BLOWN URBAN INTERFACE FIREFIGHT After a hectic Thursday, weather conditions improved markedly Friday as dry, strong east winds gave way to cooler breezes. Ralph Lucas, operations section chief for the Southwest Incident Management Team, said that fire personnel were working on the ground near Estacada and felt confident that they would be able to keep the fire from spreading into the city. Lucas also said that he didnt anticipate any additional changes to evacuation levels within the county, at least for the time being. The forecast calls for rain early next week as well. We have a hotshot crew right now working one of the major fingers thats close to Estacada, Lucas said. The lines are looking good due to favorable conditions with the weather. The marine layer coming in, the smoke kind of holding things down, are moderating the fire behavior. Thats a really good sign. In addition to the Riverside fire, three other smaller fires in Clackamas County had burnt through 4,000 acres by Friday afternoon, according to fire officials. But after weathering an intense night Thursday, Friday brought a growing sense of optimism among public safety officials. Yesterday was a very dynamic day, Doug Grafe, chief of fire protection at the Oregon Department of Forestry, said on Gov. Kate Browns media call Friday afternoon. He said the east winds pushed the fires 36-mile front toward Estacada, Molalla, Colton and other nearby communities. The fire jumped over Estacada, Grafe said. We were in a full-blown urban interface firefight in Estacada. The Beachie Creek fire, which started in Marion County and has burnt through 182,000 acres, reached Clackamas County on Thursday as well and was threatening to merge with the Riverside fire. But Lucas said Friday that moderating weather made it more likely that firefighters could prevent the two fires from combining. Fire officials said they still didnt know how many houses and buildings had been destroyed by fires in Clackamas County, although more than 200 buildings had been damaged or destroyed and more than 940 were threatened as of Wednesday night. The entire county remained under an evacuation warning Friday, with residents in many small, rural communities under orders to flee immediately. Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts said that police had put extra patrols on the ground in evacuated areas to prevent looting and had arrested two people earlier this week for trespassing. We have dramatically increased patrol levels in east county, south county, Roberts said. I want to reassure people that theres a tremendous amount of patrol in these areas. 'YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW IT BREAKS YOUR HEART Even as conditions improved Friday, Lucas said he could not say when evacuation orders would begin lifting. There were more than 50 campers parked in a lot at Clackamas Town Center Friday afternoon. Some people had set up pens for their chickens and pigs, others walked their dogs around the parking lot. Milwaukie, located immediately south of Portland city limits and in a Level 1 or Be ready evacuation zone, became a destination for families looking to park their RVs or camp for the night as well. Zig Schulz left his home south of Estacada on Wednesday evening after police told him to evacuate. The marshal came right to our door, banging on the door, Hey, Level 3, youve got to get out of Dodge, now, Schulz said. Youre panicking, worried about it, trying to figure out whats valuable, whats important to you. Clothes. Get the cat. Get ourselves. And go. You dont realize until this happens what is really valuable in life. Schulz said he couldnt help but go back and check on his house Friday morning. The water and electricity was turned off, but he found his house undamaged. Two of his neighbors higher up on a ridge werent so lucky, he said. Their homes were completely burned, he said. We dont want to get our hopes up too much because that was such a pain. I mean, you have no idea how it breaks your heart (when you think you might lose everything), he said. Schulz was among about 150 people, including 20 RVs, staying at the Milwaukie Elks Lodge property, which became a hub of evacuation activity this week, offering RV hookups, tent camping, hot showers and supplies for evacuees. I thought, what a good time for us to help the community. We have plenty of area, said Scott White, who holds the title of Exalted Ruler of the Milwaukie Portland 142 Elks Lodge. When the Oregon Department of Transportation asked if the lodge could be an official evacuation site, White said yes. Then its blown into this. Many of the evacuees came from Canby, Molalla, Estacada and, starting last night, from Oregon City. Some were scrambling to find accommodations for livestock and pets who came along as they fled the fires. Bill Schaub sat in a lawn chair outside his RV with his father, also named Bill Schaub. The younger Schaub said it took him three hours to drive from Oregon City to Milwaukie Thursday evening as a flood of residents in Level 2 zones opted to leave town. The men were waiting for updates on the fire status. All I can do is wait, see what happens, the elder Schaub said. DONATIONS POUR IN Local businesses have stepped up to help. Daves Killer Bread, based in Milwaukie, donated about 200 loaves. Voodoo Donuts, which recently opened an Oak Grove location down the street from the lodge, brought over 1,000 doughnuts. Resers Fine Foods, headquartered in Beaverton, donated 60 cases of various salads. People from all over the community have opened up their arms, White said. Individuals lined up to donate as well. Carol Reynolds, of Gladstone, brought four bags of handmade, crocheted blankets after seeing on television that the lodge needed donations. This is the best way to use my talent, she said. The Elks lodge is also accepting drop-off donations of other items. Volunteers noted they could use donations of new underwear, in all shapes and sizes, blankets, and childrens socks. Its been pouring in for 24 hours, said Sue Mitchell, volunteer coordinator with the Elks Lodge. Its wonderful to see the community coming together like this. We were in tears last night. You put a blast out there that you need toilet paper and you have a caravan coming through with toilet paper. Anything you need. On Friday afternoon, the need remained for donations of tents. The coronavirus pandemic isnt over and evacuees are not staying inside the lodge. Becky Nims, a volunteer with the Elks Lodge, said emotions were running high. Fear, displacement, sorrow, gratitude, grace, love, she said. A gentleman came up and said, I got five shirts but I forgot to get pants and underwear, do you have anything? Elsewhere in town, about a dozen or so families in cars and RVs had camped out overnight Thursday in the Milwaukie Marketplace shopping center parking lot. Milwaukie police officers visited the evacuees Friday morning, checking on folks and handing out Girl Scout cookies. Adriana Amaro and her extended family came from Oregon City on Thursday evening, after their neighborhood moved from Level 1 to Level 2 Get ready evacuation status. Since we have kids, we didnt want them to be where theres a lot of smoke and ashes, she said. We decided to get a point where we could all get together in case of an emergency. Donna Dylla also came from Oregon City. She and her daughter had a camper, though their generator was busted. Weve met some neat people here in the parking lot, she said. Were way better off than some of these folks, just sitting in their cars and living in their cars. She, too, opted to leave town before waiting for a Level 3 leave now warning. Why would we stay? Of course were all thinking now, do we head back home? Do we head to higher ground? Dylla said. This is scary times. -- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com | @jamiebgoldberg -- Samantha Swindler, @editorswindler, sswindler@oregonian.com This week, the British government announced limits on gatherings of people who don't live together to groups of no more than six. Although the restriction seriously attacks freedom of assembly, it barely raised an eyebrow in an era of similar intrusions. How could it stand out when countries around the world are tightening the screws on speech, movement, business, and social connections in the name of public health? As many people feared, the COVID-19 pandemicor rather, the government response to itis proving quite deadly to liberty. And too many people seem happy to go along. "From Monday, we're introducing the 'Rule of 6'," tweeted Matt Hancock, U.K. Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. "If you meet socially in groups of more than 6, you will be dispersed, fined & possibly arrested by the police. If we work together in the national interest, we can defeat this unprecedented #coronavirus." The "Rule of 6" does allow for some exceptions, including "protests and political activities," but only subject to government guidance that makes in-face meetings privileges under nanny's scrutiny. While authoritarian governments commonly criminalize gatherings of potential dissidents, meeting to oppose the current batch of seat-warmers in favor of your own lot is essential to the democratic experience in nominally free countries. It's also a fundamental right to gather with friends, co-religionists, colleagues, and family as part of civil societythe sections of the world that matter, beyond the boundaries of government. But Britain's restrictions on assembly pale in comparison to the pre-crime arrests police in the Australian state of Victoria made of those who just advocated public demonstrations against government policy. Zoe Buhler, a pregnant woman who had called on social media for peaceful protests against the state's draconian pandemic lockdown, live-streamed her own arrest. Police hauled her off even after she offered to delete the offending post. At least Buhler's door is still on its hinges. Victoria police broke into James Bartolo's home and tackled him to the floor. Again, his crime was openly advocating protest against government policy. The protests proceeded anyway, in defiance of the law. Of course, attendees criticizing government policy were arrested. These days, you don't have to assemble or even advocate assembly to get arrested in France; you just have to insult a mayor. The elevated penalty of community service plus a 7,500 fine for those who express "contempt" for mayors is being imposed after local officials complained of 233 physical attacks, up from 198 during the same period last year. Then again, France has always frowned on harsh words directed at government institutions and officeholders, criminalizing speech defined as defamation and contempt. The extraordinary circumstances of COVID-19 provide an opportunity to impose extraordinary penalties further shielding the delicate feelings of government officials from the scorn of their subjects. In July, David Kaye, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, warned that "in the past three months, numerous governments have used the COVID-pandemic to repress expression in violation of their obligations under human rights law." But the countries he cited were mostly the usual suspects, such as Belarus, China, and Turkey. To see Australia, Britain, and France take advantage of the pandemic to impose restrictions and penalties on free speech and assembly is to see established and theoretically stable liberal democracies follow a path blazed by authoritarian countries. To-date, free speech seems safer for Americans than for some of our overseas friendswe can still say pretty much what we want about government officials and their policies. Events in Portland and elsewhere suggest that we can even gather to do so publicly, if sometimes more violently than might be advised. Still, Americans have been subject to lockdown orders, travel restrictions, mask mandates, and other requirements and prohibitions supposedly intended to protect our health, but definitely injurious to our liberty. "In halls of power across the country, the growing novel coronavirus pandemic has sometimes been used to stretch, bend or ignore established law and policy," Jenny B. Davis wrote for the ABA Journal back in April, even before some of the worst strictures were in place. "Fundamental freedoms, privacy protections and access to justice have been curtailed in the name of public safety, with legal justifications ranging from appropriate to patently inaccurate." Alleged public safety measures, unrestrained by limits on power, can inflict their own costs on health as well as freedom. "Dangers looms when one person tries to regulate the lives of millions," writes physician assistant Jordan Warnsholz, who is suing Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over her restrictions. "Whitmer's orders are a case in point. One banned any 'non-essential' medical procedures and elective surgeries There's no doubt that banning these procedures harmed the health and safety of my patients." The damage is worse, though, when frightened people imagine that the curtailment of liberty is a good thing and become complicit in the oppression of themselves and their neighbors. Pollsters find that a majority of Michigan voters actually approve of Whitmer's heavy-handed mismanagement of the pandemic response. They also oppose repealing the 1945 law that allows the governor to unilaterally declare an emergency and rule without legislative input. In Australia, Victoria's voters also cheer on the restrictive regime under which they live. "Overall, public opinion seems solidly behind the curtailment of civil liberties that would have been unthinkable a month ago," reports The Guardian. It's difficult to imagine government officialshaving exercised unprecedented control over our lives, often to popular applausewillingly restoring our freedom. The big takeaway from the pandemic era might not be the ease with which governments steal away our freedom by invoking the alleged necessities of a crisis. The real revelation is how little effort it takes to make many people like it. Donald Fear, 57, scooped the 1 million prize during a sensational run on Friday night's show of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? And fans took to Twitter to joke about how they wished he had used the Phone A Friend lifeline to call his brother Davyth and inform him he was about to beat his record on the show. The history teacher's elder brother had won 500,000 on Who Wants to be a Millionaire last year, and Donald was the first person in 14 years to enter the the 1 million club. Rub it in: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? fans joked winner Donald Fear should have used his Phone A Friend lifeline to call his brother Davyth to GLOAT he beat him to the jackpot on Friday Joking about the fact Donald had several lifelines remaining and could have used it during the final hurdle, one viewer wrote: 'Sorely disappointed Donald Fear didnt take the [mic] drop option and ring his brother to let him know he was about to beat him and win the jackpot! He had two phone-a-friends left.' One said: 'Missed a trick not phoning his brother to rub it in a bit.' Adding to the general sentiment, one viewer claimed: 'I think if I'd been Donald Fear and been so confident of the million pound answer on #WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire, I would have used Phone a Friend to ring my brother first just to tell him I'd beat him.' Almost had it: The history teacher's elder brother had won 500,000 on Who Wants to be a Millionaire last year While another shared a clip of John Carpenter calling his dad and telling him he didn't need him to help before winning the million on the US edition of the show. Alongside the video, the fan added: 'Fair play to #DonaldFear and all that, but I would have definitely rang my brother and mug him right off and then just have a casual chat with Jezza, take a leaf from this guy.' One person added: 'He should have rang his brother and said dont need you but thought I would just say hi huge congratulations to the new Alexa that is Mr Fear (sic).' Donald's win came a year after his brother Davyth, 60, took home the second biggest prize - 500,000 - this time last year on the show. 'Missed a trick': Joking about the fact Donald had several lifelines remaining and could have used it during the final hurdle, and used it to show off The contestant even admitted he was able to answer the 1 million question 'In 1718, which pirate died in battle off the coast of what is now North Carolina?' before he'd seen it properly. It was at this point in the show the final question on September 1 last year that his retired geography teacher brother stumbled and chose to walk off with his half million. 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.' Congrats! Donald was the first person in 14 years to enter the the 1 million club, and he even admitted he was able to answer the 1 million question before he'd seen it properly The day after his win in the recorded show, Donald 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. 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'. The father-of-four and grandfather hesitated on only two questions, using his 50/50 lifeline for one of them. Winner! The day after his win in the pre-recorded show, Donald handed in his notice as head of history at Haberdashers' Adams grammar school in Shropshire '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 Donald was speaking with host Jeremy Clarkson after reaching the 1,000 milestone, he spoke of his brother Davyth's time on the programme. Amazing: He described himself as 'lucky' and said he wouldn't have known a question about This Morning which came up in the previous episode 'When I applied to the show I didn't know how much he won,' Mr Fear said. '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 his 20 minutes on the programme - thought to be a possible new record -Jeremy said it was like 'sitting next to the internet in a pink shirt'. Well done sir! Donald, 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 Just before answering his final question, he 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, Donald said: 'Well I taught it!' Jeremy said: 'You've beaten your brother - how does that feel?' But he sweetly retorted: 'He'll be very pleased for me, that's the sort of person he is.' Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In just the past two months, authorities in Michigan, Ohio, and Georgia rescued 58 children, ranging in age from three to seventeen, who were either missing or were victims of sex trafficking. In Ohio and Georgia, United States Marshals led the rescue missions. In 2005, a partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children launched operations like these all across the country. In addition to the children who were rescued, more than two dozen predators were arrested. Terms such as sex trafficking or human trafficking evoke a certain made-for-Hollywood image, of high-tech cartels in big cities run by wealthy criminal masterminds. While those operations exist, the truth is often less flashy and more common. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, child sex trafficking includes the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining or advertising of a minor child for the purpose of a commercial sex act. Of the roughly 24-thousand endangered runaways reported last year, estimates are that one in six were victims of sex trafficking. Traffickers arent always the shadowy strangers nabbing girls in an airport or shopping mall. Often, they are family members or family friends, such as parents whove lost custody or guardians looking to profit. Runaways are particularly vulnerable to people who are willing to take them in with intent to use them. In other words, trafficking in some form or another could be happening in most ofour communities. Thats what is happening. The question is, how did we get here? A few weeks ago, Netflix found itself at the center of a scandal over a French movie that it still intends to release this month. Cuties tells the story of an 11-year-old girl who joins a twerking dance crew to explore her femininity and gain independence. Those are Netflixs words, not mine. When Netflix ran an ad for the film showing young girls with bare legs and midriffs, a widely circulated petition demanded they remove the movie. Instead, they removed the ad. The movies still a go. In other words, there is a culture-wide disconnect between the overt sexualization of young children and sex trafficking. The same culture that celebrates when kids are rescued from sex slavery promotes a movie about young girls twerking. A few years back, just two weeks after we celebrated the greatest exploiter of young women in our lifetime, Hugh Hefner, we arrested Harvey Weinstein for exploiting young women. We agree, at least for now, that young kids cant actually consent to sex, while the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children barely out of toddlerhood should determine their own gender. I could go on and on. The inconsistency is dizzying. Still, these things are examples of one of our cultures most insidious evils: How we steal childhood in the name of sexual progress. Allowing teenagers to get abortions during school hours without notifying parents steals childhood. Fetishizing adolescence by idolizing teenaged political activists or pre-pubescent movie and music stars steals childhood. Ive long thought that the jump to pedophilia is smaller than we think. In a world where sexual autonomy is dignity, consent is morality, and kids are encouraged to determine their gender identity regardless of DNA, chromosomes, or bodily realities, its a short jump to suggesting, as some on the cultural margins already have, that kids can consent to sexual relationships. Two years ago at Buzzfeed News, a couple of reporters suggested that our cultures obsession with ending child sex trafficking is overblown and based on myths. Some young teens, they wrote, are simply searching for independence and are able to find it in sex work. Sexual exploitation, however, can never bring freedom. No young person, even at 17 years old, can consent to a sexual encounter that theyve been told, ironically, will offer them some sort of safety or independence. There is no freedom in lost childhood, just as theres no freedom in being ruled by twisted sexual desires. The success of these rescue missions in Ohio, Georgia, and Michigan are worth celebrating. If we ever hope to end sex trafficking, however, well need to be more honest and more holistic in our approach to the problem. Originally posted at breakpoint.org Former CSK batsman S Badrinath has made a new revelation about the team in the inaugural season of the IPL. It was then that MS Dhoni was chosen as the captain, to lead the team, and remains at the top of affairs till now. But surprisingly, Dhoni wasnt the first choice captain for the franchise, but it was former India opener Virender Sehwag. FULL IPL 2020 COVERAGE Speaking on his YouTube channel, Badrinath said that CSK had identified Sehwag as the captain, but the latter decided to stay with Delhi, a team he represented in domestic competitions also. IPL started in 2008, and if you see who was the first option for Chennai Super Kings, it was Virender Sehwag, Badrinath said. The management had decided on picking Sehwag for sure, but Sehwag himself said that he was brought up in Delhi, so he would have a better connection. The management agreed for him to play in Delhi, thinking it would be better. Then came the auctions, and they saw who was the better player, and before that India won the 2007 World T20. And only then did they decide to sign Dhoni. In 2008, MS Dhoni was the most expensive player, they bought him for INR 6 crores. So this is a story you probably dont know but Dhoni was picked instead of Sehwag. According to me, MS Dhoni coming to CSK was killing three birds with one stone. One, he is one of the best captains the world has ever seen. There is no trophy that he doesnt have. Second, the best finisher. A finisher is a very important part of all the best T20 teams around the world. Even if you see all the good teams today, Mumbai Indians have Pollard, Kolkata Knight Riders have Andre Russell, CSK have MS Dhoni. And third, he is an excellent wicketkeeper. One of the best and safest keepers I have ever seen. My whole family is literally all girls. The last boy we had was 25 years ago. It was my older brother, said Morgan Neal, 22, who hosted an outdoor gender-reveal party at her home in West Virginia on Saturday with close family. She said the party was a way to emotionally and mentally prepare for the birth of her first child. Pregnancy is a big deal to people, especially around here, she said. Its a way to celebrate being pregnant and bringing life into the world. Fans were shocked to notice Locky Gilbert rocking an 'iso earring' during Thursday night's episode of The Bachelor. And now Locky has revealed how the bold new piece of jewellery came about, in the comments section of funnyman Hi Josh's latest Instagram post on Friday. The 30-year-old explained how contestant Izzy Sharman-Firth pierced his ear during the cocktail party this week, with producers choosing not to air the footage. Revealed: The TRUTH behind Bachelor Locky Gilbert's 'iso earring' he wore during Thursday night's episode (pictured) Underneath Hi Josh's latest Bachelor episode recap, the Australian Survivor star wrote: 'Bahaha Izzy pierced my ear at the cocktail party.' Hi Josh replied: 'You just answered the mystery for a lot of people.' Followers of Hi Josh were quick to comment, including some who asked why the scene never made it on air. Mystery solved: In the comments section of funnyman Hi Josh's latest Instagram post on Friday, Locky, 30, explained how Izzy Sharman-Firth pierced his ear during the cocktail party this week. Producers chose not to air the footage 'Why didn't we see it?!' one wrote. During Thursday's episode, Locky was spotted wearing the earring during his chat with Roxi Kenny at the cocktail party. 'Is Lockie wearing an earring? Or am I going blind?' one person tweeted shortly after. Online frenzy: Fans were shocked to notice the Australian Survivor star rocking the bold new piece of jewellery during the cocktail party Shocked: One person tweeted: 'OMG LOCKY HAS A STUD EARRING!! Should I laugh, this is wild' Another wrote: 'Is that a new iso earring Locky is sporting? All of a sudden he looks like a guy that should be in an Aussie '00s pop-punk band.' 'OMG LOCKY HAS A STUD EARRING!! Should I laugh, this is wild,' one person wrote. Another person asked: 'Is Locky's earring new? Did he somehow manage to get a piercing during a pandemic?' The Bachelor continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel Ten. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 12, 2020 14:21 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c446ef8f 4 National National-Police,human-trafficking,Indonesian-migrant-workers,migrant-workers,TKI,Cambodia,Kualanamu-airport,BP2MI,North-Sumatra Free The Agency for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BP2MI) has thwarted an illegal dispatch of potential Indonesian migrant workers to Cambodia. The operation was carried out following a report from one of the workers on Tuesday to the agencys crisis center, BP2MI head Benny Rhamdani said. The worker reported that they would be sent to Cambodia from Kualanamu International Airport in Medan, North Sumatra. One worker reported to the BP2MI and explained about the illegal departure, Benny said on Friday as quoted by kompas.com. Read also: Govt repatriates dozens of migrant workers stranded in Saudi Arabia Upon receiving the report, the Medan BP2MI coordinated with the local police to secure the migrant workers, consisting of three people, from Padang Sidempuan City of North Sumatra, two people from Singkawang City of West Kalimantan and one person from Batuampar District of West Kalimantan. During the investigation by the National Polices human trafficking task force, the workers said they were offered to work in Cambodia by their relatives and promised a job with a monthly salary of Rp 4 million (US$268) and a $250 meal allowance. Benny said all documents, tickets and $60,000 had been confiscated by the National Polices Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) for further investigation. He added that the migrant workers would be sent to their respective homes. (aly) Bay League boys and girls basketball teams will play five league games and then there will be a tournament to determine seeding for CIF-Southern Section playoffs. Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday reaffirmed Pakistan's desire to work with Uzbekistan to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, bilaterally and in the region ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Sep, 2020 ) :Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday reaffirmed Pakistan's desire to work with Uzbekistan to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, bilaterally and in the region. He expressed these views during a meeting here with Uzbekistan's Deputy Prime Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations Sardor Umurzaqov. Matters of mutual interest, including the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral cooperation, regional connectivity, and regional peace and security were discussed in the meeting. Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood was also present during the meeting. The prime minister underlined that Pakistan and Uzbekistan enjoyed cordial and brotherly relations. He warmly recalled his last meeting with President Mirziyoyev and mentioned that Pakistan keenly awaited his visit once the global pandemic situation settled down. Imran Khan also highlighted the potential for enhanced trade with increased regional connectivity as a result of different planned railway projects. The Uzbek deputy prime minister conveyed the cordial greetings and best wishes of the President Mirziyoyev, who, he said, looked forward to visiting Pakistan. On behalf of President Mirziyoyev, he also extended an invitation to the prime minister to visit Uzbekistan. He also expressed Uzbekistan's desire to have improved economic relations with better connectivity and make investments in Pakistan. Underlining that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan highlighted Pakistan's positive contribution to the Afghan peace process. He stressed that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was of paramount importance for Pakistan and the region. The prime minister expressed the hope that intra-Afghan negotiations would commence at the earliest and culminate in a negotiated political settlement, thus contributing to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond.\867 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. Now a thick layer of black and white ash covers the streets, sidewalks and shops of Oroville, a city of 15,000 people that swelled by 25 percent virtually overnight with evacuees from the fire in Paradise, also known as the Camp Fire. The fire followed a near-disaster by a year when the Oroville Dam spillways almost failed with the flooding of the Feather River, threatening to inundate the city. China on Friday enacted fresh restrictions on U.S. diplomats working in mainland China and Hong Kong as tensions between the two countries continue to rise, AP reports. The state of play: A statement from the Chinese foreign ministry framed the move as a direct rebuke of similar restrictions America put on Chinese diplomats last year. The statement noted that the rules pertain to senior diplomats and other personnel at the U.S. embassy in Beijing as well as consulates in China, per the Guardian. Though China shared few details on its latest restrictions, U.S. rules enacted in 2019 require Chinese diplomats in the U.S. to report travel and meetings to American authorities. The U.S. guidance now requires that Chinese diplomats also obtain permission for such travel or meetings. What they're saying: "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," an unnamed foreign ministry spokesperson wrote. Almost immediately after my daughter was born, I was gripped by a gnawing feeling that I had just signed up for a 400-level college course without taking any prerequisites. I knew my wife and I had a few key responsibilities keeping the baby fed (I had little to offer there.), clothing her, swaddling her (This I was good at!) and keeping her sheltered. Oh, and I knew one other thing I wanted to read to her from day one. One of the lessons my parents gifted to me was the importance of reading from a young age. I was excited to share with her books that Id loved like Dr. Seuss The Sneetches and Other Stories, new titles Id discovered like William Steigs Sylvester and the Magic Pebble and beautiful new books like No, David! and Knuffle Bunny. Of course, our weeks-old kid could barely make out the pictures, let alone the words. We were engaged in what child experts call emergent literacy. Which means youre pouring a foundation on which your childrens later literacy (reading and writing) is built. Youre preparing them for life and school. Of course, our schools are generally well-suited to build upon the reading and writing literacy learning we parents begin. Only a miracle prevented major casualties in the fire which destroyed Europes largest refugee camp and left thousands homeless, a volunteer worker on the Greek island of Lesbos has claimed. The blaze at the Moria camp on Lesbos gutted much of the site, where 12,500 people were in makeshift accommodation. Among those living in the camp were 4,000 children. Volunteers said the fire was a disaster waiting to happen and although there were no fatalities in the blaze, it had made life even more difficult for the refugees. Many of the refugees had fled to the packed camp from warzones in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. It was a miracle that hardly anyone was injured, but the impact on their mental health, especially on the children, will be a catastrophe, Dr Essam Daod, a volunteer psychiatrist working with international aid organisation Humanity Crew, told The Independent. Dr Daod, said that roads to the camp were being blocked by both locals and police, and authorities have restricted access to the entire area around the site. No one is allowed to get close due to trucks blocking the roads and everything has been made more complicated because of Covid-19, he said. The authorities say its not because they dont want to help but because of the pandemic on one hand, I understand as a physician but on the other, it doesnt mean you block aid and put people in the streets. According to UK-based NGO Help Refugees, at least 35 people living in the camps tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday. But those who are supposed to be in quarantine have not been in quarantine since the fires broke out and had run like everyone else, said Dr Daod. People on the site are in shock and are really scared, added Freya Mergler, Greece field manager for Help Refugees. They have very little understanding of whats going on and very little information from the authorities. Our partners are being blocked, some were able to distribute food in some spots in the camp yesterday but today its a lot more restricted. Its a massive, massive challenge, and Greece is very hot so it's really urgent the groups are able to respond. Medecins Sans Frontieres confirmed its teams have been unable to access its clinic outside Moria, tweeting: Locals blocking the road prevent us from accessing the people still inside the destroyed camp and our medical facility. It is urgent to provide medical care for those in need. Totally unacceptable! Mr Daod said the actions by locals who are trying to stop the camp from being rebuilt and are halting refugees from trying to get to the capital of Lesbos, Mytilini are a result of the EU countries turning their back on the refugee crisis. It was not always this way, back in 2015 and 2016, the locals were some of the most beautiful, generous people I had ever seen in my life. This is what the Greek authorities and the EU is doing, making people fight each other, taking the humanity out of the locals and making refugees unhuman, unseen, he added. This fire is another traumatic experience and Covid-19 is making it harder because the most valuable resource for the refugees is the aid workers and theyve lost it now, not many volunteers because of flight cuts. There is that same feeling of loneliness and helplessness again, that they are again on their own even though they made it here from Syria, Afghanistan and wherever else theyve come from. The impact on their mental health, especially on the children, will be a catastrophe. Ms Mergler told The Independent that around 400 unaccompanied minors in the camp have been evacuated, but more than 4,000 children are still among the thousands stranded on the island. "The situation is devastating and the number of children is incredibly worrying, she said. We are calling on the Greek government to conduct immediate rapid testing of the newly displaced population in a safe environment with access to food, water and medical care. "Following testing, people should immediately be evacuated from the island to appropriate safe locations. Stelios Petsas, a spokesperson for the Greek government, told reporters on Thursday: Today we will undertake all necessary actions to house families and the vulnerable while food distribution continues. Authorities said they were sending 19,000 coronavirus test kits to Lesbos and a passenger ferry had docked at the islands port of Mytilini to house families. But Mr Daod said it was unclear how authorities or grassroots organisations were going to be able to distribute food and other forms of aid due to the restrictions placed around the area, which does not allow cars into the site. It is impossible to distribute anything without cars because it is such a huge area and nothing is clear, he said. There is no information on who will carry it out, so we just have to wait. Evangelical scholars sign statement condemning racism as 'contrary to Scripture' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Two dozen evangelical scholars have released a joint statement condemning racism as contrary to the evangelical Gospel and acknowledging the realities of racism that existed throughout evangelical history. The new Evangelical Statement on the Gospel and Racism" was released Monday as nationwide protests continue in the wake of the killing of African American George Floyd in Minnesota and just days after the controversial killing of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, Georgia, by a police officer. Todays situation requires more than a statement, but certainly no less than a statement, the document reads. As evangelical academic voices, we condemn racism as contrary to Scripture and to the evangelical gospel. The statement originates from members of the Evangelical Theological Societys executive committee, according to David Dockery, president of the International Alliance for Christian Education. ETS was founded in 1949 and serves as a professional association of scholars, teachers, pastors and students dedicated to the written expression of theological thought and research. The statement explains that while evangelical history includes many positive voices for justice, such as slave trade abolitionist William Wilberforce, the history also includes negatively those who assimilated the values of their surrounding unjust culture. According to organizers, the efforts mission is to listen, mourn, speak, and act in accordance with the gospel in our own lives, in our institutions, in our churches, and in our communities. As we grieved over recent events in our communities, we realized that although a statement is insufficient, it is necessary, a website created to host the statement online, which went live on Monday, reads. We are compelled to declare that the Gospel stands opposed to racism, and so, too, must people of the Gospel. The statement was signed by Evangelical Theological Society President and Asbury Theological Seminary Biblical Studies Professor Craig Keener, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Theology Professor Gregg Allison and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al Mohler, who also serves as ETS president-elect and program chair. SBCs flagship seminary, SBTS in Louisville, Kentucky, released a report in 2018 detailing the schools history of racism and past support for slavery. At the time, Mohler called for the institution to repent of our own sins and offer full lament for the inherited legacy. Other signatories include Paul W. Powell, the endowed chair in preaching at Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University; Vincent Bacote, associate professor of theology at Wheaton College; and Darrell Bock, a senior research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. As of Tuesday, over 150 people have signed on to the statement. The document declares that the Gospel calls on everyone to come to God on the same terms and and become one body in Christ. In reconciling, Jew and Gentile in Christ (Eph 2:16), surmounting a barrier that God himself once established, God in Christ summons us to surmount every barrier erected merely by human sinfulness, the statement explains. Scripture does not discriminate by color, and, on the most common understanding of Acts 8, the first Gentile convert may have been Black and from Africa. The statement adds that Jesus was, both by His example and His teaching, summoning Christians to serve and love fellow believers to the point of laying down our lives for them and to love all our neighbors as ourselves. This invites us to be swifter to listen to others than to speak (Eph 4:29; Jms 1:19), to mourn with those who suffer (Rom 12:15), and to join them in acting for justice on their behalf (Isa 1:17; Luke 11:42; Jms 1:27), the statement concludes. According to Dockery, Keener did most of the heavy lifting when it came to creating the statement. However, he stressed that the rest of the signatories offered suggestions and encouragement. We believe the statement is timely and important, expressing our longing and hope for racial reconciliation in the church and in society, Dockery, who also serves as chancellor of Trinity International University in Illinois, wrote in an email to The Christian Post. We trust the statement will be helpful in that regard in the days to come. The new statement comes as several church bodies have issued statements on race in the U.S. in the last several weeks following the controversial deaths of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and most recently, Brooks. Additionally, several well-known Christian pastors and speakers have participated in demonstrations following the death of Floyd. Two Sundays ago, Texas megachurch pastor Matt Chandler issued harsh words for the Church during his sermon. After the civil rights movement of the 1960s, Chandler argues that the Church has largely refused to participate when it comes to speaking out about racial issues. [N]ow one of the things that has happened is the Church, by and large, has refused to participate, which means that we have turned over God help us we have turned over what is our inheritance to dark ideologies, Chandler argued. You dont just preach the Gospel on sex trafficking. You dont just preach the Gospel on the issue of life and abortion. No, you act, Chandler added. Its like this brain-broke disjoint thats got us acting absurd and then critiquing this [racial justice] movement as being evil and dark when we have given up our inheritance! Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear recently called on the denomination to stop opening its annual meetings with a gavel that carries the name of John Broadus, a 19th-century Southern Baptist leader who was a slaveholder. Greears North Carolina-based Summit Church recently released a statement lamenting the death of Arbery, a 25-year-old African American shot by a white man in Georgia while on a jog. The fight for racial justice is one God himself began as far back as Genesis 12 when he promised to reunite the ethnically diverse and contentious world through Abraham, the Summit Church Committee on Oneness and Reconciliation said. It is a fight whose victory is promised in Scriptures final chapters, where we see the multiethnic restoration of all nations, tribes, peoples, and languages (Revelation 7:910). Most importantly, it is a fight made possible by the gospel: Racial reconciliation is an inevitable fruit of the gospel of reconciliation. The National Association of Evangelicals, a network with over 40,000 member churches worldwide, released a statement on May 29 lamenting the recurring trauma experienced by African Americans. We condemn racism and the violent abuse of power, call for justice for victims and their families, and exhort churches to combat attitudes and systems that perpetuate racism, the NAE stressed. We are grateful for law enforcement officers who honorably serve and protect our communities, and urge our members to uphold them in prayer. The Man Who Risked Everything to Report From IS-controlled Mosul Known only as Mosul Eye, an anonymous blogger documenting Islamic State's atrocities, Iraq's Omar Mohammed reveals his identity in Europe on December 5, 2017. ( AP) When Mosul fell to the Islamic State in June 2014, its residents suddenly found themselves living in one of the most heinous regimes since Nazi Germany. Women and girls were openly sold into slavery on the main street next to the market, people were publicly beheaded, and others had their hands chopped off because they didn't pay their utility bills. There were those who joined IS because they believed in the caliphate, and some who did it for status or material gain. And then there were those who had the courage to revolt despite the very real risk to their lives. This is the story of one of those heroes. Omar Mohammed, a then a history professor at the University of Mosul, never took up arms, fired a shot, or confronted IS. "The pen is mightier than the sword," Mohammed told Zman Yisrael, the Hebrew sister site of The Times of Israel. His weapons of choice were his blog, Twitter, and Facebook. His nom de guerre was Ein al Mosul, or Mosul Eye, and his avatar was a lamassu -- a winged Assyrian deity of protection. Via his Mosul Eye accounts, Mohammed reported in real time what was happening under IS rule in his home city. He told of the atrocities and gave name to the victims, sending a message to the members of the so-called caliphate and fellow residents of his city. "I wanted to prevent IS from writing history so that nobody would say in a few years that this time had been so great," Mohammed says. Life had always been difficult and fraught with danger in the northern Iraqi city on the banks of the Tigris River. The city in Nineveh Province, where the prophet Jonah who foretold the city's destruction and survived in the belly of a whale for three days is buried, has become a large metropolis of over 1.5 million people. It has a Sunni majority, but also housed ancient communities of Jews, Christians, Assyrians, Kurds, Circassians, and Yazidis. "People were stopped at security checkpoints by [Iraqi] soldiers every day, just because they were Sunni and the soldiers were Shiite," Mohammed says, "and there were occasional IS attacks. In my neighborhood there was a post that was blown up every Friday, and then the next day the security forces would come back and set up a new checkpoint. It went on like that every week for a year." The Iraqi army fled the city in a panic in June 2014 when IS members stormed the area. They arrived in Toyotas, brandishing weapons and waving black flags. A few days earlier, IS members had slaughtered over 1,000 security forces recruits in an act that shocked the country and gave them the psychological edge. The new rulers immediately made it clear that they intended to remain in the city for the long run. "They executed people within a very short time," says Mohammed. "They had a list prepared in advance, and in my neighborhood seven people were executed in hours. Then they made their laws. In August, they committed the crimes against the Yazidis, expelled the Christians, and declared the area an Islamic state." "Everyone who lived in the city lived under the laws of Islam," Mohammed says. "They began to behead people in public, cut off hands; they threw members of the LGBT community off of tall buildings, stoned men and women for adultery, lashed people for minor crimes, and even crucified people. They created a kind of horror-inspired game in which the victims fought each other. They put explosives on prisoners and if they moved too fast, the bomb exploded." An attempt to erase history For Mohammed, who was a historian, there was an added horror when IS began methodically destroying Mosul's cultural and historical heritage. "The first thing they did was eliminate the history of Mosul," says Mohammed. "They destroyed statues of local cultural heroes, the library, the historical museum, the tomb of the prophet Jonah, and other sites. Then I realized it was a campaign against Mosul and against history -- everything that symbolized the ethnic diversity of the city. For me as a historian it has been unbearably difficult. I have no words for how awful it was. That's why I started writing the blog." Mosul Eye began with reports in English -- first as a blog and then on Twitter and Facebook -- and became a credible source for what was happening in the city. The Eye saw, and reported daily life under the horror of IS to the outside world. Mosul Eye named the victims of IS executions and described the sexual trafficking of Yazidi women and girls who were sold for just hundreds of dollars and sometimes returned to the market after being assaulted. It also reported on IS military activity in the city and on the bridges over the Tigris. Mosul Eye became an important media outlet for the city's residents and the international press -- as well as the intelligence agencies. "ISIS executed a person by crucifixion," reported Mosul Eye on May 12, 2015. "This is the first time they have crucified someone. The charges were espionage and theft." Thanks to his deep knowledge of Islamic history, Mohammed gained the respect of IS members and was able to interact with them without arousing suspicion. He kept two laptops in his house -- one clean, with Islamic texts and wholesome photos, and the other which he used to communicate with the world. His internet connection was paid for under a false name. He dressed like a devout follower and grew his hair and beard long, trying not to attract attention, but felt increasingly walled in. After posting what his neighbor, an IS member, confided to him about an air raid that had killed several of the group's leaders, Mohammed had a moment of panic when he realized what he'd done. "I thought to myself, 'Oh God, what am I doing, I'm the only one he told,' and deleted the post that night," Mohammed says. "Later, I invited him to dinner by the river to see if he was suspicious -- and of course he wasn't, or I wouldn't be talking to you now." Members of IS indeed were watching Mosul Eye. Commenting on his Facebook page, they didn't threaten his life, but said he'd wish for his own death after they caught him. Rumors about Mosul Eye's true identity swirled around the city. Some thought the blogger was an elderly historian; others claimed it was a Jewish man who'd left the city but was still emotionally attached to it. Others thought it was a woman, or possibly even psychological warfare employed by the CIA. All of these theories helped protect Mohammed's identity, but time was running out. "As the attack on Mosul intensified and air strikes began, IS shrank, retreated and became more and more concentrated within the city. In my neighborhood there were more and more of them," Mohammed says. "My close neighbors were IS; I had observation posts next to me and I felt they were way too close -- that the area where I could move and report was getting smaller, and the chances of being caught higher." Citing the safety of his family -- Mohammed says he was willing to pay the "ultimate price" to continue his work exposing IS -- the blogger left Mosul in late 2015. The exit was surprisingly very easy. Smuggled past checkpoints to the Syrian city of Raqqa, and from there, along with other refugees, smuggled by a second operative into Turkey, Mohammed continued to report remotely about the war and destruction in Mosul until its liberation from IS in July 2017. He didn't feel safe exposing his identity until that December. "Oh boy, I always thought it was you," he remembers his mother saying. Today Mohammed lives in Paris and operates an updated version of Mosul Eye. His posts follow the city's slow restoration, the corruption running deep among Iraqi officials, as well as cultural and historical events -- including those relating to Mosul's Jewish history. But restoring the city requires more than just rebuilding its physical infrastructure. A city in need of psychological restoration Mohammed says that IS destroyed Mosul's social infrastructure by creating conflict and sowing animosity between the city's diverse communities, often in the name of Sunni Islam. People are still in shock, he says, adding that the citizens of Mosul need psychological treatment and therapy. "Imagine the impact on children who have seen beheadings, what impact on their lives, not to mention those whose parents and relatives were executed, or those whose limbs were cut off, and those whose family members were thrown off high buildings," Mohammed says. "Today you see people smiling, but we do not know what is going on inside. When I talk to the residents, they are still scared, shocked, sometimes confused, they still think IS is there," he says. "I had a brilliant student who wanted to be a professor of history; he joined them. I cried when I saw what happened, but I was also afraid of him. It's a terrible feeling to care about someone, and to fear them too. I could not do anything to save him. They played with his brain. I mourn him to this day," he says. Continuing to cope Mohammed says he still suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. "[After escaping,] it took me half a year to realize I was still alive. I still remember the eyes, the blood flow, when people were beheaded, the heat as if the blood touched me. I looked at their faces, I felt I could recognize them even under the executioner's mask," he says. But, Mohammed says, his drive as a historian helps him cope with the effects of PTSD. He cites Victor Klemperer, the German Jewish historian who documented World War II from inside Germany, as an inspiration. "I had a golden rule -- don't trust anyone and report everything," says Mohammed. "But when you don't trust anyone for two or three years, it's hard to trust people again." The blogger says that without music, he would not have been able to survive life under IS control. "In Mosul, I listened to violinist Itzhak Perlman, and he is the man," Mohammed says. "That's the music I would always listen to -- like 'Jewish Town' from the 'Schindler's List' soundtrack. When I listened to his music, I felt like someone was injecting life into my heart." Along with the pain and trauma, Mohammed is paying another price for his heroic actions. He is still unable to visit Mosul, and hasn't seen his mother or the rest of his family in five years. His brother was killed in battle in their hometown, and Mohammed is unable to visit his grave. "I quietly carry an ongoing silent grief within me, because if I articulate it, it would be difficult for readers, myself, and my mother. I want to maintain the positivity of Mosul Eye because I have a mission to rebuild the city," he says. "Once I feel the mission is complete, I will sit with myself and cry as I have wanted to cry for a long time. I talk to my mother twice a day, and am amused every time how amazed she is that we can video chat over the mobile phone," Mohammed says. "I hope to meet her again one day." The DUP will table amendments to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Internal Market Bill, Sammy Wilson has confirmed. The East Antrim MP said that while the bill was "far from perfect", "it is a massive step forward for businesses in Northern Ireland". Read More Mr Wilson also criticised an intervention from former prime ministers Sir John Major and Tony Blair who wrote in The Sunday times that the bill "puts the Good Friday Agreement at risk". The Conservative and Labour grandees united to condemn Boris Johnson's Brexit legislation, saying it could have a devastating effect on the peace process, trade negotiations and the UK's integrity. Expand Close Sir John Major and Tony Blair in Derry in June 2016, shortly before the EU referendum / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sir John Major and Tony Blair in Derry in June 2016, shortly before the EU referendum Both men paid a key role in the signing of the agreement and both backed the UK remaining in the European Union. "It negates the predictability, political stability and legal clarity that are integral to the delicate balance between the north and south of Ireland that is at the core of the peace process," they wrote. "This has wide-ranging ramifications. It will not only make negotiation with the EU more difficult, but also any trade negotiations with other nations, including the United States. Once trust is undermined, distrust becomes prevalent. "We both opposed Brexit. We both accept it is now happening. But this way of negotiating, with reason cast aside in pursuit of ideology and cavalier bombast posing as serious diplomacy, is irresponsible, wrong in principle and dangerous in practice. "It raises questions that go far beyond the impact on Ireland, the peace process and negotiations for a trade deal - crucial though they are. It questions the very integrity of our nation." In response Mr Wilson said the agreement contains only one mention of Northern Ireland's border with the Republic, which "relates to demilitarisation which has already happened". "I dont know of anyone calling for the army to rebuild those installations on the border," the East Antrim MP said. "The Belfast Agreement however is about respecting consensus something which the Withdrawal Agreement ignored and drives a coach and horses through. "Blair and Major were less outspoken about the impact of a trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom despite its obvious impact on our economy and relationships in Northern Ireland. "The Internal Market Bill is far from perfect and thats why we will table amendments to the Bill. The suggestion by the hero of the peace process brigade that the Bill rips apart the Belfast Agreement is complete and utter bunkum without any factual basis." The veteran DUP politician said "the Internal Market Bill as published is not the finished product but it is massive step forward for business in Northern Ireland". Expand Close Jim Allister / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jim Allister His comments were echoed by TUV leader Jim Allister who said "the Belfast Agreement says nothing adverse to checks on goods at the border". "It gives no such guarantee, but what it does purport to guarantee, namely, acceptance of Northern Ireland as an integral part of the UK, is the very thing Blair and Major are wanting to trash, without the consent that the Belfast Agreement was supposed to entrench," the North Antrim MLA said. UUP leader Steve Aiken said while the withdrawal agreement was bad for Northern Ireland, Mr Johnson's bill was not the answer. "The UUP position has and continues to be that there should be no impediments to trade, North South, West and East, and above all, within our own nation first and foremost we need a level playing field across the UK," he said. The Internal Market Bill, for all the bluster and hype on all sides, does not address this fundamental issue. The biggest commitment that can be made to the Belfast Agreement is to ensure that there are no barriers installed on these islands. That should be the focus of both EU and UK negotiators." Sinn Fein MLA Caoimhe Archibald accused the UK Government of acting in "bad faith" and called for the Assembly to debate the bill on Monday. In an article for The Telegraph, Mr Johnson said Brussels was threatening to use an "extreme interpretation" of the Northern Ireland Protocol to impose "a full-scale trade border down the Irish Sea" that could stop the transport of food from Britain to Northern Ireland. Expand Close Simon Coveney said there was no blockade proposed (Niall Carson/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Simon Coveney said there was no blockade proposed (Niall Carson/PA) Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said on Sunday there may be "limited checks" on goods coming from Great Britain into the region because there is an agreement to prevent the need for physical infrastructure on the Irish border. The measures were envisaged to stop goods passing from England, Scotland or Wales into the Republic of Ireland via Northern Ireland tariff-free if no wider agreement is struck between the EU and UK. "There is no blockade proposed," Mr Coveney told the BBC. "That is the kind of inflammatory language coming from Number 10 which is spin and not the truth." The European Commission has given the UK until the end of the month to drop legislation enabling ministers to override the 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 in the Internal Market Bill remained "critical" to the preservation of the Northern Ireland peace process. West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh on Saturday criticised the state police administration for its partisan role" against the opposition parties and suggested they should resign from their jobs and sell vegetables instead". Launching a scathing attack on the police administration, Ghosh alleged most of the police personnel dont have the spine" to stand up to the corrupt" Trinamool Congress dispensation in the state. Efficient officers have been sidelined and the incompetent ones have been given prime postings so that they can work as TMC cadre. Even their family members laugh at them," Ghosh said at a Cha Chakra (chat over a cup of tea) programme in Belgharia area in North 24 Parganas district. He said the days of the ruling TMC government in West Bengal are numbered". The corrupt police personnel are shameless. Instead of working as TMC cadre, they should resign and sell vegetables to lead an honest life," Ghosh, also the Medinipur MP, said. The TMC came down heavily on Ghosh, saying the state police works in a free and fair manner unlike BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, where the police force has let loose a reign of terror in the name of fake encounters". Under the TMC rule, the police works in a free and fair manner. Unlike Uttar Pradesh, the police force has not turned into an encounter squad. Dilip Ghosh should stop lecturing us on the impartiality of the police force. The people of West Bengal are well aware of the impartiality of central agencies like the CBI and the ED," senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim said. Joe Biden attended 9/11 events Friday where he interacted closely with victims relatives and engaged face-to-face with firefighters, a departure from the US presidential hopefuls more distanced campaign style in recent months prompted by concerns over the coronavirus. The Democratic nominees encounters, including snapping selfies with a child and then later handing out beers to firemen, revealed a candidate slowly edging back into his element as a politician who thrives on personal interaction and compassion for fellow Americans. During a break in the Ground Zero ceremony Biden approached Maria Fisher, age 90 and in a wheelchair, who showed him a photograph of her son Andrew who died in the World Trade Center. It never goes away," Biden told Fisher who repeated his words, as the pair, both wearing masks, discussed the pain of losing their sons. God bless you Joe!" someone said as the former vice president accepted a white rose from his wife Jill and presented it to Fisher. Biden, 77, has been scarred by tragedy in his own life. His first wife and daughter were killed in a car crash in 1972, and he lost his son Beau to cancer in 2015. The setbacks have made him an empathetic presence on the campaign trail, where he has often been seen whispering in a voters ear or consoling a struggling parent. But for the past several months he has largely foregone such encounters, opting instead to deliver speeches in a controlled setting where the number of guests is strictly limited. Despite his observation of the solemn" Friday, Biden was more engaged than on recent campaign stops. In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, he paid his respects at a 9/11 memorial to the 40 passengers and crew who died aboard Flight 93, talking in hushed tones to families of some of the victims. But he also paid a visit to Shanksville Volunteer Fire Company Station 627, a garage he visited as vice president in 2012. He exchanged fist bumps, posed for pictures, and made good on an eight-year-old vow to share beers with firefighters there. Biden retrieved six packs of Iron City Beer and Bud Light from his vehicle and presented them to the mostly masked first responders. I keep my promises!" Biden said. During Fridays New York ceremony he stood just a few feet from Vice President Mike Pence, with whom he chatted and shared an elbow bump, and Governor Andrew Cuomo. Biden bent down for a selfie with a boy, and stood inches from a masked military man in a purple beret as the two talked. Friday saw more exuberant Biden campaign behavior than Wednesday in Michigan, where he met small groups of socially distanced voters. It still remains a far cry from President Donald Trump, who has barely toned down his rallies during the pandemic. On Thursday in Michigan, thousands of supporters, most without masks, crowded into a partially open-air hangar to see the president speak. Just at the moment, at a time of plague, it might be appropriate to consider what's possible in the Melbourne theatre when and if it ever opens again. Well, of course the theatres will open, but what do we want from them, when they do? My hunch is that there was fairly widespread dissatisfaction with the theatre we've had, and no doubt it was ever thus. As part of the great English language imperium, Australians are forever comparing the theatre we have with what we've seen overseas or are familiar with from film and television. And this is further complicated by the fact that Australian cultural life is dominated by Sydney and Melbourne, and one consequence of this is that we have never had a national theatre in the way we have had the Sydney-based Opera Australia and the Melbourne-based Australian Ballet. Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale starred in Euripides Medea, directed by Simon Stone, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Like Robyn Nevin, I wish we did. Id like to see a nominally Canberra-based company operating continuously, from the national capital at first, which performed drama, ancient and modern, classic and contemporary, with repertory ensembles in both Melbourne and Sydney. Sometimes the Sydney Theatre Company looked like a substitute for this, with Cate Blanchetts A Streetcar Named Desire touring to New York. Similarly, Geoffrey Rushs Exit The King, for which he went on to win a Tony award in New York, began here in Melbourne, directed by his friend Neil Armfield at The Malthouse. But its a sad fact that we havent seen some of the greatest Australian actors working here in Melbourne very often. Think of how in the 1950s Robert Helpmann toured in Shakespeare with his friend Katharine Hepburn. Two men have been arrested after police discovered a firearm and ammunition in west Belfast. The discovery was made during a Paramilitary Crime Task Force investigation into the activities of the INLA. Following a "proactive policing operation" police stopped a car on the Falls Road shortly after 9.20pm on Friday evening. This led to police searching a property in the Whiterock area where they discovered the firearm and a quantity of ammunition. Both have been taken away for further forensic examination. Two men, aged 34 and 35-years-old, were arrested on suspicion of possessing firearm and ammunition in suspicious circumstances. Both have been released on police bail pending further enquiries. PSNI Detective Inspector Hamilton said the seizure of the firearm and ammunition had made the whole community safer. The Paramilitary Crime Task Force will continue to listen to the community and act on the information they provide," he said. "This result is testament to our continuing commitment to target the activities of criminals badged as paramilitaries and I would ask anyone with any information in relation to criminal activity to contact police on 101 or alternatively, call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime. Russian Su-27 Plane Scrambled to Intercept US Planes Over Black Sea Sputnik News 14:21 GMT 11.09.2020 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Su-27 plane intercepted two US planes over the Black Sea, the Russian national defence control centre said Friday. The two planes over the Black sea were identified as Boeing RC-135 and Boeing P-8 Poseidon. Earlier in the day, the Russian military reported intercepting a Norwegian spy plane over the Barents Sea. The day before, Russian fighter MiG-29 was scrambled to intercept two Royal Norwegian Air Force planes over the Barents Sea. The crew of the Russian fighter identified the air targets as the Falcon-20 electronic reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft and the Orion R-3C base patrol aircraft of the Royal Norwegian Air Force. The Norwegian aircraft were not allowed to violate the Russian state border, it added. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address City Editor Tom Roeder is the Gazette's City Editor. In Colorado Springs since 2003, Tom has covered the military at home and overseas and has covered statehouses in Denver and Olympia, Wash. His main job, though, is being dad to two great kids. Increasing local tyre production but shortage persists View(s): Sri Lanka is gearing up to produce more tyres using local natural rubber to meet the countrys requirement by setting up a couple of factories soon but the current shortage of tyres due to import restrictions drags on with no prompt solutions. The present tyre shortage will push thousands of vehicles off the road within months as 5000 traders in the country had no adequate stocks to sell during the past six several tyre dealers, traders and buyers complained. The government had classified 156 groups of products, including tyres, as non-essential imports and imposed restrictions on their importation in April. It had relaxed imports for a few tire sizes in July. However, several sizes of tires are still classified as restricted items, the Asia Tyre Importers Association said. Sunil Fonseka, Association Vice Chairman, noted that locally manufactured tyres accounted for roughly 50 per cent of the countrys annual demand of 3.1 million tyres in 2019. Up to 40 per cent of the 1.2 million passenger cars, light trucks, trucks and buses on local roads need imported tyres, he said. With approximately 150,000 imported tyres being sold per month in Sri Lanka, existing stock levels are draining quickly with the current import restrictions; he said adding that they foresee the country experiencing a shortage of tyres within the next 30 days. Tires are not manufactured locally for European and Japanese premium vehicles such as Mercedes Benz, BMW, Volvo, Audi and Toyota Land Cruiser. The government has issued a directive to dealers and traders to buy tyres from CEAT Kelani Holdings highlighting that a new factory will start production soon. Presidential Task Force in charge of Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication Chairman Basil Rajapaksa told media at the recent opening ceremony of CEAT Kelanis new hi-tech production facility for radial tyres that the country will be able to meet the local demand tyres soon. CEAT Kelani is only manufacturing 50 per cent of the countrys requirement and the balance stocks of tyres is being imported from Singapore, Thailand, Korea and Japan, several tyre importers said. The US$250 million rigid tyre factory in Horana owned by Rigid Tyre Corp. (Pvt.) Ltd, a unit of United Arab Emirates-based Onyx Group, is scheduled to begin its operations this November. Hambantota International Port Group (Pvt) Ltd will build its first tyre factory with an investment of $300 million near Hambantota port. The opening of these factories will help reducing tyre imports soon but an immediate solution should be evolved to avoid the present tyre shortage, the association said. (BS) NORWALK Local clergy members Friday called for a meeting with Police Chief Thomas Kulhawik and Mayor Harry Rilling after a top Connecticut lawmaker said police cursed at him and spat at him at headquarters. State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff claims that in July, a group of around 30 Norwalk officers confronted him at headquarters over the states police accountability, which was later passed into law. One of the officers spat toward him, the state senator, a Democrat, said. If the actions by the Norwalk police department are true and we have no reason to believe that they are not then we are appalled and outraged that such behavior is being exhibited by our professional men and women in blue, Rev. Richard W. Clarke wrote in a letter to Kulhawik on Friday. The reverend serves as president of the Interdenominational Ministers Fellowship of Norwalk & Vicinity, a group representing 13 congregations. Clarks letter asked for the chief sit down with the clergy and mayor to provide an update on the internal affairs investigation into the July 24 confrontation with Duff. Clark also asked for an update on the citys commission for racial equity, police review board, and the departments application for the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement program. The accosting of Sen. Duff is not only an affront to good order and discipline, but is diametrically opposed to all of the good work that he, the IMF and others are doing to ensure that our city does not become a bastion of disrespect for human rights by those entrusted to maintain law and order, he wrote. Duff said this week a meeting he had with Norwalks police chief over the confrontation was frank and honest, but did not resolve the issues at hand. After several officers confronted him that day, Duff said a police supervisor suggested he leave and escorted him from the building. I shouldnt have been asked to leave the police department, Duff said. That building belongs to the taxpayers, not the police. A woman wearing a face mask exits an underpass before a poster commemorating the 72nd anniversary of the founding of North Korea, in Pyongyang, Sept. 9, 2020. AFP North Korean authorities have issued shoot-to-kill orders to prevent the coronavirus entering the country from China, according to the commander of US forces in the South. The impoverished North whose crumbling health system would struggle to cope with a major virus outbreak has not confirmed a single case of the disease that has swept the world since first emerging in China, the North's key ally. Pyongyang closed its border with China in January to try to prevent contamination, and in July state media said it had raised its state of emergency to the maximum level. US Forces Korea (USFK) commander Robert Abrams said that the border shutdown had increased demand for smuggled goods, prompting authorities to intervene. The North introduced a new "buffer zone, one or two kilometers up on the Chinese border," Abrams told an online conference organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington on Thursday. "They've got North Korean SOF (Special Operations Forces) out there. ... Strike forces, they've got shoot-to-kill orders in place." She's never been shy when it comes to putting on a racy display for her fans. And Chloe Ferry certainly set pulses racing as she posed for a scantily-clad snap with her pal Bethan Kershaw before changing into cosy loungewear. The Geordie Shore star, 25, displayed her incredible physique in a barely-there sheer mesh leotard as she showed off her racy look on Instagram. Amazing: Chloe Ferry certainly set pulses racing as she posed for a scantily-clad snap with her co-star Bethan Kershaw before changing into cosy loungewear No stranger to flaunting her figure Chloe slipped into a plunging black leotard covered with diamante as she posed in the hallway of her home. Poking fun at the sexy snap Chloe then changed into an oversized t-shirt for a playful snap as she penned the caption: 'To this... get a girl who can do both.' Chloe recently returned from a sunny getaway to Marbella with her co-star Bethan, which the pair eagerly documented on social media. Wow! The Geordie Shore star displayed her incredible physique in a barely-there sheer mesh leotard as she showed off her racy look on Instagram Back in May, Chloe cried 'tears of happiness' as she thanked her followers for their support during her weight loss journey in an emotional Instagram clip. Despite her transformation, the beautician recently admitted she still doesn't 'feel great' about her figure. Chloe said the trolls have got 'inside my head' after being inundated with cruel taunts calling her 'fat and ugly every day'. Girls night: Poking fun at the sexy snap Chloe then changed into an oversized t-shirt and penned the caption: 'To this... get a girl who can do both' Summer break: Chloe recently returned from a sunny getaway to Marbella with her co-star Bethan, which the pair eagerly documented on social media The reality star's girly getaway comes after she ignored speculation she had faked a trip to Ibiza and had instead secretly joined her ex Sam Gowland, 25, in Dubai. It had been reported that the star had back together with her co-star ex - despite being in the throes of filming Celebs Go Dating. A source told The Sun the former-couple were said to be 'reconnecting'; but fans also connected the dots. An insider said: 'Chloe's taking it really slowly and she's keen to keep it quiet as her friends will all be furious after all the drama. It's a chance for them to reconnect.' MailOnline contacted Chloe and Sam's representatives for comment at the time. Provoking China, whose GDP is five times that of India and whose defense budget is two to three times that of the latter, is hitting a rock with an egg. We must let Indian nationalist forces thoroughly understand it. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is scheduled to meet Thursday evening in Moscow amid tensions on the China-India border. The meeting, if happens, indicates that the two sides have maintained their political communication channels in the current critical situation, yet it is uncertain whether tensions will be eased by political will, given the two countries' huge differences on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and Indian troops' aggressive attitude. For some time, New Delhi has maintained flexibility in its diplomacy while its troops push ahead aggressively on border area. This seems to have become two strings to India's bow. Apparently, the Indian side is still severely misjudging the strategic situation with China, believing China does not wish for a conflict with India, while facing pressure from the US, and that India could force China to concede by nibbling into Chinese territory. Whatever India says diplomatically, China should not only listen to its words, but also observe its actions. The Indian side does not accept the LAC of November 7, 1959, and is holding a grudge for its failure in the 1962 war. India's nationalist forces are in an unprecedented state of puffing. Chinese people shouldn't hope that a single negotiation could make India return to rationality. 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. Facts have proven that Indian nationalist forces yield to coercion, but not to persuasion. They very much need another lesson in failure before believing that China's commitment to long-term border peace is not weakness. And they also need to know their own limitations. Provoking China, whose GDP is five times that of India and whose defense budget is two to three times that of the latter, is hitting a rock with an egg. We must let Indian nationalist forces thoroughly understand it. The Chinese side demands Indian troops which illegally crossed the LAC to withdraw unconditionally. If India does not accept it, we would rather keep border tensions. The region where the confrontation takes place between the two militaries is of high altitude. It is difficult for both sides to maintain large-scale armies there. So, let's kick-start a show of strength and will. If no war occurs, the two will compete on their logistics when winter comes. During the Galwan Valley brawl, 20 Indian soldiers died and most them were frozen to death after being injured. This shows Indian troops' poor logistics. In high-altitude areas, India does not have the ability to make a large number of troops over the winter, which means many Indian soldiers will face the threat of freezing temperature and the uncontrollable epidemic. Indian troops' logistics are incomparable to that of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). If Indian troops open fire at the PLA and provoke a war, the confrontation will become a quick battle. Whether India seized commanding heights on the southern bank of Pangong Tso Lake, or commissioned French Rafale fighter jets, they will be meaningless by then. The PLA will quickly deal a heavy blow to Indian troops, and they will be all annihilated. China used to care too much about India's dignity. Such dignity has eventually been taken advantage by Indian nationalist forces. They have forgotten who they are. This time, everything should be put on the table. If India wants peace, China and India should uphold the LAC of November 7, 1959. If India wants war, China will oblige. Let's see which country can outlast the other. India should take a good look at the world and at China. It should also look back at history. 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. We hope China will proactively release more information about the actual situation on the border, just like the information released by the PLA Western Theater Command on Tuesday, making public that Indian troops fired shots at Chinese border patrol soldiers. India is releasing information on the border region every day, and fabricating news about the PLA. China cannot let India control the narrative on the border situation. Once a war starts, the world's judgment on the war will largely depend on previous information and battle of public opinion is a prelude. +++ September 11, 2020 China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Moscow Thursday evening, and they reached a five-point consensus. This is generally believed to provide an important opportunity for China and India to ease the border situation. The two foreign ministers passed on their goodwill to each other, expressed common understanding that the current border tensions are not in line with the two countries' interests, and expressed their wish to maintain peace and tranquility at the border. This helps cool down the two countries' public opinion. The consensus again mentioned the two troops should disengage as soon as possible, maintain a necessary distance, and speed up the completion of new measures to build mutual trust. Whether in terms of crisis management or maintaining long-term stability at the border area, the consensus has hit the key points. But how should the consensus be implemented? Chinese and Indian leaders met many times and reached consensus after the Doklam standoff, but then border conflicts happened again. In June, the deadly clash happened, and Indian troops fired threatening shots at the Chinese army on Monday. The border situation has repeatedly eroded people's confidence in the implementation of the agreement. The fundamental problem between China and India is the lack of basic mutual trust. The border issue has been fully activated, forming the two societies' confrontation of wills. Both believe they have the advantage, and China's advantage is based on strength. The gap between China and India in national strength is much wider than in 1962. India's sense of superiority comes from its geopolitical mobilization capabilities. The US, Japan and Australia are trying to win over India. New Delhi believes Beijing is afraid of this since China is being strategically blocked by the US. India believes China will yield at the border. China takes a defensive position, but India is trying to connect the China-India border conflicts with Indo-Pacific geopolitics, which is a gamble. China and India have both developed over the years. Although India's GDP is only one-fifth of China's, it also has the ability to strengthen infrastructure in border areas. The two countries' strengths extend to the border, and the opportunities for frictions have increased sharply. The previous control mechanism, without the reinforcement of political mutual trust, has been riddled. On the other hand, China and India do not want to start a new war. The two militaries have engaged in scuffles many times, which have led to casualties. Indian troops have fired warning shots, but there has been no serious military conflict between the two sides. This has only happened at China-India border areas, which is enough to show the two countries do not want a war. But the repeated conflicts and confrontations also show that restoring peace at the border is no longer easy. The problem lies with India. There are different forces in India, and the Indian government has less control over border policies than China. Nationalist sentiment through India's election mechanism has a strong influence on the Indian government. India's national strength has indeed increased, but its gap with China has widened. However, Indian society does not believe so. Indian nationalist forces always have been conceited, such as "it is not 1962 anymore," or India can come back with a vengeance on China once another war breaks out at the border. They have seriously overestimated their strength and support from the US, Japan and Australia. Some even imagine that a new China-India border war will be a joint war between the US, Japan, Australia, India and China. India's public opinion mechanism has led to frequent exchanges between the Indian military and media. The country's public opinion war against China is active. The Indian military needs to release such information as "preemptive strike" and "seize the commanding heights" to please the public. This has boosted Indian troops' aggressiveness. Facts show that it is difficult for China to keep India rational on important issues through persuasion and talks. Our effective use of strength is indispensable. We must increase the cost of risky gambles of India on the border issue. While making diplomatic efforts, we need to be prepared to completely defeat India's illusions through military actions when those efforts fail. To maintain territorial integrity and long-term tranquility of our southwest border, no price is too high. This is not a slogan, but should be our true will. Chinese people love peace, but we will also fight when we have to. This is not just a facade to the outside world, but who we are. Today, ApnaMask, an initiative by EkDesh - a non-profit supported by ACT Grants announced Michelin star Chef Vikas Khanna, restauranteur, writer, filmmaker and humanitarian being recruited as the 100,000th Corona Soldier. The growing army of over 100,000 Corona Soldiers have pledged to protect the country by wearing a mask every time they step out and encourage others to do the same. Saina Nehwal, Mary Kom and Yogeshwar Dutt along with Bipasha Basu, Diana Penty, Mouni Roy and Keerthi Suresh joined I am a Corona Soldier movement earlier on August 15. The initiative has garnered over 100M impressions and over 30Mviews Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, Chef Vikas Khanna has distributed over 31 million dry ration meals, 500,000 slippers to the needy in over 70 cities over the last five months in India. He has been committed towards providing food and fighting hunger to defeat the pandemic. Today, enrolling as a Corona Soldier and pledging to wear a mask every time he steps out, he reiterated his commitment towards winning the battle with Corona. Corona Soldiers, along with gallant Army veterans Lt. Col. MK Sinha (Retd), a Kargil war hero and Major Gaurav Arya (Retd) are calling upon every Indian to become Corona Soldiers by wearing a mask and help India win this war against Covid-19. The campaign plays out on its website http://www.iamacoronasoldier.com/, where people can register and become a Corona Soldier. Equipped with a simple mask, Corona Soldiers take the responsibility of spreading the message and recruiting more Corona Soldiers by inviting them to join the force through social media. The campaign has been conceptualized basis the findings of a recent study by ApnaMask.org that examined the awareness of preventive guidelines among Indians as well as their motivation behind compliance. Findings revealed that while awareness on masks and practicing social distancing is at 90%, the compliance for the same is as low as 44%. Inconvenience, breathing problems and disbelief are the primary reasons for drop in compliance. B.C. is one step closer to providing free universal prescription contraception, a move advocates say is a long overdue way to boost health outcomes and address gender inequity. Last year, the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services recommended the province explore a way of providing prescription contraception such as IUDs, birth control pills, patches and implants free of charge. But this year the all-party committees report went further and said the next budget should provide free prescription contraception for all people in British Columbia. And as the pandemic brings job losses that end workplace health insurance and sees more people and families crowded together in living spaces, advocates say the change cant come fast enough. Social health is improved when people can have their individual health needs met, said Devon Black, co-founder of the volunteer advocacy group AccessBC. And this is an area where a lot of people have individual health needs that are not being met, and theyre specifically not being met in a gendered way. A persons income, knowledge about reproductive health and family and partner support currently all play significant roles in determining their access to effective contraception, and pandemic measures have further limited access. The reason that our campaign has been focused on cost is because we know that its the most significant barrier, and thats going to be aggravated by COVID, said Black. Long-lasting contraceptives tend to be most effective and often cost more upfront than less effective options like condoms and birth control pills, meaning low-income people have limited choice in methods. An IUD can cost up to $340 upfront but last for up to 10 years, a fraction of the cost of buying $20-per-month birth control pills for the same period. Doctor visits to refill prescriptions can also require time and money for people living in rural and remote areas, and access has been reduced because many clinics are limiting appointments to support physical distancing protocols. Health-care professionals among our volunteers have told us anecdotally that theyre seeing firsthand that patients are having more difficulty accessing contraception, said Teale Phelps Bondaroff, who also co-founded AccessBC. Denying access to contraception can be used as a way to control people experiencing intimate partner or domestic violence. And families who dont approve of a persons choices but control their health insurance can block access. Black says making contraception free would begin to eliminate these gendered inequities and ensure people have autonomy over their reproductive health. It would give people a much bigger sense of control over their own reproductive health care, said Black. Its an equality issue, and its a public health issue. While the province has some limited programs to distribute free contraception, such as through youth clinic networks and some non-profits, they are means-tested and require people to prove their income is very low. Black and Phelps Bondaroff said providing free contraception for everyone would actually save the province money. There is no exact budget estimate for how much the policy would cost in B.C., but a 2015 study estimated a national program would cost $157 million a year and result in savings of about $320 million per year. In B.C., an estimated $95 million in direct medical costs could be saved annually with universal free contraception, a 2010 report by Options for Sexual Health found. It concluded governments would get back about $90 for every $1 invested in no-cost contraception. This is such an obvious place where there are such obvious inequities, said Phelps Bondaroff. It just doesnt make sense for this to still be a problem in 2020. While the adoption of free contraception was endorsed at the BC NDP convention in 2017, implementing the change isnt a sure thing. But Health Minister Adrian Dix said in the legislature last month that the issue is currently under review for the next budget year. Black and Phelps Bondaroff say universal no-cost contraception wont eliminate embedded social and economic barriers to access right away, but it would help reduce stigma and open up conversations around reproductive health. When you make prescription contraception universally available at no cost, you are also helping with education and removing some of the stigma and barriers around discussing contraception and sexual health, said Phelps Bondaroff. This reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Read more about: The farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and various other states are marching towards the national capital through five highways connecting the city as part of their Delhi Chalo march call. The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh and various factions of the Bharatiya Kisan Union have joined hands and formed a Samyukta Kisan Morcha to press the central government to scrap the three laws that the Centre got passed in September through the two Houses of the Parliament Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance in the monsoon session which begins on Monday. The government claims that these laws will help farmers get better prices for their crops, by legalising contract farming, for instance. A release issued by the Prime Ministers office earlier in June this year claimed that the Acts, which were then ordinances, will give farmers the freedom to produce, hold, move, distribute and supply and will lead to harnessing of economies of scale and attract private sector/foreign direct investment into agriculture sector. It will help drive up investment in cold storages and modernisation of food supply chain." However, farmers who have been protesting against these Acts since September claim that they will corporatise the agriculture sector and further cripple them financially. Ahead of the September 14 monsoon session of the Parliament, huge protests were witnessed across the country, especially in Punjab and Haryana where tractor rallies were taken out amid Covid-19 outbreak. It was in protest against this move that farmers were agitating in Haryanas Pipli by blocking the Delhi Ambala highway. The situation turned tense when police used batons to disperse the protesting farmers. We have given a nationwide call to farmers everywhere, in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, to come out on September 14 and voice their disapproval of the ordinances in whichever manner is appropriate within the social distancing norms put in place. The government claims that farmers are happy because of these ordinances, we fear that till now whatever little we used to get by way of Minimum Support Price, we wont get even that if agri sector is corporatised," VM Singh, the national convenor of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), had said then. He said that the model of contract farming, for instance, that the government is trying to push has already been tried and tested in the sugarcane sector. A large number of sugarcane farmers have tried this model of business and look at their state right now. They are owed thousands of crores and nobodys intervening to give them their due," Singh said. Many agricultural experts have criticised the fine print of the law. Siraj Hussain, senior visiting fellow at ICRIER and former Union Agriculture Secretary, cites the case of PepsiCo suing farmers in Gujarat as an example of how vulnerable farmers getting into contract with large corporates become. There are apprehensions on the part of farmers to enter into contracts as they are not organised and are ill equipped for any legal battle with corporatesOn the intervention of the state government, PepsiCo withdrew the cases but the incidence left a question mark over the future of contract farming in which resource-poor farmers were pitted against a powerful multinational." Narasimha Reddy Donthi, an independent public policy reviewer, in an article in June this year said, Despite the governments claims, not one of these laws benefit farmers in any way. However, as the text in the laws note, they will help traders, especially big corporations. Together, these laws are targeted at usurping state powers, and overriding state laws and market committees. Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here By William Schwartz | Published on 2020/09/11 In its third day of full availability on Netflix worldwide, the South Korean zombie movie "#ALIVE" has now risen to the most popular movie available on the platform. The new data comes courtesy of FlixPatrol, which had already noted that "#ALIVE" was the number two worldwide movie on Netflix on September 9th a day after its release. The new September 10th figures show that the movie is continuing to benefit from positive buzz. Advertisement The improved performance is largely due to "#ALIVE" rising to the top spot in markets outside of Asia. It's now the number one movie in territories as diverse as Australia, France, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. With thirty-five individual countries ranking "#ALIVE" as their number one it's little surprise that "#ALIVE" is now the number one movie worldwide on Netflix. Aesthetically the movie's broad appeal is easy to explain. The main characters of "#ALIVE" are trapped inside their apartments due to a zombie apocalypse, mirroring the situation many people find themselves in real-life in this age of COVID-19. But "#ALIVE" has also benefited from strong marketing. Outside of South Korea it was marketed as a Netflix Original, with a wide variety of available subtitle and even vocal tracks. Such success was also prefaced by the popularity of "Kingdom", another piece of South Korean zombie media, albeit in drama form. Notably, "Kingdom - Season 2" was unable to break into the number one worldwide spot for dramas. "Time to Hunt", a South Korean movie deliberately developed with an eye for Netflix, also never ranked this high. Earlier this year "#ALIVE" broke the film industry's COVID-19 induced slump, a move that's also believed to have bolstered the movie's reputation. Written by William Schwartz ___________ "#ALIVE" is directed by Cho Il-hyeong, and features Yoo Ah-in, Park Shin-hye, Jeon Bae-soo, Lee Hyun-wook-I, Oh Hye-won, Kim Dan-bi. Release date in Korea: 2020/06/24. Standardbred Canada would like to congratulate 17-year-old Keith MacDonell from Port Hood, Nova Scotia, the winner of the 'Show Us Your Favourite Horse' contest! Keith submitted a photo of himself driving DWs Hidden Star in a matinee race in the summer of 2019. Heres what Keith had to say about DWs Hidden Star: Harness racing means a lot to me and has been a huge part of my life ever since I was old enough to walk. I share two horses with my father (Lewis) and we race them weekly at the Inverness Raceway in Nova Scotia which is about a 20 minute drive from our training centre in Port Hood. Harness racing is in my blood and is on both sides of my family! Pictured above is me driving a 10-year-old mare, her name is DWs Hidden Star. Star and I made our second lifetime start together in an amateur race at my home track in Port Hood in the summer of 2019 and we were victorious, winning the mile in 2:06.4 by approximately 30 open lengths. Star means so much to me ever since we purchased her when she was three, weve had her for seven years now and she will always be my favourite! Keiths dad, Lewis MacDonell, trains and drives DWs Hidden Star, who has had 15 races this year with two runner-up finishes and three thirds. Twelve-year-old pacing gelding PH Showboat, the other stable member, had his first win from 11 races this season on September 6 at Inverness. The MacDonells are stabled at Irish Road Training Centre, along with 10-12 other horsemen. Keith saw the Facebook post about the Favourite Horse photo contest on his way home from the races and got his photo sent in, just under the wire! The driving colours hes wearing in the photo are courtesy of his cousin, Paul MacDonell. (Unfortunately due to COVID, the matinee racing, along with the companion festivals they were part of, were canceled this year.) Star is very quiet, well mannered, easy to get along with, said Keith. She wore hopples her whole racing career and this year we decided to try her free-legged and thats the way shes been racing. At the age of 11, Keith jogged his first horse, PH Showboat. He regularly spends about 3-4 hours a day working with the horses, and this past Tuesday, he returned to school for his grade 12 year. There are so many things I like about working with the horses; if you care and treat them right, they take care of you, he commented. Our horses are very kind and they always try their hardest when they race. Theres something really special about just being around them. Keith has won: A complimentary enrollment in one of Equine Guelphs Short Courses A One Year Subscription to TrackIT A $100 Visa Gift Card SC received many great submissions and would also like to give honourable mentions to the following: Gracie Mae Barr & Lauras Love "My name is Gracie Mae Barr and my favourite horse is Lauras Love. I have loved her since she came in as a yearling, she is now three. She is so sweet and just a bit spoiled. I had called her my horse from day one but early this year she actually became my horse. My grandfather Russell Baker, saw how much I loved her and decided I should learn about the business part of the industry so he bought part of her for me. So she is even more special." Dionne Gillis and Nephin "Upon completion of university and moving back home I told my father I wanted to buy two things - a big black truck and a horse. First came the GMC, then Dad and I bought the horse. His name is Nephin (in the yellow) and Ill never be able to thank him enough. Through him I met my now husband (owner, trainer & driver) and we have a beautiful hobby ranch in Strathlorne! Thank you to everyone who took the time to send in their wonderful photos and stories! Take a look at the short video below to take a look at some of our favourite submissions. Read your overview of news on Friday, September 11, 2020. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled This is your overview of news on Friday, September 11, 2020. Make sure to check out our weekend reading tips at the bottom. Thank you for being our readers. Coronavirus in Slovakia: Health Minister Marek Krajci recommends people do not travel in light of the worsening coronavirus situation in Slovakia and its neighbouring countries. The pandemic commission will recommend that the crisis staff lists the Czech Republic among the red countries. Limits to mass events have also been recommended. Read more about the latest coronavirus-related recommendations here. in light of the worsening coronavirus situation in Slovakia and its neighbouring countries. The pandemic commission will recommend that the crisis staff lists the Czech Republic among the red countries. Limits to mass events have also been recommended. Authorities reported 186 new coronavirus cases in Slovakia as of Friday morning. Even though half a year has passed since the first wave of the pandemic surged in Slovakia, the state is still lacking epidemiologists to deal with the situation. Epidemiologists play a key role in times of epidemics. The lack of epidemiologists and the lack of prognoses are just two out of several deficiencies that the Sme daily found when it analysed the preparedness of Slovakia and its health care system for the second wave of the spread of the coronavirus. Suvisiaci clanok Suvisiaci clanok Poor preparedness for the second wave of the pandemic could lead to closures again Read more The coronavirus infection has been reported in a retirement home in Drienovec near Kosice. A member of the staff tested positive on Thursday. The operation of the facility is not at risk. (Korzar) Large-capacity testing sites are now operating in Bratislava, Nitra, Banska Bystrica and Trencin. Another one is soon to open in Trnava. The whole county of Nitra will, from September 12, be put in the red zone at least until the end of September. It is forbidden to organise events of more than 500 people outside and 250 inside. Also, it is forbidden to organise events between 23:00 and 6:00 with the exception of weddings and funerals. Visits to hospitals and retirement homes are forbidden. In other news: Boris Kollar announced the deadline for submitting candidacies for the position of general prosecutor is October 9, 2020. The election is to take place during the parliamentary session starting on November 24. October 9, 2020. The election is to take place during the parliamentary session starting on November 24. PM Igor Matovic travelled to Poland for the Visegrad Group summit, to debate the pandemic and the agenda for the upcoming European summit with his counterparts from Czechia, Poland and Hungary. The National Criminal Agency (NAKA) searched the house and other buildings of the former head of the anti-corruption unit Robert Krajmer. They eventually detained Krajmer, the noviny.sk website reported. Milan Mihalik, former deputy director of the National Financial Police Unit of NAKA, has been charged in the case of illegal illustrations. (Aktuality.sk) The Finance Ministry has set the deadline for submitting income tax returns for 2019 on October 31, 2020. It is still not known whether taxpayers will also be obliged to settle their tax obligations by this deadline. Read more about paying taxes in Slovakia. The Financial Administration has launched a "Brexit" page on its website. Taxpayers can find all customs- and tax-related information about the regime between the EU and the UK as of 2021, to prepare for changes if no agreement is reached. Related article Related article Health Ministry moves against disinformation Read more Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Related article Related article Bratislava has new lookout point the tower of the Franciscan Church Read more Related article KYODO NEWS - Sep 12, 2020 - 21:58 | World, All Family members of a group of Hong Kong people detained in mainland China after a reported botched attempt to flee Hong Kong for Taiwan sought Saturday assurances of their safety and urged their immediate return to Hong Kong. The 12 detainees were reported to include democracy activists such as Andy Li, who was arrested for breaching a new national security law imposed in Hong Kong, and others who are freed on bail after being arrested for various offenses during the anti-government protests. Their detainment was brought to Hong Kong authorities' attention only days after they were reportedly caught by China Coast Guard in the sea on Aug. 23 while attempting to leave Chinese waters illegally. The families of six of the 12 were told they were detained at the Yantian detention center in southern China's Shenzhen City, while none of the detainees, including the youngest aged 16, has been allowed to meet with the family-appointed lawyers. "The whole family is very worried. Is he safe, or is he still alive?" the mother of one of the detainees Lee Chi-yin told reporters, while concealing her identity. She said the mainland lawyer the family have hired to represent her son was not allowed to make a visit even bearing the authentication documents required, and was told the mainland authorities have appointed a lawyer for him, whom she has no trust in. "The government has yet to speak up for us. Hong Kong's chief executive should protect Hong Kong people but she seemed to have done nothing," she said. "I don't even dare to think of the worst situation to come." The government leader Carrie Lam said Tuesday when asked what the government has done in assisting the 12 people that they would have to be dealt with according to mainland laws had they breached mainland offenses, before they could be returned. The detainees could face a one-year prison term for illegal border crossing, or a maximum life sentence if they were charged and convicted of organizing human trafficking, the families have learned. One detainee Tang Kai-yin has asthma and his mother and brother are pleading that medication be supplied for him. "I can't sleep every night, worrying about his illness, whether he can have medicines," said Tang's mother, in tears. "I hope the Hong Kong government can help bring them back, at least I can see him. Right now, I don't even know if he is alive or dead." In a joint letter, the families demanded self-appointed lawyers rather than government-appointed ones be representing the detainees, medications for those in need, family phone calls, the detainees' rights be ensured and their immediate return to Hong Kong. James To, a Democratic Party lawmaker assisting the families, said the government should discuss with mainland authorities to ensure their legal right is protected. "It is unusual for family-appointed lawyers to be discouraged (by mainland authorities) from taking the cases. The lawyers should at least be allowed to visit the detainees and be told in person that they are fired," To said. "We are very worried about their situation, whether their legal rights are protected and about their health." He said he has asked the Hong Kong police to seek for the return of the 12, especially those who are wanted by police, while the Hong Kong representative office stationed in Guangdong Province has assured him medication for those in need are provided. "But the office seems reluctant to pay a visit, even as a courtesy, on behalf of the families at the detention center," To said, while adding that the Immigration Department has offered to hand letters or requests from the families to mainland authorities. The issue has caught the attention of the United States government, with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying Friday, "The United States is deeply concerned that 12 Hong Kong democracy activists, arrested two weeks ago off the coast of Hong Kong by Guangdong Maritime Police, have been denied access to lawyers of their choice." "Local authorities have yet to provide information regarding their welfare, or the charges against them. We question Chief Executive Lam's stated commitment to protecting the rights of Hong Kong residents, and call on authorities to ensure due process," he said. China responded Saturday by telling an "individual U.S. politician" to "mind his own business and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs." The statement, issued by a spokesman of the Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong, also said the "Hong Kong residents' illegal border crossing case" was still under investigation and would be handled in accordance with the law. Related coverage: Asia-Pacific foreign ministers voice fears about regional security China retaliates by restricting activities of U.S. diplomats 15 arrested over H.K. media mogul's company stock manipulation In the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the terrorists came to destroy the "idea that is America" but only awakened the nation's resolve to defend and preserve liberty for all, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said Friday in a solemn virtual ceremony at the Pentagon. The 184 innocents who died when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. that day were "killed for what they believed in," Milley said, "but their memory and legacy will live on as we honor and remember them today." Read Next: This Air Force Unit Has Been Fighting Alongside Army Rangers Since 9/11 He noted that the oldest victim was 71 and the youngest three years old, saying that all were killed with the intent of eradicating a vision of America that takes many forms. One is that "all of us, men and women, black and white, Asian or Indian -- no matter what the color of our skin, no matter if we are Catholic or Protestant, Muslim or Jew, or if we choose not to believe at all," have been "created free and equal." Another is a firm belief in "a free press, free speech, due process, the right to peacefully assemble and demonstrate and protest; the idea of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," Milley said. In his remarks, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said, "No one could fathom that on that bright September morning we would experience the worst terrorist attack in our nation's history, a horrific crime carried out by evil fanatics who would brutally kill the innocent in the name of their distorted cause. "We came together as a nation on that fateful day and witnessed a tremendous outpouring of courage, compassion and sacrifice amid the grief, the darkness and the disarray," he said. "Since 9/11, millions of Americans have stepped up to serve this great country, all swearing that solemn oath to support and defend the Constitution, and with many paying the ultimate price to ensure that such an attack never happens again." In his opening prayer, Brig. Gen. William Green Jr., the Army's deputy chief of chaplains, said that 9/11 is "a day unlike any other," and that the 19th anniversary ceremony at the Pentagon was unlike any that had gone before due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Milley and Esper wore black face masks to the ceremony, removing them to make their remarks. There were no choirs and fly-bys of warplanes as had happened in previous years. Family members and the public were not in attendance, but families were allowed to visit the Pentagon's 9/11 memorial in small groups later Friday. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Related: Soldier Awarded Medal of Honor on Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks That Inspired Him to Fight The UK-Japan trade deal is projected to add less than 0.1% to GDP over the long term with business and markets much more concerned over the outlook for trade with the EU and US. Small-scale relief as UK secures free-trade deal with Japan The UK and Japan announced on Friday that the two countries had agreed a framework trade deal. The UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement includes brand protection for "iconic" British goods, including English sparkling wine, Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese and Welsh lamb. The deal was based primarily based on the EU-Japan agreement signed in 2018. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said it was an "historic moment". "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." She added that, strategically, the deal was an important step towards joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership and placing Britain at the centre of a network of free trade agreements. Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi stated that the deal should take effect on January 1, following domestic ratification. "It was a very tough negotiation, but we reached the agreement in principle in about three months, at an unusually fast pace," he said. "While maintaining the high levels of access to the British market under the Japan-EU EPA, we improved our access to the British market on train cars and some auto parts." Big Japanese investors in Britain such as auto makers Nissan and Hitachi would benefit from reduced tariffs on parts. EU access remains crucial for UK business Total trade between Britain and Japan was worth around 29.5 billion in 2018, eclipsed by nearly 700 billion of exports and imports between Britain and the EU. BBC global trade correspondent Dharshina David commented; But ultimately, this deal largely mirrors the agreement which already exists between the EU and Japan. And with trade with Japan accounting for just 2% of the UK's total, the expected boost to GDP of 0.07% over the long term is a tiny fraction of what might be lost from leaving the EU. Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the Confederation of British Industry, calling it a "breakthrough moment". "The government and business now need to work together to make the most from the deal," she added. "It's a huge opportunity to secure new Japanese investment across a wider range of sectors and UK regions. The Japan deal can be the first of many." Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, Adam Marshall adopted a more cautious tone. He called the announcement a milestone, but added: "Whilst this agreement is undoubtedly cause for celebration, securing a Free Trade Agreement with the EU remains critical to the future of businesses in the UK. "We urge ministers to redouble their efforts to reach a comprehensive partnership with our largest trading partner at a crucial time in the negotiations." Allie Renison, Head of Europe and Trade Policy at the Institute of Directors added; We hope the spirit of both ambition and compromise will help land further continuity deals such as with Turkey and Canada, as well as an agreement with the EU, which is of utmost importance to ... members. The Japan agreement will be much more significant if it helps break the UK-EU deadlock. Moves in exchange rates were still dominated by EU tensions. The Pound-to-Euro rate remained close to 5-year lows near 1.0800 with the Sterling-to-dollar rate close to 1.2800. Kopri police arrested three in the theft of 10 high end bikes on Friday. The bikes have been recovered from them. The accused are identified as Pratik Palkar, 22, a resident of Kalyan, Vishal Chalke, 32, a resident of Mulund and Nitin Wadkar, 20. Kopri police received information about the first two accused, habitual bike thieves, arriving at Mithbunder Road in Kopri on Friday. Police team laid a trap and nabbed the duo while they were about to flee away with one of the Bullets. After interrogation, the duo confessed to the crime and informed about their third partner Wadkar. Police said, The accused have hiding spots for these bikes in Belapur, Khandeshwar, Nerul and Panvel where 10 Bullets which they had stolen in past three months were hidden. We have recovered all bikes from the accused worth Rs 14.65 lakhs. Further investigation about the trio is on. Yesterday, Jeffrey Goldberg, the infamous editor of The Atlantic, whose latest fake news article one week ago alleged that President Trump had cruelly disparaged members of the U.S. military, sent an email announcing the lineup of speakers for this year's annual Atlantic Festival of esteemed progressive thought leaders. The two top highlighted speakers at the event, which this year will be streamed virtually online and free to access, are Hillary Clinton and Dr. Anthony Fauci. Also on the bill are Nancy Pelosi; Stacey Abrams; Bill Gates; and the Marxist co-founder of Black Lives Matter, Alicia Garza. Another speaker is Chesa Boudin, the San Francisco district attorney who was raised by unrepentant Weather Underground (W.U.) domestic terrorists Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn after his birth parents, who were also W.U. terrorists, were convicted and imprisoned for murder during an armed robbery. In addition to Fauci, all of the other 112 speakers at the four-day-long event Sept. 2124 are leftists, progressives, and social justice influencers of various stripes. The only "Republican" is the anti-Trump RINO Maryland governor, Larry Hogan. Six of the 113 speakers at the 2020 Atlantic festival. It was almost exactly six months ago now, only a few days after the COVID-19 national lockdown was mandated, that the headline of my first article about Anthony Fauci at American Thinker described him as a "deep-state Hillary Clinton-loving stooge." Do we need any more evidence that Fauci is returning to his fold and from all appearances is looking ahead and feathering his nest in advance of what he expects to be the Democrats retaking power after the November 3 elections? As I wrote in my March 21, 2020 article on Fauci, he sent a gushing email to Hillary Clinton's top aide Cheryl Mills on January 23, 2013, congratulating Hillary for her performance at a congressional hearing investigating the September 11, 2012 Benghazi incident. In the same email, Fauci expressed his "love" for President Obama's secretary of state: Anyone who had any doubts about the Secretary's stamina and capability following her illness had those doubts washed away by today's performance before the Senate and the House. She faced extremely difficult circumstances at the Hearings and still she hit it right out of the park. Please tell her that we all love her and are very proud to know her. That March 21 blog post of mine about Fauci attracted the attention of the MSM big time. In the two weeks following its publication, my blog, American Thinker, and I were attacked at some length by name and with links in four articles in the Washington Post; two in the New York Times (one of them on page 1A in a Sunday edition); and similar pieces in New York Magazine, Politico, Vanity Fair, and the Chicago Tribune among others. During his 36 years as head of the NIH's National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fauci after almost four decades is still the de facto czar in the government's ongoing war on AIDS. Since he began working at the NIH in 1968, Fauci has shown himself to be a savvy, ultimate survivor of the highly politicized, deeply embedded administrative medical bureaucracy. With an expertise in working the media, he tends to follow the way the political winds are blowing, expanding his power incrementally during the administrations of Presidents Reagan, Bush the elder, Clinton, Bush the younger, Obama, and now Trump. Dr. Anthony Fauci interviewed live by John Roberts on the Fox News channel, Sept. 9, 2020. Speaking of politically savvy: Earlier this week, in an extensive live interview on the Fox News channel (video here), Fauci appeared to come to President Trump's aid in effect throwing the president a much needed lifeline regarding the controversies arising from some troubling quotes attributed to the president in Bob Woodward's new anti-Trump book Rage. From a transcript of the interview on Wednesday provided by Fox News: JOHN ROBERTS, FOX NEWS GUEST-ANCHOR: Joining me now is Dr. Anthony Fauci of the Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases. Dr. Fauci, great to see you this afternoon. So let me get your response to this. President Trump, according to Woodward, says back in February, that he knew how serious this was going to be, but all the way into March said he always wanted to play it down, because he didn't want to create a panic. You were there through that whole thing. Was that the playbook? Or was that the president just going his own direction? DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NIAID: You know, I don't think so, John. I mean, I don't recall anything different than in our discussions that we had with the president that he said things quite similar publicly. So I didn't read the book. I didn't really go over any of the text, since it just came out. But you know, in my discussions and the discussions of other task force members with the president, we're talking about the reality of what was going on, and then when we would get up in front of the press conferences, which were very, very common after our discussions with the president, he really didn't say anything different than we discussed when we were with him. So I may not be tuned in to the right thing that they're talking about, but I didn't really see any discrepancies between what he told us and what we told him and what he ultimately came out publicly and said. ROBERTS: So did you get a sense that he was or wasn't playing this down? FAUCI: No. No, no, I didn't. I didn't get any sense that he was distorting anything. I mean in my discussions with him, they were always straightforward about the concerns that we had. We related that to him. And when he would go out, I'd hear him discussing the same sort of things. He would often say, we just got through with a briefing with the group from the task force and would talk about it. So, no, it may have happened, but I have not seen that kind of distortion. In recent weeks, President Trump has appeared to favor the advice and counsel of the newest appointee to his White House Coronavirus Task Force, Scott Atlas, M.D., senior fellow in scientific philosophy and public policy at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Atlas rose to prominence this year after frequent appearances on Fox News channel programs and in a number of published articles where he advocated solutions to COVID-19 very different from Fauci's. Reports are that outsider Atlas has effectively supplanted Fauci as the president's key adviser on the issue. No wonder, then, that Fauci, at the same time that he defends President Trump, would be staking his claim at trendy elitist events like the Atlantic Festival for a return to prominence in case Joe Biden is his next boss. Portion of The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg's email promoting the Atlantic Festival. Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran journalist who writes about politics, media, popular culture, and health care for American Thinker and other publications. He also appears in the media, including recently as a contributor to BBC World News. Peter's website is http://peter.media. His YouTube channel is here. For updates on his work, follow Peter on Twitter at @pchowka. Tehran slams as 'baseless' UN report of Iran's arms shipments to Yemen Iran Press TV Friday, 11 September 2020 6:36 AM Iran's Foreign Ministry has slammed as "baseless" a report published by the United Nation's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) alleging Tehran has been sending arms to war-torn Yemen. "Placing Iran's name next to those supplying weapons to the Saudi coalition against Yemen is completely wrong," Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a statement on Thursday. The spokesperson said while Iran's name has only been mentioned once in the report, "it also neglects Iran's pivotal role and assistance in seeking to achieve a political solution to the conflict in Yemen". Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has been waging a war on Yemen with the help of its regional allies and largely assisted by Western-supplied weapons which have been indiscriminately used against Yemeni civilians. Despite numerous bids to stop arms sales, top Western arms suppliers such as the United States, Britain, Canada, France and Germany have pushed through with lethal weapons shipments to the oil-rich kingdom. Khatibzadeh said that the OHCHR's claim of Iran supplying weapons to Yemen amid the Saudi war comes as Western states are openly conducting their sales, "with related figures being published and available". "While some of these countries have periodically halted or limited arms to Riyadh due to pressure from human rights groups, the bitter reality is that the lucrative arms trade has persuaded them to ignore their international and moral obligations," he said. "They have forgotten that their weapons have been used to kill the Yemenis and destroy the country's infrastructure. We are consequently seeing the largest humanitarian crisis due to the actions of the Saudi coalition and its arms suppliers," the Foreign Ministry spokesman added. Khatibzadeh stressed that while there is no clear evidence about Iranian arms shipments to Yemen, a Saudi-imposed blockade has even stopped Iranian humanitarian aid from reaching the country. An estimated 100,000 people have so far lost their lives in the Saudi war. The Saudi war has had a large impact on Yemen's infrastructure, impairing the impoverished Arab country's weak industrial, agricultural and medical sectors. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The centenary of the burning of Tubbercurry by the Black & Tans at the end of September will be commemorated by the Phoenix Players Drama Group. On Sept 30th 1920 in the middle of the Irish War of Independence, a band of IRA Volunteers ambushed an RIC convoy on its way back to Tubbercurry from Sligo, via Ballymote. The ambush occurred at Chaffpool and in the exchange, an RIC Officer, District Inspector James Brady, aged 21, was shot and killed. Two other officers were badly wounded but survived. The Black & Tans were stationed in Howley's House on Teeling Street, Tubbercurry, next door to the present Bank of Ireland. This house was also next door to the RIC Barracks of the time. When D.I. Brady was pronounced dead that evening in the barracks by the then doctor of the time, Dr. Flannery, they promised retribution. They went down the town just as darkness was falling, smashing shop and house windows, shooting their guns randomly at homes of known nationalist sympathisers and wrecking shops. They looted the public houses, stealing and drinking alcohol as they called out Sinn Feiners to show their heads and fight like men. The residents of the town were terrified and many fled to the countryside for safety. Some people stayed put to defend their homes and property and to put out the fire being set by the Black & Tans. Dozens of homes were looted and damaged and hundred of thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused. Cook's Shop on Wolf Tone Square, the building now occupied by the Credit Union was burned to the ground while Mullarkeys (now Super Valu), Cunnanes (now McCarrick's), Gallagher's (now Barry's Pharmacy) and Armstrong's (now the O'C Bar) were also badly damaged. The flames of the burning town could be seen as far away as Swinford. Rathscanlon and Achonry Creameries were also destroyed and while Achonry was able to open again a few weeks later, it took years for Rathscanlon Creamery to recover and re-open. The Phoenix Players have worked on original primary source material to re-enact events and are now in rehearsals for a radio drama of the event . Shop owners are being asked to dress their windows with some paraphernalia of 100 years ago to mark the events. Historical documents, clothing, old family photos, tools, machinery or anything else to set the atmosphere would be appreciated. 'Despite his saffron dress, Swami Agnivesh was secular to the core. He was a champion of bonded laborers in the country,' said CPI leader D Raja, condoling the death of the Arya Samaj leader Several leaders, including vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu, as well as rights activists and the general public condoled the death of Swami Agnivesh, and remembered him as a "truly secular" person, who fought for bonded labourers and women rights. A social and political activist Agnivesh, who was suffering from liver cirrhosis for a long time, died of multi-organ failure at a Delhi hospital on Friday. He was 80. "I am saddened to hear of the demise of Swami Agnivesh ji, a famous social worker and leader of Arya Samaj. He waged a lifelong struggle against bonded labour. My humble tribute!" Vice-President M Venakiah Naidu tweeted on Friday. ! pic.twitter.com/Bl42A7VNdq Vice President of India (@VPSecretariat) September 11, 2020 "He was a great friend of the entire Left movement. He used to call me comrade and I also addressed him as comrade Swami. He never hesitated in identifying himself with progressive forces fighting for the poor," CPI leader D Raja said. "Despite his saffron dress, he was secular to the core. He was a champion of bonded laborers in the country," he added. Top leaders of the DMK and the PMK, MK Stalin and S Ramadoss, condoled the death of Agnivesh. "Despite being attacked by communal forces many times, he remained steadfast on his policies," Stalin said in a statement. PMK founder S Ramadoss mourned the death of his "friend", Swami Agnivesh and said he was supportive of the party's stand against alcohol and smoking. Political activist Yogendra Yadav said Swami Agnivesh was a representative of the Hindu principle of tolerance and respect for every religion sarva dharma sambhava. "He respected every religion the way he venerated his own. He made us understand the real meaning of 'dharma' which is not being in a temple or an ashram, but being among the poor and serving them," he said. Lawyer Mehmood Pracha said Swami Agnivesh fought for bonded labourers, women and child rights and the fight will continue even after his demise. Recently, he was attacked on many occasions by people belonging to certain groups who were against his ideology, he said. Agnivesh was allegedly attacked twice by BJP workers over his 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. A month later, he was heckled and assaulted near the BJP headquarters in Delhi allegedly by BJP workers, while he was on his way to pay homage to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Agnivesh had also supported the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and opposed 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. Those who came to pay last respects wore masks and followed 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. He was suffering from liver cirrhosis. He died due to multi-organ failure, doctors said. With inputs from PTI Sanders on Sunday confirmed many of these details, highlighting the specific changes he would like to see Bidens team make, even after first denying Saturdays report. Of course theyre not true. I mean look, what I have said privately is what I have said publicly, and that is I think Bidens in an excellent position to win this election, Sanders said. But, I think weve got to do more as a campaign than just go after Trump. Union Minister urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to implement two flagship public welfare schemes of the Union Health Ministry in Pradhan wrote to Patnaik on Friday requesting him to implement the Digital Health Mission (NDHM) and the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in the state. Pradhan said NDHM is a "holistic and voluntary healthcare program which will involve all relevant stakeholders for the transformation of digital health infrastructure" in the country. The Unique Healthcare ID (UHID) for every citizen under NDHM will "liberate citizens from the challenges of finding doctors in different locations, seeking appointment, etc". The Union Minister further said that UHID will greatly benefit the migrant workers and the people living in rural areas and added that it is being already rolled out in some Union territories on a pilot mode. He further contended that the maximum benefit under NDHM can be availed only when it is integrated with the AB-PMJAY. "I once again request your good self to roll out in In addition, I also request you to extend whole-hearted support to implementation of NDHM which will provide timely and efficient access to inclusive, affordable, and safe healthcare to the people of Odisha," he said. The NDHM was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort. (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.) Massachusetts added three more states to its list of high-risk states for COVID-19. Starting Saturday, people traveling to-and-from Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia will need to quarantine or get tested for coronavirus. There are 38 states included on the high-risk list as of Saturday. Gov. Charlie Baker enacted a travel order on August 1 mandating all visitors and residents entering Massachusetts following a high-risk area quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result that has been administered up to 72 hours prior to arrival in Massachusetts. Visitors are urged to obtain a negative result before traveling to Massachusetts. Failure to comply with the order could result in a $500 fine per day. Exemptions are allowed for travelers from lower-risk states, people commuting for work or school and patients seeking specialized medical care. The current list of lower-risk states includes: Colorado Connecticut Maine New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York Oregon Vermont Washington Wyoming Massachusetts residents are urged to limit any out-of-state travel only to states designated as COVID-19 lower-risk areas. Anyone arriving from an international destination must fill out the Massachusetts Travel Form and must quarantine for 14 days or meet the 72-hour testing rule. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and a prolonged slowdown, earnings of Indian companies are expected to decline by a quarter in fiscal 2021, Moodys Investors Service said in a report on Friday. The global ratings agency estimates the aggregate earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) for its 22 rated companies to fall by 24 per cent and debt/EBITDA leverage to rise to around 4x in FY21. It added that credit quality will also weaken across rated Indian non-financial corporates due to the outbreak even as a slowing economy dampens consumer confidence and business activity. The economic slowdown is exacerbating existing challenges particularly in sectors vulnerable to declining consumption and resource price volatility, such as in the automotive, oil & gas, mining and steel sectors, Kaustubh Chaubal, Moodys vice-president and senior credit officer, said. Going ahead, Moodys believes recovery will gather pace in the third quarter of the FY21 as easing of lockdown releases pent-up demand and helps normalise activities. Even with the expectation of recovery gathering pace from the third quarter, aggregate revenue in FY22 will still continue to be 7 per cent short of the level in FY20, before the pandemic, it added. Indias GDP contracted 23.9 per cent for the three months to June 2020, the sharpest decline among major economies. The decline in corporate earning during the first three months of FY21 was much steeper than the GDP contraction. According to Credit Suisse, BSE 100 companies saw their sales plummeting by an average 30 per cent in Q1, while their operating profit fell by 35 per cent. Even as this trend improves, sectors like retail and travel would see a delayed recovery. All eyes on third quarter According to Moodys the recovery will gather pace in the third quarter of FY21, as easing of lockdown give rise to pent-up demand, normalising economic activities further. Halle Berry as an MMA fighter sounds like the mind creating some bizarre mash-up of interests in the strange dreams that so many of us have had during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the actress is indeed going to play a debased former fighter making a comeback against an up-and-coming rival while also battling for custody of her child in an upcoming film titled Bruised. Not only is Berry starring in the movie, but she also directed it. And before its scheduled screening (as a work-in-progress) at the Toronto Film Festival, Bruised is close to being purchased by Netflix. Berry has performed in action films before, such as John Wick: Chapter 3, the X-Men movies, Die Another Day, and Catwoman, and training for those roles required learning several martial arts styles. So she should have no issue looking believable as an MMA fighter. Nonetheless, she trained hard for the role, even working through broken ribs during training. The script for Bruised was originally written for a younger white woman (Blake Lively was attached to the project at one point), but when it became available, Berry thought it was a great opportunity for her and convinced producers that the story suited a middle-aged Black woman. Why not a Black woman? Berry told Varietys Ramin Setoodeh. Its an old genre. Theres so many great fight films that have been made. I made the point why it would be worth retelling an age-old story with this new twist. And when Berry couldnt find a director who wanted to make the film she had in mind, her producing partner convinced her that she was the best person for the job. As an actor, I always show up and do my part, and I can only do what I can do, she says. Being the director, I have a part in the totality of every department. I get to have a voice. That was different, and I really loved that.' Not only is this movie featuring a Black woman in a role not typically seen on screen, but Berry is also pushing boundaries behind the camera as a female director of color. I am speechless. Thank you @netflix for believing in my vision, cannot wait for yall to finally see #BruisedTheMovie. https://t.co/t2Ieg3Jpxv via @variety Halle Berry (@halleberry) September 11, 2020 As reported by Varietys Matt Donnelly, Bruised will be shown virtually at the festival in unfinished form with screeners being sent out to critics. Since the film hasnt been locked down for a final edit, its not certain when viewers will be able to watch it on Netflix. But the streaming provider obviously wanted to buy it before competitors could get a look and make bids, reportedly paying nearly $20 million. Image via @halleberry on Instagram [Variety] An amendment to the Fire Safety Bill, which would have incorporated safety recommendations called for at the end of Phase 1 of the Grenfell Inquiry, was soundly defeated last Monday night in Parliament. The devastating fire in June 2017 at the tower block in Londons Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea of Kensington claimed 72 lives due to unsafe cladding and other safety failureseventually resulting in the setting up of the Grenfell Inquiry. First published in October 2019, the recommendations would require building managers and owners to share information about design and wall materials with the Fire and Rescue Service, to make building residents familiar with evacuation and fire safety instructions, and to undertake periodic inspections of individual flat entrance doors and lifts. At the time, Housing Secretary James Brokenshire promised to implement all recommendations without delay and in full. Now, as Minister of State for Security at the Home Office, Brokenshire insists that the bill must be voted into law before changes can be made. Because current consultations on fire safety will not conclude until October 12, he argued Labours amendments could not hasten any more than what the government is intending and proposing. More detail was needed. These pathetic justifications were immediately seized upon by Labour spokespersons pretending to be shocked by the Tories shameful U-turn and broken commitment. Shadow Minister for Policing and Fire, Sarah Jones MP, complained, This is a shameful U-turn from government. They have broken a solemn promise to take action following the Grenfell Inquiry. ... Labour will continue to press the government to do the right thing. A fuller statement came in a Guardian article last Wednesday, by former Kensington Labour MP Emma Dent Coad, who saw the tower burn four days after winning her seat. She recounted her face-to-face meetings with ministers Sajid Javid, James Brokenshire, Robert Jenrick, Esther McVey and Nick Hurd along with then Prime Minister Theresa May. They all listened, she recalled, heads tilted, furrowed brows. Every one of them committed to support the recommendations emerging from the Grenfell public inquiry. Continuing to relate her utter surprise over Tory MPs votes against the amendment, she continued, Shame on them all. And shame on Felicity Buchanan, the current MP for Kensington, for voting with them. Dent Coad cited the words of a friend who contacted herWeve wasted three yearsand finished by claiming, This government has made fools of us all. Sir Martin Moore-Bick (WSWS Media) But who is she fooling? In 2017, five days after Sir Martin Moore-Bick was chosen to head an inquiry that would clearly be limited in scope and was clearly a creature of the Tory government, Dent Coad initially called for his resignation. What in the meantime did she think the Inquiry could accomplish under this skewed mandate? In a September 15, 2017 statement, the Socialist Equality Party (UK) exposed Moore-Bicks claims of impartiality and the entire agenda of the Inquiry. What impartiality! The inquiry was set up by the Conservative government, whose policies of austerity, deregulation and privatisation provided the framework for the Grenfell catastrophe. This same government has determined the inquirys remit and appointed Moore-Bick as its chairman. Moreover, the inquirys leading personnel are drawn from government departments ... None of this stopped the Labour Partyincluding leader until April this year Jeremy Corbynfrom supporting the whitewash to this day. The inquiry was paused for five weeks to allow the corporate parties responsible for the Grenfell atrocity to take advantage of various villas in paradise locations during the summer holidays. But on Monday, it was the resumption of what Richard Millett QC, lead counsel to the Inquiry, previously described as the merry-go-round of buck-passing. Managing surveyor Zak Maynard of Rydon, the main contracting firm overseeing the refurbishment of Grenfellthat transformed it into a death trapsaid in his testimony Monday that he knew his company planned to retain 200,000 in savings rather than passing it along to the Tenant Management Organisation (TMO). The TMO managed the building on behalf of the local authority. Along with cladding subcontractor Harley, Rydon had saved some 577,000 in the agreement between the firms. However, the full extent of the savings was allegedly omitted from the TMO, with Rydon claiming Harley had saved 376,175. Maynard claimed it was not his job to question the arrangement: That was the figure that Rydon had agreed to provide as a saving, so it wasnt my position to question that. It had been decided above me. As for Harley, its boss Ray Bailey spent Tuesday and Wednesday fighting off accusations that they had pressed for the highly flammable aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding to be used on Grenfells refurbishment before the project even started. He denied that he led in the selection of materials or that he advocated the use of ACM: There were a number of different products being talked about, over which I had no control at all, and I think Studio E [architects] didnt have a lot of control. Claiming he did not know the contracted cladding material would burn, Bailey insisted his company was not ultimately responsible for ensuring they met building regulations, despite receiving a letter of terms from the main contractor stating he had responsibility for design and compliances. During his testimony, Bailey was accused of simply delegating fire safety checks of the insulation to the very person who had made it and was selling it. He argued that his company was convinced by insulation maker Celotex that the combustible foam met regulations. Bailey said the Class 0 qualification for the Celotex product allowed him to assume it had limited combustibility throughout rather than just on the surface. I think this is the conclusion ... its quite widespread throughout the industry. He speculated that the designation had originated when some industry self-interest body created this false class. Bailey hired his 25-year-old son Ben as Grenfell project manager in February 2015. When asked by Millett what experience his son had, Bailey reported that his son had also been project manager two years previously at Merit Housewhich had also used Alucobond rainscreen cladding, a type of ACM. Another close tie was examined when Harleys Mark Harris testified on Thursday. After Reynobond material had been chosen for the refurbished walls, UK sales manager at Arconic, Debbie French, thanked Harris for his hard work and perseverance in putting Reynobond forward, promising lunch or dinner at some point. When in October 2013, lead architect Bruce Sounes asked him for budget cladding options, Harris presented only Reynobond. When asked if he had enjoyed a cosy relationship with Arconic, he simply claimed, Theres no interest to Harley in having a much lesser content valueit was the client budget that drove it away from that so we were just being helpful. Anger is growing in the Grenfell community in North Kensington at the Grenfell Fire whitewash. Last month, survivors group Grenfell United refused to meet with Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, citing his close relationship with property developers and failure to implement Phase 1 recommendations. They wrote, Bereaved families and survivors sat with you and opened their hearts, and your actions have thrown that back in our faces. These events are a further devasting indictment of an inquiry designed to delay and prevent the prosecution of those responsible for social murder at Grenfell. It has no powers of prosecution and has, in alliance with the Tories, ensured that anyone among the corporations giving testimony is immune from future prosecution! Now even Moore-Bicks toothless suggestionsthat tower block tenants be granted a few minimal safety rights, are, after being welcomed by the governmenttossed into the bin. The Socialist Equality Party calls on Grenfell survivors, the bereaved and their supporters to withdraw all cooperation with the inquiry, insist on its shutdown and demand the immediate arrest and criminal prosecution of the guilty parties. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 14:11:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TALUQAN, Afghanistan, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- A total of 12 militants were killed as fighting planes struck a Taliban gathering outside Takhar's provincial capital Taluqan city on Saturday, provincial government spokesman Mohammad Jawad Hajari said. "Acting on a tip-off, the fighting planes targeted a gathering of Taliban militants in Chanzai area outside Taluqan city today morning, killing 12 rebels on the spot and wounding five others," Hajari told Xinhua. The airstrikes took place after the Taliban militants attack police patrol team in the area, leaving two deaths and injuring six others, the official said. Taliban militants haven't commented. The air attack occurred as the government negotiating team and Taliban delegation are going to hold the first round of talks in Doha,Qatar on Saturday to find negotiated settlement to Afghanistan's lingering crisis. Enditem There are also major substantive caveats to Mr. Trumps fanfare. For all of the White Houses talk of historic Middle East peace deals, Israel was not in an actual state of conflict with either the United Arab Emirates or Bahrain. The countries are merely consecrating a quiet alliance that had been developing for years, noted Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the liberal Center for American Progress, who said that Mr. Trump was like the rooster taking credit for the dawn. Aaron David Miller, who worked on Middle East peace negotiating teams for several presidents, said the nominations paled in comparison with the accomplishments of past recipients: When you look at other Nobel Prize winners in the Middle East, what you see are mostly larger-than-life even heroic figures who expended huge amounts of political capital and took risks on enterprises that were truly challenging. He added, Sadat and Rabin paid for their Nobels with their lives, referring to the slain leaders of Egypt and Israel, Anwar Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin. When Mr. Trump hosted the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo this month to sign an agreement to normalize economic relations, a first step toward potentially friendly coexistence, the presidents son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, declared it a historic agreement at a celebratory news conference. Christopher Hill, a former career U.S. diplomat who played a central role in the American-brokered 1995 Dayton Accords, which brought peace to neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina, derided the Trump administrations current efforts in the region as McDiplomacy lacking the serious work required to achieve lasting progress. The agreement also appears to have already run into trouble. It called for both Kosovo and Serbia to recognize Israel and open embassies in Jerusalem, with Israel returning the favor to Kosovo, which declared its independence from Serbia in 2008 and which Serbia does not recognize. But Israeli news reports say that Serbia is balking at Israeli recognition of Kosovo and will not open an embassy in Jerusalem after all if that happens. That threatens to unwind the entire agreement. The Balkans look easy by comparison to Afghanistan, where Mr. Trump is pursuing a comprehensive peace agreement to allow for a total withdrawal of American troops there. But as talks opened on Saturday, even optimists acknowledged that a durable peace remains a distant goal amid surging violence and countless political obstacles. And the announcement this week that the United States will pull nearly half its troops from Iraq, leaving 3,000 soldiers there, only reduces American forces in the country to about their level in 2015. China slaps reciprocal restrictions on US embassy, consular staff Global Times Source: Global Times Published: 2020/9/11 18:55:08 China has taken reciprocal restrictions on diplomats and other personnel at the US embassy and consulates in China, including the US consulate in Hong Kong region, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday. The restrictions were imposed after the US imposed restrictions on Chinese diplomats in the US, and China has sent a diplomatic note to the US, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced Friday. The reciprocal restrictions on US diplomats are a legitimate and necessary response to the wrong actions of the US, and the Chinese embassy and consulates in the US will maintain normal exchanges with different sectors in the US, according to the announcement. China urges the US to immediately correct its mistake and revoke the unreasonable restrictions on the staff of Chinese embassy and consulates. China will respond to actions taken by the US, the ministry said. In October 2019 and June 2020, the US side twice imposed restrictions on Chinese diplomatic staff in the US. The US State Department on September 2 required Chinese diplomats in the US to receive approval to visit US university campuses and to meet with local government officials. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-13 05:55:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ALGIERS, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Algeria on Saturday reported 255 new COVID-19 cases and six new fatalities, bringing the total infections to 48,007 and the death toll to 1,605, said the Ministry of Health in a statement. It is the lowest daily infection increase since June 29, according to the ministry statement. Meanwhile, 152 more patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recoveries to 33,875. Algeria has been resuming economic and commercial activities since June 7 as part of its efforts to return to normal life. On Feb. 25, Algeria recorded its first infection with COVID-19. China and Algeria have offered mutual help in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. In early February, Algeria sent medical donations to help China combat the coronavirus. In return, China sent two batches of medical aid to Algeria on March 27 and April 15 respectively. A Chinese medical team arrived in Algeria on May 14 for a 15-day mission to help fight the coronavirus by sharing China's experience in curbing the spread of the contagious disease. Enditem Congress activists took out rallies in the metropolis on Saturday in protest against the alleged victimisation of actor Rhea Chakraborty, days after its Bengal unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury decribed her arrest in a drugs case as "ludicrous". Over 300 party activists marched from PCC headquarters to Wellington crossing here, shouting slogans opposing the "vilification campaign" against Rhea in the name of investigation, and held placards that read "we will not stop till she gets justice". Congress MLA Manoj Chakraborty wondered why she was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), months after boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput's death. "Was it orchestrated by the Centre with an eye on the Bihar polls," he said. He claimed that Rhea was being harassed and framed, which was a part of vendetta politics. "Pradesh Congress Committee will not accept such a revengeful act against a woman from Bengal, or against any woman in the country," the MLA told news agency PTI. On Wednesday, Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had said Rajput was an Indian actor, but the "BJP turned him into a Bihari actor" only to score electoral brownie points. "Rhea Chakroborty has been indicted not for abetment of suicide or murder or any economic offences; she has been arrested under NDPS, ludicrous," he said. Similar rallies were taken out by the party in West Midnapore and West Burdwan districts. Parties cutting across the political divide in West Bengal on Thursday evoked Bengali sub-nationalism, asserting that the "vilification campaign" against Rhea "proved" Bengalis are a soft target of the BJP, which is looking to cash in on this narrative ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls. After three days of interrogation, the NCB on Tuesday arrested Rhea, 28, in a drugs case linked to Rajput's death, following which she was sent to judicial custody till September 22 by a local court. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa. AFP-Yonhap Bahrain and Israel have established full diplomatic relations after the United States hosted a phone call between the leaders of the two nations, President Donald Trump announced Friday. Trump announced the historic deal on Twitter before giving remarks in the Oval Office of the White House. "There's no more powerful response to the hatred that spawned 9/11 than the agreement that we're about to tell you," the president said. "In the spirit of peace and cooperation, both leaders also agreed that Bahrain will fully normalize its diplomatic relations with Israel. "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." Jared Kushner, Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law, fostered the negotiations, which culminated with Friday's phone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa. Kushner traveled to the Middle East last week to participate in the talks, saying he's seeing "optimism" in the region. "I think the results that we've achieved has been beyond anyone's expectations. And I believe that there's even more to come," he said. The announcement comes a month after Trump said Israel and the United Arab Emirates had agreed to a full normalization of relations. The White House is expected to host leaders from the two countries for a signing ceremony to seal the deal. Bahrain's foreign minister will be present for the event. Trump said he hoped the two deals will encourage the normalization of ties between Israel and other Arab nations. 'I can tell you there's tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of other countries to also join. And we think ultimately we will have most countries join and you're gonna have the Palestinians in a very good position. They want to come in," he said. (UPI) FICTION The Burning Island Jock Serong Text, $32.99 Jock Serong's fifth novel is a sequel-of-sorts to his previous offering, Preservation. There, Serong reimagined the wrecking of the Sydney Cove in 1797; here, the narrative is based on another real-life shipwreck: the Britomart, which foundered in 1839 off Preservation Island in lutruwita (Tasmania). Jock Serong interrogates the history of colonisation in The Burning Island. Credit:Christine Ansorge Our heroine is Eliza Grayling, the daughter of Preservation's protagonist Joshua Grayling. Thirty-two years old and unmarried, she accompanies her father to locate the wreck of the Britomart (here the Howrah). Suspecting the vessel has been destroyed by Preservation's villain, the nefarious Figge, they set off to discover the truth. Joining them on their voyage is the shipmaster, Argyle, a crew of two young convict brothers and Dr Gideon, an amateur naturalist. Their journey leads them to the fringes of the growing New South Wales colony a world in which sealers operated across the Furneaux Group, concealing the tyereelore women they kept as wives (and who were abducted, or consensually given over for marriage by clansmen, in north-eastern lutruwita) from the agents of George Augustus Robinson, the emissary of Governor George Arthur responsible for rounding up hundreds of Aboriginal men, women, and children into internment camps. This year's forum, with the theme "Vietnam 2045 is scheduled to be held in Ho Chi Minh City from November 26 to 28 in the form of a conference or online conference, depending on the situation regarding the COVID-19 epidemic in Vietnam and around the world. The forum will focus on proposing initiatives and solutions to contribute to bringing the country towards its economic, cultural and social development goals on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the country. At the forum, delegates will contribute ideas and solutions around four main topics: promoting socio-economic development, improving people's lives, solutions for economic development, increasing per capita income; building Vietnamese culture and people; applying science - technology in service of national development; the role of young people and intellectuals in national development until 2045. According to the organising committee, the forum will feature the participation of about 300 delegates with a Master's degree or higher, under 35 years old and of Vietnamese nationality. Ofwhich, there will be 100 young Vietnamese intellectuals studying and working abroad with research topics or feasible research directions; 200 young intellectuals living in the country,who are undertaking scientific research or are holding positions related to the content of the forum. Delegates can register to participate in the forum at: http://trithuctrevietnam.vn/ from now until September 30. She has returned to New York City as the modelling industry resumes amid the pandemic. And Emily Ratajkowski put her bold eye for style on display on Friday. The 29-year-old worked a neon green hoodie and long black leather jacket as she legged her way down the street. Fashionista! Emily Ratajkowski put her ability to pull off any outfit on display as she donned a unique ensemble on Friday in NYC The Inamorata founder wore tight black shorts and low-cut brown UGG boots showing off her long legs. She teamed the look with a bright neon yellow jacket and a black long-line blazer. The model covered her eyes in black boxy RayBan shades, leaving her brunette hair down in a sleek style, parted in the middle. For some delicate touches, she wore large gold hoop earrings while checking her phone. Warm or cool: The Inamorata founder wore tight black shorts and low-cut brown UGG boots showing off her long legs Extra touches: She teamed the look with a bright neon yellow jacket and a black long-line blazer. The model covered her eyes in black boxy RayBan shades, leaving her brunette hair down in a sleek style, parted in the middle Emily took her dog Colombo for a walk along the sidewalk before heading out solo. She has been keeping busy during her summer vacation, promoting her clothing line Inamorata on Instagram. The Gone Girl actress was also recently among 100 different cover stars for the September issue of Vogue Italia, which was themed: '100 Covers, 100 People, 100 Stories.' Along with husband Sebastian Bear-McClard, Emily spent the majority of their quarantine with her parents in Los Angeles. Exercise: Emily took her dog Colombo for a walk along the sidewalk before heading out solo Return home: Along with husband Sebastian Bear-McClard, and Colombo Emily spent the majority of their quarantine with her parents in Los Angeles They caught a flight out of JFK in April, shortly after the CDC issued an advisory, asking 'residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately.' However in late June as COVID-19 cases spiked dramatically in California, Emily and Sebastian crossed back to New York. In a piece published at the start of May she dished to British GQ that 'its been interesting being in quarantine and married.' Advisory: They caught a flight out of JFK in April, shortly after the CDC issued an advisory, asking 'residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately' Quarantine buddies: It comes after she and Bear-McClard spent the majority of their quarantine at her parent's Los Angeles home, ignoring a CDC travel advisory 'I feel like a lot of people will end up divorced. But my husband and I are in a good partnership,' said Emily, whose spouse was a producer on Uncut Gems. 'And I think that Ive learned a lot about myself being married, for sure,' the Inamorata founder added. After returning to New York earlier this summer, she and Sebastian headed to the Hamptons and spent time at the beach before returning to the city. Tarrant Mayor-elect Wayman Newton vows that his city will no longer welcome industry that doesnt put health concerns of citizens at the forefront. Its time to diversify our economy, Newton said in an interview with AL.com. Newton, 40, will be the first Black mayor of Tarrant when he is sworn in on Nov. 2. Thats something a lot of people focused on, he said. I dont focus on it. When I went door-to-door in the neighborhoods talking to people, no one was concerned about that. They want to bring business back to Tarrant, revitalize downtown, make it warm and inviting. They were voting for me for those reasons. Tarrant is an industrial city whose residents have had to bear the brunt of the toxic effects of pollution. Thats got to stop, Newton said. I welcome any business that doesnt endanger the health and safety of the citizens of our city, he said. Sherman Industries last month purchased about 8.5 acres of land in Tarrant adjacent to the ABC Coke facility on Pinson Valley Parkway that could be used for a new concrete plant. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin had vowed that the concrete plant would not be located in Birmingham after residents protested a proposal to put it in Five Points West. If Birmingham refuses it and we welcome it, what does that make us look like? Newton said. Newton said Tarrant should have considered a land swap to put Sherman Industries in a better location. The potential for dust and nuisance at that location is undesirable, he said. Thats the main thoroughfare for the city, Newton said of the location next to ABC Coke. There is a retirement home nearby and an elementary school less than a mile away. Residents appeared at the most recent city council meeting this week to ask for an explanation. Outgoing Mayor Loxcil Tuck and the council shut the meeting down, cutting off questions. Thats not going to happen in my administration, Newton said. Newton was at the meeting and said the city owes residents an explanation. You have to be accountable, he said. You have to have transparency. Im going to answer questions, and if I have to make a decision they disagree with, I will tell them why. Many residents of Tarrant have a bad taste in their mouths from efforts to stop toxic cleanups. The Environmental Protection Agency in 2014 proposed adding the area around 35th Avenue North to its priorities list, which would give the EPA broad authority to investigate and clean industrial pollution and require nearby companies to pay for cleanup. The EPA had found high concentrations of lead, arsenic, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or other chemicals. The Birmingham air quality group Gasp asked the EPA to assess the area around ABC Coke in Tarrant, about a mile northeast of the 35th Avenue site. The EPA found reason to believe the areas should be examined further and conducted a site inspection. Those efforts to add the areas to the EPAs priorities list triggered pushback from business interests. Former Alabama Rep. Oliver Robinson entered into a plea agreement to federal bribery, conspiracy, fraud, and tax evasion charges that he received bribes through his foundation from a coal company and law firm to advocate against EPA efforts to expand the number of polluted areas slated for cleanup in and around north Birmingham and Tarrant. Balch & Bingham represented the Drummond Company and its property ABC Coke in opposing adding land in Tarrant and the Inglenook neighborhood of Birmingham to the Superfunds National Priorities List. In addition to Robinsons conviction, Balch partner Joel Gilbert and Drummond VP David Roberson were convicted on six criminal charges: conspiracy, bribery, three counts of honest services wire fraud, and money laundering. Newton grew up in nearby Collegeville. He remembers his mother taking him as a child to shop for Easter clothes at a store on Pinson Street in Tarrant. Then, there were plenty of retail stores that balanced the towns industrial base. Most of those have closed, he said. Its disheartening to see, Newton said. Its been stagnant. Newton graduated from the Alabama School of Fine Arts, then earned a political science degree at the University of Pennsylvania and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. He returned to Birmingham to practice law, specializing in real estate. He is who he says he is, honest and transparent, said the Rev. Gwen Webb, a civil rights activist who helped on Newtons campaign. He seems like a nice guy, said Tuck, 87, who was elected as Tarrants first woman mayor in 2004. I did call and congratulate him and told him I would help with the transition. Tarrant is now 55 percent Black and Tarrant City School is 95 percent Black, she said. Probably a Black mayor is the best thing that could happen, Tuck said. Tuck didnt run for mayor again because shes been hospitalized three times for a bleeding ulcer, she said. Its a lot of work, she said. I was just tired. She did run for a council seat, but lost. Shes proud of the new Tarrant City Hall under construction, on the other side of U.S. 79 from the current one. I hope I get one council meeting in the new city hall, she said, but admitted its not likely to be finished by Nov. 2. Newton said Tarrant needs new leadership. There was a disconnect between the city and the businesses and the residents, he said. On a walk through downtown on Friday to look at the new Tarrant City Hall under construction, Newton recalled what the city looked like when he was a child and talked about his hopes to bring back some vitality. Theres room for growth in building up downtown and improving the neighborhoods, he said. Election registrars in the area have attributed the uptick in absentee voting to both COVID-19 as well as a new Virginia law allowing residents to vote absentee in-person or mail ahead of an election without a state-approved reason. A registrar since 1996, Showalter has never seen absentee requests to this level, calling it an off-the-charts increase. I have never seen anything like this in any election, she said. A month ago, 11,000 absentee ballots had been requested; at the same time in the 2016 presidential election, only 500 absentee ballots had been requested. As states grapple with mail-in voting for the first time, some voters have expressed concerns over their ballots actually being counted. Showalter has no concerns in fact, she is in favor of all voters receiving mail-in ballots. While a large population will vote absentee, Richmond and all other localities still need to be prepared for Nov. 3 itself. A month ago, Showalter said she was really worried about the number of poll workers the city would have by Election Day. But in the past few weeks, applications have been rolling in. With the November elections approaching, United States President Donald Trump's campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC) have successfully made contact with their 100 millionth voter while door-knocking and phone banking. Door-to-door campaigning The RNC stated it went door-to-door to the homes of 12 million potential voters in battleground states starting in mid-June. The numbers suggest that Trump's campaign managed to visit at least one million homes every week while his rival, Biden, has knocked on zero doors. According to the New York Post, the vastly different strategies of the two teams could make the difference between who takes the win ballots in several states, including Michigan and Pennsylvania where the election results were close in 2016. The chief of staff of the RNC, Richard Walters, told reporters that Trump's campaign took a surprising basis for its strategy; former United States President Barack Obama. He added that his team was not hiding their strategy and that they copied Obama's tactics. Citing Obama's ground game strategy, Walters said despite being made fun of by most people in 2012, the first black president of the United States was able to win a second term successfully. The official also expressed his surprise that Biden, who used the strategy to win the 2008 and 2012 races, did not use it this time. Trump's campaign has deployed 2,000 staff across 22 target states and has successfully trained two million volunteers. The RNC hopes to overthrow Obama's record of 2.2 million before the general elections begin. Also Read: Biden, Trump Shares Similar Perspectives in Dealing With China on International Stage Walters said that their staffers were urged to read the book titled "Groundbreakers: How Obama's 2.2 Million Volunteers Transformed Campaigning in America," which details the strategy used by the former black president during the 2008 and 2012 elections. This week, volunteers made contact with their 100 millionth voter in North Carolina, which is three times the size of their efforts from 2016. Making America great again President Trump promised to revive the United States after the effects of the coronavirus pandemic if he is re-elected. During his campaign event in Freeland, Michigan, the Republican leader marched with his supporters, the majority of whom did not wear face masks, as reported by Aljazeera. During the event, Trump said he planned to take back America's wealth and strengthen the country to its former glory. The Republican leader added he would make the US proud once again and muttered his slogan "make America great again." In his speech to residents of Michigan, Trump said Biden spent the last 50 years supporting every single disastrous globalist sell-out such as the NAFTA, China, and TPP. He claimed that the Democrat gave the jobs of Americans over to China. Trump reiterated that he pressured Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and several other international leaders to create new manufacturing plants in the state by saying he would impose tariffs. The Republican leader said that he went to meet with Abe and urged him to do something for the United States. However, several independent fact-checkers discovered that Trump's claims for auto job opportunities were fabricated. Related Article: Russian, Chinese, and Iranian Hackers Target Presidential Election Candidates, Microsoft Observes @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Farmers hold out at Mexican dam: Hundreds of farmers continued to hold a dam in northern Mexico as President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador tried to explain why water must be released to the United States under a 1944 treaty. Concern was building that troops could be sent in and there would be violence. When the farmers, worried about their crops, took control of La Boquilla dam in Chihuahua on Tuesday, they closed its valves. Mexico has fallen behind on the water it must send north from its dams and is facing an Oct. 24 deadline to make up the shortfall. French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Friday his government was not planning a new, nationwide lockdown to contain a resurgence in coronavirus cases, but would instead implement a raft of less radical measures. He said these would include fast-tracked testing for priority cases to reduce the time spent waiting for results, and targeted restrictions in areas of the country hit especially hard by the pandemic. "The virus is with us for several more months and we must manage to live with it without letting ourselves get drawn once again into a narrative of nationwide lockdown," Castex said in a televised address. French health authorities reported 9,843 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Thursday, beating the record for the number of new cases in a 24-hour period. France imposed a strict lockdown in March, at the height of the epidemic's first wave. That succeeded in preventing the hospital system from being overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases, but also dealt a severe blow to the economy. That lockdown was relaxed towards the start of May. Since then, the number of cases has gradually risen and the number of people sick enough with the virus to need hospital treatment has increased. Castex, speaking after a meeting of France's most senior officials to discuss the epidemic, said the rise in cases was particularly worrying in three areas -- the cities of Marseille and Bordeaux, and the French Caribbean territory of Guadeloupe. He said he had asked leaders of those regions to submit their proposals to him on Monday for local measures to contain the spread of the virus. Local officials throughout France would have enhanced powers to impose new restrictions if they deemed it necessary, including making some businesses reduce their opening hours, the prime minister said. Castex, who himself is in isolation after coming into contact with someone infected with Covid-19, said some French citizens had let down their guard against the disease. They needed to be more disciplined about social distancing, washing their hands and wearing masks, he said. "I solemnly appeal today to the sense of responsibility of each one of you," Castex said in his address. "The only way we will succeed in stopping this epidemic is if all of us are vigilant and stick together." Also read: COVID-19 pandemic: Opening up societies too quickly 'recipe for disaster': WHO D-G Also read: France reports 'exponential' rise in new COVID-19 cases as schools set to open Mr. Trump has long clashed with California. The states attorney general, Xavier Becerra, has filed multiple lawsuits against the Trump administration, on issues like immigration, health care and environment policy. For its part, the administration has never appeared to hold back in confronting the state, and the president last year publicly blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom of California for a succession of wildfires and power outages that battered the state. Democratic lawmakers from California suggested Mr. Trump was uninterested in helping a blue state. Theres a deep feeling that you get different treatment in this administration, in terms of speed and attention, based on how people have voted, Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles said in an interview on Saturday. He credited the Federal Emergency Management Agency with coordinating closely with local officials but described the administrations overall response as inconsistent. If someone calls my office for help, I dont ask for their political affiliation or how their neighborhood voted, Mr. Garcetti said. It would be refreshing to have a president who thought the same way when people are losing their homes and everything they ever had. He doesnt blame the Gulf Coast for hurricanes, but he blames California for not raking? White House officials said on Saturday that the president was actively engaged in addressing the crisis and had offered assistance to California and Oregon. Answering questions from reporters on Friday, Mr. Newsom said that during a 30-minute phone call a day earlier devoted to the wildfires, the president had reinforced his commitment to our effort. But on Saturday night, Mr. Trump dismissed the deadly blazes by blaming them on Californias leadership. It is about forest management, he said at a rally at the Minden-Tahoe airport in Nevada. A White House spokesman, Judd Deere, said the president was closely monitoring the affected areas like California and had pledged federal relief, in addition to approving a disaster declaration. The administration has also deployed more than 26,000 federal personnel and 230 helicopters to the region, Mr. Deere said. A spokeswoman for the Office of Management and Budget did not respond to a request for a total figure of how much federal funding the administration has provided those states. Just before the White House announced Mr. Trumps plans to visit to California, Mr. Deere also defended the presidents decision to stay away from the affected areas, noting that a trip to survey the damage would divert resources from fighting the wildfires. Taliban negotiator Abbas Stanikzai, fifth right, with his delegation attend the opening session of the peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, Sat., Sept. 12, 2020. (Hussein Sayed/AP Photo) Warring Afghans Meet to Find Peace After Decades of War Afghanistans warring sides started negotiations for the first time, bringing together the Taliban and delegates appointed by the Afghan government Saturday for historic meetings aimed at ending decades of war that has killed tens of thousands of combatants and civilians. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attended the opening ceremony in Qatar, where the meetings are taking place and where the Taliban maintain a political office. The United States is a proponent of a sovereign, unified, and representative Afghanistan that is at peace with itself and with its neighbors, but you will write the next chapter in Afghan history, Pompeo said at the opening ceremony. Afghans will choose their political system, Pompeo said and shared that the United States found that democracy which systems reflect the choices of the majority while protecting the human rights of everyone works best and brought the United States great peace and prosperity. However no one size fits all solution, [so] the United States doesnt seek to impose its system on others. Pompeo added. Pompeo urged the Afghan parties in the negotiations to make decisions that move away from the violence and the corruption and towards peace and development and prosperity. However, the decisions made by Afghans at the negotiations table will affect both the size and scope of United States future assistance. From left, U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Qatars Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamad Bin Abdel Rahman Al-Thani, and Mutlaq bin Majid al-Qahtani, the special envoy of the Qatari Foreign Minister for Terrorism and Mediation in the Settlement of Disputes, attend the opening session of the peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, Sat., Sept. 12, 2020. (Hussein Sayed/AP Photo) It is the first time in 40 years when Afghans representing the government, civic society, political groups, as well as four very distinguished women, will sit together with the authoritative representation of the Taliban to bring the four decade long war to an end and lay the groundwork for the future of the country Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan said on Friday at a press briefing. However, the negotiators on both sides, the government, and the Taliban will have to face challenging issues that might be difficult to resolve, Khalilzad said. The United States is prepared to assist if needed but this is Afghan-owned and Afghan-led with no mediator or facilitator, Khalilzad explained. There are however spoilers to the peace process, Khalilzad said, and there are people who prefer the U.S. to remain entangled in a conflict in Afghanistan. Those people are at war with the government and the Taliban, and one example of such a group is ISIS. Talibs are fighting ISIS, the Afghan government, and the international coalition forces, he said. If there is peace between the Taliban and the government, I think Afghanistan will be in a stronger position to deal with the smaller groups, Khalilzad said. And with the two at war, that provides an opportunity for a terrorist group such as Daesh [ISIS], he added. The hard negotiations will be held behind closed doors and the sides will be tackling tough issues such as a permanent cease-fire, the rights of women and minorities, and the disarming of tens of thousands of Taliban fighters and militias loyal to warlords, some of them aligned with the government. The Afghan sides are also expected to discuss constitutional changes and power-sharing during the talks in Qatars capital of Doha. Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah speaks during opening remarks for talks between the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents in Doha, Qatar Sept. 12, 2020. (Ibraheem al Omari/Reuters) Abdullah Abdullah, who heads Kabuls High Council for National Reconciliation, said in his remarks that the sides do not need to agree on every detail, but should announce a humanitarian cease-fire. Both sides will be peace heroes if negotiations bring about a lasting peace that protects Afghanistans independence and leads to a system based on Islamic principles that preserves the rights of all people, said Abdullaah. My delegation is in Doha representing a political system that is supported by millions of men and women from a diversity of cultural, social, and ethnic backgrounds in our homeland, he said. Taliban leader Mullah Baradar Akhund said that Afghanistan should have an Islamic system in which all tribes and ethnicities of the country find themselves without any discrimination and live their lives in love and brotherhood. Negotiations may have problems but should move forward with patience, he said. The intra-Afghan negotiations were laid out in a peace deal Washington signed with the Taliban on Feb. 29. which specified the conditions for the start of the intra-Afghan talks. One of the biggest challenges to get to this phase was the release of prisoners stipulated by the agreement (pdf), Khalilzad said. After months of delay, a dispute over the Talibans demand for the release of 5,000 prisoners was resolved this week. Abdullah noted that since that agreement was reached, 1,200 people have been killed and more than 15,000 wounded in attacks across the country. The United Nations has urged a reduction of violence and criticized civilian casualties on both sides. The talks started one day after the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States that triggered its military involvement in Afghanistan. Although the Taliban regime was quickly toppled, they regrouped and have since waged an insurgency that has sucked in Afghanistans neighbors and troops from dozens of countries, including NATO forces. 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. The war in Afghanistan began in 1979 with the Soviet invasion starting four decades of violence and evolved into a civil war that continued after Soviet withdrawal in 1989. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Karachi: At least four people, including two women and a minor, were killed and eight others injured after a fire erupted at a three-storey building in Pakistans Karachi city on Saturday, according to a media report. The incident happened in Karachis Hijrat Colony, Dawn newspaper reported. Rescue workers and police rushed to the scene soon after the incident was reported but faced difficulty in carrying out the rescue operation due to narrow streets. However, they managed to extinguish the flames after a two hour-long operation. According to a statement by Civil Lines police, four people were killed in the accident. Eight persons were also injured in the fire. The deceased and the injured were all shifted to Civil Hospital, the statement added. A police constable was taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) after his condition deteriorated during the rescue operation due to inhaling smoke. Deputy Commissioner South Irshad Ali Sodhar said initial investigations suggested the incident occurred due to a short circuit. Apparently, this looks like a short circuit." He added that the deceased had presumably died of suffocation after inhaling smoke from the fire. 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 Two Midland men are in custody and face federal charges for a scheme to steal oil in the Andrews County area and transport it to various disposal locations, including one in New Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and FBI Special Agent in Charge Luis Quesada, El Paso Field Office. Federal authorities reported Friday that they filed a criminal complaint In Midland this week, charging 36-year-old Juan Carlos Rodriguez and 30-year-old Jose Leonardo Rodriguez-Angeles. If convicted, the defendants face up to 10 years in federal prison each for theft of an interstate shipment and interstate transportation of stolen property; and, up to five years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge, according to the report. The complaint charges the defendants with one count of conspiracy, one count of theft of an interstate shipment and one count of transportation of stolen property, according to report. The complaint also alleges that on May 28, the defendants stole more than 500 barrels of oil from at least three production lease locations around Andrews and transported the stolen oil across state lines into New Mexico, where it was disposed of at a location near Eunice. The complaint further alleges that on Sept. 3, the defendants were responsible for stealing in excess of 100 additional barrels of oil from various production lease locations around Andrews and taking it to a disposal location in Odessa. During the early morning hours of Sept. 4, state authorities stopped the defendants following their return to Andrews County and arrested them while attempting to steal oil again from a previous (May 28th) victim company. The FBIs Permian Basin Oilfield Theft Task Force is investigating this case, according to the report. It is important to note that a criminal complaint is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Representative image Jammu and Kashmirs Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has announced a health scheme aimed at providing universal health insurance cover to all residents of the Union Territory. The scheme, on the lines of Centres Ayushman Bharat, is likely to cost Rs 123 crore per annum. The scheme will provide health insurance cover free of cost to all residents and shall include serving and retired employees and their families as well, Sinha said. "Today, we have approved an important public health benefit proposal which is probably the first of its kind in the entire country. The Jammu and Kashmir Health Scheme will provide universal health coverage to nearly 70 lakh residents of the Union Territory who are not covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme," Sinha told reporters. The Administrative Secretary in the Health Department Atal Dulloo said the scheme will have the same benefits as Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) with an annual health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family on floater basis, the Hindustan Times quoted Dulloo as saying. The beneficiaries will be able to avail cashless treatment at all hospitals empanelled under the central scheme across the country. While registration for the scheme will begin within a week, the scheme would be implemented only after a formal launch, Dulloo added. The lieutenant governor also invited suggestions from the public for naming the Scheme. "We would like the name to be suggested by the people. A committee will be formed which will select the best name," he added. Sinha also launched a pilot project for a public grievance redressal system called the Jammu and Kashmir Integrated Grievance Redress and Monitoring Mechanism (JKIGRAMS) in three districts -- Srinagar, Jammu and Reasi. (With inputs from PTI) New Delhi: India and the 10-nation ASEAN on Saturday carried out a comprehensive review of their strategic partnership in a range of areas, including maritime cooperation, and adopted a new five-year plan of action to further boost overall ties. The two sides also exchanged views on important regional and international developments and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, at an ASEAN-India virtual meeting, officials said. It was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai. Foreign ministers of all ASEAN member countries attend the meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs said. The 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region, and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners. The meeting took place at a time when China is expanding its military aggressiveness in the South China Sea and is locked in a bitter border row with India in eastern Ladakh. It is not immediately known whether these issues figured in the deliberations or not. A number of ASEAN member countries are engaged in territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea. The meeting reviewed the status of ASEAN-India strategic partnership in several areas including maritime cooperation, connectivity, education & capacity building and people-to-people contacts, the MEA said. It said the meeting also reviewed the progress in implementation of the ASEAN-India plan of action (2016-2020) and adopted a new plan of action for the next five years. The plan of action provides for deepening cooperation in an array of areas including trade, investment and people-to-people contact. The meeting also reviewed the preparations for the upcoming 17th ASEAN-India summit and also the progress in the implementation of key decisions of the leaders of ASEAN member states and India arrived at the 16th ASEAN-India Summit held in Bangkok in November 2019 and the previous summits, the MEA said. It said the ministers discussed ways to strengthen cooperation to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and exchanged views on important regional and international developments. The ties between India and ASEAN have been on an upswing. The ASEAN region along with India together comprises a combined population of 1.85 billion people, which is one-fourth of the global population, and their combined GDP has been estimated at over USD 3.8 trillion. Investment from ASEAN to Indian has been over USD 70 billion in the last 17 years accounting for more than 17 per cent of Indias total FDI. ASEAN member countries are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. Best friends, Efia Odo and DKB on Okay FM's Drive Time show hosted by Abeiku Aggrey Santana proved how much they so missed each other when they clashed on the show; apparently, this is sarcastically said as the two popular stars were in fact nowhere near being called friends on the show. It was all drama when Abeiku Santana put the two on the spot in a telephone interview to patch their differences. Things quickly escalated with Efia and DKB, instead of calling a truce, rather engaged in fierce arguments and even traded invectives with each other. In order not to find yourself confused, the story is that Efia Odo once passed a comment about celebrities, particularly entertainers in the country, saying they make measely earnings from their work but her comment didn't sink well with DKB who decided to immediately clap back. Efia Odo took to her Twitter handle to make her point. "Somebody working in McDonalds in America makes more money than most of us celebs in Ghana. Ghana fame brings no money! All this fame and Artists are struggling. The people in position all need to be fired and new age minded people need to be hired. We need a reset button!," she tweeted. And DKB joyously replied Efia Odo saying; "When you are continuously removing pants and showing nipples like a Pono auditions, which company will take you serious? Don't say us when it's just you, shut up and suffer your misery instead of disrespecting the creative arts field, some of us have made a living out of it and created jobs for others through it. How dare you jeopardise the hardworks of Yvonne Nelson, Okoro, Mcbrown etc because of your nonsense lifestyle. Wear a kaba & slit for once and see the number of brand endorsements that will chase you. Everyday pioto bonanza... MUTUMBANZA!" Well, if anybody thought these two people were joking with themselves or pulling a stunt, the person needs to have a rethink since nothing that transpired between Efia Odo and DKB on the drive time ''Ekwanso Dwoodwoo'' gave any hint of two people who could become lovebirds. In fact, it was apparent the two were no fan of themselves. Watch their feud below: Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Bhubaneswar, Sep 12 : Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reiterated his request to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to implement Ayushman Bharat Yojana and the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) in the state. In a letter issued to media on Saturday, Pradhan requested to extend whole-hearted support for the implementation of NDHM which will provide timely and efficient access to inclusive, affordable and safe healthcare to the people of Odisha. "NDHM will be able to offer maximum benefit to states when integrated with the Ayushman Bharat," said the Minister. Informing that the two schemes hold immense potential in improving the lives of people in Odisha, he said that the NDHM scheme will leverage technology to ensure the well-being of all citizens including the poor migrants. He said NDHM is a holistic and voluntary health programme which will involve all relevant stakeholders for the transformation of digital health infrastructure in India. It leverages the transformative power of e-governance by introducing the concept of Unique Healthcare ID (UHID) for every citizen in India. This portable, nationwide UHID will liberate citizens from the challenges of finding doctors in different locations, seeking appointment with them, payment of consultation fee, and making several visits for prescription sheets will empower them to take informed decisions for availing the best possible healthcare services, the Minister added. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Sir Philip Green's retail empire is taking advantage of furlough rules to reduce staff pay while still taking millions in government handouts, leaked documents reportedly show. Staff at Arcadia Group were told by an executive that they had to take 'every penny we can get' from the public purse, reports say. Arcadia made 300 staff at its head office redundant and paid then reduced rates for their notice period through a loophole in the government rules, it was said. Those made redundant will be paid at reduced rates - some as little as half - during their notice period due to a loophole in government rules, The Times reports. Sir Philip Green enjoys his billionaire lifestyle as he chills out at the seaside village of Beaulieu-sur-Mer on the French Riviera Staff at Arcadia Group were told by an executive that they had to take 'every penny we can get' from the public purse, reports say. Pictured: Sir Philip heading to his yacht on September 5 Sir Philip's sprawling new superyacht, called Lionheart, is pictured as it arrives in Valletta, Malta The company, which owns fashion brand Topshop, accepted millions of pounds to pay furloughed staff - and has indicated that it wishes to take another 3 million from 1,000-a-head retention grants in January. Internal minutes from meetings that took place amid the redundancy process are said to indicate that a representative of the company told employees that he did not 'dispute with you what you are saying about how this seems unfair and the ethics of this'. He reportedly said that the company was 'complying with minimum obligations provided by the law. It can't afford any more.' The retail tycoon is helped on to a smaller boat before heading to his yacht on the French Riviera last week Sir Philip is hauled back off the small vessel by friends in the sunshine on the French Riviera last week Arcadia Group now faces a legal challenge from the Unite trade union, who said: 'Arcadia has taken the taxpayer-funded furlough cash during the pandemic, but now is using it as a shoddy smokescreen to slash notice pay.' An employee involved in the process said: 'Even by the standards of Philip Green's Arcadia this has been shocking. The idea that they would get rid of us and not even honour our contracts in a time of financial crisis is just morally and ethically bankrupt.' Sir Philip and Lady Tina Green at a gallery on Cork Street, London Another said the decision makes it seem like 'they have no respect for anyone'. Shadow business and consumers minister Lucy Powell said the move was a 'disgraceful decision which suggests Arcadia is operating as a cowboy company', and said ministers should 'call this behaviour out and urgently intervene'. Liberal Democray Treasury spokesperson Christine Jardine said that the idea of companies using the furlough scheme to 'slash the cost of dismissing staff is not only against the spirit of the scheme but it is utterly reprehensible'. Following concerns that companies could exploit the furlough scheme to reduce the cost of getting rid of employees, the government changed the law in July to compel companies to pay full salaries to those on statutory notice period. The rule does not apply for companies with a longer contractual notice period - which is the situation for much of Arcadia's employees. Sir Philip Green's retail empire is taking advantage of furlough rules to reduce staff pay while still taking government handouts, leaked documents reportedly show (Sir Philip and Lady Tina with their daughter Chloe Green, 29, at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017) The company, which owns fashion brand Topshop, accepted millions of pounds to pay furloughed staff - and has indicated that it wishes to take another 3 million from 1,000-a-head retention grants in January, reports say The Times reports that, following questions about the process, Arcadia Group told staff or a partial U-turn, meaning those with a 12-week notice period who will not return to work will get full pay from November 1 until their notice period ends. It did not reverse the decision to reduce pay until that time, the paper reported. Staff had questioned in internal meetings why senior executives, who have been receiving full pay since July, would not take a 10 per cent pay cut in order to soften the blow for employees on notice. An Arcadia Group spokesperson said the company's actions in response to the coronavirus crisis were 'no different from most other retailers' in Britain, and restructuring their head office was essential to making sure they can still operate. The spokesperson added that they had worked hard to make sure there were as few job losses as possible - and they had been sticking to government guidelines and legislation. Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Douglas Dynamics, Inc. (NYSE:PLOW) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 days. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 17th of September will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 30th of September. Douglas Dynamics's next dividend payment will be US$0.28 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$1.12 to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Douglas Dynamics has a trailing yield of approximately 3.0% on its current stock price of $37.49. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Douglas Dynamics's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing. Check out our latest analysis for Douglas Dynamics Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Douglas Dynamics reported a loss after tax last year, which means it's paying a dividend despite being unprofitable. While this might be a one-off event, this is unlikely to be sustainable in the long term. With the recent loss, it's important to check if the business generated enough cash to pay its dividend. If cash earnings don't cover the dividend, the company would have to pay dividends out of cash in the bank, or by borrowing money, neither of which is long-term sustainable. Fortunately, it paid out only 42% of its free cash flow in the past year. Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends. Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. Douglas Dynamics was unprofitable last year and, unfortunately, the general trend suggests its earnings have been in decline over the last five years, making us wonder if the dividend is sustainable at all. Story continues Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Douglas Dynamics has delivered an average of 4.4% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. Get our latest analysis on Douglas Dynamics's balance sheet health here. The Bottom Line Has Douglas Dynamics got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? First, it's not great to see the company paying a dividend despite being loss-making over the last year. On the plus side, the dividend was covered by free cash flow." Overall it doesn't look like the most suitable dividend stock for a long-term buy and hold investor. With that being said, if you're still considering Douglas Dynamics as an investment, you'll find it beneficial to know what risks this stock is facing. Our analysis shows 2 warning signs for Douglas Dynamics that we strongly recommend you have a look at before investing in the company. We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Internet access is as essential now as having electricity and water. John Stile, chief technology officer for Council Bluffs Community School District, made the comment during a broadband access roundtable Friday morning led by U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, D-3rd District. Now couldnt be a more important time to talk about connectivity, the congresswoman told attendees. Axne, a member of the House Rural Broadband Task Force, said the groups broadband bill has been written into the infrastructure bill and that they are working toward the goal of making sure everyone has internet access. Rural Americas been left behind it really has, said Axne, who will face Republican David Young in the November election. Axne unseated Young two years ago. This is basic infrastructure, said Matthew Henkes, vice president of grants and initiatives for the Iowa West Foundation. This has to be essential infrastructure if were going to have development in our rural communities. The issue became urgent for many school districts in March, when the COVID-19 pandemic prompted Gov. Kim Reynolds to shut down schools across the state. When we had to close last spring, the first thing that entered my mind was, how will all of our students connect? said Vickie Murillo, superintendent of the Council Bluffs Community School District. At that time, about 80% of the districts families had internet access, either through a commercial provider or through BLink, Council Bluffs free public WiFi network, she said. We worked with our local cable provider, Cox, on Connect to Compete, Stile said. Cox provided internet service to some families in the district so students would have access to online instruction during the closure, he said. But participation in online classes was voluntary last spring. The district needed more families to be connected so it could focus on its regular curricula, require students to participate and grade their work. Through local partnerships and multiple funding sources, the Council Bluffs Area WiFi Consortium whose governance council included representatives from the City of Council Bluffs, Google, the school district and the Iowa West Foundation was able to expand the BLink network. BLink was extended from Council Bluffs to Carter Lake in July at a cost of about $200,000, and Carter Lake representatives were added to the consortium. Funding came from a grant from the Iowa West Foundation and funding from Google. Efforts are underway to extend the network to the areas surrounding Rue and Longfellow Elementary Schools. Those additions are expected to be ready in October and December, respectively. Expanding BLinks coverage area to the Rue and Longfellow areas will provide internet access to almost 1,500 more students, officials have said. With funding from the Southwest Iowa COVID-19 Response Fund an initiative of the Iowa West Foundation and the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation along with contributions from the Peter Kiewit Foundation and $200,000 from the City of Council Bluffs, the school district was able to leverage CARES Act funding and extend the network to the Rue and Longfellow neighborhoods several years ahead of schedule. It couldnt happen without our partners, and it couldnt happen without trusting our partners, Stile said. The Iowa West Foundation was able to bring other funders to the table that helped make the early expansion possible, Henkes said. Axne told Google representatives Dan Harbeke and Mike Wolf she appreciates Google being involved in the community. I think the large tech companies should be involved with this on the local level, she said. We need your help, and Im glad youre doing that. This fall, the district is following a hybrid model that includes virtual and in-person instruction, with about half of the students in each mode on any given school day. In addition, some families from both inside and outside the district signed up to receive virtual instruction every school day through the districts Virtual Academy. On the first day of school, BLink usage shot straight up, Stile said. I really feel sorry for other school districts who dont have this. Axne asked what BLink had the capacity to do. BLink has the capacity to serve more users, said Mark Howard, chief information officer for the City of Council Bluffs. It was originally designed to have higher bandwidth, he said. We can increase that at any time. We try to watch the number of people connected to it. The good thing about streaming technology is, its gotten a lot more efficient over the years. One thing Google gave us, with Google Meet, (users) are able to use different settings, if they have a poor connection. It may not be as good resolution, but they can stay connected, Stile said. The BLink project was conceived during a meeting in September 2014 that happened to include officials from the city, school district, Iowa West Foundation and Google, Howard said. Google had already introduced public WiFi in certain areas of the city. They had been investing money to put WiFi in our parks, he said. They started that in 2009. Although there were skeptics at first, we really worked with each other well, Wolf said. Once the BLink project got underway, the consortium tried to add one phase each year, Howard said. This year, it will be three phases. Dave Fringer, executive director of technology and media at Green Hills Area Education Agency, told Axne rules for E-Rate funds need to be changed so grants can be used to purchase hardware that can be used in the community. Currently, they can only be used to buy equipment for use on school property. The rules are very specific, but they were written before any of this was even possible, he said. State Rep. Charlie McConkey, D-Council Bluffs said the federal government needs to provide more funding for childcare so parents can further their educations and get better jobs (and so childcare will be available while theyre at work). McConkey will face Republican challenger Sarah Abdouch in November. My goodness this has been inspirational, Axne said as she closed the meeting. 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. Top government infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Friday he disagreed with President Donald Trump's 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 United States 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 United States was 'rounding the corner' on the crisis. Dr Fauci says U.S. won't get back to normal until late 2021 when a successful vaccine for COVID-19 could be widely distributed Fauci told NBC News' Andrea Mitchel that he is confident there will be a vaccine available by the end of this year or early 2021 'I have to disagree with that, because, if you look at the thing that you just mentioned, the statistics ... they are disturbing,' Fauci said on MSNBC. 'We're plateauing at around 40,000 cases a day. And the deaths are around a thousand. Fauci said he hoped the country did not see a spike in cases after the Labor Day weekend as it did after other long holiday weekends since May. It was important to get those infection rates down before the autumn and winter seasons when people will be spending more time indoors. 'You don't want to start off already with a baseline that's so high,' Fauci said. Asked about the outdoor campaign rallies Trump has resumed before his November 3rd matchup against Democrat Joe Biden, Fauci said they are 'absolutely' risky. The total number of fatalities is fast approaching 200,000 across the country 'Just because you're outdoors does not mean that you're protected, particularly if you're in a crowd and you're not wearing masks,' he said. When asked about the ongoing risks of indoor vs. outdoor events, Fauci said, 'if we want to get back to the normal existence of being able to enjoy being in a restaurant, the best way to do that is to get the community level of infection at the lowest level possible.' Fauci was also asked about when it might be completely safe to go to movie theaters or other indoor venues after a vaccine had been made available. Trump was in Michigan for a rally on Thursday despite pushback from officials worried they are growing in size and flouting public health guidelines intended to halt COVID-19 spread Trump claps as he arrives arrives for a campaign rally at MBS International Airport in Freeland, Michigan on Thursday 'By the time you mobilize the distribution of the vaccinations and you get the majority or more of the population vaccinated and protected, that's likely not going to happen until the mid or end of 2021. If you're talking about getting back to a degree of normality which resembles where we were prior to covid, it's going to be well into 2021, maybe even towards the end of 2021,' Fauci said. Fauci, who has contradicted Trump's statements about the virus, denies the administration is pressuring him to keep quiet. 'Anybody that tries to tell me what to say publicly, if they know anything about me, realizes that's a fool's errand,' Fauci said. 'No one is ever going to pressure me or muzzle me to say anything publicly.' The school year for children living in Tibetan areas of China has started under harsh new restrictions, with children in one Qinghai county ordered by authorities out of their homes and into Chinese boarding schools, and the language of classroom instruction in another county switched from Tibetan to Chinese, Tibetan sources say. In several towns in Qinghais Rebgong (in Chinese, Tongren) county, local primary schools have been closed by government order, and Tibetan children are being forced against their parents wishes into boarding schools in areas far away, a local source told RFAs Tibetan Service this week. The Tibetan parents have appealed to Chinese authorities not to separate their children from them by sending them off to other regions for schooling, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. And when the authorities did not heed their request, some of them staged a protest. The parents protest quickly triggered a crackdown by police, with police vehicles and blaring sirens responding quickly to the protest scene, and one male protester was taken into custody, the source said. Several children at the protest were so frightened by all the commotion that they fainted, the source said, adding that the childrens parents were finally forced to send their children away to the Chinese government-designated boarding schools. The single protester taken into custody was later released, he said. Classes taught only in Chinese In Qinghais Themchen (in Chinese, Tianjun) county, two middle schools in the Bongtak area were meanwhile merged, forcing Tibetan schoolchildren into classes taught only in Chinese and following a similar merger of nearby primary schools, another local source told RFA. Previously, Tibetan parents had a choice of sending their children to a Tibetan-language or a Mandarin-language school, and the Tibetans would send their children to the Tibetan schools, RFAs source said, also speaking on condition his name not be used. But now most of these schools have been merged, creating ethnically mixed classes, which is a huge concern for us, the source said. "The Tibetan language itself is now the only subject taught in Tibetan, leaving Mandarin as the medium of instruction for all the other subjects taught in school," the source said, adding that the move appears aimed at implementing Chinas new policy of eroding language rights to destroy minority cultures. The enactment of similar policies in Chinas Inner Mongolia region have led in recent weeks to widespread protests and boycotts of the schools, with hundreds of ethnic Mongolians arrested or forced to resign from public office after they resisted the changes to the curriculum, which were kept under wraps until the start of the new semester at the end of August. Chinas Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law says that agencies in ethnic autonomous areas have the right to make decisions about education, including the language used in classroom instruction, said U.S.-based China analyst Ganze Kyab Lama. But many restrictive policies have now gained momentum under the leadership of Chinese president Xin Jinping as local officials look after their own political advantage and gain, Kyab said. Language rights have become a particular focus for Tibetan efforts to assert national identity in recent years, with informally organized language courses in the monasteries and towns typically deemed illegal associations and teachers subject to detention and arrest, sources say. Reported by Chakmo Tso and Dorjee Tso for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Richard Finney. A woman in her 30s was shot twice in the neck outside a shop by gunmen on a moped just 30 minutes after police tried to shut down a street party, residents claim. Police and paramedics rushed to Harrow Road, west London at around 11.50pm last night. Today, residents in the area said the woman was shot by two individuals on a moped who drove past a street party taking place after a funeral. A neighbour, who lives just feet from where the shooting took place heard three balloon-like pops before immediately calling the police. She said: 'It was about 11.52am and there were three very loud shots - three pops. Police have set up a crime scene on Harrow Road, London, after a woman in her 30s was shot at 11.50pm yesterday 'There are often parties and stuff in this area so I thought maybe fireworks because often the people set off fireworks but it sounded - there was a shooting here five or six years ago and I recognised the noise. 'I called it in and then pretty immediately, it was quite impressive actually, and ambulances and things. 'I could hear screaming - there was a woman screaming, and cars driving. I could just hear screaming, I think there were a few people there. It was quite scary. 'I was panicked but the police were here so fast, its not always the case but they were here really quickly so that was comforting. There were definitely a lot of people that were out that scattered after it happened. The woman was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital. Police await an update on her condition 'Its scary but in the middle of Central London you have to switch off. It was scary but there isn't much you can do but hope everyone is ok. 'It sounded like a balloon popping - that's the best way I can describe it. 'There have also been a lot of stabbings around here. A woman was assaulted just up the road near Queens Park a few months ago, it was very scary.' Multiple members of the public, who arrived at the scene or lived nearby, claimed two people on a moped fired three shots - hitting the woman in the neck. One man, who lives in a flat directly across the road from where the shooting took place, said: 'I heard there were two people on a moped, not a bike; a moped, and a woman was shot in the neck.' Officers remain guarding a cordon around the blood-stained pavement outside Kenrick's Bar and a greengrocer at the scene of Ashmore Road and Harrow Road. The junction is known by locals to be a trouble hotspot and is a regular hangout for street drinkers who have adopted the area as a regular venue for street parties. One woman, who says she has repeatedly complained to the council, claims police were at the scene just 30 minutes before the shooting took place. She said: 'We have been that it was just a matter of time before some-one got shot outside this specific pub. 'I have been begging them before someone dies. Thankfully someone didn't die this time. A crime scene was set up late last night on Harrow Road near the junction with Ashmore Road 'They are dealing drugs outside of the pub. I have seen people in knife fights, I have seen a woman bleeding. 'This corner is always a street party. It's a grocery shop in the day and a party at night. 'The police were here because there was a huge party and they didn't shut it down and then half-an-hour later someone was shot.' Police have not announced news of the woman's condition but residents in the area claim to have heard that she is 'alright'. So far no arrests have been made and officers are appealing for witnesses. Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below. J.S. writes: I received an email from UK Corporate Portal requesting details to register our business. I thought the email was connected to Companies House. However, after I supplied the details, I received an invoice demanding 797 for the first year of a three-year contract. It said I could not cancel, and now its legal counsel is threatening me with court action, apparently in Germany. Scam: You would stand a better chance of finding the UK Corporate Portal in Hamburg or Prague (pictured) UK Corporate Portal sounds official. In fact, it is a scam. It is not even based in the UK, despite its name. You would stand a better chance of finding it in Hamburg or Prague. Its authentic-looking paperwork tricks firms into signing up to what looks like a free entry in a trade directory. In fact, all customers get is a hugely expensive mention on a website that nobody is ever likely to see. And even this is useless. Your own small business is in the motor trade in North Wales, so I used the UK Corporate Portal website to search for your exact services. It offered no answers. It was only when I entered your postcode that your firm's name appeared. In other words, I had to know you were there before this expensive website would tell me you were there. I even tried the website to search for plumbers in London, Birmingham and Liverpool. You would think that any genuine trade directory would be overflowing with plumbers but it had none in any of these big cities. I have warned readers about UK Corporate Portal before. In 2013, it was telling businesses that EU rules meant they had to provide their VAT number so it could update its directory. Lots of companies returned a signed form with their VAT details, without noticing the small print in the terms and conditions promising to pay for three years of costly advertising on a Hamburg website. This scam relies on bullying and empty threats of legal action to force victims to pay up. But legally its case is riddled with holes. The form you originally returned says that only German law applies, yet you are being threatened with court action in the Czech Republic. The latest demand you received says the German company Tele Verzeichnis Verlag (TVV) was behind the website, but that it fell into insolvency last year, with a debt collector called CC-Factoring inheriting the right to claim any money it was owed. Yet UK Corporate Portal website's 2020 updates still show TVV as the owner. The demands and threats you received came from 'Colin Smith', described as 'senior legal counsel', and 'Michael Richardson', who is said to be a 'litigation executive'. I asked CC-Factoring to say what legal qualifications the pair hold assuming they exist in the first place but it offered no answers. Authorities in Prague say the debt collection firm is registered to Adrian Wittmer. He is known to me for similar scams, and he issues the debt collection claims from Prague because the Czech Republic has more relaxed rules than Germany and Switzerland, where he has been in trouble before. Wittmer also failed to reply to repeated invitations to comment. Do not give Wittmer or his companies a penny. They will not take any action against you in this country. The last thing they want is a court case that would expose them as the tricksters they are. Barclays breached my data! K.G. writes: I paid off some of my Barclays mortgage, and three days later I received a message from a former employer, telling me he had received a letter addressed to me at his home and had opened it by mistake. It was from Barclays, confirming the repayments and giving all my mortgage details. The next day he received a further letter about my mortgage. I complained to the bank, and it acknowledged my complaint by sending yet another letter to my old employer. Unanswered question: Barclays has been completely unable to explain why it linked K.G.'s name to a former employer's home address. You have never had any connection to your ex-employer's home address, and you have never given it to Barclays. But making this series of data leaks even more serious, you are in dispute with your former employer over redundancy pay, leaving you worried as to what other information the bank may have given him about your finances. I gave Barclays your signed authority to allow the bank to speak to me. Its initial response was to contact you, saying it needed your permission to discuss the matter with me permission it already held. This angered you even more, as the bank had failed to deal with your complaint for almost two months, but found time to ask you to confirm again that it would talk to me. Well, Barclays has now spoken. It has been completely unable to explain why it linked your name to your former employer's home address. A spokesperson said: 'We regret that personal data had been sent to the incorrect address for our customer.' And you have told me that Barclays has given you a written apology and credited 500 to your account by way of saying sorry. WE'RE WATCHING YOU Two fraudsters who operated a massive binary options scam have been ordered to hand back about 450,000 they made from their victims and to pay a fine of 270,000 on top. However, the legal action against them has been taken by the US Securities & Exchange Commission, so British victims will not benefit. No action has been taken in the UK. Anton Senderov and Lior Babazara were behind LBinary, which posed as an investment company to persuade victims to place bets on short-term changes in the prices of shares and currencies. Fine: Lior Babazara, left, and Anton Senderov were behind LBinary, which posed as an investment company I warned against LBinary as long ago as 2015 and revealed that, although it used a variety of addresses, its real location was in Israel, where it had more than a hundred employees and a worldwide call centre. Sales staff lied about their names, location and financial experience to persuade victims to invest. No action was taken at the time and LBinary was allowed to continue its rip-offs for two more years. Since then, prosecutors in the US have brought criminal charges against scores of Israelis and their American business associates for binary options frauds. In December last year, Lee Elbaz, a 38-year-old Israeli woman, was jailed for 22 years and was ordered to repay more than 20million to her victims. Watchdogs in Britain have not brought a single prosecution or claim, and the Financial Conduct Authority allowed one of the biggest binary options scams to appear on its public register of investment firms. If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned. Diyar Al Muharraq, one of the largest real estate development companies in Bahrain, said it has started handing over the first batch of villas within its Al Bareh Development, a prominent and luxurious project in the island city, to the owners on schedule. The keys were handed over during a recent ceremony in the presence of Diyar Al Muharraq Chairman Abdul Hakeem Al Khayat and other senior board members and representatives of Real Estate Regulatory Authority. Considered the largest project currently in Diyar Al Muharraq, Al Barehs prime location on the west side of the city boasts incredible views over the pristine seafront and main canal in the masterplan. The project also features wide and spacious internal road networks and unique characteristics allowing residents and visitors to enjoy stunning panoramic views. Al Bareh offer incredible plots and villas available for all nationalities on a freehold basis, offering four villa types, two seafront types, Dareen and Eshail near the sea with plot areas ranging from approximately 480 to 950 sq m. Diyar Al Muharraq is gearing up to gradually handover and deliver the remainder of the project in the coming weeks, said its top official. "We are delighted to begin the handover phase of Al Bareh villas which we have managed to complete according to the pre-set schedule. This occasion demonstrates our continued pursuit to honor our commitment to homeowners and our continued efforts to provide a unique residential experience for them and their families," remarked Al Khayat. "This major step comes in line with our vision to support social, economic and environmental sustainability within the Kingdoms Economic Vision 2030. At Diyar Al Muharraq, we are continuously seeking to contribute to enhancing awareness on sustainable development in the local real estate sector in line with international standards," he stated. "Through such endeavors, we look forward to fully implementing all projects within the masterplan and handing over more Al Bareh villas to their respective owners, and continue to witness more families moving into the project," he added. Diyar Al Muharraq CEO Engineer Ahmed Alammadi said: "We are very pleased to execute all stages of Al Bareh project and deliver the first batch of villas to the esteemed owners." "This step is a major milestone we are proud of fulfilling, which comes in line with our goals of completing projects within a set timeframe, without any delay given the current circumstances with the widespread of the pandemic, enabling homeowners to move into their houses in Diyar Al Muharraq," observed Alammadi. "We look forward to completing all of Al Bareh villas and delivering them to owners as soon as possible in the coming weeks," he added. Diyar Al Muharraq had appointed HAJ to manage development works for the Al Bareh project, and contracted CCT as the main contractor of the project and supervisor of the completion of the secondary infrastructure works in the first phase for the residential investment plots. The Bahraini developer had also signed a cooperation agreement with Dadabhai Construction to take over construction of Phase Two of the project, with responsibilities including paving and lighting of the roads, in addition to preparing the electrical, water, sewage, and telecommunication networks. Additionally, Chapo Construction was roped in to construct Al Bareh villas, while DG Jones was named financial consultant to the project, and Aecom the infrastructure consultant. Al Bareh is one of most prominent and luxurious projects within Diyar Al Muharraqs masterplan and includes many features to live up to the residents needs and expectations. It boosts a robust and integrated infrastructure and is located near Muharraqs highway making it easier for residents to reach the Capital Manama. Al Bareh is the most spacious of Diyar Al Muharraqs current projects combining many energy-saving features such as LED lights, IoT capabilities as well as smart electricity meters.-TradeArabia News Service A Sydney private school teacher who amassed thousands of child abuse photos and videos has been jailed for at least 14 months. Nick Warby, former Knox Grammar director of aquatic sports, pleaded guilty to possessing child abuse material and drugs. He was arrested in August 2019 after a colleague found images on Warby's phone which had been accidentally left behind at a swimming carnival. Nick Warby pleaded guilty to possessing child abuse material and drugs Warby was arrested in August 2019 Police searches of his car and home revealed more than 3,400 photos and videos, many involving the sexual abuse of prepubescent boys and, in some cases even babies under two, on five different devices. In the NSW District Court on Friday, Judge Gina O'Rourke jailed him for two years and four months with a non-parole period of 14 months. She ordered the 31-year-old to be released to parole on November 9, 2021. His sentence hearing was told he had been drinking alcohol throughout his work day and spending $1500 on the drug ice. His mother testified she hadn't realised he drank excessively and saw no signs of drug use, a situation the judge described as 'quite peculiar'. The judge was told that since his arrest he had been seeing a counsellor, attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, undergoing urine analysis for drugs, going to church, doing volunteer work and carrying out landscaping. Warby said he was introduced to the child exploitation material through a man named 'Jay' whom he met on the Grindr app. 'I lit up', he said of his reaction, saying it was similar to the first time he drank and the first time he used ice. Pedestrians need to watch where theyre going on Bathurst Street, or risk stumbling into holes in the sidewalk that could send them for a loop. Most people barely notice a hole or other tripping hazard in a sidewalk; they tend to be deft and sure-footed pedestrians who navigate around an obstacle while barely noticing it. Some think thats everybody. I once got an email from a Canadian wintering in Mexico, who said he found one of my columns about a tripping hazard to be a real hoot, since he deals with much worse down south with no problem. It underscored that able-bodied people tend to underestimate things that are much more dangerous to those who dont see or walk as well as most of us. Bernard Katz, who keeps me informed about problems in his neighbourhood (I love readers who do that), sent me a note about three dangerous holes and depressions in the sidewalk on the east side of Bathurst, from Melrose Avenue to just north of Deloraine Avenue. You will see that they are serious tripping hazards, Katz said in his email, which included photos. Especially for elderly folks, of whom there are many in this part of the city, and for anyone walking after sunset. They have been there for a very long time, despite significant sidewalk repairs having been made near them. In one case, the owner of the store (Aleph Bet Judaica 3453 Bathurst) told me he reported the problem to the city at least six months ago. By far the worst of the three was a deeply cut square hole around a water box valve in front of Aleph Bet Judaica. A woman came to the door of the store while I was taking photos and told me that theyve reported it to the city many times, dating back years, but it wasnt fixed. STATUS: I got an email from Magda, for media relations, that said City staff have investigated the location and will make the sidewalk safe and passable. Whats broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. Email jlakey@thestar.ca or follow @TOStarFixer on Twitter President Trump made a bit of history on Friday when he announced the Persian Gulf kingdom of Bahrain would establish full diplomatic relations with Israel. Bahrains move, a month after the United Arab Emirates normalized relations, brings the number of Arab countries that recognize Israel to four (Egypt did so in 1979, Jordan in 1994), and furthers a strategic realignment of the Middle East. But this latest Arab-Israeli entente is neither a bolt from the blue nor the result of months of delicate shuttle diplomacy by the Trump administration. Israel and the Arab leaders in the Persian Gulf had been quietly cultivating ties for years, united by their common antipathy toward Iran and worries about a vacuum in the region because of American retrenchment. The import of this is much more strategic than peace-related, said Martin S. Indyk, who served as American ambassador to Israel under Bill Clinton and Middle East peace envoy under Barack Obama. The White House harnessed these forces, recognizing an opportunity to make progress on one front after its failure on another: brokering a peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians. Electorates in the Sissala East Constituency said they will vote according to the attention government gives to their roads come December 7. The Tumu Kuoro, Kuoro Richard Babini Kanton VI, in a speech read on his behalf, said: "The state of our roads will inform the decision we make in the 2020 elections as the major trunk roads have never seen any improvement since independence". The Chief said this when Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia visited the area as part of his campaign tour of the Upper West Region. He said all that his people wanted was action and not assurances adding: "One major reason my people gave the NPP a resounding victory in the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections was because we had a hope of fixing our roads but we are disappointed. "It is also surprising that in the declaration of 2020 as the year of roads, the budget did not capture the Tumu-Wa-Tumu-Bolga trunk roads and our people are not happy. The Government has to do something about it urgently," he said. Kuoro Kanton, however, commended the Vice President and President Akufo-Addo for the numerous visits paid to the Sissala East Municipality and the Upper West Region, which was an indication of their love to the people. "Your numerous visits to the area is an indication of your love for my people and we appreciate it," he said. He noted that social interventions by the New Patriotic Party- led government, including the Planting for Food and Jobs and Free Senior High School, had helped every household in the area. He commended the Government, through the Municipal Assembly, for the creation and expansion of Tumu Town roads and the extension of electricity to some rural communities in the area. The chief reminded the people not to relax in the observation of the covid-19 protocols as government worked to contain the spread of the disease. "Your work to complete the many projects and the elevation of the St. Clares Vocational Institute is commendable. In the field of agriculture, the Planting for Food and Jobs, Planting for Export and rural development is visible for all to see," he said. The Tumu Kuoro said he made a request last year on the need for government to revive the Tumu cotton ginnery, provide a Municipal hospital, create another constituency, and provide a vocational and technical institute for the area but nothing had been done about it. He called for the upgrading of the Tumu Customs barrier, tarring of the Tumu-Leo road to facilitate business among Ghana and her northern neighbours, and provision of a dam among other things and expressed the hope that government would respond to the request. Vice President Bawumia, on his part, said: "Our presence here signifies our continuous love and care for the people of Sissala East". He urged the people to retain President Akufo-Addo in office to experience more of his good governance initiatives. The Vice President accused the previous government of mismanaging the economy, which made it difficult for the New Patriotic Party to pay attention to critical areas that needed support. "Even with that we were able to do new programmes including the Free Senior High school, NABCO, paying teacher trainee allowances due to how efficient we managed the economy", he said. The Vice President said the issue of the roads had always been clear to the Government and assured the people of its commitment to fixing their roads. 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 pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said Saturday that it had resumed its coronavirus vaccine trial in Britain after suspending it six days ago over potential safety issues but that its trials in the United States and other countries were still on hold. The news came the same day that a competitor, Pfizer, said it was expanding the trial of its coronavirus vaccine to 44,000 people a big increase from its previous goal of 30,000 in an effort to recruit a more diverse group of participants and potentially cut down the time needed to get results from the trial. Together, the developments raised new questions about when a vaccine might be available and showed just how unpredictable vaccine development can be, even as the world is desperately waiting for something that can bring an end to the pandemic. Both companies announcements lacked crucial details, prompting criticism that they were not being open enough about the data theyre collecting. AstraZeneca did not offer any information to support the decision to partially resume trials and would not give any details about the illness of a patient that had led to the suspension. Pfizer did not explain how it would determine the effectiveness of the vaccine in its expanded trials. Chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao replies to the debate on land reforms in the Telangana Assembly on Friday, September 11, 2020. (Twitter/TelanganaCMO) Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Friday defended the state government's decision to get a comprehensive land survey done with a view to ending all land disputes once and for all. Once the exercise is complete and each survey number is tagged with the geographical coordinates, all land issues would become clear. After the survey, land-use would be categorised as agriculture and non-agriculture. Colour-coded property cards would be issued: maroon for non-agriculture land and green for pattadar passbooks, which have already been issued to farmers. The names of their family members would be incorporated in two months. Green zones will be notified and maintained in towns and cities after the survey, he said. All forest land will be placed under auto-lock till completion of the survey. The chief minister's intervention came during the debate after the introduction of a slew of land reform legislation Telangana Rights in Land and Pattadar Passbooks Bill and the Telangana Abolition of the Posts of Village Revenue Officers Bill, Telangana Municipal Laws Amendment Bill and the Telangana Panchayat Raj Amendment Bill 2020. Clearing apprehensions over hiring a private agency to survey land, Chandrashekar Rao said it would be supervised by the government. The Dharani portal, the repository of all data, will be under the government and have safeguards. The chief minister said that through the Rythu Bandhu scheme, the government found that there were no disputes over 1,45,58,000 acres agricultural land owned by 57.9 lakh farmers. Data from Rythu Bandhu scheme could be straightaway uploaded on the Dharani portal. Another 89.47 lakh properties in local bodies had been digitised. This data would go on to the portal. Data on the remaining land would be uploaded after completion of the survey. The chief minister said the data of farmers having recognition of forest rights would be on the portal. Regarding podu lands, he said the government was considering issuing rights to farmers for one time and then prohibiting podu cultivation. He asked the ministers for SC and ST welfare to hold meetings with Dalit MLAs of all parties and list recommendations for protection of rights of Dalit farmers having assigned lands. He rejected the request of CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka for continuation of the enjoyer column in the revenue records, saying it was incorporated to protect tenant farmers from jagirdars and zamindars. He said there were 87 revenue Acts in the state and the government had repealed only two. There is no scope for the jamabandi system now. The tribunals which will replace revenue courts will be headed by retired and in-service IAS officers. They will be abolished after resolving the 16,000-odd land disputes. After the reply of the chief minister, the House passed the Bills which were introduced by the chief minister, industries minister K.T. Rama Rao and panchayat raj minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao. The father of a young girl allegedly killed by her cousin on a farm has tattooed one of her final drawings on his arm, in a touching tribute to his daughter. The 10-year-old was staying with her uncle and aunt on a farm in Gunnedah, in north-west NSW, on July 8 when she was allegedly stabbed to death by her 14-year-old female cousin. So horrific was the alleged crime that a court banned details of it or the names of the victim or accused from being published in the media. In the aftermath of her death the girl's father labelled the crime as 'preventable'. He has since shared a touching tribute to his daughter, telling friends in a Facebook post how her drawing was an eerie metaphor for her life. The father of a 10-year-old girl (pictured) allegedly killed by her cousin on a farm at Gunnedah, in NSW, has tattooed one of her final drawings on his arm, in a touching tribute to his daughter The girl's father said the drawing of a cherry blossom tree was a metaphor for her life as they 'do not live for very long' but are a symbol of 'strong luck and good fortune' 'Cherry blossom tattoos are a metaphor for the transience of life because they do not live for very long,' the father wrote. 'Japanese cherry blossoms also mean strong luck and good fortune. 'They are considered to be omens of good things to come. The blossoms serve as emblems for affection and love.' Tributes to his daughter have flooded the grieving father's Facebook in the months since her death. Among them were photos of the talented young artist next to more of her drawings. 'So clever and beautiful fly high my angel,' the proud father wrote. While the details of the case and the gruesome manner in which the young girl died can not be published by the media, the incident has been the talk of the small town of Gunnedah. So serious was the alleged murder that the first police officer on the scene has taken leave after being severely disturbed by what confronted him at the property. 'So clever and beautiful fly high my angel,' the proud father (left) wrote next to one photo with his daughter (right) in the weeks since her death The 10-year-old girl was allegedly murdered by her cousin, 14, on a farm in Gunnedah, in NSW, on Wednesday, July 8. The incident rocked the local community, with the first police officer on the scene taking leave, so horrific was the scene that confronted him when he arrived So horrific was the alleged crime that a NSW court banned details from being published by the media, but the incident has been the talk of the small town of Gunnedah (pictured) The officer - a longtime member of the local Gunnedah force - was granted leave by NSW Police, who are ensuring he receives the necessary support. Police Association of NSW president Tony King said the impact of the job on officers' personal welfare is often forgotten about. 'Police officers regularly encounter situations and circumstances that are horrific,' Mr King told Daily Mail Australia. 'Every scene of a fatality, particularly those involving children, is extremely difficult. 'Our officers are human and aren't immune to the impacts of handling difficult cases that no one else in any other other job would ordinarily have to confront, let alone on repeated occasions. It's a hard job.' It was just before 6.30am on Wednesday, July 8, when the older girl's mother walked into their room to check on them before going out to begin work on the farm. When she returned just half-an-hour later she found her niece horrifically killed and her own daughter vanished. The young girl was staying with her uncle and aunt for the school holidays when she was killed (Pictured are officers at the scene in the days after the tragedy) Gunnedah, known best for being the hometown of supermodel Miranda Kerr, is about an hour west of Tamworth and 450km from Sydney Dazed and confused, the alleged teenage killer had walked three kilometres across a wheat field with the sharp weapon allegedly still in her hand. The young victim had gone to stay with relatives on the farm for the school holidays. The tragedy has divided the two families, with the victim's father launching a furious rant against his sister-in-law and her husband on Facebook. After the victim's mother posted on Facebook stating she did not blame her sister or brother-in-law for the tragedy, her husband launched into a furious rant in response. 'You are deadset unf***ing believable,' the man wrote. The victim's father initially hit out at the alleged killer's parents, calling her death 'preventable' Forensic police collect evidence from in and around the farmhouse where the alleged murder occurred In a separate post the victim's father described his daughter's death as 'preventable'. 'All the news reports state good family from Gunnedah,' he wrote. 'This crime was completely preventable.' His emotional tirades followed a post from his wife on her sister's Facebook page. In it she urged locals in Gunnedah - which has been rocked by the death - to 'show some compassion' to her relatives, who she said she still has a 'deep, deep love' for. 'I love you a lot, our family will get through this together and work through this day by day together,' the victim's mother wrote. 'My sister and her family are going through immense circumstances and I speak for (my daughter) as her mum, and we feel only deep, deep love. The 10-year-old girl was visiting her cousins on the remote farm for a school holiday sleepover The teenager did not appear in Tamworth Children's Court (pictured) on Thursday and was refused bail until her next court date on September 16 'If everyone including the Gunnedah community can please show some compassion and kindness to my beautiful sister, her husband and family where the tragedy unfolded that would mean a lot.' The age of the alleged killer and victim mean they, nor any family members, can be named or identified by Daily Mail Australia. Just days before the incident, the alleged teenage killer had been suspended from her local high school for throwing scissors at a classmate. The alleged murder rattled the sleepy country town of around 10,000 people, known best for being the hometown of supermodels Miranda Kerr and Erica Packer. Police spent days combing the nearby wheat and cotton paddocks for clues as they try to answer the many questions remaining about the incident. A close neighbour a few paddocks down the road was shocked the little girl he remembered playing in the grass was accused of a heinous crime. 'I used to see her and her sister running around the paddock, playing, or with her parents at cattle market,' he said. The area is renowned for its wheat and cotton farming, which is among the biggest in Australia Police and state emergency service volunteers meticulously searched paddocks and fields for what is believed to be the alleged murder weapon 'She was always very polite and happy, I never had any qualms with her. How does this happen?' The deceased girl is from Orange, a town west of Sydney past the Blue Mountains, and also from a locally prominent family. Police have refused to give details of the girl's injuries except that that were substantial, and the court has suppressed such information anyway. A post mortem examination was carried out last week and should provide police with more clues about how the alleged murder unfolded. The teenager did not appear in court on Thursday and was refused bail until her next court date on September 16. Boris Johnson faces a mounting Tory revolt over radical plans to boost house building amid claims the 'disastrous' policy could spell doom for his party. He is being warned that pushing for more new homes in the Tory-supporting shires while insisting on less development in Labour-supporting cities will cost his party dear at the next Election. The protests from senior Tory backbenchers come as a leaked analysis of a proposed new national housing formula reveals Tory-run local authorities outside London overall should deliver more than 30,600 extra houses every year. In contrast, Labour-run town halls would be asked to deliver 1,500 fewer homes each year. Boris Johnson faces a mounting Tory revolt over radical plans to boost house building amid claims the 'disastrous' policy could spell doom for his party Last night, senior Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin signalled he would not vote for the plans warning that imposing more homes on England's green spaces amounted to a 'circle of doom for rural areas in the Home Counties'. He was joined by Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen, who said 'concreting over' rural areas was a 'timebomb' for the Tories which would go off in the approach to the next General Election. Former Minister Caroline Nokes also urged Ministers to rethink the proposals. But one Cabinet Minister told The Mail on Sunday that the Government would not back down, insisting the need to provide more homes was fundamental to Mr Johnson's vision. Last month, the Prime Minister unveiled a 'once-in-a-generation' planning reform to speed up the delivery of new homes across England by restricting the power of local councils to oppose new development. However, the plans were accompanied by a new formula of recalculating where housing developments would go that critics have branded a 'mutant algorithm' cousin of the methodology which led to this summer's exams results chaos. More than 30 Tory MPs have now joined a rebel WhatsApp group to co-ordinate opposition to the plans. The MoS can reveal that outside London, the draft formula would mean asking Tory-run councils to provide more homes every year compared to Labour authorities. Last night, senior Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin (pictured) signalled he would not vote for the plans warning that imposing more homes on England's green spaces amounted to a 'circle of doom for rural areas in the Home Counties' Essex MP Sir Bernard claimed that as the new algorithm was based on population growth, it would simply keep adding more houses to local authorities that were already building them. That would create 'a circle of doom for rural areas in the Home Counties', with more development in rural areas and potentially less on brownfield sites in urban areas, he said. Sir Bernard added: 'I am not inclined to vote for a relaxation of the planning laws to make things easier for the mega-housebuilders when the real problem is a failure of local authority and powers to ensure that the right houses are built in the right places.' He also warned that even if the Government pressed ahead with the current plans, 'it will generate such an adverse reaction that in the end it will be stopped in its tracks'. Mr Bridgen, MP for North-West Leicestershire, said: 'I cannot countenance a formula based on some mutant algorithm that seems set on concreting over our remaining green space and rural areas, but bizarrely spares inner-city and urban brownfield areas.' Romsey MP Caroline Nokes cast doubt on plans to reduce local councils' power over housing allocation, saying: 'The A-levels fiasco has rammed home the message that machine learning and algorithms are a poor substitute for practical experience. 'The algorithm deployed to generate housing numbers appears to be a triumph of mathematics over common sense.' Housing Ministry sources insisted last night that any new local allocation figures were currently only estimates as final decisions were yet to be made. But a Ministry spokesman said: 'The current formula for local housing need is inconsistent with our aim to deliver 300,000 homes by the mid-2020s, and so we are committed to reviewing it at this year's Budget.' Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 07:40:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on March 10, 2020 shows the visitors' entrance to the United Nations headquarters in New York. (Xinhua/Wang Jiangang) The resolution acknowledges the key leadership role of the World Health Organization and the fundamental role of the UN system in catalyzing and coordinating the comprehensive global response to COVID-19 and the central efforts of member states. UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The General Assembly on Friday adopted an "omnibus" resolution to encourage international cooperation in response to COVID-19. The resolution, which was adopted 169-2 with two abstentions, identifies international cooperation, multilateralism and solidarity as the only way for the world to effectively respond to global crises such as COVID-19. It acknowledges the key leadership role of the World Health Organization and the fundamental role of the UN system in catalyzing and coordinating the comprehensive global response to COVID-19 and the central efforts of member states. It supports the UN secretary-general's appeal for an immediate global cease-fire, notes with concern the impact of the pandemic on conflict-affected states and those at risk of conflict, and supports the continued work of UN peacekeeping operations. It calls on member states and all relevant actors to promote inclusion and unity in response to COVID-19 and to prevent, speak out and take strong action against racism, xenophobia, hate speech, violence and discrimination. President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Tijjani Muhammad-Bande (1st L) chairs a meeting of UNGA at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 3, 2020. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) It calls on states to ensure that all human rights are respected, protected and fulfilled while combating the pandemic and that their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic are in full compliance with their human rights obligations and commitments. The resolution calls on member states to put in place a whole-of-government and whole-of-society response with a view to strengthening their health system and social care and support systems, and preparedness and response capacities. It calls on states to ensure the right of women and girls to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, including sexual and reproductive health, and reproductive rights. It urges member states to enable all countries to have unhindered, timely access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable diagnosis, therapeutics, medicines and vaccines, and essential health technologies and their components, as well as equipment, for the COVID-19 response. It recognizes the role of extensive immunization against COVID-19 as a global public good once safe, effective, accessible and affordable vaccines are available. An elementary student wearing face mask has her temperature checked amid the COVID-19 outbreak in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Agung Kuncahya B.) It encourages member states to work in partnership with all relevant stakeholders to increase research and development funding for vaccines and medicines, leverage digital technologies, and strengthen scientific international cooperation necessary to combat COVID-19 and to bolster coordination toward rapid development, manufacturing and distribution of diagnostics, therapeutics, medicines and vaccines. It reaffirms the need to ensure the safe, timely and unhindered access of humanitarian and medical personnel responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. It strongly urges states to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the UN Charter that impede the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries. It calls on member states to ensure protection for those most affected, women, children, youth, persons with disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS, older persons, indigenous peoples, refugees and internally displaced persons and migrants, and the poor, vulnerable and marginalized segments of the population, and prevent all forms of discrimination. It calls on member states to counter the increase of sexual and gender-based violence, and harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriage. The resolution calls on member states and other relevant stakeholders to advance bold and concerted actions to address the immediate social and economic impacts of COVID-19, while striving to get back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Students wearing face masks attend a lecture at the Kabul University in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Aug. 12, 2020. (Photo by Rahmatullah Alizadah/Xinhua) It welcomes the steps taken by the Group of 20 and the Paris Club to provide a time-bound suspension of debt service payments for the poorest countries and by international financial institutions to provide liquidity and other support measures to ease the debt burden of developing countries, and encourages all relevant actors to address risks of debt vulnerabilities. It emphasizes that COVID-19 has disrupted the normal functioning of open markets, global supply chain connectivity and the flow of essential goods, and reaffirms that emergency measures must be targeted, proportionate, transparent and temporary, that they must not create unnecessary barriers to trade or disruption to global supply chains. It asks member states to prevent and combat illicit financial flows and strengthen international cooperation and good practices on assets return and recovery, and to implement effective measures to prevent and combat corruption. It calls on member states and international financial institutions to provide more liquidity in the financial system, especially in all developing countries, and supports the continued examination of the broader use of special drawing rights to enhance the resilience of the international monetary system. The resolution reaffirms its full commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as the blueprint for building back better after the pandemic. It urges member states to adopt a climate- and environment-sensitive approach to COVID-19 recovery efforts, and emphasizes that mitigation of and adaptation to climate change represent an immediate and urgent global priority. 'The nation exists from us and we exist from the nation', says PM Modi 'These schemes play an important role in changing the lives of rural women,' says Modi India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Sep 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in a programme - 'Grih Pravesh' organised under Pradhan Mantookri Awaas Yojana (Gramin) in Madhya Pradesh, through video conference. Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan also participated in the event. "This year, Diwali for all of you, the happiness of your festivals will be more joyful.I spoke with many who have got their pucca houses today and have got their dream home. Now 1.75 lakh families of Madhya Pradesh, who will have their own homes today. I also congratulate them and wish them all the best," PM Modi said. "This day also reinforces the belief of crores of citizens that there are government schemes made with the right intention do become a reality and reach their beneficiaries. I can feel the satisfaction and confidence among those who have found their home today," he added. ''Generally, it takes an average of 125 days to build a house under PMAY. In this period of Corona, houses have been built & constructed in just 45-60 days under PM Housing Scheme. This is a good example of turning disaster into opportunity,'' PM said. The Prime Minister said,''Under PM Garib Kalyan Abhiyan, work of worth Rs. 23,000 crores have been completed in many states of the country including Madhya Pradesh.'' ''Priority is also being given to locally available and used goods, from materials to construction. The designs of the house are also being prepared and accepted according to the local needs, he said. ''Be it toilets built under PMAY or Swachhbharat , these schemes are not only providing facilities to the poor, but are also a great medium of employment and empowerment. In particular, these schemes are playing an important role in changing the lives of our rural women,'' Modi further said. The chief minister also transferred online a cumulative amount of Rs 102 crore, which was the fourth and last installment of home finance, to 68,000 beneficiaries on Tuesday, officials said. NEP 2020: Students should be taught in mother tongue till class 5, says PM Modi In a programme held in Mantralaya, Chouhan said that 17 lakh homes out of a total of 20.30 lakh have been completed under the rural component of PMAY, and the target for 2019-20 was to build six lakh homes, of which 3.45 lakh have been completed. Those who could not get benefit of the scheme at this time will be covered under the ''Awas Plus'' scheme of PMAY, the CM added. During his interaction with some beneficiaries, the CM was told by one Sushila Vishwakarma of Betul that she and her husband had built their home in 49 days on their own. Dhar's Gulab Singh and Gwalior''s Namdeo, both beneficiaries, thanked the government for assistance under the scheme due to which they now have homes of their own. Additional Chief Secretary (Panchayat and Rural Development Department) Manoj Shrivastava said the PM would interact with three beneficiaries during the function on September 12. In Madhya Pradesh, 17 lakh poor households have benefited from this scheme till now. Under PMAY-G, each beneficiary is given 100 per cent grant of Rs 1.20 lakh with a sharing ratio of 60:40 between the Centre and the State concerned. The scheme envisages construction of 2.95 crore houses by the year 2022. The scheme has provisions for convergence with other schemes of Central Govt and States for providing LPG connection, electricity connection and safe drinking water. Madhya Pradesh Government, through its Samridh Paryavas Abhiyaan, has dovetailed 17 other schemes like social security, pension scheme, ration card, Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojana, National Rural Livelihood Mission etc to provide additional benefits to these people. File image Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on September 11 said that rank cannot determine the provision for nutrition in the armed forces and called for a reconsideration of the related rules. Participating in a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, which was convened to discuss the subject of "Provision and monitoring of the quality of ration and livery items to the defence forces, especially in border areas", he said providing less nutrition to the jawans is "unfair and discriminatory" and should be reconsidered. Gandhi pitched for the jawans, saying they should get more nutrition as they are standing at the borders and defending the country. Track this LIVE blog for all the latest updates on coronavirus pandemic The former Congress chief is learnt to have told the committee that the nutritional value for the jawans should be equal to that of the officers. There can be no differentiation in providing nutrition based on ranks, he told the panel, adding that ranks can be a determining factor for fixing the pay, but not nutritional value, sources said. Gandhi was told by officials that the officers in the armed forces get different food items than those served to the jawans. The Defence Ministry officials clarified that there is no difference in the quality and quantity of the items served, except that the officers are served different items than those served to the jawans. After the committee meeting, he tweeted, "The only 'talk' to have with China is about the restoration of 'Status Quo Ante' as of March 2020. PM and GOI refuse to take responsibility for pushing China out of our land. All other 'talk' is worthless." Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat appeared before the panel and some opposition members asked him about the prevailing situation at the border in Ladakh and demanded a proper presentation on the entire issue from the government. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence is chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Union minister Jual Oram. The members who attended the meeting included Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar. Bolivia will ease national measures combatting the spread of the coronavirus from next week while maintaining border closures, interim President Jeanine Anez said Friday. Anez and her cabinet signed a decree stating that the South American country, which will hold a general election in October, will begin a "post-confinement phase" on September 1. It said "the closure of land, river and lake borders" and "the suspension of public events, cultural, sports, festive and political activities, and all types of meetings that generate a crowd" will be maintained. People and vehicles will be allowed to circulate for longer periods, between 5:00 am and 8:00 pm -- an extension of two hours from current rules -- and a weekend prohibition on movement will be lifted on Saturdays. Anez told reporters Friday that the possibility of a resurgence of the virus remained as restrictions eased. "People need to go out to work," she said, adding that if people don't suffer "because of the coronavirus, it will be because of corona-hunger". Experts believe the virus could reach its peak in Bolivia between September and November, including the period in which the country will hold a twice-delayed general election, on October 18. Strict measures have been in place since March after the country registered its first coronavirus infections, though a more flexible regime has been in place since June. To date Bolivia has more than 113,000 infections with 4,800 deaths. I am a retired federal senior executive who worked for 20 years for the inspector general of the Department of Commerce. Oversight of the decennial census was one of our most important responsibilities. As an assistant inspector general, I had a front-row seat at the planning and conduct of the 2000 and 2010 decennial censuses. The decennial census is this countrys largest peacetime mobilization of people and resources, and the challenges to a successful census are daunting. I have the highest respect for the dedication and expertise of the many nonpartisan career civil servants at the Census Bureau who work overtime each decade planning and conducting the upcoming census. We in the IGs office felt particular reverence for our responsibility to oversee the census because we understood that it is a pillar of democracy enshrined in the Constitution. The census is the basis for apportionment, which determines how many congressional representatives each state gets. The census is also used by the states for redistricting, which is the drawing of congressional district boundaries, and for distributing hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds throughout the decade. As the editorial in the Aug. 6 Albuquerque Journal pointed out, undercounting just 1% of our population would cause New Mexico to lose $780 million of federal funding throughout the decade. An undercount means a loss of funding for health care, food assistance, public education, community development and many other critical needs. It also means that community and business planning would be hobbled because the actual number of persons living in a location will not be accurately known. A significant loss of federal funds would be a cruel blow to the people of New Mexico at any time. During this pandemic and in its aftermath, it would be nothing short of tragic. Against this backdrop, the actions taken by the Trump administration and Republicans to politicize the census and rig the outcome in their favor are abhorrent. First, in an effort to reduce the population counts in big cities and other Democratic areas, the administration attempted to add a citizenship question. The Supreme Court nixed this gambit in June of last year. Soon after came Trumps executive order setting the stage to exclude undocumented immigrants from census data used for redistricting, another maneuver designed to increase the power of Republicans. July brought Trumps memo excluding undocumented immigrants from the apportionment base, likely to be met with constitutional challenges. U.S. Sen. Tom Udall told the Journal that this action, was crafted to stoke more fear in immigrant communities and discourage families from participating in the census. And now the administration intends to end the count a month earlier than planned, curtailing the operation in which census takers knock on doors and collect data from households that did not respond to the census. This operation is crucial for obtaining data on the hardest-to-count populations including minorities, Native Americans, people in poverty, undocumented immigrants, non-English speakers, LBGTQ people and children. New Mexico is considered one of the hardest-to-count states in the country. The prior threat of the citizenship question, the move to exclude undocumented immigrants from redistricting data, the recent directive to exclude such immigrants from the apportionment base, and now curtailing the duration of the nonresponse follow-up operation are guaranteed to make New Mexicos historically large undercount even worse. The loss of federal funds will hurt all New Mexicans regardless of party affiliation. A politicized census will also damage, perhaps irreparably, the reputation of the Census Bureau, our nations premier statistical agency. The census is a mainstay of democracy, as our Founding Fathers intended. Trumps attempts to manipulate the data collection process and outcomes should be seen for the naked political interference and severe blow to democracy that they are. LONDON The spread of the coronavirus is accelerating across all parts of England with one study suggesting cases were doubling each week, fuelling concerns further public restrictions could be needed just days before a ban on gatherings comes into effect. On Friday, the government brought in new limits on households meeting up in Birmingham, Englands second biggest city, and some surrounding areas, where the number of COVID-19 infections has been increasing significantly. It is the latest area of England to introduce stricter lockdown measures, with the rising number of cases prompting Prime Minister Boris Johnson to announce earlier this week there would be new restrictions on social gatherings, saying there was a clear need to act. From next Monday, gatherings of more than six people will be banned in England, after the number of new coronavirus infections across the United Kingdom edged up to around 3,000 a day, from less than a third of that number a month ago. According to a government-backed surveillance project, the infection rate is rising across all age groups, apart from those over 65, and cases are no longer clustering in hospitals or care homes as they were a few months ago. The researchers at Imperial College calculated the reproduction R number of COVID-19 infections in England, which measures how many people an infected person will pass the disease to, is at 1.7, indicating the epidemic is growing. The governments official R estimate for the whole of the United Kingdom released on Friday is between 1 and 1.2. The United Kingdom reported 3,539 confirmed new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, up by one-fifth from Thursdays figure, and the highest level since mid-May. This is a massive blow to the governments strategy to contain the spread of COVID-19, said Simon Clarke, an expert in cellular microbiology at Britains University of Reading. Its 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, traveling overseas and socializing 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 jeopardize 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. Weve seen all across the world how a rise in cases, initially among younger people, leads to hospitalizations 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. The hustle and bustle of downtown Easton on Saturday was enough to make it seem like there wasnt a problem to be found. The Easton Farmers' Market was in full swing, street parking spots were few and far between and Larry Holmes Drive was lined with tents full of rabbits, smoothies, plants and vegan pizza. Well, maybe all those arent exactly typical. The 20 tents lining the northern half of Larry Holmes Drive made up VegFest, Eastons vegan festival that started in Tatamy in 2018 before moving down along the Delaware River last year. This year, the festival was greatly scaled back due to safety mandates caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but the festival pressed on, adapted and still managed to have a successful festival, socially distanced and all. Last years festival had 65 vendors and stretched way down the riverside on Pennsylvanias border, according to Laurie Nelson, the senior vice president of Easton Area Initiatives with the Easton Area Chamber of Commerce. This year, there are only 20. And the number of people who were checking out those vendors on Saturday pales in comparison to the year prior. Its all in the name of safety. And despite the difference inside, VegFests attendees were grateful it could happen at all. Two of said attendees were Jessica Van Norman and Samantha Walker, two Easton residents who are VegFest regulars, Walker said. We went to VegFest last year, Van Norman said, as many as we could. Bethlehem has a VegFest as well, though this years fest was primarily virtual. Nelson said festival attendees were giving them plenty of positive feedback about feeling comfortable and safe on the festivals abbreviated grounds. Plus, there were plenty of signs reminding attendees: Lettuce stay six beet apart! Ethan and Morgan Boucher stumbled across the festival after visiting the Easton Farmers' Market. They live near downtown, so their Saturday walk to the market turned into enjoying the festival, where they saw everyone playing their part in being safe. Everyone was respecting each others boundaries," Ethan said. The one notable challenge? Knowing where you can eat or drink something is kind of awkward, Morgan said. They decided the best method was to duck out of the thoroughfare of vendors and off into Riverside Park so that they could safely take their masks off to eat. VegFest was, for many attendees, one of the first public events theyve attended since COVID-19 began to shut down the state and many summer festivals and gatherings. And seemingly, people relished the chance to return to some aspect of normalcy while still feeling like they could be safely distanced and masked up. Brent and Suzanne Green wandered into the festival, glad to be outside. The masks make it a little awkward, but being outside makes it much more comfortable," Brian said. I think they set it up perfectly for this, honestly, Van Norman said. All of the vendors were geared toward vegan living and education in some manner. There were vegan treats and drinks from Eureka Plant-Based Foods, Amans Artisan Indian Cuisine, Triple Sun Spirits, Easton Wine Project, Lidl and more, animal welfare organizations like the Peaceable Kingdom Rabbit Program and the Center for Animal Health and Welfare, and other vegan and nutritional lifestyle companies. The Greens, like the Bouchers, wandered into the festival without knowing much about what it was, but Suzanne said they had actually been working towards going vegan. There were plenty of bites and drinks to choose from. Van Norman and Walker raved about the vegan kebob burger from Amans, and were also planning to grab a sandwich sample from Eureka. Nelson agreed with the kebob burger, and noted that Green Vida smoothies were also one of the more popular sights around the festival. The Bouchers enjoyed some of Lidls vegan pizza in the park, which was just one of the samples they really loved. The success of the festival is a little bittersweet, considering it couldve had a much greater scale if not for the coronavirus hopefully next year, were able to do it bigger and better, Nelson said. But the team behind it made it work, despite the circumstances, and there was something for everyone on Saturday even if that something was enjoying a beautiful day finally hanging out in downtown Easton. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to Lehighvalleylive.com. Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com. As a doctor, I find breaking bad news one of the most challenging parts of my job. Whether its telling someone they have terminal cancer, or that a loved one has dementia, it never gets any easier. But we are trained to do this sensitively and compassionately and face-to-face, so that person feels respected and supported. Imagine receiving such traumatic news over the telephone, or via Zoom or Skype, rather than in person. How would you feel? Just this week Health Secretary Matt Hancock made the frankly preposterous claim that some patients may prefer to receive bad news over Skype, because they will be at home with loved ones, and not sitting in front of their doctor. I simply do not buy this and I have a lot more experience of difficult conversations with patients than Mr Hancock. I know many people actually dont want someone else there. They want to digest the bad news alone first, compose themselves and think how they will tell their loved ones. It is only later that they value the opportunity to return with a partner, sibling, son or daughter to ask more detailed questions of their doctor. As a doctor, I find breaking bad news one of the most challenging parts of my job. Imagine receiving such traumatic news over the telephone, or via Zoom or Skype, rather than in person. How would you feel? (File image) If family members are present when the news is bad, the patient may feel under immense pressure to remain strong for them. The focus and attention can too easily be on everyone else and how they feel, rather than the person whom it most concerns. No one wants to recieve a terminal diagnosis over Skype, with the dog barking in the background, or a neighbour knocking on the door. There is something psychologically helpful in being in another environment somewhere that is clinical and detached from everyday life. Personally, I loathe using Zoom patchy reception, frozen, static images and people talking over one another. It strips human interaction down to its barest and bleakest. Of course, I understand why weve all had to embrace the new technology it was vital during lockdown for millions working from home, and allows social distancing to be observed in the workplace and GP surgeries etc. Its certainly been a lifeline for those communicating with loved ones who are shielding from the virus or separated by flight bans and restrictions on foreign travel. Just this week Health Secretary Matt Hancock (above) made the frankly preposterous claim that some patients may prefer to receive bad news over Skype, because they will be at home with loved ones, and not sitting in front of their doctor. I simply do not buy this and I have a lot more experience of difficult conversations with patients than Mr Hancock However, lets not kid ourselves that its an adequate substitute for physical contact. On Zoom, all the subtle and most vital parts of non-verbal communication are absent. Face-to-face interaction is key to good communication especially when it comes to the doctor-patient relationship. And then there is physical contact. Ive often comforted people by holding their hand even in these times of Covid. One woman, who has been my patient for nearly a decade, recently told me that her son had killed himself. She removed her mask and began to sob uncontrollably. I removed mine, too, so we could talk properly. I stood up to get her some tissues and suddenly she was in front of me holding out her arms. She just wanted to hug me, and she held me for a few minutes, saying nothing. What was I supposed to do? Push her away with a snippy reminder about social distancing? I know the guidelines for healthcare workers: we cant touch patients and have to wear masks all the time. On this occasion, though, I thought: Screw the rules. At the height of the pandemic, I saw a young nurse take off her gloves and hold the hand of a dying man in distress. Quite right, too. There are times when we all need a degree of physical intimacy to reassure us and show support a touch that says more than words ever could: Im here, Im with you. You are not alone. Covid risks turning doctors and other healthcare workers into box-ticking, emotionless avatars. For me, there was something rather disingenuous about the Health Secretarys claim that Skype is what patients want. I suspect he is trying to justify the increasing push for doctors to work remotely, with the majority of consultations taking place via the internet becoming a permanent fixture. This is actually a much bigger issue to do with a lack of flexibility when it comes patients needs and preferences, with coronavirus a convenient fig leaf for administrators and managers to achieve their own goals, be it savings in cost or time. It saddens me that so many of my colleagues are becoming so risk averse because of this wretched virus. We are in danger of forgetting the most powerful thing medicine has to offer care and compassion. Why cleaning up is good for you Litter pickers across the country rolled up their sleeves yesterday to help tackle the huge surge in litter since lockdown measures were eased in Keep Britain Tidys Great British September Clean which is backed by the Mail. This newspaper has long crusaded against the rubbish blighting our streets and beauty spots. Im a great believer in the idea that our external world effects our internal one. Cleaning and nurturing our environment helps nurture our minds, too. Litter pickers across the country (including Michael Gove) rolled up their sleeves yesterday to help tackle the huge surge in litter since lockdown measures were eased in Keep Britain Tidys Great British September Clean which is backed by the Mail Moreover, it brings a sense of agency that we can be an active, powerful force for good and change in the world when we choose to be. As regular readers will know, I decided some time ago that rather than allow myself to feel angry about Britains litter problem, Id do something about it. Since then Ive been going on my own litter picks armed with a litter picker that a friend bought me and have found it therapeutic. Yes, its frustrating that people discard rubbish so carelessly (particularly used face masks) on the streets and in parks and the countryside. But this litter pick turned selfish behaviour into something positive. So, lets all get litter picking now! Give our children order in this chaos Millions of children have returned to school after nearly six months of lockdown. While some enjoyed time away from the classroom, others struggled. Research by Public Health England shows that more than two-fifths of young people said they were lonelier than before lockdown. More than a third said they were more sad or stressed. The findings were published ahead of the launch of a new initiative as part of PHEs on-going Every Mind Matters campaign, which provides advice on childrens mental health. As a campaign ambassador, Im very concerned about the impact of lockdown on young people. Yes, children are tougher and more resilient than we give them credit for, but this is dependent on stability and routine in their lives exactly what was missing for many during lockdown. Given the fluid nature of this pandemic, it is possible some schools may be forced to close temporarily if there is a Covid-19 outbreak, causing more upheaval. Now more than ever, its important routines are in place to give a sense of order when the world feels chaotic and confusing. For more advice go to nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters Government policies to cut childhood obesity have had little impact and numbers of overweight children have risen, according to a National Audit Office report. I think part of the problem is that more than half of adults are overweight and we know overweight parents tend to have overweight children. None of this is helped by those who insist its down to genes, or who complain about fat shaming. Drastic action is needed because were allowing a generation to eat themselves to an early grave. Advertisement Our MPs are often accused of squandering taxpayers money but this time theyve surpassed themselves. It emerged last week that Parliament has hired Challenge Consultancy to design a course on unconscious bias for MPs to alert them to their implicit prejudices. The company has raked in nearly 800,000 in schooling MPs on woke language and history. Now it is estimated unconscious bias training could add another 700,000 to that bill. What a waste of money! Unconscious bias training is an area of psychology that is hotly disputed, and evidence suggests it has no sustained impact on behaviour. All it does is fuel an industry that promotes victimhood, rather than propose solutions. Theres no denying many industries are still woefully lacking in diversity, and yes, as a society we should work to address this. But the sort of training planned for MPs is a sham and an obscene waste of OUR money. Dr Max prescribes... soothing silk sleep masks A different type of mask from what weve become use to of late, but something that Ive come to rely on for a undisturbed nights sleep. The soothing silk also protects the delicate skin around your eyes. So pop one on and imagine youre in a luxurious spa. slipsilkpillowcase.co.uk The rural vote accounts for roughly 20 percent of the states total, by some estimates. If the race is tight, it could again decide which candidate carries Pennsylvania. Mr. Biden is not going to win in the small counties, but he may have to do substantially better than Mrs. Clinton did. When you look at the rural areas, its the margins that matter, Mr. Hopkins, the Boston College professor, said. The suburbs get a lot of attention because you have those counties that used to be red, and now theyre blue. When you see that on a map on TV, it looks dramatic. But all these places that went from like 60-40 Republican to 80-20 for Trump are just as dramatic, and they were critical to the result. Both Mr. Hopkins and Ms. Greenberg noted that the same dynamic applies in Michigan, which went to Mr. Trump in 2016 by an even narrower margin than Pennsylvania in part because of its rural counties. Mr. Trump, in one sense, rode the momentum of a wave that was already swelling in rural America, where the electorate has been turning more Republican for a generation. Mr. Obama did better in Pennsylvanias small counties in 2012 than Mrs. Clinton in 2016 but he did not do as well he had in his first presidential run in 2008. Theres a long-term and a short-term story to look at, Mr. Hopkins said. Long term, this is a trend thats been going on for 25 years, driven by the polarization of the parties around cultural issues. Abortion, gay rights, race, gender. Those divide urban and rural America more than economics does. Short term, he said, there was something about Trumps appeal and Clintons lack of appeal to rural voters that caused an even bigger divide. We can imagine Biden will play better. Hell talk more about economics. Hes seen as more of a moderate. My guess is that it will be a slightly less overwhelming margin in rural America, but still pretty red. Actor Akshay Kumar is the latest Indian celebrity to make an appearance on adventure reality show Into The Wild with Bear Grylls. On the show, Akshay shared a lot of fond memories with Bear, including his time as a waiter in Thailand and the first paycheck he earned as a model. Talking to the host, as they made their way through the jungles of Karnatakas Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Akshay said that he liked his life as a waiter for the freedom it brought him. The actor mentioned how he once got a kiss on his cheek from a woman as tip. I know I have lots of money. But that life is something different. I had so much of freedom, he said on the show. Akshay also got personalised messages from his wife Twinkle Khanna and colleagues Katrina Kaif and Suniel Shetty. All of them shared words of support for Akshay. Sipping boiled elephant poop tea and zip-lining over a crocodile-infested lakes, the actor also told Bear about the time he made a switch to modelling from being a martial arts teacher. On the suggestion of a students father, Akshay decided to go for a modelling shoot and earned a big, fat paycheck of Rs 21,000 for two hours work. I said this is brilliant. I thought, the whole month I struggle and teach people and get Rs 5000, he said. Akshay, who was learning the technique of climbing a rope ladder at the extraction point, got bruised and said that he has never attempted the skill before in his life. Ive never climbed this. Ive climbed a lot of ladders, but never one foot ahead, one foot behind. This is going to be the first time Im going to try doing this, he said. 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 After he landed on the bridge he exclaimed in enjoyment and termed the moment as a memento. The climb was very good. Really enjoyed myself. Learned something new, how to climb. One foot ahead, one foot behind, thats something new which I learned. And here it is, a memento, he said. Earlier guests on the show include Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tamil superstar Rajinikanth. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON NOVOSIBIRSK, Russia -- Two unknown attackers entered the headquarters of the liberal opposition Novosibirsk-2020 election campaign and threw a bottle containing an unknown liquid with an acrid odor onto the floor. "It is impossible to be in that space," one of the campaign activists told RFE/RL shortly after the September 8 incident. "We called the police, but they haven't come yet." Some 50-60 people were in the room at the time, participating in a training on election monitoring. Two were taken away by ambulance. "We know who did this and why," campaign leader Sergei Boiko, who heads the local office of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny in Novosibirsk and who is running for the city legislature, wrote on Facebook where he posted a security-camera video of the incident. "But even this will not save United Russia." The attack came just days before voting in regional elections across Russia that in the Novosibirsk region will include choosing a new regional legislature and a new city council. And it came less than three weeks after Navalny himself fell desperately ill on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow following his poisoning involving a deadly Novichok nerve agent. Navalny was evacuated to Germany on August 22 and is recovering in a Berlin hospital. In the meantime, his supporters and allies are gearing up for the local elections, which Navalny considered a key stepping stone to undoing the ruling United Russia party's stranglehold on power and to paving the way for a strong opposition showing in the national State Duma elections set for 2021. "[President Vladimir] Putin has a formal mechanism that he uses to pass and rewrite laws -- United Russia," Navalny said in a July 1 video laying out his strategy for undermining Putin's rule in the wake of the adoption of a controversial package of constitutional amendments that could enable him to remain in office until 2036. "It controls the federal parliament. It controls all the regional parliaments and the municipal parliaments -- even though for a very long time now, it has little support. Everyone hates them." Plummeting Popularity Novosibirsk Oblast Governor Andrei Travnikov heads the regional United Russia list and, Navalny's supporters say, is a prime example of the party's weak standing. "Travnikov was sent here from Vologda [in 2018]," said Navalny activist Daniil Markelov, who was disqualified by local election officials from seeking a seat on the city council. "Every second person here spits when he hears that name. We know how elections are run -- state-sector workers are mobilized, military units vote en masse, etc." From its already weak position in 2018, United Russia's popularity has fallen even more perilously in recent months, particularly after it spearheaded the national plebiscite on the constitutional-reform package and took the political heat for a wildly unpopular reform to raise retirement ages. In addition, the party has taken the blame for the ongoing domestic consequences of the global coronavirus pandemic. Infographic: Regional Elections In Russia In recent elections, including the current 2020 campaign, many United Russia candidates have run as nominal independents to avoid association with the tarnished brand. The party took an extra hit in Novosibirsk when Navalny's anticorruption organization issued an expose video on corruption among United Russia bureaucrats in the region. The film was Navalny's last major project before his poisoning and was released on August 31. It has garnered nearly 5 million views and been widely discussed in Novosibirsk. United Russia currently holds 50 of 76 seats in the Novosibirsk regional parliament and 33 of 50 in the municipal council of Novosibirsk, Russia's third-largest city with a population of more than 1.6 million. Early voting was being conducted on September 11 and 12, with September 13 the official election day. While analysts say it is unlikely the ruling party's majorities can be broken in the current campaign, opposition activists believe they can make inroads in preparation for the Duma elections next year. Parties with party-list representation at the regional level can participate in the Duma elections without collecting signatures. Navalny's supporters point to the 2019 city legislature elections in Moscow, where non-United Russia candidates were able to take 20 of 45 seats, despite the controversial disqualifications of many Navalny-backed would-be candidates. "Although we weren't able to break United Russia's majority in the Moscow City Duma, the deputies that we did get in there are making our work in future elections in Moscow much easier," former Deputy Energy Minister and leading Navalny associate Vladimir Milov told RFE/RL. The liberal opposition's strategy is a program called "smart voting," under which candidates most likely able to defeat their ruling-party rivals are identified regardless of their party affiliations and opposition-minded voters are encouraged to cast their ballots for them. Voters can type their addresses into a free cell-phone app at the polling station and get a list of smart-voting-endorsed candidates they can support. "Our strategy is to increase the turnout among protest voters and to make sure those votes are concentrated for a specific candidate and not scattered," Markelov said. Hardball Campaign But opposition candidates in Novosibirsk have faced a hardball campaign against them. Before he was disqualified on August 31 after election officials disqualified some of the signatures his campaign submitted, Markelov and his volunteers faced violence and intimidation. "I was the only candidate [in this race] whose kiosks were attacked during the signature phase and after," he told RFE/RL. "Every day thugs came to us, destroyed our tables, cut our banners with knifes, and attacked our volunteers. One of them was even bitten." After Markelov's campaign filed a formal complaint with the regional Interior Ministry, police guards were finally assigned to his kiosks. "The attacks stopped, but it was the last three days of our campaign," he said. On September 4, unknown assailants attacked and beat Communist Party city legislature candidate Maksim Startsev. The party said two men approached him from behind as he was returning home and struck him in the back of the head. On September 1, Governor Travnikov ordered officials to check the finances of Konstantin Tereshchenko, a candidate for the regional legislative assembly. Tereshchenko, the only opposition candidate running in his district in the town of Barabinsk, said the order was intended to intimidate him. In August, Boiko and another Novosibirsk 2020 candidate were fined after a court determined that their campaign kiosks were unsanctioned "pickets." Police cited them for "participating in an unsanctioned demonstration" for speaking with voters. Although it is a long shot, Markelov is appealing his disqualification in the federal courts. If a decision comes his way after election day, he hopes to force a new ballot. In the meantime, he continues to campaign for other opposition candidates, despite his family's fears for his safety. "I have nowhere to go outside of Russia," he told RFE/RL. "I was born here and will fight for this country. If you don't get involved in politics, politics will come to you." "I don't think the [public's] desire to fight back, to replace Putin's government is going to disappear," he adds, looking ahead to the 2021 State Duma elections. "It may take on new forms. But I am sure that [Navalny] will recover. And whatever his condition may be, he will always be our leader and an example in this fight." Written by RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson based on reporting from Novosibirsk by RFE/RL Siberia Desk correspondent Aleksandr Molchanov. RFE/RL's Russian Service contributed to this report. The Texas State Board of Education this week gave initial approval to an updated sex education curriculum for the first time in more than two decades, expanding lessons on contraception but leaving out references to LGBTQ youth and removing suggested language emphasizing the importance of teaching about consent. Under the new standards, middle and high schoolers would be taught about birth control methods beyond abstinence, though the latter concept is still the preferred approach. Currently, state guidelines dictate that only high schools teach about contraception in health courses, which are optional. The preliminary changes have largely disappointed activists who spent months urging the Republican-controlled board to embrace education about LGBTQ issues and consensual sexual activity. The board is now accepting public comment on the changes and is scheduled to take a final vote at a mid-November meeting. Imagine the tragic message state board members have sent by refusing to acknowledge that LGBT students even exist in our classrooms, said Carisa Lopez, political director for the left-leaning Texas Freedom Network, shortly after the board approved the changes on Friday. The board had a chance to stand with young people who are looking to feel safe and respected in their schools. A majority of board members chose to abandon them and stand with the bullies instead. NEW 2019 LAW: Groping is now a jailable offense in Texas The Board last revisited state health education standards in 1997. Texas public schools are not required to offer sex education, but if they do, teachers must stress the benefits of abstinence. More than eight in 10 Texas school districts teach abstinence only or have no sex education at all, according to a 2017 report from the Texas Freedom Network. That report, however, found that nearly 17 percent of schools teach more than abstinence, including eight of the states 10 largest school districts. The board also voted against expanding the curriculum to define and describe matters of sexual orientation and gender identity. Those decisions the most controversial of the week were generally split along party lines and prompted passionate and, at times, emotional debate from members. The board is made up of 10 Republicans and five Democrats, though Friendswoods Matt Robinson, a Republican, voted with Democrats in favor of LGBTQ education. DIRTY SKITTLES, BROKEN BUTTERFINGERS: How abstinence is taught in Texas schools Two proposals, each from Democrat Ruben Cortez of Brownsville, would have instructed middle and high school teachers to define and differentiate between sexual orientation and gender identity, and explain the importance of treating all people with dignity and respect regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Both were struck down. Some board members argued that it would be inappropriate to mandate such education across all Texas school districts, and that instead such decisions should be left to local school health advisory councils (SHACs). If Austin ISD wants to take up these issues, more power to them, said Marty Rowley, R-Amarillo. But that doesnt mean that Borden ISD or Amarillo ISD or Canyon ISD or any other ISD that I represent in the panhandle in West Texas wants to be mandated to teach this. Some Republicans also argued that respect for individuals regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity is included in broader educational standards that instruct against all forms of bullying. Marisa Perez-Diaz, D-Converse, twice attempted to include language defining consent in the curriculum, both of which were rejected. A first suggestion would define consent as a concept that encompasses clear, voluntary refusal or agreement to participate in each physical act between individuals, while a second would identify what qualifies as clear and legal consent to physical activity. Opponents said the definition was not necessary because consent was otherwise covered as a legal term elsewhere in the standards, and students are also taught to respect boundaries and say no to unwanted contact. The board will take a final vote on the proposed changes in November. cayla.harris@express-news.net A Brandon resident has claimed he has been refused entry to several local businesses for not wearing a mask, despite being medically exempt from having to wear one. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us A Brandon resident has claimed he has been refused entry to several local businesses for not wearing a mask, despite being medically exempt from having to wear one. Dave Federowich, 46, said that he is unable to safely wear a mask due to PTSD. Covering his face triggers flashbacks to traumatic experiences, which can cause him to react violently. Federowich previously worked in corrections but has been on medical leave for six years. He said his PTSD is connected to a workplace incident. Non-medical masks have been mandatory in most public spaces in Brandon since a public health order issued on Aug. 24 placed Prairie Mountain Health under a level orange restricted COVID-19 designation. The public health order does not require certain groups of people to follow the mandatory mask rule, including children under the age of five, those who cannot put on or remove a mask without the help of another person, and those with medical conditions unrelated to COVID-19 that prevent them from safely wearing a mask. A doctors note is required to receive a medical exemption from the mandatory mask rule. According to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, "Writing a medical note is deemed the provision of medical care and must adhere to the requirements of good medical care in the practice of medicine as defined in the regulations and Standards of Practice. ... Members are expected to provide patients with appropriate education and guidance on mask-wearing in alignment with current Manitoba Public Health Guidelines." Federowich said that he had no difficulties obtaining an exemption from his doctor. "My family doctor knew my history so she knew what was coming and essentially granted the exemption based on knowing my history," he said. Including among those locations he has been denied entry have included banks and grocery stores, despite, he said, presenting his doctors note as evidence he cannot wear a mask for safety reasons. Federowich described one incident where an employee at a business said that they were going to get the manager to help deal with the situation and instead returned with security guards. He said he has even had businesses call the police on him because he was not wearing a mask. "All Im equipped with is my doctors note. However, I have been in touch with public health and I dont need to provide any proof for it, as long as I say I have a medical exemption," Federowich said. "The business or service provider is just supposed to accept that its an honour system." The only places that he said have been accommodating are his doctors office and the place where he gets his hair cut. Federowich said he has been forthcoming with businesses about his situation and even talked to the head of one grocery store in Brandon. He was told the store was not sure how to handle the situation and later that he would need to use a curbside pickup service to do his shopping. "Its forced me to just stay at home (and) become basically homebound," Federowich said, adding it has had a negative impact on his mental health. Part of the treatment for his PTSD is overcoming social anxiety by being out in the world around people, but Federowich said he has lost years of progress and hard work by being unable to go to many places outside of his home. "The way we all felt back in March when we were locked down thats how I feel right now, that Im being locked down by society." He believes the government could improve the situation for people like him by doing a better job of educating business owners and the general public about mask exemption rules and by providing those exempt with additional documentation besides just a doctors note to prove their status. Overall, Federowich said that he wishes people would take time to put themselves in other shoes and treat them with kindness. "I think people need to take the time to consider that persons situation instead of just jumping to conclusions and criticizing." Brandon Chamber of Commerce president Spencer Day said he has not received any reports of businesses refusing entry to people who have shown proof of a medical exemption. In response to an inquiry, a Manitoba Health spokesperson offered the following written statement that indicated chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin "has indicated that it would be a medical decision, so its hard to come up with a list of conditions that would be exempt or not exempt. ... People would need to speak to their physician." eklatt@brandonsun.com Twitter: @emdashklatt Democrats are having a shattered-glass crack-up to the continuous good news coming from President Trump on the global peace front. Their famously disciplined lockstep "narrative" has gone haywire. Over in Sweden, a legislator has nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize over his role in bringing peace to longtime foes Kosovo and Serbia. That's the second one who's done it. It follows a Norwegian legislator's nomination of Trump this same week for the same prize over his role in brokering an Israel-UAE entente, the biggest peace breakthrough since the Camp David accords, which made peace between Israel and Egypt. That one earned its participants a Nobel Prize, too. Instead of saying "nice job" with a pat on the back, hoping the news cycle moves on, Democrats are going nuts. The Swedes have noticed! Now their responses are absolutely crazy. Start with sleepy, befuddled Joe Biden, who's been famously wrong about every single foreign policy issue, according to old swamp thing Robert Gates. For him, this baffling breakout in peace must have just...happened: Former Vice President Joe Biden acknowledged Thursday that President Donald Trump is making peace between Israel and several Arab states, but he said that he was doing so "accidentally." "I think Trump is going to accidentally do something positive here, in terms of this issue of other Arab states" making peace and establishing normal relations with Israel, Biden told a fundraiser hosted by the far-left J Street organization, as quoted by the Times of Israel. The Laurene Powellfinanced Atlantic had another tack that with Trump up for it, it's time to get rid of the prize: "Giving the peace prize to no one at all is a tradition the Nobel Committee should revive, perhaps on a permanent basis," Wood continued, arguing "the committee should take a long break to consider whether peace is a category coherent enough to be worth recognizing." The article responded to reports that Trump's name was submitted for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize by Norwegian lawmaker Christian Tybring-Gjedde for brokering a peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and by Swedish lawmaker Magnus Jacobsson for Trump's role in an economic deal between Kosovo and Serbia. The article called Trump's nomination "preposterous," suggesting the president's "main diplomatic maneuver is to adopt a lickspittle posture toward authoritarians." See, if Trump creates peace, then it's time to pick up our marbles and go home. Trump isn't allowed to create peace. Meanwhile, over in Nancy Pelosi's rat's nest of leftism, news of peace spreading to Bahrain and Israel, in a nuclear chain reaction style, elicited this crazed response from the speaker well known for her loose grip on reality: On Friday's broadcast of CNN's "Situation Room," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reacted to President Donald Trump's announcement of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and Bahrain by stating she hopes the agreement and other peace agreements will help the region, and "good for him for having a distraction on a day when the numbers of people who are affected and the numbers of people who are dying from this virus only increased." A distraction. Just as those paycheck rises to American workers were "crumbs." Seriously, peace a distraction? From what, her party's riots? That's some weird peace potion she's got going there. What the crazy array of responses suggests is one thing: that the Democrats have been caught off guard. Trump has stolen one of their proprietary issues, peace, something they claim to know more about than anyone and, like lightning, has actually converted their empty promises of peace, premised on kowtowing and appeasement, into real peace. Better still, he did it without troops, without the send-troops-first approach characteristic of the neocons, who are among Trump's most vehement NeverTrump opponents. He did it with actual diplomacy, that thing the Democrats have claimed they knew all about but obviously didn't. The left and its allies might have hoped to ignore this explosion of peace coming from Trump as a result, but they couldn't. The Swedes have noticed, and you can't have the Swedes noticing, because with the Swedes noticing, there's no going back. And if Trump wins the Nobel Prize from this, as he should, they know they're going to go even crazier, having even less of intelligence to say than they do now. There's just no "narrative" for this for them from their big-money puppet masters, so their response was atomized, each leftist coming up with a different bizarre take. What this peace news shows is not just that Trump has been right at every turn on how to create peace; he's also still extremely good at exposing the left for what it is taking them off guard, leaving them naked without a "narrative" to repeat in lockstep, and watching them go bonkers in all directions. One more reason, a very big reason, to vote for Trump. Image credit: The White House, via Flickr, public domain, edited with FotoSketcher. Burglars try to grab gun at store Three men broke out a glass door at Buchheit at 2200 W. Morton Ave. about 10:35 p.m. Thursday and one of the men tried to steal a firearm but was unsuccessful, according to a Jacksonville police report. The three broke out a second glass door and left the business. Workers noticed the break-in at 5:23 a.m. Friday. Damage is estimated at $1,000. This weeks wanted The following are being sought on arrest warrants, according to various sheriffs departments. The addresses listed are the last known addresses provided by the warrants and may be outdated. Micheal A. Atwood, 29, of 905 Alsey Smith Road is being sought on a warrant accusing him of violating a no contact/stalking order. He is a white male standing 5 foot 9 and weighing 150 pounds. He has brown hair and hazel eyes. Joshua T. Fry, 30, of 1852 Ratliff Road is being sought on a warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court on three counts of deceptive practice. He is a white male standing 5 foot 10 and weighing 130 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. . Submit tips anonymously at tipsubmit.com, by calling 217-243-7300 or by text messaging CRIMES (274637) with payout as the first word of the tip. Morgan County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Brenden M. Curtis, 24, of 723 N. Main St., Loami, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 12:54 p.m. Thursday on a domestic battery charge after a disturbance in the 100 block of East Vandalia Street in Waverly. Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Two 16-year-old boys were arrested at 3:29 p.m. Friday on charged of criminal trespassing on state-supported property after being in the 800 block of Hoagland Boulevard after being issued letters prohibiting them from being there. ACCIDENTS Jennifer L. Henley, 33, of 234 W. Beecher Ave. was cited on a charge of operating an uninsured motor vehicle after the car she was driving and one being driven by Carolyn S. Barrett, 65, of Jacksonville collided at 12:30 p.m. Friday in the 200 block of West Morton Avenue. Cass County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Perry G. Swan, 41, of Guttenburg, Iowa, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 6:32 p.m. Thursday on charges of theft, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and resisting a peace officer. Sammie L. Hicks, 23, of 507 W. Fifth St., Beardstown, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 9:46 p.m. Thursday on a criminal trespassing charge. Compiled by David C.L. Bauer BlueBotics, a leading provider of autonomous navigation and mobile robotics services based in Switzerland, has joined hands with Slovenian industrial group Engmotion to develop a new mini UVC robot that can scale up the fight against viruses. Based on proven mobile robot and UVC lamp technologies, the mini UVC can be used alone or in a connected fleet to autonomously disinfect hospitals and other public buildings such as airports, hotels, and commercial/industrial sites. The robot combines the reliability and fleet management capabilities of BlueBotics mobile robot and navigation technologies with Engmotions powerful Steril-One UVC disinfection lamp. It is a robust, industry-proven solution that disinfects as programmed every time. "As Covid-19 forces facility managers to improve the depth and frequency of their cleaning operations at a time when fewer staff may be available, this robot provides a new and efficient way to achieve these goals," remarked Dr Nicola Tomatis, the CEO of BlueBotics. "Using our industry-proven ANTsoftware it is simple to generate a map, set disinfection points and your autonomous robot will do the rest. The robot easily and efficiently disinfects any type of indoor public space, from hotel rooms to hospitals, airports and more," he stated. With businesses around the world taking tentative steps towards reopening, attention has turned to how public facilities such as hospitals, airports and hotels can ensure they remain safe for visitors. The public are increasingly seeking reassurances of venue safety before visiting or passing through, and at the core of organizations responses is enhanced disinfecting policies and practices, remarked Dr Tomatis. With the pressure that the Covid-19 pandemic has put on hospitals and nursing homes, there is an increased focus on ensuring they are a safe location for patients, medical staff and also visitors. BlueBotics, working in combination with Engmotion, developed the mini UVC robot to enable operations teams to disinfect sites safely and autonomously. In a study last year published in the American Journal of Infection Control, examined the effects of an ultraviolet (UV) light technology designed to defeat superbugs in hospitals and found that it eliminated almost 98 per cent of pathogens. These infections cost billions of dollars, and some estimates state that they cause almost 100,000 deaths each year in the US alone. "When it comes to disinfection technology, UVC light is proven to destroy up to 99% of viruses on surfaces, including the SARS family of viruses, and vegetative bacteria, remarked Enrico Merlani, the CEO of Engmotion. "However, static lamps require trained staff to place and move them. An autonomous mobile robot that can move and position itself at every required location really is the optimal solution," stated Merlani. "The robot allows facility managers to do more with less, systematically disinfecting more areas, more deeply and more often using either one or several connected robots, and all without the need for additional human resources," he added. It features safety laser scanners at the front and rear of the robot, which allows it to detect obstacles and people when in transit, and a high-sensitivity movement sensor on top, which automatically shuts down UVC operations if a human is detected. "If an operator needs to disinfect an area more quickly, disinfect a larger site, or clean multiple areas at the same time, the robots ANT server software makes it easy to create a full fleet of connected mini UVC robots," explained Dr Tomatis. "Other ANT driven vehicles can also be included in the fleet, such as Cleanfixs floor cleaning robots or other logistics vehicles. Additionally, ANT servers built-in simulator allows an operator to verify a project before activation," he noted. Deployed thousands of times in the field, BlueBotics ANT technology and Engmotions Steril-One UVC disinfection lamp ensure the system disinfects exactly as planned, time and time again, he added. The BlueBotics mini UVC was recently deployed at an international airport in Italy as part of a pilot project carried out by Software Design (A SITA Company). "In this Covid-19 era, airport operators need to keep their sites cleaner, with more disinfection cycles every day," explained Marco Pici, the head of Business Development & Business Transformation at Software Design. The BlueBotics mini UVC can be a great help. It can be used to run more cycles with the same resources, helping sites to do more with less. With the ANT server an operator can easily manage and operate a number of different robot types, like our reception robot, and use these as they see fit, or even have them triggered by the airports operation system, he added.-TradeArabia News Service Jordan Auctioneers are bringing to the market an excellent block of agricultural land just off Junction 14 of the M7 motorway circa 4km from Monasterevin, 7km from Kildare town and 16km from Newbridge/the Curragh. It adjoins Junction 14 service station and extends to circa 13.5 hectares (33.3 acres). According to the selling agent, the holding may have some longterm potential and would be an ideal investment opportunity. It is currently in several divisions with access off two local roads. The entire property is all in grass with natural boundaries and hedgerows throughout. It is ideal for a range of enterprises, in addition to the possibility of obtaining planning permission to construct a residence Jordans are quoting 330,000 for the entire plot and the auction is scheduled for Friday, October 2, at 3pm on the lands. Additional information is available from Paddy Jordan or Clive Kavanagh of the selling agents on 045 433550. Microsofts Visual Studio Codespaces, which provide cloud-hosted development environments on Microsoft Azure, will be incorporated into GitHub Codespaces, which provide hosted Visual Studio Code environments on GitHub. The current Azure-based offering will be retired in February 2021. Microsoft said the service is moving because, during a preview stage, the company found that transitioning from a repository to a codespace was the most-criticized part of the workflow. The vast majority of users preferred an integrated, native, one-click experience. GitHub being the home of 50 million developers, Microsoft decided it made sense to partner with GitHub to address the issue. GitHub Codespaces is still in a limited public beta; developers can sign up here. When developers connect to a GitHub Codespace through a portal or the Visual Studio Code editor, they will be prompted to submit add a GitHub account to the beta. Visual Studio Codespaces users will receive an email requesting their preferred GitHub account. While GitHub Codespaces provides an optimized experience for GitHub repos, developers still can use Git repos hosted elsewhere, such as on Azure or Bitbucket, by taking a few additional configuration steps. Also, the private preview of Windows-based Codespaces support in Visual Studio 2019 will move to GitHub. Microsoft has provided an FAQ about the consolidation. The compay set the following timeline for plan: Food, civil supply and consumer affairs minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu on Saturday visited the Ludhiana civil hospital and Dayanand Medical College (DMC) and Hospital to take stock of the facilities in place at both the hospitals for Covid-19 patients. The minister was accompanied by political secretary to chief minister Captain Sandeep Singh Sandhu, mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu and deputy commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma. Addressing the officials, Ashu said the state government was concerned for the safety of the citizens and was making all efforts to prevent the spread of infection by creating awareness and providing early-stage treatment. Additional deputy commissioner (ADC, development) Sandeep Kumar, who is also the Covid-19 nodal officer, said there were 150 level-2 beds available to patients. He said that presently, 68 patients were undergoing treatment at civil hospital, of which 31 were on the ventilator though stable. Ashu directed the civil hospital authorities to ensure cleanliness and to provide hygienic food to the patients. At DMC hospital, Dr Bishav Mohan, Dr Sandeep Puri and Dr Rajesh Mahajan informed Ashu that 241 patients were undergoing treatment. They said DMC was the only institution charging patients according to the government-prescribed rates. They said DMC had separate wards for Covid and non-Covid patients. Cambodia Arrests Another Activist For 'Incitement' as UN, Rights Group Slam Government Repression 2020-09-11 -- Cambodia has arrested yet another rights activist for "incitement" as the United Nations and a major human rights group lambasted the country's government Friday for repressing voices critical of Prime Minister Hun Sen's 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 RFA's 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 court's 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 Penh's 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 Cambodia's 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 Sopheak's arrest came as the U.N.'s human rights agency issued a scathing indictment of the Cambodian government's 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 don't 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 Government's 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 Chhun's 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, HRW's 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 People's Party (CPP) to win all 125 seats in parliament in the country's July 2018 general election. Reported by RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Copyright 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content 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 After Bahrain decided to follow UAEs lead for normalisation of ties with Israel, Iran said that the Arab nation is now partner to the crimes committed by the Zionist regime. Irans foreign ministry insinuated that Bahrain now stands Israels partner in the decades of violence, slaughter, war, terror and bloodshed in Palestine and Middle East region. 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 ministry said in a statement. Soon after the full normalisation of diplomatic ties between Israel and the UAE, the United States started working on getting more Arab nations on board with the peace plan. Bahrains state media reported that Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa had welcomed the initiative taken by the US to reach an agreement between the UAE and Israel which halted annexation of West Bank. The US, Bahrain, and Israel issued a joint statement on September 11, announcing another historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East. Bahrain King and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed their deep appreciation to the US President for his dedication to the peace in the region. 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 statement read. Read: Bahrain Follows UAE, Inks Peace Deal With Israel: How Middle East Countries Reacted Read: Trump Announces Israel-Bahrain Peace Agreement In Less Than A Month Of UAE Deal 'Sacrificed Palestinian cause' Iran said that Bahrain has sacrificed the Palestinian cause at the altar of American elections, adding that the aftereffects of the deal would be lasting hatred of the oppressed people. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is yet to make an official statement but it will be most likely on the lines of the earlier statement condemning the UAEs decision. Rouhani had said that the UAE made a huge mistake by reaching an agreement with Israel to normalise their relationship. He had then questioned the time and place of the announcement, asking whether it was done to ensure a Trumps win in the upcoming presidential elections. "They (the UAE) better be mindful. They have committed a huge mistake, a treacherous act. We hope they will realise this and abandon this wrong path," said Rouhani during a televised address. Read: Bahrain Stresses Two-state Solution During Pompeos Visit To End Israel-Palestine Conflict Read: Iran Says It Chased Out Three US Aircraft Over ADIZ Violation During Naval Exercises Let the storms subside--- Most things come and go Dont let them take you for a ride. They say this too shall pass Just go with the flow ---- Theres still splendour in the grass. -- From Ganjeri Gaaney by Bachchoo On visits to Mumbai, where I work as a consultant to MXPLAYER the brilliant and popular web-series platform of The Times of India (No advertising! I have warned you before! Ed. Yaar Koochh tho income yahan-vahan sey nikalnay ki zaroorath peyt ki pooja boss . FD). Being addressed as Farrukh Sir by all and sundry, I am afforded cars and drivers to get about the city. I get chatting with them the point being that while I was being driven by one of them, his mobile phone rang. He answered it as he drove when a roadside policeman flagged him down. Some argy-bargy ensued between the driver and the cop and I witnessed a supposedly clandestine passing of some currency notes, after which we were waved on our way by the policeman. The incident occasioned a conversation. How much did you pay him? I asked. All standard prices, he said in Hindustani. He outlined the current rates of bribery for traffic constables a hundred rupees for this offence and 300 for another, etc. Then he asks me, And Farrukh Saheb, what is it in London? Vahan kya deyney padtha exampil, red light jumping sey?" I had to tell him, to his utter astonishment that the British police didnt take petty bribes in that way and if one attempted to bribe them they would charge you with the offence of attempting bribery to escape from a violation. So, you are telling me there is no corruption in Vilayat? I didnt say that. Theres no petty corruption. You cant pay some government clerk to put your form at the top of a queue, or buy a driving licence or an exam paper. But there is a sort of legal corruption at the top of the system. As in our government? I think I said I didnt have any proof of that, but could certainly tell him stories about what I would label corruption, but the British system of taxation, governance, patronage and abject capitalist degeneracy doesnt. At the time, gentle reader, I didnt strengthen my words with examples and anecdotes as we had reached Andheri East and, the offices. End of conversation. Today it comes to mind again when its revealed that the British home minister, our own dear Priti Clueless Patel has stepped into an undesirable, foul-smelling pile of something once again. The story is complex but, as in the Mahabharata, the moral is clear. The facts: A power-station building contract in Nigeria went bust. One of the parties in the deal was registered in the tax-dodging Virgin Islands as Process and Industrial Development (PID). This shady company had dealings through dodgy contractors, local politicians and the usual phalanx of international hedge funds, lobbyists and crooked lawyers. So PID sued the Nigerian government and Priti Clueless, as a British MP, supported their claim. This week a British court ruled that PIDs claim against Nigeria is invalid and the judge, one Sir Ross Cranston, said that there was prima facie evidence of systematic bribery, corruption and perjury by Cluelesss friends PID. The judge suspended the award Clueless had called for and called for a full investigation. That a British home secretary associates herself with a firm which has been declared crooked by a British court is serious. In any truly democratic country it would be a matter for investigation and resignation if not worse (jail?). But, gentle reader, this is Britain and Britain in the midst of the worldwide coronavirus crisis. This British governments corruption has taken advantage of this crisis to hand literally billions of pounds of taxpayer money to their cronies. Let me count the ways: This government has used a crisis in public health to enrich their buddies. The Covid crisis called for preventive and protective measures against the virus. Rishi Sunak handed 186 million to a firm called Uniserve Limited, whose multi-millionaire owner is a speaker for the pro-Brexit lobby group called Prosperity UK (ha, ha, wait and see, perhaps it will change its name to Poverty UK next year?). And who shared speakers credits on this contract-winning platform? Why none other than Brexit minister Michael Gove and (wait for it!) Rishi hedgy-but-dodgy Sunak. Of the 10 companies that Sunak and the health ministry, who were handed multimillion-pound contracts to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and anti-infection clothing, five had absolutely no connection or experience in the field. But they had donated funds to the Tory Party or had directors who were relatives or associates of top Tories and so were awarded taxpayers millions. The figures now show that 2.6 billion were spent on 471 PPE contracts. During the crisis the government told the public that one of the ways of containing the effects of the epidemic would be their test and trace mobile phone and Internet effort. The contract for that, again worth billions, was given to a Tory Baroness and wife of a Tory MP who wants to privatise Britains National Health Service. This lady, Baroness Dido Harding, is a failed businesswoman having headed several companies, among them mobile phone provider Talk Talk which went into heavy debt. Her qualifications for being given the contract? Bummery-chummery and corruption. The test and trace system under her fails. Thousands die thats humans, not pounds sterling which Rishi Sunak is pushing her way. The next time I am in Mumbai and someone strikes up, as is inevitable, a conversation about Indian corruption, I shall spill the beans about this government which has turned the mother of parliaments into the mother-something-ers of democracy! You dont get rich by working hard. You get rich by making others, maybe millions, work hard. 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. She revealed this week that her uber popular reality series will be coming to an end next year. But Kim Kardashian was back to focusing on her Skims business on Friday, posting a new selfie video to her Instagram Stories which showed off a new version from her shapewear line she's been 'working on'. The brunette beauty, who turns 40 next month, wore a long-sleeve white top and matching floor-length maxi skirt in the sultry snippets, which allowed for a sliver of her midriff to show between the two garments. Back to business: Kim Kardashian was back to focusing on her Skims business on Friday, posting a new selfie video Kim explained in the video that she was wearing Skims underneath the outfit, but they were different. The mother-of-four went on to say that she was 'bothered by' the line created by previous Skims editions when worn under longer skirts and dresses, which showed above the knee. The new Skims were different in that they ended at the calf, as opposed to the mid-thigh. Curvy: The video showed off a new version from her shapewear line she's been 'working on' Statuesque: The brunette beauty, who turns 40 next month, wore a long-sleeve white top and matching floor-length maxi skirt in the sultry snippets The reality superstar added that she was especially excited about the new development since she wears so many three-quarter-length and full length outfits, and 'hated' seeing that line previously. 'I really wanted the same shapewear that snatched everything really good,' she added. Kim also hiked up the skirt to show how her curvaceous derriere still had the same 'lift.' Bodacious: Kim hiked up the skirt to show how her curvaceous derriere still had the same 'lift' The post comes after Kim K marked one year since the launch of Skims with a share in which she looked every inch the Hollywood pinup. She wore underthings and sat atop a fabulously patterned car in two of the three photos. 'The SKIMS Special Anniversary Drop!' the mother-of-four said in her caption, adding there were four new shapewear styles, a new color, and 'a restock of our classic styles.' She also said in a video that it was very exciting to be at her one year anniversary and she was proud to introduce a new marble color. Achievement: The post comes after Kim K marked one year since the launch of Skims with a share in which she looked every inch the Hollywood pinup This comes after the shocking news that her series Keeping Up With The Kardashians will end in 2021 with season 20. The iconic reality TV series has followed the lives of the Kardashian-Jenner family - including sisters Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe Kardashian, half sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, brother Rob Kardashian, and mother Kris Jenner - for 20 seasons aired over the past 14 years. Since finding fame on the show, each of the Kardashian-Jenner clan have gone on to forge their own careers in the fashion and business worlds, whilst each of the siblings - excluding Kendall - now have families of their own. End of an era: This comes after the shocking news that her series Keeping Up With The Kardashians will end in 2021 with season 20 It has also been said that Khloe 'hasn't stopped crying' over the end of the show. The Good American founder who has taken the change hardest. Kris said on On Air With Ryan Seacrest: 'We had to tell the crew yesterday, so we were all crying. But I think Khloe...is probably the one who is taking it the hardest and really hasn't stopped crying since we announced. She's been so sweet and just emotional about it.' Kris admitted it has been a 'hard' decision to make, but she felt it was the 'right time' to end the show. Cape Town, Sep 12 : South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has intervened in a probe of alleged improper deployment of public resources by senior government officials. His move on Friday came after a high-ranking delegation of the ruling party African National Congress (ANC), which comprises Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule, flew to Harare, Zimbabwe in a state-owned jet at taxpayers' expense, reports Xinhua news agency. "In the interest of good governance and the prudent and ethical use of state assets," Ramaphosa has directed Mapisa-Nqakula to submit a detailed report within 48 hours on the circumstances that led to the minister sharing the flight to Harare with the delegation, the Presidency said in a statement. Earlier on Friday, the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) called on Ramaphosa to make an urgent public statement on the matter. The trip is "a flagrant blurring of state and party lines and abuse of state machinery", amounting to theft from the people by the ANC, said the DA. Ramaphosa said in the statement that he noted the public discussion that has been generated around the flight to Harare taken by Mapisa-Nqakula and other senior officials. Mapisa-Nqakula allegedly had the permission of Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula to travel to Zimbabwe to meet her counterpart to discuss defence-related matters in the region following a recent Southern African Development Community summit. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 12) Import of pigs and pork products from Germany is not allowed in the meantime, after the European country recorded an African swine fever case, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said on Saturday. Dar also suspended the processing and evaluation of applications of import clearances related to pork from Germany, the Department of Agriculture said in a separate statement. This comes after the town of Schenkendobern, Spree-Neie Brandenburg confirmed an ASF case according to the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, the agency added. "All shipments of pigs, pork, and pork products from Germany into the Philippines will be confiscated by all DA-Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) veterinary quarantine officers at all major ports of entry," the department said. The Philippines experienced an outbreak of the disease among hogs last year resulting in an import ban on several countries. Cases of African swine fever have since been confirmed in a number of cities in Metro Manila and some provinces in Luzon, including Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan and Cavite. The deadly virus can kill a pig within three to five days, threatening food supply, but it cannot infect humans. Gov. Gavin Newsom has endorsed Proposition 15, a measure to allow new taxes on commercial properties in California. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Wading into a contentious battle over the legacy of California's landmark property tax law, Proposition 13, Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed on Friday a November ballot measure that would make commercial property owners subject to billions of dollars in additional taxes each year. Newsom announced his support for Proposition 15 in an email to supporters, calling the proposal "a fair, phased-in and long-overdue reform to state tax policy." "Its consistent with Californias progressive fiscal values, it will exempt small businesses and residential property owners, it will fund essential services such as public schools and public safety, and, most importantly, it will be decided by a vote of the people," the governor said in a written statement released by his political advisors. If approved by voters in November, Proposition 15 would result in separate tax rules for commercial and residential property. Since the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, the value of all property has been based on what it sold for when last purchased. That initiative capped property tax rates at 1% of the assessed value with annual increases of no more than 2%. Californians who hold on to their property for long periods of time end up paying significantly less in taxes than those who have bought similar property more recently. Proposition 15 would require commercial and industrial properties, excluding those zoned as commercial agriculture, to be taxed based on current market value. It would not change the low-tax provisions of Proposition 13 for homeowners. The new ballot measure exempts some commercial property owners whose holdings are valued at $3 million or less. Few topics have been more intensely debated by public policy experts and interest groups than whether California's commercial property owners deserve the same low-tax protections as homeowners. An estimate by the independent Legislative Analyst's Office found that Proposition 15 would generate as much as $12.5 billion more in tax revenues once it fully takes effect in 2025. Story continues The ballot measure requires that 60% of the revenues go to local governments and 40% to K-12 schools and community colleges. For schools, those funds would be on top of what is already provided by taxes collected at the local and state levels. While large corporations would see their tax liabilities rise, the opponents of Proposition 15 have instead sought to focus on what they say is the tax increase's effect on small businesses, including those that pay property taxes as a condition of their lease. The leading business-backed opposition campaign said Friday that Newsom's endorsement of Proposition 15 would lead to "increased costs for the same small and minority-owned businesses hes forced to close for the last six months." "Now is not the time to support the largest property tax in California history and make our cost of living crisis even worse," a written statement from the campaign said. With organized labor and businesses pitted against each other, a blockbuster battle over Proposition 15 is likely in store. State campaign finance records show supporters and opponents have raised a combined $60 million most of that coming from groups in support of the ballot measure. Few public polls have been released, though a slim majority of Californians surveyed by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California supported the idea of higher taxes paid by commercial property owners. The effort to put Proposition 15 on the Nov. 3 statewide ballot was well underway when Newsom became governor in 2019. Just days after taking office, he said he would try to broker a deal between labor and business one that would examine a number of issues regarding the state's tax structure. My desire is to use this as an exercise in bringing the parties together to see if we can compromise on a more comprehensive tax package, Newsom said at the time. But that effort was rarely mentioned again and no agreement was ever reached. Newsom did, however, use his endorsement of Proposition 15 to send a signal to those who have sought a variety of other tax increases including efforts in the Legislature this summer to raise income taxes on the state's wealthiest residents. In a global, mobile economy, now is not the time for the kind of state tax increases on income we saw proposed at the end of this legislative session and I will not sign such proposals into law, he said. Minister of Muzrai, Kota Srinivas Poojary visited Sri Arkeshwara Temple at Gottalu extension in the city where three priests of the temple were brutally murdered with lethal weapons on the temple premises on Thursday night. The deceased are Ganesh (45), Prakash (52) and Anand (33), residents of Gottalu were murdered. The Minister issued compensation of Rs 5 lakh to kin of each family. The Minister, Endowment Commissioner Rohini Sinduri, and others visited the temple and also gathered information about the murder of the priests. The thieves bludgeoned the priests, who also served as security guards, when they were asleep, before looting the offering boxes (hundis). Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 17:05:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MANILA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Washington has never stopped making waves in the South China Sea. In its latest malicious move, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, when meeting with his counterparts of Southeast Asian countries, accused Beijing of "aggressive campaigns" in the region and asked ASEAN countries to ban Chinese companies "helping build islands." Pompeo's China-bashing and impudent pressure on ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries only exposed his own intention to stir up troubles in the South China Sea and to sow discord between China and its neighbors, which will find no support nor succeed. While trying to portray China's action as "aggressive" in the South China Sea, the United States itself is the most dangerous factor fueling militarization and stoking tensions in the region. Facts speak for themselves. The United States, tens of thousands of miles away from the South China Sea, has sent nearly 3,000 sorties of military aircraft to the region in the first half of 2020. And despite the unfettered passage of tens of thousands of commercial ships via the waterways every year, Washington sent aircraft carriers and other warships here more than 60 times between January and June under the pretext of protecting "freedom of navigation." People cannot help but wonder the true intentions of U.S. muscle-flexing here. Does Washington want to maintain peace in the region, or does it just intend to turn the South China Sea into a geopolitical wrestling ground for its own interests? Washington's coercion tactics against ASEAN are not likely to work. Earlier this month, Philippine presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte had already rejected calls to halt infrastructure projects involving Chinese firms blacklisted by the United States. Roque said Duterte "clearly said that he would not kowtow to the directives of the Americans because we are a free and independent country, and we need the investors from China." The Philippines' position reflects the collective sentiments of ASEAN countries that stability and development are of vital importance to the region. In recent years, China and ASEAN countries have shown willingness and wisdom to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea and their efforts have yielded positive outcomes. Last year, China and ASEAN countries finished the first reading of the Code of Conduct (COC) Single Draft Negotiating Text ahead of schedule, an important step toward reaching an agreement. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, both sides have been working together to push forward negotiations. Defying the pandemic's economic shock, China's trade with ASEAN countries rose 7 percent to reach 2.93 trillion yuan (428 billion U.S. dollars) during the January-August period. China, ASEAN and some other regional partners are currently working toward the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement within this year as planned. In the future, ASEAN countries will see their trade with China even more prosperous. A peaceful South China Sea is to benefit all regional countries, while a troubled South China Sea would only serve Washington's selfish interests. If Washington really cares about peace and stability in the South China Sea and the development interests of regional countries, it should immediately stop any interference or muscle flexing and learn to respect the rights and wishes of relevant countries. Enditem President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the political advisers to the heads of the Normandy Four states did not discuss all the issues at the September 11 meeting in Berlin and did not put an end to them, so there will be another meeting to continue the preparation of the leaders' meeting in the Normandy format. "First, there was a meeting, this is very important. This means that meetings in the Normandy format continue. If the advisers meet, then a meeting of leaders in the Normandy format will be planned. The advisers did not discuss all issues and did not put an end to many issues, so there will be another meeting of advisers," he said at a briefing in Odesa on Saturday. Zelensky said that the most important decision that exists after the meeting in Berlin is the continuation and observance of the ceasefire regime in Donbas. Kentucky congressman against mandates says he has COVID Dear Readers, India now has the dubious distinction of being right on top of the daily coronavirus cases league tables. But it hardly makes any sense to track these numbers, simply because the ICMRs sero-survey found that for every confirmed COVID-19 case in May, there were 82-130 infections that went undetected. In other words, the number of actual infections in India may be 100 times the daily count. The obvious question then is the one that many sceptics have been asking: is the fatality rate from the virus even lower than thought earlier? The study says it was 0.15 percent even in the worst-affected districts on June 1. Does that mean its a scare and severe lockdowns were not necessary, as some have argued? But the ICMR adds the warning that the fatality rate estimate is likely an underestimate because of incomplete death reporting and lack of access to testing facilities required to confirm COVID-19 deaths. Bluntly put, there are no reliable figures. In any case, it doesnt really matter, because the government now seems desperate to open up the economy, never mind the rising infections. With the government reluctant to provide fiscal support, there is simply no alternative for the masses. Too much focus on the centres high fiscal deficit is misplaced at this juncture, especially when state finances are also in terrible shape. Merely restructuring loans, while necessary, is not enough. Growth is the solution and if it needs a helping hand from the central government, it should be provided. The governments lack of resources is likely to lead to stake sales, which are a key risk for investors in public sector companies. The end of the lockdowns has led to an improvement in the mobility indicators, as our recovery tracker shows. Unemployment is lower, vehicle registrations have gone up and steel consumption is doing well. But as CRISIL CEO Ashu Suyash told us, the sustainability of the recovery is unclear because of local issues and the spread of infection in Tier-III towns. A Jefferies survey pointed out that India consumers were saving more in these COVID-infected times, which isnt very good for a rapid uptick in demand. Thats also the message that came across from the HUL managements presentation to global investors. An analysis by economists at Nomura found that the shrinking of the economy has been the highest in India, among the major economies. That was also shown by the GDP data for the June quarter. The OECD composite leading indicators for August showed that the momentum of the rebound in the economy had started to falter in most countries, including India, except China and Brazil. The monsoons, however, continue to be a silver lining, which is why we considered this rural consumer play. Equity investors too are turning jittery as the outflows from mutual funds in August show, although there is an increase in the number of folios, which means that new investors are coming in. Legendary hedge fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller told CNBC that were in an absolute raging mania. But as a superb piece by Jamie Powell in FT Alphaville said, Drunckenmiller is full of strong convictions held lightly and he might have woken up this morning and said the exact opposite. Given the rising uncertainty in the market, which themes can investors look at? The governments focus on import substitution could be a godsend for the Indian auto parts industry. For investors, Hikal is one stock that will benefit from this trend. One of the insights from the Jefferies survey cited above was that Indians have started to consider buying new homes. That is why we asked investors to look at HDFC and Repco Home Finance. Companies that are good at managing costs will always be in demand in the current environment, as will be those that are transitioning to new growth models and value unlocking---the recent performance of the RIL stock is an obvious example. We also told you how best to make money from this IPO. And finally, not many people know that returns from silver this year have thrown those from gold as well as from the S&P 500 into the shade. We continued with our efforts to expand our offerings for investors by introducing our US Elections Tracker. Every week, it will bring you the latest trends in opinion polls as well as the betting odds. Cheers, Manas Chakravarty A 3D printed Whatsapp logo is placed on the keyboard in this illustration taken MADRID (Reuters) - Spain is proposing to tax companies providing calls and instant messaging services, such as Whatsapp, based on their revenue, a senior government official said on Friday. Levies would be imposed on instant messaging providers in the same way as it is on telecoms operators, under a new draft law which was published on Friday, starting a consultation period in which people are invited to give feedback. "The way we consume communications services has changed, and competitive conditions have changed as a result," Roberto Sanchez, Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure, told reporters. Companies that turn over more than 1 million euros ($1.2 million) a year will be subject to the tax which will not be allowed to exceed one euro per every thousand euros of gross revenue, the draft law showed. The public are invited to make observations on the law over the next month, Sanchez said. Spain is among European proponents of more stringent tax regimes for big internet companies. ($1 = 0.8450 euros) (Reporting by Isla Binnie, editing by Andrei Khalip and David Evans) Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, has challenged the Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay to an infrastructural debate. According to Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, the debate will be centred on projects in the Ashanti region which is the NPPs stronghold. To him, he is confident the NDC has done much better in the region when it comes to infrastructural development than the incumbent government, hence the debate to prove their works. I wont say that the NPP used sakawa or 419 to gain power but for the NDC, we are committed to our promise and I want to dare everyone including the National Chairman of the NPP to a debate, he said. He made the call when speaking on Nhyira FMs Kuro Yi Mu Nsem morning show. Ashanti region is NPPs stronghold but we should debate on who has served the region better. He can choose his own referee, he dared. This comes on the back of a similar call from the flagbearer of NDC, John Dramani Mahama for a public debate with President Nana Akufo-Addo. Source: adomonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A dog died in a trailer fire Saturday morning in Wainfleet while a second escaped the blaze. Wainfleet Fire and Emergency Services Chief Morgan Alcock said the occupant of the trailer, living there for the summertime, was not home at the time of the incident. Firefighters were called to 12826 Lakeshore Rd. just after 10 a.m. for the report of a trailer fire beside Jessies Place, a business that serves food in the summer months. Its located 300 metres east of Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authoritys Long Beach Conservation Area and Campgrounds. Smoke from the blaze was visible at least 15 kilometres away from the fire scene. The fire consumed the trailer and a nearby jet ski, said Alcock. He said firefighters assisted a neighbour from her home on the east side of the fire but added there was no damage to that residence. Wainfleet called on Haldimand County Emergency Services for mutual aid and it sent a tanker from its station in nearby Lowbanks to provide additional water. There were nearly 20 Wainfleet volunteers on scene, including Alcock and Deputy Chief Shawn Schutten. As firefighters checked for hot spots and poured water on the remains of the trailer and jet ski, they also opened a shipping container sitting just behind the fire. There were some items inside that were smouldering, said Alcock. He said the cause and origin of the fire are undetermined and will be investigated, adding that it was not suspicious. Niagara Emergency Medical Services paramedics were on scene but there were no injuries. Niagara Regional Police closed down Lakeshore Road at Minor Road as firefighters fought the fire. WILTON A Wilton High School student has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a letter sent out Sept. 12 to school district families by Superintendent of Schools Kevin Smith. The student only has mild symptoms and is recovering at home, Smith said, adding the district was notified of the illness on Friday, Sept. 11. He did not give any details as to the identity of the student, citing privacy laws. Following the districts containment policy, the custodial staff is working over the weekend to deep clean the building on Danbury Road and students in cohort A will be able to return to class on Monday as the district continues with its hybrid model of having half the student body in each building at a time. All those who came in close contact with the student are being contacted by the Wilton Health Department and are being directed to quarantine for 14 days. Close contact is defined as spending at least 15 minutes within six feet of a person with confirmed COVID-19. (More information on close contact is available at the CDC website. This news is unfortunate, especially because weve only returned to in-person schooling for one week, Smith said. We are reminded that the virus is insidious. Implementing our school mitigation strategies and engaging in wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing, hand washing and other pro-social behaviors will help keep our community safe. This is the first in-school case of COVID-19 to affect the district, and as it follows its containment policies, it is possible adjustments may be made based on feedback and any other information gleaned from this incident, Smith said. Wilton schools opened with full remote learning on Aug. 31 and switched to a hybrid model on Sept. 8. OTTAWA - Federal officials are ironing out the details of a program to help cities buy properties left vacant due to the pandemic so they can quickly create affordable housing. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A new home is built in a housing development in Ottawa on Tuesday, July 14, 2020. Federal officials are ironing out details of a planned program to help cities buy properties left vacant due to the pandemic so they can quickly create affordable housing units, which mayors say is desperately needed. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA - Federal officials are ironing out the details of a program to help cities buy properties left vacant due to the pandemic so they can quickly create affordable housing. The government has considered the property acquisition program for months as it looks to keep people from falling into homelessness heading into the winter with temporary shelter measures set to expire. That could lead to overcrowding in existing emergency shelters, or push more people onto the street and create the conditions for the novel coronavirus to spread among people who are already vulnerable. Sources who have been part of discussions with federal officials about the scope of a program, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail private conversations, say the Liberals are considering whether to announce a program before their throne speech later this month or to wait and include it in the speech. Mayors of Canada's biggest cities hope for the former. The municipal leaders say they could use the money quickly to buy buildings set to be sold soon, rather than have to wait months or years for the construction of new affordable units. "We think this is a no-brainer," said Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson. He added that cities hope the Liberals move this fall to help local groups "secure these properties and get people off the street before they endure another winter and a pandemic, which is just a morally unacceptable option to leave people out in the cold in a public health emergency." The Liberals were first approached with the idea months ago and have expressed a keen interest in conversations with mayors and housing providers over the summer. Officials from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., which oversees much of the government's decade-long national housing strategy, held one-on-one consultations in July and August to figure out logistics. Among the challenges: how to approve a housing provider for funding quickly, in a market where others could swoop in and buy hotels, motels, warehouses or multi-unit residential buildings. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities this week asked the Liberals for just over $4 billion in new grants to fund purchases of up to 22,000 units. The proposal is one of many being floated to the government as it seeks ideas for an economic recovery package. Federal departments have been asked for potential spending items, which could become part of an economic update or budget later this fall. Iveson, who heads FCM's group of big-city mayors, said the purchasing program could help local housing providers nab distressed properties at reduced prices. He said housing vulnerable populations like the homeless would also reduce health care and policing costs. "If we're going to borrow hundreds of billions of dollars to get through this pandemic, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could end homelessness, reduce the likelihood of an outbreak in this community of vulnerable people, at precisely the time that a second wave is the greatest risk?" he said. Cities like Edmonton rented hotel rooms early on in the pandemic to make up for public-health restrictions that limited the capacities of emergency shelters. Some of them almost eliminated homelessness for a few weeks. An over-riding concern from those inside the government is how to quickly get money out the door, particularly in places like Toronto where the cost of renting is very high. "If I was the government ... I would like to be seen as moving now on some of these things while the opportunity is there in the marketplace," Toronto Mayor John Tory said in an interview. "And the federal government could say, look, not only did we move at wartime speed during the pandemic to make this money available to the cities, but they produce the housing most importantly at wartime speed." Tory said it would cost his city less to acquire buildings to be used for housing homeless people than to rent hotel rooms indefinitely. City budgets have also been pummelled by COVID-19, with revenues from transit services collapsing and recreation programs having to close. Cities that want to spend more on housing will have to decide where to cut services or capital projects, or whether to raise property taxes. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The Liberals promised aid to cover the shortfall weeks ago, but Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart said his municipality's coffers have yet to see the money, which is subject to negotiations with the province. His city's homeless census in March counted some 2,000 people on streets or in shelters. Stewart estimated the number has grown as people's incomes have crashed and strained their ability to keep up with rent a situation he said is playing out in other cities nationwide. Stewart on Friday called an emergency council meeting to kickstart a process to determine how much it might cost to lease or buy buildings to deal with Vancouver's homelessness problem. He said in an interview prior to the meeting that he just wants an indication from the federal government of its intentions so his city and others can plan. "It's a national problem. COVID is a national emergency, so we need the indication early," Stewart said. "I needed the money yesterday." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2020. Authorities search for "Glee" actress Naya Rivera in Lake Piru in July in the days after her 4-year-old son was found alone on a boat she had rented. (KTLA) Actress Naya Rivera had nonlethal amounts of prescription medication and alcohol in her system when she drowned while boating on Lake Piru, according to a medical examiner's report made public Friday. Rivera's 4-year-old son was found alone on the boat after she disappeared July 8 and told investigators his mother had never come out of the water. A few days later, the Glee actress' body was recovered from the Ventura County lake. The autopsy report included the medical examiner's earlier determination that the drowning was accidental and added the new information that she had a low level of amphetamine and diazepam, caffeine and a blood-alcohol level of 0.016%. The autopsy did not say whether the medication and alcohol played a role in her death. Her blood-alcohol level was five times lower than the legal limit for drunken driving in California, 0.08%. The report revealed that wind speeds on the lake the afternoon she drowned were up to 21 mph. Investigators believe it is possible winds blew the boat away from her while she was in the water and made it harder to get back to the small vessel. Lake workers discovered her son alone and alerted sheriff's deputies. The son told investigators that he and his mother jumped into the water and that she pushed him back into the boat but then did not get back on. He recalled his mother, who authorities say could swim, yelling for help before vanishing below the waterline. When investigators found the pontoon boat, Rivera's "purse and adult life vest was on a bench seat behind the driving area," according to an investigator's report. Rivera, 33, had no signs of physical injury or disease and was found in a two-piece swimsuit. According to the report, she had a prescription for Adderall, an amphetamine commonly used to treat attention deficit disorder. "She was known to consume alcoholic beverages, smoke about a pack of cigarettes per week, and used marijuana by vaping, but she was not known to use any illicit substance," the autopsy said. Of course, thats a fantasy as long as Donald Trump is in office. America is changing. Many white people are no longer willing to turn a deaf ear to the voices of African Americans who have been screaming for years about being mistreated by the police. They are standing with Black people demanding change. But that change isnt going to occur on its own. We need the force of the federal government to make sure police departments adopt reforms that will treat all people fairly. The only way to do that effectively is with federal consent decrees that have the full backing of the U.S. Justice Department. During Barack Obamas administration, the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division conducted at least 25 investigations into police departments across the country, resulting in 14 consent decrees mandating court-monitored reforms. Obama understood that the police departments responsible for the deaths of Laquan McDonald, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray and others werent going to wake up one morning and decide they needed to change from within. The federal government would have to force police to make reforms, and the courts would have to make sure those reforms were carried out. Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa (2007-2017) on Wednesday called ridiculous the accusations for which he was sentenced to eight years in prison, and believes that the new government will not be able to extradite him to Ecuador. In an interview with The Associated Press in Brussels, where Correa has been living since leaving office in 2017, he stated that the new government has "failed because the accusations are so ridiculous that Interpol ex officio, I believe, rejects the requests of the Ecuadorian system of justice." He stressed that "obviously Belgium does not pay any attention to them, but I have to meet with my lawyers in this new stage, because they will try again to harm me," Correa added. Earlier this week, the former Ecuadorian president was sentenced to eight years in prison in a process that judged a corruption scheme in which senior government officials demanded millionaire sums of money from business people to finance the ruling party, Alianza Pais. According to the cause, the bribes were in exchange for large public contracts of state infrastructure. Correa settled in Belgium to be with his children and wife, who is Belgian and the former First Lady of Ecuador, and said he might consider requesting Belgian nationality. "While I could have done it for 25 years, maybe it is time to think about it seriously." The former president has a score of judicial processes pending, most of them for embezzlement (of public funds) and for influence peddling. He has been tried in previous cases, one for kidnapping the then opponent, Fernando Balda, and the second case on corruption with sentencing due this week. He compared the current prosecution against him to the cases of former presidents Evo Morales (2006-2019), from Bolivia, and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2010), from Brazil. "They take someone who committed an offense, corrupt, abusive, whatever, threatening to put him and his family in prison for 10-15 unless he implicates and involves the political objective," he said. There are fresh warnings from Brussels and Washington that future trade deals with the UK will be blocked if Boris Johnson's government undermines the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. The British government has rejected demands that it drop legislation allowing it to "disapply" protocols relating to Northern Ireland, throwing the ongoing talks with the EU on a future trade agreement into jeopardy. Mr Johnson's government last night received a boost when the UK secured a new trade agreement with Japan. But politicians in the EU and US have renewed warnings that UK trade deals with Europe and America will be blocked unless the UK upholds what it has already agreed to in relation to the Irish protocols. The Government here last night maintained pressure on its British counterpart to live up to its commitments. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said it was "imperative" the Withdrawal Agreement be honoured and this was a "prerequisite to what any future relationship could look like." Speaking as he attended his first meeting of Eurogroup ministers as president of the powerful group of EU countries he said his colleagues assembled in Berlin had shown "solidarity and support" for Ireland's position. Elsewhere, Europe Minister Thomas Byrne told the BBC the UK move poses a "serious risk" to the peace process. He added it is "a totally unacceptable way to do business" and "a unilateral provocative act". Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, meanwhile, sounded a downbeat note on the prospect of a deal with the UK, telling the Agriculture Science Association's annual conference the best that could be hoped for is a "very basic and pretty thin agreement" that would avoid tariffs and quotas. Senior MEPs in the European Parliament have threatened to block any trade deal with the UK if the British government breaches the Brexit agreement. German MEP David McAllister - who heads up the Parliament's UK-EU coordination group - made the warning as he called the Westminster legislation "a serious and unacceptable breach of international law". He said the EU is "remaining firm" adding: "It's not easy to negotiate our future relations under these threatening circumstances." In Washington, senior Democrat Richard Neal reiterated the warning by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi that Congress will block a US trade deal with the UK if the Withdrawal Agreement and provisions related to Ireland are breached. Mr Neal is the chairman of the US House of Representatives' powerful Ways and Means Committee, which signs off on trade deals. He said even if President Donald Trump wins re-election and seeks to strike a deal with the UK, it can be blocked for years. He told RTE Radio One's Drivetime that the Democrats are likely to retain control of the House of Representatives after elections in November and "our position would be steadfast". Criticism Mr Johnson's government has sustained criticism from within the UK for its planned legislation which it acknowledges breaks international law, while arguing the breach is minor. Former prime minister Gordon Brown joined Theresa May and John Major in condemning the legislation, describing it as "a huge act of self-harm". Mr Brown said: "You can't expect to have a decent negotiation with the European Union if you start by breaking a treaty that you signed yourself." There is opposition to the bill among some Conservative MPs and Mr Johnson last night appealed to his party to support the legislation in a conference call with backbenchers. He 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". His government heralded a new trade deal with Japan. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss claimed it will bring "new wins" for British businesses. But the opposition Labour Party said it was important to put the deal in "perspective", with MP Emily Thornberry saying: "Trade with Japan represented 2.21pc of our global total last year." She pointed out trade with the EU currently stands at 47pc and said "necessary as this agreement is, the government's overriding priority has to be securing the oven-ready deal that they promised us with Europe". Marysville, CA (95901) Today A mix of clouds and sun with gusty winds. High around 65F. Winds NNW at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 44F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has recently tweeted out that there would be a lot of things to be unveiled come battery day on 9/22 or September 22. Although there is no additional information regarding what will be revealed, there is reason to believe that this could be about its previous acquisition of Hibar. Many exciting things will be unveiled on Battery Day 9/22 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 11, 2020 Searching through the comment section, you will find a reply detailing how Tesla previously acquired Hibar which is a company that makes machines that in turn manufacture batteries. The reply to Elon Musk's tweet also notes that this should improve their very own ability to actually make batteries and also improve the whole vertical integration Tesla has become famous for. The reply by a certain Michael Fink notes that this all points to making Tesla batteries both faster and cheaper to produce. There is no reply to this but since there is very little evidence disproving this, it is a viable theory as of the moment. 3. Tesla also acquired Hibar which makes machines that manufacture batteries. So that should improve their ability to make batteries and improve the vertical integration that Tesla is famous for. All of this should mean their batteries are faster and cheaper to produce. Michael Fink (@Michael01996367) September 11, 2020 The previous acquisition of Hibar All the way back on October 7, 2019, an article published by CNBC detailed how Tesla actually acquired Hibar Systems, a particular company that intensely specializes in next-level high-speed battery manufacturing systems for different electric vehicles. The data was revealed by a Canadian news site known as Electric Autonomy. It is still pretty unclear when the whole deal took place, but Tesla actually listed Hibar as its subsidiary back in October 2 filing with a known Canadian government, according to Electric Autonomy. Additionally, Hibar's own website has also been updated into a single page during recent months. Tesla representatives from Tesla itself weren't really able to give an immediate comment. According to Hibar's own LinkedIn page, this Ontario-based company was previously founded way back in 1974 and works with at least 50 employees. All the way back in April of 2019, Hibar was actually awarded a large $2 million grant that came from the National Research Council of Canada in order to support its efforts in actually developing the Lithium-ion battery manufacturing systems. Tesla's "in-house" style This also comes as Tesla has previously been wanting to develop its very own battery cells in-house in order to make them cheaper and to provide higher-performance electric vehicles as well as limit its dependence on the company Panasonic, which already jointly owns and still operates a particular battery factory located in Sparks, Nevada. The company has also gradually strengthened its own portfolio of certain energy tech companies by acquiring the company Maxwell Technologies all the way back in February for $218 million. It's hard to tell what Elon Musk plans to do next as he moves very swiftly and almost in all directions with Tesla, SpaceX, and even the more recent Neuralink all at once. It seems like the successes of his companies follow one after another. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Learning to speaking the English Under any other circumstances, this could altogether be dismissed as nothing but mere trifling in the vast pool of a nations problems. But looking at the tentacled nature of the subject matter, we cannot afford to consistently put it on the back burner. I want to be learning to speaking the English. This is bad right? For a junior high school student, this is badis it not? If I may nit-pick, bad on two levelshorrible each way you slice it: 1) That this is spoken by, as noted, a JHS student 2) that is the answer given by said student to the question of her aspiration. You and I should just pump our brakeshold off on submitting this one student under scrutiny, desist from using her as case-study of ineptness, and start appreciating her on the fact that, in her school, she is the only student who can even speak the language (attempt speaking the language). In the entire school, this JHS 1 student is the only person who can speaking the English. But then again, what at all is English? As a pan-Africanist, an anti-white supremacist enthusiast (of all the worlds boundless stupidities, this ought to be atop it: white supremacy), a pro-African-purity individual (if ever the was an expression like that), etc., I should be first to scoff: what at all is English? I should be first to join the illiterate, semi-literate (and sometimes literate, in fact) proud soul in defensively retorting: English is not my language! (By the way, have you noticed that people inept in the language always get defensive when you attemptperhaps absentmindedly on your partspeaking English to them?) English is not my language! I, almost always, am on their side in this chant; but then again, not really. Because what this revealswhen the introspective Black/African ponderings are abandoned for a second, just a secondis a grave national problem. Underlying languagewith all its complexities, its varietiesis a fundamental, unchanged mission to communicate. And if ever there was such urgency, such importance for communication, it is now. If ever there was a time for national urgency for language, it is nowthis Information Age. And this is something I hammer on a lot; this is something I do a lotcalling attention to the name' (emphasis intended) of this age we are in. It is for good reason. Information Age is not just a name, it carries with it, the very essence of our era. Like all other aptly described agesthe Bronze Age, Iron Age, Industrial Age, etc., ours too receives its name and aliases because it has earned itthe Information Age, the Global Knowledge, etc. One thing that sure makes communication easy is samenessthat we are on the same page; that what I am saying, you are understanding. It is this need to be on the same page that makes this language, Englishwith its very gory history, a history of bloodshed, inhumanness, belittlement, (slavery, colonialism, et al.)important. For an Anglophone nation, case in point: Ghana, this common tongue, cutting across the various and varied regions, ethnic groups, must be taken seriously. I wont go so far as to call it a blessing, but I will say it is convenient. This means that I must learn to put aside my prideconstantly put aside my pride. My African pride, my Black pride, my anti-white supremacist prideput all these aside, and advocate for English (saying this through gritted teeth). A case for English, isnt a case for English onlyalthough, perhaps so, when this conversation is limited to Ghana (and other Anglophone African countries), and not extended to the rest of the African continent. A case for English contextually, is a case for French, Portuguese, Spanish, etc. expansively. I find myself reluctantly arguing for these languages. To my own dismay, I find the incessant hapless retorts of English is not my language by our illiterate (and sometimes literate) nationals, very troubling. I find it even more troubling, that in an entire rural school, not a single Ghanaian child can speak the languagesometimes, one is lucky to find just one or two who can. So how are they learning? How are they learning when they cannot speak and understand this language used for the codification of the various components of the vast expanse of global knowledge? How are they reading those government-issued books? How are they preparing for the BECEs, the WASSCEs? Is knowledge being imparted to them at all? Is level playing field true or fraudulent? Do we really mean that expression when we mentioned it in national conversations regarding education? If a nation has a vast majority of its children, its students, future leaders, sieved out, right at the point of entryat the point of understanding, how is the word level-playing field even toyed with, or dared boasted about? If the Science, English, Math, etc., being taught the rural and underprivileged-urban student, cannot be read and understood by them, how are they expected to compete effectively in tests aimed at weighing their brain prowess, tests aimed at stratifying them accordingly, test aimed at dictating for them, their future professionsprofessions which they can and cannot have access to? And even if by the workings of a magician teacher, these students are able to understand the things taught them (dissemination via local dialects), how are these students to inform an examiner, this BECE and WASSCE marker that they, in fact, know what they are talking about, that they understand the subject matter, if they cannot write these understandings down on paper? The NEA Mid 2005, Ghanaians were introduced to the National Education Assessment (NEA) by the Ghana Education Service (GES). It is a biennial, cross-country, testing system funded by the USAID (ahem!), conducted on Primary 3 and Primary 6 students on their competencies (they use this word a lot) in English and Maths. But you may already have guessed what these findings have looked like and will look like if things do not change. Survey after survey, the Ghanaian child is constantly coming out short on English (another pivotal subject, Maths)not just the rural child, but their urban counterparts too. So how are we building future leaders, when the vast majority of our children and young people are disadvantagedunable to have their fair share of the global pool of knowledgeknowledge which rules our world. How is the Ghanaian child to be a national and global giantby that I mean, contribute their share to this global pool of knowledge if they are not given the wherewithal to tap from this very pool, in the first place? By YAO AFRA YAO By 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. ---- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A Birmingham father has been charged in connection with the death of his infant son. The U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force on Friday took Jamarius DeJuan Ruffin into custody on a capital murder warrant obtained by the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office. Ruffin is charged in the July slaying of his 2-month-old son Amari. According to sheriffs Sgt. Joni Money, deputies on July 29 were called to the 100 block of Dalewood Manor Lane in Jefferson County to investigate a 2- month-old who was unresponsive. According to initial reports, the child had been sleeping with his father when it was discovered that he was not breathing. Amari was transported to Childrens Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. After the Jefferson County Coroners Office completed their autopsy examination, it was determined that the child died from blunt force trauma to the head. There were also previously injuries discovered during the examination. U.S. Marshals arrested Ruffin shortly before 7:30 a.m. at 1305 Cotton Avenue S.W. He was taken into custody without incident at an apartment there and booked into the Jefferson County jail at 7:42 a.m. He is being held without bond. After a long silence about the wildfires raging in the West, President Trump will meet with officials Monday in Sacramento for a briefing about blazes that have charred more than 3 million acres in California and blanketed the state in smoke. The president is expected to be briefed by politicians and fire officials in McClellan Park, a former Air Force base that is now a hub for Cal Fire and U.S. Forest Service operations fighting the 29 major wildfires burning around the state. The White House confirmed the visit Saturday. The fires have already set an annual record with most of the fire season still ahead, and at least 22 people have died, including three more deaths in the North Complex Fire that officials announced Saturday evening. Trump has said little about the fires. At a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last month, he blamed the state and environmentalists because of what he called a buildup of forest debris. On Saturday evening at a campaign rally in Minden, Nev., he reiterated that, saying the California fires are about forest management. Fires are starting again in California. I said, you gotta clean your floors, you gotta clean your forests there are many, many years of leaves and broken trees and theyre like, like, so flammable, you touch them and it goes up, Trump said. Ive been telling them this now for three years, but they dont want to listen. Trump has been critical of Californias forest management in the past, including during a 2018 visit to Paradise (Butte County) after the Camp Fire killed 85 people. He said then that the state needed to do a better job of raking its forest floors. At his Pennsylvania rally last month, Trump suggested that the federal government shouldnt be required to cover the cost of fighting the wildfires. Maybe were just going to have to make them pay for it because they dont listen to us, he said. Trump threatened to withhold federal money for wildfires in 2018 and again in 2019, but never followed through. Despite his new warning about blocking fire relief money, the president has signed disaster declarations for the state, prompting expressions of gratitude from Gov. Gavin Newsom. Last month, Newsom announced a state-federal agreement to reduce wildfire risks on 1 million acres of forest every year. Under the deal, governments will spend as much as $1 billion on fire preparedness in California by scaling up vegetation treatment over the next five years. The pact commits to a 20-year program of forest and vegetation management, including wildland and watershed restoration. The White House expressed support for firefighting efforts in a statement announcing Trumps visit to Sacramento. The president continues to support those who are battling raging wildfires in a locally executed, state-managed and federally supported emergency response, White House spokesman Judd Deere said. Wildfires are also burning in Washington and Oregon, with hundreds of homes destroyed and tens of thousands fleeing the flames in those states. The announcement of the presidential visit came as the late summer siege of smoke and fire continued Saturday, with the North Complex Fire in Plumas, Butte and Yuba counties and the Creek Fire in the central Sierra both burning with minimal containment, and smoke-filled skies choking the Bay Area and much of the West Coast. Cooler conditions helped firefighters battle the North Complex, which has scorched 252,300 acres over the past 14 days. That blaze has leveled a handful of towns near Lake Oroville. One of the communities destroyed is tiny Berry Creek. The areas only grocery story the Village Market was reduced to black rubble. On Saturday, a smattering of canned food rested on what appeared to be a shelf. Two gas pumps were still standing. Across the road, downed trees and power lines littered Graystone Lane, where one of the 12 confirmed victims in the blaze, Millicent Catarancuic, lived and died. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California While Cal Fire officials touted improved conditions Saturday at the North Complex fires, they also warned that fire conditions might get worse. The National Weather Service predicted a fire weather watch for Monday, with strong winds expected. The Butte County Sheriff announced Saturday that an additional three victims had died, bringing the total to 12 with another 13 missing. Fire officials said Saturday evening that at least 132 homes and 36 commercial structures were destroyed. As of Saturday, the fire was 21% contained. Farther south, in Fresno and Madera counties, the Creek Fire continued to rage, mostly in wilderness near Shaver Lake in Fresno County. The Creek Fire has ripped through 196,667 acres, according to Cal Fire officials, and is just 6% contained. Thick smoke over the area is aiding firefighters by reducing temperatures. Meanwhile, firefighters continued to snuff out the three massive fires that have raged in and near the Bay Area since they were sparked by lightning strikes during an Aug. 16 thunderstorm. The LNU Lightning Complex in the North Bay tore through 363,220 acres and is 95% contained. The SCU Lightning Complex in the East Bay and San Joaquin Valley is 98% contained and has charred 396,624 acres, while the CZU Lightning Complex in the Santa Cruz Mountains is 86% contained after burning 86,509 acres. The August Complex in Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties the largest in state history has burned through 846,812 acres and is 25% contained. Smoke from the fires has lingered for weeks, driving air quality in the Bay Area to unhealthy levels. Meteorologists said moderate winds could develop Sunday afternoon and start to push some of the smoke east, with the air getting easier to breathe each day next week. Mallory Moench, Michael Cabanatuan and Lizzie Johnson are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com, mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com, ljohnson@sfchronicle.com, Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha has announced Jammu and Kashmir health scheme intended to provide universal health insurance cover to all residents of the Union Territory at the likely annual cost of Rs 123 crore. On the occasion of its launch, Sinha said the governments core agenda was welfare and it will ensure that all workable reforms and benefits percolate to each and every resident, down to the most neglected sections, in a hassle-free manner as part of efforts to improve the overall standard of life. Enumerating the salient features of the scheme, LG said it will provide health insurance cover free of cost to all those residents of Jammu and Kashmir, who are presently not covered under AB-PMJAY or Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. Financial commissioner health and medical education, Atal Dulloo, said the scheme would also include employees and retirees from government services of J&K and their families. It will have the same benefits as available under AB-PMJAY with an annual health insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family on floater basis, he said. He further stated that the scheme will cover about 15 lakh families over and above the 5.97 lakh families, already covered under AB-PMJAY. Besides, 1592 medical packages already approved under AB-PMJAY will also be available for the beneficiaries of J&K health scheme. Dulloo said that life consuming diseases such as cancer, kidney failure and Covid-19 are also covered under the scheme. All high-end treatments of oncology, cardiology and nephrology will be covered from day one while the high-end diagnostic treatments during hospitalization will also be covered. There shall be no restriction on the family size or age and all the pre-existing medical conditions shall be covered under the scheme including 3 days of pre-hospitalization, hospitalization and 15 days of post hospitalization expenses including diagnostic care and medicines. Atal Dulloo also pointed out that at present, there are about 23,300 empanelled hospitals across India, where this scheme will be honoured. These include 218 public and private hospitals already empanelled in J&K. The health department will be launching a beneficiary registration drive to distribute Golden Cards (e-cards) amongst the beneficiaries soon. Also Read: J&K crosses 50,000 mark with 1,578 fresh infections The socio-economic caste census (SECC) 2011 data will be used for identification of families for the scheme since the families suffering from any of the deprivations defined under SECC are already covered under AB-PMJAY, he said. However, under the J & K health scheme, the remaining families including those who do not suffer from any deprivation will also be covered. In case any family is left out from the database of SECC 2011, the procedure for inclusion in the database has also been approved Dulloo added. Also Read: Implement amendments on Panchayati Raj in J&K, urges body of village heads He said that under the J&K health scheme, portability option will be available as applicable under AB-PMJAY, which will allow the beneficiary families to avail cashless service from any of the health care providers empanelled under AB-PMJAY across the country. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Imogen Anthony has remained at the $4000-a-week Hunters Hill rental property, which she once shared with her radio host ex, Kyle Sandilands. But despite living on 1000sqm of land, Imogen, 29, still can't escape her noisy neighbours. Taking to Instagram stories to share her frustration, the blonde bombshell shared footage of what appeared to be her neighbours yelling and making loud noises. Not happy: Imogen Anthony (pictured) appeared to be at war with her neighbours on Saturday, while at the the $4000-a-week Hunters Hill rental property, which she once shared with her radio host ex, Kyle Sandilands 'Oh god no,' she wrote over footage of her hitting her head while standing outside. 'I just heard them say they need to get five more in. They've only gotten two in twenty minutes...' she said in another video, which appeared to refer to the neighbours playing rounds of a ballgame. The 29-year-old Instagram model then calls out for help in another post, hoping for someone to save her. Quiet: Taking to Instagram Stories to share her frustration, the blonde bombshell shared footage of what appeared to be her neighbours yelling and making loud noises, before she blasted loud heavy metal music In retaliation, the tattooed bombshell made her way inside her home, and blasted loud heavy metal music in an attempt to block out the noises coming from next door. The first song shared to her Instagram was Limp Bizkit's 1999 hit Break stuff. Imogen and Kyle have held onto the sprawling property because their 100 rescue animals still live there, a spokesperson for the former couple said. 'Kyle and Imogen will never sell the property,' the representative said when asked about the 61 hectare estate in Robertson, 90 minutes south of Sydney. Staying put: Imogen and her ex Kyle have held onto their sprawling property despite their split because their 100 rescue animals still live there, a spokesperson for the former couple said Animal farm: 'The farm is home to over 100 rescue animals who'll continue to be cared for,' they added 'The farm is home to over 100 rescue animals who'll continue to be cared for,' they added. The pair had named the property 'Crimson Peak' after its red A-line roof structure. During their eight-year relationship, Kyle and Imogen had also rented a $5,000-per-week mansion in Mosman and a 3,000-per-week home in Hunters Hill. Kyle announced the couple's split on air in November last year. He is now dating his former personal assistant Tegan Kynaston. SJB, UNP General Secretaries say they will campaign against 20A; merger between the parties not ruled out By Kasun Warakapitiya View(s): View(s): Whilst the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) is planning protests over the impending 20th Amendment to the Constitution, its one time parent, the United National Party (UNP), still has not named a young member to be its leader. We are moving towards a dictatorship. We will campaign against this, SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara told the Sunday Times. Vesting powers now with the Prime Minister and Parliament in the hands of the President is dangerous, he said in a brief interview. UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said the Working Committee would meet tomorrow to discuss the appointment of a new leader. With that we will reorganise the party and campaign against 20A. We feel the independent commissions are important. This is how we were able to delay parliamentary elections through the Election Commission, he said in the interview. SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara What are the provisions of the 20 Amendment that the SJB is opposing? We are opposing 20A because the Sri Lanak Podujana Peramuna is trying to create a dictatorial rule by transferring powers vested in the Prime Minister and Parliament to the President. Prime Minister and SLPP leader Mahinda Rajapaksas former party, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, opposed the executive presidency. The party promised to abolish the executive presidency at elections in 1994, 2000 and 2004. In my view 20A is an extension of 18A and will create a dictatorial presidential system. Through 19A, we created a mechanism where even the President can be challenged in court. If they proclaim one country one law then there should not be a separate law for the President. We are also against the 20A provision that will enable the President to dissolve parliament after it completes one year. People do not elect a government to be dissolved by a President after one year. We are also against the provision on dual citizenship. Under 19A, the number of cabinet ministers was limited to 30. Under the new amendment, the President can appoint any number of ministers. It is said that 20A resembles the J.R. Jayewardene Constitutions executive presidency. Do you say JR was wrong? Mr. Jayewardene used the executive power to develop the country. Today those who said JRs power was too excessive are trying to introduce an amendment that surpasses his powers. Undermining 19As independent commissions, the present Government is introducing a system where the President can make appointments. He can appoint the Chief Justice, superior court judges and the Attorney General. Even members of the Police Commission will be appointed by the President. But by scrapping the Audit Commission and the Procurement Commission, the Government is removing a powerful check against corruption and fraud. Some say that SJB is pushing for a merger with the UNP, is this true? The SJB is a new party. We are engaged in moves to strengthen the party and introducing programmes to take the party to villages. We hope to do this on September 19 and 20. We are drafting the party constitution and it will be ready within two weeks. The people have given their mandate to the SJB. People have brought down the UNP to zero. Therefore, we are inviting the UNP to join us. Is a meeting being scheduled between the SJB and UNP? Has the UNP made any overtures? Our party leader and I have openly invited UNP members to create an alliance with us. We have had informal meetings with UNP members, but nothing official. Who made the first move for a possible renunion? The SJB made the move. However the UNP itself is facing a leadership crisis. SLPP members say some SJB members will cross over to the Government. Any comment? The SJB stands strong and united. We are certain that there would not be any crossover. We see that there are issues cropping up in the SLPP. It made use of the Viyathmaga group and the SLFP to win the election, but appointed old faces. They did not even give a ministry to the SLFP leader and former president. This is a huge issue. Some of them, including former ministers, talk to us about their grievances. They also tell us not to allow them to obtain a two-thirds majority. We expect that some SLPP members will cross over to our party. Has your party engaged in campaigns to create public awareness against the 20 Amendment? On September 8, before the statue of the Ven Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera, we made a pledge that we would protect the 19th Amendment. Thereafter we protested against 20A. At district level, we have started a campaign to educate the people on the adverse of effects of 20A. We also plan to challenge it in court once it is presented to Parliament. Do you see any a need for a new Constitution? Is our constitution so badly drafted that it needs to be amended for 20 times? If so how can we rectify the issue? When 19A was brought in, everyone in the current cabinet, except for Ali Sabry (who is a first-time MP) voted in favour of it. Now we ask them whether they voted for it with their eyes and ears closed. The ones who had fought for the abolition of the executive presidency for a long time are trying to make it much more powerful and bring about a dictatorial rule. Will you discuss with the SLFP to get its support to defeat 20A? We are having secret meetings with the SLFP to discuss this. The SLFPers say they are disgruntled with the Government. We will soon meet them openly. UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam What are the 20A provisions that the UNP is opposed to? Please explain provision by provision. The Government is building the foundation for a dictatorial rule through 20A. This is an undemocratic move. Through 19A, we introduced mechanisms that secured the basic rights of people. These mechanisms were recognised by the entire world. The introduction of independent commissions is one such mechanism. Parliamentary election was postponed during the Covid-19 pandemic, because the independence Election Commission created by us had powers to do so. We would have faced the same issues as India, if we had not postponed the election. The Public Services Commission, the Police Commission, the Audit Commission and the Procurement Commissions were created for the betterment of the people. We admit there were flaws. It takes time to strengthen the commissions. If the Government goes ahead with the amendment, there will be no need of a Parliament as all the powers would be devolved to the president. Government politicians were the ones who complained that JRs 1978 constitution had excessive power. But 20A is creating a situation that goes beyond that. It also gives immunity to the President not only during his term but even thereafter. This is dangerous to the future of the country. There were checks and balances between the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary but 20A undermines the checks. It gives the President the power to appoint chairpersons to the independent commissions. By making political appointments, the independence of the commissions is lost. 20 A resembles the JR Jayewardene executive presidency. Do you say what JR did was wrong? When J.R. Jayewardene introduced the 1978 Constitution, the situation in the country was entirely different. He never made any attempts to misuse power during his two terms in power. However during the later periods, different leaders have misused the executive powers. They used the executive power to exact revenge and destroy democracy. The 20th Amendment exceeds the limits of the previous constitutions. Who will be the UNPs National list nominee to Parliament? The party needs some time to decide. We have scheduled a Working Committee Meeting tomorrow to discuss the matter. Even the party leader has decided to take some time to do it. The UNP only has one seat in Parliament. So, how will you build a public opinion against 20A? Even though we have one seat, we can make a public opinion in parliament and outside parliament. We can educate the people. What is the UNPs current situation and future plans? We admit that we are facing a tough situation than previous times. Yet this does not mean that this is the end of it. We will restructure and strengthen the party. Our plan is to regain the 2 million votes we lost during the election. What about the leadership of the party? There have been lots of discussion and there will soon be an outcome. Are there any party members who are in favour of Ranil Wickremesinghe staying on as leader? Our Party leader has said he is willing to give the leadership to a young leader. Will the UNP go for a merger with the SJB? We have not yet discussed any merger. At present, our focus is on restructuring the party. However in the future we have to get-together with all parties if we wish to defeat this Government. It will not matter whether its SJB, the SLFP or the JVP. The previous government had plans to bring a new constitution but failed. Now the present Government is trying to bring in a new Constitution. What is your partys stance on this? If the Government is going to draft a new constitution, it has to go for a referendum. Therefore, it is going to make use of the two-thirds majority to introduce more amendments. Do you see a need for a new constitution? Most governments amend the constitution to secure power. Through 19A, we secured democracy for the people. We gave independence to the media; we created independent commissions and checked the power of the government. As a government we could not function as we wished. People could criticise us, but we only thought of the people. In contrast, now this Government is trying to obtain a dictatorial rule, disregarding democracy. The Government is quickly bringing this as a measure to face future issues when they are unpopular with the people. What are your thoughts on Premalal Jayasekara being sworn in? This was the first time in the world that a convicted murderer has been sworn in as a member of parliament. It made headlines internationally. They are bringing in 20A to do such things in the future. As a lawyer I see this incident of a murderer convicted by the evidence of 45 witnesses coming to parliament as a dangerous precedent. New Delhi, Sep 12 : 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. On September 6, the standard review process had triggered a voluntary pause to vaccination across all global trials to allow review of safety data by independent committees and international regulators. The UK committee has concluded its investigations and recommended to the MHRA that trials in the UK are safe to resume, AstraZeneca said on Saturday. "AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford as the trial sponsor cannot disclose further medical information. All trial investigators and participants will be updated with the relevant information and this will be disclosed on global clinical registries, according to the clinical trial and regulatory standards," it added. AstraZeneca is committed to the safety of the trial participants and highest standards of conduct in clinical trials. "The company will continue to work with health authorities across the world and be guided as to when other clinical trials can resume to provide the vaccine broadly, equitably and at no profit during this pandemic," the company said. AZD1222 was co-invented by the University of Oxford and its spin-out company, Vaccitech. It uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack the SARS-CoV-2 virus if it later infects the body. Police forces should release officers's body cam footage of clashes with suspects and controversial stop-and-searches, the Home Secretary has demanded. Priti Patel has written to Mark Hewitt, chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council, backing a campaign to release police body-worn video cameras (BWV) to protect officers from 'unfair criticism' on social media. Ms Patel argued that online critics often slam officers even though they have 'little understanding' of the situations that officers face, the Daily Express reported. Home Secretary Priti Patel has reportedly sent a letter backing a campaign to release police body-worn video cameras (BWV) to protect officers from 'unfair criticism' on social media Ms Patel reportedly told police chiefs that ministers must do 'whatever we can to protect' officers 'doing their jobs', arguing that the actions of officers are 'deliberately misrepresented' in some social media videos. In the letter, seen by the Daily Express, she wrote: 'Decisions around the release of such footage are, of course, operational matters for individual chiefs and must be taken on a case-by-case basis with due consideration of the relevant legal frameworks. 'Nonetheless, I hope that guidance will encourage forces to consider the welfare of officers in these situations and, where release of BWV footage is not appropriate, outline alternative options and good practice. 'I would encourage forces to be proactive in considering where BWV footage can be released to demonstrate the good work officers do and to show that selective footage can be misleading.' This comes after a number of high-profile incidences where officers have been accused of 'racial profiling'. Team GB sprinter Bianca Williams, 26, and her husband Ricardo dos Santos, 25, were taken from their Mercedes and handcuffed in front of their three-month-old son. It led the senior officer to saying 'I'm sorry' to the athlete and Met Police chief Cressida Dick echoing this apology at a Home Affairs committee. Officers were accused of racial profiling after British athlete Bianca Williams and Labour MP Dawn Butler (above) were stopped on separate occasions by officers during traffic incidents Labour MP Dawn Butler, 50, was also stopped in a BMW by police on a separate occasion, accusing officers of 'racially profiling' both her and the driver. Mike Cunningham, head of the College of Policing, has also backed the Police Federation campaign which asks police forces to be 'proactive' in releasing footage. But Met Police Deputy Commissioner Sir Steve House said forces should not release police body cam footage, saying it may make them 'look bad'. He said: 'The increasingly routine trial by social media is unfair and damaging to individual officers and has the potential to undermine the role our communities need us to do to protect them and keep them safe from violence.' Addressing the Police Superintendents' Association, he added that many 'tactics that we use for officer safety' can 'frankly look bad'. Ms Patel claimed in her letter to Mr Hewitt that in some cases the actions of officers are 'deliberately misrepresented' or 'edited' when shared on social media. She added: 'This has a corrosive impact on the welfare of the officers involved and on public confidence more broadly.' Tuolumne County Public Health View Photo Sonora, CA Tuolumne County Health Officials report one new case today and the individual is in isolation. One individual has moved from isolation to recovered, one previously hospitalized case has been discharged from and is isolating at home, and one remains hospitalized. Tuolumne Countys total COVID-19 positive case count is 213 including 14 inmates at the Sierra Conservation Center. There are nine active cases and 187 have recovered. Since last Friday there have been 11 more COVID-19. As reported here state test results are being processed faster and Tuolumne County Interim Public Health Officer Dr. Liza Ortiz has stepped down as reported here. The 14 inmate cases will not be included in community data used to calculate Tuolumne countys case rate or to determine what type of business may remain open. 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 1 9/11 0 1 Madera 448 9/11 71 14 Merced 727 9/11 54 71 Mono 1 9/11 1 0 San Joaquin 938 9/11 159 125/41 Stanislaus 583 9/10 64 75/32 Tuolumne 9 9/11 1 1 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 71 (+1) 74 2 Madera 3,644(+20) 4,150 58 Merced 7,687(+69) 8,541 127 Mono 160(+0) 163 2 San Joaquin 17,366(+183) 18,528 383 Stanislaus 14,863 (+112) 15,749 303 Tuolumne 187(+0) 213(*14) 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 New Delhi: Coronavirus is creating new records in the country. Meanwhile, a good news has come out on the vaccine front. India Biotech, working towards finding treatment of coronavirus in the country, has reported that its vaccine covaxin trial on animals has been successful. The vaccine will now be trial on humans soon. This information was given by the Hyderabad-based firm in a tweet. Bharat Biotech is currently conducting first and second phase tests of covaxin on 1,125 patients in 12 hospitals across the country, these hospitals include All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at New Delhi and Patna, King George Hospital at Visakhapatnam, Institute of Medical Sciences of Nizam at Hyderabad and PGIMS at Rohtak. Bharat Biotech has announced this at a time when the Serum Institute of India (SII) has recently banned clinical trials of AstraZeneca vaccine in the country till further orders. Let us tell you that the corona epidemic in the country is spreading rapidly. According to data released on Saturday morning, the total number of patients in the country has crossed 46 lakh. According to the Union Health ministry, 97,570 new cases have been reported in the last 24 hours, while the death toll was 1,201. Now, the total number of patients in the country has gone up to 46, 59985. Also Read: UP police arrested bookies for online cricket betting Collector threatens to suspend; it's very demotivating to work: Dr. Somla Naik of Guntur PM Modi to provide homes to two lakh families today under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana DUSIB writes letter to Railways, says "Arrange for stay and then remove slums" 13-y-o grandson of Enchanted Forest founder among multiple dead as wildfires ravage Western states Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Wyatte Tofte, the 13-year-old great-grandson of the creator of the Oregon fantasy theme park The Enchanted Forest, and his grandmother, Peggy Mosso, are among multiple people killed by wildfires that have razed homes, churches and millions of acres across the Pacific Northwest. Their deaths were confirmed by the park on Facebook Wednesday. Angela Mosso, Toftes mother, survived the Beachie Creek fire only after she was forced to leave her disabled mother behind. She suffered severe burns and is being treated in an intensive care unit. We are devastated to confirm that Wyatt Tofte has not survived. He was found a short while ago, the statement from the theme park reads. Wyatt was Rogers great-grandson and is loved and adored by all of his family and friends. His grandmother, Peggy Mosso, was also taken. She was also a loved and important member of our extended family. We ask for privacy and love right now. The harrowing details of how the Beachie Creek wildfires ravaged the family who lived near Lyons, Oregon, were shared by the 13-year-olds father, Chris Tofte, and a family friend in multiple interviews with The Statesman Journal. According to the report, the family had started preparations to leave when they were overwhelmed by the fire. While his wife packed a few things, Chris Tofte left her, his son, and his mother-in-law behind to go borrow a trailer from a friend. As Tofte made his way back to his family along a smoke-filled road, he almost ran over a woman in her underwear. Her hair was singed, her feet were badly burned and her mouth looked almost black, he recalled. He hurriedly tried to help her while explaining that he needed to find his wife and son only to realize that the woman was his wife. He was reportedly left numb by the revelation but turned the trailer around to get help for his wife. He soon connected with paramedics, who treated Angela Mosso, while he searched for his son. While waiting for her husband to return home on Tuesday, Mosso and the rest of her family went to bed. They later woke up with their house on fire. Everyone, including Duke, the family's 200-pound bull mastiff mix, and three cats, were able to get out. They were then supposed to leave the home. But Chris believes the car they could have used must have caught fire. The mother told her son to make a run for it with the dog, reports The Statesman Journal. Then, she was forced to make the difficult decision of leaving her 71-year-old mother behind. Peggy Mosso had suffered a broken leg in a fall, so she couldnt escape on foot. At the Legacy Emanuel Hospital Burn Center in Portland, where she remains in critical condition, Angela Mosso begged her husband to find her son. "Don't come back until you find him," she reportedly told him. The son was reportedly found next to the family dog, NBC News reported. Authorities are still searching for Peggy Mossos remains. There are more than 30 active fires in Oregon as of Friday and an estimated 500,000 residents are in mandatory evacuation zones, according to the Oregon joint information center. The death of Tofte and his grandmother are the first two casualties reported from fires in the state. The Assemblies of God reported Thursday that the Living Water Family Fellowship church located 2 miles outside of Blue River a community of about 800 was destroyed along with the town in a wildfire believed to have been sparked by a transformer that went down in high winds. Doug Fairrington, who has led the church with his wife, Cheri, for the past six years, said they lost power at around 8 p.m. Monday. Shortly after that, they were told by authorities that they had one hour to evacuate. The corridor is 50 miles long and one mile wide, Fairrington said. The transformer provided the spark and an unusual east winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour [gusting to 60 mph] did the rest it created a fire tunnel that literally gutted our area. The church and the parsonage are gone, Fairrington said in a statement. The high school, post office, ... all gone. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said more than 900,000 acres have burned as of Thursday, according to NBC News. Earlier this week, residents of Phoenix, another small town of about 4,000, returned to survey damage from the Almeda Fire. On Friday, a 41-year-old man was arrested and charged with two counts of arson after allegedly starting a fire in Phoenix. 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," Jonathan Weir, whose home was destroyed, told a local reporter. In Washington state, a series of wildfires have burned through nearly 587,000 acres since Monday, My Northwest reported. This is an extraordinary series of events we have suffered, Gov. Jay Inslee said at a press conference Wednesday where he declared a statewide emergency. On Thursday, Inslee also issued a proclamation to help families and individuals impacted by wildfires with cash assistance and immediate needs. For families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and now the devastating wildfires ravaging our state, funding from the Family Emergency Assistance Program can be, quite literally, a lifesaver, Inslee said. The state will continue to look for ways to support communities as we work together to recover from multiple economic and health emergencies. The northwest region of the U.S. Forest Service, which covers Washington state and Oregon, stated Thursday they had 5,117 fire personnel, 128 crews, 36 air resources and 431 engines battling 30 large fires burning 1,377,383 acres. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a briefing that with 2.3 million acres burned this year, 2020 is now the biggest wildfire season in the states modern history. At this time last year, only 118,000 acres had burned. The death toll from the fires was at least 12 for the month of September, NBC News reported. The National Interagency Fire Center reports that so far this year, 41,599 fires have burned 5,288,247 acres. California remains in the top spot for the state with the most acres burned, followed by Arizona, Colorado, Montana, and Texas. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. Karachi, Sep 12 : Serious questions are being raised over Pakistans intentions in taking rigid action against proscribed terror outfits operating in the country, after thousands of people rallied in Karachi, chanting anti-Shia slogans and calling them disbelievers. The rally, led by Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), a terrorist organization, which has been involved in the killing of Shia minorities in Pakistan, staged a gathering of thousands, who marched on the main M.A Jinnah road in broad daylight. Chanting slogans like "Shia are Kafirs (disbelievers)", the rally members held banners of the SSP outfit, raising serious concerns over re-emergence of sectarian violence in the country. While seeing a proscribed organization stage a huge rally in Pakistan's economic hub Karachi shocked the public. the open chanting of anti-Shia slogans without any fear of action by authorities, raised serious questions over the Imran Khan-led government's will and intent in rooting out terror outfits from its soil. The protest rally was staged after a Shia leader allegedly gave disrespectful remarks against Islam in a television show during Ashura processions. "When an anti-Shia rally can be openly taken out in Karachi, then it shows that sectarian violence will continue. This rally was taken out by a terror outfit, which is listed in Pakistan's official list of proscribed organizations. "Yet, they were able to rally. This is worrying," said Gul Zehra Rizvi, a Shia rights activist. "Since the start of Muharram, we have been seeing numerous Shia believers targeted for reciting religious scriptures and partaking in Ashura commemorations. "This demonstration should not be taken lightly when our brothers and sistes are bring kidnapped and killed for their beliefs," said Arfeen, another shia rights activist. Shia leaders have called for strict accountability of the Prime Minister for what they call supporting hate speech against Shia Muslims. "Some years ago, Shias in Pakistan were receiving anonymous text messages that said 'kill the Shia'. Terrorists hurled grenades where Ashura processions were taking place. The Shia in Kashmir and Kabul are also under siege and yet some still believe #ShiaGenocide is a myth," Arfeen said. "It should be made clear that the Pakistan government has allowed known terrorists to spread their anti-Shia rhetoric far and wide. Imran Khan should be held accountable." "I am a Shia living in Karachi. Yesterday, my city echoed with the chants of Kafir Kafir Shia Kafir. Few hours later, the state arrested a journalist Bilal Farooqi, who is one of the rare journalists covering sectarian violence/organisations. If this is not step by step towards Shia genocide then what it is?" a Twitter user queried. (@ChaudhryMAli88) The United States has not suspended the approval process for the next ambassador to Belarus, US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun told reporters WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th September, 2020) The United States has not suspended the approval process for the next ambassador to Belarus, US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun told reporters. "We have not suspended that process," Biegun said during a conference call on Friday. President Donald Trump nominated Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Europe and the European Union Julie Fisher to be the next US ambassador to Belarus. Biegun confirmed that Fisher continues to go through approval process. "We believe it is important... to have a representative in Belarus that can give a voice to the policy of the United States and strongly represent the values and interests that we believe are important to address in our relations with Belarus," Biegun said. A number of US politicians have called on the US Senate to delay Fisher's confirmation due to the unrest in Belarus after the presidential election in August. Diplomatic relations between the United States and Belarus deteriorated in 2008 when both countries recalled their respective ambassadors. Recently, the two countries have made efforts to improve relations culminating in the visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Minsk in February. In July, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko appointed Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Kravchenko to be the country's ambassador to the United States. Bengaluru, Sep 12 : : A day after the shocking triple-murder case involving priests in Mandya, Muzarai (Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment) minister, Srinivasa Poojari on Saturday said the Karnataka Government will take steps to open temple hundis (collection boxes) once a month to avoid such tragedies. Speaking to reporters after handing-over the Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia cheque to family members of the deceased in Mandya, Poojari directed Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri to take steps to repair dysfunctional CCTV cameras inside and outside temple premises. At present, the Muzarai department opens the Hundis once in three months and collect the accumulated cash offerings. But in the case of Arkeshwara temple, located on the outskirts of Mandya city, the Hundi hadn't been opened for the last 10 months. As a result the 'hundi' contained a huge cash collection. According to the police, the hundis are opened especially in presence of Muzarai deparment's assistant commissioner which is a must for an "A" category temple while a Tehsildar's presence is required in "B" category temples. "Since March, the entire state has been in the grip of the pandemic. In particular, it was Mysuru which was affected most adversely. As a result entire government machinery was completely busy with tackling the pandemic. With the district administration's priorities changed. Hence the hundi collection was not taken out. The assailants must have sensed this and decamped with the hundi cash by killing three priests," an officer added. The officer added that the irony of the deceased priests is that they get a chance to be priests for two-days in a year. "The Arkeshwara temple has a custom that a family which performs the first pooja is only entitled to carry out pooja in this temple. Over the centuries the family has grown to such an extent, each of the family members get only two or three days in a year to be the priests of this temple," the source explained. Meanwhile, speaking to IANS, Superintendent of Police, K. Parshuram said that the police has formed special teams AAto probe into the murder and circumstantial evidence indicates that it was murder for gain. A"Based on our clues we are tracking a nomadic gang, we have kept close watch on the movements, I am hopeful that culprits will be nabbed soon," he added. KFC customers have been told to self-isolate if they attended a Sydney restaurant visited by an infected diner as NSW records six new coronavirus cases. Anyone who visited the KFC on Bunting Street in Emerton on September 7 between 12.00pm to 9:30pm are being urged to get tested if any symptoms appear. Close contacts have been told to self-isolate for two weeks even if they return a negative result. Of the new infections recorded on Saturday, one is in hotel quarantine and the other five are from known clusters. Four of the cases are contacts of previous infections associated with the cluster at Concord Hospital. NSW has recorded just six new cases on Saturday with one in hotel quarantine (pictured customers wear face masks at Sydney Opera Bar on Thursday) Anyone who visited the KFC on Bunting St in Emerton (pictured) on September 7 between 12.00pm to 9:30pm are being warned to get tested if any symptoms appear Another of the new infections is a household contact of a previously reported case linked to the St Pauls Catholic College Greystanes cluster. The Blue Mountains Grammar School is also being cleaned after one of the new infections was traced back to a student. Health authorities have also issued a warning for an aquatic centre in the Blue Mountains. 'A previously reported case attended Katoomba Aquatic Centre on Friday 4 September from 11.30am-1.30pm,' NSW Health said. 'Anyone who was at the venue at this time is advised to monitor for symptoms and immediately self-isolate and get tested if symptoms develop, however mild, and remain isolated until a negative result is received.' Commuters on two bus routes in the eastern suburbs have also been told to stay alert for any symptoms. These include the 379 Bronte Beach Bondi Junction station route on September 7 at 11.08am-11.24am and the 316 Avoca St Randwick Bondi Junction station route on September 7 at 10.44am-11.05am. Across the state, 84 patients are being treated for the deadly virus with six in intensive care and four on ventilation. Across the state, 84 patients are being treated for the deadly virus with six in intensive care and four on ventilation (pictured shoppers get coffee in Sydney's CBD) NSW recorded ten new cases on Friday with six in hotel quarantine and the rest linked to known clusters. Two of Friday's cases were patrons from the Eastern Suburbs Legion Club in Sydney's Waverley, after infected revellers went to the bar on several nights last week. Health authorities are racing to trace any contacts of known infections from the Legion Club in Waverley. Two of the seven cases recorded in NSW on Thursday were also linked to the club that has now been closed. Anyone who was at the Eastern Suburbs Legion Club in Waverley between 5pm and 6.30pm on August 28 has been told to immediately get tested for COVID-19 and isolate until they receive a negative result. The two persons involved also attended the club while infectious on the evenings of September 1, 4, 5 and 6. This prompted NSW Deputy Chief Health Officer, Dr Jeremy McAnulty to warn everyone in the Waverley area to monitor for symptoms. 'Anyone who lives in that area is urged to be alert for symptoms of COVID-19 and isolate, seek testing right away if they occur and stay isolated until a negative test is received,' Dr McAnulty said. NSW has had 54 deaths from coronavirus in total. Flash 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. Sparked by a promotional image featuring the movies tween stars in revealing clothing and suggestive poses, the controversy around Netflixs Cuties has only grown as the film has finally arrived on the streaming service. Maimouna Doucoures first feature is, according to an interview with the French Senegalese filmmaker posted by Netflix this week, a deeply feminist film with an activist message.* It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the award for direction in the World Cinema section. But weeks after a petition charging it with being produced for the viewing pleasure of pedophiles garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures, the movie finds itself at the toxic intersection of QAnon delusion and right-wing moral panic, with a smattering of leftist outrage on the side. Breitbart has posted about the movie a half-dozen times in the past two days, singling out critics who praised the film, several of whom have received death threats and been harassed off social media. And Thursday night, Tucker Carlson made it a centerpiece of his show, accusing a nonspecific they behind the movie of wanting to destroy young girls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Considering how few of Cuties attackers have actually seen the film, countering their criticisms with facts feels a little like bringing a knife to a gunfight. Those labeling it child pornography seem to have adopted a modified version of Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewarts adage: They know it when they dont see it. By definition, pornography requires intent, and whether or not Doucoure succeeded (and the reviews are divided on this point), her intent is clear. The movies protagonist, Amy, is an 11-year-old bouncing between the repressive culture of her conservative Islamic upbringing, where she is warned that evil shows itself in the scantily clad women, and the hypersexualized environment of Western culture, where images of adult women doing strip-club gyrations are emulated by tweens on social media for likes. The movie presents those images in order to critique them, in a way that could not possibly be more clear: When Amy and the titular dance troupe shes formed with three schoolmates finally perform in front of an audience, Doucoure repeatedly cuts away to the disgusted adults watching them, some booing, some covering their childrens eyes. Advertisement Advertisement 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. Instead of the Potter Stewart test, Breitbarts John Nolte presents what might be called the Floyd Test. The initial marketing campaign, he writes, was aimed directly at the naked-guys-in-a-raincoat-named Floyd crowd, and as for the movie itself: Naked Floyds gonna love it. The point isnt the filmmakers intentalthough he later gets around to dismissing that as bullshit, tooits that Cuties might turn perverts on. That may be true, but its also true of countless more innocent images, and the diligence with which Nolte jotted down every purported crotch shot, at least until he lost count after five, speaks to its own kind of not-entirely-uncreepy obsession. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its hardly accidental that most if not all of the right-wing attacks on Cuties invoke Netflixs connection to Barack Obama, although the Obamas, who do have a production deal with Netflix, had nothing to do with the films acquisition. Its a way of winking at QAnons insistence that the Democratic Party is a haven for pedophiles, and it ties in neatly with the terror of Black and especially African sexuality that lurks just beneath the moral panic around Cuties. So much of the furor has centered on the sight of the girls in Amys mixed-race dance group twerking, emulating a style of dance linked to the African diaspora and then picked up by white artists like Miley Cyrus. In the Netflix poster that started all this, its the white girl in Amys troupe who seems most confident and defiant, while she looks at the camera with sideways, uncertain eyes. Advertisement Advertisement There is much in Cuties thats alarming, and is meant to be. That may or may not excuse it, but it at least has to be taken into account. Doucoure has said that she spent a year and a half interviewing more than a hundred preteen girls as research for the script, and much of her story comes directly out of what she learned about their relationship to their own sexuality, especially as its filtered and enhanced through social media. (Amys phone travels through the movie like a talisman, or a weapon thats as likely to injure its wielder as its target.) Today, the sexier and the more objectified a woman is, the more value she has in the eyes of social media, Doucoure told the French publication Cineuropa. And when youre 11, you dont really understand all these mechanisms, but you tend to mimic, to do the same thing as others in order to get a similar result. I think it is urgent that we talk about it, that a debate be had on the subject. What the director is getting instead is a very 2020 fraud. One of Japan's most popular restaurant chains is embarking on what could become one of the all-time crowning achievements of salesmanship -- selling curry to India. Coco Ichibanya has more than 1,400 locations worldwide but its owners are eager to find a foothold in the world's second-biggest nation, and favour among a middle class with a growing appetite for international food. But it remains to be seen whether its own signature curry dish -- a distinctive, thick brown sauce and sticky white rice -- can lure diners accustomed to local varieties honed over thousands of years. "We are not here to compete with Indian curries," Ichibanya India's assistant chief executive, Devesh Srivastava, told AFP. "We have a flavourful Japanese curry which is a bit different from the Indian one... and the response has been pretty good so far. People are coming back as well." Beef and pork are absent from the tailor-made menu, in deference to religious requirements and local tastes. Substitutes such as paneer and eggplant are on offer instead, making a unique global hybrid cuisine reflecting the chain's dual origins. Curry originated in India thousands of years ago but in the late 19th century British seafarers introduced it to Japan, where it evolved into a beloved national comfort food. Rising disposable incomes have left India an attractive market for Japanese companies, which are looking to offset declining consumer spending at home by expanding abroad. Ichibanya believes its successful step into Thailand, another curry-loving nation, is a sign the chain could succeed in India. "Initially there is going to be a lot of interest," Kavita Devgan, an author and food columnist, told AFP. "If the curry works for the Indian palate and is not very unfamiliar, then it has a chance." It has shrugged off the challenges of opening in India during the coronavirus pandemic, at a time when many restaurant-goers are tightening their purse strings and eating at home. Story continues Its first Indian franchise opened in August near the capital New Delhi and immediately piqued local interest. Diners said they enjoyed exploring the contrast between the flavour of the Japanese sauce and the familiar Indian varieties laden with onion, tomatoes and local spices. "The taste is something that is very addictive," said Aakash Nakra. "You want to eat more and more and more." abh/grk/gle/leg MEIJI HOLDINGS The creative folks at the Fort Bend County Library system have whipped a fresh batch of culinary book club offerings sure to delight curious home chefs, experimental bakers and homemade-pasta makers of all ages and experience levels with their now-available online Cookbook Book Club gatherings and online videos. Seeking new ways to connect with library patrons while the library is currently shuttered due to COVID-19 related closures, several county library branches are now offering free virtual book club meetups and online cooking videos free to cooks at any stage of the recipe-exploration journey from beginning cookbook readers to culinary academy graduates and professional local chefs. Cookbook Book Club gatherings provide a fun-but-safe, social outlet without the hassle of facial coverings or awkward social-distancing rules. Related: Fort Bend County Library offering virtual childrens events during September Lets hear it for home-cooking, yall. Cookbook Book Club gatherings and online video offerings will be available virtually throughout September for those interested to learn new recipes and pick up a few cooking tips and tricks. Want to expand your knowledge of Colombian cuisine? Cookbook Club members can travel virtual to explore exotic culinary destinations thousands of miles away from the comfort of their own kitchen. Seeking to launch your career as a culinary celebrity as the star of your own YouTube cooking blog or win a contestant spot on the next season of Top Chef? Well, heres your ticket. Cookbook Book Club virtual gatherings and online offerings are free and open to the public. So, fetch the heavy table-top mixer from its hiding place behind the George Foreman Grill at the top of the cupboard. Lets sharpen our good knives and prepare to be inspired. Yummy! Slow-cooker foods are the focus of the upcoming Sept. 16 meeting of the University Branch Librarys Culinary Book Club. Members are scheduled to meet online at 1:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every month in real time via Zoom/WebEx online conferencing. Plan ahead as online registration is required. Organizers say an email with a link for the Zoom/WebEx session will be sent to registered attendees prior to the meeting date. On HoustonChronicle.com: Taste the world at these Houston restaurants Delicious Spanish-inspired dishes from Colombia will be showcased by librarians for members of the Mission Bend Branch Librarys Food for Thought Cookbook Club in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Beginning Thursday, September 17, a pre-recorded video will be available online offering step-by-step instructions via a link posted to the main library calendar on FBCLs online calendar. The Food for Thought Cookbook Club meetings are scheduled on the third Thursday of every month, beginning at 2 p.m. On HoustonChronicle.com: Boom of 2020: One of the busiest times ever in Houston barbecue Too busy for a scheduled meetup but want to expand your culinary knowledge? Go online and learn to make a Mason-Jar meal of keto-friendly Ramen noodle soup via a prerecorded video provided by courtesy of the Missouri City Branch Librarys Mason-Jar Meal Challenge video available free and on-demand beginning Friday, September 18 via a link to be posted on Fort Bend County Library Systems online calendar. Flavor: Get the best food newsletter in Houston sent directly to your inbox Cookbook Club meetups are free and open to the public. Library officials remind patrons that registration is required for the University Branch Librarys Culinary Book Club meeting. All registered attendees will be provided email access to a link to the Zoom/WebEx gathering. Participants may also register by calling the University Branch Library at 281-633-5100. On HoustonChronicle.com: Check out our recipe for sourdough waffles, yum! Other cookbook club gatherings in September will be available on-demand via a prerecorded video to be posted online, To register online for more information, visit www.fortbend.lib.tx.us. Cookbook Club meetup information can be found under the virtual programs page found under Classes & Events on the date indicated. knix@hcnonline.com An Accra High Court has placed an injunction on a planned commemorative gathering by customers of defunct gold trading firm Menzgold. The aggrieved customers had planned to hold a wreath-laying service on Saturday, September 12, close to the former office of Menzgold at Dzorwulu to mark the passing of some of its members as a result of the companys shut down by government two years ago. In an interview on an Accra-based radio station on Friday, leaders of the Coalition said they wrote a letter to the IGP requesting for security during the wreath-laying ceremony. They explained that the exercise was in no form of a demonstration. Since the collapse of the company, we have lost over 60 members and many have become bed-ridden due to the continued lock-up of our investment in Menzgold. It is our expectation that your outfit will provide security to help bring the programme to a successful because it will be highly violent free. The programme is expected to last for two hours with an expected attendance of more than 200 people, the Coalition said in a statement to the IGP But the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) James Oppong-Bonuah filed an order to stop the demonstration. It is hereby ordered that the respondents, the Coalition of Aggrieved Customers of Menzgold Ghana, Isaac Nyarko and Fred Forson are hereby restrained from the intended demonstration to commemorate two years of the collapse of Menzgold Company, the court order prohibiting the meeting said. Menzgold collapse The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2018 asked Menzgold to suspend its gold gold trading operations with the public. CoronaLife Web Series According to the SEC, Menzgold had been dealing in the purchase and deposit of gold collectables from the public and issuing contracts with guaranteed returns with clients, without a valid license from the Commission. This, the SEC said was in contravention of section 109 of Act 929 with consequences under section 2016 (I) of the same Act. The company was however cleared to continue its other businesses of assaying, purchasing gold from small-scale miners and export of gold. Despite initial protests, Menzgold complied with the directive. Two years on, the company has failed to fully pay its numerous aggrieved customers the value on their gold deposits as well as their entire investments. 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 New Delhi: Bollywood actress Bhumi Pednekar headed to her ancestral place, Pedne, in Goa and took the opportunity to go on a temple pilgrimage. She visited three temples dedicated to Mauli, Ravlnath and Bhagwati Devi to complete the pilgrimage and here are the exclusive images from her visit. Bhumi says, Mauli is our Kul Devi in my village in Pedne, where all Pednekars come from. Her old stone carved statue, which is next to a stream of crystal clear freshwater, is said to have medicinal property. It is at least 400 years old and in the same complex is a newer temple made. She adds, So, the pilgrimage in my village consists of 3 temples. Ravlnath is the 2nd one and shares a compound with my ancestral home in Pedne. Ravlnath temple is at least 300 years old and has our families earliest records. The temple has records since 1902. Its said that lord Ravlnath protects the Pednekar clan. Every Dussehra we have a festival where people from across India come to visit this sacred temple. Bhagwati Devi completes the pilgrimage of the three temples. 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 Update 13 September 17.45: Christopher Duff has been located safe and well. Gardai have thanked the public and the media for their assistance in this matter. Earlier: Gardai in Dublin are seeking the public's assistance in locating Christopher Duff. The 35-year-old man is missing from his home in Prussia Street, Dublin 7. Christopher was last seen on Wednesday, September 9 at around 7am when he left home on his hybrid Trek bicycle. He is described as being 6'1", of medium build with red hair, a beard and blue eyes. It is unknown what Christopher was wearing when he left home. Gardai and his family are concerned for his wellbeing. They believe it is possible that Christopher travelled to Wicklow or Wexford. Anyone who has seen Christopher or who can assist in locating him, is asked to contact Bridewell Garda Station on 01 6668200, the Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station. (L) Andrew Giuliani and Sarah Hughes attend an event in New York City, on April 4, 2011. (Andy Kropa/Getty Images). (R) Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks at an event in Franklin Township, Indiana, on Nov. 3, 2018. (Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images) Andrew Giuliani, Son of Rudy Giuliani, Mulls Run for NYC Mayor in 2021: Report Andrew Giuliani, public liaison assistant to President Donald Trump and son of Rudy Giuliani, told the New York Post he is considering running for New York City mayor in 2021. The son of the former mayor told the publication, I am certainly thinking about it. Its something that a bunch of people that I trust have approached me with. In a post on Twitter on Saturday, Giuliani said that irrespective of whether he ultimately decides to run, he is frustrated by current mayor Bill de Blasios policies on public safety. Whether or not I decide to throw my hat in the ring, one thing is certain: New York deserves a mayor who understands their number one priority is public safety! Giuliani wrote. In remarks to the New York Post, Giuliani said de Blasios administration has failed New York as he does not value the New York Police Department and he does not value what they have done for the city. He singled out the disbanding of the New York Police Departments plainclothes anti-crime unit and budget cuts to the force. Its been terrible to see over the last few years how the city has spiraled. I am afraid if the right candidate doesnt win in 2021, four more years of de Blasios policies will remind us of the 80s, he said. Word of Giulianis mulling a mayoral run comes amid a surge in crime in the Big Apple. Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 6, the number of victims of shootings went up by 97.2 percent compared to the same period last year, New York Police Department statistics show (pdf). The number of murders, meanwhile, has increased by 35 percent in the same timeframe. Giuliani has, for the past several years, served as a Special Assistant in the Trump administration and told the New York Post he is now concentrating on helping the president get reelected. I am trying to make sure the president gets over the finish line on Nov. 3rd and then right after that my focus is going to be on how we can save New York City again, Giuliani said, adding that the Big Apple under his leadership would see tough-on-crime and free-market policies, seeking also to reduce government dependency. The nucleus of all of it is public safety. Its making sure that New Yorkers feel safe and that tourists feel safe coming here, he said. Giulianis remarks on public safety echo those made by 163 New York City business leaders in a recent letter to de Blasio, highlighting widespread anxiety over crime and other quality of life issues that are contributing to deteriorating conditions in commercial districts and neighborhoods across the five boroughs. The executives, including the heads of Etsy, MasterCard, Morgan Stanley, and Pfizer, called on the mayor to take urgent action or, they argued, people would be reluctant to come to the city, undercutting its fledgling economic recovery from the COVID-19 recession. Twitter has again placed a warning label on one of President Donald Trump's tweets, accusing him of illegally urging citizens to vote twice in the presidential election. 'NORTH CAROLINA: To make sure your Ballot COUNTS, sign & send it in EARLY. When Polls open, go to your Polling Place to see if it was COUNTED,' Trump wrote in his tweet on Saturday from the White House. 'IF NOT, VOTE! Your signed Ballot will not count because your vote has been posted. Don't let them illegally take your vote away from you!' Twitter quickly hid the tweet behind a warning, explaining in a statement: 'We placed a public interest notice on this Tweet for violating our Civic Integrity Policy, specifically for encouraging people to potentially vote twice.' Twitter has again placed a warning label on one of President Donald Trump's tweets, accusing him of illegally urging citizens to vote twice in the presidential election This is how the tweet appeared on Trump's timeline with the warning message on it 'Voting twice in North Carolina is illegal,' Twitter continued in the statement. 'To protect people on Twitter, we err on the side of limiting the circulation of Tweets which advise people to take actions which could be illegal in the context of voting or result in the invalidation of their votes.' 'Per our policies, this Tweet will remain on the service given its relevance to the ongoing public conversation. Engagements with the Tweet will be limited. People will be able to Retweet with Comment, but not Like, Reply, or Retweet it,' the company said. On a visit to North Carolina earlier this month, Trump first suggested that his supporters vote once by mail and a second time in person to test whether the system could weed out voter fraud. The executive director of North Carolina's board of elections, Karen Brinson Bell, responded by warning that voting twice in the state is a felony, as is trying to induce someone to vote twice. Brinson Bell said the board 'strongly discourages' people from following the president's guidance. 'That is not necessary, and it would lead to longer lines and the possibility of spreading COVID-19,' she said in a statement. Voters are seen in Cary, North Carolina in 2012. Election officials advise people against heading to the polls to check on their mail-in ballots Trump has repeated his urging several times, saying that he is not advising voting twice, but warning voters to go to the polls to make sure their mail-in ballot has been counted. 'Send in your ballots, send them in strong ... And you send them in, but you go to vote. If they havent counted it, you can vote,' Trump said in a recent interview with WECT TV6 in Wilmington, North Carolina. But some election officials advise people against heading to the polls to check on their mail-in ballots and then attempting to cast another ballot if there isn't full verification, saying it will cause unnecessary chaos, long waits and health dangers in the pandemic. Contrary to what Trump suggests, information on whether a ballot has been counted is typically not available right away. In several states, absentee ballots aren't even counted until after polls close. What can be checked is whether an absentee ballot has been received, and in some cases, whether it has passed a security review and will be submitted for counting. Many states offer ways for voters to verify the status of their ballot online that provide information on when an absentee ballot request has been received, when a ballot has been sent, when the ballot has been received by a local election office and whether it has passed the security review and been accepted. These services are typically available on the website of the state election board or the secretary of state. Voters in the few states that dont provide this information online have the option to call their local election office. WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers joined the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Reclamation in signing an interagency memorandum of understanding today during a ceremony on National Hydropower Day. The agencies agree to collaborate on common issues and leverage resources to further the nation's hydropower generation. Ryan A. Fisher, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works); Brenda Burman, Commissioner for the Bureau of Reclamation; and Daniel R. Simmons, Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy, signed today's agreement during the ceremony held at the Hoover Dam Visitor Center in Nevada. The agencies, in partnership with the Power Marketing Agencies, agree to create an action plan designed to adapt hydropower to the changing energy landscape. The action plan will focus on developing projects and activities using data driven, risk-based decision-making and consider projects in the areas of asset management, improving the value of hydropower, workforce training, water supply reliability, and environmental outcomes. "This agreement will allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through its Civil Works mission to continue its partnership with federal and industry partners as we work together to enhance and manage our nation's hydropower program," said Fisher. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydropower Program is the largest generator of hydropower in the nation, with 75 power-producing dams housing 356 individual generating units. USACE's hydropower assets generate more than 70 billion kilowatt hours per year of clean renewable energy, or enough clean energy to power 10 cities the size of Seattle. Additional information is available at https://www.usbr.gov/power/SignedHydropowerMOU.pdf. SOURCE United States Army Corps of Engineers Visa Launches Where You Shop Matters to Encourage Singaporeans to Support Local Merchants and SMEs to Go Digital Ninety eight percent of Singaporean consumers are planning to shop local to support small business recovery visa Image credit: Hloom via Flickr Visa, the worlds leader in digital payments, on Aug 21 launched Where You Shop Matters, an initiative that encourages consumers to support their local businesses, while helping SMEs to go digital following the onset of COVID-19. The initiative is part of Visas broader small business strategy and follows commitments the company has made to support 10 million small and micro businesses in Asia Pacific. As part of Where You Shop Matters, Visa will be working with Shopee to feature more than 2,000 local micro SMEs in its marketplace and create campaigns to enable Visa cardholders to enjoy discounts when they shop at these local merchants. This is in line with Shopees own range of support local efforts particularly, its #SGUnited Shopee Support Local campaign. Where You Shop Matters reinforces Visas commitment to supporting small businesses in this period of difficulty. The impact for these businesses caused by COVID-19 reinforced the need for Visa to launch Where You Shop Matters to support local businesses in Singapore and help them digitise. We are confident that Singaporeans will help support the local economy, especially since our study showed that 98 per cent of Singaporean consumers will purchase from local retailers to support small business recovery. More than half of the consumers also indicated that they will shop online more often due to the pandemic, said Kunal Chatterjee, Visa Country Manager for Singapore & Brunei. A YouGov study commissioned by Visa to access Singaporeans support for local businesses was conducted in July 2020 on 1,106 Singaporeans aged 18-55 years of age. Zhou Junjie, Chief Commercial Officer, Shopee said, Being a homegrown company ourselves, Shopee has always been dedicated to nurturing and empowering local SMEs and entrepreneurs. This partnership further reinforces our commitment to supporting local, especially during a time where camaraderie amongst one another is key. We are excited to collaborate with Visa on this meaningful campaign and will continue doing our part to boost local businesses striving towards economic recovery as one nation. Story continues The Visa Study also showed that 83 per cent of Singaporean consumers believe it is important for local retailers to have an online presence (YouGov Study commissioned by Visa). In the wake of COVID-19, the insights from this study have shown the importance for SMEs to have a digital presence and adapt with changing consumers behaviours in order to do well. By going online, SMEs can expand their customer base, not only in Singapore, but in different countries or regions. They will join a global marketplace that can be accessed by millions of Visa cardholders around the globe, Kunal Chatterjee added. To encourage SMEs to go digital, Visa will be providing them with a Visa eCommerce Starter Kit to help them start, manage and grow their online storefronts. Visa is partnering with BigCommerce to provide onboarding support and special discount rates for SMEs to sign up and start selling online. SMEs can also benefit from a variety of offers including Office 365 business packages and cashback on Google Ads to help them get their online business up and running. For SMEs with physical stores, they can order free Visa POS signage to build trust with consumers. We are very excited to have the opportunity to work closely with Visa in adopting eCommerce solutions and digital tools to help grow our business, Deanna Chew, co-founder of Deannas Kitchen, said. Not only does going digital help us to stay afloat in these difficult times, its given us the capacity needed to help the local community as well. Weve prepared and donated prawn noodles to frontline healthcare staff, to show our appreciation and support for their efforts. An earlier Study by Visa showed that three in five Singaporeans (66 per cent) are forming cashless habits, preferring to pay with cards or through mobile applications over cash. In addition, 78 per cent of Singaporeans said they intend to stick with digital payment methods instead of reverting back to cash even when the current emergency is over. Kunal Chatterjee, Visa Country Manager for Singapore & Brunei, said: We approached the study with the intention to gain a timely, deeper and clearer understanding of how Singaporean consumer behaviours are changing in the current environment. In this new normal, were seeing a shift Singaporeans are becoming more digital, and the COVID-19 situation has forced consumers to adopt this change in behaviour. Many Singaporean consumers are trying eCommerce for the first time and intend to increase buying online in the future. Based on the findings, 40 per cent of Singaporean consumers said they are most likely to increase their online shopping, similar to the number of global shoppers (32 per cent). Based on our data, we see that one in five active Visa cardholders who have never made an eCommerce transaction in 2019 are shopping online for the first time this year. They are shopping for essential goods and services such as groceries, pharmaceutical goods and making bill payments for their telecommunication services. They are also making purchases for retail goods at online department stores, and discount stores. Moreover, we are seeing that eCommerce growth is 10 times faster than face-to-face, added Kunal. When it comes to the shopping experience, 37 per cent of Singaporean respondents said online shopping is a more positive experience than shopping at a physical store, similar to the global response (35%). Given consumers shift in preferences to start purchasing goods and services online, it is critical for Visa to work with merchants to enhance the online shopping experiences for consumers to ensure it is seamless, secure and convenient, added Kunal. The study also shows cashless habits are forming across the globe with 66 per cent of Singaporean respondents saying they prefer paying with cashless methods. The post Visa launches Where You Shop Matters to help businesses go digital appeared first on iCompareLoan Resources. 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 India-China military commander level talks to be held next week India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 12: Indian and Chinese armies are expected to hold a fresh round of Corps Commander-level talks early next week with a focus on implementing certain provisions of a five-point agreement reached between the two countries to disengage and de-escalate the situation in eastern Ladakh, government sources said on Friday. India and China reached the five-point consensus to resolve the over four-month-long border row in eastern Ladakh 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 (SCO) meet. The five point consensus reached by India-China The sources said Indian Army will keenly observe Chinese military's overall approach along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh to make an assessment of their seriousness in easing tension as agreed in the Jaishankar-Wang talks. 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 agreement with top military officials in the Army headquarters. In Chushul, another round of Brigade Commander-level talks took place for around four hours from 11 AM to 3 PM on Friday with a focus on bringing down tensions in the face-off sites. The five-point agreement included measures like quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions and steps to restore peace and tranquillity along the LAC. However, it has not mentioned any timeline for disengagement and restoration of peace and tranquillity. 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 5. The sources said India will not lower its guard and will maintain the current state of very high-level 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 five-point agreement. 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. The fresh confrontation further intensified the standoff 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. 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. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 12, 2020, 11:01 [IST] The tightening of exposure limits in multi-cap funds by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has put the Rs 27 lakh crore mutual fund (MF) industry in a spot. Industry executives are weighing several options, including scheme mergers, re-launching multi-cap funds as thematic funds, asking for a 'flexicap' category, and also seeking more time from SEBI for implementation of the new norms. We have already informed SEBI about the challenges this move can create for the MF industry and the regulator has asked to come back with data points to clearly highlight the issues in implementing this move, said a senior executive of a fund house, requesting anonymity. We want to represent to SEBI that allocating 25 per cent, especially to small-cap segment will not be feasible, without having a large impact on investors. Even the NSE 500, which is the benchmark for multi-cap funds, has a weightage of 81 per cent to large-cap firms, 14 percent to mid-cap firms and just six percent to small-cap firms, he said. Fund houses say adding small-caps in multi-cap portfolios in large quantity is not favourable as this can significantly shoot up the risks for unitholders. Small-caps dont have the capacity to absorb large funds, due to their shallow liquidity. The impact costs when buying or selling small-cap stocks can be as high as 15-20 per cent, especially if large positions are to be moved. We are not going to get into forced buying of small-cap stocks in multi-cap funds, just because of the circular, said another fund manager who also alluded to corporate governance challenges that are known to plague many such firms. A new category, scheme mergers can emerge as options Some fund houses, which have large-sized multi-cap funds, see the creation of a new flexicap category (somewhat like a dynamic fund that gives the power to fund managers to move within company sizes) as a viable solution. Such a category would allow fund managers to swing either way; even have a 100 per cent small-cap, if they see it fit, said the fund manager quoted above. Fund houses are also ideating on scheme mergers, where the fund house can merge the multi-cap fund with a large-cap fund or a large- and mid-cap fund. Under the existing framework, a large-cap fund is required to invest a minimum of 80 per cent of assets in large-cap stocks. The remaining 20 per cent of the scheme's assets are at the discretion of the fund manager. Experts say merging with large- and mid-cap funds could be a more suitable option for some fund houses. A fund manager is required to allocate a minimum of 35 per cent to large-cap stocks and a minimum of 35 per cent to mid-cap stocks. The remaining 30 per cent of scheme assets are still at the discretion of the fund manager, where he can make allocations across the capitalisation curve, said Amol Joshi, founder of Plan Rupee Investment Services. Another option is to convert the multi-cap funds into a thematic fund such as an ESG fund. However, only fund houses running strategies that meet the required environmental, social and governance scores, will be able to use this option. SEBI wants the new norms to be implemented by February 28, 2021. The mutual fund industry also wants SEBI to consider extending this deadline to at least one year. Meanwhile, fund houses are allaying investor fears and are busy reaching out to investors via distributors and advisors about "the many possibilities" ahead and to prevent panic outflows. As of August 31, the asset size of multi-cap funds stood at Rs 1.46 lakh crore, which makes it the second-largest equity category. On concerns that multi-cap funds would be forced to immediately buy small-cap stocks and sell large-cap stocks, many fund houses have told distributors and unitholders that this is not likely to happen as fund houses are going to ensure that risk-return profile of their multi-cap strategies is not disrupted under any scenario. If SEBI gives a window to mutual funds to merge the schemes or re-launch them in possibly a new flexicap category, unitholders will be given the option to exit the schemes without any exit load. This exit window is required by regulations as unitholders are to be given the right to exit if there is any change in the fundamental attribute of the scheme. Financial planners say unitholder can evaluate these options at a later stage when they come up, and for now, stay put in the multi-cap scheme they are invested in. Mutual funds are going to explore several options to avoid any disruptions to how the scheme is being managed. Once investors get clarity on how these schemes are going to be positioned, and if risk-profile of the scheme is really changing, they can take a call, said Kirtan Shah, Chief Financial Planner at SRE. Anatomy of SEBIs multi-cap move While a large section of the industry is expressing concern that SEBI had not consulted the industry or the Mutual Fund Advisory Committee before passing the circular on multi-cap funds, some executives pointed that SEBI has been advocating that a fund should be true-to-label from a long time. In October 2017, SEBI rolled-out categorisation and rationalisation of mutual fund schemes. This was done to make sure funds are true-to-label and also there is no duplication of schemes. This led to several fund houses merging their scheme, or re-positioning their existing schemes to comply with these norms, and some fund houses had to also churn their portfolios to fall in-line with the new regulations. To be sure, while SEBI defined multi-cap funds as those that invest across large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap stocks, the regulator didnt specify any minimum allocation for any of these market caps back then. Most multi-caps ended up becoming large cap-biased. According to data from Morningstar, of the 35 multi-cap funds, 32 had over 50 per cent allocation to large-cap stocks. Of this, 28 schemes had between 65 per cent and 92 per cent large-cap allocation, as of August 31. Ayatollah Yousef Saanei, a pro-reform Iranian cleric and a critic of the establishment who sided with the opposition movement following the controversial 2009 presidential election, has died. He was 83. Ayatollah Saanei died in a hospital in the holy Shi'ite city of Qom after being hospitalized for two days with a broken hip and wrist, Iranian state media reported. In 2009, Saanei had supported opposition figure Mir Hossein Musavi and criticized hard-liner Mahmud Ahmadinejad, who beat Musavi in that year's disputed election. Ahmadinejads reelection led to mass street protests and a brutal state crackdown. Sanei came under pressure by hard-liners over his support for Musavi and the opposition movement. The Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom stripped him of his authority to issue religious edicts, and his website was blocked. Sanei had issued several religious edicts banning discrimination based on gender. With reporting by AP and IRNA After a long wait for over 5 months, reports of dining in at restaurants in Maharashtra finally resuming in a month from now, is a welcome relief for the F&B industry. Over the last 5 months, Dineout encouraged users to stay home and dine out later and used that time to work with restaurants to make them #SafeToEatOut again once the lockdown restrictions were lifted. Dineout introduced Contactless Dining with QR codes and also partnered with Equinox Labs to provide hygiene certifications to enable #SafeToEatOut again! Dineouts campaign is also instrumental in building diner confidence by educating and creating awareness about the safety measures taken by partner restaurants. Users can see the certified restaurants on the Dineout App with their audit rating and make an informed decision. Recent data by Dineout revealed that users are now considering restaurants with premium hygiene standards and safety tags. While they had Zero transactions during the lockdown, there is now a 4X traffic on partner restaurants with #SafeToEatOut tag as compared to restaurants without contactless technology and safety tags. The data also reflects the adoption of QR code technology within the F&B industry for providing digital menu and digital payment solutions. Over 80% of the payments are done using digital modes instead of cash/card owing to safety and hygiene measures. Dineout sees a sharp increase in restaurant reservations and transactions across the country. Delhi scores highest in terms of restaurant reservation volumes followed by Bangalore and Kolkata. In Delhi, 86% of reservations were made for two with maximum reservations at Castle BBQ. Hyderabad saw families visiting restaurants with 65% of people reserving a table for 4 at Absolute Barbecues. In Chandigarh and Kolkata, Pirates Of Grill and BBQ Nation witnessed the highest footfall respectively with 38% and 32% reservations when compared with pre-COVID numbers. 58% of the business in the month of August was generated from Casual Dining restaurants followed by cafes and Quick Service Restaurants (QSR). Millennials were the flag-bearers of this growth with over 78% of diners between the age group of 18-35 years. Expressing his enthusiasm in welcoming diners to their favorite Dineout partner restaurants in town, Ankit Mehrotra, Co-Founder & CEO - Dineout said, Leading restaurants across the country are beginning to open doors past delivery & takeout. With #SafeToEatOut campaign were making sure that our users get premium hygiene and safety standards at the partner restaurants. Interestingly, more than 80% of people were making payments using Dineout Pay while checking out. This reinforces the fact that modern-day consumers have endorsed the growing adoption of contactless technology among our restaurant partners. This will definitely move the needle for the future of restaurant transactions Rahul Khanna, Director, Azure hospitality Pvt. Ltd, F&B industry is struggling to find too much to cheer for in these tough times, and it's heartening to see that loyal customers are coming back with a smile behind those masks. Happy to see normalcy return again but with the help of technology, our restaurant industry is definitely going to be stronger and safer together, 6 ft apart. Anjan Chatterjee, Founder, Chairman and MD, Speciality Restaurants Pvt Ltd, Our restaurants have gone above and beyond to make sure that they are safe for diners. We have received a good response from guests coming back to our outlets for Dine in at Bangalore and Kolkata. We have implemented measures like distanced seating arrangements, demarcated waiting spots in queues and controlled diner inflow among others. With the help of technology and certified hygiene measures, we are looking forward to make dining experiences safe & memorable again. The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer: Trump called D-Days war dead losers and the 1,811 Marines buried in the Belleau Wood suckers and his suckers stood by him and chuckled at our outrage, preferring to believe the media was lying to them. Who are the true suckers here? He could tweet, There were good people on both sides of Omaha Beach, rename the White House Hitlers hacienda and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with a banner that asked, What was in it for you? and the faithful would stick by their faithless chicken hawk. Like every American, I grew up hearing stories of service. My grandfather gassed, machine-gunned in the trenches. Ken, the barnstorming WWI ace. Shot down over France. The Captain who perished at Normandy. The brothers who survived Inchon, Khe Sanh and Tet. My brothers. The nephew who flew Blackhawks in Desert Storm. The niece who served in Baghdad as a medic. Dont worry, uncle Dave, Im in the last Humvee. And the greatest Master Sergeant who ever lived; he survived Pearl. According to a press release published by the U.S. DoD (Department of Defense), the U.S. Navy has christened one of its newest Virginia-class submarine attack submarines, the future USS Montana (SSN 794) Submersible Ship Nuclear, on Saturday, September 12, 2020, at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, in Newport News, Virginia. According to a press release published by the U.S. DoD (Department of Defense), the U.S. Navy has christened one of its newest Virginia-class submarine attack submarines, the future USS Montana (SSN 794) Submersible Ship Nuclear, on Saturday, September 12, 2020, at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, in Newport News, Virginia. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Construction of future USS Montana (SSN-794) nears completion in the Modular Outfitting Facility, January 2020. Photo Credit: Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). The future Virginia-class submarine USS Montana (SSN 794) honors the Treasure State. She will be the second commissioned warship bearing the name. The first USS Montana (ACR-13), an armored cruiser, was also built at Newport News Shipbuilding and commissioned July 1908. She served in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, landed Marines during unrest in Haiti in 1914 and escorted convoys during World War I. She was decommissioned in 1921. Currently, the U.S. Navy operates three types of submarinesnuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs),2 nuclear-powered cruise missile and special operations forces (SOF) submarines (SSGNs),3 and nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs). Virginia Class submarines are built to operate in the world's littoral and deep waters while conducting anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface ship warfare; strike warfare; special operation forces support; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare missions. Their inherent stealth, endurance, mobility and firepower directly enable them to support five of the six maritime strategy core capabilities sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security and deterrence. They are replacing older Los Angeles Class submarines as they retire. The U.S. Navy has been procuring Virginia-class SSNs since FY1998 (Fiscal Year); the first entered service in October 2004. The Virginia-class design was developed to be less expensive and better optimized for post-Cold War submarine missions than the Seawolf-class design. The baseline Virginia-class design is slightly larger than the Los Angeles-class design12 but incorporates newer technologies, including technologies used in the Seawolf-class design. The Virginia class, also known as the SSN-774 class, is a class of nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarines, currently in military service in the United States Navy. Designed by General Dynamics's Electric Boat (EB) and Huntington Ingalls Industries, the Virginia-class submarines are the United States Navy's latest undersea warfare platform which incorporates the latest in stealth, intelligence gathering and weapons systems technology. Construction of current Montana began April 2015 and is the third of the ten Block IV Virginia Class submarines. On May 2018, Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding division authenticated the keel of the 21st Virginia-class submarine, Montana (SSN 794). The Virginia-Class attack submarine is equipped with 12 vertical missile launch tubes and four 533mm torpedo tubes. The vertical launching system has the capacity to launch 16 Tomahawk submarine-launched cruise missiles (SLCM) in a single salvo. There is a capacity for up to 26 mk48 ADCAP mod 6 heavyweight torpedoes and sub harpoon anti-ship missiles to be fired from the 21in torpedo tubes. In his excellent book, The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World, external affairs minister S Jaishankar suggests that this is the time for India to engage America, manage China, cultivate Europe, reassure Russia, bring Japan into play, draw neighbours in, extend the neighbourhood and expand traditional constituencies of support. The succinct, but insightful, formulation, in a way, summarises the current Indian approach to the world. Each of the relationships Jaishankar alludes to are interlinked, but the most important dynamic at the moment given the situation in eastern Ladakh is the one with China. So, what does managing China mean? In a subsequent chapter devoted to China, Jaishankar brings a more sweeping view of the relationship from the cultural connections of the past, the memory of which has faded away, to the romance of the 1950s, which was based on a clear misreading of Chinas strategic intent; from the consistent Chinese partnership with Pakistan since 1963 to lock India into the South Asian box to the systemic pulls and pressures of global politics, which continue to affect bilateral ties; and from the nature of enhanced India-China economic engagement, which has caused deep discomfort in India to the border question left by history. On this hotly-contested issue, Jaishankar makes a simple case which is now clear Indian policy, Today, the bottomline for the relationship is clear: peace and tranquillity must prevail on the border if progress made in the last three decades is not to be jeopardised. The border and future of ties cannot be separated. This, then, is the core of the Indian foreign policy paradigm today. The establishment in Delhi has no doubts that China is a competitor and a possible adversary. At the same time, there is a clear recognition, as articulated by Jaishankar himself, of gaps in our comprehensive national power, capabilities, human development indices or growth conditions with China. Given the complex nature of inter-State ties that define the international system, and the need for peace to ensure India can focus on its own domestic development goals, this means that Indias best-case scenario is managing China instead of entertaining anything more ambitious. For the last three decades, ever since Rajiv Gandhis historic visit to Beijing, this management has taken a cooperative form deepening economic cooperation, convergence on a set of global issues, high-level visits, agreements on border tranquillity. It has also taken a competitive form with both countries jostling to expand their space in the neighbourhood and extended neighbourhood, China consistently blocking Indias global ambitions, India closely collaborating with the United States with an eye on China and pushing the idea of the Indo-Pacific, and a continued contest over both sovereignty and security. It is this old framework of management of ties that now lies in tatters, for if the border is unstable, the entire relationship can fare no better. This is the core message Jaishankar delivered to his counterpart, Wang Yi, on Thursday in Moscow. It leaves open two distinct possibilities for the immediate context. The first scenario is that China understands the message, calculates that limited acquisition of territory in eastern Ladakh is not worth alienating India entirely, pulls back, and postpones the dispute for another day India, in turn, also subsequently de-escalates, and while the relationship will never go back to a pre-Ladakh 2020 normal, there is renewed dialogue over other issues to indicate the restoration of normalcy. The second possibility is that China decides that this is a matter of prestige and national security, it is the moment to show India its place and exercise dominance, digs its heels in, continues to attempt intrusions into Indian territory, and the stalemate continues through the long winter, with the possibility of an escalation. India has to wait and watch what China does on the ground now, while remaining alert and pre-empting any aggressive moves. But irrespective of what happens in eastern Ladakh, it is clear that managing China will now require a different toolkit. What will this entail? The first is building internal economic and subsequently military capabilities. India just cannot compete with China in any meaningful way if its economy continues to contract or if it has a minimal positive growth rate. In such a scenario, the government will have more limited resources; crucial military modernisation plans will get halted or slow down; the power of Indian businesses to compete globally will shrink; the Indian market will suddenly not appear as attractive; the government will have to shift focus to address domestic economic distress and possible social unrest; Delhi wont be able to take autonomous economic decisions to reduce dependence on China; and Indias ability to buy goodwill in the neighbourhood will become more limited. There is no substitute for internal economic capability as a national security tool to manage China. On this, the governments record has been weak. The second is cementing international partnerships. Washington, obviously, has its own interests, and it is not going to come and fight Indias battles. But the United States remains, despite all its current challenges, the worlds pre-eminent power and indispensable in ensuring that the international order does not tilt towards China. It has also, on strategic questions, been a steadier partner than many in Delhi had assumed. India needs a frank discussion on whether it is time to partner with the US more substantially and openly. This has to be supplemented with a range of other partnerships, from sustaining ties with Russia to acting in concert with other middle powers. On this metric, the government has done a competent job. Three, India needs to invest more in the neighbourhood not just in terms of connectivity but by actively ensuring that political regimes in the periphery are aligned with India. This will mean criticism of being interventionist at times; it will result in setbacks at other times. But playing quiet even as China is actively propping up governments and creating a hostile environment against India is not a solution. On this, Indias record is mixed. And finally, it is time to play on Chinas internal weaknesses. India hosts the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan government-in-exile, and hundreds of thousands of Tibetans. But India continues to insist that this is not a political act and, too often, reiterates its recognition of Tibet as a part of China. With this mixed approach, India earns Chinas wrath, but it doesnt earn Tibetan goodwill either, and its own ability to embarrass Beijing shrinks. Instead, a consistent policy with the following elements a formal announcement that India will respect the Dalai Lamas wishes on his succession, outreach to all Tibetan sects and political streams, and advocacy of their political and cultural rights is important. China has made it clear that it does not respect Indias sensitivities on Kashmir or Arunachal Pradesh; Tibet must be the riposte. On this metric, the governments policy is an enigma. India neither wants a war, nor can it afford one. India needs to live in peace, and focus on its massive developmental challenges. But often geopolitics throws up challenges which a State has to confront. India will have to learn to manage China better, and it wont always be a smooth ride. letters@hindustantimes.com SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 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. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2020 > Foundation of the Communist Party of India (CPI) in 1925: product of (...) Foundation of CPI in 1925 was a historic event, welcomed by all the progressive sections of the national movement. It was a product of the dialectical combination of the national and class movements, deeply crystallized by the Russian revolution and international events. CPI in the twenties was truly rooted in the industrial working class and the emerging intelligentsia influenced by ideas of socialism and Marxism. Simultaneously a big section of the national movement was involved in it and heartily welcomed its formation. Ideas were repeatedly floated and attempts made to establish a Communist Party of India by groups abroad. Serious revolutionaries were gradually veering round to the ideology of Russian revolution, and were feeling the need to establish a Communist party. Among the attempts made was the one in Tashkent in 1920. This attempt, though appreciable in intentions, failed, because it had no relation with and roots in the living mass movements and ideological-political activities inside India. The Communist conference held in 1925 in Kanpur and the foundation of the CPI was a natural culmination of the process of the emerging Communist movement. The constituting groups and leaders were deeply involved in the workers, peasants and intellectual movements. Groups were active in different industrial centres and journals were being published in increasing numbers. The role of SA Dange was more prominent, who educated generations of Communists in Marxism. Besides, the formation of the Communist party in Kanpur was closely related with the national movement, Congress in particular. The progressive leaders had a positive attitude to the formation of CPI and welcomed it. The Communists decided to be part of and work inside the Congress, using it as a national front. Kanpur CPI foundation conference was held at the same venue as that of the Congress session. Many Congressmen themselves were involved in its work. Workers, peasants, students and intellectuals were actively involved in the preparation and proceedings of the conference. The tallest and the most active figures of the Indian Communist and working class movement part in the preparation and actual holding of the conference, except those who were in jails, like Dange, Shaukat Usmani and a few others. Even they played their own role at that point of time. Thus there is huge difference between foundation of CPI in Kanpur (1925) and that in Tashkent (1920). The latter was a feeble and uncertain attempt, the former a well-organized event, which laid the foundation of countrywide Communist movement and party. There are a few other versions too, such as the CPI having been founded in 1933 etc, but they are not as important. We will try to clarify the issue citing historical decisions of united CPI itself and other sources. That the CPI was founded in 1925, and not in 1920 or on any other date, is quite clear. Besides, a misconception is circulating that it was MN Roy, who was the founder, or initiated the founding, of the CPI. An impression is wrongly being created that he was the ideological-political inspiration behind the foundation of CPI. This view/version has found its way even into some official text-books in the colleges and universities, as well as in some left circles. We will contradict this view also. Unfortunately, some left circles including those connected with CPI-M are propagating that CPI was founded in 1920, not in 1925. On this basis, the CPI-M and some others are celebrating hundred years of CPI, which should in fact be done in 2025. This does not square up with historical facts. We will consider some major ones here. Spread of socialist and communist ideals in India We should also go into the interesting background, leading to the maturation of idea of formation of CPI and of emergence and evolution of Communist ideology. This background contributes in a major way to creating conditions for the formation of CPI in the country. It will show that the party was formed as part and parcel of evolution of the freedom movement, the workers and peasants movement and under the impact of the ideas of Russian revolution. Much before the foundation of CPI, the ideas of socialism, communism and Marxism had emerged and been spreading in the country. There were streams that led ultimately to creating conditions for emergence of Communist movement in the country and the establishment of CPI. We will not go too many details here except to build up a background. Swami Vivekanand was among the first to mention that he was a socialist and that one day society of equality and workers (shudras) rule will definitely be established all over the planet. He was deeply influenced by the working class movements in Britain and elsewhere in Europe. Towards the end of the 19th century, Europe was gripped by the workers movements led by the Second International. There were all kinds of socialist trends including Fabian, scientific and others. It was under these influences that Vivekanand was able to state that I am a socialist. M. Singaravelu, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai were already thinking in terms of establishing a workers or labor party in India on the lines of the workers parties of Europe. Tilak tried to found one in 1916. M Singaravelu is known as the first Communist of South India. He already was a member of the AICC (All India Congress Committee). He in fact established a Labor Kisan Party (Workers and Peasants Party or the WPP) in Madras, which was announced on the occasion of celebration of the first May Day in India in 1923. It was this WPP led mainly by Singaravelu, also by Velayuthan, Sri Krishna Swamy and Sankarlal, which organized the first May Day in India in 1923 along with the trade unions at two places on the Madras beach. That was one of the very first instances when the Red Flag was hoisted in India. Manifesto of the WPP or the Labor Kisan Party was distributed on the occasion. A WPP unit was established in Punjab later in May 1923. There followed the formation of other units of the WPP. The Madras-based central committee of the WPP sent a telegram in July 1923 to its units and affiliated organizations in Punjab, Bombay and Bengal to organize Flag Day on 18 July 1923 and to hoist both the Tricolor and the Red Flag on the occasion. This was to demand the release of Gandhiji. The day was widely celebrated all over the country. (See, Singaravelu: The First Communist in South India, PPH, 1975) These events in the South and other ones created strong grounds for the formation of CPI in 1925. Foundation of AITUC in 1920 creates a major condition The trade union movement in the meantime was growing rapidly all over the country. It would an interesting field of study to trace the development of the TU movement in all its multi-faceted character. Industrial and workers centers were emerging by the first and second decades of the 20th century, such as in Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Kanpur, Karachi, and elsewhere. They became a major source of the Communist movement and of CPI. Textile, mines, port and dock workers, iron and steel, railways and such other industries and workers were important among them. Here it will not be out of place to mention that Mahatma Gandhi was a prominent TU leader in the second decade, when he organized and led the workers of Ahmedabad for a 37-day long strike for their minimum wages in 1918. It was after this struggle that the concept of the minimum wages became current in the working class movement. AITUC was founded in 1920 and it was a major political event, which contributed to creating conditions for the formation of CPI later on. It brought the Communist movement to qualitatively new levels, particularly in ideological andpolitical fields. It was a highly politicized workers movement. The speech of Lala Lajpat Rai, while inaugurating the AITUC foundation conference, is the proof of it. He dealt with three main points: class struggle, the struggle leading to socialism, and the Soviet Union as an example of socialist building. And Lajpat Rai was not a Communist; he belonged to the radical sections of the Indian National Congress. This is all the more significant. Later on, the Communists began to occupy major positions and play crucial roles in the AITUC, which was by this time turning towards the left and socialist ideologies. Dange, Ghate, Mirajkar, Muzaffar Ahmed, Singaravelu, Joglekar, Ajoy Ghosh, PC Joshi, Saklatvala, and a host of others helped create highly politicized workers groups and played important role in the AITUC and its unions in the railways, textile, post and telegraph, iron and steel, mining and other industries. In the meantime, the activities of the Communist groups were moving towards the formation of CPI. The Tashket Group in the meantime practically played no role in all these events except of course keeping contacts and writing articles, sending news, etc which was definitely important. Emergence of Communist groups The politicization of AITUC contributed immensely to the formation of workers and Communist groups in the major industrial centers of India. Marxist newspapers began to be published in various centers, such as The Socialist by SA Dange, Langal by Muzaffar Ahmed, Kirti by Sohan Singh Josh, Labor Kisan Gazette by M Singaravelu, and others. They organized the workers in economic and political battles. They also did considerable political-ideological work. SA Dange especially emerged as the first Communist/Marxist theoretician and guide of the Communist and working class movement. He may be termed as the real working class leader, and not just a just TU leader. He wrote the first Marxist booklet, in India, Gandhi vs Lenin (1921),comparing and contrasting the politico-ideological views of Lenin and Gandhi. The booklet and other writings went considerable distance in political-ideological education of the rising initial generations of the Communists. His journal The Socialist in the early 1920s did a huge amount of Marxist ideological work among the rising intelligentsia, students, teachers and others. It brought out Marxist interpretation and analyses of issues in theoretical and practical fields, trade union and working class movements, Communist movement, history, philosophy, Indian tradition, and so on. It educated the first generations of Marxists. Communism and socialism appealed to wide sections of the educated, especially after the Russian Revolution. Its influence grew rapidly through emerging Communist groups and their activities. The revolution had a deep impact on the revolutionaries and freedom fighters inside India and abroad. Under the impact, the revolutionaries raised dreams of liberation and socialism. Among the major outcomes was the attempt to form CPI in India as well as abroad. The leaders and workers of various groups, the Marxist elements among the educated sections, the growing participation the freedom struggles, etc created conditions for spread of Marxism and Communism and for the ultimate foundation of the CPI. Thus the objective and material conditions for the rise of the Communist movement were mainly formed inside the country. The events in Europe and other countries were important no doubt, but they constituted secondary feature of the process. The Communist groups worked hard among the workers, students and other sections, creating Communist consciousness and groups to propagate ideas of scientific socialism. Communists and Socialists had been part and parcel of the freedom and national liberation movement from the very beginning. It was in 1921 that Maulana Hasrat Mohani, already a Communist, raised the question of full independence within the AICC in its Ahmedabad congress. It was rejected at the time. A group of Communists came into being within the Indian National Congress, working inside and outside and creating elements and groups of revolutionaries and Communists. By 1925, there was considerable number of Communists as members of the AICC as well as in some of the provincial Congress Committees such as in Bombay, Madras, Punjab, etc. M Singaravelu attended the Gaya session of the Indian National Congress (1922). He also worked actively within the Madras PCC (Provincial or Presidency Congress Committee). Lenins death was condoled in condolence meetings in 1924 organized all over the country by the WPP and other organizations. We are not going into the details of the many other activities during the build up to the foundation conference of 1925. Evaluation of Role of MN Roy MN Roy was an important revolutionary who rose to become the member of the ECCI or the executive committee of the Communist International. He made an important contribution to the revolutionary and Communist movement, including in India. But it is wrong to attribute the role of founder of CPI. Unfortunately, even some textbooks propagate this mistaken idea. Roy emigrated from India in 1915 as an underground revolutionary, going to Indonesia to collect arms. He ultimately went to the US and became a Communist. He was to found the Socialist Party of Mexico in 1918, which a year later became the Communist Party, and later as its representative came to Moscow to attend Second Comintern congress in 1920, never to go back. Lenin asked MN Roy to prepare a thesis on the colonial question at the 2nd congress of Comintern (1920). There were sharp debates between the revolutionaries of the East (the colonial countries) about the attitude to be adopted to the ongoing national liberation and freedom movements in Turkey, Iran, India, China, Indochina etc. Unfortunately Roy produced a document which was thoroughly sectarian and damaging to the revolutionary movement in the colonial countries. Therefore it was totally rejected by Lenin and the Comintern majority. They have come to be known as the Supplementary Theses on the Colonial Question. Dr G Adhikari in his Documents of the History of Communist Party of India, Volume One (1917-22), has given a detailed version of it, including the facsimile of the original typed copy of the Roys Supplementary Theses, in which Lenin made the cuts himself. Lenin presented the Preliminary Draft Theses on the National and Colonial Questions. He emphasized the need for a determined struggle against attempts to give a Communist coloring to bourgeois democratic liberation trends in the backward countries. (See the above-mentioned volume by Dr Adhikari, p 196) He underlined that the Communists must support every national and bourgeois democratic movement against imperialism. The Communist International must enter into a temporary alliance with bourgeois democracy in the colonial and backward countries, but should not merge with it... (Ibid) Task of the Communist elements in the oppressed countries must be to create revolutionary parties and not just Communist parties in name only. Lenin was firmly against any haste in the formation of CPs without the maturity of the objective situation. The formation of classes was not sufficiently developed. He conveyed this to several India revolutionaries also. Lenin told the Communists of the East: You will have to base yourselves on the bourgeois nationalism which is awakening...(Ibid, p197; Lenin CW 30, p162) Lenin also formulated for the first time the concept of anti-imperialist united front. The formulations were opposed by MN Roy, Sultan-Zade (Persia), Serrati (Italy), and some others. There were heated debates, but Lenin stood his ground. Roy and some others, including the above-mentioned, were of the opinion that aligning with bourgeois democratic movement would only harm the proletarian movement. Therefore, the proletariat must first overthrow this leadership, including that of Gandhiji in India, and then take over the leadership to carry on national freedom movement. This view was rejected. Efforts in Tashkent, 1920 Researches into original documents of revolutionary and Communist movements by (late) Dr G Adhikari, and many other documents, show that the initiative to form CPI in Tashkent in 1920 did not come from the Comintern or its representative MN Roy. Roy himself had denied that he took any initiative. It came from a group of Muhajirs and some other revolutionaries residing in the Soviet Union and other countries like Germany. Some members of the Indian Revolutionary Association like MPBT Acharya and Abdul Rab were also involved. Details of names and minutes have been published on several occasions, and as such we will avoid them here. Unfortunately, Peoples Democracy and some other sources tend to highlight Roy, as also treat Tashkent meet as the foundation of CPI. This is factually wrong. Otherwise too, there is much confusion in history about the Tashkent event. There even existed two or more groups, each claiming to be the CPI. There were several trends among the revolutionaries abroad before and during 1920s. Some of them tried to form a CPI, and such groups did some useful work of propaganda. One attempt led to the formation of Tashkent based CPI. But this party never could function as an effective organization and clear-cut aims. While MN Roy did not agree with the convening of the meeting in Tashkent in 1920, he nevertheless attended it. He later tried to force the Communists in India to form a party in a hasty manner. This the revolutionaries and the Communists in India did not agree with. The Tashkent Group had practically no live contacts with the emerging Communist movement in India at the time, except through correspondence. Of course, the Tashkent group made useful contribution by way of propaganda of freedom movement and socialism, but they really could not function as a Communist Party. Peoples Democracy is again in the wrong regarding role of MN Roy. Roy in fact did not take the initiative to convene the Tashkent meeting, nor did he agree to the formation of Communist Party of India there. He had his own reasons for this approach. Roy writes in his Memoirs: There was no sense in a few emigrant individuals calling themselves the Communist Party... knowing fully well that it would be a nominal thing, although it could function as the nucleus of a real Communist Party to be organized eventually...I had not spoken to them (Muhajirs) at all of Communism. In contradiction with certain interpretations such as are current on the social media and some left circles, Roy further says: I did not claim to represent anybody but myself. I did not approve of the formation of the emigrant Communist Party, and did not believe that it had any right to speak on behalf of the workers of India, not to mention the Indian people as a whole. This clarifies the widespread misconception that MN Roy founded the Communist Party of India and that he was an ideological inspiration for the Indian Communists. It is true that Roy was in contact through his periodicals with the Indian Communists, but the latter did not get on well with him and did not agree with his approach. The attitude of Adhikari, Dange, Ghate, and even others like Muzaffar Ahmed etc make this amply clear. Muzaffar Ahmed has sharply criticized MN Roy in his works including in Myself and the Communist Party of India. Communists in India carried on their own ideological and political work. Tashkent Party died down after some time. Hardly a few meetings were held subsequently, with no serious activities abroad. It had practically no contact with the Communist in India, and no coordination or joint work. The Communists in India functioned in various centers, and worked as a party since 1925. The Communists in India never recognized the party formed in Tashkent in 1920 even after the foundation of CPI in 1925. Tashkent CPI disappeared in the course of time for lack of perspective and ideology and simply disappeared. It cannot be treated in any way as the founding organization of the CPI. Considering these hard facts, it is surprising that the central organ of CPI-M, Peoples Democracy, should treat 1920 as the foundation date of CPI in its recent issue of 7 October 2019. The CPI-M is celebrating 100 years of the foundation of CPI, but this does not square up with historical facts. Besides, the Peoples Democracy also gives too much importance to the role of MN Roy and blows him out of all proportions. As we have seen, Roy himself clearly stated that he did not agree with the purpose of the Tashkent meeting and did not treat it as the foundation meeting. CPI Founded in Kanpur, 1925 CPI formed in Kanpur in 1925 was a natural culmination of the freedom movement, as also of the working class struggles, combined with the impact of the ideas of Russian revolution. Russian revolution deeply radicalized the worker, peasant and freedom struggles in India. The mass struggles were led and study circles were formed by the emerging intelligentsia drawn towards Marxism and Communism. The Kanpur conference was held near the Congress pandal, symbolizing the close cooperation with the freedom movement. The formation of CPI also was the culmination of the coming together of working class groups and other groups, who had been doing lot of ideological and political work since a few years. Kanpur conference finalized the formation of the central executive committee and election of its office-bearers, adoption of a Constitution, membership form and red flag. It evolved in the course of time, to take on the form it subsequently adopted. This process never broke up, and continued through evolution of the organization as well as through ideological-political struggle in the national liberation movement. The organization skillfully combined national and class tasks in a dialectical unity. Foundation date of CPI: issue clinched in united CPI itself United CPI discussed the question of date of foundation on several occasions. One occasion was the query from the Communist Party of Indonesia in 1959 as to the date of foundation of CPI. At that time several dates were in circulation, particularly 1920 and 1925. To put an end to the confusion, the Central Secretariat in its meeting held on 18 August 1959, decided that 1925 should finally be accepted. The meeting was attended by Ajoy Ghosh, BT Ranadive, PC Joshi, M Basavapunniah, ZA Ahmed, SA Dange, Bhupesh Gupta, AK Gopalan and others. The minutes written in the handwriting of Basavapunniah sstated: Date of the foundation of the CPI: 1925. No other date was put forward by any of those present. Letter was sent to the Editor of Review of Indonesia on 20 August 1959, written and signed on behalf of the CPI secretariat by BT Ranadive. The letter stated: The Communist Party of India was founded in the month of December in the year 1925. Even before that, there were individual Communists and Communist groups working in different parts in the country. But it was in December 1925 at a meeting of representatives of various groups in the country held at Kanpur that the Communist Party of India was formed. Bengal state council of CPI in 1960 wanted to celebrate the 40th anniversary of CPI in 1961, taking the foundation date as 1920. The acting general secretary of CPI, EMS Namboodiripad, wrote to the West Bengal state council of the party on 10 June 1960: We understand that your state council has adopted a resolution to the effect that in 1961 we should celebrate the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the Party. The secretariat discussed the matter and has come to the conclusion that this is a question which cannot be decided by any other organ of the Party except the National Council. It will therefore be appropriate to take up the issue in the next meeting of the National Council. The Central Secretariat of CPI issued a statement on 5 June 1963, under the heading Foundation Day of Communist Party of India, saying: We wish to inform all concerned that the Communist Party of India was founded in December 1925 at a conference of Communists held in Kanpur. Even prior to this, there were some seven Communist groups who functioned in several parts of the country and received guidance from the Communist International. But the party known as the Communist Party of India came to be formed at the above-mentioned conference held in Kanpur in December 1925, which was attended by more than 500 delegates. Prominent among those who attended were: Muzaffar Ahmed from Calcutta; SV Ghate, RS Nimbkar and JP Bagerhatta from Bombay; Abdul Majeed from Lahore, and CK Iyenger and Singaravelu Chettiar from Madras. When the conference met in December 1925, both comrades SA Dange and Shaukat Usmani were in jail. The party executive met on December 28 and elected Comrade SV Ghate as one of the general secretaries. (New Age, 9 June 1963) CPI gave proper respect to the Tashkent Group and treated it more as a Foreign Buro. Thus the point here is that the leadership of the united CPI itself had finally clinched the issue of the date of foundation of CPI. It had unequivocally decided that the year was 1925 and not 1920. The partys central secretariat, which decided it, included some of the towering leaders who later joined the CPI-M, as is clear from the names mentioned above. SV Ghate also has written in detail about 1925 as the foundation date of CPI. (New Age, 30 August 1970, and elsewhere in his memoirs etc.) Above-mentioned facts put the answers to the question in proper perspective, and establish once again that the CPI was founded in 1925, and not in 1920. SAD, which is a member of the ruling NDA at the Centre, issued the statement amid a widespread criticism by many farmers' organisations of the three farm sector ordinances promulgated by the Centre during the lockdown Chandigarh: The SAD on Saturday appealed to the BJP-led Centre not to present the three farm ordinances for approval in Parliament until all reservations expressed by farmers are duly addressed. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the SAD core committee which was presided over by Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. The core committee felt that it was its responsibility to get the concerns of the 'annadaata' (farmers) addressed and asserted that it was committed to taking up all issues raised by farmers with the Union government, according to a press release. The statement came amid a widespread criticism by many farmers' organisations of the three farm ordinances promulgated by the Centre. The appeal from the SAD for not enacting laws on ordinances came despite the party earlier maintaining that the Centre has assured that these ordinances will have no bearing on the existing crop procurement policy. Last month, Sukhbir had even said that Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar had written to him that there was no change in the present policy of the purchase of agriculture produce through Minimum Support Price through state agencies. Badal had even accused Chief Minister Amarinder Singh of trying to mislead people on this issue. Farmers have expressed apprehension that these ordinances will pave the way for dismantling of the MSP system and they would be at the mercy of big corporates. They have been demanding rollback of these ordinances. The ordinances are the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. The SAD's core committee noted that the SAD leadership met farmer organisations representatives and those of 'khet mazdoor' (farm labour) during the last few days. It also held discussions with farm experts to take their views, besides taking the view of grassroots party workers as well as the senior party leadership, the party said in a release. A considered view has emerged that the Union government should not rush for enacting laws on the ordinances till the apprehensions conveyed to the SAD were addressed, said the release. Badal conveyed to the core committee that he had also been approached by farmers as well as farm organisations from adjoining states and that all of them had expressed apprehensions about the central ordinances and urged the SAD to take up their issues and grievances with the central leadership. Taking this into account, the SAD is also of the view that the concerns should be taken up for consideration by the Centre, said the party. The core committee felt that it is appropriate that the SAD president lead a delegation to discuss the concerns of the farmers with the central government. The Congress-led state government, which is spearheading a campaign against the ordinances, had described these ordinances as a "blatant attack" on the federal structure. On 28 August, the Punjab Assembly had passed a resolution, rejecting these farm ordinances. The chief minister had then said these are not only against the interest of farmers and landless workers and time-tested agriculture marketing system established in the state but are also against the Constitution of India. The Southern Chiefs Organization (SCO) wants to know who will be held accountable should First Nations students bring COVID-19 from provincial schools home to their reserves. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us The Southern Chiefs Organization (SCO) wants to know who will be held accountable should First Nations students bring COVID-19 from provincial schools home to their reserves. As of Sept. 1, the total number of lab-confirmed positive and probable positive First Nations cases in Manitoba remained at 22, with none of them on-reserve. "The First Nations have been very effective at keeping the numbers down in our communities," SCO Grand Chief Jerry Daniels said. "The leadership has done very well." Some First Nations have their own schools on-reserve and have developed very stringent plans to ensure their communities continue to see zero COVID-19 cases. For the 11 First Nations with schools administered by the Manitoba First Nations School System, individual plans are being worked out with each community, including for students in higher grades who would normally attend provincial schools. When asked if First Nations were consulted on back-to-school plans Daniels said there have been many empty promises from the province, and a great deal of strain on several different files. "This one is very important to us because, obviously, it involves our children," Daniels told The Brandon Sun. In a news release, Daniels stated that as First Nations students headed back to provincial schools this week, they were met with confusion, last-minute updates, changing plans, and very little support from the province of Manitoba. "The province has yet to take responsibility for the safety of our students, and they are putting undue stress on already overburdened families," he said. First Nation families already deal with systemic racism and economic apartheid that has resulted in an 11-year gap in health outcomes, according to the release. They are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, as are extended family members, including elders, and many communities have imposed strict lockdown and quarantine measures to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks. "Sending their children into communities with higher cases of coronavirus and into schools developing plans in less than a week is causing great concern among many First Nation parents and caregivers," Daniels said. "Our communities and our families have taken strong measures to prevent outbreaks and now the province is forcing us to choose between our childrens education and risking their potential exposure to the coronavirus." Further, Daniels said the province has dumped responsibility on school divisions, and that they are carrying the burden of responsibility. "I think that thats the most important point for Pallisters government, and (Minister of Education) Kelvin Goertzen. They have to realize that if any of our children start getting sick and, God forbid, any lives are lost theres going to have to be some accountability there," he said. "I dont think they should be offloading it to the school division. I think that they should have invested in a system that would delay some of the interactions at the school level until such time that we can have a very clearly thought-out and robust strategy." He said the province has had since March to prepare for this moment but, instead, put out an information package less than a week before the start of school. The SCO stated the timing of the materials was inadequate. "Adequately preparing for students to go back-to-school during a pandemic takes significant time, planning, coordination, and funding," Daniels said. "The provincial government should be taking any and all measures that they can to ensure the health and safety of all students across the province. Many questions remain for First Nation parents and caregivers who want to keep their children safe while still allowing them to receive their necessary education." Asked if kids start getting sick, would the SCO be holding the government and Manitoba Education responsible, Daniels said, "Theyre the ones who are making the recommendations. Theyre the ones laying out the policy." mletourneau@brandonsun.com, with files from Colin Slark Michele LeTourneau covers Indigenous matters for The Brandon Sun under the Local Journalism Initiative, a federally funded program that supports the creation of original civic journalism. Prakash Raj, like most of his cinema roles, never shies away from speaking his mind. Lately, the actor has been using Twitter to express his various political and social opinions. In his recent tweet, he took a sly dig at Kangana. His tweet comes in the wake of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolition action at Kanganas office building in Bandra. In the image, there is a collection of various Bollywood actors and actresses playing historical roles. The caption reads, if one film makes Kangana think she is Rani Laxmi Bai, then Deepika is Padmavati, Hrithik is Akbar, Shahrukh is Asoka, Ajay Devgn is Bhagat Singh, Aamir is Mangal Pandey, and Vivek is Modi ji. After Kangana spoke out her mind about Bollywood mafias" and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, netizens have been using identifying Kangana Ranaut with her role as Rani Laxmi Bai in the film Manikarnika. On Wednesday, BMC partially demolished her Bandra office citing illegal construction. The office was demolished while the actress was flying down from Chandigarh to Mumbai. The BMC demolition activity happened days after the actress engaged in a spat with Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, who took offence when Kangana stated that the situation in Mumbai had become as bad as Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, and compared the ruling Maharashtra government with Taliban. Gasping heavily, a 64-year-old pillion rider jumped off a motorcycle, stumbled, and screamed, Dhor, oke dhor, booth capture korche (catch him, he was capturing a polling booth)." His pen fell down while the lanyard struggled to hold his pair of glasses safe while swinging around his neck. After a brief chase with minor injuries on his knees and elbows, the man managed to get hold of the youth, and after a heated argument he was handed over to the paramilitary jawans. Then, the youth in a fit of rage showed his trigger finger to the man while being dragged inside a police van . You came here to capture the booths and now you are threatening me, the man shouted. This happened around 8.40 am on April 29, 2019, and the place was Krishnath College (some of its great alumni are freedom fighter Master da Surya Sen, the youngest headmaster in the world at the age of sixteen Babar Ali, filmmaker and scriptwriter Ritwik Ghatak) in Berhampore in the Murshidabad district when the Congress was struggling to withstand the Modi wave across the country around the Lok Sabha polls. While the BJP smeared most part of Indias political map with saffron, this sexagenarian came as a big relief for Congress chief Sonia Gandhi as he once again proved that he was the real nawab of Murshidabad after retaining the Berhampore seat in the parliamentary polls by defeating Trinamool Congress candidate Apurba Sarkar with more than 80,000 votes. Meet Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who not only retained his Lok Sabha seat, but his political prowess was also noticed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who complimented him as a fighter with a pat on his back in Parliament. His hard work paid off and in June 2019 the Congress sprung a surprise by announcing Adhir as its Lok Sabha party leader. He became the first Member of Parliament from Bengal to hold the post with Congress in the opposition benches. Adhir had earlier served as president of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee between February 2014 and September 2018. In Parliament, besides being leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, he is also the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). From October 2012 to May 2014, he served as minister of state for railways under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. On September 9, 2020, the Congress central leadership (after the sudden demise of Somendra Nath Mitra on July 30, 2020) sprung another surprise and appointed Adhir as its West Bengal unit president. While he was already carrying the responsibility of Lok Sabha party leader, appointing Adhir the chief of the partys Bengal unit is being seen by many as a good move from Sonia Gandhi to strengthen the party ahead of the assembly polls in 2021. But for Adhir, who is known as a strong critic of Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, it seems to be a Hobsons choice because any substantial increase in Congress vote share, considering its alliance with the Left Front, would mean a gain for the states ruling Trinamool Congress and worries for the saffron brigade. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the TMC got 43 per cent votes (despite losing 12 seats) which is 5 per cent more than what it netted in the 2014 edition. In 2014, the TMC got 34 seats, while in 2019 it managed only 22. But, despite losing 12 seats, the TMCs vote share has increased, mainly because of the polarisation of Muslim votes. The Congresss tally came down from four to two, while the Left Front failed to open its account in 2019. In the 2016 assembly polls, the BJPs vote share was 10.2 per cent and in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections it went up to 40.3 per cent. There was an increase of 30.1 per cent mainly because the Left and Congress votes gravitated towards the BJP. A close analysis reveals that from the 2011 assembly polls to the 2016 assembly polls and from the 2014 Lok Sabha elections to the 2019 ones, the Congress has lost nearly 7.3 per cent of its vote share, while the CPI (M) lost its vote share by 9.88 per cent (approx) in state polls and 16 per cent in Lok Sabha. However, the Congress vote share from the 2011 to the 2016 assembly elections went up from 8.91 per cent to 12.3 per cent, but it fell drastically in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls (9.6 per cent) and in the 2019 general elections the party managed to secure only 5 per cent of the votes. On June 24, 2020, with assembly polls in Bengal less than a year away, Left and Congress leaders met again (after a failed alliance bid in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections) and decided to work together at the booth level and unanimously agreed on an alliance for the 2021 assembly elections. With a strong anti-Mamata stand, Adhir has always favoured a tie-up with the CPI(M): the party did not field any candidate against him in Berhampore in last years Lok Sabha polls. But for Sonia Gandhi, the larger game plan is to fight against the BJP and not Mamata. Mamata-Sonias bonhomie was evident in a virtual meeting on August 26, 2020, when the UPA chairperson asked the TMC chief to take the lead during the discussion on various issues related to the states and the Centre. This is not for the first time when Sonia supported Mamata while taking a larger political leadership position against the BJP. In January 2019, during a Mahagathbandhan rally in Kolkatas iconic Brigade Parade ground, Sonia sent a message, which read, The upcoming Lok Sabha election will not be an ordinary one. This will be an election to restore the nations faith in democracy, defend our secular ethos and our heritage and defeat forces that are trying to sabotage the constitution of India. This rally marks an important attempt to galvanise leaders across the political spectrum to fight the arrogant and divisive Modi government. I wish this rally all the success. Time and again, Adhir preferred not to comment on Mamata-Sonias relationship, but his appointment as Bengal Congress chief may go in favour of Mamata because the BJPs 30.1 per cent vote share in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls mainly happened due to the shifting of the Left-Congress (they were not in alliance at the time) votes towards the saffron party as the TMC witnessed a gain of 5 per cent vote share despite losing 12 seats. Now when the Congress and Left are going to contest the assembly polls together, their vote percentage is certainly going to increase in the upcoming three-cornered fight between the TMC, BJP and Left-Congress combine. While sharing more about his plans for Bengal, Adhir Chowdhury said, My priority is to convert our rajnitik (political) alliance with the Left into a nirbachoni (electoral) alliance for maximum gains in the coming assembly polls. My target will be to bring back those who left the Congress and joined the TMC and BJP. I would like to assure them that they will get full respect in the party. On becoming the party president in Bengal, he said, I have to concentrate more on Bengal. Under such circumstances, the expectation is not much but certainly our vote share is going to increase this time. We will go for more campaigns and public outreach. Last but not the least, after forging an alliance with the Left our target will be the convergence of all the secular and liberal forces to fight the ruling party as well as BJP in Bengal." When asked if he doesnt think that someone else should have been appointed Bengal party unit chief, considering the work pressure as Lok Sabha party leader, Chowdhury said, I am an obedient worker of the Congress party and I will continue to respect the command of the party chief. They want me to head the state unit and I agreed and took the challenge. Though winning the Bengal election in 2021 is a distant dream, the Congress central leadership is aware that presently its only Adhir Chowdhury who can steer the party towards a respectable and noticeable position. Under his leadership, the party managed to win 44 seats (out of 294) in the 2016 assembly polls and became the key opposition in the state. The Left Front combined won 32 seats. Considering the alliance factor for the upcoming state polls, the total seats won by the Congress and Left Front combined in 2016 was 76, while the BJP won only three seats. And, if the Congress-Left Front alliance manages to retain its seats, then it is certainly going to be a matter of grave concern for the BJP despite its good show in the 2019 general elections. Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now. It's been a rough week. It's been a rough year. If you're like us, you need a palate cleanser. So we're taking a moment celebrate our favorite streets in Southern California -- the more obscure the better. But we're not picky. Your favorite street could actually be a road, boulevard, lane, cul-de-sac or highway. (Any takers for Rim of the World, which is technically a scenic byway, in the San Bernardino National Forest?) We're using "street" in the broadest possible sense for this crowdsourced experiment. TELL US YOUR FAVORITE STREET TO DRIVE >> We asked people to call our public affairs show, AirTalk, which airs on 89.3 KPCC FM, and share their selections with host Larry Mantle. Here's what they told us. LOCKWOOD VALLEY DRIVE [between Ojai and the Grapevine, a long road in the mountains north of Fillmore in the Ventura area] Andrew in Glendale said: "It's really nice rocks and geography. Lots of mountains, Alpine trees, peaked houses, things like that. Especially in the winter it's really gorgeous with all the snow." PCH between Seal Beach and Huntington Beach shot from a moving car. (Megan Garvey/LAist) Chelsea in East Los Angeles chose it in part because of its early L.A. feel: "You get to see the wetland, you get to see the beach on the other side and for me, it reminds me of, uh, driving to my first job when I first got my driver's license." David in Pasadena: "Looking across the Rose Bowl, you get the silhouette at sunset of the mountains with the backlighting. You get the alpine glow on the San Gabriel [mountains]. There's just something magical about looking across the Arroyo at the lights on the other side of the of the canyon." Not too far away, you might try the 134 Freeway above the Eagle Rock/Glendale area with its spectacular views toward downtown L.A. Mantle says on a clear day, you can see the reflection of the sun across the Pacific Ocean, sometimes all the way to Palos Verdes. Other people chose more urban streets such as Pico Boulevard in the Pico/Fairfax area and Talmadge Street in Los Feliz. HAWTHORNE BOULEVARD Gavin in Long Beach said: "I used to live right on the end of Palos Verdes in a tiny apartment, and I'd to tell people to take Hawthorne all the way from downtown until it dead ends. It's a long city drive but you see pretty much the full spectrum of L.A. all the way to the tip of the peninsula, and the coastal view there is just gorgeous." "You drive through from the from the north side and as you go further south, you hit the Porcupine Landslide and the road gets really crazy and up-and-down, [it] just undulate through the hills. It changes because of the landslide, so there's construction moving the water pipes. You see Catalina on a clear day. It's just really pretty." He also mentioned Rancho Palos Verdes Drive , which runs around the edge of the peninsula: US 95 One listener chose US 95 heading north from Blythe in eastern Riverside County "to oblivion." It's curvy and bouncy. I drive it in a Jeep, but dream of driving it in a Porsche. MULHOLLAND DRIVE Robert in San Pedro: "I used to drive home to Thousand Oaks. I'd drive that highway as far north as I could. I think it's just gorgeous. I feel like I'm at the top of the world and seeing the Channel Islands and the container ships." "It's a very nice and relaxing drive. It looks very beautiful and under the night sky." "The homes are all unique with beautiful views. It's a unique treasure in this great city and my dream is to own one of those homes." A Pacoima resident told us:Another listener chose Cody Road off of Mulholland because: CAMINO CIELO Tad said Camino Cielo off of Highway 154 in Santa Barbara County was his choice: "As you look towards the mountains above Santa Barbara, it's an invisible road that runs right along the ridge top. It doesn't go forever but it is absolutely spectacular. And if you're a fan of Highway 154, you know you've got that leading to it." A view of the pool and bungalow area and Sunset Boulevard from the Chateau Marmont penthouse, August 20, 2020. (VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images) Sebastian in Anaheim said he attended UCLA and remembers getting off the Sunset exit on the 405 and driving along the street to school. Mantle recommends that people who looking for a scenic drive across the city start on Cesar Chavez in East L.A., take it until it becomes Sunset and keep following it until it finally opens up at the Pacific Coast Highway. HIGHWAY 76 Henry in Highland Park loves driving east along Highway 76 starting at the 15 and heading into the desert: "If you do it in the spring, you get those beautiful aromas of citrus and if the timing's right, it will spit you out in Anza Borrego during the flower bloom." SAN VICENTE BOULEVARD Ricardo in Santa Monica recommends San Vicente Boulevard between Brentwood and the ocean "I think it's one of the more beautiful streets in the city and its the reason I moved from the eastside to the westside. The first time I drove down that street on a bicycle, I thought and felt the air, not discounting the young ladies jogging, 'I have to move here,' which I did." GLENDORA MOUNTAIN ROAD Ryan urges Angelenos to take the approximately 20-mile trip along Glendora Mountain Road up to Mount Baldy, a 20 to 22-mile trip:. "You can see all of L.A. and even parts of San Bernardino from up there. It's a great drive." Eugene in La Crescenta said he likes starting at the bottom of Lake Avenue and heading straight up into Altadena: "It's a total change of scenery and back down, you just get a great view of of everything south." One note: Lake had a very popular streetcar line during the Golden Age of Hiking that took millions of people up to the trailheads in the Angeles National Forest. Check out our story on the Mount Lowe Railway Southern California's fantastic, forgotten railway to the clouds. Jerry in Long Beach chose the stretch of Ocean Boulevard, heading north over the port from the bridges over the port to downtown Long Beach: The parents of a tiny baby who weighed the same as a jar of Vegemite say she is a 'true miracle' for surviving months after her premature birth. Baby Mimi Marks weighed just 376 grams when she was born after just 26 weeks of gestation at Monash Children's Hospital in Melbourne in April. Mother Nelma Marks was forced to have an emergency caesarean, giving birth 14 weeks earlier than the average 40-weeks gestation period. Mimi was extremely vulnerable after birth, suffering chronic lung disease and several infections - but has managed to survive against all odds. Mimi Marks (pictured on her father's chest) was just 376 grams and not much bigger than her father's hand when she was born at Monash Children's Hospital in Melbourne in April Mrs Marks said she is 'so grateful' Mimi has managed to survive since April. 'She is a true miracle. It's unbelievable to see. We are really, really grateful to Monash. I have no words to explain, it's beyond happiness,' she told 9News. Father Randall Marks said they have nicknamed Mimi 'little warrior' for her resilience against all odds. 'Wow, she is small, tiny and it's not much bigger than a coke can really. We've nicknamed her the little warrior through all this,' Mr Marks said. The five-month-old baby has stayed in hospital ever since her birth but was finally discharged from hospital last week. Mimi's tiny size makes her the smallest baby to be born at Monash Medical Centre and one of the smallest to ever be born in Australia. Parents Randall (left) and Nelma (right) Marks with Mimi in the middle. The five-month-old baby was in hospital ever since her birth but was finally discharged last week Babies under 2.5kg are considered to be low birth weight babies in Australia, but Mimi was just a seventh of this size at birth. She now weighs a healthy 4kg and lives at home with her parents in Melbourne's Croydon. Monash's Professor Arvid Seghal said it was 'a great outcome' for Mimi to finally go home and live a normal life. While Mimi was the smallest baby to be born at Monash Medical Centre, she is not the smallest to be born in Australia. That title belongs to Elora De Bondi, who was just 319g when she was born in Melbourne in 2008. The smallest baby to be born in the world is Saybie, who weighed in at just 245 grams when she was born in San Diego, California in December, 2018. British-Swedish firm Astrazeneca said that it had resumed Oxford University coronavirus vaccine trial in the United Kingdom following the confirmation by the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA). The advanced trial of COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and Astrazeneca were suspended this week after an illness in a study subject in Britain. "The standard review process triggered a voluntary pause to vaccination across all global trials to allow review of safety data by independent committees, and international regulators," AstraZeneca said. "The UK committee has concluded its investigations and recommended to the MHRA that trials in the UK are safe to resume," said the vaccine maker. Oxford University said in a statement that the UK regulator had recommended that the trials resume after an independent review of the safety data. Oxford University earlier said some 18,000 people have received study vaccines" as part of the trials. We cannot disclose medical information about the illness for reasons of participant confidentiality," it said. Serum Institute of India had paused clinical trials of a COVID-19 vaccine in the country this week. The move came a day after Pune-based vaccine maker received a show cause notice from the Drug Controller's General of India (DGCI) V.G. Somani. We are reviewing the situation and pausing India trials till AstraZeneca restarts them. We are following DCGIs instructions and will not be able to comment further on the same," Serum Institute said in a statement on Thursday. Serum Institute of India partnered with AstraZeneca to manufacture the COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by the University of Oxford, for India and low-and-middle income countries. Pune-based vaccine maker earlier shortlisted 17 sites in India for the Phase II clinical trial of COVID-19 vaccine. At least 1,600 candidates aged between 18 to 55, will participate in the trial. The central drug regulator has asked Serum Institute of India to suspend recruitment in its clinical trials of AstraZeneca Plc's potential COVID-19 vaccine in the country until further orders, reported news agency ANI. "Increase the safety monitoring of the subjects already vaccinated with the vaccine under trial and submit the plan and report. Submit clearance from DSMB, UK and DSMB, India to obtain clearance from this office prior to the resumption of future recruitment in the trial," read the statement by DCGI, according to ANI. V.G. Somani, the drugs controller general of India, has also asked for increased safety monitoring of those already vaccinated with the experimental vaccine, according to ANI report. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Islamabad, Sep 12 : Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa met visiting Commander of US Central Command Kenneth McKenzie in Rawalpindi during which issues pertaining to regional security were discussed, the military said. An army statement said that geo-strategic environment, regional security, Pakistan-US military cooperation, Afghan peace process and the situation in Kashmir were discussed at the meeting on Friday, reports Xinhua news agency. The meeting took place at a time when representatives of the Taliban and the Afghan government are scheduled to start intra-Afghan negotiations in Qatar on Saturday to end the conflict in Afghanistan. The US signed a deal with the Taliban in February for withdrawal of all American and NATO forces from Afghanistan. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Doha for the opening of the US-backed negotiations. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Dublin, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "South Korea Gift Card and Incentive Card Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) - Market Size and Forecast (2015-2024) - Covid-19 Update Q2 2020" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Despite near-term challenges, medium to long term growth story of gift cards in South Korea remains strong. The gift card industry in South Korea will continue to grow over the forecast period and is expected to record a CAGR of 10.0% during 2020-2024. The gift card market in the country will increase from US$ 4,563.5 million in 2019 to reach US$ 7,045.6 million by 2024. This report details the impact of economic slowdown along with change in business and consumer sentiment due to disruption caused by Covid-19 outbreak on gift card industry in South Korea. Historically, the gift card market in South Korea has recorded a steady growth with a CAGR of 15.2% during 2015-2019. However, According to the Q2 2020 Global Gift Card Survey, gift card market in South Korea is expected to be impacted across retail and corporate segments due to disruption caused by Covid-19 outbreak. Though growth of gift card industry will be impacted due to pandemic, South Korea has done well to control the outbreak. As a result, impact on gift card industry is expected to be much less, as compared with most other countries globally. Adoption of e-Gift cards is also expected to increase significantly over the next 4-6 quarters. There are interesting trends emerging across various segments, which are expected to fundamentally reshape gift card industry dynamics. In Korea, gift cards have gained importance as payment method during the last five years. The growth of the market is primarily attributed to the wide acceptance of gift cards by the individual and corporate consumers. Moreover, technological advancement in the payment industry has expanded the prepaid card market growth which also supported the gift card market in Korea. Personalized digital gift cards are gaining popularity in the country. Leading retailers such as Homeplus, Shinsegae, and Lotte have been offering gift cards integrated with mobile application to incentivize customers. Lotte which operates Lotte Departmental Stores, Lotte Mart, and Lotte Hi-Mart offers its gift cards through its mobile application. Moreover, Starbucks Coffee Korea has integrated company's personalized e-gift cards and e-gift items ordering system with Siren Order, Starbucks's mobile order and payment system. The presence of domestic and international gift card issuers makes the Korean gift card market more competitive. Leading domestic prepaid card issuers such as Korea Prepaid Card offers a wide range of gift cards for corporate and retail customers. The company is also the authorized distributor of Google Play gift cards in the country. The South Korean gift card market is also expanding due to the rising trend of trading gift cards for buying bitcoins and other altcoins. Some of the key players include paxful.com and bitrefill.com offer cryptocurrency trading through gift cards. The market for cryptocurrency is growing in the country which will support the gift card market over the period. Additionally, Koreans are also making use of gift certificates to order food through food delivery apps in the country. Below is a summary of country level trend analyses covered across gift card segments: Story continues Total gift market: This report provides detailed view of overall spend on gifts, broken down by retail and consumer segments. For both retail and consumer segments, this report provides a breakdown of spend on gifts by product categories (13 segments) and retail sectors (7 segments). Gift cards: Drawing from proprietary survey results, this report provides in-depth analysis of opportunities in both open loop and closed loop prepaid gift card categories. Assesses consumer behaviour by type of consumer (retail and corporate - SMB, Mid-Tier, Large Enterprise), gifting occasion, digital gift card (e-gift card), and market share by retail sectors. Details six essential KPIs: number of cards in circulation, load value, unused value, average purchase value, average value per transaction, and value of transactions. Corporate incentive & loyalty cards: This report provides detailed market dynamics of corporate incentive cards, broadly segmented in three categories - consumer incentive card, employee incentive card, and sales/partner incentive card. It details market size and forecast at category level, by functional attribute (open loop and closed loop), and by corporate consumer segments (small scale business, mid-size business, and enterprise business). Digital gift card (e-gift card) analysis: Provides market size and forecast for digital gift cards, broken down by retail and corporate buyers. It also includes gift card spend by occasion (retail - festivals & special celebration days, milestone celebration, self-use, other; Corporate incentive cards -consumer incentive card, employee incentive card, and sales/partner incentive card). The report also includes digital gift card adoption by company size. Open loop and closed loop: Provides market estimates and forecasts to assess opportunities in open loop and closed loop gift and incentive card segments across consumer segments. Consumer attitude and behaviour: Drawing from proprietary survey results, this report identifies and interprets key KPIs related to gift card dynamics including spend by age, gender, and income level. Retail spend: Breaks down retail spend across retail sectors (7 segments) to provide detailed insights on consumer behaviour and changing dynamics of gift card spend. Market share by retailer: Provides market share of closed loop gift cards by key retailers in South Korea. Distribution channel analysis: Provides market share by distribution channel - online vs offline sales and 1st party vs 3rd party sales (sales through outlet of other retailers). Companies Mentioned Lotte Group Shinsegae Co Ltd Hyundai Department Store Co Ltd GS Holdings Corp SK Planet Co Ltd BGF Retail Co Ltd Costco Wholesale Corp GS Homeshopping Co Ltd Samsung Corp CJ O SHOPPING Co Ltd CJ Cheiljedang Corp LG Corp For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/zkmlp 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 Iran has executed a young wrestler despite an international campaign to spare him the death penalty - including a plea from Donald Trump. Navid Afkari, 27, was executed in the southern city of Shiraz on Saturday, Iranian state television announced. Iran claimed Afkari was guilty of the murder of Hossein Torkman, a water department worker who was stabbed to death during protests in the country in August 2018. Tehran broadcast an 11-minute confession by Afkari last week, but through his own social media channels, the wrestler had continued to protest his innocence. Campaigners argued he was being framed for the murder by the regime, who were eager to silence one of their critics. Iranian state TV has aired an apparent confession by wrestler Navid Afkari (pictured), who today was executed after having been charged with a 2018 murder In a final message from Afkari that has been shared on social media following the announcement of his execution, the wrestler maintained his innocence. 'Ive exhausted all resorts to the justice system of the Islamic Republic. Theyve rejected my requests for a retrial,' he says in the audio clip. 'This means, after two years, the judiciary has decided to execute me. 'The Islamic Republic of Iran is about to execute an innocent person like me. Theyve shut down my voice and theyre now about to take my life. 'Im asking every freedom-loving person from any ideology be my voice and that of my family because humans honour without the right to justice has no meaning. 'Ive all kinds of documents to prove my innocence. With these documents, if ever Im executed, people should know that in the 21st century, with all this talk of human rights by the United Nations in the world, they still executed innocent people in Iran.' US President Trump had said last week: 'Hearing that Iran is looking to execute a great and popular wrestling star, 27-year-old Navid Afkarai, whose sole act was an anti-government demonstration on the streets. 'To the leaders of Iran, I would greatly appreciate if you would spare this young man's life, and not execute him. Thank you!' he tweeted, tagging a Fox News story on the wrestler and the UFC mixed martial arts organization and its president Dana White. US President Donald Trump pleaded with Iranian authorities to reconsider the 'great and popular wrestling star's' death sentence in a set of tweets on Friday (pictured) On Saturday, Iran responded to Trump's tweet with a nearly 11-minute state TV package on Afkari. It included the weeping parents of the slain water company employee, Hassan Torkaman. The package also showed footage of Afkari on the back of a motorbike, claiming he had stabbed Torkaman in the back without explaining why he allegedly carried out the assault. The state TV segment showed blurred police documents and described the killing as a 'personal dispute,' without elaborating. It also said Afkari's cellphone had been in the area and showed surveillance footage of him walking down a street, talking on his phone. Those supporting Afkari have accused police of torturing a confession out of him after finding the surveillance footage. Shiraz and several other urban centres across the Islamic republic had been the scene that day of anti-government protests and demonstrations over economic and social hardship. Navid (left) and his brother Vahid (right) were sentenced by Iran's supreme court along with a third brother, Habib Reports published abroad say Afkari was condemned on the basis of confessions aired on television after being extracted under torture, prompting online campaigns of support for his release. Iranian opposition leader, Maryam Rajavi, who is based in Paris, reacted to the news. 'The religious dictatorship ruling Iran cannot survive for even one day without suppression, execution, and torture,' she said in a statement. 'The United Nations Security Council, its member states, the UN Human Rights Council and High Commissioner for Human Rights, the EU and all international human rights organizations must undertake effective and concrete measures against the Iranian regime for the execution of Navid Afkari and 120,000 political prisoners. 'Silence and inaction are tantamount to a green light to, and complicity with, the regime to continues its atrocities.' London-based rights group Amnesty International has repeatedly called on Iran to stop broadcasting videos of 'confessions' by suspects, saying they 'violate the defendants' rights'. An Iranian opposition group quoted their mother Bahieh Namjou (pictured) as saying the brothers had been arrested by plain-clothes officers without a warrant The judiciary's Mizan Online news agency denied the accusations. According to Amnesty, Afkari's last contact with his family was a short phone call on September 6. His two brothers Vahid and Habib are still detained at the same prison as him, the group said in a statement. The sentence had been carried out at 'the insistence of the victim's family', said Mousavi, the prosecutor general for Fars province. Afkari's lawyer, Hassan Younessi, said on Twitter that a number of people in Shiraz were to meet with the slain worker's family on Sunday to ask for their forgiveness. He also said that based on criminal law in Iran 'the convict has a right to meet his family before the execution.' 'Were you in such a hurry to carry out the sentence that you deprived Navid of his last visit?' US President Donald Trump had pleaded for Afkari's life earlier this month, saying his 'sole act was an anti-government demonstration on the streets'. Trump has imposed crushing sanctions on Iran after unilaterally withdrawing the United States from the nuclear deal that Tehran struck with world powers Dana White, the president of the mixed martial arts competition UFC, has also called on Iran to drop the death sentence against the wrestler Trump has maintained an aggressive approach of 'maximum pressure' toward longtime US foe Iran since becoming president, enacting crippling economic sanctions after withdrawing from a landmark nuclear deal with Tehran and world powers in 2018. A global union representing 85,000 athletes had also called on Iran to spare the wrestler's life. In a statement issued Tuesday on its website, World Players United called on the International Olympic Committee to use its leverage to help Afkari. The Persian hashtagh #Navid-Afkari was also being widely used on Twitter to protest the execution. BERLIN: A supporter of the National Council of Resistance Iran (NWRI) and the Iranian Exile Society in Berlin holds a placard with the picture of Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari outside the Iranian embassy in Berlin, while protesting against his execution LONDON: Protesters wave the Lion and Sun flag of the National Council of Resistance of Iran and the white flag of the People's Mujahedin of Iran, two Iranian opposition groups, outside the Iranian embassy in London, protesting the execution of Navid Afkari Iranian rights activist Emaddein Baghi tweeted that Afkari's execution was a 'great sin' as the judiciary should have tried to persuade the murdered man's family to forgive the wrestler. Lawyer Babak Paknia also criticised the judiciary for its 'haste' to carry out the sentence. 'Even if a murder had really ocurred, is it not the judicial system's procedure to do all that is possible to receive forgiveness?' he tweeted. Paknia represents three men sentenced to death over links to similar protests in November, but the trio's execution was halted over a request to the supreme court to review the verdict. Amnesty said Iran executed at least 251 people last year, the world's second highest toll after China. New York: Prosecutors pursuing sex-trafficking charges against Ghislaine Maxwell have asked a Manhattan federal judge to put a lawsuit against the British socialite on hold, saying it could "severely impair" their criminal case. Allowing the Jane Doe civil case filed earlier this year against Maxwell and the estate of her former boyfriend, Jeffrey Epstein, to proceed could mean evidence and witness testimony might become public before the criminal trial, prosecutors said in a letter to the judge. Witnesses could also be questioned about their cooperation with the federal investigation and face potential harassment, the government said. Ghislaine Maxwell has denied all charges against her. Credit:Getty Images Arrested in July, Maxwell is being held without bail in a Brooklyn jail as she awaits trial on charges that she recruited underage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. He was charged separately last year with sex-trafficking of underage girls but was found dead in his jail cell last August of what authorities later ruled a suicide. Maxwell, 58, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Mumbai: Alleged drug peddler Zaid Vilatra, arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with a drugs-related case pertaining to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, on Saturday moved the Bombay High Court seeking bail. The 20-year-old Bandra resident, whose bail application was rejected by the sessions court on September 9, has challenged the court order and urged the high court to quash the same and grant him bail. In his plea filed through advocate Taraq Sayed, Vilatra has claimed that he is innocent" and has been framed in the case". Vilatra was arrested on September 4 on the basis of information the NCB received from Bandra resident Abbas Ali Lakhani and his alleged drug supplier Karn Arora. Both Arora and Lakhani were arrested by the NCB in the case in August this year. The NCB had claimed in the sessions court that it had recovered Rs 9.55 lakh as well as some foreign currency, including USD 2,081, from Vilatra. According to the agency Vilatra had said that the seized amount was sale proceeds of marijuana he had supplied to many persons. However, in his plea before the HC, Vilatra said that the contraband recovered from Lakhani and Arora was very small in quantity and he was not into any kind of nexus with them. There is absolutely no nexus between the applicant (Vilatra) and any contraband of commercial quantity," the plea reads. He has further said that he has been booked for a bailable offence and yet the sessions court rejected his bail plea. And the stringent conditions imposed on granting bail under the law cannot be applicable in his case considering the small, non-commercial quantity of contraband recovered from Arora and Lakhani, he has said. According to the case of the prosecution, the applicant was arrested on the basis of statements of two persons- Abbas Ramzan Ali and Karn Arora- who were both allegedly found in possession of total of 69 grams of ganja which is small quantity," his plea reads. 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 Two weeks after his discharge, Home Minister has been re-admitted to All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS) after complaining breathing issue on Saturday, multiple sources told IANS. However, the hospital did not come on record to confirm this. The sources told that Shah was admitted around 11 p.m. on Saturday night. As per the sources, he is being kept in CN tower, a facility reserved for VVIPs. Shah is getting treatment under Dr Randeep Guleria, director of His condition is said to be stable now. Shah has been suffering from post-COVID ailments for a month now. He was previously admitted to on August 18 after he suffered post-COVID ailments days after his recovery from COVID-19 disease which he contracted in early August. He had tested positive for COVID-19 on August 2 and received treatment at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. He was discharged after testing negative on August 14 only to re-admitted in days after to treat his post-COVID syndromes on August 18. He had complained of breathing issues then. --IANS str/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.) Nine of the worlds biggest pharmaceutical companies have just promised not to apply for regulatory approval for any new COVID-19 vaccine before it has gone through all three phases of clinical study. Why would they do such a thing? Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Nine of the worlds biggest pharmaceutical companies have just promised not to apply for regulatory approval for any new COVID-19 vaccine before it has gone through all three phases of clinical study. Why would they do such a thing? Youd be surprised if brain surgeons got together and promised not to operate while drunk, or if the bus drivers union publicly pledged that its members will not drive recklessly. They dont do that because operating sober and driving carefully are just part of the job. So is ensuring that new vaccines are safe and effective. Yet nine major players in the international pharmaceutics market AstraZeneca (U.K.-Sweden), BioNTech (Germany), GlaxoSmithKline (U.K.), Johnson & Johnson (U.S.), Merck (Germany), Moderna (U.S.), Novavax (U.S.), Pfizer (U.S.) and Sanofi (France) all felt obliged to reassure the public that they wont cheat. Whats up? Obviously, its the perception that other players in the same market may indeed be cutting corners. Were not talking here about Russia and China, both of which have begun inoculating some key workers with vaccines that are still listed by the WHO as being in clinical trials. No surprise here: everybody knows that those regimes break the rules whenever they feel like it. Usually the Trump administrations actions are viewed with weary resignation by the rest of the world, but it would still be a very big deal if the United States started distributing a vaccine that had not been properly tested. Yet the signs are that thats just what is going to happen. Last month at the Republican national convention, Donald Trump told the delegates and the country: "We are developing life-saving therapies, and will produce a vaccine before the end of the year, or maybe even sooner." On Sept. 4, the U.S. governments Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told American health officials that "limited COVID-19 vaccine doses may be available by early November 2020." More specifically, the CDC urged state authorities to consider "waiving requirements" and grant permits to McKesson Corp. so they can start distributing a vaccine by Nov. 1. You dont need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. The presidential election is on Nov. 3, two days later: thats long enough for the glad news to get around and floating voters to be swayed in favour of Trump, but too short for any defects in the rushed vaccine to come to light. Donald Trump is going to liberate Americans from the curse of COVID-19 in a little less than two months. If the vaccines miraculous properties subsequently fade, even it turns out to kill large numbers of people, that wont matter. The votes will have been counted, and Trump will be back in office for another four years. That, at least, is the scenario that is currently envisaged by the people around Trump. It is a plausible one, especially if the race has tightened by then. Just 100,000 votes in three states, mostly from people who had previously voted Democratic, put Trump in the White House in 2016. A miracle vaccine could certainly swing that many votes again. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The nine pharmaceutical majors who felt the need to issue a "historic pledge" to uphold scientific and ethical standards were doubtless driven by this scenario. Even if there really has been an American breakthrough, they would still have to cope with the publics suspicion that Trump is cheating and the mistrust that will also attach to any other early vaccines. It is possible that the vaccine or vaccines that Trump is about to unleash on the American public really do work and are safe. It would be a historic first in the development of vaccines having a COVID-19 vaccine ready for general use by next June or July would normally be seen as a remarkable achievement but miracles do happen. The problem is that they dont happen often, and if the full testing regime is not followed, you dont know if this is one of those times. Its only because the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine was going through the full third phase of tests, involving tens of thousands of individuals and many months of testing, that they spotted a bad reaction requiring hospitalization last week and paused the tests. The American miracle vaccine will only start third-stage tests at the same time that it is made generally available. Pauses like AstraZeneca/Oxford Universitys happen often in the development of a vaccine, and the pause will probably only be temporary. But even a very low-frequency bad reaction can be a mass killer when tens of millions of people are being vaccinated, and these are not desperately sick people willing to risk anything for a cure. They are people in good health, and you mustnt kill them. Gwynne Dyers new book is Growing Pains: The Future of Democracy (and Work). As part of its annual support to the vulnerable in society, Fountain Gate Chapel Glory Pastures, Sakumono has donated food items and cash to the Adjei Kojo State School for the Deaf. The items which included bags of rice, cooking oil, bags of gari, bags of sugar, soft drinks, toiletries, and cash amount were donated to the school. According to the Senior Pastor of the Church, Pastor Isaac Mensah, the donation is in line with the churchs annual commitment to support the vulnerable in Ghana. The Bible says in Proverbs 19:17 that whoever is kind to the poor, hence our resolve as a church to reach out to the needy. The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought hardships to such vulnerable groups, as a result we must all come together and support the poor and needy in our communities," Pastor Mensah added. Speaking during the presentation, the Proprietor of Adjei Kojo State School for the Deaf, expressed his gratitude to Fountain Gate Chapel Glory Pastures, Sakumono for the kind gesture. We want to appeal to other groups for their support to keep the school running successfully, he stated. Fountain Gate Chapel Glory Pastures, Sakumono has over the years supported institutions like the Teshie Orphanage, Akuse Prisons, Hospitals, among others. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council, in partnership with the state of Georgia and area cities and counties, will commemorate the inaugural observance of Minority Business Opportunity Week (MBOW) on September 14-18, 2020. MBOW is a weeklong recognition of the rich history, achievements and contributions of the minority business community to the states economy. As Georgias leading small business development and supplier diversity organization, the GMSDC is excited to spearhead Minority Business Opportunity Week and pay tribute to minority businesses driving our economy, said Stacey Key, GMSDC President and CEO. Our primary goal at GMSDC is to facilitate business opportunities between minority business enterprises and corporations. These successful partnerships are the key to driving innovation, creating jobs and strengthening minority communities. Georgia has been widely recognized as a positive climate for minority business, known nationally for a business-friendly climate, significant technological advancement and strong economic development policies that have spurred unprecedented numbers of entrepreneurial ventures and minority business startups. On behalf of all Georgians, Im proud to take part in celebrating the countless hardworking business owners from every race, creed, and walk of life who create opportunity in every corner of the Peach State, said Governor Kemp. As the Top State for Business seven years in a row, Georgias business community is truly one of the most diverse in the country. Our minority-owned companies are vital to the economic health of our state, and we salute all those who are involved in the inaugural observation of Minority Business Opportunity Week in Georgia. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp established the Georgians First Commission in 2019, whose mission is to address critical issues for small business and make it easier to do business in Georgia. The commission includes a Minority Business Task Force led by Cassius Butts, President/CEO of 1st Choice Credit Union and former Region IV Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. In addition to the State of Georgia, the cities and counties across the region will observe the week of September 14th as Minority Business Opportunity Week. They include City of Atlanta, City of Augusta, City of Savannah, Clayton County, Cobb County, DeKalb County, Fulton County, Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, Georgia State Senate, Gwinnett County, and Henry County. The GMSDC has partnered with the Atlanta Business Chronicle to publish a special focus section on Minority Business Opportunity Week, highlighting the successful partnerships between minority businesses and corporate entities. The special insert will be included in the Chronicles September 11th print issue. During Minority Business Opportunity Week the GMSDC, Georgias leading advocacy organization for supplier diversity and minority business development, will host its annual supplier diversity and small business development conference the Business Opportunity Exchange. The key focus of the BOE is five days of capacity building and engagement activities designed to stimulate opportunities. For more information about the BOE, please visit http://www.gmsdc.org/boe. ABOUT GMSDC The Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (GMSDC) is a not-for-profit organization that facilitates business partnerships between corporations, government entities, and certified minority-owned businesses in the state of Georgia. GMSDC celebrates 45 years of creating opportunities and delivering results. With more than 400 national and local corporate members and more than 700 certified minority business enterprises, GMSDC is Georgias leading small business development and supplier diversity organization. Founded in 1975, GMSDC is headquartered in Atlanta and is an affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council. For more information, contact us at http://www.gmsdc.org or info@gmsdc.org. When the knock came at the door at six in the morning, Sergei and Maria Silaev feared the worst. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. When the knock came at the door at six in the morning, Sergei and Maria Silaev feared the worst. The couple first thought it was the Russian police, coming to arrest them for being Jehovahs Witnesses. But it was the upstairs neighbour, telling them there was a water leak above their apartment. They were relieved, but after that had many anxious nights. "I couldnt sleep," said Maria. From that moment on they knew they needed to leave Russia. The Silaevs life changed in 2017 when the Russian Supreme Court labelled their church an extremist organization and banned all Jehovahs Witnesses organizations and gatherings in that country a ruling that forced them, and other members, to go underground and meet in secret in their homes. Although no official reasons have been given for the persecution, it could be because members of the church are pacifist, refuse to serve in the military, dont vote, and wont salute the flag or take part in other nationalistic displays of loyalty. According to Human Rights Watch, Russian authorities have carried out at least 780 house raids since 2017 in more than 70 towns and cities across Russia. Altogether, more than 300 Jehovahs Witnesses have been charged, are on trial, or have been convicted of criminal "extremism" for practising their faith. At least 32 are in prison, with sentences ranging from two to six years for leading or participating in church meetings. There are allegations of torture. "For Jehovahs Witnesses in Russia, practising their faith means risking their freedom," said Rachel Denber, deputy director of Human Rights Watch for Europe and Central. The Silaevs decided not to wait to see if they would be added to the list of the accused and arrested. In January they came to Canada as tourists, seeking refugee status after arriving. Soon after, they moved to Winnipeg to await a verdict on their claim. Speaking through a translator over Zoom, they shared their story with me. The Silaevs who have no children, lived in Tver, a city of about 400,000 people 200 kilometres north of Moscow. Sergei, 29, worked as a maintenance supervisor; Maria, 27, was a hairdresser and also helped her husband in his work. The effects of the persecution were felt gradually, they said, starting with a ban on the New World Translation, the version of the Bible used by Jehovahs Witnesses. The couple got rid of their printed version, but kept a copy on their computer. This made Maria sad. "I enjoyed turning the pages and reading it," she said of her physical copy of the Bible. Then there was a ban on door-to-door and street witnessing a hallmark of the church, in that country and around the world. "That was very disappointing," said Sergei. "We couldnt share the Good News about God." After that, church meetings were banned. "We couldnt freely meet, our meeting places were shut down," he said. In response, members of the church began to meet in secret in groups of five or 10 in homes. This included the Silaevs. During the meetings they closed the curtains, kept their voices low, and there was no singing. While glad to still meet, the couple felt anxious. "There was always the threat of being raided and arrested," Sergei said. "We were always fearful, constantly afraid of being arrested." They also experienced harassment at work; co-workers would ask what they were doing wrong to make the government ban their church. They told them, "You must be criminals, the government says so." Faced with persecution, and afraid of being arrested, they decided to leave. "We wanted to live somewhere where we could freely express our faith," said Sergei. They decided to come to Canada, because it "respects the rights of all religions, and people can freely express their faith," he said. They selected Winnipeg because they heard the people here were friendly, and because there is a small Russian-speaking group of Jehovahs Witnesses they could worship with. "We heard it a nice place and the people are good," Sergei said. Since arriving in Winnipeg, which is home to about 3,000 Jehovahs Witnesses meeting in 16 congregations, the couple has received assistance from local members of the church. "We feel the warmth and love of brothers and sisters here in Winnipeg," said Maria. Best of all, for a number of weeks early in the year the couple was able to meet physically with other Jehovahs Witnesses before the pandemic struck and forced meetings online. 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. "I couldnt hold back my tears," said Maria of those first in-person meetings. One thing she especially enjoyed was being able to "sing out loud." As for Sergei, "I am glad to be able to freely express my faith, and not worry about being arrested," he said. Joel Ramcharan is the spokesman for Jehovahs Witnesses on the Prairies. While glad the couple has found safety, he worries about other Jehovahs Witnesses in Russia. "We realize the pandemic is pushing this off the table, but we want the world to know about the persecution," he said, adding he hopes Canadians will "remember whats happening in that country." Added Sergei: "We want people to know we are peace-loving, law-abiding, hard-working people. Its discouraging the Russian government doesnt recognize and accept that." faith@freepress.mb.ca Jaipur, Sep 12 : Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Saturday backed party leader Rahul Gandhi's views on loss of jobs and the Indian economy and said that it was facing a terrible crisis while industries were shutting. Speaking to the media here, he said: "What Rahul Gandhi says is absolutely justified; the BJP had promised to give 2 crore jobs every year if it came to power at the Centre. On the contrary, crores of jobs have been lost in the past few months. Salary cuts are happening; China has entered our border areas in Ladakh; however, other issues are being discussed to divert public attention." He, however, said that the entire country will stand by the Indian government if it took any action on these issues. Rahul Gandhi has tweeted in the past to attack the Modi government on multiple issues, including Chinese aggression on the India-China border, job cuts, rising unemployment, and drastic fall in GDP growth. Pilot also appreciated the initiative taken by a special committee appointed by the Congress high command, led by Rajasthan affairs incharge Ajay Maken, to collect feedback from Rajasthan people on various issues. "Thousands of party workers have given their feedback to Maken, who also lent an ear to their grievances in an open environment. The party looks motivated and so the workers are jubilant," he added. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed By Pepe Escobar September 11, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - 9/11 was the foundation stone of the new millennium ever as much indecipherable as the Mysteries of Eleusis. A year ago, on Asia Times, once again I raised a number of questions that still find no answer. A lightning speed breakdown of the slings and arrows of outrageous (mis)fortune trespassing these two decades will certainly include the following. The end of history. The short unipolar moment. The Pentagons Long War. Homeland Security. The Patriot Act. Shock and Awe. The tragedy/debacle in Iraq. The 2008 financial crisis. The Arab Spring. Color revolutions. Leading from behind. Humanitarian imperialism. Syria as the ultimate proxy war. The ISIS/Daesh farce. The JCPOA. Maidan. The Age of Psyops. The Age of the Algorithm. The Age of the 0.0001%. Once again, were deep in Yeats territory: the best lack all conviction/ while the worst are full of passionate intensity. All along, the War on Terror the actual decantation of the Long War proceeded unabated, killing Muslim multitudes and displacing at least 37 million people. WWII-derived geopolitics is over. Cold War 2.0 is in effect. It started as US against Russia, morphed into US against China and now, fully spelled out in the US National Security Strategy, and with bipartisan support, its the US against both. The ultimate Mackinder-Brzezinski nightmare is at hand: the much dread peer competitor in Eurasia slouched towards the Beltway to be born in the form of the Russia-China strategic partnership. Somethings gotta give. And then, out of the blue, it did. A drive by design towards ironclad concentration of power and geoconomic diktats was first conceptualized under the deceptive cover of sustainable development already in 2015 at the UN (here it is, in detail). Now, this new operating system or technocratic digital dystopia is finally being codified, packaged and sold since mid summer via a lavish, concerted propaganda campaign. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter Watch your mindspace The whole Planet Lockdown hysteria that elevated Covid-19 to post-modern Black Plague proportions has been consistently debunked, for instance here and here, drawing from the highly respected, original Cambridge source. The de facto controlled demolition of large swathes of the global economy allowed corporate and vulture capitalism, world wide, to rake untold profits out of the destruction of collapsed businesses. And all that proceeded with widespread public acceptance an astonishing process of voluntary servitude. None of it is accidental. As an example, over then years ago, even before setting up a privatized Behavioral Insights Team, the British government was very much interested in influencing behavior, in collaboration with the London School of Economics and Imperial College. The end result was the MINDSPACE report. That was all about behavioral science influencing policymaking and most of all, imposing neo-Orwellian population control. MINDSPACE, crucially, featured close collaboration between Imperial College and the Santa Monica-based RAND corporation. Translation: the authors of the absurdly flawed computer models that fed the Planet Lockdown paranoia working in conjunction with the top Pentagon-linked think tank. In MINDSPACE, we find that, behavioral approaches embody a line of thinking that moves from the idea of an autonomous individual, making rational decisions, to a situated decision-maker, much of whose behavior is automatic and influenced by their choice environment. So the key question is who decides what is the choice environment. As it stands, our whole environment is conditioned by Covid-19. Lets call it the disease. And that is more than enough to beautifully set up the cure: The Great Reset. The beating heart The Great Reset was officially launched in early June by the World Economic Forum (WEF) the natural habitat of Davos Man. Its conceptual base is something the WEF describes as Strategic Intelligence Platform: a dynamic system of contextual intelligence that enables users to trace relationships and interdependencies between issues, supporting more informed decision-making. Its this platform that promotes the complex crossover and interpenetration of Covid-19 and the Fourth Industrial Revolution conceptualized back in December 2015 and the WEFs choice futuristic scenario. One cannot exist without the other. That is meant to imprint in the collective unconscious at least in the West that only the WEF-sanctioned stakeholder approach is capable of solving the Covid-19 challenge. The Great Reset is immensely ambitious, spanning over 50 fields of knowledge and practice. It interconnects everything from economy recovery recommendations to sustainable business models, from restoration of the environment to the redesign of social contracts. The beating heart of this matrix is what else the Strategic Intelligence Platform, encompassing, literally, everything: sustainable development, global governance, capital markets, climate change, biodiversity, human rights, gender parity, LGBTI, systemic racism, international trade and investment, the wobbly future of the travel and tourism industries, food, air pollution, digital identity, blockchain, 5G, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI). In the end, only an all-in-one Plan A applies for making these systems interact seamlessly: the Great Reset shorthand for a New World Order that has always been glowingly evoked, but never implemented. There is no Plan B. The Covid-19 legacy The two main actors behind the Great Reset are Klaus Schwab, the WEFs founder and executive chairman, and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. Georgieva is adamant that the digital economy is the big winner of this crisis. She believes the Great Reset must imperatively start in 2021. The House of Windsor and the UN are prime executive co-producers. Top sponsors include BP, Mastercard and Microsoft. It goes without saying that everyone who knows how complex geopolitical and geoeconomic decisions are taken is aware that these two main actors are just reciting a script. Call the authors the globalist elite. Or, in praise of Tom Wolfe, the Masters of the Universe. Schwab, predictably, wrote the Great Resets mini-manifesto. Over a month later, he expanded on the absolutely key connection: the legacy of Covid-19. All this has been fully fleshed in a book, co-written with Thierry Malleret, who directs the WEFs Global Risk Network. Covid-19 is described as having created a great disruptive reset of our global, social, economic and political systems. Schwab spins Covid-19 not only as a fabulous opportunity, but actually as the creator(italics mine) of the now inevitable Reset. All that happens to dovetail beautifully with Schwabs own baby: Covid-19 accelerated our transition into the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The revolution has been extensively discussed at Davos since 2016. The books central thesis is that our most pressing challenges concern the environment considered only in terms of climate change and technological developments, which will allow the expansion of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In a nutshell, the WEF is stating that corporate globalization, the hegemonic modus operandi since the 1990s, is dead. Now its time for sustainable development with sustainable defined by a select group of stakeholders, ideally integrated into a community of common interest, purpose and action. Sharp Global South observers will not fail to compare the WEFs rhetoric of community of common interest with the Chinese community of shared interests as applied to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which is a de facto continental trade/development project. The Great Reset presupposes that all stakeholders as in the whole planet must toe the line. Otherwise, as Schwab stresses, we will have more polarization, nationalism, racism, increased social unrest and conflicts. So this is once again a youre with us or against us ultimatum, eerily reminiscent of our old 9/11 world. Either the Great Reset is peacefully established, with whole nations dutifully obeying the new guidelines designed by a bunch of self-appointed neo-Platonic Republic sages, or its chaos. Whether Covid-19s ultimate window of opportunity presented itself as a mere coincidence or by design, will always remain a very juicy question. Digital Neo-Feudalism The actual, face-to-face Davos meeting next year has been postponed to the summer of 2021. But virtual Davos will proceed in January, focused on the Great Reset. Already three months ago, Schwabs book hinted that the more everyone is mired in the global paralysis, the more its clear that things will never be allowed (italics mine) to return to what we considered normal. Five years ago, the UNs Agenda 2030 the Godfather of the Great Reset was already insisting on vaccines for all, under the patronage of the WHO and CEPI co-founded in 2016 by India, Norway and the Bill and Belinda Gates foundation. Timing could not be more convenient for the notorious Event 201 pandemic exercise in October last year in New York, with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security partnering with who else the WEF and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. No in-depth criticism of Gatess motives is allowed by media gatekeepers because, after all, he finances them. What has been imposed as an ironclad consensus is that without a Covid-19 vaccine theres no possibility of anything resembling normality. And yet a recent, astonishing paper published in Virology Journal which also publishes Dr. Faucis musings unmistakably demonstrates that chloroquine is a potent inhibitor of SARS coronavirus infection and spread. This is a relatively safe, effective and cheap drug whose significant inhibitory antiviral effect when the susceptible cells were treated either prior to or after infection suggests a possible prophylactic and therapeutic use. Even Schwabs book admits that Covid-19 is one of the least deadly pandemics in the last 2000 years and its consequences will be mild compared to previous pandemics. It doesnt matter. What matters above all is the window of opportunity offered by Covid-19, boosting, among other issues, the expansion of what I previously described as Digital Neo-Feudalism or Algorithm gobbling up Politics. No wonder politico-economic institutions from the WTO to the EU as well as the Trilateral Commission are already investing in rejuvenation processes, code for even more concentration of power. Survey the imponderables Very few thinkers, such as German philosopher Hartmut Rosa, see our current plight as a rare opportunity to decelerate life under turbo-capitalism. As it stands, the point is not that were facing an attack of the civilization-state . The point is assertive civilization-states such as China, Russia, Iran not submitted to the Hegemon, are bent on charting a quite different course. The Great Reset, for all its universalist ambitions, remains an insular, Western-centric model benefitting the proverbial 1%. Ancient Greece did not see itself as Western. The Great Reset is essentially an Enlightenment-derived project. Surveying the road ahead, it will certainly be crammed with imponderables. From the Fed wiring digital money directly into smartphone financial apps in the US to China advancing an Eurasia-wide trade/economic system side-by side with the implementation of the digital yuan. The Global South will be paying a lot of attention to the sharp contrast between the proposed wholesale deconstruction of the industrial economic order and the BRI project which focuses on a new financing system outside of Western monopoly and emphasizes agro-industrial growth and long-term sustainable development. The Great Reset would point to losers, in terms of nations, aggregating all the ones that benefit from production and processing of energy and agriculture, from Russia, China and Canada to Brazil, Indonesia and large swathes of Africa. As it stands, theres only one thing we do know: the establishment at the core of the Hegemon and the drooling orcs of Empire will only adopt a Great Reset if that helps to postpone a decline accelerated on a fateful morning 19 years ago. Pepe Escobar is correspondent-at-large at Asia Times. His latest book is 2030. Follow him on Facebook.- Boris Johnson has told officials to prepare for a reshuffle after the Spending Review, with Ministers judged on how they grip their departments during preparations for the autumn announcement. The Prime Minister is understood to have indicated that competence and control will be used as the benchmarks for the reshuffle, which has become the subject of growing speculation among Ministers and their aides. It comes as Mr Johnson faces growing challenges to his authority from backbenchers from different wings of the party opposed to the tightening of coronavirus restrictions, his hardball Brexit strategy, the relaxation of planning laws and mooted tax rises. Some have even joined a rebel WhatsApp group called wtfisgoingon? Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned under performing ministers that they face the axe in an upcoming cabinet reshuffle Several ministers have been tipped for being sacked, with the likes of Liz Truss and Gavin Williamson and Robert Jenrick all facing possible demotion Many party donors have also become restive over the Governments performance. Chancellor Rishi Sunak will publish the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), setting out the Governments spending plans, in November. Ministers are preparing their submissions for budget allocations at a time of rare economic strain. They suspect No 10 of holding the threat of a reshuffle permanently over their heads to keep them in line. During the summer rumours spread that a reshuffle board had appeared in Downing Street with names illegibly scrawled on it. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss is regularly tipped for the chop, but boosted her survival chances by securing a trade deal with Japan and apparently heeding what was said to be a total b******ing by No 10 adviser Dominic Cummings for alleged leaking. Sources tip her to replace Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, who endured a torrid summer of chaos and U-turns over A-level grades and doomed efforts to reopen schools. He could be moved to Jacob Rees-Moggs job as Leader of the Commons, with Mr Rees-Mogg taking Ms Trusss trade role. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace another Minister seemingly permanently on the brink of eviction rehabilitated himself by working long days on Novembers Defence Review and, in the words of a source, keeping his nose clean. Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick is at risk in the wake of a lobbying scandal involving property developer Richard Desmond; but Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey, who has been tipped for the sack by some sources, is understood to be highly rated by Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak. A No10 source said: The reshuffle will be about competence and control. Ministers who show they have a grip on their department in the run-up to the CSR will do well. If they leak they will be out. Mr Johnson faced further pressure from backbenchers last night as former leader Iain Duncan Smith led calls for the UK to give legal and consular aid to overseas British nationals in Hong Kong held under a new Chinese security law. China warned US not to interfere with its relations with India With no sign of disengagement along LAC by China, Delhi pins hopes on diplomacy The five point consensus reached by India-China India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 12: 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. 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," 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. If they had just sent an email confirming that they had moved, they would be on the ballot right now, McDonell said. We could have added the Green Party and it would have been fine, and thats not still true today. The fact that the Green Party took two weeks to file I dont even know what to say about that. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality in the US is holding an online meeting Thursday at 5 PM Pacific to organize students against the reckless reopening of schools. We urge students and youth to register for the event today and help us build for the meeting. The reckless and deadly drive to resume in-person classes at universities has already resulted in over 51,000 positive cases of COVID-19, spanning at least a thousand universities. In California, despite reporting 4,800 new cases each day, many universities are still offering in-person classes and allowing student residence in dormitories and on-campus housing, endangering thousands of students, their families and the broader community. In Southern California, San Diego State University (SDSU) has recently made national headlines for its outstandingly negligent reopening policies that are resulting in an unmitigated outbreak. At least 513 known positive cases have been confirmed on the campus so far. A nightmare is unfolding at SDSU, with disturbing reports on social media of infected students given ten minutes to gather belongings before being thrown into isolation dormitories. The infected students are reportedly being housed with strangers and without bedsheets, food or sanitizing equipment. Students post HELP US signs in windows in isolation dorms [Credit: Twitter @sharkey_markey17] Students are not being told whether and when they will receive medical care. Desperate students are crying out for help on social media and have even posted Help Us signs on room windows. Many Twitter posts reveal that isolation dormitories are already reaching capacity, particularly of first and second year students who may not have any available friends or family to help them with supplies while they are quarantined. After just two weeks of reopening, 64 positive cases of COVID-19 were reported at SDSU, and by the following week, the virus had spread exponentially with 513 known cases and one student hospitalization. Initially, administrators denied the extent of the spread. Officials not only failed to notify students of cases and offer proper resources like mandatory testing, social distancing and mask wearing, but its public data of coronavirus cases had been manipulated to convey a lower case count. In a now viral Twitter thread, with over 105,000 likes and 27,000 retweets, an SDSU student and Resident Assistant (RA) in an on-campus dormitory exposed the administrations health policies as negligent and dangerous. The thread reveals that asymptomatic testing is not mandatory, masks are not being provided, and infected students isolating on campus have largely been left to their own devices. The university also effectively disincentivizes testing by creating a living environment that is so devoid of resources and proper safety measures that it makes students prefer anxious ignorance than to be forced into university-mandated quarantine dormitories. Students are advised along the CDC guidelines, and they are told to quarantine at home upon exposure and isolate by self-diagnosis. Officially, SDSU is advising students to remain in on-campus housing if they are exposed or contract the virus, but the university states that if their family home is within driving distance then they can return home and almost certainly spread the disease even further. The growing spread in the region is being felt throughout San Diego County. About 15 miles north of SDSU in La Jolla, California, at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), the administration has released plans to reintroduce 7,500 undergraduate students into dormitories at the end of September. The school has been explicit in its expectation that dozens of students who return to campus may have the virus. Currently, UCSD plans to test incoming students upon arrival with a second re-test after two weeks with daily self-screening of symptoms. UCSD began a voluntary testing regime in May for graduate students living on campus, which was meant to be the core of the schools reopening initiative. However, only a fraction of students were able to be tested. Even before the year officially starts, the school is already soliciting the public for donations in order to continue its testing plans. UCSD will offer 12 percent of its regular courses with in-person instruction, and an estimated 14,500 students will be living on campus for the fall quarter. Two weeks ago, with official reopening still a month away, UCSD revealed that over 40 students have already tested positive for COVID-19 since April, along with 21 campus employees and 184 staff and faculty in the health sciences program. Over 600 UCSD students and faculty have signed an open letter written by students demanding that the administration cease all in-person instruction and the reopening of undergraduate dormitories. The insistence on reopening despite the disastrous consequences is driven both by the profitability of student housing and the starving of state and federal funding for education. The least expensive housing options at SDSU are over $11,000 for all grade levels except first year students whose cheapest housing option is over $17,000 for nine months. As a result of the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the Democratic Party-dominated California legislature voted to approve a state budget for the 202021 fiscal year with over $54 billion in state spending cuts. This includes cuts to the University of California and California State University systems of $260 million and $300 million, respectively. Opposition is growing throughout the country 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 against 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. Beginning on Tuesday, over 1,000 graduate student instructors went on strike at the University of Michigan. The demands 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. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality commends all students who are taking a stand against the homicidal return-to-school campaign and urges those across the United States and internationally to unite and build rank-and-file safety committees to shut down schools and non-essential business. Students at SDSU must join forces with students across the US and beyond and turn to the working class to organize a broader fight against the entire policy of the ruling class. A fight to end the pandemic must not be limited to individual campuses or regions, but must be part of a conscious international struggle to end the capitalist system. Join the IYSSE today! Crew members aboard the Mediterranean Shipping Companys (MSC) Poesia and Musica cruise ships have taken strike action in opposition to the companys months-long failure to repatriate its employees. The two vessels, along with the MSC Seaview, have been stranded near the port of Santos, Brazil since the height of the coronavirus pandemic and the cruise industrys shutdown in late March. On Tuesday, a group of 25 employees on the Musica took to the upper deck of the ship, refusing to return to their cabins until the company guaranteed their travel arrangements. Workers staged similar actions on the Poesia, brandishing signs that contained messages such as Hostage: MSC stop lying, We also have families, and Send us back home: our life matters. Crew on the MSC Musica stage a sit-in, refusing to return to their cabins until the company guarantees their repatration Between the three MSC vessels off the Brazilian coast, there are 103 crew members from Mauritius who have been trapped on board for nearly six months. Accounting for the fact that for some crew, contracts of employment began well before the pandemic, it is likely that many of these workers have not seen their families for far longer than that. A worker on the Seaview who spoke with the WSWS confirmed that the actions of the Musica and the Poesia crew came in the wake of several canceled repatriation dates given by the company, which it blamed on the border policies of the Mauritian government. The employees have had several travel plans issued by MSC fall through since July. Like many marooned cruise ship workers, the stranded Mauritian MSC crew members have been cut off from the company payroll since March. A video published by TopFM.mu, a Mauritian news source, shows a worker on the Poesia describing her inability to pay for her expenses for her children back home. Similarly harrowing stories have been commonplace among stranded cruise ship workers of all nationalities. Mauritius is a small island country in the western Indian Ocean, approximately 700 miles from the coast of Madagascar. As national borders around the world closed in the initial stages of the pandemic, the Mauritian administration of Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth collaborated with the countrys largest privately held tourism corporation, Air Mauritius, Ltd, to impose exorbitant fees on the return of its approximately 4,000 citizens requiring repatriation and quarantine. It has taken almost half a year for the global cruise industry and worldwide governments to send home nearly 200,000 international workers who were stranded in the wake of the pandemic. In mid-August, there were approximately 12,000 workers still trapped in US waters, with likely thousands more abroad. A Wednesday article in the New York Times, entitled Trapped by Exhaustion and Despair, cites the International Transportation Workers Federation (ITF), a major seafarers trade union, as estimating that on merchant cargo vessels last month, 300,000 of the 1.2 million crew members at sea were essentially stranded on their ships, working past the expiration of their original contracts and fighting isolation, uncertainty and fatigue. The WSWS has extensively reported on the deadly conditions facing these stranded seafaring workers, among which there have been dozens of deaths due to COVID-19 outbreaks, as well as several other deaths, which are widely suspected to have been suicides or deaths of despair. MSC is the worlds fourth largest cruise company. It is also the worlds largest cruise enterprise that is entirely privately held, earning 405 million in profits in 2019, up from 348 million in 2018 [1]. Doubtlessly fueling the ire of its stranded employees is the fact that while its workers have been held hostage on its vessels for months, the company has been among the most ruthless ship operators to push for a resumption of sailings. Last month, amidst several failed European cruise industry restart attempts, as well as the extension of the Cruise Line Industry Associations (CLIA) voluntary suspension of US sailings, the company managed to be among the first to complete a successful cruise since the shutdown of its 2,500-passenger voyage on the Grandiosa. An August 19 article by the industry publication The Maritime Executive declared that all eyes are now [on] MSC Grandiosa to see if it can successfully navigate these tricky waters and give this ailing industry some hope. On Thursday, the Giornale di Sicilia (Journal of Sicily) reported that an Israeli employee on the Grandiosa who had tested positive but was asymptomatic for COVID-19 was evacuated Wednesday into a quarantine facility near Messina. Although the company boasted that the infected employees quick diagnosis and subsequent evacuation reflect its preparedness for coronavirus outbreaks, stating that their enhanced protocol makes our boats places of total safety, all claims by MSC that the welfare of their crew is paramount are belied by the horrendous treatment of its workers on board the Poesia, Musica and Seaview. It was only late on Thursday, doubtlessly in response to the courageous action by its crew members, that MSC issued travel confirmation to its employees. According to a report on defimedia.info, crew members are scheduled to travel home on September 16th. But the struggle facing seafaring workers is far from concluded. If anything, the stand taken by the Mauritian workers on the MSC Poesia and Musica demonstrates that it is only the direct intervention of the workforce that will deter the major corporations in their relentless drive to enrich their top executives at the expense of the health, safety and basic rights of their employees. It is significant to note that neither the ITF nor its official Cruise Ship Task Force has made any official statement onlet alone an endorsement ofthe actions taken by the Musica and Poesia crew. There remains in this thoroughly corporatized organization little connection to the day-to-day struggles facing the global seafaring work force that it claims to represent. We urge ship crew around the world to form rank-and file organizations to prepare for the political tasks involved in carrying out the struggles necessary to defend the basic rights of all maritime workers, and the working class as a whole. For more information about rank-and-file committees, please contact the WSWS today. [1] Seatrade Cruise News: MSC Cruises reports 2019 profit, outlines steps to bolster financial position, March 20th, 2020 https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/msc-cruises-reports-2019-profit-outlines-steps-bolster-financial-position Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 14:45:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HAIKOU, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's Hainan free trade port has launched a global competition soliciting logo designs in a bid to create a unique visual and cultural symbol for itself. The logo should reflect the regional characteristics of Hainan as the country's hub for international tourism and fully demonstrate the features of innovation, openness, freedom, convenience and Hainan people's pioneering and hard-working spirit. Professional design firms, creative teams and individuals worldwide are all welcomed to participate in the contest that will last until Oct. 31. The winner will be awarded 50,000 yuan (about 7,315 U.S. dollars), with a 10,000-yuan prize for the five runners-up. On June 1, China released a master plan for the Hainan free trade port, aiming to build the whole of Hainan Island into a globally influential high-level free trade port by the middle of the century. Enditem A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally at Smith Reynolds Airport, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, in Winston-Salem, N.C. AP Photo/Evan Vucci President Donald Trump has for weeks stayed silent on the record-breaking wildfires that have ravaged California, Oregon, Washington, and other Western states. While Trump has approved disaster declarations for California and Oregon, he falsely blamed California's forest management for the deadly fires. Former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor recently revealed that the president threatened to reject California's request for federal wildfire aid for political reasons. White House spokesman Judd Deere said the president had called California Gov. Gavin Newsom to express condolences on Thursday, but didn't say why the president has stayed publicly silent. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump has found time in recent days to rail against his critics, retweet memes, and watch hours of Fox News opinion programming. But he hasn't said a word for weeks on Twitter or at his regular campaign rallies about the deadly, record-breaking wildfires ravaging California, Oregon, and Washington, and other Western states. California is experiencing its worst fires on record. It's only the beginning of fire season and more than 3 million acres have already burned breaking the previous record of 1.67 million acres in 2018. Hundreds of thousands of people across the West have been forced to evacuate, thousands of homes have been lost, and millions more people are blanketed in toxic smoke as states run out of resources to battle the blazes. At least 15 people have been killed by the fires in California, Oregon, and Washington. The last public comment the president made about the fires was during a scripted press conference nearly three weeks ago when he announced he'd approved California's request for a major disaster declaration and sent federal resources to aid the state. Three days before that, Trump attacked California, misleadingly blaming the state's forest management for its fires. He repeated his false argument that the fires could be prevented by "cleaning" forests of flammable brush and threatened to withhold federal assistance. Story continues "They're starting again in California," Trump told supporters in Pennsylvania on August 20. "I said, you gotta clean your floors, you gotta clean your forests there are many, many years of leaves and broken trees and they're like, like, so flammable, you touch them and it goes up." He went on, "Maybe we're just going to have to make them pay for it because they don't listen to us." Trump's claims about fire prevention which he also made amid fires in 2018 and 2019 are misleading at best. California's fires could hardly be contained by clearing wood and debris. Scientists say record heat and drought in, in part a result of climate change, are major factors contributing to the intensity of the fires, which are burning a variety of landscapes. On Thursday, White House spokesman Judd Deere announced the president had called California Gov. Gavin Newsom "to express his condolences for the loss of life & reiterate the Administration's full support." "The Federal government continues to support our western neighbors who are battling raging wildfires in a locally-executed, state-managed, and federally-supported emergency response," Deere said in a statement to Business Insider on Friday. "President Trump is closely monitoring and continues to urge individual emergency preparedness and citizens in impacted areas to listen to the warnings of State and local officials." He added that a presidential visit to affected areas "would not be wise as it would divert key first responder resources away from the fire fight." It's unclear why the president is largely silent on the fires. But it could have something to do with the fact that the most affected states are Democratic strongholds. He's also refused to address climate change, which he's repeatedly called a "hoax." Former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor, who served as former DHS chief Kirstjen Nielsen's right hand, recently revealed that the president threatened to reject California's request for federal aid to battle wildfires for political reasons. "He told us to stop giving money to people whose houses had burned down because he was so rageful that people in the state of California didn't support him," Taylor said in an ad for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Newsom has repeatedly condemned Trump's response to his state's fires over the last few years. During his video appearance at the Democratic National Convention last month, Newsom slammed the president for threatening "to defund our efforts on wildfire suppression because he says we haven't raked enough leaves" in 2018. But Newsom recently insisted he has a "strong personal relationship" with both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence and said he's grateful that the administration has "responded favorably in addressing the emergency needs of this state" nearly every time he's asked for assistance. Sen. Kamala Harris, then a presidential candidate, condemned Trump's response to California's fires last fall. "Raking leaves is as effective at combatting the climate crisis as your phone's spellcheck is at fixing your tweets," she tweeted at the president. "@GavinNewsom is doing his job. Maybe you should try it." Pence reiterated the White House's official comments when asked about the ongoing disaster during a Fox News interview on Thursday. "Look, my daughter and son-in-law live in California," Pence said. "Our hearts go out to all of those enduring or threatened by these fires and I want to assure everyone that we're going to make sure that those courageous firefighters, that homeowners and businesses have the full support of the federal government." Biden has tied the fires to climate change and called it an "existential threat" in tweets this week. "The images coming out of California, Oregon, Washington, and other Western states are truly horrifying," Biden tweeted on Thursday. "If you're in an impacted area, please heed the warnings from your local authorities and stay safe. Jill and I are keeping you all in our prayers." Read the original article on Business Insider Have you ever felt the stress of not being able to say no when you so want to? Ohho, dont let your nasty mind wander. Im referring to that awkward feeling where a simple, blunt No would have saved you needless stress, but theres stress in even blurting that simple, blunt two letter word. Read|A Calmer You, by Sonal Kalra: Heres how you can permanently kill your sense of humour I feel this each time when, while shopping, the person at the payment counter says, Would you like to share your mobile number? No, wait, let me correct myself. All they simply say is mobile number?, while looking at the computer screen with the intensity of a nuclear scientist. Well, I dont want to give mine. But, the last time I said this at a rather crowded high street fashion store, the guy at the counter said Maam, its just for our records. No, let it be, I persisted. Maam, its needed for making the bill. I know for a fact that as per law, his store could absolutely not mandate it that I provide my phone number for billing purposes. But by this time, the people in the queue behind me were getting impatient and I ended up blurting out a mobile number. A mobile number, mind you. Main bhi Dilli ki Punjabi hoon, jugaad pe toh life chal rahi hai. So Ive made this rule to give my mobile number with the last digit increased by one. That way, I dont even forget what number I gave if anyone were to ask me to repeat it. Alright, dont give me that look. I know its unfair to the poor person jiska number is different to mine by just the last digit. But mere saath kaunsi fair cheez ho rahi hai. Ok, wont do it from now on. Will figure out some other jugaad. But hey, the problem is real, aint it? Read| A Calmer You, by Sonal Kalra: Quit the guilt and talk to your parents Do you easily agree to sharing your cell number while shopping? If you do why, why why? Look, Im not referring to situations where you give out your number to identify yourself as a member of their lucky-you-are-alive-and-can-afford-to-shop-with-us club or something. I mean at those stores where you are buying just a roll of toilet paper and paying cash for it. Wahan bhi mobile number maangte hain aaj kal. And its not long before your phone is flooded with advertisement SMSs where you are offered everything from a 3BHK flat on the highway to pills thatll enlarge flat b***s in flat seven days. Nahi chahiye yaar. I signed up three years back for something called a Do not Disturb registry started by the government. Aaj tak neither have they understood the meaning of the phrase, nor has the polite girl who tries to sell me an insurance policy every Wednesday religiously for the past two years. When I discussed this with a friend who specialises in consumer rights law, he told me that when I give my mobile number willingly to a store or on a website, their promotional messages automatically bypass my right to not be disturbed. Socho, socho how much my shopping is disturbing the guy whose mobile number I give everywhere. And ahem the messages I get also tell me that whoever is giving my mobile number at the stores isnt exactly saving up for old age either. So what do we do? In the interest of the nation, which has not wanted to know anything since Arnab quit, I have compiled the following tips: Dial 1909 from your mobile number and do what the lovely voice at the other end tells you to. When it comes to choosing between partial block and full block, choose the latter. Dont worry, itll not block mom-in-laws calls (you wish!). This is just to ensure that you are formally registered with TRAIs DND. Jis jis ney DND ko Do not Disturb ki jagah Delhi Noida Direct samjha, raise your left hand and make it land with some force on your left cheek. For those who are curious, a partial block allows you to choose if you want calls from telemarketers from the insurance/credit cards/real estate companies. Those who want these calls, raise your right hand and repeat the instructions, with the left cheek changed to right. Now that you are registered under DND, if you still get pesky calls/messages from those you dont wish to hear from, you can lodge a complaint by sending an SMS in this format: COMP TEL NO XXXXXXXXXX; dd/mm/yy;hh:mm; short description to 1909. Here, XXXXXXXXXX is the number from which you have received the unsolicited promotional message or the sender code (in case of bulk SMS without a number). The next two are date and time at which you received the unsolicited message or call. At the end, add a short description of the call you received. For example, COMP TEL NO 9800000XXXX; 12/02/20; 16:45; DieLate Insurance Ltd about insuring my left jaw. The telecom operator is liable to take action and respond to your complaint. If they dont, you can call them and listen to half an hour of Mozarts 25th symphony which is their new gift as you hold the call. Cmon, learn to be thankfulits toll free. Haan, for the shopping related thing that I started out with. Do know that its absolutely your right to refuse to share your mobile number at any store if you dont wish to. Any means any. If a fancy girl at a fancy store asks for your number in a fancy accenteven then. Its their job to ask, its your right to refuse. As per the law, even e-shopping websites cant force you to share personal data other than whats necessary for processing the order, but a lot of websites dont let you proceed if you leave the mobile number field blank. You can choose to report such websites. Or else fill up just about any number in it, but then jiska number unintentionally de doge, uski kaafi baddua lagne ka chance hai. Thatll be uncool. If you are the nicest person in the universe, have Raja Harishchandra in direct line of ancestry, and therefore, cant resist sharing your mobile number each time someone asks you, take heart. There are free apps that claim to block promotional messages. Now Im not sure if the same apps wont end up selling your details to telemarketing companies. India hai. Kuch bhi chalta hai. Sonal Kalra has decided to buy everything thats offered to her via promotional messages. Feel free to borrow an entire range of home furniture, plus sized lingerie or any of the 2BHK apartments she owns on all highways in India. Good deeds always pay in the end. Mail her at sonal.kalra@ hindustantimes.com or facebook.com/sonalkalraofficial. Follow on Twitter @sonalkalra. You can now also listen to Sonal Kalras podcast #TensionNot SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Congress President Sonia Gandhi left for the United States on Saturday for a routine medical check-up, sources close to her said. Gandhi, 73, is expected to be away for around a fortnight and would miss more than half of the Monsoon Session of Parliament that starts on September 14. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi will accompany her on the trip, party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a tweet. Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi is travelling today onwards for a routine follow up & medical check up, which was deferred due to the pandemic.She is accompanied by Sh. Rahul Gandhi. We take this opportunity to thank everyone for their concern & good wishes. Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) September 12, 2020 Sonia Gandhis medical check-up was overdue and was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Surjewala said. Sources said she left early on Saturday and would return in the last week of September. She had cleared the Congress partys organisational restructuring before departing for her medical check-up. An executive who left Atlantic Citys top casino to work for a competitor must return a cellphone laden with valuable information on his previous employers highest rollers and best customers, a federal judge ordered. U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro issued a temporary restraining order Thursday preventing two executives who left the Borgata casino this summer to work for the Ocean Casino Resort from contacting any past, current or prospective Borgata customers. She also temporarily ordered them not to use or pass along to the Ocean Casino any trade secrets or confidential information belonging to the Borgata. But the judge did not order the two executives removed from their new jobs at Ocean, and she determined that no evidence has been presented that Ocean knew about them using any Borgata trade secrets. Executives at both casinos declined to comment Friday. In a lawsuit filed last month in Nevada, the Borgata accused Ocean of poaching a half-dozen of its marketing executives in an attempt to cripple it by using secret details about its best and most profitable customers. The lawsuit focuses heavily on William Callahan and Kelly Ashman Burke, two former Borgata execs now working at Ocean. Borgata officials say Callahan was hired by Ocean in late July but retained his Borgata-owned phone with valuable details about Borgata customers and has refused to return it. The lawsuit claims Callahan oversaw Borgatas highest-level customers, those who spent $1.5 million to $4 million per visit. Collectively, these customers were worth at least $25 million a year to the Borgata, which would use its corporate jet to fly them to events and to and from the casino. At particular issue is a cellphone Callahan is said to have taken with him from Borgata to Ocean, containing priceless information on Borgatas top customers including their personal cellphone numbers, gambling preferences, likes and dislikes including favorite foods and beverages, how much the casino might be willing to discount large losses for them, and instances in which the casino might change the rules of some games for these players. The lawsuit was filed in Nevada because the Borgatas parent company, MGM Resorts International, is based there. But it also asserts the hiring of the executives violates New Jersey state law regarding unfair competition. Robert A. Ripps Rhonda Roland Shearer Rhonda Roland Shearer is no stranger to helping others obtain protective equipment in times of disaster and emergency. Just days after the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001, the New York resident and her daughter, London Allen, showed up to Ground Zero and started the main supply operation to hand out 3M P100s respirator masks and other personal protective equipment to first responders in need. "The striking narrative was that everybody had everything they needed, but when you actually were at Ground Zero, people didn't have it," Shearer, 66, tells PEOPLE. "So we saw what they needed and went about getting thousands of them." Nineteen years later, Shearer is back on the frontlines this time, with her nonprofit initiative, Cut Red Tape 4 Heroes, as they stand outside dozens of New York City hospitals and public housing complexes to hand out PPE kits to every employee that needs them. Though she tells PEOPLE she had to take out a nearly $1 million loan on her New York home to afford the kits, Shearer is paying it back little by little through her GoFundMe page, which has raised over $465,000 so far. The page is also where she provides updates on her mission, including an upcoming trip to Florida on Friday. There, she will mark the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by handing out $1.5 million worth of PPE to 100 different hospitals and home health organizations in Miami-Dade County. "It's an emergency and there's no time," Shearer says. "When you have toxins and infectious diseases, there's a long-term consequence, and that's why we have to fight very hard to make sure that our heroes are protected." RELATED: Husband and Wife Who Met While Stranded Because of 9/11 Reveal the Lesson of Their Love Story Robert A. Ripps Rhonda Roland Shearer unloading supplies in Coney Island Helping out at Ground Zero wasn't the only tie that Shearer had to Sept. 11. About a year after her husband, Stephen J. Gould, died due to lung cancer unrelated to 9/11, Shearer started dating then-FDNY Chief Ronald "Ronnie" Spadafora. Story continues The couple lived together from 2003 to 2018, when Spadafora died at age 63 from 9/11-related blood cancer. Then, earlier this year, Shearer learned that her daughter was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, also believed to be contracted from the toxins she was exposed to during the nine-month 9/11 recovery operations. Despite being sick and undergoing surgery for cancer, Allen, 41, was a driving force in getting Cut Red Tape 4 Heroes off the ground in April, according to her mother. "After her surgery, she called me up and said, 'Mom, I think we really need to do something,'" Shearer recalls. "At the time, I was helping the fire department and others get PPE, but I hadn't jumped in where I was really buying and accumulating in any significant way." Courtesy of Cut Red Tape 4 Heroes Rhonda Roland Shearer with her daughter London Allen RELATED: Health Care Workers Treating Coronavirus Are Running Out of Medical Masks and Gloves Again "When London said that, it really impacted me, especially knowing that she really couldn't be involved because she's more vulnerable to COVID post-surgery," she explains. "It was her urging that inspired me to say, 'All right, that's it. I'm jumping in.'" Since the start of the crisis, Shearer says she and nearly 50 volunteers have delivered more than 765,000 pieces of PPE to hospital workers, nursing homes, veterans centers and underserved communities, all fighting against COVID-19, which has seen more than 6.3 million cases and 191,094 deaths in the United States, according to The New York Times. In order to pay for the equipment, Shearer used $800,000 from her home equity line, marking the second time she has taken out a loan that large. She also took out a $1 million loan to assist with the 9/11 PPE efforts and successfully paid it all off. "I figured I did it once before, so I can do it again," Shearer says. "I'm risking money, and maybe somewhat my health, but these essential workers are risking their lives. They don't hesitate. They go right in, and face the uncertain future." "If they can live with that uncertainty, then I can live with this because I can solve it in some way," she continues. "I'll work hard to pay off the debt, and thus far, America's helped me to reduce it by $500,000." Robert A. Ripps Rhonda Roland Shearer handing out PPE kits to hospital staff Over the last few months, Shearer has also realized how the virus has an eerily similar parallel to the health effects of those who helped in 9/11. "The first responders at Ground Zero, they were risking their lives, and then the tentacles of that event hit them 20 years later where they're dying by the thousands," she explains. "Now, you're starting to read articles about the long-term consequences of having COVID, so it's just essential that we support these workers." That, however, has been easier said than done, as Shearer notes some hospitals have denied her team's offer for free PPE kits. "That's the hurtful part," she shares. "I understand you want to look successful at your job and have a good appearance, but to sacrifice workers in order to achieve that? It's outrageous." To get around this, Shearer's team found a loophole: standing outside the hospital on a sidewalk, where nurses, doctors, employees and even those same administrative workers who turned her away, waited to receive PPE. Keith Barraclough Rhonda Roland Shearer handing out PPE to hospital staff "If there was space, we would show up anyway because if you're on the street, and it's a sidewalk, there's no control the hospital exerts over that space," she explains. "And when you step back, they're not asking for gold, they're asking for paper goods." "One nurse even wrote to us and said, 'You're the first ones that have come to really thank us for all that we've gone through,'" she recalls. "That, to me, was so powerful." Ultimately, Shearer hopes her actions will be enough to protect the workers and simultaneously prevent history from repeating itself. "We're not doing anything political. This is a human effort to provide health and safety equipment," she says. "If we can help calm and make one person feel supported, it's all worth it." "We need to remember the trauma that these healthcare workers many with very little pay are going through, and make sure that they never have to go through this again," she adds. As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here. South Korea's new COVID-19 infections stayed below 200 for the 10th day in a row Saturday, but the health authorities remain concerned about sporadic infection clusters and untraceable cases. Yonhap South Korea reported less than 200 new COVID-19 infections for Friday, for the 10th day in a row, but the health authorities remain concerned about sporadic infection clusters and untraceable cases. Over the weekend, they plan to determine whether to further extend stricter social distancing measures in the greater Seoul area for another week. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said it had found 136 more COVID-19 cases, including 118 local infections, bringing the total caseload up to 22,055 The agency, an upgraded successor to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was officially launched Saturday as a means to elevate the country's capacity to contain infectious diseases, such as the coronavirus. The tally marked a solid drop from the 176 and 155 cases reported Friday and Thursday, respectively. New virus cases here have been in triple digits since Aug. 14, due mainly to cases tied to a conservative church in northern Seoul and an anti-government rally held Aug. 15. Daily infections soared to 441 on Aug. 27. The number of additional cases has slowed to the 100 range on the back of stricter antivirus curbs, but it has not been on a markedly downward trend. On Aug. 30, the country imposed Level 2.5 social distancing measures for eight days in the wider capital area, home to half of the country's 51.6 million population, and extended it by a week until Sunday. Bashar Ahmed from Dehradun with 99.993 percentile emerged as state topper in Uttarakhand, in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main Exam 2020, the results of which were declared on Friday night. Despite coming first in the state, the 18-year-old wasnt celebrating his achievement the next morning; he rather went back to prepare for JEE Advance 2020 which is scheduled to take place on September 27. I hope that my preparation helps me crack JEE Advance exam too. For mains, preparing amid uncertainty due to coronavirus pandemic was difficult. I did not expect to become the state topper at all. After the exam, I felt that I did not give my best, said Ahmed. He now hopes to clear the advance exam and study Computer Science engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. In Class 12, the 18-year-old had secured 97.25% in Science stream. Over 13,000 students appeared for JEE (Main) in Uttarakhand. There were 13 exam centres set up across the state. Police officials were deployed at all the exam centres to ensure that all the safety norms and guidelines are followed properly. With many students securing high marks, Suresh Singh, an educationist from Dehradun said, The result this time is indeed good, at least in this region as students have performed well despite the anxiety of studying through the pandemic. Before JEE (Main) exam, the state government had issued letters to all district magistrates to ensure that no student faces any problem for reaching the exam centres and that the admit card should be considered as a moving pass to enter a particular state or district. The state government also asked district magistrates to ensure that along with students, the support staff helping in conducting the exam are also given all possible help. One of the largest ever studies of patients with untreatable bipolar disorder has shown that ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) was able to reduce suicide risk by 84% in high-risk patients, as well as giving effective treatment to around 72% of sufferers. Bipolar disorder, where patients exhibit emotional instability and may experience very severe mood swings, is amongst the most common mental health disorders. It affects around 1% of Europeans, meaning that approximately 5 million Europeans suffer. Bipolar disorder can cause mixed states of mania and depression; this mix can lead to an increased risk of suicide, since sufferers may simultaneously experience both the symptoms of depression (such as the sense of guilt and worthlessness) and symptoms of mania (such as increased activity and tendency to act without thinking twice). Most patients can control the condition via prescription drugs, but almost a third of patients are resistant to treatment. Now the largest-ever study to follow bipolar patients and treatment from a single centre has confirmed that ECT can reduce suicide risk, and allow a majority of patients affected by treatment-resistant bipolar disease to return to a more normal life. This work is presented at the ECNP conference, after part-publication in the peer-reviewed journal The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry*. Between January 2006 and July 2019, 670 patients were referred to the University of Pisa psychiatry clinic for ECT treatment for bipolar disorder. Dr Giulio Emilio Brancati, of the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine at the University of Pisa, said "ECT was invented in Italy, but despite this there are very few clinics in Italy which offer the treatment nowadays. A lot of patients who have failed with other treatments are referred to the Pisa clinic, which is why we were able to gather so much data from a single clinic". The treatment showed great success in treating bipolar sufferers, with remission rates of over 60% for symptoms characteristic of bipolar "mixed states", such as emotional overreactivity, motor hyperactivity, aggressiveness and persecutory delusions, uncooperativeness, catatonia and associated movement disturbances. "Most importantly, 77 of our patients were classified as being at severe risk of suicide. After treatment only 2 remained at severe risk, while 65 showed no risk at all. This is an 84% drop in suicidality after ECT treatment. We have not found this level of acute improvement with any other treatment", said Giulio Brancati. He continued: "This is a real-life study, not a clinical trial. A formal trial would have been difficult and probably unethical in these patients, many of who were severely ill. They were generally referred to us only after multiple treatment failures, so most of these patients were running out of treatment options. When we sampled the patients who came to us we found that around 93% had tried and failed with pharmacological treatment, 88% had failed on 2 different drugs. In fact, on average each patient who came to us had tried 5 different drugs, without success". The public tends to have a negative view of ECT, largely based on media representation of the very different psychiatric world of the 1950s, but patients and psychiatrists are generally positive about the effects of ECT on otherwise untreatable or difficult to treat mental health conditions. Modern ECT is given under general anaesthetic, and can lead to rapid recovery from Major Depression (the main side effect is a possible transitory loss of recent memory). It's normally given 2 to 3 times per week, with between 6 and 16 treatments needed to show a positive effect. The use of ECT in general has recently dropped by around a third in the USA. This is despite the success of the treatment and the willingness of famous sufferers, such as Carrie Fisher, to come forward and talk about their treatment. Despite ECT being invented in Italy, the use of the technique is extremely restricted, leading to Italy having fewer centres specialising in ECT than most other countries of comparable size. "ECT is used for major depression, but much less so for the other phases of Bipolar Disorder, especially for so-called mixed states, which have a lower visibility. We find that many patients with treatment resistant bipolar catatonic and mixed states are misdiagnosed as having schizophrenia. These patients need to be given a chance via receiving the right treatment", said Giulio Brancati. Commenting, Dr Henricus Ruhe, psychiatrist at Radboudumc Netherlands, and Chair of the ECNP Abstract and Poster Committee, said: "This study again shows that ECT can be a life-saving treatment and should not be withheld to patients suffering from difficult to treat mood disorders such as bipolar disorder. Although we should acknowledge adverse effects like (mostly temporary) memory impairments, these results show how well, and often how fast the response to ECT can be. This effectiveness generally outweighs the adverse effects in these severely ill patients, who otherwise might suffer for much longer or not have effective treatment at all. Unfortunately, despite the long-term evidence, ECT is still viewed as a controversial treatment by the general public and the media, but also by many patients and relatives. This is also the case in Italy where very few centres can offer ECT nowadays.This prejudice against modern ECT unjustly stigmatizes both patients and psychiatry, and denies treatment to seriously-ill patients". This is an independent comment, Dr Ruhe was not involved in this work. ### *See https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15622975.2020.1770860 New Mexico schools that are opening up to elementary students will be getting some visitors. The state Public Education Departments top officials and fire marshals will be making the rounds. Marshals were slated to go to all 20 districts and the charter schools that are welcoming students back for some in-person learning. They will be looking out for such things as building capacity, air flow and social distancing logistics, but wont be giving out citations. The PED also announced deputy secretaries will visit districts with 100 students or fewer. These small districts could be allowed to bring back middle and high school students in small groups through the hybrid model if they are cleared by PED. PED Secretary Ryan Stewart has been touring schools since he returned to New Mexico from working remotely in Philadelphia. In August, Governor Bent Elementary School in Northeast Albuquerque was among the stops, where he heard from educators about teaching online. FREE MEALS TO CONTINUE: Students in New Mexico are on track to get free meals through December. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced schools can serve free meals to all children through the end of the calendar year, or until the money runs out. The federal agency extended the meal program due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reversing an earlier decision. The states largest school district, Albuquerque Public Schools, announced it is providing grab-and-go meals for anyone 18 and younger thanks to the extension. Families no longer have to get a ticket to get the meals in the district. The latest APS meal site locations and hours can be found at APS.edu. While families are online, they can also check out read-alouds of childrens books on APS YouTube channel done through a partnership between APS and the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce. NM TEACHERS WIN AWARDS: Two New Mexico teachers got a prestigious national nod for their work in STEM. Melody Hagaman, computer science teacher at Centennial High School in Las Cruces Public Schools, and Jessica Esquibel, math teacher at Taft Middle School in Albuquerque Public Schools, were named 2019 awardees of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Award recipients receive a certificate signed by the President of the United States, a paid trip for two to Washington, D.C., for events and professional development sessions, and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation that may be used at the winners discretion, PED wrote in a news release. Shelby Perea: sperea@abqjournal.com You are here: World Flash At least one person was killed in a huge explosion in Nasim Shahr town southwest of Iran's capital Tehran on Friday, semi-official FARS news agency reported. In the incident which took place in a car battery shop on Friday afternoon, 10 others were injured, Kian Karimi, the public relation chief of Nasim Shahr municipality, told FARS. The blast also caused damage to 30 cars and 20 houses, said Karimi. The cause of the incident is under investigation, he added. NSA Doval led CSG to meet, work on agenda for military commander level talks with China India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 12: The China Study Group headed by National Security Advisor will hold a meeting today and would work on the agenda for the military commander level talks likely to be held next week, sources tell OneIndia. The CSG which includes the secretaries of the Defence, External Affairs, Home ministries, vice-chiefs of the three services, chiefs of the Intelligence Bureau and Research and Analysis Wing would discuss the agenda for the Corps Commander level talks. After meeting with Rajnath, 3 service chiefs, CDS Rawat appears before Standing Committee on Defence On Friday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a two hour long meeting with the NSA and the military brass. Chief of Defence Staff later appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on defence. However the China issue was not discussed. The CDS agreed to a request by NCP leader, Sharad Pawar who sought to know the details of the border row and said that a letter would be submitted to the comittee. These developments took place a day after External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi at Moscow. During the meeting both sides agreed that the troops should maintain proper distance and also ease tensions. 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 say 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. 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 military commander level talks to be held next week 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. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 12, 2020, 12:22 [IST] Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 10:31:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HEFEI, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- A business symposium focusing on cooperation between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) in the high-end manufacturing industry was held Friday in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province. More than 90 business representatives and government officials from both sides attended the meeting, including those from Chinese semiconductor display manufacturer BOE Technology Group, Chery Automobile, and ROK chemical giant LG Chem. The symposium was co-hosted by the foreign affairs office of the provincial government of Anhui, the Anhui provincial department of economy and information technology, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency and the Korea Display Industry Association. Cooperation in the new display, integrated circuit and automotive industries between Anhui and the ROK has a good foundation and wide market prospects, said Niu Nutao, director of Anhui's department of economy and information technology. Economic and trade exchanges between Anhui and the ROK maintained steady upward momentum in the first half of 2020. Data from Hefei customs showed that in the January-June period, the trade volume between the two sides topped 14.74 billion yuan (about 2.16 billion U.S. dollars), up 37.1 percent year on year. Jang Ha-sung, ROK's ambassador to China, said both countries have a solid industrial foundation and strong innovative power. The two should utilize this advantage and deepen cooperation in high-end manufacturing and emerging industries. Enditem Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Sat, September 12, 2020 13:05 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4469954 2 Health children,childcare-center,report,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free Twelve children who likely contracted COVID-19 at three childcare operations in Utah infected some of their parents and siblings, according to a US study, adding to evidence that very young kids can transmit the disease. Previous studies had suggested children aged 10 years or older can efficiently transmit COVID-19 in school settings. The new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published on Friday found that much younger children can also spread the virus, including a case of an 8-month-old who apparently infected both parents. From the 12 documented cases acquired at the childcare facilities, virus transmission was found among at least 12 of 46 non-facility contacts, such as parents - one of whom required hospitalization - siblings and an aunt. Transmission was observed from two of three children with confirmed, asymptomatic COVID-19, researchers found, further evidence that those without symptoms can spread the virus. Read also: Indonesia reports higher COVID-19 death rate among children than United States From April 1 to July 10, Salt Lake County identified 17 childcare facilities, including daycare centers and day camps, with at least two confirmed COVID-19 cases within a 14-day period. Data in the CDC report involves only outbreaks in three of these. At two of the facilities, the researchers traced the primary infection to staff members exposed to COVID-19 through a family member. The source of the outbreak at the third facility was not identified, making it possible its cases resulted from an infection that originated elsewhere, researchers said. CDC noted other limitations to the study that could have impacted the data collected, including changes in contact tracing methodology during the pandemic and testing criteria that initially included only persons with typical COVID-19 symptoms. Still, researchers said, having COVID-19 testing available and regularly testing contacts of those infected in childcare settings, including those without symptoms, could help prevent family members from becoming infected. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks in Wilmington, Del., on Sept. 4. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press) To the editor: I understand complaints that former Vice President Joe Biden's condemnation of rioting and looting distracts from the underlying ills specifically, the police killings of unarmed Black people, and more broadly, the systemic racism that has gone unaddressed by our society that have given rise to the unrest and the overwhelmingly peaceful protests in the first place. Criticizing Biden for condemning the violence, however, misses two points: First, he is absolutely correct to do so. It is, after all, criminal behavior. Second, condemning violence is essential if Biden is to be elected. This is so because between the natural tendency of all news media to devote so much coverage to it and the relentless drumbeat of President Trump and his enablers, rioting and looting are what the voters are seeing and hearing. And make no mistake: This can and will affect voters' decisions. Rioting may be inevitable in a society with so much entrenched and long-lived inequity and injustice, but it still must be condemned. Rioting may in the end be the only thing that will bring about change. Protests that are entirely peaceful, confined to approved places and to approved times, are ineffective. As Frederick Douglas said: "Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will." And yet, violence must be condemned by those who lead or, as in Biden's case, seek to lead. Otherwise, he'll never get the chance. David Van Iderstine, Sherman Oaks .. To the editor: If I was enraged because the drunken neighbor down the street ran over my son, and I burned down my other neighbor's house, that would be an inappropriate response. While reading Erika D. Smith's column about continued protests, I was frustrated by Black Lives Matter Los Angeles co-founder Melina Abdullah's quote: "Hearing a Democrat say something like that, like the rioting is crossing the line? Well, killing Black people is also crossing the line." Story continues Of course, killing Black people is crossing the line, but two wrongs don't make a right. Rioting and looting and destroying the property of innocent people who might have once supported you are wrong. If every protest was peaceful, people everywhere would be behind it. The best thing protesters could do right now is to protest peacefully between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and then go home. Anybody left to loot and burn could be arrested without innocent people getting hurt. Then vote for Biden, get involved with politics and get things changed. Kathy Concidine, Glendora .. To the editor: To ask why white people feel "rioting is crossing the line" and then say "well, killing Black people is also crossing the line" really misses the larger point (and I'm a minority myself). Both are unacceptable. Those who riot and loot are losing the sympathy of many Americans of all colors who otherwise support peaceful demonstrators' calls for needed reforms in criminal justice and policing. They are certainly losing me. Marcia Del Mar, Westlake Village .. To the editor: Protests that are called nonviolent must actually be 100% nonviolent. Recent peaceful protests have been marred by instances of violence, obscuring the efforts of the nonviolent protesters. The march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., in 1965 was totally nonviolent. Many of the protesters, included John Lewis, were injured by police. Sometimes, unfortunately, there is a price to be paid when people protest peacefully. In the protests in Washington over George Floyd's death in May, rioting broke out and a fire damaged St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House. The result was a violent response by federal forces the following day, when the area was forcefully cleared by police for a presidential photo-op in front of the church. Although this was disgusting for Trump to do, it definitely rallied many of his supporters. In hindsight, if the demonstration on May 31 had been 100% nonviolent, Trump would have received zero support for what he did the next day. Even one act of violence in a demonstration that is intended to be peaceful defeats the purpose. Smith writes that violence occured at only 7% of the protests after Floyd's death, meaning that only 93% of the protests have been nonviolent. Aim for 100% from now on. Art Oster, Los Alamitos PALMER, Alaska Reaching into remote territory where they usually have little chance of victory, Democrats are mounting serious efforts to pick up Senate and House conservative-leaning seats here, reflecting rising hopes about their chances of winning control of the Senate and tightening their grip on the House. And the party doesnt even have candidates on the November ballot. The candidates challenging incumbent Republicans, Senator Dan Sullivan and Representative Don Young, who is currently the longest-serving member of the House, are both running as independents. Their bids, once viewed as long shots, have become increasingly competitive in recent weeks, and are shaping up as crucial tests of whether a centrist label can overcome resistance to Democrats in a conservative-leaning state that has been rocked by the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. That steep downturn and a grim national political environment for Republicans that has tracked with President Trumps sagging approval ratings for much of the year have helped put the challengers, Al Gross in the Senate contest and Alyse Galvin in the House fight, in striking distance of incumbents who were once considered safe. Those candidates say that, if elected, their lack of partisan allegiance will allow them to focus more on what is best for the state in a Congress in which there is rapidly dwindling tolerance for daylight between lawmakers and their parties on policy matters. I would say I am not a very good Democrat and Im not a very good Republican, said Dr. Gross, a former orthopedic surgeon and commercial fisherman who has not previously sought office but whose family has a political pedigree in Alaska. Some of my values are in alignment with the Democratic Party and some are in alignment with the Republican Party. As a senator, I will always do what I think is best for the state, irrespective of partisanship. Could small businesses be heading out of the frying pan and into the fire? While many small and medium enterprises are no doubt relieved to have made it through national lockdown, they now face a set of new challenges. Government support schemes such as furlough, grants and business interruption loans are all winding down just as businesses are coming to terms with tighter business margins, staff redundancies, long-term changes in the way people shop, the cost of being Covid-secure and sudden local lockdowns. And to add to the mix, there is uncertainty over Brexit. Many businesses feel they must dig deep to ensure they survive. Setting new goals : Bird and Blend's Krisi Smith and Mike Turner outside their shop Tej Parikh, chief economist at the Institute of Directors, says it is a 'crucial' time for small firms. He says: 'We're moving away from a period when businesses needed bridging support during lockdown. They now require assistance with cash flow difficulties. 'Many Government support schemes are being lifted but consumer demand isn't back to previous levels. As a result, there's great uncertainty over making key decisions such as launching new products or committing to new investment.' HOW TEA FIRM TURNED OVER A NEW LEAF Having to close temporarily all eight stores due to lockdown could have meant curtains for specialist tea retailer Bird and Blend. But managing director Mike Turner says his company is now stronger than ever He and co-founder Krisi Smith, both 32, are about to embark on an aggressive business expansion plan. It will result in three new stores being opened next month, the launch of a new tea spiced pumpkin pie and bringing forward the sale of its popular 'Tea Advent' calendar Turner says: 'We set up Bird and Blend seven years ago to combine our knowledge of working in the tea and hospitality industries. 'We wanted to make the business not just about the product, but the whole experience of smelling, tasting and talking about tea.' With sales in stores and festivals out of the question, Bird and Blend furloughed two-thirds of its staff and moved everything online. Website sales doubled thanks to advertising which added many new customers to its fan base. Now Bird and Blend has reopened its stores, is recruiting more staff and making the most of cheaper rents to expand. Turner adds: 'One of our new shops is on Portobello Road in London's Notting Hill which we would never have been able to afford normally.' While the sampling and smelling of teas remains off-limits thanks to Covid-19, staff are still making customers feel welcome. Turner says: 'By being happy, chatty and smiling, you can still give someone a hug from ten metres away.' End of furlough and rent protection With the furlough scheme ending next month, businesses must make tough decisions about whether to keep employees on or let them go. Simultaneously, they are having to get to grips with the introduction of the 'Kickstart' scheme that encourages them to employ 16 to 24-year-olds with the costs met by taxpayers. Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Retailers Association, says: 'The Kickstart scheme will be a challenge for retailers as it is only for new jobs redundancies are more likely. Mean - while, the 1,000 bonus in January next year for keeping staff on after furlough ends is not attractive enough as many retailers will have to deal with stark realities.' Fears over the cost of local lockdowns have been allayed slightly with the Government promising up to 1,500 of sup - port for every three weeks an outlet is forced to close, but many say more is needed. One of Goodacre's main concerns is the rent moratorium being lifted at the end of this month, meaning businesses can be kicked out of their premises if they are unable to pay their rent. He says: 'Around 20 per cent of independent retailers could not pay their rent in the second quarter of this year. I expect the same number, if not more, to struggle when their third quarter rent is payable. 'While the larger supermarket chains and online shops have been doing well, retail footfall is still down around 20 to 30 per cent, which is really difficult for smaller shops. Without support, many will be forced to close.' Pivot your business...and be positive A note of optimism is sounded by Emma Jones, founder of small business net - work Enterprise Nation. She says: 'A lot of businesses have come out of lockdown stronger than when they went in. Businesses have gone through so much uncertainty in recent years for example, the General Election, Brexit and coronavirus. Many feel that if they have survived all these events, they can survive anything.' The secret for many businesses, she says, is not to rest on their laurels. She adds: 'Those which are doing well are those that have pivoted. They have moved online or launched new products, adapting quickly to where, how and what customers are buying.' Research by Enterprise Nation shows that businesses which seek advice swiftly are also doing better than those that bury their head in the sand. For example, on Brexit, she says it is essential that businesses with a focus on exports get advice not only from their accountants, the Government and Customs and Excise, but also from companies in the same boat. While a deep recession is still a threat, a start-up boom is underway with a record number of new companies being formed. Jones says: 'Businesses which launch in a recession tend to survive longer because they budget for low costs and think they have spotted a gap in the market.' Many groups are calling on the Government to help further. Schemes being mooted include Brexit 'vouchers' to spend on seeking Brexit advice, more support for retailers and tax breaks to incentivise investment. Enterprise Nation has developed free online courses covering everything from web design to embracing TikTok. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: "We are excited to continue the vision of PlaceMe through the SplitSpot platform. Renters face many challenges when searching for good housing in cities across the country, and SplitSpot and PlaceMe have endeavored to solve these challenges," Ernesto Gaxha CEO of SplitSpot SplitSpot, a Boston-based co-living platform, has acquired substantial assets of PlaceMe in a deal recently finalized. With the addition, SplitSpot enhances its position as a co-living leader in Boston, with several hundred rooms on its platform. SplitSpot will immediately transition the operations of a significant amount of the units previously managed by PlaceMe. We are excited to continue the vision of PlaceMe through the SplitSpot platform. Renters face many challenges when searching for good housing in cities across the country, and SplitSpot and PlaceMe have endeavored to solve these challenges, said Ernesto Gaxha, co-founder of SplitSpot. Were happy this agreement continues to make that possible. We are pleased to partner with SplitSpot, said Clara Arroyave, CEO of PlaceMe. We are happy to integrate our team and properties to enhance the already great product that the team at SplitSpot has built so far, to create the largest footprint in co-living in the city. With the acquisition of the assets of PlaceMe, which last year acquired the Boston portfolio of former co-living startup Bedly, SplitSpot will be able to provide a wider range of co-living solutions to renters, across a larger base of apartments throughout the greater Boston area. The transaction is expected to close in September. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. About SplitSpot: Founded in 2019, SplitSpot simplifies renting for both tenants and landlords. The company intermediates the renting process by providing rooms with flexible lease arrangements and reduced upfront costs, producing an affordable solution for long-term renters in cities. SplitSpot works to improve accessibility for housing while providing landlords quality tenants. http://www.SplitSpot.com About PlaceMe: Launched in late 2016, PlaceMe is an all inclusive co-living company dedicated to offering accessible housing to Boston newcomers by working directly with corporations and educational institutions across MA. PlaceMe prides itself on delivering a great customer experience with a welcoming sense of community. PlaceMe is an alumni of the gener8tor accelerator program. http://www.placemeliving.com Points of contact: Clara Arroyave: clara@placemeliving.com Ernesto Gaxha: Ernesto@splitspot.com Ambassador Le Linh Lan delivers the opening remarks (Photo: VNA) Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland Le Linh Lan recalled Vietnams 75-year history since President Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independence of the nation in Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi on September 2, 1945. After nearly 35 years of Doi moi (renewal), Vietnam has made remarkable achievements in many fields, from economics, diplomacy and culture to security-defence, as well as continually enhanced its reputation as an independent nation which has been active in global integration as well as a trustworthy partner and responsible member of international community, she said. The ambassador also highlighted Vietnam-Switzerland relations since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1971 and emphasized that Vietnam attaches importance to strengthening the friendship and multi-faceted partnership with the nation. She also appreciated the cooperation prospects between the two sides in the context of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which comprises Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, being close to finalization and the two nations about to mark the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic establishment in 2021. On this occasion, the embassy screened a documentary film about the journey of 75 years of Vietnam. This is also an opportunity for Party members, officers and employees of Vietnam Representative agencies in Switzerland to continue their efforts to contribute to building the country, especially while the whole Party and the entire people are organizing Party Congresses at all levels toward the 13th National Party Congress./. Half Yearly Report and Accounts Sydney, Sep 11, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The Empire Energy Group Ltd ( ASX:EEG ) ( OTCMKTS:EEGUF ) team has been intensively focused on the drilling of the Carpentaria-1 well scheduled to spud in September 2020. Civil works to prepare the well pad, an access track to it and water bore drilling are well advanced in preparation for the commencement of drilling. The objectives of the well re as follows:- To assess and prove the depth and thickness of the productive target shales (Kyalla and Velkerri) in Empire's EP187 permit;- To understand rock properties, hydrocarbon content, formation permeability and reservoir pressure as they relate to the ability of the shales to produce;- To gather data used for hydraulic stimulation planning and execution;- To identify 'high grade' sections of these target shale formations, for vertical hydraulic stimulation and production testing after the wet season in 2021. Also to assist in the design of horizontal wells for extended production testing; and- To refine the seismic interpretation and further determine prospective hydrocarbon resource estimates.Our neighbours Origin Energy Limited and Santos Limited remain active in the onshore Northern Territory and have made material progress during the half-year considering the impact of COVID 19. We await their future exploration results with interest. Key events from our neighbours have included:1. During April 2020, Origin announced it had agreed with joint venture partner Falcon Oil & Gas ("Falcon") to increase its interest in the Beetaloo Basin joint venture by 7.5% in exchange for increasing its share of Falcon's share of costs by A$25 million over the coming years. The transaction implies a valuation of A$333 million for the Origin / Falcon joint venture. The joint venture has also agreed to increase its gross cost-cap to A$263.8 million, and a vote of confidence in the Beetaloo Basin.2. Operationally, Origin has indicated that its exploration and appraisal activities in the Beetaloo are progressing well and results from its Kyalla 117 well have demonstrated productive reservoir characteristics, and continuous gas shows. Following a COVID-19 pause, Origin will recommence field operations in Q3/Q4 2020 with the hydraulic fracturing and production flow test of the Kyalla-117 horizontal well.3. Santos has confirmed a successful gas discovery at the Tanumbirini-1 well in EP161 in the adjoining permit to Empire's EP187. Gas flow rates of over 1.2mmscf/d were recorded from the vertical well. . Following production flow testing, Santos booked a maiden contingent resource in the McArthur Basin of 176PJ (gross).To view the full report, please visit:About Empire Energy Group Ltd Empire Energy (ASX:EEG) (OTCMKTS:EEGUF) holds over 14.5 million acres of highly prospective exploration tenements in the McArthur and Beetaloo Basins, Northern Territory. Work undertaken by the Company since 2010 demonstrates that the Eastern depositional Trough of the McArthur Basin, of which the Company holds 80% has very considerable conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon potential. The Beetaloo sub-Basin, in which Empire holds a substantial position, has independently assessed world class hydrocarbon volumes in place with a major ramp up in industry activity underway to appraise substantial discoveries already made by major Australian oil and gas operators. Empire Energy is an experienced conventional oil and gas producer with operations in the Appalachia region (New York and Pennsylvania). Empire has been successfully developing and producing oil and gas since 2006. Aadi Swarupu came to Sligo for the first time ten years ago and fell in love with the place so much he located here earlier this year. An actor by profession, having starred as a child in Malayalam (Mollywood) cinema, the Indian film industry based in the southern state of Kerala, he cut his teeth on the Irish acting scene in 2010, starring in The Savage Eye. Speaking to The Sligo Champion about settling in Sligo just before the entire country shut down, Swarupu, as he prefers to be known as, says he was lucky to have moved to Ireland when he did. Swarupu's wife, who works as a nurse at Sligo University Hospital and moved to Sligo with their son two years ago and on March 13th last, a day after former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar issued all schools to close, the actor joined his family here. "I was starring in movies in India at the time and after some break I came to Ireland. I first came to Ireland in 2005, to Tramore, Co Waterford and then moved to Dublin where I stayed until 2011. During that time I visited Sligo and I fell in love with it. It is so peaceful," he explained. After moving back to his native India, Swarupu kept thinking of Ireland and the many friends he had made here and when thinking of coming back he suggested his wife look into nursing jobs in Sligo. Two years on their son is in sixth class in Carbury National School. Asked how he found lockdown in Sligo, the actor said he was simply happy to be here and grateful for the county's space and beauty. "India is suffering a big problem [with Covid-19). The population is very high, so there are many problems, so I was happier to be here. People are very afraid in India." Swarupu believes Ireland is in a lot better situation than his home country. "We will overcome, it will be alright soon. The Indian government are strictly watching the situation. In Ireland we can control it, the population is much low here." He sings Sligo's praises and said people have been very welcoming to his family. "It's peaceful here, the inhabitants of Sligo are very nice and helpful. When I came here people were very polite and caring. The actor says the other perk of Sligo is the cost of living. "The Dublin housing market is very constricted, there's more freedom here and more happiness here." Hoping to scoop some acting roles once the industry can safely pick up here again, Swarupu is candid about prospects but says in future he will return to India for roles while his family plan to wait here full time. "It is not a good time for acting [due to the pandemic]. There are limitations for acting here but if there is any Indian character they will contact me," he explained. With many physical retailers forced to close their doors due to the initial COVID-19 lockdown regulations, online shopping has boomed in South Africa. A source close to South Africas biggest ecommerce retailer Takealot previously told MyBroadband the company was generating close to R1 billion in sales per month around double its usual volume. Online payment platform providers like PayGate and PayFast also confirmed they had observed a substantial increase in sales since unlimited ecommerce was allowed since the end of May. The growth in ecommerce activity is likely to have a long-term impact on consumer habits, which means there may be more opportunities for smaller companies to stake their claim in the industry. One such company is GeeWiz, an online retailer with a wide range of products including electronics and gadgets, computer hardware, inverters and backup power solutions, as well as security and CCTV equipment. Judging by an average Hellopeter rating of 4.5 out of 5 and Google Reviews score of 4.6 out of 5, many customers have been pleased with the retailers service. This is impressive compared with Takealot and Loots Hellopeter ratings of less than 2 out of 5. MyBroadband spoke to GeeWiz directors Ari Oppenheimer and Pinni Goodman to hear how the company was expanding its tech selection and how it manages to keep customers happy. History Oppenheimer and Goodman started selling products through Bidorbuy while still in high school. They then operated an iPod store in their spare time during their studies in 2006. Two years later, in September 2008, they officially launched geewiz.co.za, with some of their first products on offer being credit-card-sized digital cameras, Motorola two-way radios, and green laser pointers. From then on, GeeWizs product selection has gradually been expanded from gadgets and tech to more general goods, particularly due to recent increases in user traffic. We make sure to constantly research the latest trending items, as well as provide an option to source niche items from overseas when requested by customers, the company said. GeeWizs most popular items include inverters and backup power solutions, smart home products, streaming sticks and boxes, as well as niche peripherals. The company currently employs 27 staff members, with its own offices and adjacent warehouse on Corlett Drive in Johannesburg. It also has a separate dedicated space for assembling inverter kits. Visitors to the premises can also take a look at GeeWizs showroom, which showcases some of its most popular products. Bespoke service and one-day delivery GeeWiz said it was not looking to take on South African ecommerce heavyweights at the moment. In an ideal world, wed obviously love to scale and compete with the big ecommerce players, the company noted. Currently though, our focus is to maintain the bespoke service that were very well known for, it emphasised It explained it differs from companies like Takealot in that its team possesses in-depth knowledge on the products they sell, allowing them to provide reliable after-sales support. We do our best to get to know the products that we sell, and whatever tech spec we dont know, well make sure to find out, the company said. This includes maintaining a two business hour response time for all queries, as well as an overnight delivery service and same day collection on the majority of its products. On most products, if an item is ordered before 10:00 AM, its delivered the next business day to main centres, the company stated. Multiple drivers go back and forth daily to suppliers to make sure that we can have most products ready for our customer to be dispatched or collected on the very same day. For regional areas or larger items, delivery will take three to five business days, it added. Putting delivery to the test We decided to put GeeWizs promised delivery times to the test by ordering a replacement laptop charger and power cable. Our order was placed on a weekday morning at around 9:00, after which we received emails confirming our order contents and payment. Just before 16:00 in the afternoon we received another mail confirming that our package had been dispatched from GeeWiz to the courier, which meant it had been collected from the supplier. We were then provided with a waybill tracking number and link for a delivery which was to be made by Globeflight. The courier arrived at our address with the package at just after 11:37 in the morning on the next day. The total price for the charging brick, power cable, and delivery amounted to R288. The image below shows the progress on our delivery from when it was first ready for collection at GeeWizs warehouse to delivery at our address. Bulk discounts and GeeBucks credit Two particular unique elements we noticed on GeeWiz was the possibility of getting discounts on items when ordering in bulk, as well as a loyalty points system. For example, buying a single Seagate Skyhawk 1TB SATA HDD would cost you R862. Buying five or more, however, brings the price down to R828 per unit, a saving of 4%. A purchase of 10 or more drives would run at R810 per unit, a 6% decrease in price. The GeeBucks system rewards customers with R1 credit for every R100 spent on the store. This credit can then be used towards future purchases. We received R2 for our order value of R219. Warranties on imported products GeeWiz stocks both products sourced from local and imported products. Consumers should always be aware of the type of warranties they can expect on imported goods, particularly those with little to no official local support. In many instances, the onus may rest on the buyer to pay for shipping the device back to the manufacturer to be repaired or replaced. GeeWizs imported products include devices like Google Home speakers and routers, Amazon Fire Sticks, and Nvidia Shield TVs. GeeWiz said it offers after-sales support which includes setup assistance and warranties on all the products it sells. Since those items arent locally supported, we handle the full warranty process from our side, the company said. We generally replace the product as soon as it is tested faulty, so there is very little downtime for our customers during a warranty claim, it added. Product selection The table below shows the prices of a selection of products available on GeeWiz. Item Price Computer hardware and peripherals Intel Core i7-9700K 3.6GHz R6,899 Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 OC 6GB GDDR5 R5,970 Mecer Ultrathin Bluetooth Keyboard with Touchpad R463 Microsoft FTW-00001 Surface Precision Wireless Mouse R2,499 Samsung 860 EVO 256GB 2.5-inch SATA SSD R1,447 Transcend 8TB StoreJet 3.5-inch External HDD R5,137 MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC Motherboard R3,972 Kingston 8GB DDR4 2,666MHz RAM R755 Smart TV boxes and sticks Amazon Fire TV Stick with remote (2nd gen) R1,085 MyGica ATV495MAX Android TV Box R940 MX10 Smart TV Box R995 Nvidia Shield TV R4,485 Nvidia Shield TV Pro R6,485 Xiaomi Mi S 4K R1,290 Xiaomi Mi TV Stick FHD R895 Inverters, UPSs, and batteries 26650 Li-ion Rechargeable Battery 4,000mAh R166 Discover AGM Traction Dry Cell 100Ah Deep Cycle Battery R5,382 Eaton 5E 650i USB UPS R770 Eaton 5E 2000i USB R3,058 Mecer 1000VA Line Interactive UPS R1,376 Mecer 2400VA Inverter Battery Charger R2,746 RCT 850VA Line Interactive UPS R888 Royal Delkor NS70 65AH 12V Battery R1,795 Gadgets and electronics DJI Mavic Air Pro Drone R14,469 10mW Green Laser Pointer R286 Polaroid PDE53H HD Dashcam R884 Mouth Piece Alcohol Breathalyzer R225 DigitalPersona U.are.U Fingerprint Reader R1,516 Huntkey W01-220-02 Smart Energy Light R163 Smart speakers Amazon Echo Dot Smart Speaker (3rd gen) R995 Amazon Echo Smart Speaker (2nd gen) R2,495 Apple HomePod Wireless Smart Home Music Speaker R10,442 Google Home Mini Smart Speaker R615 Google Home Smart Speaker R1,885 Sonos One (gen 1) Smart Speaker R6,090 Now read: Cash Crusaders launches online store A Butte middle-school student was named as a top 300 finalist in a national science project competition. James Holmes, a rising 8th grader at Butte Central Elementary School, placed among the top finalists in the annual Broadcom MASTERS science fair, which is billed as the nations premier Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) competition for middle schoolers. Holmes, 14, studied solar energy conversion in his project. What he discovered was the solar panels can be toxic to make, so he researched more environmentally friendly components. What he came up with were dye-sensitized solar cells, but he needed to find out if the cells could be as efficient as the more common solar panel. Ive always been interested in electricity. I dont know why, Holmes said. But a lot of the ways that people get electricity is by burning coal or fossil fuels, which isnt really good for the environment. Another way to get energy could be through dye-sensitized solar cells, and they have the potential to produce more electricity than the more common kind of solar panels. For his project, Holmes designed an efficient heating mechanism for a type of solar panel with dye-sensitized solar cells, which he says are safer and easier to make than traditional solar panels. However, Holmes said dye-sensitized solar cells dont work well in colder climates and perform better in dry, warmer conditions. To address that issue, he built a heating mechanism so the cells could work in cold conditions. His goal was to design a solar cell that would use only a small amount of the electricity it generated to heat itself. The way I did that is I built the heating system into the solar panel, which makes it more efficient because its closer to the panel, which is cased between two pieces of glass coated with a chemical to make it heat resistant. To test the efficiency of the heating mechanism, Holmes sealed off a room to control the temperature and placed three different cells two heated and one unheated as a control. There were a few tests that didn't go well, and I still don't know why they didn't work. But the majority of my tests showed that my heating mechanism heated the cells and didnt use too much electricity, he said. Holmes started the project in the 7th grade as part of his science class and for Butte Central Elementarys science fair, and won first place. This advanced him to the Montana Tech regional science engineering fair, where Holmes placed in the top 25 of competitors and was nominated to Broadcom MASTERS. From there, he was selected to the top 300 from an applicant pool of 3,476 students. Holmes said being chosen from such a large group was surreal, but it was his goal all along to make it to this far. He finds out on Sept. 16 if he makes the top 30 cut, which will qualify him to compete at the national science fair in Washington D.C. set for 2021. Holmes said he pursued science projects out of his passion for STEM and finding real world solutions. Through his research, Holmes learned about how energy is generated and efficient ways to make energy. A lot of the time you think your electric car is more environmentally friendly than the gas car, but in reality the electricity used to charge the car is most likely coming from a coal power plant, he said. But if we replace coal power plants with solar panel fields, it could make them a lot more environmentally, especially if we could use dye-sensitized solar cells instead of the more common solar panels. With Holmes having advanced from his schools fair to the national stage, his dad, Andrew Holmes, said he thinks persistence is a lesson that James has taken from his journey. The biggest reason behind his success is his work ethic. Hes brilliant of course, very talented and gifted, really. That and the fact that he can just sit down, study and work on stuff and really push himself to accomplish his goals, Andrew said. He tried in the 5th grade and didnt make it to state. And he tried again and did. He learned that by doing things again and again, he can achieve whatever he wants. James said he is thinking about pursuing a patent for his invention and is looking forward to competing in science fairs in his last year of middle school and then in high school. In the future, he wants to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and become a nuclear physicist. Love 24 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 4 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. Over the past few months, leaked renders and internal listings pretty much confirmed that Google is working on an Android TV dongle codenamed Sabrina. Now, Artem Russakovskii of Android Police has discovered a listing on Targets retail system that calls the device Google Chromecast with Google TV and prices it at $50. Now Target's internal system dropped Sabrina's the price to $49.99 and renamed it to "Google Chromecast with Google TV" (not Android TV), giving legs to May's rumor from @9to5Google about the rebranding of Android TV back to Google TV (https://t.co/HV1rfeo4bK). Artem Russakovskii (@ArtemR) September 12, 2020 Previous reports said Sabrina would be under the Nest branding, but the tech giant may have decided to stick with a name more associated with casting. As for the Google TV part, 9to5Google reported back in May that the company was planning to rename Android TV to, you guessed it, Google TV and to give it a new user interface. The tech giant hasnt confirmed it yet, but this product name makes sense if the OS is truly going through a rebranding. Russakovskii has also discovered that the dongle will be available in the colors Rock Candy, Summer Melon and Summer Blue. Of course, the dongles final designation and pricing could be entirely different from what was found in Targets system. Well know for sure once its been announced, though it is expected to come with a remote control, a Google Assistant button and a UI focused on apps and service based on a leaked video previously posted by XDA Developers. "Unfortunately, the political crisis is not new. Tensions have been on display for the last four years. The impact of this crisis taking as reference similar situations in the past has temporarily deteriorated the expectations. However, the impact will be lower if it (the crisis) is overcome as soon as possible," he commented. Armas stated that in these cases it is important to overcome the temporary deterioration that these situations may generate in the economy. Referring to what the Comptroller's Office said, that Peru lost S/23 billion (around US$6.49 billion) last year because of corruption and functional misconduct, which mainly consisted of the budget execution, the BCR manager noted that this is a burden the country has borne for many years. Regarding the economic activity, the BCR representative affirmed that it is recovering, although it shows levels below those seen last year. "We are in a process of recovery, specially a recovery of employment , which has seen a very sharp fall in April and May," he explained. So these G40 elements peddling falsehoods and narratives about Zimbabwe, we know where they are and we have been reluctant. But now we have an extradition treaty between Zimbabwe and South Africa. I am now going to give instructions to evoke that treaty so that we can extradite these elements to face the law. In America, no American will speak or act against the country and get away with it. In Zimbabwe they have been surviving but the law is there to make them accountable. We have local NGOs. I want to make it clear that each NGO in this country, when they get registered, they do so on the basis of agreed areas of participation. They are given a mandate for a particular area or activity. Those that are going to be found acting or working outside their mandate as NGOs we shall call them to account. US Strategic Bombers B-52h Simulated Strikes Against Russia in August, Military Says Sputnik News 11:16 GMT 11.09.2020 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US strategic bombers B-52H held drills in late August, during which they simulated strikes against Russia by cruise missiles from Estonia and Canada, Col. Gen. Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces Sergei Surovikin said Friday. The Russian military consider the drills held with strategic bombers close to the Russian border to be of "unfriendly and provocative character." According to the commander, US planes made several attempts to get closer to the Russian border, but were blocked by Russian fighters. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Firefighters monitor a controlled burn along Nacimiento-Fergusson Road to help contain the Dolan Fire near Big Sur, California. (AP) Salem: A change in the weather with winds easing and humidity rising have helped firefighters battling massive blazes in Oregon that have taken a deadly toll from one end of the state to the other. Gov. Kate Brown said Friday that dozens of people were still missing and tens of thousands had been forced to flee their homes. The states emergency management director, Andrew Phelps, said officials are preparing for a mass fatality event and thousands of structures have been destroyed. Oregon officials havent released an exact death count but at least eight fatalities have been reported. Marion County Sheriff Joe Kast said Friday evening that searchers had found two victims of the Beachie Creek fire near Salem. A 1-year-old boy was killed in wildfires in Washington. Hundreds of firefighters were battling two large blazes that threatened to merge near the most populated part of Oregon, including the suburbs of Portland. 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 dialed back a statement late Thursday by the state Office of Emergency Management that said a half-million people had been ordered to evacuate statewide. Scores of people were missing in Jackson County in the southern area of the state and in Marion County east of Salem, the state capital, Brown told a news conference. Authorities also announced that a man had been arrested on two counts of arson in connection with a fire in southern Oregon. Improved weather helped efforts on the ground after days of high winds, heat and low humidity. The wind laid down quite a bit for us yesterday, said Stefan Myers of the states fire information team. Almost 500 personnel were working on the fires near Portland, which were just a few miles (kilometers) apart, with rugged terrain between them that limits boots-on-the-ground efforts to control the flames, Myers said. If the fires merge, they could generate enough heat to send embers thousands of feet into the air, potentially igniting other areas. Authorities say more than 1,500 square miles (3,880 square kilometers) have burned in Oregon during recent days, nearly double the amount in a typical year and an area larger than Rhode Island. 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. Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler said 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. The fire burned hundreds of homes and also had an ignition point in Ashland near a spot where a man was found dead. Authorities said the man denied starting the fire. Sickler said authorities were working to locate missing people. I think were somewhere in the neighborhood of, you know, around 50 individuals that, you know, were trying to locate maybe a little less, he said. Its going to be a process for sure. Evacuation centers were open across Oregon. Kim Carbaugh fled her home Monday in Lyons with her husband, two children and two horses. 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 an evacuation center at the State Fairgrounds in Salem. The site was also housing hundreds of animals dogs, llamas, horses, pigs weighing hundreds of pounds, cows and chickens. Many people chose to camp or stay in RVs. Charles Legg sat at a table with his 22-month-old son, who cooed and played with a dinosaur puzzle. Hes OK, Legg said. Hes not eating as normal, he knows something is going on. A 33-year-old woman is the first West Australian to be forced to wear an ankle bracelet after allegedly breaching quarantine by entertaining visitors. The woman was fitted with the monitoring device on Friday after police said they caught two men at her Perth home on Thursday during a routine check on her mandatory 14-day isolation. She had been allowed to enter the state from New South Wales on September 1, but was told to isolate herself for two weeks' coronavirus quarantine at a private Perth residence, WA Police said in a statement on Saturday. A 33-year-old woman has become the first West Australian to be fitted with an ankle bracelet (stock image pictured) after allegedly entertaining two men at her home during quarantine WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson (pictured) who is also the WA State Emergency Coordinator, personally ordered the anklet to be fitted The woman was fined $1,000 and was moved to a quarantine hotel. She will not be allowed to remove the anklet until the end of her quarantine. 'After careful consideration of the circumstances of the breach and the woman's previous history, the State Emergency Coordinator formed a view that it was necessary to monitor her location during the quarantine period,' WA Police said in a statement. West Australian Premier Mark McGowan said last month that people who were considered a flight-risk or who had a criminal history may be forced to wear the anklets. Lockdown dodger Isata Jalloh, 19, (pictured) was fined $5,000 for flying from Adelaide to Perth and escaping hotel quarantine to go to a rap party with her friend Banchi Techana Isata Jalloh and Banchi Techana (pictured together at Perth Airport) made rude gestures as they were put on a taxpayer funded flight back to Adelaide, telling media they were not sorry WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson, who is also the WA State Emergency Coordinator, personally ordered the anklet to be fitted. Premier McGowan said he supported Mr Dawson's decision, saying it was for the safety of the community, and he hoped it sent a strong message to people who think they can break the state's coronavirus laws. 'You will be caught and you will have to face the full force of the law. Selfish behaviour in the middle of a pandemic will not be tolerated,' he told the West Australian newspaper. Western Australia has so far bought 200 ankle bracelets for the pandemic. Premier McGowan said the state had purchased the devices immediately after giving WA Police the emergency powers to order monitoring where necessary. The woman is the first in Western Australia to be fitted with a monitoring anklet under the state's coronavirus State of Emergency laws. West Australian man Paul John Lawrence had been expected to be the first person to get the anklet for coronavirus quarantine breach after he allegedly returned to WA in late August without first applying for permission to enter the state, however that did not eventuate. Mr Lawrence had been visiting family in Queensland when he returned without permission, and at Perth Airport complained of chest pains. He was taken to hospital for treatment and told to wait for transport to a quarantine hotel. WA Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) backed Commissioner Dawson's decision. Western Australia has bought 200 monitoring anklets for the coronavirus pandemic Paul John Lawrence (pictured) was told to wait in hospital for a transport to quarantine after arriving in Perth from Queensland last month. Instead he ran away to a pub in Northbridge Instead of waiting, Mr Lawrence left the hospital and checked into a Northbridge backpacker hostel, then went to the nearest pub - the Hotel Northbridge, sparking a dramatic manhunt. Mr Lawrence was not fitted with the ankle bracelet, instead he was put into hotel quarantine under police guard and tested for coronavirus, with the tests coming back negative. The pub was closed for a night as a precaution and 150 patrons feared they would catch the virus. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement In another high-profile quarantine breach, a man used a ladder to climb in and out of his third-floor room in a Perth quarantine hotel. Yusuf Karakaya had managed to open the window, walked across a roof space and escaped, only to return with a ladder which he used repeatedly to breach quarantine over the next few days. When hotel staff removed the ladder, he got someone to bring him another one, Perth Now reported. He was sentenced to six months' jail but was only ordered to spend one month in prison with five months suspended. In another quarantine breach, two women flew from Adelaide to WA without permission to 'hang out with friends' at a Perth rapper's party. Isata Jalloh, 19, and Banchi Techana, 22, were taken to the Novotel on Murray Street in Perth's CBD but ran away, escaping out of an emergency exit. Techana was given a suspended jail term of eight months and two weeks, while Jalloh was fined $5000, the West Australian reported. The pair were taken back to hotel quarantine before making obscene gestures as they were placed on a taxpayer-funded flight back to South Australia last month. Jalloh and Techana were unrepentant, telling media they were not sorry and would return to Western Australia in two months, by force if necessary. Western Australia recorded no new coronavirus cases on Saturday, with their total pandemic case tally unchanged at 659. Australia has so far had 26,565 coronavirus cases according to the national Health Department's website. Victoria has been the worst-hit state so far, accounting for 19,767 of the total infections. Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: China handed over the five 'missing' youths from Arunachal Pradesh to Indian authorities on Saturday morning. Defence sources said the handover took place near the Kibithu border post in Arunachals Anjaw district. Indian Army took over all five individuals at Kibithu on 12 Sep 2020 after completing all the formalities. Individuals will now be quarantined for 14 days as per COVID-19 protocol and will thereafter be handed over to their family members, defence spokesman Lt Col Harsh Wardhan Pande said. Arunachal Pradesh is known for its rich natural heritage and adventurous people fond of exploring the nature for medicinal herbs and possessing traditional flair for hunting which involves surviving off the land for weeks in jungles and far-flung remote areas. During such adventurous forays, at times youth have inadvertently strayed to other side of LAC, he said. The Army officer said altogether three such incidents had taken place this year in Arunachals Upper Subansiri and West Siang districts. He said all the individuals were brought back home safely after consistent efforts and coordination by the Indian Army. ALSO READ | Arunachal: With no road, CM Pema Khandu treks 24 km for 11 hours to meet his people In the latest case, five individuals from Upper Subansiri district had also inadvertently strayed across LAC recently. Indian Army approached PLA on hotline to trace and return them. On 08 Sept, response on the hotline confirmed that the missing individuals had been traced, Pande said. Toch Singkam, Prasat Ringling, Dongtu Ebiya, Tanu Baker and Ngaru Diri had been reported missing from Tungdara Mountain or Sera-7 near the LAC since September 2. The incident came to light when two others, who had gone out along with them but managed to escape, narrated the incident of abduction by the PLA before locals. The families of the youths and locals had said earlier that they were working as porters of defence forces. The Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police use locals as porters, especially during the winter months, to take supplies to border posts. Christine Hill only got to spend 10 years of her life with her mother. Thats all I had with her. Ten years, Christine told Dateline. And I thank God for every one of them. Christine was only 10 years old when her mother disappeared in 1981. Christine, her 8-year-old brother, their mother, Diana Lynn Harris, all moved down to the Florida Keys from Michigan with Dianas boyfriend earlier that year for a new start. She lost her job in Michigan, so just decided to take a risk and move to Florida, Christine said. She planned on making a life down there for all of us. Diana landed two jobs: at the No Name Pub and at the Sugarloaf Lodge. Christine told Dateline that her mothers boyfriend didnt stick around for long, and Diana soon began dating another man named Gary Argenzio. Christine said she remembers happily exchanging their cold days in Michigan for the warm beaches of Florida - specifically Big Pine Key where they settled. It was paradise. But after three months in paradise, Christine and her brother were sent back to Michigan to spend the summer with their father and other relatives. They said goodbye to their mother at the airport in Miami on June 7, 1981. It was the last time I ever saw her, Christine said. She added that the last time she spoke to her mother was on July 15 when they talked on the phone. She called us regularly, Christine said. So when she stopped calling, and when we couldnt get in touch with her, we knew something was wrong. Diana was scheduled to pick the children up in Michigan on August 15 so they could then go attend her sisters wedding in Illinois. She never made it. Christines grandmother filed a missing persons report in Monroe County, Florida. But 39 years later, Diana still has not been found. After their mothers disappearance, Christine and her brother stayed in Michigan and were raised by their grandmother. When Christine turned 17, she returned to Florida for a short time to begin her own investigation. Shes been at it ever since. Story continues Some information Ive come across leads me to believe that my mother may have become a threat to a major drug operation at a party house on Big Pine Key where my mom lived, Christine said. She added that after they were sent back to Michigan, her mother and Gary Argenzio moved into a house on Tortuga Lane in No Name Key known by locals as the party house. The house was owned by one of Argenzios friends, who was also a local attorney. Christine said she later learned that Diana had called a friend in Michigan and said she feared there was going to be a drug bust at the party house. It is unknown when this call took place. For years, Dianas case went cold. It wasnt until 1995, at Christines urging, that Dianas case was brought back into the light. Detective Sergeant Barney Sajdak with the Monroe County Sheriffs Office told Dateline that their records on Dianas case only date back to 1995. He said that the reports note that Diana was reported missing in 1981, but that there was no official report. He confirmed that Dianas case was re-investigated in 1995 as a possible homicide and that many people were interviewed, including Dianas boyfriend, Gary Argenzio, but no one was arrested in her disappearance. Detective Sergeant Sajdak told Dateline that the report included police interviews with two men who knew Argenzio. They told detectives they believed Argenzio murdered Diana and dumped her body in the ocean. Shortly after Dianas disappearance, Gary Argenzio stole a boat and fled to Mexico where he stayed until he was arrested in 1982 for theft, according to Det. Sgt. Sajdak. He was sentenced to five years in prison. In 1992, Argenzio died at his home in Florida, according to a medical examiners report in Dianas file. Its a tough case, Det. Sgt. Sajdak told Dateline. Decades have passed, the detectives who worked on the case are gone, some of the witnesses are gone. Its hard to say if we will ever find her. Diana Lynn Harris He added that the investigation into Dianas disappearance is ongoing and he urges anyone who may have information to call the sheriffs office. A piece of information that may seem insignificant could be the piece to solve this case, Det. Sgt. Sajdak said. If you know something, please call us. Now, nearly four decades later, Dianas daughter still fondly remembers the 10 years she spent with her mother. I think of all the places she took us for fun, the times she did my hair for school and when she cooked breakfast for us each morning. She really was such an amazing mom who gave my brother and I lots of love and affection, Christine told Dateline. She was active in every part of our short time with her. I had my first 10 years of life with her, some people don't get that. And so I am thankful to God for every bit of time we had. We were very blessed. Christine added that she remembers her mother being a wonderful mother even though she led a difficult life. She felt like their move was an escape for her mother, but unfortunately led to the end of their time together. I have beautiful memories of my life with her. She worked hard, cooked wonderful food, and was never too busy to play with my brother and me, Christine said. No matter how tired she was or how weighed down by worries, she gave us unstinting love and attention. Throughout the years, Christine has put together files of information that she hopes will one day lead to answers in her mothers case. Although 39 years have passed, Christine tells Dateline she isnt giving up. For 39 years now, Ive been trying to find out what happened to her, and I will not stop until I get an answer. Anyone with information about Dianas case is urged to call the Monroe County Sheriff's Office - Special Investigations Division at (305) 289-2410. It was almost a double-edged sword to have gotten the second case in the United States, because it was pretty taxing on our agencies, said Dr. Kiran Joshi, senior medical officer and co-lead of the Cook County Department of Public Health. But at the same time, we were forewarned in a way of what could happen, and I think as a whole reacted much more quickly than perhaps other states. Photo: 2.bp.blogspot.com/ It is the best of times, it is the worst of times (with apologizes to Charles Dickens). Weve all looked at the clock with dread as we battled a deadline and willed the hands to slow down. Weve all spent a night before someone we love leaves, fixing the clock with an evil eye, hoping the hands of time will take a coffee break. We let the world outside control us and we respond, like puppets, to strings pulled by who we know not and dance to an unseen caller. We hurry. We scurry. We stress. We can identity with Andrew Marvell as he sat at his desk in Elizabethan England and wrote: Had we but world enough and time. Even thought it was written 400 years ago, it feels present, as if time had collapsed those four centuries into this moment. To His Coy Mistress is not on many peoples reading list, but weve all identified with another line from the poem as we spilled our tea hurrying to a meeting or a presentation: Times winged chariot hurrying near. We feel it at our back and think the horses in the chariots braces are galloping even more furiously than when we had more hair and less waist, but theyre cantering at a more leisurely pace. Only a few billion years ago, the day was 10 hours. And contrary to what we think and feel, its getting longer as the moons pull drags on the Earths rotation. We compensate for the planetary sloth by operating in the supersonic: we zip from one thing to the other without really touching down; we check out schedule on our cell in traffic even though its against the law and race to where it tells us to go. Weve switched jailers from the one on our wrist to the one in our pocket, or on our belt. How we spend our days is how we spend our life, wrote Pulitzer-winning author Annie Dillard. We promise ourselves that tomorrow well learn Spanish, go on that long vacation, take yoga, start meditating, slow down. But in spite of our hurrying, the running from one thing to the next until we fall into bed exhausted, we know it doesnt have to be this way. We can control time. We can bend it to our will. The writers of The Talmud, that great fountain of knowledge from the Jewish tradition, knew that. Who forces time is pushed back by time; who yields to time finds time on his side. Were times willingly slave. We adopt a victim mentality that allows the digital slave master to dictate how we behave, and when. Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma which is living with the results of other people's thinking, said Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. There are about 745,000 hours in an average lifetime, but we dictate whether we want to be average. (The average 60 year old has a one per cent chance of increasing those hours to 876,000, to watching the clock tick pass the century mark.) Time goes by very fast, Canadian Rockette Jeanette Heller was quoted in a Globe and Mail obit. When I tuned around and was 95, I didnt believe it myself. Seneca, the Roman Stoic philosopher, and Neros mentor, had a similar view almost 2,000 years ago. It is not that we have a short time to live, he wrote in On the Shortness of Life, but that we waste a lot of it. Life is long enough, and a sufficiently generous amount has been given to us for the highest achievements, if it is well invested. There are two kinds of time: chronos and kairos. We worship one and ignore the other, except when it grabs us in those moments of accidental reflection. One is nine to five, something outside us that we allow to dictate how we behave and how we feel inside. The other covers the special times, the shining times, those times when we turn off our cell and ignore the clock on the wall, the time we spend in eternity. Those are the times we get lost in the wonder, when we fall into the music of a great song, hug someone we love, are transfixed by a babys eyes. Time feels different then. "(Kairos) signifies a time in between, a moment of undetermined period of time in which something special happens. What the special something is depends on who is using the word. While chronos is quantitative, kairos has a qualitative nature," says an article on Wikipedia. According to ancient Greeks, Kairos was the god of the fleeting moment, a favourable opportunity opposing the fate of man. The moment must be grasped; otherwise the moment is gone and cannot be re-captured. Kairos is a child at play or an artist at work: absorbed in the moment, unselfconscious. Theyre immersed in eternity. In Our Town, after Emily has died in childbirth, (author) Thornton Wilder has her ask the Stage Manager if she can return home to relive just one day, Madeleine LEngle writes in Walking on Water. Reluctantly, he allows her to do so. And she is torn by the beauty of the ordinary, and by our lack of awareness of it. She cries out to her mother, Mama, just look at me one minute as though you really saw me it goes so fast we dont have time to look at one another. And she goes back to the graveyard and the quiet company of the others lying there, and she asks the Stage Manager Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? And he sighs and says, No. The saints and poets, maybe. They do some. Carpe diem! San Antonio and Bexar County reported a scant 118 newly diagnosed coronavirus cases Friday, and only one new death from COVID-19, indicating that the local area continues to successfully guard against the spread of the virus. The number of patients hospitalized with the illness also remains at far lower levels than those seen earlier in the summer. Since the pandemic began six months ago, 991 local residents have died. The latest victim, a woman in her 60s whose medical history is unknown, died this week, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. The Metropolitan Health District still is reviewing an additional 190 deaths in Bexar County attributed to the virus by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Throughout the pandemic, a total of 48,074 Bexar County residents have tested positive for the virus. But the number of people who have recovered remains above 90 percent. The city and countys seven-day moving average has dropped to 143 new cases per day. Thats a good thing, Nirenberg said. San Antonios risk level remains in the safe zone, which is the best-case scenario. Nevertheless, Nirenberg reminded everyone to remain cautious and vigilant. COVID is still in our community, he said. Weve got to keep our guard up as we face this pandemic together. On ExpressNews.com: Officials urge recovered coronavirus patients to donate plasma, and will provide incentive On Friday, 278 patients who have tested positive for the virus remained hospitalized in San Antonio medical facilities, including 32 new admissions that occurred overnight. However, the total number hospitalized has declined by six since Thursday. Of those patients hospitalized, 113 are in intensive care units a decline of 15 people since Thursday and 59 are on ventilators to help them breathe, 21 fewer than the day before. We are very happy to report a significant decline in the number of people who are on ventilators tonight, Nirenberg said, calling that total the lowest weve had in quite some time. There are other favorable numbers as well 14 percent of staffed hospital beds remain available for patients, while 68 percent of ventilators in stock are ready for use. Im watching you guys out there, Precinct 3 County Commissioner Kevin Wolff said. Youre wearing your masks, youre trying to do your social distancing. Im here to tell you, dont let up. Dont get lulled into complacency. The numbers are looking OK right now, but dont let that deter you. ... Make sure youre following those guidelines, and well get through this. The 78207 ZIP code, on the West Side near downtown, continues to have the greatest local number of diagnosed COVID-19 cases. Bexar County is ranked fourth among Texas counties experiencing the most coronavirus cases, according to the states COVID-19 dashboard. The only counties with larger numbers are Harris, Dallas and Tarrant, respectively. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio and Bexar County school systems no longer required to post new coronavirus case counts online Bexar County is ranked third among Texas counties with the most fatalities among their resident populations, the state website showed. Only Harris and Hidalgo counties reported more deaths. In Comal County, where New Braunfels is the county seat, officials reported only 12 newly diagnosed cases of the coronavirus and no new deaths Friday. Of the dozen new cases, two are confirmed and 10 are probable. A total of 3,140 Comal County residents have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began six months ago. Among them, 86 percent 2,706 people have recovered. Only 39 Comal County residents sickened by the virus remained hospitalized Friday. Comal County hospitals also have far fewer coronavirus patients than they did earlier in the summer and were caring for only five COVID-19 patients Friday. Among them, two were in intensive care units and one was on a ventilator. In Atascosa County, south of San Antonio, 669 residents have tested positive for the virus and 15 have died since the pandemic began. Only 28 people still had active cases of the virus Friday. Most residents who tested positive 94 percent have recovered. In Guadalupe County, the home of Seguin, 2,137 residents have tested positive for the virus in the past six months. The countys emergency management office reported that 42 people have died during the pandemic and an additional 34 deaths remain under investigation. Most of those testing positive for the virus 95 percent have recovered. Peggy OHare covers demographics, the census and occasionally crime and general assignment stories in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Peggy, become a subscriber. pohare@express-news.net | Twitter: @Peggy_OHare Iran holds second day of naval exercises with drone, cruise missile strikes Iran Press TV Friday, 11 September 2020 9:23 AM Iranian Army forces have held the second day of large-scale naval exercises with drone and cruise missile strikes in the country's southern waters. The Army's coastline missile sites fired the Qader anti-ship cruise missile, successfully destroying a mock enemy vessel more than 200 kilometers from the coast on Friday. The Nasr anti-ship cruise missile was also fired from Iran's Najm missile boat, destroying its designated target in the country's southern waters. The Kaman-12 drone, which is the Iranian Army's first combat drone, also conducted surveillance operations within the perimeter of the maneuvers. The three-day exercises, dubbed Zolfaqar-99, kicked off on Thursday under the command of the Army's Zolfaqar base, with observers from the Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base in attendance. The drills cover an area of two million square kilometers in the eastern waters of the Strait of Hormuz near the Persian Gulf, Makran coast, the Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean up to 10 degrees north. Speaking on Friday, spokesman for the drills Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said that the Army was simulating various and complex real war scenarios, "many of which cannot be made public due to reservations". Addressing the use of cruise missiles during the Friday drills, Irani said the force's cruise missiles have been designed to deliver a large explosive impact and conduct operations in electronic warfare environments. "The Iranian Army's navy, disposing various naval cruise missiles capable of attaining different ranges, has the capability to direct effective missile fire from its coastal, marine and submarine units," he added. Speaking on the eve of the drills, Deputy Commander of the Iranian Army Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the exercises were designed to bolster the country's combat preparedness and enhance the safety of regional shipping routes. "The enemies of the Islamic Republic of Iran will have to know that in case of any strategic mistake on their behalf, Iran's response will not be limited to the West Asia region and they will face a wide theater of combat," he said. During the first day of drills on Thursday, Iranian Army units exercised amphibious offensive maneuvers accompanied by precision airstrikes, among other exercises. Prior to the drills, American and all other extra-regional military aircraft were warned to avoid the exercise zone, resulting in noticeable change in behavior of American UAVs operating in the area. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address With the crucial 2021 assembly polls approaching, the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal has started preparing for a battle against fake news and rumours that may be circulated through social networking sites and micro-blogging sites to project the ruling Trinamool Congress in a bad light. The chief minister had recently asked the Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police to strengthen their cyber-crime cells to tackle complaints of cybercrime at highest priority. The state criminal investigation department (CID) has already come up with a cyber-forensics and digital evidence examination laboratory. Cybercrime has increased. We have to strengthen the cybercrime cell. All police stations need to be more alert when it comes to cybercrime. There should not be any dilly-dallying. Tackling cyber-crime is our priority, Banerjee had said while addressing a program to observe Police Day on September 8. The warning came after a social media post, saying that the state government has imposed several restrictions during Durga Puja, was circulated. A few persons were arrested after the chief minister directed the police to crack down. During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and polls in four state assemblies, the election commission of India (ECI) spotted more than 154 instances of fake news or misinformation on social media platforms. In the last five months alone more than 250 persons were arrested from across West Bengal for posting and forwarding allegedly harmful fake news and rumours. In West Bengal just before the Lok Sabha polls, an entire newspaper page of a vernacular daily was photo-shopped to spread fake news in which Mamata Banerjee was quoted saying that she would show how to make Hindus cry if she wins all 42 seats in the state. The chief minister has asked to explore options if students from IIT and various universities could be roped in to do internships at the cyber-crime cells of the state police. All police stations have been asked to tackle all complaints of cybercrime and potentially harmful fake news on a priority basis, said a senior police officer. The chief minister had recently launched a veiled attack on the Bharatiya Janata Partys IT cell hinting that it was behind some such fake posts and rumors. Also Read: Corona is gone, says Bengal BJP chief at public rally. Then rebuts himself We are not fighting a lollipop match. We are fighting an election and we would do whatever it takes to fight the BJP, both on the ground and in the virtual world, to counter their fake new and rumours, said Derek OBrien TMCs Rajya Sabha leader and national spokesperson. On August 31, the TMC had sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, complaining that hundreds of accounts of TMC supporters on the social networking site and on WhatsApp have been removed. In another letter, the party wrote that the blocking of pages and accounts points to the link between Facebook and BJP. Also Read: Asian Games gold medalist Pinki Pramanik joins BJP Mamata Banerjee knows very well that she is losing ground and thats why she is coming up with new ways to harass and implicate BJP workers and supporters. Our party workers are being either implicated in false cases or murdered. But none of her tactics would work as people of Bengal have come to see her true face, said Rahul Sinha, national secretary of the BJP. She announced her engagement to her boyfriend of five years James Dunmore earlier this week. And Lucy Watson looked every inch the bride-to-be in a chic white swimsuit while on her recent romantic couple's trip to Greece on Saturday. The former Made In Chelsea star, 29, displayed her washboard abs in the flattering two-piece from Toco Swim which featured a one shoulder design. Glowing: Lucy Watson looked every inch the bride-to-be in a chic white bikini after announcing her engagement to James Dunmore on Friday The reality TV personality displayed her golden complexion as she posed up a storm for the gorgeous social media snaps. She accessorised her summer look with sweet silver hoop earrings and trendy black sunglasses in the post. Lucy wore her dark tresses over her shoulders and opted for minimal makeup due to the sunny climes. Pretty: The reality TV personality displayed her golden complexion as she posed up a storm for the gorgeous social media snaps. Radiant: She accessorised her summer look with sweet silver hoop earrings and trendy black sunglasses in the post 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: 'here's 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. Lucy looked stunning in a brown bikini as she kissed and cuddled shirtless James on the watercraft. Bride-to-be! Lucy got engaged during her romantic getaway to Greece - with her fiance James Dunmore, 31, popping the question earlier this week 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.' Lucy and James have been going strong ever since meeting on the E4 series back in 2015. Sweet: Lucy shared a sweet image next to her beau on a romantic boat trip and wrote in the caption: 'here's to forever,' accompanied by an engagement ring emoji 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. Over the moon: The cheery star looked stunning in a brown bikini as she kissed and cuddled shirtless James on the watercraft Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal After receiving approval from the City Council Wednesday evening, Mayor Tim Kellers administration plans to finalize approval of a much-discussed grant agreement with the Department of Justice for the city to receive nearly $10 million to hire about 40 police officers. But Albuquerque still may not get the money any time soon due to its status as an immigrant-friendly city. In February, the U.S. Attorney for New Mexico, John Anderson, pointed out that one of the conditions of the grant agreement funding that was initially offered under the federal Operation Relentless Pursuit is that the city complies with a provision in federal law that bars municipalities from prohibiting employees from sharing information about an individuals immigration status with federal law enforcement. He said in order to receive the $9.7 million, the city has to certify that it complies with that law and it might not do that since it is a so-called Sanctuary City. But the city doesnt believe its immigrant-friendly resolution violates the law in question 8 U.S.C. 1373 and attorneys say they can take it to court if need be. Ahead of the city council meeting, Lindsay Van Meter, an assistant city attorney, said that while the city has not yet signed the grant agreement, it has taken the position that its immigrant-friendly policy does not violate the federal law and therefore does not violate conditions in the grant. She referenced a recent court ruling in California where a judge sided with San Francisco against U.S. Attorney General William Barr on the same issue, as well as other court rulings and legal interpretations of the federal law and the citys resolution. When you look at 8 U.S.C. 1373, it says, notwithstanding any provision of law, the local government entity or official may not prohibit or restrict any government entity or official from sending to or receiving from the Immigration and Naturalization Service information regarding the citizenship or the immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual, she said. Its solely those two things: citizenship or immigration status. The court said Californias policy did not prohibit sending to or receiving from the Immigration and Naturalization Service citizenship or immigration status. It prohibited other things, like place of birth, or national origin. That is consistent with how our ordinance is written. Chief Administrative Officer Sarita Nair has also said that because the city does not ask for or collect individuals immigration or citizenship status, it has nothing to share with the federal government. In a letter sent to Police Chief Michael Geier in March, U.S. Attorney Anderson said his office could not include a provision the city wanted to insert in a memorandum of understanding that stated its policies comply with the federal immigration law. The U.S. Attorneys Office is not in a position to offer (the Albuquerque Police Department) or the City an advisory legal opinion with respect to the scope and meaning of City policies and resolutions, or their compliance with federal law, Anderson wrote. However, when asked directly this week whether the Department of Justice believes the citys immigrant-friendly ordinance clashes with the grants conditions, he said: The Citys April 24, 2018, resolution provides that nothing in the resolution shall be construed or implemented to conflict with any valid and enforceable duty or obligation imposed by any federal law. Title 8 U.S.C. 1373 is a valid federal law and the DOJ obviously views it as such. One of 7 cities The resolution to approve and authorize the grant agreement passed after more than an hour of discussion Wednesday evening. Four councilors Brook Bassan, Cynthia Borrego, Diane Gibson and Isaac Benton had gone to Washington, D.C., earlier this year, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, to talk to the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) about the grant. The COPS office is a division of the Department of Justice that provides grant funding. We really had good discussions with them, Bassan said at Wednesdays meeting. We were really assured that this would be something beneficial to reduce violent crime in Albuquerque and I think that is something we can all see that has been increasing significantly. Last year, Albuquerque was one of seven cities nationwide tagged for Operation Relentless Pursuit, which included a $9.7 million grant to hire officers. That operation was cut short and a new initiative Operation Legend took its place, with the grant still available. Seven councilors voted for the resolution, but councilors Pat Davis and Lan Sena voted against it after Sena requested more information on specific conditions of the grant and how it would impact communities of color. Sena said she was concerned that she had not personally been able to read the grant agreement. Its not that Im against funding from the federal government to hire more officers, I think that the COPS program has produced opportunities for us to comply with the (Court Approved Settlement Agreement), to hire more officers, to free up funds , Sena said. Without reading the terms and conditions, its difficult for me to say yes. According to the resolution, the grant will pay 100% of entry-level salaries and benefits of newly hired or re-hired full-time sworn career officers over a period of three years. More experienced officers would then join federal task forces in the area. In an interview, Davis said the money would help the city, but the mayors proposed budget already allots funding to hire 100 additional officers next year. We have the local funds to do that, Davis said. Were the feds to give us this money, it would essentially be a downpayment on hiring in future years but we have already programed local dollars for the hiring of officers next year and we can afford to do it. So, were going to keep doing that. A possible non-issue The dispute over local governments accessing these federal dollars has already played out in court several times, with federal judges ruling in favor of immigrant-friendly cities across the country. Last year, a judge in Illinois ruled against U.S. Attorney General Barr, finding he cannot require compliance with statutes related to immigration law as a condition of a different federal grant. That case was filed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, of which Albuquerque is part, and Van Meter said the city has received money from a grant in relation to that ruling. In 2018, the city was awarded a federal grant of $452,108 for a Crime Gun Intelligence center to improve its ability to investigate shootings. It has not received that money due to the same conditions attached to the $9.7 million COPS office grant. In April, the city filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Barr asking a judge to declare the immigration conditions attached to the Gun Intelligence Center grant unlawful and to give the city the money. That case is pending. Van Meter said she doesnt know how the DOJ will react to the citys position that it isnt violating immigration conditions for the COPS office grant, but that will inform how the city moves forward. In late July, City Attorney Esteban Aguilar Jr. wrote to the COPS office accepting the $9.7 million grant, saying he interprets the conditions relating to 8 U.S.C. 1373 along the lines of the recent court ruling that sided with San Francisco against the AG. Anderson has since said he has been told the letter does not qualify as an acceptance of the grant award. Van Meter said if the city accepts the grant and it re-sends the letter, the situation could play out similar to previous cases. At that point, the Department of Justice could withhold funds and say no, we dont agree with you, Van Meter said. Depending on how they respond, the city has to consider whether it wants to pursue legal action or not. Ultimately, Davis said, it might not matter after the next presidential election. Honestly, all of this may be an exercise in running out the clock on both sides, Davis said. Depending on what happens on Nov. 3, this may ultimately be a non-issue for the next (presidential) administration. A North Yorkshire pub has banned all customers under the age of 25 after young people were blamed for spreading Covid-19. Owner Maggie Holmes said she had introduced the policy at the Oddfellow Arms after a number of young adults tested positive for the virus in the small village of Sherbern-in-Elmet. She told The Independent she had received angry and abusive messages and phone calls, including a death threat, since announcing the policy. But she insisted she would stand by the decision. The level of abuse has been horrendous when all I want to do is keep people safe, Ms Holmes said. She added: These are people who have never visited my premises. I'm just being trolled. I've spent the day in tears. In a now-deleted post to Facebook outlining the new rule, Ms Holmes wrote: "We have thought about this very carefully, we will continue to try and ensure our community, customers and staff are all kept safe in these difficult times. "Before anyone tries to say we are wrong, think of the implications for us as a business. This is not where we want to be. We would rather have a safe environment than a place which is teetering on the risk of closure. "Please see that we are acting for everyone's best intentions at this time. We have some of the most amazing, well mannered customers in that age bracket, but we simply cannot take the risk. It comes as the government was accused of scapegoating young people for spreading the virus, having encouraged them to return to work and eat out at restrautsnts. Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the TUC, told the BBC on Thursday what people resent is politicians and government scapegoating parts of the population when some would say they haven't been top-class in terms of their own competence and capability. Earlier this week England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said cases were rising especially quickly among those aged 17 to 29, while health Secretary Matt Hancock said Boltons intensified lockdown had been spurred on by a spike caused by socialising by people in their 20s and 30s. However Ms Holmes said she is only trying to defend her business, her staff and her customers from exposure to a local spike in coronavirus cases - and rarely has drinkers in below the age of 30 anyway. Ive taken the decision because my demographic is not primarily that age bracket and I just want to ensure that I'm not closed again like I had to do for four months," she added. I have no dispute that somebody of any age can come in and bring it into the pub, but I'm just trying to mitigate the risk and that's why I've taken the decision and I'm absolutely shocked at the level of abuse that received when I know that a pub in the next village was already implementing this from July. The Angel Inn in Sheffield announced on Wednesday that anyone under the age of 25 was barred with immediate effect. In a social media post, landlord David Sayle said: "Due to Covid-19 precautions, The Angel Inn will not be allowing any under 25s or any children, with immediate effect." Additional reporting by agencies By Austin Sarat September 11, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - The Republican Party made it clear in its national convention that it intends to make restoring law and order central to this falls presidential campaign. As he did when he first ran in 2016, President Donald Trump highlighted law and order in his 2020 acceptance speech. Your vote, Trump said, will decide whether we protect law-abiding Americans and whether we will defend the American way of life or allow a radical movement to completely dismantle and destroy it. For a student of the politics of law and order, the presidents rhetoric is familiar. It builds on, and borrows from, a strand of thinking running back to the early years of the republic. Throughout this nations history, appeals to law and order have been as much about defending privilege as dealing with crime. They have been used in political campaigns to stigmatize racial, ethnic and religious groups and resist calls for social justice made by, and on behalf of, those groups. 19th-century American law and order The first stirrings of law-and-order politics in the U.S. occurred in the 1830s in response to agitation for expansion of the vote. At the time, only whites who owned property could vote. Reformers wanted to extend the franchise to all white men. In 1840 Samuel Ward King, the governor of Rhode Island, formed the Law and Order Party to oppose such proposals. Troubled by an influx of immigrants, his party wanted to preserve the state charter that disenfranchised the 60% of the states white, male residents who did not own property. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter But the tide of reform proved to be too strong, and in 1843 the charter was changed, extending suffrage to any native-born adult male, regardless of race, who could pay a poll tax of US$1. This change led to the demise of Rhode Islands Law and Order Party. Fifteen years later, another Law and Order Party emerged, this time in Kansas. It promoted the cause of slavery, which it claimed was ordained by God. As David Atchison, one of the partys leaders, said, We believe slavery is a trust and guardianship given us of God for the good of both races. Without sugar, cotton, and cheap clothing, can civilization maintain its progress? Toward the end of the 19th century, law-and-order rhetoric played a key role in the Prohibition movement to ban alcohol. This movement was led by rural Protestants whose political power was being challenged by a growing population of urban, Irish-Catholic immigrants. As Frances Willard, a prominent leader of that cause, said, There is a war in America between the rum shops and religion. They stand over against each other, insurmountable and unalterable foes. Resisting social change The politics of law and order remained animated by resistance of social change during the 20th century. While it did not have much political purchase during the early part of the century, the phrase law and order was used by Republican Gov. Calvin Coolidge of Massachusetts in a 1920 speech to rally opposition to labor union organizers. As crime rates rose and urban disorder intensified in the 1960s, the attraction of law and order as a campaign issue grew as well. In 1964, Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater took up the law-and-order banner in his campaign against President Lyndon Johnson. Goldwater linked the problem of crime with the prevalence of public welfare programs and decried the growing menace in our country to personal safety, to life, to limb and property, in homes, in churches, on the playgrounds, and places of business, particularly in our great cities. cities. On Friday, Great Hearts Academies announced its plans to launch a classical online academy and will enroll students from across the state of Texas during the current 2020-21 school year. Great Hearts Academies has operated schools for 20 years. This will be the charter school networks first fully online offering. Great Hearts offers a tuition-free, rigorous, classical liberal arts curriculum including advanced math and science, robust arts and foreign language classes, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities. The core purpose of Great Hearts is to cultivate the hearts and minds of students through the pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. Great Hearts Texas is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and, as a state authorized open enrollment public charter school, extends offers to eligible applicants through a lottery system. Great Hearts is a public school; therefore, there is no cost to apply or attend and the same offering extends to the classical online academy. In addition, there is no student assessment required prior to entry into the program. In fact, public charter schools are prohibited by state law to determine a students eligibility for enrollment based on previous performance on standardized tests. On Friday, September 4, Co-Founder and CEO Jay Heiler, along with the Texas Board of Directors, approved the decision to take its highly rated Great Hearts classical model online following the situation they, and many other school leaders, found themselves in last spring when Governor Abbott ordered school closures across the state in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Great Hearts co-founder and interim Superintendent Dr. Daniel Scoggin shared why he supports the decision to provide this offering to hundreds more Texas students this year. Those of us steeped in classical education, operated with the mindset at least up until now that the Great Hearts model could only be offered in the traditional sense, meaning in a face-to-face classroom setting. I, along with many of my colleagues, felt a great deal of nervousness about our ability to meet the challenge we were faced with last spring when we were forced to turn our traditional model into a fully functional and 100% online school without jeopardizing the quality of instruction or our students pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty. However, our talented and classically trained educators rose to the occasion and met this challenge with the utmost amount of grace, determination, and flexibility. Together, our teachers and instructional leaders made possible what once seemed implausible when they created a quality online classical program that quite remarkably - grows more impressive each day. When surveyed in late May, a notable 91% of Great Hearts parents participated in the voluntary survey with 88% responding favorably, meaning that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their childs online experience in the spring. In the same survey, 90% of parents responded that they were pleased with the quality of online instruction. On the question of parent demand and the appetite for a Great Hearts Online, Sr. Vice President Dejah Behnke who oversees marketing, communication and development for the organization, responded saying, Given the growing number of students on our waitlists, and the rising number of families seeking a quality online offering, the parent demand for both classical and virtual education is - and will continue to be - very much present in our state. As a parent who has experienced the gamut of educational offerings from ISDs, private schools, and public charter schools like Great Hearts, I believe we have an obligation to do whatever is within our ability to grant access to as many children as possible, and to give parents the opportunity and flexibility to choose the kind of classical education that, until Great Hearts came along, was only offered in private schools. The Great Hearts Texas board of directors have tapped Kurtis Indorf, currently serving at the Executive Director of Instruction across Texas academies, to lead the efforts to launch and build the Great Hearts Online offering. Co-Founder and CEO Jay Heiler shared that, Kurtis Indorf is the right leader to spearhead this new venture first in Texas in the coming year, and then to develop a business plan with our executive team and board to grow Great Hearts Online as a new and permanent branch of our organization. Network-wide, there are over 22,000 students enrolled in 33 academies across Texas and Arizona, and waitlists continue to grow. In Texas alone, there are currently 7,000 students enrolled in grades K-12, and as of August 18, Great Hearts Texas reported that 5,500 students across Irving, Fort Worth and San Antonio remain on the waitlist. Great Hearts Online will initially serve between 200 and 500 students across multiple grades and plans to begin classes between November 2020 and January 2021. Great Hearts is open to all students and encourages families from all over the state of Texas to apply for this one-of-a-kind offering. Great Hearts is currently in the process of compiling an interest list to determine parental interest and grade level demand in Great Hearts Online. Parents who are interested in learning more about Great Hearts online academy are encouraged to visit online.greatheartsamerica.org/interest-list/ to complete a quick interest questionnaire. In addition to joining the interest list, there are a few important dates to note. The Great Hearts Online application and open enrollment process is set to begin as early as September 21. Students who are currently on a Great Hearts Texas Academy waitlist for the 2020-21 school year will receive priority by applying during the early bird period of September 21 October 4; however, waitlisted students will not surrender their physical seats by applying to Great Hearts Online. Starting October 5, offers to all eligible applicants will be generated in the order in which they are received, or until all available virtual seats are filled. More information can be found at http://www.GreatHeartsOnline.org. The honesty of a 60-year-old rickshaw driver in Pune shone through the gloom of a virus outbreak, a crippling lockdown and financial despair all around as he returned a bag containing cash and jewellery totaling 7 lakh to its rightful owner. On Wednesday, a couple had boarded the three-wheeler of Vitthal Mapare at Keshav Nagar area and alighted at Hadapsar bus-stand, leaving behind the bag, the police said. I moved ahead and went to BT Kawade road where I parked my vehicle to have tea. It is then that I noticed this bag lying on the back seat. I did not open it and took it to Ghorpadi chowky nearby and deposited it with sub-inspector Vijay Kadam there," said Mr Mapare narrating the chain of events. Speaking to PTI, sub-inspector Kadam said, On opening the bag as per procedure, we found gold ornaments weighing 11 tolas, 20000 cash, all totaling 7 lakh, and some clothes. We contacted Hadapsar police station as the couple had alighted there." Hadapsar police told us Mahboob and Shanaz Shaikh had already approached them with a missing bag complaint. The bag was handed over to them at Mundhwa police station and Mapare was felicitated by Deputy Commissioner of Police Suhas Bawche," Mr Kadam added. PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com Mr Mapare, who has been a rickshaw driver for several years now, lives in a rented house and his son works in a private firm. Mr Mapare said he was happy with the praise that he was getting over the past two days and considered it his biggest reward in life. Afghan government representatives and Taliban members gathered on Saturday for historic intra-Afghan peace talks aimed at ending decades of war and conflict in Afghanistan that has killed tens of thousands of people. Abdullah Abdullah, the chairperson of Afghanistans High Council for National Reconciliation, spoke about seeking a dignified and lasting peace at the formal opening of the negotiations in the Qatari capital Doha. 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. Taliban deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Baradar, meanwhile, repeated his groups demand for the country to adopt an Islamic system. [Afghanistan should] have an Islamic system in which all tribes and ethnicities of the country find themselves without any discrimination and live like brothers. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the warring sides to seize the opportunity for lasting peace in Afghanistan. The choice of your political system is yours to make, he said. We believe firmly that protecting the rights of all Afghans is the best way for you to break the cycle of violence. Achieving a permanent ceasefire would be on top of the list of issues, including women and minority rights, the sides would discuss during the negotiations. The intra-Afghan negotiations were expected to begin in March but were pushed back because of a disagreement over a prisoners exchange 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 free 5,000 Taliban prisoners. After months of delay, a compromise was reached by sending the last batch of six prisoners to Qatar. The prisoners arrived in Doha on Friday and will remain in custody there, clearing the path to the intra-Afghan talks. 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. LOS ANGELES In late August, Los Angeles sheriffs deputies shot a Black man, Dijon Kizzee, whom they had stopped for a suspected traffic violation as he rode his bicycle. He became the seventh man killed by deputies in Los Angeles since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Memorial Day weekend. On the same afternoon, state legislators in Sacramento raced to the end of their 2020 session. The most significant police reform measure, heralded in the days of the Black Lives Matter marches that filled the streets, did not even come up for a vote. A centerpiece of the agenda would have set up a process for yanking the badge of any officer found to have committed serious misconduct. California is one of only five states that has no process for decertifying police officers, which among other things enables bad cops to move from department to department with impunity. Democrats hold supermajorities in both houses. Major newspapers in California editorialized in favor of a slew of police reform bills. Polls showed support. In one of the bluest states in the country, all indications pointed toward action on reform. GODFREY Low-tech nature met a high-tech nature app on Saturday as volunteers with The Nature Institute at 2213 S. Levis Lane in Godfrey kicked off a socially distanced weekend of measuring the areas flora and fauna using anybody with a smartphone, a good eye for detail and curiosity about the natural world. Participants in the Backyard Biodiversity Weekend on Saturday and Sunday dont even have to be at The Nature Institute to take part, as the real-meets-virtual event allows users of the free iNaturalist app to upload images that help scientists get a much better idea of the living things in the Riverbend area. All you have to do is take a picture on your smartphone and put it on the app and it helps identify the different things and helps to keep track about whats living in an area, said Emily Ehley, environmental educator at The Nature Institute. We are encouraging people to get outside, whether here or in their own backyards, and learn a little bit more about all of the things that are living around them that they may not normally have noticed. The Nature Institute decided to hold the Backyard Biodiversity Weekend after COVID canceled plans to hold a Bio-Blitz this spring., A Bio-Blitz is where a large group of people come together in one location to find as many different living species as they can in a short time frame. This is our way of reconfiguring things so people can do things individually but still be connected to this big picture and getting that data together, Ehley said. iNaturalist is a really easy to use platform for gathering data, and scientists actually go in and look at where things are being seen in these areas. They are able to use that data for their own research. Ehley said most residents who search for biodiversity are amazed at the number of different migratory birds that frequent the area due to our proximity to the Mississippi River. She also said that people are always surprised at the quantity and variety of non-vertebrate animals that can be found anywhere they look, and to make the point she and education director Ramona Puskar overturned a log and immediately found a Darkling Beetle. Looking for little things like insects can be really exciting too, Puskar said. We invite people to lift up logs and look under leaves and they are really surprised by how many types of insects and small things are all around them that they wouldnt necessarily notice if they didnt go looking for it. We want to encourage people to be excited and curious rather than scared of all the other living things that they have around them, Puskar said. Learn a little bit more, rather than just reacting, oh, a spider! Instead, think about what kind of spider it is, and where it lives. Puskar said that as a complement to the Backyard Biodiversity Weekend, interviews with scientists have been posted on The Nature Institutes Facebook page and Youtube channel that comment on the wealth of living things to be found in the Riverbend area. The Nature Institute is a non-profit land conservation and environmental education organization based in Godfrey that hosts field trips and programs and owns and manages more than 450 acres of protected land, including the Olin Nature Preserve, the Mississippi Sanctuary, the Kemp and Cora Hutchinson Bird Sanctuary, and the Heartland Prairie Project at Gordon Moore Park. Carbon-rich exoplanets may be made of diamonds 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." ### This story has been published on: 2020-09-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Malaika Arora reveals she worked and travelled through her pregnancy, says marriage was never a hindrance By Lefteris Papadimas LESBOS, Greece (Reuters) - Angry migrants left homeless by a blaze at Europe's largest refugee centre demanded to leave the Greek island of Lesbos on Saturday as authorities opened up new tent shelters and European leaders faced growing calls to take in more of the displaced. More than 12,000 people, most from Africa and Afghanistan, have been sleeping rough since flames swept through the notoriously squalid and overcrowded Moria camp earlier this week. Some residents had COVID-19, raising fears the outbreak could spread. Under a hot sun on Saturday, hundreds of migrants, many chanting "Freedom" and "No Camp", gathered as bulldozers cleared ground in preparation for tents to be put up. Some carried handwritten signs carrying messages including "We don't want to go to a hell like Moria again" and "Can you hear us Mrs Merkel?" in an appeal to the German chancellor. "The fire made things much more difficult," said Sajida Nazari, a 23-year-old student from Afghanistan who has been on Lesbos for over a year. "We don't have food, we don't have water, we don't have freedom." Police briefly fired rounds of teargas when some of the protesters attempted to march down a road leading to the island's main port of Mytilene, which police had blocked while work on the new tent settlement continued nearby. The fire at the camp, which was holding four times the number of people it was supposed to, has returned the spotlight to the migration crisis facing the European Union, which has struggled to find a response that goes beyond temporary fixes. German Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Europe to accept more refugees but the difficulty of reaching an accord was underlined by Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who ruled out taking more in. Greek authorities have refused any mass transfer off the island, located a few miles off the Turkish coast, despite growing hostility from local residents angry after years at the front line of the crisis. Story continues But officials said they were determined to provide shelter and proper sanitation and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. "As of today, asylum seekers will start coming into the tents, into safe conditions," Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi told reporters at the site. The need to bring the situation under control has been made more urgent by the fact that authorities have lost track of 35 camp residents who had tested positive for coronavirus. Health authorities have promised to conduct rapid tests at the entrance of the new camp, with a quarantine unit ready for anyone testing positive. Still, the unsanitary conditions being endured by Moria's former inhabitants in the fields and streets of Lesbos has caused deep alarm. "This is a health bomb. These people haven't even had access to water all these days, they cannot even wash their hands," Matina Pagoni, president of Athens and Piraeus hospital doctors' union, told Skai television. (Additional reporting by Renee Maltezou in Athens, Kirsti Knolle in Vienna, Christian Kraemer in Berlin; Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Helen Popper and Christina Fincher) For the celebrities who found fame in the 20th century, especially the female ones, remaining relevant in the social media world of the 21st century appears to be an arduous and largely thankless task, particularly when one seems destined to play the same role over and over again. This brave new world of celebrity being driven by countless millions of smart phones and cutting edge technology is decidedly prehistoric when it comes to the expectations of what male and female celebrities of a certain vintage must do to compete for "likes". Nice robes: Liz Hurley on Instagram. Credit:Instagram Indeed, the gendered double standards are straight from the 1950s, with the likes of Warne and his male peers able to post largely mundane videos on TikTok and get noticed - which, quite frankly, is a far less demanding price than what appears to be asked of female celebrities his age, not in the least his former fiancee Liz Hurley. A scroll through Warnie's Instagram is enough to scare even the most worldly Millennial about the prospects of middle age - especially those shots of him baring his iridescent chompers and showcasing his frosted "hair hat" courtesy of the technicians from Advanced Hair Studio. But spare a thought for Hurley, whose stock in trade on Instragram STILL seems to revolve around the power of the bikini. While Warnie has occasionally shared a bit of skin on Instagram, his shirtless posts are few and far between these days. But when it comes to his female contemporaries, it would appear the more flesh on display the better. China has warned its citizens against travelling to the Czech Republic amid tensions between the two countries over Taiwan. In a brief statement on Friday, the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Chinese citizens should by no means travel to the Czech Republic because of signs of a quick rebound in the Covid-19 pandemic. The European country had previously been applauded for its success in tackling the epidemic but earlier this week it reported more than 1,000 coronavirus cases in one day for the first time, prompting authorities to tighten mask-wearing requirements indoors. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. China has largely restricted overseas travel since March and although Beijing cited the spike in infections as the reason for the warning, it came soon after a high-profile visit by a Czech politician to Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own. Late last month, Czech Senate president Milos Vystrcil made an official trip to Taiwan, the most senior politician from the central European country to visit the self-ruled island in 16 years. Beijing has vowed to take back the island and sees any official visit to Taiwan by foreign politicians as a challenge to its sovereignty. During his trip in Germany last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned that Beijing would not sit back after the public provocation by Vystrcil and threatened to make him pay a heavy price for the visit to Taiwan. The Czech Republic is one of Europes hottest destinations for Chinese tourists, with an estimated 612,000 Chinese travellers visiting the country last year. According to Czech government figures, China is the fourth-biggest source for tourists to the country, after Germany, Slovakia and Poland. Dubbed walking wallets, more middle-class Chinese are travelling to destinations all over the world but are also increasingly used as a veiled means for Beijing to exert pressure on other governments. Story continues In June, Beijing warned its citizens against visiting Australia because of an increase in acts of racial discrimination against Chinese and Asians due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The authorities offered no specific examples and the warning was widely seen as part of Beijings response to Canberras call for an independent investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. Last year, in a move widely seen as an effort to pressure the independence-leaning administration of President Tsai Ing-wen, Beijing unexpectedly announced restrictions on travel to Taiwan, citing the ruling Democratic Progressive Partys consistent efforts to push Taiwanese independence activities and incite hostility to the mainland. Beijing also used similar tactics in 2016 against South Korea over Seouls decision to host a US-backed anti-missile system, dealing a heavy blow to the South Korean tourism industry. In November 2017, Beijing stopped group tours to the Pacific island of Palau in an apparent effort to pressure Palau to switch diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. More from South China Morning Post: This article China warns against travel to Czech Republic as tensions rise over Taiwan first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. FILE PHOTO: People walk past a Tiffany & Co. store in the Manhattan borough of New York City (Reuters) - Tiffany & Co has received regulatory approvals from the Japan Fair Trade Commission and the Mexican competition authority for its contentious $16 billion acquisition by luxury goods group LVMH , the U.S. jeweler said on Friday. Earlier this week, Tiffany sued LVMH after the French company said it could not complete the deal due to a French government request, as well as the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Tiffany said in a filing on Friday the deal completion was still subject to approval from the European competition authorities and the Taiwan Fair Trade Commission. (https://bit.ly/2Fw34Cg) On Thursday, the Louis Vuitton brand owner said it would file its requests for approval to European authorities in the coming days, and expected to win approval in October. A source close to the matter told Reuters that the filing would take place next week. LVMH has said it would sue Tiffany for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and to refute accusations it was trying to deliberately bow out of the deal. (Reporting by Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Sriraj Kalluvila) My best friend is quitting an addiction. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. My best friend is quitting an addiction. Its hard watching her suffer from withdrawal. The worst is anxiety, sleeplessness, and facing the pain her addiction caused others but its something she has to quit or she will die. Its that simple. I tell her to call when she has a hard time. We talk, sometimes we cry. Often, we sit in silence. Change is hard, but I tell her shes got to keep going. In the end, everything will be worth it. On Labour Day, the Assembly of First Nations released results from a countrywide Nanos study in which about 1,000 people were polled on "the relative importance of First Nations issues" and how these relate to the "environment, languages, education, economic development, housing, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and lands and treaties." The results were, well, Canadian. According to the AFN, the report proves "Canadians give First Nations issues high priority," showing that "79 per cent of Canadians support First Nations issues as a priority for Canada even during the COVID-19 pandemic." Data suggest most Canadians know First Nations people suffer from inadequate services and access to resources. Three out of every four people say there is poor, unsuitable housing on many First Nations and drinking water is "less than adequate." Fifty-two per cent believe Canada is not doing enough to support First Nations children. A whopping 74 per cent of Canadians support federal government investments to increase the number of First Nations students who attend post-secondary institutions. These are pretty solid numbers. Diagnosing the problems First Nations face, though, isnt the most impressive information. Take, for example, the solutions Canadians support to rectify these issues: a majority (75 per cent) believe First Nations governments must control and plan their own communitys economic development. An even higher amount (78 per cent) say there must be more resource- and revenue-sharing between First Nations governments and provinces/territories. An even higher amount (85 per cent) say mental health services must be made available to on-reserve students at school and Indigenous language programming should be supported by the federal government. Overall, Canadians seem to be pretty progressive. Sixty-seven per cent say Canada should focus predominantly on fulfilling its treaty obligations), return land to First Nations communities on a "willing seller-buyer basis" (59 per cent agree), and build urban reserves in cities (65 per cent agree). Eighty-seven percent of Canadians even support more internet connectivity on First Nations. Canadians are apparently even looking to First Nations for a path to the future. Two in three Canadians (65 per cent) support the creation of more Indigenous-controlled conservation areas in the country. A majority (52 per cent) believe "Indigenous Canadians will advance solutions to save the environment" while an even higher group (64 per cent) want First Nations to play a "leadership role in addressing major environmental issues. Arguably the most startling statistic in the study: two-thirds of Canadians believe that "free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous peoples" must be obtained for land and resource projects that affect them. So much for Indigenous Peoples being "protesters" and "complainers" (looking at you Jason Kenney). Apparently, most Canadians want to listen to and respect First Nations, and they want the federal government to do a better job. Thirty-five per cent think the Liberals are doing a better job on First Nations issues than the Harper Conservatives while 37 per cent think the situation for First Nations peoples is the same under both governments. I could keep going but you get the point: its a hopeful study with hopeful results. Canadians know First Nations are in dire, often life-and-death situations. They even know the main problems include poverty, racism, and lack of opportunity. They want something done now. Canadians apparently even know solutions lie in supporting First Nations independence, enacting resource-sharing agreements with provinces, and helping Indigenous youth heal from trauma, learn their languages, and go to university. For the record, this is mostly in line with what a majority of Indigenous Peoples want, too. Canadians even want Indigenous Peoples to fix the world and save us all from the all-consuming, self-destructive juggernaut of global neoliberal capitalism. OK, I edited that last one a bit: they want Indigenous Peoples to help save the water and the land. So, if Canadians want all of these things and even have a plan that mirrors Indigenous interests what is the problem? Heres where the Canadian part of the poll comes in. 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. Chronic dysfunction, abuse, and violence are addictions. Theyre even easy to diagnose. Theyre habits not easily changed. Side effects involve anxiety, sleeplessness, and facing the pain caused by addiction. Change is hard, but we have to keep going. In the end, everything will be worth it. We will even save lives. niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca File Photo Chandigarh: Even as he launched the Smart Ration Card scheme to cover 1.41 crore beneficiaries across the state, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday announced a separate State-funded scheme to provide subsidized rations to the 9 lakh beneficiaries not covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). With this, the total number of beneficiaries in the state will go up to 1.50 crore, the Chief Minister announced, while rolling out the Smart Card Scheme under which 37.5 lakh cards will be distributed to the eligible beneficiaries this month. Advertisement Smart Ration Card Captain Amarinder said the Centre had capped the maximum number of beneficiaries to 1.41 crore and, despite repeated requests, had not agreed to provide subsidized rations to the deserving 9 lakh people not covered under NFSA. His government had therefore decided to cover all such left out eligible persons under a State-funded scheme, details of which will be announced shortly, he said. Launching the Smart Ration Card scheme virtually, with connection to 100 places across the state, the Chief Minister said the scheme would help curb corruption and give freedom to the beneficiaries to buy from any depot. Describing it as a major step towards empowering the beneficiary, he said it will end the exploitation of beneficiaries by unscrupulous ration depot holders. Advertisement The Smart Ration Card empowers the beneficiary to get his entitled quota of foodgrains from any Ration Depot in the State of Punjab. Smart Ration CardThe Chief Minister lashed out at the BJP-led central government for attempting to destroy the spirit of Punjabs farmers, who have toiled for the country and fed the nation, through the farm ordinances. These ordinances are aimed at ending the MSP regime and will hit the farmers hard, he said. Referring to the SYL issue, Captain Amarinder said that was another problem that Punjab was facing and while he had recently had one meeting with the Union Water Resources Minister and his Haryana counterpart, the problem continues to haunt the state. Pointing to the melting glaciers and the receding ground water level in the state, he said the situation was critical and the state simply could not afford to give any water to other states. Advertisement In a symbolic gesture, the Chief Minister handed over the smart ration cards to four beneficiaries here at the Secretariat, after which all ministers and MLAs distributed cards in their respective districts and constituencies. Smart Ration Card Earlier, Punjab Minister of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Bharat Bhushan Ashu pointed out that the state government, in line with its promise to make the system transparent, had already introduced e-POS system to check pilferage. The Captain Amarinder government had also weeded out ghost beneficiaries and undeserving people who were being provided subsidies by the erstwhile SAD- BJP regime at the cost of genuine beneficiaries, he added. Advertisement The Smart cards, said Ashu, will enable the beneficiaries to take ration from any shop, thus ending the monopoly of the ration depots. Bio-metrics of the card holder will be matched with the data stored in a chip on the smart ration card to prevent any fraudulent transfer of food grains. One card will suffice for the entire family, he disclosed. Ashu hailed the Chief Ministers rejection of the anti-farmer ordinances of the central government, which he said had made him `kisaanon da rakha also, in addition to being `paaniyan da rakha. Finance Minister Manpreet Badal termed the launch of the cards as the fulfilment of another promise and responsibility of the state government despite the financial crunch and the external as well as Internal problems faced by Punjab. From the SYL to the farm ordinances and the GST problems, the state had been suffering a host of problems, but development works under the Captain Amarinder continued uninterrupted, he added. Smart Ration CardPunjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar said the journey to implement a transparent system of public food distribution had been an arduous one, as the previous government had put in place a corrupt and monopolistic system. Due to the step-motherly treatment of the Centre towards Punjab, the Rs 31000 crore CCL debt burden imposed by the SAD-BJP on the state was yet to be resolved, he said, calling for protection of farmers at all costs. We have to ensure that all deserving people get the benefit of the scheme, irrespective of their political affiliations, he added. Punjab Youth Congress (PYC) president Birender Dhillion demanded an inquiry into the previous government, which misused welfare schemes to benefit undeserving beneficiaries. Pentagon Eyeing Greece as 'Alternative' if Erdogan Closes Incirlik Base - US Senator Sputnik News 20:46 GMT 11.09.2020 As relations between Turkey and the United States continue to worsen, US commanders and lawmakers are beginning to look for options for repositioning the substantial military assets at Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey. One option, a US senator recently said, is the Navy's base at Souda Bay, on the Greek island of Crete. Although the US and Turkey have been allies since the latter joined the NATO alliance in 1952, tensions between the two nations have grown in recent years as the interests of Washington and Ankara become increasingly contradictory. Whether in Syria, where Turkish forces raced past American outposts to attack US-allied Kurdish militias last October, or when Ankara bought Russian S-400 air defense systems over US objections and was removed from the F-35 program in response, fears have only increased that the fraught relationship could imperil the key Incirlik Air Base, which has served as a military logistical hub for NATO in the region for decades. "We don't know what's gonna happen to Incirlik," Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's subcommittee for Europe, told the Washington Examiner for a Friday story. "We hope for the best, but we have to plan for the worst." "We want to maintain our full presence and cooperation in Turkey," Johnson continued. "I don't think we want to make that strategic shift, but I think, from a defensive posture, I think we have to look at the reality of the situation that the path that Erdogan is on is not good." "We're already looking at Greece as an alternative," Johnson added. The US naval base on Souda Bay is the only deep-water port in the eastern Mediterranean capable of docking US aircraft carriers, so the base on Crete's northern coast is already a very busy place. Adjacent to the Souda Bay facility is Chania International Airport, which is also used as an air base by the Hellenic Air Force. However, given that Chania is already Greece's sixth-busiest airport, taking on the increased workload of handling the US planes that would have once flown into Incirlik could be a daunting task. "It's very unfortunate the path that Erdogan is taking Turkey, or has put Turkey on," Johnson said. "It's disturbing. It's very concerning, which is one of the reasons we certainly are increasing and improving our military cooperation with Greece ... beefing up our presence in Souda Bay, because our presence, quite honestly, in Turkey is certainly threatened." However, Johnson said nothing about the roughly 150 nuclear weapons the US stores at Incirlik. Aykan Erdemir, the senior Turkey analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank and a former Turkish lawmaker, told the Examiner that "Washington is not necessarily thinking of one alternative to Incirlik, but a number of rebasing options which are complementary as a contingency plan to Incirlik." "This has been going on for quite some time, in steps. I would definitely argue that it's nothing new, but it might be changing qualitatively in terms of the nature and the extent of US presence and investments in that," he said. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Donald Trump honored US war dead on 9/11 a week after a magazine reported he insulted them as Donald Trump traveled to the memorial of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania to mark the anniversary of 9/11. He praising troops in the United States' conflicts that followed the terror attack in 2001 and said all faiths came together in the days and weeks after to rebuild. The US Navy was forced to cancel a flyover of New York to mark the 19th anniversary after it was branded as tone deaf and insensitive, while the Trump administration was accused of withholding $4 million in funding for a 9/11 FDNY health programme. On a day that remembered conflict, the president was nominated for a second Nobel Peace Prize in the span of three days following an historic peace deal signed between Serbia and Kosovo. It came two days after Mr Trump was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize the peace deal signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Mr Trump may be expecting a third after announcing another breakthrough in the Middle East peace process, with Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain establishing diplomatic ties. While the anniversary of 9/11 was a mostly solemn occasion on the political calendar, that didn't stop the usual amount of vitriol from percolating online. Allegations that Joe Biden took performance-enhancing drugs during his Democratic primary debate with Bernie Sanders resurfaced, while Mr Trump resumed his regular tweeting about Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer standing in the way of a coronavirus relief package. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load. The LAPD says no shots were fired during an Aug. 30 rally for President Trump, contrary to an earlier report. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) The Los Angeles Police Department said Friday that it arrested a man on suspicion of pointing a rifle at cars taking part in a recent caravan for President Trump. Assistant Chief Horace Frank said the man pointed the weapon after getting into an argument with someone at the Aug. 30 rally. Although the LAPD initially said it got reports that someone had shot a weapon, the investigation found that the suspect's rifle had not been fired, Frank added. Andre Allen Young was arrested Thursday evening and booked into the Van Nuys jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. He could not immediately be reached for comment. Man Who Threatened to Kill Trump Supporters Pleads Guilty A man who threatened to kill supporters of President Donald Trump and brandished a rifle at a Black Lives Matter protest pleaded guilty to making threats, authorities announced Friday. According to court documents, Emmanuel Quinones, 25, posted on Facebook on May 28, Gonna get some more of these to off racists and MAGA people. MAGA stands for Make America Great Again. It was Trumps campaign slogan. Quinones issued the threat in a comment on another post about a certain type of firearm. The threat came several hours after the Lubbock, Texas, man wrote: While a race riot erupted in Minneapolis the president literally retweeted a video of one of his supporters saying the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat. These people are PUSHING for America to rip itself to shreds. Disgusting. Ill tell you right now if you keep provoking regular people well make sure you never cross that line ever again. I guarantee it. #MountUp. Two days later, Quinones appeared in Lubbock across the street from a Black Lives Matter protest over the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. Quinones was holding a rifle in a firing position with the muzzle pointed towards the ground, according to court documents, which included a photograph of the man with the rifle. Texas is an open-carry state but it is illegal to display a firearm in a public place in a manner calculated to alarm, according to state law. When police officers saw the crowd of protesters begin to panic, they took action to stop Quinoness breach of the peace, the documents stated. Quinones refused to comply with demands to drop the rifle, only dropping it when a Lubbock Police Department office drew his pistol. A Make America Great Again hat, known colloquially as a MAGA hat, in a file photograph. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) A protester then tackled Quinones, who was soon taken into custody along with the protester. The protester, identified as 36-year-old Ezequiel Cantu Valderas, was charged with assault. While being arrested, Quinones shouted words to the effect of, This is a revolution and President Trump must die. An FBI agent and Secret Service agents interviewed the man the next day. He admitted to making the Facebook posts. He said he made them to intimidate Trump and his supporters. Quinones said he went to the protest to protect protesters from counter-protesters. Quinones stated that if counter-protesters had shown up at the protest, then he would have used his rifle to shoot them and protect the protesters, the FBI agents affidavit stated. Quinones claimed that [police] would not have been able to identify the Trump/MAGA instigators, but that he could have. Law enforcement officials found approximately 800 rounds of ammunition in Quinoness residence as well as a pistol. Quinones pleaded guilty to interstate threatening communications. He now faces up to 5 years in federal prison. The public defender representing Quinones declined to comment. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has given the assurance that government will pay back the deposits of all customers of the defunct 'DKM' micro finance company by the end of October. 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 government's 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 1900 hours. 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. Mr. Allan Kyerematen, the Minister of Trade and Industry, said the Bono Region would benefit from 14 factories under the 1D1F to create jobs for the people and push forward socio-economic development. Daasebre Dr. Amankona Diawuo II, the Paramount Chief of Berekum Traditional Area, 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-Addo's 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. 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 Technology will play a substantial role in a new effort from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to improve health outcomes in rural America.Last week HHS released its Rural Action Plan , which is the federal organizations first attempt to outline a comprehensive strategic framework to address health disparities in rural communities.Rural areas face challenges in access to care, financial viability, and demographic and structural issues, wrote HHS Secretary Alex Azar in his message within the plan. Their residents tend to be older and in poorer health than urban counterparts. Rural residents are more likely to die from heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke than their urban counterparts.The plan also notes that rural areas have more individuals with disabilities, fewer primary care providers per 10,000 population and scarcer mental health services roughly 250 rural counties have no mental health provider.One of the plans major objectives is to leverage technology and innovation to deliver quality care and services to rural communities more efficiently and cost-effectively. Telehealth will be a large focus for HHS. The plan lists several telehealth initiatives, including innovation competitions, grants and efforts to loosen telehealth regulations, which are seen as a critical issue among health providers and experts.Among the competitions, the HHS Administration for Community Living will give out 10 awards to address the social determinants of health of older adults and people with disabilities. On the grant front, the HHS Health Resources and Services Administration will distribute about $30 million to improve telehealth capabilities in rural areas.The plan also points out that a lack of broadband in rural areas not only restricts telehealth options but also limits the exchange of health data and reduces the likelihood of at-home remote patient monitoring.HHS also recently released a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between it, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Federal Communications Commission. The MOU describes the Rural Telehealth Initiative (RTI), which will involve collaboration and information sharing between the three federal partners. Specifically, the MOU states that an RTI Task Force will be established and that the agencies will share resources as the task force develops recommendations and guidelines."We realize we cannot maintain the status quo approach for rural America," Azar wrote in the plan. In this July 23, 2020, file photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, a Long March-5 rocket carrying the Tianwen-1 Mars probe lifts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in southern China's Hainan Province. China's Mars probe Tianwen-1, which blasted into space in July, is now more than 15 million kilometers (9 million miles) from Earth en route to the red planet, the National Space Administration said Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. (Cai Yang/Xinhua via AP) China's Mars probe Tianwen-1, which blasted into space in July, is now more than 15 million kilometers (9 million miles) from Earth en route to the red planet, the National Space Administration said Saturday. The administration said that Tianwen-1 was in stable condition, having completed its first mid-course orbital correction early last month. It will be about 195 million kilometers (118 million miles) from Earth when it arrives at Mars around February, having traveled 470 million kilometers (292 million miles) in all to get there. The administration, however, has yet to release information about a mysterious reusable experimental spacecraft that returned to Earth a week ago after a two-day flight. The spacecraft consists of an orbiter, a lander and a rover, and marks China's most ambitious Mars mission yet as it seeks to join the United States in successfully landing a spacecraft on the planet. It was blasted into space aboard a Long March-5 on July 23 during a month when the United Arab Emirates and the U.S. also took advantage of a shortened distance between the planets to launch similar missions. China said the reusable spacecraft returned to its designated landing site last Sunday, calling the flight a breakthrough that will eventually provide convenient round-trip transport to space at a low cost. No other details on the mission or the configuration of the spacecraft have been released. That is also seen as an attempt to put China on the leading edge of space flight. The U.S. has for years been operating the secretive X-37B space plane that remains in orbit for months. China's military-backed space program has developed rapidly since it became just the third country after Russia and the U.S. to put a man in space in 2003. Last year, China's Chang'e-4 became the first spacecraft from any country to land on the far side of the moon. The program has also suffered the occasional setback. The northwestern satellite launch center of Jiuquan reported that an optical satellite launched midday Saturday failed to enter its preset orbit after abnormalities were observed during the flight of its carrier rocket. 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. One boy and his dog died huddled together in a car as they tried to escape the massive wildfire in Oregon. The two sought safety from the flames in the car. Killed by wildfire The 13-year-old boy, Wyatt Tofte, died on September 8 in the wildfires in Marion County, Oregon, along with his 71-year-old grandmother, Peggy Mosso. Mosso was found dead in a car that went up in flames as her daughter and Tofte's mother, Angela, stood nearby trying to save them. Angela survived but is in critical condition. Chris, Angela's husband, and Tofte's father also survived the flames. A family statement said that their family is "devastated by the loss of their kind-hearted 13-year-old son Wyatt, and his beloved grandmother Peggy, in the Santiam Fire in the early morning of September 8th." The statement also read that after a long search for the boy, he was found in a car with his dog on his lap. Unfortunately, the two were not able to escape the fire. Also Read: Fact Check: Is Antifa Behind the Devastating Wildfires? According to the statement, Angela is now in critical condition with full-body burns. The family statement added that they thank all emergency personnel and people who helped in the search and that their family appreciates the love and support that they have received from everyone during this terrible tragedy. Chris Tofte's searched for his wife, son, and his mother-in-law as the fire raged around him, according to The Salem Statesman. On September 8, he found his wife badly burned, walking along the road to their home when he returned with a borrowed trailer to retrieve their belongings. Tofte said he did not recognize his wife at first and that he told her he was looking for his wife and son. That was when Angela replied that she is his wife, according to the Statesman Journal. Wyatt Tofte was found in a different car. They assumed he ran and got into the car, thinking that he would be protected from the surrounding flames. The family is now mourning their loss, and Angela is fighting for her life. There is a GoFundMe page for donations to the family. Wildfires across the country At least four people have been killed by the fires in Oregon and Washington state. And wildfires in California have killed at least 20 people since August. Meanwhile, in Oregon, two small cities have been almost completely destroyed by the fires. Phoenix and Talent is home to 11,000 people. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said that this could be the "greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfire in the state's history." According to The New York Times, there are now more than 40,000 residents who have evacuated the state, and about 500,000 are in zones that may be evacuated as the fires continue to grow and spread. Oregon Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland declared a state of emergency on September 10. Residents of Molalla, which is located 30 miles to the south of Oregon, packed the highways as they fled from the fires. Related Article: Thousands Evacuated and 15 People Killed as Wildefire Spreads in Three Different States @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Javier Tovar (Agence France-Presse) Fresno, United States Sat, September 12, 2020 13:05 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c446a025 2 World US,Donald-Trump,forest-fires,san-francisco,california Free US officials warned Friday of potential "mass" fatalities as more than 20,000 firefighters from across the country battled sprawling deadly wildfires up and down the West Coast. A prediction of cooler weather offered some hope of respite in coming days, but the true scale of the destruction from dozens of massive blazes in California, Oregon and Washington states remained hard to gauge. There were 16 deaths confirmed this week, with wide stretches of land still cut off by flames. "We're preparing for a mass fatality incident based on what we know and the number of structures that have been lost," warned Andrew Phelps, director of the office of emergency management in Oregon on Friday. Oregon defines "mass fatality incident" as one that causes death and suffering which cannot be met by usual individual or community resources, according to the Washington Post. "We anticipate that number (of deaths) may potentially go up as we get back into areas that have been ravaged by flame and obviously, smoke begins to clear," warned California governor Gavin Newsom, as he visited a scorched forest near the raging North Complex Fire. Ten people have been confirmed dead from that blaze in Butte County, which was driven at unprecedented pace toward the city of Oroville earlier in the week by strong, dry winds and soaring temperatures. But Newsom said the weather "is beginning to cooperate," with winds settling down and some rain forecast. People walk by the Pacific Ocean coast as smoke from wildfires covers an area near Yachats, Oregon, US, Sept. 8, 2020. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) In neighboring Oregon, where one million acres (400,000 hectares) have burned and three people are reported dead with dozens still unaccounted for, governor Kate Brown also expressed hope a corner had been turned. More than 40,000 Oregonians have fled their homes so far, with around half a million under evacuation warnings, Brown told a press conference -- clarifying previous higher figures given by state officials. "The weather system fueling these fires over the past few days has finally broken down," she said. "We anticipate cooler air and moisture coming in the next few days, which is really good news." Dozens of people remained missing in connection with the fires, Brown said. Even as the weather forecast offered hope, Newsom painted a grim picture of California as the canary in the climate-change coal mine. "I'm a little bit exhausted that we have to continue to debate this issue," he said in televised comments as he toured the damage. "This is a climate damn emergency. This is real, and it's happening. "This is the perfect storm." He added: "California, folks, is America fast-forward. What we're experiencing right here is coming to communities all across the United States of America unless we get our act together on climate change, unless we disabuse ourselves of all the BS that's been spewed by a very small group of people." 'Complete loss' The August Complex Fire this week became by far the biggest recorded blaze in Californian history, ripping through 746,000 acres of dry vegetation in the state's north, as multiple fires combined. But it is just one of around 100 large fires on the West Coast, and other rapidly growing blazes closer to populated areas have proven deadlier. "We are at a complete loss for words right now," Bobbie Zedaker told the San Francisco Chronicle, after DNA tests proved her missing 16-year-old nephew was among those killed by the North Complex Fire. Two more people were killed near the rural community of Happy Camp, a Cal Fire spokeswoman told AFP Friday. But in a mountainous region of central California, close to where the Creek Fire is burning, some members of an indigenous community refused to leave their homes despite evacuation orders. "I don't feel it's going to come this way," said James Hancock, 52, whose home on the Cold Springs Rancheria Indian Reservation currently has no light, electricity or water. 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 huge material and environmental damage. California has already seen more than 3.1 million acres burn this year -- an annual record, approximately the size of Connecticut -- with nearly four months of fire season still to come. For decades, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were seen as decidedly uncontroversial. Written by careers scientists the reports are a key way for the agency to transmit information to doctors, researchers and the public at large. Recently, it had become a way to give reliable, up-to-date information about the spread of Covid-19 across the country. But all that changed in April, when Michael Caputo, a Trump ally with no scientific background, was named spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, reports Politico. Caputo and his allies at the CDC have taken lots of effort to make sure the CDC reports are in line with what the White House has been communicating about the virus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Caputo, a former Trump campaign official, and his allies have repeatedly tried to add caveats to the CDC reports, according to Politico, noting that there was a particular effort to retroactively change reports that they say exaggerated the risks of the coronavirus on the population. Caputo and his team repeatedly accused the CDCs scientists of trying to make Trump look bad and hurt the administration. The former campaign official saw everything through such a partisan lens that he sometimes tried to investigate the political leanings of those who wrote a report that was seen as particularly unfavorable for the administration. For example, a report on hydroxychloroquine was held for around a month as Caputo raised questions about the political affiliations of the authors. Advertisement Although CDC officials have pushed back on efforts to retroactively change reports they have increasingly stood to one side a Caputo and his team review new reports before they are published. Part of the reason for that may simply be resignation as Caputos influence within the CDC grew after he was able to get one of his allies installed as an interim chief of staff. When Caputo was asked about this review, he characterized it as a noble effort to protect Americans. Our intention is to make sure that evidence, science-based data drives policy through this pandemicnot ulterior deep state motives in the bowels of CDC, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 13:35:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close QUITO, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Authorities from the city of Guaranda, Ecuador, and the city of Weifang in China's Shandong province have agreed to be united in the battle against COVID-19, the Ecuadoran city's government reported on Friday. Guaranda Mayor Medardo Chimbolema and Weifang Mayor Tian Qingying signed a Letter of Intent for Twinning and Friendly Cooperation during a videoconference in which they also shared experience in the fight against the virus. "As the Chinese embassy in Ecuador, we are willing to continue to provide strong support for bilateral local exchanges to build a bridge of mutual understanding and communication between the two peoples," said Chinese Ambassador to Ecuador Chen Guoyou, who attended the conference. The document establishes the exchange of knowledge, management, and treatment of the novel coronavirus between Weifang and Guaranda, which as of Thursday reported 807 COVID-19 cases. During the videoconference, both Chimbolema and Tian highlighted the importance of exchanging experience and solidarity in the fight against the pandemic. Since COVID-19 was first detected in Ecuador on Feb. 29, China has supported the South American country's fight against the disease, hosting videoconferences as well as giving donations of equipment and medical supplies. Ecuador has registered over 113,000 cases and more than 10,000 deaths from COVID-19, according to its Ministry of Health. Enditem Hours after the August 13 announcement of the U.S.-brokered normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, senior Bahraini officials called President Trump's senior adviser Jared Kushner and White House envoy Avi Berkowitz with a message: "We want to be next," U.S. officials involved in the talks tell me. Why it matters: Israel and Bahrain had a secret relationship for over two decades, meaning neither country had diplomatic relations and most of their contacts were through covert talks behind the scenes. However the talks which led to the joint statement on establishing full diplomatic relations took just 29 days. The state of play: Sources familiar with the talks told me that starting August 13, intense discussions between the U.S., Bahrain and Israel started. Other than Berkowitz and Kushner, several other U.S. officials were involved in the talks including: National security adviser Robert O'Brien, Iran envoy Brian Hook, national security council Middle East director General Miguel Correa, White House official Adam Boehler and U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman. Kushner, Berkowitz and their team spoke with the Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, several of his top advisers and the Bahraini ambassador to Washington. On the Israeli side, the talks were led by the ambassador to Washington Ron Dermer and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was closely involved. Unlike the Israel-UAE agreement, which was kept highly secret even from Netanyahu coalition partners, this time the White House made sure they were in the loop. A source familiar with the issue told me that when Kushner and Berkowitz were in Israel last Sunday, they briefed Israeli Minister of Defense Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi about the breakthrough with Bahrain. In recent days, Gantz and Ashkenazi received more updates on the upcoming announcement. After the visit in Israel and the UAE last week, Kushner and his delegation traveled to Bahrain. A source familiar told me that before that trip Kushner purchased a Torah with his own money as a gift to Bahrain's King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa. Bahrain has a small Jewish community that has been in the country for years. Berkowitz entered the meeting with the king holding the Torah and presented it. The meeting with the king and the crown prince in Manama created momentum and Kushner felt he might be able to get an agreement then, but decided to give more time to iron out details, sources familiar with the issue told me. The White House wanted to see the Saudi government give the Bahrainis a green light for the move, Israeli officials say. Over the last few days, Kushner and Berkowitz continued talking to the Bahraini crown prince, his advisers and with Dermer. A source familiar with the talks told me the White House wanted the agreement with Bahrain to go through before the signing ceremony of the Israel-UAE deal on September 15. What they're saying: The source said the White House thought that if two Arab countries sign normalization deals with Israel on the same day, the message to the region and the world would be stronger. The UAE broke the ice and led the way but the Bahrainis had a very important role in the last three years mainly when they hosted the Manama conference which launched the economic part of Trumps Israel-Palestine plan, the source told me. Whats next: The phone call Friday between Trump, Netanyahu and the king of Bahrain launched the process. Trump said both countries are going to exchange embassies and ambassadors, begin direct flights between their countries and cooperate on health, business, technology, education, security and agricultural issues. A farm in Lacka, Carrig has been receiving praise and considerable media coverage because its owners are following an organic farming process in a way which is both extremely dedicated and inspirational. Amy and Ross Jackson took the plunge a few years ago and decided to make their 120 acre farm completely organic. They have succeeded brilliantly, with the result that they are being held up as a role model of how to go about farming organically in a succcessful manner. They now have five kilometres of hedgerow and five acres of native woodland. Amy and Ross had been operating a tillage and beef farm but decided to dramatically change course five years ago and convert to organic production. In the process they were going from the conventional to the unconventional, which was a brave move. They sat down and drew up a five year plan to chart their progress from conventional tillage and beef to being completely organic cereal, sheep and cattle. Amy told the Tribune that the plan has gone well and now, at the end of five years, things are going well for them and they have no regrets. We have got to just where we wanted to be at this stage, she said. Before we converted, our tillage and cattle setup was what you would usually find on an Irish farm, such as buying store cattle during the autumn. Now we are running a cereal enterprise of malting barley and spring oats. We also have a sheep enterprise with 125 ewes and a cattle enterprise where organic cattle are bought, grazed for the summer and sold in the autumn. The Jacksons describe themselves as being part-time farmers, because Ross works as an agricultural consultant and Amy works in Gurteen College. Ross said he was inspired to change to organic when he saw that it was being successfully done on his brother's farm. Seeing such a positive operation piqued their interest and they did some research and planning. A major factor in their decision to change was the fact they both liked the idea of reducing the amount of chemicals being used on the farm. They also liked the prospect of trying their hand at something new. We also believed, added Ross, there was potential to increase farm profits. I have experience in working with sheep and I was very interested in integrating sheep and tillage in an organic system. They began the conversion process in 2015 and achieved full organic status for the land and produce in 2017. The conversion process included reseeding the entire farm in 2015 and 2016. This was to improve the soil's fertility so that cereals could be successfully grown. Another part of the conversion process was the winter housing of the cattle, and allowing them out finishing off grass over the summer. In May 2016 they sowed a herbal ley mixture which contained a diverse range of grasses, herbs and clovers. They aim of sowing this mixture was to produce well-balanced forage and not just large volumes of grass. Herbal ley doesn't call for high fertiliser inputs and is therefore perfect for organic farming. The Jacksons are using it to finish their lambs. Over the five years they also spent 55,000 on fencing, farm roadways and a water system, for which they received grant-aid at a rate of 60%. There is a strong demand, added Ross, for organic cereals both for livestock and human consumption, which means there's a potential to make a good financial return. Coming from a tillage background weed control was my greatest concern, but you can manage that. We follow a rotation of a two to three year fertility building phase, followed by two to three years of cereals and then back to a grass / clover ley. The rotation provides the principal mechanism to provide crop nutrients and is a major way to control pests / diseases. The aim is to have a winter grazing forage between cereal crops to provide winter grazing for the sheep. The winter forage includes vetch, radish, buckwheat, forage rape and turnip. There's about 25 hectacres of land devoted to cereals, which is made up of spring oats and spring malting barley with a small area of lupins and oats. The malting barley, continued Ross, is grown on contract for the organic distilling market as an organic single farm distillation for Waterford Distilleries and spring oats is grown on contract for Flahavan's organic porridge market. Lupins with oats were grown last years as a trial for feed for the sheep. Last year their oat crop yield was 2.2 tonnes per acre for which they achieved a price of 350 per tonne, while the malting barley crop yielded two tonnes per acre and the price achieved was 472 per tonne. Amy says she loves farming. This affection was instilled during her childhood years when she visited her godmother, who managed a 1,200-head lowland flock in Northumberland. Amy often helped her godmother during lambing time and speaks with great fondness of her. I always looked up to her. Amy studied environmental management in university and she uses some of the things she learned back then in her current farming practices. She keeps records of much of what happens on the farm; for example, she keeps records of the lambs from the moment of their birth until they are sold. Her attention to detail means she is better able to plan for the future. The Jackson's sheep flock consists of 125 mature ewes and twenty ewe lambs with five rams. They operate a closed flock, only buying in rams (their current ram breeds are Charollais and Border Leicester). The ewe flocks is made up of Suffolk cross, Texel cross, Scotch / Blackface cross and homebred Border Leicester crosses. Most of the lambs are sold from mid-June to mid-November. They are all sold through the Offaly Quality Lamb Producer Group to Irish Country Meats (ICM) in Camolin, County Wexford. They are sold on the organic market at a price marking 15% greater than the conventional price. They have decided to no longer winter cattle on their farm. What they do instead is buy organic store cattle in the spring, graze them until the end of the summer and then sell them to the organic processor and another organic livestock farmer. The Jacksons do all their own ploughing, tilling, sowing, harvesting and silage making, thereby minimising the costs or production. Their aim is to eventually achieve a premium price for everything that is produced on the farm. In June their farm was one of 12 organic farms in the Department of Agriculture's organic demonstration farm programme. As part of this, they did a tour of their farm for interested visitors on June 24. They enjoy showing their farm to other farmers and students as an example of organic farming in action. Amy believes if more of the general public spent time on sustainable Irish farms it would dispel prejudices which some people have against farming. We love taking people on tours of our farm, she remarks, because it shows them not only practical knowledge but also a happy, positive way in which animals, agriculture and the environment can all work in harmony together. Their energy levels and ambition remain high. They have another five year plan during which they plan to spend more on infrastructural improvements, experiment with different crops and see if the market will present any more market opportunities. Ross has some good advice for any farmer thinking of going organic. For anyone thinking of going organic who has land good enough to plough, the obvious choice is oats; with barley you probably get a little less in the yield, but a higher return per ton, so it balances out financially. He added that more and more farmers are turning to organic methods. More and more farmers are realising that it's not just the right thing to; it's also a way of making a reasonable income. We know now that this wasnt just Trump being buffoonish and engaging in magical thinking. It was conscious deception. Publicly, Trump kept insisting that the virus would disappear. Privately, he told Woodward: I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I dont want to create a panic. Of course, Trump usually loves creating panic about immigrants, about antifa, about low-income people invading the suburbs. But there is one place he wants to maintain tranquillity in the financial markets. Just stay calm, it will go away, he said on March 10. We want to protect our shipping industry, our cruise industry, cruise ships, we want to protect our airline industry. He added, A lot of good things are going to happen. The consumer is ready. And so Trump lied to the country about the calamity that would soon overtake it. His administration didnt ramp up a national testing or contact-tracing program. He and his supporters pressured states to open up prematurely. A July Pew poll found that only 46 percent of Republicans and those who lean toward the Republican Party considered the coronavirus a major threat to public health, compared with 85 percent of Democrats and Democratic leaners. Trump could have made Republicans take the virus seriously. He chose not to. Not long after attending the presidents June rally in Tulsa, Okla., the former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain died of Covid-19. In August, whoever is maintaining Cains Twitter account tweeted, It looks like the virus is not as deadly as the mainstream media first made it out to be. It was Trump who made such a cultish commitment to denying the lethality of Covid-19 into a sign of loyalty. And all the time, he knew better. Trump supporters may not care that their president has knowingly endangered them, withholding potentially lifesaving information that he readily confided to an elite Washington journalist. But that doesnt change the importance of what Woodward has captured on tape. Its now clear that just because Trump is lying to us, that doesnt mean hes lying to himself. Trumps lies sabotaged efforts to contain the coronavirus, almost certainly leading to many more deaths than it would have caused under a minimally competent and non-sociopathic leader. On Sept. 9, there were 1,176 coronavirus deaths in the United States. In Canada, there were two. When someones actions lead to the death of another, we evaluate that persons intent and state of mind in order to assign the right measure of blame. When a presidents actions lead to the deaths of thousands, we should do the same. A year ago, Kim Seo-yun gave some very important personal information to her South Korean love interest. She had fled North Korea about 10 years earlier. Kim provided the information on her second date with Lee Jeong-sup. Lee asked jokingly if she was a spy. He then told her there was nothing wrong with coming from North Korea. Kim and Lee got married at a Seoul hotel in June. But Kims family, still in North Korea, could not attend the wedding ceremony. In South Korea, my husband is my everything. I have no one else here. He told me that he would play the role of not only my husband but also my parents, Kim said. Such marriages are becoming increasingly common in South Korea. More than 70% of the 33,000 North Koreans who have fled to South Korea are women. There are no official numbers on how many North Koreans have married South Korean men. But a 2019 government-financed study looked at 3,000 North Koreans living in the South. The findings suggested that 43% of married women from North Korea had South Korean husbands. In 2011, that number was about 19%. North Korean women often have difficulties adjusting to life in South Korea. They often face discrimination and loneliness. Some said they married South Korean men to help them with their new lives. I feel like my marriage is letting me acclimate to this society more deeply without too much hard work, said Hwang Yoo-jung about her 2018 marriage to a South Korean man. Many women who flee North Korea turn to matchmaking agencies companies that help North Korean women meet South Korean men. Often run by North Koreans, the companies charge South Korean men around $2,500 for several blind dates in a year. Most women do not have to pay. Around 20 to 30 matchmaking agencies operate in South Korea. In the mid-2000s, there were only two such businesses. Kim Hae-rin heads a match-making agency in Seoul. Kim said she feels happy to help people meet because I also came here alone and know (the suffering) of other refugees. Some of the couples, however, have difficulties. They share a language and ethnicity, but they can often seem like foreigners to one another. They are, after all, attempting to bridge a 75-year-old division of the Korean Peninsula. Lee said he tries to use fewer English words while speaking with his wife. She sometimes confuses him by using North Korean expressions that he does not understand. Hwang said that she feels really, really happy when her husband Seo Min-seok, takes her to a gathering of his friends and their wives. She says they often ask her questions about North Korea. Seo said he does not usually ask Hwang about her past in North Korea. Ahn Kyung-su is a researcher with a private group that studies health issues in the North. Ahn said some of the North Koreans that he has spoken to have told him that their South Korean husbands looked down on them and abused them. Kim Seo-yun said she misses her parents and younger sister in North Korea and hopes to reunite with them one day. Now, my husband is filling my heart. My mother-in-law treats me well. So does my sister-in-law. Its like having strong supporters in my life, and Im happy now, Kim said. Im John Russell. Hyung-Jin Kim reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story date n. an occasion when two people who have or might have a romantic relationship do an activity together role n. the part that someone has in a family, society, or other group adjust v. to change in order to work or do better in a new situation acclimate v. to adjust or adapt to a new climate, place, or situation usually + to blind date n. a date or social activity between two people who have not previously met before couple n. two people who are married or spend a lot of time together confuse v. to identify wrongly; to mix up in-law n. a relative by marriage A wide variety of leaks and speculations suggest that Samsung is soon to launch a new model under the Galaxy S20 series. Similar to last year, this could very well be a more watered-down version of the S20 flagship as was the Galaxy S10 Lite. As per some of the leaked renders, the Galaxy S20 FE is going to arrive in a total of six colours- Navy, Lavender, Sky Green, Red, White, and Orange. The smartphone is also expected to arrive in both 4G and 5G variants which will be determined by the market they are selling in. It could come in either with a Snapdragon 865 or Exynos 990 chipset which should make it pretty reliable in terms of performance. The display is expected to measure around 6.5-inches but the overall size of the phone should be roughly the same as the Galaxy S20+, due to the larger bezels. Of course, we are expecting Samsungs Super AMOLED panel, but it will be interesting to see if it will come with a standard 60Hz refresh rate or more. There will be a triple camera setup at the back featuring a 12-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide, and an 8-megapixel telephoto camera. The handset is also expected to come with IP68 certification to make it water resistance and a 4,500mAh battery to provide all the juice. The smartphone is expected to launch in October. Since this has already been pretty widely reported, might as well force-feed it to the rest of you (Kinda proud of my pagination here!) pic.twitter.com/FlJgMNrfvk Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 18, 2020 According to an alleged Canadian price list for the Galaxy S20 FE 5G suggests that the smartphone will be up for grabs at about CAD 1,150 which is about Rs 64,000. Now that does sound a lot more than the launch price of the Galaxy S10 Lite. Hopefully, the 4G variant will be a lot more approachable and maybe even a solid competitor for the OnePlus 8. Tech Tattle Now, you can stay safe on Zoom Your Zoom meetings will be much more secure now. The company has introduced a two-factor authentication to prevent security breaches on the platform. Users will be required to provide two or more pieces of credentials that authenticate their ownership of the account. Read the details here. (Drops reference to 15.2 billion-pound trade boost being annual) LONDON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Britain said its newly agreed trade deal with Japan, its first after leaving the European Union earlier this year, meant 99% of the country's exports to Japan would be tariff-free. The deal, agreed in principle on Friday, would increase trade with Japan by an estimated 15.2 billion pounds ($19.53 billion) in the long run, Britain's trade department said. Digital and data provisions in the agreement went "far beyond" those in the EU's trade deal with Japan, helping British fintech firms operating in the Asian country, it said. ($1 = 0.7784 pounds) (Writing by William Schomberg, editing by Andy Bruce) A gun twists that logic. Rittenhouse can and presumably will claim that he feared Rosenbaum would take his gun away from him and shoot him with it. In other words, the presence of Rittenhouses own weapon gives Rittenhouse the opportunity to claim that he was in fear of bodily harm. It seems little short of absurd that a person who carries a gun in public and is then pursued could use the fact that he and not his victim was armed to claim that he had to shoot in self-defense. And maybe a jury wouldnt buy it. But it is not unlikely that a judge would allow him to advance the argument. Again, the existence of laws that allow open carry is distorting ordinary logic. The second victim, Anthony Huber, allegedly tried to grab Rittenhouses gun. He, too, was unarmed. Some accounts suggest that he may have hit Rittenhouse with a skateboard. Of course by now, Rittenhouse had shot and killed Rosenbaum. That could possibly be depicted as an act of provocation, so that Rittenhouse cannot claim self-defense in his shooting of Huber. In a sensible world, the fact that Huber may have tried to disarm Rittenhouse, who had just shot Rosenbaum, would turn Huber into a martyred heronot someone who posed a lethal threat to the shooter. Relatives of missing people, plus activists and feminist groups are occupying the offices of Mexico`s Human Rights Commission, demanding action on numerous uninvestigated and consequently unresolved cases. By James Blears Activists occupied the National Human Rights Commission offices near Mexico Citys Zocalo Plaza on Thursday of last week. Since then, they have smashed down its sign and replaced it with another saying Not one more - Mexico Shelter House. Furniture has been used to make bonfires and a painting of revolutionary hero Francisco Madero has been daubed with paint and defaced. The protesters say theyre going to auction it off. Call for action Their leaders are accusing this government and all past administrations of doing virtually nothing to investigate gender crimes against women - particularly abuse and femicide - and they are demanding action. Some thirty victims of abuse have taken refuge on the second floor of the building. The protesters are saying they are now ready to extend their protest nationwide and take over more government buildings. So far officials and police havent taken any action against them, although President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has criticized them for vandalizing the portrait of Madero with graffiti. Challenges to law and order The protest highlights and challenges Mexicos weak and chaotic law and order system, often not leading to its fragile and deeply flawed judicial system, in which few Mexicans retain any confidence at all. Last year following assaults on two young women, feminists ran riot in Mexico City doing serious damage to a metro station and the Angel of Independence monument. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 17:15:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- A bus has been driven into a ditch off a highway in Germany, leaving 31 injured, German media reported on Saturday. The accident happened on Autobahn 24 near the city of Woebbelin in the direction of Hamburg. The injured are not in life-threatening conditions, according to a local police spokesperson. The cause of the accident is under investigation, with initial evidence suggesting that the bus driver fell asleep during the journey. Enditem The Longford public are being urged to row in behind Enable Irelands annual Life With No Limits campaign which takes place from 19-30 September this year. The campaign provides a platform for children and adults with disabilities using Enable Ireland services to share their life experiences while raising much-needed funds to support the charitys work. This year more than ever, the charity is relying on the publics support for their vital therapy and support services. Like many charities, Enable Ireland has been significantly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and is facing a loss of 1.5million in funding due to the cancellation of fundraising events and their charity shops being closed for three months. Donal Kitt, Enable Ireland National Fundraising Manager comments on the campaign, It is a really positive campaign and vitally important for raising awareness of living with a disability and raising funds for Enable Irelands services. "There are lots of ways you can help buy our Life With No Limits merchandise in our charity shops or make a donation online at www.enableireland.ie. Now more than ever we need the help of the public to raise funds to support our services for children and adults with disabilities. Enable Irelands services for children with disabilities and their families cover all aspects of a child's physical, educational, and social development from early infancy through adolescence. For adults, they offer a range of services which include day care, training, personal development, supported and independent living, and social and leisure activities. Support the Enable Ireland Life with No Limits campaign from 19-30 September and help raise vital funds for disability services. Life with No Limits merchandise is on sale in Enable Ireland charity shops nationwide. You can also support Enable Ireland this September by donating a bag of quality clothing or household items into any TK Maxx store nationwide as part of their Give Up Clothes For Good campaign. Or visit your local Homesense store to pick up a special notebook with quotes inspired by children and young people from Enable Ireland services. The public can support Enable Irelands services for over 9,200 children and adults with disabilities by purchasing Life With No Limits merchandise from Enable Irelands charity shop in Longford or by donating online at www.enableireland.ie. All the biggest threats to America most of them predicted, if not known well in advance are unfolding before our eyes, in real-time, in unmistakable ways. Why it matters: It's as if God or the galaxy, or whatever you believe in, are screaming for politicians and the public to pop our bubbles and pay attention believe our eyes. Misinformation: Every day brings new stories of other nations manipulating social media and Americans refusing to believe scientists or experts about factual news, coronavirus prevention, global warming, vaccines and established truth. Think about the number of educated people in your life who share fake stories or believe B.S. Racial reckoning: Protests in America are the biggest since 1968, after literally decades of warnings about needed policing and economic reforms. Social media has illuminated the injustices, and exacerbated the anger. Global warming: It is nearly impossible to find a scientist who doesn't agree a warming planet has contributed to the wildfires that are destroying big slices of California, Oregon and Washington. "Combined, the states have seen nearly five million acres consumed by fire a land mass approaching the size of New Jersey," the N.Y. Times reports. the states have seen nearly five million acres consumed by fire a land mass approaching the size of New Jersey," the N.Y. Times reports. The record-setting blazes have been "made worse, scientists say, by the climate change caused by the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil. Such disasters will only become worse as the planet continues to warm." have been "made worse, scientists say, by the climate change caused by the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil. Such disasters will only become worse as the planet continues to warm." Let this sink in: 18 of the warmest 19 years have occurred since 2001, according to NASA. We just experienced the warmest decade ever. And six of the biggest 20 fires in California history are burning now. A fast-rising China: Every year, China grows bigger and more powerful, most recently seizing control of Hong Kong and trying to buy allies at U.S. expense. Xi Jinping said this week that China's progress in fighting the virus, including reopening schools, has "fully demonstrated the clear superiority of Communist Party leadership and our socialist system." (N.Y. Times) said this week that China's progress in fighting the virus, including reopening schools, has "fully demonstrated the clear superiority of Communist Party leadership and our socialist system." (N.Y. Times) This is the message Beijing is spreading to other world leaders and their own people, as China seeks to displace America as the great global power. The pandemic: Our response, infection rate and death count show in irrefutable terms that America, despite the best universities and innovators, is far from the top in controlling the coronavirus. What's next: The good news is that America still produces and attracts many of the worlds brightest minds. Newly appointed Junior Minister, James Browne TD, said he was overwhelmed by the level of support he received from people all across county Wexford when the news emerged that he was being appointed Minister of State at the Department of Justice, by Taoiseach, Micheal Martin. Speaking to this newspaper Minister Browne said he got the phone call at 9 a.m. on Wednesday and was asked to travel to Dublin. 'There was talk that I was going to get the appointment but I didn't want to think too much about it,' said Min Browne. 'I suppose it was a bit like the Wexford team I was travelling to Dublin more in hope than expectation,' he quipped. He was meant to be in Rosslare Strand for the visit of his parliamentary colleague, Minister Patrick O'Donovan and the announcement of a new multi-million euro flood and coastal protection project for the strand. 'I gave my apologies that I wouldn't be there and I think a few people put two-and-two together as to why I had to go to Dublin,' he said. 'I rang and said I had to go to Dublin for a personal matter,' he added. Min Browne also said the appointment represented something of a groundhog day moment for him as appointments had been made just a few weeks ago and at the time he hoped he might get a position. 'It was a little bit of a groundhog day moment,' he said. With responsibility for law reform his appointment is something he is very comfortable with given his legal background. 'It plays to my strengths and it's something I know about so it won't take me six months to get up to speed with the issues,' he said. Admitting that it took a while for the appointment to sink in he said he is looking forward to the challenge ahead and in particular working alongside the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD. One of the most senior departments in Government the Justice department has responsibility for the courts system, coroners' courts and the gardai. 'There is a lot of reform that can be done and I'm looking forward to it,' said Min Browne. While areas like policing and the gardai will not come under his remit to begin with Min Browne is hoping that he will get a chance to focus on gambling which he feels is one area that is need of massive reform. 'A lot of the garda reform issues actually comes under the Department of Finance,' he said. 'If you are unfortunate enough to be knocked down by a garda car it's the Department of Finance you would sue rather than the Department of Justice,' he added. When asked if there is a particular area that he would like to play a very active role in he said gambling reform. 'I think gambling is an area that is in need of massive reform,' he said. 'It's something that has caused huge problems and devastation for many families out there,' he added. He highlighted the fact that the effects of other addictions such as drugs and alcohol are visible whereas the effects of gambling can remain hidden until it's too late. 'If you have an alcohol problem you can see it but very often if people have a gambling addiction by the time you know they have it [an addiction] they might have already lost their house or amassed massive debts,' said Min Browne. He highlighted the point that gambling addiction is something that affects people from all walks of life. 'There have been many very good people who were affected by it,' he said. He said his new role will change things for him in some ways within the Dail. 'When you're a minister you are part of the Government so it's not the same as when you're on the benches because you can talk about whatever you like there,' he said. 'It's a little bit more constrained when you're part of the Government,' he added. While he might not be in a position to have direct influence on reforming it Min Browne said the court system in Ireland can be very slow to access. 'I would like to see things happen faster in courts and see the overall system speeding up,' he said. However, he also highlighted that it's a resourcing issue so it's not something that can be addressed easily. 'In other countries people are dealt with quite quickly and I would like to see that develop here as well,' he said. Up to now he was the Fianna Fail spokesperson on mental health and it's an area that he plans to continue focusing attention on. 'I think the two areas [justice and mental health] can be linked and there are issues with mental health that can be done within the justice department,' he said. He highlighted Minister McEntee's interest in mental health and said he is looking forward to working with her on developing ideas within that area. 'There are some things that we can do from within the Department of Justice,' he said. 'The gardai are looking for greater supports and I think there are areas in there where we could develop ways of providing support to deal with mental health issues,' he added. He also said there are a lot of mental health issues within the prison system. While looking forward to the challenges of his new role Min Browne is very grateful of the support he has received from his family, friends and supporters and was quick to point out that without a loyal team behind him his career in politics since first being elected to Wexford County Council in 2009 would not have been possible. Vintage Sonia Gandhi has taken the wind out of the sails of dissenters in the Congress. By drafting some in the Congress Working Committee in other important party panels, Sonia has, in effect, put a lid on growing disquiet, using the carrot-and-stick policy deftly. Twenty-three dissenters who had authored a bombshell letter questioning Sonia and Rahul Gandhis style of functioning, now face an un-envious task of re-grouping, which is nowhere in sight. Purely in theoretical terms, if dissenters like Mukul Wasnik, Anand Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Jitin Prasada refuse to take up new responsibilities in the party organisation, only then would their resolve for Congress Working Committee polls sound genuine. All eyes are now on how she intends to accommodate two senior leaders Sachin Pilot and Shashi Tharoor. Pilot had not joined the group of 23, but had raised an ugly banner of revolt against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. If Congress insiders are to be believed, Pilot is in for a meaty role in the AICC secretariat. Whether it would be the AICC media department is a matter of speculation at this point. The high-profile post of the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha is vacant after the appointment of Adhir Ranjan Choudhury as Bengal Congress unit chief. Notionally, Choudhury can continue on both posts, but those familiar with Congress conventions and practices say Choudhury can be relieved of his parliamentary responsibilities in keeping with the partys informal norm of one man, one post. In such a scenario, both Tharoor and Manish Tiwari can be contenders. However, if their defiance continues, it would be a gain for veteran K Suresh who is chief whip of the party in the Lok Sabha. The induction of Mukul Wasnik in a special committee mandated to assist Sonia Gandhi has shaken the dissenters. The panel, consisting of AK Antony, Ahmed Patel, Ambika Soni, KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, was the most sought-after. This panel is equivalent to a Congress Parliamentary Board or a group of collective leadership that dissenters wanted. If Sonia Gandhi travels out of the country in the near future, this panel will be acting for her in her absence. A section of dissenters now wonder whether Wasnik was acting as a Trojan Horse. Wasnik has been an organisational man who has been close to successive party presidents, from Rajiv Gandhi to PV Nsarasimha Rao, Sitaram Kesri, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Therefore, his presence in G23 was always a bit weird. The recent Congress developments show that Sonia had all along remained a step ahead of the dissenters. Looking at the new appointments and rejig in the AICC, G23 has now been reduced to three categories. Losers, winners and no-gainers. If Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal turn out to be the biggest losers, Tariq Anwar, Wasnik, Anand Sharma, Jitin Prasada, RPN Singh et al would qualify to be winners for having negotiated their elevation cleverly. But the likes of Tharoor, Manish Tiwari, Prithviraj Chavan, Milind Deora and Vivek Tankha face an uncertain future. They have an option to swallow pride and retreat or look for options which are nowhere in sight. Anwars rise has been spectacular. Coming at a time when Bihar assembly polls are about to be announced, Anwar needs to send a thank you note to Azad for creating a space for him which was not there prior to the letter bomb. Anwar had been party general secretary during Sitaram Kesris tenure and was expelled from the Congress for raising the issue of Sonias foreign origin with Sharad Pawar and PA Sangma. He repented and was forgiven, but a big office had eluded him so far. New Delhi, Sep 12 : On a routine visit to an observation home in Vijay Vihar, the Delhi Police during a counselling session came across a 16-year-old girl. The Anti-Human Trafficking unit of South East Delhi Police was told by the observation home that the girl was brought to the place six years ago when she was 10. Realising that the girl went missing when she was just a 10-year-old child, the police team decided to pick up the case and look for the parents of the girl. The first clue that the police team got from the girl was that she was from Rath village in Uttar Pradesh. However, she could not provide the complete address. Taking a hint from the girl, the police team then searched Rath village in UP on Google Maps. The first location was found to be district Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh. Immediately the police control room of District Auraiya was contacted and information was shared with them by Delhi Police. The control room informed the investigating cops that one village by the name of Rath lies in their jurisdiction under Bidhuna police station. After gathering the facts, the SHO of the police station provided some numbers of village heads and they all were contacted and information about the minor girl and her picture was shared with them but no fruitful result was obtained. Without losing hope, the Delhi Police team persisted with efforts to locate the girl's family. "During further inquiry, one village head informed that another village Rath lies under the jurisdiction of district Aligarh (UP). Cell numbers of village head were then procured and further help was sought to connect the child with family. He shared the information with the 'Imam' of a Masjid and a massive hunt was pursued through the Imam," said DCP South East Delhi R.P. Meena. Announcements were made at the local mosques together with one-to-one interactions by the villagers and finally on September 11, the family of the missing girl was traced. "The family identified their child through video conferencing," Meena said. The girl was then handed over to the family bringing the ordeal of the girl and her family to an end. (Zafar Abbas can be reached at zafar.a@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text A shameful application for rogue state status, a deliberate step that will destroy Britain's 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 newspapers in Britain and Europe have described Boris Johnson's 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 Johnson's move, which the Government admits contravenes international law, has been deeply scornful. The Guardian's editorial says the Government's plans "read like an application for rogue state status". "By trumpeting its readiness to override some of its treaty obligations towards the European Union, Boris Johnson's 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 Britain's 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. Guardian columnist Fintan O'Toole 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 isn't 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, Johnson's Vote Leave Government also implicitly confessed that it lied wholesale to the electorate in last December's 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 Britain's 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. "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 Government's own law officers will not defend the rule of law as it is openly flouted, who will? 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 UK's 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". "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-one's interest". In Europe, Germany's 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: "That's 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. Spain's 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. Chennai, Sep 12 : A day ahead of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), a medical college aspirant in Madurai Jyothi Sridurga committed suicide. Daughter of policeman Murugasundaram, Sridurga hanged herself at her residence on Saturday. As to the reason for her suicide Sridurga has said she had prepared well for the exam but was scared of the result. She requested not to blame anyone and conveyed her apologies to her parents for her decision. This is the second such instance this week in Tamil Nadu. On Wednesday, Vignesh an aspiring medical student had committed suicide over NEET fears. Political party leaders in Tamil Nadu expressed pain at the girl's suicide fearing NEET. They expressed sorrow and demanded the central government to scrap NEET at least in the state. Deputy Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam in a tweet expressed his pain at the suicide of the students. He said the students should develop will power to face challenges. Panneerselvam also said the parents should also extend support to their children. According to Minister for School Education K.A.Sengottaiyan, the state government is against NEET. DMK President M.K.Stalin in a tweet said the NEET has a destabilisation effect on the students as can be seen from the death of Anitha (first student who committed suicide due to NEET) to Sridurga. Stalin said he was shocked to know Sridurga committed suicide due to fear of NEET and added that the medical college entrance test is not at all an exam and suicide is not the solution. PMK Founder S.Ramadoss urged the central government to cancel the exam in Tamil Nadu. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text When you call Ieuter Insurance, one of the most trusted and respected agencies in Midland for an eye-popping 80 years, an actual person and a friendly one at that will more than likely answer the phone. If you do happen to get voicemail or decide to send an email instead, rest assured that your message will be returned on the same day. Clearly, thats not the case at a lot of places these days, but there are certain core values at Ieuter that continue to stand the test of time. Providing personalized service with a sense of urgency, no matter whats going on in the world, happens to be a company cornerstone that has helped the independent, full-service agency rise to the top of its industry. And did we mention it just so happens to be a great place to work? The votes have been tallied and Ieuter Insurance Group has risen to the top in the MDNs 2020 Readers Choice Awards as one of the best companies to work for. To its employees, the family-run business represents much more than a paycheck. Ieuter is not just a place to work, its a place of loving, caring people who really care about their employees, their insured and the community, said Ieuters Allison Lambert. Kurt Ieuter, one of the agencys co-owners along with his father Cal and brother Karl, said success doesnt come by accident. We believe the success of our business is due to the way we treat people, he said. We treat our customers as friends and our employees as family members. We care a heck of a lot about them. We want them happy. A happy employee is a productive employee and smiling faces are in abundance at Ieuter. More News 2020 Readers' Choice Award winners Working at Ieuter is the best, said Dawn Sczepanski. The agency takes great care of their clients and staff, and actively supports the community in a big way. Our commitment to the community is a huge part of our success, said Kurt. You would be hard-pressed to find an event going on in Midland where we arent supporting it financially or with people from our office attending. Its part of the Ieuter culture to get its people out and active in the community. We live in such a great community and we want to do what we can to make it even better, said Kurt. Our team is encouraged to get involved in areas that interest them. In fact, we have a community relations committee that help figure out where people can get involved. Employee Vicky Jezewski oozes enthusiasm when asked why Ieuter is the best place to work. Easy. You are part of an amazing team that is supported by awesome management, she said. Getting paid to do what you love for a company that respects and encourages you equals dream job. We try to have a unique environment, Kurt said, noting that during May-September employees are given the flexibility to come in an hour earlier each day so they can take every other Friday off. The flex time has helped boost morale and spike productivity. An extended weekend during Michigans short summer season can have that effect. Weve found we are much more efficient Monday-Thursday during this time and people are really happy that they dont have to burn vacation to take a Friday off, Kurt said. The agency also offers perks throughout the year like massage days, during which a masseuse will come in and do chair massages during stressful or busy times. Kurt said they also try to do ice cream days throughout the year, family nights at Loons games, dinner boat cruises and other fun activities. The best thing about these events is its the employees who come up with the ideas, he said. Total team effort. We want and need everyone involved to keep things running smoothly. A Michigan woman got quite a surprise when she went to her mailbox this week amid her regular bills and junk mail was a postcard that had been mailed almost 100 years ago. Brittany Keech said she didn't give the card much thought at first because she was busy with her kids and her daily hustle and bustle. "I thought it was very peculiar that I was receiving a postcard because nobody sends postcards anymore nowadays," Keech said. "I went 'OK, this is different.'" Later she noticed that the card was postmarked Oct. 29, 1920. It had her Belding, Michigan, address but was written to someone named Roy McQueen in faded cursive writing. The card reads: "Dear Cousins, Hope this will find you all well. We are quite well but mother has awful lame knees. It is awful cold here. I just finished my history lesson and am going to bed pretty soon. My father is shaving and my mother is telling me your address. I will have to close for a night. Hope grandma and grandpa are well. Don't forget to write us Roy get his pants fixed yet." It was signed by Flossie Burgess. The card has a Halloween theme that includes a black cat holding a broom, a bat, a goose and an owl, along with a woman with a cane and a jack-o'-lantern in a witch's hat. There's a George Washington one cent stamp on the back and the smudged postmark says Jamestown, but the state appears to be covered by some kind of sticker. Keech, 30, said she has no idea what delayed the card, which was mailed decades before she was born. A spokesperson for the Postal Service told CNN affiliate WXMI that "in most cases these incidents do not involve mail that had been lost in our network and later found. 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. The end result is what we do best as long as there is a deliverable address and postage, the card or letter gets delivered." Keech posted photos of the postcard on a Facebook group in hopes of finding McQueen's or Burgess' relatives, or someone who might have known the families. "I have two wonderful ladies that are helping me look into their genealogy," she said. Several people have posted old documents in the comments section that might help solve the mystery. Keech wants to return the card to a family member and said they've got a lead on one possible relative. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. These statues have been haunting this community for decades but especially since Unite the Right, said Del. Sally L. Hudson (D-Charlottesville), who sponsored legislation Gov. Ralph Northam (D) signed into law this year empowering localities to remove Civil War statues. This part of town felt like a ghost town for the last three years because of all the violence. For us, taking down this statue is one step in reclaiming these public spaces. More than half of sorority and fraternity houses near UW-Madisons campus are now under quarantine for at least the next two weeks. Of the roughly 1,500 fraternity and sorority members who live in university-recognized chapter houses, 820 have received quarantine orders from UW-Madison and the city-county health department. This includes the 420 members put under quarantine last week after 38 members recently tested positive. The Greek life quarantine orders are in addition to the more than 2,200 students quarantined in Witte and Sellery halls and 124 students in the universitys separate quarantine housing. Altogether, there are at least 3,100 students in quarantine, or roughly 10% of the undergraduate student population, though the number is likely higher when accounting for the unreported number of students who live in off-campus, non-Greek housing also in quarantine. A UW-Madison list of Greek chapters currently in quarantine includes 22 sorority and fraternity houses. The university recognizes 40 chapter houses. There are four additional houses recently placed under quarantine. These houses lost their status as registered student organizations because of misconduct, such as alcohol violations, so they are not included in UW-Madisons list. The news was first reported by The Daily Cardinal. An estimate of the number of positive cases among members in the chapters recently put under quarantine was not available Friday. The latest quarantine order was sent Wednesday to all chapters with one or more positive cases among live-in members. In addition, university officials asked all other chapters to quarantine immediately, regardless of whether they received a letter requiring them to do so, because the spread of the virus is accelerating in the Greek community. Students may be subject to university sanctions, including immediate emergency suspension, if they dont comply with the quarantine order or contact-tracing efforts. They may also receive a court order to quarantine and/or a fine of up to $10,000, according to Public Health Madison and Dane County. Some members of the universitys Greek life community said Friday that theyre trying to do their part to prevent the spread of the virus. Nadya Siddique, 18, a sophomore sorority member, said people think the Greek community is made up of students who only care about partying and arent taking the pandemic seriously, but she said that perception is not true. Lately, Langdon Street, where most Greek houses are located, has calmed down, Siddique said. She hasnt heard of any parties happening. Everybodys taking it really seriously, Siddique said. Two sophomores went for a walk outside their sorority house with masks on Friday afternoon. The young women, who did not want to be identified for fear of getting in trouble with the university if they were doing something wrong, said their house was one of the first to be ordered to quarantine. They only go outside for walks around their house while staying on their property. Inside they stay 6 feet apart, wear masks in all common places, have Plexiglas to separate showers from each other, get meals in individual packages and do extra cleaning of surfaces. But Siddique said its tough to prevent spread when living in close quarters with a bunch of other girls. She decided to stay in a hotel for the quarantine because her roommate got COVID-19. She said her sorority is tighter than a dorm in terms of space. You all live in one house. Youre all hanging out with the same people. Theyre sharing rooms, Siddique said. Whatd they expect was gonna happen? Youre bringing 40,000 kids back to campus. UW-Madisons entire Greek community includes about 5,000 members. Students who live in chapter houses were required to get tested by Friday unless they had tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 90 days and were not experiencing symptoms. The universitys Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life has an unspecified number of isolation spaces for chapter members who test positive. Campuswide, UW-Madison reported on Friday that another 285 students tested positive for COVID-19 either at a university testing site or off-campus. The total number of cases reported among students and staff is now at 1,745, with just 27 of those coming from employees. The seven-day average for students tested on campus is 9%. Photos: UW-Madison graduates gather after virtual commencement ceremony Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has arrived in Qatar to attend peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government, in a bid to end 19 years of war and conflict in Afghanistan. Pompeo arrived late on Friday in Doha, ahead of an opening ceremony on Saturday for the peace talks aimed at ending two decades of war that has killed tens of thousands of combatants and civilians. The opening ceremony came one day after the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States that triggered American military involvement in Afghanistan. The intra-Afghan negotiations grew out of a U.S.-Taliban agreement in February, which outlined the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for peace guarantees and Taliban promises to open negotiations with the Afghan government, which the group had previously refused. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives in Doha to take part in Intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha, Qatar on September 11, 2020 Pompeo arrived late on Friday in Doha, ahead of an opening ceremony on Saturday for the peace talks aimed at ending two decades of war Taliban delegation arrive to attend the opening session of the peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha on Saturday Taliban negotiator Abbas Stanikzai (center) arrives for the opening session of the peace talks Negotiations will be arduous and messy, delegates acknowledged at an opening ceremony in Doha, and are starting even as deadly violence continues to grip Afghanistan. 'We will undoubtedly encounter many challenges in the talks over the coming days, weeks and months,' Pompeo said as he called for the warring sides to 'seize this opportunity' to secure peace. He called the peace talks 'truly momentous.' 'Remember you are acting not only for this generation of Afghans but for future generations as well, your children and your grandchildren.' 'The choice of your political system is yours to make,' he said. 'We believe firmly that protecting the rights of all Afghans is the best way for you to break the cycle of violence.' Abdullah Abdullah, who was previously Afghanistan's chief executive and is heading the peace process for Kabul, said 12,000 civilians have been killed and another 15,000 wounded just since the US signed a withdrawal agreement with the Taliban on February 29. Taliban leader Mullah Baradar Akhund said that Afghanistan should 'have an Islamic system in which all tribes and ethnicities of the country find themselves without any discrimination and live their lives in love and brotherhood.' Participants are seen during the opening ceremony of intra-Afghan peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents in the Qatari capital Doha U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks as Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. envoy for peace in Afghanistan, Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and Mutlaq Al-Qahtani, Special Envoy of the Foreign Minister of Qatar, are seen during talks between the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents 'We will undoubtedly encounter many challenges in the talks over the coming days, weeks and months,' Pompeo said as he called for the warring sides to secure peace Taliban leader Mullah Baradar Akhund (above) said that Afghanistan should 'have an Islamic system in which all tribes and ethnicities of the country find themselves without any discrimination and live their lives in love and brotherhood' Pompeo warned that the size and scope of future U.S. financial assistance to the country, which relies heavily on international funding, would depend on their 'choices and conduct'. U.S. Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters that preventing terrorism was the chief condition, but that protecting minority and women's rights would also influence any future decisions on Congress-allocated funding. 'There is no blank check.' Officials, diplomats and analysts say that although getting both sides to the negotiating table was a major achievement, this does not mean the path to peace will be easy, especially with violence increasing around the country. Afghanistan government and Taliban representatives met after the opening ceremony to discuss how negotiations would proceed, officials said. Achieving a significant reduction in violence and how to get to a permanent ceasefire would be among the first issues the sides would discuss when they meet on Sunday, Abdullah told Reuters. Taliban delegates shake hands during talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban Taliban delegation members attend intra-Afghan peace talks in Doha on Saturday Negotiations will be arduous and messy, delegates acknowledged at an opening ceremony in Doha, and are starting even as deadly violence continues to grip Afghanistan A graphic shows the extent of violence in Afghanistan that has continued in 2020 How to include the Taliban, which has rejected the legitimacy of the Western-backed Afghan government, in any governing arrangement and how to safeguard the rights of women and minorities who suffered under Taliban rule are also big challenges. 'The Afghan people must be at the heart of this peace process...that leaves no one behind, including women,' said Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. Pompeo noted the four women negotiators among the Afghan delegation, saying they exemplified the gains in Afghanistan of female participation in public life. He urged that the country's social advances be protected. Watching on television in the Afghan capital Kabul, teacher Pariwash Farkish said that although she had witnessed violent blasts and peace talks were very important to her, she harbored concerns. 'While I was watching the ceremony today, I saw there were no woman among the Taliban, and that worried me,' she said. Pompeo (left) meets with Deputy Prime Minister and Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Saturday Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar (left) meets with Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Afghan negotiations Pompeo meets with the Chairman of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah (center) on the sidelines of the summit Then-president George W. Bush sent U.S. forces into Afghanistan a month after the 9/11 attacks to hunt down their mastermind, Osama bin Laden, a Saudi given sanctuary by the country's Islamist Taliban rulers. Although the Taliban regime was quickly toppled, they regrouped and have since waged an insurgency that has sucked in Afghanistan's neighbors and troops from dozens of countries, including NATO forces. Negotiations to broker a comprehensive peace deal were a component of a troop withdrawal pact signed between the United States and the Taliban in February. After months of delay, a dispute over the Taliban's demand for the release of 5,000 prisoners was resolved this week. Ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November where he lags in the polls, Trump is looking to show progress on his pledge to end America's involvement in Afghanistan. Trials of a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University will resume after a pause due to a reported side effect in a patient in the UK. AstraZeneca said on Tuesday the late-stage studies had been paused while the company investigated whether the patient's side effect was linked to the vaccine. But Oxford University today confirmed trials would resume across all UK clinical trial sites. It comes after the Government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance told a press conference what has happened in the Oxford trial is not unusual. He added similar events should also be expected in some of the other vaccine candidate trials. On Saturday, Oxford University confirmed trials would resume across all UK clinical trial sites AstraZeneca's candidate vaccine, known as AZD1222, is in phase 3 trials - the final stage before safety and efficacy data can be submitted to regulators. Pictured: A Brazilian volunteer receiving the Oxford vaccine Covid vaccine volunteer Jack Sommers said he was 'mostly just disappointed' about the delay News site Stat first reported the pause in testing and said the possible side effect occurred in a testing volunteer in Britain, who was expected to recover. The vaccine is being tested in thousands of people in Britain and the US, and in smaller study groups in Brazil and South America. Oxford University said: 'The ongoing randomised controlled clinical trials of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 will resume across all UK clinical trial sites. 'Globally some 18,000 individuals have received study vaccines as part of the trial. 'In large trials such as this, it is expected that some participants will become unwell and every case must be carefully evaluated to ensure careful assessment of safety. 'On Sunday (06/09/2020) our standard review process triggered a study pause to vaccination across all of our global trials to allow the review of safety data by an independent safety review committee, and the national regulators. 'All routine follow-up appointments continued as normal during this period. 'The independent review process has concluded and following the recommendations of both the independent safety review committee and the UK regulator, the MHRA, the trials will recommence in the UK.' No details about the patient or the nature of the side effect were given. One of the AstraZeneca vaccine volunteers on Thursday revealed he suffered fever, chills, headache and fatigue 14 hours after having the anti-Covid jab. But a second participant said he was 'keen and eager' to continue with the paused trial and not scared of having a second shot. A volunteer, who received his first shot in early May, told MailOnline the debilitating side effects lasted several days afterwards. 'I woke up about 2am and I was freezing, but had a temperature above 39C,' the man, who asked not to be named, said. 'I felt incredibly weak and couldn't really get up and move so my partner had to get me a paracetamol. Oxford coronavirus vaccine COULD still be ready by Christmas, says AstraZeneca The Oxford coronavirus vaccine could still be ready by the end of this year or early next year, the company developing it has claimed, despite trials being paused earlier this week. Pascal Soriot, the CEO of drug giant AstraZeneca, told an online event he thought vaccine development remained 'on track' but they would have to wait for permission from an independent safety panel before resuming research. The CEO of AstraZeneca, Pascal Soriot (pictured), said he still thought the vaccine would be ready by the end of this year Trials were paused on Wednesday after a British woman who received the vaccine reportedly suffered transverse myelitis, or a swelling of the spinal cord. The company has denied these claims, and said more tests are needed before a final diagnosis can be made. The Government's chief scientist, Sir Patrick Vallance, warned on Wednesday a coronavirus vaccine may not be ready until after Christmas. Oxford's vaccine is one of nine candidates in the world to have reached stage three clinical trials, and has been earmarked as most promising by the World Health Organisation. Millions of doses have been ordered by nations around the world, should the vaccine prove effective and safe to use. Advertisement 'The temperature continued for about a day, and I just felt really weak and lethargic and couldn't really do anything.' The volunteer said he felt so unwell and fatigued all he could do was sleep for most of the second day after the injection. Throughout the first two days after the jab he also had a splitting headache that made it hard to concentrate, along with persistent chills. He said the most severe symptoms had disappeared when he woke up on the third day after taking the vaccine, but side effects continued. 'I still felt weak for a couple of days afterwards and not completely myself - although the symptoms were not as severe as the first day, which was awful,' he said. The volunteer said he was due to have a booster shot on Monday, but the night before he received an email from the project manager cancelling the appointment. The email read: 'As an illness in a volunteer that may or may not be related to vaccine has been identified, we are postponing clinics till we have more information. 'Illnesses happen during trials with large numbers of people (18,000 now in our trials around the world) and so we have to look at each illness carefully to assess the diagnosis to see if there is an obvious explanation. 'As is our routine practice, the case will be carefully reviewed by an independent safety monitoring committee and the UK regulator to advise when the clinics should be rescheduled.' The participant said he also received a shorter text message informing him of the booster appointment cancellation. He said even with his side effects he was happy to take the booster shot and continue with the trial, but is now concerned. 'If the antibodies were going down I wanted to make sure I still had protection,' he said. 'However, I am slightly worried about having a booster now if it means that there can be adverse effects in people taking the vaccine, I was hoping we only needed one and that was it. 'Especially as it came a day before we were due to go in it was slightly worrying.' Booster shots are standard in many vaccines using live viruses, as the Oxford one does, as they inject a small amount of the disease. The body's immune system then attacks the invading sample that is too small to make the patient sick, but enough that the body learns how to fight it. Boosters allow this to be spread over two occasions to avoid giving the immune system more of a novel virus than it can handle at once. The volunteer said researchers told him the vaccine was made from 'a chimpanzee virus with the protein inside' and the placebo was the meningitis vaccine. The volunteer said he was due to have a booster shot on Monday, but the night before he received this email from the project manager cancelling the appointment All participants keep a weekly online diary to monitor any symptoms and potential coronavirus contraction. This became monthly as the trial progressed. 'I've been fine ever since [the shot] and don't think I have had coronavirus since then, despite being out and about, which is good news,' he said. The man said he signed up on the Oxford University website after seeing an ad for the trial because he wanted to protect himself. 'It was the height of the pandemic and it felt like everyone was getting it, and that if you got it, you would get seriously ill,' he said. 'I also felt with everyone else participating in the national effort (like the NHS, shop workers) that I wanted to do something to contribute.' He said he believed in vaccines and hoped the trial succeeded in creating a usable vaccine this year, despite the setback making him nervous. Jack Sommers, 35, from London, believes the Oxford University-led trial is safe, adding he is 'mostly just disappointed' about the delay 'because we are all desperate for this vaccine'. Speaking at Wednesday's press conference the Government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick said such a pause is not unusual during trials. He said similar stoppages should also be expected in some of the other ongoing vaccine candidate trials. Experts hope vaccines from the AstraZeneca trial could be given to the public sometime next year. Mr Sommers, a freelance journalist, had his first injection in May and has since volunteered to have another dose. He said: 'If I was to keel over I would have done it by now. That's why I'm not scared of having it again.' Mr Sommers said it is a 'statistical inevitability' that at least one patient in the 18,000 on the programme will become ill at some point. A volunteer for the Oxford University coronavirus vaccine trial has revealed their painful, debilitating side effects. Pictured: A scientist works on the vaccine at Oxford University He said: 'This is so careful, it's run by Oxford University, it's got the Government involved and it's got AstraZeneca backing it. 'They've already been through ferrets, mice and monkeys, so they're about as certain as they can reasonably be that it's not going to do anyone any harm. 'My sense is that anyone who volunteered in the first place will not be put off by this, because you've got this appreciation of the risks.' He said he has been confronted by numerous vaccine sceptics since tweeting about taking part in the trial, and he wants to convince them there is nothing to fear. Mr Sommers said: 'It's just nonsense, it's just the latest type of conspiracy theory that's out there. 'I kind of understand that vaccines tend to alarm people and always have, and they are a slightly invasive thing. 'You are, at the end of the day, getting an injection from someone wearing a mask who you don't know and I completely get the human impulse to flee that. 'But they are completely safe, there's no malign agenda and I have learned not to engage with people who tweet at me like 'plandemic' or 'Bill Gates is going to kill you' or 'you're a Covid-idiot', or something like that. 'I am completely ignorant, I'm not a scientist - I did science GCSE and that was it, so I'm just trusting the scientist... the question of where you fall on this I think just depends on how much you trust scientists. And I trust them very much.' Oxford and AstraZeneca have not revealed what the unwell participant came down with, but sources close to the trial said it was transverse myelitis. The source told the New York Times said they were rushed to hospital with suspected swelling in their spinal cord. Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government's chief scientific adviser, told Wednesday's daily press conference that it's not unusual to pause medical trials at this stage The disorder, which can cause permanent paralysis in some patients, can be triggered by a number of causes that set off the body's inflammatory responses, including viral infections - which is what a vaccine is intended to do. But the volunteer's illness may be a coincidence unrelated to the vaccine, which would allow the trial to quickly get back on track. Vaccine trials frequently encounter similar minor setbacks that don't always significantly affect the timeline to their approval. Other countries are also heavily-invested in the vaccine's success, hoping to being rolling it out by early next year. The Australian Government tast week agreed to buy around 30 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, including 3.8 million in January if trials proved successful. Another 51million doses of a vaccine being developed by the Queensland University would then also be produced by labs in Australia if that vaccine was successful. The Oxford vaccine is being tested in thousands of people in Britain and the U.S., and in smaller study groups in Brazil and South America. During the third and final stage of testing, researchers look for any signs of possible side effects that may have gone undetected in earlier patient research. Because of their large size, the studies are considered the most important phase of study for picking less common side effects and establishing safety. The trials also assess effectiveness by tracking who gets sick and who does not between patients getting the vaccine and those receiving a dummy shot. Temporary holds on large medical studies are not uncommon, and looking into any unexpected reactions is a mandatory part of safety testing. Two other vaccines are in huge, final-stage tests in the US, one made by Moderna and the other by Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech. Despite some figures, such as US President Donald Trump, insisting a vaccine will be ready in a matter of months, Oxford said a vaccine might not be ready before 2022. But the CEO of drug giant AstraZeneca said the vaccine could still be ready by the end of this year or early next year. Pascal Soriot, the CEO of drug giant AstraZeneca, told an online event he thought vaccine development remained 'on track' but they would have to wait for permission from an independent safety panel before resuming research. Answering questions on why research had been paused Soriot said it was 'very common' for this to happen during clinical trials. But he added: 'The difference with other vaccine trials is, the whole world is not watching them, of course. They stop, they study, and they restart.' An AstraZeneca spokesman denied claims that a British woman in the trials had suffered transverse myelitis. It said: 'We can also confirm that 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 vaccine, called AZD1222, is being trialled in up to 60,000 patients, which Soriot said was 'typical' for trials and large enough for spotting side effects. 'With this you are going to pick up very rare events.' he said adding that a planned staggered launch, prioritising at-risk groups, would provide further assurance for the masses that are set to be covered by government plans at a later stage. Volunteers have been recruited in the UK, US, Brazil and other countries in South America to trial the vaccine. It uses a weakened version of the common cold adenovirus which has been engineered to carry the protein found on the outside of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Once participants are exposed to this protein, it is hoped it primes the immune system to mount a successful response if they are later exposed to the real virus. The director of UK scientific research charity the Wellcome Trust, Jeremy Farrar, said there were often pauses in vaccine trials. He told BBC radio in an interview 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.' The Golden Lion awards were handed out Saturday night before a masked audience conspicuously lacking in Hollywood star power, given coronavirus travel restrictions. The Venice Film Festival is wrapping up the first COVID-era international cinema showcase Saturday, with critics, filmmakers, and actors alike cheering organisers for having dared to hold the festival amid a pandemic and demonstrating how to go to the movies again, safely. (Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak) The coveted Golden Lion awards were being handed out Saturday night before a masked audience conspicuously lacking in Hollywood star power, given coronavirus travel restrictions kept all but a few American productions away from Venice. Eighteen films were vying for the top awards in the main competition, including a record eight directed by women. Cate Blanchett headed the main jury. That the 10-day festival happened at all was hardly a given, after northern Italy in late February became ground zero of the coronavirus outbreak in Europe. Once the virus spread, the Cannes Film Festival was cancelled outright, and other big international festivals in Toronto and New York opted to go mostly online. But after Italy managed to tame infections with a strict 10-week lockdown, Venice decided to go ahead, albeit under safety protocols that would have been unthinkable for a festival that has long prided itself on its spectacular visuals and glamorous clientele. Face masks were required indoors and out, including throughout screenings. Reservations for the general public and critics alike were required in advance, with theatre capacity set at less than half. The public was barred from the red carpet and paparazzi, who would normally chase after stars in rented boats as they arrived on the Lido aboard water taxis, were given socially distanced positions on land. While its too soon to say if the measures worked due to COVID-19s long incubation period, there were no immediate reports of infections among festival-goers. Compliance with mask mandates and social-distancing requirements appeared to be high. We were a little bit worried at the beginning, of course, festival director Alberto Barbera said. We knew that we had a very strict plan of safety measures and we were pretty sure about that, but you never know. Hong Kong director Ann Hui, who received a Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement award, almost didnt make it after she couldnt get on her scheduled flight because of border restrictions. In the end, she arrived to collect the award and to see her out-of-competition film Love After Love make its world premiere. By all indications, movie lovers inside the industry and out appreciated the effort and the symbolic significance of the worlds oldest film festival charting the path forward on getting people back into movie theaters. Its a moment of rebirth for everyone, for the whole world, said Emma Dante, the Italian director of the in-competition The Macaluso Sisters. This festival is really an important moment of encounter, of beginning to dream again and be together again, even with the norms and following all the safety protocols. Film correspondent Emma Jones said that aside from a few teething problems with the online reservation system, the festival went off better than she expected. It feels safe in there, it feels socially distanced, she said of the venues, where one and sometimes two or three seats were left unoccupied for every seat that was reserved. Everyone is wearing their masks. Jones noted that the lineup of films lacked the usual Hollywood blockbusters - think La La Land, and The Shape of Water that in recent years have used Venice as a springboard to Oscar fame. While the festival featured films from Iran, India, Australia and beyond, it was heavily European. Its a COVID lineup. This is a COVID festival. Theres no use pretending anything else, Jones said. But she added, It would feel really off-note, I think, to have had a red carpet with screaming fans and celebrities walking down it and people talking about who wore what. Twenty-twenty is not the year for those kind of discussions. Instead, she said, Venice was a film festival that focused on the integrity of the films. The diversity of countries represented is a development that festival director Barbera has greeted with particular satisfaction. This is my personal reward, he said of the lineup. We were lucky to receive a lot of submissions from all over the world, and apart from a few missing titles from the Hollywood major film studios, most of the countries are represented in Venice and the quality of the lineup is really very high. AirNow.gov Plumes of smoke generated by wildfires raging in California, Oregon and Washington are responsible for unhealthy air quality that extends even beyond United States borders. According to Canadian government agencies, the air quality index (AQI) in Vancouver, Canada was in the upper 190s Saturday morning, which is classified as "unhealthy" and bordering on "very unhealthy." The Air Quality Index operates on a scale from 0 to 500. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern. An AQI value of 50 or below represents good air quality, while an AQI value over 300 signals hazardous conditions. From the stylish cities of Stockholm and Gothenburg, to the natural beauty of its archipelagos, Northern Lights and clean air, Sweden has long been a dream destination representing social and environmental progress. But with quarantine measures across Europe changing quicker than the British weather, are we still allowed to go? And, what will happen when we return? Heres everything you need to know. Am I allowed to travel to Sweden from the UK? The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) issued a blanket warning against all non-essential international travel in March, but this has now been lifted for more than 80 destinations. After recording its highest death tally in 150 years during the first six months of 2020, the lockdown-free Scandinavian country saw new coronavirus infections drop significantly by July. After reporting no new cases on September 6 and 7, infection rates jumped again to 573 on September 8. Despite this, its seven-day case rate has dropped to 11.6 per 100,000 people in recent weeks. As a result, the UK government announced on Thursday that quarantine measures would be dropped for all British travellers returning from the country from 4am on 12 September and that Sweden would be added to the UKs safe list. The Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs currently advises Swedish citizens against non-essential travel to the UK until 23 September 2020. How can I get there? There are a limited number of direct flights between the UK and Sweden airlines have reduced the number of international flights to and from Stockholm and Gothenburg. Carriers flying direct to the country include British Airways, Ryanair, Finnair and Scandinavian Airlines. Will they let me in when I arrive? Yes. Like other EU countries, Sweden has banned entry to non-EU and non-EEA citizens arriving from outside the EU, but British nationals are not affected by this ban. Will I have to quarantine when I arrive? There are no quarantine restrictions for British travellers arriving in Sweden at present. If you have symptoms of coronavirus whilst in the country, Swedens Public Health Agency recommends calling the national health hotline on + 46 771 1177. Recommended What to pack to stay safe from coronavirus on holiday There may be a reduction in healthcare services throughout the country as a result of the pandemic. Do not visit a health centre (vardcentral) if you have any symptoms associated with Covid-19. Will I have to quarantine when I come home? Not from 12 September. Transport secretary Grant Shapps announced on 10 September that quarantine measures for travellers returning from Sweden would be lifted from 4am on 12 September. Can I travel within Sweden? Yes. Domestic travel is permitted throughout the country. Are hotels open? Accommodation remains open throughout Sweden, with enhanced cleaning procedures in place. Stockholms Grand Hotel is opening for bookings, as is the countrys famous Ice Hotel. Are restaurants, shops and attractions open? Most shops, restaurants and stores are open, although some may operate with reduced hours and limitations on the number of customers allowed. Many museums are open, including Stockholms Fotografiska, ABBA The Museum and Gothenburgs Museum of Art. Cinemas are open, with many remaining open at the height of the countrys coronavirus outbreak. What rules are in place? There is no requirement to wear a face mask in public, although the Public Health Agency of Sweden asks people to maintain physical distance from others and asks those feeling unwell to stay at home. Public gatherings of more than 50 people are banned, as well as visits to elderly care homes. People aged 70 and over are also advised to stay close to home to minimise contact with other people as much as possible. The post-election protests have attracted the biggest crowds on Sundays, when up to 200,000 people have flooded the streets of Minsk Belarusian leader set to visit Russia as protests continue Kyiv: Belarusian authorities detained scores of demonstrators Friday while seeking to end more than a month of protests against the country's authoritarian president, who is set to visit Russia to help shore up his hold on power after 26 years in office. Protesters in Belarus have spent a month denouncing the results of the country's Aug. 9 presidential election as rigged and demanding the resignation of President Alexander Lukashenko from the sixth term he won. Facing criticism from the West, Lukashenko has worked to cement ties with his main ally and sponsor, Russia. He is set to head to Russia on Monday for talks with President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Some expect Belarusian authorities to take tougher actions against protesters ahead of the meeting. At least nine protesters were detained Friday outside a court in Belarus's capital, Minsk, as they rallied in solidarity with industrial workers defending their right to launch a strike. Police detained more protesters in the cities of Vitebsk, Gomel and Baranovichi, according to the Viasna human rights center in Minsk. The threats and detentions come before the protests set for the weekend, the head of the center, Ales Bialitski, said. Lukashenko would very much like to show the Kremlin that the protests are abating and he controls the situation, but so far repressions have had the opposite effect. The post-election protests have attracted the biggest crowds on Sundays, when up to 200,000 people have flooded the streets of the capital. Another protest is set for this Sunday. After a brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in the initial days after the vote drew international outrage and swelled the opposition ranks, Belarusian authorities have sought to squelch the dissent by targeting top activists. Prosecutors have launched a criminal probe against top members of the Coordination Council created by the opposition to push for a new election, accusing them of undermining national security. All of the council's senior members except for Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich have been either jailed or forcibly expelled from the country. Unidentified people attempted Wednesday to enter Alexievich's apartment in Minsk, and diplomats from several European Union nations gathered there to prevent her detention and again on Thursday evening. Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics tweeted Friday that he had a call with Alexievich and expressed Latvia's full support to the Belarusian society in the strive for political rights and freedoms. A leading member of the opposition council, Maria Kolesnikova, remained in jail after resisting her forcible expulsion from Belarus on Tuesday. She alleged that officers of the nation's state security agency abducted her and threatened to kill her and pushed for a criminal probe into their actions. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Belarus'authorities to refrain from the use of force against those engaging in peaceful assembly and to ensure that allegations of torture and other mistreatment of people in detention are fully investigated and addressed, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Friday. The United States and the European Union have criticized Belarus' election as neither free nor fair and urged Lukashenko to engage in talks with the opposition, which he has rejected. US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said the U.S., in coordination with the EU, would be announcing sanctions on Belarusian officials and possibly companies in a few short days. He noted that the US Treasury could also revoke several general licenses that it has issued in recent years to allow certain transactions with Belarusian businesses. There is no legitimacy delivered to the ruler of Belarus by the Aug. 9 election, Biegun said in a conference call with reporters, adding that the level of violence against protesters is unbelievable. That behavior will not be treated with impunity by us or our European partners, he warned. Amid Western criticism, Lukashenko has increasingly reached out to Russia, which has a union agreement with Belarus envisaging close political, economic and military ties. Putin has said he stands ready to send police to Belarus if protests turn violent, stoking fears that Moscow could move to annex its neighbour. In an interview with Russian television stations earlier this week, Lukashenko ruled out a full merger of Belarus and Russia but spoke in favor of closer integration. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 21:02:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People gather at the graves of their relatives to call for ceasefire in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Sept. 14, 2020. Afghans from all walks of life have largely welcomed the opening of intra-Afghan talks in Doha on Saturday but described the talks as "complicated process" and were cautious about the outcome in near future to bring about lasting peace in the war-torn country. (Photo by Rahmatullah Alizadah/Xinhua) KABUL, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Afghans from all walks of life have largely welcomed the opening of intra-Afghan talks in Doha on Saturday but described the talks as "complicated process" and were cautious about the outcome in near future to bring about lasting peace in the war-torn country. After years of tough efforts and mediations by peace loving circles and countries to end the war in Afghanistan through negotiation, the negotiating teams of the Taliban and the Afghan government held face-to-face talks in Doha, the capital of Qatar on Saturday morning. The long-awaited intra-Afghan dialogue opened in Doha at a ceremony 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 and regional states. A 21-member team from the Afghan government is meeting the Taliban delegation with the same strength to find a negotiated solution to Afghanistan's prolonged war. "The opening ceremony of intra-Afghan talks in Doha today is a golden opportunity and historic day for the people of Afghanistan to get maximum benefit to end the war in the country," Mohammad Shakir Zarbi, political analyst and editor-in-chief of the state-run daily Anis, told Xinhua. Describing the talks a "complicated process" the analyst maintained, "The start of talks is a welcome step, but convincing the Taliban to accept the values and achievements that the country made over the past 19 years is difficult." Echoing the notion, another local observer Khan Mohammad Daneshjo told Xinhua, "It is difficult to convince the Taliban group to recognize the government and support women rights, human rights, freedom of press and the progress that Afghanistan has made since the collapse of Taliban reign in late 2001." However, Daneshjo who is the editor-in-chief of Abadi daily cautiously welcomed the start of the intra-Afghan talks as "golden opportunity," saying "We should be optimistic about the future of the country as the war is not the solution" and the Taliban would finally accept the ceasefire to accelerate peace talks with the government. Nevertheless, the analyst said "observing ceasefire or reduction of violence by the Taliban" from today could be a test for the honesty of the armed group towards resolving the country's problems through political means. "I was born in war, has grown in war, still living in war and now I am hopeful to see the success of the talks among Afghans to bring about peace in my country," street vendor Mohammad Ashor told Xinhua. Enditem 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... Emirates refused to take me back to the UK saying I should have someone to accompany me. I am now back in the UK, but bed-ridden. I am right now talking to you from my bed. I can only manage to sit in my wheelchair for two to three hours, maximum, Trueman said. According to a study by Economics and Peace (IEP) at least 1.2 billion people will live in areas at risk. Food insecurity and lack of water are accompanied by natural disasters. Critical situation in Central Asia and the Middle East. At the nation level, Pakistan and Iran face a toxic combination of threats. Bangkok (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The rapid growth of the global population, the lack of access to food and water, the increasingly frequent phenomenon of natural disasters could lead to the record number of one billion displaced by 2050. The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) has published its latest study on global ecological and environmental threats based on the data made available by the United Nations and other independent bodies. Its report outlines eight ecological threats and warns about which regions and countries are most at risk. With the current prospects pointing to an increase in the global population, which should reach 10 billion in 2050, conflicts over natural resources are destined to intensify. In this context, at least 1.2 billion people will live in areas of particular risk and survival risk, particularly in sub-Sharian Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East, where people are more likely to be forced to migrate. To understand the extent of the phenomenon, the report points to the fact that in 2019 alone ecological, environmental and conflict factors led to the displacement of 30 million people. This will have huge social and political impacts, not just in the developing world, but also in the developed, as mass displacement will lead to larger refugee flows to the most developed countries, said Steve Killelea, IEPs founder. According to the researchers, the threats fall into two groups: food insecurity, water scarcity and population growth on the one hand; on the other, natural disasters, including floods, cyclones, rising sea levels and rising temperatures. The result shows the risk that each of the 150 nations in the world takes into consideration in this research and their ability to react. India and China are among those most in danger from lack of water in the coming decades; others like Pakistan, Iran, Mozambique, Kenya and Madagascar will face a toxic combination of threats, accompanied by a diminished ability to deal with them. "Today they are nations with a stable situation - states the 90-page IEP report - but they are very exposed to ecological threats" and their "collapse" is not excluded for the future. Steve Killelea recalls that today, compared to 50 years ago, there is 60% less water resources available while food needs are destined to grow up to 50% in the next 30 years, also and above all due to the exponential growth of the middle class in Asia. These factors, combined with natural disasters that are set to increase in frequency due to climate change, will lead to a much more unstable planet in 2050. India insisted on 'complete disengagement' in all its talks with China on eastern Ladakh row: Govt China hands over 5 Indians who went missing from Arunachal Pradesh India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 12: China has handed over the five Indians who went missing from villages near the border earlier this month. The Chinese PLA has handed over the five men today. The handover took place in the Chinese territory. The five men will enter Arunachal Pradesh through Kibithu Border Post. "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," Union Minister Kiren Rijiju had said in a tweet. 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. "As a result of persistent efforts of Indian Army, five missing hunters from Indian side of LAC in Upper Subansiri, who had inadvertently crossed over to other side on 2 September 2020, were traced. Chinese Army on September 8 responded on hotline and confirmed that the missing Indians have been found on their side," a statement from the Army read. Some rules are meant to be broken View(s): My dear Choka malli, I thought I must write to you to congratulate you on being sworn in as a Member of the House by the Diyawanna Oya, despite some people trying to prevent you from doing so. You may not realise it, but this is a great achievement that will go down in history and will be talked about for years to come. That is, of course, not surprising for us citizens of Paradise. Why, 60 years ago, we gave the world its first woman Prime Minister, that gracious lady, Mrs B, well before the Gandhis, Golda Meirs and Thatchers and we now possibly have the worlds first MP who is also a convicted murderer! I am at a loss to understand why some are protesting against you taking oaths, Choka malli. As your learned colleague, the esteemed law professor GL was trying his best to convince all of us, you are entitled to the presumption of innocence until you are well and truly proven guilty by all courts. It was of course the same GL who argued vehemently that the Field Marshall couldnt attend the House by the Diyawanna Oya when he was found guilty of a much lesser offence but we all know that this is exactly what GL does: this man with the lean and hungry look speaks with forked tongue. The courts have found you guilty of murder. Those who defend you say you can still appeal to the highest courts in the land and they may still acquit you. Even if that doesnt happen and you remain in jail, Im sure Gota maama can grant you a pardon and get you back to the House. I have a suggestion to overcome all this controversy. Now that there is a 20th Amendment being brought in tailored to all the needs of you-know-who, why not add a clause to that saying those who have been convicted of murder can enter the House. That will clear this up, once and for all, wont it? With people like Bar Johnny in Kurunegala, Raththaran from Kaluthara, Miriskudu Prasanna and Lanza in Gampaha and Match Fixing Mahindananda in Kandy returning to the House easily, the 20th Amendment can even say that being charged with an offence should be a requirement to be an MP. After all, you didnt scrape through to the House by the Diyawanna Oya. You polled the second highest number of preferences in the gem district, second only to Corona Devi. I truly marvel at the wisdom of our voters. Remember, once they gave more preferences to Mervyn and Paba than to Karu! It is a sorry sight to see Cheerio Sirisena on the same side as you now. Given the convenient memory lapses he has, he may have forgotten that you were convicted of murdering someone who was putting up a stage for him at Kahawatte, during his election campaign against Mahinda maama five years ago. Still, you are lucky, Choka malli, that Cheerio Sirisena is not in charge anymore. He was the chap who was threatening to send people to the gallows and actually execute them. Yet he ended up pardoning someone who had been given the death sentence, so maybe you could have won him over too! I dont think you need to worry about your future, Choka malli. You have only been convicted by the High Court although the judge there did say that the case against you has been proven beyond reasonable doubt. As I am sure you are aware, there are two other courts that you can appeal to now. We already have a professor of law arguing vehemently about how innocent you are. Then, the way in which appointments to the higher courts will be made will change when the 20th Amendment is passed. Thereafter, the way the wheels of justice will turn will also change, so you need not worry. You attracted a lot of criticism last week, Choka malli, even from those who voted for Gota maama expecting to see more people from Viyath Maga in the House. Still, it is evidence that we have a mature democracy when we try to ban cattle slaughter but bring in convicted murderers to Parliament! Having already found to have broken the law, Choka malli, you will be given a chance to make laws as well, when you vote for the 20th Amendment. You were given a week to study that Amendment and a month to study the ban on cattle slaughter. We have got our priorities right, havent we? Yours truly, Punchi Putha PS: If you think you are the happiest person now that you have been allowed to return to the House, you are wrong, Choka malli. After seeing what happened to you, there is another person who must be having renewed hope of returning to the House, perhaps after being pardoned. His name is Duminda. Itanagar, Sep 12 : Five youths from Arunachal Pradesh, who went missing on September 2 and were later found to be in Chinese territory, were handed over to India by the People's Liberation Army on Saturday amid the ongoing stand-off between the two sides at the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh area. The missing five returned to India 11 days after they were said to have been abducted, defence sources said. The five youths were handed over to Indian authorities in Damai, near Kibithu in Anjaw district of eastern Arunachal Pradesh. "Indian Army took over all five individuals at Kibitu on Saturday after completing all the formalities. Individuals will now be quarantined for 14 days as per COVID-19 protocol and thereafter be handed over to their family members," Defence PRO Lt Col Harsh Wardhan Pande said in a statement. Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Tuesday had conveyed to the Indian Army that the five youths, who went missing on September 2 from the Sino-Indian border in Upper Subansiri district, were found by them in their territory. Defence sources had said that persistent efforts of Indian Army had led to the five missing hunters, who had inadvertently crossed over the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on September 2. According to the local media, the incident first came to light when two members from the group returned home from the forest and informed the villagers of the five who were abducted by the PLA from Sera-7, an Indian 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 Upper Subansiri district headquarters Daporijo, which is itself 280 km from state capital Itanagar. Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,080 km-long border with China. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Your neighbour is having a party. There are cars parked down the block and people knocking on their door bearing steaks for the barbecue. You reach for the phone. You know about the new city bylaws, the ones enacted to keep people safe from COVID-19, and the provincial orders banning indoor gatherings of more than 50 people and outdoor gatherings of more than 100. You call 311. Maybe you imagine a SWAT team of bylaw enforcement officers showing up at your neighbours door. Or the police. In fact, there is a good chance that, in Toronto, nothing will happen. Although several new municipal bylaws and provincial orders have gone onto the books since March, when the city began taking aggressive steps to stem the spread of COVID-19, enforcing them has proven difficult. Meanwhile, the number of infections among those under 40 has continued to rise since Toronto entered Stage 3 on July 31, part of a growing second wave that could see more people infected than the first, according to some scientific modelling. There were 74 new infections in the city on Friday, up from an average of 13 cases a day in the last week of July. At its peak in May, Toronto saw an average of 230 cases daily. Public health officials this week blamed part of the increase on people socializing outside of their bubbles and getting together without face masks. We dont go to break up parties its not safe for our officers, said Carleton Grant, executive director of Toronto municipal licensing and standards (MLS). Grant is in charge of the citys 200 bylaw control officers, who have been called on to enforce complex new bylaws and regulations, some of which have shifted as the city moved into and out of lockdown. By necessity, the rules have changed a lot since the lockdown began in March and have proven slippery for everyone to fully understand, Grant said. The social distancing one was a lot, and it was hard. Parks were closed, their parking lots roped off. People were allowed to walk through parks. But they were ticketed for doing chin-ups on park equipment and even for sitting on park benches. Then picnics were allowed. Sitting on benches was allowed. And how does a bylaw officer sort out whether people together in a group really are from the same household without asking a lot of probing questions, the kind that make people push back? When youre out in a park or in a public space and police or MLS are asking you these types of questions its very difficult to do, to get co-operation and ascertain if they are really in the same bubble, said Grant. Thats a challenge that we try to work through and thats really where we try to employ a progressive enforcement approach, where we educate, we provide warnings, and then charges. There is no sense in trying to ask 20 people for ID, getting into arguments. Enforcement is it may seem simple its very complex, it is very process-oriented. You need to have everything in place if you are to lay a charge. Grant said trying to shut down a house party is something that could quickly escalate, putting the safety of bylaw officers at risk. For one thing, a person hosting a house party where people arent maintaining a safe distance from one another has already made a decision to break the rules. How likely are they to start complying when a bylaw control officer shows up? Its a potentially difficult situation that you would be facing, said Grant, adding that bylaw officers are not first responders. But police have more serious calls to attend to. Even Mayor John Tory allowed this week that enforcement isnt easy, especially when it comes to house parties. You cant possibly have, and shouldnt have, police officers or bylaw inspectors peering over every fence or in windows of peoples basements. We dont live in that kind of society, but we have to rely on people, as weve been able to do, to co-operate and to do something thats in line with their own best interests and in the interest of their neighbours. Ensuring compliance with the lockdown kept bylaw officers busy in the earlier days of the pandemic, when all but essential businesses were supposed to be shuttered. As summer drew to a close, bylaw officers were kept busy with keeping a lid on parties and bonfires in parks and beaches, while also returning to some of the more routine work that was suspended earlier in the pandemic, like enforcing standards at rental properties. Last week, bylaw officers prevented a truckload of firewood and DJ equipment from being brought to the Toronto Islands, where it was likely going to be used for an unlawful party. Cherry Beach has been a problem on Saturday nights. The city is continuing to monitor Cherry Beach activities, issuing tickets where appropriate, post notices and collect evidence, all in an effort to bring these event organizers into compliance with city bylaws, said city spokesperson Brad Ross. The city has erected floodlights in the areas of the parties, closed parking lots after 7 p.m., prevented firewood from being brought onto the beach and enforced park closures after midnight. These efforts have been ongoing for the entirety of the summer, Ross said. Toronto bylaw officers arent completely on their own. They share the work of policing for COVID-19 infractions with several other city departments and agencies, including police, Toronto Public Health and the transportation department, responsible for making sure, for example, that restaurants participating in CafeTO, which permits more widespread use of patios, keep surrounding right-of-ways clear. Public Health covers off bars and restaurants. In all, officers have handed out 1,369 tickets, mostly related to park use and business closures during the first two stages of the lockdown, Grant said. Connie Osborne, a spokesperson for Toronto police, said police have issued 20 tickets in all, 19 related to park use and one related to activity in Yonge-Dundas Square. She added that enforcement for social gatherings and other contraventions of emergency orders have been largely driven by the city. The goal of enforcement is to limit the risk of spread of COVID-19, and to achieve compliance. Education remains the key objective, she said. Wed encourage any concerns about contraventions to be reported to the city by calling 311. The total monthly number of calls to the citys 311 help line jumped by more than 20 per cent in April over 2019, and have remained well above 2019 averages since then, according to data supplied by the city. The call service received more than 35,000 complaints related to violations of COVID-19 related bylaws and provincial orders. Among the complaints, nearly 56 per cent were about people not physical distancing. MLS, together with other departments, helped develop a chatbot to answer questions about the bylaws because there were so many questions from the public. This whole process has been really challenging for the public to understand what the rules are, and for us to enforce them, said Grant. Its usually more helpful when people understand what the infraction is, and when theres confusion about the infraction it makes it more difficult. Looking forward to the fall, Grant said hes concerned about people possibly moving illegal events indoors. Bars and night clubs arent really operating the same as they would, so Im concerned about people setting up unlicensed event space, renting out warehouses, event space, and turning it into their own types of nightclubs, said Grant. These are the things that arent appropriate, not prudent for people to attend. with files from David Rider Francine Kopun is a Toronto-based reporter covering city hall and municipal politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @KopunF Over the last two decades there has been a noticeable increase in education and training designed to make farms safer places for children to grow up. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Over the last two decades there has been a noticeable increase in education and training designed to make farms safer places for children to grow up. Kids, even toddlers, often like to tag along with their farming parent. As they grow older and more capable they have traditionally been an important source of labour on the farm, whether its collecting the eggs from the henhouse every day or helping out in the fields. But as farms have grown larger, there are fewer jobs that young people can do safely and there has been increasing pressure on the farming community to acknowledge those limitations. Educational material is available to help parents decide age-appropriate tasks. There is guidance about where kids should be and not be when farm equipment is operating. The messaging has taken many forms, ranging from promotional campaigns to peer pressure. Media outlets are strongly discouraged from publishing "cute-kid" photos, often sent in by proud parents or grandparents, of a child on the farm engaged in risky activities such as playing hide-and-seek around farm equipment or riding as a passenger or posing inside the livestock pen. And lately, authorities have also become more aggressive at prosecuting parents when their kids have been injured or killed on the farm. However, a new report published in the Journal of Preventative Medicine earlier this month delivers a stark assessment of those efforts. They arent working. A team of Canadian and U.S. researchers working with the Injury Prevention Centre at the University of Albertas School of Public Health cross-referenced data from multiple resources to compare trends in fatal injuries for farm children over the past 23 years. The number of farm fatalities involving children has declined but only because the farm population is shrinking. Proportionally, there is roughly the same number of accidental deaths involving farm youth under the age of 19 as there was two decades ago. The number seems small, four out of 100,000, but thats higher than those dying of cancer or suicide. Its also higher than accidental deaths involving non-farming children. "Findings from this national analysis, conducted with data spanning 23 years, are simple and telling. While many well-intended prevention efforts aimed at child safety on the family farm have been implemented in Canada over this time period, these initiatives appear to have ultimately been ineffective at achieving their end goal of reducing fatalities to farm children," the report says. Machinery-related fatalities are by far the biggest hazard for youth on the farm, but drowning and entrapment also rank high. Youth fatalities involving off-road vehicles have increasingly become a problem since their introduction in the 1980s, the researchers said. But once again, efforts to raise awareness have not reduced injuries and death. So what gives? There is no denying it is harder to get day care in a rural setting, especially when work hours can be long and sporadic. As well, farms are chronically short of labour, so its all hands on deck, even if some of those hands are small. Ultimately, it comes down to farming culture. The researchers that many farm families pride themselves in involving their kids in farm work. Farmers themselves tend to be risk-takers, often forgoing safety in the name of getting the job done. That modelling rubs off on the younger generation. The authors say more research, monitoring and perhaps more regulation is needed. 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. Judging from the reaction from the farming community when governments brought in regulations to better protect hired farmworkers, regulatory measures to keep farm children safe wont be welcomed. However, it should be no surprise that change designed to save lives needs to be legislated. Seat belts were invented in the late 1800s. It wasnt until the mid-1960s that automakers were required to install them, and 25 years of public education efforts later, governments started forcing people to use them. We all know drinking and driving are a bad combination, yet laws to prevent such behaviour have had to become increasingly forceful. Keeping kids safe on the farm is a dilemma the farming community needs to address before governments do it for them. Laura Rance is vice-president of content for Glacier FarmMedia. She can be reached at lrance@farmmedia.com Virginia is one of the few states that has rules governing how business must deal with the coronavirus in the workplace. Under emergency standards adopted by the states Department of Labor and Industry in late July, businesses are required to assess their operations for vulnerabilities related to coronavirus exposures and, depending on what they determine, develop plans for addressing the risks and provide training to employees. In the event an employee tests positive for the virus, the business must disclose that to other employees and employers who the worker may have come in contact with. If three or more employees test positive, the employer must report that to state officials. In this file photo, Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny gestures while speaking to a crowd during a political protest on in Moscow, Russia, on July 20, 2019,. (Pavel Golovkin/AP) Germany Approves Russian Request to Assist in Navalny Probe BERLINBerlins 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 on 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 on Monday his condition had improved enough for him to be brought out of it. The hospital had no comment on Friday on his condition, but doctors have not ruled out long-term effects of the poisoning. An exterior view shows the central building of the Charite hospital, where the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is being treated in Berlin, Sept. 2, 2020. (Markus Schreiber/AP Photo) The Kremlin has bristled at calls from Chancellor Angela Merkel and other world leaders that 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 on 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 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. Merkels spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said on 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 prohibitedthe 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 on 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 Alternative for Germany, 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. By David Rising Hyderabad, Sep 12 : The Bharatiya Janata Party's Telangana unit has demanded a thorough probe into the drug nexus of Tollywood in the wake of reports that a Tollywood actress figures in the list of actors allegedly named by Rhea Chakraborty during interrogation by the Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB). BJP spokesman K. Krishna Saga Rao urged Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao to initiate serious investigation into the drug menace in Hyderabad, which is destroying many young lives in Telangana. He said he will also write to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Minister of State for Home Kishan Reddy requesting serious investigation through NCB into drug trafficking in Telangana. He said earlier IPS officer Akun Sabharwal had done a thorough investigation into the drug mafia influence in not just Tollywood, but also schools and colleges in Hyderabad. He said many big names were taken and news headlines were made, but none of them were brought to justice. "Ironically, the Tollywood actress in question Rakul Preet Singh has been a Telangana brand ambassador, and has been preaching against drug abuse, through state government sponsored publicity programs. Such is the state of affairs and duplicity of these self-proclaimed youth icons and role models," he said. "Many such drug users, addicts and peddlers of Tollywood are still very popular and actually have become bad role models for this generation of youngsters. They are inadvertently leading many young students and professionals into drug dependence and addiction, which eventually destroy lives," he added. Officials in Saudi Arabia are celebrating the opening of the worlds largest hospital for camels. It took tens of millions of dollars to build the facility that provides health care from basic treatment to radiology. The new facility saves some camel owners days of travel. In Russia's Far East, A Rare Protest Movement Refuses To Be Cowed By Matthew Luxmoore September 11, 2020 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, sparking protracted protests that have gradually shifted focus from Furgal's arrest to a denunciation of President Vladimir Putin's continued rule and, while dwindling in size, are 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 Russia's 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." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/in-russia-far- east-a-rare-protest-movement-refuses -to-be-cowed/30833806.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 12.09.2020 LISTEN The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has set Tuesday, September 15, to hold a town hall meeting in Kumasi to highlight the people's manifesto. A statement signed by National Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi stated that the event will afford the party an opportunity to further explain the policies and programmes contained in the manifesto. "The event, which will afford the party an opportunity to breakdown and explain the transformational policies and programmes contained in its 2020 Manifesto, will also be held in other regions of the country in the coming weeks." According to the statement, the event will be replicated across the country to reach out to every Ghanaian. "The NDC assures the general public that we intend to take the Peoples 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." The NDC launched it "People's Manifesto" as a social contract with the good people of Ghana on Monday 7 to garner votes to enable the NDC to win the December elections. The party has posited that it is to create sustainable jobs for all and restore Ghana back on the path of development and true progress. The party in its manifesto has promised to dualize the Accra Kumasi highway, Accra Cape Coast and Accra to Volta highway as part of it's $10 billion infrastructural "Big Push" to expand the major highways and other infrastructure development in the country. It has promised to maintain all NABCO employees, create one million job creation, legalize Okada business, free primary healthcare (accessing healthcare without necessarily having an NHIS card) and free Technical and Vocational Education. Training (TVET). KEY FACTS 12:10 p.m.: Oxford University will resume trials of virus vaccine 10:26 a.m.: Ontario reports 232 new cases of COVID-19 9:21 a.m.: Indias coronavirus tally crosses 4.6M after record surge The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Saturday. This file is no longer updating. Click here for the latest. Web links to longer stories if available. 7:30 p.m.: Some First Nations in Manitobas Interlake region are reporting members in their communities have tested positive for COVID-19. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs had said in a recent statement posted on Facebook that there had been a total of 29 lab-confirmed and probable First Nations COVID-19 cases in Manitoba, but that so far all had been off-reserve. However, Fisher River Cree Nation said on its website Friday that a community member tested positive after being exposed in Winnipeg and returning to Fisher River while asymptomatic. The First Nation says the test has been sent to the provincial public health laboratory for confirmation. 4:30 p.m.: Quebecers faced the prospect of hefty fines starting Saturday if they dont wear a mask in places the province has deemed it mandatory due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Police can hand out tickets ranging between $400 and $6,000 to those who dont have a face covering in indoor public spaces or on public transit. The province announced its intention to introduce fines earlier this week, with a ministerial decree being adopted Friday. The decree specifies that a face covering is understood as a mask or tightly fitting cloth that covers the nose and the mouth. 4:30 p.m.: Quebec announced 244 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 64,707. Despite the rising infections, thousands of demonstrators opposed to the governments face covering rules rallied in Montreal on Saturday, marching from Premier Francois Legaults office in downtown Montreal to the CBC-Radio-Canada offices near the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. The premier said earlier this week the fines were aimed at those in the minority who werent following the rules, but they wouldnt apply to anti-mask protests primarily held outdoors. The fines for individuals are similar amounts to those that business owners faced when the province brought in mandatory masks for indoor spaces in July. Face coverings have been mandatory on public transit and in indoor public spaces across the province since July, but enforcement in indoor public spaces was initially left to business owners. The province announced several measures this week in addition to the fines, including the banning of karaoke and obliging bars to keep registers of clients. The moves came amid concerns about rising infection numbers in recent days. Cases were on the rise in Montreal, the Eastern Townships, the Monteregie region south of Montreal and in the Lower St-Lawrence, where private parties involving junior college students earlier this month are believed to be behind a rising number of cases in the past three days. The area was largely unscathed by the novel coronavirus in the spring. Two other post-secondary institutions junior colleges in Rimouski and Riviere-du-Loup, Que. suspended courses for one week and will resume online as of Sept. 21. The junior college in La Pocatiere and the agri-food technology institute announced Thursday they would closed until Sept. 24 and move classes online because of the outbreak in the region. The province reported no deaths in the past day, but added six deaths from earlier in the month for a total of 5,780. Authorities say 57,054 people are deemed to have recovered from the virus. Quebec also saw the number of people in hospital increase by two to 125 and an increase of four patients in intensive care for a total of 16. The province conducted 25,692 tests on Thursday, the last day for which numbers were available. 4:25 p.m.: Toronto Public Health reports 84 new cases today, as the number of new infections continue to rise over the last week to a total of 16,693 since the pandemic began. Overall, there are 25 patients in hospital, a decrease of one from yesterday. One more death was reported in the city for a total of 1,176. Almost 15,000 patients have recovered. 3:10 p.m.: York Region Public Health has confirmed a new outbreak of COVID-19 in a Markham group home that saw the deaths of six residents and 97 total cases in the spring. The public health agency announced that a caregiver working in Participation House had tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday, according to the agencys website. As of Friday, the outbreak was still active. The home, which cares for adults with physical and mental disabilities, suffered a previous outbreak between April and June. During this time, the home saw the walkout of several staff, following a meeting where the positive tests were revealed. 2:55 p.m.: Peel Public Health will not disclose the name of a Mississauga business where the largest COVID-19 workplace outbreak in Peel Region has taken place. The unnamed workplace had 60 positive COVID-19 cases and 55 were Peel residents, according to a spokesperson from Peel Public Health, who declined to reveal the name of the business. At 60 cases, the Peel Health spokesperson did, however, confirm that the business has had the largest COVID-19 workplace outbreak in Peel so far. 2 p.m.: Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador are reporting a newly confirmed case of COVID-19, as well as one presumptive case. The confirmed case is a man in his 40s from central Newfoundland who returned to the island following a visit to Alberta, where he was asymptomatic. He has been self-isolating since arriving home, and contact tracing is underway. The presumptive case involves a contractor from New Brunswick who had travelled to the Iron Ore Company of Canada mine in Labrador City. Staff at the mine used screening protocols, which will be followed up by testing through the provincial Public Health laboratory. Health officials say the contractor is self-isolating and has been following Public Health guidelines. With the new confirmed case, Newfoundland and Labrador had two active cases of COVID-19 as of Saturday. 1 p.m.: The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 3,488 new coronavirus cases Friday and 144 deaths. That brought the total confirmed cases to 653,356 and nearly 14,000 confirmed deaths, state health official say. However, the true number of cases in Texas is likely higher because many people havent been tested and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick. Health officials estimated 71,292 cases are now active, with 3,475 requiring hospitalization. The number of hospitalizations has been decreasing since peaking in July at 10,893. 12:10 p.m.: Oxford University says trials of a coronavirus vaccine its developing with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca will resume, days after pausing due to a reported side effect in a patient in Britain. The university says in large trials it is expected that some participants will become unwell and every case must be carefully evaluated to ensure careful assessment of safety. It says globally some 18,000 individuals have received study vaccines as part of the trial. It wouldnt disclose the medical information about the illness for reasons of participant confidentiality but says it is committed to the safety of our participants and the highest standards of conduct in our studies and will continue to monitor safety closely. Health experts say pauses in drug trials are commonplace to ensure safety and effectiveness. 11:36 a.m.: The RCMP in Wolfville, N.S., have handed a $1,000 fine to a university student from outside the Atlantic region for failing to self-isolate. The Mounties issued a statement Saturday saying the student violated the provincial Health Protection Act. RCMP spokesman Const. Steeve Plamondon says the Mounties in the Kings District received a complaint on Thursday and the fine was issued later that day. Plamondon couldnt say where the student attended school or where they had come from. 11 a.m.: Your neighbour is having a party. There are cars parked down the block and people knocking on their door bearing steaks for the barbecue. You reach for the phone. You know about the new city bylaws, the ones enacted to keep people safe from COVID-19, and the provincial orders banning indoor gatherings of more than 50 people and outdoor gatherings of more than 100. You call 311. Maybe you imagine a SWAT team of bylaw enforcement officers showing up at your neighbours door. Or the police. In fact, there is a good chance that, in Toronto, nothing will happen. Although several new municipal bylaws and provincial orders have gone onto the books since March, when the city began taking aggressive steps to stem the spread of COVID-19, enforcing them has proven difficult. The Stars Francine Kopun reports on why there hasnt been a tougher crackdown on rule-breakers despite the rising case numbers of COVID-19 in Toronto. 10:45 a.m.: Quebecers could face hefty fines starting Saturday if they arent wearing a mask in places the province has deemed it mandatory due to COVID-19. Police will be able to hand out tickets ranging between $400 and $6,000 for those who dont have a face covering in indoor public spaces or public transit. The province announced its intention to introduce fines earlier this week, with a ministerial decree being adopted Friday. The decree specifies that a face covering is understood as a mask or tightly fitting cloth that covers the nose and the mouth. The fines are similar amounts to those that business owners faced when the province brought in mandatory masks for indoor spaces in July. 10:26 a.m.: Ontario is reporting 232 new cases of COVID-19 today, the second day in a row that the province has surpassed more than 200 new cases in its daily tallies. Toronto is reporting 77 cases with 62 in Peel and 27 in Ottawa, Health Minister Christine Elliott said on Twitter Saturday morning. Like yesterday, 67 per cent of todays cases are in people under the age of 40. She added that Ontario also completed more than 35,000 tests. 9:55 a.m.: Under the current COVID-19 pandemic, families are reluctantly sending their children back to school amid fear and sharp criticism of the Ontario government on whether its safe to do so large class sizes have sparked questions on whether social distancing is physically possible, and outbreaks have been reported in schools in other parts of the country where students have already returned. Toronto public and Catholic classes will begin next week. The pandemic has amounted to more than 134,000 cases and 9,000 deaths in Canada, with the impact of COVID-19 touching lives from coast to coast. Fears of a second wave and a recent uptick in Ontario case numbers just as schools are opening for the first time since March Break has some wondering: what happens if severe illness or death from COVID-19 touches a school community? Read the full story from Nadine Yousif here. 9:21 a.m.: Indias confirmed coronavirus tally has crossed 4.6 million after a record surge of 97,570 new cases in 24 hours. India reported another 1,201 deaths Saturday, bringing total deaths to 77,472, the third highest in the world 9 a.m.: A town in the German Alps has stepped up coronavirus restrictions after a spike in infections that local authorities say was likely caused by a visitor from the United States. The restrictions imposed in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Friday include all restaurants to close at 10 p.m. for the next week and the number of people meeting in public limited to five. The council says the 26-year-old, who wasnt identified, arrived in Germany in late August or early September. It wasnt clear whether she brought the virus from the U.S. or violated quarantine regulations. Authorities say 23 people tested positive at the accommodation where she stayed. The U.S. is on a long list of countries classified by German authorities as risk areas. People arriving from those areas must have a coronavirus test after arriving in Germany and quarantine until the results are determined. 8:12 a.m.: There are growing fears that disadvantaged kids, who are disproportionately racialized, are falling deeper into existing cracks and slipping into new ones created by the pandemic. Many lower-income parents say theyve been forced to choose between their health and their kids education. In areas hardest hit by COVID-19, data shows high rates of families whove opted for remote learning even though many of these families say virtual learning was catastrophic for them in the spring, and they have little faith the coming year will be much different. Meanwhile, powerful shifts are underway. Stark inequality already existed within public education, but experts say the pandemic has led to new tiering within the system, as more affluent families create learning pods and hire tutors to give their kids a leg up in this experimental new world of remote learning. Read the fully story from the Stars Jennifer Yang and Brendan Kennedy on how wealthy parents are turning to learning pods and private schools while low-income families say theyre being forced to choose between their health and their kids education. 8 a.m.: COVID-19 test centres across the city are reporting a spike in demand over the past two weeks, with reports of long lines, and some people even being turned away. The increase coincides with families gearing up to send their children back to school for the first time since March Break and others returning to work in person. Jennifer Stranges, a spokesperson for the testing sites at St. Josephs and St. Michaels hospitals, said that similar to other COVID-19 testing centres in the city, both sites have seen an increase in demand. On Thursday, 424 people were tested at the St. Josephs location, Stranges said. This is in contrast to 242 people tested a month prior on Aug. 7. Anecdotally, more people are coming in for tests who are returning to work, people that have received alerts through the new app and people who are visiting the elderly, immunocompromised or new babies, Stranges said in an email. Read the full story on how centres across Toronto are seeing an uptick in testing and are, in some cases, even turning people away. 7:02 a.m.: The U.N. General Assembly has overwhelmingly 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 world body adopted the resolution Friday by a vote of 169-2. It was a strong show of unity by the U.N.s most representative body in addressing the coronavirus, though many countries had hoped for adoption by consensus. The resolution is not legally binding. It calls for intensified international co-operation and solidarity to contain, mitigate and overcome the pandemic and it urges member states to enable all countries to have unhindered timely access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable diagnosis, therapeutics, medicines and vaccines. 7 a.m.: The New York City teachers union warns it wont let the nations largest school district reopen for in-person classes this month if the city doesnt issue protective equipment, conduct testing and clean schools properly. Union leader Michael Mulgrew in a Friday video accuses the city of not acting with enough urgency on the pandemic. The return of public school students to classrooms was delayed from Sept. 10 to Sept. 21 so coronavirus safety precautions could be worked on further. Mulgrew says the city knows what it needs to do to make schools safe and, in his words, if you cant make that happen before the children come into schools, then were not going to let you open these schools. 6:53 a.m.: Hungary has registered another record number of people newly infected with the coronavirus, with 916 new cases. Saturdays total is more than 25% higher than the previous record of 716 cases, reached Friday. Prime Minister Viktor Orbans government is taking a less generalized approach to the pandemic during this second wave, with restrictions decided more on a case-by-case basis. Orban said Saturday in a video posted on his Facebook page that the aim was not just to save lives but also to keep the country running. During the second quarter of the year, the Hungarian economy contracted by 13.6%, the largest fall in the region. 6:41 a.m.: U.S. health department spokesperson Michael Caputo and his aides asked for the right to read and suggest changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions weekly COVID-19 reports, Politico reported, citing emails and three people familiar with the matter. Communications aides from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services complained to CDC Director Robert Redfield and other officials that the agencys reports would undermine President Donald Trumps optimistic messaging about the pandemic, according to the report. CDC employees pushed back against changes but have increasingly agreed to allow political appointees review the virus reports, and have agreed to amend language in some cases, Politico said. 6:21 a.m.: The governor of Istanbul has banned boating companies from hosting weddings and similar gatherings as part of new measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 in Turkeys most populous city. The governors office also reintroduced a ban on concerts and festivals in open spaces. A statement from the office late Friday said the restrictions were needed because people were not adequately heeding precautions like physical distancing and confirmed virus cases have increased. Coronavirus infections and deaths began increasing in Turkey after the government loosened restrictions on public activity in June, returning to levels last seen in mid-May. On Friday, the Health Ministry announced 56 more deaths and 1,671 new cases, bringing the countrys total death toll in the pandemic to 6,951 and cases to nearly 290,000. 6 a.m.: Federal officials are ironing out the details of a program to help cities buy properties left vacant due to the pandemic so they can quickly create affordable housing. The government has considered the property acquisition program for months as it looks to keep people falling into homelessness heading into the winter with temporary shelter measures set to expire. That could lead to overcrowding in existing emergency shelters, or push more people onto the street and create the conditions for the novel coronavirus to spread among people who are already vulnerable. 4:01 a.m.: A guaranteed basic income for all Canadians has emerged as the top policy choice of Liberal MPs, just as the Trudeau government is crafting its plan to help people weather the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and rebuild the ravaged economy. The Liberal caucus is calling on the government to adopt the idea in a priority policy resolution for consideration at the partys upcoming national convention. And MPs consider it so important that theyve designated it their top resolution, guaranteeing that it will go directly to the Nov. 12-15 convention for debate and a vote. It is among more than 50 priority resolutions from the governing partys provincial and territorial organizations and its various commissions that will be the subject, starting today, of a two-week online discussion among registered Liberals. Friday 5 p.m. Ontarios regional health units are reporting the most new COVID-19 cases in more than a month, as the provinces daily average is now higher than any point since June, according to the Stars latest count. The health units are reporting another 237 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. With the total the most in a single day since July 15 Ontarios seven-day average for new cases is now up to 183 cases daily. Thats the highest that measure has been since June 30 and double what the health units were reporting 23 days ago on Aug. 19. Even with the increases, the rate of infection remains well below the worst of the pandemic; Ontario saw that seven-day case average reach a mid-April peak of nearly 600 cases daily. As has been the case in recent weeks, most new cases continue to come in the GTA and Ottawa. On Friday, Toronto reported another 74 new cases; Peel added 58; Ottawa 36; and York Region 14. No new fatal cases were reported Friday. Meanwhile, Toronto lowered its tally of deaths by one, citing routine data verification. The province has now seen a total of 46,264 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19, including 2,855 deaths. - Click here to read more coverage from Friday. Read more about: Iran's military says it drove away U.S. aircraft that flew close to an area where a three-day military exercise was being conducted near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Tehran's military said on September 11 that its air force detected three U.S. aircraft after they entered Irans air defense identification zone. The U.S. craft were identified as a P-8 airplane, an MQ-9 drone, and an RQ-4 drone. After "ignoring warnings by Iran's defense systems to keep away from the drill zone" the aircraft were tracked by an Iranian drone before "they changed course and left the zone," Tehran's military added. The Pentagons Central Command did not immediately comment on the report. Iran's annual Zolfaghar 99 exercises, which began on September 10, are conducted in more than 1.2 million square kilometers in the Strait of Hormuz, Makran coast, Oman Sea, and the north Indian Ocean, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported. In June 2019, a U.S. drone was shot down by Iran after it said the craft had violated the countrys airspace. U.S. officials at the time said the RQ-4A Global Hawk was flying over international waters when it was destroyed. Iranian forces later displayed the wreckage of the downed drone on state television. Tensions have consistently been high between Tehran and Washington since U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear agreement in 2018 and reimposed crippling financial sanctions on Iran. Washington also accuses Iran of financing extremist actions in the region -- a charge Tehran denies. During the second day of the Zolfaghar 99 maneuvers, the Iranian Navy deployed domestically manufactured military equipment, including a submarine and a cruise missile. The submarine, dubbed the Fateh -- Persian for "Conqueror" -- was seen in action for the first time and sailed up the Indian Ocean, the military said on its website. The near 600-ton submarine is armed with torpedoes, mines, and cruise missiles. According to Iranian media, it can remain underwater at a depth of more than 200 meters for up to 35 days. With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, AFP, Newsweek, and MSN News Local MEP Mairead McGuinness looks set to become the next European Commissioner following the fallout over the resignation of Phil Hogan. She has been nominated for the role with Andrew McDowell and a decision is expected this week on the post. The First Vice-President of the European Parliament said she is honoured to be nominated. "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. 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 FG. Cathaoirleach of Louth CC Dolores Minogue said it would be a double honour for the region if the two key appointments were made. 'It would be great to see Mairead in such a role and for Colm, a great opportunity to be an MEP and giving us another voice in Europe,' she stated. It is also believed that if Cllr Markey was to achieve the post, she would be keen to be on the selection list in the future. The European Union on Friday expressed serious concern over the recent spate of arrests and detentions of youth and rights advocates, linked to a government crackdown on protests emanating from the arrest of trade unionist Rong Chhun. Since late July, when Rong Chhun was arrested, nearly two dozen activists have been arrested, and around a dozen have been charged with incitement or attempts to cause social chaos. These arrests have mainly targeted youth-led groups like Khmer Thavrak, Mother Nature, and the Khmer Student Intellectual League Association (KSILA). The Interior Ministry has pointed to the controversial Law on NGOs and Associations to label Khmer Thavarak and Mother Nature Cambodia as illegal groups and called on citizens to not be involved with the youth activism groups. The E.U. is seriously concerned about the continuous deterioration of democracy and human rights in the country, including about recent reports of arrests of human rights defenders, activists and trade union leaders, said the E.U.s foreign affairs spokesperson Nabila Massrali in an email to VOA Khmer. We continue to call on the Cambodian government to take concrete action to reopen the political space in the country, to reverse the shrinking space for civil society and to ensure the respect of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, she added. Massralis comments came a month after the economic bloc enforced a partial suspension of trade privileges given to Cambodia, on account of serious and systematic rights violations by the Hun Sen government, especially in the run-up to the 2018 national election. The United Nations human rights office in Geneva also highlighted the arrest of some 24 activists, human rights defenders, and environmentalists since the end of July, reporting that half of them were detained and charged. 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, said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the U.N.s Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, in a statement released on Friday. It is mainly directed at human rights organizations, environmentalists and human rights defenders, she added. Chin Malin, a Justice Ministry spokesperson, said in a social media post that the U.N. statement was not based on any factual or legal grounds, and insisted that the youth groups had committed crimes. The recent legal measures against their targeted groups are not done because the facts their activisms in advocating for freedom, human rights, environments, and public interests, but because they commit crimes as stated by Cambodian laws and because they are backed from behind the scene by groups with well-organized structures, he said on Facebook. Cambodian government spokesperson Phay Siphan said the arrests were conducted to obstruct people who were plotting to overthrow the government. The resistance backed by several people and foreign agents to destroy social order and unseat a legitimate government cannot be allowed, Phay Siphan said. On Thursday, the police arrested Moung Sopheak, who had gone ahead with a planned protest organized by the Khmer Thavarak youth group at the Freedom Park on Monday. Phnom Penh officials had denied permission for the protest at Freedom Park, which is a designated space for staging peaceful demonstrations. Moung Sopheak is a member of the Khmer Student Intellectual League Association and was sent to Phnom Penh Municipal Court Friday afternoon for questioning after spending a night in police custody, said Moung Sony, his brother, and president of KSILA. The KSILA is not involved [in any plot to overthrow the government], said KSILA President Moung Sony. We come out to voice ideas because we have the sympathy of our nation and because we saw a rise in injustices. We should not be thrown into the politics of smear, provocation, and scapegoating, Moung Sony added, distancing his group from exiled opposition politicians calling for regime change. The publication became so popular because it was the only book to say there is nothing wrong with women that women can have orgasms very easily, but the kind of stimulation women need isnt being included in sex, Dr. Hite told USA Today three decades after the report was released. It was trying to say that women need to be half of the equation, and, if were going to have equality in sex, it has to be rethought. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-13 05:52:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Countries in the Middle East have mixed reactions to the move by Israel and Bahrain to normalize their ties, which came less than a month after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel reached a similar U.S.-brokered normalization deal. A joint statement issued on Friday by U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa hailed the Bahrain-Israel agreement as "a historic breakthrough." Bahrain, the second Gulf Arab country to normalize ties with Israel after the UAE announced a similar deal on Aug. 13, is scheduled to sign the peace agreement with Israel on Sept. 15 at a ceremony in Washington, during which the UAE-Israel deal will also be inked. Senior Bahraini officials welcomed on Saturday the normalization with Israel as a contributor to regional security and stability. Meanwhile, the National Assembly, the Bahraini parliament, called in a statement for achieving a "just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution" to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. However, the Bahrain-Israel deal has enraged the Palestinian Authority, which strongly condemned it, while blasting the U.S. for pressuring Arab countries into normalizing ties with Israel. Shortly after the announcement of the Bahrain-Israel deal, the Palestinian leadership issued a statement condemning the Bahraini move as "a betrayal of Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian cause." Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad al-Maliki said that he would recall the Palestinian ambassador to Bahrain for consultations on how Palestine would take "necessary steps" to respond to Bahrain's move. In separate statements, the Islamic Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad slammed the Bahrain-Israel deal as "a clear aggression against our people" and "a blatant coup against all Arab, national and Islamic constants of Palestine." "Washington exploits its political and economic power to force the Arab countries to normalize ties with Israel," said Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, in a press statement issued on Saturday. "The U.S. government is using all means of incitement, intimidation and pressure" to achieve the goal, she added. Iran, the top rival to Israel and the U.S. in the region, on Saturday vehemently condemned Bahrain for taking the step to establish diplomatic ties with Israel. Bahraini authorities have done a "fundamental mistake" by "seeking shelter" in Israel instead of "gaining legitimacy from its people," Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. It said that the U.S. presidential election due in November is one of the reasons for Bahrain to "sacrifice the cause of honourable Palestine," warning that Iran will hold Bahrain accountable for all the consequences of any action leading to Israel to "create insecurity in the Gulf region." Turkey also expressed strong condemnation and concern about Bahrain's decision which "violates the Arab Peace Initiative and the commitments made by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation." The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Bahrain's move as "a heavy blow to the efforts to defend the Palestinian cause," which will deepen Israel's "illegal acts" in Palestine and encourage Israel to continue to occupy the Palestinian lands. It stressed that the only way to establish peace and stability in the Middle East is to resolve the Palestinian issue fairly and comprehensively within the framework of international law and UN resolutions. On another side, Egypt, the first Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel in 1979, and the UAE, the first Gulf Arab state to normalize ties with Israel, both welcomed the Bahrain-Israel peace deal. In a statement issued on his official Facebook page on Friday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said that 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." The UAE congratulated Bahrain on normalizing its ties with Israel. The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it hopes that this agreement will have "a positive impact on the regional and international peace and cooperation atmosphere." But Jordan, the second Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel in 1994, sounded a more cautious note. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said in statement 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. Safadi called for stopping all Israeli measures that undermine the two-state solution, and for creating an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative and the international resolutions. "The effect of such deals relies on Israel's actions," Safadi said. Enditem It's been days since the Akyem Mafia & sakawa boys debate started. There have been calls for the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama to apologize for validating the post by MP, Isaach Adongo. A post which has been described by many as ethnocentric. Charles Owusu of the Forestry Commission who feels Mr Mahama should have apologised immediately the criticisms started, asked Ghanaians to understand the former President because God has hardened his heart like Pharoah. "I thought if you do something and a lot of people are speaking against it; you apologize or explain yourself but I'm not surprised; a similar thing happened in the Bible. With all the miraculous works God performed, you would expect that Pharaoh would have a change of heart but it didn't happen. God hardened his heart and so Ghanaians should understand and be patient with Mahama. Because God wanted to shame Pharaoh and bring glory to His name he hardened his heart...You've been a president in this country..." he said on Peace FM morning show 'Kokrokoo' 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 Doha, Sep 12 : The much awaited historic face-to-face talks between representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban began in Doha on Saturday after several delays. The negotiations are intended to bring about a political settlement to a decades-long conflict that has taken many lives and destabilized the country, reports TOLO News. The intra-Afghan talks were part of the historic agreement signed between the US and the Taliban on February 29 also in the Qatari capital. The talks were to be held 10 days after the deal was signed but it kept getting delayed over the prisoner release issue between the Afghan government and the Taliban. The government claimed that it has freed all the 5,000 Taliban inmates, while the militant group has also completed the release of 1,000 government prisoners. The opening ceremony will be attended by senior officials from different countries including US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and senior officials from the host country Qatar. The 21-member Afghan team is headed by former intelligence chief Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai. Abdullah will inaugurate the event with his opening remarks and will be followed by Taliban deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Pompeo, said the TOLO News report. Meanwhile, Pompeo, who arrived in Doha on Friday night, said in a tweet that Afghans deserve a country that isn't at war, and "we are here to support them in building a roadmap to a peaceful future". Mullah Mohammad Daud, a member of the Taliban's political office in Qatar who is attending the opening ceremony of the negotiations, says he is happy about the start of the talks, adding that "war is not good". Before heading to Doha, Abdullah, said: "This is a historic day. I am hopeful that the talks could lead to ending the war and restoring lasting peace in Afghanistan." Acting Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar said a ceasefire will be the first topic in the talks. "We hope that consensus is also built among the Taliban regarding peace," he added. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Abbie Biggane lost out on the teaching course she wanted A devastated student who lost out on her dream course of primary school teaching feels those who applied for places with Leaving Cert points from previous years "have been truly left behind". Abbie Biggane (19) from Charleville, Co Cork, only received an offer for her eighth CAO choice after points surged on the back of the highest Leaving Cert results in history. She had hoped to study teaching at St Patrick's College or Marino College in Dublin. Abbie had also put down deposits for accommodation in Dublin, so will now potentially lose out on 900. "I don't know what I'm going to do because teaching is what I really wanted, nursing was only a back-up option," she said. "The reason I am so disappointed is I had a very complicated Leaving Cert experience last year. "A month before I sat my exams my family found out that my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic cancer in her brain. "It was a very sudden shock to receive and obviously it was very hard to come to terms with this news. "However, while my mum was receiving treatment, I continued to study for my exams not realising she had not long to live." On the day she started maths paper 1, Abbie found out that she only had a few hours left with her mother. "This was the most horrific thing that happened to me in my whole life," she said. She was only given three days off before she had to return to complete the rest of her exams. "I missed five exams which left me in a position where I had to travel to Athlone a month later to complete these five. "Following this, I received 467 points which I was over the moon about considering everything I went through during this time. "I genuinely did not think I'd even get 300 points," she added. Abbie decided it would be best to take a year out and try to come to terms with everything that happened following the tragic death of her mother. In January 2020, she re-applied with the CAO. "I had been very confident that I would receive a course in Dublin as I had over the points needed for both St Pat's and Marino based on previous years." Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 09:30:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The Capitol and a stop sign are seen in Washington D.C., the United States, on Feb. 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) BEIJING, Sept. 12 (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." Briefing With Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad On the Afghanistan Peace Negotiations Special Briefing Zalmay Khalilzad, Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Via Teleconference September 11, 2020 MS ORTAGUS: Thank you so much. Thank you, everyone, for joining. I apologize. I know that we gave you very last minute notice about this call, but as you can imagine, there are a number of scheduling issues that we have up in the air. And we wanted to make sure definitely get Zal with all of you to sort of set the stage for what to expect tomorrow in Doha. So it sounds like a actually good number of you were still able to dial in despite the despite the last minute notice, so thank you thank you so much for doing it. I think it's incredibly poignant that we're having the call this morning on the morning of 9/11. Probably like many of you, I've had my television on watching the day of remembrance and the names called. And it's just I think a reminder to all of us at the State Department how serious what we're doing is and how important it is to America's history on 9/11 and to our future. So just to remind everybody of a few housekeeping details: This call is on the record, but the contents of the call are embargoed until the end of the call. I know a number of you are going to have questions. And so just a reminder that you can even get in the queue now if you'd like by dialing one and then zero. However, we'd respectfully ask since we have I think we've got over 70 people on the call already. In order for us to get to as many of your colleagues as possible, if you could try to keep it to one question and to be succinct just so we can try to take as many questions as possible because Zal does have limited time. So on that note we're fortunate to have Ambassador Khalilzad today on the line to talk about the launch of the Afghanistan peace negotiations which will kick off in Doha tomorrow. And I think all of you saw that the President announced yesterday afternoon in his press conference that Secretary Pompeo is headed over. And he is in the air as we speak. As the Secretary has said, Afghans will soon be sitting at the table together to discuss how to deliver what the Afghan people are demanding: a reconciled Afghanistan with a government that reflects the country and that isn't at war. We know this is just the beginning of a long and challenging process, but we are pleased to have arrived at this historic moment and to have an agreement in place that ensures America is never again threatened by international terrorists from Afghan soil. I'm now going to turn it over to my dear friend Zal who I'm sure all of you are anxious to hear from. Zal, go ahead. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Well, thank you very much, Morgan. Good morning or good afternoon, everyone. I'm delighted to be with you. Tomorrow obviously as Morgan said is a momentous day for Afghanistan. For the first time in 40 years, Afghans will sit together, the government delegation that includes people who are not part of the government as well as four very distinguished women, civil society, political groups will be sitting with an authoritative Taliban delegation to discuss and hopefully come to an agreement on a political roadmap to end the protracted war that Afghanistan has had. The people of Afghanistan demand an end to the war. We support them in that effort. And this meeting tomorrow is one of the key requirements, a product of the U.S.-Taliban agreement which was signed on February 29th. That agreement had three other elements, one which is a timetable for phased and condition-based U.S. withdrawal of forces; two, a commitment by the Taliban that they will not allow terrorist groups, including al-Qaida, to threaten the United States, U.S. allies from the territories that they control and if they became part of a future government that commitment will continue; and the other key part was a comprehensive formal ceasefire. That will be one of the subjects of the negotiations between the two sides. On that day we also had a declaration joint declaration with the Afghan Government where the Afghan Government supported these elements that I described, meaning that Afghanistan, the territory that the government controls and a post-peace Afghanistan, would not allow terrorists such as al-Qaida to threaten the United States, and that and our allies, and that we expect to have a good and enduring relationship with Afghanistan. We also would like to clarify that these negotiations are an important achievement but that there are difficulties, significant challenges on the way to reaching agreement. This is a test for both sides, for the Taliban and the government. Can they reach an agreement despite differences, in terms of their visions for the future of Afghanistan? We are prepared to assist if our assistance is needed, but this is a new phase in the diplomacy for peace in Afghanistan. Now we are entering a process that is Afghan-owned and Afghan-led. There will be no mediator and no facilitator when Afghans meet with each other. They will be talking to each other. The secretariat of the conference will also be carried out, that function, by the Afghans from the two sides. And with that, I am I'd like to stop and to respond to your questions and to your comments. Thank you. MS ORTAGUS: Wonderful, thanks. Just a reminder to everybody, to dial 1 and 0 to get into the question queue. No surprise, first up in my queue is someone who's covered this for a long time: Kim Dozier, TIME Magazine. QUESTION: Thank you so much. Ambassador Khalilzad, can you tell us how the U.S. convinced the Afghan Government to release prisoners convicted of deadly attacks on Australian and on French citizens or troops, against Australian and French objections? And also a status update on Navy veteran Mark Frerichs kidnapped by the Taliban and missing American Paul Overby. Thanks. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: As thank you. As part of our agreement with the Taliban, there was a commitment to help release or exchange, actually up to 5,000 Taliban imprisoned from Afghan jails and Afghanistan has more than 13,000, or had more than 13,000 prisoners in Taliban prisons at that time and that the Taliban were going to release up to 1,000 Afghan Government prisoners. And clearly these prisoners that were held by the Afghan Government, some of them have committed violence against international forces that have been in Afghanistan, but the joint statement clarifies that as a confidence-building measure in order to achieve a great objective, which is start the peace process with the key part of which is intra-Afghan negotiations, that difficult decisions had to be made, and the release of prisoners was one such difficult decision. I know that none of us are happy about the release of prisoners that committed violence or against our forces, but we want to keep the big picture in mind, unhappy as we are. But we're hopeful that that step, the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, can lead to the end in the war and that Afghanistan never again becomes a threat to any of us. And I think that logic was compelling, and none of the countries that are concerned have made this as an issue that this will affect relations with Afghanistan. They don't like it, but at the same time they understand that this was an Afghan decision a decision that was difficult, but necessary, they felt in the end, to start intra-Afghan negotiation and to give peace a chance. MS ORTAGUS: Great, thank you. Thanks, Kim. We've got all the heavy hitters on the line today, Zal. We've got Elise Labott, who's now with SiriusXM, up next. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Hi. MS ORTAGUS: Elise? Elise Labott? QUESTION: Can you hear MS ORTAGUS: Got it. Yes, we can hear you now. QUESTION: Can you hear me? Oh, sorry. Thank you so much, Ambassador. Really appreciate you doing the call. I'd like to ask you about the assassination attempt on Amrullah Saleh, the vice president, the other day. And you've seen that these targeted killings have risen even though we've seen a drop in large-scale attacks. The government blames the violence on maybe not Taliban proper but all these military groups linked to the Taliban, and saying that the Taliban is serving kind of as an umbrella organization to use violence as leverage at the negotiating table. And I was wondering if you could kind of expand on this idea and what you think about even though the targeted attacks even though the large-scale attacks on civilians are dropping, they really are targeting a lot of officials. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Yeah, well, we've condemned the attack on Mr. Saleh, but there are spoilers who don't want the peace process to take place or to go forward, and there are people who prefer the status quo to a peace agreement. There are people who prefer the U.S. to remain entangled in a conflict in Afghanistan. And a number of players are bad and some are at war also not only with the government but they are at war with the Talibs as well. One such group is Daesh, and Daesh has been responsible for quite a lot of violence in Afghanistan and it does not want the peace process to go forward. The Talibs are fighting Daesh as well as the ISIS, as well as the Afghan Government, as well as the coalition forces. With regard to the specific attack against Mr. Saleh, we do not know who was at this point who did it or that it was a terrorist group or some internal faction. It's too early to tell. But generically I can say there a quite a number of players. If there is peace between the Taliban and the government, I think Afghanistan will be in a stronger position to deal with the smaller groups that are part of the reality of Afghanistan. And with the two at war, that provides an opportunity for a terrorist group such as Daesh. Thank you. QUESTION: So you don't believe that these groups are kind of that the Taliban is using these groups for leverage in the talks? You don't think that? AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: As I said, for example, one of the main groups that has been responsible for some of the most significant violence in Afghanistan, for example the attacks against the maternity hospital or some of the other attacks, has been the ISIS group in Afghanistan. And that's a group that the Talibs are fighting as well as they have done some of the heavy lifting in the fight against Daesh in Afghanistan, and the government is fighting it too. And so I as I said, we don't know about this specific attack, but there could be a number of different players or that one could MS ORTAGUS: Great. Okay, Zal, do we still have you? It sounded like it cut out for a second. Zal, do we still have you? Zal? I'm going to keep going with the questions and hope that he is on. Laura Seligman from Politico. Laura from Politico. Could we QUESTION: Hello. Thank you. Can you hear me? MS ORTAGUS: Great, go ahead. QUESTION: Yeah, I wanted to ask the ambassador if he would be willing to stay a few months under a potential Biden administration. (Break.) MS ORTAGUS: Zal? AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Yeah, I'm back on. MS ORTAGUS: Okay. You back on? Can you hear us? AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Yes. MS ORTAGUS: Okay. You had a question from Laura from Politico. Laura, would you like to ask it again? QUESTION: Sure, yeah. I just wanted to ask if the ambassador if he'd be willing to stay additional months if in the case of a presidential transition if a Biden administration comes in. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Well, that's premature to respond to that. I believe that we still have a couple of months. I'm hoping that the negotiations will make some progress, but a decision will have to be made after elections as to what happens. But I'm committed to staying at least until the elections. MS ORTAGUS: Okay, great. I want to apologize if I screw up the pronunciation of your name, but we have Muath M-u-a-t-h Alamri. QUESTION: Yes, Muath Alamri, no problem. Good morning, Ambassador and everybody. I have a question. According to the agreement with the Taliban, the U.S. should revoke some sanction on Taliban members. And now, do you think this it's time to revoke those sanctions? And if you could elaborate more about the challenges that you had faced when you dealt between the Afghan Government and Taliban. Thank you. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Well, the agreement has a specific timeline for when the reconsideration of sanctions on the Taliban begins, and that is when intra-Afghan negotiations get started. We are committed to the terms of the agreement, and the agreement also specifies the conditions, the start of which is the intra-Afghan negotiations. As to how to the challenges to get to this phase, of course the prisoners was one of the biggest challenges that was finally overcome, but there were others as well, but I would point to the prisoners as the principal challenge. MS ORTAGUS: Okay, thank you. I believe we have Peter Loewi up next in the queue. Peter Loewi. QUESTION: Yes, can you hear me? MS ORTAGUS: We can hear you. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Yes. QUESTION: Great, thank you, Ambassador. I was wondering about the role of the troop drawdown in the negotiations and how soon we expect to hear an announcement about that. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Well, as I mentioned before, the agreement with the Taliban and the joint declaration with the government has a condition-based phased reduction or withdrawal of our forces that not includes only U.S. but also coalition and NATO allies and we are right now in Phase 2. Phase 1 got us to 8,600. Phase 2 will get us to around 4,500 by the kind of mid-October to mid-November timeframe, and we are in that phase. Thank you. MS ORTAGUS: Okay. Up next, we've got Voice of America in the queue. Mirwis Rahmani. QUESTION: Yes, Mirwis Rahmani. MS ORTAGUS: Go ahead. QUESTION: Can you hear me? AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Yes. MS ORTAGUS: We can hear you. QUESTION: Yeah, thank you, Ambassador Khalilzad, for this call. I had a question about the rights of woman in Afghanistan. As you know, Taliban have been vague in their statements and comments regarding preserving these rights, and the U.S. as well has not been more vocal about preserving these rights during these peace talks. So my question is: Will the woman rights in Afghanistan be preserved during these peace talks? The question number two is: What guarantees Taliban has offered that they will sever their links with terrorist organizations? Thank you. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Thank you. On the women's rights, we support obviously women's rights. That's the second-most important issue for us after terrorism, and we encourage that women participate in the negotiations. And as I said, four women are part of the Islamic Republic negotiations team. I expect them to be fully prepared to defend their rights. The future of Afghanistan is obviously up to the Afghans to decide, but we would like to see an Afghanistan that's sovereign, that is unified, that's democratic. And the United States will decide its policies or its relations with Afghanistan based on the decisions and agreements that Afghanistan makes and the implementation of those agreements. With regard to your second question on Taliban commitments with regard to terrorism, they have made those commitments and our actions are linked, in terms of further reduction of forces, to the actions or the implementation of the commitments that they have made. And a key commitment that's of great is of great importance given that we are talking on this day which is the anniversary of 9/11 I myself personally was in the White House when the in a meeting in the Situation Room when the attacks of 9/11 became real, had a huge effect on our country, and personally on myself, on the trajectory of what I have done since then. And therefore, we do not want Afghanistan ever to become a platform to threaten the homeland like the one that we faced on that dastardly day. So that is obviously the most serious issue for us. We will take action as necessary that that objective that I described is achieved and is that achievement is maintained. Thank you. MS ORTAGUS: Thank you. So unfortunately, I have to call last question. I apologize, but I've got to get Zal on a call that starts at 11:00 that he's probably going to be late for. So one last question from Spencer Ackerman, Daily Beast. QUESTION: Hi. Thanks very much for doing this call. When you say this process will now be entirely Afghan-led no mediator, no facilitator, they'll be talking to us can you say a little about what ultimately the U.S. role during this phase will be and what, if anything, the Afghans have expressed to you about that is, the Afghan Government about what they want and don't want the U.S. role to be during this phase? AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Okay. We'll be prepared to help when our help is needed. We'll obviously be monitoring; we'll be engaging each side. And we are very good at obviously, that's one of our comparative advantages. We think all of the problems there can be a solution if the will is there. If bridging formulas are needed, then we'll have to think about it. We'll consider; we will help. But this is an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process, and if they don't need our help, that will be fine. That will be it will be encouraging, but this is important. It's important obviously for Afghanistan. It's important for the region; it's important for the world. It's important for the United States. So we are ready we are ready to help, but the process starts with Afghans talking to each other, and after the opening ceremony tomorrow the two teams will meet to decide on how they will proceed. And that's the way it ought to be and that's the way it's going to be hopefully. Thank you. MS ORTAGUS: Well, thanks, everybody. Again, apologies for the last-minute notice but I'm very glad that so many of you were able to be on the call, and you'll be hearing more from us soon. And thank you for your questions and for your time. Good-bye. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed implementation of the 2018 Maratha quota law of the state and referred the petitions challenging the law to a larger constitution bench Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said his government was firm on giving justice to the Marathas, and the option of issuing an ordinance to restore quota for students from the community has been discussed. The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed implementation of the 2018 Maratha quota law of the state and referred the petitions challenging the law to a larger constitution bench. Speaking at a meeting with representatives of Maratha organisations and a cabinet subcommittee on the issue, Thackeray said all the stakeholders should refrain from indulging in politics and provoking the members of the community. The chief minister also said he had spoken to NCP chief Sharad Pawar and discussed the possibility of helping Maratha students through the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research Training and Human Development Institute (Saarthi), or by promulgating an ordinance. SAARTHI has been established for research, policy advocacy, and training for socio economic and educational development of Marathas. "We will do whatever it takes to give justice to the Maratha community by taking all into confidence. Opposition leaders will also be invited for talks," he said. Legal experts and researchers on the Maratha issue were also present at the meeting through video conference. Thackeray said the Maratha quota bill was passed in the state legislature unanimously and was upheld by the Bombay High Court. The legal team representing the government in the Supreme Court had been appointed by the previous (BJP-led) government, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi would also be requested to intervene to resolve the issue, he added. The Maratha outfits which took part in the meeting extended support to the state government's efforts and assured cooperation, a statement by the chief minister's office said. 1 of 2 Rhea names Bollywood celebs Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet, Mukesh Chhabra and others in drug case A special court in Mumbai today rejected the bail plea of Rhea Chakraborty and other accused in the drug abuse case. Her legal team will be deciding on approaching the High Court next week after they receive the copy of the NDPS special court order. The Narcotics Control Bureau began an investigation and arrested Rhea, along with her brother Showik Chakraborty, Sushant's house manager Dipesh Sawant and a few drug peddlers in connection with the drug angle linked to Sushant's death. In the latest development in the drug-related angle, Rhea Chakraborty has reportedly confessed before the central probe agency that actress Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet, designer Simone Khambatta, Sushant's friend and former manager Rohini Iyer and filmmaker Mukesh Chhabra consumed narcotics substance. Earlier, sources claimed that during her interrogation with the NCB, Rhea 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 learned that they belong to the B-category of actors. Read More... A Rite Aid pharmacy in Somerville, Massachusetts. Reuters A former shift manager at a Rite Aid pharmacy in Pennsylvania said that she was fired from her job after she protected herself from a customer who refused to wear a mask and threatened to attack her, USA Today reported. Elena Santiago told the outlet that she argued with a young, male customer over wearing a mask in the store before he began "wrecking the store," prompting her to pull out a pocket knife and pepper spray. The former employee told USA Today that Rite Aid terminated her from the role for enforcing the mask requirement and carrying a pocket knife, which she had pointed at the man for protection. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A former shift manager at Rite Aid pharmacy said she was fired after protecting herself from an angry customer who refused to wear a mask and threatened to attack her, USA Today reported. Elena Santiago, 40, told the outlet she was working her shift at a Rite Aid pharmacy in York, Pennsylvania, when a male customer entered the store without wearing a mask, disobeying the state's mask mandate. Santiago told USA Today she asked the young man to put on a mask or leave the store. He refused and threatened to physically attack her if she contacted the police, according to the report. The man then shoved Santiago into a magazine rack, leaving her with bruises, USA Today reported. Santiago told the outlet when she called the police, the man turned towards her and she pointed a pocket knife and accidentally sprayed pepper spray at herself. A few days after, Santiago told the outlet she received a phone call from a Rite Aid human resources employee, who told her she was fired from her job because store employees weren't supposed to enforce the statewide mask mandate and she had violated the company policy for carrying a pocket knife at work. Rite Aid spokesman Chris Savarese told Insider in a statement that "For many reasons, we have a no tolerance policy specific to associates bringing weapons to our facilities and having weapons on person. The primary reason is to keep our associates, customers and communities safe, and to mitigate an escalation of any situation." Story continues He added that in this incident "the show and use of weapons by our associate created an escalation" and stated that "the incident is currently being investigated by the York City police department." USA Today reported that York City police confirmed the incident and stated it is under investigation. Retail employees have been at the center of tensions around face mask requirements implemented in wake of the pandemic. Scores of reports have described often violent interactions that retail employees are left vulnerable to, including incidents like a security guard at Family Dollar who was fatally shot by the family members of a customer who he barred from entry for not wearing a mask. Read the original article on Insider NEW DELHI: An international narcotic drug cartel was busted by the Delhi Police on Friday (September 12) with the seizure of 23 kilograms of fine quality heroin worth over Rs 90 crore. Five key members of the cartel were arrested including the kingpin of the whole operation. "A team of Special Cell/Southern Range has busted an international narcotic drug cartel by arresting its five key members. The team was led by Inspector Shiv Kumar and Inspector Karamvir Singh under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Attar Singh," the statement said. The key members arrested were Uday Kumar (30), Subodh Das (26) and Sanjeev Kumar (25) from Bihar, Nityanand (28) and Rahul Handique (30) from Assam. As per a statement from the Delhi Police, the cartel smuggled heroin in India from Myanmar via Manipur. Uday, Subodh and Sanjeev were arrested on the evening of September 8 from Outer Ring Road, near Mukundpur chowk. Twenty kilograms of heroin were recovered by them. The car had a cavity shaped like pipes underneath the running board of the car to conceal and transport the narcotic substances. Nityanand and Rahul were arrested on September 9 from the Ring Road T-point in Pragati Maidan and three kilograms of heroin, two from Nityanand and one from Rahul was recovered. Their car with a secret cavity behind the music system used for concealing the drugs was also seized from the duo. "A team of the Special Cell was working on information that an International narcotics cartel was active in the states of Manipur, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi. Members of this cartel were involved in receiving supply of heroin in Bokajan (Assam), which came from Myanmar through Manipur and further supplied this drug to various parts of the country. This information was painstakingly developed over four months through human surveillance. During this process, members of this cartel were identified and their activities were kept under discreet surveillance," the statement said. It further informed, "On September 8, the Special Cell team received information that three members of this cartel namely Uday, Subodh and Sanjeev had collected a big consignment of heroin from North-East India and would come near Mukundpur Chowk between 6 pm to 7 pm that night to deliver the supply of contraband to one of their contacts. A raiding party was constituted and a trap was laid in the area." "A vehicle stopped at about 6:15 pm and one occupant of the car, later identified as Uday Kumar, came with a back-pack bag out from the car and started to wait. After a five minutes wait, members of the police team surrounded Uday. On seeing this, two other occupants of the car, later on, identified as Subodh and Sanjeev, with back-pack bags exited the vehicle and attempted to escape but both were also nabbed by the police team," the statement added. The trio was searched and 20 kilograms of heroin was recovered. A case under the appropriate sections of law under the NDPS act was registered at PS Special Cell. As per the statement, the arrested persons disclosed that they had procured the supply of the heroin from one Nityanand of Assam in Delhi and that his associate driver, Rahul, had also accompanied them to Lucknow. "Nityanand and Rahul stopped in Lucknow to deliver another consignment of heroin and asked to meet them in Delhi with more heroin. In pursuant of disclosures of arrested persons, Nityanand and Rahul were nabbed near a bus stop at about 8:20 pm at the Ring Road-Bhairon Road T-point," it added. According to the statement, interrogation revealed that they were all members of a big international narcotic drug cartel run by Nityanand himself. "Nityanand stated that the recovered consignment of heroin was supplied to him by a notorious drug supplier in Manipur who had links with drug suppliers in Myanmar. He has also disclosed that there is widespread illegal cultivation of opium in bordering areas of Manipur, through which drug manufacturers prepare heroin. He also disclosed that the quality of heroin smuggled from Myanmar and Manipur was much superior to heroin produced in licitly cultivated opium areas in India like Bareilly, Badaun, Barabanki in UP, Mandsaur in MP and Jhalawar, Chittorgarh and Bhawani Mandi," it added. The Jammu and Kashmir police on Saturday claimed to have scuttled a bid to revive militancy in the union territory with the arrest of two overground workers of banned terror group Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen and recovery of a cache of arms and ammunition from them in Poonch district. The TuM planned to carry out targeted killings and explosions in the border district, the police said. The overground workers were arrested during an operation carried out jointly by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the local police and the Army along the Line of Control (LoC) in Mendhar sector, a police officer said. With their arrest, the TuM's plan to revive militancy by carrying out targeted killings and IED blasts has been foiled, he said. On the basis of specific information, the operation was launched to intercept the couriers of arms, ammunition and explosives along with other subversive material which was being smuggled from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the officer said. "The material was supposed to be carried from forward area to hinterland for subversive activities," he said. Three Chinese pistols with six magazines and 70 rounds, 11 hand grenades, a wireless set, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), two batteries, a mobile phone, a charger and a pen drive have been recovered from the arrested persons, the officer said. A case has been registered against the arrested duo and further investigation is underway, he said. Chinese officials believe a forced sale would make ByteDance, TikTok and China appear weak More than 100 million users in the U.S. hold accounts on the popular social media platform, TikTok. But that could come to an end this month if a deal is not inked between a U.S. company and the apps owners, China-based company, ByteDance. The TikTok logo is displayed outside a TikTok office on August 27, 2020 in Culver City, California. The Chinese-owned company is reportedly set to announce the sale of U.S. operations of its popular social media app in the coming weeks following threats of a shutdown by the Trump administration. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) The Chinese company would reportedly prefer to see the short video app shut down in the United States, three people with direct knowledge of the matter said on Friday, according to CNBC. ByteDance has been in talks to sell TikToks U.S. operations to potential buyers including Microsoft and Oracle. That came last month after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to ban the app if it was not sold. Read More: TikTok sues Trump over his pending order to ban its app Trump gave ByteDance a deadline of mid-September to finalize a deal. Chinese officials believe a forced sale would make both ByteDance and China appear weak as pressure from Washington builds, the sources said. ByteDance said in a statement to Reuters that the Chinese government had never suggested that it should shut down TikTok in the United States or in any other markets. Breaking: US President, Donald Trump has given a final deadline for TikTok to "shutdown or be sold" date is September 15. __________#FullFocusOnLaycon 2,886 ATM Tosin "FEM" #MyEricaMoments pic.twitter.com/WgvlQtbpAs Elevation News Today (@ElevationToday) September 11, 2020 Two of the sources said China was willing to use revisions it made to a technology exports list on Aug. 28 to delay any deal reached by ByteDance, if it had to. Story continues Zhao Lijian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said on Friday that the United States is abusing the concept of national security. He asked that the U.S. government stop oppressing foreign companies. Reuters reported that TikToks prospective buyers are looking at four ways to structure an acquisition from ByteDance. Within these, ByteDance could still push ahead with a sale of TikToks U.S. assets without approval from Chinas commerce ministry by selling them without key algorithms. Read More: Twitter and TikTok explore merger as Trump ban looms U.S. officials have criticised the apps security and privacy, suggesting that user data might be shared with Beijing. TikTok has said it would not comply with any request to share user data with the Chinese authorities. Beijing has said it firmly opposes Trumps executive orders and on Aug. 28 moved to give itself a say in the process, revising a list of technologies that will need Chinese government approval before they are exported. Experts said TikToks recommendation algorithm would fall under this list. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post China would rather see U.S. TikTok ban than stiff-armed sale appeared first on TheGrio. Trio chased down after Playa del Carmen robbery Playa del Carmen, Q.R. Three men were arrested for their alleged participation in the robbery of a business in the Mision del Carmen neighborhood. Authorities captured the trio after a chase when they attempted to flee at the sight of police. The arrest occurred during a surveillance operation when patrolling police noticed three subjects leaving a store on Colosio Avenue, who, upon noticing their presence, fled. Two of the men boarded a vehicle while the third fled on foot. A chase ensured. The man fleeing on foot pulled out a screwdriver and attempted to wound one of the officers. After ignoring warnings to lower his weapon and reaching into his pocket for another, a shot was fired, injuring the man in his leg. He was then taken into custody. Other officers were successful in capturing the two who fled in a vehicle. They too were captured along Avenida CTM and taken into custody. Paramedics arrived to tend to the injured man. The three were arrested and handed over to the Prosecutors Office. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 11:26:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- World Bank has approved a 130.8-million-U.S.-dollar grant for upgrading roads in refugee-hosting communities in northwestern Uganda, according to a statement of the bank issued on Friday. Approved on Thursday, the grant will ease the movement of goods and people and improve access to social services and job opportunities in the refugee hosting districts in the West Nile sub-region of Uganda. "The Uganda Roads and Bridges in the Refugee Hosting Districts Project will upgrade 105km Koboko-Yumbe-Moyo road from gravel to bitumen and strengthen the institutional capacity of the Uganda National Roads Authority to manage environmental, social, and road safety risks," the statement said. Tony Thompson, World Bank country manager, said the road project marks their re-engagement and strong support for the transport sector, a key development pillar in Uganda. "We expect it to bring economic and social benefits to both hosting communities and refugees and reduce the income disparities between West Nile and the rest of Uganda," he said. Uganda hosts the largest number of refugees in Africa and the third-largest in the world, according to bank figures. Enditem His approach is working. Yarbro expects to become a multimillionaire this year. In July, he made $265,000 from online ads, affiliate sales (the cut of a sale he gets when someone buys something he links to in his content) and fees from brand partnerships, he said. Yarbro said that many brands reach out to him, and he selects about three per month. In January of last year, he made $50 from affiliate sales. MORIA, Lesbos (AP) Some asylum-seekers on the Greek island of Lesbos moved into temporary tent housing Saturday, part of the thousands left homeless after fires destroyed the notoriously overcrowded Moria migrant camp. More than 100 people moved into the new camp built with UNHCR tents after first undergoing coronavirus tests. Over 12,000 people were left homeless after fires on Tuesday and Wednesday gutted the Moria camp in the midst of a coronavirus lockdown. Officials say the blazes were deliberately set by some camp residents who were angry at quarantine orders imposed after 35 people in Moria tested positive for COVID-19. Thousands have spent four nights sleeping in the open under improvised shelters of reed stalks, blankets and salvaged tents. The Moria camp was built to house around 2,750 but overcrowding led to more than 12,500 people living in squalor, and had been held up by critics as a symbol of the European Union's migration policy failings. Authorities flew in the new tents by helicopter to avoid protests by residents angered at the use of their island as a holding center for thousands of people from the Mideast, Africa and Asia arriving from nearby Turkey. The new camp has a capacity of around 3,000, although authorities have said they will provide housing for all left homeless. Plans to use a ferry as temporary accommodation for migrants have been stymied after local officials demanded to know how long the ship would be used. Some children among the first families to move into the new tent camp discovered a small beach nearby and were playing in the water. Earlier Saturday, many migrants held a mostly peaceful protest demanding to be allowed to leave the island, a gathering that also drew supporters with Black Lives Matter signs. We need peace & freedom. Moria kills all lives, read one. One scuffle with riot police broke out but was short-lived. Leaving the island would require bending EU rules, under which asylum-seekers reaching Greek islands must stay until they are either granted refugee status or deported back to Turkey. Story continues Authorities say none of the camps residents except for 406 unaccompanied minors will be allowed to leave Lesbos. Those teens and children were flown to the Greek mainland on Wednesday, and several European countries will take some of them in. Other countries have pledged assistance for a new camp to be built on Lesbos, a development that neither local residents nor the migrants want. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz underlined his hardline stance on migration in a Facebook video on Saturday. Some migrants have set alight and destroyed the Moria refugee camp on Lesbos to create pressure so that they can get from Lesbos to the European mainland, Kurz said. "If we give way to this pressure, we risk making the same mistake as in 2015. We risk people getting up false hopes and setting off for Greece, the smuggling business flourishing and once again countless people drowning in the Mediterranean. What we want to and will do is help on the spot, so that humane supply and accommodation is ensured," Kurz said. Human Rights Watch said the Moria fires highlight the failure of the European Unions hotspot approach." It demanded that European nations take responsibility to support asylum-seekers and that Greece make sure it respects human rights as it responds to the fire. Many asylum-seekers described life in Moria as being worse than much of what they had endured on their long, painful journeys toward a better life in Europe. While in Africa, we walked from 7 p.m. till 5 a.m. in the morning to avoid the heat and the police. That was hard. But being here, stuck, I think is worse, said Amados Iam, a 23-year-old from Mauritania. I didnt come all the way to stay here. (I) want to leave Greece. Iam arrived in Moria three months ago with his 19-year-old brother. Both have suffered severe stomach issues, and Iam said a doctor in Lesbos told them it was due to the poor living conditions, including bad quality water and food. The brothers left Mauritania in 2017, crossing North Africa on foot and then making their way by truck to Turkey. Drought had ruined their mothers farm, so Iam couldnt continue studying, and the brothers feared conscription or being killed by the armed groups coming in from Mali. All their paperwork had been completed but the brothers have heard nothing about the status of their asylum request, they said. Their intended destination is France or Belgium. ___ Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed. Ginger Zee has come out the other sideand is sharing her story to help others in her shoes. The ABC meteorologist has spent years in front of the camera, but in an Instagram post on Friday, Sept. 11, Zee reflected on something only she could see in herself. Referencing a photo of her younger self smiling in the WEYI-TV newsroom, Zee recalled the painful events that had taken place in her life shortly before the picture was taken. "This photo always breaks my heart," she wrote. "This was during my first real job on tv at WEYI. This wide, forced smile was not long after my second suicide attempt." She noted, "Of course no one at work knew. I was a master at hiding my mental health issues. Especially from myself." In honor of National Suicide Prevention Week, Zee candidly reflected on what might have changed the course of her actions. "I often wonder if there is anything I could go back and say to myself the morning I tried to take my own life," she shared. "I don't know if I would have been ready to hear it - I don't know if this message will help but I feel it is my duty to talk about it because I was lucky. Beyond the luck, I had the support and financial ability to get the help I needed to treat my mental health issues. Not everyone has that." Stars Who Speak Out on Mental Health In a tweet to a fan, she explained some of that treatment. "I checked myself into inpatient at Colombia ten days before I started my job at ABC," she said. "Wrote a book about the experience, the healing even since the transparency of my book has been immense. A decade of truly managing my mental health and I am full of gratitude." Now a mom of two, Zee encouraged anyone struggling or who knows someone who is to seek help. "If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, take it seriously. Act immediately," she urged in her Instagram message. "Don't be afraid to go to the hospital to get urgent help and they can get you to the right type of therapy or medication you may need. For parents and young folks @childmindinstitute has some great info and support." Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on September 11 said that a citizen of US nationality has been captured from the country's Falcon state, where he was allegedly plotting to cause an explosion at an oil complex. Maduro claimed that the captured individual was a marine who had served at CIA bases in Iraq and was caught with specialised weapons and a large amount of cash and other items. Maduro said that the arrest occurred a day after authorities foiled another explosion at El Palito refinery, where they "discovered and dismantled" an explosive. Read: Brazil Strips Off Maduro Officials' Diplomatic Status In A Show Of Support For Guaido US has reached a level of madness "A war of vengeance by the gringo empire (Trump administration) against Venezuela to prevent Venezuela from producing all petroleum derivatives: gasoline, etc. They have reached a level of madness, although God with us, who is against? We say from Venezuela. This spy has been captured, this plan was detected, this plan dismantled and we are 100% activated to guarantee the physical security of our strategic and oil facilities," Maduro was quoted as saying on the official website of the Venezuelan government. Read: Colombia Arrests 3 Venezuelans Tied To Anti-Maduro Plot Maduro, while addressing the leaders of the Youth of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, on the occasion of the 12th Anniversary, said that they have all the evidence, photographs and videos, of the "American spy" and that it was passed on to the Public Ministry. Maduro also called on the country's refinery workers to "reinforce all internal and external security measures for all processes" of the national oil industry. Venezuela has one of the largest reserves of oil in the world. Read: Opposition MP Leaves Embassy After Maduro Pardon The latest development comes months after Venezuelan security forces captured two former US soldiers, who were allegedly trying to enter the country to attempt a coup to overturn the heavily-sanctioned Maduro government. The two soldiers, Luke Alexander Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41, were sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of terrorism, conspiracy, and trafficking of weapons. US President Donald Trump resfuses to accept Maduro as the legitimate leader of Venezuela and backs his opponent Juan Guaido. Read: Venezuela President Maduro Pardons Dozens Of Political Opponents Ahead Of Elections Nora Dannehy, a federal prosecutor who was helping lead the investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe has resigned from the Justice Department. (AP) Washington: A federal prosecutor who was helping lead the investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe has resigned from the Justice Department, a spokesman said Friday. Nora Dannehy was a top prosecutor on a team led by US Attorney John Durham of Connecticut, who was appointed last year to lead an investigation into how the FBI and other federal agencies set out to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and whether the Trump campaign had coordinated with the Kremlin. A spokesman for the US Attorney's office in Connecticut confirmed Dannehy's departure, which was first reported by The Hartford Courant, but declined to comment further. Her departure could complicate the final stretch of an investigation already slowed by the coronavirus pandemic but eagerly anticipated by President Donald Trump and his supporters to uncover what they see as wrongdoing within the FBI. It leaves the investigative team without one of its veteran prosecutors as key decisions presumably await before the probe wraps up. Durham's appointment by Attorney General William Barr was made public soon after the release of special counsel Robert Mueller's report into Russian election interference. In the year and a half since, he has questioned former law enforcement and intelligence officials former CIA Director John Brennan among them about decisions made during the course of the Russia probe. The investigation has not yet produced the results that Trump supporters had been hoping for. There is also pressure to wrap up given that Justice Department policy frowns on investigative steps that could affect an election, though Barr has said that would not apply here since Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is not a target of the probe. It's also not clear that Durham's work would be permitted to continue if Trump loses in November and Democratic leadership assumes control at the Justice Department. Trump himself has indicated that he wants results soon, saying at a White House press conference on Thursday that Durham was a very, very respected man and that his work would involve a report or maybe it's much more than that. The investigation has produced one criminal charge so far, against a former FBI lawyer accused of doctoring an email related to the surveillance of a former Trump campaign aide. But that prosecution did not allege a broader conspiracy within the FBI, and the conduct it involved had largely been laid out in a Justice Department inspector general report from last December. It is not clear if Durham will be able to wrap up before the election, though Barr did not rule out the possibility of additional criminal charges. Many colleges and universities across the United States have opened again after the summer vacation. But the school year looks different than it ever has before. Schools are taking new actions to fight COVID-19 infections on campus. Such actions include moving suddenly between in-person and online learning, punishing students for attending parties and testing local wastewater for the virus. High infection rates force move to online classes The state of Arkansas Department of Health reports that the number of COVID-19 cases in the state among 18-to 24-year-olds rose by nearly 17 percent in the first week of September. Dr. Jose Romero is the states health secretary. He said, Were clearly seeing what we believe to be a reflection of those cases in colleges and universities. The number of active infections at the University of Arkansas main campus is close to 1,000. Most of those with the virus are students. The rise came days after the school moved to restrict on-campus events and off-campus parties. The school told students it would consider organizing or attending large gatherings without face coverings or social distancing to be a violation of student rules. In Tallahassee, Florida, officials at Florida State University tested more than 3,000 students and employees over a one-week period. Twenty-one percent of those tested were confirmed to have COVID-19. Shortly before the test period, pictures and videos of students attending parties had appeared on social media. In the images, the students do not appear to be following social distancing rules. Few are wearing face coverings. In a statement, university officials asked local businesses to help slow the spread of disease by restricting students from gathering in large groups. Another university in Florida, the University of Florida in Gainesville, is experiencing a similar infection rate. More than 21 percent of those who came to the student health center have tested positive for COVID-19. Some schools seeing rises in case numbers have temporarily moved classes online. On September 8, West Virginia University canceled in-person classes for undergraduates at the universitys main campus in Morgantown. The classes will be online through Sept. 25. Dr. Jeffrey Coben is the schools Associate Vice President of Health Affairs and dean of the School of Public Health. He said in a statement that the temporary stop of face-to-face teaching would give the school time to watch the increasing number of cases. He noted that recent parties were a likely cause for the rise in infections. He said, There is increasing evidence that crowded indoor gatherings, such as those that occurred over the weekend, can serve as super-spreader events. One small college in the state of Illinois, Bradley University, is requiring all of its students to quarantine for two weeks. Officials said that classes would also return to online learning for a short time. Testing wastewater from student housing In order to test a lot of students at once, many schools are studying the wastewater from student living spaces. The tests can show whether there is any sign of the virus among the people living in a given building. The school can then ask those students to quarantine for a period of time. Ryan Schmutz is a student at Utah State University. He recently received a text message from his school saying that COVID-19 had been found in his buildings wastewater. University workers quickly took him and other students to a COVID-19 testing center. Schmutz was then among 300 students who had to stay in their rooms for many days earlier this month. We didnt even know they were testing, the 18-year-old student said. It all really happened fast. Students sent home Back at West Virginia University, or WVU, 29 students were recently forced to leave school because of COVID-19 related charges. School officials say the students took actions that could have put other students health at risk. The university is considering taking other actions against the students, the WVU Today student newspaper reported. The 29 students received the order to leave the school after their organization held a party. The organization was not connected to the university. Members of the organization had been ordered to quarantine because of existing positive cases. The students received letters about not following school rules. They are no longer permitted to be on campus and they cannot take in-person or online classes, WVU Today reported. One of the strongest punishments against students happened earlier this month at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Eleven first-year students were sent home for gathering in a hotel room used for student housing. They were told they cannot return to school during the autumn term. The students and their parents are now fighting the severe penalty the students faced. University officials have said the students will not get their money back for the autumn term program they were taking part in, which costs $36,500. Im Jill Robbins. Jill Robbins and Greg Stachel adapted this story from reports in the Associated Press, West Virginia University Today, and Reuters. Ashley Thompson was the editor. For more information on words related to the coronavirus pandemic, please see this story: The Language of an International Health Crisis. Quiz - Universities Fight COVID-19 With Stronger Measures Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story campus - n. the area and buildings around a university, college or school reflection n. something that shows the effect, existence, or character of something else positive adj. showing the presence of a particular germ, condition, or substance super-spreader - adj. of an event. a gathering of people that results in many infections (of a person: someone who infects a higher-than normal number of others with a disease) undergraduate - n. a student at a college or university who has not yet earned a degree quarantine v. to keep (a person or animal) away from others to prevent a disease from spreading penalty n. punishment for breaking a rule or law What do you think of the actions the universities are taking to fight COVID-19? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. Raymond Wong, Input Youve likely read our review by now, but Input caught up with Microsofts chief product officer to discuss the companys new folding device. Panay discussed the Android-powered Surface Duo along with that Courier concept that didnt make the cut and some proclamations for the companys future beyond Windows. The New York Times With less than two months left before the US presidential election, youre not alone if youre concerned about the potential for inaccurate or delayed results. Several election experts spoke to The New York Times about the things theyre losing sleep over, ranging from cyberattacks to misinformation campaigns and ransomware. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic As my current and former colleagues post apocalyptic snapshots of California, a lot of their pictures dont accurately depict how orange the sky really is. Smartphone cameras have come a long way, but theyre not designed to showcase these hues. Thats because very basic things like white balance are thrown into chaos under conditions such as these. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 11:39:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- No new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported Friday across the Chinese mainland, the National Health Commission said Saturday. Meanwhile, six confirmed COVID-19 cases arriving from outside the mainland were reported -- two in Shanghai, two in Guangdong, and one each in Fujian and Shaanxi, the commission said in its daily report. One new suspected COVID-19 case was reported. No new deaths related to the disease were reported, the commission said. On Friday, nine COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery, the commission said. By the end of Friday, a total of 2,625 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Of them, 2,471 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 154 remained hospitalized, with one in severe condition. No deaths from the imported cases had been reported. As of Friday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland had reached 85,174. Altogether 80,386 people had been discharged after recovery, and 4,634 had died of the disease, the commission said. There was one suspected COVID-19 case on the mainland, while 6,800 close contacts were still under medical observation after 351 were discharged Friday, according to the commission. Also on Friday, eight new asymptomatic cases, all from outside the mainland, were reported, and one asymptomatic case was re-categorized as a confirmed one. The commission said 299 asymptomatic cases, including 298 from outside the mainland, were still under medical observation. By Friday, 4,925 confirmed cases including 99 deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), together with 46 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR and 498 cases including seven deaths in Taiwan. A total of 4,598 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR, 46 in the Macao SAR, and 475 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery. Enditem A woman from Michigan received a postcard in her mailbox which had been sent almost exactly 100 years ago. Brittany Keech from Belding, east of Grand Rapids said the message was completely unexpected and is now trying to find relatives of the intended recipient. The postcard had a George Washington stamp affixed in the top right hand corner and was postmarked October 29th, 1920 having been sent just before Halloween of that year, from Jamestown, Michigan. A postcard sent in October 1920 ended up in the mailbox of a woman from Michigan this week The card was suitably Halloween themed but never made its way to its intended recipient The front of the postcard depicts a witch together with a cat along with a goose and an owl and with a punny message, 'Halloween greetings. Witch would you rather be? A goose or a pumpkin head?' 'It was sitting right on top of the mail,' Keech told Fox 17. 'I start looking at it and I'm like, "ok it's been through some wear and tear,"' she said. The postcard was addressed to a Roy McQueen on Division Street and although the card looked old, the cursive handwriting written on the back of it was still legible: Dear Cousins, Hope this will find you all well. We are quite well but mother has awful lame knees. It is awful cold here. I just finished my history lesson and am going to bed pretty soon. My father is shaving and my mother is telling me your address. I will have to close for a night. Hope grandma and grandpa are well. Don't forget to write us - Roy get his pants fixed yet. Flossie Burgess The postcard was mailed with a 1 cent stamp just before Halloween 1920 Michigan resident Brittany Keech was baffled when she found a postcard dated October 29, 1920, in her mailbox this week Keech is now hoping that she will be able to track down descendants of the people for whom the message was intended. 'This might be something that their parents can say, "yea I remember when your great-great grandma would tell me stories."' So far, she has posted it to a Facebook group which celebrates local stories where it has received more than a hundred comments. If the present-day family cannot be found, she says that she may offer it to the local museum in Belding. One member of the community, Robby Peters, 33, from Grand Rapids has already begun the search to find relatives. Genealogists have confirmed the card was delivered to the address where Keech now lives which had been the home to Roy McQueen and Nora Murdoch in the 1920s 'I do some genealogy research as a hobby,' said Peters to the Washington Post. 'I started helping my own family, and I kind of caught the bug after that.' Peters discovered a Roy McQueen in the 1920 census who lived at the same address where Keech now resides with her husband and two children. McQueen, who was originally from Canada and moved to the United States in 1887, was married to a Nora Murdock and was the manager of a produce company. The likely author of the postcard is Florence 'Flossie' Burgess, the daughter of Nora Murdock's sister, according to Peters. 'I found census records, death records and marriage records,' he explained. 'The postcard contained a couple of names and it had a destination, so I had an idea of where to start searching.' 'I built a family tree,' Peters said. 'It doesn't look like Roy and Nora had children, and Flossie seems to have remained unmarried, so there are no direct descendants.' Keech is hoping to track down a living relative or will otherwise donate the card to a museum Another woman, Sheryl Ackerman, also became obsessed with finding the family. What she found tallies with Peters however she has managed to find a living relative - a grandniece of Roy and Nora whom she then put in touch with Keech. 'I've been speaking with the possible relative and she is very interested in having the postcard,' said Keech. 'We're talking about setting up a time to meet at some point.' Although the Post Office has not explained the reason for the delay, one theory that was suggested is that card may have posted more recently. 'In most cases these incidents do not involve mail that had been lost in our network and later found. 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. The end result is what we do best as long as there is a deliverable address and postage, the card or letter gets delivered,' the USPS wrote in statement. Another possible explanation is that the postcard actually became stuck and lodged behind some post office machinery and only became freed after a recent refurbishment in an old post office. The toll in lost lives from the coronavirus pandemic continues to grow across Nebraska. The number of Nebraskans who died from COVID-19 rose to 440 this week, according to data compiled by the New York Times. (The Times numbers are more up to date than the official totals recorded by the State of Nebraska.) In just the last two weeks, the toll has grown by 46 people 16 reported on Wednesday alone, according to the Times data. That is Nebraskas single worst day of reported results during the entire pandemic. Most of the deaths in that time are in Douglas and Sarpy Counties: 25. On Friday, the Douglas County Health Department reported the death of a woman in her 20s with no known health complications. But 15 other counties across Nebraska also reported deaths over the last couple of weeks. Dr. Bob Rauner, president of Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln, said he believes that cases and deaths will start hitting rural populations more after this summers infections tended to affect younger people. Overall, Nebraskas count of new cases appears to be increasing slightly and remaining at a high level. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on September 11 launched the 'YSR Aasara' programme aimed at "empowering women economically and socially". Under the YSR Aasara scheme, Andhra Pradesh government will reimburse outstanding bank loans of self-help groups as on April 11, 2019, in four instalments. "As promised in the election manifesto, the Chief Minister has launched the YSR Aasara scheme. Out of the total outstanding dues of Rs 27,168 crore, the first instalment of Rs 6,792 crore has been deposited in the bank accounts of 8.71 lakh SHGs, benefiting over 87 lakh women across the state," the chief minister's office said. As promised in the election manifesto, Hon'ble CM @ysjagan has launched #YSRAasara; out of the total outstanding dues worth Rs. 27168 Cr, first installment of Rs 6792 Cr has been deposited in the bank accounts of 8.71 lakh SHGs, benefiting over 87 lakh women across the state. pic.twitter.com/fTN3gRdX5N CMO Andhra Pradesh (@AndhraPradeshCM) September 11, 2020 YSR Aasara is a part of the YSR Congress' so-called Navaratna welfare schemes."The beneficiaries will have full freedom on how they would like to utilise the amount and there are no restrictions or compulsions," the release stated. Interacting with the beneficiaries, Reddy said that the state government was prioritising women empowerment and all the welfare programs. "Our government is extending all financial benefits to women as we are sure they will make proper use of the money for the welfare of their families," an ANI report quoted the Chief Minister as saying. In February 2020, Reddy had launched 'Jagananna Vasthi Deevena' scheme under which financial assistance of Rs 2,300 crore is to be provided to meet the hostel and mess expenses of students pursuing post-intermediate courses. In all, 11,87,904 ITI, polytechnic, under-graduate and post-graduate students will benefit from the scheme, the CM's office said. A sum of Rs 2,300 crore will be distributed to students in two instalments, in February and July of every year and credited directly into the bank accounts of the students' mothers. Getting away with murder View(s): The chairman of the ruling party told the media this week that the Government has no issue with the Opposition going before the Supreme Court to test the legality of the proposed 20th Amendment (20A) to the Constitution. The law professor turned politician rests his argument on the Attorney General giving his opinion that 20A only needed a two-thirds majority of Parliament, which the Government boasts it has. Coinciding with that claim, a court in Hulftsdorp rejected the AGs submissions that a Member of Parliament convicted of murder by a competent court of law cannot take his seat in the National Legislature. Every student of law, leave alone a professor, knows that the AGs opinion is not always the last word in law. The 20A is attracting some heavy artillery for its sweeping constitutional reforms that will reverse the advances that paved the way for an Executive Presidency with a human face at least as a sop to returning to Parliament the driving seat of government. The ruling party chairman was once the champion of abolishing the Executive Presidency. So much so, he wrote to this newspaper on November 20, 1994 saying; Today, sixteen years after its introduction, a consensus is emerging across the political spectrum that the parliamentary executive model must be re-introduced. The Peoples Alliance Government has received an overwhelming mandate at both parliamentary and presidential elections for the abolition of the Executive Presidency. So much for overwhelming mandates. He even fixed a date by which this abolition would be implemented June 15, 1995 to be precise, twenty five years ago. There are no better advocates of a strong Executive Presidency through the 20A today than these political chameleons. It just depends on which side of the political fence they occupy and which of the forked tongues they choose to use. Meanwhile, the murder convict sitting in Parliament is a rather inauspicious start for a new Government that is hoping to propagate a Saubhagya Dhakma as enunciated in the Presidents Policy Statement. The international media have started mocking Sri Lankan democracy at work. Whether a convicted winning candidate could take his seat in the National Legislature was a hot potato. Eventually the hot potato fell back on the lap of the Speaker. He was told the elected candidate can take his oath as an MP with the caveat that whether he can speak in the House being a decision for the Speaker. With the old saying being that only the Speaker doesnt speak in Parliament, if a murder convict is permitted to sit in Parliament, at least let him speak. The issue here is not legal or constitutional, but a moral and political one. The MP was best asked to wait and see if he gets acquitted in appeal even if it takes some time. The former Army commander now MP has referred to his own disqualification to sit as an MP after a conviction by a court of law. He was an Opposition MP then. In 1982 the Tamil United Liberation Front nominated Selvaraj Yogachandran alias Kuttimani who was convicted of murder under the PTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) following a bank robbery to Parliament but he was not permitted to sit in Parliament. It seems you can get away with murder these days but only provided you are from the ruling party, and you have that overwhelming mandate of the people. A Great Escape The near miss catastrophe of the burning oil tanker off the countrys southeast seas should come as an early warning signal to the concerned authorities. There was a veneer of calm on the surface but behind the scenes it was anything but, as the vessel turned into a time bomb that could have exploded, broken in two and capsized causing irreparable damage to Sri Lankas marine life, eco-systems, its lagoons and enclosed waterbeds, its tourism and the economy. Fortunately, the bomb did not go off. Sri Lankas acute deficiency in handling such a crisis a super tanker carrying 170,000 gallons of diesel and millions of gallons of crude oil catching fire in Sri Lankan waters with the possibility of causing a massive oil spill, was clear as the Indian Ocean waters. In the surprising absence of a contingency plan to deal with such accidents, it took a week for the authorities to get their act together and eventually fall back on having to ask India for help. Despite all the brouhaha about Sri Lanka being of such geo-political significance in the world of shipping, and a maritime hub, it had to SOS the Indian Coast Guard. The tanker crippled at sea for days with a fire on deck and the seepage of oil into the water was waved off with an official version saying it was stable at sea and that the oil patch floating in the water was controlled by dropping chemicals. Behind the scenes, other dramas were being played out. Insurance claims were being worked out, salvage operations were being planned. There was money to be made from the stricken vessel. The vessel remains in Sri Lankan waters despite pleas to get it towed as far away as possible to minimise effects of any potential oil spill. The haggling is about the compensation claims that could be made. Sri Lanka has an Exclusive Economic Zone beyond its territorial waters and many argued on implementing the anticipatory self-defence principles to dump the vessel in the Bay of Bengal or even far away Antarctica for that matter, but not anywhere near this countrys shores. The oil was not ours, anyway and it neednt end up washed ashore. The lessons from the oil spill in Mauritius in July when some 1,000 tons of fuel oil leaked into the waters devastating the picturesque island and the delays in handling that crisis had to be learnt. The compensation has been a pittance. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) set up for such emergencies seems to have been of little help. Inter-agency arguments did not help. The Navy flexed its muscle to dictate terms, the MEPA (Maritime Environment Protection Agency) played a secondary role and the Merchant Shipping folk who are more familiar with big vessels like the oil tanker were sidelined. MEPA has now confirmed that environmental damage has in fact been caused by a leakage of oil into the waters. There has been however no calamitous disaster at sea so far and it will now be the mopping up operations and paper work to deal with unless something unforeseen occurs. It is also a reminder that if the Easter Sunday bombings were an act of negligence and dereliction of duty, that post-disaster Presidential Commissions are only post-mortems. Sri Lanka will have to come up to speed to manage such accidents occurring in its waters and beyond, in the future. Thomas Jefferson; Tom Cotton Thomas Jefferson and Sen. Tom Cotton Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images With both parties' conventions behind us as we head into a quasi-apocalyptic election, there's more need than ever for a sense of balance. Not the kind of false balance that equates truth with lies, or soothing psychological balance that lulls us with a false sense of security, but rather a balanced sense of history and political possibility that helps us understand where we're going, and why. Understanding America's real history is particularly important, as shown in Nathan Kalmoe's new book, " With Ballots and Bullets: Partisanship and Violence in the American Civil War ," as discussed in our recent interview . But there was another time, long before the Civil War, when America threatened to come apart and believe it or not, it was New England, not the South, that threatened to secede. That largely forgotten episode was entwined with a longer forgotten history: How religious freedom, once it was established in the U.S. Constitution, finally triumphed over theocracy in the intransigent state of Connecticut (as implausible as that may sound today). That story is told in a new book by author and researcher Chris Rodda, " From Theocracy to Religious Liberty ," which uses contemporary sources to trace the narrative that led from Thomas Jefferson's famous 1802 letter to the Baptists of Danbury, Connecticut , to a state constitution that enshrined religious liberty. What a story it is! It's a tale of two clashing partisan identities that's strikingly similar to our world today, especially as Rodda describes the "Party of God," circa 1800: The Federalists, like today's Republicans, were the conservatives, the party that believed the rich should rule, feared that more people being able to vote would put them out of power, regarded immigrants with contempt, and hypocritically boasted of having "all the religion." The Federalist clergy, like the right-wing clergy of today, were outspokenly political, preaching that it was a religious duty to vote for Federalists. Story continues The Federalists may not have had social media in the contemporary sense, but they definitely had viral memes, vicious rumors and conspiracy theories, often ruthlessly spread by the men in the pulpits of the largest and most powerful churches. Of course, they had voter suppression laws too. Arguably they had far more in common with us than contemporary Americans have with our own recent history at least back when we still had the FCC's "fairness doctrine" ensuring some degree of balance in major media. So the story of how Connecticut moved from a colonial-era theocracy to a modern pluralistic democracy is more than a historical curiosity. It's a source of inspiration and instruction for all of us in the midst of our own very dark time. There is light ahead, if we make it so. It's been done before. For a sense of its whole sweep, Salon interviewed Rodda by email. Our exchange has been lightly edited. Thomas Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists is famous for the phrase "wall of separation between church and state," but while that wall existed at the national level, it didn't exist at the state level in Connecticut, which was a theocracy ruled by the Federalist Party. What did this look like at the local level? How did religion and politics intermix? Religion and politics were completely intertwined. As the Danbury Baptists wrote to Jefferson, "religion is considered as the first object of legislation." The ruling Federalist party and the established clergy operated as one big machine. The clergy were financially supported by the Federalist government, and in return the clergy preached that it was a religious duty to keep the Federalists in power, and also attended their towns' elections to deter anyone from voting against this "standing order" of Congregational Federalists. The established religion was a combination of Congregationalism and Presbyterianism called the Saybrook Platform, named for the town of Saybrook where, acting on an order from the legislature in 1708, the colony's Congregationalists and Presbyterians held a synod to form one church system for the colony. Everyone in the state was assumed to be a member of this established religion, and taxed to support it, unless they filed a certificate with the clerk of their town's established church to be able to join a dissenting church. In their letter to Jefferson the Danbury Baptists described this as degrading. It marked the dissenters as second-class citizens. To give you an idea of the effect of this certificate law, when Connecticut finally held a constitutional convention in 1818, one of the delegates recalled that as a boy it was the cause of many bloody noses, with kids from the established church teasing the kids whose families had "certificated off," as it was called. How did the Federalists describe themselves, and how did the Republicans criticize them? The Federalists sounded a lot like today's Republicans. They boasted of having all the religion, and were the party of law and order. The Democratic-Republicans, who I'll just call Democrats since that's what the Federalists called them, constantly called out the Federalists as hypocrites, liars and conspiracy theorists, which were all well-founded charges. What argument did the Federalists make to attempt to maintain their power? The Federalists, again not unlike today's Republicans, used a combination of fear-mongering and history. Their theocratic form of government was how things had always been, and to change anything instituted by their wise and pious forefathers would lead to all manner of vice and chaos. If, God forbid, the Democrats ever got into power, all religion would be abolished, and even the institution of marriage would be abandoned. It would be just like the French Revolution's reign of terror. There would be blood in the streets, Bibles would be burned, churches leveled to the ground, and the clergy driven from their pulpits or even killed. Just think of Trump talking about Democratic mobs destroying America's history and you'll have an idea of the tone of it. In fact, a Republican senator, Tom Cotton, recently said of today's Democrats on the Senate floor, "They've adopted the spirit of a Jacobin mob in the French Revolution. A reign of terror, trying to completely erase our culture and our history. Unfortunately many Democrats are vying to be the Robespierre for this Jacobin mob. Are we going to rename the Washington National Cathedral the Temple of Reason, as the Jacobins did to Notre Dame during the French Revolution?" Those words could have come straight out of a Federalist newspaper in early 1800s Connecticut. Power was even more concentrated at the state level, where there was no separation of powers. How did that work? Unlike the other states, with the exception of Rhode Island, Connecticut had not written a state constitution at the time of the Revolutionary War. Instead it retained its 1662 charter from King Charles II, and the laws made under the charter, as its form of government. As things were, a 12-member council was both the state senate and its highest court, and also appointed judges. So there was no separation of powers between the legislative and judicial powers. The governor had no veto power, so there was no check on the legislature by the executive. And the governor also presided over the high court, leaving no separation of powers between the executive and judicial branches. The council, in effect, held all the power. With a majority of seven council members having the sole power to approve or disapprove any act passed by the lower house, and election laws making it impossible for any non-Federalist to get elected to the council, seven Federalist lawyers perpetually ruled the state. The election law was quite restrictive, and was made more restrictive after Thomas Jefferson won the presidential election of 1800, with what was known as the "Stand Up Law." How did that work, and what was its purpose? The election of Jefferson, and the organization of a Democratic-Republican party in Connecticut, threatened the Federalists' power in the state. So in 1801 the Federalist-controlled legislature passed a law to intimidate Democratic-Republican voters. It was known as the Stand Up Law, which was exactly what it sounds like. Voters literally had to stand up and be counted when the names of the candidates they wanted to vote for were called. Anyone who was brave enough to stand up for a Democratic-Republican candidate would be publicly known to their neighbors, and the ever-present clergy, as a disorganizer, and faced being shunned by their community. Prior to the 1800 election, the Federalists had warned that if Jefferson won, religion would be destroyed. Once he was elected, that didn't happen, but Federalists never stopped making that argument. How did they keep it alive? They were always on the lookout for new "evidence" that there was a plot to destroy religion. The Federalists were very fond of plots. Sometimes an event would happen that they would spin as proof of this plot against religion. For example, in 1804, when Jefferson was running for re-election, a meeting house in Lebanon, Connecticut, was torn down by a mob. There it was proof that their prediction of churches being torn down if Jefferson were president had been true. As it turned out, the tearing down of this meeting house had nothing to do with Jefferson's Democrats. It was a dispute among the members of the church's congregation over whether or not their rundown old meeting house should be repaired or torn down and replaced, and one faction of the congregation went ahead and tore it down. But the facts of the story didn't stand in the way of the Federalists using it as evidence of the plot against religion. They'd also discover new evidence of Jefferson's irreligious nature from time to time, such as reports of his traveling on the Sabbath. Anything, or sometimes nothing, was enough to revive their cry that religion was in danger. Like Republicans today, Federalists repeatedly relied on fake news, unverified rumors and conspiracy theories, many tied to France. One early example you discuss was the rumored rebellion in Kentucky in 1803. What was that about? That rumor was started in the Federalist papers in New York, one of them the paper founded by Alexander Hamilton in the wake of Jefferson's election, and spread throughout the country. The basic story was that Kentucky had raised a militia force of 15,000 or 20,000, depending on which paper you were reading and was in rebellion against the government of the United States and preparing to march on New Orleans. The reason for this alleged rebellion was that France had taken access to the port of New Orleans away from the Americans, and the federal government hadn't done anything about it. What political purposes did that serve? The Federalists had wanted to go to war with France for years, and ate this story up because they saw it as a reason for war with France. Although Spain had ceded Louisiana back to France in 1801, France was slow to take control of the territory, and it was actually Spain that had revoked America's rights, but the Federalists didn't know this. There were also Federalists who wanted New England to separate from the Democratic western and southern states, so they liked this story for that reason. Kentucky being in rebellion against the United States was a fine reason for a civil war. How was that resolved? The restoration of America's access to New Orleans was obtained diplomatically by the Jefferson administration, and not long after this the Louisiana Purchase took place, which was the last thing the Federalists wanted. In 1804, the Democratic-Republicans focused attention on the need for a state constitution in Connecticut, which became the principal issue in that year's election. How did the Federalists respond and what was the result? The Democratic-Republicans had been calling for a constitution since 1801, when they held the first of what would be a number of large annual festivals. In 1804, they called a convention with delegates from 97 towns to prepare for a constitutional convention. The convention issued an address to the people of Connecticut detailing all the reasons that the state needed a constitution. There were quite a few reasons, but the biggest ones were the separation of powers, expanding suffrage, and of course religious freedom. In response, Federalist council member David Daggett anonymously published and widely distributed a pamphlet titled "Count the Cost." Daggett started off this pamphlet by lying, saying he didn't hold any office and was just an interested citizen. Daggett argued that the charter of Charles II was a constitution, and that to say Connecticut had no constitution was "a gross absurdity." Much of the fear-mongering pamphlet was spent equating the Democrats to the revolutionaries in France, claiming that the call for a constitution was "entirely in a spirit of Jacobinism," that the goal of the Democrats was to abolish all religion, and that they would follow the course of France, which also started with holding a convention. As ridiculous as his arguments were, Daggett's pamphlet worked, and the Democrats did worse than usual in the election that took place shortly after the pamphlet came out. In 1805, Democratic-Republican state manager Alexander Wolcott sent a circular letter to the party's county managers about voter mobilization essentially what we would now describe as voter registration and "get out the vote." How did the Federalists respond, and what does this tell us about them? Here we have yet another parallel to today's Republicans. The Federalists accused the Democratic-Republicans of trying to rig the election. They were afraid that more men voting might put them out of power. That's also why they opposed expanded suffrage. They wanted to keep voting restricted to those who met property qualifications their people, not the riffraff who would vote them out of power. In 1806, you note the impact of an Federalist pamphlet titled "The Sixth of August," which compared the Democratic-Republicans to the French Jacobins. In the same year, you note that a theme emerged in Democratic-Republican papers questioning what principles the Federalists actually stood for, "other than religion and being against anything Republican." How were the state's politics changing? The "Sixth of August" pamphlet was named for the festival the Democratic-Republicans held that year in the heavily Federalist town of Litchfield. They picked that town because the editor of a Democratic-Republican paper was in jail there at the time for libel against a Federalist county magistrate after printing that this magistrate had attempted to intimidate a voter at the last election. This pamphlet equated the Democrats to the French by listing all the festivals the Democrats had held because you know who else had festivals? The French! And yes, the Democrats started to question exactly what the political principles were. While the Democrats had a clear stated platform, the Federalists agenda was just to stay in power by attacking the Democrats and making people afraid of them. And there's yet another parallel to today's Republicans: The Republican National Convention this year put out no platform, and their entire strategy seems to consist of attacking the Democrats and making people afraid of them. Like today's Republicans, the Federalists constantly told the people how great and prosperous things had been under their rule, and of course boasted of how religious they were and claimed that the Democrats were against religion. Watching the RNC was really like watching history repeat itself. In 1811, Episcopalians in Connecticut voted Democratic-Republican for the first time. Why was that so significant and how did it come about? The Episcopalians, although technically religious dissenters, had always largely voted Federalist. They were considered more respectable than the other dissenters, and were treated somewhat better by the Federalists than the Baptists and Methodists were. But the Federalists wouldn't give them everything they wanted: In particular, the Federalist legislature wouldn't let them incorporate a college despite repeated requests. As far as the Federalists were concerned, the Congregationalist Yale College was going to be the only college in the state. In spite of this, Episcopalians continued to vote Federalist. But in 1811, the Democratic-Republicans chose an Episcopalian as their candidate for lieutenant governor. So, for this one year, the Episcopalians voted with them. If it hadn't been for the War of 1812, this change might have continued, but in 1812 the Episcopalians went back to voting Federalist. But the 1811 election did show the Democrats that with the right candidates they could bring this significant minority over to their side. The War of 1812 overshadowed everything else in Connecticut for the next several years, with the Federalists so strongly opposed to the war that they threatened secession. How did they justify that? As weird as it might seem, only 30 years after the Revolutionary War, the Federalists had become very pro-British. They opposed the War of 1812, and declared it unconstitutional. Some even wanted New England to secede from the United States and form a separate peace with England. So what did they do? The Federalist clergy played a big role at this time. What needs to be understood here is the reach the New England Federalist clergy had. They didn't just preach sermons to their congregations that went no further than that. There were some who were nationally known, like a Pat Robertson or other televangelist might be today. Their sermons were published and widely read. They had always preached against the Democrats and spread lies and conspiracy theories, but they totally outdid themselves with their pro-British sermons during the War of 1812. Words like "treason" and "sedition" were often seen in the Democratic papers to describe these sermons. In fact, there was one that was so pro-British that it was reprinted in Canada and recommended to ministers there to imitate as an "unparalleled" example of British patriotism. But the biggest and most outrageous thing the Federalists did was to hold the infamous Hartford Convention. In 1814, the legislature of Massachusetts called for the New England states to hold a convention in Hartford that December to confer about their grievances and discuss measures to possibly call a convention of all the states to amend the U.S. Constitution. The legislatures of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island officially sent delegates to this convention, and while the legislatures of Vermont and New Hampshire didn't officially send delegates, a few Federalist towns in those states sent their own delegates. The convention was considered an act of treason and rebellion by the Democrats, and with a good number of the delegates being known to want a separation of the states, there was speculation that the convention could spark a civil war. The convention rose in January 1815. It did not call for a separation of the states, but resolved to propose a number of constitutional amendments, and that if the federal government didn't concede to their demands, they would reconvene in June in Boston to discuss further measures. Commissioners were sent to Washington from Connecticut and Massachusetts, but by the time they got there the news that the Treaty of Ghent had been negotiated had reached America, and the war was over. So that was that. What were the consequences of this flirtation with secession? The stain of the Hartford Convention on the Federalist party, not just in New England but throughout the country, was really the end for the Federalists, although they hung on for a bit longer in New England. The last time they ran a candidate for president was in 1816 and they lost by a landslide, with Federalist Rufus King getting only 34 electoral votes to James Monroe's 183. After the war, the dynamic that had begun in 1811 with Episcopalians shifting their support to the Democratic-Republicans returned full force, electing a non-Congregationalist to statewide office in Connecticut for the first time. What went into this victory? A few things happened in 1815 and 1816 that turned the Episcopalians away from the Federalists. The first was the Phoenix bank. In 1814, a group made up largely of Episcopalian backers petitioned the legislature to charter a new bank in Hartford, and as was the practice at the time, the bank's backers would pay for the privilege of being granted a charter. For the Phoenix Bank the amount of this "bonus," as it was called, was $50,000. This money would then be appropriated by the legislature, and it was understood by the Episcopalians that $20,000 of it would be appropriated to their Bishop's Fund. But in 1815, the legislature voted against this, although giving Yale College's medical school got its share. In 1816, Connecticut's Democratic-Republicans rebranded themselves as the Toleration Party. The Democrats met with the Episcopalians, and out of that meeting came a highly unusual ticket for governor and lieutenant governor, consisting of an ex-Federalist for governor, and an Episcopalian Federalist who was a friend to religious freedom for lieutenant governor. Their lieutenant governor candidate won, becoming the first non-Congregationalist to be elected to one of the state's two highest offices. Also in 1816, the legislature passed what was known as the Appropriation Act. At the end of the War of 1812, the federal government owed the state governments money for their military expenditures during the war. Connecticut claimed it was owed $145,000, and appropriated it to be divided among all the religious denominations. This was seen by the dissenting denominations, including the Episcopalians, as nothing more than an attempt by the Federalists to buy their votes, and just strengthened support for the Toleration Party, which now consisted of the Democratic-Republicans, religious dissenters of all stripes, and many disaffected Federalists. In 1817, the Democratic-Republicans' candidates for both governor and lieutenant governor won, and the Democrats also won a majority in the House of Representatives for the first time. It was at this point that Thomas Jefferson wrote to John Adams, "I join you therefore in sincere congratulations that this den of the priesthood is at length broken up, and that a protestant popedom is no longer to disgrace the American history and character." So how did this finally bring about religious freedom and equality? The Democrats still had to get control of the state's governing council, which they did in the next election. In 1818, with the entire government in Democratic-Republican hands, the legislature proposed a constitutional convention, which convened in August. In October the people of Connecticut voted on their constitution, and although the vote was close, it was ratified, and the state finally had religious liberty. What lessons for our own time can we learn from this prolonged and almost entirely forgotten struggle? Well, you can see from the newspapers of the time how divided the people were, and how vicious the attacks were, and there are just so many parallels to what's happening right now. The party in power would do anything to hold on to that power, using fear-mongering, conspiracy theories, outright lies and, of course, religion to hang onto their base. But eventually part of that base defected the Episcopalians and the disaffected Federalists had had enough. I think we're seeing something like that now, with so many Republicans coming out against Trump. I don't know if there's really a lesson to be taken from it, but it is a hopeful story, and I think the book especially all the great poetry and satire in it will provide a pleasant diversion while waiting to see what happens in November. Related Articles The United States remains 'deeply concerned' about Turkey's actions in the eastern Mediterranean, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday, urging a diplomatic solution to the crisis. Tensions in the eastern Mediterranean have risen over claims and counter claims pitting Turkey against Greece and Cyprus to maritime areas thought to be rich in natural gas. "Countries in the region need to resolve disagreements including on security and energy resource and maritime issues diplomatically and peacefully," Pompeo said in a fleeting trip to Cyprus on Saturday night, where he met with President Nicos Anastasiades. "Increased military tensions help no one but adversaries who would like to see division in transatlantic unity," he said. Search Keywords: Short link: It is not an exaggeration to say that Nigerians have in the recent weeks witnessed public figures who literally blew off their short fuse to the amusement of everyone; including those that once looked up to them as their idols. The reprehensible scenario which is unarguably becoming a commonplace has exposed some public figures who refer to journalists in a contemptuous, insulting, and defamatory manner thereby violating the principle of freedom of information and drawing attention to the terrible pressure to which media personnel are often subjected to just for doing their job. Recently, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister faced heavy criticism for calling Mr. Eyo Charles, a Daily Trust Newspaper Reporter stupid during a press conference in Calabar, the Cross River State capital. In a video that went viral on social media, Fani-Kayode is seen giving the Daily Trust reporter a dressing down for asking him a stupid question. The journalist was said to have asked Fani-Kayode who bankrolled his recent tour of several southern states. However, the former minister, who was infuriated by the question, said the journalist was stupid. He said, I am saying this on live TV. What type of stupid question is that? Bankrolling who? Do you know who you are talking to? I will not take any questions from this man. What type of insulting question is that? Which bankroll? To do what? Who can give me money for anything? Who do you think you are talking to? Go and report yourself to your publisher? Please dont insult me here. I dont want to take any questions from this man. I could see from your face before you got here, how stupid you are. Dont ever talk to me like that. Who do you think youre talking to? Bankroll who? You think I am one of those ones you from who, when, how? You have a small mind, very small mind. Dont judge me by your own standards. The Nigeria Union of Journalists expectedly condemned the former minister while the management of Daily Trust also threatened to report to the police if any harm came to its reporter. Notwithstanding what transpired and consequently an opinion article published in Daily Trust, in my personal opinion, what happened has become a bygone as the minister has apologized. As if the venom spewed against Eyo, and by extension the journalism profession by the former minister was not enough, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, the presiding pastor of Salvation Ministries, in a now-viral video from his Sunday service, threatened to arrest and kill an on-air personality, Ifedayo Olarinde, popularly known as Daddy Freeze over his critical stance of David Oyedepos Sermons, the presiding bishop of Living Faith Church. The cleric had also described Freeze as a bastard Somalia-born half-caste. Somebody that is a broadcaster, does he have a good job? I will never be alive to see someone insult my father. Youre not born! Ill kill, arrest him, he had threatened. Ibiyeomies threats to the OAP had sparked a heated debate on the Social Media, where users registered their different opinions. Seen from the foregoing perspective, there is no denying the fact that Journalism; both from print and broadcast aspects of the profession has become a dangerous job in Nigeria so much so that journalists who ask irritating questions or become critical in the course of their duties now find themselves the targets of anger from eminent Nigerians that paradoxically rode to stardom on the back of the media. Against the foregoing background, it is now very clear that some elites in the country are temperamental or rather short fused as not even the least debate from Journalists will make them to rule over their temperament. Others routinely identify any expression of doubt as an act of opposition. When the case of the former minister and Eyo was brewing, not a few Nigerians took side with the minister as they tried to find fault with the question he was asked. Unfortunately, most of them were ignorant of the fact that provocative questions are deliberately used by Journalists to gather facts on an issue. Surprisingly, while the somewhat conspiracy against the press is ongoing, the governments are not saying anything because they already have such an effective system of censorship that there is never any need to issue reminders to already compliant media. As it is at the moment, a threshold has been crossed when a former minister, and now a pastor that are respectively wired politically and divinely to exercise restraint, particularly by virtue of the societal positions they occupy now make public utterances that portrayed them to be Short fused. In reaction to the unprogressive situation, not few Nigerians are at the moment asking How can journalists function well with the elites they usually interact with in the course of sourcing for stories as they are now the ones fighting them. In the same vein, If the people that are supposed to guarantee their safety are the ones holding them up to contempt, bullies them and threatens them, opening the way to abuses against the media that go unpunished, what hope awaits them in the profession? The recent attack of Nigerian journalists; both in the print and broadcast segments of the Journalism profession has brought into focus the deterioration of press freedom. Across the country, fundamental freedoms of association, expression, and assembly are under threat. A recent report has it that twice as many Journalists live under repression today as a year ago. At this juncture, it is expedient to join voice with Amnesty International (IA) which has for the umpteenth time emphasized through its slogan that, Journalism is not a crime. Most organizations that agree with IA in its slogan firmly believe that Freedom of expression has been sustained as increasing attacks against journalists persist. In fact, if there is any incident that would compel anyone to compare journalism practice and soldiering as sharing the same level of risks, it is the increasing rate of unreported hostility against Journalists. Attorney General William Barr testifies before the House Judiciary Committee hearing in the Congressional Auditorium at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center in Washington on July 28, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/AFP via Getty Images) Barr Criticizes Journalistic Integrity of Media Over Riot Coverage Attorney General William Barr has reiterated his concerns about the journalistic landscape in the United States, saying that the press has done away with integrity in order to propagate political narratives. Theyre basically a collection of liars. Most of the mainstream media. Theyre a collection of liars and they know exactly what theyre doing, Barr said in an interview with conservative outlet Townhall on Sept. 11. A perfect example of that were the riots. Right on the street, it was clear as day what was going on, he said. Anyone observing it, reporters observing it, it could not have escaped their attention that this was orchestrated violence by a hardened group of street-fighting radicals and they kept on excluding from their coverage all the video of this and reporting otherwise. They were doing that for partisan reasons, and they were lying to the American people. It wasnt until they were caught red-handed after essentially weeks of this lie that they even started feeling less timid. Many media outlets have been criticized by Trump administration officials and lawmakers over their coverage of the violence and destruction observed amid protests against police brutality. Looting, shooting lasers and pellet guns at police, assault, and urban conflagrations have been described as mostly peaceful protests by these news outlets. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers have declined to condemn the violence and destruction, with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) describing the anarcho-communist extremist group Antifas involvement in the riots as a myth. Its funny that you had record numbers of police being injured during peaceful protests. You know usually in protests, you have large numbers of injured rioters and a modest number of injured law enforcement, Barr said. Im talking about back in the 90s and 60s, 60s to the 90s, nowadays very few rioters get injured, very few and hundreds, even thousands of officers have been injured. He said that he believes many journalists have dropped any pretense of professional objectivity and are political actors who use their reporting to shape a political narrative regardless of the truth. Its very destructive to our republic; its very destructive to the Democratic system to have that, especially being so monolithic. Its contributing to a lot of the intensity and partisanship, the attorney general said. An increasing number of Americans are losing confidence in the media to deliver the news objectively. A recent trust-in-media poll by Gallup and The Knight Foundation found that 86 percent of the people surveyed between Nov. 8, 2019, and Feb. 16, 2020, believe that the media is biased, up from 62 percent in 2007. President Donald Trump and Republicans have repeatedly expressed concern over the objectivity of the media, accusing it of shutting down certain viewpoints, failing to cover certain stories, and dividing the country. Some news outlets have also been called out and faced consequences for inaccurate reports. The coverage of an incident involving Kentucky teen Nick Sandmann while he was waiting for the bus after attending a pro-life event in Washington, attracted intense scrutiny. News outlets and Twitter users accused Sandmann of harassment and of being a racist after a viral video showed him standing close to and smiling at Nathan Phillips, a Native American man, while wearing a Make America Great Again hat. A longer version of the clip showed a different story. An investigation by the Catholic Diocese of Covington in Kentucky revealed that the students made no offensive or racist comments about Phillips. Sandmann received intense criticism amid the coverage of the incident. Sandmann eventually sued several news outlets for defamation and has settled with CNN and The Washington Post. Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report. Hello and welcome to Five Weeknight Dishes. Celestially speaking, we are still in summer, but as soon as we pass Labor Day, I start thinking of roast chicken, squash and apple cakes. (This may have something to do with the fact that your hard-working NYT Cooking staff is currently preparing for Thanksgiving.) But Im not yet ready to part with peaches, or plums, or berries, tomatoes and corn. So here are recipes that merge summer produce and fall cravings, or that would just be really delicious right now. Tell me whether I hit the mark at dearemily@nytimes.com. [Sign up here to receive the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter in your inbox every Friday.] Here are five dishes for the week: Asia India: Madhya Pradesh State Agricultural Marketing Board employees strike Over 35,000 employees from the Madhya Pradesh State Agricultural Marketing (Mandi) Board and over 50,000 labourers dependent on Mandi for work began an indefinite strike in Bhopal on September 3. The walkout is in protest against a planned model Mandi Act, which they alleged would benefit private operators over the governments operation. Workers said that they were protesting to save the Mandi Act 1972 and to ensure economic security of employees. They alleged that police caned protesters at their peaceful demonstration near the state secretariat. Petroleum refinery workers in Kochi strike against privatisation Over 1,000 workers from the government-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) refinery in Kochi struck for 48 hours on Monday in protest against a long-term wage settlement that includes clauses for a speedy privatisation of the company. A protest meeting was held at the Kochi Refinery gate. The strike was called by the Cochin Refineries Workers Association, the Cochin Refineries Employees Association, the Refinery Employees Union and the BPCL Mazdoor Sangh as part of a national campaign against privatisation. A section of workers from the Mumbai Refinery also walked out in defiance of a court order. Tamil Nadu sand-carters in Tiruchi protest The Tiruchi District Sand Bullock Cart Labourers Association demonstrated near the Collectors Office in Tiruchi on September 3 demanding that the Public Works Department open exclusive sand reaches for bullock cart operators on the Kollidam River. Protesters want five riverbank sites opened as agreed during tripartite talks held in July. The sand-carters said that the quarry on the Cauvery River has remained closed since the COVID-19 lockdown and now river water flow is endangering the livelihood of over 4,000 families. The bullock cart operators and labourers ended their protest after Revenue Department officials held talks with their representatives and claimed they would take steps to implement their request. Patna Municipal Corporation sanitation workers strike More than 4,000 sanitation workers from the Patna Municipal Corporation in Bihar state went on strike on September 3 to demand improved wages. Strikers also demanded standardised jobs for daily wage workers, appropriate income for jobs, accident insurance of 2.5 million rupees ($US34,060) and the payment of salaries and pensions on the 5th day of every month. Kerala Glass workers demand government takeover Workers from the privately-owned Excel Glasses factory in Pathirappally, Kerala state, held a sit-down demonstration outside the plant on September 4 to demand that the state government take over the defunct company. The protest was organised by the Excel Glass Employees Union. The company is a manufacturer, exporter and importer of flint glass bottles and jars mainly for the liquor, food and pharmaceutical industry. Excel Glasses Ltd is a public incorporated company classified as a non-government company established in 1970 and has a workforce of over 500 employees. West Bengal tea plantation workers protest The Bharatiya Terai Dooars Workers Union (BTDWU) called demonstrations at over 200 tea plantations in West Bengal on September 3 with several demands. The major demands were a 20 percent bonus ahead of this years Durga Puja, an annual nine-day Hindu festival, land rights to plantation residents and fixed minimum wages. Pakistan: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government employees demand pay rise Government employees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in Pakistans northwest, demonstrated across the province on Tuesday to demand a pay increase, an end to the labour contract system and for other benefits. Protests were held in Peshawar, the provincial capital, and other districts of Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Shangla, Bajaur and Khyber. The government workers denounced the government budget pay freeze and pointed to the skyrocketing cost of living. They demanded pay rises ranging from 50 to 100 percent and to include the ad hoc allowances in the basic pay along with the substantial revision of pay scales across the board. They also want the medical allowance to increase to 10,000 rupees ($US60.09). The workers are hostile to the contract labour system and want it repealed. The system is increasingly being adopted by the government to slash costs and reduce job security. Retired workers also joined the protests and demanded an increase in the pension rates. The All Government Employees Grand Alliance, an umbrella union that includes over 30 trade union organisations, called the protests. The alliance announced a province-wide strike for September 24. Sri Lankan garment workers strike against pay cut About 300 shirt factory workers in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone walked out on strike on September 8 and 9 against a pay cut imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike followed ongoing ad hoc protests over the last three months against salary deductions and layoffs announced by the management. The strikers are demanding to be paid the proper minimum basic wage. During the pandemic, the factory was reopened on the basis that workers would be paid just 400 rupees ($US2.2) a day. Workers said they are destitute and unable to pay rent or pay for food. South Korean doctors union ends one month of industrial action The Korean Medical Association (KMA) has ended a month long industrial action, including strikes, by general hospital interns and resident doctors after reaching an agreement with the Health Ministry on Monday. The agreement puts a hold on the governments controversial healthcare reforms. A key group of trainee doctors, however, were excluded from the final negotiations because they vowed to continue the walkout. About 16,000 members of the Korean Intern Resident Association at general hospitals struck on August 21, following weeks of walkouts that started on August 7. The 130,000-strong KMA, covering resident doctors and practitioners from regional clinics, joined the strike on August 26. The strike erupted over proposed medical reforms which doctors claimed failed to address insufficiencies in medical training, intensive workloads and work conditions and poor medical infrastructure in rural provinces. Doctors also opposed proposed subsidies for traditional medicine which they said is unscientific medical practice. Australia Offshore gas platform workers in Western Australia resume strike action Caterers and cleaners working on Shells giant Prelude offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) platform in north Western Australia struck for 24 hours last Friday in their long-running dispute for a better enterprise agreement (EA). The action followed three-hour stoppages in the morning and afternoon on July 23 and August 20, plus bans on baking and laundry services. The workers are employed by Sodexo, a food services and facility management company headquartered in Paris. The company employs over 60 workers on five LNG platforms off northern Australia. The Prelude floating platform is owned by Royal Dutch Shell, KOGAS and INPEX, and managed by Shell. The Offshore Alliance, a coalition between the Maritime Union of Australia and the Australian Workers Union, claimed that Sodexo is being influenced by Shell and as a result has reduced its original pay offer by $17,000 per year, refusing to pay industry rates and conditions. The alliance originally sought pay increases up to $25,000 a year to bring these specialised workers into line with most other offshore workers. It has now scaled the claim back to between 6 and 10 percent. Offshore Alliance has threatened to extend the stoppages to other offshore platforms such as Stag and NTP which utilise Sodexo caterers and cleaners. Gov. Mike DeWine, Republican of Ohio, has stepped in it again. Dr. Amy Acton resigned as director of the Ohio Health Department in June and then again in August as the governor's health adviser. DeWine subsequently nominated Dr. Joan Duwve to head the state's health department. In nominating Duwve, who most recently served as director of public health in South Carolina, DeWine is quoted as saying: "Dr. Duwve shares my passion for and commitment to children's issues and many other pressing public health issues[.] " This turned into another embarrassment for the governor. Going back to Acton, during her tenure as health director, she came under fire for exaggerating how lethal the Wuhan virus was, her role in the ensuring state lockdowns, and her previous pro-abortion activism. You would think DeWine, a career politician, would have learned a lesson. But no: It turns out that his Dr. Duwve's passion for "children's issues" doesn't extend to the unborn, as the woman once worked for the nation's foremost abortion provider, Planned Parenthood. The Chinese virus notwithstanding, abortion is an important factor to consider in choosing a health director. This is because the Ohio Department of Health regulates the abortion facilities in the state and has the authority to close them down if it is believed they are violating the law. Why would DeWine, who received strong support from pro-life groups during his campaign, put a fox in charge of the henhouse? Dan Tierney, a DeWine spokesman, said the governor was aware that Duwve previously worked for Planned Parenthood and nominated her anyway. Fortunately, just a few days after being selected by DeWine, Duwve backed out. She cited her "concerns over the harassment experienced" by her predecessor, Dr. Acton. But what Dr. Duwve calls harassment was mostly criticism and scrutiny that Acton came under as she starting playing around with the livelihood of millions in Ohio. Duwve seems to believe that bureaucrats and their actions should be above criticism. Commenting on the situation, Ohio Right to Life president Mike Gonidakis said: "There was absolutely zero chance of her [Dr. Duwve] being confirmed by the Ohio Senate." Given the strong pro-life make-up of that body, Gonidakis is right. So what in the world was DeWine thinking? Doesn't he know how the wind is blowing in Ohio? Can't he and his staff properly vet candidates for important positions? Or is the governor unable to connect the dots between a person's background and the likely decisions he is apt to make? DeWine brings to mind what Casey Stengel said when he was managing the hapless 1962 New York Mets, who won just 42 games out of the 162 they played: "Can't anyone here play this game?" Image: Yahoo Finance via YouTube. Under the Act, the U.S. is providing Cyprus with funding for military training and has partially lifted an arms embargo that was enacted 33 years ago to prevent a possible arms race harming peace talks. The lifting of the embargo was made possible after Washington waived a requirement that Cyprus cease to offer refueling and other port services to Russian warships. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-13 04:48:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court sentenced on Saturday the Supreme Guide of the banned Muslim Brotherhood group, Mohamed Badie, to life in prison over a violent 2013 incident, official media reported. Along with Badie, Mohamed El-Beltagy, Safwat Hegazi, and nine others of the group's leaders were sentenced to life in prison in a retrial over a police station incident in the coastal Port Said province that followed the ouster of late president Mohamed Morsi, according to state-run Ahram Online news website. The retrial comes after the Court of Cassation canceled in 2017 previous jail sentences against the defendants and ordered their retrial, Ahram Online added. The prosecution charged the defendants with the murder of five people, the attempted murder of 70 others, vandalizing public and private property, the theft of ammunition and weaponry from Port Said's El-Arab police station, and inciting violence and chaos. The sentence is not final and can still be challenged in front of the Court of Cassation, according to Ahram Online. Life imprisonment is 25 years in prison according to Egyptian law. Badie, the Muslim Brotherhood's elected eighth chief in 2010, was handed a death sentence in another case for ordering the murder of 10 people in Cairo in 2013. He also received life imprisonment verdicts in violence-related charges, totaling over 100 years. Enditem When S Marakathams husband passed away in Tiruchendur, Tamil Nadu, she didnt even have a clue about his three life insurance policies, cumulatively worth Rs 20 lakh. When the premium was due, she got a call from the company officials who were then informed that the policyholder had died. While one would presume that Marakatham would have received the claim amount. The process wasnt so simple! Due to being unaware of an insurance being purchased, she was not able to locate the original policy documents. The insurance company refused to pay the death claim unless Marakatham submitted the documents. By this time, 30 days had passed since her husbands death. Insurance rules stipulate that an insurance claim has to be filed within 90 days of the policyholders death with the necessary documents like death certificate, age proof, post-mortem report (if any) and the original insurance policy. If the policy documents are lost, the insurance company and the agent have to be informed. A few insurers also mandate that a police complaint be filed with details of how the policy was lost. Newspaper advertisements in English and a local language also need to be placed with details of the policy. After following all these procedures, Marakatham was able to get a duplicate copy of the policy document and then make the death claim. Insurers say that misplacement of life insurance policy documents are one of the biggest concerns faced by the public. Male members of families often dont inform their wife, children about the life insurance policies purchased by them. The result is that claims are delayed when policy documents are not found. Some insurers also label the policy documents in large font sizes with the words Insurance Policy when these papers are sent by post. This is to ensure that family members are able to locate the documents easily during claims filing. But this may also not be adequate. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the risk of infection, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has given special permission to issue term policies in digital format. This exemption will be valid till December 31. However, a better option would be to allow the issue of paperless insurance policies from now on. The general insurance industry has adapted better to the digital wave by issuing health and motor policies in a digital format. It is time for life insurers to make that shift too. Especially in the wake of COVID-19, it is best to minimise contact by moving from exchange of paper policies during claims settlement to paperless documents. The e-insurance service already exists. This service was launched in 2013 by former Finance Minister P Chidambaram. It is estimated that insurers could save almost Rs 100 crore annually from issuing policies digitally. Every year, close to 29 million life insurance policies are issued to individual and group customers. Digitising these policies into paperless formats would be an immediate cost saving for insurers. One set of insurers argue that it is easier to print out paper policies and issue rather than making a digital policy. Another set of insurers cite customer reluctance to switch to paperless policies. But, customers can be made aware of the advantages. At a later stage, if a small fee is charged for sending out paper policies more number of policyholders would opt for e-insurance policies. Policyholders should be explained in detail about the benefits of holding a digital insurance policy. Those without smartphones could be sent scanned copies of the policy through an MMS. During claims settlement, if the policy documents cannot be retrieved the nominee identity could be confirmed to fetch the papers. This would also come handy in areas prone to earthquakes, floods and landslides in India where policy documents are often washed away or missing due natural catastrophes. Insurers need to take the lead here and encourage customers to opt for paperless products. Not only does the company stand to benefit, the policyholders claim settlement process will also be quicker. A 23-year-old man who arrived from India as a partner for a woman in the east Midlands town of Leicester and later fell out with her and stabbed her to death in March, has been found guilty, awaiting sentence in the Leicester Crown Court on September 16. The Leicestershire police said on Friday that Jigukumar Sorthi had stopped a policeman in the street and made comments implicating himself in the March attack on his estranged partner, Bhavini Pravin, 21, in the latters home. At around 12.30pm on March 2, the police said Sorthi went to her address to speak to Pravin. They talked for a few minutes before Sorthi stabbed her multiple times and soon left the property. A post-mortem examination concluded Pravin died of multiple stab wounds. Detective inspector Kenny Henry said, This was a vicious attack on a defenceless young woman. Bhavini Pravin was 21 years old with her whole life ahead of her; instead it has been cruelly taken away by an act so brutal it doesnt bear thinking about. Her father, Pravin Babu, released a statement on behalf of the family after Sorthis conviction, Our daughter was only 21 years old when she was murdered When our Bhavini was born, we felt that all of our prayers had been answered. She was the Laxmi of our family. Growing up, she gave us so much joy and purpose. She was our inspiration to better ourselves and to build a future. Soon after, our two sons, Krutesh and Yagnesh, were born. Even from a young age, Bhavini doted on her little brothers. We decided to move to England so that we could give our children a better future. As parents, our aspirations were that our daughter would get a good education, pursue her childhood career choice of nursing, marry the man of her dreams, have a family and live happily ever after. When Jigu (Sorthi) became engaged to our daughter, we trusted him to cherish, love and look after her forever. She was so precious to us. We showed Jigu nothing but love and acceptance. We brought him to England to give him a better life. We supported him, housed him. And how did Jigu return our kindness - he repaid us by killing our beloved Bhavini. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON How do you plan an arts festival in Vancouver when you're stuck in Mumbai, more than 10,000 kilometres away? According to Rohit Chokhani, the new executive director of the the Vancouver Fringe Theatre Society, you ignore the local time zone and commit to working nights for four months straight. "It's been a wild ride," said Chokhani. "I definitely never imagined that in my lifetime I would have to do it during a pandemic while being locked down in a different country." Chokhani secured the position to oversee the city's annual theatre festival before he travelled to India to visit family in February. At the time, Vancouver's 37th Fringe had already been planned with hundreds of shows scheduled across the city over 10 nights. Then the pandemic upended life everywhere and made live theatre, with it's close, physical intimacy, seem practically impossible. Major productions on Broadway and in London's theatre district ground to a halt. Many Fringe festivals across Canada have been cancelled altogether. So Chokhani and his team some of whom he's yet to meet in person had to start from square one. From his family's home in Mumbai, the curator worked from 10 p.m. to the early morning, finding time to sleep during the day. "Everything was on the table," he told Stephen Quinn, host of CBC's The Early Edition on Thursday. "[But] our starting point was that health and safety was the priority." Chokhani returned to Vancouver about two weeks ago and just recently finished quarantine. Normally, the festivities would only last for 10 days in September. This time, organizers hope to curate in-person and digital shows and workshops for four 10-day stretches between September and December. This year's theme is "A Shift in Perspective." Unlike years past, the 2020 festival will only feature local artists. Performances will take place before no more than 50 patrons, the maximum amount of people that can currently gather at one time in B.C. The first phase of Fringe Fest, B.C.'s largest theatre festival, kicked off Thursday and runs until Sept. 20. Those interested can learn more at the festival's website. 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 and have agreed to establish diplomatic ties, according to a joint statement of the US, and issued on Friday. The statement, which was presented by US President Donald Trump on Twitter, said that leaders of the US, and 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. --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.) New Delhi, Sep 12 : Amid Covid-19 crisis that left many jobless across the world and led to spurt in human trafficking, the Border Security Force (BSF) at India-Bangladesh border turned 'saviour' for 17 people being trafficked to India with lucrative job offers. The BSF rescued these people during 11 operations between June 19 and August 26. These Bangladeshis were held while either being trafficked from Bangladesh to India or vice-versa. The BSF during this period also nabbed two touts -- one Indian and another Bangladeshi -- and handed them over to the police from that respective state. They are the members of various active human trafficking gangs operating from both India and Bangladesh sides. Of the 17 Bangladeshis rescued by the alert BSF troops near 4,096 km India-Bangladesh border, 10 were women, seven men and 2 children -- including one female child. Eight of these Bangladeshis were held while entering Indian territory from Bangladesh while 11 were caught when they were going back to their country. An Indian Home Ministry data revealed the details which were shared with its border management wing earlier this month by the BSF -- a 2.65 lakh personnel strong force which is mandated to guard India-Bangladesh as well as 3,323 km India-Pakistan borders. As per the secret border management details, which are submitted to the Home Ministry by the BSF on regular intervals, maximum of the illegal Bangladeshi migrants were trafficked by touts through South Bengal frontier. The paramilitary force has noticed some innovative methods to push the poor and vulnerable from across the border by luring them with job opportunities in cities like Kolkata, Guwahati, Bengaluru and some other towns in north-east India and as far as Delhi and Mumbai, a senior BSF official told IANS requesting anonymity. "Aimed at rescuing poor and needy people from human trafficking gangs, the BSF has been focusing on to curb the illegal trend since June 19. All innocent trafficked people caught so far are under state police protection. They will be repatriated soon as per legal provisions. The BSF has 'zero tolerance' towards human trafficking," the officer said. At least five Bangladeshis were nabbed by the BSF in less than two weeks, between June 19-29, from railway wagons that entered India via Petrapole in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. The wagons either contained bags of chilli or were empty, the officer said. The age group of the five males ranged between 12-25 years and their preliminary questioning by the force personnel revealed that they were trafficked by touts from the other side with help from local trafficking syndicates on this side, the officer said. It is understood that job loss due to the Covid-19 lockdown and less work opportunities due to the ongoing pandemic were the reasons that these gullible people got lured and trafficked across the border, they said. As per the MHA data, a total of 2,940 people have so far caught while entering in India from Bangladesh and returning back to their country after spending some time in India. Of them 2,394 were held at South Bengal frontier, 167 from Guwahati, 150 from Meghalaya, 135 from North Bengal, 75 from Tripura and 19 from Mizoram and Cachar frontiers along India-Bangladesh border. The data said a total of 527 people have so far apprehended on India-Bangladesh border from January 1 to August 26 this year while entering into Indian territory. They all are indulge in smuggling, human trafficking and other activities. Of them 419 were caught while entering through South Bengal frontier of the International Border along the two countries, 37 from North Bengal frontier, 29 from Tripura, 24 from Meghalaya, 16 from Guwahati and two from Mizoram and Cachar frontiers. A total of five children were among the people held. The data revealed that a total of 2,413 Bangladeshis were caught so far at the India-Bangladesh border during the same period while entering to Bangladesh. Of them, 1975 were held from South Bengal frontier, 151 from Guwahati, 126 from Meghalaya, 98 from North Bengal, 46 from Tripura and 17 from Mizoram and Cachar frontiers. A total of 26 Bangladeshi children were held while going back to their country from India. While the border front under the 913 km long south Bengal front of the BSF is prone to maximum instances of trans-border crimes, human trafficking and smuggling of cattle and narcotics, attempts to illegally push humans have been noticed at few other locations of this border since the outbreak of coronavirus, another BSF officer told IANS. The force has, therefore, alerted all its border posts to keep an enhanced vigil against human trafficking instances that, as per multiple intelligence inputs, is expected to witness a spurt owing to the loss of job opportunities and lockdown imposed in both the countries to contain the spread of the coronavirus infection. Senior BSF officers are in coordinating with their counterparts Border Guard Bangladesh on these issues and they are jointly trying to maintain the sanctity of the border and ensure crime free border, another BSF official said. (Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in) Brazilian President said that the country was "practically winning" the battle against the pandemic due to a reduction in the number of single-day deaths over the last week. "We are practically winning (the battle against) the pandemic. The government has done everything possible to minimize its negative effects, either through emergency aid, which has reached 65 million people, or with help for micro and small companies, through credit," Xinhua news agency quoted Bolsonaro as saying at an event on Friday. "It is already beginning to appear, especially in the media outside the country, that was one of the countries that suffered the least from the pandemic due to the measures taken by the federal government," he said. The corona-sceptic Bolsonaro, who was infected with the virus in July, made the remarks at a time when has recorded nearly 130,000 Covid deaths and currently has more than 4.2 million cases. As of Saturday, the total number of cases in the country increased to 4,238,446, the third highest in the world after the US and India, while the death toll stood at 129,522. is also the country with the maximum amount of infections and fatalities in Latin America. Sao Paulo, the most populated state in the country and the epicentre of the pandemic, has registered over 883,000 confirmed cases and 32,338 deaths, followed by Bahia, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Ceara. --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.) A Nazi warship sank by the British has been found 80 years later, after a power company stumbled across it while inspecting their underwater lines. The Karlsruhe was returning from the Nazi invasion of Norway in 1940 when it was torpedoed by HMS Truant, forcing the Germans to scuttle the sinking ship. But while the story of the Karlsruhe is recorded fact, it's location remained a mystery until now. Norwegian power company, Statnett, found the vessel after identifying a wreck close to its underwater lines in the strait of Skagerrak. Nazi warship, the Karlsruhe, (pictured) was returning from the invasion of Norway in 1940 when it was hit by a torpedo from British submarine, the HMS Truant For 80 years the location of the wreck remained a mystery - until now. It was found off the coast of Norway by a Norwegian power company, Statnett. Pictured: a scan of the wreck 'You can find Karlsruhe's fate in history books, but no one has known exactly where the ship sunk,' said Frode Kval of the Norwegian Maritime Museum. '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 of this important warship is.' The existence of a wreck 13 nautical miles from Kristiansand in southern Norway was first revealed by sonar during a Statnett inspection in 2017. But it wasn't until June this year that Statnett engineer, Ole Petter Hobberstad, was given the chance to inspect the ship, using a remote-controlled submarine. The existence of a wreck 13 nautical miles from Kristiansand, a city in southern Norway, was first revealed by sonar in 2017, but in June this year an inspection of the ship was carried out that discovered it was the lost Nazi warship Footage of the Karlsruhe, found 490 meters below sea level, shows the ship upright with cannons pointing into the sea (pictured) 'When the ROV results showed us a ship that was torpedoed, we realized it was from the war,' said Mr Hobberstad. 'As the cannons became visible on the screen, we understood it was a huge warship. We were very excited and surprised that the wreck was so big.' Footage of the wreck site reveals how it is adorned with a swastika, topped by a Nazi eagle or Parteiadler, with an anchor shape underneath. The guns and barnacle-encrusted superstructure are visible too. The first images also show that, unusually for a ship with a high centre of gravity, the Karlsruhe remained upright after sinking. 'Karlsruhe stands firmly 490 meters below sea level with cannons pointing menacingly into the sea,' said Kval. 'With the main battery of nine cannons in three triple turrets, this was the largest and most fearsome ship in the attack group against Kristiansand.' 'To find such a special war wreck is rare and extra fun for us who work with underwater investigations,' added Mr Hobberstad. An inspection of the wreck by a remote-controlled submarine found the guns and barnacle-encrusted superstructure clearly visible Statnett engineer, Ole Petter Hobberstad who inspected the ship said: 'We understood it was a huge warship. We were very excited and surprised that the wreck was so big.' To find such a special war wreck is rare. The warship has nine cannons in three triple turrets, and was the largest and most fearsome ship in the attack group against Kristiansand Despite its array of firepower, the Karlsruhe was only used as a troop transport for the attack on Kristiansand. But coming under fire from Norwegian coastal guns at Odderya Fortress, she soon joined the fight. It was later that very same day, having successfully landed troops in Norway, that she was struck by two British torpedoes. With her power soon disabled by the influx of water, the ship's pumps cut out and commander Friedrich Rieve made the decision to abandon ship. One of her escorts, the torpedo boat, Greif, then rescued the crew and torpedoed the Karlsruhe twice more to ensure she sank. Rieve was harshly censured for his actions, however, since he did not attempt to have the warship towed back to Kristiansand for repairs. The HMS Truant would outlive its rival by six years, sinking en-route to a shipbreakers in December 1946, having been sold for scrap the previous year. Confident that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia will not, at least for the moment, let him fall, Mr. Lukashenko has no need to worry about the United Nations: Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council and can block any move that might weaken his grip. Nor does he have to worry much about pressure from the West generally. The United States and the European Union have both condemned the violence against protesters but they have taken no concrete steps to punish Mr. Lukashenko and his security officials or to support his opponents. European leaders agreed in August to set in motion new sanctions that would include visa bans and asset freezes on selected Belarusian officials, but that plan has been stalled by Cyprus, which has entangled the issue in its own separate quarrels with Turkey. The United States is also preparing to impose sanctions against individuals and business entities in Belarus. A senior American official said on Friday that the measures should be ready in a few days, and that they would not be held up by any delays in European sanctions. Reluctance to take stronger and swifter action has been fueled in part by fears that support for the protest movement in Belarus would only play into the hands of Mr. Lukashenko and Mr. Putin, who have both cast protesters as tools of a Western plot to bring about a color revolution. One way to break the stalemate that all sides, including Russia, say they could support would be constitutional changes to pave the way for new elections. But Mr. Lukashenko, having declared in August that until you kill me, there will not be any more elections, has shown no real interest in changing anything any time soon. He refuses to even talk with his foes, denouncing them as treasonous rats and tricksters who belong in jail, not at the negotiating table. Instead, he has focused on rounding up workers who organized strikes and methodically dismantling the opposition, whose most prominent figures have, one by one, been forced to flee abroad or been thrown in jail. Welcome to the News Release Wire Selection Control Panel. Instant News Wire Face down in a prison yard, with bullets zipping over his head and a riot broiling all around him, Don Dickerson committed to start living a clean life that would make a positive impact on the community. Hes made good on that promise, helping Fitness SF expand to eight gyms that promote physical and mental health in the Bay Area and serving on a series of nonprofit boards that provide amity in a variety of sectors. But after 16-plus years as the director of operations and then vice president of Fitness SF, Dickerson cant help but feel as though hes been forced back to lying in the dirt as chaos surrounds him. Like so many other businesses in San Francisco, Fitness SF is at a crisis point. If city officials do not start responding to the virus in a data-driven manner, the fitness industry will be nothing but a memory. The fitness industry has been decimated during the coronavirus pandemic, especially in San Francisco, where gyms and studios are finally scheduled to open Monday with limited capacity for the first time since the mid-March shelter-in-place order and only days after they won permission to operate outdoors. During the six months of closure, the San Francisco Independent Fitness Studio Coalition estimates that its nearly 100 businesses have lost close to $40 million. Fitness SF, which has six San Francisco gyms and one each in Corte Madera and Oakland, has lost about $20 million, according to Dickerson. This city is everything we love, and its really falling apart this year, Dickerson said. After half a year, youre really looking at an extinction-level event. Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle For Dickerson, its not just about the fitness industry. Its about every small business that creates the vibrant heartbeat of the city, including hair and nail salons and massage, tattoo and piercing parlors, which will also finally be allowed to open Monday. During a 90-day stay in a federal halfway house in 2004, following five years in some of states toughest prisons at San Quentin, Lompoc and Susanville because of a meth addiction, he applied for as many as 10 jobs per day without a single interview. Fitness SF gave him a chance, and he made the most of it helping the company expand its brand and philanthropic impact. Fitness SF uses its South of Market location to train people from the Harbor Light Center two hours per day, offers a gym to a Hunters Point school that otherwise wouldnt have access, and works closely with LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Dickerson serves on the board of Muttville and has adopted 11 senior dogs with his husband, in addition to serving on the advisory council of the Harbor Light Center and Trainers Coalition Board. I went from having a wasted life to bringing something to society, and everything Ive worked for is at risk right now, he said. I believe in our elected officials, but I just wish they would broaden their view and understand what they are doing to people. People are dying because theyve lost their ability to support their families and lost their homes. Its baffling to us that they see this in such a linear way. After pausing reopening plans because of a coronavirus surge in June, San Francisco offered no guidance to the fitness industry until Sept. 1, when Mayor London Breed announced that gyms could operate outdoors in a week. On Wednesday, Health Officer Dr. Tomas Aragon closed city-operated gyms he previously didnt know were open at police stations and other governmental locations. An hour after The Chronicle obtained the letter from Aragon on Thursday, San Francisco announced plans to open gyms Monday, along with allowing other businesses and activities to resume some indoor operations at limited capacity. For gyms, that is 10% capacity generally understood to be based on a facilitys maximum occupancy. For many gyms, opening at 10% capacity indoors might be too little, too late. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Fitness SF has navigated record-setting poor air quality and unique logistical nightmares to open outdoor training at its San Francisco locations, including rooftop-style setups, untenable sidewalks and a circus-like tent. But Dickerson said opening at 10% capacity indoors would cost as much as the business could generate. After saying for months that he didnt have data to support San Franciscos closure of gyms, Aragon wrote in his Wednesday letter to city department heads: Indoor gyms and fitness centers greatly increase the risk of virus transmission, including from asymptomatic people, due to the relatively limited air circulation, the increase in particle exhalation due to exertion, and the increased risk of people touching shared equipment. He did not address the facts that health experts say body mass indexes, diabetes and heart disease all contributing factors in coronavirus deaths are at an all-time high and could be lessened by eating right, sleeping well and exercising. While San Francisco has published detailed guidance for outdoor gym operations, as of Saturday, it had not provided similar guidelines for indoor operations. We believe that were a tool to be used against the coronavirus. Instead, the Department of Public Health believes its smarter for everybody to sit at home and become unhealthier, said Dickerson, who invested in thermal cameras to check clients temperatures, enhanced HVAC filters and months worth of personal protective equipment. We want to operate safely. We want to do our part in this fight. But we need to be given a path forward. If DPH wont speak to us, and Dr. Aragon wont base his decisions on data, what are we going to do? Rusty Simmons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rsimmons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Rusty_SFChron President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky had a phone conversation with the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, Edi Rama, with the aim of coordinating efforts for a peaceful settlement in Donbas. According to the press service of the head of state, the interlocutors discussed the security situation in Donbas and important aspects of the negotiation process within the Normandy format. The President drew attention to the violations of agreements by the illegal armed groups, including their shelling of Ukrainian positions on September 6 and 10. "Yesterday, during my phone conversation with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the militants opened fire on Ukrainian positions near the village of Shumy, the area where a meeting of the JCCC and OSCE representatives was to take place. And the difference between these shots and the previous ones was that these were aimed. We do not want a new escalation. After all, on September 6, as a result of the provocation by the illegal armed formations, we suffered casualties - one serviceman of the Armed Forces was killed, and another was wounded," Zelensky said. For his part, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office supported the Ukrainian party's efforts to achieve peace in the region and assured of the Albanian Chairmanships readiness to contribute to the restoration of peace. He noted that the steps taken by the Ukrainian President and the Ukrainian people towards peace are very courageous. He also stressed that he regrets the lack of mutual movement of the opposite party in this direction. In this context, the interlocutors noted the importance of ensuring full, unhindered access of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to the entire uncontrolled territory. As the OSCE SMM's mandate is not limited to Donbas, Zelensky noted Ukraine's expectations that the SMM would also pay due attention to the situation in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. At the end of the conversation, Edi Rama invited Volodymyr Zelensky to visit Albania. ish On the one hand, you have pro-lifers who he indicates are single-issue voters, while on the other hand, you have people who are for a whole variety of other issues that could also be considered pro-life but usually leaves out or de-emphasizes the abortion issue. In turn, he cites St. John Paul II in a way which appears to suggest that he cites his thoughts on these issues when, in fact, Professor Kelly actually was citing Vatican II. Here is what St. John Paul II actually said: In his encyclical letter Evangelium Vitae (March 25, 1995) addressed to all people of good will on the value and inviolability of human life, St. John Paul II writes: The present encyclical, the fruit of the cooperation of the episcopate of every country of the world, is therefore meant to be a precise and vigorous reaffirmation of the value of human life and its inviolability To all members of the Church, the people of life and for life I make this most urgent appeal, that together we may offer this world of ours new signs of hope and work to insure that justice and solidarity will increase and that a new culture of human life will be affirmed, for the building of an authentic civilization of truth and love No less critical in the formation of conscience is the recovery of the necessary link between freedom and truth. As I have frequently stated, when freedom is detached from objective truth, it becomes impossible to establish personal rights on a firm rational basis; and the ground is laid for society to be at the mercy of the unrestrained will of individuals or the oppressive totalitarianism of public authority. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 23:52:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- An Indian vaccine maker - Bharat Biotech that is developing COVID-19 vaccine namely Covaxin said animal trials were successful. "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," the Telangana based pharma company said. The company took to social media saying it proudly announces the animal study results of Covaxin. "These results demonstrate the protective efficacy in a live viral challenge model," it wrote on twitter. According to Bharat Biotech, it had tested its vaccine candidate on four groups of 20 rhesus macaques. The primates were administered a "two-dose vaccination regimen of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine". "One group was administered with placebo, while three groups were immunized with three different vaccine candidates at 0 and 14 days. All the macaques were exposed to viral challenge 14 days after the 2nd dose," the vaccine-maker said. "The results showed protective efficacy, increasing SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG and neutralising antibodies," the company said, adding that it reduced the replication of the virus in the nasal cavity, throat, and lung tissues of the monkeys. The company further said no evidence of pneumonia was observed by histopathological examination in vaccinated groups, unlike the placebo group. "Adverse events were not seen in animals immunized with a two-dose vaccination regimen," it further said. Covaxin is among the runners in the race to find a vaccine for COVID-19. Human trials for Covaxin kicked off in mid-July. In the first week of September, the vaccine-maker received the drug regulator's clearance to move Covaxin to the second phase of human testing. India is the second worst-hit country by the pandemic in the world. On Saturday the number of COVID-19 cases in the country has reached 4,659,984 including 77,472 deaths. During the past 24 hours, 97,570 new COVID-19 cases and 1,201 related deaths were recorded in the country. Enditem The Roscongress Foundation and the Association of Economic Cooperation with African States (AECAS) held a ceremony in Moscow to sign a cooperation agreement as part of a presentation of the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum. The agreement was signed by Roscongress Foundation CEO and Chairman of the Board, Head of the RussiaAfrica Partnership Forum Coordinating Council Alexander Stuglev and the Head of AECAS Alexander Saltanov. The Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum coordinates efforts to promote cooperation between Russian and African integration associations, ensure political and diplomatic support for projects in Africa carried out with Russias leading state-run and private companies involvement, and for other aspects of preparations for Russia-Africa summits. The Association of Economic Cooperation with African States was established as a non-profit organization on 12 April 2020 in accordance with a directive of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin dated 21 March 2020 with the assistance of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The speeches delivered at the meeting provided detailed information on the current and prospects of cooperation, and development of relations between the Russian Federation and African countries in the context of the results of the Sochi Summit. The discussions offered an insight into the main areas of activity of the Secretariat and the Association, their tasks to expand and strengthen Russian-African ties in within the framework of the dialogue mechanism of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum. The Russia-Africa agenda has taken on special relevance today: the first Russia-Africa Summit and Economic Forum demonstrated the true potential of strategic relations between our countries. We are ready to make efforts and, jointly with the Association, help to create a favourable business climate, while serving as a bridge between Russian and African businesses and providing both sides with high-quality conditions for collaboration, Stuglev said at the signing ceremony. On his part, Saltanov said Russias interest in economic, scientific, and cultural cooperation with African countries is long-term, sustainable and importantly, has historical roots. For their part, African countries are interested in Russian investments, technologies, and opportunities for training skilled personnel. The Associations current goal is to actively search for new growth points and build a structure to expand the scope of common interests and further cooperation with the African continent. Mikhail Bogdanov, Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, attended the event. Delivering the opening speech, he said that The first Russia-Africa Summit, a truly historic event that took place in Sochi in October last year was a response to these changing global challenges. It convincingly illustrated that Russia and its friends in Africa see each other as important and promising partners. He further explained: To provide efficient functionality for this new dialogue mechanism the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum has been created. This structure aims to coordinate the entire range of relations with the African countries. It will oversee the formation of interagency expert groups that will come up with tangible solutions to develop and enrich economic, research, and humanitarian cooperation with the preparation for new Summits in mind. Oleg Ozerov, Ambassador-at-Large and Head of the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, stressed that The first Russia-Africa Summit and Economic Forum was a landmark event and achievement that made it possible to bring together all key politicians and business representatives from Russia and the African continent, establish contacts and agree on future cooperation areas. The second Russia-Africa event, in turn, will demonstrate the results of our efficient interaction, and, above all, economic results. In May, Ozerov was appointed Ambassador-at-Large and Head of the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum. The secretariat will prepare the second Russia-Africa Summit due in 2022 as per the agreements reached at the first ever Russia-Africa Summit held in Sochi. Biographical document made available says Ozerov is a diplomat with extensive experience at the Foreign Ministry, including with Arab and African countries. As part of its preparation for the next Summit in 2022, the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum has created three new Councils. (i) The Coordinating Council will be led by CEO and Chairman of the Roscongress Foundation Alexander Stuglev, (ii) The Research Council will be chaired by Irina Abramova, Director of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and (iii) The Public Council will be headed by Yevgeny Primakov, Head of Rossotrudnichestvo. These three councils will closely cooperate and hold regular meetings, under the control and with the participation of the Russian-Africa Partnership Forum Secretariat. Besides coordination, the Councils will deal with developing substantive conceptual offers for the development of economic, science-technical, humanitarian and other types of cooperation between Russia and the African states. Russia has been looking for ways to continue building relations based not only on the nostalgic memories of shared past, that of the liberation of African states, but on new values as well: protection and reinforcement of the African states sovereignty, the idea of maintaining and strengthening peace, good neighborliness and cooperation with Russia. Further, Russia is interested in the exploration and development of mineral resources and energy. It has not significantly invested in needed infrastructure in the continent, while agriculture remains only as a promising area for cooperation. That compared to the golden days, Soviet specialists built major infrastructure facilities, including hydroelectric power plants, roads and industrial enterprises across Africa. Now, Russian companies are ready to work with their African partners to upgrade transport infrastructure, develop telecommunications and digital technologies, provide information security, and offer the most advanced technologies and engineering solutions. In 2018, Russias trade with African states grew more than 17 percent and exceeded $20 billion. During the Sochi summit, President Vladimir Putin said he would like to bring the trade figure to at least $40 billion in the next years. The first Russia-Africa Summit and Economic Forum was held in Sochi in October 2019 under the slogan - For Peace, Security, and Development. That event was attended by over 6,000 participants, including representatives of all 54 African countries, 45 of which were represented by heads of state and government. The Summit culminated in the adoption of a final declaration that sets out the goals and objectives that have been endorsed for the further development of Russia-Africa cooperation in all its dimensions. It also designates the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum as a new mechanism for dialogue in addition to summits in the Russia-Africa format once every three years. The second Russia-Africa Summit will be held in 2022. By Aleksandar Vasovic BELGRADE (Reuters) - As U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rallied Central European nations this week to stem Chinese influence by snubbing its advanced digital technology, Chinese surveillance cameras were recording faces and cars in the Serbian capital Belgrade. While Serbia aspires to join the European Union, it has made a big swing towards China, the top economic and geo-political competitor of the EU and United States, to help develop its infrastructure, energy and tech sectors and to buy weaponry. China has provided billions of euros in soft loans for infrastructure and energy development in Serbia. It is also pursuing its plan for a "digital silk road" - telecommunications connectivity - in which Serbia would be a key cog in Europe. On a visit to Slovenia on Thursday, Pompeo said that by rolling out its own 5G network, the ex-Yugoslav republic and EU and NATO member state had secured protection against China's drive "to control people and information". U.S. President Donald Trumps administration has sought to convince U.S. allies in Europe and Asia to beware of Chinese industrial and intellectual property espionage and to bar Chinese-made equipment from their tech networks or access to sensitive information on individual citizens and businesses. Huawei , China's giant telecoms equipment maker, denies it spies for Chinese authorities and says the United States wants to frustrate its growth because no U.S. company offers the same technology at a competitive price. Serbia has signed two non-binding agreements with Huawei since 2017 - one on strategic partnership in the development of broadband internet, the other on a "smart cities" project that includes data gathering, storing and management. HUAWEI ARRIVES IN SERBIA TO STAY Trade Minister Rasim Ljajic said last year that state-owned Telekom Srbija was working with Huawei on a 150-million-euro ($177.48 million) project to establish high-speed broadband internet in the Balkan country of seven million people. Story continues As for a state-of-the-art 5G network, a sector where Huawei has a dominant market position, Irini Reljin, Serbia's assistant minister for trade and telecommunications, said Belgrade planned to issue tenders for frequencies by early 2021. "We...adhere to procedures of public procurements and EU regulations which stipulate we must have technological neutrality that will guarantee all operators the right to purchase equipment of any manufacturer," Reljin told Reuters. Huawei, however, is also involved in a project with Serbia's Interior Ministry entailing the installation of over 1,100 surveillance cameras at an undisclosed cost for Belgrade's Safe City surveillance system of traffic and crime control. Reljin said Serbian databases were safe from outside interference. "For us the data safety is the same, regardless of technology and its generation, so for now we are in full compliance with EU regulations." Serbian tech experts have also been working with Huawei on the improvement of face-recognition software. "Huawei has arrived in Serbia to stay for a long time," Nenad Popovic, Serbia's minister for technological development, told reporters in May. In March, Serbian officials, the Chinese ambassador to Belgrade and Huawei representatives opened a data storage centre in the central city of Kragujevac, the fourth largest in Serbia. Top Chinese officials including President Xi Jinping have visited Serbia while Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic - who critics accuse of seeking to stifle dissent - has described ties with Beijing as "iron" and Xi as his "brother". Bosko Jaksic, a columnist with Belgrade's Politika daily, criticised Huawei's presence, calling it "just a paradigm ...of the aggressive expansion of China... "The long-term consequences of what this Chinese 'investment occupation force' may bring remain to be seen," he said. $1 = 0.8452 euros) (Additional reporting by Ivana Sekularac; Editing by Daria Sito-Sucic and Mark Heinrich) A woman has been charged with murdering her five-year-old daughter in south London, police have said. The Metropolitan Police said Sutha Sivanantham, who is 35 years old, appeared via video link at Wimbledon Magistrates Court on Friday over the death of Sayagi Sivanantham, speaking only to confirm her name and date of birth. The case has now been sent to the Old Bailey, where a hearing is scheduled to take place on Tuesday. Officers were called to an address on Monarch Parade in Mitcham on Tuesday 30 June following a report of two people who were injured. They found a woman and a girl suffering from knife wounds at the address. The girl, who was identified as Sayagi, was taken to hospital where she was later pronounced dead. A post-mortem examination at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital found she had died from stab injuries. In July, Elsa Gonzales, a neighbour on Monarch Parade, said she heard screaming and crying coming from the flat next to hers and found a woman and child in the bedroom of the property. I saw the woman lying on the floor in a pool of blood, Ms Gonzales told the PA news agency. There was blood everywhere. She described Sayagi as a cheeky little girl who was always playing with the neighbourhood kids. Siobhain McDonagh, the Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, wrote on Twitter that the incident was truly tragic. My sincere condolences to family and friends. My thoughts are also with neighbours and residents who have witnessed such tragedy," Ms McDonagh said. Additional reporting by PA 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 Former Minneapolis police officers (clockwise from top left) Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng pose in a combination of booking photographs from the Minnesota Department of Corrections and Hennepin County Jail in Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Department of Corrections and Hennepin County Sheriff's Office/Handout via Reuters) Judge Will Not Admit Some Evidence About George Floyds Criminal History in Trial The judge in the trial against four ex-Minneapolis police officers who stand accused of George Floyds murderor in its aiding and abettingwill not allow as evidence some records of Floyds history, specifically a prior conviction for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Attorney Eric Nelson, who represents Derek Chauvin, the former officer who knelt on Floyds neck before he died, filed a motion on Aug. 28 (pdf) for the admission of evidence relating to several incidents, including one in 2019 in which Floyd admitted to daily drug use and another in which he was allegedly involved in selling illegal drugs and, when approached by police, placed drugs in his mouth in an attempt to avoid arrest, and swallowed them. The motion states that when Floyd interacted with the officers, he engaged in diversionary behavior such as crying and acted irrationally. Another incident listed in the motion dates back to a case in Texas in 2007, which involved a robbery at gunpoint. The motion includes the statement that in the course of the robbery Mr. Floyd placed a gun on a womans abdomen, allowed her to be pistol whipped by an accomplice and demanded drugs and money, noting Floyds conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. At a hearing Sept. 11, Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill rejected the admission of the evidence from the Texas robbery, according to WCCO. What possible relevance could that have? Cahill said of the defenses motion to include the evidence, according to the report. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter. Thomas Lane, J. Kueng, and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter. It wasnt immediately clear whether evidence relating to the incident involving Floyd swallowing drugs when confronted by police would be admitted. Kelly Keegan, an attorney not connected to the case, told The Associated Press that prior incidents cant be brought up in court just to smear people, and a judge must weigh whether the information will help the jury find facts or just leave a negative impression. Defense attorneys said that on May 25, the day Floyd died, he behaved in a similar way to past incidents involving drugs and interactions with police. Body-camera footage from that day shows Lane and Kueng approaching a panicked Floyd, who says, Im not a bad guy! and struggles, begging not to be put in a squad car. Earl Gray, Lanes attorney, wrote in documents requesting dismissal, that the video shows Floyd had something in his mouth that looked like a fentanyl pill, which disappeared. Autopsy reports show Floyd had fentanyl in his system. Both Gray and Nelson, Chauvins attorney, wrote that during a May 2019 arrest, Floyd wouldnt listen to officers commands, put something in his mouth, had to be physically removed from a vehicle, then began to cry. In that case, several opioid pills were found, along with cocaine, they wrote. Nelson compared Floyds behavior in both arrests, saying: Clearly, Mr. Floyd had a modus operandi in the way he acted when approached by police officers while attempting to conceal narcotics. Gray wrote that Floyd shares the blame for his death. All he had to do is sit in the police car, like every other defendant who is initially arrested, Gray wrote. While attempting to avoid his arrest, all by himself, Mr. Floyd overdosed on Fentanyl. Given his intoxication level, breathing would have been difficult at best. Mr. Floyds intentional failure to obey commands, coupled with his overdosing, contributed to his own death. Ben Crump, an attorney for Floyds family members, told a crowd gathered outside the courthouse that defense 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. The county medical examiner classified Floyds death as a homicide, with his heart stopping while he was restrained by police and his neck compressed. A summary report listed fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use under other significant conditions but not under cause of death. According to prosecutors notes, Hennepin County Medical Examiner Andrew Baker told prosecutors that absent other apparent causes of death, it could be acceptable to rule the death an overdose, based on the level of fentanyl in Floyds system. A separate autopsy commissioned for Floyds family concluded he died of asphyxiation due to neck and back compression. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Just when we thought we had a million reasons to procrastinate about workout this weekend, Bollywood star Sunny Leone and her torture video were enough inspiration to move out of bed and hit the grind early in the morning. Giving her 40.2 million followers a sneak peek of her extensive exercise session, Sunny left fans motivated as she kicked and lunged in an outdoor space. Lunge kicks are good for stability and flexibility as they help increase both and are a great cardio boost. Not only does it gives a serious core workout but also allows one to work on their legs and glutes. Taking to her Instagram handle, the diva shared two videos featuring her with 10 pounds ankle weights tied to her legs. Donning a pink spaghetti top and a pair of black yoga pants, Sunny completed the look with a pair of white running shoes. Sporting a top knot so that her hair does not mess with her exercise routine, Sunny accessorized the workout look with a smartwatch. She captioned the videos, The ankle weights are about 10pounds. So this is not easy. Since I hated this last bathing suit photo I decided to torture my legs the next day!! F#*% COVID-19!!!!!!!!!!!!! (sic) Sunnys latest workout videos come at the heels of her pool picture with hubby Daniel Weber where they could be seen spending quality time with their family of five in LA, California. Dressed in a navy blue swimsuit and a white hat, Sunny captioned the picture, Best thing about LA is the sunshine and this guy...lol @dirrty99 (sic). Stationed in the US with Daniel and their three kids -Nisha, Noah and Asher, Sunny keeps sharing regular updates about her family on Instagram. The family flew to LA after the coronavirus lockdown was lifted in India as Sunny said that they felt safer in the US. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Badger cull An animal rights group has been accused of encouraging telephone terrorism after it published the home addresses and phone numbers of Conservative MPs who support the badger cull or fox hunting. The Innocent Badger website run by Stop the Cull was taken down after it urged supporters to hold demonstrations outside politicians homes or bombard them with telephone calls. They also targeted the homes of supports by graffiting the front of their houses. The removal of the website follows the Government announcement that the badger cull is to be extended to 11 new areas to allow potentially more than 60,000 creatures to be killed. Last week, Stop the Cull received a message from the technology company which hosts their website saying the publication of the MPs' personal details breached its terms of service because data [was] available for encouragement of telephone terrorism. They added: It goes against our terms of service regarding support of privacy as well as terrorism, please note the domain registrat has asked us to intervene. However, the group has launched a new website understood to be based in Iceland. In a statement on their new site they said: The Tory Government are [sic] so upset with us, they have got their friends in the police to pull the innocentbadger.com website, so we now have a new website. It continued to urge protesters to share personal details of Conservative MPs, adding it may make sense to politely knock on the door and check they still live at the address before organising any demonstrations. Amanda Milling, MP and co-chairman of the Conservative Party, said: There are legitimate ways to protest and this is not it. These anarchist actions are completely and totally unacceptable. The only thing these anarchist actions achieve is undermining the argument of many campaigners. No one wants to continue the cull of a protected species indefinitely but encouraging people to target homes and families is beyond reproach. Story continues Dehenna Davison, the Tory MP for Bishop Auckland, condemned the groups actions as beyond reprehensible, adding: Its clear theyre more interested in stoking fear and putting peoples lives at risk rather than having a debate about a serious policy. Publishing and targeting family homes is completely unacceptable and should in no way be part of any legitimate protest. The group has stepped up its campaign of direct action in recent weeks, targeting the family home of one Surrey company director connected to the cull. They included details about his home, holiday let properties and mobile telephone number, adding he doesnt like calls after 9pm. Protesters then daubed graffiti on the pavement outside the mans home accusing him of being a badger killer and murderer. It is understood the director, whom The Telegraph is not naming, had children inside as scores of demonstrators chanted shame on you outside. The police were called to the incident last month but no arrests were made. Jay Tiernan, spokesman for Stop the Cull, said activists were angry and frustrated after the lockdown and so MPs and organisers should expect more demonstrations. He added: When you attack wildlife expect resistance. When you take money or support to help with the murder of tens of thousands of badgers expect a lot of masked up people to show up to your house in the middle of the night. He insisted the group had not encouraged supporters either to threaten MPs or carry out "telephone terrorism", but wanted to waste peoples time and cause frustration. A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said publishing peoples names and addresses without their consent is a clear breach of data protection. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 05:41:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. state of Oregon governor Kate Brown said on Friday that over 1 million acres have burned in the state and first responders are dealing with reports that dozens of people are reported missing in Jackson, Lane and Marion counties. She also clarified that the assertion that 500,000 people have had to evacuate because of wildfires was inaccurate. According to Brown, 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 said. The state said in a news release Thursday night that "estimated 500,000 Oregonians have been evacuated and that number continues to grow." Doug Grafe, chief of fire protection at the Oregon Department of Forestry, said that firefighting teams are battling 16 large fires. "We have not seen the likes of this fire ... in our state ever before," he was quoted as saying in a report by OregonLive. According to Grafe, eight of the state's big fires might continue burning "until the winter rains fall." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 23:06:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on Sept. 9, 2020 shows a passage to the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao) 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." BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 11 (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. It was just a test. But an "emergency alert" blasted out a little after 9 a.m. Friday by the Town of Tonawanda that somehow ended up on thousands of Erie County residents' cellphones caused momentary panic before people read it and realized it was just a friendly reminder to wash your hands and wear a mask. It turns out that the town's emergency services was testing out the alert system, according to town officials. Somebody made a mistake. A bad mistake, acknowledged Town Supervisor Joseph Emminger, who apologized for the incident in a series of posts to Twitter throughout the day. He also acknowledged that it was an inappropriate day to do it. An inappropriate time to do it. Friday marked the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks and many communities were holding solemn commemorations in the morning when cellphones buzzed with the alert. The "Emergency Alert" told people to "continue to keep you and your family safe from Covid-19" by following the CDC's recommendations, including washing your hands, wearing a mask, covering up when you cough or sneeze and to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces. The good news is the test worked, Emminger said Friday after fielding a barrage of texts and calls from confused constituents. The bad news, he said, is so many people visited the towns website, per the instructions in the alert, that it crashed. It remained down shortly after 10 a.m. The website crashed. It got overwhelmed, he said. The towns emergency services coordinator had planned to test the system, but Emminger said she didnt tell anyone on the Town Board that she was going to do it on the morning of Sept. 11. She didnt tell anybody that she was doing this, Emminger said. We werent prepared for it." He also said he doesnt know why the notice didnt make clear this was a test. This was a mistake. Ill take responsibility for it, Emminger said. I apologize for anybody who got anxiety over this alert, and it wont happen again, he said. Emminger said he also doesnt know why the message spread as widely as it did but he believes it got pulled into the countys emergency alert system. He said hes heard from people as far away as Albany who received the alert but he assumes they bought their phones in Erie County and have 716 numbers. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz took to Twitter and said the alert was a "training error" by the town's emergency manager and that it didn't come from the county's emergency alert system. Tonawanda Police Chief James Stauffiger said that the alert was an attempt to try out a new system for broadcasting emergency messages that uses cellphone signals, as opposed to specific names and phone numbers on a list. He, too, apologized for causing alarm and for the unfortunate timing of the incident. Town Board member Bill Conrad and Shannon Patch both tweeted their dismay about the alert. "It was not approved and the timing - on such a somber and important day for our country - is problematic. We are looking at went wrong and making sure it will never happen again," Conrad tweeted. New Delhi: A Delhi Court has dismissed the bail plea of a man arrested for allegedly firing at AAP MLA Naresh Yadavs convoy in southwest Delhi, which led to the death of a volunteer in February this year. Additional Sessions Judge Sanjay Khanagwal on Friday denied bail to Dharamvir alias Kalu, saying the offence alleged against the accused was grave. In this case the offence alleged against the accused is serious in nature. His presence along with the main assailant is reflected in the statement of witnesses So far as ground of parity with the bail granted to the co-accused is concerned, the same is not available to the accused considering his role and recovery, the court said. The court also noted that a complaint was filed by a person, who was injured in the incident, alleging that the accused had threatened him. The accused had sought bail on the ground of parity with his brother and co-accused Somraj alias Dhami, and had alleged that there were discrepancies in the FIR. Advocates Vijay Aggarwal, appearing for the complainant, had opposed the bail application, claiming that the plea had various false and misleading facts and that it had also concealed various facts. The accused had not approached the court with clean hands," Aggarwal told the court. Contrary to accuseds claim, the counsel also pointed out that there was another FIR registered in 2015 against him and his brothers and the case is pending before a separate court. According to police, the accused persons had shot Ashok Maan, a 45-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) volunteer, who was a part of a convoy of the party, a few months back. In the incident, the deceaseds relative Harender was also injured. An FIR was registered under Section 302 (murder) of IPC, and other sections in February this year. After arresting Dharmavir, police had said that the case was of personal enmity and had nothing to do with politics. The police had ruled out any political angle behind the attack. 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 Kaley Cuoco posted a heartfelt tribute to her former TV dad John Ritter on the anniversary of his death on Friday. Ritter died suddenly 17 years ago of an undiagnosed aortic dissection. Ritter and Cuoco starred together for years on the TV series 8 Simple Rules as father and daughter team Bridget and Paul Hennessy. In a post on Friday, Cuoco remembered her TV dad with a black-and-white photo of them together, cheek to cheek. Cant believe you have been gone 17 years... thank you for continuing to me make me laugh every single day, she wrote. Kaley Cuoco and John Ritter (Getty Images) The "Big Bang Theory" actor has paid tribute to Ritter before, posting in 2018 on the anniversary of his death. "15 years ... love you forever, John! she wrote with a photo of her blowing a kiss to his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You still make me laugh every single day. In a special on REELZ in 2018, Cuoco recalled the moment she met Ritter that left her thoroughly charmed. Watch TODAY All Day! Get the best news, information and inspiration from TODAY, all day long. "We had a table read. I had just turned 16 and I wanted to look the part I played kind of this sexy 16-year-old. So, I wore this, like, spaghetti-strap shirt with, like, a bra strap showing," she said at the time. "I'm sitting at the table read and John walks in, he looks at me and he's like (sternly), 'You're playing my daughter. Put a sweater on.' Then he barrels over in this laughter. She added the "Three's Company" star had milked the moment, pulling a sweater off someone in the room and insisting she put it on. And he goes, 'Dress like that from now on,'" Cuoco recalled. Larry Tripoli and Fran Howe werent too worried when the power went out around 8 p.m. Monday or even when a neighbor told them there was a fire across the Santiam River, flowing along their property at the bottom of a hill. But when Tripoli woke up about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday to find the house full of smoke, the two decided they needed to bolt from their place a few miles east of Gates. The couple started to put their things into the back of their Prius and put their three dogs into their Toyota 4Runner. But with the power out, Tripoli had to open their garage door by hand. As he was about to open it, he looked through the garage door windows and saw fire bursting out of a neighbors fence. We dont have time, Fran, Tripoli, 69, said to his wife. The two leashed up their dogs, but they couldnt get their cat out from under a bed where she was hiding. Tripoli opened a sliding back door for the cat and he and Howe ran down the slope from their house to the river. The flames, Howe said, were literally behind us. I said, I love you, in case something happens', Howe, 63, recalled Thursday, sitting on a bed in a Salem hotel room. I really thought we were going to die. The Beachie Creek fire was roaring through the Santiam Canyon, destroying homes, businesses and even entire towns along the way. At least two people died in the fire that now spans 182,000 acres and is poised to merge with the Riverside fire in Clackamas County. Once Howe and Tripoli got to the water, they waded in and stopped when they got about knee-deep. Trees were burning on either side of the river, about 75 feet wide where they were. Tripoli called for help on the cellphone he had snapped to his belt before leaving the house. Larry Tripoli and Fran Howe escaped on Labor Day as wildfires decimated their home in the town of Gates, Oregon. They stayed temporarily in a tent at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem as they waited for a room at a nearby hotel. They left their cars and cat, took their three rescue dogs and ran to the nearby river for safety. "It looked like Dante's Inferno. We left with clothes and our dogs." Brooke Herbert/The Oregonian/OregonLive An hour passed. Tripoli said they were surrounded by burning underbrush, vegetation and trees. Their biggest fear was that burning trees could fall into the river. They made their way downriver about 50 yards to get to a spot with fewer trees along the bank. They got out of the water when the winds died down and the vegetation mostly burned out. They stayed on the bank. Howe sat down by the embers of a tree to warm up. Howe and Tripoli evacuated to the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem, where they stayed in a tent until they could be placed in a nearby hotel.Brooke Herbert/The Oregonian/OregonLive Tripoli called 911 every hour to let dispatchers know the two were still alive, he said. As they waited for someone to come get them, they decided to try to get to an easier access point for rescuers at a rest stop not far from their house. When they got to the top of the hill, they saw the rubble that remained of the house they built 13 years ago and had hoped would be their retirement home. Howe and Tripoli left their car and cat, took their three rescue dogs and ran to the nearby river for safety. "It looked like Dante's Inferno. We left with clothes and our dogs." Brooke Herbert/The Oregonian/OregonLive They saw the skeletons of their two cars, two still-standing chimneys and a lawn ornament cat made out of concrete that sat on their porch. An urn holding the ashes of Howes mother had been in that house, as well as 45 years of pen-and-ink artwork that Tripoli had made. We havent even really comprehended the loss, Howe said. You just cant. Tripoli talked to a 911 dispatcher who said they would be safer in the water, so they went back down the hill. Two firefighters came for the couple around 11:30 p.m. 18 hours after they ran to the river. They still dont know if their cat managed to escape through the sliding door. And they dont know what theyll do next. For now, theyre just trying to get the basics down, like shopping for clothes, a cellphone and a laptop. But Howe does have some ideas for the long-term. She said she doubts theyll rebuild the house on their property. With climate change driving historic weather events such as the wildfires in Oregon, she said it would be best to go somewhere else. I dont want to go through this again, Howe said. We really have to rethink everything. If we didnt have that river, we would have died, she said. Fedor Zarkhin fzarkhin@oregonian.com| 503-294-7674| @fedorzarkhin Brooke Herbert aherbert@oregonian.com|@abrookeherbert Computer-generated results have not received a good press in recent weeks, particularly with the A-level results debacle. So it is no surprise that some investors are questioning whether they should be willing to trust a computer with managing their hard-earned cash? Applying algorithms or predefined sets of rules to stock market data in order to make investment decisions is nothing new. The Medallion Fund, managed out of New York by Renaissance Technologies since the 1980s, has a stellar performance record. Automation: Most algorithm-based funds in the UK can be cheaper than traditional funds run by investment managers Although now not open to new investors, the fund recorded gains in March this year when global stock markets all fell sharply. Renaissance founder James Simons, a Cold War codebreaker and maths genius, used a secret strategy to decide what to trade when setting up the fund. Most algorithm-based funds in the UK are easier to fathom and have the advantage that they can be cheaper in terms of annual charges than traditional funds run full time by investment managers. Martin Bamford, a financial adviser at Informed Choice, is a fan of such funds. He says: 'Where a computer can cheaply and consistently apply a pre-determined set of rules to investing, that's preferable to investing blindly in the most expensive companies in a given index, or trusting the judgment of a fund manager.' Bamford adds: 'Algorithm funds have a bright future.' A MIX OF MAN... AND MACHINE Just like the creators of the A-level algorithm, those who champion algorithm funds like to position them as the ultimate mix of man and machine. Man sets the parameters deciding what characteristics will make a fund fly and then sets the machine to do the work of deciding which shares fit a set of strictly defined criteria. The result is a portfolio tilted towards certain financial characteristics, managed in a way that is a hybrid of traditional active and passive funds. Funds that use this approach might be described as 'factor investing', 'smart beta' or 'strategic beta'. Some funds are 'multi-factor', which means they construct the portfolio using several characteristics. So, for example, they might set the computer parameters to look at the price volatility of individual stocks as well as the dividends they pay and their cash flow. Others are 'single factor', so may simply look at a stock's dividend record when picking which shares to include. Many algorithm funds are set up as Exchange Traded Funds. This means they can be traded like shares. Jason Hollands, a director of wealth manager Tilney, says the funds should be viewed as 'complex trackers'. He says: 'They hold a basket of shares or bonds selected on objective criteria or factors for example, profitability, dividends, balance sheet strength, valuations or a combination of these. 'Such funds therefore provide investors with a lot more control over the characteristics of companies they are exposed to, but at lower costs than paying for active management.' Hollands gives the example of Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1000. This is an exchange traded fund that provides exposure to the 1,000 largest stock-market-listed US companies. Individual holdings are not determined by market capitalisation but a basket of other factors including revenues, cash flow and dividends. Such an approach, says Hollands, can help investors avoid the dangers of market bubbles. This is because the fund's algorithm skews the portfolio in favour of more conservative companies and away from stocks with high market valuations and limited revenues or cash flow. A similar exchange traded fund, recommended by Teodor Dilov of wealth manager Interactive Investor, is SPDR S&P Global Dividend Aristocrats. This tracks high dividend-yielding companies within the S&P index that have increased or held their dividends for at least 25 years. Similar products are offered by Vanguard. It provides funds that are weighted towards companies that pay dividends, or shares that have 'momentum' their prices have been rising for a while. ARE ALGORTHM FUNDS VALUE FOR MONEY? Ongoing charges for these funds sit between the low fees levied on index tracking funds and the higher fees imposed on actively managed funds. For example, S&P Global Dividend Aristocrats has an annual charge of 0.35 per cent, compared with 0.07 per cent for the iShares tracker fund that replicates the performance of the S&P 500 Index. Invesco FTSE RAFI 1000 charges 0.39 per cent lower than active funds such as Terry Smith's Fundsmith Equity which charges 1 per cent. Opinion is divided on the value for money offered by algorithm funds. Ben Willis, head of portfolio management at financial planner Chase de Vere, says they are 'usually too expensive for what is basically a plugged-in computer programme, especially when you compare them to standard passive funds which are keenly priced'. But Informed Choice's Bamford describes them as 'a sensible middle ground between expensive actively managed funds and dirt cheap index trackers'. Hollands says the funds are not perfect. He adds: 'They are not a panacea and they do have limitations. 'The algorithms are set up on historic data and as all investors know the past does not guarantee the future.' HOW HAVE THEY DONE IN THE PANDEMIC? Like Boris Johnson's 'mutant' exam algorithm, most algorithm funds have been tested by the pandemic. Darius McDermott, managing director at Chelsea Financial Services, says they have 'little flexibility to adapt to changes in markets'. Some did well. For example, Vanguard Global Momentum Factor has registered gains of 16.2 per cent over the past six months 26.7 per cent over the past three years. This is because momentum investing buying shares that have already performed strongly has very much been in vogue. By way of contrast, Vanguard Global Value Factor which favours companies with strong cashflow in out-of-favour sectors has recorded three-year losses of 8.7 per cent. IS IT TIME TO LET THE ALGORITHM RUN? Algorithm funds are relatively low cost, but if you are going to use them it is important to understand what is going on in the 'black box'. Hollands says the funds work best in more established stock markets due to the widespread availability of company information on which to base the algorithm. A good starting point is the Lifestrategy range of funds from Vanguard. Here, the funds simply invest in a set mix of shares and bonds. So, investors can choose a mix of 20 per cent bonds and 80 per cent equities or 40 per cent bonds and 60 per cent equities, depending upon appetite for risk. The funds have a low 0.22 per cent charge. They are run by computers that re-balance the portfolios daily. Vanguard's 80 per cent equity fund, 20 per cent bond fund has made profits of 59 per cent over the past five years 17 per cent over three year. Even in the last six months it is up 12 per cent. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed Harry Maguire will remain Manchester United's captain despite his summer incident in Greece. Maguire, 27, was handed a suspended prison sentence of 21 months and 10 days following an altercation outside a nightclub on the island of Mykonos last month. The England international was found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and repeated attempts of bribery. Harry Maguire will remain Manchester United's captain despite his Greece incident last month United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has praised the character of his captain Maguire Maguire has appealed the verdict and there will be a full retrial at a later date. But while Maguire was dropped from the England squad by manager Gareth Southgate for last week's internationals, his status as United captain will not change. Manager Solskjaer told United's official website: 'Of course Harry had a difficult summer. 'He didn't have a long break. His break was different to others as we gave him a few more days and, after, he's come back and looked fine. 'He's handled it really well and, of course, I'll be here to support him. 'He is going to be our captain. We'll just leave Harry and his people and the process to run. Maguire was given a 21-month suspended sentence on the Greek island of Syros last month Maguire's legal team successfully appealed the verdict and a re-trial will be held at a later date 'For me, he is a top, an absolute top, human being and has always been a positive guy with the right values. 'So I really hope we can see Harry performing at his best.' The centre-back played every minute of United's Premier League campaign last season as well as making 17 appearances in other competitions. United don't begin their Premier League season until next Saturday's visit of Crystal Palace to Old Trafford after being given an extension to pre-season following their run to the Europa League semi-finals next month. Maguire admitted he was 'scared for his life' when arrested by police officers in Mykonos They will play Aston Villa in a friendly match at Villa Park on Saturday as Solskjaer prepares his players for the new campaign. Maguire has admitted he feared for his life when Greek police arrested him in Mykonos and thought he was being kidnapped. He told the BBC: 'They hit me a lot on the legs. I was in that much of a panic. Fear. Scared for my life.' Vice President Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has reiterated the governments absolute commitment to construct the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam to serve as a permanent solution to the perennial flooding experienced each year in North. Addressing separate gatherings as part of a tour to the flood-affected communities in the Upper East Region, Dr Bawunia said when the project was completed, it would harvest the volumes of water spilled from the Bagre Dam each year. For the past few weeks, the Upper East Region and the North East Region have experienced torrential rain leading to the flooding of many areas, loss of 10 lives in both regions, and destruction of properties including many hectares of farmlands and houses. The flood which has been compounded by the spillage of the Bagre and Kompienga Dams in Burkina Faso, which passes through the White Volta, has created a large gorge near the Kobore Bridge in the Bawku West District, cutting off people from the Bawku enclave from access to Zebilla and Bolgatanga, the regional capital. On Thursday, September 10, the flood also submerged portions of the main Bolgatanga-Tamale highway, about two kilometres from the Pwalugu Bridge, thereby preventing people from accessing Bolgatanga from North East Region. According to, Dr Bawumia, the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam would effectively curb the annual disaster and work had already begun on the project. To deal with this problem fundamentally, we have to have a flood control mechanism in the context of the Pwalugu multipurpose dam project, that is the most important antidote to all these problems and that is why we have moved and secured the Pwalugu dam project. This Pwalugu dam has a flood control element as well as irrigation and power generation element and this project is going be the biggest single investment in northern Ghana since Independence, it is about a billion dollars, Dr Bawumia added. The Vice President, who visited Kobore, where the road had been cut off and had an overview of the affected areas in Upper East and North Regions in a helicopter, also interacted with the chiefs and people of Anateem Community in the Bolgatanga Municipality where about 50 people had been displaced by the torrential rains and currently being sheltered in a primary school. The Vice President on behalf of government donated some relief items including soap, rice, blankets, mattresses, water, cups, basins, used clothes, mats and oil among others as well as cash amount of GH10,000.00 to the affected victims. Dr Bawumia as part of his two-day working visit to the region further inspected works on the reconstruction of the Tono Dam spillway channel in the Kassena-Nankana Municipal which got broken in October, 2019 after several days of heavy torrential rainfall. Mr Sabastian Bagina, the Operations Manager, Irrigation Company of Upper Region (ICOUR) noted that the spillway was about 60 metres wide and 500 metres long and assured that the contractor would move back to site when the water receded. Mr Bagna who explained that about 400,000 farmers directly benefit from the Tono Irrigation Project noted that the contractor has been on the ground working to try and protect the control structure itself before any spillage and he was able to achieve that to some extent before spillage started about five days ago. The Vice President was accompanied by Mr Eric Nana Agyemang Prempeh, Director General of NADMO, Dr Nurah Kwaku, Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Anthony Karbo, Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Ambrose Dery, Minister for the Interior, Mr Stephen Mahamudu Yakubu, Ghana Ambassador to Morocco, Madam Tangoba Abayage, the Upper East Regional Minister among other government officials. 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 Mauricio Claver-Carone (R) attends the conversation 'Trump Administration Priorities in the Americas' at the 2019 Concordia Americas Summit in Bogota on May 14, 2019. (Gabriel Aponte/Getty Images for Concordia Summit) USs Claver-Carone Elected to Run Inter-American Development Bank Mauricio Claver-Carone, the current senior director for Western Hemisphere affairs at the U.S. National Security Council and an adviser to President Donald Trump, was elected Sept. 12 to be the next president of Latin Americas top development bank. He was elected by the Inter-American Development Banks (IDB) board of governors and will begin a five-year term on Oct. 1, the IDB said in a statement. The IDB is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social, and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean, loaning about $13 billion each year. The Treasury Department nominated Claver-Carone for the position in June. The nomination of Mr. Claver-Carone demonstrates President Trumps strong commitment to U.S. leadership in important regional institutions, and to advancing prosperity and security in the Western Hemisphere, the department said in a statement on June 16. National security adviser Robert C. OBrien and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo applauded the election of Claver-Carone, the first American to lead the organization. OBrien praised him for his strategic vision for accelerating best-in-class private investment in the region, while Pompeo said that Claver-Carone has been a visionary leader in advancing prosperity in the Western Hemisphere and a strong advocate for the democratic institutions and security cooperation that underpin economic growth and development. The United States looks forward to working closely with him during his tenure as president of this essential organization as it revitalizes economies throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, he said. The confirmation of Claver-Carone, a Cuban American, as IDB president is a major step forward of the Trump administrations Western Hemisphere strategy of confronting the increasing influence from the Chinese regime in Americas neighborhood. In the Western Hemisphere Strategic Framework (pdf) published by the Trump administration in August, the United States regards the region be critical to its national security, peace, and prosperity. The National Security Council listed four strategic goals in the framework including securing the homeland through preventing illegal and uncontrolled human migration, smuggling, and trafficking, advancing economic growth and expanding free markets in the Americas, reaffirming the regions commitment to democracy and the rule of law, countering economic aggression and malign political influence, and expanding and strengthening the regional community of like-minded partners. The Western Hemisphere is a geopolitical priority for the United States, reads the framework. Earlier this year, more than 700 nurses at Amita Health Saint Joseph Medical Center Joliet went on strike for more than two weeks over staffing levels and issues related to pay and benefits. Last year, about 2,200 nurses at the University of Chicago Medical Center went on a one-day strike, which was followed by a four-day lockout. By PTI NEW DELHI: Political leaders, rights activists and the general public on Saturday paid their last respects to Swami Agnivesh, and remembered him as a "truly secular" person who fought for the rights of bonded labourers and women. Social activist Agnivesh, who was suffering from liver cirrhosis for a long time, died of multi-organ failure at a Delhi hospital on Friday. He was 80. His mortal remains were consigned to flames by Swami Aryavesh, the president of the World Council of Arya Samaj, at the Agnilok Ashram in Behelpa, Gurgaon around 4 PM. Before that, Agnivesh's body was kept at his office at 7, Jantar Mantar Road for people to pay their last respects. "He was a great friend of the entire Left movement. He used to call me comrade and I also addressed him as comrade Swami. He never hesitated in identifying himself with progressive forces fighting for the poor," CPI leader D Raja said. "Despite his saffron dress, he was secular to the core. He was a champion of bonded labourers in the country," he said. Top leaders of the DMK and the PMK, M K Stalin and S Ramadoss, condoled the death of Agnivesh. "Despite being attacked by communal forces many times, he remained steadfast on his policies," Stalin said in a statement. PMK founder S Ramadoss mourned the death of his 'friend' Swami Agnivesh and said he was supportive of the party's stand against alcohol and smoking. Political activist Yogendra Yadav said Swami Agnivesh was a representative of the Hindu principle of tolerance and respect for every religion -- "Sarva Dharma Sambhava". "He respected every religion the way he venerated his own....He made us understand the real meaning of 'dharma'...which is not being in a temple or an ashram, but being among the poor and serving them," he said. Lawyer Mehmood Pracha said Swami Agnivesh fought for bonded labourers, women and child rights and the fight will continue even after his demise. "Recently, he was attacked on many occasions by people belonging to certain groups who were against his ideology," he said. Those who came to pay last respects wore masks and followed COVID-19 protocols. Agnivesh was critically ill and admitted to the ICU at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences. He and was on ventilator support since Tuesday. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Police detained at least 46 protesters on Saturday as thousands of people gathered in the Belarus capital Minsk demanding the release of a jailed opposition leader, the latest in a wave of mass protests following a disputed election. Maria Kolesnikova, 38, has emerged as a key opposition figure after others were either jailed or forced out of the country, including Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya who challenged President Alexander Lukashenko in the presidential election. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Police detained at least 46 protesters on Saturday as thousands of people gathered in the Belarus capital Minsk demanding the release of a jailed opposition leader, the latest in a wave of mass protests following a disputed election. Maria Kolesnikova, 38, has emerged as a key opposition figure after others were either jailed or forced out of the country, including Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya who challenged President Alexander Lukashenko in the presidential election. Protesters say the Aug. 9 election was rigged to hand Lukashenko a phoney landslide win and that Tsikhanouskaya - who has since fled to Lithuania - was the real winner. Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years, denies this and has said foreign powers are behind the protests. At least 5,000 protesters, many of them women, gathered in central Minsk on Saturday, chanting "Go away!" in reference to Lukashenko, and "Masha" - a common alternative for Maria - in support of Kolesnikova, a Reuters witness said. "Sveta is my president, Masha is my queen," read one of the slogans held up in the crowd. Police started detaining people shortly after the protests started at 1200 GMT. As of 1650 GMT, at least 46 were held in police stations, mostly women, according to the Spring human rights group. Kolesnikova was driven to the Ukrainian border earlier this week after being seen snatched off the streets of Minsk and into a van by masked men. [nL8N2G722E] According to two allies who were with her, she prevented an attempt to expel her from Belarus by tearing her passport up into small pieces and throwing it out of a car window. She is now detained in Minsk, and faces a potential long prison term over accusations of trying to seize power illegally. Tsikhanouskaya, who stood against Lukashenko in place of her better-known husband who was detained before election, called on Saturday for the police to stop cracking down on dissent. "Violence you are putting on women is disgraceful," she said in a statement. "Anyone who commits a crime against peaceful protesters will be called to answer." On Saturday, Lukashenko met his law enforcement officials, asking for an update with "political situation" in Belarus, Belta newsagency reported, without providing other details. He is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi to discuss "energy cooperation and two countries' strategic partnership", the Kremlin has said. (Writing by Maxim Rodionov and Katya Golubkova; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Pravin Char and Frances Kerry) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. More than 3.6 million patients of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) have recovered across the country so far and most of them are from five states, including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the government said on Saturday. According to the Union health ministry, a record 81,533 Covid-19 patients recovered between Friday and Saturday morning, taking the number of recoveries in the country to 3,624,196. Of this, 60% of the cases are from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Maharashtra has alone contributed more than 14,000 and Karnataka over 12,000 to the new single-day recoveries, the health ministrys dashboard showed on Saturday. These states have also reported the maximum new recoveries in the past 24 hours. With its focussed strategies and measures, India has been continuously reporting a high number of recoveries, the health ministry said. Indias caseload of the coronavirus disease mounted to 4,659,984 with a record 97,570 infections reported in a day, data showed on Saturday morning. Of the 97,570 new cases added in the last 24 hours in the country, Maharashtra has contributed to more than 24,000 of the additional cases. Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka both have contributed to over 9,000 infections, it said. Also read | Animal trials proved efficacy of Covaxin, says Bharat Biotech Indias case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.66% while the recovery rate has risen to 77.77%, according to the health ministrys dashboard. The country registered 1,201 deaths in 24 hours, with 36% of the fatalities reported on Friday are from Maharashtra with 442 deaths, followed by Karnataka with 130 deaths. Of the total deaths, 69% fatalities are concentrated in five states and Union territories of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi, according to the government. India is now the second-worst hit country in the world after the United States and Brazil as the global cases of coronavirus disease climbed to over 28 million and 915,608 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins Universitys tracker. Flexible foam insulation, a form of foam insulation, has open-cell construction giving it flexibility and lowering its weight. The Spray is probably the most generally used software method for versatile foam insulation, which has main utilization within the constructing sector. 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Some of the important thing gamers available in the market embody PolyOne Corporation, DoW Chemicals, Owens Corning, and Okay-Flex. <<>> https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/covid-19-analysis/10300 Report Scope: CARACAS, Venezuela - President Nicolas Maduro said Friday that Venezuelan authorities captured a U.S. spy targeting a pair of refineries on the north Caribbean coast as this nation once wealthy from oil is gripped by a deep gasoline shortage. The spy, Maduro alleged, was a Marine who had served as a CIA operative in Iraq. He gave no identity or other immediate proof to support the claim, saying more details would follow, such as photos and video. The suspect was captured Thursday while possessing specialized weapons and a large sum of dollars, Maduro said, adding that the man was being interrogated about his activities around the Amuay and Cardon refineries in Falcon state. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, shown on March 12, claims that a former Marine and current CIA operative was caught targeting oil refineries A dark cloud drifts over the Amuay-Cardon oil refinery in Venezuela, which was allegedly targeted by a U.S. spy A controlled flame burns behind storage tanks at Amuay-Cardon, located about 350 miles west of Caracas, Venezuela Maduro, an adversary of the United States, also said Venezuelan authorities had dismantled a plot on Wednesday that was aimed at blowing up a third refinery, El Palito in Carabobo state. He urged the nation's oil workers to be on alert for more attacks. "The gringo empire wants revenge against Venezuela," he said. "It wants to prevent Venezuela from producing all petroleum products, gasoline." Oil once made Venezuela a wealthy nation, but critics of Maduro say two decades of socialist rule have left it near ruin. Its dilapidated oil fields and refineries barely produce, and the nation today relies on imports from Iran, another U.S. foe. A second, deep scarcity of gasoline struck in recent days, frustrating drivers stuck in lines for hours and days to fuel up, even in the capital of Caracas. Analysts say the next three Iranian ships hauling fuel won't arrive for weeks. While Venezuela's broken oil industry leaves drivers stranded, stiff U.S. sanctions have also blocked Maduro from importing gasoline. Maduro claimed the 'gringo empire wants revenge against Venezuela' Washington backs Maduro's rival, opposition politician Juan Guaido If Maduro's claim of netting a U.S. citizen prove correct, the suspect would join two ex-Green Beret soldiers already jailed in Venezuela for allegedly participating in a failed attempt to overthrow the socialist leader. The two former U.S. special forces soldiers were arrested in early May among more than 80 rebel Venezuelan fighters who staged a failed beach attack called Operation Gideon aimed at arresting Maduro. The ex-Green Berets - Luke Denman and Airan Berry - have been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Authorities say the two men confessed to being part of the plot. While the Trump administration denied having anything to do with the blundered May incursion, Washington backs Venezuelan opposition politician Juan Guaido who seeks to overthrow Maduro. Afghan government representatives and Taliban insurgents gathered on Saturday for historic peace talks aimed at ending two decades of war that has killed tens of thousands of combatants and civilians. "The choice of your political system is yours to make," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the two sides at the opening ceremony for the talks in the Qatari capital Doha. The talks, which are scheduled to commence on Sunday, will require hard work and sacrifice, but through them an endurable peace is possible, Pompeo said of the 19-year war, which has vexed three U.S. presidents. The head of Afghanistan's peace council, Abdullah Abdullah, said that if the two sides join hands "and honestly work for peace, the current ongoing misery in the country will end." Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, foreign minister of host Qatar, said the long-warring parties "must make the decisive decision in line with the current challenges and rise above all form of division... by reaching an agreement on the basis of no victor and no vanquished. Officials, diplomats and analysts say that although getting both sides to the negotiating table was an achievement, this does not mean the path to peace will be easy. "The negotiations will have to tackle a range of profound questions about the kind of country Afghans want," Deborah Lyons, the United Nations special representative for Afghanistan, told the U.N Security Council this month. The opening ceremony comes one day after the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States that triggered its military involvement in Afghanistan. U.S. forces intervened in Afghanistan on the orders of President George W. Bush a month after the attacks to hunt down their mastermind, Osama bin Laden, a Saudi who had been given sanctuary by the country's radical Islamist Taliban rulers. U.S. forces initially offered mainly air support to the Taliban's local enemies. Although the Taliban regime was quickly toppled, they regrouped and have since waged an insurgency that has sucked in Afghanistan's neighbours and troops from dozens of countries, including NATO forces. Negotiations to broker a comprehensive peace deal were envisaged in a troop withdrawal pact signed between the United States and the Taliban in February. After months of delay, a dispute over the Taliban's demand for the release of 5,000 prisoners was resolved this week. Ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November, President Donald Trump is looking to show progress in his pledge to end U.S. involvement and pull out most of the foreign forces stationed in Afghanistan. The United States has reduced its troop levels and by November is expected to have fewer than 5,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, down from about 13,000 when the U.S.-Taliban deal was signed. Since 2001, more than 2,300 U.S. troops and about 450 British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan. A European diplomat in Kabul said that a ceasefire - which the Taliban have so far rejected - should top the talks' agenda. "The Taliban leaders will have to stop fighters from attacking Afghan forces and civilians, violence continues to degrade the atmosphere and potentially derail negotiations," the diplomat said. How to include the Taliban, who reject the legitimacy of the Western-backed Afghan government, in any governing arrangement and how to safeguard the rights of women and minorities who suffered under Taliban rule are big challenges, experts said. Nevertheless many diplomats, victims of violence and members of civil society say negotiations are the only realistic way to bring an end to a conflict that has killed more than 100,000 civilians and hampered Afghanistan's development, leaving millions in poverty. "Solutions will not be found on the battlefield, we know this," Lyons said. Search Keywords: Short link: Iran Deploys Submarine, Cruise Missile In Exercises By Radio Farda September 11, 2020 The Iranian navy on Friday deployed homegrown military equipment including a submarine and a cruise missile on the second day of exercises near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The submarine dubbed the Fateh -- Persian for "Conquerer" -- was seen in action for the first time and sailed up the Indian Ocean, the military said on its website. The near 600-tonne sub is equipped with torpedoes, mines and cruise missiles, and can stay underwater at a depth of more than 200 metres (650 feet) for up to 35 days, according to Iranian media. Unveiled last year, it is Iran's first submarine in the semi-heavy category, filling a gap between its light Ghadir class and heavy Kilo class submarines. Dubbed "Zolfaghar 99", the three-day exercises are being held over waters stretching from the northern Indian Ocean to the eastern end of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of world oil output passes. The Iranian navy also test-fired a "Ghader" land-to-sea cruise missile first unveiled in 2014, saying it successfully hit its target at a distance of over 200 kilometres (124 miles). The installation of missile systems "all across the country's southern coast has enabled us to target any threat at sea from any point," navy commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said. "This is not about deterrence; it's about attacking any target that could pose a threat for Iran," he said on state television. Videos aired on state television showed the missile being fired from a mobile system installed on a truck, with Khanzadi thanking the crew afterwards. A locally-made "Simorgh" combat drone also destroyed its targets using "smart, precision bombs" in waters more than a 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) away, the navy said. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran- deploys-submarine-cruise-missile- in-exercises/30833937.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 most common word being used to describe Oregons ongoing wildfire cataclysm is unprecedented. Thats certainly the case in modern recorded history when it comes to the sheer number of conflagrations and megafires that erupted starting Labor Day. A powerful windstorm caused fires to race through Oregons typically more fire-resistant forests on the west side of the Cascades for 72 hours. When the damage is eventually tallied, the number of structures lost and evacuees will dwarf any previous total in the history of the state by orders of magnitude. The number of acres burned over just a week is likely to surpass annual statewide totals from even the largest fire seasons of the past. And more tragically, the loss of life, as Gov. Kate Brown warned Wednesday, may be the largest ever experienced. Yet while last weeks hellfire was unusual, it was not, in fact, unprecedented. The east wind event that conspired with existing drought conditions to blow up two low-level fires and other human-caused ignitions last Monday is rare but hardly unique, academics and fire experts say. The winds were the main culprit in making the catastrophic infernos as fast moving as they were. Experts say those east winds are Oregons version of the dry, downslope Santa Ana winds that stoke big fires in California. They have long blamed them for some of the largest westside fires in modern Oregon history and say similar wind-driven megafires have shaped the entire ecosystem west of the Cascades over millennia. Neither the wind event nor the fires were unpredictable. The windstorm and resulting fire danger were forecast days in advance, but with little appreciable effect. Moreover, scientists have long pointed to the inverse relationship between fire frequency and severity on the west side that is, fewer fires can mean more intense fires -- and they warn that fire is moving west to the overgrown forests and population centers of the Willamette Valley and southwest Oregon in an age of global warming. That recognition, however, has spurred little movement beyond the established battle lines that have characterized forestry debate in Oregon for decades. The prospect of widespread forest treatments in the complex ecosystems of the west side establishing fire breaks and using thinning and prescribed burns to reduce the fuels that choke forest floors is environmentally unthinkable to some, and impractical to others. That leaves Oregon facing the paradox of relying on full fire suppression. But leaping on every fire and putting it out immediately is the practice that helped create the problem in the first place. Alternatively, Oregon can turn to other, easier measures. It could adopt policies requiring more frequent pre-emptive blackouts by utilities so that downed power lines do not spark fires. Or the state could force updated building codes, regulations on defensible space near structures, and incorporate wildfire risk in land-use planning and zoning. But those policies wont stop big fires and are contentious, too. And in a legislative session shortened by a Republican walkout over climate change legislation, none of them gained ground. Bills to expand forest treatments across the state, as well as legislation to modernize and bolster the Oregon Department of Forestrys ability to put down wildfires quickly, went nowhere. Its possible that the sheer scale of this weeks tragedy will reframe and accelerate the debate. But if so, the problems will compete with COVID-19 for a strapped state budget, with poor prospects for major new investments. Were sobered right now, said Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, who chaired the Legislatures Committee on Wildfire Preparedness and whose district encompasses some of the most catastrophically impacted communities in the state. But in the past weve been sobered and I havent seen us come together around the causes we have to address. East wind events: The strong and persistent windstorm that started Monday and stoked the big fires is unusual, but academics say similar conditions were a prime factor in many of the most infamous, fast-running west-side conflagrations since Europeans settled in Oregon. Those include the 1902 Yacolt Burn, which torched 500,000 acres in Southwest Washington and parts of Oregon and killed at least 65 people. Easterly gales were a main ingredient in the Tillamook Burn of 1933, which initially burned 40,000 acres west of Gales Creek over 10 days, then devoured an additional 200,000 acres in 20 hours when stoked by hot east winds. East winds were also implicated in the Bandon fire of 1936, which burned 143,000 acres, consumed the town of 1,800 and killed at least 10 people. In 1957, Owen Cramer, a meteorologist at the U.S. Department of Agricultures Pacific Northwest Research Station, authored a paper describing the close relationship between occurrences of severe easterly winds and large forest fires in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. The history of forest conflagrations in the Northwest is, for the most part, a history of the simultaneous occurrence of small fires and severe east winds, he wrote, going on to describe the exact weather pattern that took place on Labor Day. Under these conditions fires run wild and fire-control men must be prepared for the worst. Daniel Donato, a natural resource scientist at Washington Department of Natural Resources, is currently studying the relationship between east wind events and large fires. He says theres ample precedent and its fair to say its characteristic of the landscape west of the Cascades. He likens it to the recent awakening around the likelihood of a Cascadia subduction zone earthquake. We get lulled into this sense that it doesnt happen here. Its a California problem. But it does happen here, with low frequency, he said. Dan Gavin is a geographer at the University of Oregon who studies the history and pattern of fires in wet forest types west of the Cascade Range. He says the best evidence of pre-European, west-side megafires comes from core samples of remaining old-growth trees in protected areas and tree-ring studies in stumps from 1980s clearcuts. Coupled with sediment studies, they show that big fires have been a constant presence on the landscape for at least 11,000 years, leaving uniformly aged stands of Douglas-fir across Western Oregon and Washington at intervals of 100 to 250 years. In the hierarchy of factors that dictate how fast and far a fire will burn fuels, topography and weather wind speed and direction are key drivers. And since those fires have no obvious ignition source, he says, they were likely either lightning holdovers or fires set by indigenous tribes along hunting routes that smoldered for days to weeks before a hot and persistent east wind kicked up, bellowing the fires and preventing the typical nighttime increase in relative humidity that comes with normal westerly marine flows. Thats what happened Monday. Two fires Beachie Creek and Lionshead had been burning for weeks in steep terrain. By late August, Beachie Creek was small enough that forestry officials reassigned scarce resources to other, higher-priority fires. On Monday night and Tuesday morning, however, high winds pushed down drainages from the crest of the Cascades, gaining temperature as they drove toward the valley floor. Both fires exploded, with Beachie Creek making a spectacular 55-mile run of flame toward the valley. Together, they formed a 313,000-acre behemoth by Friday. Similar scenarios played out to the north and south. The idea of human-set fire is also apt. Most of the fires burning in Western Oregon today were not caused by lightning, which doesnt occur during the atmospheric conditions in place Monday. Officials have yet to identify the cause for most of the blazes, saying they are under investigation. But with population increases, particularly in what fire experts call the wildland-urban interface, 70 percent of fires in Oregon today are human caused, and earlier this summer, the percentage was 90 percent, according the Oregon Department of Forestry. Academics are reluctant to attribute any one event to human-caused climate change. But there is broad consensus that climate change is driving higher temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns and drought cycles across the west and in Western Oregon. Climate change is loading the dice, Donato said. Its deepening and lengthening summer drought. Loading that one die is part of the west-side fire equation. A 2019 report by the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute found that fire risk due to climate change is projected to increase across the state by mid-century, with the largest increases in the Willamette Valley and Eastern Oregon. Likewise, a 2019 risk assessment by the Governors Council on Wildfire Response specifically identified areas of Clackamas, Marion and Lane counties as well as much of Southwest Oregon as areas of high and increasing wildfire risk. Patrick Bartlein, another University of Oregon geographer whose research includes environmental modeling, says making the connection between a particular wind event and climate change is tricky to do. But ingredients of the atmospheric setup for Mondays windstorm can be related to global change, he said, including the eastern Pacific Ocean being 5 degrees warmer this summer than the 30-year average, which heats the atmosphere and reinforces the weather pattern that caused it. A lot of the components of that event are consistent with human-caused climate change, he said. Reacting, now and in the future If more frequent fire is coming to Western Oregon, it raises the question of what can be done, immediately and in the future. Authorities and residents in the Santiam Canyon, along the McKenzie River and in Clackamas County were uniformly caught off guard by the freakish speed of the fires' advance, despite clear weather warnings. And some residents said evacuation notices came late, if at all. The National Weather Service was issuing hazardous fire weather warnings Friday, Sept. 4, calling for warm, dry and windy conditions between the next Monday and Wednesday. They repeated high fire danger warning Saturday Sept. 5: Its going to be quite warm again next week. But the big story is increased fire danger due to strong east winds and a very dry air mass. Fire starts have the potential to be very active and spread quickly. The agencys urgent fire weather message for the region came again Sunday, Sept. 6, at 3 p.m.: HISTORIC SEPTEMBER EAST WIND EVENT LIKELY, PEAKING MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. EXTREMELY DRY CONDITIONS LIKELY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. By Monday morning, however, the Marion County Sheriffs office said on its Facebook page that it was hearing of rumors spreading in town of a possible evacuation inside the city of Detroit. There are no plans for an evacuation inside the city of Detroit at this time. The lake was still open. Tourists were in town. Later that night, there was no warning. The fire was there. Residents fled down Oregon 22 with flames on both sides of road. It was frantic, Detroit Mayor Jim Trett told Oregon Public Broadcasting. The calls started about midnight to evacuate. We hadnt even been declared a Level 1 as of yet, which is just Listen. We went from nothing to a Level 3, and in less than 24 hours. But when they called at midnight, we had people in bed, and the way they got told it was just people pounding on their doors saying get out. It was similar story for Michelle Jarvis, who lives south of Estacada in Clackamas County. She said she signed up for emergency notifications on her phone as the Riverside fire loomed in the distance Tuesday morning. I dont remember getting any Level 1 or 2, she said. I wondered if they even worked until the officer was coming down my driveway (around 4 p.m.) and telling us to leave. Then I started getting the alert. It happened super-fast. Its also unclear if utilities shut their grids down early enough with pre-emptive blackouts. Electric utilities' role in causing or preventing wildfire has been a hot topic since 2018, when PG&Es failure to stop the flow of power on a high-voltage line in Northern California caused the Camp fire, which immolated the town of Paradise and killed 84 people. Facing $18 billion in damage claims from the fire, the company filed for bankruptcy last year and ended up pleading guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter. Oregon Public Utility Commission Chair Megan Decker issued a statement Friday addressing the potential problem. Downed power lines can be a source of ignition and will be examined in the formal investigations that are yet to come. At this point the PUC has no information attributing any specific wildfire to any specific Oregon utility. 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. Local utilities have been honing their wildfire preparedness ever since the Camp fire, increasing vegetation management, replacing wooden poles, upgrading grids to react more quickly and communicating with customers about the potential for public safety power outages. With the wind forecast in place Saturday, Sept. 5, Portland General Electric started preparing for its first ever fire prevention blackout for customers on Mount Hood. It warned local officials, then sent out customer notifications the next day. And at 7:15 p.m. on Monday, it pulled the plug, cutting off power for roughly 5,000 customers from Alder Creek to Government Camp. PacifiCorp, which serves customers up the Santiam Canyon, did not do the same, and there are unconfirmed reports that downed power lines may have exacerbated existing fires in that area. The utility issued a statement Wednesday, saying it was working with local and state authorities to investigate fire causes, but that pre-emptive blackouts need to meet very specific criteria based on historical fire behavior, topology, wind speed and directionality, fuel loading, and current local situations like community evacuations. Shutting off power to our service territory in advance of the event could have created more issues for suppression and evacuation efforts, the statement said. Two public utilities, Lane Electric Cooperative and Eugene Water and Electric Board, serve customers along the McKenzie River, where fire causes are still under investigation. The former, which serves the devastated town of Blue River, began to get multiple outage calls Monday evening, possibly because of high winds, and ultimately elected to shut down its lines early Tuesday morning, said Jonathan Farmer, a spokesman. It brought its grid partially back online Tuesday only to shut it down again Tuesday night amid deteriorating conditions. We dont have any idea what that cause was, he said. We hope it wasnt us, but we await results of an investigation. EWEB, which serves customers down the valley, from the community of Vida and below, said it was watching the weather but didnt institute any pre-emptive blackouts. It started seeing spot outages in its service territory along the river Monday night and took several substations and the customers they serve down about 8:30 p.m. By Tuesday morning, it shut off the rest of its McKenzie River substations. Well learn from this and well probably refine our plans, said Joe Harwood, a utility spokesman. Theoretically we could be even more pre-emptive. Its not a popular decision among customers. Even in Northern California, where people have fresh memories of one of the worst utility-caused tragedies in decades, the public outcry over subsequent pre-emptive blackouts by PG&E has been intense, said Matt Donegan, who chaired the Council on Wildfire Response that Gov. Kate Brown set up in Jan. 2019 to address the states burgeoning wildfire risks and skyrocketing costs. Nevertheless, he said he fully expects were going to see a lot more of them. Its going to be a very common practice, because of climate change, because of the vegetative problems. But I think were going to see a lot of public pushback on that. And that lack of public consensus is the issue around the most common strategies to deal with wildfire risk. Take forest thinning and similar measures. The wood products industry and representatives from rural communities are big supporters of this strategy because of the jobs and revenues it would bring. Meanwhile, Donato and other researchers suggest that treating big portions of the west side forests through thinning, prescribed burns and other fuel reduction efforts is an impractical, Sisyphean task. The scale of the problem is so vast, Donato said, and the forests so biologically productive, that even if we somehow miraculously caught up with fuels reduction on the west side, it would grow back in a matter of years. Its not even relevant to the west side. It doesnt even need to be a conversation. For conservationists, meanwhile, the prospect of meddling in the complex ecosystems of the west side forests is unthinkable. Oregonians value them as they are, aesthetically, as carbon sinks, for clean water, wildlife and recreation. They also suggest that the value of treatments in all but the most vulnerable communities is minimal, because the percentage of wildfires that actually encounter a treatment is extremely low. Donegan says hes not sure theres absolute consensus around that conclusion. But after living through the public debate around one of the councils chief recommendations, spending $4 billion over 20 years to treat 5.6 million acres of forest and grasslands, he acknowledges that its off the table for now, on the west side at least. Its the third rail, he said. There was plenty of discussion about competing bills from the governor and Sen. Herman Baertschiger, R-Grants Pass, to beef up and modernize the Department of Forestrys firefighting capabilities, adding more bodies, buying or leasing new equipment and rejiggering its dysfunctional system for paying its exploding fire costs. They died too. It is feasible that Oregonians can agree on some of the wildfire mitigation and adaptation strategies that the council recommended. Among many others, they include updating building codes, increasing enforceable requirements on defensible space, incorporating wildfire risk in land-use planning and zoning. But those recommendations arent universally popular either. Should the requirements apply to new construction vs. retrofits of existing homes? How to assure low-income communities benefit? Do you adopt penalties for neighbors who dont comply with defensible space? The major selling point of the councils recommendations was that the state can save money, forestland, lives and communities in the long run by making investments and sensible policy changes now. I thought the entire council engaged in good critical thinking, Donegan said. They were intellectually honest and took off their partisan hats. It was a big tent approach. Then you get to the legislative process and a lot of those more familiar battle lines reemerged. That was obviously very disappointing. -- Ted Sickinger; tsickinger@oregonian.com; 503-2218505; @tedsickinger Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Police detained at least 46 protesters on Saturday as thousands of people gathered in the Belarus capital Minsk demanding the release of a jailed opposition leader, the latest in a wave of mass protests following a disputed election. Maria Kolesnikova, 38, has emerged as a key opposition figure after others were either jailed or forced out of the country, including Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya who challenged President Alexander Lukashenko in the presidential election. Protesters say the Aug. 9 election was rigged to hand Lukashenko a phoney landslide win and that Tsikhanouskaya - who has since fled to Lithuania - was the real winner. Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years, denies this and has said foreign powers are behind the protests. At least 5,000 protesters, many of them women, gathered in central Minsk on Saturday, chanting "Go away!" in reference to Lukashenko, and "Masha" - a common alternative for Maria - in support of Kolesnikova, a Reuters witness said. "Sveta is my president, Masha is my queen," read one of the slogans held up in the crowd. Police started detaining people shortly after the protests started at 1200 GMT. As of 1650 GMT, at least 46 were held in police stations, mostly women, according to the Spring human rights group. Kolesnikova was driven to the Ukrainian border earlier this week after being seen snatched off the streets of Minsk and into a van by masked men. According to two allies who were with her, she prevented an attempt to expel her from Belarus by tearing her passport up into small pieces and throwing it out of a car window. She is now detained in Minsk, and faces a potential long prison term over accusations of trying to seize power illegally. Tsikhanouskaya, who stood against Lukashenko in place of her better-known husband who was detained before election, called on Saturday for the police to stop cracking down on dissent. "Violence you are putting on women is disgraceful," she said in a statement. "Anyone who commits a crime against peaceful protesters will be called to answer." Story continues On Saturday, Lukashenko met his law enforcement officials, asking for an update with "political situation" in Belarus, Belta newsagency reported, without providing other details. He is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi to discuss "energy cooperation and two countries' strategic partnership", the Kremlin has said. (Writing by Maxim Rodionov and Katya Golubkova; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Pravin Char and Frances Kerry) On Friday, murtis of Hindu deities were vandalised at the Kali Mandir in Dakkhin Salna area in Gazipur city of Bangladesh, reported Dhaka Tribune. Speaking on the act of desecration, Gazipur Sadar police station OC Alamgir Hossain Bhuiyan informed that unknown miscreants barged into the temple in the wee hours of the night and desecrated the murtis of four Hindu deities. On the following day, Hindu worshippers found the heads of the murtis lying on the ground. The police informed that an investigation has been initiated into the matter but no accused has been arrested till now. A police official stated that higher officials had visited the crime scene. Human rights activist Pradip Chandra posted images of the vandalised murtis on Twitter. He wrote, Attack on a Hindu Temple And vandalized all of the deities at Gazipur, Dhaka, Bangladesh.\ #BangladeshiHinduInDanger. Attack on a Hindu Temple And vandalized all of the dities at Gazipur, Dhaka, Bangladesh. pic.twitter.com/QhTcmrD6f4 Pradip Chandra (@PradipChandra7) September 11, 2020 Temple authorities allege influential locals behind desecration According to the President of the Temple Management Committee Naresh Ray, several influential locals were eyeing to grab the land on which the temple is built. He lamented, They tried to evict the temple on Thursday also. However, they failed as some of the locals protested. Because of the incident, they vandalized the temple at night. The incident was condemned by Puja Udjapan Parishad (Gazipur) who also demanded the arrest of culprits involved in the temple desecration. Indias tally of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) surged to 4,659,984 after another record daily jump of 97,570 fresh infections and 1,201 deaths from across the country, the Union health ministry data showed on Saturday. The country has been witnessing more than 95,000 cases of the coronavirus disease daily for three days now. The number of deaths has been over 1,000 almost every day since the beginning of September now. There have been 77,472 deaths due to the viral disease till date, the health ministrys dashboard showed at 8am. There are 3,624,196 patients who have been discharged from hospitals and 958,316 active cases of the viral disease now, according to the health ministry. The gap between recovered and active cases has widened to 2,665,880 and the recovery rate has reached 77.77%. Also read | Serum Institute ordered to suspend recruitment for Covid-19 vaccine trials: Report The health ministry said that more than 3/4 of total cases or more than 3.6 million have recovered and discharged. Active cases are only a small proportion or less than 1/4 of the total cases, it added. Centre-led #COVID management strategies have focused on early detection through widespread, easy & aggressive testing; standardised quality & effective treatment in hospitals and supervised home/facility isolation; and reducing mortality, the ministry tweeted. The ministry had said on Friday that nearly 57% of the new cases are reported from only five states with Maharashtra contributing most to the caseload. Maharashtra has now become the first and only state or province in the world to report more than a million cases of Covid-19. It came after a little over six months since the day it detected its first case. Brazils Sao Paulo province with 874,754 Covid-19 cases has the second-highest infections of any state or province in the world. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh are the states that are contributing 60% of the recovered cases, the health ministry has said. India has been continuously reporting a high number of recoveries. A total of 70,880 recoveries have been registered in the last 24 hours in the country. Maharashtra has alone contributed more than 14,000 and Andhra Pradesh has contributed more than 10,000 to the single-day recoveries, it said in a release. Also read | Merck starts recruitment for Covid-19 vaccine human trial According to the health ministry, nearly 74% of the active cases are in nine most affected states with Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh contributing more than 48% of the total. Maharashtra, Karnataka have also added to the countrys death toll. Globally, there have been more than 28 million cases and 913,018 deaths till date, according to Johns Hopkins University coronavirus disease tracker. AstraZeneca CCP Virus Vaccine Trials Resume in UK as Regulator Gives Green Light Clinical trials have resumed in Britain for the CCP virus vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, the company said on Saturday, following a suspension earlier in the week after a study subject fell ill. A British regulator confirmed that it is safe to proceed with the late-stage trials of the vaccine, one of the most advanced in development, AstraZeneca said in a statement. The standard review process triggered a voluntary pause to vaccination across all global trials to allow review of safety data by independent committees and international regulators, AstraZeneca said. The UK committee has concluded its investigations and recommended to the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA) that trials in the UK are safe to resume. Trials of the experimental vaccine, one of the most advanced in development, were suspended after an illness in a study subject in Britain, casting doubts on an early rollout. AstraZeneca said in a Sept. 9 statement that the pause was to determine whether its vaccine was in any way linked to a potentially unexplained illness in one of the recipients. This 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, the company said, adding that it could not disclose further medical information. The health news site STAT reported that the pause was prompted by a potential side effect. Reuters reported that the patient involved in the study had been reportedly suffering from neurological symptoms associated with a rare spinal inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis, although AstraZeneca said on Sept. 9 that there is no final diagnosis for the vaccine trial participant who fell sick. 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, a spokesperson for the company said in a statement Wednesday. Pascal Soriot, AstraZenecas chief executive officer, said in a separate Sept. 9 statement: This temporary pause is living proof that we follow those principles while a single event at one of our trial sites is assessed by a committee of independent experts. 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 to provide this vaccine broadly, equitably, and at no profit during this pandemic. Meanwhile, Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, spoke to a panel of doctors from Harvard Medical School on Thursday, in which he gave an update on efforts to fast-track a vaccine. Finally, vaccines, which 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, he said, adding that trials have been harmonized across a number of dimensions, including U.S. federal government subsidization of development and involvement in the trial network, involving setting up a common data and safety monitoring board, among other factors. And so far, so good, he said, noting that six or seven trials were under way across three different platformsprotein subunit, nucleic acid, and viral vectorwith the latter being the one AstraZeneca is working on. Three of the trials are in phase 3, the final stage. We project that, by the end of this calendar year, lets say November-December, we will know whether we have a safe and effective vaccineand I would say vaccines plural, Fauci said, adding that he is cautiously optimistic that this will be the case. With vaccines, you never say never and you never say always, theres nothing guaranteed, well just have to see, but these trials are progressing very well, he added. He also said Americans should prepare to hunker down in the fight against COVID-19 as activities move indoors in the fall and winter and the risk of spread rises. I think that as we get into the fall and we do more indoor things, we are likely going to see upticks in COVID-19, Fauci said. With wide-scale awareness and adoption of public health measures like social distancing and hygiene, he said theres hope that there wont be a massive resurgence of COVID, because what I would like to see is keeping the lid on it, keeping the baseline down till we get a vaccine, which he expects will be available around the end of the year and will be the thing that turns it around. But until that inflection point is reached, Fauci said Americans need to hunker down and get through this fall and winter because its not going to be easy. Faucis remarks come as nearly 30 U.S. states are reporting downward trends in CCP virus infections and surges in a handful of them. As of Saturday, more than 6.45 million people have been infected with the virus in the United States and at least 193,000 have died, according to a Johns Hopkins tally. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Authorities are defending their decision to send two school resource officers to a Colorado home where a 12-year-old Black boy pointed a gun that turned out to be a toy at a friend during an online class they were taking together. Following criticism from the boys mother about how the school and El Paso County Sheriffs Office handled the Aug. 27 situation, the sheriffs office on Thursday released body camera video of the officers visit as well as a quick clip showing the boy briefly aiming the gun at the other as they appear to be horsing around. In a statement, the sheriffs office said the school contacted them out of concern for the welfare of the students and said the teacher did not know if the gun was real or not. The body camera footage shows officers talking to the father of one of the boys, and then speaking with the boys. The officer who mainly spoke said they were not going to charge the boys with the crime of interfering with a school but said they could and also said they would if it happened again. He told the father that besides checking on whether the gun was real they wanted to the boys to know how serious the situation was. The School Resource Officer took the appropriate action and was kind and respectful throughout the interaction. His goal was to educate the involved parties, the office said. In a Facebook video, the mother of the boy with the toy gun, Dani Elliott, said the school called the sheriffs office after she told school officials that it was a toy. When she later learned that the officers were going to her house, Elliott, who was not home, said she was afraid for her sons safety and called him to tell him to put the gun on the counter and hide in the basement. Elliott said she feared her son could face the same fate as Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old Black boy who was shot and killed by a police officer in Cleveland in 2014 while holding a toy gun. Even now she thinks he will be scarred by the experience, his first encounter with law enforcement officers. This is going to have a lifelong impact on my son, she said. In a statement to The Gazette, the Widefield School District #3 said it was looking at the bigger picture and wanted to focus on working with the family. We are focused on collaborative problem-solving and examining our current system and how it fits in the world today. Our hope is to move forward as a district, as a community, and as a society, it said. The daughter of a British man who may have been the first person to die from the coronavirus outside China has lambasted Chinese officials for what she claims was a cover up. Peter Attwood, 84, from Chatham in Kent, died in hospital on 30 January, after falling ill in December with symptoms including cough and a fever. He had never travelled abroad. Although heart failure and pneumonia were originally listed as the reason for his death, the Kent coroner has now confirmed that Mr Attwood had coronavirus in his lung tissue, The Sun reported. Covid-19 has since been named as his cause of death making Mr Attwood the first known coronavirus victim outside China, only 19 days after the first fatality was reported in Wuhan. In light of the news, Mr Attwoods daughter Jane Buckland told The Sun that if people had been made aware of the virus earlier, many more could have been saved including her father. "If China hadn't lied to the rest of the world and kept this hidden for so long, it could have saved countless lives. Covid has obviously been around for much longer than we know. People have been talking about a cover-up but we don't know the scale of it. Chinese officials have repeatedly denied withholding information about the coronavirus. Ms Buckland, 46, explained that her father had a heart condition and would have been shielding had he known about the disease at the time. "My father could still be here if we'd known about the threat of this horrible virus earlier," she said. The full-time carer said she worried she may have unknowingly infected her elderly father as she had also had Covid-19 symptoms, including a fever and a dry cough in the run-up to Christmas, when "no-one knew what (Covid-19) was". Ms Buckland said she attended social gatherings in December, potentially unwittingly infecting others. I went to Christmas parties and was hugging and kissing everyone, even people I didnt know. Thats what people do at Christmas," she said. The coroner wrote to Ms Buckland on 27 August to inform her of the new findings concerning her late father. A government spokesperson said: Every death is a tragedy. There is no evidence that there was sustained transmission within the community in January 2020. We acted swiftly to curb coronavirus and at all times we have been guided by the best available evidence to deliver a strategy designed to protect the NHS and save lives. Chinas ambassador to the UK has consistently denied a cover-up, claiming Beijing had "wasted no time in sharing information" with the international community. "China's record is clean [and] it can stand the test of time and history," Liu Xiaoming said in June. The hatchery has served many purposes across the years: an important role in the development of chinook culture in Alaska; a source of broodstock for many current larger chinook programs in SE Alaska. The Alaska Department of Fish & Game will be shutting down its Southeast Alaska enhancement program due to an absence of funding, leaving the future of Crystal Lake Hatchery (CLH) in jeopardy, said David Landis, Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association general manager, in a prepared statement. SSRAA operates CLH under a contract with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Sport Fishing for a total of $517,300. A portion of the funding that the hatchery receives, $200,000, comes from the sport fishing license surcharge, which is set to expire on Dec. 31, according to Landis. The state legislature did not renew the sport fishing license surcharge due to an early adjournment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Sport Fishing does not have the $500,000 needed for the Southeast's enhancement program that comes from the sport fishing license surcharge, said Landis. The ADF&G is actively trying to get the state legislation to renew the sport fishing license surcharge and has received an endorsement from Gov. Mike Dunleavy. If the surcharge is renewed, the soonest it could go into effect is on Jan. 1, 2022, said Landis. The remaining $317,300 of the CLH contract comes from federal and state funding in a 75-25 split respectively. Landis said he does not know if SSRAA will continue to receive this portion of the funding. SSRAA's contract to operate CLH is set to expire at the end of June, 2021, but Landis said he is uncertain the state will continue to honor the contract; although, he anticipates the state will. Pilot Photo One of the buildings at Crystal Lake Hatchery. There are currently two year-classes of salmon at CLH. One is brood year 19 and the other brood year 20. Brood year 19, about 1.4 million fish, are scheduled to be released in May 2021, and brood year 20, about 1.8 million fish, haven't hatched yet, but are set to be released in May 2022. Whether or not the fish will be released is uncertain at this time, said Landis. "If the state decided that instead they will pull all funding and leave fish in ponds and incubators that would have to be destroyed, we certainly wouldn't want to do that," said Landis. "It's unclear exactly what the state will continue to fund and for how long. We're trying to get those answers." CLH produces 600,000 chinook salmon and 100,000 coho salmon that are released into Blind Slough, and produces 100,000 chinook salmon for City Creek. It also produces chinook salmon for Anita Bay, Neets Bay and Port St. Nicholas. Landis said the hatchery will continue to operate for the time being. (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. Ramallah, Sep 12 : A senior Palestinian official on Saturday accused the United States of pressurising Arab countries into normalizing relations with Israel. "Washington exploits its political and economic power to force the Arab countries to normalize ties with Israel," said Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, in a press statement. "The US government is using all means of incitement, intimidation and pressure" to achieve the goal, she added. Ashwawi's comments referred to US President Donald Trump's declaration that the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain agreed to normalize their relations with Israel, Xinhua news agency reported. The US-sponsored normalization agreements between Israel and the Arab countries have outraged the Palestinians who consider the deals a stab in their back and at the expense of the Palestinian cause. "The American efforts aim to approve the Israeli plan of annexing what remains of the Palestinian lands, which is a flagrant violation of international legitimacy and international resolutions," Ashrawi noted. "(Israeli) normalization with Arab countries will not bring security and stability to the region. On the contrary, it will bring division and instability," she concluded. A 23-year-old Ibiza clubber is suspected to be behind Bolton's coronavirus case spike after he failed to isolate when he returned from a lengthy holiday on the Spanish island and then threw a party for his friends. Construction worker Layton Migas, 23, spent six weeks sunning himself on the Ibiza island Es Vedra before returning to his home in Bolton on 20 August. Travellers returning from Spain, which is not on the UK's approved travel corridor list, are required to self-quarantine for 14 days in an attempt to prevent the spread of the virus. Rather than abiding by the government's requirements, Migas left his home numerous times and threw a house party, the Sun reports. Greater Manchester Police have fined the 23-year-old 1,000 for the repeated breaches. Layton Migas, 23, spent six weeks sunning himself on the Balearic island of Ibiza before returning to his home in Bolton on 20 August Migas is pictured with his friends while on holiday in Ibiza in August this year. Bolton MP Chris Green confirmed that one infected holidaymaker is thought to be behind the rise in infections in Bolton Migas is pictured while on holiday in Ibiza in August this year. Migas said he feels he has been 'scrutinised' for being a young person Bolton West MP Chris Green confirmed that he had been told by health authorities that one infected holidaymaker is thought to be behind the rise in infections in the Lancashire town. Mr Green told the Sun: 'The only suggestion I've heard so far to what's happened in Bolton is that someone who had been on holiday in Spain, came back, didn't go into quarantine. 'He had coronavirus, went on a pub crawl. That's so far the only explanation of a contributory factor in Bolton.' Mr Green said he doesn't think the breaches are the only factor behind the staggering rise in cases in Bolton. He expressed concern over the unknown reason behind the increasing rate of transmission. Migas himself confirmed that he had been fined by Greater Manchester Police and said he feels he has been 'scrutinised' for being young. 'I'd say I have definitely been scrutinised for being a young person,' he told the Sun. Migas is pictured with his friends while on holiday in Ibiza in August this year. The 23-year-old went to the Spanish island for his summer holidays, returning on August 20 Migas, pictured on holiday, said police hit him with a 1,000 fine after tracking him down 'They wouldn't have known. It's only the neighbours that have told them. 'There's loads of people I know who didn't quarantine. 'What I actually got done for was that I was partying but I was actually in my house with the people I had been on holiday with.' Migas claims that he was in his house with two other people, who he'd been on holiday with, when police knocked on the door, accusing him of not quarantining himself. Officers attended the property at 9am and 1pm, he said, adding that he was asleep at the time so didn't answer. 'It is pretty harsh,' he said. 'There is no payment plan, you literally have to pay the 1,000 or go to court.' Despite not having a test, the 23-year-old asserted that he never had the virus because he was not experiencing any symptoms. Thirty per cent of people infected with the disease are asymptomatic. 'I've not had any symptoms,' he said. 'I did actually want to go for a test but there wasn't any in Bolton and the next nearest was Blackburn. It's a long way to drive if you know you're not ill.' The jet setter has travelled to Dubai, New York, Mallorca and Thailand in recent years. Chief Inspector Nicola Williams, of GMP, told the Sun: 'The actions of this man were completely irresponsible, not only was he leaving the house while he should have been self-isolating, he also held a house party, which breached further regulations and subsequently put others at risk.' She said the 1,000 fine 'should serve as a stark warning' to other people who feel they can ignore Covid-19 regulations and get away with it. Bolton Council Executive Cabinet Member for Environment Services Regulatory, Cllr Hilary Fairclough, called the individual's actions 'disappointing', 'selfish and irresponsible'. People queue to undertake a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test at a walk-in test facility in Bolton, Britain last week A couple in nearby Chorley, Lancs, were also hit with a 1,000 fine after returning from the Canary Islands and failing to isolate. Last week, Bolton was placed under tighter Covid-19 restrictions as the infection rate in the area became the highest in England with hundreds of thousands of people banned from mixing. Bolton Council asked people in the town to avoid mixing with other households and to only use public transport for essential purposes. It comes as the town's infection rate recently increased to 99 cases per 100,000 people per week, the highest in England, the council said. Pfizer and German biotech firm BioNTech announced Saturday that they have submitted a proposal to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to expand the phase-three trial of its coronavirus vaccine to include up to 44,000 participants, a significant increase from its previous target of 30,000. The companies, which are developing the vaccine together, said in a statement that the trial is proceeding as planned and they expect to have enrolled 30,000 participants by next week. "The proposed expansion would allow the companies to further increase trial population diversity, and include adolescents as young as 16 years of age and people with chronic, stable HIV (human immunodeficiency viruses), Hepatitis C, or Hepatitis B infection, as well as provide additional safety and efficacy data," the companies said. Representatives of the Food and Drug Administration and of the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately return CNBC's request for comment. Public health specialists have emphasized the need for participants in vaccine trials to reflect a diverse population, including the elderly, communities of color and people with underlying health conditions, all of whom have been disproportionately impacted by the virus. Including diverse participants helps ensure that the vaccine candidate is truly safe and effective across a variety of populations. Moderna, another company developing a Covid-19 vaccine, told CNBC earlier this month that they were slowing enrollment slightly in its trial to ensure it has sufficient representation of minorities most at risk for the disease. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said earlier this month that the pharmaceutical company could have results from its late-stage trial as soon as October. On Saturday, the companies reiterated the possibility that they could have data reflecting whether the vaccine is effective or not by the end of October. However, it could take longer to collect enough data to determine whether the vaccine is safe, because it will take months of follow-up work to determine what kind of side effects, if any, the vaccine may cause. "The pivotal trial is event-based and there are many variables that will ultimately impact read-out timing," the companies said. "As stated previously, based on current infection rates, the companies continue to expect that a conclusive readout on efficacy is likely by the end of October." Through Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration's effort to quickly bring a Covid-19 vaccine and therapeutics to market, the U.S. has now invested more than $10 billion in six candidates, including Pfizer's. The U.S. announced in July that it agreed to pay nearly $2 billion to Pfizer and BioNTech for at least 100 million doses. In July, Pfizer announced that early-stage clinical trial showed the vaccine produced some neutralizing antibodies, which researchers believe is necessary to build immunity to the virus. CNBC's Meg Tirrell contributed to this report. Two men are due to face Wagga Wagga Local Court on Sunday, and another at Albury Local Court at a later date, after two separate incidents of drivers allegedly trying to cross into NSW from Victoria on Saturday. The charges came as NSW recorded six new coronavirus cases, including a Blue Mountains school student, while health authorities issued alerts for a KFC fast-food outlet in Sydney's west and two eastern suburbs bus routes. Police arrested and charged a 37-year-old man with not complying with a noticed direction after he tried to cross into NSW three times without a permit in just over 24 hours. Two men, aged 37 and 38, were also charged with drug possession after allegedly trying to cross into NSW from Victoria using a fake permit. 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) Pelosi Calls Trumps Middle East Deal a Distraction House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) downplayed President Donald Trumps recent success in securing a diplomatic deal in the Middle East, calling it a distraction. The White House announced on Sept. 11 that Trump has brokered a deal to establish full diplomatic relations between Bahrain and Israel, making it the second such agreement between Israel and an Arab nation in less than a month. Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates lead, Trump said. Pelosi, in an interview on Sept. 11 with CNNs Wolf Blitzer, dismissed the deals. Blitzer asked her, How much credit do you give the president of the United States for these peace agreements? Well, hopefully they wonthopefully they will beneficial [sic] to the region, Pelosi replied. Weve been waiting for a very long time for the presidents proposal for an IsraeliPalestinian peace agreement that honored the two-state solution. It was coming in two weeks, it was coming in two months, it was coming in six monthsit still hasnt come in any way that has brought peace. So, good for him for having a distraction on a day when the numbers of people who are affected and the numbers of people who are dying from this virus only increases. Under the deal, Israel and Bahrain have vowed to begin the exchange of embassies and ambassadors, start direct flights between their countries, and begin cooperating on a range of fronts. As the presidents work continues, more Arab and Muslim countries will likely seek to normalize relations with Israel, a White House statement on the IsraelBahrain deal reads. Each country that normalizes relations will build upon the other, bringing peace and prosperity to the region and the people who live there. The agreement comes on the heels of a historic agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates are the first Arab nations to normalize relations with Israel in more than 25 years. A Norwegian lawmaker, Christian Tybring-Gjedde, nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for the presidents role in brokering the deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Trump earlier helped broker a deal between Serbia and Kosovo, which have been in open conflict for more than 20 years, with the two agreeing to normalize economic relations, and members of the Trump administration expressing hope that this would eventually lead to the normalization of diplomatic relations. For his role in that effort, Trump was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by a Swedish lawmaker. They also struggled: How 3 Southern Christian universities handled integration, race relations Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As the United States continues to grapple with racial issues both past and present, a few Christian schools in the South have found themselves at the center of debates regarding their history. Baylor University garnered headlines in late June when its leadership passed a Resolution on Racial Healing and Justice, acknowledging its ties to slavery and the Confederate States. The resolution also called for the examination of all buildings, monuments, and statues on campus for their historical context and to advance racial reconciliation. Meanwhile, Harding University, a Church of Christ-affiliated school in Arkansas, garnered attention for rejecting a petition to change the name of an auditorium. Many students wanted to change the name of an auditorium named after George S. Benson, a former university president known for his support for racial segregation. Rather than remove his name, the University needs to tell the more complete story of Dr. Benson, stated the university in June, citing Bensons mission work in China, establishment of the Canton Bible School, eventual integration of Harding in 1963, fundraising for many Christian colleges, and his work in establishing the George S. Benson Teachers College in Zambia during the concluding decades of his life. We need to tell the larger, complicated, multi-faceted story of this national icon that the Harding family knows as Dr. Benson. Even though the 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education declared segregation unconstitutional, several states and local governments refused to enforce the ruling. As a result, many public schools remained completely segregated or only had token integration at best. Some school districts closed their doors rather than comply. A notable example of this local resistance was Prince Edward County, Virginia, whose school district remained closed from 1959 until 1964. Within this climate, many southern Christian schools struggled with how to respond to a Supreme Court order and the backlash, commonly labeled "massive resistance." The Christian Post looked at how three southern Christian schools from Protestant traditions that existed before the Supreme Court ruled racial segregation unconstitutional handled integration and race relations. This included reaching out to both university administrators and alumni of Asbury University, Bob Jones University and Baylor University. Other southern Christian universities founded before 1954 that are not stand-alone seminaries were contacted, but they did not respond. Bob Jones University Based in Greenville, South Carolina, Bob Jones University was founded in 1927 by notable fundamentalist preacher the Rev. Bob Jones Sr. BJU can trace its support for segregation back to its founder, who in 1960 preached an Easter Sunday radio address arguing that racial mixing was contrary to Scripture. Individually, we are one in Christ; but God has also fixed the boundaries of nations, and these lines cannot be rubbed out without having trouble, declared Jones, who did acknowledge that it was wrong to mistreat a colored man or a white man or anybody else. The darkest day the world has ever known will be when we have one world like they are talking about now. The line will be rubbed out, and the Antichrist will take over and sit down on the throne and rule the world for a little while; and there will be judgment and the cataclysmic curses found in the book of Revelation. BJU did not admit black students until 1971 and had a ban on interracial dating until 2000, lifting it soon after a presidential campaign visit by then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush. In 1983, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that BJU could not receive tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code due to its racial standards. Jon Dillon, pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church of Richmond, Virginia, who graduated in 1992, recalled that among students of different races, the climate was good and the relations were good. From the few minorities that I knew, that I had interactions with and everything, they seemed to be happy to be there, Dillon told CP. "And, in fact, several of them that I knew of were pretty popular on campus. A lot of people knew them, they had a lot of friends, that kind of thing." While noting positive interactions among the students, Dillon recalled that the university was nevertheless strict when it came to enforcing the interracial dating ban. According to Dillon, he remembered an instance when a white female student had lunch with an Asian friend. The school interpreted the friendly meetup as being a date and disciplined her. Dillon remembered there being really funny rules in place that were tied to the ban, such as mixed-race students having to clarify which race they would exclusively date in advance. The Christian Post reached out to BJU for this story, but they declined to comment. CP later contacted the university to confirm the existence of the mixed-race student dating rule but received no response. Since his time at BJU, Dillon believes that a lot had changed not only officially at the university, but at the cultural level as well. For example, he and his wife attended a wedding of a white female friend who was marrying a Haitian man. Bride and groom had dated while both enrolled at BJU. Schimri Yoyo, an alumnus who attended from 2002-2006, was the subject of public attention during his time there, notably through a widely read 2003 story, titled Being Black at Bob Jones U. Yoyo told CP he believes the fair amount of news media focus meant his time at BJU was "not very typical" compared to most of the racial minorities enrolled at the university. He felt that he was given a white glove treatment" and was used at times as "a shield" by the university against allegations that they remained a racist institution. "I ended up working at the information desk, which was one of the more prominent positions," recalled Yoyo. "Every semester I was there, there wasn't one publication released that I wasn't on the cover, inside cover, or the back cover of every one of their publications until my final semester there." "I definitely got a lot different treatment than most other black students, but I would say honestly, from my experiences, it was a difference between the students, most of them, and then the actual administration." Overall, Yoyo felt that there were many students who came from very sheltered backgrounds that lacked racial diversity who would ask him questions out of legitimate curiosity." While he sensed some coded language or condescension from those he interacted with, by and large there was "a lot of cultural insensitivity that was not intentional. An example of the insensitivity on the school level was that, for a time while a student, Yoyo lived at an on-campus dormitory named after former Alabama Gov. Bibb Graves. Graves was a friend of Jones, the founder, but he had also been a former Ku Klux Klan leader. In 2011, after Yoyo graduated, the dorm was renamed to honor Canadian preacher H.A. Ironside. As with Dillon, Yoyo recalled the student body being overwhelmingly white, with many of the minority students being Asian, mostly Korean. Yoyo felt that BJU was "trying to get more people" from minority backgrounds and that they took many steps to better improve the racial climate at the school. Nevertheless, to him, it appeared that the number of black students had declined by his senior year and that there were still innate challenges. Yoyo attributed this to a general hesitation by people about questioning the authority figures at the university, describing an undercurrent of don't ask questions." "There was just always this tension because you never want to be too outspoken or too different because then you would be kind of labeled as a nonconformist, he said. "I think that was the culture in general, not just from a racial standpoint, but it did definitely influence race relations as well." As an example, Yoyo remembered a lunch meeting in 2005 that then BJU President Bob Jones III had with around 35 undergraduate black students. According to Yoyo, Jones explained to those gathered that he wanted BJU to train more black educators, especially to help improve education in the inner cities of the country. "A lot of people felt on edge" at the meeting, he recalled, adding that "there wasn't really much of a dialogue in the sense of people didn't feel at liberty" to give feedback. Since he had connections to university leadership and had come to know Jones, Yoyo spoke up and mentioned how many viewed the school as still being racist. "At that meeting, I let him know, said Yoyo. Many I know growing up with don't even know what Bob Jones is but those who do, don't have a good opinion of it because they believe its a racist school." Yoyo recalled Jones acting "very incredulous" at his comment, noting that Jones had felt, due to ending the interracial dating ban and other matters, that the issue had been largely resolved. In 2008, BJU President Stephen Jones, great-grandson of the founder, issued an apology for their past and by 2017, they had regained their official nonprofit status. Asbury University Asbury University of Wilmore, Kentucky, was founded in 1890 by a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, a Wesleyan denomination created in the Antebellum era by pro-slavery Methodists. Asbury was a segregated university and as with many other schools both private and public, its leadership resisted integration for years after the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education. In January 1959, the schools Committee on Integration recommended that Asbury remain segregated in light of the tense situation that has developed across our country and among our constituency over the situation of integration. The recommendation was met with much criticism, especially from Board of Trustee member E. Stanley Jones, himself a friend of civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Surveys of students and faculty from the time also showed that most supported integration, with one poll finding that over half of respondents said they believe Asbury was un-Christian for not admitting Negroes. The end of segregation at Asbury came gradually, with the university board voting to approve a measure known as mild integration in January 1960. Under the compromise, black students could enroll if they were married (presumably to prevent interracial dating) while foreign Negroes were allowed to enroll without restrictions. In 1962, the board voted for complete integration. Edward E. Williams, a former member of the U.S. Air Force, became the first black student in 1967. Asbury President Kevin Brown told CP his university has taken intentional steps to advance intercultural competence and humility over the past few decades. Yet like many institutions who seek to grow in areas of ethnic diversity and appreciation, there continue to be opportunities for development and improvement, said Brown. Since integrating, Asbury has worked to create intercultural student access and grow in intercultural student representation. Special scholarships have been created for U.S. ethnic minorities as well as leadership training programs. Asbury also created an Office of Intercultural Life, a multicultural radio program, mentoring programs, and an annual racial reconciliation gathering called the Embrace Conference. This conference, one of the only of its kind held in the South, focuses on racial reconciliation and justice through a Wesleyan theological understanding, explained Brown. It provides an opportunity to explore the role of Christians in the work of racial reconciliation in our world today. Baylor University Baylor University is a Baptist academic institution based in Waco, Texas, and was founded in 1845 after being chartered by the then independent Republic of Texas. The school was named after co-founder Judge Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor, a judge and minister who by the year 1860 owned around 20 slaves. Before allowing black students, Baylor had opened its doors to Asian and international students, with the first student from the continent of Africa enrolling in 1921. The Baylor Board of Trustees voted on Nov. 1, 1963, to integrate the university, with the first black students being enrolled in January the following year. A Baylor spokesperson directed CP to a 2016 Baylor Proud article about the late Robert Gilbert, a civil rights leader and pastor who was the first black man to graduate from the university. Gilbert, who graduated in 1967, recounted being avoided by many of his white peers. One of his professors told Gilbert that he didnt talk like a n-----. Still, Gilbert found inspiration while at Baylor, and changed his original academic plans from becoming a lawyer to becoming a pastor. There was a kind of yearning, and there was a kind of something burning in me and pressing me that you must do something, but it wasnt quite clear, Gilbert once said, as recorded by Baylor Proud. And it wasnt until I acknowledged my calling that I got relief from this. Gilbert ended up going to back to Baylor in 1970 to study religion and, during his time there, became assistant director of Baylors Upward Bound program, which helps students from low-income families to prepare for college studies. Baylor Black Alumni Network President Marie Brown, who began attending the university in 1989 and graduated in 1992, told CP that she believes the campus climate was somewhat similar to what it is now. There were situations that occurred that had racial undertones, professors that made differences because of the color of my skin and the Baylor Police Department also made differences between black and white students when we interfaced with them, she said. I believe some of these same situations have occurred on campus within the past several years, which continues to demonstrate a climate of racial and social injustice. Despite the on-campus issues, Brown also told CP that she believes Baylor is trying to make some improvements as it relates to issues of past slavery and segregation. This includes her organization and the Baylor Alumni Latino Group recently hosting a town hall over the university's plans to, among other things, make changes to decrease issues of social and racial injustice, increase the number of minority faculty and staff that are hired, adding a department of diversity and how to utilize both organizations to assist the university in achieving these goals. I am hopeful and prayerful that we can see change over time because it certainly takes time to make change. We didn't arrive at this moment in time overnight, and we can't make the changes overnight, she added. Can Christian schools handle race relations better than public schools? Following Brown v. Board of Education, many Christian schools, like their public school counterparts, struggled when it came to accepting racial integration. Given the similarity with their nonreligious peers, one might wonder if Christian academia has the ability, or even the potential, to better handle racial issues than public schools and universities. When looking at the changes to Bob Jones University, alumnus Dillon told CP that he believes the major driver of those changes were the pastors connected to the school leadership. "Their main feeders for their school is pastors and churches, he said. They have a lot of pastors on their board. I felt like a lot of that stuff, too, was to appease those board members and then those churches that were feeding students there as well." Nevertheless, Dillon also said that he felt it was also many of those churches and so forth and those influences who probably wanted those rules in place. But as time went on, I think they all shifted and for the good." Asbury President Brown said he believes Christian academia has a unique opportunity to understand and address racial and ethnic issues in ways that secular academia cannot. The notion of human dignity is at the heart of the Christian faith. As Christians, we believe all humanity bears the image of God. That means according to Gods Word, all people have sacred value, he explained. Christian academia can potentially foster greater solutions to the racial and ethnic challenges of our day because of the foundational biblical truth of God placing such worth in His creation, humanity. Brown cited the Wesleyan holiness tradition, telling CP that we believe that being a disciple of Jesus in the here and now makes us fit for a heavenly reality. And what do we know of that reality? We know that Heaven is constituted by every tribe (ethnicity), every tongue (language), and every nation (geography) gathered together in a communal expression of worship before our Creator. Thus, as we enhance our diversity, we look more like the Kingdom of God, and we know more of our Creator. Or put differently, in Wesleyan terms, if I cannot appreciate those who are different than me, I may not like Heaven very much. Baylor University Provost Nancy W. Brickhouse told CP that she felt there was an inherent difference between a Christian education and a secular one when handling race and other issues. What makes Christian education different from secular education is we are held together as a community of faith with convictions regarding the meaning of what Christ did in the world and on the Cross and what His teachings tell us about how we should treat one another, she said. The Cross was about our reconciliation with God and with one another. The life and teachings of Jesus show a way of living that was and is counter-cultural and turn conventional systems of privilege on its head. Brickhouse added that the Bible is a difficult book and Christian schools like Baylor are committed to grappling with its meaning and have people deeply committed to issues of justice and equity, who can help us tackle issues of race and racism as it relates to Biblical teaching. Some Christian schools that have a history of being segregated have sought forgiveness for their past positions. In its official apology in 2008, BJU admitted, For almost two centuries American Christianity, including BJU in its early stages, was characterized by the segregationist ethos of American culture. Consequently, for far too long, we allowed institutional policies regarding race to be shaped more directly by that ethos than by the principles and precepts of the Scriptures. We conformed to the culture rather than providing a clear Christian counterpoint to it. BJU labeled the school's past policies racially hurtful and that they were profoundly sorry for failing to fulfill the commandment to love others as ourselves. The administration is committed to maintaining on the campus the racial and cultural diversity and harmony characteristic of the true Church of Jesus Christ throughout the world. More recently at Baylor, Linda A. Livingstone, the university's president, commended the Board of Regents for the school's recent actions on the matter regarding its efforts to pursue racial healing." In a statement released in June, Livingstone said it was the time for Baylor, as a Christian university, to look deeply within our hearts, and listen and learn with humility about our past and from voices that have been unheard for years while also taking tangible steps forward. We must understand that we are all Gods children, she added. I am firmly committed to ongoing open conversations and the hard work ahead of confronting systemic racism, injustice and inequality at our University, historic and cultural representations on our campus and the deeply painful experiences of racism shared by current and former students, faculty and staff. Unprecedented levels of pollution were recorded Saturday in Oregon as tens-of-thousands of firefighters continue to battle deadly wildfires in the western U.S. Ninety-seven large fires have burned more than 6,200 square miles across the western states, and evacuation orders were in place for 40 large fires in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Idaho and Utah, the National Interagency Fire Center said Saturday. Some evacuees have fled with just the clothes on their backs. Smoke from the blazes has impacted the entire West Coast, posing a health hazard to millions. Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality said the entire state was reporting unhealthy or hazardous air Saturday morning. Readings in Portland were the worst recorded since the department started monitoring there in 1985. There, the smoke filled the air with an acrid metallic scent like dull pennies. In Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee encouraged Washington state residents to stay home as much as possible, keep doors and windows closed and avoid strenuous activities outdoors. At least 28 people have died and hundreds of homes have been destroyed in the fires. At least 19 deaths have been reported in California, eight in Oregon and one in Washington state. Cal Fire previously reported 20 total deaths, but a local official in northern California retracted a reported death Friday, explaining that a burned anatomical skeleton used for academic purposes was mistaken for human remains. In Oregon, where officials have warned of a "mass fatality incident," the state fire marshal has resigned because of a personnel matter unrelated to his handling of the fires, according to the Oregon State Police. Oregon State Police Superintendent Travis Hampton named Chief Deputy Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple, as the state's Chief Deputy Fire Marshal. California governor signs bill: Gives prisoners battling wildfires a shot at becoming pro firefighters California has seen five of its 10 largest fires in history this year, Daniel Berlant, assistant deputy director at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said Friday, as well as two of its 20 most deadly. This fire season, more than 6,300 structures have been damaged or destroyed, and nearly 5,000 square miles have been burned, according to Cal Fire. Story continues Oregon and Washington state have also been hit hard. More than 1,400 square miles have burned in Oregon, and nearly 1,000 square miles in Washington state. (Here's how big that really is.) Dozens of people were missing in Oregon, 40,000 people have been evacuated, and more than 1,500 square miles have burned, Gov. Kate Brown said Friday. About 500,000 citizens are in different levels of evacuation zones, either having been told to leave or to prepare to do so, and more than 2,000 people were sheltered by the Red Cross on Thursday evening. Andrew Phelps, director of the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, said in a press conference Friday that the state was preparing for more fatalities, though he did not elaborate. "We know we're dealing with fire-related death, and we're preparing for a mass fatality incident, based on what we know," Phelps said. In Washington, fires that started Monday have already created the second worst fire season in state history, Inslee said Friday. Families have lost their homes in areas across the state. "These are extraordinary conditions that we are facing because of changes that are going on in our state," he said. But fire officials were hopeful that cooler weather over the next few days would give them a leg up in their battle against the blazes. "As weather conditions continue to improve, firefighters are gaining ground on a number of wildfires, many of which have been burning now for over a month," Berlant said. "In northern California, that smoke layer will actually help us maintain some cooler temperatures." President Donald Trump publicly addressed the fires for the first time Friday on Twitter, thanking the 28,000 firefighters and first responders battling the fires in California, Oregon and Washington. Trump said he has approved 37 Stafford Act Declarations, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts. The governors of California and Oregon each said they had spoken with the president this week. Trump was expected to travel to California on Monday, where he will be briefed by local and federal fire and emergency officials, the White House said Saturday. Wind-driven fires were also burning in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. In Montana, which is experiencing a mild wildfire season, fires sparked amid 90-degree heat last week were met days later with an early fall snow storm that snapped a 58-year-old cold record in Great Falls. At least seven weeks remain in the prime fire season. Fire officials cautioned residents to remain on their guard in the coming weeks as cooler temperatures set in. "Don't let these cooler temperatures fool you," Berlant said. "Historically, it is September and October when we experience our largest and most damaging wildfires." Map of wildfires Did a gender reveal party start wildfires? It has been a week since fire officials say a family used a pyrotechnic device during a gender reveal party that sparked the El Dorado Fire in California. The fire has burned more than 20 square miles in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, according to Cal Fire. Six structures have been damaged, 10 have been destroyed, and no one has been injured. The family members, who tried to extinguish the blaze before dialing 911, are reportedly cooperating with authorities in their investigation. Nearly a week since the fire started, crews are continuing to protect structures in several communities. "Those responsible for starting fires due to negligence or illegal activity can be held financially responsible and criminally responsible," Cal Fire officials stated in a press release on Sunday. Fact check: Oregon, Washington fires were not set by anti-fascist activists San Bernardino National Forest spokesperson Lee Beyer said fire crews are working in steep, rugged and sometimes heavily timbered terrain. "They are working their butts off with what they have," Beyer said of the crews. "With the sheer number of fires on basically the whole West Coast, nobody is getting all the people and all the equipment they would like to have." In Oregon, a man has been arrested and accused of lighting a fire in Phoenix, which sits between Ashland and Medford. State authorities are also investigating the start of the Almeda Fire, which has killed at least two people, destroyed about 600 homes and 100 commercial buildings, according to the State Fire Marshall's Office. Oregon officials have said the Almeda Fire was human-caused but have not said whether it was a product of arson. Contributing: Megan Bridgeman, David Murray and Karl Puckett, Great Falls Tribune; Rebecca Plevin, Sherry Barkas and Mark Olalde, Palm Springs Desert Sun; Matt Brannon, The Redding Record Searchlight; The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oregon, California fires: Mass fatalities expected; evacuations expand Charlottesville removes Confederate statue near site of white supremacist rally The "At Ready" statue, which depicts a Confederate soldier holding his rifle, was erected in front of the Albemarle County courthouse in Charlottesville in 1909 -- 44 years after the US Civil War ended The US city of Charlottesville on Saturday dismantled a statue of a Confederate soldier just blocks from the site of a deadly white supremacist rally in 2017 -- Virginia's latest move to strip away tributes to the pro-slavery Civil War south. The "At Ready" statue, which depicts a Confederate soldier holding his rifle, was erected in front of the Albemarle County courthouse in Charlottesville in 1909 -- 44 years after the US Civil War ended. Albemarle is the first Virginia locality to use a process for removing Civil War statues that Governor Ralph Northam signed into law this year. A crowd gathered to watch the statue's removal, dancing to music broadcast by a local radio station. People stood behind metal barricades and cheered as workers unscrewed plaques from the statue's stone plinth, and then attached straps to the statue and hoisted it away with a crane. Just a few blocks away stands a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, the site of a much darker moment in Charlottesville's recent history. A group of self-avowed neo-Nazis and white supremacists had gathered around the statue in August 2017 to protest its planned removal. The demonstration turned deadly when one man drove his car into a group of anti-racism counter-protesters, killing a woman and injuring dozens. Shock over the Charlottesville incident was exacerbated when President Donald Trump equivocated afterward, saying there were "very fine people on both sides" of the protests and declining to condemn outright the white supremacists. Northam in June ordered the removal of the Lee statue, but work has been blocked by a court challenge. But Confederate statues have been falling across the United States since May, either by city order or torn down by protesters, in the wake of anti-racism demonstrations sparked by the death of African-American man George Floyd's killing by white police officers in Minneapolis. to/dw They are perhaps the two words that critics of Sir Philip Green never thought they would hear Im sorry. But in a humiliating U-turn, the tycoons retail empire last night issued a grovelling apology for plans to exploit furlough rules to reduce payments to staff who it was making redundant. Arcadia Group, which has taken tens of millions of pounds in taxpayer-funded furlough money, was savaged after it emerged that employees who were losing their jobs would miss out on money during their notice period. In an extraordinary statement, the company crumbled, axeing the plan and apologising to its employees. Sources close to Sir Philip said he had ordered the U-turn after learning of the details of the proposed pay cut early yesterday. Sir Philip Green, pictured earlier this month in Monaco, has reversed a decision to cut the redundancy pay of employees who were losing their jobs while still on the government's-sponsored furlough scheme The billionaire, who holidays on his luxury yacht Lionheart, pictured, said he was 'extremely sorry to all those individuals impacted for the distress' caused We recently implemented a policy for those employees who are working their notice on furlough to receive their furlough pay instead of their full pay, the company said in its statement. We got this decision wrong and the board has today amended this policy to ensure all affected employees will receive their full pay. They will be notified of this decision immediately. We are extremely sorry to all those individuals impacted for the distress that we have caused and apologise unreservedly. Arcadia, which includes the fashion brands Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins, is making 300 staff redundant at its head office after sales slumped during the coronavirus lockdown. But it was revealed yesterday that bosses planned to take advantage of a loophole in Government rules allowing it to pay axed staff at reduced rates during their notice period. Since July, companies have been required by law to pay full pre-coronavirus salaries to those who have been made redundant and who are serving a statutory notice period. But the rule does not apply to employees whose contracts include a longer notice period, which is the case for many of Arcadias head office staff. Arcadia seized on the loophole to pay these staff according to their furlough and not their pre-crisis rates of pay. One executive at Arcadia reportedly told staff that the company needed to take every penny we can get of public money. It would have saved the retail empire less than 1million. The move meant some higher-earning staff were set to receive just 50 per cent of the notice period pay they would have been entitled to if Arcadia had not taken advantage of the furlough scheme. A senior employee earning 100,000 would, for example, normally have been paid a full monthly salary of 5,553 during their notice period, but would have received just 2,777 under the ditched plan. The companys stance was in stark contrast to other big chains, including John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, WH Smith, Boots and Dixons Carphone, which say all redundancy packages are based on full pay. One axed senior manager at Arcadia last night described feeling shell shocked and ecstatic after the plan was ditched. But in a sign of the residual anger, the source said Sir Philip, 68, should lose his knighthood. The tycoon, worth an estimated 900 million, has already faced criticism after furloughing 14,500 of the 16,000 staff employed across Arcadia at a cost of tens of millions to the taxpayer. A source close to Sir Philip, who has spent the summer on his 100million superyacht Lionheart and at his Monaco penthouse, last night said he did not run the day-to-day business of Arcadia and had not been involved in the plan to cut pay. There is a destructive crime and justice trend afoot that clearly endangers public safety. No, it is not the actions of violent protesters and riotous thugs. It is the deliberate inaction of district attorneys who are refusing to prosecute violations of law. Youd likely be fired if you failed to do what you were hired to do. Its not that easy when dealing with an elected or appointed DA who is tasked with investigating and prosecuting citizens who break the law. Mike Schmidt, the DA in riot-scarred Portland, announced hes dropping charges against hundreds of protesters arrested for criminal trespass, disorderly conduct or interfering with a law enforcement officer. He wont prosecute those arrested for rioting either unless theres some serious additional crime, like arson, included. Schmidts policy proved deadly. In July, Antifa and Black Lives Matter supporter Michael Reinoehl was arrested for illegally possessing a loaded firearm and resisting arrest. But the DA dropped the case, Reinoehl was set free. In early September, Reinoehl confessed on videotape to fatally shooting Aaron Jay Danielson, a pro-Trump supporter. Reinoehl said it was self-defense, but surveillance video showed him lying in wait for a target. U.S. Marshals hunted down the fugitive Reinoehl, and he was killed in an exchange of gunfire. Two men dead who didnt have to die. This DA dereliction of duty is occurring across the country. Progressive prosecutors are picking and choosing which laws to uphold and which to ignore. In Philadelphia, DA Larry Krasner decided to ease up on those arrested on gun-related charges. Hes also against prosecuting marijuana dealers and sex workers because, he says, peoples freedom makes us safer. Homicide rates in Philadelphia have risen 30%, and Krasner now agrees his prosecutors should work more closely with police to crack down on gun violence. Duh. In Contra Costa County, California DA Diana Becton instructed her prosecutors to consider looters needs when deciding whether to file criminal charges. The head of the Police Officers Association says the policy is reckless and asks, At what point does our District Attorneys Office advocate for the victims, like local business owners whose shops have been destroyed? In Boston, DA Rachael Rollins has a Decline to Prosecute list of 15 charges including drug possession and possession with intent to distribute, receiving stolen property, malicious destruction of property and shoplifting. She says judges told her those crimes were bogging down the system so she decided to ignore them. The Massachusetts Retail Association reports businesses there lose about $1 billion a year to shoplifting. Ignore the crime and punish the victim? Sounds crazy. In Chicago, DA Kimberly Foxx campaigned on a promise not to prosecute low-level drug and shoplifting offenses and to change the way the system dealt with minority defendants. Shes the DA who dropped the false report charges against actor Jussie Smollett who claimed a racial attack. An independent review concluded Foxx dropped 5,000 cases that would have been prosecuted by her predecessor. Yes, DAs have discretion to decide which cases to take and which to drop, but this social experimentation with the law is dangerous. If laws are on the books, they should be upheld. If they are unfair, then state legislatures should change them. No, we dont want to be a country that locks up hungry people who shoplift food and necessities to survive, but a blanket pass for almost all shoplifters is counterproductive. DAs Becton, Rollins, Foxx and the DAs from St. Louis and Durham (all female and all Black) penned an opinion piece for Politico in which they openly blasted the very criminal justice system they swore to uphold. They wrote that the system was constructed to control Black people and people of color and called for major changes in prosecutorial attitudes. Look, it is clear Black and Brown people represent a disproportionate number of defendants in the criminal justice system. Is it because they, proportionally, commit more crimes or is it because their skin color and lower income status make them more vulnerable to failures within the justice system? Could be that both are true. Lets reach an honest conclusion about the why and who of crime before making a mockery of the legal system by ignoring laws deemed by some DAs to be irrelevant. www.DianeDimond.com; email to Diane@DianeDimond.com. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated that Ghanaians have the opportunity in the December 2020 general election to assess the two main presidential candidates and choose the one who has been able to live up to their expectation when offered the chance to lead the country. He recounted that in the political history of the country, there had not been any occasion when the two main contestants for the presidential slot had occupied the seat before and explained that this time we have the sitting president and the immediate past president vying for the position. President Akufo-Addo was speaking during an interview he granted to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) Radio Station in Sunyani, Radio BAR to begin his two-day visit to the Bono Region today. Visit During his visit, the President addressed members of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, cut the sod for the construction of an Accident and Emergency Centre for the Dormaa Presbyterian Hospital, inspected the ongoing construction of the Baanofo-Zezera-Adamsu road in the Jaman South Municipality and also visited the WEDDI Africa Tomato Processing Factory and Agro Farms under the One-district, One-factory programme. He also inspected the rehabilitation work on the 15-kilometre New Dormaa-Yawhima road, cut the sod for the construction of the Droboso-Ayigbe-Badu road and the Wenchi Water Project, and inspected ongoing construction works of various educational facilities under the Senior High Schools Intervention Projects at the Koase Senior High and Technical School in the Wenchi Municipality.. 2016 appeal President Akufo-Addo stated that in 2016 he appealed to the electorate, as a presidential candidate, to give him the opportunity to implement his vision for the country. Ghanaians have tried me and I believe I am saying so in all humility, that I have not been found wanting, I have lived up to my promises and now they can see what I am capable of doing. He said it was his expectation that on the basis of his record, Ghanaians would offer him the second opportunity to continue to implement his policies to build a stronger Ghana. The President said it was unfortunate that former President John Dramani Mahama had promised to provide 1 million jobs if he was voted into power when he could not even recruit people into the public sector when he was president. Ghanaians should ask him how come someone who had the slowest rate of growth of the national economy in over 20 years say today that he will be able to develop the economy faster, he questioned. The opportunity now is very clear to the Ghanaian people to look at the records of the two people and make a decision. I am hoping very very strongly that the majority of Ghanaians see Akufo-Addo as the man who should be given another chance. DKM saga Touching on the DKM saga, President Akufo-Addo gave an assurance that at the end of September, 2020, every depositor whose claim had been validated would receive his or her deposit. He explained that when the DKM saga began under the NDC government, the number of claims received by the official receiver were 90,353 out of which 88,952 were authenticated. President Akufo-Addo said from the beginning when the payment was made up to September 7, 2020, 74,000 had been paid, leaving 13,857 claims outstanding which were currently being made. 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 Del. Carrie Coyner, RChesterfield, said she supports the end goal of the proposal but is concerned it will endanger more people without a slower rollout and because mental health resources are stretched thin. Coyner said she is very emotional about the issue after growing up with an aunt who suffered from intellectual disabilities and who attempted suicide multiple times. She said while over time, mental health providers did everything they could, her family ultimately had to call 911 for the polices help. If we had to wait longer for someone to arrive, she may not have been with us still, Coyner said. Del. Michael Mullin, DNewport News, said he appreciated Coyners words and understands the concern for public safety. However, Mullinan assistant commonwealths attorney for Hamptonsaid the state has criminalized mental health issues. So much of the work we have been doing today and in the days preceding this has been to reverse 30 years of overcriminalization, Mullin said. This bill does a small step in making sure that individuals who are in crisis are not treated as criminals. Chaitanya Tamhane recently returned to India with a win from Venice for his 2020 feature film, The Disciple, which premiered at the prestigious Italian film festival. The filmmaker is currently in the first week of mandatory quarantine. Produced by Vivek Gomber of Zoo Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., the film has won the International Critics' Prize awarded by FIPRESCI at the 77th Venice International Film Festival. The Disciple is also India's only selection at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Canada. While Tamhane travelled to Venice for the festival, he will be attending TIFF through a virtual visit. He said in an interview, "It would have been great to present the film in person, but given this year and given the safety protocols that Toronto has in place, I totally want to respect that for my own safety and for the safety of others." Talking about the premiere, the writer and director added, "We're so grateful and relieved that the film premiered at Venice and is now in Toronto. We're just happy that even in this year, we could get a film out, and also, for us this is a great start. We couldn't have asked for a better launch." Tamhane Took Four Years To Complete The Film Reportedly, Tamhane took four years to complete the film, half of which he spent on researching for the story. "When I started out, I was fascinated with the anecdotes and the stories of eccentric geniuses and this idea of some secret knowledge and lost wisdom," he said. The Disciple Won International Critics Price At VIFF On the big win at Venice International Film Festival, Tamhane said in a statement, "I want to thank the FIPRESCI and its jury members from the bottom of my heart for their continued support for our work. This is a very special honour for us given that the jury for this award comprises of film critics and journalists from around the world. We are all quite thrilled and excited with this fantastic start to the journey of The Disciple." Producer Vivek Gomber On The Disciple's Win Meanwhile, Producer Vivek Gomber also expressed his gratitude after the win. He said, "It's an incredible honour to be the first Indian film after thirty years to win this prestigious award at Venice. FIPRESCI's faith in our work has been a great source of encouragement over the years." The Disciple explores the evolution of a Hindustani classical vocalist living in Mumbai. The film which has been shot in Marathi is the first Indian film since Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding in 2001, to be selected in the competition category at Venice. Venice Film Festival To Move Forward With 2020 Edition In September Governor Of Veneto Confirms, Venice Film Festival To Go Ahead With 2020 Edition Q: Ive never been able to grow a full beard, so shaving has always been a regular chore. Now that Im working from home Ive stopped shaving, and now have a respectable growth that people say suits me. Im tempted to keep it, but my partner hates it. She says facial hair is unhygienic, especially in a sexual context. A: Opinions about male facial hair are surprisingly polarised you either love it or hate it. Before we found a way to shave, all adult men would have had it, but as early as Roman times being clean-shaven was associated with cleanliness and civilisation. Some cultures or religions require men to grow a beard. Some ethnic groups are naturally hirsute, while others, like the Chinese, grow very little body hair, and consider hairy Westerners to be positively bestial. Maureen Matthews. Credit:Simon Schluter Fashion plays a role too. In the 19th century, some women said, "Kissing a man without whiskers was like eating an egg without salt". But the military discipline of the war years made it fashionable to be clean-shaven. The cultural backlash of the 1960s favoured unkempt hairiness, until the '90s, when it became fashionable to remove all body hair. Today we live in the era of hipster neckbeards, but it is interesting to note that none of these trends led to epidemics of beard-related disease. About five years ago, tabloid headlines declared that a beard is as dirty as a toilet, after a US TV crew swabbed some random beards and sent the swabs to a microbiologist. He found some horrible microbes in some of the samples, but because they had not swabbed the skin of any clean-shaven men, this experiment was not scientific. Another study of men working in the British health sector found no evidence that beards were a health risk. Platforms may be similar in characteristics and configuration, but the cost of decommissioning them can differ significantly depending on location, climate and regulations. The recent oil price slump has boosted interest in decommissioning, and Rystad Energy has therefore developed a decommissioning cost estimating tool to help E&Ps and service firms prepare for the coming decommissioning wave. In its most recent analysis, Rystad Energy estimates that the cost of removing a steel platform in the North Sea, excluding subsea infrastructure, is above twice the cost of the same task in Southeast Asia. The study is based on two similar steel platforms, one in each region, located in 60 meters of water with four piles, a topside weight of 1,500 tonnes and a jacket weight of 800 tonnes. Facility removal for the platform described above would cost $22.35 million in the North Sea, comparing to just $9.08 million in Southeast Asia, mainly driven by the higher spread rates as well as weather conditions which can represent a significant operational challenge. The removal costs include elements such as heavy lift vessels, support barges and tugs, and cutting and diving crews, which would be mobilized to the fields for the decommissioning operation. The entire topsides would be removed in one piece, as we have accounted for a heavy lift vessel with sufficient lifting capacity. The substructure removal is the costliest phase of the demolition process. It depends on several factors such as the age of the platform, water depth, climate conditions, structure weight, the number of lifts required and the number of piles. For this study, as the structure is located in less than 100 meters of water and weighs less than 2,000 tonnes, we have assumed that the four piles would be cut below the seabed and the structures would be removed in a single lift. The structures would then be transported to shore for disposal using a transport barge. For the Southeast Asian field, a derrick barge with a 2,000-tonne lift capacity would be mobilized from Singapore, requiring two days to reach the fields location. In the North Sea, a dynamic positioning vessel would be required instead of a derrick barge, as it is better suited to the volatile winds and waves in the region. Related: U.S. Gasoline Demand Is Crumbling As Driving Season Comes To An End The day rates for a dynamic positioning heavy lift vessel are on average more than 50% higher than for a derrick barge with the same lifting capacities. To estimate the same mobilization time, we have assumed that a dynamic positioning vessel would be mobilized from Rotterdam and require two days to reach the field, but it is worth noting that mobilization from farther away is not uncommon in this region. The removal cost per platform can also vary within the same region depending on the time and scale of the decommissioning campaign. Removing multiple facilities at the same time can help optimize costs by spreading the mobilization and demobilization costs across different assets, says Sara Sottilotta, energy service analyst in Rystad Energy. In addition, flexibility around timing can allow for more attractive rates. Rystad Energy expects vessel rates to hit bottom in 2021 before starting to rise again. As the material disposal cost is heavily dependent on the price of steel, flexibility around the disposal time could help bring down costs further by waiting to dispose of the steel until steel prices are high. With more than 280 assets approaching the end of their lifetime, Southeast Asia faces a surge in decommissioning in the years ahead. Most of the offshore platforms due to be retired in the region at present have less than 3,000 topside tonnes and are located in less than 75 meters of water. Most Southeast Asian countries do not have fully developed decommissioning legislation in place, and decommissioning projects are therefore dealt with on a case-by-case basis. For example, Petronas implemented a rigs-to-reef solution for two platforms at the Dana and D-30 fields off the coast of Malaysia in 2017. On the other hand, the North Sea represents a more mature market where regulations governing the removal of offshore structures are more formalized and consolidated. Consistent with the OSPAR Decision 98/3, facilities have to be fully removed in the North Sea. This prohibits dumping or leaving in place of disused offshore installations, effectively requiring that they are completely removed to be reused, recycled, or disposed of on land. By Rystad Energy More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: On Aug 30, it was again the time of year for students in Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture in Sichuan province to return to school, one day ahead of the beginning of the new semester. But the journey to school was no longer an odyssey for Ah'emezi Ahmu and Ahdame Sen-iu, two 14-year-old students in Abuluoha village in the prefecture's Butuo county. "We used to walk for nearly four hours along the cliff to reach Wuyi township, where a bus took us to school in another township. Now a minivan in Abuluoha takes us directly to school in about two hours," said Ah'emezi Ahmu. The dramatic change took place thanks to the recent opening of a road, bringing to an end to Abuluoha's status as China's last village without a road. Abuluoha, meaning a valley surrounded with rolling mountains and a less-traveled place in the language of the Yi ethnic group, is in a deep valley of the Jinsha River in the upper stretches of the Yangtze River. It is surrounded by mountains some 3,000 meters above sea level on three sides and cliffs on the other. In the 1960s, leprosy was prevalent in the prefecture, and Butuo arranged for more than 300 leprosy patients in the county to live in a concentrated area in the village. It was commonly known as the leprosy village and was named Abuluoha only in 2007. The overwhelming majority of its residents are descendants of leprosy patients. When the construction of a road linking the village to the outside started in 2018, villagers in Abuluoha were still spending nearly four hours walking along the cliff or more than three hours down the valley to go to the county seat through another village. Liangshan, home to the country's largest number of Yi people, is one of the least developed areas in Sichuan. Local authorities started building the road to alleviate poverty in Abuluohawhich has 253 people and is 60 kilometers from the Butuo county seat. Due to the village's inaccessibility, a giant M26 helicopter was rented to transport eight large excavators and other equipment. Because the construction site was very narrow, the excavators could not be used at the same time and the pace of construction was very slow. One excavator fell off the cliff, instantly killing its operator and breaking into three pieces, a Wuyi township official said. Sometimes only five meters of the road were built on a single day, said Hu Wei, an official in charge of the construction site. The new road has changed villagers' lifestyle. Qiesha Secong, a 30-year-old villager, sold his family's only horse and bought a motorcycle. The pony was valuable to the Yi man, who had relied on it to carry home seeds, fertilizer, salt and rice along the mountain path. He parted with the pony, which was not tall but could carry more than 200 kilograms, because it was much faster to ride a motorcycle. Jinie Ziri, 25, the village Party chief, is one of only a few local villagers who have studied in a college in Xichang, the capital of Liangshan. He said to increase their income, villagers had started to cut back on their cultivation of less lucrative corn, which they still grow for their own use. They have expanded areas used for two, more expensive local specialties: seedless peppers and konjac, a herb with a starchy, tuber-like edible stem that grows underground. "They can transport specialties to the outside thanks to the road," he said, adding that the average annual income for villagers has increased to more than 4,700 yuan ($688) from less than 200 yuan before 2006. "We have more confidence in embracing a promising future," he said. New Delhi: As several countries battle a resurgent novel coronavirus infection, scientists, researchers, medical professionals, have been hard at work trying to extract more information about the virus to help find effective treatments and preventive methods. In a recent study, Camille Ehre, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine laboratory in US managed to obtain images of cells which were infected with the SARS-CoV-2. The report was carried in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Photo Credits: The New Egland Journal of Medicine) These images were capture by Ehre to demonstrate how intense the coronavirus infection of the airways can be, in a very graphic way to make it easily understood. (Photo Credits: The New Egland Journal of Medicine) In a laboratory setting, researchers introduced the virus into human bronchial epithelial cells. These cells were examined 96 hours later, using scanning electron microscopy. The images, re-colourized by UNC medical student Cameron Morrison, show infected ciliated cells with strands of mucus (can be seen in yellow) attached to the cilia tips (in blue). (Photo Credits: The New Egland Journal of Medicine) Cilia are hair-like structures on the surface of airway epithelial cells that transport mucus from the lungs. A higher power magnification image shows the structure and density of SARS-CoV-2 virions (red) produced by human airway epithelia. Virions are the complete, infectious form of the virus released onto respiratory surfaces by infected host cells. (Photo Credits: Ehre Lab, UNC School of Medicine) These images can help researchers understand the viral load or burden of SARS-CoV-2, which can also help determine how likely a person is to develop severe COVID-19 and transmit it to others. These images also back the studies that lay emphasis on the need to wear masks to slow down the transmission of the virus. (Photo Credits: Ehre Lab, UNC School of Medicine) According to experts, such images help to identify the viral load, and the possibility of transmission of the pathogen through various mediums. Researchers are studying the virus to find new information as it will help them in identifying the risks of death, find preventive measures and effective treatment against the COVID-19. Meanwhile, India reported a spike of 97,570 new COVID-19 cases and 1,201 deaths in the last 24 hours on Saturday. The total case tally stands at 46,59,985 including 9,58,316 active cases, 36,24,197 cured/discharged/migrated and 77,472 deaths. Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, center left, bumps elbows with an Emirati official as he leaves Abu Dhabi, Arab Emirates, on Sept. 1, 2020. (Nir Elias/Pool via AP) The Middle East Is Voting for Peace and Trump Commentary Middle East peace deals are rare. So, too, are peace deals right before a U.S. presidential election. The fact that multiple peace deals are happening before this election is a clear indication that many Arab countries prefer Donald Trump to Joe Biden. Its one of the tenets of faith of the Never Trumpers and most Democrats, including Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, that world leaders dont respect American leadership under Trump; they have said numerous times that Trump disrespects U.S. allies and coddles dictators. Of course, few if any of his critics have any significant foreign policy success they can call their own. Their criticism, therefore, must be viewed in light of their record and their partisanship. As for Trump, he can now boast that hes reshaped the Middle East. So far, Trump has fostered a peace deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel. Trump has fostered a peace deal between Bahrain and Israel. Trump has fostered Serbia and Kosovo committing to establish embassies in Jerusalem and recognize the city as Israels capital. Trump has destroyed the ISIS terrorist group. Trump has contained Iran. Prior to Trump, there had been no Middle East peace deal in the last 25 years. President Barack Obama fiddled with ISIS and conducted foreign policy as if they were here to stay, while Iran was acting with impunity in the Middle East. Beyond that, it was standard negotiating procedure within the foreign policy establishment that there would be no movement in Middle East peace until the Israelis reached an agreement with the Palestinians. So, what happened? How has Trump been able to make so many peace advancements with the possibility of more to come, including a possible Oman-Israel deal? The answer is simple. First, the president realized that appeasing Iran was never going to work. They are not now, nor will they ever be, an honest regime seeking real peace. To the country, Iran wants to dominate the Middle East and foment terror around the world. Recognizing that obvious dynamic, Trump wisely contained Iran. Under Obama and his Iran deal, Iran realized its own foreign policy goals of expanding its conventional forces throughout the Middle East and was able to fund its lethal surrogates. It was able to do that because the Iran deal gave it access to the money it didnt have or couldnt get under international sanctions. Obama lifted those sanctions, Iran got the money and wreaked havoc. Second, Trump let the world know he was going to stand by Israel at all costsplain and simple. He moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem over the objections of the foreign policy know-it-alls and otherwise stood by Israel in very public ways. Then theres Biden. The Democratic nominee Biden has made it very clear he wants to do a deal with Iran. Any BidenIran deal would be the same as an Obama-Biden deal, once again giving Iran access to money it needs to disrupt the Middle East and realize its dreams of becoming the predominant power in the Middle East. Stated plainly, few Middle Eastern countries want that to happen. Certainly the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain dont. Thats why theyre making deals just prior to Trumps reelection bid. They want nothing to do with a resurgent Iran. Oman doesnt either, and neither does Saudi Arabia. Beyond that, Trump hasnt started any new wars or increased U.S. entanglements. Without question, Trump is the most successful foreign policy president since President Ronald Reagan, and that record is on the ballot in November. Many Middle East countries want us to know that, and that they dont want a BidenIran deal. Thomas Del Beccaro is an acclaimed author, speaker, Fox News, Fox Business, and Epoch Times opinion writer, and former chairman of the California Republican Party. Hes the author of the historical perspectives The Divided Era and The New Conservative Paradigm. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A Pakistani journalist associated with a leading English-language daily in the country was taken into custody by police from his residence in Karachi after he allegedly posted social media posts criticising the Army, according to his family and friends. Farooqi, who is a news editor at The Express Tribune, was "arrested by the station investigation officer (SIO) of defence police" from his residence in the DHA area on Friday evening, Karachi police chief, Additional Inspector General Ghulam Nabi Memon, told Dawn. An FIR was lodged against the journalist under FIR against Farooqi was under Sections 500 and 505 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Sections 11 and 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, based on a complaint by one Javed Khan on September 9, said a senior police officer, who requested anonymity. Also Read: Doha: Michael Pompeo to hold separate meets with delegations of Afghan govt, Taliban Fellow scribe Ebad Ahmed said Farooqi had been taken into custody from his house by "two men in plainclothes accompanied by two policemen". Later, the police visited the residence again and Farooqi's wife was also detained at a police station in DHA. "Police have taken possession of Bilal's phone," Ahmed added. According to the FIR, the complainant, who is a machine operator at a factory and is a resident of Majeed Colony in Landhi area, said he visited a restaurant in DHA Phase-2 Extension on September 9, during which he checked his Facebook and Twitter accounts. It was then he found "highly objectionable posts" against the Pakistan Army were posted by Farooqi on both platforms and the material was aimed at allegedly spreading religious hate. Khan alleged that the journalist had "defamed" the Pakistan Army and these social media posts could be used by enemies for their "nefarious designs". He said that legal action should be initiated against him. Meanwhile, the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ), released a statement saying that "that the arrest of Bilal was part of the nefarious and concerted campaign to gag the free and independent voices". The statement said that "Farooqi, an active journalist who also remained executive committee of the KUJ, has been an educated and responsible youth, who never indulged in any kind of violation of Pakistani laws". "His only crime is that he dissents with ruling elites and raises his voice for the betterment and a progressive society," KUJ President Ashraf Khan remarked in the statement. The body's secretary-general, Ahmed Khan Malik, has demanded the immediate release of Farooqi. "We demand the withdrawal of false charges against Bilal, and he must be released immediately," Malik stated as quoted by Dawn. Farooqi's arrest is the latest in a series of arrests of Pakistani journalists who have been vocal critics of the army. Prime Minister Imran Khan recently claimed that there is no crackdown on the press in Pakistan. However, the arrests threats of violence against journalists clearly show the stark reality of the situation in Pakistan. Earlier in July, a journalist named Matiullah Jan was abducted for his critical views on Pakistan's military establishment. He was subsequently released hours later. Pakistan is ranked 145th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders's (RSF) 2020 World Press Freedom Index, three places lower than in 2019. (ANI) Also Read: Pakistan's hypocrisy on press freedom exposed amid PM's 'don't mind criticism' claim Two police officers have been disciplined after they failed to properly investigate claims of harassment by a domestic abuse victim, who died shortly afterwards. Allegations of gross incompetence and unsatisfactory conduct were found proven against PC Sophie Dennis and PC Kerry Lynham, respectively, at a Metropolitan Police hearing. The pair had responded to a domestic incident at Katrina Makunovas home in June 2018 after reports her ex-partner Oluwaseyi Dada, 23, had caused a disturbance. Police bodycam footage shown at the hearing reveals Makunova, 17, felt she was being harassed by Dada both at her home and her place of work and worried his behaviour could escalate into violence. Just a few weeks later, the teenager died during an argument with Dada when she fell onto a knife she was carrying in her handbag. Dada was convicted of manslaughter in January last year and sentenced to two years and three months in prison. The court heard how Makunova had made five separate allegations of assault and harassment in the months leading up to her death. Although PC Dennis and PC Lynham escaped being struck off as police officers, both were censured for failing to follow the proper protocol when dealing with a suspected victim of domestic abuse. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty UK news in pictures 27 November 2021 Residents clear branches from a fallen tree in Birkenhead, north west England as Storm Arwen triggered a rare red weather warning AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 An aerial picture shows a worker using a quad bike and trailer to transport freshly harvested trees at Pimms Christmas Tree farm in Matfield, southeast England AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 26 November 2021 A shopper browses Christmas trees for sale at Pines and Needles in Dulwich, London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 November 2021 A murmuration of hundreds of thousands of starlings fly over a field at dusk in Cumbria, close to the Scottish border PA UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty PC Dennis did not take a statement from Makunova, and neither did she complete two mandatory domestic violence forms. Later, she lied by claiming the correct paperwork had been done at the scene when filling her her crime report, while PC Lynham did nothing to prevent this. Commander Alison Heydari, who chaired the disciplinary panel, said that the pair had been premature and incorrect to presume the incident was not a potential criminal offence. "The body-worn footage shows a course of conduct that amounts to harassment," she said. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) conducted its own investigation into the incident and concluded PC Dennis should face charges for gross misconduct, while PC Lynham had a case of gross incompetence to answer. Ultimately, the Met panel found PC Dennis had been grossly incompetent and gave her a final written improvement notice for 12 months, which means any further complaints against her would end her career. PC Lynhams conduct was deemed to be only unsatisfactory; she was given a written improvement notice as well. Sal Naseem, regional director for the IOPC, said: By not doing their jobs in the way they were trained and paid to, PC Dennis and PC Lynham and the other officers in this case - utterly failed Katrina Makunova and, as a result, her family and friends. In addition, PC Dennis attempted to cover her tracks by lying about her investigative actions at the scene on a subsequent crime report and PC Lynham did nothing to stop this. This was unacceptable behaviour. Alongside the pair, 10 other officers have also been censured in connection with Makunovas death. The teenagers mother attended the hearing on Tuesday, shaking her head when submissions were made in defence of PC Dennis and PC Lynham. Richard Atchley, who represented PC Dennis, said was a proactive, involved officer, and with this exception, a very professional officer. Oluwaseyi Dada, who was accused by his ex-girlfriend Katrina Makunova of harassing her shortly before she died (PA) "She has not sought to duck and dive away from the responsibility. We all have bad days, and this was clearly one of hers." David Yeo, representing PC Lynham, noted 27 other Met Police officers had written character statements on behalf of the constable. "In your findings she made an error of judgment, but that is it in 12 years of service to the people of London," he argued. However, the deputy commissioner of the Met, Sir Stephen House, said We expect all our officers to take allegations of domestic abuse extremely seriously and follow proper procedures to safeguard victims. "We join policing to protect people like Miss Makunova and I am deeply ashamed that these officers failed her. My thoughts are with Miss Makunova's family and friends. S enior Tories are not backing down on their rebellion against Boris Johnsons controversial Brexit legislation despite his warning Brussels could carve up our country without it. The Prime Ministers bid to win support for the Bill that overrides parts of his own divorce deal was joined by Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove warning it is needed to protect the integrity of the UK. They argued the legislation that could breach international law and has prompted the EU to threaten legal action during trade negotiations is needed to prevent a trade border in the Irish Sea. However, Tory rebels suggested that opinions were only hardened by Mr Johnsons conference call with backbenchers and believed support was growing for their amendment to the UK Internal Market Bill. Michael Gove backs Boris Johnson's Brexit warning Tobias Ellwood, the Conservative who chairs the Commons defence committee, said on Saturday that unamended I cannot support this Bill. Already this Bill is damaging brand UK, diminishing our role-model status as defender of global standards. As we go to the wire, lets see more British statecraft less Nixonian Madman Theory, he tweeted. Sir Roger Gale also remained a vehement critic, telling Times Radio: If anybody is responsible, if it happens, for bringing the union down, it will be (chief aide Dominic) Cummings and Mr Johnson. Commons justice committee chairman Sir Bob Neill, who has tabled an amendment which he said 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. Tobias Ellwood has said he can't support the bill 'unamended' / AFP/Getty Images Damian Green, who was Theresa Mays deputy when she was prime minister and is backing Sir Bobs amendment, was also understood to not have been won over by Mr Johnsons argument. The Prime Minister spoke with around 250 MPs on Friday to try to drum up support for the Bill, and warned them against a return to the miserable, squabbling days of last autumn over Brexit. And, in an incendiary article for The Telegraph, Mr Johnson said Brussels was threatening to use an extreme interpretation of the Northern Ireland Protocol to impose a full-scale trade border down the Irish Sea that could stop the transport of food from Britain to Northern Ireland. Both Ireland and the EU have warned that Mr Johnsons plans pose a serious risk to the peace process rather than protecting the Good Friday Agreement. But he doubled down and argued it is crucial for peace and for the Union itself and said voting the Bill down would reduce the chances of a trade deal with the EU, which is hanging in the balance. Damian Green, Theresa May's former deputy, is also backing Sir Bob's amendment ( Carl Court/Getty Images) / Carl Court/Getty Images He asked MPs to help him remove this danger to the very fabric of the UK by taking away the theoretical power to carve up our country. Mr Gove joined the Prime Minister in urging support for the Bill ahead of a Commons debate on Monday. Were doing our part generously to help protect the EUs own single market, but were clear that what we cant have even as were doing all that is the EU disrupting and putting at threat the integrity of the United Kingdom, Mr Gove told BBC Breakfast. These steps are a safety net, theyre a long-stop in the event, which I dont 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. Mr Gove conceded that we are reaching a crunch moment, but insisted we have got the support of our own MPs. Further fallout also emerged from the EU, with leaders in the European Parliament saying they would under no circumstances ratify any trade deal reached if UK authorities breach or threaten to breach the Withdrawal Agreement. Conservative former leaders Mrs May, Sir John Major and Lord Howard are among the Tories urging Mr Johnson to think again over the legislation, which ministers have admitted could breach international law. After an unbelievable 95 days as a COVID-19 patient, Paula Gilliam was joyfully discharged with cheers and tears by her care team. Please join us in celebrating her recovery and sending her our best wishes! pic.twitter.com/kieKwCU8fH Huntsville Hospital (@HSVHospital) September 11, 2020 Workers at Huntsville Hospital today celebrated as a COVID-19 patient left after more than three months at the hospital. Doctors, nurses and technicians cheered as Paula Gilliam left the hospital after 95 days as a patient. She entered the hospital in early June. In a tweet from its official account, the hospital said that Gilliam was joyfully discharged with cheers and tears by her care team. Please join us in celebrating her recovery and sending her our best wishes! YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and his spouse Anna Hakobyan today visited border communities in Tavush province of Armenia. The Premier was accompanied by Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Suren Papikyan, Tavush Governor Hayk Chobanyan, and Acting Urban Development Committee Chairman Armen Ghularyan, the PMs Office told Armenpress. The Prime Minister and Mrs. Hakobyan first visited Chinari. The Premier talked to the locals, took note of their concerns and answered their questions. Nikol Pashinyan first thanked the residents of the border community for their strong support of our Armed Forces during the July victorious battles. First of all, I wish to thank you for contributing to the victorious battles of July, because if our troops had not been convinced that they had a strong backing, they would not have been so strong. First of all, thank you for that. Secondly, we acknowledge that the state must live up to its commitments in emergency situations. In general, we should support people in a way to strengthen their labor incentives, since very often the logic of charity is harmful. It is extremely important for us to strike the right balance between the states obligations and the citizens liabilities. We must acknowledge that the solution to all problems goes through work in the Republic of Armenia. Each of us must try to solve our problem within the framework of our responsibility. The state is supposed to support the citizen, and the latter must back the state. No progress may be achieved, if the state leaves the solution of the problems to the citizen, and vice versa. The government must acknowledge and fulfill its commitments. In turn, the citizens must comply with their civic duties, the Prime Minister noted. The Premier believes that a special policy should be implemented in border communities. What are we recording today? For the first time since the 90s, a house is being built from scratch in the village of Chinari. And you should not be anxious about the fact that the neighbors house is being built and not yours. Remember our motto: Armenia is my home, the Armenian is my family, the Premier said. Coming to the opportunities available in border villages, the Head of Government noted that an important change has been made for women. When a child is born, the mother will be entitled to 50,000 drams as a monthly childcare allowance, while unemployed mothers will get 26,000 drams per month. For me, Chinari has been an exemplary community in recent years. Our task is to ensure that the 600 tons of figs exported last year turns into 6000 tons. The solution to your problems lies in the soil. Our task is to make your fig orchards a mechanism for you to print banknotes, Nikol Pashinyan noted. The village mayor advised that the problem of procurement has been solved with the figs harvested in Chinary being exported to the Russian Federation. In this connection, the Prime Minister stressed that the July victory should lead to Chinaris revival, the revival of border communities, in general. We must overcome poverty. And this is what matters most now. Victorious people should be triumphant in themselves. It has nothing to do with what we have on our tables; it has nothing to do with the contents of our pocket. It is first of all a mindset. Once we change our mindset, the rest will be settled one by one, the Prime Minister stressed. Then the Prime Minister and Mrs. Hakobyan called at the site where a new house is being built for one of Chinari households. The house was ruined in enemy shelling, and a new six-room house with a bomb-shelter is being built with the governments funding. Note that 12 shelling-affected residential buildings have already been rehabilitated in Chinari. Nikol Pashinyan and Anna Hakobyan next visited Movses community. Road construction-related issues were discussed during a meeting held with the locals in the churchyard. For the first time, an asphalt road has been laid in the 300-year-old village. Nikol Pashinyan stressed that this is the merit of law-abiding taxpayers. The Prime Minister emphasized that his government seeks to ensure that all roads are of equal quality from Abovyan Street in Yerevan to Movses village. Aygepar was the Premiers next port of call. The village has turned into a large construction site. Some thirty houses heavily damaged in shelling are being repaired or completely reconstructed at this point of time; all local streets are asphalted. Many locals who used to go abroad for work are involved in the ongoing activities. They thanked the Prime Minister and the Government for initiating such a large-scale project, which solves their housing and labor problems. The Prime Minister got acquainted with the construction in progress, thanked Aygepar residents for living up to their border guards mission. Nikol Pashinyan and Anna Hakobyan familiarized themselves with the construction of a new bomb-shelter under the local schools premises. The Head of Government next visited Nerkin Karmirakhbyur community. The Premier inspected progress in the construction of the municipal alley and was shown the completely renovated 8 apartments, which had been damaged in shelling. Several local residents are involved in the ongoing activities. In conclusion, Nikol Pashinyan and his spouse visited the Berd Fortress, where archeological excavations are underway at this point of time. The fortress is expected to become a tourist hub in the near future. By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile artisans. Yesterday was one of those days that I learned far more from the commentariat in their comments on my post about climate change and the Oregon wildfire crisis than I conveyed in my text, More than 500,000 People in Oregon Flee Wildfires. A half a million people have been displaced so far by the wildfire crisis in Oregon alone. Now, one thing the commentariat emphasised is that wildfires in the Pacific northwest are not a new phenomenon. But prevailing forest management policies have certainly worsened the problem, as has relentless dynamics of climate change. This is an ongoing crisis in some of the most affluent parts of the country that is supposed to be the richest in the world. This year Oregon and Washington have been caught up in the crisis, as has California, for which wildfires are now an annual scourge. I juxtaposed this crisis against some reading today in the Guardian, reporting on a study done by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), that concluded that more than 1.2 billion people living in 31 countries are not sufficiently resilient to withstand ecological threats, and could find themselves as involuntary migrants by 2050, according to Climate crisis could displace 1.2bn people by 2050, report warns. Wealthier, more developed regions in Europe and North America face fewer ecological threats and would be better able to cope with them, but most will not be immune from wider impacts. The report said 16 countries, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, and Iceland, faced no threat. Tell that to the people of the Pacific northwest at the moment. Alas, ecological catastrophe may prove to be much more devastating to poorer countries, according to the IEPs Ecological Threat Register, which notes that 19 countries with the highest number of ecological threats are among the worlds 40 least peaceful countries including Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Chad, India and Pakistan. Over to the Guardian again: Many of the countries most at risk from ecological threats, including Nigeria, Angola, Burkina Faso and Uganda, are also predicted to experience significant population increases, the report noted, further driving mass displacements. This will have huge social and political impacts, not just in the developing world, but also in the developed, as mass displacement will lead to larger refugee flows to the most developed countries, Steve Killelea, the institutes founder, said. Ecological threats pose serious challenges to global peace. Over the next 30 years, lack of access to food and water will only increase without urgent global cooperation. In the absence of action, civil unrest, riots and conflict will most likely increase. Withstanding Ecological Threats The study evaluates the exposure of 157 countries to to eight ecological threats, then analyzes their relative resilience to withstand the threat. By 2050, 141 countries will face at least one ecological threat , with the regions of sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa those most exposed to the greatest number of threats. According to the IEP: By 2040, a total of 5.4 billion people more than half of the worlds projected population will live in the 59 countries experiencing high or extreme water stress, including India and China. 5 billion people could suffer from food insecurity by 2050; which is an increase of 1.5 billion people from today. The lack of resilience in countries covered in the ETR will lead to worsening food insecurity and competition over resources, increasing civil unrest and mass displacement, exposing developed countries to increased influxes of refugees. Methodology: Ecological Threat Register The IEP is trying to predict some of the political consequences that will follow from ecological threats in part caused by climate change: The Ecological Threat Register analyses risk from population growth, water stress, food insecurity, droughts, floods, cyclones, rising temperatures and sea levels. Over the next 30 years, the report finds that 141 countries are exposed to at least one ecological threat by 2050. The 19 countries with the highest number of threats have a combined population of 2.1 billion people, which is around 25 per cent of the worlds total population. The ETR analyses the levels of societal resilience within countries to determine whether they have the necessary coping capacities to deal with future ecological shocks. The report finds that more than one billion people live in countries that are unlikely to have the ability to mitigate and adapt to new ecological threats, creating conditions for mass displacement by 2050. The country with the largest number of people at risk of mass displacements is Pakistan, followed by Ethiopia and Iran. Haiti faces the highest threat in Central America. In these countries, even small ecological threats and natural disasters could result in mass population displacement, affecting regional and global security. Resource Stress Leads to Political Unrest I point out that these resource threats are already leading to political unrest. India and Pakistan dont need yet another issue to fight over, as they have gone to war more than once since Partition, with the latest skirmishes occurring just last year.Now, they have been squabbling over the waters of the Indus for a very long time. Water disputes will no doubt continue and indeed accelerate. Nor do China and India need additional areas to dispute- with stress between the countries exacerbating in recent months. leading to bloodshed. And it comes as no news that China is tying up the waters that flow through the Tibetan plateau, as well as other rivers, such as the Mekong. The countries judged to be the most vulnerable are the least able to withstand these ecological threats. I encourage readers to click on the following link, to see which countries the IEP deems the most vulnerable, Overall ETR Score. Now no surprises among the weakest countries, which include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, and India. and other Middle Eastern, and Sub-saharan Africa states. What stood out, however, was that the United States squarely among the next group of countries. Just as the rest of the world averts its eyes rather than examine closely our COVID-19 record, the wildfire crisis produces a similar response. I point out that such a reaction is not just to the unique US situation. It wasnt so long ago that the worlds eyes were trained on the Australian wildfire crisis. And Australia is also listed in the same group as the U.S. on the Ecological Threat Register. As are Russia, China, and the Netherlands. Whereas the next group included Canada, Turkey, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Timor-Leste, Spain, and Italy.. As someone who was quite peripatetic in the pre-CoVID-19 universe, this really comes as no shock to me. Whenever I find myself in the US, I am often stunned to see how much the infrastructure has declined. Or rather, how much the rest of the world has caught up. I would have reproduced the complete list, except to do so includes the flags of each country, making the complete list of around 150 bulky and unwieldy. So I encourage interested readers to go to the link, which includes the full list, as well as an interactive map. And what we are seeing in Oregon is, from what you have told me, is a combination of a natural historical cycle. Exacerbated by climate change. Made worse by our appetite for living in the wilderness which may be a consequence of zoning ourselves out of city living space. And made much, much worse by infrastructural decline, and poor forest management. Yves has mentioned in another context that because the United States is so relatively rich, its been able to tolerate high levels of political corruption, and our overpriced, less-than-universal health care system. COVID-19 has pointed out the flaws in that model. And, similarly, climate change is testing our infrastructure policies. The question I think is how seriously wanting it will find us. The Taliban and the Afghan govt are holding direct talks for the first time to end 19 years of war that has killed tens of thousands of people and ravaged various parts of the country New Delhi: India expects that the soil of Afghanistan is never used for any anti-India activities, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday, joining the inaugural session of the intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha through video conference. In his brief address, Jaishankar said India's friendship with Afghanistan is "strong and unshaken" and that no part of the country is untouched by New Delhi's development programmes. The Taliban and the Afghan government are holding direct talks for the first time to end 19 years of war that has killed tens of thousands of people and ravaged various parts of the country. An official delegation led by Joint Secretary (Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) participated in-person in the inaugural ceremony in Doha, according to an official statement. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Chairman of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and representatives from a number of leading countries attended the inaugural session of the historic peace initiative. "Our friendship with Afghanistan is strong and unshaken, we have always been good neighbours and will always be so. Our expectation is that the soil of Afghanistan should never be used for any anti-India activities," Jaishankar said. There have been apprehensions in India over possibility of use of Afghan soil for anti-India activities if a new dispensation friendly to Pakistan emerges from the intra-Afghan negotiations. In his remarks, Jaishankar also reaffirmed India's long-led position that any peace process in the country must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled. He said the peace process in Afghanistan must respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, adding it must effectively address the issue of violence across the country and its neighbourhood. "The rising levels of violence cannot be allowed to continue and like others, we support an immediate comprehensive ceasefire," Jaishankar said. Talking about the peace process, he said the progress made in the establishment of a democratic Islamic republic in Afghanistan as well as interests of minorities, women and vulnerable sections of society must be preserved. "The friendship of our peoples is a testimony to our history with Afghanistan. No part of Afghanistan is untouched by our 400-plus development projects. Confident that this civilizational relationship will continue to grow," the external affairs minister tweeted. Jaishankar referred to the millennia-old relationship between India and Afghanistan, which he said had withstood the test of time. "The external affairs minister highlighted India's role as a major development partner of Afghanistan with over 400 projects completed in all the 34 provinces of Afghanistan," the MEA said in a statement. It said he wished for the success of the Intra-Afghan negotiations in delivering to the people of Afghanistan what they have longed for - a peaceful and prosperous future in an independent and sovereign nation, the MEA added. The MEA said Jaishankar's participation was in response to an invitation extended to him by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. Last month, Afghan president Ashraf Ghani agreed to release 400 Taliban prisoners, paving the way for beginning of the long-awaited peace process aimed at ending nearly two-decades of conflict in the war-torn country. India has been a major stakeholder in peace and stability of Afghanistan. It has already invested $2 billion in aid and reconstruction activities in the country. India has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled. India has been keenly following the evolving political situation after the US inked a peace deal with the Taliban in February. The deal provided for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, effectively drawing curtains to Washington's 18-year war in the country. The US has lost over 2,400 soldiers in Afghanistan since late 2001. India has also been maintaining that care should be taken to ensure that any such process does not lead to any "ungoverned spaces" where terrorists and their proxies can relocate. India has been calling upon all sections of the political spectrum in Afghanistan to work together to meet the aspirations of all people in that country including those from the minority community for a prosperous and safe future. A 28-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh has claimed that his right hand was chopped off by some locals in Haryana's Panipat where he had gone in search of a job, police said on Saturday. However, a family has filed a complaint against the man, identified as Ikhlaq from Nanauta in Saharanpur district, that he allegedly sodomised a seven-year-old boy, they said. A four-member special investigation team has been formed to investigate the matter, police said. According to the complaint filed by Ikhlaq with the police, he had gone to Panipat last month in search of a job. He had taken rest in a park in the Kishanpur area on the intervening night of August 23 and 24. At around 1.30 am, he knocked on the doors of a nearby house for water and four to five people came out and thrashed him with sticks and took him inside the house where his hand was chopped off with a saw. He was later dumped near the railway track, police said quoting the complainant. The family of Ikhlaq had claimed that his hand was severed after the assailants saw '786' tattooed on it. As per the complaint filed with the police by the family of the seven-year-old boy, Ikhlaq sodomised him on the intervening night of August 23 and 24, police said. The family rescued the boy but Ikhlaq managed to escape and ran towards the railway track, according to the complaint. Police said they were informed by the Government Railway Police that a man with his hand severed was found near a railway track. He was first admitted to Panipat civil hospital from where he was referred to Rohtak's Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, they said. Police said they have registered a case under relevant sections including 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the Indian Penal Code on the complaint of Ikhlaq. On the basis of the complaint filed by the boy's family, a case under relevant sections of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act has been registered against Ikhlaq, police said. Both the cases were registered on September 7, they added. Police said Ikhlaq has gone back to his home in Uttar Pradesh. A team of the Haryana police had been sent there for further investigation, they added. Deputy Superintendent of Police (headquarters), Panipat, Satish Kumar said investigation in the matter was underway. A violent argument broke out between several people in the area of Rue de Bonnevoie opposite Place Leon XIII at noon on Friday. A group of three people were violently attacked by a woman and a man for reasons as yet unknown. During the attack, one of the three victims was thrown to the ground and seriously injured when she fell, while the other two were slightly injured. The police were able to intervene quickly, and the two assailants were arrested and transferred to Schrassig prison on the orders of the public prosecutor's office. They were presented to the examining magistrate on Saturday morning. TDT | Manama Land and real estate owned by Bahrainis in places banned for non-Omanis in Oman should be disposed of as required by a new law, said the Embassy of Bahrain to Oman. The law enters into force on November 19 this year bans non-Omanis from owning real estate and land in Musandam, Buraimi, Dhahirah, Al Wusta, Dhofar (except Salalah), Liwa, Shinas, Masirah, Jebal Akhdar, and Jebal Shams. The Omani law also bans ownership of land in mountain and islands of strategic importance near palaces, security and military apparatus, and ancient archaeological lanes determined by the competent authority. Non-Omanis are also banned from utilizing their lands and properties for agricultural activities in all governorates of the Sultanate. The law requires non-Omanis to dispose of and transfer their ownership within two years of it coming into force. Property owners are allowed to request an additional year to correct their ownership, if they fail to sell off the property within the stipulated time, by applying to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning. The ministry also states, If they cant sell the property, the ministry will do so, and the price will be paid to the expatriate owner. For inquiries from Bahraini citizens can contact the Oman Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning on 0096824681515 -0096824697015. Contact the embassy of Bahrain in Muscat on 0096899800129, 0096824605133, (fax) 0096824605072. Embassy email: muscat.mission@mofa.gov.bh Why is the draft 20th Amendment hostile to greater public accountability? View(s): As public concern over Sri Lankas draft 20th Amendment to the Constitution increases exponentially since this amendment was gazetted on 2nd September 2020, so do the sheer absurdity of the justifications thereto. Cunning and deplorably simplistic explanations are put forward by some in Government ranks. The President as a super-constitutional creature It is bad enough that the Justice Minister asks as to what is the point of constitutional commissions when the narcotic trade cannot be eliminated in Sri Lanka? He needs to be reminded that the Constitution does not set up oversight agencies to curb the underworld. For that, he must look to the police who are hand in glove with politicians in profiting off these atrocities. He also questions as to the point of having commission reports if these are not implemented? If so, the fault therein lies with the implementers; ie; the political authority. Commissions, constitutional or otherwise, can only act within their mandated parameters. Even so, perhaps the most heinous of these justifications concerns the 20th Amendments restoration of sweeping immunities against legal challenges to the Office of the President, elevating him to a super-constitutional creature. Responding to a historic critique of Article 35 (1) of the 1978 Constitution, the 19th Amendment had narrowly relaxed this bar. The President was constitutionally liable in the Supreme Court for intentional violation of fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution. The draft 20th Amendment disposes of this relaxation summarily. Erstwhile Professor of law and Education Minister GL Peiris has taken pains to explain that this was because the President should not be required to waste time in court. The public was informed that this would detract from the burdensome duties of his office. But the good professor turned politician may be advised to properly read the Constitution before embarking on these thoroughly disingenuous excuses. The picture he seeks to draw, presumably on a glib assumption that Sri Lanka is peopled by fools, is of the President traipsing from court to court if immunity is lifted. Return to old and discredited immunities This is of course a caricature and not a particularly edifying one at that. It is no such thing in theory or in reality. The proviso to Article 35 (1) of the 19th Amendment stipulated that the Attorney General may be cited in instances where the President is brought before court on fundamental rights challenges. Practically, cases were filed against the President in the past five years only in few instances, one being the arbitrary dissolution of Parliament in 2018 later ruled to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. And while restoring immunity, the draft 20th Amendment gives the President unfettered discretion, (a phrase that I will return to later in these column spaces), in regard to the legislative and judicial branches of State. It substitutes the Constitutional Council with an ineffectual parliamentary council which can only whimper in the face of overwhelming presidential authority. And it gives him a very free hand both in the appointing of judges and the very constitution of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). Even the salutary safeguard of the 19th Amendment that, apart from the Chief Justice as the Chair of the JSC, the other two members must be the two most senior judges of the Supreme Court, is done away with. The 19th Amendments accompanying fetter in Article 111(d) (2), that if the Chief Justice and the two most senior Justices do not have any experience serving as a judge of a Court of First Instance, then the third member of the JSC must be appointed from among those who have that judicial experience, is also deleted. From insult to very heavy injury, draft Article 109 gives the President the power to appoint any person to act as a judge of the Court of Appeal or Supreme Court if a judge is temporarily unable to be in office due to illness, absence from Sri Lanka or any other cause. The supreme dangers of unfettered powers These are matters on which those concerned with the Bar and the Bench should not stay silent. There are clear and present dangers in allowing such unfettered powers to be wielded by the President. True, the Supreme Court has often preferred to rely on the legal fiction that there is no such thing as unfettered presidential power, as when it dismissed challenges to the 18th Amendments abolishing of the Constitutional Council (set up under the 17th Amendment). This Bench was presided over by a judge who was later impeached by the Rajapaksa Presidency when she refused to continue to tow the line. As we all know, if constitutional limits are not clearly imposed on the exercise of state power, that power in fact becomes unfettered however much we may say in law that there is no such thing. The theory and the practice of our so-called Gaullist Constitution has taught us that bitter lesson during the past four decades surely. Moreover, the changes proposed by the draft 20th Amendment gravely impact on powers of the Auditor General, quite apart from the extraordinary abolishing of the Audit Commission. The pruning of these powers has been vociferously objected to by the audit service officers. Historically, the Auditor General was empowered to audit departments of Government, the Cabinet, the Public Service Commission, the Judicial Service Commission, Ombudsman, Secretary General of Parliament, the Elections Commission, local authorities, public corporations and business or other undertakings vested in the Government under written law. The 19th Amendment added the Offices of the Secretaries to the Prime Minister and the President, all constitutional commissions and companies in which the Government holds more than 50% of shares to this list. All of these powers have now been removed. 2020 is very different to 1978 How can enhanced powers of audit and proper control over the public purse be harmful to the public? On the contrary, this would only be harmful to Ali Baba and the forty (or more) thieves as the case may be. In fact, the proposed 20th Amendments deletion of the 19th Amendments provision that public corporates run the risk of committing an offence if they do not adhere to directions of the Elections Commission speak to that same question. Why this antipathy to greater transparency and greater accountability? With the draft 20th Amendment, we do not merely return, lock, stock and lamentably smoking barrel to the Jayawardene Constitution of 1978, as some may think. The political reality, which a Constitution must always be read in the context of, as legal realists remind us, was entirely different in 1978 to what prevails today. Then,unlike now, a single political family did not hold the reins of State and subject the majority of state institutions to their control. Further, the political-military-religious nexus that we see now in all its frightening implications was absent then, at least in its more overt manifestations. 2020 is very different to 1978. If we do not understand that reality, then all the Kings horses and all the Kings men will not be able to save the constitutional Humpty-Dumpty garbed in the 20th Amendment Bill that has been presented to Sri Lanka in all its dangerous ramifications. It is that simple. It wasnt all that long ago that Prince Harry was known as the worlds most famous bachelor. Now he is happily married and has an adorable one-year-old son. Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, just recently settled down in California. In the past few months, we have been treated to several pictures of Archie Harrison. There is no doubt that Prince Harry is smitten with his son, and years ago, he even said that he couldnt wait to be a father. Millions of people are over the moon with joy for Meghan and Prince Harry, and judging from what we see, being a parent is something that he was meant to do. The only thing missing from Prince Harrys life at this time is his beloved mother, Princess Diana, who sadly passed away before getting the joy of being a grandmother. Here is how Prince Harrys late mother Princess Diana would be extremely proud of his fathering skills. Prince Harry has always been great with children Prince Harry has been famous since the day he was born, and meeting new people has always been part of his life as a royal. He is sixth in line to the British throne, and his role has always put him in the public eye. In fact, according to Town & Country, he is great at meeting and interacting with children, and has always had a special way of relating to them. Many people actually adore how Prince Harry is like a big kid himself, and enjoys being silly and having fun. The Duke of Sussex, as the younger brother of the future king, has always had a great approach to everything, and it is rare that we see him without a smile on his face. Prince Harry is finally starting a family Prince Harry attends Adam Tower project introduction in 2019 | KOEN VAN WEEL/AFP via Getty Images RELATED: Prince Harry Didnt Like Being the Third Wheel to Prince William and Kate Middleton For a while, Prince Harry was almost like a third wheel in his brothers marriage to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Although he had a few girlfriends over the years, he was known to make appearances alongside Kate and Prince William, and that didnt change when the Cambridge children were born. It was in 2016 that the prince met and fell in love with Meghan, and they got married in 2018 in a ceremony that was broadcast live for the world to see. Fans were delighted when the couple welcomed their son, Archie Harrison, a year later, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex couldnt have appeared happier. According to Metro, Prince Harry even said shortly after Archies birth that fatherhood was the most amazing experience, further proving that he was overjoyed at being a new dad. Fans are delighted for Prince Harry now that he is finally embarking on a journey that he has looked forward to for such a long time. Prince Harrys late mother Princess Diana would be extremely proud of his fathering skills RELATED: Prince Harrys Secret Obsession With Tabloids Is One He Shares With Princess Diana Parents are always proud of their children, but why is it that Princess Diana would be exceptionally proud of Prince Harry? Well, it is because shed be able to relate so closely to what he has been through. Princess Diana was notorious for being a great mom, and her sons were her first priority. BestLife reports that the late princess wanted Prince Harry and Prince William to live a normal life, and she went out of her way to teach them how to do so. A royal insider reportedly said: Diana always put her boys before everything else. She was fiercely devoted to them and wanted them to live as normal a life as possible. More than anyone else, she would understand Harrys need to protect his son. He was always destined to be on a different path than [Prince]William, a future king, so Diana would have understood Harry putting Archie first, even if that meant leaving England. It looks as if Prince Harry wants the same for Archie, and Princess Diana would be so proud of how committed he is. Not surprisingly, Prince Harry said in an interview that he would always protect his family and how he has a family to protect. The Inner West Council is insisting on heritage listing a derelict church in Marrickville against the will of its owner, the Churches of Christ, which wants to turn the site into affordable housing. The church considers the case a litmus test for potentially dozens of abandoned buildings around Sydney which could be redeveloped to offer more housing options for low-income workers and people in need, given the city's housing affordability crisis. The disused church on Illawarra Road in Marrickville could be turned into a block of affordable housing units. Credit:Edwina Pickles "This is not some outside developer tearing down a cathedral - it's actually the church itself that wants to add social value back into the community by providing something the community desperately needs," said Magnus Linder, chief executive of Churches Housing. The church hasn't hosted a Sunday service in more than a decade and "can't be used for anything because it's very dilapidated", Mr Linder said. File Image Mumbais dabbawalas or lunch-box carriers have urged the Maharashtra government to permit them to travel in local trains, which are currently running in a restricted manner in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, an official said on Saturday. Access to local trains will enable dabbawalas to resume their business with full capacity, said Subhash Talekar, president of Mumbai Dabbawala Association. At present, only people employed in essential services are allowed to travel in suburban trains.are allowed to travel in suburban trains. Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic "Dabbawalas are also part of essential services are they deliver food to Mumbaikars. And since most officers are now functioning with reduced capacity, people have been asking us to deliver their meals, Talekar said. 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 Currently, dabbawalas who can reach south Mumbai area on their cycles are able to deliver food to offices, he said, adding that meals are being delivered in keeping with all COVID-19 safety norms. "We have been demanding financial assistance of Rs 5,000 per dabbawala from the state government, similar to what the construction workers had received, Talekar said, adding that the proposal was discussed in the state cabinet and was still on paper. There are about 4,500 to 5,000 dabbawalas who deliver two lakh tiffins every day from suburban areas to the heart of the city. "Never before in the 130-year-old history of the tiffin services, has there been a six-month break. We ensure that office-goers get their meals on time and take the empty lunch boxes back to their homes, he said. In the last six months, social organisations and volunteers have supported the association financially, because of which dabbawalas, who have been out of work, were given money and essentials during the lockdown period, he added. Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here Once they complete the program, doctors are encouraged to continue serving where there are physician shortages, such as in rural areas, on Native American reservations, or at community health centers, Perez explained. He modeled the program at El Rio after his residency training at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Chula Vista, California. Arizona has a severe physician shortage. We will need almost 2,000 physicians to meet the needs in the next 10 years, said Perez, referring to a report by the UA Center for Rural Health under the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. He said doctors can help by serving in areas where there are shortages because too many hardworking people are unable to afford to see a doctor, get their prescriptions, or afford a lifesaving treatment. No one should go bankrupt because of the cost of medical care. We need to make sure that we protect health care and prioritize the well-being of all Arizonans. Adequate funding of health care is an issue the Legislature must tackle, said Perez, adding that seniors must have the services they need to live out their golden years since they have worked hard their entire lives and invested in the state. Hamilton police are asking the public for help to identify five suspects who were allegedly involved in several early morning break-and-enters at a local high school this summer. Between July and August, four men and one woman are believed to have broken into Dundas Valley Secondary School on three separate occasions. Police say the suspects caused damage while inside and stole property. All of the break-ins took place shortly before 4 a.m. Police say three men entered the school through a smashed window on July 14. The suspects stole the master keys to the building and spray-painted multiple racial-slurs and symbols before they fled. Less than a week later, on July 19, the three men returned to the school with two other suspects and gained access inside with the master keys. Police allege the group again stole various items from the building. The three men broke into the school for the last time on Aug. 15 after smashing a glass door. Police say the men stole several items before they fled. Anyone with information about the five suspects or alleged break-ins is asked to contact Det. Const. Sarah Ricker at 905-546-8938 or Det. Sgt. Frank De Vuono at 905-546-2991 of the B.E.A.R unit. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Kyodo News) Oita, Japan Sat, September 12, 2020 12:56 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c44690b2 2 World Japan,foreigners,discrimination,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, there have been increasing reports that foreigners living in areas with prominent international communities in Japan are being subject to discrimination and hateful remarks. "Shitty foreigner, corona." A 22-year-old Indian student at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University was targeted by such a verbal attack while walking around JR Beppu Station, Oita Prefecture in mid-August. The comment came from three Japanese men apparently in their 30s. Although the student's university, also located in Beppu, southwestern Japan, had reported from Aug. 8 that a dozen or so exchange students had tested positive for the virus, he was not one of them. He attempted to object, but the men told him, "We're social distancing. Get lost," so in the end he could do nothing. Such prejudice against foreigners is seen to be the result of an excessive fear of infection and ignorance among those who lack opportunities to communicate with the international communities with which they reside. The some 2,700 exchange students at APU, who make up almost half of its enrollments, usually forge deep connections with the local community through part-time jobs and extracurricular activities. But since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the city has received reports that some hair salons and dining establishments have put up signs denying entry to students from the university. In response, it immediately set about distributing around 1,500 notices to business operators reminding them that "the fight is against the virus, not people." Some businesses in Yokohama's Chinatown near Tokyo also reported receiving hate mail in March blaming Chinese people for the coronavirus outbreak, with messages such as "Get the hell out of Japan." Read also: Emergency stay permits to no longer be issued for foreigners as Indonesia enters new normal According to a May survey of around 400 foreigners living in Fukuoka Prefecture by monthly multilingual magazine Fukuoka Now, around 20 percent of respondents said they have experienced some sort of discrimination in relation to the coronavirus. Toshihiro Menju, managing director and chief program officer at the Japan Center for International Exchange, believes that ensuring local residents and foreigners have opportunities to interact is the solution to eradicating discrimination and prejudice. "The relationships built in the community on a daily basis thrive during extraordinary times," he said. With foreigners, many of them Japanese-Brazilians, accounting for around 10 percent of the population of Minokamo, Gifu Prefecture, the city has been working to strengthen information sharing with its international community. City officials, together with a pastor with interpreting experience, are visiting around 10 churches with foreign congregations to urge them to take thorough measures against the coronavirus' spread. "Local governments should treat foreign residents in the same way as Japanese residents, and make their guidelines and other policies clear," said Menju. Joe Barrera, Ph.D., is the former director of the Ethnic Studies Program at UCCS, and a combat veteran of the Vietnam War. He teaches American literature, Southwest Studies and Military History. A man, claiming to be a fan of actress Kangana Ranaut, was on Friday arrested from the city's Tollygunge area for allegedly making internet calls and threatening Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, police said. A team of Mumbai Police with the help of Kolkata Police nabbed the man from his Tollygunge residence in the early hours of the day for allegedly threatening Raut, they said. The man had allegedly used internet calling services to call and threaten the Shiv Sena MP with dire consequences earlier this month. Raut had lodged a complaint following which Mumbai Police tracked the man's IP address and located him in the city. During his arrest, Mumbai Police sleuths also seized the device allegedly used by the man to call Raut and threat. The man was produced at a city court which granted transit remand of the accused till September 14, police sources said. The Shiv Sena and the actress are engaged in a war of words after the latter recently likened Mumbai to Pakistan- occupied Kashmir (PoK) and also said she feared Mumbai Police more than the movie mafia. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is ruled by the Shiv Sena, Wednesday pulled down some illegal alterations made at Ranauts bungalow in Bandra. The Bombay High Court later ordered a stay on it. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sebastian Smith (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Sat, September 12, 2020 14:45 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4470994 2 World Donald-Trump,Jared-Kushner,Israel,bahrain,diplomacy Free 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 past 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. 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, 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 the Bahraini capital Manama said the deal would boost regional "security, stability, prosperity". Until now, Israel has been able to strike just two 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, 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," the Israeli leader said. In the UAE, Hend al-Otaiba, director of strategic communications at the foreign ministry, 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," he 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 policy on the Middle East conflict, prompting angry pushback from the Palestinians and Iran. 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. Iran said the deal made Bahrain a partner to the "crimes" of Israel, its regional arch foe. It accused Israel of "decades of violence, slaughter, war, terror and bloodshed in oppressed Palestine and the region". 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 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." Reader, Ill be honest. The first time I tried a negroni I was, to put it mildly, not a fan. But I do remember exactly where I was, which surely says something (Milk Thistle, Bristol, at a vermouth tasting session, as a very green bartender before the bitterness had really taken hold ho ho). It tasted medicinal, I thought; perhaps it was the Campari that overwhelmed me, perhaps its because I considered a gin martini the height of sophistication at the time (nothing wrong with that, but people change). All the same, I couldnt get its complex flavour profile out of my head it was the palatal equivalent of an earworm and by the time I was back in Cardiff that evening, Id had my second and third, and I was hooked. Devotees of the legendary Italian cocktail comprising equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth may advance to GO if they wish. Haters, youre in jail, but sit tight, because were going to get you out. If youre not yet sold on this aperitivo, Id argue youve not found your negroni yet and that Negroni Week 2020 (14-20 September) offers the perfect opportunity to explore the drink and its myriad variations, and perhaps come up with your own. Unlike so many awareness events (isnt every day national sandwich day?), Negroni Week deserves some fanfare: since 2013 the seven-day celebration has become a worldwide event involving 12,000 venues, which have raised nearly $3m (2.3m) for charity. And this year the digital event is focused on fundraising for the hospitality industry, which has been devastated by the pandemic. Recommended Stanley Tucci reveals daily lockdown routine and shares recipes to pair with Negroni So where did it all begin? While theres some dispute, its widely accepted that in 1919, Count Camillo Negroni a well-travelled man who had spent time in the States as a rodeo cowboy sat down for a drink in his favourite bar in Florence, Caffe Casoni. The Americano equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth, topped up with club soda was the drink du jour, but Negroni wanted his with more of a kick, so he had the bartender replace the soda with gin. And there we have it: the negroni in its purest form, and already itself a twist on another drink. Part of the reason its a bartender favourite for the ages is its simplicity: theres something wonderfully unfussy about assembling this drink in the glass and garnishing simply with orange peel (a wedge or slice will also do). This makes it ideal for the home bartender its quite difficult not to do a half-decent job of this one. Its also infinitely flexible in a way that other cocktails arent, and just by changing one of the elements it takes you in a completely different direction, says Rob of Asterley Bros, a producer of English vermouth whose recently launched cocktail subscription service kicked off with a pink negroni (more on which later). If youre new to the world of cocktails, or home bars, then its so good to master and then put your own spin on. Hes not wrong. This classic has racked up plenty of well-established variations. Theres the negroni sbagliato for instance, whose name, Italian for mistake, is a nod to the bartender who accidentally replaced the gin with prosecco on grabbing the wrong bottle. Or the boulevardier, which swaps the gin with bourbon, and which we recommended in a 2018 article, where we erroneously called the negroni overrated. Indeed, changing the base spirit (ie swapping out gin) is one of the easiest ways to play with the negroni: rum is a good choice if you want something a little sweeter, or you could introduce some smoke by way of mezcal. Or, stick with the classic formula but try different proportions: purists may object, but more than a small cohort of negroni drinkers advocate increasing the share of gin to allow the spirit to sing. Simply tweaking the garnish can bring something new: a sprig of rosemary can be quite lovely. From there, you can start to go off-piste. In The Negroni, author Gary Regan states that Campari is the constant for a true negroni, but that hasnt put a stop to the creative variations that use the original as a springboard. A quick survey of one bartenders Facebook group revealed almost as many riffs on the negroni as people that make them, from simple twists such as infusions (try it with fig leaf-laced Campari) to more complicated creations (Worked with a nice savoury negroni in my last venue: shitake-infused gin; Select Aperitivo; Mancino Ambrato; and yuzu bitters, says Stathis Ntailianas). At Gordon Ramsay Bread Street Kitchen & Bar in Singapore, William Pravda created an edible, ice-cream version, and yes, the recipe is available. So, why bother with all this experimentation, just to get on board with a cocktail youre not necessarily partial to (yet)? Well, aside from being easy to make, and endlessly adaptable, theres still a slight air of mystery about the negroni, just like its Italian cowboy namesake. Yes, its been in the mainstream for many years, but it never let fame get to its head. As chef Michael Chiarello said, It commands the question, Whats that youre drinking? Don Draper can keep his old fashioned, James Bond his vesper: why be like them when you can have a negroni? Happy accident: the negroni sbagliato, with prosecco in place of gin (Wine Dharma/Commons) Five simple ways to switch up your negroni Bundles of joy As stated, the possibilities are endless, but you can simplify the whole process by ordering one of the many negroni bundles available online. Try the Jaffa Cake Negroni Bundle from Master of Malt the cheery Jaffa Cake Gin (made with, youve guessed it, jaffa cakes) makes for a fun serve and is suitable for those with a sweet tooth. Lazy days You cant get any easier than the aforementioned Asterley Bros pre-mixed pouches. The pink negroni is a beautifully light variation made with dry English vermouth, rose and gentian, as well as Cabbys gin (rhubarb is also available, and look out for the brands cocktail subscription service). Rob also recommends The Clumsies Aegean negroni for another ready-to-drink option. Alcohol-free Its possible to enjoy a negroni when youre not drinking: enter the NOgroni from corn Drinks, a complex blend of Seedlip Spice 94, corn bitter and corn Aromatic. The grapefruit and gentian really shine through amid a bold flavour profile. You can buy it in pre-mixed or bundle form online, and its now being served at some of the UKs favourite bars and restaurants including The Ivy sites across the country, sketch in Mayfair and Harrys Bar. Out and about Although Negroni Week is this year officially a digital affair, variations of the libation appear on cocktail menus year-round. Crossroads in Camdens current twist comes with lapsang-infused Campari and a black pepper shrub; Kensingtons Le Petit Sud serves a highly recommended cedro negroni; and the boulevardier at Shoreditchs Nightjar is to die for. Pennyroyal in Cardiff will serve you a tropical-tinged right hand with pot-still rum and Brazilian banana liqueur (another twist on a twist), and in Edinburghs Montpelliers you can get a negroni scozia made with Scottish vermouth (though perhaps the true Scottish negroni is the Buckfast variation). Make an investment Another easy yet impressive way to enhance a negroni is by ageing it in a mini barrel. This requires a bit of an investment but once youve mellowed your cocktail with oak, you may never look back. Urban Bar has a selection of mini oak barrels for your consideration; this recipe suits the 1l size (more than enough to get started with). For those wishing to expand their knowledge, the Negroni Week website is a great place to start. As well as some inspiring recipes, theres a programme of Zoom masterclasses on the subject youll have to stay up late, but these sessions will seriously elevate your negroni game as you dive deep into the world of this ever-fascinating cocktail. The state of the roads in the Sissala East Municipality will determine how and for whom the people there will vote in the 7 December 2020 polls, the paramount chief of the Tumu Traditional Area, Kuoro Richard Babini Kanton IV, has said. At a durbar to welcome Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who is touring the Upper West Region, Kuoro Richard Babini Kanton IV, said: One major reason my people and I gave your government a resounding victory in both the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2016 was that we had all hopes in you to fix our major trunk roads; that is the Wa-Tumu-Bolga highway. It is, however, surprising that the road has not been fixed, the chief told Dr Bawumia. Your Excellency, the chief told the Vice President directly, this time around, all we want to see is action, and no longer assurances because the road is a major deciding factor in this December polls. Meanwhile, the Vice President, who also toured the Upper East Region, has said the Akufo-Addo governments $1 billion Pwalugu Dam will end all disasters associated with the annual spillage of excess water from the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso. So far, 10 people have been killed up north by floods caused by the spillage and torrential rains up north. Dr Bawumia, who has been touring the area to assess the extent of damage cause to farms, roads, and the locals, said on Thursday, 10 September 2020 that: At the end of the day, this is a problem 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?" 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, he said. He said the dam is the single biggest investment in northern Ghana since independence. It is about $1 billion dollars and the contractors are on site, he noted. According to him, the contractors have already commenced work by clearing the site all the way up to the river and noted that the contractors would have to wait for the floods to subside and then divert the water for work to continue. 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 Belarus: UN chief deeply concerned over use of force against peaceful protesters 11 September 2020 - Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday expressed deep concern over the continued use of force against peaceful protestors in Belarus and detention of those exercising their legitimate democratic rights. Investigate torture claims In a statement, the UN chief also expressed concern over reports of intimidation against civil society groups, media workers and opposition figures, calling on authorities to refrain from the use of force against those engaging in peaceful assembly and to ensure that claims of torture and other mistreatment of detainees are fully investigated. "The current crisis can only be resolved by the Belarusian people through a broad-based, inclusive dialogue, which should start immediately in the interest of stability," he assured. Trade unionists detained Mr. Guterres' statement follows a letter sent to President Alexander Lukashenko by International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Guy Ryder earlier in the week, who denounced the detention and arrest of six trade unionists taking part in the wave of peaceful protests that have swept the country in recent weeks, amid opposition claims of a rigged election in early August. The ILO chief urged the President to release and drop charges against those detained, and "ensure full respect" for workers' rights. "No one should be deprived of their freedom or be subject to penal sanctions for the mere fact of organizing or participating in a peaceful strike or protest," he wrote. Independent human rights experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council have also urged the government to end the violent crackdown, declaring that "torture cannot be justified for any reason". "There can be no justice without the State's unequivocal commitment to accountability and redress for violations of human rights", the experts added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Beyond the contrast in policy and plans, the candidates to be Montana's next attorney general offer broadly divergent views on the job description for the position they're running to fill this November. The contest is between Democrat Raph Graybill and Republican Austin Knudsen. For Graybill, the attorney general should be a structural safeguard against power and an advocate who uses the states Constitution to make real changes in Montanans lives. From the failure of the federal government to the cost of prescription drugs, attorneys general can do something about it. ... We have this really progressive, really interesting state Constitution that protects our rights in ways that are the envy of all the other states, Graybill said in a recent interview. Those are all just words on paper unless you go out and pick fights. We have to use the power of the courts to vindicate those rights." Knudsen embraces the position's moniker as the state's "top cop." The focus of the attorney generals office needs to be enforcing the law, Knudsen said in late July. To him, much of that enforcement should be related to the abuse of methamphetamine. Violent crime is up, and its up pretty dramatically in Montana in the last five years. Those involved in law enforcement will all tell you the same thing its a result of illegal drugs. Meth use leads to meth trafficking, sexual assaults, rapes, murders, human trafficking, prostitution," Knudsen said. "Thats whats driving up the violent crime trend in Montana. *** Graybill is Democratic Gov. Steve Bullocks chief legal counsel. Prior to that, he was a lawyer at a firm in Seattle, which came after clerking for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Billings. He went to college at Columbia University, where he was an auxiliary police officer, followed by Yale Law School and the University of Oxford. A fifth-generation Montanan, Graybill grew up in Great Falls. My experience and my background as an attorney is using the power of the law and the protections we are supposed to have to make real changes in peoples lives, Graybill said. I know how to build complicated cases and go to court and win. Knudsen is also a fifth-generation Montanan who grew up on his familys farm and ranch outside Culbertson. He served four terms in the state Legislature, including two as the Speaker of the House. First elected to that post at 33, he's one of the youngest to ever hold it. Before that he worked in private practice, first at a firm in Plentywood and then running his own in Culbertson. After leaving the Legislature, Knudsen was elected to be Roosevelt County Attorney in 2018. He is a graduate of Montana State University and received a law degree from the University of Montana. Ive had my own small business, Ive paid self-employment tax, Knudsen said. Ive represented farmers, ranchers, small business, neighbors, just about any kind of legal issue you that you can think of, Ive probably dealt with outside of a few specialized areas. *** When Knudsen entered the race, he said it was in part because of what he saw as the failings of termed-out Republican Attorney General Tim Fox to do enough to repeal the federal Affordable Care Act. Knudsen has long opposed the law and at the state level voted against Medicaid expansion, which is allowed for under the ACA and passed the state Legislature in 2015. The U.S Supreme Court will hear a case in November, after the election, in which it could strike down the entire ACA. Before the court set its schedule, Knudsen said he didn't expect Montana's next attorney general to have much of a say in that case, predicting it would be argued before January. Graybill said if given the opportunity, he would make Montana's position in the proceedings much more assertive. The cost of the U.S. Supreme Court ending the ACA is too high for Montana, Graybill said, pointing to the 7,500 jobs Medicaid expansion created here and the corresponding $600 million boost to the state economy. That's not to mention the 85,000 Montanans who have gained health insurance. Theres no more stark of an example, Graybill said, between the candidates than on health care. An aggressive attorney general who engages in lawsuits to advocate for Montanans when it comes to issues like prescription drug price fixing is the difference between getting our money back and continuing to get ripped off," Graybill said, pointing to multi-state litigation that Montana could join or lead over the pricing of generic drugs. Graybill would take the same approach to protect Montanas existing campaign finance laws as well as look for cases that tee up a greater discussion at the federal level. There is a coming reckoning in this country that will be fought out through the courts on what is the role of money in politics, Graybill said. Montana can provide real national leadership on the issue of how free speech relates to people conducting free elections. While Knudsen wouldn't focus on engaging the state in litigation on health care or campaign finance, he does see an opportunity to take a leading role in lawsuits related to the U.S. border with Mexico. I think that is such a huge issue with our drug and violent crime problem in Montana, and I think theres a clear nexus for Montana to get involved in that, Knudsen said. Its not hyperbole when I say the drug cartels are truly fueling the violent crime increase in Montana. Another place where Knudsen does see Montana engaging in some sort of federal legal challenge is around the Second Amendment. Any attempt from a federal level to restrict a Montanans ability to keep and bear arms, Im going to take that very seriously, Knudsen said. Ill be one of the first ones to line up and bring suit. Fitting with his view of the office, Knudsen wants to focus less on waging broad, sweeping legal battles and more on what he said he's observed since becoming a county attorney in 2018 a lack of funding and resources for prosecution and law enforcement in communities around the state. I want to work with the Legislature, and I want to get more funding out to county attorneys, Knudsen said. Thats No. 1. That could mean adding deputy county attorneys to keep up with increased prosecution or helping sheriffs afford a drug dog, what Knudsen said is one of the single best tools for drug interdiction. Knudsen envisions a decentralized Department of Justice, moving away from what he calls a hulking bureaucracy thats not well-equipped to be a good partner with local communities. Even before the novel coronavirus pandemic created what is expected to be an exceptionally challenging budget for the 2021 Legislature to manage, Knudsen said he had been discussing reductions to an agency he said has become bloated. Weve had some of the conversations around House Bill 2 (the state budget) and reducing the size of the DOJ where we can do that, where we can shift some money to local law enforcement, but candidly its hard to have those specific conversations when we dont know what the makeup of the Legislatures going to be, Knudsen said. Im concerned about how big the DOJ has gotten in the last eight years. There should be some reduction there. Knudsen also raised concerns about some of the restrictions in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus. I think there are a lot of county and local health boards that are dancing dang close to the unconstitutional precipice with some of this stuff, Knudsen said. Ive seen and heard of local health officials trying to mandate people, telling them they have to quarantine, and in my opinion we dont have that authority. Certainly an un-elected public health official does not have that authority. The powers of local health boards in Montana Code Annotated include appointing health officers and ameliorating public health conditions through measures such as testing, isolation and quarantine (MCA 50-2-116). While directives from local governments or the governor have enforceable remedies, Knudsen said those same measures are not available directly to the health department. Rather, health officials should go through law enforcement and due process should apply, he said. Weve got some local health officials that dont understand the legalities. I think their heart is in the right place and theyre probably doing what they think is the right thing to protect the public, but theres a delicate balance there between protecting public safety and ensuring peoples civil liberties are not being infringed, Knudsen said. This is one we have to keep a very close eye on during this pandemic. Graybill, who has drafted many of the governor's directives, pushed back on Knudsen's read of the law. Its disappointing to see some county attorneys, including Austin Knudsen, repeating legal theories that belong on Facebook and not in our courts, Graybill said. It puts everyone at risk. *** Following the fatal shootings of Black men and women by law enforcement officers, this summer has been one of demands for a re-evaluation of the role law enforcement plays in communities across the country, including Montana. That has also spurred counter movements, also in Montana. While not under the purview of the state attorney general, the level of funding for local law enforcement has become a part of the attorney general race. When were talking about some of the major municipalities in the state wanting to get rid of school resource officers and divert funding away from law enforcement and toward more social programs or counseling, frankly thats just pie-in-the-sky idealism, Knudsen said. Thats not grounded in reality. Having worked closely with law enforcement in his time as county attorney, Knudsen said hes stunned and saddened to see Montana communities debating shifting funding from law enforcement and to other programs. This is driven by blind idealism and driven by people who dont know what theyre talking about. Theyre getting caught up in a movement that has nothing to do with Montana. This is not a Montana issue and to attempt to bring this into the state of Montana in an attempt to score political points or try to move the political needle one way or the other by an uninformed city council, I just think this is incredibly dangerous. Graybill said while Republicans have tried to cast Democrats as universal backers of shifting funds away from policing, he does not fall into that category. I do not support defund the police, Graybill said, pointing to his time as an auxiliary officer. I am ready to have a serious conversation about mental health in Montana. Im ready to have a serious conversation about addiction and substance abuse and how we can relieve first responders of the burdens they face now and how we can be smart about law enforcement. "Of course you have to be tough on traffickers, of course you have to be tough on violent crime. But to say you must be for abolishing the police or locking everybody up in sight, we are better than that. We are smarter than that. We have more experience than that. And thats fundamentally the wrong way to approach those kinds of questions in the AG job. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 5 Sad 1 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Police in Rivers have confirmed the arrest of one Honest Diigbara, allegedly described as the most wanted kidnapper, armed robber and contract killer in the state. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Joseph Mukan, said in a statement in Port Harcourt, that Mr Diigbara was arrested during a sting operation launched by the command on Saturday. The notorious gang leader, Honest Diigbara aka Boboski, who had been on the Police watch list was declared wanted and the state government placed N30 million bounty on him. The gang leader was arrested at the early hours of Saturday in a sting operation of the command with the assistance of a local security outfit, he said. Mr Mukan said the suspect was arrested from his hideout in Korokoro community, Tai Local Government Area of the state, through the help of credible informants. He said the suspect and his gang, on sighting police operatives advancing towards their hideout, began shooting, resulting in exchange of gunfire with the police. The CP said the superior firearms and proficiency of police operatives overpowered the gang of criminals, leading to the arrest of Diigbara and his driver. Among the alleged crimes committed by Diigbara and his gang include the kidnap of Barrister Emelogu, who was kidnapped and killed after they collected ransom. ALSO READ: They also allegedly kidnapped and killed the Deputy Crime Officer of Afam (Police Station) SP Moses Egbede after collecting ransom. Diiagbara also allegedly masterminded the killing of a soldier and personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) at Gio pipeline, Ogoni in 2019. Also, they kidnapped Chief Mbu of Ogu/Bolo and collected N7 million as ransom and they killed two police officers attached to the Federal Highway and collected their rifles at Botem, he said. Mukan urged the people to trust the police to protect them and their property, warning criminals to relocate from the state or be ready to face the wrath of the law. (NAN) Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Likely New Mexico voters are split on whether they feel its safe to send K-12 students back into the classroom, a Journal Poll found. People are divided on this topic and they are divided particularly by party, ideology and region of the state, said Brian Sanderoff, president of Research & Polling Inc., which conducted the poll. Poll results showed 43% felt its either very or somewhat safe to send students back to school in their community after Labor Day. Fifty percent felt it was either very or somewhat unsafe. The remainder said it depends or they were undecided. Sanderoff noted that political party affiliation is a big predictor of how people feel about returning to school. We even see a politicization on the issue of perceived safety for students returning to school, Sanderoff said. According to the state Public Education Department, 20 districts statewide and a handful of charter schools brought elementary-school students back for a mix of in-person and remote learning this month. Rio Rancho Public Schools will begin the hybrid learning on Monday for younger students. Albuquerque Public Schools is slated to stay in remote learning through the first semester. Party lines Respondents were asked, How safe do you feel it would be to send K-12 students back to school in your community after Labor Day? Do you feel it would be very safe, somewhat safe, somewhat unsafe or very unsafe? Sanderoff said there is a tremendous difference in opinions between Democrats and Republicans with Democrats more likely to feel unsafe about sending students back. The data showed among Democrats polled 22% feel its safe and 72% felt unsafe, which is the inverse of how Republicans responded. Among Republicans polled, 22% felt unsafe and 69% felt it was safe. Weve seen a debate going on for a number of months between Democrats and Republicans about when to reopen the state and the nation, Sanderoff said. Political ideology drew similar correlations. Conservative and liberal responses correlate to an extent with those of Republicans and Democrats, respectively. But not entirely. For instance, among liberals only 1% felt it was very safe to go back to class with 15% feeling it was somewhat safe. Sanderoff also told the Journal that who people support in the presidential race can also be a predictor of how safe voters are feeling about going back to school. Among likely voters supporting Joe Biden in the election, 22% feel its very or somewhat safe to return and 72% feel its somewhat or very unsafe. But among supporters of President Donald Trump, 74% feel its safe compared to 18% who feel its unsafe. Regional differences In the Albuquerque Metro area, 36% of those polled said they felt varying degrees of safe about school reentry compared to 57% feeling unsafe. In north central New Mexico, 28% of likely voters felt it was safe and the majority felt unsafe. Likely voters in the east side of the state, meanwhile, are much more likely to feel that its safe for the students to return, Sanderoff noted. Seventy-one percent of the likely voters in eastern New Mexico who responded feel its safe to go back. Eastern New Mexico includes Eddy, Lea and Chaves counties. Sanderoff noted there has been pushback in this area of the state on the governors restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic and overall its more conservative. Sanderoff said the poll is a snapshot, and a question of this nature has a shorter shelf life than others given factors such as the fluctuation in coronavirus cases. 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. 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. Jebz Ceylon Tea: New taste View(s): One of the leading advertising agencies in Sri Lanka, Jebz Advertising, with over 25 years experience, diversified to the tea sector by launching Jebz Ceylon Tea on Saturday the 5th September. Founding Chairman Jebz Advertising, Jebsingh Joseph, said that they are launching Jebz Ceylon Tea mainly to create a void for quality authentic black tea in Sri Lanka and the world as well. A former planter for over 15 years, Jebz said that they will commence their global campaign through their Global Representatives in China and Switzerland, who will supply it to leading supermarkets and sales outlets. He said that the product is already available in 300, 450 gram and 1 KG packs in eco-friendly, an eye-catching hand-packed Jute bag. This new jute bag package gives a novel brand identity to our product. Jebz Ceylon Tea, comes from the high grown and carefully selected speciality tea from the best of Nuwara Eliya region tea estates, to bring the finest quality tea he added. Whilst tea is safeguarded in the best of foil to retain, aroma, flavour, and strength, the foil, in turn, is packed in a handcrafted sack which too is wax-sealed to perfection. He said that globally there is also a renewed interest for Black tea since Tea is considered as a good antidote to fight against the COVID pandemic and hence this launch is timely. Joseph also said that with digital marketing being the new trend and with their experience in marketing and dealing with internet channels, Jebz Ceylon Tea could be marketed easily helping Sri Lanka also to gain additional export revenue in time to come. Generations, just as habits, have either changed or evolved. New practices come up to capture the interest of mankind. Traditional tea has enthralled tea drinkers over generations. Yet, one habit that keeps going from generation to generation is their perennial love for traditional tea. It is for this market, we are launching Jebz Ceylon Tea. Renowned personalities of Sri Lanka tea industry; The Deputy Tea Commissioner KasunMadhushaka, esteemed Tea Taster of Liptons Uni-Lever fame and Senior Tea Procurement Manager of St. Clair Teas Shamal De Silva, Senior Vice President of Asia Siyaka Dhammika Wedande and well known real-estate developer Wasantha Jaayasooriya along with several media personalities participated at the Jebz Ceylon Tea launching ceremony In a bid to create more awareness for Jebz Ceylon Tea, www.jebztea.com was also launched last week. She's a successful model used to showing off her sense of style. And Hana Cross, 23, looked effortlessly cool as she stepped out for a night at celeb hotspot Chiltern Firehouse in London on Friday night. The former flame of Brooklyn Beckham flashed her toned abs in a tiny green cardigan as she headed into the swanky eatery. Glowing: Brooklyn Beckham's ex Hana Cross flashed her toned abs in a green cropped cardigan on a night out on Friday She teamed the scanty knitwear with a pair of high rise black jeans and white Converse for the night out. The brunette beauty accessorised with a black over-the-shoulder bag and delicate selection of necklaces. Hana wore her dark tresses in loose waves round her shoulders and opted for natural makeup to show off her pretty features. Radiant: The brunette beauty accessorised with a black over-the-shoulder bag and delicate selection of necklaces Abs: She teamed the scanty knitwear with a pair of high rise black jeans and white Converse for the night out Stepping out: Hana wore her dark tresses in loose waves round her shoulders and opted for natural makeup to show off her pretty features Brooklyn, 21, and Hana called it quits last year after eight months of dating in the wake of a string of explosive public rows. Back in September, reports surfaced Victoria and David were relieved when the couple split. A source told The Sun at the time: 'Brooklyn and Hana have called off their romance for good. David and Victoria very glad and relieved and are backing him 100 per cent.' Exes: Brooklyn, 21, and Hana called it quits last year after eight months of dating in the wake of a string of explosive public rows Style: The former flame of Brooklyn Beckham flashed her toned abs in a tiny green cardigan as she headed into the swanky eatery Chic: Hana showed off an impressive tan in the cropped cardigan which revealed her toned stomach Hana has since moved on from her turbulent romance with Brooklyn and is dating Nasser Alfallah, who is a Loyola Marymount University student in Los Angeles and is originally from Kuwait. And according to The Sun, the influencer is said to have started recording her debut album with savage lyrics believed to be about her ex - who got engaged to American actress Nicole Peltz, 25, last month - and their failed romance. The website reports that in the track, Hana sings: 'I wish that someone told me you had a habit for dishonesty . . . though you break my heart, I want to stay.' Precautions: The star carried a face mask with her as she headed out on Friday night Night out: Hana looked in high spirits as she headed out to the restaurant which is a favourite for celebs Moving on: Hana has since moved on from her turbulent romance with Brooklyn and is dating Nasser Alfallah New venture: The night out comes as the influencer is said to have started recording her debut album with savage lyrics believed to be about her ex A source added to the publication: 'She is still raw from her split with Brooklyn and it pains her to see him so happy. 'Her record has a few heartbreak songs and she isn't afraid of expressing how she feels.' They added that it is best that Brooklyn 'steers clear' of the record when it comes out. MailOnline contacted both Brooklyn's and Hana's representatives for comment at the time. A new study found that public confidence in the importance, safety, and effectiveness of vaccines fell in Asia and Africa but increased in Europe. According to the study published in The Lancet, a significant increase in respondents strongly disagreeing that vaccines are safe was recorded in Asia, while confidence among the public regarding vaccines improved in some European Union states. Read: Study Shows 44% People In Greece Are Against Coronavirus Vaccine Due to less education, etc The study conducted between November 2015 and December 2019 found that confidence about vaccines in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea fell, while Finland, France, Ireland, and Italy recorded improvement. The countries showing less confidence towards vaccines are due to fewer years of education, religious extremism, and political instability, said authors of the study. Read: Gujarat Medical School To Carry Out Autopsies Of COVID-19 Victims To Study Effects On Body The study said that Japan ranked among the countries with the lowest vaccine confidence in the world, which the authors think might be linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine safety scare that started in 2013, and following the decision by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in June 2013, to suspend proactive recommendation of the HPV vaccine. Indonesia witnessed a large drop in confidence between 2015 and 2019, partly triggered by Muslim leaders questioning the safety of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, the study claimed. Muslim leaders in the country had issued fatwas, a religious ruling, claiming that the vaccine was 'haram'. Read: Coronavirus Tests Could Be Picking Up Dead Virus, Study Shows Major Reason For Rising Case In South Korea and Malaysia, online misinformation regarding vaccines was cited as the reason behind mistrust among the general public. "The determinants of vaccine uptake across the globe show strong consistency, with being male or having fewer years of education associated with decreased chances of uptake," the study said. Between 2015 and 2019, reported vaccine confidence levels were collected from 2,84,381 individuals aged 18 years or older across 149 countries as part of 290 nationally representative surveys. Read: Antibodies Against Coronavirus Stay In Body For At Least 60 Days: Study National Opening Keynote September 15, 4:30 p.m. ET Al Sharpton Rise Up (Hanover Square, Sept.) Sharpton will be interviewed by Ramunda Young, co-owner of MahoganyBooks in Washington, D.C. Open only to booksellers. New Voices New Rooms (SIBA and NAIBA) September 2125 SIBA and NAIBAs first joint fall show promises to be very full. with four tracks of programmingeducation, author events, publishers, and networking. The show kicks off on Monday morning with a childrens breakfast with author Tami Charles and illustrator Bryan Collier talking about their latest book, All Because You Matter (Orchard), and closes on Friday afternoon with a social-distancing-friendly drinks gathering titled Meet Me in the Bar! In addition to preserving regional favorites like NAIBAs owners, childrens booksellers, store managers, and events managers retreats, New Voices will include sessions on press kits and hosting virtual events as part of NAIBAs newly introduced Professional Booksellers Certification program. Attendees at these sessions will receive credit toward their certificate. Its going to be really wonderful for booksellers to see what booksellers outside their region are doing well, so they can share resources, says SIBA head Linda-Marie Barrett. And if theres any way we can add intimacy, connection, and community into a virtual event, were going to make that happen. Those connections can be made at roundtables, coordinated via breakout rooms, on timely topics such as media training, subscription services, gift bundling, and additional sources of income. Other educational sessions designed to generate conversation include ones on emergency planning, employee handbooks, and preorder campaigns. Several sessions in particular speak to whats on many booksellers minds: inventory management, Q4 strategies during the pandemic and beyond, and making bookstores and workplaces welcoming to all. For Zoom events, NAIBA executive director Eileen Dengler has found that four authors are the optimum number, even though her in-person shows frequently bring together many more. Author events this year will also be organized around themes, including ones on spring titles that may have gotten lost in the Covid shuffle, and on stories of the immigrant experience with Ayad Akhtar (Homeland Elegies, Little, Brown), Maria Hinojosa (Once I Was You, S&S), and Gabriela Garcia (Of Women and Salt, Flatiron). The History and Herstory event features Beth Kephart (Wife/Daughter/Self, Forest Avenue) and Kimberly Jones (How We Can Win, Holt), and the Look Whos in Town lineup includes Jenny Lawson (Broken (in the Best Possible Way), Holt), Helen Macdonald (Vesper Flights, Grove), and Naomi Klein (How to Change Everything, S&S). There are plenty of children-focused events set. New Voices is packed with childrens author and illustrator programming, including a story time with Matt Phelan (Turtle Walk, Greenwillow), Micol Ostow (Sullivan, Who Is Always Too Loud!, with Brian Biggs, Roaring Brook), Yesenia Moises (Stellas Stellar Hair, Imprint), and Susan Verde (I Am One, with Peter H. Reynolds, Abrams). Theres even a GraphixCon with Shannon Wright (the first book in the Twins series, with Varian Johnson), Maria Scrivan (the Nat Enough series), Gale Galligan (Ann M. Martins The Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels), and Chris Grine (the first books in the Animorphs graphic novel series). And for those looking for chilling bedtime stories, Amy Blackthorn (Blackthorns Botanical Brews, Weiser) will appear with Darcy Coates (Silence in the Shadows, Poisoned Pen) and Lorien Lawrence (The Stitchers, Abrams) in Scary, Scary Night. NEIBA Fall Conference September 2125 The Black Lives Matter movement resonated with booksellers throughout New Englandand especially with NEIBA executive director Beth Ineson, who has put together an especially diverse slate of authors. Among the highlights are an opening keynote with Angie Thomas (Concrete Rose, Balzer + Bray); an event with playwright Quiara Alegria Hudes (My Broken Language: A Memoir, One World) in conversation with her editor, Chris Jackson; and an author breakfast that includes speculative fiction writer Rebecca Roanhorse (Black Sun, Saga), Pulitzer Prizewinning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Committed, Grove), Kaitlyn Greenidge (Libertie, Algonquin), and Ruth Ware (One by One, Scout). Chris Gardner (Permission to Dream, Amistad) will give the closing keynote. The show will also feature the NEIBA Reading Challenge, a region-wide effort to get booksellers and their customers to expand the literary canon, to be led by initiative founder Audrey Huang of Belmont Books in Belmont, Mass. For this years virtual show, Ineson is changing up the author reception, a NEIBA favorite. I have long heard that it would be great to make it more dynamic and to have more of a spotlight on the authors, she says. Now we can do that on Zoom. The author can make their elevator pitch to all the attendees, instead of just the booksellers who walk up to their table. NEIBA will aggregate galley requests, which will make it more efficient for publishers, and will remove long waiting lines for booksellers seeking signed galleys. Among the featured childrens authors are Vincent Chen (Hot Pot Night!, Charlesbridge), Darcie Little Badger (Elatsoe, Levine Querido), and Jennifer De Leon (Dont Ask Me Where Im From, Atheneum/Dlouhy). Adult authors will include Randall Horton ({#289128}, Univ. of Kentucky), Claire Messud (Kants Little Prussian Head and Other Reasons Why I Write, Norton), and Eman Quotah (Bride of the Sea, Tin House). At a time when so many aspects of the book business have moved online, including this years fall show, there will be several sessions designed to help booksellers get the most out of being online. They will focus on virtual handselling, how to have profitable Zoom events, and making use of online opportunities for branding. Other educational programming addresses challenges of the pandemic, such as navigating Q4 and buying for the new normal, as well as sessions on sidelines and on alternative revenue sources, such as subscription boxes, book bundles, and partnerships. Difficult times can also lead to stressed employees and managers. Managing Employees in Troubled Times is geared toward improving employee-manager communication from both sides, as well as creating supportive and productive environments for booksellers. PNBA Trade Show September 29October 2 The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association trade show schedule feels a lot like past in-person shows, with an opening night dinner and the associations traditional Dinner at the Kids Table. We wanted it to look familiar, says executive director and marketing director Brian Juenemann. But PNBA deliberately chose to have fewer programs than other shows, and reduced its author session slots from 14 down to eight. It also has fewer than half the number of educational sessions than it has scheduled in previous years. In part, Juenemann says, thats because PNBA wanted to avoid splitting the audience with concurrent programming. He adds, We also wanted to schedule in time for attendees to take a break and get up and do what they need to do. We know everybodys not going to want to sit for hours. Every day PNBA closes early, by 8 p.m. at the latest. Much of the educational programming is geared to helping booksellers now, including sessions on handselling virtually, building an online presence, and selling online. Theres also a session on preparing for disasters beside a pandemic, as well as one on bookselling activism. Once again PNBA will have a strong lineup of childrens authors, beginning with Tuesdays Authors on the Map Lunch, which includes Christine Day (The Sea in Winter, Heartdrum), Kiku Hughes (Displacement, First Second), Kim Johnson (This Is My America, Random House), and Aiden Thomas (Cemetery Boys, Swoon Reads). Garth Stein (The Cloven #1, Fantagraphics, drawn by Matthew Southworth), Rosanne Parry (A Whale of the Wild, Greenwillow), and Martha Brockenbrough (This Old Dog, Levine Querido, illus. by Gabriel Alborozo) will be among the authors at that evenings PNBA Family Dinner. Wednesday nights dinner with childrens authors brings together Jonathan Auxier (Willa the Wisp: The Fabled Stables Book #1, Amulet), Tracy Deonn (Legendborn, S&S/McElderry), Jordan Scott (I Talk Like a River, Holiday House/Porter, illus. by Sydney Smith), and Renee Watson (Love Is a Revolution, Bloomsbury). An equally strong list of adult authors will also appear at the show. Among them are:Annabeth Albert (High Heat, Carina), Sarah McCraw Crow (The Wrong Kind of Woman, MIRA), TJ Klune (Under the Whispering Door, Tor), Helen Macdonald (Vesper Flights, Grove), and Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Committed, Grove). CALIBA Virtual Discovery Lab October 57 Were trying to do everything in 45-minute increments with 15 minutes in between, even the buzz lunch, which we always used to do in an hour-and-half or two hours, says Calvin Crosby, head of the California Independent Booksellers Alliance. Even if you can only squeeze in one thing because an author is important to you, its okay. Crosby is also eliminating any talk of meals for session names. Its a Zoom thing, he says, not a breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Crosby is excited to be able to hold CALIBAs fall show online during the pandemic. Its keeping us in conversation with one another, he says. And even when you watch Zoom and participate in Zoom, youre still part of the community. You still get to see friends. Among the highlights is an opening keynote with Mychal Denzel Smith (Stakes Is High: Life After the American Dream, Bold Type) and and a panel of California authors, including Cory Doctorow (Attack Surface, Tor), Caribbean Fragoza (Eat the Mouth That Feeds You, City Lights), Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Committed, Grove), and Katherine Seligman (At the Edge of the Haight, Algonquin). Nikki Grimes (Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance, Bloomsbury) will give the childrens keynote. Among the authors participating in Childrens Author Speed Dating are Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott (All This Time, S&S), Tanita S. Davis (Serena Says, HarperCollins/Tegen), Cynthia Kadohata (Saucy, Atheneum/Dlouhy), and Shannon Takaoka (Everything I Thought I Knew, Candlewick). Skylight bookseller Agnes Borinsky (Sasha Masha, FSG) as well as Bill Konigsberg (The Bridge, Scholastic Press) in conversation with his editor, David Levithan (The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S. (as Told to His Brother), Knopf) are among other featured kids authors. MPIBA FallCon October 810 In envisioning this years FallCon, Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association executive director Heather Duncan says, Were basically doing our [in-person] show, but with no banquet. She advises booksellers to look for plenty of keynotes. Speed dating with authors is back in a virtual format. And there is no skimping on tables full of speakers online. Ten editors have signed on for Fridays Editors Buzz Lunch Break. The YA lunch break is also very full, with a slate of nine writers, including Darcie Little Badger (Elatsoe, Levine Querido), Shannon Hale (Kind of a Big Deal, Roaring Brook), Lilliam Rivera (Never Look Back, Bloomsbury), Courtney Summers (The Project, Wednesday), and Jenna Evans Welch (Love & Olives, S&S). One tweak includes exchanging the opening reception with the Feast of Fiction, which features six keynote authors and a round of culinary questions. Writers include Mateo Askaripour (Black Buck, HMH), Jane Skeslien Charles (The Paris Library, Atria), Te-Ping Chen (Land of Big Numbers, Mariner), Brandon Hobson (The Removed, Ecco), Laird Hunt (Zorrie, Bloomsbury), and Katherine Seligman (At the Edge of the Haight, Algonquin). The show opens with its traditional Thursday-morning keynote. Among the childrens authors and illustrators who will appear are Sophie Blackall (If You Come to Earth, Chronicle), David Levithan (The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S., Knopf), and Daniel Nayeri (Everything Sad Is Untrue, Levine Querido). A Saturday morning spotlight hosted by Jenny Lawson (Broken (in the Best Possible Way) (Holt), owner of Nowhere Books in San Antonio, Tex., focused on women writers includes Kristin Valdez Quade (The Five Wounds, Norton), Bridget Quinn (She Votes, Chronicle), and Lisa Unger (Confessions of the 7:45, Park Row). Many of the educational sessions are specifically designed to foster conversations among booksellers about topics of concern, ranging from holiday marketing to handselling virtually and buying. In addition, there are practical sessions on IndieCommerce and selling kids graphic novels. The latter includes the creators of three books: Nathan Hale (Blades of Freedom, Amulet), Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright (the Twins series, Graphix), and Charise Mericle Harper (So Embarrassing, Workman). Heartland Summer Finale (MIBA and GLIBA) October 8 and 15 On October 8, the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association and the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association will hold their first joint book club. The following week, the two organizations will celebrate the winners of their first joint Heartland Booksellers Award. National Closing Keynote October 14, 7 p.m. ET Allie Brosh Solutions and Other Problems (Gallery) Brosh will be in conversation with Jenny Lawson, author of Broken (in the Best Possible Way) (Holt) and owner of Nowhere Bookshop in San Antonio, Tex. Open only to booksellers. Return to the main feature. First time since 1948 that Alitalia will not serve Malpensa airport. Italy's national airline Alitalia will no longer fly to or from Milan Malpensa airport from 1 October, according to Italian news agency ANSA. The only Malpensa flights still operated by the Italian flag carrier, serving Rome Fiumicino, will be terminated after 30 September and, as far as is known at the moment, will not even be rerouted to Milan Linate. The news has yet to be confirmed officially by the company, according to Italian newspaper Il Giornale, which reports that Alitalia did not reinstate the Malpensa long-haul flights to New York and Tokyo suspended due to the covid-19 crisis. It would be the first time since the inauguration of the airport in 1948 that the national airline would not operate flights from Malpensa, reports ANSA. On 9 March, coinciding with Italy's coronavirus lockdown, Alitalia suspended all national and international flights to and from Malpensa, before reopening in a limited capacity in April. Milan Linate reopened on 13 July, following a closure of four months due to the covid-19 crisis, while Bergamo - Orio al Serio airport reopened to passengers on 18 May. Photo credit: Soos Jozsef / Shutterstock.com. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 12 By Elchin Mehdiyev Trend: Tthe Armenians, as it is known, regularly raise the question at UNESCO in connection with the destruction of Armenian khachkars in Azerbaijans Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Azerbaijani MP Jeyhun Mammadov told Trend. These days they are trying to raise this issue again, Mammadov added. These claims are absurd and groundless. The Armenians themselves demonstrate blatant disregard towards the Azerbaijani monuments. The Armenians destroyed all our religious monuments, temples and mosques, as well as our cemeteries on the territories of Iravan, Zangezur and Karabakh provinces, the MP said. The destruction of our historical monuments, temples, mosques, cemeteries is an integral part of Armenia's vandalism policy, the MP added. Hundreds of our significant monuments located on these lands were destroyed. All this proves once again that inhumanity and vandalism are a priority in Armenias policy. We regularly witness that Armenia changes the names of historical monuments belonging to Azerbaijan, destroys historical house-museums of famous representatives of the Azerbaijani intelligentsia, Azerbaijani poets and writers, our museums and also commits other similar atrocities, Mammadov said. From time to time, some Armenian citizens, human rights defenders, as well as activists distribute video footages, photographs and information about these actions, the MP said. If we create a commission and inspect what has been done with our historical monuments on Armenia's territory, we will see that a lot more has been destroyed or looted or disrespected to the point that we can't imagine." Mammadov repeated that the information about the destruction of Armenian khachkars is groundless. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, the State Committee on Work with Diaspora, as well as the Azerbaijanis living abroad must work consistently, and by exposing Armenian lies, show the world that such acts of vandalism and atrocities are committed by Armenians. "There is an Armenian church in the center of the capital of Azerbaijan Baku, the MP said. The church and about 5,000 books and manuscripts there are protected by the state. He went on to add that not just Azerbaijani but also ancient Caucasus Albanian monuments were destroyed. "They destroyed what they could, the rest was either moved to other territories or misappropriated," he said. The indifference of the world community, encourages Armenians to continue such actions and commit new crimes, and they continue to do so, the MP said. Of course, this is unacceptable and completely contradicts the international law, The Hague conventions and other international conventions." BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 12 By Ilhama Isabalayeva - Trend: After the explosion in Beirut on August 4, the Armenian government, continuing its aggressive policy and violating the international law, is resettling the Lebanese Armenians to the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, which has been under Armenias occupation for more than 30 years, Member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Shamil Ayrim told Trend on Sept. 12. After coming to power, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan started a very dangerous game, Ayrim, who is also the head of the Turkey-Azerbaijan inter-parliamentary friendship group, added. Firstly, Pashinyan settles Karabakh and the territories of seven adjacent districts with Armenians from such countries as Lebanon. Secondly, he uses them as mercenaries, and thirdly, cooperates with such terrorist organizations as Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). " The member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly stressed that Armenia is trying to increase the population through ethnic Armenians, resettling them from abroad. The goal is to consolidate the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh region and Armenia's occupation policy, Ayrim said. If the Armenian authorities thought about people, they would join such projects as Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars. I do not think that anyone will stop those who are resettling after the recent explosion in Lebanon because there are big problems in Lebanon, just as in Syria, member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly said. International organizations must take action. The UN must urgently stop the resettlement of the Lebanese Armenians to the occupied Azerbaijani territories, force Armenia to comply with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council." 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. Did you know you can save your preferences across all your digital devices and platforms simply by creating a profile? Would you like to get started? Yes, I'd like to register/log in Not right now No, never ask again LOUISVILLE In more than 15 separate public appearances since the protests over George Floyd's death began, President Donald Trump has touted the success of his administration's Opportunity Zones program, claiming it has created "tens of thousands of jobs" in poor Black communities across the U.S. But those who track the tax-break program say such claims are impossible to prove, and that the bulk of the investments to date have gone to real estate deals that do not produce long-term jobs. A recent White House report on the program estimates $75 billion has been raised nationwide for Opportunity Zone investments but the White House has been unable to provide a breakdown of where and who has made those investments. Jim Seiffert, a tax lawyer who focuses on venture capital financing in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, a city with 19 Opportunity Zones, says that so far the zones in his city have not brought new investors to the table, or pulled them over the finish line. "I'm seeing nothing," said Seiffert. The downtown city skyline on June 7, 2016, in Louisville, Ky. (David Goldman / AP file) Experts also say that so far there are mixed results for another intended effect of the program increasing the value of property in low-income neighborhoods. Home sales data from 2,760 zones compiled by ATTOM Data Solutions and analyzed by NBC News showed that value in 900 of those zones declined. A little more than half of the 2,760 either had falling values or values at or below the national median increase in values. The program, created in the tax bill of 2017, rewards investors with generous tax breaks for investing in 8,700 poor neighborhoods nationwide. At least $11.58 billion has been publicly committed to the zones since they were designated in July 2018, according to figures compiled by Michael Novogradac, whose San Francisco-based tax and consulting company has been closely documenting each Opportunity Zone funding development. But instead of requiring investors to report the number of jobs created or affordable housing units developed, Congress and Trump's Treasury Department rejected calls to document and disclose the program's impact or quantify any benefits. Story continues And so far, more than 90 percent of the billions invested has gone to real estate deals, according to figures compiled by Michael Novogradac, whose San Francisco-based tax and consulting company has been closely tracking each Opportunity Zone funding development. "Maybe there's a job at the front desk and in property management," said Brett Theodos, senior fellow and director at the Urban Institute, whose recent report on the program found few new jobs. Real estate means construction jobs in the short term, but he says that creating longer-term employment for local residents requires starting businesses that produce goods and services. Since the launch, estimates of the size of the Opportunity Zone tax break to wealthy investors have grown from $2.2 billion a year to $3.5 billion, according to Congress's bipartisan Joint Committee on Taxation. The White House did not respond on the record for this story but pointed NBC News to Second Chances Farm, an Opportunity Zone business in Wilmington, Delaware, that hired 25 previously incarcerated people. Executive Director Ajit George told NBC News the program was absolutely crucial to the businesss success, saying it gave Second Chances Farm a calling card to meet possible investors. George said his business plans to hire an additional 25 people by the end of 2020. We have been expanding every quarter, which is not what the story is in the rest of the country. We are unusual in that we have worked through the pandemic, and we have created more and more jobs and as we get more Opportunity Zone funding, which we hope to do over the next few months as our story gets told. But George also said criticism of the program is valid. He told NBC News Congress should fix the program to give a special incentive for those who invest in operating businesses as opposed to real estate, because by doing that, you could actually transform lives. Buildings are lovely, apartments are lovely, hotels are lovely, he said, but it doesn't quite have the long-range effect of creating jobs like we are doing. 'The icing is very thin' In Louisville, Kentucky, where racial tensions increased following the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor, there was optimism when the Opportunity Zone program was first launched, says Seiffert. "You can talk to some of the bigger metro areas where there are pockets of money and influence and there are some big deals being done and they are great," said Seiffert. "For the rank and file and a city like Louisville it has done very little and for the state it's very little. I spent a lot of time on it and I have not seen it materialize yet." Even supporters acknowledge that Opportunity Zone are an added incentive. They say they don't lure investors to brand new projects, but are "icing on the cake" for major real estate deals. Seiffert agrees with that description, but adds, "The icing is very thin if you ask me." Image: President Trump Meets In Cabinet Room To Discuss Opportunity Zones (Doug Mills / Pool via Getty Images file) Gil Holland, a Louisville-based businessman who is one of the developers behind a downtown neighborhood called NuLu that is in an Opportunity Zone, says the program has enhanced investment deals for investors who were already going to make an investment rather than lured investors to poor neighborhoods. "They will choose NuLu instead of a neighborhood like [the west end of Louisville] that really needs it." Demetrius Gray, a Black tech entrepreneur whose Louisville business Weathercheck is located in an Opportunity Zone, said he was delighted to receive $250,000 from an Opportunity Zone fund. He says the investment stabilized his company. "It created more runway for us," he told NBC News. But when asked if the program had created new jobs, Gray said the net impact on job growth before and after the investment at his company was zero. "[We had] 11 employees before and 11 after," he said. Supporters of the program point to creative new developments in places like Birmingham, Alabama, and Erie, Pennsylvania, that demonstrate clear benefits for the community. And they say it's too early for anyone to judge the program's success. "What Opportunity Zones have done is it's given communities the time to rebrand themselves to a group of potential investors who would previously not look their way," said Bo Kemp, a consultant and senior director at the Faegre Drinker law firm in Chicago who has been involved in recruiting investors for major Opportunity Zone projects like a large indoor mall in Tampa's University District. But Kemp says he understands why critics believe the program should be required to document how it benefits communities. "I think the reporting requirements are a must and they should have been in the original bill and are not a particularly heavy lift," he said. "I can't imagine reasonable Congressfolks not being able to make that happen." Last fall, the Treasury Department acknowledged in the rulemaking process that "many commenters" asked that investors be held accountable for improving the community in exchange for the generous tax breaks, but the recommendations were ultimately rejected. Other commenters urged appointing a third party to confirm that Opportunity Zone investments were benefiting the community. Treasury rejected this suggestion, saying it would "would present numerous obstacles for potential [Opportunity Zone] investors," according to the Federal Register. Requests for comment from Treasury about impact data were not answered. In January, a Treasury spokesperson said the earliest that any data about the program would surface would be late 2020 or early 2021. Sen. Tim Scott, R.-S.C., one of the original architects of the program, touted the program's success at the recent Republican National Convention. He unsuccessfully pushed for reporting requirements to be included in the original legislation but they were stripped out. Last December he introduced a bill to apply new reporting requirements to measure the impact of the program, but the bill has not moved out of the Senate Finance committee. In a statement to NBC News, Sean Smith, communications director for Scott, cited projects in five states that he said would create jobs. Opportunity zones have created and will continue to create jobs across this nation, and their impact should not be tarnished by negative press and incomplete data, said Smith. The investments in construction we are seeing across the country in these zones are great driving forces for our economy and make it possible for more jobs in various sectors. Meanwhile, San Francisco-based consultant Novogradac says the pandemic has dampened investor interest in Opportunity Zones. "We have definitely heard anecdotally from clients and others, that many OZ developments centered around hospitality or retail/restaurants are stalled, are being re-underwritten or otherwise on hold." This article, China prefers US shutdown of TikTok over forced sale, report says, originally appeared on CNET.com. Chinese officials would rather see the short-form video app TikTok shut down in the US than have parent company ByteDance forced to sell American operations, Reuters reported on Friday. Officials are concerned that selling the US operations because of pressure from the Trump administration could make China and ByteDance appear weak, Reuters said, citing three people with direct knowledge of the matter. A spokesperson for ByteDance said "the (Chinese) government has never suggested to us that we should shut down TikTok in the US or any other market." ByteDance has been in talks with several companies to sell its US operations after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in August that would ban TikTok in the US unless the operations are sold to another company by Sept. 20. The executive order cites national security concerns that the Chinese government could use data gathered from TikTok to "track the locations of federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail and conduct corporate espionage." The official deadline is unclear. After TikTok's US operations were reviewed by a government security body, the president issued a second executive order that sets a Nov. 12 deadline. In press briefings, Trump has also mentioned a Sept. 15 deadline, which he said on Thursday wouldn't be extended. TikTok and ByteDance have challenged the executive order, suing both Trump and US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross over the first order. In the lawsuit, TikTok alleges Trump's order violated the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment because the administration didn't give the company a chance to be heard. The lawsuit also alleges the president acted beyond his legal authority because his administration hasn't proved with evidence that TikTok poses a national security threat. TikTok has said it stores US user data in the US with a backup in Singapore. The company also said it wouldn't turn over data to the Chinese government even if it were asked to do so. Microsoft and Walmart along with other companies have been in talks with ByteDance to acquire TikTok's US operations but a deal hasn't been announced yet. The deal appears to be delayed because China started restricting the export of artificial intelligence technology. ByteDance could still move forward with a deal by selling TikTok's US operations without including its key algorithms. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The Chinese embassy in the US pointed to comments the Chinese foreign ministry's spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, made to reporters about TikTok on Friday. "China opposes the unjustified suppression and targeting of these non-US companies by abusing their state power under the weakest pretext of national security," he said. Your best bet for creating a professional-looking flowchart is to use a flowchart making software. However, it's important to note that there are lots of flowchart makers on the internet today, and almost all of them claim to be the best. For a business owner or a team leader who has never used one before, it can be hard making a choice amid this pool of flowchart makers. But we're here to tell you there is one that stands out from the competition. And it's, by far, the best flowchart maker in the industry. They call it Zen Flowchart. And below are a number of reasons why we feel it's the best flowchart maker around. It is the simplest to operate The first and the most exciting feature that stands Zen flowchart out from the competition is the simplicity of its operation. With just a few taps on the screen, you have your flowchart. Once you create a workspace for the chart you want to make, all you have to do next is to simply click on the workspace (the part of your screen showing the space) to start creating nodes. You don't have to worry about connecting these nodes because that's what the software's smart connectors are for. Your job is just to make a few taps on the screen (workspace), and voila, you have a chart staring at you. Trusted by many top brands If it wasn't the best, why would brands like Apple, Google, Spotify, and ATLASSIAN want to associate with it? The fact that Zen flowchart receives recognition and endorsement from top brands like the ones mentioned above goes to show that there is indeed something special about it. Indeed, not too many flowchart makers in the industry can boast of enjoying such a degree of acceptance from the world's leading brands. If Google and Apple could endorse Zen flowchart for their business operations, I see no reason why you shouldn't. A myriad of ready-to-use flowchart templates Why go through the stress of drawing a new chart when you can pick from Zen flowchart's amazing inventory? In a bid to make flowcharting easy for everyone, Zen flowchart creator has incorporated several professionally-designed flowchart templates with their product. Simply choose the flowchart template that best suits your project, and customize it to suit your needs. Automatic update of published flowcharts Once you create a flowchart with a flowchart maker, the next thing is always to publish the chart so that other parties involved in the operation can also access it. On most flowchart makers, this is a pretty tedious exercise, as you have to navigate through several icons before reaching where you'll publish your chart. With the "publish" feature on the tool, you're just a single click away from sharing your flowchart with every intended user. Perhaps in the future, you decide to edit, format, or update an already shared flowchart, the Zen flowchart software will not only effect this change on the document you've worked on, but it will also update the previously shared documents automatically. A multiplicity of flowcharting options Another good point scored by Zen flowchart is in the aspect of the number of flowcharting options that are made available to users. Generally speaking, any flowchart maker should have a system designed to create a diagrammatical representation of processes using nodes, rectangles, and other relevant shapes. But what happens when the process you're trying to describe cannot be represented using nodes and shapes? You become stuck! Luckily for you, the creator of Zen flowchart saw this one coming. In order to cater to those complex business processes which may not be easily represented using diagrams, the creator of Zen flowchart decided to create a system capable of creating variations of flowcharts, from process flowchart to process maps, process flow diagram to workflow chart, workflow diagram to swimlane flowchart, and everything else in between. Smooth integration with other digital tools When you create a flowchart, it's obviously because you want to show it to your colleagues, employees, or people connected with a given business operation. Now, what happens when these people are thousands of leagues away from you? Simply find a way of sharing the chart with them. Luckily for you, Zen flowchart has a smooth integration system that allows users to insert charts directly into Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and many more, from which point they can forward them to anywhere they want. Chennai: Targeted by pro-Jallikattu groups for her association with animal rights group PETA which opposes the bull taming sport, actress Trisha said on Saturday she has never spoken against Jallikattu. Some Jallikattu supporters briefly picketed the site of the shooting of Tamil film "Garjanai", starring Trisha, in Sivaganga district on Friday though the actress was not present there at that time. Top film stars Kamal Haasan and Simbu today came out in support of leading actress Trisha who found herself in the eye of a storm for her association withPETA which is opposing bull-taming sport Jallikattu. "Pls stop hurting Ms Trisha," Haasan, who supports Jallikattu, tweeted. "Let the differences between us (Jallikattu supporters) and her (Trisha) become known," he said, "Let the debate (on Jallikattu) continue.""Way should be made for the well-being of both Trisha and the bull," he said. Abusive text messages accompanied with images of Trisha wearing a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) T-shirt have gone viral on social media. The actress today asked if such an attitude was in line with Tamil culture. Supporters of Jallikattu have, while opposing the ban on the sport, maintained that it is part of their tradition. "Disrespecting a woman and her family is Tamil culture? You should be ashamed to call urself a Tamilian or even speak about Tamil culture," the actress said in another tweet. She thanked Tamil actor Simbu (@iam_str) for standing up for her. Actor Simbu had said Trisha did not know that PETA will oppose Jallikattu. He had said it will be appropriate to talk about her good work in adopting homeless street dogs. Trisha is an animal lover and advocate of animal rights. She had appeared in PETA advertisements supporting adoption of homeless dogs. PETA had been opposing Jallikattu and yesterday wrote to the President and the Prime Minister arguing against any ordinance for holding the bull taming sport in the state as demanded by the state government and others. The group has come under severe attack from Jallikattu supporters who even demanded that PETA be 'banned'. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. NEW LONDON A New London man was taken into custody Saturday morning after he barricaded himself inside a house for seven hours, police said. Police said Daniel Quinones, 38, threatened his own well being and the safety of officers on scene. Police went to Quinones house in connection with a police investigation Friday night of a reported assault with a weapon at a residence near Crescent Street and Riverview Avenue. Upon arrival on the scene, officers located a male victim who sustained laceration and puncture wounds to the areas of his upper front and rear torso, police said in a release. Medical attention was immediately initiated on the victim and he was subsequently transported to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital for further treatment. At 12:21 a.m. on Saturday, the investigation of the incident led officers to 39 Gordon Court to talk with Quinones. Upon officers attempting contact with Quinones, police said, Quinones quickly barricaded himself inside said residence and then threatened his own well being and the safety of officers on scene. The area was immediately secured, a perimeter established, and the surrounding residences evacuated for safety purposes. After an extended period of unsuccessful communication, no resolve, and an escalating situation, New London police contacted the Connecticut State Police and requested the assistance of the CSP Tactical Team on scene, police said. At. 7:34 a.m. Saturday, after several hours on scene and with the assistance of the CSP Tactical Team, Quinones was secured without further incident and transported to L+M Hospital for treatment. Police said the investigation remains active. Anyone who has information and/or video concerning these incidents is encouraged to contact the New London Police Department at 860-447-5269 ext. 0 or anonymous information may be submitted via the New London Tips 411 system by texting NLPDTip plus the information to Tip411 (847411). For more than a decade, Wisconsin has been among the most polarized and evenly divided states in the country, and the fate of its political candidates has hung on turnout. When Democrats in its two major cities Madison and Milwaukee turned out in big numbers, party standard-bearers like Barack Obama and Gov. Tony Evers won statewide elections. But when Democratic turnout in Milwaukee or Madison has been soft, Republicans have prevailed: former Gov. Scott Walker carried the state in three elections between 2010 and 2014, and Trump won in 2016 by fewer than 23,000 votes out of nearly 3 million cast. As advocates rush to parse the often ambiguous language of the federal order, gray areas remain. Read more HARRISBURG On Tuesday, Joseph Fallacaro exchanged anxious emails with his lawyer, trying to understand whether a new federal eviction ban would protect him and his family. If it did, they would be safe from eviction until Jan. 1, 2021. If not, they could be locked out of their home in Bucks County at the end of the week. On Wednesday, there were still no clear answers. The case fell into a legal gray area. I dont know what the court will or wont do, Fallacaros lawyer told him. By Thursday morning, Fallacaro was desperate. If they were evicted, how would his 10-year-old daughter keep up with online learning? How would he and his wife, at high risk because of medical conditions, stay safe from the coronavirus? Where would they go? Finally, at 9:36 a.m., his lawyer clarified by email that the district court would hold off on the eviction after all a last-minute reprieve. The relief is unbelievable, Fallacaro said. His familys experience, bouncing from relief to despair and back again, underscores the confusion and legal wrangling surrounding how the federal order will work. Gov. Tom Wolfs statewide ban on evictions expired Sept. 1, leaving thousands of families across Pennsylvania at risk of losing their homes. But later that day, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a nationwide ban, halting evictions for failure to pay rent through the end of the year. In the week leading up to the expiration of the state moratorium, there was an average of 60 new eviction filings per day. On Sept. 1, the day it expired, there were 1,911 filings statewide, according to an analysis by the CREATE Lab at Carnegie Mellon University and figures compiled by Philadelphia Legal Assistance. The numbers fell sharply after the federal eviction ban was announced, dropping to 328 on Sept. 4. While those numbers include eviction filings for any reason and not just unpaid rent, they hint at the wave that could occur should protections be fully lifted. In Pennsylvania, its up to courts in each county to decide how to interpret the federal order, a spokesperson for the state court system said. As advocates parse the often ambiguous language of the order, gray areas remain. A legal analysis by a national housing advocacy group described one part of the order as hilariously vague, warning it was destined to become an engine of controversy. Fallacaros case unfolded during a three-day window between when the federal order was announced and when it went into effect. The order prevents landlords from taking steps to evict a tenant as of Sept. 4. But Fallacaros lockout notice arrived on Sept. 1, the result of an eviction case filed before the pandemic halted such actions. In March, a Bucks County judge ruled in favor of the Fallacaros' landlord, who was trying to evict them over what she said was almost $9,000 in unpaid rent. Then the coronavirus closed courts and halted evictions. Pennsylvanias various eviction bans issued first by the state Supreme Court, then by Wolf, and extended through the end of August bought the family time. Fallacaro tried to appeal the original eviction case, but didnt file the paperwork in time. Meanwhile, medical bills piled up. His catering business closed because of the pandemic. They fell further behind on rent. In August, his family launched a GoFundMe page, pleading for help. No amount is too small. No share goes without our thanks, they wrote. We dont seem to see any light at the end of this tunnel. As soon as Pennsylvanias eviction ban lifted, the document that Fallacaro had been dreading all summer arrived. It was a court notice, with a warning highlighted in yellow: Lockout may occur at any time after midnight on Sept. 13. The announcement of the CDC order promised relief. Fallacaro and his wife signed the required declarations and sent them to their landlord. But advocates had already flagged cases like this as an area of potential ambiguity, warning that the CDC order might not apply. Think of the eviction process as a ball rolling down a hill, Fallacaros lawyer, Robert Kim, told him in an email. The CDC order stops the landlord from touching the ball, explained Kim, a staff attorney at Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania. But if the ball is already rolling down the hill, the order doesnt say whether the courts have to catch it. It seemed like Fallacaros family might fall through the cracks. Fallacaro struggled to shield his daughter from the threat of looming eviction. As much as I try not to let her see anything, she sees when the constable comes, she sees when Im arguing on the phone, he said. Finally, on Thursday morning, Kim confirmed to Fallacaro that the court would not allow the eviction to move ahead. Fallacaros landlord, Carol McCollough, was frustrated by the news. Its not that Im vengeful at all, she said. The prospect of evicting the family was horrible. But, she said, they have not paid any rent this year and now owe roughly $20,000. Fallacaros lawyer said the parties disagree on how much rent is owed. By January, McCollough said, the debt will likely be $30,000 and she will have to sell the house to cover the loss. Its the only rental property she owns, bought as an investment for her children. No one knows what on earth is going on, and Im left holding the bag with nothing in it, she said. Without money to help tenants pay rent, advocates say, the eviction ban only postpones the problem. In Pennsylvania, there is a $150 million program to help families struggling to make rent, but landlords and tenants agree that it is not working. Through the end of August, the state gave out just $3.8 million. Lawmakers want to make changes, although it could be weeks before that happens. In the meantime, the existing program is running up against a Sept. 30 deadline to allocate all remaining funds. Fallacaro still hopes to work something out with his landlord. I feel a lot better that we wont be homeless come Saturday, he said. McCollough is not convinced. Were just at a stalemate, she said. 100% ESSENTIAL: Spotlight PA relies on funding from foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. If you value this reporting, please give a gift today at spotlightpa.org/donate. Italy's top anti-Mafia prosecutor Nicola Gratteri, 62, is finalising a legal case against 450 members of the 'Ndrangheta crime family. On Friday, the prosecutor, who has spent the past 30 years living under close police protection as he is major target for Mafia crime families, opened his latest court case against the syndicate. The case, which opened in Rome, is the largest anti-mafia prosecution since the Maxiprocesso trial against the Sicilian Cosa Nostra in the mid 1980s. Italy's top anti-mafia prosecutor Nicola Gratteri, pictured, has opened a case against 450 members of the 'Ndrangheta crime family, who are accused of a range of major crimes including kidnapping, drug trafficking, money laundering and extortion Gratteri, pictured centre, has been under constant close police protection for the past 30 years as he is under constant threat from the various mafia crime families Gratteri is hoping to send more than 450 suspected clan members to jail for belonging to a criminal gang that allegedly built its fortunes and sinister reputation on extortion, money laundering, kidnapping, drug trafficking and so-called vendettas. He said: 'It's a war. We are talking about violence, about death,' added the prosecutor, based in the southern Italian town and 'Ndrangheta stronghold of Catanzaro, where he lives with constant death threats. Describing the case as 'historic', Gratteri believed it to be the most important in Italy's battle against mobsters since the 'Maxi' trial, which eventually saw hundreds of Cosa Nostra members convicted. Those hearings however were marred by violence including a mafia hit on its best-known judge and prosecuting magistrate Giovanni Falcone, murdered with his wife and three police officers in 1992. When formalities conclude in Rome and a fortified courthouse in built in Calabria, the hearings are due to move to Italy's southern region where no less than 600 lawyers and 200 civil parties will be present. Hundreds of 'Ndrangheta crime bosses, underbosses and 'soldiers' were arrested in December in one of the biggest police raids against the crime syndicate in years Hundreds of alleged 'Ndrangheta crime bosses, underbosses and 'soldiers' were arrested in December in one of the biggest police raids against the crime syndicate in years. The swoop extended as far as Germany, Bulgaria and Switzerland and netted a former MP and the head of the Calabrian mayors' association among others. Charges range from usury to murder, often aggravated by Italy's Article 416-bis criminal code against taking part in mafia-type associations. For many years perceived to be the poorer cousin to better-known mob groups such as the Cosa Nostra and Napoli's Camorra, the 'Ndrangheta has since surpassed them to become Italy's most powerful crime organisation. With its name stemming from unknown origins, but said to have been derived from Greek meaning to exalt virility and courage, the 'Ndrangheta today is a modern and feared crime gang. It controls part of the international cocaine trafficking network with footholds in New York, Colombia and Brazil, has infiltrated the construction industry, runs European-based funds and even funeral contracts, now boosted by the Covid-19 pandemic. 'The 'Ndrangheta is much feared for its ferocity and its cruelty. Yet at the same time it's very modern - and ready to flood Europe's markets with tonnes of cocaine,' the grizzled prosecutor said. The crime gang has an annual turnover approaching 50bn with contacts across the globe According to Italian justice figures, there are some 20,000 'Ndrangheta members globally, running a business that generates an annual turnover of more than 50 billion euros ($59 billion). The upcoming trial against the 'Ndrangheta appears to have been a severe blow, yet it could not be compared to the Palermo-based Maxi trial which opened in 1986, criminologist Anna Sergi said. 'During the Cosa Nostra Maxi trial they brought down the heads of all the major families, in this operation it is not the case,' according to Sergi, an associate professor at the University of Essex. 'Some major people... will go on trial but I would not go and say that this will have the same significance, should they all be jailed,' Sergi told AFP. Made famous by Hollywood, the mafia first showed up in Sicily about 150 years ago and has since firmly been established through Italy. Italian justice sources claim the 'Ndrangheta has about 20,000 members across the globe Through the years it has diversified, modernised and become highly sophisticated. But at the same time law enforcement hasd also made leaps thanks to international cooperation, sharing digital files and new technology such as thermal cameras, drones and cyber surveillance - and the commitment of prosecutors like Gratteri. However law enforcement has never completely managed to cut down the hydra in a country where complicity can be found 'at all levels of state administration,' Sergi said. 'The mafias are not external bodies to our otherwise well-functioning society, they are the mirror of our functioning,' added Gratteri, quoting the late judge Falcone. 'Italy is unable to admit it, it makes an enemy of it, forgetting that it (the mafia) is part of who we are,' he said. 'In each of us there is a little 'Ndranghetist',' said Gratteri. The Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), through its Natural Resources and Extractives Programme (NAREP), has held a three-day virtual training for journalists in Nigeria to improve reporting of the natural resources sector. The training held from Wednesday to Friday. The project was designed to train and equip selected Nigerian journalists with the tools and resources needed to effectively report on the natural resources sector as a means for sustainable development. The training followed the organisations initial call for applications where PTCIJ received applications from journalists across the country. Of these, 32 journalists were selected from online, print and electronic (television and radio) media across diverse newsrooms in Nigeria. The selected journalists from different newsrooms, including PREMIUM TIMES, underwent the three-day intensive training which introduced them to the natural resources and extractive sector. After the training, NAREP said the trained journalists will be provided with a modest grant to pursue their respective stories which will be published on their media platforms. According to the NAREPs manager, Akintunde Babatunde, The training is an opportunity for journalists to improve the reporting of the sector by submitting story ideas they intend to execute while PTCIJ will support them with small grants, data and other resources to ensure the successful execution of story ideas in the sector. As a follow-up to their training, PTCIJ will prepare a policy brief which will speak to the findings of the respective journalists, as well as provide policy recommendations to drive development within the Natural Resources and Extractives sector, he added. He noted that PTCIJ is deeply committed to driving accountability and development in Nigeria through the vehicle of journalism. We hope to strengthen this commitment through this Natural Resources and Extractives Reporting Project, he said. Speaking on the first day of the training, Dapo Olorunyomi, the Executive Director of PTCIJ said the training is to promote public dialogue on natural resources issues through programmes that inform, empower and inspire better journalism. One of trainees, Yusuf Akinpelu, also described the training as an eyeopener into the underreported extractive industry. He said the training will enable him to join the push for better accountability in the sector. I am so happy to have been trained. From the training on marine to forestry to that of mining, all the sessions were eye-opening. It is time to demand accountability in those sectors, Mr Akinpelu said. The meeting comes amid uncertainty over Kumar's alliance with the Lok Janshakti Party and if the party will fight the Bihar polls with the JD(U)-BJP combine Patna: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday held a crucial meeting with BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda on seat-sharing among the NDA alliance partners for the assembly elections in the state. Nadda, who was accompanied by party colleagues like Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, national general secretary and state in-charge Bhupendra Yadav and state president Sanjay Jaiswal, called on Kumar at his official residence 1, Anney Marg. The JD(U) national president, who was accompanied by key party aide Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan, accorded a warm welcome to Nadda, who hails from Himachal Pradesh but was born and brought up in Patna. At the meeting which lasted for more than half an hour, the leaders of the two parties are understood to have discussed the key issue of seat-sharing among alliance partners in the NDA, which also includes Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). The BJP leadership is also understood to have assured Kumar that it will intervene and iron out the differences that have of late cropped up between the JD(U) and the LJP on account of the belligerent stance adopted by the latters young president Chirag Paswan. The schedule for Assembly elections in the state is likely to be announced shortly. The Election Commission has indicated that it would like to conclude the exercise before end of term of the present house on 29 November. On the previous evening at a press conference here, the BJPs election in-charge for Bihar assembly Devendra Fadnavis had sought to make light of the acrimony between JD(U) and LJP and remarked "nobody is going to leave the NDA, though many may join us". The former Maharashtra chief minister had also attributed the sharp differences that have emerged between the two parties to "diverse ideologies a reason why we all are separate political parties, though united in purpose". Nadda, who arrived in Patna on the previous evening on a two-day tour of Bihar, began his day by offering prayers at the famous Patan Devi temple in the old city, after which the Bihar capital is named. After the meeting with the chief minister, his itinerary included launch of "Atmanirbhar Bihar Abhiyan" at the partys state headquarters followed by a visit to Muzaffarpur district where he will interact with women farmers and litchi cultivators at the village named after the legendary "Kisan Chachi", whose efforts at promoting entrepreneurship among rural women have earned her a Padma award. Nadda is thereafter scheduled to visit Darbhanga, and interact with farmers involved in fisheries and production of makhana (fox nuts), both of which are found in abundance in the Mithila region of north Bihar. Founder of conservative group Patriot Prayer Joey Gibson speaks at a memorial for Portland shooting victim Aaron "Jay" Danielson, at Esther Short Park in Vancouver, Washington, on Sept. 5, 2020. (The Epoch Times) Patriot Prayers Joey Gibson Sues Multnomah County District Attorney in Federal Court Joey Gibson, the leader of the conservative Patriot Prayer group, sued Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt on Friday, alleging unequal treatment under Schmidts recent policy change. Gibson was one of six people charged with inciting a riot on May 1, 2019, after his group and people linked to the far-left Antifa group clashed. Video footage showed him pushing a woman who was with Antifa, police said in an affidavit (pdf). He has pleaded not guilty. Schmidt, who entered office last month, announced shortly thereafter that prosecutors working under him would likely not pursue some charges against people arrested during the ongoing unrest in Portland. The charges cited included riot. Gibsons lawyers are arguing that their client should have his charge dropped in light of the policy change. The lawsuit accuses prosecutors of going after the Patriot Prayer leader and another man, Russell Schultz, for protesting against Antifa and the local governments alleged failure to hold Antifa accountable for criminal conduct. While Defendants willingly allow a group known as Antifa to engage in mass criminal conduct to the detriment of the City of Portland, and intimidate the public and public officials, Defendants continue to prosecute Plaintiffs for violation of the riot statue despite there being no evidence of a violation, the lawsuit states. Additionally, prosecutors have enacted a formal policy of presumptive dismissal of riot charges arising out of protest activity but have selectively refused to apply that formal written policy to Plaintiffs charges, which amounts to selective prosecution, Gibsons lawyers added. A spokesman for the district attorneys office told The Epoch Times via email Saturday that the office does not comment on pending litigation. The case against Gibson remains pending before the court, the spokesman said. Gibson directed supporters to a page on one of his lawyers websites asking for donations for his legal defense. The page says Gibson is in danger of having to face an extraordinarily-hostile Portland jury despite a clear statement that his personal conduct was in complete conformity with the First Amendment, and there was only scant evidence that he authorized, directed or ratified any unlawful or tortious acts. Mike Schmidt, Multnomah County district attorney, speaks to the media at City Hall in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 30, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images) Two men associated with Patriot Prayer have entered pleas and were sentenced. Christopher Ryan Ponte, 38, pleaded no contest to felony riot and was sentenced to 10 days in jail, three years of probation, and banned from protests. Matthew Demetrius Cooper, 24, pleaded guilty to felony riot and was given three years probation and banned from protests. Schmidts new policy has already had far-reaching repercussions. Oregon state troopers withdrew from Portland two days after the announcement, citing the policy change. Troopers returned about two weeks later following the fatal shooting of a Patriot Prayer supporter but were deputized so prosecution of wrongdoers could be handled on a federal level. Law enforcement officials from adjacent counties, urged to send personnel to help Portland police and state troopers deal with the ongoing unrest, declined, also citing Schmidts policy. The only way to make Portland safe again, is to support a policy that holds offenders accountable for their destruction and violence, Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts said in a statement. That will require the DA to charge offenders appropriately and a decision by the Multnomah County Presiding Judge not to allow offenders released on their own recognizance, and instead require bail with conditions. Because of the near-nonstop riots in Portland since May, FBI agents started investigating those responsible last month. Those investigations have led to federal prosecutors charging 10 with civil disorder, a charge that carries up to five years in prison upon conviction. Schmidts office filed charges against 13 for riot-related crimes this week. Some Kayayes and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Tamale have received some assorted food items and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to help keep them safe during the period of COVID-19. They received bags of rice, some quantities of beans, tomato paste, canned mackerel, spaghetti, sugar, salt, cooking oil, gari, mat, liquid soap and sanitizer. The donation, meant for 20 Kayayes and 30 PWDs, was done by Caritas International, Ghana, in partnership with Dicastry for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD), as part of efforts to help mitigate the economic impact the COVID-19 has had on vulnerable groups. The Reverend Father Sebastian Zaato, the Director of Caritas International, Ghana, said the contribution was part of his outfits Comprehensive Emergency Response Interventions on COVID-19 in Ghana, a Project, that seeks to provide support to vulnerable households to help improve on their livelihoods. He said, PWDs and the Kayayes cannot be left out of our interventions because they are part of those that have been highly affected during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic, and most of them find it difficult to even feed their families because of the restrictions placed in the country as a result of the virus. Reverend Father Zaato said, It is, for this reason, we are extending our helping hands to these groups of people to help sustain them for a while and also lessen the economic hardship on them. He said the donation also covered a different set of vulnerable groups in the Northern Region, including displaced women and children. He encouraged them to continue to adhere strictly to the safety protocols issued by health professionals to curb the spread of the virus. Mr Mahame Muhammed Mafus, a beneficiary, expressed gratitude to Caritas International, Ghana for the intervention and said the items would go a long way to help him and his family of four. Madam Hafusatu Abubakari, a beneficiary said: I travelled from Accra to Tamale and I have spent all that I had saved from my kayaye work with my family, and we are left with nothing to depend on so we are grateful to the donors for these items since we will be able to depend on them for a while. 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 New Delhi, Sep 12 : Flight bookings from Darbhanga to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru will start by the end of September, said Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday. Puri also reviewed the groundwork of Darbhanga airport in Bihar. A ministry statement quoted him as saying that flight operations will begin in the first week of November, before the auspicious festival of Chhath Puja. He further said that this a boon for 22 districts of North Bihar. "Civil Aviation Minister reviewed the progress and construction status of the Darbanga airport." He added that arrival and departure halls, check-in facility, conveyor belt etc have already been installed and remaining work will be completed before end of October. Spicejet has already been awarded this route under RCS-UDAN. Besides Darbanga, the Minister reviewed the status of Deoghar airport in Jharkhand. Puri said that the work at the Deogarh airport is at an advanced stage and will be completed on schedule. "Apart from providing aviation connectivity to the Santhal region, the airport in Deoghar which is strategically located to provide connectivity to Patna, Kolkata and Bagdogra will also be able to serve people from Bhagalpur and Jamui districts of Bihar," the statement said. "The Minister has stated that this is one more step under the ambitious UDAN Scheme to provide air connectivity to the interior regions of the country under the motto 'Sab Uden, Sab Juden.'" -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text LANGHORNE, Pa. (AP) No one in the family met Richard J. Wright. They didnt know he existed until what was left of him was found in the garage. Since that day seven years ago, Helen McCarthy Flail has considered Sir Richard as a family member, leaving space for him in the garage, but making sure never to touch his sacred ashes. McCarthy Flails family learned that Richard Joseph Wright died February 1, 1997, six months after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He was 60. He has a wife, named Harriett. He worked as a mail clerk and in catalog sales. His last address was on Woodbourne Road in Middletown, which is now a shopping center. Nine years after his death, his remains sit on a wooden- plank shelf among paint cans, spackle tubs and tile grout. No one dares to throw them away. For me its just sad someone can be there on the earth and have a presence and theyre done and theyre sitting in a garage, McCarthy Flail said. As the number of cremations continue to rise among Americans, so too are the number of people whose ashes are forgotten or abandoned. Remains of the unclaimed dead often end up in coroners offices and funeral homes. But then there are the ashes that, for one reason or another, wind up among the living. Strangers often take on the role of stewards for these remains. One mans ashes were kept in his local bar. Anothers ashes turned up in the trunk of a used car. The remains of a developmentally disabled woman have been sitting in a lawyers office for nearly 20 years. The Cremation Association of North America estimates about 1% of cremated remains go unclaimed annually. With the rising popularity of cremation -- CANA projects the U.S. cremation rate will be 59% in 2023-- those unclaimed remain numbers are only expected to rise. There are likely many reasons why ashes are left behind. But one is quite obvious, said Frank Farley, a Temple University professor and former president of the American Psychological Association. Not all families are one big love affair and perhaps keeping those ashes around would be an ever-present reminder of someone better forgotten. A move might be an opportunity to walk away from some of that negativity, he said. Coroner offices are often the first place people will call when they find abandoned ashes, said Charles Kiessling Jr., president of the Pennsylvania Coroners Association and the longtime coroner for Lycoming County. Many of us have received urns found in various locations, he said. Kiessling recalled only one time he got a call from someone who discovered cremated remains in a house. But, Lycoming doesnt have that many unclaimed dead, he added. About 10 years ago, Montgomery Countys Chief Deputy Coroner Alexander Balacki took a call from a guy who had just bought a used car. When he opened the trunk, he found someones cremated remains. He had no way to get in touch with the seller. What should he do with them? The answer is, whatever you want, Balacki said. Last call Clarkson Sparky Gromis spent 20 years in his favorite bar after his death. At least, that is the story Balacki was told. Gromis, who was 82 when he died, was last known to be living in Royersford in west Montgomery County. For decades he worked for Pottstown Borough in their public works department. He was featured in several photos and stories in the local newspaper, the Pottstown Mercury, starting in April 1941, when he left for basic training with others drafted into World War II. At 36, Gromis was the oldest draftee from Pottstown, according to the story. He was drafted at age 35, but celebrated a birthday before his number was called. Amateur genealogist Pat Hause, a Bristol Township resident, found no military service record for Gromis, though she did for his brother, who was killed in action. She also found that his parents, Samuel Gromis and Susan Strunk, are buried in the East Coventry Mennonite Cemetery in Chester County. After Gromis died in 1988, his ashes were kept at a Pottstown bar where he was a regular, Balacki said he was told. No one remembers the name of the bar, which has since closed. At some point in the last decade, Gromis' ashes were moved into basement storage at the bar, which is where the new owner found them, Balacki said. The new owner didnt know what to do with Sparky, so he brought his ashes to the coroners office, where they remain. A sweet girl For nearly 20 years, Ron Elgart, a private attorney in Falls, was the court-appointed guardian for a woman named Mary Rose Reid. Reid lived at Woods Services, a residential campus for individuals with severe developmental and physical disabilities in Langhorne and Middletown. She functioned at the level of a 5 year old, which was how old she was when she arrived at Woods. She spoke only a few words. Mostly, she liked to cut photos out of the magazines that Elgart would bring her when he visited her on well-being checks. Her favorites were People and any food magazines, he said. Shed just sit there, very quietly and go through her magazines, Elgart said. She was a sweet girl. Reid was 76 when she died. Woods Services notified Elgart. He found a funeral home that agreed to cremate her for practically nothing, which was about what she had left in her trust account, he said. The funeral director delivered her ashes in the standard square black plastic container. Woods Services had no living relatives in its records. Elgart spoke with someone at the bank that held Reids trust, which gave him the name of a distant relative in New England. He contacted the woman who agreed to accept the remains. A month or so after he shipped the package, Elgart discovered the box outside the door of his Falls law office. A yellow sticker affixed to it read: Return to Sender. That was almost 20 years ago. For most of that time, Elgart kept the unopened box in a storage closet, where he keeps client documents including wills. Every once in a while hed gently pat the box. When he has sought advice from other attorneys, they usually just pat him on the shoulder and walk away, Elgart said. Why has he kept her ashes all these years? The answer comes easily. Other than the people at Woods School Im probably the last person that ever had contact with her. Very specific behavior Why would someone abandon the ashes of a relative? Temple Universitys Farley has theories but he is careful to emphasize they are only theories based on his many years of study of human motivation, emotion and behavior. There is no scientific research on what he called a highly unusual issue. Its a very specific behavior that may speak about a quality of a person that should be studied, he added. Beyond dysfunctional family dynamics, another reason is perhaps the person simply forgot where they put the ashes. Its possible, Farley said. People can forget a bunch of stuff in our complex world. Also, not everyone is comfortable with the idea of hanging on to human remains, either. So they opt for the easy route and let someone else be responsible for disposing of them. Farley added that often people will choose to dispose of cremated remains in places that were special to the departed or where they have fond memories of the person, which is not the same as abandoning them in a garage for someone else to deal with. It really is almost as personal a decision as you get in life. It really is. The remains are in your hands and are you going to deal with them in a caring way or not, he said. There is something deeply spiritual, emotional and psychological about that. Forever home It was one of the four Flail kids who found Wright while exploring the garage behind the Victorian-era home shortly after the family moved into an apartment there. Her daughter ran into the apartment where she immediately informed McCarthy Flail of her find. Moms reaction? DONT TOUCH THEM. Their landlord provided the backstory on Wrights resting place. John Scheidell said about nine years ago a tenant who owed him months of back rent left suddenly. He thinks her first name might have been Stacy. Anyway, Stacy, or whatever her name was, left most of her belongings behind including some items in the garage. Among them were the remains of Richard J. Wright. Scheidell said he sold most of the womans belongings to get back some of the money she owed. She never came back or called asking about Wright, he said. He called her, but never got a hold of her. For the longest time McCarthy Flail and her family knew nothing about their garage guest other than his name and date of cremation, the information on a label of the container containing his ashes. More personal details were gathered recently from the two dozen mint-condition death certificates they recently found while clearing out the garage, which Scheidell plans to demolish. The find prompted McCarthy Flail to make a public attempt to find someone who knows Richard or his family. Last month she posted a photo of the box along with the details in Wrights death certificate on her Facebook page. The post generated 10 comments, a possible family tree, 81 shares, but no long-lost relatives. Obviously, McCarthy Flail and her family would love to return Richard to his family. If that never happens, though, no worries. Sir Richard Wright will remain on the property, McCarthy Flail said. He will forever have a home here. Scheidell is already planning a special resting place for Wright in the new garage. We would never dispose of Richard, he said. That would be sacrilegious. ___ New Delhi must clearly demonstrate to Beijing that China will pay a price for its relentless strategic undermining of India, says Ajai Shukla. IMAGE: An Indian Air Force aircraft flies over Ladakh amidst the India-China standoff, September 9, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo China's violations of the Line of Actual Control at multiple locations in eastern Ladakh, its blocking of Indian troops from territory that our jawans have patrolled for decades and its almost contemptuous rejection of India's calls for a return to the positions of April, underlines the disdain in which Beijing holds New Delhi. India's political leaders -- with their cynical focus on domestic politics -- have repeatedly chorused Beijing's assertion that the People's Liberation Army has not captured any Indian territory and that the dispute is all about 'differing perceptions of the LAC.' Chinese officials will be rightly wondering what, in these circumstances, there is to negotiate. With the Indian military confined to blocking further ingress rather than evicting the PLA from the territory it has captured, there is little pressure on Beijing to restore the status quo ante. With China having earlier secured its claim lines of 1956 and 1960 by conquest in 1962, a new claim line of 2020 is coming into being. As this happens, senior Chinese officials are counselling patience. Beijing's ambassador to India, Sun Weidong, recently recited the boilerplate formulation that the boundary question was 'left over from history' and should be 'handled with patience'. State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi declared in France that China would never be the first to escalate the situation. All this is said with a straight face even though the PLA's violent forays into Indian-claimed territory have effectively abrogated the four agreements Beijing and Delhi created together to keep the border peaceful. And with China refusing to even tell India where its claimed LAC runs, it is messaging that it cares little if the border remains unsettled since it pays no cost. In the circumstances, there seems to be little choice but to make China pay a cost, even if the cost we pay is higher. New Delhi would remember how Egypt imposed upon a far more powerful Israel a cost for its enmity, even fighting a limited war to bring Tel Aviv to the table. Israel's crushing defeat of the combined Arab armies of Egypt, Syria and Jordan in the Six Day War of 1956, coming soon after its victory in the 1948 war, had engendered a widespread impression of Israeli invincibility and Arab impotence. Then Egyptian president Anwar Sadat realised that the development of his country was held hostage by the no-war-no-peace situation that existed with Israel. Knowing that an acceptable and sustainable peace settlement with Israel required Tel Aviv to be equally convinced of its benefits, Sadat ordered his military to prepare for a war with clear strategic aims. Even if it did not end in victory, Sadat realistically aimed at damaging Israel's military, demonstrating that Arab military power could not be disregarded and that the Israeli people's long-term security would be furthered by a stable peace with Egypt. In October 1973, the combined Egyptian-Syrian armies launched a surprise offensive into Israel on Yom Kippur day, a holy day for Jews, capturing parts of the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. In the 20 days that followed, Israel recovered from these setbacks, eventually recapturing the territory. But the realisation that enduring enmity with the Arabs entailed a price brought Israel to the peace table. Sadat paid a historic visit to Israel in 1977, Egypt recognised it as a country and Cairo and Tel Aviv eventually normalised relations with the Camp David Accords in 1978. It is nobody's case that India lightly takes on China in a war for peace. However, like Sadat's Egypt, New Delhi must clearly demonstrate to Beijing that China will pay a price for its relentless strategic undermining of India, while it would benefit from ensuring that the unresolved boundary does not trigger conflict. In the medium to long term, that would require a mutually agreed delineation of the LAC; a verifiable freezing of the status quo, and finally the give and take needed to agree on the new boundary. For this, India must do what is necessary -- including the use of military power -- to enforce a PLA withdrawal to its side of the LAC. If China insists in the negotiations upon retaining its territorial gains, it must also feel the pain. This is feasible, now that India's military has built up its numbers and neutralised the PLA's head start. The army has moved over a division worth of Special Forces to Ladakh, which can operate between Chinese positions and occupy tactically important heights to isolate them. The air force, despite its shortfalls in fighter aircraft and force multipliers such as airborne warning and control aircraft and mid-air refuellers, enjoys significant advantages over the PLA air force, whose aircraft would suffer major performance degradation from operating from the oxygen-starved, high-altitude, airbases in Tibet. Unlike in 1962, Indian ground troops would benefit from close air support. Meanwhile, the Indian Navy is well placed to put pressure on Chinese shipping at a time where the PLA navy is already preoccupied with confronting the US Navy in the South China Sea. It is not necessary to start a full-scale war; the military must be allowed to create its own escalation ladder, escalating in a calibrated manner, both geographically and in the application of force. If the PLA rushes to escalate and Indian forces are getting overwhelmed by China's over-hyped military -- which has not been tested in combat since 1979, and it failed that test -- India can threaten use of its painstakingly created nuclear triad. To win, India needs only not to lose, while steadily imposing costs on China. New Delhi could also signal it is considering abandoning its equidistance from Beijing and the US-led, anti-China coalition. It is unclear why Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose Bharatiya Janata Party has left no stone unturned in criticising the policies and achievements of his predecessor, Jawaharlal Nehru, continues its unconvincing embrace of Nehruvian non-alignment. This would be directed towards shaping an ongoing debate in Chinese strategic circles over whether India is already in the US camp and is playing a double game by pretending equidistance; or whether New Delhi marches to its own drum. The latter school argues that escalation by China would transform India into a full-scale strategic adversary and create an openly hostile neighbour, just as Mao Zedong's decision to invade India did in 1962. Military action by India would be painful, but would discourage future trans-LAC incursions by the PLA. If that threat is not nipped in the bud, the already bloated 1.3 million strong Indian Army would need to add even more personnel, completely derailing its modernisation plans. On the other hand, compelling China into a mutually beneficial border agreement would enable the army to reduce its personnel by 300,000 to 400,000 men, transforming the financial calculus of defence spending. For this, lives would once again have to be laid down today by a military that is too often taken for granted. But nations pay such prices for safeguarding sovereignty and moulding their strategic environment beneficially. Avoiding these hard choices only postpones the inevitable moment of reckoning. Bengaluru, Sep 12 : The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of Bengaluru probing the drug menace in the Kannada film industry and alleged involvement of other Sandalwood celebrities, on Saturday grilled realtor turned social activist Prashant Sambargi and sought more documents from him. Apparently unsatisfied over the documents, the CCB has summoned Sambargi to appear before it next Friday with more documents. "There is a lot of difference in his claims and documents surrendered to us. When we questioned him to produce incriminating evidence, he had sought at least a week's time. That is why we (Police) have asked him to appear next Friday," a CCB official said. Speaking to reporters after his visit to the CCB here, Sambargi claimed that the police had summoned him to appear before them again on Friday next. "I will definitely co-operate with the police. At present theyhave asked me to submit some more documents, which I will procure by next week (Friday)," he claimed. It took just an hour of police inquiry for Sambargi to take a "U" turn from his earlier proclamations. He asserted that he was not targeting former Minister, B. Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan but in reality his target was Sheikh Faizulla who has been his close associate and he is known for criminal activities. "Who am I to target him (Zameer)? I am here to tell the truth after Faizulla," he said. It may be recalled that earlier in the day, prior to visiting the CCB police, Samabargi made startling remarks that the faux-leather folder which he is carrying contains concrete evidences against Khan and the former minister will have to ready to hand over his entire property to the state government. "Truth is in this file. I am the torchbearer of the truth. After I hand over this to police, Khan should start making preparations to hand over his property," he had declared. In response to a question, Sambargi angrily reacted that he never believed in making frivolous statements or false statements. "Media can check my track record, whatever I have been stating on TVs for the last three months have come true. One check my recent statements on Khan, I have nowhere said that he was involved in drug related cases. I just said that he was in Colombo on July 8, 9. and 10 in 2019. Even this statement has come true," he declared. He further added that he had not handed over any documents related to Kannada actor Sanjana Galrani. "I am here next week again. My battle is not with any individual but it is against the mafia. I am fighting for a cause not for glory or for any gains. My only intention is to provide all information about the drug mafia that is spreading its tentacles in our film industry and among youths in the state," he explained. Meanwhile, taking a serious note of the Sambargi allegations, former minister Khan asserted that he does not want to reply to him through the media, he would give all replies and explanations in the court of law. "That is where it will be decided not through you (media) people," he shot back. "He is free to make all sorts of allegations or statements, which he is doing even now. Now it is my turn to respond to him in an appropriate manner. I have not denied my visit to Colombo on said dates. I had been there. Neither am I denying that Faizulla knows me. He (Sambargi) is right on both issues but he has mixed it up and twisted, for which he (Sambargi) will have to pay a price," he added. He further said that merely knowing Faizulla does not make me criminal. "If Faizulla is indulged in some illegal activities, how am I responsible for it? It is for the police to investigate it and courts to give punishment for the guilty," he said. Palestinians are still sifting through the Sept. 6 visit of Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of Hamas politburo, to the Ain al-Hilweh camp for Palestinian refugees in South Lebanon, where he received a warm welcome, including being carried on the shoulders of the crowd at one point. Haniyehs visit to Lebanon, which began Sept. 1, was his first appearance there in 27 years. In 1992, he and more than 400 Hamas members were exiled to Lebanon by Israel; he returned to the Gaza Strip in 1993. This time, Haniyeh flew into Lebanon from Turkey. A main aim of Haniyehs visit to Lebanon this month was for him to participate in a meeting of Palestinian factions' secretary-generals Sept. 3 in Beirut, in parallel with a meeting held in Ramallah in the West Bank. After meeting with representatives of the Palestinian factions in Beirut, Haniyeh concluded his visit to Lebanon with a field tour of Ain al-Hilweh, where he delivered a speech praising the resilience of the camps inhabitants. He stressed that Palestinian refugees are guests in Lebanon until they achieve the right of return to Palestine. Raafat Murra, the head of Hamas' international media office, told Al-Monitor, All Palestinian forces [in the camp] welcomed Haniyeh, who hails from Gaza. Hamas is in contact with all Palestinian components, and its leadership resides in the camps [in Lebanon]. We have strongly defended the interests of refugees in Lebanon, such as changing laws that prohibit them from working, and we provided them with huge social and development projects. A few years ago, we launched a security and political initiative to protect the camps, and we make sure that any Hamas delegation [that comes to Lebanon] visits the refugee camps. Several members of the politburo have indeed visited the camp and met with refugees. Haniyehs $1 million donation to Palestinian refugees across Lebanon has contributed to his popularity in the camps. Meanwhile, Fatah cadres inside Lebanon and abroad criticized Haniyehs visit while also accusing the Palestinian Authority (PA) of abandoning the refugee camps in Lebanon and leaving Hamas to impose its control. Fatah supporters took to social media to criticize PA President Mahmoud Abbas because he did not give the refugee camps the same importance that Hamas has over the years. Nabil Amr, member of Fatahs Revolutionary Council and a former PA minister of parliamentary affairs, said Sept. 8 that Haniyehs visit is a negative sign that shows how the Palestinian Liberation Organization has lost its sway in refugee camps in Lebanon to Hamas. A Fatah official in Ain al-Hilweh told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, The conduct of our political leadership is the reason behind our declining public popularity and peoples massive welcome of Haniyeh. Refugees in the camps can see the national political stance of Hamas, its resistance and services, as opposed to the absent visits of our prominent officials in Fatah and the PA who visit Lebanon and spend days in hotels without going to any camp. For that reason, people have abandoned us and resorted to Hamas. Ain al-Hilweh is among the largest Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, where 47,000 out of 450,000 Palestinian refugees live. In the 1980s, it was the stronghold of the PLO and Fatah, but the tables turned in recent years due to the PLOs neglect of the camps, and it seems Hamas was able to fill the resulting void. Yasser Ali, a Palestinian author for Al-Awda news website who specializes in refugee affairs in Lebanon, told Al-Monitor, Haniyehs visit is historic and exceptional, and its timing is key amid attempts to impose the deal of the century [the US Middle East peace plan] and Arab normalization with Israel, as well as regional and international efforts to pressure Hamas. Palestinian refugee camps [in Lebanon] encompass all Palestinian factions, and Hamas has good ties with all of them. The public welcoming was not only dedicated to Hamas, but also to the resistance project as a whole. Palestinian refugees are eager for their political leaders to visit them in their camps. Haniyeh's agenda for his weeklong visit seemed packed. He met with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab, parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, the director general of Lebanese General Security Abbas Ibrahim, Future Movement head and member of parliament Bahiya Hariri and the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt. Haniyehs visit sparked controversy only among Palestinians but from several Lebanese political leaders who saw his visit as political and media propaganda for the Iranian axis and considered it disrespectful to Lebanese sovereignty because he threatened Israel during a speech in Ain al-Hilweh camp. But Emad Mohsen, a spokesperson for the Democratic Reformist Current led by dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan, told Al-Monitor, The massive welcome that Haniyeh received in Lebanon was natural and expected, since he is the leader of Hamas, which is an authentic component of the Palestinian people. The failure of Fatahs current leadership and its lack of support, neglect and marginalization of the camps gave this visit more momentum. Saleh al-Arouri, Haniyehs deputy, told the Al-Mayadeen channel Sept. 7, Haniyehs visit to Ain al-Hilweh was not a way to score points against Fatah, because he was welcomed by all factions, including Fatah, and Fatah participated in helping organize the visit this visit. Abdul Sattar Qassem, a professor of political sciences at An-Najah University in Nablus in the West Bank, told Al-Monitor, It is normal that Fatah and the PAs popularity in refugee camps is dwindling. The Oslo Accords they signed eliminates the right of return. For that reason, refugees warmly welcomed Haniyeh because they believe Hamas is the only party capable of gathering crowds locally and abroad. This indicates that Palestinians are gradually distancing themselves from the PA and Fatah. While Haniyehs visit to Ain al-Hilweh constituted a gain for Hamas at a time it is being pressured by the United States, Israel and some Arab countries, it was a setback for Fatah and the PA because they appear to have lost sway to Hamas in a historical stronghold the refugee camps in Lebanon. In light of this, the PA might try to increase its activities in the camps to regain some of its luster. As firefighters continue to attack blazes around Oregon, the number of fatalities is beginning to rise. On Friday evening, Marion County Sheriff Joe Kast confirmed the Beachie Creek fire had killed four people. Kast said search and rescue teams found two people dead on Thursday afternoon, but authorities have not yet identified them. He did not immediately specify what area the victims were found in or disclose any other information about them. The sheriff also confirmed that the fire had claimed the lives of 13-year-old Wyatt Tofte and his grandmother, 71-year-old Peggy Mosso, both of Lyons. Relatives had previously spoken about their deaths. Wyatt and Peggy Mosso were found in a car on the North Fork Road in the Santiam Canyon, along with a dog. Angie Mosso, Wyatts mother and Peggy Mossos daughter, was in critical condition at a Portland hospital for injuries from the fire. Kast said 10 people remain unaccounted for in the fire, and that 13 others who had previously been reported missing were found safe. At least three other deaths related to other wildfires around the state have been confirmed: one from Lane Countys Holiday Farm fire, and two related to Jackson Countys Almeda fire. As of Friday morning, the Beachie Creek fire had burned an estimated 187,000 acres. It is currently the states largest blaze, and is burning in Marion and southern Clackamas counties. It is 0% contained, and the cause is thus far unknown. Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Last Saturday, some 100 Extinction Rebellion (XR) protesters blockaded the presses of several of Britains main daily papers. The bamboo barricades they erected outside printing plants in Broxbourne, Liverpool and Glasgow prevented the delivery of millions of copies of the Sun, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail and Times. The ire of XR was directed at right-wing and pro-government titles, which had failed to tell the truth about the climate crisis, the organisation proclaimed on its website. The presses of the supposedly liberal media, such as the Guardian and Independent, were spared interruption. Climate change protesters extracted and arrested in Trafalgar Square, London, October 10, 2019 [Credit: AP Photo/Alastair Grant] The press plant blockades are part of XRs September Rebellion, and have so far included demonstrations outside parliament, Buckingham Palace, Tate Britain, the Treasury, and the Home Office. The disruption to traffic in the capital met with much complaint throughout the mainstream media. However, it was the blockading of the printing presses of Rupert Murdochs Sun and Times, together with the Tory house organ, the Telegraph, and 4th Viscount Rothermeres Daily Mail that led to the most ferocious response. The Telegraph will not be silenced, the paper thundered, describing the protest as a blatant attempt to shut down free speech. The protesters were trying to destroy our greatest democratic principle: freedom of speech, railed the Sun on Sundays editorial. In its Sunday edition, the Times, voice of the British establishment for over two centuries, reported that those involved in similar demonstrations in the future will be treated as a saboteur of democracy, under plans being drawn up the government. Its leader column looked forward to Home Secretary Priti Patel pushing police forces to take a more robust line on the groups disruptive actions. These right-wing rags loudly protested at the momentary interruption to their ability to spew out their daily lies and distortions. However, their editorial pages have demonstrably not issued a word in defence of jailed WikiLeaks publisher and journalist Julian Assange, who has actually exposed attacks on democratic and human rights by governments around the worlddivulging crimes that have led to the deaths of tens of thousands in wars supported by the very papers now proclaiming their allegiance to democracy. The Labour Party was swift to join in the chorus of condemnation. Shadow Culture Secretary Jo Stevens said, A free press is vital for our democracy. People have the right to read the newspapers they want. Stopping them from being distributed and printers from doing their jobs is wrong. Former home secretary, now Lord Blunkett, said, Peaceful protest using distancing is acceptable, anarchy is not. After Jeremy Corbyns former shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, had meekly defended the protests as legal, in the tradition of the suffragettes, Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer came under pressure for his silence. He dutifully called the demonstrations wrong: The free press is the cornerstone of democracy and we must do all we can to protect it. Murdoch, Rothermere et al demanded the government implement sweeping measures cracking down on protest and abrogating fundamental democratic rights, such as the right to demonstrate. Taking to the pages of the Daily Mail, Home Secretary Priti Patel duly obliged. The protesters were committing criminal acts and should be in no doubt they would face the full force of the law. You will be punished for your actions. The newspaper reported last Saturday, A Home Office source said: Priti was furious. She told the police to get stuck in to stop a second night of disruption. Subsequently, 80 protestors were arrested and charged with causing a public nuisance and aggravated trespass for their involvement in the blockades. More than 650 arrests have been made by the Metropolitan Police for breaches to the Public Order Act. Using new powers under the COVID-19 regulations, over 200,000 in fines were issued for exceeding the 30-people limit in a gathering. In a move underscoring the shift to authoritarian forms of rule, the Metropolitan Police pre-emptively arrested on August 26ahead of all this months protestsXR co-founder Roger Hallam and four other activists who are members of the Beyond Politics group. Hallam founded the group in June after quitting XR. The five were charged with conspiracy to cause criminal damage at planned protests and are being detained in custody for four weeks, until after all planned protests are concluded. Patel announced further measures to strengthen the repressive state apparatus. In addition to providing the most generous funding settlement in a decade and recruiting an additional 20,000 officers, I am committed to ensuring that the police have powers required to tackle the disruption caused by groups such as Extinction Rebellion and I will be looking at every opportunity available, including primary legislation, to ensure that there is a full suite of tools available to tackle this behaviour, she wrote. Whitehall sources soon revealed what this means. According to the Telegraph, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had asked officials to take a fresh look at the legal status of Extinction Rebellion, and see how it might be classified as an organised crime group, putting it on the same footing as the Mafia. Using the powers of the 2015 Serious Crime Act to apply such a designation could expose XR activists to up to five years in jail. Ministers were also considering new powers making it easier for police to stop demonstrators entering particular areas, bolstering protections for parts of the UKs critical national infrastructure, and explicitly outlawing disruption to tenets of democracy, such as MPs voting in Parliament, judges attending court and the printing and distribution of the free press, the Telegraph reported. Taken alongside plans for a raft of legislation to outlaw critical workerssuch as those involved in public transportfrom taking strike action, the Tory government is preparing to obliterate long-standing democratic rights affecting millions. Pointing to the broader target of this offensive, every attempt was made to depict the protests as being motivated by left-wing and socialist sentiments. The Telegraph wrote of fears the group had been infiltrated by far-Left groups that want to pursue a more overtly militant socialist agenda. The newspaper drew a comparison with protests following the murder of George Floyd in the US, which they claimed without any foundation whatsoever had also been hijacked by neo-Marxists. The limited reformist demands of XR, according to the Telegraph, are window dressing for their true purpose: a revolutionary, extremist movement set on overthrowing our society. Extinction Rebellion is a middle class protest group, whose actions are not directed at fundamentally changing the present social order. Indeed, the blockade action was not inspired by any thought of bringing about a societal change that would see the press barons deprived of their possessions. The same purveyors of falsehoods, who are playing a vital role in the governments homicidal back-to-work drive, hiding the real dangers millions confront from COVID-19, can be won to the cause of environmentalism, according to XR. The news industry has a key role to play in the transformation we need to face up to the intersecting crises. We desperately need them to stop spreading hatred and lies, and instead take a real lead to help us hold our government to account, XR wrote on its website. Extinction Rebellions September 1 tweet stating, Just to be clear we are not a socialist movement XRs Principles and Values deliberately make no criticism of capitalism. Faced with the press accusations of being a front for Marxism and revolution, XR issued a tweet refuting any links to socialism. Just to be clear we are not a socialist movement A banner saying socialism or extinction does not represent us. While initially directed against groups such as Extinction Rebellion, the real target of state repression and the move towards authoritarianism is the working class. The sight of tens of thousands engaged in multi-ethnic, multi-racial protests opposing police violence has spooked ruling elites everywhere. Now this is joined by the prospect of strikes and mass protests provoked by the rampaging of the coronavirus pandemic and the destruction of jobs and living standards. As with all fundamental social and economic problems facing humanity, the terrible consequences of climate change cannot be averted by appeals to the capitalist class and their state apparatus. Capitalism rests on the exploitation of the working class to provide profits for those who own and control the means of production, including the press barons. Only by wresting that control away from the tiny layer of the super-rich and their political representatives and placing it under the democratic control of the majority, can the moves towards authoritarianism, like the destruction of the environment, be prevented. Love and Other Thought Experiments pushes readers to question individual philosophies, our understanding of complex emotions and belief systems that are constantly governing our everyday lives. I have described the feeling as liberated because for a long time, when I was writing my book and also when I was trying to find a publisher, I was told that the genre was hard to define, says novelist Sophie Ward on being long-listed for the 2020 Booker Prize, Now I think that, as reflected in this list, the restrictions of genre are changing. At least, I hope they are. And that has implications for the books I am writing and want to write. Debut novelists have dominated the 2020 long-list of the coveted literary award. Wards philosophical fiction, Love and Other Thought Experiments made the cut, along with other debutants such as Avni Doshi for Burnt Sugar, and C Pam Zhang for How Much of these Hills is Gold. Wards novel which questions, toys with, and provokes our thinking has been described by the jury as an extremely original, genre-bending novel that melds Anglo-American analytical philosophy with realist social drama and futuristic science fiction. Reminiscent of the interconnected lives found in books like Jennifer Egans Pulitzer Prize-winning work, A Visit from the Goon Squad, Wards novel traverses multiple countries with its characters, oscillating between past, present and fantasy, connecting lives and stories each one a different thought experiment woven into a sublime narrative of love, death and longing. Thought experiments are devices of the imagination used to investigate the nature of things. Ward explains through a magazine picked up by her character Rachel from her partner Elizas reading material. It is almost like a warning a disclaimer that the reader is about to walk on a road that can take multiple turns, perhaps through plural worlds towards not one, but many possible destinations. On being asked what got her interested in these philosophical theories, the author explains that she was struck by specific thought experiments and their integration of the arts and sciences. When I applied for my PhD, I had the idea that I would like to expand the thought experiments into a composite novel. I was most interested in the thought experiments in philosophy of mind and how human consciousness is unlike a computer. Love and Other Thought Experiments explores these theories through ten sections that put Ward's characters to test, questioning what are the limits of reason, whether we can share brains and if computers can feel emotions. The book follows the story of Rachel and Eliza, a couple on the cusp of parenthood. Its thought experiments take off when Rachel believes that an ant has separated from its colony, entered her eye and now lives in her brain. To have Rachels conviction contested by her partner a scientist lays bare the question of faith, while simultaneously opening a debate on the nature of reality. This dialogue unravels like several balls of wool, scattering out as colourful threads across our consciousness. The ant herself, actually came to me from my computer keyboard, Ward observes. "Insects are part of all our lives, and I happened to have ants living in my keyboard. She adds, I wondered how an ant might attain human consciousness, and fused that idea with the test of faith for Rachel and Eliza. Following this process, her book opens with the 17th century mathematician Blaise Pascals wager about the existence of god a rudimentary probability theory suggesting that believing in god's existence would lead to infinite happiness. However, it is suggested that this credence far outweighs the non-belief, which, if proven as untrue, would doom one's life to infinite unhappiness in Hell. Drawing on this proposition, she remarks that there is often a non-religious belief or faith at the heart of many relations, I think our relationships often come to a time of trial, where we have to decide whether we are truly committed to the idea of an us, or not. The actor and novelist imbues each phase of the book with similar dilemmas in the stories of her characters, the two expecting parents, Rachel and Eliza, Rachels mother Elizabeth, her son Arthur, his dad and his husband, Greg. Each strand of thought experiment is glued together and held together by the undercurrent of love that seeps into the consciousness of every character. Ward has appeared in several theatre and on-screen productions, including the 1985 show, Young Sherlock Holmes, and has portrayed the character of Dr Helen Trent in the British police drama, Heartbeat. She has worked in productions of the Glasgow Citizens Theatre such as Private Lives and Hamlet, among others. About juggling the two artistic processes, she says, I feel very fortunate to have been an actor and I have loved collaborating on projects. But writing gives me more autonomy and I especially appreciate that I can express these ideas at a time when most theatres are closed. The coronavirus crisis and the resulting social distancing has not, however, dampened her spirits, as she has always been happy entertaining herself, she says. A judge for the Royal Society Prize, an award given for the best popular science book, she has been occupied with reading 50 submitted entries. Her work on her new book continues as she is now in the process of editing a story about a 1990s' police investigation, combined with the journals of an 11 year-old girl in 1975. And while awaiting the shortlist and the winner announcement, Ward had also been devouring the other books long-listed for the 2020 Booker Prize, along with her own. In her debut novel, Ward highlights the trials and tests of contemporary relationships, of love being conditional, all of which are tied to many strings like identity, faith and reasonability. But for her part, the author says, I am not thinking of conditions so much as the complications of love and relationships. When you read Sally Rooneys Normal People, you can see how younger peoples relationships are changing, she continues, and perhaps the digital age has helped to encourage a distance and a difficulty of expression. She is, however, not as quick to dismiss the digital age as an era of erasure of empathy. Instead, she suggests that online experiences also have the capacity to help us understand complex emotions and lives. However, there is something terribly dark about her protagonist Rachel imagining the ant devour the tumour growing within her body and prolonging her life, and the tension that hangs between Rachel and Eliza as they raise Arthur without mentioning said episode. Wards ingeniously carved narrative cuts through that discomfort. Her perceptiveness as a writer makes her readers empathise with every character with Rachels belief and Elizas doubt, Arthurs understanding of reality and Elizabeths acceptance, and even the ants viewpoint. She remarks, I imagine any experience that broadens your horizons and helps you to see beyond your own life and feelings, helps you to understand the lives of others. Quizzing the writer about her own philosophical bent on writing these myriad narratives yields answers that are akin to the message delivered in the Bhagwad Gita, of living life as best as we can, regardless of the positive or negative outcomes. Love and Other Thought Experiments pushes readers to question individual philosophies, our understanding of the complex emotions and belief systems that are constantly governing our daily lives. And while contemporary philosophy tends towards dismissing the idea of duality in consciousness, Ward says that for her, the important thing is to, in fact, experience this individual consciousness, whether it is a matter of the electric brain or zeros and ones, because we feel it nonetheless, and it is the primary influence on our humanity. Sophie Wards Love and Other Thought Experiments has been published by Corsair A simple fairy tale meant to deliver a lesson on kindness to some first graders received such an overwhelming response that it got published as a book and made into a musical performance. Talking to The Epoch Times, author Lyudmila Orela speech therapist who lives in Ukraineshares why her Lotus Fairy Tale, which was initially written for children, could even resonate with adults and inspire people of all ages. (Courtesy of Katsiaryna Babok via Armina Nimenko) The fairy tale focuses on the life journey of a little lotus seed buried deep below the waters of a mysterious Magic Lake. The seeds hardship-laden path entails winning over strange creatures to enable itself to emerge from the murky waters as a magnificent lotus flower. However, this remarkable transformation is possible only through bearing in mind what the Great White Lotus Flower had taught: the Three Treasures of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Lyudmila Orel. (Courtesy of Mishchenko Olga via Armina Nimenko) Orel said the reason why her simple fairy tale touched hearts across the world is a powerful energy message of the eternal laws of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. These Three Treasures find a response in the souls of people of any age. Everyone needs them. Everyone should have hope to correct whats going wrong, said Orel. In our life, like in a fairy tale, the Great Lotus is waiting for everyone and hopes that we will be able to improve ourselves throughout our lives. Orel, 47, who has worked in the medical field for 12 years, said she received promising positive feedback on the Lotus Fairy Tale, which was first released in the Russian language in 2013 with 10,000 copies and is currently available online in 34 languages, with three languages in the final stage of translation. She recalled that one reader from Odessa, a city in Ukraine, told her that this fairy tale is about the most important thing in life. This is not a childrens story. This is a story for adults. It is important for all adults to read it, the reader said. While a man from Armenia said This is a story about me! The Chinese character shown in this image reads Zhen, which means truthfulness. (Courtesy of Katsiaryna Babok via Armina Nimenko) The Three Treasures Talking more about the Three Treasures mentioned in her fairy tale, Orel shared that this moral compass is actually rooted in the Falun Dafa ancient spiritual discipline, which she has been practicing since 2001. Falun Dafa, or Falun Gong, is a self-improvement practice that consists of five sets of meditative exercises, and moral teachings based on the tenets of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. The practice earned huge popularity in the late 1990s and was recognized for its immense health benefits, eventually spreading to over 100 countries; currently, more than 100 million people from all walks of life practice this peaceful meditative system. Lyudmila Orel practicing the fifth set of Falun Gong exercises. (Courtesy of Mishchenko Olga via Armina Nimenko) Orel used to suffer from severe spinal pain due to intervertebral hernias and was also diagnosed with chronic tonsillitis. Due to her financial constraints, Orel didnt have many treatment options to choose from. She decided to go for physiotherapy exercises, which led to her finding Falun Dafa. During a physiotherapy session, her instructor told her that one of the movements she was doing was a qigong pose and encouraged her to look for a qigong practice if it gives her some relief. Three months later, Orel saw an announcement on the street about a free qigong practice called Falun Dafa. Orel said that through practicing the exercises, she gradually regained her health. She also learned to look at things differently, in a positive light, while encountering problems. We should not look for someone to blame for our problems and should try to remember that there are almost no chances to change others, Orel said. But by changing ourselves, we naturally change our environment to a certain degree. A Concrete Plan for Self-Improvement Orel decided to choose the lotus flower as the main character of her story when her friend who teaches in a school asked her if she could plan a moral lesson for children. She explained that the lotus not only symbolizes purity and mercy in the East but is also a symbol of self-improvement. She hopes that this fairy tale encourages discussions between parents, educators, and children on how a strong moral foundation can help anyone when faced with difficult situations. I believe that when a person has a solid foundation of moral values since childhood, they have a tool to distinguish between good and evil, get an opportunity to live a worthy life, not to lose oneself, and to resist temptations, Orel said. Irina Vetryak, the director of the Odessa Childrens Theater, staged a musical performance in 2013 based on the Lotus Fairy Tale and invited Orel to interact with some children actors, aged 5 to 7 years old, over a surprise tea party. (Courtesy of Katsiaryna Babok via Armina Nimenko) We drank tea, talked, and then made origami lotuses, Orel said. And at the end of the meeting, the children themselves turned into small lotuses for a whilethey sat in a lotus position and tried to calm their minds, to feel the peace inside. Vetryak told Orel how the children underwent a change in behavior and school performance. There was one interesting story that stood out from the rest: A 16-year-old actor who commented after the performance, Have you noticed that I stopped stuttering? As the moral principles portrayed in the fairy tale are also applicable to real-life situations, some parents have even created their own versions of the story. Orel recalled how one mother shared that her daughters behavior was turning slightly cunning. To correct the daughters behavior, the mother told her child, Where is such a behavior accepted? In the murky world! This is the tip of the cunning Toad! In daily life, Orel often tells parents who are complaining about their childrens behavior to make a list and stick it to a refrigerator. Orel believes that children reflect their parents behavior; thus, her aim to list out unacceptable habits is first for the parents to work on making changes in themselves before dealing with their childrens behavior. At first, the parents often freeze, then they laugh. Those who try to follow that, the list becomes a concrete plan for self-improvement, she said. It really works. Lyudmila Orel practicing the fifth set of Falun Gong exercises with children in a park. (Courtesy of Denys Nahorniuk via Armina Nimenko) Apart from the universal principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance, Orel suggests there are many other important values within each family that have been passed down from the older generations, such as sincerity, openness, selflessness, willingness to help, respect, hard work. The list goes on. For instance, Orel said her parents believed in living a life of honesty and with a heart that was not jealous of others. Her dad taught her, Live honestly and you will sleep peacefully. It is very important to pass these values on to the children, she said. I am very grateful to my parents that I grew up in such an environment. Orel hopes that her fairy tale and the Three Treasures mentioned in her story will help everyone in their lives. We, our loved ones, and this world need these invaluable qualities very much, Orel said. Read the Lotus Fairy Tale story here or watch the full video here. A consortium of anti-corruption groups who have spent years investigating the Malabu OPL 245 oil scandal have called on Nigerias Ministry of Justice to break its thunderous silence over a secret deal that could have seen huge sums of recovered assets repatriated to a private U.S. company. The campaigners, who include Nigerian and western non-governmental organisations (NGOs), claim that hundreds of millions of dollars could be diverted from the country under a confidential contract linked to President Buharis billion-dollar asset recovery programme. The contract was signed between Lagos law firm Johnson and Johnson Solicitors, which was hired by the government in 2016 to help oversee OPL 245s asset recovery, and a company controlled by U.S. litigation funder Drumcliffe Partners. Under the terms of the contract, the Drumcliffe company, Poplar Falls LLC, would have been entitled to up to 35 per cent of recovered assets potentially hundreds of millions of dollars. This flies against the policy of President Muhammadu Buharis government to only award a maximum of five per cent of any recovered assets to third parties. The details of the contract were leaked last month, prompting huge concerns. Despite repeated requests from PREMIUM TIMES to comment on the revelations, the Ministry of Justice has remained silent. The anti-corruption consortium, comprising HEDA Resource Centre in Nigeria, Re: Common in Italy, and the Corner House and Global Witness in the UK, now say the revelations are a slap in the face for President Buhari. In a statement to PREMIUM TIMES, they said: The Ministry of Justices silence is thunderous. This is a slap in the face for President Buharis clear policy that lawyers should only get a maximum five percent recovery fee. The Ministry of Justice has a duty to ensure that Nigeria is not disadvantaged by the activities of government-appointed asset recovery lawyers. A failure to monitor their contracts is a failure to protect Nigerias interests. The bucks stops with the Attorney General, and ignorance is not an excuse under the law, they said. Drumcliffes PR agency, Montfort Communications, and their lawyers, Carter-Ruck, have explained that the contract was a draft and not the final executed agreement. When asked to confirm that for this report, they failed to respond. Johnson and Johnson, run by Babatunde Johnson, was appointed by the government in 2016 to help recover assets that are alleged to have been stolen during the Malabu OPL 245 scandal. Malabu scandal The scandal centres on the offshore oil block OPL 245. The block had been awarded to a shelf company called Malabu Oil and Gas in 1998, when Dan Etete was petroleum minister. It later emerged that Mr Etete actually controlled Malabu. In 2011, Mr Etete, with the help of senior government officials in the then administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, sold the block to Shell and Eni for $1.1 billion. He is then alleged to have gone on a massive spending spree with much of the proceeds, including purchasing a private jet that was seized in Montreal, Canada in May as part of the asset recovery process. Eni, Shell and a number of their corporate executives, former Nigerian government officials, and middlemen have been on trial in Milan since 2016 for allegedly conspiring to seal that deal. The accused, including Eni and Shell, have all strenuously denied any wrongdoing. The long-running trial is now reaching its end, with the prosecution having presented its closing arguments last month. Nigerias legal team summed up its claim for a civil damages award on Wednesday, and asked for the court for a minimum payout of $1.1 billion in the event of a guilty verdict against Eni and Shell. But throughout the saga, there have been various twists as journalists and NGOs, such as Global Witness, continued to probe the deal. The latest controversy centres on the asset recovery programme itself, a scheme that is potentially hugely lucrative. Opaque deal Asset recovery programmes, which involve lengthy court cases in multiple jurisdictions, are usually highly complex and costly. It is not unusual for governments to outsource that process by appointing lawyers. But the lawyers themselves often need specialist asset recovery financiers to fund the litigation. Advertisements These litigation funders take significant risks on behalf of their investors, and in return they can demand large fees that are usually a cut of recovered funds. In the case of Johnson and Johnson, they hired Drumcliffe as their litigation funder. To help protect and ring-fence their investors money, Drumcliffe established Poplar Falls LLC, a special fund incorporated in the US state of Delaware. It is understood that when the government appointed Johnson and Johnson, the law firm was told that the commission cap for recovered assets would be five per cent, which is much lower than companies such as Drumcliffe usually charge. But the leaked contract between Johnson and Johnson and Poplar Falls, details of which were reported by Sahara Reporters last month, suggests a much higher reward was agreed. PREMIUM TIMES and its UK partner Finance Uncovered have been in possession of the agreement since last year but had refrained from publishing its contents until its validity could be established. It appears to have been signed in March 2018 between Babatunde Olabode Johnson and Drumcliffe principal James C. Little. It was signed on the same day Nigeria applied to the Italian court in Milan to be admitted as an injured party. In it, Drumcliffe agrees to provide Johnson and Johnson with up to $2.75 million to fund Nigerias pursuit of damages from the defendants, in return for more than twice their money back and a 35 percent cut of any proceeds if the Nigerian case is successful. PREMIUM TIMES initially alerted a senior official in the Nigerian justice ministry responsible for running the countrys asset recovery programme about the leaked contract last December, who replied saying that the ministry was oblivious of any such funding agreement. The official, Solicitor-General Dayo Apata, said that the governments direct contract with its recovery agent, Johnson and Johnson, was clear on the terms of payment, mode of payment and account [into which] the funds are to be paid. Mr Apata confirmed that recovery agents are only entitled to a percentage (not more than five per cent) of actual recoveries as success fees after remittance of the recovered monies habe been confirmed by the Central Bank of Nigeria. PREMIUM TIMES pointed out to Mr Apata that certain sections of the funding agreement between their agent, Johnson, and his backers, Drumcliffe, appeared to suggest they had reached a separate and very different understanding to the governments. One section stated that Johnson and Johnson had a right to Nigerias entire legal claim in Italy and an associated claim in Switzerland, as opposed to a more limited right to a five per cent professional success fee. Another section allocated the funder a 35 per cent interest in any successful recovery, instead of a share of Johnson and Johnsons five per cent professional success fee. It also stated that successfully claimed funds would be paid into an account controlled by a third-party lawyer for priority payment to the funder, instead of being paid directly into the governments asset recovery account first. PREMIUM TIMES then asked Mr Apata and his boss, Attorney-General Abubakar Malami, a series of follow-up questions. These included whether they believed the leaked funding contract contravened Johnsons own deal with the government, and if so, what action they planned to take. They failed to respond. Over the past several months, Johnson and Johnson and Drumcliffe agreed to explain the circumstances in which the contract had been signed but only on condition of strict commercial confidentiality. They claimed that the agreement was a draft, not the final executed agreement. Asked to confirm this on the record, following the publication of the leaked contract by Sahara Reporters, they did not respond. PREMIUM TIMES also approached Attorney General Malami and Solicitor General Apata again in the wake of the leak, to explain the Ministry of Justices position regarding the contract, but they did not respond. The anti-corruption consortium has now called on the judges presiding over the Milan trial to insist that any damages awarded to Nigeria be paid directly to the governments federation account at the central bank. A verdict in the trial is expected by the end of the year, although appeals could follow. A judge might also be inclined to award symbolic damages of far less than $1.1 billion to Nigeria. According to California's governor, Gavin Newsom, global warming caused the big fires ravaging his state, as well as its two ideological sidekicks, Washington and Oregon: "The debate is over around climate change," Newsom said as he toured a burn area in Northern California. "Just come to the state of California. Observe it with your own eyes. Its not an intellectual debate. Its not even debatable any longer." He also said he's "exhausted that we have to continue to bait this issue." "This is a climate damn emergency," he said. "This is real." So don't blame him. But there's every reason to blame him and his greenie policies that are quite literally fueling the destruction. Since the entire press that is searchable on Google repeats the global warming blather, I decided to consult some real science and got quite a different picture, and not a flattering one to Newsom. According to the Cal State University fire scientists, whose website indicates they are the only ones studying this, the number one reason for the increased incidence of California's fires is: 1. FOREST FUEL LOADS ARE HIGH. The forest floor grows dense with flammable dead branches and brush when its not cleared out, either manually or when burned. In many parts of Californias wildlands, these forest "fuels" have not burned or been cleared for decades, due in part to fire suppression policies by state and federal agencies. "One of the reasons we're observing more fires is because of 100 years of poor Forest Service policy where we didn't allow prescribed fire or wildfires to burn," says Craig Clements, Ph.D., director of the San Jose State University's Fire Weather Research Laboratory and associate professor of meteorology and climate science. To understand the history and context of wildfire suppression in the U.S., you have to go back to the Great Fires of 1910. After these enormous wildfires ravaged three million acres across Idaho, Montana and Washington, the then-young U.S. Forest Service made it their singular policy to stop fires whenever possible. It wasnt until the 1970s that policy shifted from fire control to fire management, with the recognition that some fireincluding prescribed burnsis a necessary part of the wildland ecosystem. But decades of still-unburned forest means todays wildlands are dense with vegetation thats ready to spark. Drought conditions have only intensified the impending threat in many parts of the state. (See below for more on this.) In a 2009 report, Chris Dicus, Ph.D., professor of wildland fire and fuels management at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, wrote that before the Gold Rush, there were approximately 50 to 70 trees per acre in Californias forestlands. Today, there are more than 400 trees per acre. Another contributing factor to the growing forest fuel load is the increasing number of dead or dying trees caused by bark beetle infestations. These insects, along with the drought, are responsible for killing 129 million trees across California since 2010, quite literally adding fuel to the fire. The sheer size of the current rash of fires would attest to a lot of uncleared growth, much of it damaged and dead from beetles. Nobody was allowed to clear that brush because ... ecology. Never mind that the natural state of California is to have small natural fires that groom the brush and help wildflowers take seed. Additionally, California's topography, as cited in the piece, can create some big weather patterns as well as fire tornados due to the slopes of the land. Nope, the greenies want California to resemble the forest-primeval of Wagnerian Germany, with lots of trees. To heck with the climate conditions that include a natural propensity for fires. Uncleared brush and dead trees mean bigger fires. The second reason listed is 'climate change,' but wait: The scientists very specifically cite heat waves, which doesn't sound like the crazy hot-cold-wild phenomenon bruited about by the climate change lobby. It's perfectly true that the state has been having heat waves, and yes, the drying action of the heat tends to create tinder for fires. The heat waves come and the heat waves go. Because they're cyclical, they are not a constant factor supporting the claim that the entire earth's temperature is heating up. Instead, they are the result of high-pressure phenomena driving the temperature higher in localized places, which in this case happens to be California. And where do these heatwaves come from? Well, solar activity is one candidate - the world is in a sunspot drought called a 'solar minimum' which, while it could create cooler temperatures, also leaves huge parts of the sun's atmosphere exposed, according to this U.K. Express article, citing more scientists. The jury is out about what the sunspots do, but there are credible sources that say they do contribute to rising temperatures. High-pressure systems are another. According to HowItWorks.com: A heatwave is a period of unusually hot or humid weather that lasts at least two or three days and remaining hot throughout the nights that affects large areas. Heatwaves are caused by a system of higher atmospheric pressure, whereby air from upper levels of the atmosphere descends and rotates out. As it descends, it compresses, increasing the temperature. The outward flow, meanwhile, makes it difficult for other systems to enter the area, and the large size and slow speed of the hot air causes the heatwave to remain for days or even weeks. The lack of clouds means that an affected area is struck with strong sunlight. To attribute the entire global warming phenomena to a localized weather event in one place is kind of absurd. The third reason cited by the Cal State fire scientists is human activity - leftist housing policies drive poorer people into the wilderness areas where fires are more likely to happen. The scientists say that 95% of fires are caused by people, either intentionally or unintentionally, so.... The proof of the pudding that California's fires are not caused by some vaguely defined global warming is the fact that these fires are only happening in places where bad greenie policy is the rule. California and its sidekicks Oregon and Washington are up to their necks in these fire-starter greenie policies. You sure as heck don't see this stuff going on in Mexico, where there are some fires, but they rarely occur near populated areas and are fairly insignificant in scope. Brush is cleared in Mexico. Fire hazards are removed. Keep in mind that the weather and topography are about the same in Mexico as in California, except that Mexico is actually somewhat hotter. To paraphrase Tom Wolfe, it seems as if the dark night of global warming, which hovers over the world, somehow only lands in California. The west coast governors who blame global warming for their states' ills would be smart to ask Mexico how to fix this. But they won't. They'll just keep blaming global warming and hope it leads to more taxes and more state power. To the rest of us, though, it's clear enough -- California's localized conditions are the perfect tinder for creating big, big, fires. Image credit: Chave Weather Daily Videos, screen shot from shareable YouTube post UPDATE: This article has been lightly edited since its original publication to clarify some ambiguous language. A section of the faculty members of IIM Calcutta has expressed concern over the institute allowing 62 students of its MBA executive programme to stay on the campus amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Despite staying on the campus, the students will, however, continue attending classes online. The institute authorities have taken a decision in this regard as the students, whose course had begun in April, were facing problems at their rented rooms outside the campus. A section of the teachers has recently shot off a letter to the IIM Calcutta board, warning that allowing the students inside the campus may lead to a situation similar to that in IIT Kharagpur, which had to impose lockdown on its campus after several students and faculty members contracted the disease. IIT Kharagpur had to vacate its hostels due to the continuing spread of Covid-19. There are news reports that a student of PGPC programme at IIM Ahmedabad who was allowed inside the campus tested positive for the infection. Such news reports have caused considerable anxiety to different stakeholders -- campus residents and other faculty members and staffers who regularly visit the campus for official work, the letter read. Around 80 faculty members reside on the IIM Calcutta campus in the southern fringes of the city. The institute, in a statement issued on September 8, had said that the students will arrive at the campus in small groups this month. They will be placed under quarantine in the hostels and will attend classes online. It is an internal matter...we hope the authorities will soon find a solution acceptable to all, a senior faculty member told PTI. Institute Director, Professor Anju Seth, in a statement on September 8, had said that the students will mandatorily be screened and quarantined for their safety and that of other campus residents. - The founder of Ashesi University, Dr Patrick Awuah, has endorsed the double-track system associated with Nana Addo's free-SHS policy - According to the renowned Dr, the policy is great and needs to be explained well for Ghanaians to understand - It is reported that Dr Patrick Awuah made his statement at a recent gathering where he was speaking Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Dr Patrick Awuah, the founder and president of Ghanas fast-growing tertiary institution, Ashesi University, has endorsed the governments double-track free Senior High School (SHS) system. A report by peacefmonline.com indicates that Patrick made this revelation in a recent gathering he was speaking at. According to Dr Patrick Awuah, the double-track free SHS is a laudable policy from the Akufo-Addo led government which needs to be embraced by every Ghanaian. READ ALSO: Mom & daughter make history, open Black-owned shell gas station in Florida Ashesi University founder praises Akufo-Addos double-track free SHS system Source: Ghanaculturepolitics.com, Ghanaweb.com Source: UGC It is further stated that the Ashesi University founder believes the policy was simply not well-explained to the people of Ghana, which is why has received backlash from many people. The double-track free SHS system is a clever idea and must be embraced by everyone but I think it has not been communicated well to Ghanaians very well, Dr. Awuah said. Dr Patrick Awuah holds bachelor's degrees in Engineering and Economics from Swarthmore College; an MBA from UC Berkeleys Haas School of Business; and honorary doctorates from Swarthmore College, Babson College, and the University of Waterloo READ ALSO: Stunning lady who was Speaker of Parliament in UPSA freezes the net with graduation photos Meanwhile, George Ameyaw, a student of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), who supported himself through school with his aboboya/okada business has graduated as the best student. In an interview with YEN.com.gh, the gentleman confirmed that he had a GPA of 3.96, which was the highest in the Faculty of Science and Environment Education. George studied BSc Integrated Science Education from UEW-Mampong campus in the College of Agriculture Education at the respected university. His journey to becoming an aboboya rider started when George was in level 200 and his study-leave salary was cut. Enjoy reading our stories? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! VGMA21 full performances | #Yencomgh Share your stories and news by getting interactive on our Facebook page! Source: YEN.com.gh New Delhi, Sep 12 : Even as the crucial Monsoon Session of the Parliament is set to commence from September 14, Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi will miss the session for few days as she has left for abroad with her son Rahul Gandhi for her annual medical treatment. A party source said that Sonia Gandhi has left for her annual medical check-up and will return after two weeks at least. It added that Rahul Gandhi is likely to return to India and attend the Monsoon Session after a few days. The source said that Rahul Gandhi will return once his sister and party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joins them. Congress media incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala also confirmed the news of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi travelling abroad for medical treatment and thanked everyone for their concern and good wishes. "Congress Presiden Sonia Gandhi is travelling today onwards for a routine follow up and medical check-up, which was deferred due to the pandemic. She is accompanied by Rahul Gandhi. We take this opportunity to thank everyone for their concern and good wishes," Surjewala said in a tweet. The party source said that in the absence of the Gandhis in the initial days of the Monsoon Session, senior leaders have been briefed and they will take decisions on important issues such as the India-China LAC faceoff, the economy, Covid-19 handling as well as the issue of NEET and JEE. Before leaving for abroad, Rahul Gandhi had on Friday attended the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence. The Monsoon Session of the Parliament is scheduled to be held between September 14 and October 1, without any day off. A day after the apex court sent notices to the Centre along with four states and UTs including Delhi for non-implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Delhi BJP President Adesh Gupta launched a scathing attack on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of undertaking an "inhuman work". "I want to ask Kejriwal today. Why did he not implement this scheme of free treatment for the poor up to Rs 5 lakh? Who is responsible for the death of those Delhiites who have died in the absence of treatment? Probably, Mr Kejriwal is not aware that so far 96 lakh have benefited from this scheme since its launch," Gupta said. He also charged Kejriwal of carrying out an "inhuman act of blocking treatment for the poor, all the more during the COVID-19 pandemic which has affected the national capital badly." Gupta claimed, by blocking the scheme in Delhi, CM Kejriwal has blocked the benefits of treatment to "at least 10 lakh families". The attack comes soon after the Supreme Court sought responses on a plea which has asked for such blocking of the scheme by states and UTs like Delhi, West Bengal among others to be declared as "illegal". The Delhi BJP Chief raised questions about the "interests" for which the AAP government had allegedly blocked the scheme in the national capital. Gupta also accused Kejriwal of giving primacy to politics. He said the AAP government had blocked the PM Awas Yojna, which he claimed would have come handy for all the slum dwellers who are living under the shadow of uncertainty and being evicted. On the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden both appeared at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville Friday. The two rivals for the presidency appeared separately, several hours apart. Both stayed away from politics at the memorial, which honors the passengers of Flight 93. Trump and Biden spoke of the valiant passengers who fought back against terrorists, preventing the hijackers from flying the jet to Washington D.C. Trump spoke during the memorial service in the morning. Hours later, Biden appeared at the memorial and spoke with the families of those who perished. 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, Trump said during the service. The memory of your treasured loved ones will inspire America for all time to come. Biden, the former vice president, began his day at Ground Zero in New York City, where he spoke with family members and briefly met with Vice President Mike Pence. In Shanksville, Biden and his wife, Jill, spent time talking personally with the surviving family members of those who died on Flight 93. When you think about what happened, its one thing to react when youre in a situation where youre confronted with something and you have to act immediately, Biden said. Its another thing to consciously know what youre about to do is likely to cost you your life. That is an incredible, incredible thing. The Flight 93 Memorial Service was closed to the public. In the morning, scores of Trump supporters lined the road outside the Flight 93 National Memorial. 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 the day was not about politics, both Trump and Biden appearing in Pennsylvania underscores the Keystone States importance in the presidential election. Both Trump and Biden have made several visits to the Keystone State in recent months. Biden appeared in Harrisburg and Lancaster on Monday, while Trump visited western Pennsylvania last week. Trump won Pennsylvania by less than 1 percentage point four years ago, but it was a key component in his victory in the 2016 election. Biden, a Scranton native, is banking on winning Pennsylvania. The last Democratic presidential candidate to win the election without taking Pennsylvania was Harry Truman in 1948. Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde after the 21-year-old impressed last season. The Frenchman signed for Sevilla from Bordeaux in a 22million deal last summer and has done well in LaLiga as he helped his team qualify for next season's Champions League. New Barcelona boss is Ronald Koeman, who is on the hunt for a new defender as looks to overhaul the squad ahead of next season, is said to be keen on making an offer for Kounde, according to Mundo Deportivo. Barcelona are interested in signing 21-year-old Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde this year Kounde formed an effective defensive partnership with Diego Carlos at Sevilla, who finished fourth in the table. Koeman has been impressed by Kounde's speed and good positioning on the pitch, believing that at 21 there is also good scope for development. However, Sevilla are unwilling to sell the 21-year old, with a current release clause of 70million. New Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has been impressed by Kounde's speed and positioning Having signed from Bordeaux deal he helped his team qualify for the Champions League Kounde has declared his intention to stay with Sevilla, saying: 'I will stay next year, I am very happy here and we are going to enjoy the Champions League, I will not look away - I want to stay here.' In addition, Barca are not the only club trying to prise the youngster away from Sevilla. Real Madrid are monitoring the progress of the 21-year-old as Zinedine Zidane looks for replacements for Sergio Ramos and Eder Militao. The Second Lady, Mrs. Samira Bawumia has begun a four-day working tour of the Oti Region. Mr Seidu Musah, the Oti Regional Communication Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA). The Second Lady, Mrs Samira Bawumia has begun a four-day working tour of the Oti Region. Mr Seidu Musah, the Oti Regional Communication Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA). He said Mrs Bawumia started the tour with a courtesy call on chiefs and Imams in the Akan Constituency. On Saturday, he said the Second Lady would tour both Nkwanta North and South, where she is expected to meet Chiefs, Imams, Zongo youth and the population. On Sunday, Mrs Bawumia is expected to visit Krachi East Constituency, Krachi Nchumuru and Krachi West Constituency to interact with Fulani Communities. On Monday, she would pay a courtesy call on Krachi-Wura, Nana Besemuna Mprah III, and have a durbar of Chiefs and the people of the Constituency and she would depart to Atebubu in the Ahafo 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 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 Dubai, Sep 12 : Mumbai Indians on Saturday released its theme campaign for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The defending champions are encouraging fans to join them in celebration but while ensuring requisite safety precautions. The video shows fans celebrating in their residences and their localities while maintaining social distancing. MI said in their release that it "showcases the spirit of the One Family, which ceases to succumb to any situation." The 2020 season of the IPL starts on September 19 with MI facing Chennai Super Kings in a repeat of the 2019 final. MI were to face CSK in the opening match of the original schedule as well, with the Wankhede Stadium the venue on March 29. However the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the tournament to be postponed. Earlier, the four-time champions said that talismanic West Indies all rounder Kieron Pollard has arrived at the UAE with his family to join the team. Batsman ASherfane Rutherford also arrived with Pollard, who is fresh off leading the Trinbago Knight Riders to their fourth title in the Carribean Premier League (CPL). With their eight-wicket win in the final against St Lucia Zouks, TKR became the first team in the league to have won all their matches in a season. Latest updates on IPL 2020 Strengthening industry connections and enabling students to learn from the best has been a key driver of the Toi Ohomai tourism industry connect sessions. Rotoruas tourism industry is adapting to its new normal recovering from the impacts of Covid-19 and Toi Ohomai students have heard from tourism providers first-hand about the challenges facing the industry. Toi Ohomai academic staff member Bronwyn Alton says the events allow students to hear from tourism operators from around the Bay of Plenty and it gives them the opportunity to ask questions and gain first hand insights into current trends. We invite guests to speak to students on topics that are linked to assessments, current issues in tourism and hospitality, this allows the students the opportunity to explore topics that are relevant to them and their study. In recent weeks students have heard from Zorb inventor and general manager Andrew Akers and Kelly Hemana, Rotorua Pullman Hotel general manager Israel Suarez Guido, Happy Ewe Cycle Tours owner Roger Martin, Peppers on the Point general manager Ann Gregor-Greene and Skyline Rotorua sales and marketing manager Andrew Aitken. Students at Industry Connect Session - this was during Alert Level 1 Bronwyn says key themes that came up included the need to continually adapt and seek innovation. Our speakers talked about how we need to love what we do and as an industry we can continue to be successful by working together to create solutions, she says. "They also spoke about how building partnerships is critical in ensuring our industry is resilient and innovative. A key message given to students was that learning never stops. Industry speakers also provide valuable information that will enhance the students employability when it comes to applying for jobs. Factors like what they look for in staff highlighting the importance of other skills and attributes such as teamwork, time management, communication. Bronwyn says the sessions are well attended and well received by both students and industry professionals. Students have directly used content from the guest speakers in the assessments, having a number of speakers at the one time allows industry to network and share ideas, it has helped to forge closer ties with the community, allows students the opportunity to demonstrate their leadership skills in hosting the event and guests. She says the dedication and enthusiasm of the speakers was inspiring, especially because the industry faces such uncertainty. The industry will recover, and when it does, NZ is going to be a hot spot for international visitors. Andrew Aitken from Skyline talks to students via Skype due to Alert Level 2. Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology is one of the largest tertiary education providers in the Bay of Plenty and South Waikato regions, with more than 12,000 students studying across more than 25 delivery sites in Rotorua, Taupo, Tauranga, Tokoroa and Whakatane. The Institute was designed to meet education and employment needs of people in the Bay of Plenty and South Waikato regions, while fostering innovation. Toi Ohomai is a sustainable organisation that supports students beyond their qualifications by building strong relationships with industry and community decision makers. Toi Ohomai offers something for learners of all ages, with more than 150 study options covering specialities in business, creative arts, engineering, forestry, health and nursing, hospitality, marine science, road transport, tourism, trades and more. By its very composition, the amalgam word hacktivism houses a peculiar dichotomy. On one hand, it alludes to promoting justice through necessary online disobedience. On the other, the ethics of whatever those rule-breaking actions or their consequences might be remain open to debate. Such ambiguity lies at the core of Enemies of the State, Sonia Kennebecks mind-boggling, often challenging spy-thriller in documentary form, about a freaky and disturbing yarn of (possible) cyber-crime activities investigated by insatiable journalistic curiosity, though not always with a lucid destination in sight. That lack of a clear target is frequently inherent in nonfiction storytelling: Documentary filmmakers discover, consider and reconsider the shape and facts of their story along the way and package them accordingly. And Kennebeck is already familiar with the complexities of delving into convoluted episodes of whistle-blowing and government pressure topics that also concern Enemies of the State thanks to her taut 2016 film National Bird. Though the moving parts of the narrative she pieces together here change so often that, despite the filmmakers truth-seeking inquisitiveness, the results are often confusing even when they are increasingly shocking. But thats not always a bad thing, if youre prepared to be recruited as a detective of sorts alongside the filmmaker. Enemies of the State drops its viewers directly into a maze decked with loaded espionage words CIA, FBI, Anonymous, Snowden, Wikileaks, Russia, surveillance, what have you and expects them to join Kennebeck in the pursuit of digging up the truth in the strange case of Matt DeHart, a former Air National Guard member whose home was raided in 2010 on child pornography charges with a related all-access search warrant. He and his family explicitly denied the accusations. Being an active hacker (well, hacktivist) who had connections to the decentralized Anonymous Collective as well as Wikileaks and spent most of his time in front of a screen in a dark room, the then-25-year-old DeHart claimed that FBI fabricated this shameful allegation in order to access his computer files. According to him, those drives included classified information about a scandalous CIA operation off which DeHart was preparing to blow the lid for public interest. He was arrested, spending nearly two years in prison during which he was allegedly tortured by the government. Upon his release, his parents Paul and Leann decided to take their son and flee their suburban home in the middle of the night to seek political asylum in Canada. Story continues But is Matt innocent of the child pornography claims? You might default to seeing him as a wrongfully framed, honorable crusader fighting against corrupt government forces if the Laura Poitras brand of documentaries like Risk and Citizenfour got under your skin. Though slowly (and without giving away spoilers), something just starts feeling a bit fishy. With a nonlinear structure and the help of various talking-heads interviewees attorneys, governmental figures, professors, detectives and prosecutors whose viewpoints clash with one another that Matt might indeed be guilty becomes an undeniable possibility. Also not helping his image is the involvement of his ex-veteran, seemingly upstanding mom and dad what starts off as protective familial instincts soon assumes a bizarre dimension once we realize the couple is perhaps a little too involved with their adult sons doings. Slowly, Kennebeck reveals just how helicopter they were as parents, muscling themselves into every meeting Matt takes with his multiple attorneys as if they were trying to cover up something terrible about their offspring. With all these fragmented bits and pieces, Enemies of the State becomes a deafening, paranoia-inducing cacophony of unreliable sources in due course, with all parties holding onto their own version of the story. Theres good reason the film opens with an Oscar Wilde quote, The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Throughout, Kennebeck and her gifted editor Maxine Goedicke take these words to heart, expertly weaving late-blooming and extremely troubling evidence into the tail end of Enemies of the State to our utter astonishment. When they dont lean too reality-TV-esque cheesy, also impressive are the Errol Morris-style reenactments that Kennebeck orchestrates, pairing them with an intense, heart-thumping score and original audio recordings that actors persuasively lip-synch through a notable feat of sound editing. As one of the subjects of the film so accurately puts it, We are all suffering from the promotion of lies as truth. If someone says something that is not true and repeats it enough times, it will be accepted by others. While Enemies of the State does not necessarily provide all the answers, it sneakily sharpens your analytical radar by its haunting end. And in todays conspiracy-theory-fueled world, that just might be everything. More from Variety Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 05:48:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Friday that the country is "practically winning" the battle against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) due to the reduction of average daily deaths caused by the virus over the last week. "We are practically winning (the battle against) the pandemic. The government has done everything possible to minimize its negative effects, either through emergency aid, which has reached 65 million people, or with help for micro and small companies, through credit," the president said at an event in the northeastern state of Bahia. "It is already beginning to appear, especially in the media outside the country, that Brazil was one of the countries that suffered the least from the pandemic due to the measures taken by the federal government," he said. Bolsonaro made these statements at a time when, according to the latest figures, Brazil is close to 130,000 deaths from the pandemic and currently has more than 4.2 million cases, making it the second country in the world in number of deaths and third in number of cases. However, in recent days, the country has seen a decline in the weekly average death rate and there is a downward trend for deaths and cases in most of the country. Enditem Peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government opened in Qatar on Saturday, marking what US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heralded as a "truly momentous" occasion in nearly two decades of gruelling conflict. The US-backed talks will be arduous and complex, delegates acknowledged at an opening ceremony in Doha, and are starting even as violence continues to grip Afghanistan. "We will undoubtedly encounter many challenges in the talks over the coming days, weeks and months," Pompeo said as he called for the warring sides to "seize this opportunity" to secure peace. "Remember you are acting not only for this generation of Afghans but for future generations as well, your children and your grandchildren." Highlighting the war's brutal toll, Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan's former chief executive who is heading the peace process for Kabul, said 12,000 civilians have been killed and another 15,000 wounded since the US signed a withdrawal agreement with the Taliban on February 29. Abdullah called for an immediate, humanitarian ceasefire -- but his plea went unanswered by Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who made no mention of a truce in his opening remarks. The Taliban have long worried that reducing violence could lessen their leverage at the negotiating table. Instead, Baradar repeated the insurgents' message that Afghanistan must be run according to Islamic law. The Taliban want to reshape Afghanistan into an Islamic "emirate", while the adminstration of President Ashraf Ghani will seek to maintain the Western-backed status quo of a constitutional republic that has enshrined many rights, including greater freedoms for women. "We want Afghanistan to have an Islamic system in which people from all walks of life see themselves without discrimination and live in brotherhood with each other," Baradar said. Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide urged all sides to include "women, victims and minorities and other stakeholders" in the process, saying such inclusivity is the key to an enduring accord. Four of the 21 people on the Kabul negotiating team are women. The Taliban's delegation of the same size has none. In the Afghan capital, residents were glued to their televisions watching the opening ceremony unfold. "I want the peace negotiating team to consider the will of the people of Afghanistan," said Kabul resident Sayed Jamil Ibrahimi. - Competing visions - The US-backed negotiations come six months later than planned owing to bitter disagreements over a controversial prisoner swap agreed in February. President Donald Trump, up for re-election in November, has pushed hard to end the United States' longest war and wants all foreign forces to leave Afghanistan by next year. But a comprehensive peace deal could take years, and will depend on the willingness of both sides to tailor their competing visions for the country. "My beard was black when the war began, it is snow white now and we are still in war," said Kabul resident Obaidullah, 50. "I don't believe the war will end that soon. I am sceptical about the talks because both sides want their full agenda and their system enforced," added the retired civil servant. The talks are being held in a hotel conference room in Doha, where chairs were dotted at socially distanced intervals facing a banner emblazoned with the words "Afghan Peace Negotiations" in four languages. Delegates began to arrive from dawn at the luxury venue, which hosted the signing of the US-Taliban deal in February that paved the way for the talks. The Taliban claimed "victory" following the deal and see their bargaining position as stronger now than at any time in the last two decades. A who's who of international stakeholders in the Afghanistan conflict spoke at the opening ceremony, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif had been scheduled to speak but did not. Human Rights Watch called on participants to pledge to uphold basic rights as they chart the nation's future. Qatar has quietly guided the process which has been complicated by violence in Afghanistan and the coronavirus crisis, with Doha's chief negotiator Mutlaq al-Qahtani stressing on Thursday "the power of diplomacy". Doha invited the Taliban to open a political office in 2013 and helped broker February's troop withdrawal deal between Washington and the Taliban. The arrangement has led to tense moments like when the Taliban raised their flag above the office, sparking fury in Kabul. Since the US-Taliban agreement in February, the insurgents have continued to launch daily attacks against Afghan security forces. 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 Films live in our imagination in a multitude of ways: it is often how the characters speak, what they say and, definitely what they wear. From Daniel Craigs James Bond emerging from the crystal clear Caribbean to Giorgio Armani outfitting the debonair Richard Geres posturing gigolo, costume is one of the most powerful tools films have. In many cases, men try to emulate the characters that populate our screens. It is less common, however, to find exact replicas of costumes or close comparisons crafted with the DNA of the film. That was until 2013 when Matthew Vaughn, the director behind X-Men: First Class, thought about how costume design played an important role in his memory of film but the clothes and accessories were never available for purchase. While he was having a suit fitted at Huntsman on Savile Row, he thought about how the film he was developing at the time Kingsman: The Secret Service, starring Taron Egerton and Colin Firth a black comedy based on a comic book about nattily dressed spies in London, should have serious fashion kudos and a shoppable universe. Vaughans search for a partner to produce a collection that evoked the spirit of the film led him to the executive team at online retailer, Mr Porter. He explained his idea and soon after, the Kingsman label was born. (Kingsman is the name of the tailors where the namesake intelligence agency bases its operations in the film.) Vaughn and Mr Porter, along with the costume designer, Arianne Phillips (who served as the costume designer for the sequel also), collaborated on a costume to collection in which pieces in the film were translated to clothes available to purchase by anybody. Read More Trend of the Week: Vested interests and the failsafe collegiate look Since the release of the first film in 2014, Mr Porter launched 12 standalone collections under the Kingsman name, and another costume to collection for the second film, Kingsman: The Golden Circle in 2017. It has grown to become one of the websites best-performing luxury labels. Next week, the third installment of the franchise will be released. The Kings Man, a prequel, stars Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson as they attempt to thwart a conglomerate of historys worst villains including Rasputin, Nicholas II of Russia, and Wilhelm II of Germany, as they plot a war to destroy millions of lives. From traditional three-piece suits worn by the Duke of Oxford (played by Fiennes) to oiled cloth jackets inspired by biking silhouettes from the 1910s worn by Conrad (Fiennes protege, played by Dickinson), the film, like its predecessors undoubtedly filled with plot twists and dark humour, comes with a new wardrobe for men to seek inspiration from. While the first two films were set in the present day, The Kings Man, an origin story, takes place in the early 1900s. Knowing that authenticity was critical to the film, we wanted to ensure that that aesthetic was translated into the actual collection, said Sam Kershaw, buying director at Mr Porter. Vaughn enlisted Michele Clapton, known for her work on Game of Thrones, as the costume designer for the prequel. She was drawn to the rich history of dress from the 1900s and 1910s for her work on the three-piece suits and military styles for the collection. She described the design process as a balance of portraying historical accuracy while evoking the style and cool of the Kingsman tradition". The trick, she said, was representing the way of dress for men from 100 years ago, but with a 'hey, that looks fresh' contemporary spin". This manifests itself in the bold use of colour and weave in the suits, as well as checks and stripes. Moreover, one of the defining features of the fabrication is the heavy weight of the wool suiting that was used to create a strong silhouette. The main collection, in turn, is replete with pilot jackets, oxford coats, classic military styles, oiled leather jackets. We had to ask ourselves 'would someone today wear this striped suit or this military-inspired jacket?' What may work well on screen might not wholly work on Mr Porter, so it was a process to unite both objectives, said Clapton, who found that with a few tweaks of classic styles you could create something modern. These are the pieces that make the website. Ultimately, the costume took precedence over the collection in the design process. Given the time period and commitment to historical accuracy, most of the costumes featured in the film are custom-made from the suits to the shoes, buttons to collars. The biggest challenge facing Clapton, Vaughn, and Mr Porter was how to evoke the spirit of Kingsman fashion without the commercial offering venturing too much into costume territory. In order to execute the tasteful wardrobe of a spy, Mr Porter partnered Kingsman with many bespoke fashion houses including shirtmaker, Turnbull & Asser; haberdasher, Drakes, for the ties; and shoemaker, George Cleverley, amongst nine other participating brands each with a unique proposition from umbrellas to glassware. New to the lineup is watchmaker, Jaeger-LeCoultre, who created a limited-edition watch for the film. We approach partner brands with the same sense of storytelling and character development that goes into the filmmaking process, said Mr Porters Kershaw. With 12 seasonal collections under their belt; three costume to collection capsules released; and discussions of future films underway, the Kingsman universe and its appeal to mens wardrobes is likely to continue well into the future. The Kingsman collection is available to shop at MRPORTER.com now. LOOK THE PART Kingsman Archie Reid Double-Breasted Prince of Wales Checked Jacket - 1,095 Kingsman Archie Reid Double-Breasted Prince of Wales Checked Jacket, 1,095 Kingsman Archie Reid Double-Breasted Prince of Wales Checked Trousers, 385 Jaeger Le-Coultre created a limited-edition watch for the film, also available on Mr. Porter Kingsman George Cleverley Leather Brogues, 655 Kingsman George Cleverley Leather Brogues, 655 Kingsman Drake's Silk-and-Wool-Blend Tie, 140 Kingsman Drake's Silk-and-Wool-Blend Tie, 140 A general view of a Australian flag is seen outside the Great Hall of the People on April 9, 2013 in Beijing, China. Raids on Chinese journalists living in Australia are "utterly appalling" and damage relations between the two countries, state news agency Xinhua said. China's state-backed tabloid Global Times reported earlier this week that Australian authorities raided the homes of four Chinese journalists residing in the country in June. "This gross, imperious and unreasonable act was utterly appalling. It fully exposes the Cold-War mentality and political prejudice of some Australian departments and officials," a Xinhua spokesperson said, according to the agency. "What they have done not only seriously harms the reputation and image of Chinese media, but also seriously interferes with the normal people-to-people exchanges between China and Australia," added the spokesperson, who was not identified. On Thursday, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that such action from Australia "blatantly violates the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese journalists there and caused severe harm to the physical and mental health of the journalists and their families." Australia's trade minister on Friday responded to the reports saying that security agencies had acted in accordance with the law. Relations between the two major trading partners have become increasingly strained and news of the raids coincided with the exit of two Australian journalists from China. The pair returned home with the help of consular officials after China's state security visited their residences in Beijing and Shanghai and questioned them. Another Australian citizen, Chinese television anchor Cheng Lei, was detained by Chinese authorities in August. Residents of some parts of Ogoniland jubilated on Saturday morning as news filtered in that officers of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested Honest Diigbara, aka Boboski, a notorious leader of a kidnap and armed robbery gang. Boboski was alleged to be behind different atrocities in the areas for many years. The gang leader had been on the police watchlist for years and had bounty of N30 million placed on his head by Governor Nyesom Wike. He was arrested in the early hours of Saturday, in a sting by the police, with assistance of a local security outfit. He was arrested along with his second in Command. He also sustained injuries during a gun duel with law enforcement officers. He was arrested through credible information at Korokoro Community in Tai Local Government Area , where he was hibernating with his gang of killers. On sighting the Police they engaged us and in a returned fire, his driver was fatally wounded, while he was arrested alive, Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan announced in a press statement he signed. Mukan enumerated some of the alleged atrocities of the crime kingpin: * kidnap of Barrister Emelogu who was killed even after his gang collected ransom * the kidnap and killing of a police officer, SP Moses Egbede after collecting ransom * killing of a soldier and a personnel of NSCDC at Gio pipeline, Ogoni last year. *The Kidnap of Chief Mbu of Ogu/Bolo for N7 million ransom * the killing of two police officers attached to the Federal Highway after their rifles were taken at Botem, Ogoniland. The Command uses the opportunity to urge the people of the State to continue to remain steadfast and trust in the ability of the Police to protect their lives and property, Mukan said. He also asked criminals to repent, relocate or face the full wrath of the law. The arrest of Boboski today is a milestone for the Command and Victory for the Ogoni people, Rivers and Nigeria at large, Mukan added. IIT - Delhi campus (Source: IIT-Delhi) The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-Delhi) will establish an independent School of Artificial Intelligence (ScAI) on campus. Admission process for the PhD programme will begin from January 2021, while post graduate (PG) level degree courses are being planned, the institute added. Prof V Ramgopal Rao, Director, IIT Delhi said, Future progress of a nation will depend on its AI capability. He further noted that while India is ranked 5th in the world in terms of number of AI companies and jobs, it lags in some very important aspects, such as number of AI researchers and overall quality and quantity of AI research. To fill this gap, IIT-Delhi has decided to establish the ScAI. One of the goals is also to strengthen IIT Delhis place on the global map of AI, Rao added. Among other objectives listed include: - Bring together faculty and individuals invested in various aspects of the field, thus acting as a force multiplier for overall research productivity. - Provide branding to IIT-Delhi in the important field, allowing global visibility and becoming a one-stop centre for industry or government collaborations or funding AI innovations. - Provide a platform for industry, government and civil society entities to share domain problems, which can be matched with relevant faculty analytical and technical expertise. - Initiate AI focused educational programs at the PG level, followed by professional level educational programs once critical mass of core AI researchers is achieved Speaking on the need for a specific program, Rao said current degrees are broad-based and do not allow students to learn the depth and subfields within AI. There is strong demand globally for skilled AI practitioners, which these programs can cater to, he noted. For faculty, ScAI will have a flexible model including core, joint and adjunct faculty members, not excluding industry insiders. Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, on Sept. 2, 2020. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images) Trump Administration Welcomes US Companies Back From China With Open Arms WASHINGTONWhite House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow says the Trump administration could create financial and credit incentives to help re-shore U.S. manufacturing and jobs. Its like the prodigal son in the Bible; you know, we want the prodigal son to return home, Kudlow said on Sept. 11 at the virtual annual conference of the U.S. Export-Import Bank (Exim). And we will have open arms for the prodigal son and bestow upon him or her whatever riches and rewards we can. Supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic have accelerated the need to bring production of critical materials back to the United States. Besides tax and regulatory incentives, the administration can create financial and credit incentives, which have become a very important part of our overall macro policy view, Kudlow said. He also stressed the importance of Exim, calling it a key factor in the United States ability to compete with China. The U.S. export credit agency faced a critical survival battle last year as some Republican lawmakers called for the bank to be liquidated. Critics say that the bank is used as a tool by the United States to subsidize exports and to help mainly politically connected giant corporations. The credit agency, however, has gained allies in Congress and the Trump administration, amid concerns that U.S. manufacturers are losing business overseas to China. In May 2019, the Senate revived the agency by confirming Trumps nominees to serve on the banks board. In December 2019, Congress also reauthorized Exim for seven years, the longest extension in the agencys 86-year history. Ive never been a huge fan of government subsidies, Kudlow said. But in this case, I think national security and economic security and technological security has become a tough game, and China does not play by the rules. Kudlow criticized Beijing for deploying an array of policies such as industrial subsidies and forced technology transfer. Chinas unfair and trade-distorting government subsidies have become a major problem in the world trading system. In the past decade, state-subsidized Chinese companies have taken the lead in many key industries, creating unfair competition for U.S. firms. The financial scale of Chinas state subsidies is unknown, as is the extent of the spillover costs for the U.S. and global economy, according to experts. Exim launched a China program this year to help level the playing field for U.S. exporters. The program sets a goal of reserving 20 percent of Exims financing authority to support U.S. businesses that compete directly with exports from China. Exim also has stepped up its finance programs this year to help U.S. exporters hit by the slowdown in global trade caused by the pandemic. Facebook has initiated legal proceedings challenging a preliminary order from Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) requiring it to stop transferring the data of EU users to the US. The High Court proceedings come just days after it emerged the commission had issued the social media giant with the order at the end of last month. The move by Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon is the first step in the enforcement of a significant European Court decision in July, and will have major implications for Facebook and other tech companies who transfer data to the US. The decision struck down the transatlantic 'Privacy Shield' treaty, restricting how companies can send personal information about people in Europe to the US. The court found neither US national security laws nor the Privacy Shield framework provided enforceable privacy rights or effective legal remedies for Europeans whose data may become the subject of US government surveillance. The decision means the validity of 'standard contractual clauses' (SCCs), used by thousands of Irish and European companies to transfer data, is close to being cancelled. The outcome of Facebook's challenge will be watched closely on both sides of the Atlantic. More than 5,300 companies are Privacy Shield certified. Facebook has reacted by claiming a cancellation of SCCs could cause near-term chaos for the global economy. It is seeking a judicial review of the DPC decision to issue the preliminary order. Papers were filed with the High Court on Thursday, but are not yet publicly available. Neither Facebook nor the DPC would comment on the proceedings yesterday. However, it is understood Facebook will argue the process used by the DPC was flawed and that the commission effectively opened an inquiry and made a decision at the same time. It is also expected to argue the decision to issue the preliminary order was premature and cast aside other potential solutions too quickly. A final decision from the DPC on the matter is still several weeks away and observers expect it will arrive next month or in November. After the preliminary order was issued, Facebook was given 21 days to respond. Once the response has been considered, a draft decision will be made and circulated to other regulators prior to being finalised. But the process could now be delayed by the legal proceedings. Asked about the issue, a Facebook spokesperson said: "A lack of safe, secure and legal international data transfers would have damaging consequences for the European economy. We urge regulators to adopt a pragmatic and proportionate approach until a sustainable long-term solution can be reached." The matter is the latest in a long list of regulatory matters currently between Facebook and the DPC. The Irish regulator currently has 12 statutory enquiries into Facebook and its subsidiaries of WhatsApp and Instagram, ranging from data breaches to data sharing. Under European enforcement law, fines under GDPR can rise to 4pc of a firm's global turnover. In Facebook's case, that amounts to a maximum of 3bn. Last year, the social media giant was fined $5bn (4.2bn) by US authorities over privacy-related issues. Former Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prajapati, who was granted interim bail by the high court in a gang rape case, is likely to remain in jail as another court has sent him to 14-days in judicial custody after a fresh FIR of fraud, forgery and criminal intimidation was registered against him. The Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court had on September 4 granted Prajapati interim bail for two months on medical grounds in the gang rape case, but as of Friday, he was still in jail as his bail conditions were not fulfilled, police officials said. The officials said although Prajapatis bail order stands, a lower court has ordered him to be in 14-day judicial custody in the fresh case lodged against him at Ghazipur police station on Thursday. Investigation officer inspector Anand Shahi confirmed that the hearing in the fresh case against the former minister was conducted through video conference on Friday, when the court allowed his 14-day judicial custody. Shahi said the officials concerned have been informed about the latest development so that he could not be released on bail in the gang rape case. Also Read: Rs 11 crore embezzlement at two Mathura temples, SIT files FIR against 12 On Thursday, Dinesh Chandra Tripathi, former lawyer of the alleged gang rape survivor, lodged an FIR against Prajapati, the survivor and her daughter. The lawyer also alleged that he had received a threat from Prajapati earlier on phone. 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 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 Eye for detail: US teacher wins $10k after reading fine print of her insurance policy Unusual reunion: Teacher finds her old student flying her plane to Chicago, 30 years later Meet Ashok Lodhi who teaches while children watch cartoons India oi-Briti Roy Barman New Delhi, Sep 12: COVID-19 pandemic has hit the teaching industry in such a way that teachers across the globe are struggling in finding ways to reach their students effectively. As the teaching-learning process has significantly gone virtual, country like India has been seen a lot of issues.Sometimes it is proverty which becomes obstacle to buy a smart phone or internet packs or unable to get access the internet as there are many villages where still technology does not exist. In the contrary, a teacher from Chhattisgarh has paved to the hearts of his students, by implementing his innovative teaching methods. Ashok Lodhi invents mohalla class where he carries a television on his scooter to make his classes interesting. Ashok teaches his students, while they also enjoy animated shows on the TV that helps in entertaining the children. Ashok says, "I thought this is a good way to attract students." "It's fun. We watch cartoons and study at the same time," says a student attending his 'mohalla' classes. "I don't bear any extra cost as the TV is from our school and I am anyway supposed to visit places to take classes. Local administration also encouraged me," he added. Rhode Island will send applications for mail-in ballots to every registered voter in the state in advance of the Nov. 3 general election, officials announced Friday. Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea said shes taking the action to make it easy to vote from home and to avoid crowding polling places during the coronavirus pandemic. Voters should begin receiving applications at home starting Saturday, she said. Its going to ensure that voters dont have to choose between their health and their constitutional right to vote, Gorbea said. Joined at a press conference by a member of the states Board of Elections, Gorbea said she has the authority to send mail-in ballot applications without any specific approval by the state Legislature. State officials are expecting record turnout for the general election, Gorbea said. Members of the Rhode Island National Guard are being called upon to sort mail-in ballots, she said, but they will not process any ballots. Rhode Islanders will also be able to vote at in-person polling locations, and drop-boxes will be provided to submit ballots. By Trend After the explosion in Beirut on August 4, the Armenian government, continuing its aggressive policy and violating the international law, is resettling the Lebanese Armenians to the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, which has been under Armenias occupation for more than 30 years, Member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Shamil Ayrim told Trend on Sept. 12. After coming to power, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan started a very dangerous game, Ayrim, who is also the head of the Turkey-Azerbaijan inter-parliamentary friendship group, added. Firstly, Pashinyan settles Karabakh and the territories of seven adjacent districts with Armenians from such countries as Lebanon. Secondly, he uses them as mercenaries, and thirdly, cooperates with such terrorist organizations as Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). " The member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly stressed that Armenia is trying to increase the population through ethnic Armenians, resettling them from abroad. The goal is to consolidate the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh region and Armenia's occupation policy, Ayrim said. If the Armenian authorities thought about people, they would join such projects as Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars. I do not think that anyone will stop those who are resettling after the recent explosion in Lebanon because there are big problems in Lebanon, just as in Syria, member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly said. International organizations must take action. The UN must urgently stop the resettlement of the Lebanese Armenians to the occupied Azerbaijani territories, force Armenia to comply with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council." The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 20:25:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese foreign ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Saturday urged some U.S. politicians to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs as a whole. A spokesperson of the commissioner's office expressed strong disapproval of and firm opposition against the groundless remarks by the U.S. politicians about a case still under investigation, which involves Hong Kong residents suspected of illegal border-crossing. The spokesperson said China is a country under the rule of law. Chinese judicial authorities handle cases in accordance with the law, protect the legitimate rights of criminal suspects, and deal with cases involving the mainland and Hong Kong in strict accordance with the "one country, two systems" principle. The U.S. side has no right to meddle in China's internal affairs. The spokesperson pointed out that while the United States is fraught with economic and social challenges, with racial conflict flaring up and COVID-19 infections and deaths remaining high, some American politicians have, however, turned a blind eye to the problems at home and showed unusual "concern" about internal affairs of other countries instead. "We strongly urge U.S. politicians to abide by international law and the basic norms governing international relations, mind their own business, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs as a whole," the spokesperson said. Enditem Sheriffs Department scholarships available EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County Sheriff John D. Lakin will be awarding to $500 scholarships. The... Two face Double Tree burglary charges EDWARDSVILLE Two people were charged with multiple felonies after a burglary at the Double Tree... Historic Missouri cave goes up for sale for $3.4 million According to the Zillow listing, all of the land that comes with the purchase of the cave totals... She kept going to her yoga class, her safe place. Then one early morning in February 2017, when she lay in the darkened yoga room awaiting her class, the instructor arrived and turned up the lights. Illustration: Reg Lynch Credit: In the mirror in front of her, she saw Edwards, who, unbeknownst to her, had been lying in wait just a few metres behind her. She fled the yoga studio and went straight to Hornsby police station to report the incident, which terrified her. But the police there did not take her seriously they said she seemed "more angry than scared". They accepted Edwards' explanation that it was just a coincidence that he and his estranged wife happened to be in the studio for the same class. Police did not take out an AVO on behalf of Olga and they did not ring the yoga instructor to investigate independently what happened. If they had, they would have learned the instructor was so perturbed by Edwards' behaviour that he asked him not to return to the studio. Months later, when Edwards applied for a gun licence, the yoga incident did not come up on the police record search the NSW Firearms Registry did on Edwards. A lot of other incidents did Edwards had a 30-year history of harassing, assaulting and stalking the women and children in his life. None of it mattered. Edwards was able to obtain the licence and, then, the guns he used to kill his children. The Edwards inquest is the kind of story that stays in your head and sticks to your skin. Edwards had such a strong history of violence that it is tempting to think it would have been impossible to prevent him committing the unspeakable act he did. But the yoga incident and the fact it was not seen in context and taken seriously by police is a real "sliding doors" moment. Olga was caught in a Chinese finger trap the more she pulled away, the tighter she was drawn in. Olga was battling Edwards in the Family Court and evidence to the inquest showed her allegations of Edwards' violence towards their children were treated sceptically there. The children's own lawyer, appointed to represent their best interests, labelled Olga "uncooperative" because she would not facilitate the children's visits to family therapy with the father they feared. The lawyer told Olga if she did not facilitate the visits, she would recommend to the judge that the children be removed from their mother's custody. Olga was battling hard to be free but she was caught in a Chinese finger trap the more she pulled away, the tighter she was drawn in. In 2006, Howard government changes to the Family Law Act came into effect which imposed a presumption that parents should be given equal shared parental responsibility in custody proceedings. Ever since the presumption was enacted, various parliamentary committees have recommended repealing it. Women's rights groups say it forces women and children into contact with abusive parents. In its submission to the inquiry into family, domestic and sexual violence being conducted by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs, the Law Council called for the removal of the presumption of Equal Shared Parental Responsibility and the bias towards equal time which flows from it. "Parental responsibility should be a matter for the court to determine in the circumstances of each case," the Law Council submitted. When Parliament sits in October, it will consider a private member's bill moved by Labor MP Graham Perrett which removes the presumption. He drafted the bill after the shocking murders of Hannah Clarke and her three young children, Aaliyah, Lainah and Trey, at the hands of her partner and their father. "This bill does nothing to displace the common law duty of parental responsibility. Loading "What this bill does is ensure that when that common law duty is displaced by a court order, that order will be made in the best interests of the child," Perrett said in his introduction speech for the bill. "Every child deserves to have decisions made about their life, made in their best interests and only their best interest." The bill has some cross-party support. 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. MIAMI Four months after a federal judge ruled that it was akin to an unconstitutional poll tax for Florida to require that people with serious criminal convictions pay court fines and fees before they can register to vote, an appeals court narrowly overturned that decision on Friday. The courts 6-4 ruling dealt a significant blow to civil rights groups that have fought to expand the voter rolls with hundreds of thousands of people who had completed prison time and parole for felony convictions. It also undermined what had seemed like a major referendum victory in 2018 and served as another reminder of the decisive role that a slew of legal cases could play before the presidential election. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta ruled that a Florida law passed in 2019 was constitutional, reversing the lower court ruling in May that said it discriminated against people who had been convicted of felonies, many of whom are indigent, by imposing an unlawful pay-to-vote system. The legal battle followed an amendment to the State Constitution in 2018, when Floridas voters decided to end the disenfranchisement of those convicted of felonies, except for murder and sexual offenses. Florida is a perennially close state in presidential elections, and any effort to limit ballot access could play a role in November, particularly if it affects a mostly low-income and disadvantaged population likely to lean more toward Democrats. The deadline to register is Oct. 5. and the US on Friday held a bilateral 2+2 inter-sessional meeting at the official level during which the two sides exchanged views about regional developments and agreed to pursue their quest for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. At the meeting held virtually, the Indian delegation was led jointly by Vani Rao, Joint Secretary (Americas) in the Ministry of External Affairs, and Somnath Ghosh, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) in the Ministry of Defence. The US delegation was led jointly by Dean Thompson, Senior Bureau Official, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs in the US Department of State, and David Helvey, Acting Assistant Secretary for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs in the US Department of Defense. Both sides reviewed the progress and developments in bilateral ties in defence, security, and foreign policy areas since the last 2+2 ministerial meeting held on December 18, 2019 in Washington DC, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. They explored opportunities for enhancing ongoing cooperation in these fields based on mutual interest, the MEA said. "They also exchanged views about regional developments, and agreed to pursue their quest for a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific," the statement said. The inter-sessional meeting mechanism was set up pursuant to the 2+2 ministerial. The two sides agreed to continue these discussions in the future, MEA said. The meeting comes amid a border standoff between and China 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.) Enjoying the late summer sunshine, Saoirse Ronan's affections seem divided between her boyfriend and her dog and occasionally the bagel she chose for breakfast, too. The four-time Oscar nominee was pictured out for a stroll near her West London flat with beau Jack Lowden and her four-year-old Westie-golden-retriever cross, Fran. They took time to relax in a park before sitting down outside a Notting Hill bakery. Saoirse Ronan was pictured out for a stroll near her West London flat with beau Jack Lowden and her four-year-old Westie-golden-retriever cross, Fran The famously down-to-earth Saoirse, who received her latest Academy Award nomination for playing iron-willed Jo March in the recent adaptation of Louis May Alcott's novel Little Women, couldn't have looked less like an A-lister. She was dressed down in a trendy denim skirt, tights and a pair of studded leather monk-strap shoes from British shoemaker Church's, priced at 610. The 26-year-old, who grew up in Co Carlow in Ireland, has made no secret of the love she has for Fran. The four-time Oscar nominee took time to relax in a park before sitting down outside a Notting Hill bakery She was dressed down in a trendy denim skirt, tights and a pair of studded leather monk-strap shoes from British shoemaker Church's, priced at 610 But the origin of the name she chose is less adorable: she's named after a drug-dealer character in the sometimes harrowing Irish television crime drama Love/Hate. Saoirse admitted that 'only Irish people' would understand the name of her pooch, saying: 'Fran from Love/Hate is my favourite character and I love [actor] Peter Coonan in it. I've told him this and I called my Fran after him. 'Originally we wanted a boy dog and then we met Fran and we were like, "no, it's only ever been you". 'So she got the name. So technically she's Frances, but she's named after a drug dealer from inner-city Dublin.' Earlier this year, The Mail on Sunday confirmed that Saoirse was dating 29-year-old Jack, who played her husband Henry in the 2018 movie Mary Queen Of Scots Earlier this year, The Mail on Sunday confirmed that Saoirse was dating 29-year-old Jack, who played her husband Henry in the 2018 movie Mary Queen Of Scots. Lowden initially denied they were in a relationship despite them appearing 'extremely close' at a party in New York. Saiorse has previously explained how her name, which means 'freedom' in Irish, is pronounced: 'It's Ser-sha, like inertia.' Something her ever-rising career is never blighted by. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- It almost doesnt matter who started the fires this week in the squalid refugee camp on Lesbos called Moria, leaving thousands to sleep on the streets. It could have been the desperate migrants, dwelling in cramped tents without clean toilets and forced by Covid-19 to quarantine, whatever that may mean in such conditions. It could have been local Greeks, who resent what they see as a slum that sullies their beautiful island. Or the fires could have flared all by themselves, because in such a wretched place, bad things are just bound to happen. Either way, Europe from Brussels to Berlin, Budapest, Warsaw and Athens is responsible for this tragedy. This is blowback for one of the European Unions worst failures on an admittedly long list: its inability to fix a broken refugee system. Its been clear for many years that migration from poor and war-torn regions in the Middle East and Africa to this comparatively orderly continent would be one of the EUs biggest challenges. But most member states that cant be reached by dinghy, raft or boat across the Mediterranean and only Greece, Malta, Italy and Spain can be refused to acknowledge migration as their problem. The result was the notorious and cynical Dublin system. It requires migrants, at least in theory, to apply for asylum only in the first EU member state they physically enter. Unless they jet in by airplane and Syrians whove been bombed out of their homes tend to flee without boarding passes this means the Mediterranean states. The resulting dysfunction came to a head exactly half a decade ago, during the refugee crisis. In the summer of 2015, Syrians, Afghans and others fled to Greece, which was itself suffering from the euro crisis. From there the migrants walked across the Balkans toward Germany and the north until many of them were stranded at a train station in Budapest. Instead of helping, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban blocked them. On their nightly news that summer, Europeans watched families sleeping on platforms and train tracks and walking along highways toward the German border. Story continues Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, decided that turning back these refugees was not an option. Neither Germany nor the world, 70 years after the Holocaust, wanted to see Germans in uniform fencing in downtrodden and helpless people. So she let them in. Journalists like me reported that she opened the border. In fact, the Austro-German border was already open; she just didnt close it. 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. Merkel, in particular, was blamed for this crisis, as if she, rather than the likes of Syrias President Bashar al-Assad, had prodded the refugees onto their journey. Selfies of smiling migrants posing with the friendly chancellor zipped around the world. Merkel had created a pull effect, it was said. The chancellor and her center-right party soon changed course. The welcome culture was ended, as laws were tightened, asylum processes tweaked and deportations accelerated. A tenuous deal with Turkey was struck, meant to dissuade refugees from crossing to the Greek islands. In effect if not on paper, the EUs Dublin system had been abolished. What would replace it? In principle, there was an obvious answer. The EU needed a new system, in which European agencies, such as Frontex, policed the blocs external borders, accepted migrants in a humane way and speedily processed their asylum claims. Successful applicants would be resettled across the whole EU according to a set formula. Unsuccessful ones would be swiftly deported to their home countries. But such a European solution never came about. Thats because the EU still makes most decisions by unanimity, and the usual suspects always led by Orban and his copycats in the nationalist government of Poland, but also including states like Austria block every step. In effect, theyre sabotaging the EU. So in reality, an unofficial migration regime evolved instead. Without admitting to it, member states have tried to turn the pull factor into a push factor by making the existence of refugees like those in Moria as unpleasant as possible and just short of legally inhumane. Thus Greece, emulating Australia, tries to block refugees from reaching its mainland by herding them into island camps, of which Moria is the largest. Designed for 3,000 people, it accommodated 20,000 at some points, and 12,000 when the fires broke out this week. At sea, Greek ships have been observed pushing back refugee boats with force, although Athens denies these reports. But singling out Greece would be unfair. If Europes refugee camps are hell, its because Europe implicitly wants them to be. Thats why fires such as Morias are inevitable, as are disease outbreaks, violence and every other form of human misery. Unless Europe strong-arms its saboteurs, starting with Orban, to fix its migration system, it will stumble from one humanitarian disaster to another. Gradually, this will discredit any claim the EU might have to being a community of values. And in that case, whats the point of having the EU at all? This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Andreas Kluth is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. He was previously editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist. He's the author of "Hannibal and Me." 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. 1. Yes. Too many kids are staying home. They need a virtual learning option to keep up. 2. Yes. Teachers are out sick and subs cant handle the load. Online learning is needed. 3. No. Its too late in the school year to make a wholesale switch in teaching platforms. 4.No. Many parents arent in a position to stay home while their kids learn virtually. 5. Unsure. It may seem like a good idea from a health standpoint, but it has shortcomings. Vote View Results MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard, for years once of the states most influential politicians, reported to jail Friday to begin a prison sentence for his 2016 ethics conviction. Hubbard reported to the Lee County Detention Center in Opelika, according to jail records, to begin his four-year sentence. The Auburn Republican was for years one of the states most powerful politicians until the ethics conviction in a corruption case ended his political career. Prosecutors accused Hubbard of leveraging his powerful public office to obtain clients and investments for his businesses. His defence lawyers maintained the transactions were all aboveboard. 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, attorney Lance Bell said. A jury in 2016 convicted Hubbard of 12 counts of violating the state ethics law, but six were overturned on appeal. The Alabama Supreme Court last month refused to reconsider the case. The Alabama attorney generals office said Hubbard had until Saturday to report to the jail to be processed and turned over to the Department of Corrections. He had been free on appeal since his 2016 conviction as he unsuccessfully fought to completely overturn his conviction. Attorney David McKnight said they are considering additional appeals or asking a judge to reduce his sentence since some counts have been overturned. Hubbard, the architect of the GOPs takeover of the Alabama Legislature in 2010, was a legislator from Auburn and former chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. He was elected House speaker soon after the Republicans won control of both legislative chambers. Hubbard was automatically removed from office after his 2016 felony conviction. 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.' Valmet Oyjs press release on September 11, 2020 at 3:30 p.m. EET Valmet has on September 11, 2020 entered into an agreement to acquire PMP Group in Poland. The enterprise value of the acquisition is approximately EUR 64 million, plus a conditional and capped earn-out component. The acquisition is estimated to be completed on October 1, 2020 at the earliest. PMP Group supplies process technologies and services for tissue, board and paper machines globally, focusing on small and medium-sized tissue machines and board and paper machine rebuilds. The net sales of the company were approximately EUR 70 million in the fiscal year 2019. The company employs about 650 people, the majority of whom are located in Poland and the rest in China, USA and Italy. Jari Vahapesola, Business Line President, Paper in Valmet: The acquisition will bring two companies with different offerings and customer segments together. PMPs technology and services portfolio for small and medium-sized tissue, board and paper machines will be a very good complement to Valmets current paper technology and services for wide and fast machines and rebuilds. Together with PMPs product portfolio, their competence and presence in strategic markets, we will create new business opportunities and further strengthen our capabilities to serve paper, board and tissue producers globally. PMP has a very skilled team and I am happy to warmly welcome them to Valmet, says Jari Vahapesola, Business Line President, Paper business line, Valmet. Mirosaw Pietraszek, PMP Group President: Joining to Valmet opens a new chapter in PMPs rich history in the pulp and paper industry and represents a huge leap forward for our future development. I am convinced that the joint technological, production and human resources in our key markets will allow us to reach new heights and ultimately benefit the advancement of the entire paper industry, says Miroslaw Pietraszek, PMP Group President. Story continues PMP Group - a company with a long history in the pulp and paper industry PMP Group is a provider of tissue, paper and board machinery and services. The company has been serving the pulp and paper industry for over 165 years. The 650 employees are located in Jelenia Gora and Swiecie in Poland, Changzhou in China, South Beloit in USA and Lucca in Italy. VALMET Corporate Communications For further information, please contact Jari Vahapesola, Business Line President, Paper, Valmet, tel. +358 40 558 6555 Anu Salonsaari-Posti, SVP, Marketing and Communications, tel. +358 10 672 0000 Valmet is the leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. We aim to become the global champion in serving our customers. Valmet's strong technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bioenergy production. Our advanced services and automation solutions improve the reliability and performance of our customers' processes and enhance the effective utilization of raw materials and energy. Valmet's net sales in 2019 were approximately EUR 3.5 billion. Our more than 13,000 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers' performance forward every day. Valmet's head office is in Espoo, Finland and its shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki. Read more www.valmet.com , www.twitter.com/valmetglobal Processing of personal data WASHINGTON: The Senate intelligence committee is investigating a whistleblower complaint filed by a former top U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official alleging he was pressed to skew official intelligence reports for political purposes, according to a letter seen by Reuters. Senators Marco Rubio and Mark Warner, the committees Republican acting chair and Democrat vice chair, wrote to DHS deputy general counsel Joseph Maher on Thursday, saying they had received the complaint and asking for related documents. Brian Murphy, who until recently was acting chief of DHS intelligence and analysis (I&A) office, alleged in the complaint that acting DHS chief Chad Wolf asked him to stop providing assessments on Russian election interference and to play down U.S. white supremacist activity. As the Committee investigates this matter, we respectfully request that you provide the Committee with all intelligence assessments produced by I&A related to Mr. Murphys complaint including but not limited to products related to migration and asylum, foreign interference in U.S. elections, and domestic threats related to white supremacism, antifa and anarchist groups", the senators letter says. A spokesman for Rubio said Murphys complaint will be treated as seriously as any other complaint." DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment but said on Wednesday, We flatly deny that there is any truth to the merits of Mr. Murphys claim.". The Rubio-Warner letter, first reported by Reuters, indicates the Republican-led Senate committee is joining the Democrat-led House Intelligence Committee in digging into allegations in the complaint that Murphy, who served as acting DHS intelligence for several months this year, filed earlier this week with the DHS Inspector General. Mark Zaid, a lawyer for Murphy, said We have specifically requested DHSs position on whether it will block Mr. Murphys classified testimony before relevant congressional committees, including when faced with a subpoena." Murphys complaint alleges that Wolf told him to stop providing assessments of the threat of Russian interference in the Nov. 3 election and to play down U.S. white supremacist activity. Murphy says Wolf told him in mid-May to report instead on political interference threats posed by China and Iran, and to highlight the involvement of left-wing groups in domestic disorder. The House Intelligence Committee requested that Murphy appear for a deposition on Sept. 21. House committee chairman Adam Schiff said on Friday he met with the DHS Maher earlier this week to discuss Murphys complaint. The White House has denied suggestions by Murphy that Robert OBrien, President Donald Trumps national security adviser, instructed Wolf to play up intelligence supporting Trumps political themes. 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 Will you or won't you see an extra $50 or more in your paycheck each week as employers temporarily give workers a break on payroll taxes? It's hard to say, but many companies clearly aren't rushing into anything. And some are flat-out saying no way, we're not attempting this one. Deferring payroll taxes for the rest of 2020 may be one of those ideas that sounds good on paper but turns into a ton of paperwork, and one extra hassle that many employers don't want to take on right now. Best bet: Don't expect to see any boost to your cash flow just yet if ever. Uncle Sam isn't cutting taxes, just taking on a quirky role as a loan shark who fronts you the money but expects to get paid back soon. What could happen in 2020 to payroll taxes? President Donald Trump in August signed an executive order that allowed employers to temporarily defer payroll taxes from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31 in light of the ongoing COVID-19 disaster. Trump was attempting a workaround for the idea after a second stimulus package stalled in Congress. Struggling with credit card debt?: Here's what you can do with them during COVID-19 More: American spend about $18k a year on nonessentials. Here's how you can save more. The Trump deal is unlike the temporary 2% payroll tax cut that workers quickly saw in 2012 after President Barack Obama and Congress took action. This latest deferral deal has more strings and risks for both workers and employers. And it's optional for most employers. Several companies with major operations in Michigan including Ford Motor, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Huntington Bank and United Shore said that they continued to review the option as of early September. But a few others said they're not making any changes. General Motors is not implementing the voluntary program, according to spokesperson David Caldwell on Tuesday. Comerica Bank isn't going to set up a program to defer payroll taxes either. Story continues A house divided: As millions of Americans face evictions, others buy dream homes during COVID-19 After a thorough evaluation and based on feedback from many colleagues, Comerica will not be participating in the payroll tax deferral program," said Matthew Barnhart, vice president of corporate communications for Comerica in Michigan. Troy-based Flagstar also said it will not be participating in the federal payroll tax deferral. "We dont feel that it provides a meaningful benefit to our employees. The taxes would not be waived, but would only be deferred until early 2021, when payment would be required by employees at then-current tax rates in addition to their normal Social Security taxes," according to Susan Bergesen, vice president media/corporate communications. Instead, she said, Flagstar has addressed financial hardships brought on by COVID-19 by setting up an employee assistance fund that has made $145,000 available to eligible employees. The Flagstar Foundation made $100,000 available and employees helping their fellow employees raised another $45,000. Even so, many federal workers will need to know the ins and outs of the program, as it will likely start hitting their paychecks soon. Eligible active-duty military members and federal civilian employees are now expected to see the temporary payroll tax withholding deferral automatically apply to their pay later in September. "Unions that represent federal employees are upset that the deferral appears to be mandatory for eligible government workers, and are urging the Trump administration to allow employees to have a choice," according to a report in The Hill. What kind of money might be on the table? Under the president's executive order, businesses have a choice and aren't required to make any changes. The Internal Revenue Service has confirmed that deferring the employee portion of Social Security taxes is optional. The amount that could be deferred is the 6.2% payroll tax employees pay to fund Social Security. If you earn $807 a week, for example, you might be looking at an extra $50 in a weekly check. If a company makes a change, the payroll tax break could apply only to workers with incomes that are less than $4,000 every two weeks before taxes or $2,000 weekly. President Donald Trump on Bedminster, N.J., on Aug. 8, 2020. Higher paid workers say those with a salary of $105,000 or more would not be eligible for a break and an employer could have a mix of workers who receive a break and others who don't. "This modest, targeted action will put money directly in the pockets of American workers and generate additional incentives for work and employment, right when the money is needed most," the memorandum stated. What do the CPAs think? Ed Karl, vice president for taxation for the American Institute of CPAs, said companies must determine how to limit the risks associated with deferring the collection of the payroll taxes. The big issue: The payroll tax money that is deferred will have to be paid back beginning in January through April on top of any money that will be withheld for payroll taxes in 2021. The money would have to be paid in full through April before penalties and interest may accrue. "What happens if the employee leaves before all the money is paid back?" Karl said. "Who is going to pay it back? The employer is responsible." Fact check: Payroll taxes cut by executive action must be paid back As we work our way through the recession and the public health crisis, much remains in flux. Companies could be looking at significant rounds of layoffs late this year or early next, if we face a second wave of spiking coronavirus cases in the winter and the economy stumbles further. "Are you going to collect from all those people who lost their jobs?" Karl asked. It's possible, he said, that an employer could withhold that money from the final paycheck but what if the wages won't cover the payroll taxes that were deferred? Karl said that a company that ends up filing for bankruptcy would not be able to see the payroll taxes owed discharged in bankruptcy. The employer would still owe the deferred payroll taxes. Would any companies be willing to take the risk and defer the payroll taxes? Karl said some companies with a very small payroll might feel secure that they won't lose those employees and that company might be more willing to participate, maybe a small family business. Others suggest a company that has long-term, consistent employees might be willing to take a risk, too. "Each business needs to access its circumstances," Karl said. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce noted that deferring payroll taxes now would create a substantial tax liability next year. "Without Congressional action to forgive the payroll tax, the order threatens to impose serious hardships on employees who make under $104,000 a year, who will be stuck with a large tax bill in 2021," according to the chamber. Someone who makes $75,000 a year, for example, could end up deferring nearly $1,610 in 2020 money that would be owed in 2021. As of early September, some tax professionals were advising employers to carefully review their own risks before initiating any changes. "Most of our clients are hesitant to place themselves in harms way should they not be able to retrieve deferred funds from an employee," said James ORilley, CPA and tax director for Doeren Mayhew in Troy. Many, he said, don't want to take the added risk. And some argue that employees won't be happy when they're paying two rounds of payroll taxes the amount withheld in 2020 and the amount due for 2021 early next year. Employers, O'Rilley said, face a huge potential burden relating to employees who may leave the company without a way for employer to claw back the Social Security not withheld. Some employers would prefer that individuals who have taken the deferral should be held responsible, not the employer, for paying back taxes at time of filing their 2020 Form 1040 in April 2021. The Trump payroll tax proposals are generating plenty of political buzz, particularly Trump's comments about one day planning to terminate the payroll tax entirely. But your paycheck in 2020 isn't likely to change as a result of all the talk. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Payroll tax break would create headaches for workers and employers The Bombay high court on Friday granted anticipatory bail to a Pune resident booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for tearing off clothes of a minor girl during a scuffle. It said provisions of the law are applicable only when a child is harassed with sexual intent. In order to attract the provisions of the POCSO Act, 2012, it is necessary to commit an act of harassment with sexual intent, said justice Bharati Dangre while granting pre-arrest bail to the accused. The accused was booked on the basis of a 17-year-old girls complaint on August 1. The judge noted the reading of the First Information Reports by the parties in the case against each other suggested petty rivalry between two families. Dangre said on account of some petty reasons, there was verbal altercation over some trivial issues. It aggravated and resulted into a scuffle, added Dangre. GENEVA: The European Union is requesting an urgent debate on Belarus at the top U.N. rights body next week, describing a deterioration" in the situation there, a letter written by the German ambassador showed on Friday. Western countries dispute the outcome of an Aug. 9 election which official results show President Alexander Lukashenko won, and the EU is aiming for economic sanctions. The ongoing deterioration of the human rights situation in Belarus in relation to the 2020 presidential election needs the urgent attention of the Human Rights Council," Germanys Ambassador to the United Nations Michael von Ungern-Sternberg wrote to the Geneva-based council. The ambassador, whose nation holds the EU rotating presidency, added that he would request a resolution after the debate. He did not elaborate on the human rights issues in Belarus though others have voiced concerns about reported kidnappings and threats to opposition figures since the vote. A schedule of the rights council showed the item would be discussed on Monday, the opening day of a three-week session held in Geneva. Lukashenko denies rigging the election and has refused to talk to the opposition, accusing them of trying to wreck the former Soviet republic. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Friday for authorities in Belarus to refrain from the use of force against those engaging in peaceful assembly and to ensure that allegations of torture and other mistreatment of people in detention are fully investigated and addressed." 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 - Flying Officer OO Oke has become the first female pilot to fly solo on the L-39ZA in the history of 403 Flying Training School Kano - A video emerged on social media in which the pilot could be seen flying solo - Nigerians have congratulated her and wished her success in her carrier in the Nigerian Air Force Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana A video has emerged in which a female Nigerian Air Force pilot identified as Flying Officer OO Oke was spotted flying the L-39ZA. In the video, which was posted on Twitter by @Jakepor21, Oke could be seen flying solo on the L-39ZA, becoming the first female pilot to do so in the history of 403 Flying Training School Kano. It should be noted that female pilots in the Air Force are making history by achieving what their male counterparts have achieved. Nigerians took to the comment section of the post to share their thoughts on Oke's achievement. Flying Officer OO Oke. Photo credit: @Jakepor21/Twitter Source: UGC Onyeukwu Nnadozie with the handle @Mandouze noted that Oke had done a great job, adding that he would be proud to see Air Force pilots integrate the use of digital maps for mission planning. He wrote: "This is a great job..... I would be proud to see these pilots integrate the use of digital maps for mission planning." Another user with the handle @Caca22101984 wrote: "Great job. I need a full video on how she landed. Female pilot." @OSHINOWOSADE wrote: "I cover her with the Blood of Jesus Christ Amen." @muyiwa85939471 wrote: "Job well done." Below are other reactions: Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that following the funeral of Nigeria's first female combat helicopter pilot, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) handed over three suspects involved in the accident that led to her death to the Nigeria Police Force. Air Commodore, Ibikunle Daramola, the director of public relations and information in a statement revealed the names of the suspects as Nehemiah Adejoh, Igbekele Folorunsho and Festus Gbayegun. Daramola said the suspects who were former schoolmates of late Arotile were handed to the police on Friday, July 24, at the NAF Base Kaduna. 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 Nicole Kidman's $100million production Nine Perfect Strangers began filming in Byron Bay, Australia in August. And on Friday, Hollywood actor Michael Shannon, who plays Napoleon in the series, was spotted enjoying a bike ride in the coastal town. The 46-year-old dressed casually in a brown T-shirt and grey shorts. Out and about: Hollywood actor Michael Shannon (pictured), 46, took a break from filming Nicole Kidman's $100M series Nine Perfect Strangers on Friday, to enjoy a bike ride in Byron Bay, Australia Michael, who is best known for his role as Nelson Van Alden in HBO's period drama Boardwalk Empire, added blue socks and sneakers to the look. The twice-nominated Academy Award star is joined by an A-list cast including Nicole, Melissa McCarthy, Luke Evans and Manny Jacinto. Nine Perfect Strangers is based on the 2018 novel by Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty. Low-key: Michael, who is best known for his role as Nelson Van Alden in HBO's period drama Boardwalk Empire, dressed casually in a brown T-shirt, grey shorts, blue socks and sneakers The limited series is being produced by Nicole's production company Blossom Films, alongside collaborators Bruna Papandrea and David E. Kelley. It will tell the story of nine stressed-out urbanites who escape to a wellness retreat run by Nicole's character, Masha. Filming began on August 10 and will run for 19 weeks. Acclaimed: The twice-nominated Academy Award star joins an A-list cast including Nicole, Melissa McCarthy, Luke Evans and Manny Jacinto. Pictured in January in New York Plot: The limited series is based on the 2018 novel by Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty. It will tell the story of nine stressed-out urbanites who escape to a wellness retreat run by Nicole's character, Masha. Nicole is pictured with Liane Nicole, 53, told Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph in July that she's 'thrilled' to be able to bring hundreds of jobs to the local industry. 'I am thrilled we are able to make Nine Perfect Strangers in Australia,' she said. 'It is a great opportunity for me to give back to the community that nurtured me through so much of my career.' IAF chopper crash: Rajnath Singh likely to be apprised of probe team's findings in next couple of days Indo-China standoff not discussed during Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence meet India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 12: The border stand off with China was not discussed during the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence. Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat appeared before the Standing Committee on Defence on Friday. During the meeting the members discussed issues such as better food, clothing and other facilities especially for the soldiers. The topic was provision and monitoring of the quality of ration and livery items to the defence forces. NCP leader, Sharad Pawar however sought a discussion on the China issue. To this General Rawat said that the point has been noted and the Armed Forces will send a written reply to the panel later. Outcome of Indo-China meet: Disengage, maintain distance along LAC, continue dialogue Last month General Rawat had told the committee that the situation in Ladakh is a long drawn process. He however added that the forces are prepared for it and have made all arrangements for troop deployment in the harsh winter. Earlier, General Rawat had met with all the service chiefs and also Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The CDS discussed with Singh and the three service chiefs, the India-China border developments. During the meeting held on Friday, Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi expressed concern over the food items being provided to the soldiers as compared to the officers. He said that rank should not be considered for providing the type of food or nutrition in the defence forces. 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. 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. 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. After meeting with Rajnath, 3 service chiefs, CDS Rawat appears before Standing Committee on Defence 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. Belarusian authorities have arrested scores of demonstrators as they attempt to end more than a month of protests against the country's president. Vladimir Lukashenko is set to visit Russia in his bid to shore up his dictatorship after 26 years in office. Mr Lukashenko has worked to cement ties with his main ally and sponsor and will travel on Monday for head to head talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. At least nine protesters were held yesterday outside a court in the Belarus capital Minsk as they rallied in solidarity with industrial workers defending their right to launch a strike. Police detained more protesters in Vitebsk, Gomel and Baranovichi, said the Viasna human rights centre in Minsk. "The threats and detentions come before the protests set for the weekend," said the head of the centre, Ales Bialitski "Lukashenko would very much like to show the Kremlin that the protests are abating and he controls the situation, but so far repressions have had the opposite effect." Protests have attracted the biggest crowds on Sundays, with to 200,000 people flooding the streets of Minsk, with another planned for tomorrow. After a brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in the initial days after the election they claim was rigged to give Mr Lukashenko a 90pc majority, Belarusian authorities have sought to end the dissent by targeting top activists. Prosecutors have launched a criminal probe against top members of the Coordination Council created by the opposition to push for a new election, accusing them of undermining national security. All of the council's senior members, except for Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich, have been either jailed or forcibly expelled from the country. Unidentified people attempted on Wednesday to enter Ms Alexievich's apartment in Minsk, and diplomats from several European Union nations gathered there to prevent her detention and again on Thursday evening. Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics tweeted yesterday he had a call with Ms Alexievich and "expressed Latvia's full support to the Belarusian society in the strive for political rights and freedoms". A leading member of the opposition council, Maria Kolesnikova, remained in jail after resisting her forcible expulsion from the country on Tuesday. She alleges officers of the nation's state security agency abducted her and threatened to kill her. The US governments top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, said on Friday he disagreed with President Donald Trumps assessment that the country has rounded the corner on the pandemic, warning that the crisis may last until the end of 2021. 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 Covid-19 cases a day and deaths are averaging around 1,000 daily. The statistics... they are disturbing, Fauci told MSNBC. 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. UN: One of the greatest challenges in history The UN General Assembly said in a new resolution the coronavirus pandemic represents one of the greatest challenges since the establishment of the UN. The General Assembly recognises that the Covid-19 pandemic is one of the greatest global challenges in the history of the United Nations, the text of the resolution adopted said. The total number of Covid-19 cases worldwide has crossed the 28 million mark, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tally, while global fatalities has surpassed 916,000. Biden slams Trumps visit to Nevada as reckless Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Saturday slammed US President Donald Trumps reckless decision to hold a rally in Reno, the venue for which had to be changed because the event breached local Covid-19 restrictions. The Republican incumbent will speak on Saturday evening in the city in Nevada, a crucial swing state ahead of the November 3 election. Nanditha Krishna By The Covid-19 pandemic is here to stay. Until a vaccine and a definite medical solution are found, the threat of the illness and its disastrous consequences loom over us. We have changed the way we liveno more socialising, no more movie theatres, no more anything! The biggest change has come in the field of educationschools and colleges. The classroom has shifted to the house and to online teaching. The pandemic has resulted in schools shut all across the world with over 1.2 billion children out of the classroom globally. This has resulted in a dramatic change in education whereby teaching is undertaken remotely on digital platforms, enabling the teacher to work out of home like an IT executive. Slowly, teachers and students are getting used to this new form of education: from video conferencing tools to the humble smartphone, technology has taken over education and it is here to stay. A few misguided people including some politicians are demanding an end to online education. As one running several academic institutionsfree, aided, matriculation and ISC schoolsI know that most parents want online teaching. One couple came saying that they didnt want their child to spend half a day on the computer. So what does he do all day? we asked. Watch TV, was the answer. We had to convince them that both were equally harmful or good and at least with the computer, he learned something. Some parents do not want to pay fees, but want teachers to be paid. How is that possible? I am also a grandmother supervising my grandsons online learning. The children have no problem. They are happy to see each other online and look forward to their classes. The success of online learning depends on the teacher, just as the success of classroom teaching depends on the teacher. This has been a wonderful time for teachers to be creative and innovative. They sing, dance, draw and paint and do all the things children enjoy. Some schools train their teachers, while many are finding mentors in Chennais vast IT industry. A valid question is, what about the village schoolchild? Will digital education result in educational inequality? Few people realise that Tamil Nadu is a welfare state in the field of education. Since J Jayalalithaas time in 2011, the Government of Tamil Nadu has been distributing free laptops (also bicycles and bags, uniforms and books) to students studying in government and government-aided schools and colleges in the state, to help them acquire computing skills and access the internet. Every year, the Tamil Nadu government distributes laptops free of cost to between 5 and 8 lakh students. So far, at least 37.88 lakh students have received laptops. While TN distributes free laptops, Ladakh is distributing solar-powered educational tablets. Why cant other regions do the same? But there is still a digital divide for younger children. Village children studying with smartphones are happy receiving worksheets and talking to their teachers. For those with no access to smartphones, the solution is television. Every village has TV connectivity and some village houses have TV sets. If not, there is a common TV set in the village. Governments can commandeer channels during the day and beam lessons to primary and middle school children. Doordarshan reaches the unreachable parts of the state. Many years ago, I sat in the government guest house at Mudumalai National Park, watching DD News as wild elephants trumpeted outside. The Tamil Nadu government has commandeered five channels and Kalvi (education) channel is dedicated to teaching. Children, unattended by elders, may bunk online classes. Village communities must make the effort to designate one person to ensure that children attend online classes. Even urban children in the best schools would bunk class if they could. Digital education at home requires domestic supervision. This is the new norm. It is worth recalling the SITE project. Satellite Instructional Television Experiment or SITE was an experimental satellite communications project launched by Vikram Sarabhai, designed jointly by NASA and ISRO. The project beamed educational programmes by TV to rural India from 1 August 1975 to 31 July 1976, covering over 2,400 villages in 20 districts of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Rajasthan. The primary objective was to educate people on issues related to family planning, agriculture and national integration. The secondary objective was to impart school and adult education, train teachers, and improve occupational skills and general health and hygiene. While the goal was to educate the financially backward and academically illiterate, the project helped India gain technical experience in the field of satellite communication. As one of the aims of the experiment was to study the potential of TV as a medium of development, the villages were chosen specifically for their backwardness. All India Radio was given the responsibility of programme generation. The SITE programme had a strong impact in the selected villages and showed that India could make use of technology to fulfil the socio-economic needs of the country. To quote Arthur C Clarke, it was the greatest communication experiment in history. This led to an increased focus on satellite broadcasting in India. In September 2004, India launched EDUSAT, the first satellite in the world built exclusively to serve education in India, especially interactive satellite-based distance education. India has the technical expertise and experience of successfully carrying out education via electronic media. More states should convert to digital education. By refusing to adapt to the new norm of distance education and denying children the right to education, we will not create an equal society. We will merely create an illiterate and uneducated society. Fortunately, several High Courts have sensibly permitted online teaching and the Honble Supreme Court has not stayed the orders. (The author runs eight schools, including an ISC school and three free schools, a centre for children with learning disabilities, autism and dyslexia, and a womens college, in Chennai, Kanchipuram and Kumbakonam) Nanditha Krishna Historian and environmentalist. She also runs many schools and a college IVE been fortunate to see the world. And in the last six months, Ive walked back in time more than once to marvel at some of the most unforgettable moments. In 2010, Eyjafjallajokull erupts. I cancel Iceland and turn to Kenya, heading for Amboseli, Samburu and Maasai Mara. The first time I climb onboard a 10-seater Cessna, I wail, Its smaller than a van! Shortly after takeoff, I start to burn up. I become agitated. My friend turns the air vents towards me. I calm down. A year later, I realize my first airborne anxiety attack was actually my first hot flash. A couple more times on the Cessna and I get the hang of it. Even on a six-seater. We spot the coveted Big Five: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. But we also see giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, elephants, gazelles, impalas, waterbucks, warthogs, jackals, baboons, buffalos, hippos, hyenas and countless birds. At Maasai Mara, home to an exceptional population of big cats, lions hide in plain sight, lazily lounging amongst tall, yellow grass. Strange sexual habits. Males thrust for five seconds, pause for 10 then pull out. Its over in 15 seconds. But they can do it 50 times in 24 hours. Want to tell a cheetah from a leopard? A cheetahs coat has single, separate, black spots while a leopards has irregular-shaped spots that form rosettes. Cheetahs are slender, leopards, muscular. Leopards hide in trees, using stealth and strength to capture prey. Cheetahs walk on open spaces, stalk and speed towards prey. Leopards camouflage. Cheetahs chase. When you see black tear marks streaking down from the eyes to the cheeks thats a cheetah. Isnt that the fastest animal on Earth? My niece whispers. I quietly nod. So, for sure were dead if it decides to go for us? I nod again. It lay 10 feet away from our open vehicle. I hold my breath as the cheetah tears apart the carcass of a wildebeest. After our guide turns us over to the tribal chief of the Maasai village, he disappears. My sister starts to panic. When the chief and elders put their arms around us, my sister jumps. Its just for a photo op. Story continues The men in the tribe then begin to chant and jump. As they completely close in on us, my sisters imagination now runs amok. Its just the Maasai warrior dance. When the chief invites us to step into a completely dark hut, my sister blurts out, Are there animals inside? Its just my house, he tells us. Some moments are hilarious, some, hair-raising. But all are phenomenally precious. Hot air ballooning at daybreak. NSFW photos in the wild. My first and last experience with Mefloquine. The start of my four-year African affair with the wild. It isnt every day giraffes greet you at the airstrip, zebras walk past you on a stroll or elephants show up at dinner. Savor. Cherish. Marvel. A photograph of an elderly man, John Joe Quinn, having a quiet pint, with a little alarm clock on his table went viral on social media this week and showed everything that's wrong about modern discourse: all emotion, few facts. People immediately declared this to be a heartbreaking example of a lonely, poor man broken by stupid Covid regulations. Break out the sad emojis. It occurred to me we didn't know anything about John Joe's emotional state and people were engaging in the popular sport of jumping to conclusions. My instinct proved correct when journalist Eavan Murray from this paper tracked him down. It turns out John Joe is grand. He brings his clock because he doesn't have a watch and his main concern was getting home in time to hear the SixOne news on RTE. He politely refused offers of money, saying he prefers to pay his own way and suggested - nicely - that people should look after themselves. He was wise, stoic, cheerful, pragmatic and dignified. Just about the opposite of every presumption made about him. But that's social media for you. I was thinking about that precise problem this week as I wanted to address another issue often treated in an emotive-fact-free fashion: soup kitchens. A few years ago Eileen Gleeson from the Dublin Regional Housing Executive (DRHE) said volunteer soup kitchens, while well-meaning, were causing problems. She argued that a very specific category of homeless person - the rough sleeper - is in that situation because of what she called years of "bad behaviour". Sometimes it's serious mental illness or addiction that leads to chaotic behaviour, resulting in the person having nowhere left to go. The challenge is to persuade these people to come into the system. Their problems can't be solved on the street. When they show up to one of the official day services such as soup kitchens or cafes it's a vital opportunity to talk to them and have that conversation. But in recent years volunteer soup kitchens have popped up to feed people or provide, say, on-street dental or health services. It means the "official" outreach workers are denied that crucial chance to engage with the homeless person. To be clear, Gleeson was not referring to places like the Capuchin Day Centre, Merchants Quay Ireland, Focus and Crosscare; all part-funded by the DRHE itself and key partners in Dublin's emergency and social housing system. Unfortunately Gleeson's "bad behaviour" phrase was ill-chosen. She was accused of stigmatising the homeless and, of course, people immediately turned her point about a specific category of person - the rough sleeper - into a generalised accusation that anyone homeless was guilty of "bad behaviour". She apologised for the poor wording, but three years on we still see exploitative photographs of people being fed on the street and comment is confined to outraged accusations the cruel government is letting people starve. The argument that volunteers are treating the symptoms, not the disease was totally lost. All emotion, few facts. However the DRHE didn't give up and commissioned a report from UCD on the issue. Published this week, it concluded some crucial day services are in short supply but there are too many well-meaning people handing out sandwiches. This report should have received far more attention than it did. It's saying quite clearly the pop-up charities need to stop. No one denies their good intentions but they should be mature enough to accept they are helping people stay on the street, which is not in their long-term interest. I know someone just like this. In their case, it's mental illness. The housing can be got and everything that helps them stay outside is counter-productive. Yet emotive photographs of people eating on the pavement and the personal attacks on politicians that follow aren't just doing a disservice to the individuals involved. By misdiagnosing the problem they drive the debate away from the real issues. We have a shortage of affordable housing. But the reason people with serious mental illness end up sleeping rough is because mental health services have the worst funding, and the least attention. When we're talking about housing all the time, we're not talking about mental health. Talk about mental illness is almost always a conversation conducted by middle-class people about depression. The only time we hear a word about psychosis is in court reports after a tragedy. It should never get to that point. It's the gardai who are left to deal with the consequences and too many people in jail are mentally ill. People deserve and need better. It's the same with addiction. I was aghast when I interviewed a panel of addiction experts once who were equally aghast when I asked them how to cure heroin addicts. "We do not speak of cure," they said. "We speak of harm reduction." Maybe I'm naive but I don't believe allowing people a half-life existence on methadone and hoping they don't rob third parties is fair. But public debate is confined to protests about injection clinics and no conversation about genuine treatment. Again, it's the gardai and the families who have to clean up when a failure of health policy turns into a criminal justice issue. The photograph of the soup-kitchen-street-victim provides, as John Joe did this week, a flurry of misdirected emotion focused on the wrong problem. Health, not housing, is the reason people are on the street. By Pratima Desai LONDON (Reuters) - Tesla is in discussions with Canadian miner Giga Metals about helping to develop a large mine that would give the electric carmaker access to low carbon nickel for its batteries, three sources familiar with the matter said. Alongside its goal to reduce pollution from driving, Tesla is also striving to reduce its own carbon footprint. "Tesla will give you a giant contract for a long period of time if you mine nickel efficiently and in an environmentally sensitive way," CEO Elon Musk said in July. Giga Metals's low carbon nickel plans include turning waste from its mining operations into cement type rock using carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and using hydropower. Giga Metals's President Martin Vydra declined to comment on any talks with Tesla, but said: "Giga is actively engaged, and has been for some time, with automakers regarding our ability to produce carbon neutral nickel. "The cost of developing our project, excluding bringing hydroelectric power to the site, will be less than $1 billion." Tesla did not respond to requests for comment. Used to store energy in batteries, nickel is expected to see a surge in demand over coming years as governments, companies and consumers seek to cut noxious fumes emitted by fossil-fuelled vehicles. Forecasts from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence suggest nickel demand for batteries will rise to 1.4 million tonnes in 2030, or 30% of total nickel demand, from around 139,000 tonnes and 6% respectively this year, as sales of electric vehicles soar. The problem for Tesla and other automakers is that most of the world's new nickel production will come from Indonesia, where the process would involve disposing mining waste into the ocean, a major concern for environmentalists. Giga Metals's Turnagain mine in British Columbia has measured and indicated resources of 2.36 million tonnes of nickel and 141,000 tonnes of cobalt, according to its website. Story continues Canada produced 180,000 tonnes of nickel last year. NEUTRALISING EMISSIONS Giga plans to produce 40,000 tonnes of nickel and 2,000 tonnes of cobalt a year for 20 years. That would be enough to power thousands of electric vehicles. "The mine is in North America, so could secure supplies for Tesla's Nevada Gigafactory," one source said, adding Canada's environmental regulations were among the most stringent in the world. Tesla could provide financing, possibly in exchange for equity, nickel and cobalt. It could agree to buy the nickel and cobalt, which would attract financing from others, the source added. Any deal would be for the life of the mine, which could be for up to 40 years, the sources said. Tesla's current capacity is 490,000 electric vehicles in the United States and 200,000 in Shanghai, according to its website, which with its expansion plans will require vast amounts of battery materials in the future from many sources. The Financial Times recently reported that Tesla had agreed to buy cobalt https://www.ft.com/content/aa09dbcb-37ed-4010-a0ee-ab6cfab4d4b5 from commodity trader and miner Glencore . The sources said Giga Metals had also discussed the possibility of a deal with other automakers including Germany's BMW and Mercedes, a subsidiary of Daimler . Daimler said: "we do not comment on supplier relationships for competitive reasons," while BMW said: "we generally do not comment on suppliers we might hire in the future". The Turnagain deposit, at around a billion years old, is relatively young and clean of impurities, which would mean high recoveries of nickel and cobalt. Giga has access to hydroelectric power in British Columbia, but producing metal creates carbon emissions as it involves using diesel-fuelled machinery, trucks, heating buildings and blasting hard rock. However, the company is working on a process that would allow the tailings, or waste rock, to absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and turn it into cement type rock, the sources said. "Mining and processing the ore at Turnagain is likely to generate up to 28,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year," the second source said. "The tailings could absorb up to a similar tonnage of carbon, neutralising emissions from the mine." (Reporting by Pratima Desai; Editing by Veronica Brown and Mark Potter) Keeping the passion alive can be a challenge in any long- term relationship. Now scientists have researched just why couples feel the spark has gone out of their romance, asking hundreds of volunteers the reasons why their sex lives are on the wane. As a result of their possibly intrusive line of questioning, the psychologists identified a total of 78 ardour-killing difficulties that couples run into. Researchers have identified a list of 78 symptoms which can cause couples to have less sex, including the top excuse of 'fading enthusiasm' And top of the list were problems that were broadly classed as simply fading enthusiasm. Coming a close second was lack of personal time and space, including explanations such as I feel my partner is oppressing me and being tired of constantly reporting on where I am and what I do. Perhaps surprisingly, cheating comes way down the list of why couples stop having sex. Psychologists found the responses from men and women were remarkably similar, although men were more likely to admit they had failed to make an effort with their relationship or to remain faithful. Third on the list came long work hours, closely followed by bad sex a slightly more common complaint among the women than the men. That category covered areas such as sexual incompatibility with partner and disagreements over how often we have sex. Almost 70 per cent of the 1,099 people involved in the study, published in the academic journal Evolutionary Psychology last week, indicated at least one factor had taken its toll on their sex life, with a troubled 41 per cent pointing to three or more. Other common causes included infidelity and abuse from the other partner and character issues, including being quirky and selfish. Professor Meneleos Apostolou at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus who conducted the research with colleagues in Shanghai, China told The Mail on Sunday: Having and keeping an intimate relationship is central to most peoples lives. Yet, many people face considerable difficulties in doing so. Almost one third of couples said 'fading enthusiasm' was the cause of them having less sex Difficulties in keeping an intimate relationship could potentially cause considerable emotional pain to people. Identifying these difficulties is the first step toward addressing them and improving peoples emotional wellbeing. In tenth place on the list, excuses for being non-monogamous included fear of missing out on other experiences, an inability to resist temptation, comparing the current partner to an ex, and getting bored having sex with the same person. Meanwhile, social circle issues covered problems people had getting on with their partners relatives or friends, while behavioural issues included problems such as drinking or gambling. The average age of those quizzed was about 35. Older participants were more likely to cite bad sex and long work hours as reasons for a lack of passion than younger people. Previous research has revealed some of the tell-tale signs that the spark in a relationship has gone. They include not cuddling at night; stopping saying I love you; failure to do things together and letting yourself go as well as having little to no sex. New Delhi, Sep 12 : Advocate Prashant Bhushan on Saturday moved a plea filed in the Supreme Court seeking a right of appeal against conviction his in the criminal contempt case, to be heard by a larger and a different bench. The plea has been filed through his counsel Kamini Jaiswal. Bhushan has urged the apex court to issue directions declaring that a person convicted for criminal contempt by it, including the petitoner, would have a right to an intra-court appeal to be heard by a larger and different bench. The plea contended that the apex court should also issue directions to frame rules and guidelines providing for intra-court appeal against conviction in original criminal contempt cases, and the review petitions filed against orders of conviction by Supreme Court in original criminal contempt cases would be heard in open court by a different bench. On August 31, the apex court had convicted Bhushan for two tweets against the judiciary and imposed a token of Rs 1 on him. Citing inherent bias,the plea said contempt proceedings are one in which the injured party (Supreme Court) acts as the prosecutor, the witness and the judge, thereby raising fear of inherent bias. "As a judge the power of the Supreme Court to convict and sentence the accused is unlimited and arbitrary...No one can be at once a suitor and a judge. Thus, there is a need for an intra-court appeal," said the plea. The plea contended that in such cases, considering the fact that there is inherent unavoidable conflict of interest involved, and the fact that liberty of the alleged contemnor is at stake, it is of utmost importance that certain basic safeguards are designed which would reduce (though not obviate) chances of arbitrary, vengeful and high-handed decisions. The plea also argued that it is extremely important to minimise such decisions since they not only cause great injustice to the alleged contemnor, but also bring disrepute to the court itself and are likely to be harshly judged by legal historians. "That the right to appeal against conviction in original criminal cases is a substantive right under Article 21 and flows from principles of natural justice. The absence of such a right thus violates Article 21. This has been affirmed in judgements of this Court," said the plea. Citing violation of Article 14, the plea contended that it is discriminatory that a person charged with similar criminal contempt of High Court has a right of appeal but a person charged with criminal contempt of Supreme Court has no appeal. 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. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the average time of building a house under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY-Gramin) came down to 45 to 60 days during the pandemic from 125 days as migrants, who returned home during the lockdown, also contributed towards it. He said under the PMAY, 18 lakh houses have been constructed in the country during this crisis period. Modi also called for the need to strengthen the poor in order to end poverty. He was speaking during the virtual housewarming ceremony of 1.75 houses built in rural parts of Madhya Pradesh under the PMAY-Gramin scheme. "The speed with which these houses were constructed isa record. The construction of a house under the PMAY used to take an average of 125 days earlier. But during the coronavirus period, it came down to 45 to 60 days. This is an example of turning a crisis into an opportunity," he said. "This has become possible as the migrants who returned home during the coronavirus-induced lockdown also joined the work and availed benefits of the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan,under which Rs 23,000 crore have been spent on infrastructure and other works," he said. The migrants returned home, got employment under this campaign and the expenditure done under it also helped the construction-related businesses, he added. "This campaign has helped the rural economy," he said. Modi said people used to ask him what was new in the PMAY as such schemes existed since Independence. "Construction of houses under the community development programmes began post-Independence. But the target of providing houses to the poor could not be achieved," hesaid. Earlier, everything related to houses for the poor was centralised in Delhi and the beneficiaries were nowhere involved in the process, Modi added. "There was government interference and lack of transparency. The beneficiaries, who had to live in those houses, were not asked (about their requirements) and colony system of urban areas was forced upon the people in tribal areas. The needs of the rural population were different," he said. The PM alleged that in the past, the quality of houses used to be poor and they lacked basic amenities, which is why people did not move into them. "Given these experiences and their study, we amended the old scheme with a new thought. Transparency was given priorityNow people don't need to approach the government,but it is reaching out to them," he said. There is transparency in PMAY and there is no scope of bungling now due to monitoring at every level, the PM said. "Now the beneficiaries take decisions about their houses. They construct their houses as per their own design,"he said. Modi also praised Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for linking 27 government schemes with the PMAY. He said his government has been developing modern infrastructure to boost the confidence of rural population. "I had announced that six lakh villages would be connected through optical cable fiber network within 1,000 days. Earlier, a target of connecting 2.5 lakh panchayats through optical fiber was set. Now, villages are being connected," he said. "During the coronavirus period, this work also progressed rapidly under the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan. Injust a few weeks, more than 5,000 kms of optical fiber has been laid in 117 districts of the country," he said. This has provided 15,000 wi-fi hotspots and about 19,000 optical fiber connections in more than 1,250 gram panchayats. In selected districts of MP, 1,300 kms of optical fiber has been laid. All this work has been done during the coronavirus period, he said. Modi said this will solve the network problem forpeople in rural areas and they will not have to depend on urban areas for it. On the occasion, the prime minister interacted with some of the PMAY beneficiaries in Madhya Pradesh. While speaking to Pyarelal Yadav from Singrauli, Modi said, "For removing poverty, it is important to strengthen the poor and this scheme has developed self-confidence in them sothat they can sleep peacefully in their house at the end of the day after toiling hard." Son of Gulab Singh from Dhar district's Amjhera village told Modi that he constructed his house with the collective efforts of his villagers, who contributed voluntarily for it. The masons and labourers, who were rendered jobless due to lockdown, worked for them free of cost, he said. When Narendra Namdeo of Bhitarwar in Gwalior district praised the PM for his government's decision to nullify Article 370 and triple talaq, Modi asked him in a lighter veinwhether he was planning to contest elections considering his knowledge about several issues. Namdeo's wife thanked Modi for providing a house, a gas connection and a toilet to them and invited him to visit their home, which he accepted. Madhya Pradesh chief minister also spoke on the occasion. Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Rajya Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia were present during the programme. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung, West Java Sat, September 12, 2020 12:45 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c44680a1 1 Business BUMN,PT-INTI,workers-in-Indonesia,labor-issues,telecommunications,company,company-debts,State-owned-Enterprises-Ministry,state-owned-enterprise,state-owned-enterprises,state-owned-company Free State-owned telecommunication company PT Industri Telekomunikasi Indonesia Persero (INTI) is paying its workers salaries in installments on the grounds of financial constraints faced by the company. The company has been partially delaying salary payouts since May last year. As of August this year, the company has paid the installment of Rp 1 million (US$67.28) for the delayed February salary. The scheme was part of efforts taken by the company to pay employees salaries in accordance with the companys financial capabilities, INTI president director Otong Iip said. Salaries would continue to be paid out in installments until at least the end of the year. This situation is caused by the companys negative operating cash flow and equity, he said in a statement on Thursday. Read also: SOEs in dark over fundraising despite government guarantees Hundreds of employees had protested in front of the INTI office in Bandung on Aug. 29, demanding information regarding the delayed salary from the company, which has 450 employees. INTI has faced a declining financial situation since 2014. One of the factors is past projects that have caused huge losses. The [financial pressure] continued until the companys nonproductive debt reached 90 percent, Otong explained. The management started transforming the business, finances, human resources and management by the end of 2019. They also performed debt restructuring and asset optimization following the companys declining financial performance. We are also supported by INTIs entrance to the telecommunication industry cluster, so the company has a clear direction in business by focusing on Telkom Group customers, Otong added. (dpk) Chinese authorities returned to India five residents of Arunachal Pradesh who strayed across the border during an expedition to hunt and collect medicinal herbs 10 days ago, army officials said on Saturday. The five men from the Tagin tribe, who worked as porters for the army, were handed over at Kibithu after completing all formalities, officials said. The individuals will now be quarantined for 14 days as per Covid-19 protocol and thereafter be handed over to their family members, Lt Col Harsh Wardhan Pande, a defence spokesperson based in Assams Tezpur ,said in a release. Arunachal chief minister Pema Khandu thanked the army and the Centre. Absolutely glad to know that five of our Arunachali youths have been safely handed over to Indian Army by Chinese PLA. I am wholeheartedly thankful to the Govt of India and the Indian Army for their persistent effort in securing their return, he posted on Twitter. The development came in the backdrop of simmering tensions between India and China with forces of the two countries locked in a face-off in eastern Ladakh over a border dispute. According to the army, this was the third such instance of people from Arunachal Pradesh living near the India-China border straying inadvertently to the other side of line of actual control (LAC) during adventurous forays this year. Indian Army has always been proactive in tracing the lost locals and helping them return home. Three such incidents took place in the current year in Upper Subansiri and West Siang district including the latest one, the armys release said. All such individuals were brought back home safely after consistent efforts and coordination by Indian Army in the past, it added. In the latest incident, the five men Tanu Bakar, Prasad Ringling, Ngaru Diri, Dongtu Ebiya and Toch Singkam went missing on September 2, reportedly from Sera-7 in Upper Subansiri district on the Indian side of the McMahon line bifurcating Arunachal and the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of China. The brother of one of the missing men posted on social media that they had been abducted by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). Similar accusations were made by Tapir Gao, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentarian from Arunachal East, and Ninong Ering, a Congress legislator from Pasighat, in their tweets. Responding to a hotline message sent by the Indian Army, PLA replied on Tuesday that the men were found on the Chinese side and their condition was fine. On Monday, Chinas state-controlled Global Times tweeted Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian as saying that the country never recognized so called Arunachal Pradesh, which is Chinas south Tibet region... Family members of the five men thanked the army and officials of the Centre and the state government. The release was arranged in a matter of a few days. I cant thank the army, government officials and the PLA enough for their cooperation and goodwill gesture, Reri Delak Bakar, the brother of Tanu Bakar, told news agency PTI. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Caitlyn Jenner has revealed she's been supporting her I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! co-star Kate Garraway amid her husband Derek Draper's health woes. The 70-year-old retired Olympian formed a friendship with British TV presenter Kate, 53, when they appeared together in the Australian jungle last winter. And Caitlyn has revealed to that she recently called to check in on her new friend as her husband's heartbreaking hospital stay, triggered by complications stemming from contracting COVID-19, enters its sixth month. Support: Caitlyn Jenner, left, has revealed she's been supporting her I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! co-star Kate Garraway, right, amid her husband Derek Draper's health woes The American star told the Daily Star: 'Kate, when she came home, her husband and coronavirus it's been a tragedy. 'I talked to her the other day and as soon as we got on the phone, that voice of hers, I was like, "oh my God, that voice of hers, it has a familiarity".' Caitlyn and Kate joined a host of stars including Nadine Coyle, Roman Kemp, Ian Wright, and Myles Stephenson to compete on I'm A Celeb, with former EastEnders actress Jacqueline Jossa emerging the ultimate victor. Health battle: Derek Draper, 53, was hospitalised back in March after suffering complications from contracting COVID-19, and has remained there since. Pictured in December On Friday, Kate revealed how she celebrated her 15th wedding anniversary with Derek on Thursday, after being unable to visit him in hospital. Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, the presenter revealed she would be seeing him later that day, but admitted it felt 'strange' as Derek is in a state of limited consciousness. Derek, 53, was hospitalised back in March after suffering complications from contracting COVID-19, and has remained there since. Kate revealed: 'We did our best to make it special. We had him on FaceTime. We raised a glass to say happy anniversary. Candid: Kate revealed how she celebrated her 15th wedding anniversary with Derek on Thursday, after being unable to visit him in hospital '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.' 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 Woes: Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, the presenter revealed she would be seeing him later that day, but admitted it felt 'strange' as Derek is in a state of limited consciousness '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.' Derek fell victim to COVID-19 in March and was rushed to ICU and put in a coma - where he has been since. Special: Kate told co-host Ben Shephard of her limited anniversary celebrations, 'We did our best to make it special. We had him on FaceTime. We raised a glass to say happy anniversary' 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. Derek is one of an estimated five people in the world whose bodies have been damaged so much by COVID-19. Kate contracted novel coronavirus herself at the same time as Derek, but made a full recovery. 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) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will take part in a virtual grih pravesh (housewarming) function on Saturday for people who have built homes with assistance provided under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). The chief minister had on September 8 transferred online a cumulative amount of Rs 102 crore, which was the fourth and last installment of home finance, to 68,000 beneficiaries, officials said. Chouhan had said that 17 lakh homes out of a total of 20.30 lakh have been completed under the rural component of PMAY, and the target for 2019-20 was to build six lakh homes, of which 3.45 lakh have been completed. Those who could not get benefit of the scheme at this time will be covered under the Awas Plus scheme of PMAY, Chouhan added. During his interaction with some beneficiaries, Chouhan was told by one Sushila Vishwakarma of Betul that she and her husband had built their home in 49 days on their own. Dhars Gulab Singh and Gwaliors Namdeo, both beneficiaries, thanked the government for assistance under the scheme due to which they now have homes of their own. Additional Chief Secretary (Panchayat and Rural Development Department) Manoj Shrivastava said PM Modi would interact with three beneficiaries during the function on Saturday. (With inputs from PTI) Representational Image In the year of the Water Hog, Chhnmo-phag-lo, the wrath of god rose in the land of Sog-yul, and broke on the people of Ladakh. The armies of the great Genghis Khan, chronicles record, swept aside the forces of Ladakhs ruler and laid waste to the land. From 1685 CE to 1687 CE, the fighting raged on. The desperate Ladakhis appealed to the Mughal governor of Kashmir for help. Nawab Fateh Khan, sensing peril to his own imperial domains, led an army of six lakhs in fact 6,000, regrettably prosaic modern historians estimate and chased back the invaders. The Mughals soon left, though, and the Sog-po, the people of Sog-yul, returned in 1689CE. This time, the Ladakhis turned to the wise monk Brug-pa-pham-langpo, who mediated a peace agreement. In return for the district of Rudok, the Sog-po agreed to withdrawand a great black rock in the village of Demchok came to mark the permanent frontier. Now, troops of the Indian Army and Peoples Liberation Army are staring out at each other on either side of that very rock, all the way northwards along the Line of Actual Control to Pangong, the Galwan valley, and the bleak Depsang plains. The two countries face the same choice the regions medieval rulers confronted: ought they pick the way of the sword, or the way of the monk? Even as Indian television exults at the incredible bravery of soldiers who have occupied tactically-significant heights south of Pangong Lake, any genuine answer to this question must rest on a dispassionate appraisal of the strategic situation, not emotion. The Indian Army has a line of sight to the PLA garrison at Spanggur and returning the favour bestowed by it in April, north of Pangong. These gains are only of significance if China proves willing to trade-in its gains to avert further conflict. Likely, China instead wishes to use its key advantage, a technologically advanced military which began a radical modernisation process in the 1980s, to bleed India over a protracted period of time. Forcing India to expend massive resources, will compel New Delhi over time to accept terms it would not do todayand serve as a lesson to other would-be challengers. In essence, a few minutes with maps (above) make clear the PLA now controls much of what China calls its 1959 claim-line, the territories it asserted prior to the 1962 warand briefly occupied, before withdrawing to easily sustainable positions of the Tibetan plateau. New Delhi cannot reverse that situation without either risking waror a persuasive diplomatic deal. For India, the situation in fact marks the worst all worlds. Even though it has been unable to reverse Chinas assertion of the 1959 line, it is now committed to holding back the PLA through a brutal, logistically-draining and resource-sapping occupation of positions at extreme altitude that can stretch for years, if not decades. Although no official figures are available, the cost of sustaining 30,000-40,000 additional troops through the winter imported extreme-weather equipment, road maintenance, the wear of equipment like tanks and artillery, and additional flying hours for fixed-wing and heavy-lift aircraft could by informal estimates stretch upwards of Rs 8,000 crore per month. Indeed Indian military presence on the Siachen Glacier alone is estimated to cost upwards of Rs 5 crore a day, not counting logistical infrastructure investments. This expense, given the gap between the size of the two economies, inexorably asymmetric. This year, Chinas declared military budget is $117 billion, up from $106.4 billion in 2012-2013 and $91.5 billion in 2011-12. For the past decade, Chinas military budget has expanded at about 12 percent, ahead of its economic growth. The scholar Abhijnan Rej has documented in granular detail the growing gap between Indias military means and those of China. Kangana Ranaut said it best: tumharey paas, aur tumharey Pita-ji key paas to duniya bhar ka paisa hai. Expense is, of course, entirely justifiable in the face of compelling national interests but only if there are clear strategic ends, and it is far from clear if that is the case. The strategic community in India errs in mirroring its own mentalite in assessments of the thinking of its adversary. The PLA is not and never has been a prisoner of the occupy-and-hold-every-inch fixation Indian politics has imposed on military thinking. Land is not the PLAs end; it is merely a means. Fearsome as Chinas military build-up might be, moreover, it isnt clear India need to be terrified into a reflexive matching of force. Eight of China's 18 Group Armies the equivalent, roughly, of an Indian corps face out on its south-eastern seaboard. Throughout Chinas military modernisation drive, the United States Defence Department noted in 2012, Taiwan contingency planning has dominated the agenda. The asymmetry of resources, though, does make it imperative that Indias strategic community thinks smart rather than be drawn into the trap of fighting the kind of war the PLA has chosen to impose. In large parts made up of only sons the products of the one-child family policy and sensitive to the pressures that a large-scale loss of life would entail in a relatively affluent society where ageing parents are dependent on their single child. Thus, it will most likely avoid limited war, or even skirmishing. However, as the scholar PS Suryanarayana has observed, Beijing will only enter into a border agreement when it recognises that the cost of not settling the issue outweighs the cost of a continuation of stalematewhich, put another way, is no time soon. From that other Sisyphean enterprise the Line of Control with Pakistan there are some useful lessons to be learned. To any thinking commander in either India or Pakistan, it has long been evident that the Line of Control model mountain-to-mountain saturation with troops, all year round is militarily useless. Technological means available today render the so-called benefits of such occupation lines of sight to enemy positions; preventing infiltration; securing territory largely irrelevant. The intense Indian Army presence LoC, moreover, did not prevent large-scale infiltration into Kashmir from 1988 to 2003; nor have years of skirmishes shown either side is deterred by the actions of the other. Governments have long known this. In 1992, the memoirs of former National Security Advisor JN Dixit record, then-Defence Secretaries NN Vohra and Salim Abbas Geelani, were poised to sign a mutual-withdrawal agreement. Though the stated reasons for New Delhis eleventh-hour decision to walk away had to do with public backlash against appearing to cede territory, there was one unstated factor: Indian military commanders had no confidence the leadership would let them respond, should Islamabad take the territory later. New Delhis playbook changed in 2002, when Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee ordered Indian combat jets to bomb a peak LoC Pakistani troops had occupied. There has been no attempted grab since. Even if such tactics are infeasible against China, creative thinking is needed to ensure real costs accrue to violating Indias red lines. Generals need to be thinking of new ways of deterring China that do not commit the Indian Army to expensive and pointless ground-holding operations. Politicians and diplomats need to consider how time might be bought to develop the capabilities India today lacks. The core question that ought be concerning New Delhi is not whether the PLA has taken a few kilometres of territory or a mountaintop here or there: Though these are excellent to pass the time on Twitter on TV debates, they are of no strategic consequence. Instead, the real need is to develop sharp clarity on what New Delhis real red lines are, and how it will respond should they be breached. Bear in mind, the colonial civil servants Alexander Cunningham and PA Vans Agnew were ordered, as they began an effort to negotiate the border between British India and Tibet in 1846-1847, that, it is not a strip more or less of barren or even productive territory that we want, but a clear and well defined boundary in a quarter likely to come little under observation. That was sage advice, then, and remains so now. New Delhi use of its sword needs to be tempered by the patience and clarity of vision of the monk. Public interest in the contempt charges slapped on maverick Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong for scandalizing and threatening the High Court judge and, by extension, in reaction to a ruling on an ongoing land case has heightened. The case will be heard on Monday, September 14 amidst widespread rumours of behind the scenes lobbying to set free the MP, who has become notorious for using his Net 2 TV and Oman FM platforms to launch personal attacks and threats on personalities. The MP, speaking on the Seat Show of Net 2 TV on Wednesday, September 2, 2020, said .. You are a stupid judge; I will face you. You are a stupid judge. 18 years that Ive had the land nobody served me and then I get called and told that an injunction has been placed on it. You are a stupid judge, He apologized after the Court issued contempt summons against him. Since then pressure is mounting on the Chief Justice not to interfere and allow the law to take its own course based on past precedent. The unfolding events are reminiscent of the 2016 electioneering and how the public reacted to the Montie Trio case involving political talk show host, Mugabe Salifu Maase and two panelists, Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn over threatening comments on an Accra-based radio station, Montie FM. The accused, sentenced by the Supreme Court on July 27, 2016, were found guilty for scandalizing the court, defying and lowering the authority of the court and bringing it into disrepute by the court presided over by the immediate past Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo. Alistair Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn, who were panelists on Pampaso, a political programme on Montie FM in Accra on June 29, warned judges of Ghanas highest court to be wary of their conduct in the case involving the Electoral Commission and Mr Abu Ramadan if they did not want to suffer the fate of the three members of the bench who were shot to death and burnt on June 30, 1982 in the era of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC). Barely a week after the offence, on July 6, 2016, management of Montie FM apologized to the Chief Justice and Judges in Ghana. The statement said: Management of Montie FM wishes to render its sincerest apologies to Her Ladyship the Chief Justice, Justices of the Supreme Court and the Bench in general for the use of its platform by certain panelists recently to make statements that appear to threaten the safety of the Supreme Court Bench. It also condemned absolutely the said statements which it considers regrettable and dissociated itself from those statements. Signed by General Manager, Mutala Mohammed, the statement said as a sign of managements disapproval of the conduct of the panelists, it had decided to ban the said panelists from appearing on all our programmes until further notice. Management also assured the Court it had initiated the necessary disciplinary proceedings against the host and the producer of the programme. On July 22, lawyer for three accused, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe publicly retracted the offensive statements made by his clients against the Justices. He expressed sincere apologies especially to Justice Sule Gbadegbe and Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood who were specifically mentioned in the comments. The contemnors pleaded guilty and the owners of the station through their counsel pleaded with the Court to temper justice with mercy. Alistair Nelson told the Court he suffered a condition, "kpokpo gbligbli" which forced him to make the contemptuous comments. Mugabe had also pleaded for forgiveness because he had been a journalist of good repute for 15 years. Their lawyers pleaded with the court that, they were first time offenders and that the court should have mercy on them. Notwithstanding, the Supreme Court chaired by Sophia Akufo, went ahead to convict them. Justice Sophia Akufo, also did not spare the owners of the FM station. Mugabe Maase, radio show host; Ako-Gunn and Nelson, two panelists, were each sentenced to 90 days imprisonment by the Supreme Court on July 27, 2016 for scandalizing the court. They were also to pay GHC 10, 000 or serve an additional month in default. Directors of Network Broadcasting Company, operators of Montie FMEdward Addo, Ato Ahwoi and Kwesi Kyei Atuahwere also not spared in the judgment. They were fined GHC30,000 to be paid within 24 hours while the owner of the frequency, Harry Zakour, had to cough GHC30,000.00. A section of the public is worried about perceived selective justice citing the long silence by the Ghana Bar Association, (GBA) the Catholic Bishops Conference, which were vociferous demanded stiffer punishment of the Montie Trio in 2016. One critic on his facebook wall wrote;The GBA is quiet, the Judges and Magistrate Association is quiet the judiciary is quiet, everyone is quiet. If the Montie Trio went to jail for making similar statements, then Kennedy must also go to jail. The law must apply to all equally and fairly. Kennedy is not above the law. Controversial video app TikTok is poised to reach more than 8.5million users in the UK this year despite growing fears about the Chinese-owned platform. The rise in users means the app which is hugely popular among younger people and embraced by celebrities including Amanda Holden has reached more than one fifth of social network users in this country. Details of TikTok's astonishing growth, just two years after its UK launch, suggests young social media fans are ignoring the political storm surrounding the app. Finger on the pulse: Critics of the app including Donald Trump's administration argue that the Chinese state could get its hands on user data Chinese parent ByteDance is racing to avoid a ban in the US. President Donald Trump has set the company a deadline of next Sunday to either find a buyer for its US operation or split it off into a separate firm. Failure to comply would mean TikTok will be banned from the US due to security concerns. Critics of the app including the Trump administration argue that the Chinese state could get its hands on user data because internet companies based there are legally obliged to hand over such information if their government demands it. TikTok denies it is a security risk and says it would refuse to give user data to the Communist Party if asked. The company has sued the Trump administration over what it calls a 'heavily politicised' executive order. The potential for the Chinese state to access sensitive user data is also causing concern among British officials. A group of Tory MPs has voiced objections to the company and has opposed a plan by TikTok to set up its international headquarters in London. The Mail on Sunday reported in July that TikTok's proposal to open a British base had been thrown into doubt by the US threat of a ban. Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has claimed the app poses 'as much threat as Huawei' the Chinese telecoms giant which was barred from operating large parts of the UK's 5G mobile network in July. Fans: Amanda Holden and daughter Lexi, 14 He told the MoS last month that it would be a 'grave mistake' to allow TikTok to establish a British HQ. But the company is continuing to win more users in the UK despite the growing concerns. The app is on target to reach 8.5million users this year, up from 4.9million in 2019. The number is expected to rise to almost 11million next year. Rini Mukhopadhyay, eMarketer analyst at Insider Intelligence, which produced the forecasts, said the lockdown had increased the app's appeal. 'Kids and teens are spending more time at home which has further propelled TikTok's popularity,' she said. 'Users are flocking to the platform. Its short video format captures and retains the interest of the audience particularly those aged 18 to 24.' Bill Fisher, eMarketer senior analyst at Insider Intelligence, said TikTok's continued UK success depends on the platform 'steering clear of political interference'. He said: 'Though TikTok isn't facing quite as much hostility as it is in the US, there's still a rocky road ahead. 'Though a blanket ban on the app looks unlikely, such negative connotations could negatively impact its image in the UK.' Trump said on Friday he would not extend the deadline further. American software giant Oracle and a joint bid from Microsoft and US retailer Walmart were the main contenders for a takeover. However, a deal has been complicated by new Chinese restrictions on technology exports that mean TikTok may now require official approval to sell its algorithm, which is seen as key to the app's success. During a working trip to Odesa region on Saturday, September 12, President Volodymyr Zelensky got acquainted with the implementation of a project for the reconstruction and construction of the airfield complex of Odesa International Airport. According to the press service of the President's Office, Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Kryklii noted that a new runway at Odesa International Airport is 2,800 m in length and 45 m in width. The new airfield will make it possible to receive category D aircraft designed for medium and long-range flights, such as Boeing-747-400/800, as well as other aircraft with a capacity of up to 300 seats. The total cost of the airfield reconstruction project is UAH 3.9 billion. The minister added that thanks to the new runway, the airport will be able to receive more than two million passengers a year, and after the construction of a new taxiway more than five million passengers. The new runway should be put in operation by the end of 2020. In addition, the head of state was shown a new airport terminal designed to receive three million passengers a year. - The journalist appeared on Rwanda's government owned TV station Rwanda TV(RTV) during news broadcast - Jeff introduced the news segment in one of the most creative ways that left his fans dazzled and impressed at the same time - He was hosted by Rwanda TV's news anchor Fiona Mbabazi with whom he a lot including his journey in the media PAY ATTENTION: Click 'See First' under 'Follow' Tab to see Tuko.co.ke news on your FB Feed Citizen TV's news anchor Jeff Koinange is without a doubt one of the finest journalists Africa has ever produced. The Jeff Koinange Live(JKL) host has proven over the years that ''once a star, always a star'', by shining wherever he lands an assignment. READ ALSO: Promoter Mtetezi begs Uhuru to reopen clubs, says gengetone artistes are languishing in poverty Jeff Koinange appeared on Rwanda TV as a guest anchor. Photo: UGC Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Guardian Angel denies dating 50-year-old lady rumoured to be his new lover The decorated journalist on Friday, September 11, excited Rwandans after making a debut on the country's national broadcaster Rwanda TV. Jeff, who appeared on the station's news broadcast to inspire young journalists impressed many Rwandans who agreed indeed he is a top brass media personality. TUKO.co.ke understands Jeff appeared on the station as a guest anchor and lived to the expectations of his worldwide fans despite being on an ''away ground''. The Kenyan journalist was hosted by Rwanda TV's news anchor Fiona Mbabazi with whom he a lot including his journey in the media and his host country's development over the past few years. The interesting bit of the whole experience was Jeff's introduction which moved many of his followers in the Eastern and Central Africa regions. READ ALSO: Serge Aurier: Brother of Spurs star Christopher shot dead in France "And in case you think you switched on to Citizen television, don't panic. This is RTV, and yes, I am the guest anchor tonight." he started. He then went on to share about how he joined the media having stated out as a flight attendant. "After high school, I tried to apply for college but I couldn't get a scholarship. So one day, I am working in Nairobi as an office messenger and I see this advert in the paper saying it was looking for flight attendants and I applied," he said. Of course, Jeff could not go further without inspiring young journalists who look up to him-he urged most to be passionate about the profession, holding it is a calling. READ ALSO: Mwanamke Mkenya afariki dunia baada ya kugonjwa na lori Marekani ''I always tell journalists two things. One, your only as good as your last story. After the story, you are forgotten and two, journalism is a calling, do not do it to be a superstar, only do it if you are passionate," Jeff added. Jeff also used the opportunity to share with Africa and the world about his experience when he tested positive for coronavirus. Well, most people who followed his ''short stint'' at Rwanda TV, specifically Rwandans and Kenyans were filled with excitement and duly expressed the same through different social media platforms. Many confirmed the journalist is the pride of Africa and can do exemplary well anywhere in the world. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. My children are not a curse - Judy Kemuma | Tuko Talks | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke PARIS (AP) Activists staged a lukewarm relaunch of Frances yellow vest movement for economic justice Saturday after the disruptive demonstrations against French President Emmanuel Macron and his government's perceived elitism tapered off during the coronavirus pandemic. But French media reported a lower turnout than expected, with around only 1,000 demonstrators in two marches in the French capital, compared to tens of thousands in the beginning of the two-year-old movement. Paris police said more than 200 people were stopped and over 25 were detained, with some small clashes with police who fired tear gas. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin tweeted his support for the authorities who are stopping the violent troublemakers. Authorities designated areas such as the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris off-limits, and parts of the Paris metro along the famed avenue were temporarily closed. The yellow vest movement began in the fall of 2018 to protest a fuel tax hike that was said to punish the poorest people in the country. Named for the florescent vests that motorists are required to carry in France, it morphed into more than a year of weekly anti-government protests that caused multiple deaths and hundreds of injuries. The tiny Persian Gulf kingdom of Bahrain lost much of its autonomy nearly a decade ago, when its rulers turned to their neighbor Saudi Arabia to save them from an Arab Spring uprising threatening their power. So Bahrains announcement on Friday that it would become the fourth Arab state to normalize relations with Israel was arguably the most significant clue yet that Saudi Arabia the heavyweight of Gulf politics might be moving in the same direction, albeit on its own slower time scale. Bahrain, scholars said, could never have taken this step if Riyadh opposed it. It is a vector, said Bernard Haykel, a scholar of Saudi Arabia at Princeton University who has met with the kingdoms de factor ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. There are indications Saudi Arabia is moving in the same direction. Saudi Arabia is without a doubt the ultimate prize in Israels decades-long quest for recognition from the Arab states around it. With vast oil reserves and revered Islamic pilgrimage sites, the kingdom is the most influential state in the Arab world. For millions of Americans, The Battle Hymn of the Republic is as familiar as the national anthem, and much easier to sing. Few would need help with: Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. He has loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword. His truth is marching on! Glory, glory, Hallelujah! ... His truth is marching on! During 1990s fights over updated Catholic liturgies, a Semitic languages professor at Romes Pontifical Biblical Institute wrote a Battle Hymn for modernists. This sanitized text chanted to no tune in particular declared: I see Gods approach; it is good. God makes wine with Gods feet. ... Brightness flashes from the decision-making apparatus. Gods worldview is currently earning widespread respect. Give honor repeatedly to the god of our tradition. We have owned our values. Father Paul V. Mankowski put his own name on that piece for First Things (the journal of the Institute on Religion and Public Life), since it didnt lance specific institutions or leaders. For decades, Catholics seeking his satirical work learned to look for Diogenes at CatholicCulture.org or Father X elsewhere. Mankowski died on Sept. 3 at age 66, felled by a ruptured brain aneurysm. Raised in a middle-class Rust Belt family, he worked in steel mills to pay tuition at the University of Chicago. His advanced degrees included a masters from Oxford and a doctorate from Harvard. Many researchers, politicos and journalists (like me) knew him through telephone calls and emails, usually seeking documents and statements from nearby Catholic leaders. He was a rarity in the modern age a Jesuit conservative and his superiors eventually ordered him not to address church controversies. Much of his work was published anonymously or using pen names. Princeton Universitys Robert P. George blitzed through years of emails after hearing about Mankowskis sudden death. There are some doozies especially the spoofs, send-ups and parodies, said George, on Facebook. His wit was a massive quiver full of poison-dipped arrows, and he was a master archer. ... He would not give a pass to fools, frauds, charlatans, hypocrites, rent seekers, time servers, racketeers, manipulators, corrupt scholars, false teachers or weak or craven leaders, especially in the Church. Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott added, at First Things: The hardest battles are with the people who are supposed to be on the same side. There are no medals for internal fights, however necessary. The strength of character and the moral courage required is all the more heroic because its invariably only recognized posthumously. In his tribute, Catholic World News editor Phil Lawler quoted an entire Diogenes piece written late in the papacy of St. John Paul II contrasting the work of Catholic reformers dedicated to nutrition and those who preferred surgery. Nutritionists believe that the Churchs ills can be cured by fresh air, moderate exercise and green leafy vegetables, wrote Mankowski. Surgeons believe the patient has an aggressive cancer that demands cutting and cautery the sooner, the better. ... Nutritionists point to signs of vitality found in thriving new congregations, excellent papal catechesis, the comparative orthodoxy of younger priests. ... Surgeons are more impressed by the nature and scale of clerical depravity, the incapacity of bishops to remove heretics and criminals from their own number (plus their apparent unwillingness to deal with any corruption except under pressures of public scandal), and the widening gap between the Holy Sees instruction on doctrine, morals and liturgy and the actual efforts of bishops and priests. Speaking for himself, Mankowski noted that many of his more tolerant friends had urged him to make a bad faith effort at good faith. He stressed in a lecture posted earlier this year by Catholic Citizens TV that he was not optimistic about current Catholic trends, but truly hopeful about the future. I believe the visible and doctrinal unity of the church will diminish and will be subject to new loyalties and alignments, he said. I believe that organized hostility to the church will increase to the point that there is no reason at all to be a Catholic, no reason at all to be a nun, no reason at all to be a priest apart from the unshakeable personal conviction that the Church is the supreme dispenser of truth and of spiritual goods. Terry Mattingly leads GetReligion.org and lives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He is a senior fellow at the Overby Center at the University of Mississippi. Boboski, the most wanted suspected kidnapper, armed robber and murderer, whose real name is Honest Diigbara, has died from bullet wounds few hours after he was arrested and paraded at the Rivers State Police Command headquarters, Port Harcourt. Boboski and his second in Command who were obviously groaning in pains while they were being paraded were drenched in blood sustained from bullet wounds. The notorious gang Leader became lifeless in the presence of journalists and Police officers while they were being paraded. Boboski, who had been on the Police Watch list and declared wanted by the State Government with a Bounty of N30 million placed on him by Governor Nyesom Wike was arrested in the early hours of Saturday, September 12, 2020, in a sting operation of the Command with the assistance of a local security outfit in the area. According to the Police Commissioner CP Joseph Mukan, he was arrested through credible information at Korokoro Community in Tai Local Government Area , where he was with his gang of killers. On sighting the Police they engaged us and in a return fire, his driver was fatally wounded, while he was arrested alive. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates School board member Sue Kass said she had always been supportive of Montgomery County Public Schools plan for how students would return to the classroom. I have always been supportive of the hybrid plan, but I didnt think the timing was right yet to implement it, Kass wrote in a message Friday. Kass was among a few school board members who for more than a month vehemently opposed the districts Sept. 8 date for bringing students back to the classroom. She had said that the date didnt provide enough clearing from a projected spike in COVID-19 cases that is currently playing out. MCPS announced Thursday evening that it would scale back its reopening on Monday and keep that plan in place until at least Sept. 28. The decision was made in light of predictions of a continued rise in the areas COVID-19 numbers, officials wrote in a statement shared online. Projections predict that case loads will fall by the end of the month, but the district will be assessing the data before deciding whether it will return to the original reopening plan. The recent adjustment shifted grades four through 12 to remote online classes. Only pre-K through third graders and a group that includes English language learners and special education students will be allowed to attend in-person classes. The plan that MCPS students briefly returned to on Tuesday allowed 50% of pre-K to 12th grade students to attend class in person on four half-days a week, with schools closed on Wednesdays for deep cleaning. The plan, which the school board approved in July, meant that no more than half of students would be scheduled for classes at any given time during the school day. Families, however, retained the option of having their children take classes entirely via remote learning. While no positive cases were reported in Montgomery County schools when the district decided to scale back its reopening, numbers across the locality have sharply risen since late August. Montgomery County reported a total of 1,211 cases Friday, according to the latest data from the Virginia Department of Health. That is more than three times the number of cases that had been reported by Aug. 23. The county reported its first case in late March. Officials for the New River Health District had previously told school and Montgomery County officials that cases would rise sharply in the weeks following the return of Virginia Tech and Radford University students. Montgomery County on Friday reported 71 new cases and showed a seven-day average of 64 new cases per day. That contrasts with Aug. 31, when the county reported a seven-day average of 15 new cases per day. Kass said she understands the frustration and disappointment among students and parents about this weeks decision, as it provided little time for them to prepare for the change. Superintendent Mark Miear and several other board members couldnt be reached for comment Friday. The town of Blacksburg has recently enacted pandemic-related adjustments of its own. Last month, the town council approved an emergency ordinance that limits public and private gatherings to no more than 50 people and requires that dining and drinking establishments close to the public by midnight. The measure also mandates face coverings in public places, with a few exceptions. Last week, the town also formalized a requirement that face coverings be worn on Blacksburg Transit buses. Blacksburg Town Attorney Larry Spencer said those are so far the latest measures from Blacksburg, home to Virginia Tech. Moving forward, Im not aware of any kind of changes that would tighten things any further, Spencer said. 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. Labour Day typically signals the beginning of the busiest season for the event and meetings business. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Labour Day typically signals the beginning of the busiest season for the event and meetings business. Even during the current pandemic conditions, Drew Fisher, CEO of the RBC Convention Centre, hopes that will still be the case this year as well, although to what extent and with what volumes he cant say. September is going to be busier than August at the convention centre but Fisher said he is still projecting a devastating 75 per cent decline in revenue this year at massive three-storey facility. The opening of the Imagine Van Gogh exhibit later this month, featuring giant projections of the artists paintings, may be just what the centre needs to get people used to coming out again. "We look forward to welcoming people to the convention centre. The experience looks like it will incredible," Fisher said of the Van Gogh exhibit. "Its going to be great to have guests coming through, thats for sure." That said, the centre has actually remained open throughout the past six months. It has continued to hold events, but they have all been held under strict adherence to provincial guidelines. Those guidelines, which Fisher said are followed unwaveringly, allow for gatherings of more than 50 people but they have to be separated and they cant co-mingle. The centre has held events for more than 50 people, but the square footage thats now required for a 100-person meeting is much greater than it used to be. "We recently had a meeting for just under 100 people and it took up half of our ballroom, just under 10,000 square feet," Fisher said. "Before the pandemic-that would have easily fit in a space of about 3,000 square feet." And while the centre may have been officially open throughout the pandemic, every one of the hundreds of staff and contract employees have been affected. There have been wage roll backs, term positions eliminated, job sharing for essential service positions and a hiring freeze imposed. "This is our work family," he said. "The effect on them has been incredibly heartbreaking. Every single one of our staff members throughout the centre has been affected." The centre applied for and received approval from the city for a $7.5-million loan guarantee and Fisher said that every expense line is reviewed daily and there have been cuts across the board. "There are many factors that have been disappointing but whats most disappointing about the past few months is that it was to be one the best years on record," Fisher said. "We had 37 conventions on the book including some really large medical conventions." 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 Fisher said there is some solace in the fact that 80 per cent of the cancellations have been rebooked for the future and between the convention centres own sales force, those at Tourism Winnipeg and the collaborative Team Winnipeg group, they are all hard at work booking the remaining 20 per cent. Meetings and conventions and all businesses that involve large gatherings of people were the first affected by the measures to contain the pandemic and will one of the last to recover. And the convention centres economic footprint spreads out even larger than its 260,000 square feet of floor space. For instance, in 2017 the delegates and attendees at convention centre events spent close to $40 million in the city and booked more than 140,000 hotel room nights "That is our focus," Fisher said. "We want to bring large groups into Winnipeg that fill the hotels, the restaurants, the transportation facilities, the tourist destinations. We want to see everyone benefit from this. "That business unfortunately has been postponed. It is something we are continuously focused on." martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca Who is a moderate now? Who's a centrist? Until recently, the answer to such questions was primarily ideological. Centrists were middle-of-the-roaders who rejected the purity of the ideological left and right. I will confess: I used to have considerable scorn for such people. They often acted as if being in the middle was a sign of intellectual superiority. After all, on some issues the pure ideological position is often smarter than the split-the-difference compromise. If one side wants to build a bridge over a canyon and the other side doesn't, the smartest course isn't to build half a bridge that stops in thin air. In recent years, though, the definition of centrism has been changing before our eyes as the culture has become more partisan. For instance, I haven't changed my conservative views on most issues, but because I am a staunch critic of President Trump, many liberals now treat me as if I am a moderate or centrist. That makes sense if you think of Trump as a giant magnet next to our political compass. He serves as the true north for much of the right, which means much of the left reflexively marches south. That puts me somewhere like halfway between the two at east or west. But I've come to believe there's something else going on. Karen Stenner, an economist who studies authoritarianism, has identified what she calls an "authoritarian predisposition." She is quick to note that authoritarianism isn't synonymous with conservatism or any other ideological framework. Authoritarianism, she writes, "is a functional disposition concerned with maximizing 'oneness' and 'sameness' especially in conditions where the things that make us one and the same -- common authority, and shared values -- appear to be under threat." Historically, American conservatism has balanced conflicting impulses. It has been antagonistic to sudden, drastic, social change while at the same time it fully embraced -- at least in theory -- the free market. The problem is that economic liberty fuels change more than almost anything else. What Joseph Schumpeter called "creative destruction" constantly replaces old means of production with new ones. Moreover, most conservatives were defenders of existing traditional institutions and norms. This deference to courts, elections and the rule of law put structural limits on the reach of culturally conservative programs. A similar uneasy fusion endured on the left. In economics, capitalism was seen as something that needed to be harnessed, controlled or even caged. But in the cultural marketplace, the left had its own version of creative destruction. But both sides kept these internal tensions in check. Now the equilibrium is breaking down before our eyes. Both left and right have their own versions of "cancel culture" now. Leading conservatives routinely heap scorn on "market fundamentalism," championing everything from protectionism and industrial planning to state meddling in social media platforms (despite the fact that the right dominates the very outlets they insist are "censoring" them). Prominent intellectuals flirt with authoritarianism, and even monarchy. On the left, hostility to free speech and open debate is even more intense. In July, when a collection of mostly progressive intellectuals and writers issued an open letter calling for a renewed commitment to free speech, left-wing blowback was intense. It's not just on issues of expression that the left's liberal consensus has come apart. Due process on college campuses is now scorned as reactionary. Religious liberty is tolerable, so long as it doesn't conflict with progressive values. It is rapidly becoming a mainstream position on the left to favor packing the Supreme Court as soon as possible. Stenner argues that the authoritarian predisposition is triggered when the settled order becomes unsettled and an instinctive panic sets in. Whatever the cause(s) of these chaotic times may be (I have my theories), I think the chaos has triggered vast numbers of people on the left and the right to embrace illiberalism. Both movements share an antipathy toward the bedrock American and classically liberal right to be wrong, to live differently, to care about unfashionable things, or simply to not care about fashionable ones. Dissent is a kind of assault that must be policed and silenced, by state or cultural power -- or both. Conformity must be imposed. The twin fads of socialism and nationalism are best understood as competing attempts to impose sameness and order on each side's own terms. In this climate, the new centrists can be ideologically conservative or progressive according to the old definitions, but east and west share a common discomfort with the constant demand to catastrophize our politics in order impose orthodoxy on everyone. And amid the cacophony, such centrism can be quite lonely. Jonah Goldberg writes for the Los Angeles Times. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Wildfires raging in the West have killed at least 33 people with dozens of others missing and tens of thousands more in California, Oregon and Washington forced to flee their homes. The death toll is likely to climb, with one Oregon official warning of a "mass fatality incident." "There are going to be a number of fatalities, folks who just couldn't get warning in time and evacuate their homes and get to safety," state Emergency Management Director Andrew Phelps told MSNBC late Friday. Several additional deaths in the Oregon fires brought the total in the state so far to 10. In California, where fires since last month have charred over 3.2 million acres and destroyed about 4,000 structures, the number of dead reached 22 on Saturday. The remains of three people were found amid the rubble of the North Complex Fire, which has been burning in Butte, Plumas and Yuba counties, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said Saturday evening. In Washington, a 1-year-old boy died in blazes that the governor called "climate fires." This is not an act of God, Gov. Jay Inslee said. This has happened because we have changed the climate. The land burned in Washington in just the past five days amounted to the states second-worst fire season, after 2015, Inslee said. Image: Dolan Fire (Nic Coury / AP) President Donald Trump will visit California's Sacramento County on Monday to meet with officials about the wildfires, the White House announced Saturday. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, called Cal Fire, said that over 16,000 firefighters have been called to battle the 28 major wildfires the state has faced so far this year. Meanwhile, many of those forced to evacuate up and down the West Coast are searching for friends and family. That hunt is deeply personal to some. Zygy Roe-Zurz said his mother is still missing from her Berry Creek, California, home where she lived with Roe-Zurz's aunt and uncle, who have both been confirmed dead. Story continues "The reality is that my mom most likely didn't make it off the mountain," Roe-Zurz said. Even for thousands not forced to evacuate, the wildfires have caused a loss of electricity. And in many areas, orange-hued air is fueling worries about the health effects from poor air quality due to the fires' smoke. Los Angeles faces the worst smog it has seen in 26 years, the Los Angeles Times reported. California Gov. Gavin Newsom echoed Washington's governor on Saturday afternoon, saying the country must face the challenge of climate change to mitigate the possibility of future disasters. "The hots are getting hotter. The wets are getting wetter," Newsom tweeted. "Climate change isnt something that is going to happen in the future. Its happening right NOW." A fire broke out at Islander Pre-School on Sentosa on Thursday (10 Sep) morning, forcing 71 children and 17 staff members to evacuate the premises. According to reports, all children and staff from the preschoollocated at 35 Allanbrooke Roadwere moved to EtonHouse International School Sentosa, also owned by EtonHouse International Education Group. Fire Breaks Out at Islander Pre-school Fire Breaks Out at Islander Pre-school Fire breaks out at Islander Pre-school: the incident took place at about 11.30am on Thurday, 10 September 2020. | Image source: Islander Pre-School website The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the incident at 11.45 am, following the fire which reportedly took place at about 11.30 am. This comes after smoke was detected in the preschools administration room, the school said in a statement. According to the SCDF, the fire involved the contents of a storage room on the first floor which they managed to put out using two water jets. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to an SCDF spokesperson, no one was injured from the incident. The nearby school was also unaffected by the fire. As investigations continue, the school spokesperson said that the preschool will remain closed on Friday. The safety of our children comes above all and we will get to the bottom of this to ensure that we adhere to stringent safety standards, a school spokesperson said. How Parents Can Talk To Kids About Fire Safety Schools usually involve having a larger group of children gathered at one spot, which makes the occurrence of fire extremely dangerous. Some, if not many schools also have science labs that house flammable fluids that can put not just the lives of students and staff at risk, but also damage to personal and school property. Children as young as five can learn what to do in a fire emergency, and parents can help kids learn how to tackle the situation in the event it does happenwhether in school or at home. Story continues 1. Talk about smoke detectors The sound of the alarms can frighten children, especially if they happen unexpectedly. It is important to teach children about smoke detectors so that they know why they are installed and learn how to associate its sound with a fire. Image source: iStock 2. Introduce buddy system In a school setting, having a buddy system could be helpful for children with special needs who may need additional help to manage the situationapplicable during practice drills or actual school fire emergencies. Parents can work with teachers or the school to communicate this need. 3. Teach kids how to check if doors are hot Help kids learn how to check if the doors are hot and explore alternative ways to escape. Some fire safety tips for children can include: Getting children to find a towel which they can use to handle, touch or grab items to avoid burns How children can use the towel to protect their faces and cover their mouths In the event where the exits of a room are entirely blocked, children are advised to stay as low to the floor as possible. They can lie on the ground and near the bed if possiblebut not under. 4. What to do if their clothes catch fire? Parents can help their children learn this important trick: stop, drop, and roll. It involves stopping what they are doing immediately, drop to the ground, and roll to move to the nearby exit or safe spot (if applicable). Parents can teach it to their children by showing them how its done and subsequently getting them to practise it. Any fire-related injuries can be avoided or minimised if a child remembers this advice instead of running in a state of confusion and shock. ALSO READ: Desperate Mum Sacrifices Her Life To Save Her Children In Home Fire 10 Most Expensive Preschools in Singapore Fire safety tips for the family to make your home safe The post 71 Children, 17 Staff Members Evacuated After Fire Breaks Out at Islander Preschool on Sentosa appeared first on theAsianparent - Your Guide to Pregnancy, Baby & Raising Kids. A former New Jersey Superior Court judge turned Fox News legal analyst has been accused of sexually assaulting a man more than 30 years ago who was set to appear in his courtroom, according to a federal lawsuit. Andrew Napolitano, Fox News' judicial analyst, allegedly forcibly sodomized and sexually assaulted a man in Hackensack who was facing three counts of arson in Napolitanos courtroom, according to the lawsuit filed in New York Southern District Court by attorney Jon L. Norinsberg, on behalf of the alleged victim. The alleged victim is seeking $10 million in damages, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit is rife with graphic details of the alleged encounter between Napolitano and the man, going through a sordid cause and effect that allegedly left the victim with a lighter sentence. In November 1987, the alleged victim was facing arson charges from a three-count indictment and hired Robert Hollis as his defense attorney, the lawsuit said. According to the lawsuit, Hollis was one of the leaders of a prostitution ring, which his then-client was unaware of. Shortly after Hollis took on the alleged victims case, it was abruptly transferred to Napolitanos jurisdiction, with Hollis reassuring his client that hes my friend and I can take care of your case now," according to the lawsuit. Under Hollis advice, the alleged victim pleaded guilty to all three counts of the indictment, without any sort of plea agreement, according to the lawsuit. Through an arrangement with Hollis, the alleged victim, who was then 20 years old, was instructed to visit Napolitano at his Hackensack home on December 1988, and to bring a Christmas card and a snow-shovel, according to the lawsuit. When the alleged victim arrived, Napolitano answered the door and told him he was there to shovel snow, according to the lawsuit. Although he complied, the alleged victim thought it was odd; there was no snow on the driveway, merely a thin sheet of ice, the lawsuit said. Soon after, Napolitano came back outside wearing a long trench coat, and beckoned the alleged victim back to the house. After talking to the victim for a while, Napolitano discussed the alleged victims case, explaining that the counts potentially meant years in prison, the lawsuit said You know, you could be going away for a long time, Napolitano told the alleged victim, according to the lawsuit. It was then that Napolitano put his hand on the mans shoulder and forced him down to his knees, according to the lawsuit. As Napolitano pushed the alleged victim down to the ground, Napolitano told the man to be a good boy," according to the lawsuit. The alleged victim was then forced to perform oral sex on Napolitano, according to the lawsuit. Although the alleged victim wanted Napolitano to stop, he was paralyzed with fear and scared of what Napolitano would do to him if he resisted or fought back, according to the lawsuit. Judge Napolitano has assured us in the strongest possible terms that these allegations are false and he will fight them aggressively in court, Fox News said in a statement. After the alleged assault, it seemed Hollis knew what happened between his client and Napolitano, telling the alleged victim dont worry about anything, the lawsuit said. When it was time for sentencing on the alleged victims charges, Napolitano handed down what the alleged victim claimed was an extremely lenient sentience, according to the lawsuit. Despite a prior juvenile arson charge and the severity of the criminal charges of arson, burglary of a motor vehicle and aggravated arson, Napolitano dismissed two of the alleged victims criminal charges and amended the other, the lawsuit said. Napolitano allowed the alleged victim to avoid any jail time, instead handing down a sentence of five years of probation with 150 hours of community service, the lawsuit said. In addition, Napolitano ruled that any probation violations would be brought straight to him, the lawsuit said The lawsuit also alleges that Napolitano, in an effort to block the alleged victim from filing the federal lawsuit, recently contacted police in New York and South Carolina - where the alleged victim now lives - and made false accusations that the alleged victim had made threats on Napolitanos life. In a statement released by Napolitanos attorney Tom Clare, Napolitano denied all of the alleged victims accusations. These accusations are completely false. Full stop, Napolitano said in the statement. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes, at any time, to anyone, for any reason. 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. In his statement, Clare called the alleged victim a career criminal and claimed that the alleged victim had a history of making violent threats to harm Napolitano, prompting law enforcement to monitor the South Carolina mans movements. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Rodrigo Torrejon may be reached at rtorrejon@njadvancemedia.com. Former UFC champion Conor McGregor has reportedly been arrested for alleged indecent exposure in a bar in the French region of Corsica, according to reports in the French media. French news outlet AFP has reported that the retired MMA fighter was arrested and taken into custody following the alleged incident which is said to have taken place last week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the major difference between housing schemes conceived for the poor after Independence and in the past six years was transparency and decentralisation of decision making powers in it. At the same time, it strengthened the rural economy and women empowerment and also infused a sense of personal attachment in the beneficiaries with their houses built. The PM was addressing beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) (Rural) in Madhya Pradesh through a live webcast on the occasion of grih pravesh (formal entry) of beneficiaries of 1.75 lakh houses constructed across 12,000 villages of Madhya Pradesh under the scheme. The PM interacted with three beneficiaries also during the programme- each selected from Dhar, Singrauli and Gwalior districts. Also read: No carelessness till Covid-19 medicine is developed, urges PM Modi Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union minister for agriculture and farmer welfare Narendra Singh Tomar, Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia and officials of department of rural development and panchayat raj, including additional chief secretary Manoj Shrivastava, also attended the programme. The prime minister said, housing schemes for the poor were conceived earlier too even from the first decade of the Independence. There were some additions and names of the schemes kept on changing every 10 to 15 years but the goal of providing houses and dignified life to crores of poor could never be fulfilled. He said, Earlier, there was a lot of interference from the government in it. Those who were supposed to live in these houses were not involved anywhere in the process. Not only this, but there was also a lack of transparency in the schemes earlier and there were irregularities of different kinds. Thats why the quality of such houses was very poor. In addition to this, beneficiaries of the scheme had to take rounds of government offices for basic facilities like water, electricity, et cetera. The result of all this was that the beneficiaries of such housing schemes didnt shift to the houses willingly, said the PM. He added, when we started working in 2014, the old schemes were improved in the first place based on studies of the experiences in the past. Then, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana was introduced with a completely new thought. In this, transparency is given precedence and a scientific and transparent system is put in place from the selection of beneficiaries to the construction of houses. Earlier, the poor used to run after the government to get benefits from several schemes but now government has to approach people, identify them and give facilities to them. The PM said, The materials available at the local level are given preference. Even the design of the houses is decided as per the need of people and the construction style prevalent at the local level. Every level of construction is monitored with complete transparency. He said now a beneficiary was not only getting a house but also other facilities under various schemes like a toilet under Swachh Bharat, LPG connection under Ujjawala Yojna, electricity connection under Saubhagya Yojna, LED bulbs Ujala Yojna, water connection, et cetera., everything with the house. He said it was interesting to note that the work under the scheme was done effectively even during the Covid-19 period. In all, 18 lakh houses were constructed across the nation during this period under the PMAY scheme. Also, construction of a house under the scheme used to take about 125 days on an average to be completed but during the corona period, a house was built in just 45 to 60 days. This could be possible because of the contribution from migrant labourers who returned home during the Covid-19 period. The PM said, Under PM Garib Kalyan Rozgar Yojna, 23,000 crore worth of construction work was executed across the country. While houses were constructed (under PMAY (Rural) scheme) there were works executed at a rapid speed regarding providing water to homes, construction of Anganwadi and panchayat buildings, construction of sheds for cattle, ponds, wells, rural roads and other work associated with rural development. This benefitted in two ways - first, lakhs of migrant labourers who returned home from cities got employment and second, it led to the sale of brick, cement, sand and other building materials. In a way, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rozgar Yojna proved a big support for strengthening the rural economy. The scheme stemmed strength to a large extent from the work under PMAY. The PMAY, he said, not only offered employment to people but also strengthened the women empowerment as a registry of such a house was either done in the name of a woman or her name was joined with another person. There was now an opportunity for women masons to improve their income and feel empowered. The PM said having put in place infrastructure like electricity, road, toilets et cetera., in five years up to 2019 in the rural areas now the governments effort was to strengthen the villages with modern facilities. On August 15, the government resolved to lay optical fibre across up to 6 lakh villages in 1,000 days. In about 1,250 villages 15,000 WiFi hotspot and about 19,000 optical fibre connections were provided. Hence, in the coming time, the villages will not only have fast internet facility for students, youth and others, it will be a hotspot for several activities including businesses. Abu Dhabi Ports has announced that the expansion work on its Khalifa Port project was moving at a steady pace with 80 per cent of construction already completed within Phase One of its South Quay development which is on track for completion by the year-end. Upon completion, the project is expected to substantially increase handling volumes by providing additional deep-water access and enhanced infrastructure. To date, 200 m of quay wall and almost 175,000 sq m of land within Khalifa Port Logistics (KPL) have been handed over ahead of the projects full Phase One completion in Q1 2021, said the statement from Abu Dhabi Ports. The Khalifa Port expansion, announced in December 2019, aims to attract new business and significantly boost capacity in line with evolving customer expectations, and has progressed significantly since its inception despite the challenging economic conditions presented by the global pandemic. At the same time, considerable progress has also been made on Phase One of Khalifa Ports South Quay development that is slated for completion by Q4 2020. With 80 per cent of construction already complete, a total of 650 m of quay wall, containing two berths alongside 37,000 sq m terminal yard, is now available in advance of receiving its first shipment. Progress has also been made on Abu Dhabi Terminals (ADT) expansion plans with the delivery of five new ship-to-shore cranes. With each unit boasting a lifting capacity of 90 tonnes, the new cranes have boosted capacity at the terminal significantly and have put Khalifa Port Container Terminal on track to meet its target of 5 million TEUs by the end of the current year. Head of Ports Cluster Saif Al Mazrouei, said: "The continued expansion of our infrastructure at Khalifa Port demonstrates Abu Dhabi Ports commitment to transforming trade and logistics in the region." "Thanks to the strategic direction and guidance of the Government of Abu Dhabi, our emirate is ensured to experience increased direct foreign investment and growth of non-oil GDP" he noted. We are confident that the ongoing expansion of Khalifa Port will significantly enhance our operational and cargo handling capabilities," remarked Al Mazrouei. "Our ports are not only gateways to the Gulf, but also convenient departure points to markets around the world, connecting east and west. The multimodal connections between Abu Dhabi and global markets through land, sea, air, and future rail channels have elevated the emirates status as a leading trade and logistics hub in the Middle East," he added. The addition of land plots with adjacent quay wall and deep-water access at Khalifa Port provides a host of new customer opportunities, particularly for industrial producers requiring prime land plots in proximity to Khalifa Port Industrial Zone (KIZAD) and cargo owners that wish to import, export and trans-ship with global markets via Khalifa Ports multimodal touchpoints. One example lies with Arabian Chemical Terminals (ACT) which recently signed a 50-year agreement to establish the first commercial bulk liquid and gas storage terminal at Khalifa Port that will be located on a plot with 16-m direct deep-water quay access within the newly developed KPL. This project is well under way with the front-end engineering design (FEED) having been awarded in May. Khalifa Ports assets and future growth plans were discussed during an exclusive Khalifa Port trade and investment webinar headlined by Abdulla Al Saleh Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Economy. Al Saleh was joined by Al Mazrouei in addition to Mohamed Al Menhali, Port Director of Khalifa Port; Kim Larsen, VP of Commercial & BD, Ports Unit; and Paul Vrijhof, Strategy and Business Development, Ports Cluster. Also participating in the webinar were Salmeen Al Ameri, CEO of Al Dahra Agriculture, and Kasper Castricum, GM of Arabian Chemical Terminals Abu Dhabi, who shared their insights on how establishing themselves at Khalifa Port had accelerated their strategic goals and opened up new opportunities for them to target the wider global market. In addition to highlighting progress on the expansion project at Khalifa Port, the session also provided an overview on ongoing trade and economic recovery efforts in the UAE, the ports role as part of these recovery efforts and its ongoing mission to facilitate global trade and logistics, as well as the latest developments with Abu Dhabi Ports portfolio of global partnerships.-TradeArabia News Service Troops guard a dam Thursday in Camargo, Mexico. (Christian Chavez / Associated Press) Mexicos water wars have turned deadly. A long-simmering dispute about shared water rights between Mexico and the United States has erupted into open clashes pitting Mexican National Guard troops against farmers, ranchers and others who seized a dam in northern Chihuahua state. A 35-year-old mother of three was shot dead and her husband seriously wounded in what the Chihuahua state government labeled unprovoked National Guard gunfire. The demonstrators and state officials complain that the administration of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is diverting water to the United States at the expense of drought-stricken Mexican farmers and ranchers. We will defend our water until the end, said Alejandro Aguilar, 57, a Chihuahua tomato and onion grower who was among the protesters. We will not end our fight, because this liquid is vital to our future. La Boquilla dam remained in protesters custody as of Friday amid rumors that the federal troops were readying to mount an assault to recapture the strategic facility. The conflict has escalated into a national crisis in which both sides allege rampant corruption and the meddling of shadowy provocateurs and hidden political interests in a complex scenario reminiscent of "Chinatown," the iconic film about early 20th century water battles in Southern California. Lopez Obrador denies any water shortage for farmers in Chihuahua and charges that his opponents are fomenting a politically motivated rebellion. Mexico has been sending water north in advance of an October deadline to provide the United States with a vast amount of water owed under terms of a 76-year-old treaty. We have to comply with the agreement, Lopez Obrador told reporters, insisting that doing so will not result in any scarcity now or in the future. We will not allow that Chihuahua be left without water. Mexico is playing catch-up in its water debt to the United States after falling behind on last year's installments. Meanwhile, Chihuahua growers say they are suffering the effects of an almost decadelong drought. Story continues Lopez Obrador, a leftist populist, has carefully cultivated strong ties with the Trump administration. And in a U.S. presidential election year, he clearly does not want the binational water issue to provide fodder for President Trump to engage in a new round of campaign-time Mexico-bashing. Lopez Obrador has voiced fears that Trump, who launched his 2016 campaign with a message that Mexico was sending "rapists" and criminals to the United States, could retaliate should Mexico fail to pony up its water debt. We dont want sanctions; we dont want a major conflict, Lopez Obrador told reporters. Imagine if, for failing to comply, they close the border on us. In recent months, Mexico has endeavored to meet its obligation by opening dam sluices and releasing water into rivers that flow into the Rio Grande, which forms much of the U.S.-Mexico border. The flows from Mexico provide crucial irrigation for vegetables, sugar cane and other crops in south Texas. Mexican officials need to increase their water releases to the United States immediately, Jayne Harkins, U.S. commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission, the binational body overseeing border treaties between the United States and Mexico, warned in July. Continuing to delay increases the risk of Mexico failing to meet its delivery obligation, said Harkins, a Trump administration appointee. A 1944 binational treaty still hailed as a groundbreaking international pact mandates U.S. water distribution to Mexico via the Colorado River and Mexican allocation to its northern neighbor via the Rio Grande. Mexican officials concede that the treaty is advantageous because Mexico receives four times the volume of water that it delivers to the United States. The treaty requires that Mexico provide water to the United States based on five-year cycles. Currently, however, Mexico is facing a huge shortfall 307,943 acre-feet, or 379.8 million cubic meters due by Oct. 24, when the current five-year cycle ends. The deficit is about 88% of what Mexico is expected to supply per year to the United States. Thats a lot of water to make up in a short period of time, said Sally Spener, spokeswoman for the U.S. section of the commission. Mexico cannot simply kick the can down the road. The treaty, Spener noted, does not specify sanctions for noncompliance and assumes that both parties will make good-faith efforts" to fulfill mutual obligations. Recent Mexican discharges meant to shrink the water balance to the United States sparked sometimes violent protests in Chihuahua, a mostly desert state that is home to large-scale farming of vegetables, grains and other crops, along with ranching. Protesters have blocked railway tracks and torched highway toll booths and federal government vehicles, prompting the dispatch of hundreds of National Guard troops. But the unrest escalated to a new level this week. Several thousand protesters, many wielding rocks, sticks and Mexican flags, descended on the La Boquilla dam. The marchers clashed with National Guard troops, who fired tear gas and wielded batons and plexiglass riot shields. The outnumbered troops finally pulled back a step that the president later called prudent and the protesters occupied the dam. The National Guard says armed civilians in vehicles later attacked retreating soldiers, who repelled the aggression. But in doing so, soldiers reportedly killed the woman and seriously wounded her husband. Chihuahua state authorities and protest leaders blame the soldiers. In our investigations, no one confirms the version that the National Guard was attacked first, said Chihuahua Gov. Javier Corral, who is a member of the National Action Party, a conservative opposition bloc that the president has blamed for fanning the crisis. It is one thing to look to win the governorship of Chihuahua, and something else to deceive, manipulate and use such a delicate matter for electoral goals, Lopez Obrador said. Gubernatorial elections are scheduled for next year in Chihuahua, where, as elsewhere in northern Mexico, voters have long been cool to Lopez Obrador. The ex-Mexico City mayor's power base is in central and southern Mexico. The country's north-south political divides play into the bitter water conflict. The president has alleged that unnamed interests and water bosses in Chihuahua have long manipulated supplies to benefit wealthy growers, who have made fortunes from planting large tracts of crops such as alfalfa and walnuts that need extensive irrigation. We are talking about very prosperous farmers, about businesses, a clear association of the economy and politics, but everything linked to the water, Lopez Obrador told reporters Friday. The corrupt politicians become businessmen. And the businessmen become corrupt politicians. Water users in Chihuahua have likewise cited sinister dark interests fomenting discord, in the words of Salvador Alcantar, who heads the states association of irrigation users. Protesters say they do not seek to renegotiate the binational water treaty. Rather, they say the Mexican government should seek alternative solutions, such as waiting for fall rains or diverting water from border areas less drought-afflicted than Chihuahua. Mexican officials respond that time is running out and that the water flows from Chihuahua are essential to settle the country's international arrears. The two sides appear no closer to a solution. For us, here, the question of water is fundamental, Alcantar said. It is the patrimony that we inherited from our grandparents, our parents. And now we have to leave it for our children. Special correspondents Cecilia Sanchez and Liliana Nieto del Rio contributed to this report. 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. A Winnipeg man arrested after a violent carjacking and high-speed chase in a stolen police cruiser has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A Winnipeg man arrested after a violent carjacking and high-speed chase in a stolen police cruiser has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. Terry Dutkos actions, which left a 75-year-old Quebec man seriously injured, were "nothing short of shocking," said provincial court Judge Stacy Cawley. "Its a miracle no one was killed." Seated in the prisoners box, Dutko, 21, slumped his head upon learning his sentence, which was four years longer than the one recommended by his lawyer, Jackson Mugerwa, and two years shorter than recommended by the Crown. Dutko pleaded guilty to 19 offences for a string of crimes spanning several months, culminating in his arrest June 27, 2019, outside a Portage la Prairie truck stop following a 45-minute police chase. Dutko was wanted in connection to another pursuit in a stolen car three months earlier when officers in the Winnipeg police Air-1 helicopter spotted a stolen Jeep Cherokee being driven in the vicinity of McGregor Street and Jarvis Avenue around 2:30 a.m. Police on the ground followed the vehicle for several kilometres as it headed west out of the city. The Cherokee lost a front tire after possibly running over a spike belt, before turning in to the Flying J truck stop near Headingley. There, Dutko, armed with a metal bar, and a co-accused forced three Quebec residents from their car before speeding away. One of the carjacking victims, a 75-year-old man, suffered a concussion and broken arm after he became caught in the car door and was dragged several feet before falling to the ground. The car was heading east, back into the city, when it was quickly boxed in by several police cruisers. Dutko and his co-accused abandoned the vehicle and ran away. Dutko ran to an unoccupied police cruiser and struck a police officer with the vehicle before racing west on the Trans-Canada Highway. Police from two districts joined the chase as Dutko reached speeds of 200 km/h before running over a spike belt and turning into another truck stop east of Portage la Prairie. There, he tried and failed to carjack an Alberta woman before Mounties arrested him after a foot chase. Dutko, who has a record for automobile theft, was banned from driving anywhere in Canada at the time of his arrest. In the months before this arrest, Dutko was involved in a series of robberies and thefts that court was told was fuelled by his addiction to meth. In one incident, Dutko arrived at a Winnipeg auto dealership in a stolen car and stole three sets of keys before driving off in a Dodge Ram truck. 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. Dutko identifies as Metis and has experienced the same disadvantaged upbringing as many Indigenous offenders, court heard, including early exposure to violence, substance and physical abuse and time in foster care. Cawley accepted Dutkos earlier crimes were driven by his addictions, but said police and security video the night of the carjacking show a man who appeared clearheaded and surefooted, not drug-addled. In a pre-sentence report previously provided to court, Dutko admitted stealing cars was "addictive and exhilarating." "This was not a momentary lapse of judgment," she said. "At no time during this entire event does he show any hesitation or that he has had enough." Dutko, who became a father while in custody, has participated in a variety of rehabilitative programs in jail and appears sincerely committed to change, Cawley said. "He knows the only way out for him is to make lasting and permanent changes," she said. dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 12, 2020 15:13 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c44733e2 4 National COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-corona,virus-korona-indonesia,West-Java,ridwan-kamil,hospital,healthcare,Greater-Jakarta,Bekasi,Depok Free The West Java administration has offered Jakarta health authorities to transfer COVID-19 patients to hospitals in the province once the capitals healthcare system is overwhelmed due to a spike in confirmed cases. West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said he had conveyed his offer to his Jakarta counterpart, Anies Baswedan, during a recent virtual meeting. The hospital occupancy rate in West Java stands at around 35 percent. If [hospitals in] Jakarta are overwhelmed, we offer them to use of hospitals in Bogor, Depok and Bekasi, Ridwan said on Friday as quoted by tribunnews.com. He added that regions should do more to collaborate instead of competing in terms of handling the outbreak. Read also: Jakarta lockdown aimed at preventing collapse of healthcare system West Java COVID-19 task force healthcare facility management head Marion Siagian said only 44 percent of the 4,094 isolation beds across the province were used for COVID-19 patients, despite health authorities recording an increase in the average of daily cases recently. According to the task forces official count, West Java has seen an average of 228 new cases a day in the past two weeks. The province currently has 105 COVID-19 referral hospitals, with an additional 267 hospitals that have sufficient facilities to treat infected patients. Jakarta will reimpose large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) starting on Monday, after recording a recent spike in infections. Anies said the occupancy rate for isolation beds in the capital had reached 77 percent early this month. He estimated that all beds would be fully occupied by the end of September should Jakarta fail to contain the disease. Authorities are still imposing smaller-scale social restrictions in regions with a high-rate of COVID-19s transmission. Ridwan said mayors or regents would have to propose to the provincial administration if they wanted to impose PSBB in their respective regions. On Friday, West Java recorded 272 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 286 new recoveries and seven fatalities. Jakarta, the countrys epicenter of COVID-19, saw 964 new cases, 900 new recoveries and 17 fatalities. (mfp) She has been getting closer to her boyfriend of nearly three years, Leonardo DiCaprio, during lockdown. But Camila Morrone enjoyed a day with just her beloved rescue husky on Friday. The 23-year-old beauty dressed casually for her outing in Los Angeles, opting for distressed jeans and a loose cardigan. Fashionable outing: Camila Morrone headed out solo on Friday, dressed casually for her outing, opting for distressed jeans and a loose cardigan, in Los Angeles The Buenos Aires-born actress paired her light wash jeans, that features rips at her knees, with a plain white tank and black undergarments. As she headed back to her car, with a juice in hand, her beige calf-length cardigan fell off her shoulders. She added simple touches to her look, with layered gold necklaces hanging on her chest and white Nike Air Force 1 sneakers. Keeping her hands available for her drink, Morrone carried her essentials in a beige canvas tote bag on her shoulder. Girl's best friend: The Valley Girl actress loaded her white and brown husky, that she rescued earlier this year, into her car before heading in herself The Valley Girl actress loaded the white and brown husky whom she rescued earlier this year into her car before settling in herself. Keeping herself looking effortless, she tied her brunette locks up into a stylish bun and added a grey face mask for protection amid the pandemic. She is frequently spotted with her Oscar-winning beau, whom she has been linked to since later 2017. At the time, Us Weekly reported the couple were 'hooking up.' The relationship has grown progressively more and more serious since then, with Camila even accompanying him to this year's Academy Awards. Relationship goals: Morrone has reportedly been getting closer with DiCaprio, 45, with whom she's been spending her quarantine (pictured in February, 2020) Just a number: The Valley Girl actress isn't bothered by criticism of their age gap, stating: 'I just think anyone should be able to date who they want to date' The 'It' couple has faced plenty of criticism over their 22-year age gap, as DiCaprio has been known to date in her very specific age group. The Valley Girl actress isn't bothered by it though, which she admitted to the Los Angeles Times in December. She said: 'There's so many relationships in Hollywood and in the history of the world where people have large age gaps. I just think anyone should be able to date who they want to date.' Morrone continued: 'I understand the association, but I'm confident that will continue to slip away and be less of a conversation.' New Delhi, Sep 12 : The Delhi Police have busted a gang of cheats which was operating across India to defraud innocent victims on the pretext of offering gifts against rewards points of their credit cards. Three persons -- Manish Gupta, Ashish and Abhishek -- have been arrested in connection with the case. The police have also seized Rs 6 lakh from the accounts of the accused persons, besides recovering five mobile phones, two cordless telephone sets used for making calls to the victims, four laptops containing data of the victims, 12 fake SIM cards, six ATM cards, and details of eight fake bank accounts from their possession. During probe, the transaction of money made by the complainant was analysed which revealed that the cheated amount was received by the accused persons through Paytm. Accordingly, the details of the accounts in which the money was transferred were obtained which revealed that the beneficiary account was linked to a bank account which was found in the name of M/s Fashion Pravitti. On further verification, one Ashish was found to be the proprietor and beneficiary of the said bank account. It was also revealed that another person named Manish was the handler of the account. The location of both the suspects was zeroed down, after which a raid was conducted that led to the arrest of Ashish and Manish. Later, another man named Abhishek was also arrested for his involvement in the matter. "Manish disclosed that he initially worked in a call centre and from there he got an idea to cheat innocent victims by way of tele calling. Accordingly, in 2017, he came in contact with other persons who were in the business of website designing and were having credit card data of the existing customers. They then hatched a conspiracy to cheat the innocent victims," said Atul Thakur, DCP, South Delhi. But just weeks before the Germans and Soviets signed Molotov-Ribbentrop pact Hitler visited Munich restaurant the Osteria Bavaria at least three times a week With agent Alexander Foote, they planned to blow the Fuhrer up at a restaurant Neighbours in the tranquil Oxfordshire village of Great Rollright knew housewife Mrs Burton for the scrumptious taste of her scones in the summer of 1945. But they had no idea she was actually top Soviet spy Ursula Kuczynski, who came close to blowing up Adolf Hitler before Joseph Stalin got cold feet. Kuczynski, code-named Sonya, nearly averted the horrors of the Second World War as she plotted to assassinate the Fuhrer in a restaurant in the winter of 1938. Her daring plan has now been detailed by Ben Macintyre in his new book Agent Sonya, which has been serialised in the Times. The historian delved into MI5 files and unearthed accounts from those involved in the mission, allowing him to reveal one of the best-laid plans to slay the dictator. Ursula Kuczynski, code-named Sonya, helped to coordinate an attempt to assassinate Hitler in 1938 alongside agent Alexander Foote Kuczynski, now known as Ruth Werner, presented an idea to Moscow to assassinate Hitler as he ate in one of his favourite Munich restaurants The plot was hatched when one of Kuczynski's agents Alexander Foote was dining at the Osteria Bavaria in Munich when Hitler showed up at a private dining room he visited up to three times a week. Foote noticed the Fuhrer's guards failed to react as his dining companion reached into his jacket pocket for cigarettes when they walked past the table. The spy told Kuczynski it would be possible to plant a bomb in a suitcase next to the partition in the main restaurant and the assassination attempt was pieced together. Kuczynski presented the plan to Moscow - declaring it an 'excellent idea' - and agents were ordered to prepare an operation to shoot Hitler as he walked through the restaurant or blow him up as he dined. It superseded an audacious idea to blow up the airship Graf Zeppelin. Foote noticed that Hitler's personal guards were lax on security when the Fuhrer dined at one of his favourite Munich restaurants, the Osteria Bavaria (above) The plot to assassinate Hitler came to a halt just weeks before the attempt as the Germans and Soviets signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, a non-aggression agreement. Kuczynski moved to Oxfordshire in Britain and took up the identity of 'Mrs Burton' after the war WHO WAS URSULA KUCZYNSKI? Ursula Ruth Kuczynski, now known as Ruth Werner, was a German-born Soviet spy and writer. She was born one of six children of Robert Rene and Berta Kuczynski on May 15, 1907. Her father was a distinguished economist who specialised in demography and labor statistics, taught and worked in Germany, the United States and Britain. The Kucyznkis were considered 'progressive' and later some of them joined the Communist Party. The committed communist operated as a spy for the Soviet Union in China, Nazi Germany, Switzerland, and England beginning in about 1930. Using the code name Sonya, she gathered and transmitted classified intelligence to Moscow, including technical information supplied by the German-born British physicist Klaus Fuchs about the Manhattan Project's research into the atomic bomb. Moscow broke off contact with her in the summer of 1946, with no explanation and after World War II she settled in East Germany. She took the pen name Ruth Werner and became a celebrated writer of short stories, novels, and an autobiography, Sonja's Rapport. She was twice awarded the order of the Red Banner, the highest Soviet military decoration, and also held the rank of colonel in the Red Army. Her only connection with the GRU after settling in East Berlin was in 1969 when she was invited to a ceremony to receive her second Red Banner decoration. She died in Berlin on July 7, 2000, aged ninety-three, survived by her three children, five grandchildren and three sisters. Advertisement But the latest plot was just weeks away when the Germans and Soviets signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, a non-aggression agreement that shelved Kuczynski's operation. Months later Kuczynski had divorced her German architect husband and married her English recruit Len Beurton for a passport for the UK. Macintyre believes her plot would have 'transformed world history' and and had a better chance of success than any other attempted. He said: 'Would there have been a Molotov-Ribbentrop pact? I think almost certainly not. 'It's a real ''what if?'' but I can't help thinking also that the world would have been a better and safer place, which was certainly the way Ursula thought about it.' Kuczynski moved to Britain and took up the identity of Mrs Burton, whose three children had three different Soviet spies as fathers. She moved near the atomic energy research establishment at Harwell and later settled in idyllic village of Great Rollright, near Chipping Norton. It was in England where she became the handler of Klaus Fuchs, the Soviet Union's most successful thief of nuclear secrets. The physicist supplied information from the American, British and Canadian Manhattan project to the Soviet Union during and following the Second World War. Kuczynski, now known as Ruth Werner, was only interviewed by the secret services in 1947 after the defection of fellow agent Foote. And Fuchs was caught after spending 1944 to 1946 working with the American Atomic Research department in Los Alamos. He was put on trial in January 1950 and the day before it started, Kuczynski left Britain and escaped to East Berlin. Here, she adopted the pen name Ruth Werner and became a celebrated writer of short stories and novels. She also penned her autobiography Sonja's Report, which was completed in 1974 and published in East Berlin three years later. But under the conspiracy rules she never mentioned Fuchs - who was still alive - instead writing about other clandestine operatives. Women parade through the streets of Minsk to protest contested presidential election results With a top Vatican official in Minsk to show support to the Church there, reports have emerged that Belarusian authorities detained dozens of pro-democracy protesters following a month of rallies against President Alexander Lukashenko who has been accused of rigging the presidential election. By Stefan J. Bos The European Union expressed concern and requested an urgent debate on what it views as the deterioration in Belarus's situation. It wants to raise the issue at the top United Nations rights body next week. Brussels is aiming for economic sanctions. Western countries agree with protestors that Belarus President Lukashenko rigged the August 9 election. In recent weeks Police have been seen beating and even shooting at protestors. At least four people were killed and hundreds injured in more than a month of protests against Lukashenko. Over 7,000 people were detained in recent weeks. Many released from prisons showed signs of torture on their bodies. Since Friday, Belarus's security forces took crores of protestors into custody in a new wave of arrests to end the pro-democracy rallies. Lukashenko's warning Earlier, President Lukashenko, who was walking around with a Kalashnikov rifle, had a warning to protestors. "If you are going against our country. Or even in the smallest way, try to plunge the country into chaos and destabilize it, you will an immediate response from me," he shouted. Facing criticism from the West, Lukashenko tries to improve ties with his main ally and sponsor, Russia. He is to visit Russia on Monday for talks with President Vladimir Putin in Sochi's Black Sea resort. Some expect Belarusian authorities to take harsh actions against demonstrators ahead of the meeting. Russian President Putin has already said special police forces are ready to help end "violent" rallies in Belarus. Despite these threats and expulsions of opposition leaders from the country, more massive protests are expected. FILE PHOTO: A pedestrians walks past the Aviva logo outside the company head office in the city of London By Tanishaa Nadkar and Pushkala Aripaka (Reuters) - Life and general insurer Aviva is offloading its Singapore business to a consortium led by Singapore Life, for S$2.7 billion (1.55 billion pounds),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 Aviva's 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. (Reporting by Tanishaa Nadkar and Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru, and Anshuman Daga in Singapore; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila, Shounak Dasgupta and Louise Heavens) Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Hanoi 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. Further information could be found on the website www.vietnamairlines.com, Vietnam Airlines mobile app and Facebook page www.facebook.com/VietnamAirlines, its ticket agents nationwide or customer care hotline 1900 1100. 139 Shares Share It is probably a very good friend right now. COVID-19 vaccine trials are underway in an unprecedented fashion. But lately, questions about the integrity of Operation Warp Speed have started to linger. A vaccine availability deadline prior to phase 3 data has not helped, and many think that immunity, while feasible, is still distant. While awaiting proof of vaccine reliance, immune training could act as a stopgap. The concept of trained immunity is based on how the innate immune system, composed of monocytes, macrophages, and natural killer cells, can display a higher than usual response when they encounter various pathogens other than the ones against which the immune response was initiated. Thus, adding a non-specific partial defense mechanism against many different infectious agents. Simply put, it refers to the ability of the immune system to produce an adequate and early combative response against a pathogen even if it has not been exposed to it in the past. Immune training appears to occur when various recent vaccinations have left a more activated innate immune system. Much like a revved-up car engine right before the race starts. This is different from adaptive immunity, which forms the basis for vaccination. Adaptive immunity follows the innate immune response during infection and creates a microbe-specific immune response. Adaptive immunity utilizes T cells and B cells, which eliminates the pathogen and leaves behind memory T cells, which can facilitate a faster immune response if exposure to the same pathogen recurs. The theory of immune training also has a foundation in how the novel coronavirus behaves in children. There are many plausible expletives about severe infection, or lack thereof, in children. One discusses that exposure to the common cold coronaviruses, which is more common in children, may help develop cross-reacting antibodies resulting in a better ability to fight the novel coronavirus. Another discusses the possible presence of a higher level of bystander immunity due to recent vaccinations in children, and hence their immune systems are better prepared for a quicker antibody response against the novel coronavirus. Lets sift through some observations from around the globe. The BCG vaccine, used for tuberculosis, has historically been shown to decrease 30% infections from various other pathogens within the first year of its administration. A recent interim analysis of the ACTIVATE trial (A randomized Clinical trial for enhanced Trained Immune responses through Bacillus Calmette-Guerin Vaccination to prevent infections of the Elderly) showed a 53% decrease of the incidence of all new infections with BCG vaccination. Specifically, with respect to COVID-19, an analysis utilizing European data has suggested that for every 10% increase in the degree of universal BCG vaccination deployment in a country, the COVID-19 mortality was reduced by 10.4%. Consequently, multiple trials to assess the prevention of COVID-19 by the BCG vaccine are underway all over the globe. An ongoing American study is addressing the ability of the BCG vaccine in mounting defense against the SARS-CoV2 amongst health care workers. Researchers have also presented a hypothesis suggesting a potential role of a booster dose of MMR vaccine in the elderly to prevent severe COVID-19 sepsis. MMR is like BCG, as it is a live attenuated (weakened virus) vaccine. It can also theoretically rely on a non-specific innate immune response to potentially prevent further unrelated infections from various pathogens. The authors predicted this strategy as a low-risk-high-reward attempt because the MMR vaccine does not appear to have significant contraindications barring a few in immunocompromised individuals. Trials undergoing in Canada and Egypt are currently assessing the utility of the MMR vaccine in COVID-19. Last but not least, the infamous flu vaccine. The inhaled (nasal spray) flu vaccine is a live, weakened virus (like BCG and MMR), and the injectable form is an inactivated or killed virus. It is highly beneficial to receive the flu vaccine in the upcoming months. One simple reason is that America is going into a fall season with one of the highest prevalence of COVID-19 in the world, and the last thing anyone wants is a dual pandemic (twindemic). Another good reason to avoid getting severe flu is that its currently unknown how a recovered flu patient may fare if they would develop COVID-19 infection. I doubt many would want to find out because available evidence suggests that after the flu, there is a reduction in T-cell immune diversity, which could render the patient susceptible to an elevated immune response and hence lead to a higher propensity to develop severe COVID-19. Not only the flu vaccine would lower the risk of severe flu, it is thought that it could also produce a bystander augmented immune response against COVID-19. Studies have suggested cross-reactivity between immunity against the flu and the coronavirus due to similarity in their structures. A group from John Hopkins published data from the USA, which correlated area-specific flu vaccine rates in the population more than 65 years of age to COVID-19 deaths. It showed that an incremental use of flu vaccination by 10% correlated with 28% lower COVID-19 deaths. A similar analysis from Brazil suggested 17% lower odds of death in patients who received a recent flu vaccination. The truth is that we have no choice but to wait cautiously and with optimism for the novel coronavirus vaccine. But skepticism is hard to avoid in a pandemic, which has turned more political with time as it is deadly. Therefore, the least we can do is to protect ourselves against the flu virus and avoid making the lungs more susceptible to any further significant injury. And just maybe, in the process, train our immune system to fight against other nuances, including the novel coronavirus with all its vigor. Raghav Gupta is an interventional cardiologist. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Romania does not support the transition from unanimity to a qualified majority in respect to the adoption of the decisions taken at the EU level in the taxation field, said the Minister of Public Finance, Florin Citu, at the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN). In the context in which the EU finance ministers debated the need to reform the fiscal system for fair and efficient taxation, Florin Citu recalled that taxation policy is an element of sovereignty and an essential lever in establishing national policies.During the discussions on the introduction of a minimum level of taxation, the Romanian official reminded that this issue represents a problematic aspect for Romania.Florin Citu also expressed his support for improving EU rules for administrative cooperation between member states."We support the financing of the EU budget based on the principles of fairness, efficiency, transparency and simplicity. Regarding the new own resources to be proposed by the European Commission, we are open to discussions, but we must first see the concrete proposals and the financial impact on the national budget," said Florin Citu, who participated in the meeting of European finance ministers, through a videoconference system.The Romanian official stated that Romania attaches great importance to the fair share of the financial burden between the member states, taking into account their economic development.The Minister of Public Finance emphasized that the use of taxation as support in the transition to the "green economy" must take into account the economic specificities of each Member State, especially in the case of countries in the process of catching up.The implementation of economic recovery plans at EU level, the European budget's own resources system, ways to ensure a fair and efficient taxation system and the adaptation of financial markets to the digital age were the main topics of discussion of the informal meeting of finance ministers. from the EU, in Berlin, on September 11 and 12 2020.The meeting of September 11, 2020, was preceded by the Eurogroup meeting in extended format, which had on its agenda the review of the files related to the Banking Union. US President Donald Trump, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed to the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and Bahrain. United States President Donald Trump, Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed to the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and Bahrain. According to a Joint Statement, the meeting held on Friday was a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East. The statement read that the opening direct dialogue and ties between the two dynamic societies and advanced economies would continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region. During the meeting, the US expressed its gratitude to Bahrain for hosting the historic Peace to Prosperity workshop in Manama on June 25 in 2019, to advance the cause of peace, dignity, and economic opportunity for the Palestinian people. Also read: After India-US expose terror haven Pak, iron brother China comes to the rescue, denies charges Also read: Amid no breakthrough in talks, India increases deployment at fingers area in Pangong Tso The statement read that the parties would continue their efforts in that regard to achieving a just, comprehensive, and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to enable the Palestinian people to realize their full potential, Israel affirmed that as set forth in the Vision for Peace, all Muslims who come in peace may visit and pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalems other holy sites will remain open for peaceful worshippers of all faiths. It further said that the parties commended the UAE and Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed for his leadership on August 13 in announcing full diplomatic relations with Israel. For decades, most Arab states have boycotted Israel, insisting they would only establish ties after the Palestinian dispute was settled. Bahrain has accepted President Trumps invitation to join Israel and the UAE at the historic signing ceremony on September 15 at the White House where PM Netanyahu and Bahrains Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani will be signing a historic Declaration of Peace. Following the meeting, Trump said in a tweet that now that the ice has been broken, he expects more Arab and Muslim countries would follow the United Arab Emirates lead. Also read: India-China Standoff: Brigade commander level talks in Chushul Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon has said she will quit the show if ITV apologises over a Black Lives Matter-inspired dance. Sources on the show say the 41-year-old is firmly against bosses taking anything other than a supportive stance over the politically charged performance by Diversity last weekend. The routine, which recreated the killing in the US of George Floyd in May, has so far led to more than 15,500 complaints to Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator. The Mail on Sunday understands that ITV considered offering an apology to viewers who had been offended by the dance, but not for screening it. Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon,41, has said she will quit the show if ITV apologises over a Black Lives Matter-inspired dance But Ms Dixon, who has spoken publicly about being subjected to racism, told friends that ITV should not offer an apology and would consider her role on the show if it did. In the performance, Diversitys choreographer Ashley Banjo who is also sitting in as a judge for the injured Simon Cowell is pinned down as a white police officer kneels on his neck. He later said the routine was intended to express how the events of this year have made us feel. In the performance, Diversitys choreographer Ashley Banjo is pinned down as a white police officer kneels on his neck When Mr Banjo was subjected to racist abuse on social media last week, Alesha Dixon told the trolls to kiss my black a** Last night, a source said: Alesha is absolutely furious and doesnt think anyone should be apologising for anything. Ashley is in a complete state over all of this and it has knocked his confidence. Alesha has spent the week supporting him and building him back up. She is very sad about it all but staunchly stands by the dance. It is something she feels incredibly passionate about so if ITV were to say sorry, it would be understandably hard for her to continue. Ms Dixon, who rose to fame with the girl band Mis-Teeq and became a BGT judge in 2012, has given public support to the routine. Divisive: Diversity's routine, which recreated the killing in the US of George Floyd in May, has so far led to more than 15,500 complaints to Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator When Mr Banjo was subjected to racist abuse on social media last week, she told the trolls to kiss my black a**. ITV said the performance opened up important topics of conversation and met criteria for family viewing. Ofcom is yet to decide whether to investigate. Defiant Mr Banjo walked on to the Elton John hit Im Still Standing in last nights Britains Got Talent in what appeared to be a reference to the complaints and social media trolling he has received over the performance. The 31-year-old then appeared to hit back at criticism of the dance as he told hosts Ant and Dec: I loved it, I loved being on this side of the desk but you guys got me up there as well. TEHRAN, Iran - Iranian state TV on Saturday reported that the countrys authorities executed a wrestler for allegedly murdering a man, after President Donald Trump asked for the 27-year-old condemned mans life to be spared. State TV quoted the chief justice of Fars province, Kazem Mousavi, as saying: The retaliation sentence against Navid Afkari, the killer of Hassan Torkaman, was carried out this morning in Adelabad prison in Shiraz. Afkaris case had drawn the attention of a social media campaign that portrayed him and his brothers as victims targeted over participating in protests against Irans Shiite theocracy in 2018. Authorities accused Afkari of stabbing a water supply company employee in the southern city of Shiraz amid the unrest. Iran broadcast the wrestlers televised confession last week. The segment resembled hundreds of other suspected coerced confessions aired over the last decade in the Islamic Republic. The case revived a demand inside the country for Iran to stop carrying out the death penalty. Even imprisoned Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, herself nearly a month into a hunger strike over conditions at Tehrans Evin prison amid the coronavirus pandemic, passed word that she supported Afkari. The International Olympic Committee in a statement Saturday said it was shocked and saddened by the news of the wrestlers execution, and that the committees president, Thomas Bach, had made direct personal appeals to the Supreme Leader and to the President of Iran this week and asked for mercy for Navid Afkari. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the execution was cruel. We condemn it in the strongest terms. It is an outrageous assault on human dignity, even by the despicable standards of this regime. The voices of the Iranian people will not be silenced, Pompeo tweeted. Last week, President Donald Trump tweeted out his own concern about Afkaris case. To the leaders of Iran, I would greatly appreciate if you would spare this young mans life, and not execute him, Trump wrote. Thank you! Iran responded to Trumps tweet with a nearly 11-minute state TV package on Afkari. It included the weeping parents of the slain water company employee. The package included footage of Afkari on the back of a motorbike, saying he had stabbed the employee in the back, without explaining why he allegedly carried out the assault. The state TV segment showed blurred police documents and described the killing as a personal dispute, without elaborating. It said Afkaris cellphone had been in the area and it showed surveillance footage of him walking down a street, talking on his phone. Last week, Irans semiofficial Tasnim news agency dismissed Trumps tweet in a feature story, saying that American sanctions have hurt Iranian hospitals amid the pandemic. Trump is worried about the life of a murderer while he puts many Iranian patients lives in danger by imposing severe sanctions, the agency said. Read more about: West narrowly missed a 5 p.m. filing deadline to get on the presidential ballot. Rapper Kanye West does not qualify to be on the presidential ballot in battleground Wisconsin after missing a filing deadline, a judge ruled late Friday, upholding a bipartisan decision by the state elections commission. The decision is likely to be rapidly appealed to the conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court. That court put the mailing of absentee ballots on hold Thursday while it considers whether Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins should be added. in other words: Republican lawyers in Wisconsin have been assisting both Kanye West and Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins in getting on the ballot in a state where Trump's 2016 margin over Clinton was 22,748, and 188,330 people voted for Green/Libertarian/other candidates. Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) September 12, 2020 The delay is being closely watched in Wisconsin, a swing state that President Donald Trump narrowly won in 2016 and that polls show is tight again this year. State law requires ballots to be mailed by Sept. 17 to more than 1 million voters who have requests on file. There is also a Sept. 19 deadline in federal law for mailing ballots to overseas and military voters. Read More: Republicans helping Kanye West secure spot on 2020 ballot Those deadlines could force the Wisconsin Supreme Court, controlled 4-3 by conservatives, to act within a matter of days on who should be on the ballot. The state elections commission has argued that printing new ballots this late would not only be expensive, but could also cause confusion and disorder and may not even be feasible. In Wests case, Brown County Circuit Judge John Zakowski ruled that the state elections commission was correct in determining that the musician narrowly missed a 5 p.m. filing deadline to get on the presidential ballot. Story continues The unfortunate fact is this dispute could have been avoided had the West representatives simply arrived earlier, the judge said. Candidates need to plan ahead and arrive in time to get into the building and file the papers in the office of the commission prior to the deadline, there are no exceptions under the statute or the relevant case law. This being Wisconsin, Judge Zakowski found another way to describe the 5 p.m. filing deadline, comparing it to the state's 9 p.m. cutoff for alcohol sales. "When it is one second after nine, the alcohol cannot be scanned thereby preventing its purchase." pic.twitter.com/XoJzJSY1n5 Shawn Johnson (@SJohnsonWPR) September 12, 2020 West had argued that the deadline did not expire until 5:01 p.m. and regardless of the timing, commission staffers still accepted the papers. The commission voted that West had missed the deadline either by a few seconds or several minutes. According to the lawsuit, commission staff should have unlocked the buildings doors at 4:30 p.m. to accommodate late-arriving filers. But the commissions building has been locked since the coronavirus pandemic began. Wests campaign workers had to call the commission shortly before 5 p.m. to get them to unlock the doors. A commission staff member said Wests representatives didnt place the nomination papers on the counter until 5:01 p.m. By the time the papers were organized and officially accepted, it was several minutes past the 5 p.m. deadline. Read More: Kim Kardashian calls for compassion over Kanye Wests bipolar disorder Wests attorneys did not immediately return a message seeking comment. West announced a presidential bid in July, saying hes seeking the nations highest office on a ticket he calls the Birthday Party. Democrats claim Republicans are pushing Wests candidacy in swing states to siphon the Black vote from Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Steven Smith and Kanye West speak on stage at the Kanye West and Steven Smith in Conversation with Mark Wilson at the on November 07, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for Fast Company) Whether West and Hawkins are allowed on the ballot could have a significant impact in razor-close Wisconsin. The Green Partys 2016 presidential candidate, Jill Stein, won 31,006 votes in the state, more than Trumps 22,177-vote margin over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Thousands of ballots across the state have either already been mailed or were being prepared to be sent when the state Supreme Court hit the pause button on Thursday. The elections commission did not have an exact count as to how many ballots were sent. 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. Election officials have been urging voters to return their ballots as soon as possible because of concerns with slower mail delivery and the expected unprecedented number of absentee ballots. 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 coronavirus pandemic. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post Judge: Kanye West stays off ballot in battleground Wisconsin appeared first on TheGrio. At the beginning of 2020, addiction treatment was a solid, growing industry, with 15,000 providers, $42 billion yearly revenue, and a projected 5.2% annual growth. Then Covid-19 hit. By the summer, the industry had lost $4 billion in revenue, and about 1,000 providersand thats just the beginning. According to the latest survey of the industry, published Sept. 9 by the National Council for Behavioral Health (NCBH), which represents about 3,000 mental health and addiction treatment providers, 54% of organizations have closed programs and 65% have had to turn away patients. As a result, nearly half have decreased work hours for staff, and over a quarter had to lay off employees. It isnt for lack of demand: With the pandemic exacerbating many of the risk factors of addictionisolation, economic distress, lack of routinethe need for treatment services has gone up significantly, with 50% of substance abuse treatment providers reporting a growth in request of their services, according to the survey. Yet many mental health treatment centers, and particularly those focused on treating addiction, have been struggling to stay open, because of the financial burdens caused by additional safety regulations and a limited capacity for patients and fewer referrals from physicians. According to the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP), about 20% of its provider memberwhich range from the largest network in the country, with about 180 treatment centers, to individual clinicshave had to close their facilities either completely, or partially. But though this spells crisis through the sector, the impact isnt evenly distributed: For smaller providers in poorer areas, Covid-19 may force them out of business but for large ones, or investors looking for acquisitions, it might be an opportunity to expand. Story continues Yet another coronavirus victim Like other healthcare providers, addiction treatment services had to make changes when Coronavirus hit. Outpatient services were often reduced so fewer patients would be in a facility at the same time, and where possible, services were moved online. Residential treatments had to adjust, too. In many cases, they had to reduce capacity, procure large amount of personal protective equipment (PPE), and pay sick or quarantining staff while also paying their replacements. Some also had to close temporarily, in the unfortunate case that an outbreak was recorded in the facility. These costs could be substantial. Doug Tieman, the president and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers, a network of addiction treatment clinics based in Pennsylvania, says the cost of PPE has been about 2.4% of the monthly revenue since the beginning of the pandemic, while the cost of unexpected staff expenses has been about 1%. Most of us, especially in the non-profit world, operate on a couple of percent margin, if you begin to erode the top line by 15% or 20% it has a profound financial impact, Tieman says. Though his organization has had the ability to implement rapid testing and avoid cutting down capacity, the impact of added expenses is still significant. Even in better times, addiction treatment providers have little liquidity to cover emergencies, let alone prolonged ones. Congress has made some relief available, allowing providers to receive up to 2% of their annual revenue in governments support. But that barely makes up for the added costs brought on by the pandemic, and does nothing to help with the losses brought on by reduced capacity. Dale Klatzker, the CEO of Gaudenzia, the largest addiction treatment provider in Maryland and Pennsylvania, says his company has about 1,200 treatment beds across their facilities, and while they usually have about 80% to 85% filled, occupancy has fallen to 55% to 60% during the pandemic. The drop is due to a lack of referrals from hospitals which had to cut outpatient services on top of the occasional quarantine when staff and patients have been potentially exposed to Covid-19. Considering the increased requests for addiction treatment, the risk is that the country will find itself on the other side of the pandemic facing an unprecedented demand of addiction treatment with fewer clinics to address it. We are going to have a trifecta of bad things happen: increased need, decreased resources, and decreased service providers, says Klatzker. Together with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), the NCBH has petitioned congress to provide a standalone $38.5 billion to support behavioral health providers through the crisis, while asking that some of the changes that have made remote treatment easier. Allowing a longer-term use of telehealth, for instance, could help providers cut costs for the visits that can be conducted remotely, therefore speeding their financial recovery. An opportunity for expansion Many smaller providers have struggled to keep their businesses going, and in some cases, have shut down entirely. This is especially true for facilities funded primarily through public insurance, which have a harder time getting sustainable reimbursement rates and were already in the most tenuous shape prior to the pandemic. These are providers that tend to serve the most financially vulnerable. Still, institutions with a larger cashflow were better place to face these challenges: they were more likely than smaller clinics to have established PPE supply chains, or be able to rapidly test patients, and continue residential treatments without disruptions. They also could count on existing IT system, and integrate telehealth without making large new investments. Our local public detox closed three weeks ago, so the people who had no money and needed the government to pay, though we are not a Medicare and Medicaid facility, are now coming here, says Tieman. They are from our community so we have been taking them. This can be a burden, particularly at facilities such as Caron Treatment Centers, which offer financial aid to the patients who need residential treatment, but have to continue treatment without immediate compensation. But what is a struggle for many, might become an opportunity for few. While a majority of rehabs have been hit hard, there is a specific group that is already seeing the effects of increased demand: High-end services. These programs have luxurious settings and amenities, and fewer patients, which makes it easier to prevent possible exposure to Covid-19. We provide premium services, and thats been the saving grace in this, says Tieman. His organizations three premium programstwo in Pennsylvania, and one in Floridahave stayed at capacity through the pandemic, he says, because patients with the financial wherewithal to check into a premium residential treatment programs have continued to do so as they face a greater risk of substance abuse. Compared to the general programs, which costs $35,000 per month and is typically paid for with a combination of insurance and financial aid, the premium programs are $75,000 a month, with no discount offered, and though they have fewer patients, the programs have been helping the organization minimize the losses through the crisis. Treatment centers that are able to survive might be positioned to absorb the ones that are struggling or have closed, leading to a consolidation of actors in the industry. Given the increased demand, outside investors might find this to be a good opportunity to invest in focus in the rehab industry, which they had been losing interest in recently. Between 2008 and 2015, the rehab industry was very attractive to private equity investments, drawing lots of new capital. This was at a time when the industry was expected to boom: the Affordable Care Act which had dramatically increased the insured population, and the passing of the Mental Health Parity Act forced insurance companies to cover addiction treatments; further, the opioid epidemic generated a large demand. But more recently, large companies, including American Addiction Centers, the first publicly traded addiction treatment provider, ended up in bankruptcy, which has discouraged further investment. Private equity firms might find this a convenient time to pour resources in the sector, Klatzer said. However, he fears they might not be reliable partners for the communities they serve in case of crisis, because they are less likely to serve the financially more vulnerable, or stay open unless they are profitable. Investment is going down but is still around, and I think its very possible that because of facilities failing now this will be an opportunity for some of those private equity groups to look at some bargains, Tieman says. Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news. More stories from Quartz: On Saturday, the Romanian Writers' Union (USR) sent a message of solidarity with Nobel Laureate Svetlana Alexievich, an opponent of the Belarusian regime, saying she was "a symbol of free will." "The Romanian Writers' Union expresses its full solidarity with the Nobel Laureate in Literature (2015), Svetlana Aleksievici, at a time when the freedom of her and her colleagues in the democratic opposition in Belarus is seriously threatened. The writer's great prestige, doubled by "the force of her civic courage, in her capacity as a member of the presidency of the Coordination Council of the Belarusian opposition, is turning Svetlana Alexievich, today when she is being harassed and threatened with detention on a daily basis into a symbol of the free spirit," she said in a statement issued on Saturday by the Writers' Union.Svetlana Alexievich is "one of the strongest voices who does not hesitate to say that her country must leave behind a totalitarian, oppressive system and become a democratic state.""We ourselves have lived in communism, which makes us particularly sensitive to the importance of respecting fundamental human freedoms. The values for which Svetlana Alexievich fights are also our values," the statement said.At the age of 72, Svetlana Alexievich is the author of books on Chernobyl, the war in Afghanistan and the collapse of the Soviet Union, and a scathing critique of the Lukashenko regime. The arrest occurred after a 'plan to cause an explosion' was 'discovered and dismantled' at El Palito refinery, authorities say Caracas: President Nicolas Maduro said Friday that an "American spy" had been arrested near two Venezuelan refineries, after authorities foiled a plot to "cause an explosion" at another oil complex. "Yesterday we captured... an American spy who was spying in Falcon state on the Amuay and Cardon refineries," Maduro said in a televised address. According to Maduro the individual was "a marine who was serving as a marine at CIA bases in Iraq" and who was captured with "heavy weapons" and "large amounts of cash." The arrest, he said, occurred after authorities on Wednesday "discovered and dismantled" a "plan to cause an explosion" at El Palito refinery -- the closest to Caracas -- located in Carabobo state. Maduro did not say, however, where the individual was being held. Last month two former US soldiers, Luke Alexander Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41, were sentenced to 20 years in prison in Venezuela on charges including terrorism, after a failed bid to invade the Caribbean country last May. Just hours before Friday's announcement, the Venezuelan government said it was establishing an "emergency plan" intended to regulate "fuel distribution" in light of severe gasoline shortages in the country, where people wait in lines stretching miles (kilometers) to fuel up their vehicles. Venezuela suffers fuel shortages despite having the largest proven oil reserves in the world. The petroleum industry was the cornerstone of Venezuela's economy a century ago, but production has fallen to a fraction of the 3.2 million barrels per day produced just over a decade ago. By Joan Faus BARCELONA (Reuters) - Wearing face masks, thousands of Catalans on Friday staged dozens of small protests calling for the region's 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 Spain's King Felipe's face and boxes with the logos of Spanish corporations and public institutions. In the morning, unidentified people had set fires at several points of Catalonia's 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 Europe's 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 Assemblea's Barcelona rallies. "It's 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 year's 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. Story continues 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 region's 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 Greece's 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. (Reporting by Joan Faus; Additional reporting by Nathan Allen, Graham Keeley and Nacho Doce; Editing by Andrei Khalip/Janet Lawrence and Grant McCool) An NHS allergy trial has been so successful a British boy, 12, who had to completely avoid traces of peanuts or die can now eat seven - offering hope the treatment will be available for other sufferers within two years. James Redman, from Heathfield in East Sussex, was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy at the age of three - when he ate half a teaspoon of a sauce containing three per cent of the ingredient. He was rushed to hospital in anaphylactic shock and doctors told his mother Zoe her then-toddler would have to completely avoid peanuts or risk dying the next time he came into contact with them. Three years ago Mrs Redman managed to get her son onto the ARTEMIS trial - one of the largest peanut allergy trials ever conducted. Since then he has tried a peanut M&M for the first time and drastically built up his tolerance. James Redman (pictured, right, with his mother Zoe and three brothers), from Heathfield in East Sussex, was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy at the age of three - when he ate half a teaspoon of a sauce containing three per cent of the ingredient Three years ago Mrs Redman managed to get her son onto the ARTEMIS trial - one of the largest peanut allergy trials ever conducted. Since then he has managed to try a peanut M&M for the first time and drastically built up his tolerance The trial involved being given increasing amounts of peanut protein, for two and half years. Mrs Redman told MailOnline: 'The day we got the phone call to be on the trial we felt like we'd won the lottery. 'There is no other alternative. There's no cure and this is the best chance we've got. 'In January we will have been in trial for three years. We are building up evidence to prove it's save and hoping it'll be available to others in two years' time.' By the end of the trial James was able to tolerate the equivalent of seven peanuts, meaning he is less likely to suffer a severe reaction in the future. But Mrs Redman said she would still be keeping her son away from them. By the end of the trial James was able to tolerate the equivalent of seven peanuts, meaning he is less likely to suffer a severe reaction in the future 'I'm still always on guard. He carries two EpiPens wherever he goes. His school also have two pens. We still check every label,' she said. 'It just gives us more peace of mind should he react. We may not even need his EpiPen. 'He's been desensitised so his body has become accustomed to it, but he'd still have to avoid peanuts at all costs because there's the underlying risk. 'If he had accidental exposure the chances are he wouldn't have such a severe reaction.' Peanut allergy, a potentially life-threatening condition, has doubled over the last two decades and affects about 1 in 50 children in the UK. The allergy is rarely outgrown and is the most common cause of food allergy deaths. Peanut allergy, a potentially life-threatening condition, has doubled over the last two decades and affects about 1 in 50 children in the UK. Pictured, James The ARTEMIS study recruited nearly 200 children and young people aged four to 17 from across Europe. Evelina London Children's Hospital recruited the most patients to the study. Mrs Redman had to made the four-hour round trip to the London hospital from their Sussex home every fortnight. Participants either received peanut allergen protein (AR101) or a placebo powder and doses were gradually increased every two weeks for a year. The results, which were recently published in the journal Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, found that more than half of the participants (58 per cent) treated with the peanut protein could tolerate at least three to four peanuts compared to just two per cent of participants on the placebo. Professor George du Toit, paediatric allergy consultant at Evelina London and the study's chief investigator, said: 'This study provides yet more evidence that by gradually ingesting small amounts of well-characterised peanut protein, allergy sufferers can increase their tolerance and protect themselves from severe reactions in the event of accidental exposure. The ARTEMIS study recruited nearly 200 children and young people aged four to 17 from across Europe. Evelina London Children's Hospital recruited the most patients to the study 'It means we are now a step closer to an effective peanut allergy treatment and gives hope to the peanut allergy sufferers. 'The study is also the first to show that this type of treatment can massively improve quality of life for families affected by peanut allergy. 'Peanut allergy can be very difficult to manage, especially for children and young people, and many families are extremely concerned about having a severe reaction, which can be life-threatening. 'It's great that the study had such a good outcome for James and was life-changing for many of our families. 'However, it should not be done without medical supervision, as a small number of children did have a reaction to the peanut protein and required medical treatment.' James has described the study as 'the greatest opportunity of my life', adding that he had 'great fun' with the nurses and doctors. James has described the study as 'the greatest opportunity of my life', adding that he had 'great fun' with the nurses and doctors He said: 'I didn't mind the taste of the peanut protein as I got to mix it with chocolate pudding which was great. I really hope the study leads to a treatment so that other children with a peanut allergy can benefit.' Mrs Redman said the staff played Nintendo Kart racing with James during his visits. She added: 'We've had to keep a daily diary for the whole study and we had to go initially up to London every other week so it was a big commitment. 'We've got three other sons and two dogs and two school runs so it was a lot. 'But he's enjoyed it. He's kept a little diary, he got stickers and a passport book. We've got almost 30 entries and he's collected the red armbands he got during each visit. Red stands for allergy.' She said the family knew he wasn't on the placebo early on in the trial because of the intense reactions to even small amounts of peanut. Mrs Redman said the staff played Nintendo Kart racing with James during his visits. She added: 'We've had to keep a daily diary for the whole study and we had to go initially up to London every other week so it was a big commitment' 'They would take all his stats, height, weight, measure his lung capacity. He would be given skin pick tests routinely to measure the size of the hive that came up on his arm. 'We could see it was working because each time it was repeated the hive got dramatically smaller. 'There's a massive difference between where we started and are now. Every session the amount of peanut increased, half a milligram and up to seven peanuts. We had to start very small. 'He did have minor reactions in hospital sometimes because part of the study was to see how much peanut they could tolerate. ' They were pushed to their boundaries and constantly monitored looking for rashes or breathing difficulty. 'There were doctors looking to see he was okay. He had an itchy throat, sickness and wheezing at times. 'But we knew that was what we were going into.' She revealed one of James' former classmates died from a peanut allergy after his family moved to rural Spain. 'A child at James' old primary schools lost his life from it. They moved to rural Spain and he bought a cookie from a bakery and sadly died.' The ARTEMIS study was funded by Aimmune Therapeutics, which manufactures the peanut protein treatment used during the trial. TV LAND Yo Trumpers! With the plethora of problems President Patriot is facing you would hope hed be doing more than watch five hours of Faux News on the evening of 9/9 and three more hours the following morning! How did I learn this info? Just as Bob Woodward did-from President Rubber Lips himself! No wonder the man reads his teleprompter as if being tortured! BILL FROM BROOMALL WEAR YOUR MASKS Well, todays Friday in Upper Darby. That means trash pick-up day. The men did a wonderful job picking up, but I guess theyre looking for another two weeks off with pay because none of them wore a face mask. Are there any supervisors in the Upper Darby Department of Sanitation or is it because theyre union members and they can do whatever the hell they want? Upper Darby increased the sewer and trash fees by $45 to $50 per household and yet this month we didnt have the twice-a-week collection for more than a week or so. We went almost two weeks without trash pickup. DONALD DOLITTLE Trump Rules shows again why Trump supporters are totally fact-free. Trump did nothing to broker any kind of Middle East deal. It was done by professional diplomats who did their jobs. Trump had absolutely nothing to do with it. The troops were coming home. No matter who would have been president, Trump a Democrat, Trump did nothing to quell the violence in Portland. He sent federal people in there and it made things worse. Trump did nothing to help the coronavirus; people all over the country were short of necessary equipment to fight the virus until the governors of individual states were able to get these things together. Trump had nothing to do with that either. You people are so delusional. You keep giving Trump credit for something he had nothing to do with. BIDEN GO HOME Biden was speaking in Michigan and it was a joke, yelling into the microphone while reading the teleprompter. I dont think anyone was there listening to him because we never saw anyone and only heard a few people clap. Where was everybody? He cant draw a crowd. No one wants to see or hear him. He doesnt seem to understand that people dont like him, or have faith in him or trust him. Hes a sickly old man. He has developed a cough, which was so obvious while speaking. And what is wrong with his eyes? He cant seem to open them. Hes a mess and I can see it. Our eyes are wide open and we see right through him. DISGRACE IN THE CITY I work in the city of Philadelphia. I pay a city wage tax that is totally outrageous. Every day going to work and every day coming home from work I have to pass that dirty encampment where all those homeless disgusting people are living. I cannot believe the city is letting this go on. They go to the bathroom in the middle of the street. They have trash all over. You walk by and they say things about me. They have speakers, they have music on and nothing is being done about it. Its absolutely disgusting. TOTAL INSANITY West Chester is raising taxes, Thats going to be good, everybody raising taxes. We cant even afford a loaf of bread, for Gods sake. Everybodys losing their jobs, cant pay their rent and are trying to keep up with their homes. And these people have the nerve to raise the taxes at this time of all times. People are trying to get food, people are trying to keep their homes so they have a roof over their head and youre going to raise taxes. What what kind of heartbreak do you people have? And second of all, the thing about Nancy Pelosi. Thank God somebody else put something different in here in this paper besides Biden and Trump. My God in heaven, stop the nonsense as far as Nancy Pelosi goes. Let her go bald. UTTER FAILURE We know President Trump is a habitual liar, but my beef with him is for not telling the public the truth about the coronavirus. Number two, why did he resist giving the states what they needed for for a protective equipment? He only did it after he was harassed. He should have employed a nationwide response instead of picking and choosing. His lack of response nationwide is what caused 200,000 people to die. Police has released an all of Government strategy to tackle transnational organised crime. The goal of the strategy is to make New Zealand the hardest place in the world for organised criminal groups and networks to do business, says Serious and Organised Crime Acting Assistant Commissioner: Investigations Mike Johnson. Transnational crime operates across national borders and includes crime carried out in one country but with strong links to other countries. The strategy released aims to address illicit drug crime, and other crime types currently affecting New Zealand including: migrant exploitation; fraud; tax evasion; illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; and trafficking of protected flora and fauna. Organised and transnational crime is a corrupting influence worldwide, undermining community wellbeing, economic development, and national security, says Johnson. The range of crimes highlights the need for a joined up approach. The strategy involves a range of agencies such as New Zealands border protection agencies and the Government Communications Security Bureau - GCSB. Transnational organised crime is one of New Zealands National Security and Intelligence Priorities, and the GCSB is increasingly focused on using its advanced technical capabilities in support of this priority, says GCSB Director-General Andrew Hampton. I welcome the strategy, which will help ensure the GCSB works effectively with our partner agencies to stop organised criminal groups targeting New Zealand and prevent the harm this causes in our communities. New Zealand Customs Group Manager Intelligence, Investigations & Enforcement, Dana McDonald, has also welcomed the release of the strategy and highlights that an international focus remains absolutely crucial to the disruption of transnational organised crime. Transnational organised crime does not stop and start at one border, law enforcement agencies are often targeting the same criminal syndicates. We are committed to continuing to work closely with our domestic partner agencies and with our international networks to identify, target and dismantle transnational networks closer to the source to maximise the impact. Our main objective here is to keep the risk offshore, and prevent harm from reaching and materialising in New Zealand, says McDonald. "The strategy will help deepen existing partnerships with organisations that are combatting organised crime, improve outreach to partners in New Zealand including the private sector, not-for-profit organisations, academic institutions, local communities and the general public. "Together playing a part in responding to the risks and threats posed by transnational organised crime." While the strategy is focused on system resilience, agencies are also working to build community resilience to the harms associated with organised crime. "This includes partnering with iwi and local providers in some of our most vulnerable communities to develop responses to the social and economic harms and drivers of organised crime," says McDonald. The Transnational Organised in New Zealand strategy is available on the Police website: https://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/publication/transnational-organised-crime-new-zealand-our-strategy-2020-2025 Police has led the development of the strategy and an action plan with the support of partner agencies, including Department of Conservation - Te Papa Atawhai, Department of Corrections - Ara Poutama Aotearoa, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Government Communications Security Bureau, Inland Revenue, Ministry for Primary Industries, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Transport, National Maritime Coordination Centre, New Zealand Customs Service, New Zealand Defence Force, New Zealand Police, and Serious Fraud Office. One of Australia's top diplomats has sounded a warning about the nation's rocky relationship with China. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary Frances Adamson said it was now more important than ever to stand up to the Asian powerhouse. 'Australia should, Australia must, Australia is, standing up for its interests because if we don't we are on a very slippery slope,' she told The Australian. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary Frances Adamson, 58, (pictured above) has issued a stern warning about Australia's strained relationship with China Ms Adamson warned that Australia needed to stand up against China to protect its interests from the assertive nation (Scott Morrison and Chinese president Xi Jinping pictured) Ms Adamson said confronting China amid the coronavirus crisis had prompted Australia's most difficult diplomatic challenge in a generation. The 59-year-old, who was Australia's ambassador in Beijing from 2011 to 2015, explained the Asian nation was becoming more assertive. 'We've seen China seeking to assert itself in this region, in the Indo-Pacific and globally, in ways that suits its interests but don't suit the interests of countries likeAustralia,' she said. Ms Adamson said Australians wanted 'a peaceful, stable, prosperous region' and the government would not tolerate any interference with these ideals. Bill Birtles (pictured) from the ABC and Michael Smith from the Australian Financial Review returned to Sydney on Tuesday after a five-day diplomatic stand-off with China Mr Birtles is seen at Sydney airport on Tuesday following the frightening rush to leave China She warned that democratic institutions Australians take for granted, like the legal system and parliament, were 'at stake'. 'We need to make sure our institutions are strong and that we can defend ourselves. And this is where the role of diplomacy comes into play,' Ms Adamson explained. She said Australia needed to 'take action' to counter the 'direct challenge' posed by China's assertion and aggression. The DFAT secretary also said the narrow escape of two Australian journalists from China was the latest example of 'difficult issues' between the two countries. Bill Birtles from the ABC and Michael Smith from the Australian Financial Review returned to Sydney on Tuesday after a five-day diplomatic stand-off. Chinese President Xi Jinping reviews troops from a car during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing Government travel advice website Smartraveller (pictured) was updated on 7 July to warn Aussies they face the risk of arbitrary detention in China Chinese police told the journalists they were people of interest after another Australian journalist and business anchor, Cheng Lei, was detained in Beijing. Mr Birtles and Mr Smith sheltered in Australian diplomatic compounds for days as their travel rights were revoked. Consular officials eventually secured safe passage back to Australia after the pair agreed to be interviewed. The Australian government has advised all Australians not to travel to China, warning they could face arbitrary detention. Daily Mail Australia has contacted DFAT for comment. The Phuket News classified offers more than just an online/hard copy listing. Being part of The Class Act Media group means that your listing will also get exposure throughout most or all of our other media outlets; including Radio (Live 89.5) , TV (The Phuket News TV) , Thailand's only Russian newspaper (Novosti Phuketa) and Phuket's Thai newspaper (Khao Phuket) The Phuket News website ranks #1 on Google for popular search phrases such as 'Phuket news' and 'Phuket classifieds' so your listing will also be easy to find. The Phuket News offers the best value for money classified listings in Phuket. For one price as 2,500 THB for 1 month (3 languages) you can have a premium advert in Print, online including photos, website links and even Radio mentions. If you can't sell it with The Phuket News you just can't sell it Search classified listings Post classified listings This story is part of an ongoing series The Road to a Vaccine that looks at Canadas quest to secure a COVID-19 vaccine amid the global pandemic, as well as the hurdles and history it faces to do so. Jennifer Haller found out she was going to be one of the first people in the world to be injected with an experimental COVID-19 vaccine by reading a news story. The 43-year-old operations manager of a Seattle tech start-up had signed up for a clinical trial, she says, because it felt like something she could do after weeks of helplessly watching the coronavirus pandemic unfold. She knew the trial, run by a biotech company called Moderna, would be one of the first, but she had been busy scanning the paperwork, doing her own research on the untested product and ultimately, as she puts it now, choosing to trust. Then, the night before her scheduled appointment in March, she saw a news story reporting that someone was getting one of the worlds first injections the next day. I was like, Thats interesting, because my appointment is at 8 a.m. ... That might be me. One of the pillars of the global effort to find a COVID-19 vaccine will be human testing. Its a process that all new drugs must undergo, but the scale of the pandemic and the urgency with which teams around the world are working have put trials under scrutiny like never before. Thousands of people have now rolled up their sleeves to help test the safety and effectiveness of trial vaccines in the hopes that one of the new doses might be the one that cracks the code. But questions linger as to who should be part of the tests, where they should be done, and where to draw the ethical line. Some say that now, as in wartime, bigger gambles are warranted gambles that include deliberately infecting volunteers with coronavirus. Listen to Alex Boyd discuss the global race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine Testing potential vaccines At the end of the day, people want to know that the drug will work on them, said Michael Good, an adjunct professor in medical microbiology and immunology at the University of Alberta, who is also involved in an early stage COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Australia. Computer simulations have come a long way in drug design the popular antiviral Tamiflu was largely created by computer modelling, he says but ultimately, theres still really only one way to know if it works in humans. You have to give it to them. Until that time, researchers can do tests using cells or tissue samples or animals, but when they get to the point of working on humans, thats called a clinical trial, and there are specific rules they must follow. Trials work similarly in most parts of the world, according to Good. A new drug or vaccine must pass three stages, or phases, with the stakes ratcheting up as you go. If a drug makes it to the end of that process, a regulatory body, such as Health Canada, will look at the results and decide whether its worth making it publicly available to a nations citizens. The first phase involves giving a new drug or vaccine to a small number of people to assess its safety. Will it harm anyone? The second phase is to test the efficacy, whether or not it actually does what its supposed to do. The third phase involves giving the drug to hundreds of people and seeing how effective it is with a larger range of people, all the while monitoring for serious reactions. Even if the drug makes it to market, the analysis isnt over. Information about the best way to use it and the long-term risks is often still collected while the drug is out in the real world, which is referred to as Phase 4. At any point, if a participant has a serious reaction and while almost everything tends to provoke a mild reaction in humans, a serious one is defined as something that puts you in the hospital the trial is stopped. Even if a volunteer leaves a trial for lunch, trips over a bucket and breaks their leg, that will be recorded as an adverse reaction unless it can be proven that the injury is unrelated, Good says. Thats what happened to AstraZeneca, one of the global front-runners in the race for a COVID-19 vaccine, which was forced to hit pause Tuesday, when a participant came down with a serious illness, though the cause is still being investigated. Lets say youre a would-be researcher or pharmaceutical company and want to test your vaccine in Canada. First, you have to submit an application to Health Canada, which will dispatch scientists to review such things as whether youre using drugs in the right way and minimizing the risks to participants. Meanwhile, youll also be bound by regulations that require you to pass ethical clearances, protect the health of the people in the trial, and report side-effects. Health Canada will also make the final decision about whether your vaccine can be used here. According to Health Canada, four vaccines have been approved for human testing in Canada, though one of them was CanSino, which is no longer going ahead after a Chinese company refused to ship samples to this country. The three others with approval are the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Medicago Inc., and the Canadian Cancer Trials Group at the Cancer Research Institute at Queens University. None of the four big biopharma companies that Canada has signed purchase agreements with are currently testing here. Finding volunteers One of your biggest tasks in running a trial is recruiting volunteers and deciding where to do it. In part because of the reliance on healthy and reliable volunteers, recruiting the right pool of people represents a challenge, as you need to have a vaccine that works for everyone. For example, Good notes that COVID-19 has an unusual age disparity, in that its much more risky for older people, and yet trial volunteers tend to skew young. People of colour have also been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, and last week the head of Moderna told CNBC that they were slowing recruitment of the 30,000 volunteers they in order to try and get more minority participants. The need to recruit certain types of volunteers could even affect your decision about where to run your trial. Unlike some other drugs, vaccine testing has a real-world immediacy. In other words, once youve given volunteers a vaccine, you have to let them out in the world and see if they get COVID-19. When you inject people with a trial vaccine, and you want to see if its effective, you do it in one of two ways. You can go to a geography where the virus is circulating, so you go to Houston, you go to Chicago, and you inoculate a bunch of people, and then you see how many of them get the virus, said Colin Furness, an infection-control epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto. If you know the rate of community spread, you can figure out how effective your vaccine is, he explains. For example, Pfizer is one of the four companies that have signed an advance purchase agreement with Canada. Although it expects to eventually have 120 test sites around the world by the end of phases 2 and 3, there are currently none in Canada, a decision seemingly related to the relatively low transmission here. In order to execute the clinical development in the shortest possible time, the decision was made to focus on countries with epidemiologic situations conducive to quick trial completion, reads a statement from a company spokesperson. A bigger gamble There is another way to get quicker results. Its much riskier and controversial, Furness said. Its also not allowed in most places. But its also an option that some are increasingly pushing for in July, a group of more than 100 scientists, including 15 Nobel laureates, were reported by Science to have signed a letter calling for whats known as human challenge testing. As Furness explains it: The way you speed that up, is you give them the vaccine, and then you deliberately infect them. Conor Barnes, 27, lives in Kelowna, B.C., and thinks a lot about effective altruism, which, in short, is the concept of trying to do good things, but in a way that actually spurs the most positive change in the world. He says thats what led him to sign up with a new advocacy group founded by a couple of American university students called 1Day Sooner, which is pushing for human challenge trials and, according to their website, has signed up almost 37,000 volunteers in 162 countries. In essence, Barnes has raised his hand to be infected by coronavirus, should a test go forward. Ive been referring to it as pre-volunteering, he said. Hes part of a growing group of people who say the risks of challenge testing are worth the potential to stop the pandemic earlier, which would save lives. Barnes points out that hes young and healthy, and puts his risk of dying from COVID-19 in the same realm as someone dying from live kidney donation or childbirth. The way I see it, its kind of like a war, you accept sacrifices because its for the benefit of everyone, and thats OK as long as everyone involved is aware theyre taking a risk, he said. But they remain controversial. According to the Guardian, the team behind the Oxford vaccine, another major front-runner, is considering it, but experts generally remain sharply divided. Good says although challenge trials have been used for other drugs, including malaria, the critical difference is the existence of so-called rescue drugs. Meaning, if things go badly and someone gets malaria, doctors can still treat them. The same safety net does not yet exist for COVID-19. Just because someone consents to being part of a trial doesnt mean putting people at risk unnecessarily would be considered ethical, he says. In a statement, a spokesperson for Health Canada said they have not received any applications for human challenge tests, and they would need sufficient information about the risks before even considering it. Some outstanding questions for COVID-19 vaccines (e.g., correlates of protection, rates of asymptomatic transmission, vaccine impact on viral shedding) could potentially be answered by human challenge studies, according to a statement from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization provided by spokesperson Andre Gagnon. Still, for people such as Barnes, who is ready to roll up his sleeve for the vaccine effort, the lack of progress is frustrating. Its a shame because Canada has such a history of contributing to vaccine development, he said. I wish we were more part of this. Haller, the first person outside China to climb onto an examination table and roll up her sleeve, puts the experience in terms of using her privilege that of a middle class white person at relatively low risk to hopefully help the community, and maybe even inspire others to consider doing the same. It was a shot seen around the world. A news photographer was ready and waiting when she arrived, and the image of her, looking solemn in a grey tank top as a masked pharmacist pushed a needle into her left arm, now has stock photo status. Unwittingly crowned one of the worlds first vaccine guinea pigs, Hallers been featured in news stories across the States and as far away as India and the U.K. She had two doses a month apart. Her arm was a bit sore after, but she said she feels fine Fast forward to today and the Moderna vaccine is in Phase 3 testing, and Haller says public results despite being a study participant, she doesnt get personalized results show people in her group have a level of antibodies similar to someone who has survived COVID-19. I certainly didnt really comprehend how big it was going to be, she said. This is just obviously so much bigger than any of us, so just to have a small, small part of the process (of creating a vaccine) really helps me feel better, and Im really proud of that. Clarification Sept. 28, 2020 This story has been update to clarify that a statement on human-challenge studies came from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization The U.S. statement came two days after delegates from Libyas rival camps, under heavy international pressure, came to a preliminary political agreement. It aims to guide the country toward elections and demilitarize the contested city of Sirte, the gateway to Libyas major oil fields and export terminals and which is controlled by Hifter. It also came amid protests over dire living conditions across the divided country. France's Macron Says Southern Europe Ready for Dialogue With Turkey Sputnik News 08:10 GMT 11.09.2020 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - French President Emmanuel Macron said the heads of the Southern Countries of the European Union bloc, also known as the Med7 were willing to conduct a responsible dialogue with Turkey in the wake of toughened Eastern Mediterranean tensions. "With Turkey, we want to resume a responsible dialogue, without naivety and in good faith," Macron wrote on Twitter. He also said it was important to "assert our European sovereignty" in the Mediterranean to ensure the region's stability, security, as well as biodiversity and the climate. Macron expressed his solidarity with Greece following the recent major blaze on the Lesbos island, which had destroyed a large migrant camp in Moria. Earlier on Thursday Macron held a summit with the leaders of Med7 nations, which include France, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Malta, Cyprus, and Italy, on the French island of Corsica. The French president expressed support to Greece and Cyprus in the wake of Ankara's drilling activities in the disputed waters, and reportedly urged the bloc to be tough with Erdogan' government, for what he was condemned by the Turkish authorities. The subject of the ongoing tensions in the region of Eastern Mediterranean has been Turkey's gas exploration initiative in the areas which Greece and Cyprus claim as their exclusive economic zones. Athens has mobilized its military forces in August amid the aggravation of relations with Ankara, after Turkey had increased drilling operations in the vicinity of the Greek border. Turkey-Cyprus tensions have been brewing since 2011 over the offshore drilling rights since the discovery of the first gas deposits off the coast of the island in 2011, with Ankara rejecting the EEZ claims of Nicosia. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A Buddhist monk and a famous local rapper also detained. Protests over the detentions of opponents and the management of the border issue with Vietnam. The United Nations warns: respect the "right to freedom of expression and peaceful association". Phnom Penh (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Cambodian authorities have arrested at least six activists in recent days, including a Buddhist monk and a famous local rapper and musician. They were arrested for organizing protests over the ongoing border dispute with Vietnam. International NGOs and local movements sound the alarm for a growing repression of rights and freedom of expression in the Asian country. In a note, the Cambodian Ministry of the Interior reports that the six arrested will have to answer for various charges, including "instigation to commit a crime and create chaos in society" based on articles 494 and 495 of the Penal Code. "Khmer Thavarak and the Mother Nature NGO have been working to incite people to provoke instability and social unrest by using social media and other means to disseminate information, the ministry said. The age-old problem of the 1,228-kilometer border between Vietnam and Cambodia is a very sensitive issue for Cambodians, who see the Vietnamese as the cause of their troubles in the recent past (war, Khmer Rouge, and now economic colonization). The borders between the two countries have never been very precise. In 2006, the two governments tried to define them by seeking an agreement and this came at the expense of some groups of Cambodians, who lost their lands in a disputed area. In the province of Tboung Khmum, Khmer Thavarak, affiliated with the (banned) opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was arrested. Since 7 September he has been held in the Prey Sar prison. The same day saw the arrest of Mean Prommony, vice-president of the Khmer Student League, and of the venerable Koet Saray; the two were organizing a protest march to be held in Freedom Park in Phnom Penh to demand the release of trade unionist Rong Chhun, who has been in prison since July 31. The 22-year-old rapper and musician Kea Sokun, famous for his popular song "Khmer Land" in which he criticizes the government for managing the border issue with Vietnam, has also been in custody since 4 September. He will have to answer for the accusation of incitement to violence. Commenting on the arrests, Rhona Smith, the UN Special Rapporteur on Cambodia, wrote in a Facebook post that The rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly are protected by international human rights norms and standards as well as by the Cambodian Constitution. I encourage Cambodian authorities to ensure that these rights are respected and protected and to create an environment in which individuals are able to exercise these rights. I urge that those arrested are promptly brought before a court of law and their due process rights are fully respected, she said. New Delhi: The personal videos of Sushant Singh Rajput shown on Zee News recently have given a new twist to the case related to his death as a special court in Mumbai on Friday (September 11) rejected the bail plea of Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and others. The DNA report that exposed Rhea Chakraborty's lies through these videos and also provided a documentary, electronic evidence before the Special NDPS court that rejected Rhea Chakraborty's bail plea in connection with a drug case related to Sushant Singh's death. The impact of these videos is certain to further affect the ongoing investigation against Rhea Chakraborty, whose bail application said that no drugs or psychotropic substances have been seized from her and the allegations, if any, would pertain strictly to smaller quantities. The bail plea further said that there is nothing on record to suggest that she was in any way involved with the financing of illicit traffic and/or harbouring the offenders in relation to any drugs. These videos, however, created the biggest roadblock in the path of showing herself innocent in the drug peddling racket. Until further relief, Rhea, who was arrested on September 8 and sent to judicial custody till September 22, will remain in the Byculla Jail. The NCB also opposed the bail pleas of Rhea's brother Showik Chakraborty saying he is an active member of a drug syndicate connected with drug supplies. The NCB further said that if released on bail Showik may tamper with the evidence and also will try to win the witness by using Rhea's position in the society and money power. It was anticipated that Rhea would easily get bail as no drugs were recovered from her possession, but the videos shown on Zee News on Thursday in which Rhea was smoking "rolled" cigarette along with Sushant Singh Rajput turned the tables on her. There was nothing left for Rhea's lawyers to say in the court, but her lawyer Satish Manashinde 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 Bombay High Court." While showing these videos on Thursday, the DNA report said that Rhea should not expect bail. Through these videos, Zee News has blasted all the narratives created in favour of Rhea Chakraborty by her PR team. ' There are three big questions that still require an answer: 1. Why did Rhea Chakraborty give Sushant Singh Rajput drugs knowing well that he is under medication for depression? 2. Why was she making Sushant Singh's videos? Was she preparing video evidence to prove him a drug addict? 3. Why did Rhea Chakraborty not get Sushant Singh hospitalized? despite being a witness to his illness. Notably, the two people seen with Sushant and Rhea in the music video are Sidharth Pithani and Samuel Haokip. Both were part of Sushant Singh Rajput's creative team. Meanwhile, NCB sources have made some startling revelations: - During the lockdown, a courier was sent from Sushant Singh's house to Rhea Chakraborty's place. - This courier from Sushant's house was sent by Deepesh Sawant; a courier boy delivered that parcel to Rhea's house. - This parcel was received by Rhea's brother Showik Chakraborty. - The parcel contained one pound Buds. After that Sushant Singh went to stay at Rhea's house. - This episode happened in mid-April when a lockdown was declared in Mumbai. - The packet contained some domestic utensils so that drugs could not be detected. - The NCB team has also interrogated the courier boy who identified Deepesh Sawant and Showik. - This has also been confirmed by the phone call details of the courier boy. - The courier boy has revealed that he took a courier from Sushant`s house from Dipesh and delivered to Rhea Chakraborty`s house where Showik Chakraborty received the packet containing half a kilogram of drugs. Meanwhile, Rhea Chakraborty has also revealed the names of around 15 Bollywood stars, who are involved in drug use, to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), which has come to know that there is some circle that procures and supplies drugs to celebrities. A fugitive has taunted police by offering to double a reward they offered for information on his whereabouts for anyone who kept quiet. Aaron Stephenson, a 27-year-old from Newbiggin, is wanted under a crown court warrant in connection with an investigation into drug supply. On Wednesday, Northumbria Police posted on Facebook offering a reward of up to 1,000 for information on Mr Stephenson, of Woodhorn Road. However, Mr Stephenson himself soon responded publicly, offering to hand himself in if police paid him 20 times that amount and to double the reward money to anyone who kept their mouth shut. Detective Chief Inspector Martin Brooks said: We have made extensive enquiries in a bid to trace Aaron Stephenson and our efforts will continue until he is brought into custody. "He is wanted in connection with a number of serious offences and we are asking members of the community who may know his whereabouts or who have recently seen him to come forward. Someone out there will know something and that may be the small detail that helps lead to an arrest. I would also appeal directly to Aaron to come forward and hand himself in and do the right thing. Commenting underneath the appeal, Mr Stephenson wrote: If you put [out] a red carpet out and some lovely silver poles Ill come in happily? He added that police know what they do when they post public appeals, accusing them of seeking to make him a target for online abuse. Ruth McNee, regional manager at Crimestoppers, which is offering the reward, said If anyone has information on Aarons whereabouts please remember that you can stay 100% anonymous by calling our charity or by using our simple and secure online form. No one will ever know you contacted us. I like to track the ongoing development of the self-driving car - the "autonomous vehicle" that is promised to us any day now. That amazing technical engineer and entrepreneur Elon Musk says we could have the 'Autopilot' self-driving car by the end of this year. The invention is promised to reduce accidents, improve environmental conditions, and generally streamline road transport. You'll just get into the vehicle, programme its destination, and then sit back while the algorithms pilot you wherever you wish to go. This concept fascinates me because, to my great regret, my driving days in a conventional car are gradually drawing to a close - because of deteriorating eyesight. I still can drive short distances and in a good light: I can pass the crucial test of being able to decipher a vehicle registration at 20 metres (that's about five cars away). But I'm finding it harder to cope with longer-distance driving on unfamiliar roads. Can I read the overhead signs properly, sometimes half-hidden by foliage? Can I manage the merging motorways - last year, entering the M50 around Dublin to drive west prompted a distinct panic. It's a life-changing moment when you feel you may have to quit driving, because a car is an unparalleled symbol of freedom and independence. Few inventions have delivered more independence to women than the automobile. Having her own car and a driver's licence meant that a woman could go anywhere on her own, within the safety of her vehicle. Having a car at the door meant never having to depend on someone else - or on the limitations of public transport - for personal mobility. For women in the countryside, the car was, literally, the route out of isolation. You can see why feminists in Saudi Arabia fought for so long for the right to drive - defying the kingdom's religious and secular law. Saudi women finally won the right to get behind the steering wheel in 2018. Up to the 1960s, all over Europe, motorists were more usually men than women: while in America women had been driving almost from the start. The patron saint of American female drivers is Alice Huyler Ramsey, who, aged 22, drove a car across the United States in 1909, a distance of 3,800 miles, taking 59 days. She did this at a time when an automobile required an arm-wrenching gadget called a crank starter, many changes of tyres, and constant minor repairs. By the 1930s, women in America were quite commonly driving - 37pc of farm girls in the relatively poor state of Missouri were behind the wheel. By the 1950s, teenage American girls had their own pink Dodge model, tail-fins and all. The writer Anne Applebaum told me that her American mother had her own Chevrolet, aged 17, in the 1950s: it brought a tremendous sense of liberation for those young women whose families could afford to provide them with a car. On this side of the Atlantic, prejudice against women drivers could be discerned from the jokes that prevailed against the "lady driver", often depicted as absent-minded and bird-brained. Some men felt threatened by a female at the wheel - especially overtaking. An aunt of mine was forbidden to drive by her husband: but when he rather unexpectedly died, she found she needed to run a car. Though she grieved at his death, she found great fulfilment in driving. The open road and the joys of the countryside brought years of happiness. When women began driving in greater numbers, they had a considerable influence on the motoring market. It was women who wanted cars to be safer: Volvo underlined the safety of their product with a view to marketing their vehicles to mothers. In Britain, it was a woman politician, the fiery Barbara Castle, who introduced the compulsory seat belt (much resisted at first by libertarians), speed limits and tougher rules against drink-driving. I was all of 43 before I passed (after three failed attempts) the driving test. But I quickly came to love driving, anywhere, at any time. It was rather thrilling to discover that there is no speed limit on German autobahns, and with glee I watched the needle hitting 140kph on a German road. The car fell into disfavour with environmentalists in recent years: it was blamed for polluting the planet, snarling up cities in traffic jams, causing death and disability, and making us all so fat. The pressure has been on to produce cleaner, electric vehicles - consequently the electric car company Tesla saw its share price quadrupled this year. Regrettably, Mr Musk seems a little over-optimistic about his driverless car, which is experiencing some teething troubles - its sensors can't always anticipate the unexpected - so it may be a few years yet before it's available to us. I'm not quite done with driving but I can anticipate the end of the road. I'll have to let go of my dreams of driving a camper van across France, or the even dafter fantasy of doing a racing lap at Mondello. But what a great road trip it's been while it lasted! London: Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth says he has no plans to quit playing Marvel superhero Thor any time soon. In an interview with Elle Man magazine, the Australian actor said he hopes to continue essaying the part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) even after the upcoming fourth movie in the franchise, Thor: Love and Thunder. He is only 1,500 years old! (Thor: Love and Thunder) is definitely not a film that I say goodbye to this brand. At least I hope so, Hemsworth said. The 37-year-old actor, who will reprise his role of the Asgardian God in the Taika Waititi-directed movie, teased that there will be a lot of love in the film. "After reading the script, I can say that I am very excited. For sure in this production there will be a lot of love and a lot of lightning (laughs). Im glad that after everything that happened in Avengers: Endgame, Im still part of the Marvel Universe and we can continue the story of Thor, he said. Thor: Love and Thunder also marks the return of Natalie Portman as Jane Foster and Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie. The film was initially scheduled to start shooting in August in Australia, but the production got delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak, forcing the makers to push the release date from November 2021 to February 2022. Iran has condemned Bahrain's decision to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel. The White House announced Bahrain's deal on September 11, four weeks after the United Arab Emirates reached a similar agreement with Israel. The three nations plan to take part in a ceremony in Washington next week. "It was a shameful and vile decision that will go down in history as a scandalous act," the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a press statement on September 12. The ministry accused Bahrain of sacrificing the long-suffering Palestinians for the sake of U.S. President Donald Trump's reelection campaign. "The Palestinian people and the Islamic world will never accept a normalization of relations with Israel," the ministry said. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said that Bahrain would face "harsh revenge" from its own people and the Palestinians over the Persian Gulf Arab state's move to normalise ties with Israel. "The executioner ruler of Bahrain should await the harsh revenge of the Mujahideen [Islamic fighters] aiming to liberate [Jerusalem] and the proud Muslim nation of this country," the IRGC said in a statement published by Iranian media. Last month, the United Arab Emirates and Israel agreed to normalize their ties amid speculation that Bahrain could follow suit. Trump has helped broker both agreements as part of a diplomatic push to fully integrate the Jewish state into the Middle East. Bahrain has agreed to formalize the deal with Israel at a ceremony on September 15 at the White House, where the United Arab Emirates will also sign off on its own thaw with Israel. Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa A four-year-old boy, Abubakar Aliyu, escaped death after he was rushed to the emergency unit of the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) on Thursday, officials have said. The hospital spokesperson, Hauwa Abdullahi, in a statement, said the boy was rushed to the hospitals accident/emergency unit 12 noon bleeding from a deep neck cut. A family source told PREMIUM TIMES that the boys uncle, allegedly under the influence of drugs attempted to slaughter the child. The hospital did not comment on the source of injury. The spokesperson, however, said a team of consultants and hospital staff were assembled within four minutes to carry out an emergency surgery on the child. The surgery was successfully conducted within half an hour. Any delay might have caused the death of the little boy, Mrs Abdullahi quoted the unnamed consultant who led the surgery as saying. The miracle that happened on that day and at that moment is that all the specialists needed for the emergency surgery were found at the hospitals emergency section at the time when the patient arrived, Mrs Abdullahi said. A nurse in the hospital, who was also part of the team that conducted the surgery said this surgery is the second fastest and successful surgery to have been done in the hospital ever since it was established 32 years ago. The hospital said the young Aliyu is currently stable. At least four people were killed and five others wounded after an explosion ripped through a food market in Ras al-Ayn, a key border town in northeastern Syria, according to the Syrian state news agency, SANA. The blast occurred on Saturday after an improvised explosive device attached to a motorcycle blew up outside the city's post office. According to SANA, three women and an elderly man were killed in the blast and five others were seriously injured. TV footage showed smoke rising from the nearby food market. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor group said activists had reported hearing a loud explosion in the city centre. The release of Wonder Woman 1984 has been moved to Christmas in the US, in the latest in a series of delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic. According to Deadline, it will now be released on 25 December, 2020 one week after the planned release of Denis Villeneuves Dune adaptation. Wonder Woman 1984, starring Gal Gadot as the title character, was once supposed to come out in 2019, but was pushed to June 2020 a date that became unsustainable amid the coronavirus crisis. First and foremost let me say how much Gal and I love all our devoted Wonder Woman fans around the world, and your excitement for WW84 couldnt make us happier or more eager for you to see the movie," director Patty Jenkins said in a statement. "Because I know how important it is to bring this movie to you on a big screen when all of us can share the experience together, Im hopeful you wont mind waiting just a little bit longer. With the new date on Christmas Day, we cant wait to spend the holidays with you! The films UK release date is still listed as 2 October 2020. Wonder Woman 1984 is the second standalone film with Gadot as the protagonist. The first, simply titled Wonder Woman and also directed by Jenkins, came out in 2017. Springfield - Dr. John A. Rousou, of Longmeadow, has joined the board of trustees at American International College in Springfield. In a career dedicated to cardiothoracic surgery, Rousou was chief of the cardiac surgery division at Baystate Medical Center until his retirement in 2018. Graduating with an undergraduate degree in biology from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, Rousou received his medical degree from the American University of Beirut Medical School in 1970. Following an internship at the university, he relocated to the United States, completing a residency in general surgery at the University of Rochester in New York and a residency in cardio-thoracic surgery at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago where he was also an instructor. Rousou and his associate, Dr. Richard Engelman, initiated the cardiac surgery program at Baystate Medical Center in 1978. He served as chief of the division from 2001 until his retirement. Combined with his responsibilities at Baystate Medical, Rousou served as assistant professor of surgery at Tufts University School of Medicine and assistant clinical professor of surgery at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. In addition to the Boards of Surgery and Thoracic Surgery, Rousou was a member of the American Heart Association, Massachusetts Medical Society, Hampden County Medical Society and the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery. He is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Rousou is a Fellow with the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Chest Surgeons. He had a multi-year affiliation with the International Cardiovascular Society, the International Society for Artificial Organs, and the International Society for Heart Transplantation. Rousou and his wife, Maria, have three adult children and eight grandchildren. Regional elections began Friday in Russia, with early voting starting across the country. Polls close on Sunday. Balloting is taking place in 83 regions. New governors will be chosen in 18 of these areas. Elsewhere, residents are casting votes for a variety of local representative bodies and in referendums. The closely watched elections come as the government of President Vladimir Putin is beset by internal and external crisesmass anti-government protests in Belarus, which is the last Russian-allied state on the Russias western frontier, escalating tensions with Germany over the alleged poisoning of Alexei Navalny, ongoing anti-Kremlin demonstrations in the far eastern city of Khabarovsk, and the continuing spread of COVID-19. Some of this weekends races are viewed as a barometer for the level of social discontent with the Kremlin, which worked in a number of regions to shore up its position by keeping opposition candidates off the ballot. The strongest challenges to sitting governors backed by the Putin government are being mounted in Irkutsk and Arkhangelsk, areas where there were relatively high levels of opposition to constitutional changes crafted by the Kremlin and recently passed through a nationwide popular referendum. In the Siberian region of Irkutsk, which encompasses Lake Baikal, a Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) candidate is challenging an incumbent who was installed in office by Moscow after the previous KPRF governor, Sergey Levchenko, left in a forced-voluntary removal. Anger over the Kremlins intervention is intersecting with popular opposition to local leaders corruption, pollution and environmental damage in the resource-rich region. Last year, massive floods linked to climate change hit the area killing dozens and causing widespread evacuations. In the far northern province of Arkhangelsk, similar issues have been emerging. The current governor, Igor Orlov, has earned the disgust of the population because of his role in working with Moscow to transform an area in the ecologically sensitive region into a massive trash dump for the countrys capital. Lead challenger is Irina Chirkova, who is from the A Just Russia (SR) party, which is identified with mass protests that erupted in 2018 and 2019 over these issues. The SR is part of the official or systemic opposition in Russia, which means that it pretends at moments to oppose the Kremlin but works hand-in-glove with it on all major questions. Arkhangelsk was also the site of a nuclear accident in 2019. An explosion at an offshore military facility caused a massive radiation spike in the region, and terrified residents bought up all available supplies of iodine in local pharmacies. In the neighboring Komi Republic, which shares the land impacted by the proposed landfill with Arkhangelsk, it is possible that the KPRF will win the largest number of seats in the regional parliament. KPRF regional head Oleg Mikhailov supports an emerging Komi independence movement, which is tapping into anger over the maltreatment of the regions indigenous population and discontent over economic and social conditions in the area. The regionalist sentiments cropping up in Komi point to bigger dangers facing Moscowthe prospect that Russia could break apart along geographical lines. As popular anger towards the central government grows over poverty and inequality, local elites seek to capitalize on their control over resource-rich areas, and foreign opponents of the Kremlin pursue a policy of break-up as a means to dominate the Eurasian landmass. In Novosibirsk, an industrial region in southern Siberia, a slew of candidates are running for regional assembly and city council seats that have been held overwhelmingly by the ruling United Russia (UR) party and the KPRF, which is nominally an opposition party, but works closely with the Kremlin. Sergei Boyko is leading an electoral coalition group called Novosibirsk 2020, which was set up by oppositionist Alexei Navalny. The groups efforts are directed at putting into action so-called smart voting, a balloting scheme devised by Navalny to put pressure on United Russia and its political appendages. In Novosibirsk and throughout the country, Navalnys supporters are telling people to vote smart by picking any candidate running against a Kremlin-backed incumbent, without any regard to the challengers policies and perspective. Having identified in each of the 1,167 races happening across Russia whom people should vote for in order to stop Putin, they are throwing their support behind all and sundry, including the far right, the Stalinists, the nationalists and the pro-Western liberals. In the southern Siberian city of Novosibirsk, where there is widespread discontent over the governments handling of the coronavirus pandemic, it is possible that the efforts of Novosibirsk 2020 or other challengers in the legislative races will make a significant dent in the number of seats held by the UR and KPRF. The aim of the smart voting practice is to completely disorient the popular opposition towards the Kremlin welling up within the population and to take advantage of rifts within the Russian ruling elite. Navalnys operations may also have some impact on the election in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, where Rustam Minnikhanov is seeking another presidential term. On September 9, just two days before the start of balloting, Navalnys Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) released details of its investigation into the Minnikhanov familys real estate holdings. The oppositionist himself has reportedly just emerged from the medically induced coma in which he was placed after falling severely ill while traveling back to Moscow from the Siberian city of Tomsk. The government of Germany, where Navalny is now being treated, has alleged Kremlin involvement in Navalanys supposed poisoning, which the Merkel administration claims was caused by the Soviet nerve agent Novichok. Tensions between Berlin and Moscow are skyrocketing, with the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would bring further Russian energy supplies to the German market, now being called into question. Russias regional elections come as the Putin government confronts multiple crises. The alleged poisoning of Navalny has unleashed another wave of anti-Russian hysteria in the West, with heads of government and leading newspapers filled with denunciations of the Kremlin. Moscows last remaining ally on its Western frontier, the Belarusian government of Aleksandr Lukashenko, continues to teeter on the brink. It is resorting to repression, violence, and arrests in an effort to stay in power. Lukashenko confronts a right-wing, pro-free-market opposition with close ties to the West, but also a mass movement from below of workers disgusted by the governments policies. The Kremlin is, above all, terrified that the working-class discontent finding expression in events in Belarus will erupt in Russia, where workers share similar economic and political grievances and overwhelmingly speak the same language. Recent events in Russias far east, where the Kremlins removal of an elected governor provoked mass protests in Khabarovsk, have made clear that the era of global social protest is also hitting Russia. At the same time, coronavirus cases have topped 1 million and are once again the uptick. Moscow, like all other countries, is openly pursuing a death policy. Alexander Myasanikov, the head of the countrys coronavirus information service, told the press on Friday, You should be glad that the number [of cases] is growing, because the more asymptomatic and mild forms, the faster we will achieve herd population immunity. Ordinary people, however, see the matter differently. In Volgograd, parents are objecting to the re-opening of schools, using the media to vent their opposition to forcing children into the classrooms. I have only one question, said one parent to a local news outlet, Why was it necessary to open schools and kindergartens now, when there is a sharp increase in the number of infected people in the region? Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 12) Remember when Joseph Gordon-Levitt asked for snapshots of the Philippines for a new project? The American actor on Saturday thanked contributors for thousands of photos and videos received by his online collaborative media community HitRECord. On his official Facebook page, Gordon-Levitt shared a minute-and-a-half long film titled The Beauty of the Philippines. Its a montage of shots featuring the countrys sceneries and its people, including revered Kalinga tattoo artist Apo Whang-od. "The most beautiful thing about the Philippines is its people, a voice-over says. Every spot is special but it is the people you will remember most. In their eyes, you will find hope and love and you will be forever changed, the video concludes. It was written, produced, and voiced by a number of artists. Gordon-Levitt said he is really pleased with how it turned out, and is looking forward to the next collaboration. The finished piece is such a sweet celebration of a beautiful place and culture, Gordon-Levitt said. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. Ms Grace Afua Annabi, a visually impaired teacher at the Mpoho Senior High School, Takoradi, has been honoured by the Osei-Kusi Foundation, a humanitarian non-governmental organisation, for exceptional performance. She received a laptop, African print, and a cheque for GH3,000.00 to invest in her diversified-income-generating activities. Ms Annabi, a first time beneficiary of the Foundation, was charged with the responsibility of serving as a role model to the youth, an ambassador of wealth creation and humanitarian activities, and learning to have a positive impact on society. The programme was held in Accra on the theme: Blind But Not Disabled. Ms Annabi is a 32-year old orphan who lost her sight at age 13 while at the Volta Home Orphanage in the Volta Region. She got enrolled at the Akropong School for the Blind and had to face the challenge of fending for herself. She resorted to making brooms, charcoal and toffees for sale to raise money to buy a school uniform and braille sheets. She met the Osei-Kusi Foundation CEO when he visited the Volta Home Orphanage, and he later decided to intervene and sponsor her education through to the Okuapeman Senior High School. She completed in 2013 with distinction and then to the University of Cape Coast, where she studied Bachelor of Arts in Education and completed in 2017. Ms Annabi is currently a History Teacher at the Mpoho Senior High School in Takoradi. In addition to her teaching profession, she has acquired vocational skills in soap making and bakery, which also serves as a source of income. She was grateful to God for changing her name from an orphan to a daughter of the Foundation and commended the Founder for the support. Reciting a poem titled: Who is Challenged? she said: If one could not hear the cry of another fellow for help, then who is deaf? And if one could not stand on his feet to help another, then who is crippled? Ms Annabi encouraged physically challenged persons never to allow themselves to be stopped from taking up an opportunity because of their state of affairs. Ms Sheila Otu-Boateng, an Advisory Board Member of the Osei-Kusi Foundation, said believing in God and ones personal driving force enabled Ms Annabi to fight to achieve her dreams. Dr Kofi Osei-Kusi established the Foundation in 2011 to provide young people with tools, resources and training to transform and make a global impact. It also provides a holistic education support for brilliant youth in Ghana, who had been made vulnerable by physical disability and financial need. 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 Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Riyadh denies involvement in the September 11, 2001 attacks, but lawsuits alleging its support persist in US courts. A US judge directed Saudi Arabias government to make 24 current and former officials, including a former ambassador to the United States, available for questioning in litigation claiming it provided assistance for the September 11, 2001 attacks, lawyers for victims said on Friday. Saudi Arabia has long denied involvement in the attacks, in which nearly 3,000 people were killed as hijacked aeroplanes crashed into New Yorks World Trade Center, the Pentagon outside Washington, DC, and a field in western Pennsylvania. The Saudi governments media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment after business hours. A Washington, DC-based lawyer for the country declined a request for comment by Reuters news agency. US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburns decision was made public on Thursday in Manhattan federal court. It followed another judges March 2018 rejection of Saudi Arabias bid to dismiss the litigation, where families of those killed, tens of thousands of people who suffered injuries, businesses and insurers are seeking billions of dollars in damages. While rejecting some of the plaintiffs requests for depositions, Netburn said those who could be questioned included Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the Saudi ambassador to the US from 1983 to 2005 and a member of the Saudi royal family. 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] She said Saudi Arabia persuasively argued that documents did not suggest the prince oversaw the work of two officials the plaintiffs linked to the attacks. But the judge said the plaintiffs materials indicated he likely has first-hand knowledge of the role one official was assigned by the Kingdom and the diplomatic cover provided to the propagators working in the US. It was not immediately clear how Saudi Arabia might arrange for or compel testimony by its citizens, including those no longer in the government. James Kreindler, a lawyer for the victims, called the decision a major development because Saudi Arabia had produced little documentation concerning its government officials working in the US before the attacks. Advertisement Crowds cheered as workers removed a Confederate statue from outside a Virginia courthouse 111 years after it was first erected. The monument - which depicts an unnamed Confederate soldier and is titled 'At Ready'- was taken down from its foundations out front of the Albemarle County courthouse in Charlottesville on Saturday morning. It was a momentous occasion for residents still reeling from the violent Unite The Right rally that took place in the city back in August 2017. The two-day demonstration, which featured Neo-Nazis brandishing tiki torches, ended in the death of a 32-year-old counter-protester. 'This is a magnificent moment,' local man Don Gathers, 61, told The Washington Post as he watched the statue come down. 'Much of the racial tension, strife and protest we're seeing across the country emanates from right here in Charlottesville. But now we're moving the needle in a positive way.' Scroll down for video Crowds cheered as workers removed a Confederate statue from outside the Albemarle Courthouse in Charlottesville on Saturday The statue of the unnamed soldier, which is titled 'At Ready', was erected back in 1909 City officials urged residents to stay home and watch a livestream of the removal on Facebook, but dozens still turned out to watch the statue be taken down A local activist is seen speaking ahead of the statue's removal on Saturday morning The Albemarle County board of supervisors voted to remove the monument last month. They subsequently agreed to spend $60,000 of taxypayer money on a local forklift crew to pull down the imposing monument. An additional $3,600 of taxpayer money was also used to cover the cost of flatbed trucks, which will take the monument to its new home at the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. The foundation preserves Civil War items and monuments for historical and educational purposes. City officials live streamed the removal process on the County of Albemarle Facebook page in the hopes of keeping people away from the area amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Albemarle County board of supervisors voted to remove the monument last month. They subsequently agreed to splash $60,000 on a local forklift crew to pull down the imposing monument The statue will be taken the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation to be preserved as a historical item Not everyone was happy about the removal. Some on Facebook claimed it was endemic of a 'cancel culture' that will result in less freedom for all people The statue taken was located just a block away from of a monument of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, which still stands However, that didn't stop the small crowd of supporters from coming to the courthouse to celebrate. Not everyone was happy about the removal, though, with some saying it was endemic of a 'cancel culture' that will result in less freedom for all people. 'Oh look let's put away all the monuments and hide the past, now we won't ever have to remember it. Insanity...' one Facebook user complained. The statue taken was located just a block away from a controversial monument of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Proposals to remove that public display spurred the 2017 Unite The Right Rally. Back in July 2017, members of the Klu Klux Klan turned out in Charlottesville to stage a protest against the removal of the Lee monument. The following month, the Unite The Right rally was held. The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville (pictured) Back in July 2017, members of the Klu Klux Klan turned out in Charlottesville to stage a protest against the removal of the Lee monument (pictured) Protesters and counter-protesters clashed at the Violent Unite The Rally in Charlottesville back in August 2017 Last year, a circuit court judge declared that the statue cannot be removed without permission from the state because it meets classification as a 'memorial for war veterans'. A such, the judge ruled, it is protected by Virginia law. The Code of Virginia declares that it is 'unlawful for the local authorities to disturb or interfere with any monuments or memorials'. Since then, the monument has been damaged with a chisel and has been spray painted with the words 'Impeach Trump'. According to The Washington Post, armed right-wingers have from 'militia groups' have started their own patrols to protect the monument as a legal battle continues. Meanwhile, other Confederate statues have also been torn down in recent months amid a national reckoning on race sparked by the death of unarmed black man George Floyd of Memorial Day. Another statue of Robert E. Lee, which still stands in Richmond, Virginia, was plastered with graffiti amid Black Lives Matter protests. Rohingya men sleep on a pile of donated clothes at a transit camp on the northern coast of Indonesia's Sumatra Island, Sept. 8, 2020. 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, an RFA-affiliated online news service. 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). Call for leadership 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. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Washington: President-elect Donald Trumps national security adviser and Russias ambassador to the US have been in frequent contact in recent weeks, including on the day the Obama administration hit Moscow with sanctions in retaliation for election-related hacking, a senior US official said. After initially denying that Michael Flynn and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak spoke December 29, a Trump official said late Friday that the transition team was aware of one call on the day President Barack Obama imposed sanctions. Its not unusual for incoming administrations to have discussions with foreign governments before taking office. But repeated contacts just as Obama imposed sanctions would raise questions about whether Trumps team discussed or even helped shape Russias response. Russian President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly did not retaliate against the US for the move, a decision Trump quickly praised. More broadly, Flynns contact with the Russian ambassador suggests the incoming administration has already begun to lay the groundwork for its promised closer relationship with Moscow. That effort appears to be moving ahead, even as many in Washington, including Republicans, have expressed outrage over intelligence officials assessment that Putin launched a hacking operation aimed at meddling in the US election to benefit Trump. In an interview published Friday evening by The Wall Street Journal, Trump said he might do away with Obamas sanctions if Russia works with the US on battling terrorists and achieving other goals. If Russia is really helping us, why would anybody have sanctions? he asked. During a news conference Wednesday, Trump highlighted his warmer rapport with the Russian leader. If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability, because we have a horrible relationship with Russia, he said. The sanctions targeted the GRU and FSB, leading Russian intelligence agencies that the US said were involved in the hacking of the Democratic National Committee and other groups. The US also kicked out 35 Russian diplomats who it said were actually intelligence operatives. Trump has been willing to insert himself into major foreign policy issues during the transition, at times contradicting the current administration and diplomatic protocol. He accepted a call from Taiwans president, ignoring the longstanding One China policy that does not recognize the islands sovereignty. Asked about that Friday by the Journal, he responded, Everything is under negotiation. He also publicly urged the US to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, then slammed the Obama administration for abstaining and allowing the measure to pass. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. By Express News Service MADURAI: "I am sorry. I am tired. I fear I will disappoint you if I don't secure a medical seat." These were the last words of M Jothi Shri Durga, a 19-year-old NEET aspirant from Madurai, to her parents. After penning an overwhelming letter to her family members, she died by suicide a day before the NEET examination here on Saturday. According to sources, Durga was the daughter of a Sub-Inspector (Battalion) one Murugasundaram (51). She was preparing for the NEET entrance examination which is scheduled to take place on Sunday. This being her second attempt, as she was unable to clear the examination last year, Durga was under immense pressure and depression, sources said. ALSO READ | Job loss fears, false cases: Three years since Anitha suicide, protesters continue to suffer She was preparing for the exam till late last night but when her parents went to her room in the morning, they found her dead, they added. In a heart-wrenching suicide note, Durga told her parents and family members: "You all have so much expectations on me. But I am sorry. In case I fail to secure a medical seat, all your hard work for me will go in vain. I will disappoint you. I am sorry. I am tired." She has also told her parents that she loves them and will miss them all, in an audio note sent to her father, they said. She further advised her brother to take care of their parents and avoid playing video games. She requested her father to stay strong and take care of his health. This is the second such suicide this week. Three days ago, a 19-year-old youth Vignesh from Ariyalur, ended his life by jumping into a well. Vignesh had taken the NEET examination twice before and had been successful once but could not secure a seat. He allegedly took his own life fearing that he would fail this year too. ALSO READ | Anithas Ariyalur bids adieu to another NEET aspirant, kin says poor connectivity harmed his preparations Meanwhile, another NEET aspirant, a 17-year-old girl from Pudukottai had killed herself earlier this month after being unable to download her NEET hall ticket. Another aspirant, a 19-year-old Subashri from Coimbatore also ended her life last month for similar reasons. On September 1, 2017, S Anitha of Ariyalur killed herself after failing to clear NEET examination. Her death enraged the entire state and led to several protests by political parties and people demanding the scrap of NEET exams. Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam expressed his condolences for the bereaved family. In his social media post, he said he is sad that students, who are the pillars of future, are taking such extreme steps. He advised students to persevere and face all hurdles bravely. He also requested parents to support their children. (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.) Amy Flinn from Donnybrook who has just finished studying Photography and is going on to do graphic design, pictured near her home in Donnybrook. Photo: Frank McGrath Amy Flinn was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Dyslexia when she was eight. She says she always had anxiety issues and found social situations, especially groups of any kind, hard. Primary and secondary school presented challenges, including bullying, but third-level was a game-changer. "There were much smaller classes, people were much more mature, I was studying something I was genuinely interested in and there was a big practical part to it, with not many exams and mostly assignment based," says Amy. The 22-year-old opted to study the BA in Photographic Media at Griffith College, Dublin, and finished this year. Now she plans to study graphic design. "I have enjoyed college - yes I found it stressful, but I have learned to cope better with deadlines since first year! "I start earlier on projects and essays which means I actually enjoying creating the work compared to being stressed out the night before I would hand it in." Amy says the support system was good and "felt I could email and discuss my problems". Living independently has also helped her to develop her confidence and improve her life skills. As well as earning her degree qualification, Amy has taken part in three group exhibitions, has presented to a room full of her peers and presented live online. She has also made a self-published book and a website. Sinead Murphy, who is Photography Programme Director & Senior Lecturer, Journalism & Media Communications at Griffith describes Amy as "the epitome of a can-do attitude combined with effort". Sinead adds: "Amy was the ideal learner, keen to engage in feedback with her tutors and seeking new ways to progress both her photographic practice and learning style. "To say that we are proud of her achievements would be an understatement." They discussed the idea of making a project as a response to how Amy interacts with the world as someone living with ASD. Amy created images in various social environments and utilised technical skills both in camera and in post-production to create visuals which feel 'normal' to her. "There are objects seen in the images which she uses as support anchors every day to calm her if anxiety is building," says Sinead. For her final year project, Amy focused on a forest school for primary children, which demonstrated her understanding of different learning styles and progressive thinking. Follow Amy's work on Instagram @mymindmagnified 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 Local Marine veterans hosted the gathering while residents from McLennan County and outside the region joined the effort. Retired New York Police Department Officer Arlene Sykes, who now lives in Hewitt, said she was on vacation on the day both planes struck the World Trade Center towers, but she went down to Ground Zero the following day to help other first responders. I went down to the World Trade Center for the first two months, for all of September and October, and we provided security and helped with looking in the bucket lines, Sykes said. You couldnt see in front of you and two weeks later, you still couldnt see in front of you. Two weeks into the recovery mission, Sykes remembered learning most first responders were not equipped with the correct face masks, complete with filters for the debris field. She said a lot of her fellow co-workers have gotten sick or died from lung complications, and she still struggles with side effects. The one thing I remember the most was the silence, Sykes said. It was deafening, because with so many people down there knowing we had co-workers that were in the rubble, ... you were looking for them, but you just were trying to listen and you just never heard anything. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia NICOSIA (Reuters) - The United States remains "deeply concerned" about Turkey's actions in the eastern Mediterranean, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday, urging a diplomatic end to a simmering crisis over offshore natural resources. Tensions in the eastern Mediterranean have risen over claims and counter claims pitting Turkey against Greece and Cyprus to maritime areas thought to be rich in natural gas. "Countries in the region need to resolve disagreements including on security and energy resource and maritime issues diplomatically and peacefully," Pompeo said in a fleeting trip to Cyprus on Saturday night, where he met with President Nicos Anastasiades. "Increased military tensions help no one but adversaries who would like to see division in transatlantic unity," he said. Turkey has sent two survey vessels to separate areas in the region, drawing strong protests from both Cyprus and Greece, which say Ankara is operating on their respective continental shelves. Turkey says it has a legitimate claim over the area. There is no agreement between Greece and Turkey delimiting their continental shelves, while Turkey disputes any claims by Cyprus, with which it has no diplomatic relations. "We remain deeply concerned by Turkey's ongoing operations ... the Republic of Cyprus has the right to exploit its natural resources including the right to hydrocarbons found ... in its exclusive economic zone," Pompeo said. The east Mediterranean island was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup. Its internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government represents the whole island in the European Union, though its authority is effectively contained to the southern part. North Cyprus is an unrecognised Turkish Cypriot state recognised only by Ankara. Earlier this month the United States said it would lift a 33-year embargo on "non lethal defence articles" applied on Cyprus in 1987 and deepen its security cooperation with Nicosia, prompting an angry response from Turkey. Story continues Pompeo said he also raised with Anastasiades concerns over Russian money laundering -- something Cyprus repeatedly denies -- as well as frequent port calls by the Russian navy to the island. "We know that all the Russian military vessels that stop in Cypriot ports are not conducting humanitarian missions in Syria and we ask Cyprus and the president to consider our concerns," Pompeo said. (Reporting by Michele Kambas; Editing by William Maclean and Daniel Wallis) MADURAI: A 19-year-old medical aspirant died of alleged suicide here on Saturday, apparently 'apprehensive' over the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET), police said. The victim, identified as Jothisri Durga, was found hanging at her residence and a purported suicide note left behind by her said she was 'apprehensive' though others had high 'hopes' on her, they said. The death, which comes days after another medical aspirant in Ariyalur in the state allegedly committed suicide, drew sharp responses from Tamil Nadu political parties opposed to NEET, even as Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam of the ruling AIADMK expressed shock over the incident. DMK President M K Stalin said NEET "is not an exam at all." In a tweet, Panneerselvam expressed grief over such incidents concerning the students, who are the "pillars of future." "Students should learn to face any situation with guts and parents should aid them in this," the deputy CM, also AIADMK Coordinator, said. Stalin, Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly, expressed shock over the suicide but said killing oneself was not the solution. "We can realise from the death of Anitha (a medical aspirant who died of suicide in 2017) to Jothisri Durga that NEET is severely affecting students," he said in a tweet. "I repeat, suicide is not a solution; NEET is not an exam at all. #BanNeet_SaveTNStudents," he added. PMK MP Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, whose party is NDA constituent, condoled the student's death and expressed his sympathies with her family. "#SayNoToNEET #BanNEET," the PMK Youth Wing leader tweeted. His father and party founder Dr S Ramadoss also called for scrapping the exam. MDMK founder and Rajya Sabha MP Vaiko slammed the BJP-led Centre, saying suicides of students in the state was happening due to the "imposition" of NEET on them. Recalling various instances of suicides by students in Tamil Nadu, including that of Anita which had sparked an outrage in the state, Vaiko alleged that despite their high class XII scores, students from the poorer sections were 'filtered' in NEET and their medical dreams 'destroyed.' "Cancellation of NEET alone can prevent such deaths," he said in a statement. Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader and independent legislator, TTV Dhinakaran expressed anguish over Durga's death. On Wednesday,the Supreme Court had refused to entertain a batch of pleas seeking deferment or cancellation of NEET scheduled for Sunday. A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan had said that authorities will take all necessary steps for conducting the NEET-undergraduate exam amid the COVID-19 pandemic for admission in medical courses. Ocado sales could exceed 2billion for the first time this year after customers flocked to order food from its new partner Marks & Spencer. Credit Suisse forecasts that the grocery delivery giant has increased sales by two thirds in the past three months to reach more than 600million. It said this could surprise some in the City who had raised concerns about its ability to cope with high levels of demand. Driving force: Ocado struggled to keep pace with orders during lockdown, when sales increased 44 per cent Ocado struggled to keep pace with orders during lockdown, when sales increased 44 per cent, and it appeared be facing similar issues after the M&S launch. But analysts at the Swiss bank said it had addressed some of its 'capacity concerns'. Its shares have doubled in value from 10.77 in early March to 22.66, valuing the business at 17billion. But the bank warned that the shares could now be overvalued because investors are 'overestimating' the number of future partners for its global solutions business, and underestimating 'execution risk'. Derek Scott, one of Australias leading educators, cant help but be excited about what schools might look like on the other side of the pandemic. The Haileybury principal is deeply concerned at the impact that missing so much classroom teaching has had on students, particularly those between grade 3 and year 10. He can also see the way that innovations necessitated by Victorias protracted lockdown will permanently change how our kids are taught. Haileybury principal Derek Scott says the pandemic will permanently change how our kids are taught. Credit:Eddie Jim He points out that this years senior students, although denied many of the rites of passage integral to year 12, are better prepared than previous cohorts for the world of work that awaits them. At the other end of the school spectrum, parents of prep and grade 1 students are more engaged than before with how teaching is done. Mr Scott says the shift to digital learning has aggravated inequity in education; students disadvantaged before the pandemic are most likely to lose connection to their school during lockdown. For other students, it will open new possibilities. Advertisement From a rude turtle to a photobombing giraffe, singing squirrel and a smiling fish which wouldn't look out of place in an animated kids' movie - these are world's most adorable animals captured making some very funny poses. The animals were pictured by photographers competing in the sixth annual Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, which saw thousands of pictures entered, taken around the world. These have been whittled down to what should have been 40 entries. But the final number turned out to be 44 because the competition's founders Tom Sullam and Paul Joynson, who are both Tanzania-based wildlife photographers themselves, felt there were four which could not be left out. Tom told Bored Panda: 'Choosing the finalists was basically an impossible task, our initial shortlist was over 400, which is three times more than it has ever been.' As well as providing a smile, the competition works alongside the Born Free Foundation to highlight a more serious matter - the importance of conserving our planet's beautiful wildlife. Here, FEMAIL shares a selection of the best finalists' photos... This turtle looked as though it was being very rude indeed to the photographer who snapped it swimming. The picture is one of the 44 finalists in the annual Comedy Wildlife Awards and was taken by Mark Fitzpatrick at the Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort in Queensland, Australia Water great smile! This colourful fish looked absolutely delighted to be photographed by appearing to give a wide grin. The animal, which looks like it could be in a Disney movie, is a European Parrotfish that was snapped off the coast of The Canary Islands, Spain This squirrel looked as though it was belting out a song as it stood on its hind legs and appeared to sing with its head held high. The photo is titled 'O sole mio' and was taken in Hungary by Roland Kranitz Having a giraffe! This giraffe looked very mischievous as it appeared to force its way in to a photo which was being taken of one of its mates, the photo was taken at the Etosha National Park in Namibia Monkeying around! These two macaques, pictured in Borneo, Malaysia, looked as though they were engaged in something very naughty indeed This raccoon clearly let its desire for food get the better of it as it was seen stuck head-first inside a hole in a tree. Photographer Charlie Davidson took the photo in Newport News, Virginia This baby otter looked absolutely terrified and very upset as its mother groomed it in Singapore. Max Teo aptly titled his shot 'It's the Last Day of School Holidays.' Bear with me! This bear, pictured in Alaska, appeared to be waving at whoever was taking its picture. It was seen in water standing straight on its hind legs with its left paw raised in the air This seal, pictured in Caithness, Scotland, looked as though it found something very funny as it was seen with its eyes screwed shut and its mouth wide open lying on a piece of wood just out of the water This Eurasian red squirrel in Espelo in the Netherlands, looked to be having the time of its life as it was seen with what looked like a smile on its face and two streaks of fur rising from its head into the air. Photographer Femke van Willigen called it 'The Inside Joke' This silverback gorilla looked a little down in the dumps as it sat with its head resting on its palm at the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. Taken by Marcus Westberg, the snap is called 'Boredom' Help me! This poor monkey looked pained as it sat hot springs in Japan and lifted its hands in the air with a grimaced expression on his face By contrast, this other primate, which was pictured elsewhere in Japan, appeared triumphant as it raised its arms into the air and wore a resolute expression its face. The snow monkey was bathing in Jigokudani Monkey Park Noting to see here! These two young bears appeared as though they were seeking to remove a tire from a pick-up truck in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming as they cheekily looked back at the camera An icy look! This polar bear, which was pictured in Svalbard, Norway looked to be embarrassed about something as it was seen resting on a patch of ice with its paw apparently covering its eyes Manicure time! This bird posed in a way which made it look like it was filing its nails... even though it didn't have any. The snap, which also looks like a bird playing a an instrument, was taken in Florida Tough Negotiations! This small fox looked to be engaging in conversation with an even tinier creature - a rodent in this snap captured in Israel Fun for all ages! This naughty monkey seemed to be joyfully swinging from the tails of its companions who were sitting on a tree branch above - and looking less than happy as they swung on a tree in Kabini, India Seriously, Would You Share Some? This greedy Atlantic puffin looked to be hogging all the fish and its companion looked a little upset in a snap taken in Scotland TAIPEI SAN DIEGO Sept. 11, 2020 August 27, 2020 Marilyn Glassberg Csete University of Arizona Esa Rayyan John Soong Benny T. Hu Banner University Medical Center Phoenix Gainesville, Georgia December 2016 July 2020 August 27, 2020 and/PRNewswire/ -- Senhwa Biosciences, Inc. (TPEx: 6492), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on next generation DNA Damage Response (DDR) therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, announced today that the first patient with severe COVID-19 demonstrated remarkable recovery after treatment with the Company's investigational drug, Silmitasertib.On, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first emergency IND and authorized use of Silmitasertib in a patient with severe COVID-19 pneumonia requiring supplemental oxygen. The patient had been treated with multiple therapeutics, including Remdesivir, Dexamethasone, Ceftriaxone, Azithromycin and Enoxaparin within two weeks, but remained hypoxic and required up to 2 liters of supplemental oxygen daily. As none of the available therapeutics worked well for this patient, the investigator decided to try Senhwa's investigational drug, Silmitasertib. Within 24 hours of the first dose the patient showed significant clinical improvement and the oxygen requirement was weaned to room air. The patient was discharged from the hospital five days after starting Silmitasertib., MD, Chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine atCollege of Medicine/Banner University Medical Center Phoenix and, DO, her co-investigator, are now looking for five to ten more patients with severe COVID-19 to treat with Silmitasertib with a plan for a randomized clinical trial in the near future."This is the first person in the world to receive Silmitasertib for this novel coronavirus, and it seems to have worked," said Dr., the Chief Medical Officer of Senhwa Biosciences. "It is only one case, and it is still early to know how well the treatment will do in others, but if the same result is repeated in other patients, it will give us an opportunity to significantly reduce the average time of COVID-19 patient hospitalization and reduce the burden on healthcare systems," Soong added."This first patient that received Silmitasertib was discharged in five days! We are encouraged by the patient's strong response to Silmitasertib and will make every effort to provide our drug to critically ill COVID-19 patients," said, Chairman of Senhwa Biosciences.is also planning to start a Phase 2, Investigator-Initiated Trial (IIT) of 40 patients. Another Phase 2 IIT will be conducted at the Center for Advanced Research and Education (CARE) in. The CARE trial will seek to enroll 10 patients once it is approved by the FDA.Silmitasertib is a first-in-class small molecule drug that targets CK2 and acts as a CK2-inhibitor. Silmitasertib is safe and well-tolerated in humans. To date, three Phase I trials of Silmitasertib in cancer patients have been completed; currently, there are one ongoing Phase I and two ongoing Phase II studies of Silmitasertib. In, Silmitasertib was granted Orphan Drug Designation by the US FDA for the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma. In, Silmitasertib was granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPD) in Medulloblastoma by the US FDA. An eIND was granted by the US FDA onto Dr. Rayyan for use in the COVID patient treated at BUMCP. Taiwan San Diego, California Senhwa Biosciences, Inc. is a leading clinical stage company focusing on developing first-in-class, next generation DDR therapeutics for patients with unmet medical needs in oncology. Headquartered in, with an operational base in, Senhwa is well positioned to oversee the development of their compounds. Australia Canada United States Taiwan www.senhwabio.com Development is currently focused on two lead products Silmitasertib (CX-4945) and Pidnarulex (CX-5461) with novel mechanisms of action and for multiple indications. Clinical trials are ongoing in, Korea, and, with more currently in development.Visit Senhwa Biosciences for more details: View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/coronavirus-breakthrough-senhwa-reports-first-eind-silmitasertib-treated-severe-covid-19-patient--discharged-following-five-days-of-treatment-301128622.html SOURCE Senhwa Biosciences, Inc. Telefonica, S.A. TEF is aiming to take a giant leap forward by deploying 5G services to 75% of Spains population by the end of the year. Accordingly, the company has inked agreements with Nordic firms Nokia Corporation NOK and Ericsson ERIC to provide essential telecommunications equipment for the nationwide deployment. The move underscores Telefonicas concerted efforts to emerge as a forerunner in the European telecommunications market. Nokia has been Telefonicas preferred vendor since 2018 and has supported its 5G strategy with trials in the historical city of Segovia in central Spain. The telecommunications equipment provider undertook several initiatives to ascertain the capabilities of the carrier and enable local citizens and businesses to realize the potential benefits of high speed 5G data services. This groundwork seemed to have borne fruit and the company is apparently ready to deploy 5G services across the country. To its credit, Nokia is reportedly the only vendor to supply 5G radio technology to all of Telefonicas 5G operations across Europe. In particular, Nokia will offer AirScale Radio Access products in Spain to deliver low-latency, high-capacity broadband connectivity. This industry-first commercial end-to-end 5G solution will enable Telefonica to meet higher demand for data and optimize operations with low costs of ownership. Nokias 5G portfolio will provide a solid foundation to scale up Telefonicas legacy network infrastructure within dynamic cloud environments, with a sharp focus on scalability, automation and performance. This, in turn, will enable the carrier to deliver 5G services with Unified Data Management, Signaling and improved network functions. Telefonica has also roped in Ericsson for the rollout of 5G services. Ericsson will offer the carrier new 3.5Ghz radio equipment and software upgrades, with its engineers working round the clock to ensure that adequate 5G base stations are fully operational for the nationwide deployment. The Ericsson Radio System comprises hardware, software and services for radio, RAN Compute, antenna system, transport, power and site solutions. It enables smooth and cost-effective migration from 4G to 5G, supporting communications service providers to launch the avant-garde technology and grow 5G coverage faster. The companys 5G radio access technologies provide the infrastructure required to meet the growing demand for high-bandwidth connections and support the real-time, low-latency, high-reliability communication requirements of mission-critical applications. Notably, Ericsson has achieved a significant milestone with the commercial availability of its Standalone 5G NR software for service providers in the 5G mid and low bands. With this, the company has also taken a big step in the evolution of the 5G ecosystem to make it more pervasive across the globe. Ericsson currently has 108 commercial 5G agreements with operators (of which 58 are publicly stated) and includes 60 live 5G networks on four continents. Owing to the wide proliferation of the smartphone market and subsequent usage of mobile broadband, user demand for coverage speed and quality has increased. Further, to maintain a superior performance with traffic increases, there is a continuous need for network tuning and optimization. Ericsson, being one of the premier telecom service providers, is much in demand among operators to expand network coverage and upgrade networks for higher speed and capacity. The Sweden-based telecommunications equipment provider is arguably the worlds largest supplier of LTE technology with a significant market share and has established a large number of LTE networks worldwide. Riding on the individual core competencies of Nokia and Ericsson, Telefonica remains well poised to achieve its set target of 5G deployment in Spain. The 5G network is likely to enable vertical industries to introduce new businesses and promote direct and indirect cross-cutting benefits to primary sectors such as healthcare, tourism and automotive. It will also promote digitization of small and mid-size enterprises. Telefonica currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked stock in the industry is Deutsche Telekom AG DTEGY, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Deutsche Telekom has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 10%. Story continues 5 Stocks Set to Double Each was hand-picked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2020. Each comes from a different sector and has unique qualities and catalysts that could fuel exceptional growth. Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor. Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Nokia Corporation (NOK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Deutsche Telekom AG (DTEGY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Telefonica SA (TEF) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ericsson (ERIC) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Theres an old leadership adage that says you cant communicate too much during a crisis. But COVID-19 is no ordinary crisis, and despite the pandemics omnipresence in both our personal and professional lives, many of us are growing increasingly tired of hearing about it. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Theres an old leadership adage that says you cant communicate too much during a crisis. But COVID-19 is no ordinary crisis, and despite the pandemics omnipresence in both our personal and professional lives, many of us are growing increasingly tired of hearing about it. The information overload that some have dubbed "COVID fatigue" is real, and its a concern not only for health officials responsible for keeping the public vigilant and informed, but for companies and institutions who will have to operate in the pandemics wake for the foreseeable future. For many organizations, internal and external communications needs are exploding right now: Business operations, employee policies, health and safety protocols, strategic plans and myriad other considerations all continue to be revised and rewritten as the ground continues to shift. Theres a lot to communicate when so much is changing. Employees and customers ostensibly want and need this information, but as the pandemic drags on our capacity for absorption is increasingly diminished. The phenomenon of information fatigue didnt arrive with the coronavirus. Charities contend with compassion fatigue when donors become numb to stories and images that once moved them to open their wallets. Climate fatigue or "green fatigue" helps explain why warnings of a catastrophic future dont necessarily compel action, despite the severity of the headlines and the clarity of the science. But this time its different. Weve collectively endured a relentless barrage of pandemic-related information for the past six months, and cooler weather means the impact of the virus and the information we hear about it may only intensify. The fact many of us are already emotionally exhausted and mentally overwhelmed only compounds the challenge. How should organizations adjust their communication playbooks as we get deeper into the pandemic? Four quick suggestions: Rigorously isolate and prioritize essential messages. Nobodys paying attention to lengthy missives right now. Identify the two to three corporate priorities that are critical to organizational success in the current moment and build awareness and understanding around those. When I teach communications in the classroom I illustrate the importance of message prioritization with a ball exercise: If I toss six balls in the air its unlikely someone will catch all of them, and I cant influence which ones theyll catch. If I toss a single ball the odds of it being caught dramatically improve. 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. Dumping extraneous messages may mean organizations are ultimately communicating less often. Thats desirable if message uptake increases. Frequency should be a product of need: If companies communicate when theres something substantive and meaningful to say, audiences will learn that each new communication is worth their attention. Dont over-rely on a single messenger. In the early days of the pandemic we tuned in whenever public health officials appeared on our screens; their presence alone conveyed a sense of gravity and urgency. Six months on, their messaging hasnt diminished in importance but their presence has become routine. Theres an organizational parallel if the CEO or other senior leader has been the sole messenger throughout the pandemic. A consistent, authoritative voice can create familiarity and trust, but it can also translate to desensitization and monotony. It may be an appropriate time to elevate other speakers in your organization. Humanize the conversation. Organizations and governments too often hold tight to an earnest belief that sound information alone can influence beliefs and behaviours. Thats a mistake. In practice we believe and listen to those who project an understanding of our needs, regardless of whether theyre reliable sources. Empathic communication conversational, plain-language messages that directly address the concerns, anxieties and expectations of the intended audience is the aim right now. As Tom Friedman recently noted in the New York Times, people often dont listen through their ears; they listen through their gut. If we want people to hear us we first need to show them were in their corner. Try novel approaches. Companies and public health officials have each struggled to build understanding of new information, policies and directives. It may seem unorthodox to use, say, a crude hand-drawn illustration to explain the difference between social circles and social gatherings (as Ottawa Public Health did on Twitter) or to play "two truths and a lie" on social media to convey virus-related info (again, Ottawa Public Health) but tactics like these have been enthusiastically embraced by the public and likely helped create much deeper understanding. Employees, customers and the public are saturated and stressed, and the worst of the virus may be still to come. The current moment calls for a dose of levity, brevity and humanity in our communication, especially as we settle into the fact the virus isnt going away any time soon. David Leibl is founder of the Winnipeg-based communications and executive advisory firm www.oncallcomms.com CLEVELAND, Ohio It seems a bit early, but its time to think about steelhead trout. The big trout are not making a big rush to run the rivers and streams of Northeast Ohio just yet, but anglers casting from the piers and breakwalls of the river mouths are starting to see trout cruising and feeding. Don Moore of Harbor Bait Bait & Tackle on the Grand River has been seeing steelhead cruising the shoreline, and recommends anglers start to tie small lead-head jigs and get their floats out for the early-season shoreline trout fishing. Moores favorite jig pattern is a black caribou jig with a chartreuse lead-head, and a little bit of a green flash tied with the black caribou skirt. Once the trout start to come up the Grand River, said Moore, the trout prefer a small caribou jig in an emerald shiner minnow pattern. Cleveland Harbor starting to clear after recent rains The Cleveland Metroparks is already reporting a few steelhead trout are roaming the Cleveland Harbor shoreline, a sign that the big trout are moving in to feed and get ready for the fall spawning runs. Fishermen are starting to roam the piers and breakwalls, looking for the early arrivals, as well as cast for walleye once the sun goes down. As Lake Erie continues to cool in the coming weeks, expect trout to start move in and feed on nymphs and small streamers worked under a float, and small jigs tipped with maggots, waxworms and shiner minnows. Small spoons and in-line spinners are also good lures for tempting hungry trout as they feed in the harbors. Good locations for early morning or late afternoon harbor fishing are the Edgewater and East 55th Street breakwalls, the Wildwood Park breakwall and the extreme lower sections of the Northeast Ohio rivers and streams. Changing weather brings Lake Erie walleye closer to shore The walleye fishing had been best in deep water in the Central Basin of Lake Erie, but that seems to be changing this week. The big lake is cooling, and reports off Fairport Harbor, Geneva and Conneaut suggest the big walleye are moving from the 70-foot depths to the 50-foot deep areas, and even shallower. Anglers are relying primarily on trolling spoons, running them behind Dipsy Driver and Tru-Trip Diver on-line planers. The walleye had been close to the lake bottom in deep water, but theyre now suspending in the 55- to 60-foot depths. Close to shore, schools of walleye have been plentiful in some areas, but most are the 6- to 8-inchers that dont meet the 15-inch length requirement. Those are signs, though, that the late September and early October walleye fishing should be a blast around the Central Basin of Lake Erie. A prolific thief who breached lockdown to break into hospitals and care homes and steal from NHS staff has been sentenced to jail for four and a half years. Wayne Bradley, 30, was arrested after carrying out a series of burglaries across Birmingham at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. West Midlands Police said he was found to have conned and tailgated staff to gain access into unauthorised areas in four different hospitals and care homes in April. Bradley had previously been handed a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) by Birmingham Crown Court in September 2018 after he was found to have committed similar offences. He was banned from visiting any hospital unless it was for an emergency or pre-arranged treatment until 2021. However, this did not stop him from stealing from multiple members of NHS staff as they worked. Between 11 and 15 April, he gained access into a care home in Bournville and stole two electronic tablets, entered restricted areas within Birmingham Childrens Hospital and stole mobile phones and a laptop. Police also found CCTV footage of him attending Solihull Hospital and stealing a staff members purse, using the stolen card inside to pay for his shopping at nearby Tesco and Waitrose supermarkets. Bradley pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday and was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for six burglary offences, three fraud offences, six breaches of his CBO and six breaches of coronavirus regulations. Sergeant Julia Slater from the city centre team said in a statement: Bradley is a callous and uncaring career criminal who has gone out of his way to deliberately target the most vulnerable in society. While the rest of the country was in lockdown, doing all they could to stop the spread of the virus, he was going out to steal from those people most at risk, and most shocking of all, to steal from the selfless members of the NHS who were putting their own safety on the line to help save others. Stealing from these groups would be heinous enough, but Bradley chose to do this at the height of the largest crisis the world has had to face in a generation, not caring who he might endanger or how upsetting it might be to his victims. We are pleased to see the courts agreed with us about the seriousness of Bradleys offending and this sentence should keep the public safe for the foreseeable future. Rahul Gandhi hits out at PM Modi-led govt Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government by putting out a 4-point list of the repercussions of the pandemic. Taking a jibe at the government, Gandhi quoted the fall in GDP, the job losses, rise in stressed loans, and the rising coronavirus cases in the country. Earlier this week, the former Congress President had compared the nation to a ship going nowhere. He had also called the lockdown a death sentence for the poor saying that 'finished' jobs and small businesses. Modi Govts well-planned fight against Covid has put India in an abyss of: 1. Historic GDP reduction of 24% 2. 12 crore jobs lost 3. 15.5 lac crores additional stressed loans 4. Globally highest daily Covid cases & deaths. But for GOI & media sab changa si. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 12, 2020 Read the full story here Sena takes a veiled dig at Kangana Ranaut In a veiled attack on actor Kangana Ranaut, Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana said that Mumbai is not Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and those who made such remark are enjoying the result of it. Defending nepotism in Bollywood, Sena mouthpiece said in its editorial that it is not new and has dominated in the olden times as well. It said that actors like Rajesh Khanna, Jitendra, Dharmendra did not have a family backing in Bollywood, yet they made a name for themselves. Sena editorial said that those who have made fortune in Mumbai, they make their buildings in areas like Pali Hill and Malabar Hill, "but they must not harbour enmity against the one who gave them shelter." Read the full story here Ram Temple Trust defrauded of Rs 6 Lakh Ram Mandir Trust secretary Champat Rai filed a complaint with Ayodhya Police, alleging that unknown persons have fraudulently transferred Rs 6 lakh from the bank account of the trust. He also alleged that the fraudsters attempted to transfer Rs 10 lakh with a third cheque that was timely detected as counterfeit by the bank. The Uttar Pradesh Police has registered an FIR, and Ayodhya DIG Deepak Kumar told that the account in which money was transferred in Mumbai. "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," the DIG said. Read the full story here India reports record coronavirus cases India reported a record single-day surge of 97,570 new COVID-19 cases with 1,201 related deaths on September 11. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare said that the total number of coronavirus cases now stands at 46,59,984, including 9,58,316 active cases. The ministry said that 36,24,196 COVID-19 patients have been cured/discharged/migrated so far and 77,472 infected people lost their lives. India has become the second worst-hit nation in terms of coronavirus cases and related deaths. Get the Live updates here Delhi Metro back on track, all lines available All lines of the Delhi Metro network opened on Saturday, including the Airport Express Line as part of the third stage of the graded reopening of the urban transport service. Passengers will be able to travel on all the lines from 6 am to 11 pm daily. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has made all the necessary arrangements for its proper functionality. To avoid huge crowds, especially during peak hours, the DMRC chief appealed to the people to refrain from travelling during peak hours. He also requested people to use rapid transport only if urgently needed. 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 pic.twitter.com/e9BsAS9A9B Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (@OfficialDMRC) September 12, 2020 Read the full story here A paradise location is how RTE presenter Kathryn Thomas described the tourist attraction of Lough Gur during her visit for the staycation programme, No Place Like Home. Four large RTE production crew vans rolled into Lough Gur when the national broadcaster shone a light on the scenic spot. The last in the four-part series of No Place Like Home featured the County Limerick beauty spot. During the eight hour long day of filming, the-30 strong crew spent much of their time setting up cameras and cabling in just the right location to make absolutely sure that Lough Gur was caught on camera picture perfect, said Kate Harrold, manager, Lough Gur Heritage Centre & Lakeshore Park. All were in high spirits for they knew this was the last day of filming for this series, it was their wrap party. Throughout the day their beaming smiles and happy banter with the Lough Gur staff made all who were there wish that Lough Gur was a regular set for filmmakers, she added. Presenter Kathryn Thomas arrived for filming after spending time with visitors and staff. Courteous and kind to all people she met, Kathryn was a true pro on the day taking time to say a few words to those who passed by, said Ms Harrold. In her own words, Kathryn said that Lough Gur was a paradise location and she thoroughly enjoyed spending time in such a stunning part of Limerick. Speaking on the show which aired on August 30, Eoghan Corry, tourism expert and journalist, agreed that Lough Gur was a site with real credentials, offering a perfect setting for the last show in the series. All crew and staff on the day gave high praise to Lough Gur with many determined to return again, added Ms Harrold. Lough Gur was chosen as a filming destination for the No Place Like Home programme by Failte Ireland who funded the series. CEO of Failte Ireland, Paul Kelly and his team visited earlier this year to inspect Lough Gur and marvelled at its scenic lakeshore setting. For those of you who missed the episode you can watch it back on the RTE player - click here. Beijing opposes a forced sale of TikTok's US operations by its Chinese owner ByteDance, and would prefer to see the short video app shut down in the United States, three people with direct knowledge of the matter said on Friday. ByteDance has been in talks to sell TikTok's US business to potential buyers including Microsoft and Oracle since US President Donald Trump threatened last month to ban the service if it was not sold. Trump has given ByteDance a deadline of mid-September to finalise a deal. However, Chinese officials believe a forced sale would make both ByteDance and China appear weak in the face of pressure from Washington, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation. ByteDance said in a statement to Reuters that the Chinese government had never suggested to it that it should shut down TikTok in the United States or in any other markets. Two of the sources said China was willing to use revisions it made to a technology exports list on August 28 to delay any deal reached by ByteDance, if it had to. China's State Council Information Office and its foreign and commerce ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent after working hours. Asked on Friday about Trump and TikTok, Chinese foreign ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular press briefing that the United States was abusing the concept of national security, and urged it to stop oppressing foreign companies. CLASH BETWEEN POWERS Reuters has reported that TikTok's prospective buyers were discussing four ways to structure an acquisition from ByteDance. Within these, ByteDance could still push ahead with a sale of TikTok's US assets without approval from China's commerce ministry by selling them without key algorithms. ByteDance and its founder Zhang Yiming have been caught in a clash between the world's two preeminent powers. Trump last month issued two executive orders that require ByteDance to sell TikTok's US assets or face being banned in the country, where the app is hugely popular among teenagers. US officials have criticised the app's security and privacy, suggesting that user data might be shared with Beijing. TikTok has said it would not comply with any request to share user data with the Chinese authorities. Beijing has said it firmly opposes Trump's executive orders and on August 28 moved to give itself a say in the process, revising a list of technologies that will need Chinese government approval before they are exported. Experts said TikTok's recommendation algorithm would fall under this list. Chinese regulators said last week the rules were not targeted at specific companies but they reaffirmed their right to enforce them. Also read: TikTok logging out from the US? ByteDance unlikely to meet Trump's deadline Also read: Donald Trump rules out extending ownership change deadline of Sept 15 for TikTok Also read: Will TikTok be forced to turn fully American? Britain is on the edge of losing control of the spread of the coronavirus, according to a member of the governments Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies. Sir Mark Walport a former chief scientific adviser also insisted there was an extremely strong argument for people who can work from home to continue to doing so. I think one would have to say were on the edge of losing control and youve only got to look across the Channel to see whats happening in France and whats happening in Spain, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. The French on Friday had 9,800 new infections and one can see their hospital admission and intensive care admissions are going up. The distinguished scientist also cited an alarming study from Imperial, commissioned by the government, suggesting Covid-19 cases are doubling every seven to eight days and warned the R rate of transmission could be as high as 1.7. The analysis of ICLs Real-time Assessment of Community Transmission (React-1) came as the UK reported the highest daily number of new coronavirus cases since mid-May: 3,539, up from 2,919 the previous day. Pressed on whether the public should be returning to work, Sir Mark, who said he definitely will continue to work from home, added: The only way to stop the spread of this infection is to reduce the number of people we come into contact with. Therefore its a fine balancing act. Its very important to get youngsters back to school and universities, but it means were going to have to hold back our contacts in other areas. Where people can work from home theres an extremely strong argument they should do so. Speaking on Saturday, the Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said: I think Sir Marks words hes a very distinguished scientist are a warning to us all. Theres a range of scientific opinion, but one thing practically every scientist is agreed is that we have seen an uptick in infection and therefore its appropriate to take public health measures. The cabinet minister said the rule of six to be introduced on Monday in England, limiting social gatherings to a maximum of six people indoors and outdoors was necessary due to concerns over the prevalence of the virus. In a separate interview on Times Radio, Mr Gove also claimed the UK was not heading towards a second national lockdown, adding: The reason why were taking the steps we announced this week and come into force on Monday is precisely to avoid that situation. Rather, he said the new measures such as target local lockdowns and new regulations governing social contact were to ensure that children can still go to school, adults can still go to work and the life of the nation can continue. For many, this week is certain to have elicited some of the seven stages of grief. The road map, as laid out last Sunday by Premier Daniel Andrews, was tougher and longer than most would have expected. After the shock and denial, there is sure to have been some pain, anger and even depression. Let's hope most find their way to acceptance. On Sunday night, we will take the first baby steps towards a COVID-19 "normal". For those in Melbourne, the curfew will lock in an hour later, exercise will be extended to two hours and those living alone will get some reprieve. For those in regional areas there will be a few bigger steps, including the return of students to classrooms and children to childcare. They are all a welcome return of some of our lost freedoms. We have a task ahead of us to keep our individual and collective communities strong. Credit:Luis Ascui But as the months stretch before us, particularly in metropolitan Melbourne, with little chance of partaking in much of the communal life that we once enjoyed, it is surely time to remind ourselves of the task ahead in keeping our individual and collective communities strong. For while the road map offers considerable detail on the do's and don'ts of our movements, it offers little in the way of guidance on sustaining our connections to each other. The success of flattening the curve for a second time is dependent on every one of us making the right decisions. The success of keeping our communities together is no different. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday warned his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron "not to mess" with Turkey, as tensions between the NATO allies escalate. "Don't mess with the Turkish people. Don't mess with Turkey," Erdogan said during a televised speech in Istanbul. Macron has strongly condemned Ankara during the standoff between Greece and Cyprus on one side and Turkey on the other over hydrocarbon resources in the eastern Mediterranean. Search Keywords: Short link: Animal trials of Bharat Biotech International Limiteds 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 drugmaker has said. Covaxin, developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Bharat Biotech, is being tested at 12 institutes across India. The Hyderabad-based firm said the data from the study on primates substantiate the immunogenicity of the vaccine candidate. Bharat Biotech proudly announces the animal study results of COVAXIN - These results demonstrate the protective efficacy in a live viral challenge model, Bharat Biotech tweeted on Friday. Bharat Biotech has said in a release that it developed and assessed the protective efficacy and immunogenicity of an inactivated Sar-CoV-2 vaccine (BBV152) or Covaxin in rhesus macaques. Twenty macaques were divided into four groups of five animals each, it said. Also read | Want to enrol in a vaccine trial? Know your eligibility 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, the drug company said. ALSO WATCH | Parliament during Covid-19: 50 officials test positive It added that 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, it added. 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. Bharat Biotech had received approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation to conduct the Phase-II trials earlier this month. It had announced in June that it successfully developed Covaxin in collaboration with 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 Biotechs high containment facility located in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. Covaxin is one of the frontrunners in the race for a Covid-19 vaccine in India. It is an inactivated vaccine it works by injecting doses of the virus that have been killed aiming to prompt the body to build antibodies against it without the virus posing a threat. Each stage of a vaccines clinical trial tests its safety and ability to develop an effective immune response. Phase 1 focuses on determining safety and dosage in a small group of healthy participants, while Phase 2 looks at the vaccines effectiveness. Phase 3 looks into these aspects in a much larger population that would represent a wider demographic. 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. 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. President Donald Trump will visit California on Monday to be briefed on the wildfires there, capping off a weekend campaign swing on the West Coast with a visiting to the devastating blazes that have killed at least 29. 'President @realDonaldTrump will visit California on Monday where he will be briefed on the state's wildfires,' White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere wrote Saturday on Twitter. Trump leaves for Nevada on Saturday afternoon for two days of campaign events, where he'll look to skid around coronavirus restrictions to hold rallies for his supporters. President Donald Trump will visit California on Monday to be briefed on the wildfires there More than 746,000 acres in California have burned, including the Bobcat Fire (above) in the woods in the Angeles National Forest north of Monrovia Following that, he'll visit McClellan Park in Sacramento County on Monday, which has served as a base for CALFire operations, Fox 11 in Los Angeles reported. The White House has touted its support for the first responders and fire fighters in the state. 'THANK YOU to the 28,000+ Firefighters and other First Responders who are battling wildfires across California, Oregon, and Washington. I have approved 37 Stafford Act Declarations, including Fire Management Grants to support their brave work. We are with them all the way!,' Trump tweeted on Friday night. President Trump visited California after the 2018 wildfires, touring the area with then-Governor Jerry Brown and then Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom. It is unclear if Newsom will join the president for this trip. The two men do not get along but have spoke on the phone Friday about the roaring fires devastating the West Coast. At least 20 have been killed in California, eight in Oregon and one in Washington state as thousands of firefighters struggle to bring the blazes under control. Four people have been arrested on arson charges. Images out of the California show orange skies, damaged property, and smoke-filled scenes. More than 20,000 firefighters are battling the blazes. Officials are bracing for more casualties. 'We anticipate that number (of deaths) may potentially go up as we get back into areas that have been ravaged by flame and obviously, smoke begins to clear,' warned Newsom, as he visited a scorched forest near the raging North Complex Fire on Friday. The map above shows 103 fires that have already burned more than 3.4 million acres across the western United States The August Complex Fire this week became by far the biggest recorded blaze in Californian history, ripping through 746,000 acres of dry vegetation in the state's north, as multiple fires combined. But it is just one of around 100 large fires on the West Coast, and other rapidly growing blazes closer to populated areas have proven deadlier. Ahead of his California visit, Trump will be in Nevada, where he'll go head-to-head with state officials by holding public events after they canceled his plans for rallies in Reno and Las Vegas because of coronavirus restrictions. Democratic rival Joe Biden leads in Nevada by four points, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average of the state but Trump campaign officials are looking to move it to his column even though a Republican presidential candidate hasn't won Nevada since 2004. Hillary Clinton carried the state by 2 points in 2016. Trump has criticized Nevada officials for passing a law to make mail-in voting easier there in response to the COVID pandemic - a battle cry he is likely to take up in speeches this weekend. He planned to host rallies in airport hangars in Reno and Las Vegas - as he has held rallies in airports in other states - Nevada officials squashed his plans, citing COVID restrictions. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, issued a directive in May limiting gatherings to 50 people or fewer. But officials denied politics had any role in the canceling of Trump's events. 'This has nothing to do with politics. The letter we sent is about directives and safety and not political campaigns,' Daren Griffin, president and CEO of the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority, said in a statement earlier this week. 'We would hold our tenants to the same standard whether it was a Democratic or Republican rally or any other type of gathering. We are complying with the Governor's directive and Washoe County's recommendation during a pandemic.' Republicans are looking to make headway in Nevada, where Joe Biden leads in the polls Instead the president heads to Minden on Saturday night, about 45 miles south of Reno. On Sunday, he'll host a 'Latinos for Trump' roundtable, attend a fundraiser and having an evening rally in nearby Henderson at a manufacturing plant. If Trump can move Nevada to his column, its six electoral votes could help him make up a loss from another state, such as Arizona, where he'll stop on Monday. Arizona, a typically red state that has seen Biden leading in the polls, sparking GOP fears the former vice president could carry it in November. 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. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- In an effort to curb a rash of gun violence this summer, Grand Rapids police are looking to launch a gun buyback program. The program, if approved by city commissioners, would tap $20,000 in funding from the citys Safe Alliances for Everyone Task Force. Police Chief Eric Payne plans to ask city commissioners Tuesday, Sept. 15, for the funds. The program could then start in October. This program will help us get illegal guns off the street and provide community members who no longer want to have legal firearms in their home a place to safely dispose of them, Payne said in a written statement. Removing these weapons will make the community safer by limiting access to firearms by those interested in using them in criminal acts. The payout for an individual gun would depend on the type of firearm and a pre-determined tier system. In other buyback programs, communities have offered prices ranging from $50-$200. The announcement of a buyback program comes after the citys 23rd homicide Friday, Sept. 11 Two men were shot along Adams Street SE near Kalamazoo Avenue and one died. More from MLive One dead, one injured in Southeast Grand Rapids shooting Father says son admitted smoking shooting victims Black Lives Matter Muskegon plans police brutality protest, voter registration event Washington: Nearly 18 Democratic lawmakers claimed that they will boycott US President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration to be held this week, after disclosure of Russias alleged intervention in the 2016 election and his rebuke of civil rights icon John Lewis, as per a media report on Sunday. Democratic Representative Lewis blasted Trump in an interview to a news channel, saying he would boycott the ceremony for the first time since he arrived in Congress in 1987 because he doesnt see Trump as a legitimate president in light of Russian interference, CNN reported. Lewis was one of three black lawmakers to testify against Trumps attorney general nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions last week.Trump had called Lewis all talk and no action and told him to focus more on fixing and helping his district rather than complaining about the Russias role. Also Read: US President-elect Donald Trumps national security adviser in frequent contact with Russia's ambassador I will NOT attend the inauguration of @realDonaldTrump. When you insult @repjohnlewis, you insult America, tweeted New York Rep. Yvette Clarke, making public his decision to boycott Trumps swearing-in ceremony on January 20. Some members of Congress have said they will be protesting in DC and in their districts instead of attending the event. All talk, no action. I stand with @repjohnlewis and I will not be attending the inauguration, California Rep. Mark Takano tweeted.For me, the personal decision not to attend Inauguration is quite simple: Do I stand with Donald Trump, or do I stand with John Lewis? I am standing with John Lewis, California Rep. Ted Lieu said in a statement released by his office. Also Read: Donald Trumps secretary of state pick Rex Tillerson opposes ban on Muslim entry in US Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva said he will not be attending the inauguration of Trump as the next president. The office of Michigan Rep. John Conyers, the dean of the United House of Representatives, confirmed to CNN he wont be attending the inauguration. It is with a heavy heart and deep personal conviction that I have decided not to attend the #TrumpInauguration on January 20, 2017, California Rep. Mark De Saulnier tweeted.I will not be attending inauguration of @realDonaldTrump but WILL participate in the @womensmarch on January 21st, New York Rep. Nydia Velazquez tweeted. Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader said, Ill do my best to work with him (Trump) when I think hes doing the right thing for the country. But he hasnt proved himself to me at all yet, so I respectfully decline to freeze my ass out there in the cold for this particular ceremony. Missouri Rep. William Lacy Clays spokesperson said that Clay will be in his home state speaking to school children.California Rep. Barbara Lee said she wouldnt endorse a president defined by racism, sexism, xenophobia and bigotry. New York Rep. Jose Serrano, California Rep. Judy Chu, Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez, California Rep. Jared Huffman, Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark, Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer, New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat are among others who have decided not to attend the inauguration. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The sergeant will serve as field training officer for the new hire, and supervise training and integration into the force. Arnim said the new officers should be set to patrol the streets on their own in three months or less following their first day. This is certainly a challenge, when you get a chance to look at people who apply for the [officer] jobs and chief job, Arnim said. There is a wide range of expertise with people who apply for this job. I can tell you that some of these applicants coming in have a lot of experience. Some of the chief candidates are coming in with masters degrees. As far as the officers go, we have several [candidates] wanting to become new officers, but with our situation in Somerville, we need seasoned officers so we can put them on the street and turn them loose, and they will know what to do. George Atiyeh, the reluctant icon of Oregons environmental movement for his central role in saving Opal Creek from clear-cutters, has gone missing after the Beachie Creek fire roared down the Little North Fork of the Santiam River and burned his house to the ground. No one has seen Atiyeh, 72, since before the fire, according to friends and relatives. The same fire that wiped out Atiyehs house also has hit his beloved Opal Creek, the federally protected landscape known for its enormous, ancient trees and crystalline pools. Though its impossible to get access at this point, the stream and surrounding forest that made the site one of the states premier hiking destinations, are in the fire zone. Aniese Mitchell, Aityehs daughter, posted Friday night on Facebook that the Atiyeh family is officially listing George Atiyeh as a missing person in the Beachie Creek fire. His house and property were a total loss. Atiyeh is the nephew of the late Gov. Vic Atiyeh, who served from 1979 to 1987. Search parties have been through the areas of his last known location, the post said. If anyone has any information regarding him please contact the Marion County Sheriffs Office. Mitchell told The Oregonian that she last talked to her father Monday night. He was determined to stay. He didnt feel like he was in danger, she said. Ric Bailey, another prominent Pacific Northwest environmentalist, said Atiyeh was the first lonely voice to save Opal Creek from logging. Hes totally recognized as the guy who started it all, Bailey said. The 13,500-acre Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area and the 21,000-acre Opal Creek Wilderness Area are in the Willamette National Forest. The heart of the area is about 50 miles east of Salem, where county and national forest roads lead to the old mining town of Jawbone Flats and the surrounding wilderness. Scott Fogarty worked closely with Atiyeh on the Opal Creek preservation effort. The crusty obstinance that was part of Atiyehs character served him well in the two-decade effort to save the area. He is a true Oregon hero who was vilified by the timber industry, Fogarty said. The Beachie Creek Fire is just one of several enormous wildfires that have charred hundreds-of-thousands of acres from Lincoln City to outside Estacada to Talent in southern Oregon. Atiyeh grew up around Jawbone Flats. He helped family members operate a mine in the area. But when the U.S Forest Service made plans to log the old growth along the pristine stretch of Opal Creek near Brietenbush, Atiyeh fought back. It became a pivotal moment in the history of Oregons environmental movement and resulting timber wars. Opal Creek meant everything to him, said Hillary Clements, Atiyehs ex-wife. He spent his whole life up there. He didnt do it alone. But maybe he was a catalyst. He certainly had the passion and the love. Atiyeh and others convinced U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfield that the area deserved protection. Federal legislation protecting the creek was passed in 1996. The Beachie Creek fire appears to have already passed through Opal Creek. The fire started near the confluence of Beachie and Opal creeks, just two miles from Jawbone Flats, home to an old mining camp and the Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center. Staff at the center evacuated Friday, as smoke filled the air and ash fell from the sky, the organization announced on Facebook. Earlier in the week, the Ancient Forest Center wrote on Facebook: We have no news as to whether Jawbone Flats is burned or safe or anywhere in between. Right now, we continue to choose hope. Joanie Schmidgall, a public information officer for the Willamette National Forest, said while places like Opal Creek are within the fire perimeter, its impossible to know the extent of the damage. Fogarty said hes reasonably confident some portions of the forest survived. The ancient trees in the area have cleary survived multiple fires over the years judging from the scorch marks on their trunks. We really dont know how the fire fared, Schmidgall said. And while it doesnt look good, it doesnt mean that everything is scorched. The old-growth forests of Opal Creek might actually fare better than most. With thick bark and high branches, the old Douglas firs are especially fire-resistant, Schmidgall said. Opal Creek is thought to have survived two previous wildfires, in 1550 and 1835, according to the Ancient Forest Center. Many trees in the area are hundreds of years old, and the oldest, a 270-foot Douglas fir, is thought to be 1,000 years old. Friends and family had urged Atiyeh to leave when the fire began to expand. By Friday, it had gotten to 300 acres and I called him, Fogarty said. But the fire was still miles away. Beachie Saddle is probably 30 miles or more from Atiiyehs house. It wasnt like he was super-nervous. They havent heard from him since then. The Little North Santiam flowed right by his house. Clements and Fogarty wonder whether Atiyeh could have made it to the deep pool that is nearby. If anyone could have survived, it would be George, Clements said. (Atiyeh survived a plane crash earlier in his life.) The word, she said, is tenacious. Trump Commemorates 9/11 at Flight 93 National Memorial President Donald Trump honored the memories of the 9/11 victims and first responders at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, marking the 19th anniversary of the attack. WHITE HALL Lewis and Clark Community College and North Greene schools are partnering to offer a welding program to students, community members and employers. The program, which is funded through a Career and Technical Education grant awarded by the Illinois Community College Board, is designed to support the improvement and innovation of career and technical programming throughout Illinois. This welding program is open to high school students and members of the public can join as available in the spring. It is designed to meet the needs of local employers and will allow participants to earn multiple welding certificates and an associate of applied science degree in welding. According to Lewis & Clark associate dean of adult education Valorie Harris, the grant will fund up to $100,000 through December 2021. The primary audience is North Green High School students, Harris said. Its exciting that beginning in the spring semester at the earliest, classes may also include out-of-school youth and adults from the community, depending on need and the availability of seats. If there arent enough seats and there are enough potential students, theres a possibility that an evening section may be offered. Cheri Madson of the North Greene Education Foundation recognized the potential impact for the school district and the local economy. The North Greene Educational Foundation wants the welding program at North Greene High School to add a curriculum option that ensures our students are employable locally upon graduation, Madson said. The vision for this program is to expand by offering classes that are open to community members as well. The welding program isnt the first time Lewis & Clark and the school district have partnered. In 2019, a successful certified nursing assistant program was established with a grant. Were excited to build on our strong working relationship with the North Greene School District, Lewis & Clark dean of career programs Sue Czerwinski said. This innovative program not only serves high school students but meets the needs of community members and local employers. A suspended nurse who has compared public health restrictions to the Holocaust has become the new face of the anti-vaccination movement in Britain. Kate Shemirani, who is due to host a rally in Trafalgar Square next Saturday, has promoted bogus claims on social media that vaccines are poisonous. On Twitter earlier this week, she asked her followers whether the public would wake up 'on the cattle truck? Or in the showers?' She also claimed to have first-hand accounts of patients being taken to hospital during the coronavirus pandemic who were deliberately allowed to die. Shamed nurse Kate Shemirani, who is due to host a rally in Trafalgar Square next Saturday, has promoted bogus claims on social media that vaccines are poisonous. (She is seen above at an anti-lockdown rally in London last month) Miss Shemirani, with Piers Corbyn at the anti-vaxx protest in Trafalgar Square two week ago. She also claimed to have first-hand accounts of patients being taken to hospital during the coronavirus pandemic who were deliberately allowed to die She wrote: 'Murder. Genocide. The NHS is the new Auschwitz.' Miss Shemirani, 54, has been suspended for 18 months to avoid the risk of harm to the public, The Times reported. The Nursing and Midwifery Council is investigating her statements linking coronavirus vaccines to 5G mobile phone technology. She was represented at an interim hearing in July by Mark Steele, a campaigner against 5G phone masts. At the hearing, both Miss Shemirani and Mr Steele attacked the panel for not wanting to hear their 'facts' about vaccines and 5G. Thousands of people, including many conspiracy theorists, met at the Unite For Freedom rally and march from Trafalgar Square to Downing Street to protest against coronavirus measures last month Mr Steele accused the nursing regulator of being complicit in genocide, it is claimed. Miss Shemirani said nurses who made accusations against her did so because they were overweight and jealous. She added: 'We all know what women can be like.' She has reportedly resigned as a registered nurse. Her Twitter following has trebled in the last three weeks to 21,000 followers. Her Facebook site, which had 14,000 followers, has been removed. A Facebook spokesman said it had banned her 'for repeatedly violating our policies against harmful misinformation'. Her Trafalgar Square rally is said to be a 'medic-focused event' with guests including academics who have questioned whether coronavirus is real. A Syracuse Orange basketball game against Cornell Big Red at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York, on Nov. 8, 2013. (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) Syracuse University Falls for the CCPs Narrative About Pandemic Chinas infiltration of Americas academic institutions is no longer deniable Commentary According to the Syracuse University administration, theres no difference between a person of Chinese descent and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Imagine being subject to such an irrational and destructive policy. Canceling the Professor Unfortunately, highly rated Syracuse chemistry professor Jon Zubieta doesnt have to imagine it, because he found out firsthand. He was suspended by the university for using the terms Wuhan flu and Chinese Communist Party flu to describe the CCP virus (novel coronavirus) in his syllabus notes. A handful of students complained, and suddenly, the tenured professor was suspended from his job. But in the minds of the offended students, even suspension isnt enough of a punishment. The professor, they insist, should be fired. How can this happen at a major U.S. university? Well, per Karin Ruhlandt, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost John Liu, Zubieta isnt only anti-CCP, he is guilty, by implication, of hate speech against Chinese. The derogatory language used by a professor on his course syllabus is damaging to the learning environment for our students and offensive to Chinese, international, and Asian-Americans everywhere who have experienced hate speech, rhetoric, and actions since the pandemic began, Liu and Ruhlandt said in a statement. In other words, Zubieta is being canceled. No Distinction Between the People, CCP Somehow, the sins of Zubieta go beyond blaming the CCP for the coronavirus pandemic or by referencing the coronavirus as the Wuhan virus. The professor is accused by Ruhlandt and Liu of criticizing all people of Chinese descent, everywhere in the world, regardless of their political affiliation or national origin. That accusation, of course, is false. Not that facts matter to the Syracuse University leadership or woke students, but lets look at some anyway. The virus did indeed come from Wuhan. Whats more, the CCP allowed the local viral outbreak to become a global pandemic. Those actions include silencing doctors who tried to warn the world, lying about the viruss human transmissibility, preventing U.S. doctors from examining the virus in its early stages, and allowing infected people to travel outside of China months after the outbreak to make sure the virus became a global pandemic. The CCPs travel allowances, of course, let infected Chinese travel to Europe and the United States. All of these policies were dictated by the CCP, hence the fault and cause of the virus and the pandemic lie with the CCP. That is why the professor is correct when he referred to it the way he did. There is no better or more descriptive name for it. However, its apparent that in the view of Syracuse University, the monstrous people in Beijing that harvest human organs from living donors, who imprison millions of people in work camps, and who gifted the world with the coronavirus pandemic do, in fact, represent all Chinese people. To the luminous leaders of the university, theres apparently not even a sliver of daylight between the Party and the people it crushes and destroys. If you criticize the CCP, then youre an anti-Chinese racist and an all-round appalling human being, and therefore, unfit to teach chemistry. China Corrupting US Schools But its not just Syracuse University that has become a mouthpiece and enforcer for the CCP. Even the most prestigious schools, such as Harvard, have been turned into politically correct research institutions that are aiding and abetting Chinas rise to global dominance. Perhaps even worse, the CCPs influence has become widespread throughout the United States from primary schools to graduate institutions. Through such cultural initiatives as the Confucius Institute on university campuses and programs like the Thousand Talents, the CCP has succeeded in not only changing the perception of U.S. students and their educators toward China, but also bringing American students and researchers into the service of the CCP by providing them access to U.S. technology secrets. Fortunately, both the Confucius Institute and the Thousand Talents programs are being shut down by the Trump administration. But the damage to our schools and universities from CCP-led corruption and the far-left political correctness that has warped so many minds remains. Curiously, while Syracuses Liu, whose given name is Zhanjiang Liu, very publicly condemned and punished his colleague for false racial offenses, Liu is deeply involved in the Chinese scientific community himself. For example, as well as visiting a number of Chinese universities in the past few years, hes also a consultant for China Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology and is a member of the Chinese Natural Science Foundation, among many other appointments. Its important to understand that none of the Chinese scientific and academic institutions that Liu is a part of, could exist without the support and oversight of the CCP. And yet, there he sits, at the very top of the Syracuse University power structure. Lius accusations against Zubietawho violated no laware, at best, hollow. At worst, they are a concerted effort to stoke racial tension and remove an anti-CCP influence. It would appear that it is a successful attempt to make Syracuse University just what the Party wants it to be. In the meantime, Zubieta, who won the prestigious University Presidents Award for Excellence in Research in 1988, the Syracuse University ACS Division Medal in 2004, and was named to the Faculty of 1000, Biology, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, remains out of the classroom. James R. Gorrie is the author of The China Crisis (Wiley, 2013) and writes on his blog, TheBananaRepublican.com. He is based in Southern California. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Five youths who were allegedly abducted by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China near the McMahon line in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Subansiri were released on Saturday in Anjaw district, around 1,000 km away. IMAGE: Indian Army and People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China during an event to hand over five Indian youths by PLA, at Kibithu in Anjaw district. Photograph: @KirenRijiju/Twitter The youths -- Tanu Bakar, Prasad Ringling, Ngaru Diri, Dongtu Ebiya and Toch Singkam -- were handed over to the Indian Army by the PLA after completion of necessary formalities, Tezpur-based defence spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Harsh Warrdhan Pande said. "All five of them will now be placed under quarantine for 14 days as per COVID-19 protocols and thereafter be handed over to their family members," the spokesperson said. Taking to Twitter, Chief Minister Pema Khandu thanked the Army and the Union government for securing their return. 'Absolutely glad to know that five of our Arunachali youths have been safely handed over to Indian Army by Chinese PLA. I am wholeheartedly thankful to the (Union) Govt and the Indian Army for their persistent effort in securing their return,' he posted on the microblogging site. The development comes amid a prolonged border face-off between India and China in eastern Ladakh. Five of seven youths, who went hunting on September 2, were allegedly whisked away by the Chinese troops from Sera-7, an Army patrol zone located around 12 km further north of Nacho in Upper Subansiri district. The youths, engaged as porters by the Indian Army, were reported missing by their families on social media. The defence spokesperson, in an official statement, said, 'Arunachal Pradesh is known for its rich natural heritage and adventurous people fond of exploring the nature for medicinal herbs and possessing traditional flair for hunting which involves surviving off the land for weeks in jungles and far-flung remote areas. 'During such adventurous forays, at times youth have inadvertently strayed to the other side of the Line of Actual Control. All such individuals were brought back home safely following consistent efforts and coordination by the Army.' In the latest instance, the Army had approached the PLA on the hotline to trace the youths, Lt Col Pande maintained. Family members of the youths in Upper Subansiri, after learning about their release, extended gratitude to the Army and the officials of the Centre and the state government. "The release was arranged in a matter of a few days. I can't thank the Army, government officials and the PLA enough for their cooperation and goodwill gesture," Reri Delak Bakar, the brother of Tanu Bakar, said. Dasanglu Pul, who represents Hayulilang constituency in Anjaw, also said that it was a 'welcome move by China'. Earlier in March, a 21-year-old man was abducted by the PLA from the Asapila sector near the McMahon line. His two friends, however, had managed to escape. After 19 days in captivity, Togley Sinkam was released by the Chinese Army. Democrats, while acknowledging the poor optics posed by Hunter Bidens position, are expected to reject the assertion it had any effect on U.S.-Ukraine policies during the former vice presidents tenure, while pointing out that Johnson supported the policies at the time. They are also expected use their report to take aim at the origins of Johnsons probe, which they argue is rooted in Kremlin-backed disinformation. With their impeccable style and fashion prowess, it's of no surprise that this elderly couple is causing a stir online. Britt Kanja and Gunther Krabbenhoft, who are both thought to be in their 70s, have wowed onlookers after stepping out on the streets of Berlin. Gunther, dubbed Hipster Grandpa, has amassed 70,000 followers on Instagram thanks to his stylish ensembles, while his partner Britt has 25,000 on her social media account. Former chef Gunther said he's always been interested in fashion but that his style has evolved alongside his personality, with it being all about harmony between the inside and the outside, according to Bored Panda. Here, FEMAIL reveals the best outfits showcased by the trendy pair... Looking good! Britt Kanja and Gunther Krabbenhoft, who are both thought to be in their 70s, have wowed onlookers after stepping out on the streets of Berlin Gunther, dubbed Hipster Grandpa, has amassed 70,000 followers on Instagram thanks to his stylish ensembles, while his partner Britt (pictured together) has 25,000 on her social media account Former chef Gunther (pictured in Berlin with Britt) said he's always been interested in fashion but that his style has evolved alongside his personality Gunther (pictured with Britt) said style was all about harmony between the inside and the outside, according to Bored Panda Dressed in his go-to hat and cane, Gunther held hands with a stylish Britt, sporting a red velvet skirt with a bright orange blazer and matching accessories Celebrate good times, come on! Upon Britt turning 70, the couple posed in a field of wildflowers whilst dressed in all their finery Futuristic: Britt looked every inch the modern woman in her eye-catching hat and matching yellow ensemble in this photograph with her partner, who appeared just as stylish On the go! The couple stopped for a quick photograph after using Berlin's public transport. Even when getting on a train, the duo looked trendy Stepping out: Enjoying an evening together, the couple opted for glamorous outfits when at a local restaurant. Britt donned a golden ensemble, while Gunther looked dashing in a blue blazer Entering the final stage of the presidential race, Democratic candidate Joe Biden is defining ever more clearly the right-wing character of his campaign. Since Labor Day, the traditional start of the fall campaign, he has focused on appeals for support from the military and national security establishment, along with economic nationalist demagogy and pledges to prosecute violent left-wing protesters. This is the response of the Democratic Party to the increasingly fascistic and anticommunist character of Donald Trump's reelection campaign. At a campaign rally Thursday night outside of Saginaw, Michigan, Trump continued his incitement of police and vigilante violence against protesters, part of his drive to create a far-right, authoritarian movement. If Biden wins, he declared, China wins. If Biden wins, the mob wins. If Biden wins, the rioters, anarchists, arsonists and flag burners win. He reiterated his support for the targeted assassination by a police task force led by Federal Marshals of Michael Reinoehl, who was wanted for the killing of an armed pro-Trump vigilante in Portland, Oregon. And by the way, Trump told the crowd, the US Marshals went in to get the killer, and that was the end of that. They got the killer, they got the killer. Biden, his running mate and former prosecutor Kamala Harris, and the Democratic Party as a whole have remained silent on the state murder of Reinoehl as well as the murder of two unarmed anti-police violence protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin by the fascist vigilante Kyle Rittenhouse. Trump has publicly defended the 17-year-old would-be cop, who fatally shot the Kenosha-area residents and was then allowed to walk through police lines while carrying an automatic rifle slung over his shoulder. Both Biden and Trump made the pilgrimage to Shanksville, Pennsylvania on Friday, the 19th anniversary of 9/11, to demonstrate their support for the war on terror, the political framework for the vast escalation of US military violence in Afghanistan and the Middle East and the erection domestically of a police-state infrastructure. The frontal assault on democratic rights included the Department of Homeland Security with its ICE immigration Gestapo, the Northern Command, black site torture centers, mass illegal surveillance, indefinite detention without due process and the militarization of local police departments. The previous day, Thursday, Biden told Stars and Stripes that as president he would keep US troops in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq indefinitely. He spoke the day after Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of the US Central Command, announced that the US planned to cut the troop level in Iraq from 5,200 to 3,000 by the end of this month and reduce the number of troops in Afghanistan from 8,600 to 4,500 by November. According to the military newspaper, Biden said the conditions in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are so complicated that he cannot promise full withdrawal of troops in the near future. It added that the Democratic candidate said he does not foresee major reductions in the US defense budget as the military refocuses its attention to potential threats from near-peer powers such as China and Russia. The Pentagon budget has soared under Trump, with overwhelming support from congressional Democrats, to $738 billion. In fact, the article stated, he [Biden] said defense spending could increase in a Biden administration. It quoted the former vice president as saying, Ive met with a number of my advisers and some have suggested in certain areas the budget is going to have to be increased. The article noted that Biden has vowed to better equip the National Guard, which is increasingly being deployed in cities across the country to assist local and state police in suppressing left-wing protests. He went on to attack Trump for failing to confront Russia. The newspaper wrote: The former vice president said the largest readiness issue facing the military is Americas strained relationship with NATO. Theyre worried as hell about our failure to confront Russia diplomatically or other ways On Wednesday, Biden conducted an interview with Jake Tapper of CNN in which he attacked Trump on national security grounds. Responding to a question about the revelation in the soon-to-be released book by Bob Woodward that Trump revealed to the Washington Post reporter the existence of a classified nuclear weapons system, Biden said, He [Trump] seems to have no conception of what constitutes national security, no conception of anything other than, what can he do to promote himself? He then turned, as he has repeatedly over the past week, to the report published last week by Atlantic magazine that Trump referred to US troops killed and injured in war as losers and suckers. Biden has seized on the report to stress his own devotion to the military and his patriotic credentials. Trump doesnt understand duty, honor, service, country, he said, adding, Unrelated to my running, he should not be the commander-in-chief of the United States military. On Wednesday, Biden made his first appearance in Michigan of the fall campaign, delivering a right-wing speech before an audience of United Auto Workers bureaucrats at a union hall in the Detroit suburb of Warren. The speech combined economic nationalism with a glorification of the corrupt gangsters who control the UAW and are currently enforcing the drive by the government and the auto companies to compel autoworkers to pump out profits in unsafe factories infected with the coronavirus. The main thrust of Bidens remarks was to attack Trump for failing to carry out many of the economic nationalist measures he promised in 2016: stopping the offshoring of jobs, bringing back jobs to the United States, halting auto plant closings, and enforcing buy American provisions in federal contracting. He pledged to impose a tax penalty on companies that send American jobs abroad and then sell the products to US consumers, while providing tax incentives for companies that create jobs at home. The union officials who use nationalism to pit American workers against their class brothers and sisters around the world and subordinate them to the profit interests of our American companies enthusiastically received Bidens call for economic warfare. Biden also cited the audio tapes released by Woodward in which Trump admitted to lying to the American people in order to conceal the dangerous and lethal implications of the coronavirus outbreak. He was, however, silent on the fact that the Democratic leadership was also given intelligence briefings on the deadly character of the virus and said nothing for nearly two months, while Trump brushed off the danger and the virus implanted itself in the American population, setting the stage for hundreds of thousands of needless deaths. This weeks further lurch to the right by the Biden campaign is a continuation of the course adopted following the two party conventions last month. Responding to the Republicans denunciations of protesters as terrorists and the attack on Biden as a front man for socialists and anarchists out to destroy the suburbs and the American way of life, the Democratic nominee used his first post-convention campaign appearance to denounce violent protesters as criminals and demand that they be prosecuted. Speaking in Pittsburgh, Biden declared, I want to make it absolutely clear. Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. Its lawlessness, plain and simple. And those who do it should be prosecuted. He went on to attack Trump for failing to halt the violence and instead fanning the flames. This speech was then used as the basis for a massive ad campaign launched two days later promoting Bidens law-and-order credentials. By Josh Horwitz SHANGHAI (Reuters) - The latest additions to China's list of controlled technology exports could upset a broad range of industries and raise the possibility that some global tech giants might have to split off their Chinese operations, legal experts said. The new list of technologies under export controls announced on Aug. 28 came as an unwelcome surprise to an industry already grappling with the uncertainty posed by trade tensions between China and the United States. The move was initially seen as a means of giving Beijing a say in any sale of video app TikTok, but advisers to Chinese and foreign firms say the potential consequences go much further. "The rules were a surprise to many in the market, and there is a lot of tension in the tech space at the moment," said Alex Roberts, a corporate counsel at the Shanghai office of law firm Linklaters. In addition to recommendation algorithms such as those used by ByteDance-owned TikTok, the new list of "partially restricted exports" includes drone and cybersecurity technology, voice recognition software, and handwriting scanning software. Companies seeking export of these technologies must first pass reviews and obtain approvals from China's Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology." The revisions could also affect a bevy of multi-national companies that conduct research and development inside China, adds Nicolas Bahmanyar, cybersecurity senior consultant at LEAF law firm in Beijing. "It's very probable that a company with R&D centres in China are going to face a choice - keep their R&D centre in China, just for China, or leave China so they can use the tech they develop anywhere in the world," he said. The Ministry of Commerce was quick to respond to speculation that the new rules were aimed mainly at TikTok, saying they were not targeted at any one company. Lawyers that have looked closely at the changes say their broad scope means they could hit a wide range of companies across different business sectors. Story continues They could change the thinking of companies such as Microsoft , consumer drone manufacturer SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd, video streaming service Zoom Video Communications , and Tencent Holdings <0700.HK>, which exports games worldwide and has a fast-growing overseas cloud-service business. A Tencent source, which has a slew of overseas subsidiaries and invested companies, said the company was waiting for clarification on what the rules would mean for technology-sharing with these units. "In general it will impact Chinese companies' overseas businesses, mainly involving those that provide cross-border services," said Raymond Wang, managing partner at Beijing law firm Anli Partners. Zoom, for example, employs roughly 500 people in China as engineers working on product development, according to its prospectus. Microsoft houses Microsoft Research Asia in Beijing, which has been the origin of a number of advances in AI. Zoom and DJI declined to comment. Microsoft and Tencent did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment. "It is generally clear from the market reaction that there is some thinking to be done by numerous businesses with operations in mainland China," said Roberts of Linklaters. (Reporting by Josh Horwitz, Brenda Goh in Shanghai, Pei Li in Hong Kong; Additional Reporting by David Kirton in Shenzhen; Editing by Stephen Coates) 12.09.2020 LISTEN "This is most certainly the voice of destiny, Karl...most certainly!" agreed Kwame and looked around. "I could have raised my family in peace and had a peaceful life. Instead, the call came, and I was down here in the middle of history, in a country I had to take out of the British Empire fast as that is what people had demanded. But I should have known better. My people were not ready for this great step ahead in their own life." "So, why did you declare independence and added your famous speech to it?" "What should I have done, please tell me? The time was there, the open door before us and I should not have walked with my people through that open door that might have been shut again?" "Your people were not at all prepared for that situation, to be free and to manage their own affairs. It is like infants and teenagers that do no longer agree with their parents lifestyle, that wants to set themselves apart from them as they think they have better ideas and want to make it in life by their own inner thinking. Some of them need longer than others before they are ready to walk on their own freely." Kwame looked straight into the eyes of Karl and said: "When people like mine are crying and history is at our side, the door is open...what would anyone with sound mind do?" "To take the bull by the horn!" "Regardless of what might come next," added Kwame to the words of his German friends. "After I had set Ghana free from Colonialism and speaking my famous words about them...soon did I realize the problems facing me and us as a country. Indeed, I underestimated the problems our move had brought onto us and the hardships my people would have to face as the consequence of our independence. You will recall that I had to set up a good team of Ministers to manage the nation and was unable in my own party to find enough qualified once. To take anyone that would eventually be a rotten apple among good working Ministers...no, such an idea I never wanted to follow. And so I came to the conclusion a one-party system would be the only option for a transition period to bring Ghana into a much better position to improve the lives of many here and lead the African Union to unite all of us here on the African continent. Little was I unable to foresee that the support among Ghanaians was not there and that behind my back they discussed their evil plans against me...evil plans with their stupid, stupid, and wicked minds. The rest is history, my good friend!" "So, as to how is Germany and Ghana very much alike, Kwame...if I may ask?" "To lead by example a whole continent!" "You mean?" "Yes, I mean," smiled Kwame knowing what his friend would say considering the history and the present sentiments on his own continent towards Germans. "t lead is not by being a proud person or country, but by using the God-given talents in a humble...I stress out again humble way...to bring out all there is in a people and set good examples for others to think about, consider and use it as an example to find its very own way forward. This is what you Germans in the past often did wrong...not being humble. When you have a destiny in life and are not humble, you miss the goal and will never reach. Only humble people and persons can make it to the top and be accepted by others to be seen as a raw model they themselves can use to find their own solutions in this world." "If you were still alive what would have changed?" "The country would have been an inspiring place for many...including your own country. Even you, my good friend," got Kwame up to stretch himself feeling his back aching a bit. "But now all around this country and the mess the people are in. They call this Democracy... always a good laugh that I get from their sweet, sweet words that are nothing but lies. Right now, in election time, the political parties bribe the electorate, our voters here around and give small handouts like bags of rice, sugar, cooking oil, for the bigger once that can influence others, they give out cars. After the election is payback time as the investment made by free handouts must come back to the parties." "Plus, interest!" added Mr Karl seeing that Kwame turned around and looked at him with sorrow in his eyes. "The political parties publish manifestos, promise and promise endlessly until the sun has finally set over Ghana. They take loans from you white folks that come with big interest, they put it on the shoulders of all Ghanaians, for future generations to suffer long after these politicians have gone out from the office and found their final perfect peace. They do not care about Ghanaians...not at all...Ghanaians should better stop listening to these, let me call them friendly destroyers of a great future for Ghana as I do not want to use the real word that is on my mind... ." "Which is?" "Bastards! That is what these people are," was Doctor Kwame Nkrumah angry and outraged, very emotional seeing his time in history washed away by wicked-minded people. "All these people are interested in is to give out tokens to Ghanaians so that the people can praise and worship them. To trust an African man...watch your hands carefully and count them before you leave the African standing behind your back that he might not have a knife between his teeth that eventually has come from you...mind my words very well as I know what I am talking about." "Wisdom speaks, Kwame!" A Sri Lankan man living in Melbourne has been charged with child sex offences over coercing young girls into sending explicit images and videos of themselves and then blackmailing them to send more. The Australian Federal Police alleged the man distributed the intimate content to the girls' families and friends as a punishment for failing to comply. The 23-year-old was arrested after tip-offs from both the London Metropolitan Police and the FBI about young girls, aged between 12 and 14, receiving threatening messages. A Sri Lankan man living in Melbourne has been charged with child sex offences over coercing young girls into sending explicit images and videos of themselves and then blackmailing them to send more Investigators traced the messages to an address in the Melbourne suburb of Burwood and executed a search warrant in June. They seized a number of devices for further forensic examination which they say show the man contacted two young girls, one in the UK and one in the US, using fake social media identities. After gaining their trust, both girls sent intimate content to the man. It is further alleged he then used those images and videos to blackmail them for more content, under the threat of sharing the previously sent images with their friends and family. When they refused his demands, the man allegedly made contact with multiple friends and family members of both girls and shared the images and videos. The man is accused of sending dozens of messages to the girls in which he threatened to release more of the sexually explicit material and said he would ruin their lives if they failed to comply with his demands. The man faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday charged with multiple counts of possessing and transmitting child abuse material and with soliciting abuse material. AFP Detective Superintendent Jayne Crossling said in this case the material had been 'doubly weaponised' to facilitate so-called sextortion. 'Sextortion is a form of blackmail where someone threatens to share intimate images of you online unless you give in to their demands,' she said. 'These demands are typically for money, more intimate images, sexual favours, or in an effort to control or humiliate a victim.' Flash China has never interfered in the internal affairs of the United States, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday at a press conference after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. China has never interfered in the internal affairs of other countries, and, of course, it has never interfered in the internal affairs of the United States, Wang said, adding that it is China's diplomatic tradition and the Chinese way to handle affairs, as well as a basic principle of international relations. Now is the time that China asks the United States not to interfere in China's internal affairs, he said. The National People's Congress, China's top legislature, has never discussed or introduced bills on internal affairs of the United States, but the U.S. Congress has been constantly rolling out bills on China's internal affairs, he added. The United States has gone too far, Wang said, adding that some people in the United States should manage their own affairs first, abide by the norms of international relations, and stop interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. During a meeting of political advisers to the leaders of the Normandy Four countries in Berlin on September 11, the Ukrainian delegation noted the possibility of amending the Verkhovna Rada's decree on the calling of local elections. "Today at the meeting it was noted that the Ukrainian parliament is considering a draft on amendments to the decree on the calling of local elections, which provides for a different version of the fourth clause in relation to which there is so much noisy speculation. The proposed version is fully consistent with the Minsk package of measures," representative of Ukraine in the political subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) Andriy Kostin told Interfax-Ukraine on Friday evening. "It was noted at the meeting that this draft was submitted on July 28, 2020, long before the information attack on the delegation in connection with the fourth clause began," he said. Kostin also said: "As a representative of the delegation, I reaffirm my commitment to the Minsk agreements. Certainly, both we and Ukrainian society have a lot of questions about the Minsk agreements, but we and our president believe that they are the only platform for continuing settlement process." According to Kostin, representative of Ukraine in the TCG Leonid Kravchuk, referring to the Ukrainian parliament, raised the issue of analyzing the fourth clause of the decree on the calling of local elections. "I hope that in the process of considering the project, Kravchuk will be able to address the parliament, bring his arguments to show that Ukraine is committed to the implementation of the Minsk agreements," he said. Representatives of ORDO and ORLO, previously invited to the TCG, accused Ukraine of violating the Minsk agreements after the calling of local elections, demanding that the elections also be held in ORDO and ORLO. The draft decree on amending it on the conduct of local elections was introduced by MP Oleksandr Kachura. According to this draft, "Elections of deputies of local councils and rural, settlement, city mayors, not appointed in accordance with the second clause of this decree, will be appointed in accordance with the procedure and terms specified by laws, subject to: the full completion of the procedures for disarmament, demilitarization and reintegration in the respective territories in accordance with the standards of the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. " A small device was sent in the post to a home in London - Matt Cardy/Getty Images Counter terrorism and armed police have arrested a man at a house in Cambridge after an explosive device was sent in the post to a home in London. The Metropolitan Police officers along with an armed response unit from the Cambridgeshire force detained the man morning on suspicion of attempting to cause an explosion, or making or keeping explosives with intent to endanger life or property. The teams searched two properties in Cambridge. The arrest came a day after officers were summoned to an address in Cricklewood, north London, to reports of a suspicious package being discovered at 9.10am. A Met spokesman said: Specialist officers attended and made safe what was assessed to be a small improvised explosive device. Police subsequently left the area. There is no risk to the local community. Enquiries are ongoing. The man, in his 20s, was taken to a south London police station for questioning. It is not known who received the package in London on Thursday or what motivated whomever sent it. Major telecom companies here are beefing up their education content to ride on the trend of remote learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, industry insiders said Saturday, releasing services based on advanced IT technology. The resurgence of the coronavirus in South Korea has forced schools to suspend in-person classes. In the greater Seoul area, schools are required to only run online classes until Sept. 20. Against this backdrop, LG Uplus, the country's third-largest mobile carrier, has introduced a mobile app service for elementary school students that supplies content from popular education companies. Subscribers to the service can get educational content from the Educational Broadcasting System (EBS), English books, newspapers and Chinese learning programs. The mobile app also provides science and coding content. Last July, LG Uplus established a smart education business unit directly controlled by its CEO, to better develop services for students and teachers. Meanwhile, KT has joined hands with Sigong Group, the country's leading smart learning systems provider. Under the partnership, the two sides agreed to create educational content and services using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, and develop programs for schools and other educational institutes. KT said that alongside Sigong Group affiliates, including i-Scream media and i-Scream edu, it will develop home schooling services for kindergarten, elementary and middle school students. The firm will also provide its online education platform for free to 11 schools in Seoul. Earlier this week, KT also signed a partnership with Seoul National University of Education to research education projects. SK Telecom, the country's top mobile carrier, said it plans to expand the educational applications of its group video chat service, MeetUs. The service, launched in August, can accommodate a maximum of 100 people and offers easy presentation and content sharing options for users, it said. According to education market researcher HolonIQ, the value of the global education tech market is expected to expand from $152 billion in 2018 to $342 billion in 2025. (Yonhap) It has been months as the whole world grapples with the pandemic crisis. Amid this, theres another menace which has spread far and often results in devastating results, if not checked on time. And that is fake news. Not just regarding the virus, there are miscreants who seize every opportunity to spread false information among masses to create chaos. Authorities often make it a point to take to various social media platforms to share posts to create awareness among people regarding fake news. Just like this tweet by Hyderabad Police. Though simple, this post aims to drive home an essential message. Without any caption, the department shared an image. On a green background, the picture shows an outline of the logo of the popular communication app WhatsApp. It appears as if someone has just received a new message. A line written on the image summarises the importance of the whole post. A fake message is not less than a virus, it reads. Since being shared, the post has received over 230 likes and many appreciative comments from people. Very true, wrote a Twitter user. Great creativity, commented another. Great message, said a third. The message is clear - always check authentic sources before sharing a forward. Families fear for Hong Kong 'speedboat fugitives' in China custody Some of those on board the speedboat were facing prosecution in Hong Kong for activities linked to last year's huge and often violent pro-democracy protests Relatives of Hong Kongers captured by China's coastguard as they tried to flee the city by speedboat said Saturday they feared their loved ones had disappeared into the authoritarian mainland's Communist-controlled judicial system. Chinese authorities said they intercepted 12 Hong Kongers some 70 kilometres (43 miles) southeast of the city last month, with the group handed over to police in neighbouring Shenzhen on the Chinese mainland. Local media said the group were en route to Taiwan, a self-ruled island that regularly offers sanctuary to people escaping the authoritarian mainland. Some of those on board were facing prosecution in Hong Kong for activities linked to last year's huge and often violent pro-democracy protests. Relatives of six of those detained held an emotional press conference on Saturday describing how family appointed lawyers had been repeatedly denied access in recent days, as they called on on Hong Kong's government to come to their aid. "I'm very worried. I don't know if he's safe and sound, if he's still alive," the mother of detainee Li Tsz-yin, who did not give her name, told the media. The mother of another detainee, Tang Kai-yin, sobbed as she spoke. "I hope Hong Kong (government) can bring them back. Then we wouldn't need to be on tenterhooks, we could see him. But right now, we don't even know whether he is dead or alive," she said. - One country, two judicial systems - The incident is the latest to compound fears among many Hong Kongers of authoritarian China's growing reach into their lives. Semi-autonomous Hong Kong has its own internationally respected common law legal system where arrestees are promptly produced after their arrest and tried in open court. On the mainland, the judicial system is a notoriously opaque entity controlled by the Communist Party and where conviction is all but guaranteed. In June Beijing imposed a new security law on Hong Kong, announcing it would have jurisdiction for some crimes and that mainland security agents could now openly operate in the city. Story continues US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday he was "deeply concerned" by the treatment of the 12 Hong Kongers since their arrest. In recent days lawyers appointed by the families of those detained have detailed how they were prevented from accessing their clients. They said authorities told them the group already have "government appointed lawyers". Rights groups and legal analysts have previously documented how Chinese authorities use "government appointed lawyers" to stop families hiring their own legal representatives in high profile cases. "If we have a lawyer, why would we use a government-appointed lawyer," Li's mother said. "I have no trust in government-appointed lawyer." Among those arrested are a 16-year-old minor and Andy Li, a Hong Konger who was recently arrested under the new security law. Two of those detained have British National Overseas passports. Another is a dual national with Hong Kong and Portuguese citizenship. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has said the 12 "should be dealt with according to the mainland laws". Her government on Saturday said its trade office across the border was keeping in touch with mainland authorities and the families of those arrested. Those arrested were "in good health and they have hired mainland Chinese lawyers as their representatives", the statement said. The prospect of Hong Kongers getting entangled in China's judicial system was the spark that lit the seven months of protests last year. The movement began in response to a plan to allow extraditions to the mainland and soon morphed into wider calls for democracy and greater police accountability. yz/jta/rma MADISON, Wis. - One of two girls convicted of stabbing a classmate to please the horror character Slender Man asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Friday to rule that the case should have been tried in juvenile court. Morgan Geyser and Anisa Weier attacked their friend, Payton Leutner, in a Waukesha County park following a sleepover in 2014. Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times, as Weier encouraged her, leaving the girl to die. All three girls were 12 at the time. Leutner survived the attack. Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide in adult court in a deal with prosecutors to avoid prison. She was found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. Weier pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide in adult court. She was also found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. Geyser was ordered to spend 40 years in a mental health institution, and Weier was committed to one for 25 years. Geysers attorney, Matthew Pinx, argued in his petition to the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Friday that Geyser thought she had to kill Lautner or Slender Man would kill her or kill her family. She was acting in self-defence and should have been charged with attempted second-degree intentional homicide in juvenile court, Pinx argued. He also maintained that Geyser gave statements to detectives before she was read her rights, and she couldnt really understand what rights she gave up when she agreed to speak alone with a detective while she was in custody and confessed to the stabbing. The state Department of Justice is defending Geysers conviction. Department spokeswoman Gillian Drummond had no immediate comment. Last month, the 2nd District Court of Appeals rejected the argument that Geysers case was overcharged and belonged in juvenile court. ___ Follow Todd Richmond on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trichmond1 Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 20:32:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Six militants have been confirmed dead and the Taliban offensive on Burka district in the northern Baghlan province has been repulsed, said an army statement released here Saturday. According to the statement, the militants launched massive offensive to overrun Burka district, but the security forces retaliated, forcing the militants to flee after leaving six bodies behind and 12 others injured. No security personnel or civilians had been harmed in the fighting, the statement asserted. The Taliban outfit has yet to make comment. Enditem The one that got away Shehan Obeysekara A.S.H. Smyth interviews the artist and photographer on the greatest shot he never got... and one he did View(s): View(s): Ever since his mother first taught him to draw a bird, says Shehan Obeysekara, art was the only thing that I was good at at school. But he was also very interested in computing, and watched a lot of movies with his father, and steadily these coalesced into a love for animation, which he then ended up studying at art school in Malaysia. He got into photography about nine years ago; but as someone used to capturing his images through drawing and painting absorb and express even now the models he looks to for inspiration are largely not photographers, but painters like Caravaggio and Zdzisaw Beksinski. They go beyond whats merely visible: philosophy, ideas, their own expression of what the world is. He has worked in visual effects for film, and animation for advertising, but found he was spending too much time at the computer. In 2015 he took an entire year off, to drive around the island, solo, taking photographs. His recent environmental documentary project (a collaboration with Munira Mutaher) is currently on display in the Humanity & Earth exhibition at the Harold Peiris Gallery, sponsored by the Goethe-Institut. The one that got away I dont really worry about regrets. If you love nature, you can climb mountains, say, but when youre up there, with that spectacular view, you know that you just cant really photograph that. The vastness, the air. The craft is to make somebody feel a bit of it. But its always Im gonna attempt to photograph this. Ive learned that some things are really just for the eyes. The photograph, capturing it, is a secondary thing. But. This one time, about five years ago, I was driving really fast, late at night, coming back from the East coast. And there was a tree that was on fire. Just one tree. And it wasnt even like the entire tree was on fire. It was inside the trunk, a massive fire blazing through it. And I said to my friend Did you see that?? What was that?! When you remember a sight when you dont photograph it there are somehow still infinite ways that you could have captured it. But when youre actually there, there are practical limitations. In my mind, I could have photographed that burning tree in a million ways. But also my childhood was full of stories of Sri Lankan myths and demons. Im sceptical of all that stuff, but it is there: culturally, those stories come from something. And this tree caught me in that sort of mythical way: my mind went down that path, and those layers are the ones that got activated first. My mother and my sister say that theyve seen ghosts so all this time I had kind of been hoping I had witnessed something not from the normal human spectrum of experience, something real, that kind of bridges those worlds. That would have been beautiful. But about two weeks ago, the same friend sent me a video he found on Instagram, of a tree, and the centre of its trunk is on fire. Its when lightning strikes: the tree burns outward from the inside. So, now that hope has been dispelled. Shame. I kind of wish I hadnt seen it. The shot that he got I was staying in Sinharaja for a month, and theres a place known locally as Ali Paha, five waterfalls. I would go there for a dip, often. And at this one place you could go under and behind the waterfall. So I was there, watching the water, and then I went to climb out. I put my hand down on a log, for leverage, and felt something writhing under my hand. I jerked back, and this brown-orange viper sprung straight up, and started waving back and forth, like a pendulum. I didnt know then, but it was a kunakatuwa, which literally means rotten bite [a hump-nosed viper, or Hypnale hypnale, venomous and responsible for the most recorded bites in Sri Lanka]. I was just frozen. This was a primal fear: the presence of immediate danger. I didnt want to make any sudden moves. I cant remember how long I stood there; but eventually I stepped back. I got my camera, and took a few pictures. My hands were shaking, and the spray from the waterfall was ruining my lens but I didnt care. It was like I was in some sort of hazy shock. And then on my hand I saw two dots. My mind registered this fact, and immediately there was this tingling, cooling feeling that went slowly down from my fingertips, along my arm, and down my spine. On our way back we met a guide, and I showed him a picture of the snake, and he just laughed. If it bit me, he said, my hand would have been the size of a coconut. That really taught me a lot about what your mind can do to your body. I met a lot more snakes on that trip, and Ive learned not to be scared. But when I got back to Colombo I also bought myself a snake book! The government introduced a nationwide quarantine regime which will allow it to continue requiring Armenians to wear face masks in all public areas and enforcing social distancing and hygiene rules for businesses. The new regime, which will remain in force until January 11, stems from a government bill which was passed by the Armenian parliament last week and signed into law by President Armen Sarkissian on Thursday. The bill also empowers relevant authorities to impose nationwide or local lockdowns, seal off communities hit by COVID-19 outbreaks, close Armenias borders and isolate people infected with the disease. The authorities can also ban or restrict public gatherings. The government drafted the bill to avoid extending the state of emergency again on September 11. The move came amid a steady decline in coronavirus cases registered in the country. The daily number of new cases reported by the Armenian Ministry of Health varied from 108 to 177 in the course of this week, sharply down from an average of 550-600 cases a day registered in the first half of July. There has been a similar drop in coronavirus-related deaths, which have totaled 1,189 since the start of the pandemic, according to the ministry. The government already lifted in late August a ban on rallies increasingly criticized by the Armenian opposition. It at the same time set strict physical distancing requirements for organizers and participants of street gatherings. The government also decided to reopen all schools and universities shut down in March. Classes there will resume on September 15. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian stressed on Thursday the importance of continued enforcement of the remaining safety rules, warning of the risk of a second wave of COVID-19 infections. According to Tatevik Revazian, the head of the governments Civil Aviation Committee, the end of emergency rule also means a formal reopening of Armenias air space for regular commercial flights. Airlines have carried out only charter flights to and from the country for the last six months. We are now calling and sending letters to airlines to inform them that all restrictions are lifted so that they can resume flights as soon as possible, Revazian told RFE/RLs Armenian service. But its obviously up to the airlines to decide which flights will be restored. Because of the continuing pandemic Armenian citizens are still not allowed to travel to the United States, Russia and virtually all European countries. Yerevan similarly banned foreign nationals from entering Armenia in March. The ban was lifted late last month. Foreigners arriving in the country have since been required so self-isolate for two weeks. Pashinian announced on Thursday that they will now be given the option of undergoing a coronavirus test upon arrival at the Yerevan or Gyumri airport. If a person tests negative they will not have to be quarantined, he explained. Palestinians rally against Bahrain-Israel normalisation Palestinians protest against Bahrains move to normalise ties with Israel By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinians in Gaza burnt pictures of Israeli, U.S., Bahraini and United Arab Emirates leaders on Saturday in protest over the two Gulf countries' moves to normalize ties with Israel. Bahrain on Friday joined the UAE in agreeing to normalize relations with Israel, a move forged partly through shared fears of Iran but one that could leave the Palestinians further isolated. The Gaza protest, attended by a few dozen, was organized by the ruling Islamist group Hamas. "We have to fight the virus of normalization and block all its paths before it succeeds, to prevent it from spreading," said Hamas official Maher al-Holy. Demonstrators set fire to pictures of U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the UAE's Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nayhan. While the United States, Israel, the UAE and Bahrain hail the diplomatic moves as a major step toward Middle East peace and stability, the Palestinians see it as a betrayal. They fear a weakening of a longstanding pan-Arab position that calls for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory and acceptance of Palestinian statehood in return for normal relations with Arab countries. Despite a deep political rift going back to 2007, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority has limited rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and his Hamas rivals have been united against the Gulf states' move. In the West Bank, the Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Saeb Erekat, said the diplomatic push will not achieve peace if the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not resolved first. "The Bahraini, Israeli, American agreement to normalize relations is now part of a bigger package in the region, it isn't about peace, it is not about relations between countries. We are witnessing an alliance, a military alliance being created in the region," Erekat told Reuters. Iran meanwhile said on Saturday that Bahrain's move meant it would be complicit in Israeli policies that threatened regional security, Iranian state TV reported. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Additional reporting by Adel Abu Nemeh in Jericho; Writing by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Maayan Lubell and Frances Kerry) Shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday, a group of people were at a party in the 100 block of North Pine Avenue in the South Austin neighborhood when an argument broke out, and someone pulled out a weapon and fired shots. Five people were hit, and someone in the group returned fire, striking the gunman, police said. Editors note: The Midland County Historical Society is partnering with the Midland Daily News for A Window to Midlands Past, which features historical pieces in print and online at ourmidland.com. This particular piece was compiled by retired historical society director Gary Skory. It was originally published Oct. 14, 1993. Jerome Township is located near the center of the County of Midland, being numbered 15 north and 1 west. It is bounded on the north by Edenville, east by Lincoln and Homer Townships, south by Lee Township, and on the west by Geneva Township. The Tittabawassee River flows into Jerome from Edenville Township on the north. The stream takes a southerly and then easterly course, and leaves this township at the point where the line separates Lincoln from Homer. The Salt River rises in Isabella County, flows east and enters Jerome near the north-eastern corner of the township, whence it takes a southeasterly direction and empties into the Tittabawassee. The productions of Jerome are lumber, grain, vegetables, and game, such as bear and deer, the former valuable for its flesh, which is used as food, and for its skin, of which robes are made. Oil in large quantities is obtained from bears. From the deer, venison is procured and the hides are used for making gloves, moccasins and other items. Jerome contains the village of Sanford, situated in the eastern part of the township, on the Tittabawassee River, and at a place where this stream is crossed by the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad, this giving the town the advantages of both river and railroad traffic. Communication is kept up between this point and the village of Edenville several miles north by means of the stage, which carries all mail both to the latter place and to Wrights post office. Sanford was platted in the summer of 1870 by Charles S. Sanford. Wells, Stone & Co. erected the first store in the village. George Higgins was the first blacksmith. The first physician was A.E. Rockwell. The first sermon was preached by Reverend Cogsall of the Methodist denomination in the school house. Jacob Seguin opened the first hotel and Charles S. Sanford built one soon afterward, which was destroyed by fire May 16, 1884. The Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad was completed as far as Sanford in the spring of 1871. The first postmaster was Phineas Hamilton. At this time the village had about 100 inhabitants and was a convenient point for lumbermen and agriculturalists in that vicinity. A salt well was sunk on section 24 in 1841, under the supervision of Professor Douglas Houghton, the state geologist. This was the first salt well dug in the state. Jerome elected men of good judgement and ability to represent her on the county Board of Supervisors. Their names are: Charles Perkins, 1857-58; Sylvester Erway, 1859-64; Geo. B. Bardwell, 1865-67; Sylvester Erway, 1868; Geo, B. Bardwell, 1869-70; E.N. Burton, 1871-72; Geo. B. Bardwell, 1873; L.G. Miner, 1874-75; William Magee, 1876-77; L.G. Miner, 1878; Wm. Magee, 1879-84. George Butts was the first settler in the township and located on section 25; Charles S. Sanford came next, locating on section 24, where the village named in his honor now stands. The Board of Supervisors erected the Township of Jerome in the year 1856. In 1862, a resolution was passed by the body by which townships 15, 16, and 17 north, of range 1 west, and township 16 north, of range 2 west, were added to Jerome. These tracts were afterward organized into separate townships. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data suggests that the percentage of convicts particularly from among the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Muslims are disproportionately higher to their respective population. In the interest of public reason, it is necessary to take into consideration the NCRBs observations, which are significant to discover meaning that is embedded in the link between prison inmates and their social background. The editorial in this issue of EPW has underscored the social meaning that is hidden in the disproportionate representation of the groups mentioned above. Taking the inquisitive direction of the editorial ahead, let us explore further the question: Why is the link between the social background of the convicts and the disciplinary institution such as prison so important? What bearings does the institution of prison have on the perception of the convicts and the larger society? How has the idea of prison been perceived by the members of society? Also, are we using the idea of disproportionate confinement as a standard to measure degree of fairness? Put differently, do we expect the prison to become humanitarian by converting it into a redemptive space? Will this conception of the prison as a rehabilitative ideal help in reducing the gap between the prison as a formal penal regime and the informal penal confinement such as socially stigmatised settlements? From the moral point of view, the punitive institution, such as prison, by and large, is considered as a space that people should never enter. Thus, to enter this space is considered by many as morally scary and dreaded. This perception indicates a widening gap between itself and the society at large. However, political prisoners, such as freedom fighters, do not hold such a view of the prison. In fact, M K Gandhi as the political prisoner treats the prison as a temple, a place to recuperate ones energy for spiritual self-reflection. Gandhi even called prison an ashram where truth could be practiced. The official policy of the state sees the redemptive possibility in such institutions. Such thinking, in the ideal sense, would like to ultimately reduce the gap between penal confinement and the so-called civil society. Young people in Derry are natural born leaders. Every year the Leadership Category is one of the largest in terms of nominations. The Leadership Award recognises the qualities that make a good leader: Integrity, compassion, motivation and energy. The runners-up in the Leadership Category were Matthew Doherty and the St Cecilias College Environmental Group. The individual 2020 Leadership Award goes to St Marys College Year 12 pupil Ava Canney. The group winner goes to Well Connected. Teacher Katrina Kealey writes that Ava Canney (pictured below) is a true inspiration to her peers and a role model proving that hard work, commitment and dedication pay off'. In her year 11 GCSE modules, Ava achieved ten grade As. She is an active member of the school choir and orchestra and has achieved Grade 6 in singing. She is now a mentor for both orchestra and choir, assisting younger pupils. She especially shines in the field of science and has won numerous awards and titles, such as: - highly commended at the BT N Ireland Young Scientist of the Year competition 2016, - Broadcom Masters Award at the 2017 Big Bang Competition and Boston Scientific Medical Devices Award at the 2019 Big Bang Competition - Scifest Best Communicator Award and Advanced Sensors Award in the Young Innovators competition 2018, - Derry Journals Inspirational Young Talent Award 2018, and - best overall project in the North West Scifest 2019, achieving the title Northern Ireland Young Scientist 2019. In June 2019 Ava was interviewed by Hasbro, the US Gaming Company, and creators of Miss Monopoly. The interviewers were so impressed with Ava that they invited her to participate in a US documentary about female inventors which featured on US television and You Tube. Hasbro rewarded Ava with more than 20,000 to support her university education and to pursue a career in Pharmaceutical Engineering. Ava aspires to study at Yale University, USA. Ava is a highly academic and motivated student who has demonstrated high skills in leadership and is committed to showing that women and young girls have a growth mindset. Miss Kealey said: As a school community, we are very proud of her achievements. The group winner of the Leadership Award is Well Connected, who were nominated by Michaela OHagan of the Bogside and Brandywell Health Forum. Consisting of thirty ambassadors from St Cecilias College and St Josephs Boys School, the group connects young people to their community, allows them the opportunity to make new friends, supports young people in terms of health issues, and empowers young people and gives them a voice. The ambassadors meet weekly. Some of their accomplishments include: - creating a plan to deliver positive messages to support other students, - writing a four-week health and wellbeing programme with the Public Health Agency to be delivered in the secondary level schools to address mental health/managing emotions, bullying, physical health and confidence building, - developing an internet safety wallet card to help young people stay safe online, - raising funds for local mental health services, and - developing a nurture room within school to help support young people who need a space to help themselves feel better. Michaela said: Leadership is a quality that these young people hold as individuals and as a group. Giving young people a voice in their school is something that they feel extremely passionate about. Scotland has recorded a four month high of 221 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours. It comes after restrictions on people meeting indoors in Lanarkshire were announced on Friday amid a rise in cases in that health board area. The statistics show that 22,435 people have now tested positive in Scotland, up from 22,214 the day before. No deaths of confirmed Covid-19 patients have been recorded in the past 24 hours and the number of fatalities remains at 2,499. There are 261 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, down by eight in 24 hours. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced restrictions on people meeting indoors in Lanarkshire on Friday amid a rise in cases in that health board area Of these patients, eight were in intensive care, no change on yesterday. The area covered by the new rules was extended to Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire on Monday. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said today: 'Please heed all the public health advice. 'More than ever we must remember that what we do as individuals just now affects the wellbeing of everyone. 'Let's look after each other. COVID is on the rise again across the UK and Europe. Keeping it under control requires care and vigilance from all of us. 'And bluntly, it means restricting as far as possible our interactions with other households.' Outlining the new restrictions, she said cases 'are rising fastest in central belt so we must be extra vigilant here'. 'We are all in this together - and only together can we control COVID and save lives,' she said. It came after lockdown restrictions in Glasgow, East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire were continued for a further week on Monday, having first been introduced on September 1. 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 number of coronavirus infections in the 50-59 age group across the UK nearly doubled in the final week of August 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. Boris Johnson faces a Tory backlash after Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon 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. The move to include children in the rule in England has led to fury among English parents, with fears that it could lead to Christmas being cancelled this year. The rule of six will come in force across the UK from Monday, though in Scotland children will be exempt from the rule, unlike in England. English father-of-three Alastair Smart, 34, is one of the parents who has criticised the government ruling 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. 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 '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.' Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-28) held a press conference Friday as he protested and presented a plan on the ongoing partial border closure policy against Mexican citizens traveling into the country in efforts to save area businesses and bring the economy back to life. The plan presented by the congressman focuses on reducing or eliminating restrictions on non-essential travel while limiting the further spread of coronavirus at the U.S.-Mexico border. The call for solutions regarding the borders continued partial closure to land port tourists from Mexico by the congressman is essential in the sense that the months of October, November and December are some of the busiest and most important economically along the border for Laredo. The purpose of this is that in the next week or so, the administration is going to make a decision as to what they are going to do with nonessential travel, Cuellar said. Our problem is what they are going to do with nonessential travel, because you can take a look at Bridge I and see how not busy it is, and you can take a look at all the businesses around downtown and see signs that say For Rent, For Rent and For Rent. Their plan has been to extend the nonessential travel for 30 days and another 30 days, but in my opinion, that is no real plan. Cuellar said he fears that if the even 30-day extension is once again implemented until Oct. 21, this would mean that the businesses of the city and area would lose at least one-third of its most important time for tourists and shoppers, which would cause many businesses to go down under. Various business leaders present in the press conference stated how the policy not allowing any nonessential travel from Mexico has affected them greatly. In downtown Laredo, 85-90% of downtown is close as there is only about one business open on each street and 6-7 fully opened around downtown, said Imeldo Martinez, the owner of Laredo Insurance and Financial Services. I have businesses in seven border cities from Brownsville up to El Paso, and the situation is the same with each one facing major losses. Some have not even reopened since the border closure. I believe that if things remained the same for the next three months, then we can expect for downtown and other border downtowns to become a cemetery as businesses will die. Martinez says he has nine businesses along the Laredo area but only three remain open as there is not enough people coming in to sustain his business. He hopes that the border restrictions policy can change. We need to let it be known to all those in charge of policy that the current policy focused on bridge restrictions cannot be sustained any longer, said Miguel Angel Inclan, the owner of La Sabrosita Palleteria. All the business owners that I know point out that they can no longer keep up with the increasing costs and loss of revenue because of the continued closure to Mexican shoppers via land. Also, we do not believe it is fair that Mexican people or any foreigner can visit the country from an airport but cannot cross the bridge. Cuellar echoed Inclans comments about entering via airports, and asked if there is any more worth on a person flying than walking or driving into the country. The congressman said that he has spoken to the homeland security secretary about why land ports and not airports and seaports are being restricted but no answer was given to him by the administration. The businesses affected are not just downtown but also beyond that as the hospitality industry and even restaurants along the Interstate-35 corridor have also seen lost revenue with less people traveling into the country. We have several restaurants along the City of Laredo, and by far our restaurants along the I-35 corridor have seen the most impact with our downtown location being heavily impacted the hardest, said restaurant owner Michael A. Marasco. I firmly agree with the notion of October, November and December being our peak months for the sales of different industries that we have. With lower customers and sales, we have lost over 100 positions within our organization as we have not had to hire any people despite our industry having high turnover, but there is no need right now because of the policies. In efforts to save these businesses, Cuellar called for enhanced medical screening on the inland ports of the country, including the three in Laredo. He said the technology we have can produce COVID-19 test results in 15 minutes, and other recent tests from the U.S. government bought from Abbott Laboratories have a five-minute window and can be produced at five million per month. Under this plan, Mexican and American citizens and legal residents coming into the country can simply cross the border, get their temperature checked, be tested quickly and then travel inland for whatever business they have. Cuellar said Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers would not have to be the ones performing the tests as he noted there is sufficient money for the federal government to contract out the positions. He said his plan would also help many of the American and legal residents of the country that cross occasionally to not spend so many hours on the bridges waiting to cross, as waiting times have increased with many resources being put forward to determine essential travel. At the very least for many business owners, its a glimmer of hope as they worry what will happen if they arent able to get more people in their stores later this year. We are still open but sales are very low compared to the the first of May when we reopened, said Betty Sandoval, the owner of Daisys Boutique. Sales started well, but since so many COVID-19 infections started, sales fell. Before the virus, downtown was already dying, but this has just caused for the downtown area to fully die as it is more lonely than ever now. I also urge the bridges to be reopened as the economy of the border depends a lot on the people from Mexico who come to do their shopping. Statistically, commercial trade or what is deemed essential trade by the federal government is back to its normal figures. Yet, the United States Travel Association points out that $360 billion has been drained from the American economy, which equates to about $2 billion a day. For the state of Texas in terms of Mexican shoppers in the area, approximately $19 billion dollars have been lost because of the continued shutdown. We are the United States of America, and if we cannot even screen people coming in, then there is a problem there, Cuellar said. And that is why I am standing with the business community in making sure that we keep the health of the individual but also maintain the health of the economy. jorge.vela@lmtonline.com Duquesne University Professor Gary Shank A Pennsylvania professor has been put on leave after footage showed him saying the n-word in class and telling students it was fine to use the racial slur 'in a pedagogical sense'. Duquesne University Professor Gary Shank was placed on paid leave pending an investigation over his alleged use of the racist language during a virtual class Thursday. A video of the incident, posted on Twitter Friday, revealed the professor telling students he was 'giving them permission' to use the n-word in the lesson and telling them it 'was a very commonly used word' when he was young. He is also heard telling the class people would throw around the term 'n****r rich' if they had some extra cash and asks students whether the term is still used today. The shocking footage was shared on social media by someone thought to be a student in the professor's educational psychology class. It shows a tablet screen with a slide presentation titled 'Race (from a cultural sense)' and reading: 'Based on perceived physical differences. Values assigned to race is cultural not physical.' The top corner of the screen shows a man thought to be Shank hosting the class remotely. 'I'm giving you permission to use the word okay,' a man believed to be Shank is heard saying. 'Because we're using the word in a pedagogical sense.' He then asks: 'What's the one word about race that we're not allowed to use?' When met with silence, he continues: 'I'll give you a hint - it begins with 'n'. 'It's even hard to say okay - I'll tell you the word.' He then reinforces that he is only using the word to 'make a point'. Pennsylvania professor Gary Shank has been put on leave after footage showed him saying the n-word in class and telling students it was fine to use the racial slur 'in a pedagogical sense'. Pictured the virtual class A video of the incident, posted on Twitter Friday, revealed the professor telling students he was 'giving them permission' to use the n-word in the lesson and telling them it 'was a very commonly used word' when he was young. Pictured the footage of the class 'Again I'm not using it in any way other than to demonstrate a point. Fair enough? You there Nick?' he asks the student. The student replies that he is there and Shank tells him 'that word is n****r'. 'When I was a young man that was a very commonly used word,' he continues before reeling off some examples of its derogatory use. 'You know what brazil nuts are right?' he asks, before adding: 'When I was a kid people called them n****r toes.' He gives another example: 'When I had a little extra money and I was spending it extravagantly, somebody might say I was n****r rich.' The professor asks if the phrases would be acceptable nowadays to which the student replies 'no'. Duquesne University said in a statement to CBS News that an investigation was underway and Shank had been placed on paid leave in the meantime. Another professor will take over the course, the private Catholic university in Pittsburgh added. Shank's profile has also been taken down from the university's website. The man believed to be Shank is also heard telling the class people used to throw around the term 'n****r rich' when someone had some extra cash and asks students whether the term was still used today. Duquesne University (pictured) said Shank had been placed on paid leave Dean of the Duquesne University's School of Education Gretchen Generett sent a letter to students in the class condemning Shank's language as 'troubling and disturbing.' 'To be clear, I believe that there is never a time, pedagogically or otherwise, for a professor to create a hostile learning environment. I know this from my experience as a student, a professor, and now as Interim Dean of the School of Education,' Generett wrote, reported CBS. 'Using the 'N word' or seemingly encouraging students to use that word is not in keeping with the mission of the University, the School of Education, or the Pennsylvania Department of Education.' 'As an educator, you should always be mindful of the impact of your actions on the students you are obligated by the profession to teach,' Generett added. 'Your intentions are of no consequence when a student's learning is disrupted by what you believe to be okay. Your actions are what students will remember.' DailyMail.com reached out to Duquesne University for comment. President Trump has vented his fury following news that more than 15 phones belonging to the investigative team of then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller were wiped before they were handed over to the Justice Department to be examined for proof of potential bias. In a string of tweets sent out Saturday morning, the Commander-in-chief threatened that 'a big price must be paid' for those specific actions and for the Mueller investigation more broadly. He also accused left-wing operatives of a history of cover-ups, referencing the thousands of emails allegedly wiped from Hillary Clinton's server while she was working as Secretary of State. In an initial tweet, Trump raged: 'ALERT! So now we find out that the entire Mueller 'hit squad' illegally wiped their phones clean just prior to the investigation of them, all using the same really dumb reason for this 'accident', just like Crooked Hillary smashing her phones with a hammer, & DELETING HER EMAILS!' He followed up with a second tweet, which read: 'It has now been determined that the Mueller Scam should never have been set up in the first place, there were no grounds. It was all an illegitimate Witch Hunt, & a big price must be paid. How different my life would have been if this fraud on America was never committed!!!' President Trump has vented his fury following news that more than 15 phones belonging to the investigative team of then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller were wiped before they were handed over to the Justice Department to be examined for proof of potential bias President Trump has vented his fury following news that more than 15 phones belonging to the investigative team of then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller were wiped before they were handed over to the Justice Department to be examined for proof of potential bias Last year, Mueller and his team were investigated by the Department of Justice for alleged bias in its pursuit of any proof that Trump or his administration colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential election. 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. The wiped phone information only emerged this week in newly released documents from the DoJ at the request of Judicial Watch, a conservative group. 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. 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 comply 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. Everything you need to know about skiing the Northeast this winter Whether you want to stay close to home or head north, here's everything you need to know about skiing or snowboarding in the Northeast and New York this season. The vicar of Jerusalem resigned upon reaching his age limit, but remains in office until the appointment of a new patriarch, expected shortly. Speaking to AsiaNews, he talks about 60 years in the region, including 50 as a priest and 27 as a bishop. The diocesan Synod was a central moment in the life of the Church. He talks about the controversy surrounding the Nazareth mosque and a peace that is still possible. Jerusalem (AsiaNews) The fundamental question for Christians in the Holy Land is "always that of staying and not emigrating; for this reason "we must continue to work to make them stay, otherwise the community will shrink, said Mgr Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, Auxiliary Bishop and Patriarchal Vicar of Jerusalem speaking to AsiaNews. The prelate resigned at the end of August having reached the mandatory age of 75, but remains in office until the appointment of the next Patriarch of the Latins. "Permanence is not just a practical issue, linked to schools, politics, and work but it is rather an inner vocation: being a Christian in the Holy Land is a vocation and a personal commitment, he told AsiaNews. In this interview, the bishop talks about his 60 years of mission in the region, first as a student, then as a priest and finally as a bishop in the past 27 years. "During my studies in Rome I discovered that the Christian community, not only in the Holy Land, but throughout the Middle East, had a philosophy and culture deeply rooted in the Middle Ages, especially in the period from 800 to 1200 AD. This makes it clear that they are not strangers in their land; since the Bible until today there is a continuity of bonds, literature and unique ideas, which we must value. From a pastoral point of view, the prelate hopes "they can return soon and that there will always be pilgrims, because the Holy Places without their presence" due to the coronavirus pandemic "are a disaster". This void is very bad for our families, if we consider that 33 per cent of them work directly or indirectly in contact with pilgrims. The future of the Christian community in the region also depend on their continuous presence. At the end of August, Pope Francis accepted Bishop Marcuzzis resignation upon reaching the mandatory age of retirement at 75, as required by Canon Law. Born in San Polo di Piave, Treviso province, Veneto (north-eastern Italy), the Italian prelate held the position of auxiliary bishop for 27 years and was one of the closest associates of Mgr Michel Sabbah, the first Palestinian Patriarch of the Latins. Bishop Marcuzzi, who will remain vicar general of the diocese until the appointment of the new patriarch to replace the current apostolic administrator, Mgr Pierbattista Pizzaballa, entered the minor seminary of the Missionary Institute of St Pius X in Oderzo (Italy) in 1957. Three years later he went to Beit Jala where he continued his studies, first in the minor seminary, then in the major one. He was ordained a priest on 22 June 1969 and consecrated bishop on 3 July 1993; on 15 August, 2017, he received his last assignment as patriarchal vicar for Jerusalem and Palestine. The Italian prelate spent his entire priestly and missionary life in the Holy Land. Looking back over the years in the region, he sees no major political changes, above all, no peace. Even the latest agreements, in particular the one between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, seem more like someones private interest, with the US blessing, than a step in favour of the peoples. We saw the illusion of true peace in the years between 1993 and 1995, with Yitzhak Rabin and the Oslo accords, he explained. At that time, there was really hope for a new future, for peace, which then faded. Now we are waiting for political leaders who really care about a peace based on justice, along the path traced by John XXIII in his 'Pacem in Terris', even if it now seems difficult to achieve. The central moment of his experience in the Holy Land was "the great nine-year diocesan general pastoral Synod, which had an enormous impact on the life of the Christian community. This synod, whose motto was 'Together', and involved all Christian confessions as well as Jews and Muslims, was special in many ways, especially thanks to its organisation, methods and participants. In the end, a 'General Pastoral Plan' was published to guide the Church in the new millennium, which is still relevant today. In terms of relations with Muslims, the controversy that arose between 1997 and 2002 around the construction of a mosque in Nazareth was a key moment. Those were difficult years, he said, in which there were no issues associated with religious freedom or worship, only with politics. One faction wanted to build a mosque in front of the Basilica of the Annunciation, with five minarets and much taller than the basilica itself, to dominate it. "We did not want to ruin the excellent relations with the local Muslim community, whilst showing opposition to the project, and many Muslims fought with us. In the end, without protests but working through diplomacy and dialogue, and thanks to the support of Pope John Paul II, we were able to stop the project. Bishop Marcuzzo underlines the great work done in recent years by the apostolic administrator, Archbishop Pizzaballa, and calls on the new patriarch who will be named in the near future to "always return to the guidelines of the diocesan Synod". To this must be added the primary task of preventing Christian emigration and safeguarding the Christian presence. Looking into the future, into the Holy Land in 2050, I want to be optimistic to believe that there will always be a strong Christian presence" that can "change the world and the Middle East, by bringing true justice and peace. . . We must never lose hope. (DS) By Ayya Lmahamad Schools and universities will receive their students next week as the academic year is set to start on September 15. Kindergartens, schools and universities across the country were shut down since March 3 as part of the measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Cabinet of Ministers has approved temporary rules for the work of educational institutions. The new rules stipulate social distancing and personal hygiene rules such as wearing masks. Masks are mandatory in vocational, specialized and higher educational institutions. However, in preschool and general educational institutions, children's music, art schools parents or other legal representatives will decide on mask wearing among children. Furthermore, in the process of full-time education, the age of teachers involved in the education process must be under 65 years. All students and teachers will have their temperatures measured while entering the educational institution, and will not be allowed to enter the institution if their temperature is higher than 37.1C. The work of canteens (cafeterias) will be suspended. Moreover, the floors of the sanitary unit, washbasins, door handles and other surfaces will be disinfected every two hours. The use gyms and libraries in schools will also be forbidden during the special quarantine regime. There has also been changes in the school hours. Primary school pupils attending 1-4 classes will go to school from September 15 and the classes will be held 2-3 days per week. Pupils in large classes will be divided into several groups and each group will go to classes two or three times a week. Pupils of the fifth to ninth grades will go to school starting from October 1 while attending online classes from September 1 till October 1. As for the senior classes, they will go to school from October 15 and till that time study remotely. The classes for all pupils might be resumed in full as of November 2 if the epidemiological situation shows positive dynamics. Additionally, it is planned to start preschool groups again with classes held 2 times a week from October 1. As to higher educational institutions, university students will continue studying on online basis. However, 1st year students of Bachelor programs will go to the universities for orientation as of October 1. In addition, the education process will start at the full-time base for some specialties such as medicine, engineering and so on, as of October 15. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Unions leaders are calling on the province to better protect whistleblowers, warning that front-line workers wont speak out at a commission investigating the wildfire spread of COVID-19 in Ontarios long-term care homes. Their call comes days after a local nurse spoke out about being fired by her temp agency after blowing the whistle on conditions at the Rosslyn Retirement Residence. In a Sept. 4 letter to Premier Doug Ford, the heads of CUPE, Unifor and SEIU Healthcare jointly said that they welcome the provinces decision to launch an independent commission into COVID-19s effect on the long-term care system, but noted there are no protections for front-line workers who want to speak out against their employer. It remains unclear if front-line workers will have assurances that they will be able to speak freely without fear of reprisal, the letter states. Currently, there are no protections for speaking out, states the joint letter from CUPE Ontario secretary-treasurer Candace Rennick, SEIU Healthcare president Sharleen Stewart and Unifor president Jerry Dias. While the Public Inquiries Act protects witnesses against criminal charges for testimony given, there are no protections against employment consequences. A lack of protection will undermine the commissions stated goal of understanding how COVID spread in homes, they warn. The ultimate concern is that people just wont come forward and tell their stories, and then we wont hear the real stories about whats happening in our long-term care facilities, said Rennick in an interview with The Spectator. There is, and has been for quite some time, this reign of terror in our long-term care home facilities where workers are absolutely afraid for their jobs. Fears and threats got worse during the pandemic, she said. Employers told front-line workers they would be fired on the spot if they spoke to anyone outside the facility or media about problems in homes, Rennick said. The unions want absolute assurance which could include changes to legislation that workers wont face reprisal from employers for speaking at the commission, she said. Responding to The Spectators questions, the province pointed to the Public Inquiries Act. Subsection 33(8) of the Public Inquiries Act provides that no adverse employment action can be taken against employees who disclose information in good faith to the commission, wrote a spokesperson for the Minister of Long-Term Care in an email. It is an offence under that act for any person to take adverse employment action against an employee in these circumstances. Rennick said Ford responded to the letter Thursday saying the province remains committed to ensuring no front-line staff suffer reprisals for sharing information on resident safety. He acknowledges that residents have the right to be kept safe and that homes have an obligation to keep people safe but he just completely goes around the issue, which is that workers need protection for speaking out, Rennick said. He doesnt articulate how (workers will be protected) and doesnt acknowledge that there is nothing in place for people wanting to come out during the (COVID-19) commission. David Hutton, a senior fellow with Ryerson Universitys Centre for Free Expression, agreed that without better protections, the truth of what happened in facilities with deadly outbreaks may never come to light. Its just another example of how having a lack of whistleblower protections is so damaging to the public interest, Hutton said. Were probably not even going to learn the truth about what happened during the pandemic, even after its all over ... their fear of reprisal is absolutely rational and justified. Hutton calls whistleblowing the final safety net that can shine a light into cracks missed or ignored by regulatory bodies and inspectors. Nearly 2,000 residents of long-term care homes have died from COVID-19. Last week, The Spec reported the story of Ashley Jenkins, a nurse who spoke out about alleged negligence and misconduct at the Rosslyn to the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA). Sixteen Rosslyn residents died from COVID. After Jenkins spoke out, the homes licence was revoked by the RHRA, but in the interim, Jenkins was fired by the temp agency that hired her. She has lodged a complaint against the agency with the Ontario Labour Relations Board. The agency denies she was fired because she blew the whistle. Experts say Jenkins case shines a light on gaps in whistleblower protection laws. Whistleblower protections are enshrined in both the Retirement Homes Act and the Long-Term Care Homes Act, but critics say that doesnt stop employers from punishing workers trying to expose wrongdoing. And its a long, drawn out process to fight an unfair termination or reprisal. Both acts state protections extend to those who speak out to inspectors, to directors, to regulatory bodies, and to those who provide evidence that has been or may be given in a proceeding. When asked last week if the province will strengthen whistleblower protections in the wake of Jenkins case, Ford said she shouldnt have lost her job but protections are already in place. Theres a law; a whistleblower protection law, Ford said. They cant just get rid of someone like that, they have to be protected. A thick layer of wildfire smoke tints the skies orange in San Francisco, California, on September 9, 2020. Katie Canales/Business Insider The US West Coast has the worst air quality in the world due to wildfire smoke across California, Oregon, and Washington. Maps of air-quality index measurements show hazardous levels of particulate matter from wildfire smoke across the entire West Coast. Research has linked particulate matter from wildfires to heart and lung problems, increased hospital visits, and worse flu seasons. The EPA recommends residents stay indoors with filtered air, keep physical activity levels low, and wear an N95 respirator if they have to go outside. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. The West Coast has the worst air quality on Earth right now, as nearly 100 active wildfires including three of California's four biggest ever recorded spew smoke. Particulate matter from the smoke has made the air unhealthy to breathe all along the coast, as this map from air-quality monitoring company PurpleAir shows. The numbers in the colored circles indicate the air quality index (AQI) detected by various monitoring sensors across the country. AQI is a metric measuring the level of pollutants in the air and how hazardous those levels are to human health, as determined by guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency. A higher AQI indicates more pollutants in the air and a greater health hazard. The EPA considers any AQI above 150 to be unhealthy for all people. Anything above 300 is considered a "health warning of emergency conditions." The EPA does not make recommendations for AQI levels above 500, since they're "beyond index." But PurpleAir's monitors around Salem, Oregon, reported AQIs as high as 758 on Friday morning. Those levels are comparable to some of the worst days for air quality in Dehli, India the world's most polluted city, according to the nonprofit Berkeley Earth. Satellite imagery shows fires and smoke along the US West Coast, September 8, 2020. CIRA/NOAA GOES-West None of PurpleAir's monitors at other locations across the globe were reporting AQIs anywhere near 400 on Friday morning. Story continues Fires have burned millions of acres and forced mass evacuations California has been battling blazes for several weeks following a dry lightning storm on August 16 that ignited hundreds of fires. The state's Doe Fire in the Mendocino National Forest is now the biggest in history at more than 471,000 acres. California's third- and fourth-biggest fires ever are currently burning, too. Firefighters keep an eye on the Creek Fire along state Highway 168, September 6, 2020, in Shaver Lake, California. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo In California, more than 3.1 million acres have burned so far an area more than 100 times the size of San Francisco and far more than any other year on record. Fire season doesn't normally peak until late September. In Oregon, meanwhile, fires spanning more than 1 million acres have forced about 40,000 people to evacuate. Flames encroaching on the Portland metro area prompted Mayor Ted Wheeler to issue a Fire Emergency Order on Thursday evening. More than 500,000 acres have burned in Washington. In total across the West Coast this fire season, at least 25 people have died. The fires have spread quickly because forests are dried out by years of record heat. Some blazes are emitting so much smoke that they create their own weather systems, and the haze has tinted the skies orange and red over San Francisco and other parts of the coast. Particulate matter from smoke has serious health consequences The AQI numbers on PurpleAir's map refer to the quantities of tiny particulate matter in the air specifically, particles that measure 2.5 micrometers across or less. These are known as PM2.5. Wildfire smoke carries many of these invisible particles, which come from the buildings and vegetation fires burn as well as chemical reactions in the gases it produces. When humans inhale these particles, they can penetrate deep into the lungs and even the bloodstream. Research has connected PM2.5 pollution to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and premature death. In healthy people, it can irritate the eyes and lungs and cause wheezing, coughs, or difficulty breathing. The map below, from the EPA's air-quality monitoring website, shows a band of dangerous PM2.5 pollution along the West Coast (similar to what PurpleAir is reporting). The circles are color-coded by AQI ranges: Green indicates good air quality, while maroon indicates "hazardous" conditions with an AQI above 300. "Decades of research have shown that elevated air pollution exposure is associated with a number of adverse health impacts, including compromised immune systems," Erin Landguth, an associate professor at the University of Montana's School of Public and Community Health Sciences, told The New York Times. She added that research indicates that "after bad fire seasons, one would expect to see three to five times worse flu seasons." A 2017 study found that hospitals saw a 7.2% increase in admissions for respiratory issues following wildfire smoke events that produced two or more days of moderate PM2.5 pollution. To reduce exposure to particulate matter, the EPA recommends people stay indoors with filtered air (ideally in a room with few windows or doors and an air purifier), keeping windows and doors closed. Physical activity levels should remain low, and those who must go outside should wear an N95 respirator. Those masks have been in short supply this year, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Read the original article on Insider The Chairman of the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), Lagos Branch, Adebola Kolawole, has cautioned institutions not to stop first aid training, due to fear of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mrs Kolawole gave the warning on Saturday to mark the 2020 World First Aid Day (WFAD). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that WFAD is celebrated on the second Saturday in September annually, to raise awareness and train people on how first aid can save lives, not only in crisis situations but also in daily living. The theme for 2020, which was originally tagged First Aid for School Children was later changed to, First Aid During COVID-19 Pandemic because schools were closed due to the outbreak of Coronavirus. Mrs Kolawole said that this years theme aimed at teaching children, young people, teachers and parents about first aid techniques that could help reduce accidents and their consequences. In spite of the current fears about COVID-19 pandemic and the focus on the prevention of its spread and treatment, spreading first aid knowledge and conducting training must continue and should not be stopped, not even during the current pandemic, she said in a statement made available to NAN. Mrs Kolawole noted that accidents will continue to happen and people still fall ill or get injured. She added that it was of utmost importance that everyone knows what to do and the right steps to take in case of an emergency. When we call on the emergency toll-free numbers, you will agree with me that, at times, it takes up to 10 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. These 10 minutes are extremely crucial and even with the best emergency treatment, people can still lose their lives. The current situation forces all of us to adopt mitigation and adaptation processes in order to avoid having new victims of COVID-19 among the first aid providers or emergency responders. While responding to emergencies, there is a need for every one of us to embrace the `new normal, new skills to be learnt, she said. She recommended that institutions adopt what she referred to as, The New First Aid Education which is tailored to meet the federal and state governments guidelines on curbing the spread of COVID-19. On the new response techniques, Mrs Kolawole said moving the crowd away from the scene and casualty in an accident is very important. Initial assessment should begin from a distance of at least six feet from the patient, if possible. Respiration assessment steps look, listen and feel should depend mainly on look, to minimise closer contact with the patient, she said. (NAN) Russian Interior Ministry Wants To Question Navalny In Germany By RFE/RL September 11, 2020 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. 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. 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. In its September 11 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. Germany's 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 Moscow's 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, and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russian- interior-ministry-wants-to-question- navalny-in-germany/30833448.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 Delhi assemblys panel on peace and harmony to seek Ajit Mohans response over allegations of incriminating material. The administration in Indias capital has summoned Facebooks country chief to answer allegations that it failed to remove hateful content on its platform. The Delhi state assemblys panel on peace and harmony on Saturday said it would investigate evidence described by the committee as incriminating material on record submitted by four prominent journalists and digital rights activists. The committee has asked Ajit Mohan, the managing director of Facebook India, to appear before it on September 15 to determine the veracity of allegations made by the group. Facebook has been embroiled in a huge dispute in India after the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported in August that the site failed to take down anti-Muslim comments by a politician from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in order to protect its business interests. Following the WSJ report, an Indian parliamentary committee also grilled Mohan last week over the companys pro-BJP bias. Meanwhile, Facebook blocked T Raja Singh, a BJP legislator who had called Indias Muslims traitors, threatened to demolish mosques and said Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar should be shot. Singh told AFP news agency he would fight the ban and that Facebooks action was an attack on the BJP. Facebook has denied any political bias but admitted it has to do better to curb hate speech. India is the United States-based Facebook and its messaging service WhatsApps biggest market in terms of users, and the company is under pressure worldwide over the policing of hate speech. The Delhi governments move follows US civil rights groups claiming this week that the social media giant failed to address hateful content in India and demanded that its India policy chief, Ankhi Das, be removed. The panel headed by Raghav Chadha, a legislator with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) party that rivals Prime Ministers Narendra Modis BJP also said the firm should be probed over its alleged role and complicity in the Delhi riots in February. Around 50 people, most of them Muslims, were killed in the capitals worst unrest in decades, which erupted as thousands were protesting against a controversial citizenship law passed by Modis BJP last year. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In spite of mounting political pressure and statewide protests by the UDF and BJP demanding minister KT Jaleel's resignation, the CPM leadership has chosen to stand firmly behind him. The CPM, which once had welcomed investigation by any agency into the gold smuggling case, has now openly lashed out against the Enforcement Directorate. A day after Jaleel was quizzed, the CPM secretariat said there are widespread allegations that the ED is being politically used to settle scores across the country. The CPM termed as 'unusual' the action by the ED chief who made public the fact that Jaleel had been interrogated. Even as the UDF and BJP intensified protests, the CPM termed these as politically motivated. "The Congress has once again proved that it's the B team of the BJP. It was the Congress which alleged that the BJP has been using probe agencies like the ED for political reasons," the party said. ALSO READ: BJP alleges Kerala minister Jaleel benefited from foreign funds, accuses CM of shielding him The CPM also listed out a number of instances when Congress leaders were questioned in various cases. "Mullappally & co seem to be in the dark about Rajasthan Transport Minister Pratap Singh Kacharyavasan being interrogated for seven hours. It was Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot who said the ED has hunted both ministers and MLAs of the Congress. Gehlot's brother was also questioned and his house was raided. The CBI arrested P Chidambaram by jumping over his resident's compound wall. Sivakumar, who was remanded in an Enforcement case, was later made Karnakata PCC chief. The ED had questioned Robert Vadra 12 times for more than 70 hours, while Ahmed Patel was quizzed four times for more than 25 hours," said the CPM. The Left government does not stop any agency from conducting investigations. However it's mysterious that none of the agencies questioned those who sent the controversial diplomatic baggage and those who received it, it said. The same agencies which deposed before the court that gold was smuggled through diplomatic baggage are trying to exclude them from the purview of investigation. The ED's special prosecutor himself made it clear that his abrupt transfer is politically motivated, it added. The CPM also attacked Union minister V Muraleedharan. "There's criminal negligence from the part of the External Affairs Ministry in bringing one of the accused Faizal Fareed to India. It could be because Muraleedharan, who has been rejecting NIA and Customs findings, is the Minister of State in the same ministry," said CPM. The CPM alleged that the UDF has been unleashing violence to divert attention from the jewellery scam involving Muslim League MLA MC Kamaruddin. Pompeo Says Afghan Peace Talks Likely To Be 'Contentious' By RFE/RL September 11, 2020 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said upcoming Afghan peace talks are likely to be "contentious," but that they are the only way forward if Afghans are to find peace after decades of conflict. Pompeo made the comments on September 11 as he traveled to Qatar, where the negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government are scheduled to begin on September 12. 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. "It's 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 isn't at war," Pompeo said on the plane taking him to Doha. "It's 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. "It's very clear that the violence levels have to come down to acceptable levels," he said. In Kabul, the Afghan delegation on September 11 departed for Dubai, including 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 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. With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pompeo-says- afghan-peace-talks-likely-to-be- contentious-/30833132.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 by Marian Demir This is the second time that the ecumenical patriarch has spoken on the subject. He also cited the Monastery of Saint Saviour in Chora, which was also turned into a mosque as well. Christians and some Muslims are critical of the conversions. Istanbul (AsiaNews) The conversion of the Basilica of Hagia Sophia and the Monastery of Saint Savior in Chora into mosques "offends our identity, history and culture, said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I speaking to the Sputnik agency and reported by some Turkish newspapers on Wednesday. A few months ago, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque, he said. Later, Saint Saviour in Chora, one of the most beautiful monasteries, was transformed into a mosque. Turkeys leaders made these decisions hurriedly, as if the city didnt have enough mosques, as if there was a need for places of worship for the believers of the majority religion of this country. These actions offend our identity, history and culture. We are patient and shall pray, he added. The decision by the government of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan to turn Byzantine buildings into mosques has sparked harsh criticism among Christians, but also among some Muslims. This is the second time that Bartholomew I of Constantinople has expressed his concerns over the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque. The first time was on 1 July. After a Mass at the Church of the Holy Twelve Apostles in Ferikoy (Istanbul), he said: The conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque will provoke the reaction of millions of Christians around the world against Islam. Yet we hope for unity. The two days of violent demonstrations killed at least 13 people. Protests against police brutality in Colombia have continued for the third consecutive night. Demonstrators have not been pacified by the defence minister issuing an apology for the death of a law student tasered by police. Al Jazeeras Alessandro Rampietti reports. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 12) Pardoned US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton is just moments away from flying home to the United States as Philippine authorities announced the completion of documentary requirements for his deportation. Required documents have already been submitted, but his final flight details and preparations for implementation have yet to be discussed, Bureau of Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in a statement. Pemberton also tested negative for COVID-19, one of the requirements for his travel. There are no details yet about his flight. Just as Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra estimated, Pemberton could leave the country this weekend. The American soldier is staying at Camp Aguinaldo, headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, where he had spent solitary confinement for less than six years for brutally killing Filipino transgender woman Jennifer Laude. He had a special detention cell in line with the countrys Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States. He is now with Immigration authorities after the Bureau of Corrections turned over his custody. Early this week, President Rodrigo Duterte surprised the country when he granted Pemberton absolute pardon, extinguishing his criminal liability. It came despite the appeals filed by the Laude family and even the countrys own Justice Department against Pembertons early release on the basis of good conduct. The pardon preempted the courts resolution on the contested issue. Laudes mother Julita said the family was surprised at Dutertes move, saying they treated him as an ally since he gave them financial aid and promised to not let Pemberton walk free under his watch. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, a former legal counsel of the Laude family, denied Duterte made such a promise. Pemberton blacklisted Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete meanwhile confirmed that Pemberton is also blacklisted, something that usually comes with deportation orders. Under the rules, a person blacklisted on the basis of moral turpitude may apply to lift the order of blacklisting 10 years after its implementation, Perete said in a statement. Pembertons lawyer, Rowena Flores, said he plans to finish his tertiary studies since he was just 19 when he committed the crime. She also said Pemberton hopes to get in touch with the Laude family and apologize. Pemberton has not reached out to the Laudes to date, Virgie Suarez, the familys lawyer, said in a statement. Never reached out. No apology, Suarez said. May he find peace of mind. Hoping he has learned from all these the value of life and dignity regardless of gender and nationality. Laude was found dead in an Olongapo City motel room after a night out with Lance Corporal Pemberton in October 2014. Laude's neck was blackened with strangulation marks with her head rammed into a toilet, after Pemberton learned that she was a 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 erring American servicemen. MANZINI A total of 16 passengers who were injured during a bus accident were saved by Good Samaritans as there were no ambulances to rush them to hospital. A bus, which operates on the Manzini - Buhleni - Matsamo route had about 40 passengers and fell in a ditch near Hhelehhele, along the under construction Manzini-Mbadlane MR 3 Highway Road at around 9am. The bus was coming from Manzini, moving towards Mafutseni. According to witnesses, this was after the front tyre on the left allegedly burst and the driver lost control of the bus and it landed with its left side in the ditch of the two-way road, which is being used by motorists while the highway is being constructed. A total of 16 passengers were injured and they required medical attention. Immediately after the accident, motorists who witnessed it called the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), Emergency Medical Services (EMS) - who are widely known as paramedics and the Eswatini National Fire and Emergency Services . Police The witnesses said the police responded promptly to the call and found members of the public, including those who were doing earth work at the highway road which is under construction, trying to assist some of the passengers to get out of the bus. The police officers also called the EMS personnel, but despite the fact that their response was that they will get an ambulance to come to the scene, none arrived, the source said. When this publication arrived at around 9:40am, it found most of the passengers groaning in pain outside the bus. There was one passenger who was trapped under the bus and he was assisted by police, members of the public and fire fighters who arrived at around 9:45am. Even the fire fighters arrived with a truck. Thereafter, the police were heard complaining about the lack of government ambulances. One of them even said they would stop any ambulance that would come, regardless of which direction it was coming from. At around 10am, the police stopped a Ford Bantam LDV and asked its driver to assist them by rushing one of the women who was severely injured to hospital and he agreed. The woman was taken into the Good Samaritans car and left with a police officer, who would assist her to get the attention she needed upon arrival at the hospital. About five minutes later, the police, who seemed frustrated about the lack of ambulances, stopped an empty Toyota Quantum (mini-bus), which operates between Manzini and Luve to assist them by rushing the injured passengers to hospital. As soon as he agreed, passengers who were able to walk, were ordered to board the kombi, while those who sustained serious injuries were assisted by the police, fire fighters and members of the public to board the vehicle. Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni confirmed the accident. She said a total of 16 passengers were injured and two were admitted to hospital , while the 14 were treated and discharged. It is worth noting that some government cars are grounded due to lack of fuel at the Central Transport Administration (CTA). BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 12 Trend: Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of the Department for Foreign Policy Affairs of Azerbaijans Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev, Deputy Minister of Defense Lieutenant General Kerim Veliyev and other representatives of the ministry have visited several military units stationed in the foremost line of the front, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. First, flowers were laid at the bust of national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev, installed on the territory of the military unit, and his memory was honored. Inquiring about the service of the military personnel who is on the combat duty, Hajiyev observed the positions of the Armenian armed forces from the command-observation post. Then the guests visited the memorial "In memory of those who died in April Battles" erected in the city of Horadiz, laid flowers, and honored the memory of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for Azerbaijans independence and territorial integrity. Having visited the foremost line of the front, the guests have met with servicemen serving in combat positions and inquired about the conditions of their service. During the meeting, assistant to the president conveyed the greetings of the supreme commander-in-chief. While speaking about the continuation of measures aimed at fulfilling the orders of the supreme commander-in-chief on increasing the combat capability of the Azerbaijani Army and improving the social conditions of the servicemen, Hajiyev emphasized that these issues are in the center of constant attention of the country's leadership. Then there was a joint lunch with the military personnel who is on the combat duty on the foremost line of the front and the conversation was held at the tea-table. The assistant to the president has met with local residents in one of the frontline villages, conveyed the president's greetings to them, and inquired about the needs of the population. While expressing satisfaction with the created conditions, the villagers asked to convey their gratitude to the country's leadership. Life lessons from RCs Dramsoc 50 years ago By Imtiaz Muhsin View(s): View(s): Fifty years ago! It was, maybe around September of 1970, whilst I was studying as a Grade Nine-er at Royal College, that our English Master the affable (now Late) Mr. R. S. Kandasamy, popularly known as Kandos introduced the idea to our class about the possibilities of our School participating at the forthcoming All Island Inter-School Shakespeare Drama Competition. To our young fecund minds Drama, Shakespeare, Inter School Competition sounded like exciting terrain that invited exploration. Mr. Kandasamy had mapped out his plan of action. He called for a meeting of the Royal College Dramatic Society popularly known as the Dramsoc at which the proposal was presented and discussed, and it was decided that we should seriously consider participating at this All Island Inter- School Shakespeare Drama Competition. It was a new and interesting experience for all of us. I remember a few boys from my class, being asked to read a few lines from some books, and this was how we were being auditioned. Nice! I did notice that the teachers were impressed with how I read or articulated my lines. It did give me a sense of impressing. At Royal College, there was this room, (a normal largish airy classroom with little furniture) which was known as The Little Theatre; a rather quaint and intriguing name, and it was here that we used to meet for play-practices. At the beginning, it was during school hours, and gradually we had to present ourselves for practices soon after (maybe half an hour after) school was over. It was also around this time that Royal College had a new member of staff, and would you believe it, he was an Englishman! He was different to all other members of the staff of Royal College not only because he was an Englishman, but he was young, handsome, almost looked like a schoolboy himself, rode a bicycle to school, and effused a friendly, jocular and an easy to speak to personality.This was Mr. AHCT Gates, a graduate from Cambridge University and a Barrister at Inner Temple London, in other words, a lawyer. So, what was he doing as a teacher at Royal College? Something (I do not know what), had made him decide to join the VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) and to come to Sri Lanka as a Volunteer (English) teacher for one year. And there he was! He took on the task of teaching English, to us Sri Lankans, with a zest. His style and demeanor was refreshingly different to the other teachers at the School. He looked on the classroom as a theatre to infuse confidence to his students through the proper use and techniques of language, and in the art of communicating itself. It was but natural, that Mr. Kandasamy and others of the Dramsoc welcomed Mr. Gates as a new driving force to further activate this society. Within a few weeks, Mr. Gates was able to ring in the changes. The biggest change was that we decided that we were not going to participate in the Annual All Island Inter School Shakespeare Drama Competition. The next biggest change (actually this could count as the biggest change) was that Mr. Gates, along with the other teachers in charge of the Dramsoc, had after a considerable amount of discussions, decided instead to stage a full length play.The play he chose was an ambitious and challenging production, namely Oscar Wildes Lady Windermeres Fan described as a biting satire on the morals of Victorian society, particularly marriage. Obviously, Mr. Gates had the casting vote (the pun is intended). The decision was duly approved by our Principal Mr. Welikala. The Little Theatre was where we had our regular play practices, and now we had students from the senior ALevel classes too, taking an active interest in the production. I (at 14 going on 15) was chosen to play the part of Lady Windermere committing me to an enormous amount of time and effort, including a full-dress rehearsal at the Ladies College Hall, on April 4th. We were all pent up with suspense for the public production, (scheduled for April 9th and 10th) only to be woken up on April 5th with the news that there was an island wide curfew and all Schools were closed! It turned out that whilst we had been holding our final Full Dress Rehearsal at the Ladies College Auditorium, the JVP, or what was then commonly referred to as the Che Guevara insurgents, had launched a well-coordinated attack on a number of Police Stations and in fact had taken control of some of those Police Stations. What an anti-climax!! But then, we have always mused on the ironies, that whilst some of the youth of Sri Lanka, were busy preparing for the drama of an island-widebreak-out of this Marxist Che Guevara styled insurgency,we members of the Royal College Drama Society were busy producing a play, epitomizing the height of English snobbery the Victorian era and its elite society! What contrasts, what drama! Lady Windermeres Fan was the first full length play that I was involved in we could not stage the scheduled public performances, but did stage an all inclusive show for the staff and senior students of the school this was in 1971. Then in 1973, the Dramsoc produced and staged Peter Shaffers Black Comedy, at the Lionel Wendt, and once again in 1974 we staged Agatha Christies Mousetrap (the famous whodunit) both full length, successful, public performances staged at the Lionel Wendt. Even though Mr. Gates had left by the end of 1971, he had passed on the baton, so to say, to other teachers. We had some wonderful, dedicated, focused, and hugely respected teachers in charge of the Dramsoc, who set the pace for hard work. Two of these rather outstanding teachers were Mrs. IranganieSeneviratne and Mrs. Monica Jayasekara, both of whom have to be mentioned and remembered with great reverence. Coming back to the some of the many life-long lessons that I have learned through Drama, when we look back at our school days, we obviously discuss our common experiences, the different ways in which those experiences have impacted and affected each one of us. Then our discussions turn philosophical, we begin to realize how we have built our life around those lessons, those experiences that have moulded our outlook to life, (and thus our life), and become the core ingredients of our inner psyche our values and our morals, and at the same time become the identifying ingredients of our outer psyche our personality and our character. So, what was it that I have learnt from my association with the Dramsoc of Royal College? Obviously, many lessons. Let me enumerate and describe just three of them. The First Lifelong Lesson The most obvious and important lesson would be of enhanced communicating skills. When I look at all my school friends and the others around me, I do realize that I enjoy an advantage a rather superior one in my vocabulary, my style of writing and especially in my urge and desire for reading, irrespective of the heaviness of the book I want to read. I can both enjoy and be receptive to the messages, encapsulated in the book being conveyed by the author Recently I re-read Lady Windermeres Fan (maybe after 49 years!) and was really taken by surprise to find that I was (in a way) on what I refer to as home ground. Many of the phrases and the vocabulary, even the intonation and stress that I use as handles when voicing my feelings and emotions has been tempered into my identity during the rehearsals of playing Lady Windermere In fact, I could not get over the feeling, when I was re- reading the lines in the play that this was me! This language and the style of communicating was me! I am sure I would say the same thing if I were to re- read Peter Shaffers Black Comedy and Agatha Christies Mousetrap even though the plot, the era and the roles are contrastingly different. So, analyzing this lesson (that had suddenly dawned on me), I figured out that in a play, (in fact it is actually a drama), good recognized writers, who have developed the skill of using language, give dramatic effect in just (maybe) 80 90 minutes to a complete drama one which enthralls the audience, one which has to take the audience through plots consisting of twists and turns, as well as plots within plots. In those 90 minutes, the audience has to leave with the feeling that he has been a part of, although a mere spectator, to a realistic unfolding complete drama with an emotion impacting ending! So, in acting out a drama we have to practise, practise, practise, memorize, stage and enact words, phrases and scenes oozing with meaning. We are provided with the script and use words and phrases designed to give impact and in different situations conveying a variety of shades of meanings. That is the skill of the playwright and this, we gradually begin to appreciate. We are trained to use unfamiliar (impact) words in unfamiliar settings both, with ease and fluency and this experience adds tons of bits and bytes to our vocabulary banks and to our use of vocabulary scenarios, adding value and enhancing our ability at versatility a great resource to grace the skills of effective diplomacy and communication. We learn the use of intonation and stress that added (subtle) tune to our words, phrases and sentences to convey a plethora of meanings. A question, a statement, an answer, a bit of humour, even anger can be expressed by using seemingly simple words, but with that expressive hidden tune the intonation and stress! This is more expressive and more respected than using strong words with strong emotions. The Second Lifelong Lesson this would be regarding an attitude to take on new, even unexpected, roles in life. The attitude that we imbibe is that in every role there is the audience who have to be kept engaged. So, though people may think that through drama we learn to act the role in actual fact we learn to engage the audience, through acting the role. The engagement part always bears heavily on our minds. People must feel that they are in subtle ways engaged with the role we are playing, not just on stage but even in real, hard life. In acting or in drama we must play roles we never imagined we would have to play, and it has to be played to perfection. The audience wants to believe that this is real; that is the challenge. Imagine my dilemma; I had to cross many barriers. Firstly, I had to play the role of a female. This was alien to me. It provided a huge amount of banter, fun and humour in class as well as in school. But then, I had to transcend a major barrier. Secondly, I had to imagine myself in England a foreign country, a foreign culture. Thirdly, I had to transcend time and project a Victorian era, in the society of snobs or the elite (depending on your point of view); one that I had never experienced. I had only just seen the film My Fair Lady and begun to read books by P.G Wodehouse. Both of them were of immense help for me to understand my role. Fourthly I had to play the role of a married Lady coming to grips with the gossip, that her husband, that she was in love with, was disloyal. In acting this role, I believe that there were too many barriers I had to leap across. In later life, there have been many instances, where I have had this deja vu type of feeling, that I have been thrust to play real life roles that were far too big for me; the bar was often too high. But then, with this experience in drama, I set about my task of playing the role; always having an eye on pleasing and subtly engaging the audience the stakeholders they come in many flavours, shapes and sizes. The challenge of playing the role whilst maintaining my identity, the added challenge of searching for and filling in the ingredients to make it a perfect setting without compromising on principles or on quality was what I enjoyed. But then it was a heavy and intricate balancing act, the weight on the conscience of trying to always please and engage all the stakeholders; that, was what I found too stressful, and in fact took out the enjoyment. The Third Lifelong Lesson Imagine that you are on stage, you have memorized your lines and you are playing them out with the other (actors) characters on the stage. On the wings (at the sides of the stage) there is this prompter who has been practicing along with all of you, who prompts the actors when the need arises. Though you are apparently conversing with the other (actors) characters on stage, you are in fact delivering a message, a drama, to the audience. You cannot see them, the flood lights are flush in your face and they are in complete darkness; behind a thick heavy curtain of darkness. But you can feel their presence, you can actually feel the vibes, the energy, the emotions flowing from them; you are engaging them, you are acting in sync with their emotions. You are the conductor they are the players of the instruments in the orchestra, and you feel this energy, this wave of music that you are modulating, shaping, taking it along on its twists and turns of the scripted plot. Oh, it is exhilaration. Let me describe what I call the magic moment The stage is set. Behind the closed curtains, the stage is arranged. Everything on the stage (the props) is selectively placed to convey a message. The open newspaper, the rug, the cup, the lampshade everything on the stage is conveying a message. The audience is just settling into their seats. The bell rings, the lights go off, and slowly the Curtains open. There is pin drop silence. The spot lights are flooding the stage and the scene is beautiful. It is like some scene from some Fairy tale. The audience is drinking in the setting, and then, there is this heavy, pregnant pause, to allow the audience to grasp the message that is being conveyed through what is being displayed, and then at the right moment the actor begins his / her lines. This is the magic moment If the actor speaks too soon, the audience miss the pitch of the opening bars, they have not yet deciphered the complete message on stage. If the pause is too long, the audience gets restless; it is difficult to re capture their complete attention. Now the actors, whilst acting keep on reading the audience. They can read the laughter; they can read the gasp they can read the yawns and the shuffling of feet. Through drama we learn that inner sense to read through darkness, to read even indiscernible signs and work on deciphering the message. This is an especially important lesson in life. In life we see many signs to indicate the presence of an All-Powerful creator, designer, nourisher etc. and our curiosity is aroused. Many times, in life, whilst seeking satisfying roles to play, we often get the feeling that life itself is a heavy role and that behind the floodlights of this world, not visible to the eye is our real audience. I would like to identify this audience, get in sync with HIS vibes and recognize the role that HE wishes me to play. Every religion has their sacred books and scriptures that spell out our missions in life. So, on the stage of life we have the script, and we can carry it around with us and refer to it as often and as much as we like. We also have the luxury of having many prompts around us. The learned theologians, the priests, the monks all those who are devoting their life in seeking this truth or this invisible audience are available for us in our quest for prompts, if we cannot agree with what they say, or they are unable to grasp what we are requesting, then we can always look out for someone else another prompt, who may give us that advice we are looking for. So, through drama, I think the biggest lesson we can learn is to learn to read the signs even though we cannot see the audience. It is these signs that I am trying to read, and it is that exhilaration that I seek! It was the environment that the Dramsoc created, from which I was able to learn these (what I refer to as my) lifelong lessons. So, it has been the teachers and other members of the cast and helpers of these productions that have been involved in my learning process. Let me mention some of them, so that we do realize that the lessons they wouldhave learnt has indeed been valuable ones. First and foremost, I must mention our English Master, Mr. AHCT Gates, who continued his illustrious career in the legal field, and has been Chief Justice of Fiji from 2008 till he retired in 2019. Well done Sir! Mention must also be made of the Teachers who helped mold the Dramsoc in the 70s. I recall with a sense of deep gratitude, Mr. R.S. Kandasamy, Mrs. Indrani Seneviratne and Mrs. Monica Jayasekara all of whom gave unstintingly of their valuable time, and applied themselves with dignity, decorum and tact to ensure that all of us were always learning And then, some of the members of the cast. Mention must be made of (the Late) Justice Prasanna Jayawardena, who played leading roles in the plays Black Comedy and Mousetrap. It may interest readers to learn that Prasanna Jayawardena, secured brilliant results at the Advanced Levels in the Bio-Science stream and obtained admission to the Sri Lanka Medical College. However, he surprised everyone, by opting to pursue a career in Law, rather than in Medicine. I have always felt that the lessons of Drama that he learnt at Royal had to have weighed in as a contributory factor to his making his decision to opt for Law, as well as right through his illustrious career, as a Lawyer, Presidents Counsel and a Judge of the Supreme Court. We also had with us, Professor Arjuna Parakrama, Professor of English, University of Peradeniya, Dr. C. Ranil Abeyasekara, Senior Lecturer, Economics and Statistics at Peradeniya University, Dion Schoorman is a former Head of Reuters Sri Lanka, a veteran in the Media field, Father Tony Martyn who went on to become a Catholic Priest, Ravi Algama who is now a Senior Counsel of the Supreme Court. The list goes on and on. It would indeed be interesting to learn or to read as to what their Lessons from Drama are. Everything I have written here is from memory. It is very possible that I may have mixed up, or missed out, on names and dates. My apologies for the errors and also apologies to all those members of the Royal College Dramsoc(fifty years ago), whose names I have not included in this article. MI5 did not reopen its investigation into the Manchester Arena bomber despite knowing he was visiting a convicted terror offender in prison, an inquiry has heard. The probe is to examine whether Salman Abedis attack, which killed 22 victims and injured hundreds more on 22 May 2017, could have been prevented. On Wednesday, the third day of the public inquiry heard that signs of his radicalisation went back several years. Bereaved relatives were shown a photo from social media of Abedi performing a hand gesture used by Isis supporters, and told he had expressed support for the group and spoken about martyrdom and jihad in positive terms. A teacher saw a photo of him holding a gun in Libya during the countrys civil war, but believed his claim that he had merely been shooting on his familys land. MI5 had received information on Abedi dating back to 2010, but repeatedly assessed that he did not pose a security threat despite knowing of his contact with Isis supporters and travel to Libya. Paul Greaney QC, counsel to the inquiry, said it would consider whether it was reasonable for MI5 to close an active investigation into Abedi in July 2014, and not to reopen it in light of new intelligence. "MI5 information indicated that Abedi visited a terror offender in prison on more than one occasion, but MI5 assessed that this did not justify reopening him as a subject of interest, he added. Links with Abdalraouf Abdallah are of significant interest to the inquiry. Abdallah, whose parents were also Libyan refugees, lived in the same area of Manchester as Abedi, attended the same school and shared many associates. A photo of Salman Abedi obtained from Facebook, which was shown to the Manchester Arena inquiry on 9 September (Greater Manchester Police) He was paralysed while fighting against Muammar Gaddafis forces in the 2011 Libyan civil war and was jailed in 2016 for helping Isis fighters travel to Syria. Mr Greaney said Abedi and Abdallah were in regular telephone contact from 2014 onwards, and had conversed about martyrdom. Abedi travelled to HMP Belmarsh in London to visit Abdallah while he was being held on remand in 2015, then visited him in Liverpools HMP Altcourse in January 2017. The following month, officers at the private G4S-run jail found that Abdallah had an illicit mobile phone in his cell, which showed calls to Abedis number. Abdallah, who is still serving his sentence, has refused to answer questions from the public inquiry, relying on privilege against self-incrimination. Mr Greaney said considerable efforts were being made to obtain evidence from him, adding: We wish to understand if Abdallah had any role to play in the development of Abedis worldview. He said the inquiry had commissioned a report on radicalisation inside British prisons, asking: How was Abedi able to visit a prisoner such as Abdallah? Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on Show all 10 1 /10 Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Flower Festival at St Ann's Church marking the Manchester Arena bombing Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trail in St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Flower Festival at St Ann's Church marking the Manchester Arena bombing Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trail in St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trailin St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trailin St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trailin St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on Embracing Manchester Exhibition at St Ann's Church was created by artist Ghislaine Howard after being inspired by Muslim video blogger Baktash Noori who, after the attack spent days in the city centre trying to win the trust of the public. Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Flower Festival at St Ann's Church marking the Manchester Arena bombing Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trailin St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes The terrorist was also an associate of a man arrested, but not charged, in connection with a failed bombing by an Islamist in Exeter in 2008. Wednesdays hearing was told that none of Abedis parents or siblings, including his jailed brother Hashem Abedi, had made substantive responses to requests for statements. This is most unhelpful and we hope that Abedis family will reflect and understand that they have a moral obligation to provide the information we require, Mr Greaney said. We are seeking to understand how Abedi arrived at a position in which he was willing to do what he did, he added. We will consider whether there were any warning signs while he was at any [educational] institutions and if anything more could or should have been done to follow up with him when he suddenly dropped out of his university course in December 2016. We will consider the influence of Abedis religious community. Abedi and his family attended and took roles at the Didsbury Mosque, where the future bomber allegedly stared at an imam with a look of hate after an anti-Isis sermon in 2014. The following year, Abedi is believed to have taken part in a protest outside the United Arab Emirates embassy in London in 2015 against the arrest of suspected Isis members. Bomber Salman Abedi pictured moments before Manchester Arena massacre Abedi attended several other mosques but was not an active or regular worshipper, and the schools, colleges and universities he attended reported no signs of religious extremism. He was said to be a poor student, badly behaved and arrogant, and to have attacked a female student at Manchester College. After he moved on to Trafford College in 2014, the inquiry heard that a tutor saw an image on Abedis computer of him holding a gun while in Tripoli, but his explanation that his family had lots of land in Libya and he used to go shooting there was accepted. His father, Ramadan Abedi, was associated with members of the formerly proscribed Libyan Islamic Fighting Group. Having sought asylum in Britain in 1993, Ramadan returned to Libya during the uprising against Gaddafi in 2011 and photographs show Abedi with military vehicles and weapons. He and his brother, Hashem, returned to Britain in 2012 but attended school poorly and started taking drugs, but travelled back to LIbya several times visiting relatives. In 2015, the two brothers made a pilgrimage to Mecca and friends said they noticed the pair changing their behaviour and expressing extremist views after their return. Salmans brother, Hashem Abedi, was jailed for life for his part in the plot Abedis uncle said he had talked about supporting Isis and a friend said he expressed sympathy for the group while watching the news. Mr Greaney said the inquiry would examine whether authorities missed opportunities to prevent the attack or intervene in Abedis radicalisation. It will question whether any further disruptive action could or should have been taken, and if Abedi should have been referred to the Prevent counter-extremism programme or put under travel restrictions. He said that a previous review concluded that MI5 received intelligence on two occasions in the months before the bombing, which in retrospect can be seen as highly relevant to the planned attack. The security service did not open its investigation but was due to consider Abedi at a meeting nine days after he blew himself up, because he was one of almost 700 closed subjects of interest flagged by a review. MI5 first received information on Abedi in 2010 because his details were linked to another subject of interest, but assessed there was nothing suspicious at that time. He came under investigation in March 2014 after contact with a person involved in travel to Syria but the probe was closed four months later after Abedi was assessed not to be a national security risk. Abedi came onto MI5s radar over links with extremists in 2015, 2016 and 2017, and was also subject to two travel checks that found he had not travelled to Syria. MI5 assessed there was nothing to indicate he posed a risk, Mr Greaney said. The inquiry will continue on Monday. Aviation regulators and pilots from several countries will begin next week reviewing Boeings proposal for training pilots to fly the revamped 737 Max, a sign that the grounded plane is moving closer to returning to service. The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that the review will start Monday at Londons Gatwick Airport and last about nine days. The review will include aviation officials and pilots from the United States, Canada, Brazil and the European Union. The FAA said several other steps remain before the plane can resume flying, including a review to make sure Boeings changes comply with safety regulations. Boeing changed computers and flight software on the Max after an automated anti-stall system pushed down the noses of two jets before they crashed in Indonesia and Ethiopia, killing 346 people. Max planes have been grounded worldwide since March 2019. U.S. safety investigators who reviewed the two crashes recommended that Boeing reconsider assumptions it made about how quickly pilots can respond during an emergency. A spokesman for Chicago-based Boeing said the company expects to win regulatory approval to resume shipping new Max jets in the fourth quarter. It could take longer before airlines resume using the plane because of maintenance and pilot-training requirements. Earlier Friday, Europes flight safety authority said the first flight tests for the Max were completed. Separately, congressional scrutiny of FAAs original approval of the Max is about to increase. A Senate committee plans to vote next week on a bill that would impose new restrictions on the FAAs use of employees of aircraft makers like Boeing to make safety certifications about their own planes. Congressional aides say if the measure had been in effect at the time, it would have required FAA to examine the Max and its flight-control system more thoroughly by deeming it a new plane and not simply an update to the Boeing 737, which began flying in the 1960s. President Donald Trump had a bad week: That was the week before last. He had another one this past week. For someone trailing former vice president Joe Biden in the presidential race, Trump remains the biggest obstacle to reelection, an embattled incumbent who is frittering away the advantages of incumbency. The week before last it was an article in the Atlantic by Jeffrey Goldberg that portrayed the president using derogatory language about military personnel killed or wounded in action. It was based on several unnamed sources and Trump - and others now or formerly in the administration - vigorously disputed the account. Prominently absent from those publicly defending Trump were former defense secretary Jim Mattis and, critically, former White House chief of staff John Kelly. This past week it was an entirely different issue for the president - a self-inflicted problem that was the result of his many hours of taped, on-the-record conversations with Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward, whose book "Rage" will be published this week. Trump's own words plunged him into a controversy about how early knew about the dangers of the coronavirus and why he didn't share that with the public. Because he couldn't disclaim what was on the tapes, he offered as a defense that he didn't want to panic the public - though as The Post's Phil Rucker pointed out, the president has repeatedly played on fear as a political weapon. Throughout his presidency, Trump has been skillful at creating diversions when things go awry. Today it's more the case that events are creating distractions from his ability to deliver a consistent and effective campaign message. This is one more example of the reality that, since the beginning of the year, he has seen the advantages of incumbency erode or disappear. Before the pandemic, the economy was the single strongest asset Trump had to persuade people - especially those who are repelled by his behavior - to give him a second term. Unemployment was at historic lows. The stock market was at record highs. The economic growth rate, while not spectacular, was steadily positive. The economy's collapse, as businesses shut down as part of the efforts to combat the covid-19 pandemic, robbed Trump of the ability to credibly argue his case. Today his campaign message is a combination of hope - claiming the economy is already roaring back in the face of numbers that suggest otherwise - and the argument that he will be more effective than Biden in the rebuilding. More Americans still trust him over Biden on the economy, but the margin is not what it was. The second advantage that Trump once enjoyed was in the luxury of time to prepare for the general election and to define his opponent. Other incumbents have used this tactic effectively. In 2012, just as the Republican nomination contest had concluded, the campaign of then-President Barack Obama unleashed a barrage of television ads designed to define challenger Mitt Romney as an out-of-touch plutocrat. In 2004, George W. Bush's campaign clobbered Democrat John F. Kerry just he was coming out of his primary. Bill Clinton's reelection campaign put Republican Bob Dole on the defensive early in the 1996 campaign, and Dole never recovered. Biden effectively became the Democratic nominee in early March. Like Romney in 2012, he had limited resources and his campaign was far from ready for a full-fledged general election contest. But Biden proved to be an elusive target. The Trump campaign tried and tried to find something that would stick, but as spring turned to summer and as June bled into the late-August conventions, little damage was done. The third big advantage Trump was supposed to have was money. On the day he was inaugurated, he set in motion the machinery to begin raising money for his reelection. Long before the Democratic race was underway, Trump was beginning to amass an enormous war chest, in partnership with the Republican National Committee. As little as three months ago, it was a given that the president would maintain a sizable financial advantage throughout the campaign. Biden was far behind the president in fundraising, and Democrats feared that his campaign team would have to make some difficult decisions about where to spend his more limited resources while Trump could spend freely on TV ads, digital ads, organizing - on everything. Now all that has turned around: Last month, Biden raised a stunning $365 million, far more than the still impressive $210 million Trump raised. The Trump operation, however, hadn't just raised buckets of money, it had spent it at a prodigious clip, more than $1 billion even before his convention had occurred. Much of it was spent to raise more money. Other expenditures seemed highly questionable in retrospect, as documented recently by the New York Times. Biden now appears assured of having all the resources he needs for the duration of the campaign. Significantly, he is currently airing many more television ads in battleground states than Trump, although that doesn't mean Trump won't ramp up in the coming weeks. Trump, however, is not without assets to use in the final weeks. As president, he can use the levers of the federal government to benefit himself politically - and is doing so. On Friday he announced an agreement between Israel and Bahrain to establish diplomatic relations, a month after a similar agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. How significant these will be remains an open question, but they are markers he can point to as progress. He is pushing for an early announcement of an effective vaccine against the virus that causes covid 19. Despite cautions to the contrary, that a vaccine probably won't be ready before the end of the year at the earliest, he can use his bully pulpit to promise the public and cajole the Food and Drug Administration. Four years ago, then-FBI Director James Comey reopened an investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of private emails as secretary of state in the final two weeks of the campaign, an unexpected development that disrupted her candidacy, even though that reopening came to naught. Trump could have his own version of this kind of judicial intervention: U.S. Attorney for Connecticut John Durham, who was appointed by Attorney General William Barr, is investigating the role of U.S. intelligence agencies looking into Russian interference in 2016. His report could be released before the election. On Friday, it was reported that Nora Dannehy, one of the senior prosecutors on Durham's team, had resigned, a move that could prompt questions about whether the investigators are under undue political pressure to finish their work. Finally, Trump continues his efforts to discredit voting by mail - in most states at least - and thereby to seed the ground for doubts about whether the election will be fairly decided if he falls short. With seven weeks left until Election Day and with Biden holding a lead in the polls, Trump has ground to make up, though the electoral college math remains friendlier to him than the popular vote. Each week that he is trapped in a controversy about his own leadership, the less time he has to make his case against his challenger. He is stepping up the pace of campaigning, departing Saturday for a western swing to Nevada and Arizona. As in the fall of 2016, he shows a determination to fight to the last hour. His advantages have been eroded, but they are not depleted. Whether he can use them effectively, or falls victim to his own missteps, likely will decide his fate. They are experts on porridge, but it appears Britain's prison officers have being showing too much interest in pies and chips too. More than 800 'screws' have repeatedly failed fitness tests in the past two years. In the eight years before 2014, just 140 prison officers failed the annual test part of which involves running at a speed for three-and-a-half minutes but since 2018, 828 have flunked each of three attempts. According to figures released under Freedom of Information rules, six officers were given special dispensation to try for a fourth time. The others were dismissed or given jobs elsewhere in the prison service. In the eight years before 2014, just 140 prison officers failed the annual test part of which involves running at a speed for three-and-a-half minutes but since 2018, 828 have flunked each of three attempts. (Above, an officer arrives for work last week at Wandsworth Prison) Last night, Tam Fry, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said: 'I'm aghast so many prison officers are failing the test. 'Anyone serving in a role like this requires a good level of fitness and a sensible BMI.' Research conducted by Nottingham University before the fitness tests were introduced in 2001 found prison staff were prone to a lifestyle of drinking, smoking and little exercise. Two-thirds of senior managers at London's Wandsworth prison, for example, admitted to drinking more than 21 units of alcohol a week. While the prison now encourages healthy living, some staff still appeared alarmingly overweight as they arrived for their shifts last week. The fitness test requires officers to complete a bleep test which examines their aerobic ability. Research conducted by Nottingham University before the fitness tests were introduced in 2001 found prison staff were prone to a lifestyle of drinking, smoking and little exercise. Two-thirds of senior managers at London's Wandsworth prison, for example, admitted to drinking more than 21 units of alcohol a week There are also grip and 'dynamic upper body strength' tests alongside a speed agility challenge and a requirement to hold a riot shield weighing 15 lb (7kg) for one minute at a 45-degree angle. Mark Fairhurst, from the Prison Officers' Association, said the test should be axed and replaced by health screening. 'Staff do not have the time in the week to train for this test.' Last night, a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: 'Ninety-seven per cent of prison officers pass on their first attempt. Those who fail can be offered roles elsewhere.' 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. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says the organised labour will soon come out with a position on the recent increases in prices of fuel and electricity. Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Saturday in reaction to the increases in the prices of petrol and electricity. The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) announced that the pump price of premium motor spirit (petrol) has been increased to N151, 60 per litre from N145 with effect from September 2. Also, electricity tariff was increased effective September 1 by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) from N30.23 per one kwh to N62.33. Mr Wabba, who spoke on the issues, said the organised labour would not protest until the Central Working Committee met and agreed on appropriate action. Labour takes one battle at a time; it does not make announcement without backing its action, he said. He noted that NLC had remained consistent on neo-liberal policies, and would take appropriate action in respect of the increases in order to achieve desired result. He also said that it was high time Nigeria started refining products locally to solve importation challenges. On the suspended planned protest against the Rivers government, Mr Wabba said there was need to mend fences between the state and labour to ensure harmonious relationship. According to him, the will of the people should not always be taken for granted as injury to one is injury to all. The NLC president called on other state governments to take appropriate steps toward addressing labour issues so as to avoid the wrath of the organised labour. We will take up any state that undermines the rights of workers. Workers should be conscious of their rights; there is synergy and we will confront recalcitrant employers to respect the law so that we dont give room for sudden situations to rise, Mr Wabba said. He further said that the Rivers government and labour have concluded negotiations on minimum wage, and the enabling circular would be released for a collective bargaining agreement to be signed. (NAN) Im struck by how weve never done this before, Bunch said, not brought the collective power of the arts together. This is an example of reaching across the country and making sure were all talking from the same point, all speaking from the same hymnal, as it were. Cultural institutions have to use this time to do everything they can to help a country in crisis. LESBOS, Greece: Greek police fired teargas on Saturday during a protest by angry migrants left homeless by a blaze at Europes largest refugee centre, who demanded to leave the island of Lesbos as authorities started building a new encampment for them. More than 12,000 people, most from Africa and Afghanistan, have been sleeping rough since flames swept through the notoriously overcrowded Moria camp earlier this week. Some residents had COVID-19, raising fears the outbreak could spread. Under a hot sun on Saturday, hundreds of migrants, many chanting Freedom" and No Camp", gathered as bulldozers cleared ground in preparation for tents to be put up. Some carried handwritten signs carrying messages including We dont want to go to a hell like Moria again" and Can you hear us Mrs Merkel?" in an appeal to the German chancellor. Police fired rounds of teargas when some of the protesters attempted to march down a road leading to the islands port of Mytilene, which police had blocked while work on the new tent settlement continued nearby. The confrontation was shortlived. The fire at the camp, which was holding four times the number of people it was supposed to, has returned the spotlight to the migration crisis facing the European Union, which has struggled to find a response that goes beyond temporary fixes. Greek authorities have refused any mass transfer off the island, located a few miles off the Turkish coast, despite growing hostility from local residents angry after years of bearing the brunt of the crisis. But officials said they were determined to provide shelter and proper sanitation and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. As of today, asylum seekers will start coming into the tents, into safe conditions," Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi told reporters at the site. The need to bring the situation under control has been made more urgent by the fact that authorities have lost track of 35 camp residents who had tested positive for coronavirus. Health authorities have promised to conduct rapid tests at the entrance of the new camp, with a quarantine unit ready for anyone testing positive. Still, the unsanitary conditions being endured by Morias former inhabitants in the fields and streets of Lesbos has caused deep alarm. This is a health bomb. These people havent even had access to water all these days, they cannot even wash their hands," Matina Pagoni, president of Athens and Piraeus hospital doctors union, told Skai television. 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 Syracuse, N.Y. An employee of Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse in Liverpool who tested positive for the coronavirus may have exposed customers who visited the restaurant from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursday. The Onondaga County Health Department said anyone who visited the restaurant at 302 Old Liverpool Road at that time should monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 until September 24. The employee was wearing a face mask while working. Health Department investigators are in the process of identifying all close contacts of the individual and notifying them. If people develop symptoms, they should stay home and call their doctor for further guidance. People who are elderly, have underlying medical conditions, or have weakened immune systems should call their doctor early even if their illness is mild. Testing is also widely available, and anyone can get tested for the coronavirus by visiting one of the clinics listed at covid19.ongov.net. James T. Mulder covers health and higher education. Have a news tip? Contact him at (315) 470-2245 or jmulder@syracuse.com Massive explosions strike Jordanian military munitions depot, cause major fire Iran Press TV Friday, 11 September 2020 7:53 AM A series of powerful blasts have ripped through a military munitions depot in desert east of Jordan's second-largest city of Zarqa. Images and videos said to have been taken at the scene were rapidly spread on social media, showing a huge ball of flame rising into the sky, followed by the sound of several explosions. Witnesses said huge orange flames lit the desert night sky and could be seen as far away as the capital Amman, which lies 35 kilometers (22 miles) to the southwest. "We felt like an earthquake had struck. Our windows shook and glass shattered. My kids started crying," Zarqa resident Nabila Issa, a housewife and mother of five children, said. Security forces sealed off the sprawling industrial city, and prevented traffic from leaving or entering. Journalists who wanted to travel through Zarqa to the blast site were also prevented from doing so. Government spokesman Amjad al-Adaileh said in a statement that "the explosion occurred in the early hours of Friday ... in a warehouse containing unusable mortar bombs belonging to the armed forces." The statement added that an initial investigation had determined that "the blast was caused by an electrical short circuit in warehouses situated in an isolated and uninhabited area" which was under camera surveillance. However, an army source said on condition of anonymity that some of the weapons at the site were precision-guided anti-aircraft missiles. The army later acknowledged in a statement that there had been an explosion "in one of the ammunition depots which is being dismantled near the city of Zarqa." It added that "a committee has been set up to determine the causes of the explosion." There were no immediate reports of casualties from the explosions. The desert area where the blasts took place houses several major US-equipped army bases, including an airfield built in 2018. US officials say that military aid to Jordan helps Washington widen its military activities in the region, including for American troops deployed in the strategic al-Tanf region in southeastern Syria. Back on August 25, the Russian military said the United States continues to support acts of terror and sabotage by allied Takfiri terrorists operating in Syria's al-Tanf region to justify its illegal military deployment in the war-torn Arab country. "Through their actions, the terrorists disrupt the process of socio-economic reconstruction of Syria and the establishment of relations between local Arab tribes and the Damascus government. Such a situation primarily benefits the United States, and allows it to justify its presence in the country's east," Russia's Sputnik news agency quoted an unnamed spokesman for Russian forces in Syria as saying at the time. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Update: Fridays game is expected to start at 8:50 p.m. ET. CLEVELAND, Ohio Fridays game between the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins at Target Field is in a weather delay due to rain in the area around the ballpark. First pitch was scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET with the Indians sending righty Shane Bieber to the mound to face Twins right-hander Kenta Maeda. Cleveland currently sits third in the American League Central Division, a half-game behind Minnesota and 1 1/2 games behind the first-place White Sox. The weather.com forecast for the area shows an 80% chance of showers until 8 p.m. local time tapering off to a 35% chance by 9 p.m. Now that patients and physicians are on board, theyve found unexpected benefits. For patients, telemedicine can make it faster, cheaper and safer to get medical care. They dont have to take as much time off regular activities, travel to the doctors office, possibly pay for parking, or wait for the start of an appointment, perhaps in a room crowded with sick people. For physicians, the practice, once established, often saves time, allowing them to care for more patients and potentially increase profits. A growing body of evidence shows that telemedicine is just as good as in-person visits for many types of medical care, and even better for others. A study from the University of Texas Southwestern found it led to an increase in patients getting specialized care and fewer missed appointments in April 2020 compared to the same month a year earlier. A 2018 study in rural and remote regions of Australia found that a telemedicine program connecting local clinics to cardiology specialists at a metropolitan location boosted testing for heart disease by 42% in a single year; it reduced driving time by more than 300 miles (500 km) per patient and shaved about two weeks off the time required to get a test and more than a month off the wait to receive results. Still, limitations remain. Nothing replaces the nuances doctors can pick up using all their senses in an actual visit. Even the basics, such as listening to the heart or getting a blood pressure reading, cant be done remotely in most cases. Lots of patients, including many who could benefit the most, have difficulty accessing telemedicine. One in three Americans over the age of 65 has trouble connecting with a doctor remotely, often for lack of the necessary equipment or technical skills, according to a study from the University of California in San Francisco. Patients with disabilities, especially those who have hearing, visual or cognitive issues, are particularly limited. Democrat voters who identify as Christian has plummeted since 2008: Pew Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The percentage of Democrat and Democrat-leaning voters who identify as Christian has sharply declined since 2008, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center. A report by Pew published in its U.S. Politics & Policy section found that while 73% of Democrat voters were Christian in 2008, by 2019 the percentage had dropped to 52%. The large decline came for the subset of white Christians, who went from 45% of Democrat voters to 26%; nonwhite Christians had a smaller decline of 28% to 25% during the same time period. Republican and Republican-leaning voters also saw a drop in self-identified Christians during that time period, going from 87% in 2008 to 79% in 2019. With Republicans, the white Christian subset fell from 77% in 2008 to 66%, though the nonwhite Christian percentage increased during the same time period from 10% to 14%. The 52% of self-identified Christians among Democrat voters puts them well below the overall registered voter average of 64% Christian, itself a decline from the 79% reported in 2008. The U.S. religious landscape has undergone profound changes in recent years, with the share of Christians in the population continuing to decline, stated Pew. These shifts are reflected in the composition of the partisan coalitions. The share of Democratic voters who are religiously unaffiliated has approximately doubled over this period (from 18% to 38%). The Pew report drew from an analysis of surveys conducted with approximately 360,000 registered voters over the past quarter century, including over 12,000 in 2018 and 2019. The report also found strong religious divides among the two major parties. For example, 78% of white evangelicals identified as Republican or Republican-leaning, versus 17% who identified as Democrat or Democrat-leaning. On the opposite trend were Hispanic Catholics, of which 68% identified as Democrat or Democrat-leaning, while 27% identified as Republican or Republican-leaning. Republicans also had more support among those who frequently attend religious services, while Democrats had more support among the religiously unaffiliated, according to Pew. Over the past several years, much has been made about the growing gap regarding religious views between the two major parties, with some saying that Democrats have a God problem. Last July, Pew released a report that found only 38% of Democrats viewed the impact of churches on the culture as positive, a 19-point drop from 2010. By contrast, the same 2019 report found that 68% of Republicans viewed the impact of churches on the culture as positive, a 6-point drop from 2010. Democrats are now evenly divided in these attitudes (38% positive, 40% negative), wrote Carroll Doherty and Jocelyn Kiley of Pew in 2019. In five previous Pew Research Center surveys over the past decade, significantly more Democrats viewed the impact of religious organizations positively than negatively. Mumbai: Police have registered a case against two persons for allegedly selling the grave of Yakub Memon, the only convict in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case to be hanged, an official said on Saturday. Memon was buried at Marine Lines Bada Kabrastan in south Mumbai on July 30, 2015 after he was hanged in Nagpur central jail. A relative of Memon had approached the Lokmanya Tilak Marg police station in March with a complaint that his grave has been sold," the official said. The Memon family has been given total seven otthas (graves) at the cemetery. The complaint said that besides Yakubs, three more graves given to the family were sold at Rs five lakh collectively," he said. Based on the complaint, an offence under IPC sections 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) was registered against two persons on March 19 this year- one of them a trustee and another manager of Juma Masjid of Bombay Trust, under which the Muslim Bada Qabrastan is registered, he said. Due to the COVID-19 situation, police have launched a probe into the case now," he said. Yakub, a chartered accountant by profession was the younger brother of another 1993 blast accused, Tiger Memon.. 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 To the victims of the toxic waste dump in north-western Sydney, it was a case that should not have been difficult to crack. Two tipper trucks appeared to have been caught red handed as thousands of tonnes of construction waste - including deadly asbestos - was illegally dumped across at least nine private properties at Riverstone. A red truck believed to be at the centre of an illegal dumping case at Riverstone. However to the astonishment of the locals, the NSW Environment Protection Authority closed its investigation after one of the truck owners denied responsibility for the dump. Its left the landowners to pick up the clean up bill, expected to soar to hundreds of thousands of dollars, even though authorities acknowledge they are not to blame for the waste dumped without their consent. Five youths who were allegedly abducted by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China near the McMahon line in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Subansiri were released on Saturday in Anjaw district, around 1,000 km away. The youths -- Tanu Bakar, Prasad Ringling, Ngaru Diri, Dongtu Ebiya and Toch Singkam -- were handed over to the Indian Army by the PLA after completion of necessary formalities, Tezpur-based defence spokesperson Lt Col Harsh Warrdhan Pande said. "All five of them will now be placed under quarantine for 14 days as per COVID-19 protocols and thereafter be handed over to their family members," the spokesperson said. Taking to Twitter, Chief Minister Pema Khandu thanked the Army and the Union government for securing their return. "Absolutely glad to know that five of our Arunachali youths have been safely handed over to Indian Army by Chinese PLA. I am wholeheartedly thankful to the (Union) Govt and the Indian Army for their persistent effort in securing their return," he posted on the microblogging site. The development comes amid a prolonged border face-off between India and China in eastern Ladakh. Five of seven youths, who went hunting on September 2, were allegedly whisked away by the Chinese troops from Sera-7, an Army patrol zone located around 12 km further north of Nacho in Upper Subansiri district. The youths, engaged as porters by the Indian Army, were reported missing by their families on social media. The defence spokesperson, in an official statement, said, "Arunachal Pradesh is known for its rich natural heritage and adventurous people fond of exploring the nature for medicinal herbs and possessing traditional flair for hunting which involves surviving off the land for weeks in jungles and far-flung remote areas. "During such adventurous forays, at times youth have inadvertently strayed to the other side of the Line of Actual Control. All such individuals were brought back home safely following consistent efforts and coordination by the Army." In the latest instance, the Army had approached the PLA on the hotline to trace the youths, Pande maintained. Family members of the youths in Upper Subansiri, after learning about their release, extended gratitude to the Army and the officials of the Centre and the state government. "The release was arranged in a matter of a few days. I can't thank the Army, government officials and the PLA enough for their cooperation and goodwill gesture," Reri Delak Bakar, the brother of Tanu Bakar, said. Dasanglu Pul, who represents Hayulilang constituency in Anjaw, also said that it was a "welcome move by China". Earlier in March, a 21-year-old man was abducted by the PLA from the Asapila sector near the McMahon line. His two friends, however, had managed to escape. After 19 days in captivity, Togley Sinkam was released by the Chinese Army. New Delhi: Russia's sovereign wealth fund CEO on Saturday said he's 'delighted' that AstraZeneca has resumed trials of its Covid-19 vaccines but said the suspension of trials "clearly showed fallacy of their approach". AstraZeneca has resumed British clinical trials of its Covid-19 vaccine, one of the most advanced in development, after receiving the green light from safety watchdogs, the company said on Saturday. The late-stage trials of the experimental vaccine, developed with researchers from the University of Oxford, were suspended this week after an illness in a study subject in Britain, casting doubts on an early rollout. "Delighted that AstraZeneca has resumed trials. Suspension of trials clearly showed fallacy of the approach, when entire countries exclusively rely on novel and untested platforms when choosing a vaccine for widespread use, including the use of a monkey adenovirus vector or mRNA technology," said Kirill Dmitriev, CEO, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). RDIF said on Friday that more than one billion people would receive its COVID-19 vaccine "Sputnik-V" in 2020-21, the Interfax news agency reported. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has already signed two deals to export the vaccine abroad and on the Brazilian state of Bahia on Friday agreed to conduct Phase III clinical trials of the vaccine. Speaking further about Sputnik-V, Dmitriev said, "We've frequently discussed potential risks that new technologies may pose, as well as comparing these risks with Sputnik-V vaccine, which is based on a well-studied platform that uses human adenoviral vectors, something that has been proven to be safe and effective. At the same time in the US and Western Europe, proven and safe platform of human adenoviral vectors account for only 15% of the volume of total vaccine procurement." "Clinical trial's postponement (by AstraZeneca) puts into question some pharma companies' request for full indemnification from any risks from their vaccines by purchasing nations. Russia won't follow such approach as it demonstrated safety of its human adenoviral vector platform, including Sputnik-V," said Dmitriev. Oxford University confirmed the resumption and said: "In large trials such as this, it is expected that some participants will become unwell and every case must be carefully evaluated to ensure careful assessment of safety." After the pause, AstraZeneca had said it remained hopeful that the vaccine could still be available "by the end of this year, early next year". But pharma companies including AstraZeneca and scientists have expressed concern about political pressure to rush a vaccine out, not least from US President Donald Trump. The Brazilian state of Bahia has signed an agreement to conduct Phase III clinical trials of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 and plans to buy 50 million doses to market in Brazil, officials have said. The Russian vaccine is being developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Research Institute and marketed by the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which last month also entered an agreement with the Brazilian state of Parana to test and produce the vaccine. 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 Brazil's health regulator Anvisa approves the protocol for testing. Bahia is one of several Brazilian states that have struck out on their own to secure access to COVID-19 vaccines, motivated at least in part by a distrust of the federal government's response. Deliveries are expected to start in November subject to approval by Brazils regulators, RDIF said. Russia has touted Sputnik as the first vaccine against coronavirus to be registered in the world, even though Phase III trials have yet to be completed. 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 has the world's third largest number of cases, with more than 4 million confirmed cases. RDIF has already signed several 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. The fund 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. 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!! Anne Sacoolas, who is alleged to have killed motorcyclist Harry Dunn in a traffic crash last year, is willing to discuss facing an online trial in an English court, her lawyers have said. Ms Sacoolas has been charged with causing the 19-year-old's death by dangerous driving following the crash outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in August last year. The 43-year-old American left the UK following the crash, claiming diplomatic immunity. But the director of public prosecutions (DPP) concluded - in opposition to Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary - that Ms Sacoolas did not in fact have that immunity. Her lawyers said in a statement late on Thursday: "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. Suella Braverman QC, the attorney general, is considering the virtual trial idea despite a letter sent by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to the family's constituency MP Andrea Leadsom on Monday, which described it as "an unprecedented legal scenario". The letter, sent by the director of legal service at the CPS Gregor McGill and seen by the Press Association news agency, read: "Nothing at this stage has been ruled in or ruled out but it must be remembered that holding a virtual trial would be an unprecedented legal scenario. "Before such a step could be even contemplated, a host of factors (both legal and diplomatic) would have to be considered." Following a meeting with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on Wednesday, family spokesperson Radd Seiger told reporters that Dunns relatives had been informed of the US government's position that it would only agree to a virtual trial if it was under US law - something he described as a "show trial". Mr Seiger said Mr Dunn's parents Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn would only accept a virtual trial if the suspect was tried under UK law. Responding to Ms Sacoolas's lawyers, Ms Charles told Press Association: "I am really pleased to learn that Mrs Sacoolas is both interested in and willing to consider a virtual trial in the UK. "It is so important that we move this forward. I need to know what happened to my son and how he died. "But let me be absolutely clear, we will only entertain a virtual trial if she goes through an English trial and then serves any sentence that is handed down, assuming she is convicted. "She is of course innocent of any charge until proven otherwise but there is no way we would agree to anything other than that. "She was residing in this country, did not have diplomatic immunity as the DPP has made clear, is charged with a serious motoring offence, and must answer to it here. There is no other way." Additional reporting by Press Association KABUL (Reuters) - Talks seeking to end 19 years of war in Afghanistan started this weekend, with an opening ceremony on Saturday. Negotiators representing the Kabul government and Taliban insurgents are scheduled to sit face to face in the Qatari capital of Doha from Sunday. The intra-Afghan negotiations grew out of a U.S.-Taliban agreement in February. It outlined the withdrawal of foreign forces from by May 2021 in exchange for peace guarantees and Taliban promises to open negotiations with the Afghan government, which the group had previously refused. WHAT ARE THE TALKS ABOUT? The first round is expected to be largely administrative, leading to further rounds to broker a comprehensive peace deal to end the fighting. Negotiators will aim to set an agenda and may look for a ceasefire. A number of thorny issues will need to be addressed later. The Taliban has continued armed offensives against the Afghan government despite striking the troop withdrawal agreement with Washington. Key challenges for later rounds: How to include the Taliban, who have vehemently opposed the legitimacy of the Kabul government, in any governing arrangement, and how to safeguard the rights of women and minorities who suffered under the previous Taliban rule. WHO IS IN DOHA? A 21-member Taliban team joined Saturday's opening ceremony, along with 19 Afghan government negotiators. Two from the Afghan team stayed home for health reasons. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the head of the Afghan peace council, Abdullah Abdullah, addressed the ceremony. WHO IS NEGOTIATING? While U.S. and Qatari officials helped kick off the talks, negotiations will be between the Taliban and Afghan teams, with Washington and other international powers including Germany helping to shepherd the process. The Afghan team represents a cross-section of areas, ethnicities, political affiliations and former warlords. The Taliban team has a number of members of its ruling central committee, and is headed by Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the Taliban's former shadow chief justice, who also heads its powerful council of religious scholars. Story continues WHY IS POMPEO THERE? Ending America's longest war, launched by then-president George W. Bush soon after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, is a key foreign policy objective of Pompeo's boss, President Donald Trump. He will be keen to talk up any success in his race for re-election, where he is behind in the polls. The February deal outlines a withdrawal of U.S. troops, which has been reduced from 13,000 when the agreement with the Taliban was signed to 8,600 in June. Trump says the number will fall to around 4,000 by November. U.S. troop presence peaked at over 100,000 in 2011. However, a continued drawdown depends the Taliban maintaining counter-terrorism guarantees and the promise to open talks with the Afghan government. While the first few rounds of the talks are not likely to bring major breakthroughs, the beginning of the intra-Afghan dialogue is key to keeping the process on track during the U.S. presidential campaign. WHY DOHA? Doha, capital of the small Gulf Arab state of Qatar, is well-established neutral ground for the long-warring parties far from their conflict back home. It is where the U.S.-Taliban agreement was negotiated and the site of the Taliban's Political Office, opened in 2012. The initial round of the talks have been scheduled for Doha, but further rounds could be moved to another country, possibly in Europe. (Reporting by Kabul Bureau; Writing by Gibran Peshimam; Editing by William Mallard) Afkari was accused of stabbing and killing a man in the southern city of Shiraz in 2018. Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari has been executed after being convicted of stabbing to death a security guard, according to state media. Afkari was executed this morning after legal procedures were carried out at the insistence of the parents and the family of the victim, Kazem Mousavi, head of the justice department in southern Fars province, was quoted as saying. Authorities accused Afkari, 27, of stabbing the water supply company employee in the southern city of Shiraz. Iran broadcast the wrestlers televised confession last week. But Afkari said he was tortured into making a false confession, according to his family and activists. His lawyer said there was no proof of his guilt. Irans judiciary, however, denied the torture claims. Afkari and his brothers were employed as construction workers in Shiraz, 680km (420 miles) south of the capital, Tehran. The provincial court in Shiraz also sentenced Afkaris brothers Vahid Afkari and Habib Afkari to 54 and 27 years in prison, respectively, over the killing. Afkaris attorney accused authorities of denying his client a family visit before the execution, as required by law. Were you in so much hurry to execute the sentence that you also deprived Navid of a last meeting? Hassan Younesi said on Twitter. There was no immediate reaction by Iranian officials to the attorneys accusation. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday condemned the execution. The Iranian regimes execution of Navid Afkari is a vicious and cruel act. We condemn it in the strongest terms. It is an outrageous assault on human dignity, even by the despicable standards of this regime. The voices of the Iranian people will not be silenced, Pompeo tweeted. Very different stories Al Jazeeras Assed Baig, reporting from Tehran, said there are two different narratives about the murder. Outside Iran were hearing that Navid Afkari was arrested due to these protests that took place in 2018 and alleged killing of a security officer. Inside Iran, its very different. Navid Afkari was arrested by police who identified him using CCTV footage. As far as the judiciary is concerned, his arrest and conviction have nothing to do with the protests that took place, said Baig. Afkari was shown performing a stabbing gesture during a police reconstruction of the killing while saying, I hit twice, once and then again. Human rights groups frequently accuse Irans state media of airing coerced confessions. Iran denies the accusation. The International Olympic Committee said the execution of Afkari was very sad news, adding in a statement that IOC President Thomas Bach had written this week to Iranian leaders asking for mercy for him, while respecting Irans sovereignty. Trumps appeal Afkaris sentencing had triggered a social media campaign that portrayed him and his brothers as victims targeted for participating in the 2018 protests. On Tuesday, a global union representing 85,000 athletes had called for Irans expulsion from world sport if it executed Afkari. United States President Donald Trump also expressed his own concerns. To the leaders of Iran, I would greatly appreciate if you would spare this young mans life, and not execute him, Trump tweeted earlier this month. Thank you! Iran responded to Trumps tweet by running an 11-minute state TV broadcast on Afkari, which included the weeping parents of Turkman. The broadcast included visuals of Afkari on a motorbike, saying he stabbed Turkman in the back, without explaining why he allegedly carried out the assault. The state TV segment also showed blurred police documents and described the killing as a personal dispute, without elaborating. It said Afkaris mobile phone had been in the area and it showed surveillance footage of him walking down a street, talking on his phone. Irans semi-official Tasnim news agency dismissed Trumps tweet in a feature story, saying that American sanctions have hurt Iranian hospitals amid the pandemic. Trump is worried about the life of a murderer while he puts many Iranian patients lives in danger by imposing severe sanctions, the agency said. Baig noted state television has carried an interview with the parents of Hassan Turkman, and in it they said their son was murdered and they had the right to retribution. They added, the foreign media had not even bothered speaking to them when their son was killed, and that he left behind three children. So there are two very different narratives, said Baig. (Natural News) Last month, Big League Politics reported on Netflixs release of the film Cuties, a coming of age story about an 11-year-old girl who discovers her sexuality by joining a twerking dance troupe. Article by Shane Trejo republished from BigLeaguePolitics.com) We're deeply sorry for the inappropriate artwork that we used for Mignonnes/Cuties. It was not OK, nor was it representative of this French film which won an award at Sundance. Weve now updated the pictures and description. Netflix (@netflix) August 20, 2020 However, Netflix refused to ban Cuties from its platform despite the outcry. The movie debuted on Wednesday, and it is even more pro-pedophilia than was initially thought. https://twitter.com/GhostJim4/status/1303843776742465537 The IMDB description of Cuties initially gave the movie with a parental warning detailing highly sexualized & erotic dance scenes that purposefully exploit & objectify numerous scantily clad under age girls. It also described the movie as featuring female breast nudity of a minor during an erotic dance scene and lengthy & excessive closeup shots of breasts, and spread crotches of 11 year old girls during numerous sexualized dance scenes. The original IMDB warnings can be seen here: that movie cuties dropped and wtf. this is straight from IMDB pic.twitter.com/y4RVyQ51ox low-nah-gee (@ebonixfem) September 10, 2020 As soon as the accurate description of Cuties on IMDB began to go viral, it was immediately changed: UPDATE! IMDB CHANGED THE LANGUAGE USED. I was in the midst of archiving when changed. This is CRIMINAL. pic.twitter.com/vBHluPR8Jc Tracy Beanz (@tracybeanz) September 10, 2020 Liberal commentators the type of folks who support drag queen story hour events are now being shamed on social media for defending the horrendously exploitative movie. How is this sentence acceptance under any circumstance?https://t.co/Y4eUhH3Z3G pic.twitter.com/h2xPgupbP6 Chad Felix Greene (@chadfelixg) September 10, 2020 Pay attention to the outlets promoting pedophile film Cuties pic.twitter.com/V2zHUk7oMF Despacito Poso (@JackPosobiec) September 10, 2020 Big League Politics has reported on other pro-pedo content that is being produced and released by Netflix: Another show, Big Mouth, is geared toward children and has become more foul and depraved with each season. A trailer for the animated program posted by Netflix features children engaging in incest with crude references to masturbation The show is also mainstreaming the notion of pansexuality, which is a term for extreme promiscuousness, for children as well Big Mouth creator Nick Kroll revels in children watching his depraved show. He expressed his desire to reach kids during an interview with Kelly Clarkson earlier this year We are not just telling the story of two white straight boys, going through puberty. And really try to expand what puberty, adolescence, and development of human sexuality mean to different people, Kroll said during an interview with Awards Daily published in June. Jay started as a magician kid who liked to have sex with his pillow, and by season three he is a boy trying to understand his bi-sexuality and where he falls in the spectrum of sexuality, Kroll said about one of the main characters of his show. IMDB is now complicit in the enabling of pedophilia by removing their accurate warnings about Cuties. The people involved with pushing this movie probably should be jailed. Read more at: BigLeaguePolitics.com Shanksville, Pa. The two presidential contenders put their acrimonious political sparring on hold Friday to pay their respects to the Americans killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a pause in a polarizing race in which the candidates have offered drastically different visions on virtually every issue. President Donald Trump offered somber remarks in Shanksville, Pa., honoring those who died on Flight 93, the plane that was hijacked and headed for Washington but instead crashed into a field after passengers fought back. Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee, traveled to New York City before visiting Shanksville to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the attacks, speaking with family members of the victims but not making a formal address. "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," Trump said. At another point, he added, "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." Biden and his wife, Jill, attended the National September 11 Memorial & Museum's commemoration ceremony in Manhattan, standing with Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Then the Bidens traveled to Shanksville, where Biden laid a wreath of white flowers at the Flight 93 National Memorial and met family members of some of those who died. Trump also laid a wreath of white flowers in front of the wall of names, but he did not meet with family members. "One of the marks of being an American is understanding there are some things that are bigger and more important than yourself," Biden said in Pennsylvania. He marveled at those who "consciously know that what you're about to do is likely to cost you your life." Earlier in the day, Biden, the former vice president, promised reporters that he would not "talk about anything other than 9/11." Trump avoided reporters shouting questions as he boarded Air Force One. On the plane, he followed directions when his chief of staff, Mark Meadows, told him that an announcement would play on the PA system when it was time to observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., when the first plane struck the World Trade Center's north tower. "God bless America," Meadows said after the moment of silence had passed. "God bless America," Trump echoed. He offered no further remarks. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. As the Bidens went to New York, Trump and his wife, Melania, traveled to the memorial service in Shanksville. There, he delivered remarks in front of the wall of names commemorating the 40 passengers and crew who were killed on the flight. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, also attended the ceremony in New York, and he chatted with Biden. The Pences later attended another ceremony nearby, and they also stopped at a firehouse. The Bidens did the same in Pennsylvania. Biden's running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, attended a remembrance in Fairfax, Va. 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." Of the many changes to Irish life wrought by Covid-19 (or, rather, our reaction to it), one of the most dismal is the decimation of pub life. It's funny, in that I haven't gone to the pub much for years, but I find something sad about this. Pubs, for good or bad - mostly good? - have been a cornerstone of Irish life for centuries. Now there's a real danger that lockdowns, plus evolving habits, might deliver the death-blow to this sociocultural institution. They reopen on September 21 but, asked The Hard Shoulder (Newstalk Mon-Fri 4pm), will the public be rushing back? This newspaper's Ian O'Doherty noted that, in the early days, everyone was saying: "I just can't wait to get back into the pub and have a beer." Whereas now, from talking to neighbours, friends and people in the trade, he reckons "that appetite seems to have gone". Pubs already opened "were expecting a deluge of drinkers, and just haven't got it". The pub isn't much fun any more, he added. New rules on social distancing mean "everything that was intrinsic to the nature of the Irish pub, that's great about it, the things people around the world love - that's all gone". Wandering around , bumping into people, meeting old friends, simply relaxing: not possible in this horrible "new normal". Another touchstone of civilised life used to be the office romance, and this too is under threat. It's hard to flirt with a colleague over a Zoom call shared with four others, and how can two people even know they fancy each other if they're never in the same physical space? Woman's Hour (BBC Radio 4, Mon-Fri 10am) examined this, and the enduring allure of office romance in movies and telly, particularly romcoms. Citing screen classics such as The Office, Working Girl and, uh, Love Actually, Anna Smith and Ellen Scott explained that they make good narratives because it's all ultimately a kind of wish fulfilment - but a plausible one, potentially achievable in real life. Post-Covid restrictions are likely to involve more and more people working from home, so bye-bye to those sparks flying in the workplace. Indeed, shifting mores may have already begun the process of euthanising office romance: the new puritanism frowns on anything deemed "inappropriate" (criteria to be decided by them, naturally). Scott revealed that she and her partner, who met at work, had kept their relationship secret for several months. Still, it could be worse. As recalled on Ray D'Arcy (Radio 1, Mon-Fri 3pm), Irishman Anthony Clery and his wife Maria Gemayel were injured in last month's enormous explosion in Beirut. A traumatic and life-altering event, though at least they survived and now live in Ireland. Listening to this, you'd wish them well. L.A. County sheriff's deputies in riot gear watch as activists hold a news conference Friday in the parking lot behind an El Pollo Loco in South L.A. The protesters shared stories about injuries they say were committed by deputies during recent rallies against the deputy shooting of Dijon Kizzee. A Sheriff's Department spokesman says the response team was at Friday's event at the request of a business. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) Julianna Lacoste had just shown television cameras a spot on the back of her neck where she said a Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy had placed his knee during a protest in South Los Angeles this week. Speaking at a news conference Friday in a public parking lot nearby, her voice trembled as she recalled feeling as if she was going to die from the pressure. Suddenly, the attention of media and speakers turned elsewhere. A group of deputies in riot gear who had been watching closely behind a line of yellow tape quickly advanced closer. Moments before, prominent local activist Najee Ali had briefly crossed the tape, loudly asking the officers why two of their colleagues had stopped 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee on Aug. 31 for an alleged vehicle violation while he was riding his bicycle in a South L.A. neighborhood before pursuing and ultimately killing him. Dozens of the news conferences attendees swarmed to meet the deputies who had approached. They kept to their side of the tape and filmed the officials. It seemed to be a clear intimidation tactic, said Matthew Sanders, a 30-year-old North Hollywood resident who was arrested and injured during a protest this week. They were making a move to get in our heads. The actions of the Sheriff's Department also sparked alarm from county Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and a member of the sheriff's oversight agency. The incident comes amid a series of confrontations between law enforcement and protesters outside the Sheriff's South L.A. station on Imperial Highway over the last week that led to use of force by deputies and dozens of arrests. Lt. John Satterfield, a spokesman for the department, said the sheriffs response team secured the parking lot of a business at the request of a manager. He did not say which business made the request. He said a minor altercation occurred while moving a wire barrier, and an investigation is underway. Video of the event shows a sheriff's official grabbing a legal observer for the National Lawyers Guild who had been filming him. Satterfield said he was unable to comment further, including on who ordered the display of force. Story continues The actions of the deputies, he said, were absolutely not meant to intimidate or silence criticism of the department. Ridley-Thomas, whose district includes South L.A., said he expected a briefing as soon as Tuesday from the county's Office of Inspector General about what transpired Friday, and said he had no information about why riot gear was employed. We cant have the constitutional rights of those who raise their voices being denied and certainly will not stand idly by if theyre being trampled, Ridley-Thomas said in an interview. Priscilla Ocen, a member of the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission, said that based on photos and video shared by a reporter, the Sheriffs Departments response to the event was completely inappropriate. People were simply trying to express themselves and to hold the sheriff accountable, she said. They shouldnt be harassed or intimidated by law enforcement as theyre trying to do that, especially by the very law enforcement agency theyre trying to hold accountable. The news conference had been organized by the National Lawyers Guild in a lot by the South Los Angeles sheriff's station to condemn the department's use of force against protesters who have gathered nightly to demonstrate against Kizzee's shooting. Dozens have been arrested as protesters and deputies clashed over Labor Day weekend and into this week. The Sheriffs Department has said protesters initiated confrontations by throwing rocks and bottles at deputies. But activists have said in interviews that the displays of force were unprovoked. On Friday, yellow tape blocked off multiple sides of the news conference, which was held in a parking lot behind an El Pollo Loco. Several dozen people attended, including some who described being hit by projectiles or arrested by deputies without provocation. Meanwhile, on the other side of the tape, deputies looked on. I think its a problem when were holding a press conference and media is present that police feel a need to be in full body armor and surround us on three sides, said Cynthia Anderson-Barker, a member of the executive board of the National Lawyers Guild of Los Angeles. We were almost kettled in, we were almost surrounded the way these demonstrators typically are at these demonstrations. As speakers shared experiences of being injured by deputies at the protests, deputies slowly worked on arranging a wire barrier around the group. When the event ended, they began pushing the barrier forward more assertively and corralled members of the media, representatives of the National Lawyers Guild and others toward an exit. Multiple people said they did not hear an order to disperse, and several deputies moving the wire would not answer when asked why people were being moved from a public place. Following orders, one of them said. Anderson-Barker said that the actions violated the right to free speech. By about 1 p.m., the deputies had nearly sealed off the section of the parking lot where the news conference had taken place with the wire barrier. Alicia Brower, a 33-year-old photographer from Hollywood who had attended a protest this week, looked on as they advanced. They continue to do this, to paint their picture that we are animals and we are to be criminals and we are to be surrounded, she said. Not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or for dissemination in the United States OAKVILLE, Ontario, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Giyani Metals Corp. (TSXV:EMM, GR:A2DUU8) ("Giyani" or the "Company") announces today that it is increasing the size of its previously announced private placement financing from $1.0 million to $1.2 million. The Company's partly brokered private placement of units will now consist of 9,600,000 units priced at $0.125 per unit to accredited investors and other exempt purchasers, with each unit consisting of one (1) common share of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one half () of one Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share at an exercise price of $0.20 per share for a period of 18 months from the closing of the private placement (the "Offering"). To date the Company has received subscription agreements totalling approximately $1,100,000. This includes received director, officer and insider subscriptions totalling approximately $280,000. In connection with the Offering, the Company has retained Tactex Asset Management Inc. ("Tactex"). Tactex is entitled to receive a 6% cash commission on the aggregate dollar amount of subscriptions for units provided by Tactex as well as agent's warrants equal to 6% of the number of units purchased by eligible investors provided by Tactex. The agent's warrants will be exercisable with an exercise price of $0.125 per unit. The securities to be issued to Tactex will be subject to a four-month-and-one-day hold period from their date of issuance. Completion of the private placement remains subject to receiving the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV"), and subject to receiving that approval, the closing on received subscriptions is expected on or about September 17, 2020. Securities issued in the private placement will be subject to a four-month-and-one-day hold period from their date of issuance. Robin Birchall, CEO of Giyani Metals Corp. commented: "We are delighted with the additional demand in this placing. We are very appreciative of the support from our existing shareholders, especially RAB Capital. This will enable us to expand some of our upcoming workstreams, for which we will update the market in due course." About Giyani Giyani Metals Corp. is a mineral resource company focused on the development of its K.Hill, Lobatse & Otse manganese oxide prospects in the Kanye Basin, Botswana, Africa. The Company's flagship K.Hill project is a near-surface deposit currently going through a feasibility study to produce high-purity electrolytic manganese metal and manganese sulphate, both key cathode ingredients for batteries in the expanding electric vehicle (EV) market. Additional information and corporate documents may be found on www.sedar.com and on Giyani Metals Corp. Website: https://giyanimetals.com/. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Giyani Metals Corp. Robin Birchall, CEO Contact: Giyani Metals Corporation Robin Birchall CEO, Director +447711313019 rbirchall@giyanimetals.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange (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 news release. The securities described herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or "U.S. persons," as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act ("U.S. Persons"), except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Company's securities to, or for the account of benefit of, persons in the United States or U.S. Persons. Forward Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Giyani expects to occur, are "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "does not expect", "plans", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "scheduled", "forecast", "budget" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. Specific forward-looking statements and forward-looking information herein includes completion of receipt of TSXV approval for the private placement and completion of the private placement. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of the relevant management as of the date such statements are made and are subject to certain assumptions, important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Giyani's ability to control or predict. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In the case of Giyani, these facts include their anticipated operations in future periods, planned exploration and development of its properties, and plans related to its business and other matters that may occur in the future. This information relates to analyses and other information that is based on expectations of future performance and planned work programs. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, including, without limitation: inherent exploration hazards and risks; risks related to exploration and development of natural resource properties; uncertainty in Giyani's ability to obtain funding; commodity price fluctuations; recent market events and conditions; risks related to the uncertainty of mineral resource calculations and the inclusion of inferred mineral resources in economic estimation; risks related to governmental regulations; risks related to obtaining necessary licenses and permits; risks related to their business being subject to environmental laws and regulations; risks related to their mineral properties being subject to prior unregistered agreements, transfers, or claims and other defects in title; risks relating to competition from larger companies with greater financial and technical resources; risks relating to the inability to meet financial obligations under agreements to which they are a party; ability to recruit and retain qualified personnel; and risks related to their directors and officers becoming associated with other natural resource companies which may give rise to conflicts of interests. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Giyani's forward-looking information. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking information or statements. Giyani's forward-looking information is based on the reasonable beliefs, expectations and opinions of their respective management on the date the statements are made, and Giyani does not assume any obligation to update forward looking information if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions change, except as required by law. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. For a complete discussion with respect to Giyani and risks associated with forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, please refer to Giyani's financial statements and related MD&A, all of which are filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . Counting On star Anna Duggar and her husband Josh are celebrating their 12th wedding anniversary this month. Both are 32 years old and they are the parents of six children. He is the oldest son of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, who are the parents of 19. Josh and Anna are on track to have a large brood just like his parents. But when a fan recently asked Anna if she used a well-known Michelle Duggar parenting technique, she took a dig at her in-laws in the must Duggar way possible. Former Counting On stars Josh and Anna Duggar | Kris Connor/Getty Images Anna Duggar had a very Duggar clapback for an Instagram troll As the proud mom of six children, Anna loves to post pictures of her crew on Instagram. Josh and Anna are the parents of Mackynzie, 10, Michael, 9, Marcus, 7, Meredith, 5, Mason, 3, and Maryella, 9 months. The fundamentalist Christian family has their share of critics, especially on social media. When Anna posted some pics of her family recently, one follower commented, as much as I dislike this family, these are really nice pictures of these kids. As In Touch Weekly noticed, Anna replied, Im sorry you dislike us. Hope you know we love you, and most importantly, God loves you more than you could ever imagine! Anna eventually deleted the message. But, later in the thread she appeared to throw some shade at Jim Bob and Michelle. The former Counting On star doesnt use Michelles buddy system Counting On fans are very familiar with Michelle Duggars famous buddy system. Because it was impossible for her to look after all 19 of her children, she used her older kids as surrogates. She matched all of her bigs with all of her littles. Whenever the family goes anywhere or does anything, the kids stay with their buddies. The bigs are responsible for their littles. Michelles buddy was always the kid she most recently gave birth to. RELATED: Counting On Fans Slam Josh and Anna Duggar Over Baby Maryella When a fan asked Anna if she was using the buddy system for her six kids, she had an interesting response. We do not have a buddy system. Im mom, and as much as possible, I want our children to be free to enjoy their childhood! Eagle-eyed Counting On fans noticed the star is living on Jim Bobs property Josh and Anna put their large Arkansas home on the market earlier this year. Anna has never mentioned where the family moved to. But, some eagle-eyed Counting On fans figured out the mystery thanks to some photos Anna posted. The fans noticed that the interior of Annas home in her pics matched the interior of a warehouse on Jim Bob and Michelles property. The warehouse has popped up in episodes of Counting On in the past. It once housed Ben Seewald before he married Jessa Duggar. Now its home to a family of eight. RELATED: Counting On: Anna Duggar Deposed In One of Josh Duggars Many Ongoing Lawsuits According to The Sun, Josh Duggars used car business Wholesale Motors in Springdale, Arkansas was recently listed as permanently closed on Google. New episodes of Counting On air Tuesday nights on TLC. Everything changed this date six months ago. On the morning of March 12, Leo Varadkar announced that significant steps would have to be taken to curb the spread of Covid-19. The virus had been first detected in this country less than a fortnight before, but the then Taoiseach - on a state visit to Washington DC - ordered schools to close and curtailed gatherings. "Acting together, as one nation," he said, "we can save many lives." Read More Half a year on, and the full scale of the pandemic in Ireland has been laid bare. By Thursday, 1,781 people with the virus had died, while 30,164 people had been diagnosed with Covid-19. The vast majority of those have fully recovered. Expand Close Half a year ago: Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar makes his address from Washington DC / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Half a year ago: Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar makes his address from Washington DC This week, it was announced that the country was officially in recession. This was no surprise to anyone, considering how the jobless figure was 28pc in April - it is at 15.4pc now, according to the Central Statistics Office - and when entire industries, such as aviation, have been left reeling. In March, comparatively little was known about the coronavirus. After all, the 'novel' strain had come to light in China only a few months before. Fast-forward to mid-September, and we know a great deal more, having lived through unprecedented restrictions for the modern age, lockdowns and a new universe of social distancing and mask etiquette. But with case numbers rising again and concerns about flu season and the approaching winter, what strategies can we take from the past six months to help us cope - as a society and as individuals - over the next six months? Will our decision-makers heed the successes and failures of policy since March to ensure that come March 12, 2021 our physical, mental and economic health won't have been put under unsustainable pressure? Jack Lambert, an infectious diseases consultant at the Mater Hospital, believes it is imperative that the mask-wearing message remains. "It took them far too long to make mask-wearing mandatory in shops and on public transport," he says. "Many of us were calling for this in April, but it wasn't until August that it finally came into effect. That was far too sluggish. Now, the best way to keep numbers down is to wear them - and wear them properly. And I think we need to make a quick decision about wearing them outdoors too, especially in busy streets. Places like Paris have done that." Lambert says talk of future lockdowns is misplaced. "One of the things we got right was closing down the country early - earlier than other countries - but that can't happen again. And to do so would be a really bad decision. It would be a reaction to a lack of proactive decisions." One of those decisions, he believes, is to ensure consistent testing at meat factories and direct provision centres, two environments where significant clusters of the virus have been experienced. And, yet, on Wednesday it was announced that testing of asymptomatic workers at meat plants would be suspended to cope with a sharp rise in the numbers in the community who are experiencing symptoms. Kingston Mills, professor of experimental immunology at Trinity College Dublin, says we face considerable challenges. "Testing, tracing and getting people to self-isolate is the right approach, but it hasn't worked as well as it should have," he says. "The testing is still problematic in that the time taken to do it is too long. I've heard that up to 1,000 people a day who are called to tests are not going. And that's concerning. "Currently, [the HSE and the authorities] are using a system that's very laboursome, timely and unnecessarily at this moment in time. There are alternative tests now that are quicker, work on saliva, and don't require testing centres." Lasting implications Mills is adamant that it is better testing, and not lockdowns, that will best serve Ireland over the next six months. "All locking down is doing is temporarily halting the spread of the virus and it's gravely curtailing business and every activity of life. It was useful early on to stop the health service getting overwhelmed. It's not required now and it shouldn't be required going forward," he says. Such sentiments are welcomed by Dan O'Brien, chief economist at the Institute of International and European Affairs, and an Independent News and Media columnist. "Lockdown is a very disproportionate measure," he says. "Yes, this is a dangerous disease for older people and those with underlying health conditions, but they are very much a minority of the population. For the majority, this is not a serious illness and, yet, we're creating a depression which is going to have lasting implications in multiple ways." O'Brien says that while there has been talk this week of restrictions being reintroduced in Dublin and Limerick, there is no sense in recreating the sort of stringent lockdown that was imposed on the country on March 27. "Back then, there were genuine fears that the hospitals would be overwhelmed," he says. "Unless we got into that scenario again - where the hospitals were swamped and there were real capacity issues - I could see no justification for a lockdown given its costs [to jobs and the economy]." As with Lambert and Mills, O'Brien believes the Government's focus for the immediate term should be on improving testing and increasing capacity, especially as HSE chief executive Paul Reid said on Thursday that the country is "reaching capacity" when it comes to tests. "Like many economists, I think there's been far too much focus on vaccines and not enough on testing," he adds. "Imagine if you had an app on your phone that showed that you were Covid-free, you could use that as a 'passport' to get in to live events, say. You could be doing your normal job and then heading down to the Point [3Arena] and singing your lungs out with a bunch of people, providing they can prove they are Covid-free going in." Edgar Morgenroth, professor of Economics at Dublin City University's Business School, says Ireland should look to the example of his native Germany when it comes to the next period of the Covid battle. "In Germany, there's none of Ireland's fixation with daily case numbers," he says. "The important numbers are those being admitted to hospital and to ICU and those are both very low at the moment. "Germany has tried to open up its economy as much as it can and there is far greater movement in and out of the country than here. But Ireland has become an outlier in European terms with regards to the strictness of travel here and the quarantine obligations. That is very damaging for an island national that relies so much on tourism and has a significant interest in aviation." Similarly, he believes communications about 'essential travel' on public transport needs to end. "Nobody has defined what essential travel is right now," he says. "But if people feel they can't get on the bus or the train, they won't go into towns and cities and that ensures the money is not being spent in those places. We have bought into the importance of mask-wearing in busy settings, so we should be encouraged to use transport." Morgenroth believes pandemic-related communication from this government has been poor. "If something seems stupid or makes no sense, people won't get behind it," he says. Communications consultant Johnny Fallon believes it is crucial that the Government improve its messaging over the next few months. "There has been too much confused messaging in recent times and that's very difficult for people to get behind because they don't know or understand what's being asked of them," he says. Read More Fallon, the strategy director of Carr Communications, says the "flatten the curve" message was simple and effective. "Everyone got behind it because it made sense - they could get behind the simple idea of what we needed to do and why we were doing it. And we trusted the people giving us the message. Now, it's all over the place. We don't know what the goal is. None of us have been told what happens when case numbers reach x amount per day." He says Micheal Martin missed an opportunity to speak directly to the nation as his predecessor had. "That boat might have sailed now," he says. "People might have been critical of Leo Varadkar's speeches, but they engaged with it. They took the message and ran with it." He adds: "I think clear communication is absolutely critical at this stage because you need the public to buy into it. The crucial thing is engagement. Where people feel its fact-based and evidence-based and coming from the right messenger, they're more than happy to get behind it." Fallon is sympathetic towards decision-makers at a time where so many are craving a return to normality. "It can be hard to get the balance right," he says. "There's been this feeling lately that they [health chiefs and the Government] are afraid of terrifying people with all these briefings and they thought, 'We should stop doing as many of these' and what that's done is take it out of the news agenda to a degree and make people wonder, 'Is this as important any more?' Is it as big a thing? We've no addresses from the Taoiseach'." Undoubtedly, the last six months have taken their toll on the mental health of many of us. And, as we face into winter - with events such as Christmas turned on their head by the pandemic - that strain is unlikely to lessen. Confused messaging Clinical psychologist Mark Smyth believes it is vital that we talk to friends about how we are feeling. "Internalising the worry is not the way to go," he says. "Talking it out with one good friend really helps. It makes us feel connected. And connection is so important right now. "It's a shame that the term 'social distancing' was used, rather than 'physical distancing'. It's really good for people to be social whether that's over the phone, on a Zoom call or meeting, but heeding physical distancing. What can help us through this difficult time is the acknowledgement that we are not alone." Like several other interviewees for this article, Smyth - who is president of the Psychological Society of Ireland - is critical of how confused the messaging about what we should do has been. "I do a lot of work with young people and they have had to take a lot of the brunt of the criticism," he says. "They're being told not to socialise and yet they pubs are being opened up. And that can be perceived as being unfair." Eilis Cullen, a mindfulness teacher and psychotherapist, acknowledges that six months into the 'new normal', many have suffered when it comes to their mental health. "But one thing that we have been able to look at is our resilience," she says. "We have got through this very tough time. And the idea that we're all in this together has really helped people. This virus was nobody's fault - it's something we're all experiencing, a common humanity." She believes that anyone who practices mindfulness can help steel themselves for challenges ahead. During the height of lockdown, she was running online sessions attended by 40 people. "Many of them had never done mindfulness before, but they reached out and stayed with it to some degree. It's all about finding resources in the here and now - for some it might be baking, for other swimming, or working on their relationships because they're at home. And people can find skills and resources that they didn't know they had." Cullen says living in the moment is one of the best defences against fear of an unknown future. "It's really good for us not just to cherish being in the moment, but to enjoy it. And this pandemic has given us an opportunity to pause our lives to a degree and to look at what's really important in our lives. That knowledge is a powerful thing." The Oshiwara police on Friday arrested a 26-year-old man for snatching a gold chain of a 59-year-old fishmonger. According to Oshiwara police, the incident occurred on September 8 at around 7am when Hansa Bhagat was on her way to Crawford market to buy fish. Bhagat told police that she used to visit Crawford Market every day in the morning to buy fish for the shop she ran at Marol in Andheri (East). On September 8, her son dropped her to the bus stop at Jogeshwari (West), and while she was walking in the queue to board the bus, two men on a motorcycle came from behind and snatched her gold chain. Dayanand Bangar senior inspector from Oshiwara police station said, Bhagat came to the police station on September 10 and lodged a complaint under section 392 (robbery) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code. Assistant police inspector Kiran Pawar and his team arrested the accused within 24 hours. An officer said, We scanned more than 30 CCTV cameras to identify the accused. We found the bike but the accused had tried to erase two digits from the number plate to escape detection. But while analysing the footage of MTNL junction, Goregaon, we found the missing numbers. Oshiwara police with the help of traffic department police found the bike owners address and a team reached Orlem, Malad (west) where the police found a 55-year-old man who told the team that his son uses his bike and stays with his girlfriend at Ambawadi, Malad (west). Police then arrested 26-year-old Vaibhav Gawli from Ambawadi, and is looking out for his accomplice. Zain Undergoes COVID-19 Test After Aftab Tests Positive Zain was quoted by TOI as saying, "We returned to Mumbai on Wednesday. The following day we learnt about Aftab testing positive for COVID-19 and immediately underwent tests. I hope it's negative. I am taking precautions, following home remedies and not stepping out. I had a few meetings lined up, which I have cancelled. I had to cancel a few meetings I had committed to, so that others are safe." Zain Tests Negative For Coronavirus The result of Zain's test was out last night. About the same, the actor said, "I have tested negative. However, as a precautionary measure, I am still not stepping out because preliminary COVID tests aren't always precise, because sometimes symptoms take time to develop. So, as a responsible citizen, I am not going out unnecessarily. Although I am absolutely fine, I will get the antibody test done in a few days." Zain Tests Negative For Coronavirus The result of Zain's test was out last night. About the same, the actor said, "I have tested negative. However, as a precautionary measure, I am still not stepping out because preliminary COVID tests aren't always precise, because sometimes symptoms take time to develop. So, as a responsible citizen, I am not going out unnecessarily. Although I am absolutely fine, I will get the antibody test done in a few days." Actor Hopes Aftab Gets Well Soon The actor said that he was anxious throughout and had informed his parents in Delhi, his hometown, after he tested negative as he didn't want them to panic. Zain added that his parents told him to avoid stepping out and keep having haldi-milk, kadha and take steam. The Naamkaran actor also had a special message for Aftab. He is glad that the actor is feeling fine. Zain added that they had good time shooting together and hopes that Aftab gets well soon and meets his family, especially his little princess. Himani Shivpuri Tests Positive For COVID-19 Also, Himani Shivpuri, who is currently doing Binaiferr and Sanjay Kohli's Happu Ki Ultan Paltan, has tested positive for Coronavirus. The actress took to social media to reveal the same. She said, "I have tested positive for COVID, anyone who has come in contact with me should get themselves tested." The terminally father who has been allowed a reprieve to say goodbye to his children on his death bed will not be able to hug them, relatives have revealed. Mark Keans, 39, from Brisbane, has terminal brain cancer and was facing the heartbreak of deciding which of his kids he would farewell. But following massive public pressure Queensland Health officials relented and will allow the children to visit him after they complete 14-day quarantine. However Mr Keans' father Bruce Langborne said the children will be forced to wear PPE and will not be able to hug their father goodbye. 'He's just going to see these masked-up little people. He's not really going to be able to interact with them and they can't interact with him and that's not really what he wants,' Mr Langborne said. Mark Keans - who has terminal cancer - is 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 Daily Mail Australia understands that a $1,000 donation from a 'Scott Morrison' is the prime minister himself The Marks Final Wish GoFundMe page had raised more than $231,000 as of Friday afternoon to help Brisbane man Mark Kean's children visit him in hospital. Donations to the family include $1000 from Prime Minister Scott Morrison to help pay for mandatory COVID-19 quarantine, predicted to cost the family between $16,000 and $20,000. Family friend Jamie O'Brien, who set up the fundraiser, said the leftover money would go towards helping other families divided by the border lockdown. 'As well as setting up the futures of the four children that Mark will leave behind,' Mr O'Brien said. Queensland recorded two new virus infections on Friday, bringing its active caseload to 28. One is a contact of an Ipswich Hospital health worker, the other linked to an outbreak at a corrections training facility south of Brisbane. The two ongoing clusters are believed to be connected to a pair of quarantine-dodging teens who contracted the virus after returning from Melbourne in June. Health authorities had earlier said only one of Mr Keans' four Sydney-based children - all of whom are under the age of 13 - could cross the border to see him one last time. Mr Keans was diagnosed a month ago with an inoperable cancer and is not expected to live until Christmas. Earlier, his family were told only one of his children would be given permission to cross into Queensland to see him in his final moments Queensland Health did not at first respond to multiple requests for an exemption from the truck driver's family, but have now told them they can drive into the state and pay for two weeks quarantine in a Brisbane hotel. The state's standard quarantine fees are $4,620 for two adults and two children. Costs will also include taxi transfer to visit the father at his home - where his family will be escorted by government staff and have to wear full personal protective equipment. 'My wife told the Queensland Health person 'this is ridiculous - its going to cost more to quarantine than it will to bury my son',' Mr Langborne told Daily Mail Australia. 'At least they spoke to us but we didn't get anywhere - this is only a suggestion as well and nothing has been confirmed yet.' Mr Langborne said his local member of parliament had been far more supportive of their situation - even offering to fly his son to New South Wales by air ambulance so he could be with his family. 'We understand and sympathise that this is a very difficult time and there are challenges,' a Queensland Health spokeswoman said. 'We are in the midst of a global pandemic and we need to protect our communities, especially the most vulnerable members of the community. 'We understand the health directions in place are strict, but they are designed to protect Queenslanders from COVID-19.' More than $215,000 was raised by Friday morning, despite organisers setting a fundraising goal of just $30,000. Pictured: Mr Keans and his children Mr Keans' fundraiser comes after Queensland health officials refused to allow Canberra woman Sarah Caisip, 26, out of hotel quarantine to attend her father's funeral in Brisbane. Annastacia Palaszczuk's government would only allow the nursing graduate to see her father's body in private after Mr Morrison called the under-fire premier to ask her to make an exception in the young woman's case. Taking to the floor of Queensland's state parliament later in the day, Ms Palaszczuk then sensationally accused Mr Morrison of bullying and intimidating her. Mr Morrison said late on Thursday evening he had raised more than 40 different compassionate grounds exemptions with the Queensland government. One case highlighted by federal authorities involved a mother and father who failed to get an application to enter Queensland resolved in time to be with their son before his life support machine was switched off after a series of strokes. Sarah Caisip is pictured with her father Bernard Prendergast, 11-year-old sister Isobel Prendergast and mother Myrna Prendergast. The 26-year-old was denied a quarantine exemption from the Queensland government to attend her father's funeral in Brisbane on Thursday Jayne Brown, 60, spent two weeks confined to a tiny hotel room in Brisbane following the surgery by renowned neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo - who removed two large tumours on her brain. The grandmother-of-seven requested an exemption from hotel quarantine to self-isolate at home on the Sunshine Coast, but was rejected twice. She blasted the Queensland premier, who allowed 400 AFL players and officials from coronavirus-riddled Victoria to enter the state last Tuesday night. 'I don't understand it, mind-blowing,' Ms Brown told Nine News last week. Meanwhile, a young mother with a newborn baby has been left in limbo over when she will next be reunited with her mine worker husband due to Queensland's strict border restrictions. India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist India logs over 3.17 lakh new Covid cases in last 24 hours; daily positivity rate up at 16.41 per cent Afghanistan's soil should never be used for anti-India activity: Jaishankar India oi-Briti Roy Barman New Delhi, Sep 12: Addressing the conference on Afghan peace negotiations in Doha virtually, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar stated, "Our expectation is that the soil of Afghanistan should never be used for any anti-India activities." Jaishankar added, "The friendship of our people is a testimony to our history with Afghanistan." Jaishankar said the peace process "must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled." "Addressed the conference on Afghan peace negotiations at Doha today. Conveyed that the peace process must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled, respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, promote human rights and democracy, ensure interest of minorities, women and the vulnerable, effectively address violence across the country," Jaishankar tweeted. "The friendship of our peoples is a testimony to our history with Afghanistan. No part of Afghanistan is untouched by our 400-plus development projects. Confident that this civilizational relationship will continue to grow," he added. India had attended the signing of the US-Taliban pact on February 29. At that point, Indian ambassador to Qatar P Kumaran had witnessed the event. But this time, a top Indian official has flown down to Doha and the Foreign minister is joining in virtually. This is a significant move, given India's reticence in acknowledging power-sharing arrangements in Kabul. Earlier this week, Jaishankar had visited Iran and had discussed the situation in Afghanistan. Two days after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his counterpart in Iran, the External Affairs Minister had on Tuesday flown to Tehran and met Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and discussed the Chabahar port project and the situation in Afghanistan. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 12, 2020, 16:17 [IST] Education Ministry aims to recruit native English teachers THAILAND: The Education Ministry plans to recruit 10,000 native English-speaking teachers to improve Thai students proficiency in the language as soon as the situation is safe to do so. By Bangkok Post Saturday 12 September 2020, 09:07AM Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan, left, talks to Usa Somboon, headmistress of International School Bangkok yesterday (Sept 11). Photo: Somchai Poomlard. Speaking at a meeting held by the International Schools Association of Thailand yesterday (Sept 11), Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan said he has asked the embassies of several English-speaking countries to find teachers who can teach English and other subjects in the language to Thai students, as part of government-to-government cooperation programmes. A large number of native English-speaking teachers are necessary as we are working on upgrading the education system. One of the countries we are talking to is Canada which sends many teachers to Japan, Mr Nataphol said. He said there are 7,000 foreign teachers in Thai schools, but this is not enough, adding another 10,000 are required. He said the cabinet has earmarked funds for their recruitment. Ideally, this should have started already, but due to the pandemic its been delayed. As soon as the situation is safe and secure enough, we will invite foreign teachers here, he said. The aim is to improve students proficiency in English, boost their confidence and equip them to seek further knowledge, Mr Nataphol said, adding Thai teachers will also be able to learn and benefit from native English speakers. The minister said he has also come up with a plan to upgrade English-language lessons from kindergarten to high school levels. However, the initial stage of the project will focus on early childhood education and vocational education first. The best time to learn a new language is from soon after birth to the age of seven. It is easier for young children to learn a second language. For vocational students, its also important to boost their English proficiency as Thailand has set a target to be an investment hub for foreign investors, Mr Nataphol said. Mr Nataphol added foreign teachers must have some professional training to qualify for the job, adding that a language teaching certificate is preferred. Apart from improving students proficiency in the English language, Mr Nataphol said the ministry also has plans to recruit 10,000 native Chinese-speaking teachers to teach Chinese to Thai students. The cabinet has earmarked funds for this plan as well. Chinese is also one of the most important languages to learn. With China emerging as a global power, it is becoming increasingly more important for our future workforce to know the language, he said. The minister said he has set a target to cut the number of state schools nationwide by half to 15,000 by merging small schools with few pupils and poor standards with higher-quality schools nearby. He said by doing so the ministry will be able to combine personnel and resources, upgrade teaching standards and narrow the quality gap. He added the ministry will also revamp its curricula to equip students with skills for the 21st century by applying approaches used by international schools. Kick-Ass, Under The Skin, Hacksaw Ridge. Take your pick from raucous comedies, mind bending crime thrills, heartfelt Japanese dramas and skin crawling Scottish horrors as TopFilmTip brings you the best films on TV for Saturday, 12 September. Some films may require a Sky subscription. Tantalised at prospect of maliciously manipulating and torturing innocent teen, villain's psychopath friend quits toxic waste empire to brutalise boy The Karate Kid Part III 11:45am Dave Daughter of neglectful cheese chomper aids bug eating boy's fiendish friends in delightfully dark, grotesque comedy The Boxtrolls 1:05pm Film4 Duped into indentured servitude by waxy drunk, bullied poor kid wins girl's heart by publicly face kicking pretty-boy The Karate Kid 2:00pm 5 Star Feeling they Should Have Been Loved soldiers walk 500 Miles to Edinburgh to find a Misty Blue Sky Takes The Soul Sunshine on Leith 2:55pm Film4 Fearless farm-boy fights grotesque gargantua in chump chomping, Ewan McGregor cooking grisly castle sieging fun Jack the Giant Slayer 4:35pm 5 Star Despicable Me 3: Meet Gru's long lost twin in new trailer Escaping fog of existential ennui, ex-villain discovers ex-twin and endeavours to extract extraordinary gem from 80s ex-child star with help of ex-con compares Despicable Me 3 5:00pm ITV2 David Leans classic PoW epic regarding duty, principles, morale and obsession. Alec Guinness stars in The Bridge on the River Kwai 4:40pm Paramount Network Sick of sardines, inventor accidentally initiates culinary catastrophe in intelligently hilarious fun Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 7:00pm SyFy Vegetarian predator helps gambling addicted sea creature single the fishy-mob in undersea kids coming-out allegory Shark Tale 7:10pm E4 BURT REYNOLDS, SALLY FIELD in Smokey and The Bandit. (Photo by FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images) Southern drawler and bridal hitchhiker bait racist wife punching sheriff for reasons: jumps, bumps and stunts in plot-less 90 min car chase and guilty pleasure Smokey and the Bandit 8:00pm ITV4 Improvising and verbose favour finagler pursues bearer bonding drug smugglers round LA in banana sabotaging 80s gem Beverly Hills Cop 9:00pm Sky 1 Story continues Nic Cage and John Travolta try to out-crazy each other in preposterously plotted, fantastically fun John Woo action film Face/Off 9:00pm Sony Movies Despondent with affluenza and ennui, callow African prince seeks woman of worth in unforgiving New-York neighbourhood in astute fish-out-of-water comedy Coming to America 9:00pm COMEDY CENTRAL Accidentally heroic, monologuing journal junky frontiersman befriends Sioux in sweeping ballad of mutual respect Dances With Wolves 9:00pm Paramount Network Badass slob and FBI snob partner up for misogynist mocking, drug dealer dropping, drunk dancing, odd coupling cop comedy The Heat 9:00pm Film 4 From left to right, actors Daryl Mitchell, Sam Rockwell, Jed Rees, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub and Sigourney Weaver in a scene from the film 'Galaxy Quest', 1999. (Photo by Murray Close/Getty Images) Burnt out lacklustre hacks discover they are more than fan fodder in wry, genre nodding, sexy SciFi comedy perfection Galaxy Quest 9:00pm 5 Star Brutalised tattoo-oholic seeks confused vengeance in Christopher Nolans beer spitting, polaroid addicted, narrative masterpiece Memento 9:45pm BBC Two Conscientious objector bears courage of his convictions to serve in Army, unarmed and under fire in powerful true tale Hacksaw Ridge 10:45pm ITV1 Mysteriously causing deaths of those immediately around him, amnesiac seeks enigmatic answers: uncommon, off-kilter curio Radius 10:55pm Horror Channel Pain proof hero and tween assassin battle brutal gangsters in baton battering, child punching, ultraviolence reveling fun Kick-Ass 11:00pm Sky 1 Kevin Bacon, Denise Richards, Neve Campbell and Matt Dillon in publicity portrait for the film 'Wild Things', 1998. (Photo by Columbia Pictures/Getty Images) Cop Kevin Bacon becomes embroiled in elaborate and twisted web of blackmail and murder in seductive threesome thriller Wild Things 11:10pm 5 Star Elvis hallucinater and ex-prostitute go on run in Tarantinos cameo fueled delectably dialogued Pulp Fiction preamble True Romance 11:45pm Sony Movies A neurosurgeons account of a murder starts to revel a more sinister scheme in old school mystery The Upturned Glass 11:50pm Talking Pictures Defunct author struggles to forge permanent place in his son's life until unexpected typhoon offers opportunity to rekindle their love in endearing drama After the Storm 00:35am BBC Two Train traveller Emily Mortimer slips further into murky misadventure of murder and smuggling in icy psychological thriller Transsiberian 00:50am Sony Movies Action Alien succubus's duty to harvest Scottish men for viscera causes existential crisis in beautifully unnerving horror Under the Skin 00:55am 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 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 Advertisement Two powerful columns of light are beaming into the sky from Lower Manhattan this evening to represent the fallen twin towers of the World Trade Center that was attacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001. The coronavirus pandemic meant there were alterations to usual ceremonies that are traditionally held on the tragic date. In New York, the annual tribute was almost cancelled after the 9/11 Memorial and Museum said there was a virus risk to the installation crew until the uproar restored the tribute. 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. The Fire Department cited the virus in urging members to skip observances of the 2001 attacks that killed 2,977 people, among them almost 350 firefighters. Scroll down for video The Tribute in Light shines into the sky over Manhattan in New York to mark the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks The beams of light shine high into the night sky above one of the massive pools that sit in the 'footprints' of the original towers The Statue of Liberty is seen as the Tribute in Light shines in downtown Manhattan to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum The Tribute in Light as seen from Brooklyn with the Brooklyn Bridge in the foreground and the reflections of the East River Tribute in Light, two vertical columns of light representing the fallen towers of the World Trade Center shine against the lower Manhattan skyline, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey 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 year it is especially important that we all appreciate and commemorate 9/11, the lives lost, and the heroism displayed as New Yorkers are once again called upon to face a common enemy,' Cuomo said in a statement. 'I understand the museum's concern for health and safety, and appreciate their reconsideration. The state will provide health personnel to supervise to make sure the event is held safely while at the same time properly honoring 9/11. We will never forget.' The National September 11 Memorial & Museum's annual Tribute in Light was initially cancelled this year due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo reversed this decision, announcing that the state will provide health personnel and supervision to maintain the light installation The Statue of Liberty and One World Trade Center are seen as the Tribute in Light shines in downtown Manhattan Roses are seen on the 9/11 Memorial as the Tribute in Light art installation shines into the sky over Manhattan on Friday night New York Fire Department (FDNY) firefighters stand on their truck outside the 9/11 Memorial as the Tribute in Light art installation shines into the sky over Manhattan 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 also cancelled its tradition of having relatives read the names of the dead aloud and instead offered a recording to those gathered at the World Trade Center site. According to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the twin beams of light are made up of 88 7,000-watt xenon lightbulbs that are positioned into two 48-foot squares echoing the shape and orientation of the Twin Tower. The lights extend four miles into the sky, and can be viewed from a 60-mile radius around Lower Manhattan. The Tribute in Light lit up at dusk on Friday, and will light up the sky overnight until dawn on Saturday. The steal and glass towers of the financial hub of lower Manhattan are seen, dwarfed by the soaring beams of the Tribute in Light A white rose is seen on the 9/11 Memorial as the Tribute in Light art installation shines into the night sky The buildings of lower Manhattan are all aglow with the Tribute in Light towering above the city's iconic skyline Another view of the moving tribute as seen from the Brooklyn side of the East River, looking across at downtown Manhattan The Tribute in Light is pictures as seen from the New York borough of Queens Lady Liberty is pictures holding her golden torch directly in the center of the two powerful beams of light as part of the tribute People take time to view the tribute on the 19th anniversary of the attacks, as seen from Jersey City across the Hudson River 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. Zayed said volunteers will receive two injections, 21 days apart, and will be monitored over the year Some 6,000 people in Egypt will participate in phase 3 clinical trials of two Chinese coronavirus vaccines, a statement by the Health Ministry cited Minister Hala Zayed as saying, as part of an international effort to determine the effectiveness of the vaccine. Zayed said on Friday in remarks to the media that the two vaccines belong to a leading Chinese company in the field of vaccine manufacturing, but did not name the company. According to the statement, the trials have been carried out in three other countries: Bahrain, the UAE and Jordan. Zayed said volunteers will receive two injections, 21 days apart, and will be monitored over the year. Volunteers take a PCR test to make sure they have not been infected with the virus, Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said in the statement. Zayed said a national committee has been formed to supervise the clinical research. The committee will be headed by Mohamed Hassani, assistant health minister for public health initiatives, and will include professors at the ministry, the health services in the countrys Armed Forces, as well as the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Ministry of Justice and the Egyptian Drug Authority. Phase 3 involves testing the efficacy and safety of the vaccine before it is licensed, and involves several thousands of volunteers. Chinese state-owned bio-pharm company Sinopharm, through its China National Biotec Group (CNBG) unit, has two inactivated vaccines. In July, Abu Dhabi-based G42 Healthcare and Sinopharm initiated phase 3 trials in the UAE, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. A month later, the Bahraini Health Ministry said Sinopharm started phase 3 trials. Also, phase 3 trials by Sinopharms CNBG have started in Morocco, Peru and Argentina. CNBG trials are expected to include around 10 countries, with 50,000 people participating, CNBG vice president Zhang Yuntao said, adding that the unit is expected to produce 300 million doses of the vaccine annually, and may be able to raise production capacity to 1 billion doses. In July, Zayed said that Egypt had secured 30 million doses of a promising British vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish company specialised in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical fields. In September, however, she said final clinical trials were halted after a participant in the United Kingdom showed indications of an adverse reaction. The Oxford vaccine is still subject to trials, but it has reached advanced stages in many countries and has reached the last phase of trials in Brazil. In July, Egypt was selected by China to serve as a future African hub for manufacturing a coronavirus vaccine if one is developed by Beijing, the Egyptian health ministry said following a meeting with Chinas Ambassador Liao Liqiang. Egypt has so far reported 100,708 coronavirus cases and 5,607 deaths. Search Keywords: Short link: She's a former Apprentice star known for flaunting her incredible physique. And Luisa Zissman was at it again on Friday night as she was spotted arriving at a five-star hotel in Mayfair, London. The entrepreneur, 33, displayed her toned figure in a plunging beige knitted vest top which she teamed with ripped denim jeans. Night out: Luisa Zissman was spotted arriving at a five-star hotel in Mayfair, London, on Friday night Luisa finished her low-key look with metallic trainers and sparkly silver jewellery for her night on the town. The former Apprentice star styled her brunette locks into a curly blow-dried hairdo and added a slick of glamorous make-up. Later in the night, Luisa took to her Instagram to document her fun evening out which included espresso martinis. The star changed into a plunging floral green dress with long sleeves which highlighted her ample assets. Low-key: The entrepreneur, 33, displayed her toned figure in a plunging beige knitted vest top which she teamed with ripped denim jeans In June, Luisa shared a throwback picture of the wedding dress she wore for her legal ceremony in Dublin to husband Andrew Collins five years ago. Luisa took to Instagram to post the snap, in celebration of their wedding anniversary, showing off her short tiered gown she wore on the day. The wedding was an intimate affair and they had a second ceremony in Cannes a month later, with Luisa wearing the short dress again for her evening reception. Wow: Later in the night, she changed into a plunging floral green dress with long sleeves which highlighted her ample assets Fun! Luisa took to her Instagram to document her fun evening out which included espresso martinis Luisa wore a diamante tiara and lace veil for her Dublin wedding and wore light-coloured shoes with a strap detail. She wrote: '5yrs ago today we got married in a little church in Dublin with just our families there .' Luisa and Andrew first laid eyes on each other when the Irish millionaire bid on her at a charity auction, where they raised over 3,000 for charity. She began dating Andrew shortly after her marriage to Oliver Zissman broke down and he popped the question in October 2014 on a romantic trip to Paris. He gave her an eight-carat diamond ring during an intimate candlelit dinner with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Luisa is mother to Dixie, 10, with her ex-husband Oliver and Indigo Esme, three, and Clementine, two, with Andrew. Trumps campaign targets the first Black, Asian American woman to run for vice president as nasty and radical. Donald Trump barely mentioned Tim Kaine when he was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2016. But four years later, the president has plenty to say about Kamala Harris. Trump said this week that nobody likes Harris, feeding into a standard of likability that is applied to women in leadership far more often than men. He told voters in North Carolina it would be an insult to our country if Harris became the first female president. And Trump and his allies repeatedly mispronounce Harriss first name, a pattern her supporters said amounts to a deliberate effort to portray the daughter of immigrants as someone who does not belong at the top ranks of politics. Trump is focusing on Harris as he has struggled to land on a consistent, coherent attack against Biden, who has built a reputation as a bipartisan deal-maker rather than a progressive ideologue. The racism and sexism underlying Trumps critique of the first Black woman and person of Asian descent on a major party ticket are part of an aggressive strategy to appeal to white suburban voters. US President Donald Trump waves after returning to Washington from a campaign trip to North Carolina where he mocked Kamala Harris for her Sanskrit first name, given to her by her mother who was an Indian immigrant. [Leah Millis/Reuters] Its hard to see that as not somehow tied to what you view as our country, said Kelly Dittmar, director of research and a scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics at the Eagleton Institute of Politics. For her part, Harris has been sharp in her criticism of Trump, but has largely limited her comments to the presidents job performance. Campaigning in Miami on Thursday, she called Trump reckless for downplaying the potential toll of the coronavirus while privately describing it as deadly stuff. Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the Trump campaign, made clear that Biden, not Harris, would remain their main focus. But he leaned into the argument that Harris was one of the radical forces now steering the nominee. Kamala Harris and her voting record helps make the case against Joe Biden, Murtaugh said. The strategy could be risky for Trump. Black voters already overwhelmingly support Biden and sustained criticism of Harris could raise their enthusiasm to show up in November, potentially swaying the election in states such as North Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan. A Harris spokeswoman declined to comment on Trumps latest attacks. It is unusual for an incumbent president to attack their opponents running mate. Doing so would typically be seen as punching down. More fundamentally, the effort to characterise Harris as a radical liberal does not fit her record. Harris has never been embraced by some elements of the progressive left due to her background as a California prosecutor and attorney general. When she joined the ticket in August, Republicans called her both an overzealous prosecutor trying to hide her crime-fighting past and someone who was soft on crime. Like Biden, Harris has staked out relatively moderate stances during the course of her career on issues such as healthcare and law enforcement. She co-sponsored Senator Bernie Sanders Medicare for All proposal in the Senate, which the Trump campaign points to as evidence of her liberal voting record, but moderated her stance during her own presidential bid. And without a clear message, Trump has reverted to his usual playbook, resorting to sexist and racist attacks. You know whos further left than Crazy Bernie? Kamala. Kamala. Kamala, Trump said, mispronouncing and stretching out each syllable of her name each time he said it in North Carolina. The repeated mispronunciation of Harriss first name, which several Trump allies have mimicked, seemed deliberately racist and akin to the presidents habit of referring to his predecessor as Barack Hussein Obama and recalling Trumps false claim that Obama was ineligible to serve office. Trump has long relied on similar smears against female foes, particularly women of colour, demeaning them, questioning their patriotism or calling them nasty or angry. In an excerpt released Wednesday from Bob Woodwards new book, Rage, while reviewing coverage of his State of the Union address, pointed to calm or otherwise expressionless shots of Harris and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during his speech, reportedly exclaiming, Hate! See the hate! See the hate! Hes also called Harris nasty for her questioning of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings. Though Harris is not at the top of the ticket, running mates can help shape how voters perceive the presidential candidate, said Christopher Devine, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Dayton, who has written a book on presidential running mates. By elevating and trying to define Harris, the Trump campaign is trying to change how voters view Biden, Devine said. Clearly, [Trump] doesnt feel like he can demonise Joe Biden very effectively, Devine said. So theyve been making this argument that hes going to be a Trojan horse, a vehicle for elements of the far left to take over and so, theyre trying to fit Kamala Harris into this slot. Nineteen years after the September 11 terror attacks in the United States led to a bloody conflict that ravaged Afghanistan and killed tens of thousands of people, talks designed to bring peace to the country are getting under way. Afghan government officials, Taliban extremists, and U.S. officials are in the Qatari capital, Doha, for the negotiations that opened on September 12 with an inauguration ceremony. The long-warring parties "must make the decisive decision in line with the current challenges and rise above all form of division... by reaching an agreement on the basis of no victor and no vanquished," Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said. "I can tell you with confidence that the history of our country will remember today as the end of the war and suffering of our people," said Abdullah Abdullah, an Afghan former minister who is heading Kabul's negotiating team. "My delegation are in Doha representing a political system that is supported by millions of men and women from a diversity of cultural, social, and ethnic backgrounds in our homeland," he added. Speaking at the ceremony, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the start of the talks was a "momentous occasion." Each of you carry a great responsibility, Pompeo told the participants. You have an opportunity to overcome your divisions." Taliban leader Mullah Baradar Akhund said that Afghanistan should "have an Islamic system in which all tribes and ethnicities of the country find themselves without any discrimination and live their lives in love and brotherhood. "Negotiations may have problems but should move forward with patience," he said. Washington helped broker the on-and-off peace talks in Qatar, where the Taliban has a representative office. Analysts said that, although getting both sides to the negotiating table was a major achievement, this does not mean the path to peace will be easy, especially with violence increasing around the country. "Nothing should prevent a cease-fire being accepted and implemented by both parties," Josep Borrell, the high representative for foreign affairs of the European Union, told the Doha meeting via video link. 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. Talks in Doha are expected to tackle tough issues, including a permanent cease-fire, the rights of women and minorities, and the disarming of tens of thousands of Taliban fighters and militias loyal to warlords, some of them aligned with the government. Constitutional changes, power sharing, and even the name of the country and the flag are expected to be on the agenda as well. Among the government-appointed negotiators are four women, who vowed to preserve women's rights in any power-sharing deal with the hard-line Taliban. This includes the right to work, education, and participation in political life, which were all denied to women when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan for five years. No women are on the Taliban's negotiation team 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 Afghanistan. The Taliban has said it accepted a woman's right to work, go to school and participate in politics but would not accept a female president or chief justice. Deeply conservative members of the government-named High Council for National Reconciliation, which is overseeing the talks, also hold that women can not serve in either post. In his remarks at the September 12 ceremony in Doha, Pompeo encouraged the negotiators to respect Afghanistans rich diversity, including women and ethnic and religious minorities. He said that, while it was up to the Afghans to decide what kind of political system they wanted, the United States had found that democracy and rotation of political power works best. I can only urge these actions. You will write the next chapter of Afghan history, he said. Many people in Afghanistan fear a return of the Taliban as part of a governing arrangement. The extremist group was accused of human rights violations and abuse of women during its years of rule, which ended when U.S. forces invaded and drove the extremists from power in 2001. The Taliban controlled Afghanistan at the time and harbored Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the attacks. Since being driven from power, the extremists have regrouped and have been waging an insurgency. They now control large swaths of territory. The American-led coalition now mainly trains and advises Afghan troops and conducts counterterrorism actions. The deal foresees the gradual withdrawal of all international forces in exchange for the Taliban's renunciation of terrorism. More than 2,300 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001. With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan, Reuters and dpa Several Nigerian students studying in the UK universities under the sponsorship of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) said they are still stranded abroad, despite the commissions claim that it has remitted money for their tuition and stipend. The NDDC said in August that it has released over $5.9 million (about N2.28 billion) to 197 students who are of the 2019 batch on its scholarship programme. The commission said it had also begun the processes for the payment of school fees owed 94 scholarship beneficiaries for the 2018 batch. But some of the students the 2018 batch have come out to say that the NDDC deliberately excluded them from the payment. The NDDC selectively handpicked those it paid without any defined criteria and is refusing to pay fees, grants, and upkeep of 2018 scholars for no justifiable reason whatsoever, the students said in a statement they forwarded on Saturday to PREMIUM TIMES. This came as a rude shock to us because historically, the NDDC had always paid the fees and upkeep of scholars in the order in which they were incurred, that is, from the earliest to the latest, the statement added. The students said their exclusion may have been to punish them for protesting against the delay in the release of funds for the scholarship. The students refused to disclose their names for fear of further victimisation. They said there were at least 316 of them whose tuition fees and stipends were unpaid before the latest release of funds by NDDC, and, therefore, there are over 100 of them who were yet to receive funding for the scholarship. The full names, local and foreign addresses, local and foreign phone numbers, school email addresses, local and foreign bank accounts, admission letters, and data page of the international passport of all these over 316 scholars are all available on the NDDC scholarship portal accessible by the NDDC and its management. It is not true that NDDC has paid all its scholars because as of date, the NDDC has not made payments to any of the outstanding scholars from the 2018 scholarship cohort (amongst which are masters and PhD Scholars), the statement said. The claim by the NDDC that the IMC intends to travel to the United Kingdom to verify the scholars is manifestly untrue and is another attempt at hoodwinking the scholars and the general public. We wish to state that the 2018 scholars have been twice verified by the NDDC: firstly, under the administration of Professor Brambaifa-led management and then under the Interim Management. The students appealed to the NDDC management to remit the money for their scholarship in order to save them from further hardship and humiliation. The NDDC management said on Friday, without substantiating it, that the students were hirelings masquerading as the Commissions scholars. A statement by the NDDC spokesperson, Charles Odili said the students were part of powerful individuals who are part of the systemic corruption uncovered by the commissions interim management. In 2018, the Commission paid a total of $900,000.00 (Nine hundred Thousand Dollars) only to cover the Commissions obligations to its scholars. In 2019, the amount paid rose to a total of $3.5million (Three million, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) only. Recently, the IMC paid out a total of $5.99m (Five Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety Thousand Dollars) to cover all the verified obligations to our scholars. Now, there is a demand for an additional payment of $3million (Three Million Dollars), bringing the total to an alarming $9million (Nine Million Dollars), Mr Odili said in the statement. He added, Some of the important questions everyone must ask are: why is the amount paid to cover our obligations to this foreign scholarship programme rising astronomically? Where are all these demands coming from? What do they cover? PREMIUM TIMES interviewed five of the affected students via zoom on Friday. They expressed shock over NDDCs action. ALSO READ: We have tried everything, we have reached out to the NDDC and the Nigerian authorities, we have protested. We dont know what else to do, one of the students told PREMIUM TIMES during the interview. It is more painful that NDDC could come out to disown us, another student said. We are here in a foreign land and we have the door shut against us by our own people, the very people who sent us here to study. Advertisements NDDC was set up in 2000 by the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo to fast-track development in Nigerias Niger Delta region. The region, 20 years after, still remains backwards in terms of infrastructure and standard of living, despite the huge amount of money made from oil-exploitation in the area. The commission, with several of its abandoned projects littered around the region, has been involved in corruption scandals which led to its recent probe by the National Assembly. Propane gas burns at a home on Zink Road destroyed in the North Complex fire on Friday in Butte County, north of San Francisco. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) Earlier this week, the North Complex fire was a dying giant that was more than half-contained, not the monster it would become. Firefighters thought a river, one crew of firefighters and one incomplete line of bare earth might keep the Northern California fire from racing toward communities like Berry Creek, officials said. At the time, firefighters said they had few options, so everyone hoped for the best. Then the fire exploded, traveling with astounding speed into Butte County mountain communities, killing at least 12 people with more than 20 still missing, and destroying hundreds of structures. When the winds came, the firefighters were quickly overwhelmed. There are troubling parallels between this fire and the fast-moving inferno that burned down much of Paradise two years ago, killing more than 80. Like the Camp fire in 2018, which jumped the Feather Rivers north fork and charged into Paradise in 2018, powerful wind gusts of up to 50 mph carried embers from a wildfire over the Feather River, this time east over its scenic middle fork, and into the brittle conifer crowns on the other side, south of Last Chance Creek. There, the winds were funneled parallel to the steep canyon walls, creating a blowtorch-like effect that blasted the burgeoning spot fire into an untamable beast that crews were helpless to stop as it raced toward several Butte County hamlets. In both cases, some residents said they did not receive warnings to evacuate and ultimately chose to stay or were unable to leave. There were also differences. The Camp Fire burned into Paradise just hours after being sparked by power equipment. Its path sent it straight into a city of more than 20,000 residents. The North Complex fire burned for some time in remote forest land before making its run. The path sent it into a more rural, less densely populated area of Butte County. The North Complex spot fire became a crown fire, the most intense type of forest fire there is because of a combination of its unpredictable behavior, extreme heat and speed. All crews can do is get out of its way as it scorches trees and plants in its path from top to bottom, leaving woody skeletons in its wake. The spot fire was located about 10 a.m. Tuesday and was 500 acres by 10:30 a.m. and 1,000 acres soon after, said fire public information officer Sean Collins. Story continues Firefighters conduct a back burn operation along CA-168 during the Creek Fire as it approaches the Shaver Lake Marina. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) Firefighters had been banking on the weather continuing to work in their favor the day the fire exploded back to life after jumping the water at a horseshoe bend. For weeks, the North Complex fire had trudged along as three separate fires, then two as one went out on its own. The twin blazes for days slowly crawled toward each other in the wilderness along the river as a heavy layer of smoke kept the fires activity low and firefighters exploited the opportunity to shore up defenses on its northern, southern and western flanks. But a part of the fires eastern flank nearest the river was an open question. Although the smoke had kept the fire down, it was having the same effect on aircraft, eliminating the chance to cake the area in retardant or attack hot spots with water-dropping helicopters. Firefighters relied on drones with infrared cameras to pinpoint where the flames were going. On Tuesday, an operations sections chief on the fire, Jake Cagle, laid out how tenuous the situation was on Facebook during the fires morning update. The video was posted online at 10:02 a.m., after the fire had already jumped the river. An overturned car on Bald Rock Rd. in the aftermath of the Bear fire. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) Much of the eastern side was contained but there was a chunk of the fire that was still burning hot and backing down the hills toward the river, a phrase for when a fire is slowly going downhill rather than racing quickly uphill. No issues through there that we see, Cagle said, before noting that should the fire jump the river, there was a Canadian crew on the other side to monitor it. The map also showed a distant contingency line, some earth scraped bare as a last line of defense to stop a ground fire. But Cagle also hinted at firefighters lack of options, should things go sour. Were expecting 45 mph gusts down those canyons, so if something were to establish, we have to look at the safety of our resources so the plan here is to not get too committed, because this is extremely steep, he told viewers. If its something they can pick up with air assets and utilize those air assets, we will. A charred mailbox in the the North Complex fire in Brush Creek. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) But, he continued, Air assets after 30 mph winds, its unsafe to fly those aircraft. So if we are getting 45 mph out here, we may not be able to utilize those aircraft. So well see how that goes today. Fire behavior analysts, he said, dont see the huge potential for it to come out of here. They were wrong. Collins elaborated on firefighters thinking going into that Tuesday morning. Pretty much the river was being used as a break, Collins said. The smoke, potential winds, we just wanted to leave the fire to come down, as it were, prior to the wind shift... the fire conditions in the area were looking favorable, and all the effort was being utilized on the areas that we could get to and protecting the towns of Quincy, Bucks Lake, Haskins Valley and Meadow Valley. Melted goggles on the ground alongside a burned out camp crew truck on Stringtown Rd. in Oroville. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) Ultimately, the Canadian crew were helpless to stop the fire once it jumped the river and it easily passed the only unfinished contingency line set up to hold it back from Berry Creek and nearby towns. As the crowns burn, all those pine needles are forced in front of the fire, causing further spot fires in front of the fire and they kind of simultaneously grow together and continue that flaming front, Collins said. That afternoon, just as evacuations were underway in Berry Creek, firefighters posted an update with a much more urgent message. "About 10 a.m., it did come across the middle fork and with 45 mph [winds] it got into the crowns, it's still making a crown run," Cagle told viewers. "About every 30 minutes, it's burning a 1,000-acre run... we're projecting this is going to hit Oroville. Check those websites and please if you're in that area to be evacuated... it makes it easier for us to do our job if you listen to those evacuations." Incident records and interviews by The Times found that the protection of those in harms way was hindered by evacuation orders that came by surprise, went unheeded and were impaired by a power outage. Pacific Gas & Electric shut down its community resource center in Berry Creek about 2:30 p.m. because of the incoming fire, about an hour before residents there were told to leave. Trinity River Conservation Camp crews work to mop up on Stringtown Rd in Oroville. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) We did the best job that we could, given the resources and time that we have, said Butte County Sheriff-Coroner Kory Honea, who has the grim job of overseeing the search for bodies. That said, as I have said many, many times before, there is no way to guarantee 100% saturation of your message, he added. Theres no way to guarantee perfection. Its particularly difficult when were dealing with communities in remote and rural areas that are hard to get to and sometimes have spotty coverage. Times staff writer Paige St. John contributed to this report from Butte County. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren met Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad in Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi Saturday and said they will fight Bihar polls together. IMAGE: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren comes out from the director's Bungalow of Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) after meeting RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, in Ranchi, on Saturday. Photograph: ANI Photo Soren spent more than an hour with Prasad at RIMS Director's bungalow, where the RJD leader is staying. Coming out of the RIMS, Soren told reporters, 'we will fight Bihar elections together'. He said the former Bihar chief minister's health is better now. RJD is a partner in the coalition government headed by Soren in Jharkhand. Besides Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, the Congress is also part of the government in the state. Asked on how many seats the JMM will field its candidates in Bihar where polls are due in October-November, Soren said 'wait for some more time to know who will enter the poll fray from where'. It may be noted that JMM had recently demanded 12 seats in Bihar under Grand Alliance. But, the RJD which heads the opposition grouping there, had indicated that it would spare not more than 2-3 seats to the Jharkhand based regional party. The Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Bihar consists of RJD, Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party of former union minister Upendra Kushwaha and Vikassheel Insaan Party of Bollywood set designer Mukesh Sahni. The RJD supremo who is convicted in four cases of multi crore rupees fodder scam in Bihar is lodged in jail in Ranchi. On health ground he was shifted to RIMS. Recently in the wake of his attendants testing positive, Prasad was moved to the Director's bungalow from the private ward of the state-run hospital. Archbishop Gallagher, the Vaticans Secretary for Relations with States, is visiting Belarus's capital, Minsk, to demonstrate Pope Francis's closeness. By Vatican News Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, according to a statement from the Holy See Press Office released on Friday evening, has arrived in Minsk to show the attention and closeness of the Holy Father to the Catholic Church and the whole country. Belarus has seen weeks of tension as opposition parties contest and question President Lukashenkos victory in recent elections. Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vaticans Secretary for Relations with States, is due to meet with civil authorities and those responsible for the Catholic Church. The Pope's wishes for Belarus Pope Francis turned his thoughts to Belarus when addressing the faithful gathered for his Sunday Angelus on 16 August. The Pope dwelt, in particular, on the political and social realities the country is currently facing, entrusting its people to the Virgin Mary. My thoughts also go to the dear [country of] Belarus, the Pope said. I am following attentively the post-electoral situation in that country. Pope Francis called for dialogue, the rejection of violence, respect for justice and rights in Belarus as mass protests continued to take place. The following 18 August, as the situation in the country became increasingly complicated, the Executive Committee of Justice and Peace Europe invited all Christians to unite in the recitation of the Lords Prayer for the Belarusian people, so that truth, justice and peace may prevail. Demonstrations continue Meanwhile, demonstrations continue and on Sunday thousands of people are expected to take to the streets of Minsk again. This march, the opposition leaders say, will be dedicated to Maria Kolesnikova, the protest leader who was recently arrested. On Monday, President Lukashenko is planning to travel to Sochi, Russia, to meet with Russian President, Vladimir Putin. Archbishop Kondrusiewicz banned from returning to Belarus It is unlikely that Archbishop Gallagher will be able to meet the Archbishop of Minsk, Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz. The Archbishop of Minsk travelled to Poland for celebrations in honour of Our Lady of Czestochowa at the end of August. He has been unable to return to Belarus because of a prohibition issued by the Belarusian authorities against the prelate. In a statement, Archbishop Kondrusiewicz wrote that under the conditions of the current socio-political crisis in our homeland, "I continue to call for dialogue and reconciliation. He added that his desire is that the unjustified and illegal decision of the border service not aggravate the tension in our homeland. Regretting the impossibility of fulfilling his pastoral duties due to the ban, Archbishop Kondrusiewicz then addressed the faithful of his archdiocese, asking them to pray for his rapid return to Belarus and for the peaceful resolution of the serious socio-political crisis in the country. 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. This year's Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF) will kick off next month for a five-day run, the event's organizers said Saturday. It will be held offline from Oct. 23 to 27 at the Korea Manhwa Museum and multiplex chain CGV's theaters in Bucheon, west of Seoul, despite the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. BIAF said 130 animated films from 42 countries have been invited to the 22nd edition, opening with the Asian premier of "Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary" by French director Remi Chaye. "Calamity" is a biographical feature about Martha Jane Cannary, or Calamity Jane, an American frontierswoman. It won the top prize at this year's Annecy International Animation Festival held online in June. Seven movies will compete in the international competition section for feature films. They include the opening film "Children of the Sea" by Ayumu Watanabe, "My Favorite War" by Ilze Brukovska Jacobsen, "Bungaeman: The Beginning" by Han Sang-ho, "True North" by Han Eiji Shimizu, "Accidental Luxuriance of the Translucent Watery Rebus" by Dalibor Baric and "Climbing" by Kim Hye-mi. Romanian director Anca Damian, who won best feature for "Marona's Fantastic Tale" at last year's BIAF, will head the three-member jury, whose other members are actor and director Koo Hye-sun and director Kim Bo-ra of "House of Hummingbird." In the short film competition section, 44 titles, including "A Cat Called Jam" by Lorraine Lordan, will contend for the Grand Prize. The winner will be eligible for consideration in the Animated Short Film category at the U.S. Academy Awards next year, organizers said. Five Russian animated films, such as "He Can't Live Without Cosmos," will be screened at a special session to commemorate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Russia. On the sidelines of the five-day festival, there will be a seminar to share information on job opportunities and vocational training, and a contest for up-and-coming cartoonists and animators. (Yonhap) Tehran: Irans state TV is reporting that the countrys authorities have executed a wrestler for allegedly murdering a man, despite a plea from US President Donald Trump for leniency. "The retaliation sentence against Navid Afkari, the killer of Hassan Turkman, was carried out this morning in Adelabad prison in Shiraz," state TV quoted the chief justice of Fars province, Kazem Mousavi, as saying on Saturday. A group of protesters chant slogans at the main gate of the Old Grand Bazaar, in Tehran, Iran in 2018. Credit:AP Afkari's case had drawn the attention of a social media campaign that portrayed him and his brothers as victims targeted over participating in protests against Irans Shiite theocracy in 2018. Authorities accused Afkari, 27, of stabbing a water supply company employee in the southern city of Shiraz amid the unrest. Paris, France (PANA) - Amnesty international (AI) Wednesday called on the Mozambican government to open independent investigations into serious acts of torture and human rights violations by the security forces in the province of Cabo Delgado FREMONT (BCN) A suspect in the fatal shooting of a 32-year-old man in a Fremont parking lot earlier this year was tracked to Colorado and arrested this week, police said Friday. Kamalpreet Singh, 27, of Fremont, was taken into custody on Monday in Lakewood, Colorado in connection with the shooting death of Anthony Garza, 32, according to police. Garza was shot about 7:20 p.m. April 8 in the parking lot of the Lucky's Supermarket at 5000 Mowry Ave. He was taken to a hospital but died a short time later. A possible suspect was identified shortly after the shooting and detectives collected evidence, eventually securing an arrest warrant for Singh. Detectives learned last week that the suspect might be hiding in Colorado. Singh was located at a home in Lakewood, Colorado, where police there took him into custody. Singh was interviewed by Fremont police detectives and subsequently charged with one count of murder with a gun enhancement by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. Singh is being held at the Jefferson County Detention Facility in Colorado, pending extradition to Alameda County. Police haven't released any information on what led to the shooting or a possible motive for the shooting. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Fremont police Investigations Unit at (510) 790-6900. 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. New Delhi, Sep 12 : The Delhi Legislative Assembly's Peace and Harmony Committee has summoned Facebook India Deputy Chairman and Managing Director Ajit Mohan over complaints alleging willful inaction in enforcing rules to curb hate speech. According to the committee, this allegedly disturbed the peace in Delhi. The committee headed by AAP MLA Raghav Chadha has served notice to Mohan to appear before the committee on September 15. Chadha said, "Facebook India has been issued summons on the basis of sharp statements made by key witnesses as well as material presented on their behalf." Chadha said, "With regard to the strong evidence presented on behalf of the witnesses, the committee believes that Facebook should be charged as a co-accused in the Delhi riots investigation." The committee, with its chairman Chadha, has so far examined four important witnesses. These include eminent writer Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and digital rights activist Nikhil Pahwa. According to the committee, Thakurta made a statement that Facebook is not as secular and content-neutral as it claims to be. Also Facebook has been accused of having an "unholy nexus". The committee's attention was also drawn to the process of selective implementation of Facebook policies in the Black Lives Matter case in a country like the United States. Chadha said they had received a number of complaints alleging that the Facebook authorities concerned willfully ignored material allegedly spreading hatred in India. After careful deliberations on the allegations made in the complaints, the committee took quick notice of the issue and initiated proceedings. The proceedings will also be live-streamed on September 15 to make the functioning of the committee transparent and to establish public confidence. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text SALEM, Ore. Wildfire smoke that posed a health hazard to millions choked the West Coast on Saturday as firefighters battled deadly blazes that obliterated some towns and displaced tens of thousands of people, the latest in a series of calamities this year. For people already enduring the coronavirus pandemic, the resulting economic fallout and political tensions evident in the Black Lives Matter protests and far-right counter protests, the fires added a new layer of misery. Whats next? You have the protests, coronavirus pandemic, now the wildfires. What else can go wrong? lamented Danielle Oliver, 40, of Happy Valley, southeast of Portland. The death toll from the fires in California, Oregon and Washington stood at 31 and was expected to rise sharply. Most of the fatalities were in California and Oregon. Oregons emergency management director said officials were preparing for a possible mass fatality event if many more bodies turn up in the ash. And the state fire marshal resigned after abruptly being placed on administrative leave. The state police superintendent said the crisis demanded an urgent response that required a leadership change. Oliver has an autoimmune disorder that makes her vulnerable to wildfire smoke, so she agreed to evacuate. She was nervous about going to a shelter because of the virus, but sleeping in a car with her husband, 15-year-daughter, two dogs and a cat was not a viable option. The temperature checks and social distancing at the American Red Cross shelter helped put her mind at ease. Now the family waits, hoping their house will survive. She has previously experienced homelessness. Im tired. Im tired of starting all over. Getting everything, working for everything, then losing everything, she said. Those who still had homes were not safe in them. A half-million Oregonians were under evacuation warnings or orders to leave. With air contamination levels at historic highs, people stuffed towels under door jambs to keep smoke out. Some even wore N95 masks in their own homes. Some communities resembled the bombed-out cities of Europe after World War II, with buildings reduced to charred rubble piled atop blackened earth. Residents either managed to flee as the flames closed in, or perished. Millicent Catarancuics body was found near a car on her 5-acre property in Berry Creek, California. The flames came so quickly she did not have time to get out. On Tuesday, she packed several of her dogs and cats in the car but later called her daughter to say she decided to stay. Firefighters had made progress battling the blaze. The wind was calm. The flames still seemed far away. Then they rushed onto the property. I feel like, maybe when they passed, they had an army of cats and dogs with her to help her through it, said her daughter, Holly Catarancuic. In Oregon alone, more than 40,000 people have been evacuated and about 500,000 are in different levels of evacuation zones, Gov. Kate Brown said. Fires along Oregons Cascade Range grew Saturday, but at a slower rate than earlier in the week, when strong easterly winds acted like a bellows, pushing two large fires the Beachie Creek Fire and the Riverside Fire toward each other and the states major population centers, including Portlands southeastern suburbs. Fire managers did get a spot of good news: Higher humidity slowed the flames considerably. In California, a total of 28 active major fires have burned 4,375 square miles, and 16,000 firefighters are trying to suppress the flames, Cal Fire Assistant Deputy Director Daniel Berlant said. Large wildfires continued to burn in northeastern Washington state too. In all, 22 people have died in California since wildfires began breaking out across the state in mid-August. President Donald Trump will visit California on Monday for a briefing on the West Coast fires, the White House announced. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and the governors of California, Oregon and Washington state all Democrats have said the fires are a consequence of global warming. We absolutely must act now to avoid a future defined by an unending barrage of tragedies like the one American families are enduring across the West today, Biden said. The same smoke that painted California skies orange also helped crews corral the states deadliest blaze of the year by blocking the sun, reducing temperatures and raising humidity, officials said. Smoke created cooler conditions in Oregon too, but it was also blamed for making the dirtiest air in at least 35 years in some places. The air quality index reading Saturday morning in Salem, the state capital, was 512. The scale normally goes from zero to 500. Above 500 is literally off the charts, said Laura Gleim, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Because past air quality was rarely so poor, the governments yardstick for measuring it capped out at 500, Gleim said. The department started monitoring in 1985. The weather conditions that led up to the fires and fed the flames were likely a once-in-a-generation event, said Greg Jones, a professor and research climatologist at Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon. A large high-pressure area stretching from the desert Southwest to Alaska brought strong winds from the east toward the West Coast, reducing relative humidity to as low as 8% and bringing desert-like conditions, even to the coast, Jones said. Instead of the offshore flows that the Pacific Northwest normally enjoys, the strong easterly winds pushed fires down the western slopes of the Cascade Range. It isnt clear if global warming caused the conditions, Jones said, but a warmer world can increase the likelihood of extreme events and contribute to their severity. The smoke in Portland filled the air with an acrid metallic scent like dull pennies. It was so thick that Ashley Kreitzer could not see the road when she headed out to work as a ride-hailing driver. I couldnt even see five feet ahead of me, she said. I was panicking, I didnt even know if I wanted to go out. George Coble had no home to return to. He came with some of his employees Saturday to a wasteland of charred tree trunks just outside Mill City, Oregon. Coble lost everything: his fence-and-post business, five houses in a family compound and vintage cars, including a 1967 Mustang. The family three generations that lived in the compound evacuated with seven people, three horses, five dogs and a cat. Well just keep working and keep your head up and thank God everybody got out, Coble said. There are other people that lost their family. Just be thankful for what you did get out with. Erik Tucker spent the day hauling buckets of water through what remained of his neighborhood to douse hot spots smoldering in tree trunks five days after the wildfire tore through the area. Tucker, who lives in Lyons, Oregon, had expected the worst but found his familys home still standing while homes just down the street were gone. He was coated in ash and smudged with charcoal. No power, debris everywhere, smoke, cant breathe, he said. ___ Whitehurst reported from Portland. Associated Press writers Gillian Flaccus in Mill City, Oregon, Gene Johnson in Seattle and Adam Beam in Sacramento, California, contributed to this report. ___ This story has been corrected to say rarely instead of never in this sentence: Because past air quality was rarely so poor, the governments yardstick for measuring it capped out at 500, Gleim said. Community activist Quanell X has called on Houston Community College Chancellor Cesar Maldonado to resign in relation to a $100 million racial discrimination suit against the college system. Ever since he has become chancellor of HCC, this mans tenure here has been one of taking a knife to African-American progress (and) prominent African-American employees, said Quanell X, standing in front of HCCs main administration building Friday afternoon. The lawsuit, filed by former HCC employee Zelia Brown, alleges racial discrimination against black employees and the mismanagement of grant money in the community college system. Quanell X pointed to a physical copy of the lawsuit which alleges Maldonado used a list of tactics to undermine and get rid of black employees a process Maldonado coded as a transformation that included padding their personnel files with false complaints to be used as reasons to fire them, placing doubt on black employees claims, and forcing black employees to take leaves of absence without cause in order to use those as grounds for termination. In addition, Browns attorneys said in the suit that HCC Human Resources Director Janet May assisted Maldonado by handling displacements and that the intention was to give Hispanics preferential treatment. According to lawsuit, filed on behalf of hundreds of current and former Black employees, 90 percent of the longtime black professionals at the community college have either been terminated or demoted since Maldonado arrived, compared with 10 percent of white employees who have been displaced. Hispanic hires and promotions, however, have increased by 50 percent, Browns attorneys allege. HCC Board of Trustee Adriana Tamez was also named in the suit for allegedly stockpiling grant money. HCC officials declined to comment about pending litigation, but a college spokesman said in a written statement the allegations were false and would be addressed in court. The college already filed its briefing with the court, including a motion to dismiss, the spokesman said, adding that officials are confident that the truth presented in our legal filings will determine the outcome of the lawsuit. Until then, the focus of Houston Community College is serving our students and living up to our important mission of accessible, affordable, high quality education for all. As the most diverse community college in the country, we are unwavering in our commitment to provide a safe, equitable and inclusive learning and work environment. Our priority will always remain our students and those who teach and serve them, he wrote. Quanell X also stated that an FBI investigation is underway, but a spokeswoman for FBIs Houston division wrote in an email that the department could not deny or confirm the existence of any investigation. Removing Africans who are well qualified and replacing them with less qualified Hispanics and whites, Dr. Maldonado has made it clear that no matter what the qualifications are, that no matter how good you have been he is not interested in having any influential African-Americans here at HCC, Quanell X said. He stressed the need for a chancellor who will work with all communities. Houston is a very diverse city and not one race should receive preferential treatment over another race. brittany.britto@chron.com In a typical May, Glenn McArdells 20,000 chairs are all out for rent. He didnt rent out a single chair this May but now, his party equipment is hard to come by. Its been a volatile year for McArdell, the owner of Century Party Rental, known for its large, event-suited tents. In March, the coronavirus pandemic forced McArdell to temporarily shut down the North Syracuse tent rental business and lay off the employees he considers family. It was a particularly rough spring: No college commencements. Very few weddings. But now, between Syracuse University and Le Moyne College, McArdell has almost 75 tents in use. Its been a ride, McArdell said. We didnt do anything for four months, and now were out of stock. As the coronavirus has upended normal ways of life, Century stepped in to offer a unique solution for outdoor gatherings. Demand for the tents on college campuses helped revive the business, to the point where McArdell is having to turn down customers. Thats been a ray of light during an otherwise dark time. Syracuse University looks slightly different in the Covid-Era. The Newhouse School has multiple tents set up for outside classes, Syracuse, N.Y., Friday August 28, 2020. Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse. At Syracuse University, more than 50 tents can be seen sprawling across campus lawns on any given day. Century Party Rental uses components to set up custom canopies, that are used for dining spaces, orientation events and coronavirus testing sites. The tents provide shade, cover from the elements and gathering space for students. Professors can rent them to hold classes. Century, which McArdell owns with his wife Giselle, has been a contractual vendor for SU and Le Moyne for several years now. Commencement season is usually the companys busiest time of year, he said. The colleges request tents for other events throughout the year, too. On a big weekend, 30 to 40 tents might be reserved. But now, all 75 of the companys tents are in use. SU officials there have expressed interest in reserving the tents right through November, McArdell said. He expects to be putting them up and down throughout the fall semester, according to the colleges needs. Over the summer, as coronavirus rates in the region remained low, and people flocked to the outdoors to hold safer gatherings, the companys backyard event business picked up, too. McArdell notes, however, that he has hasnt been able to do much outside of the colleges because his equipment is all spoken for. Recently, he finds himself turning down 10 to 15 jobs a week. Im maxxed out, he said. McArdell is less certain as he looks ahead to colder months. The company has about six big outdoor space heaters, and has looked into buying more. Manufacturers are on back-order, he said. A lot of restaurants, car dealerships everybody wants tents right now, he said. McArdell said in the time he and his wife have been involved in the company, spanning over 40 years, they could not recall ever having to shut down the business for any reason. Typically, in the winter months, the company stays busy supplying equipment for trade shows: chairs, tables, pipe-and-drape gear to booths and other decor. Thankfully, McArdell said, they had a good run in February before shutdowns in March. The pandemic was devastating to the business, particularly when they had to deliver the news of layoffs to about 15 employees. It was a sad day for me, he said. Im close to my men. I have three or four who have been with me 20-plus years. Theyre extended family." McArdell has been able to rehire most of his employees, but his business is still in a tricky spot. With long-term rentals, hes not collecting payments as frequently. Even the college boom cant make up four months straight of losses, he said. My wife and I still havent taken a check, he said. Well never truly make up for the losses because weve lost so much. McArdell said the family is doing fine because of saving and smart planning over the years theyve owned the business. You always gotta plan for that rainy day, he said. CNY BACK IN BUSINESS Rolling the dice: Upstate New York casinos reopen today (list) Coronavirus in NY: Beard trims, facials, lip waxing are back, with two catches Put the U Back in Syrac_se invites people back downtown to dine, shop, and have fun CNY hotel owners sue for insurance coverage: business down $6.5M, decimated by coronavirus Sign up for the Back In Business newsletter to get small business advice delivered to your email inbox Small business owners: Have a question or a story to share about how youre coping through the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdown? We want to hear from you. Contact Back in Business reporter Julie McMahon: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992 To the editor: Great news from Beardstown with the recent announcement that JBS USA is planning to invest $2.5 million to support the community as part of its New Hometown Strong Initiative. The value of the JBS USA pork production facility in Beardstown cannot be underestimated. The facility employs more than 1,900 people with an annual payroll of nearly $100 million, and supports more than 265 producers, paying them more than $810 million per year for their livestock. JBS USA officials say they will be working with local leaders to identify where the funds can best help meet immediate and longer-term community needs in three key areas in Beardstown: food insecurity, community infrastructure and well-being, and COVID-19 emergency response and relief efforts. All projects will be determined by the end of the year, and the company is seeking local input. Community members may send suggested proposals for investment to hometownstrong@jbssa.com. The COVID-19 pandemic has been, and continues to be, one of our states and our nations greatest challenges. We thank JBS USA for being a good neighbor and for caring about your employees, the residents of Beardstown and our western Illinois region. Jil Tracy Mount Sterling Jil Tracy is state senator for the 47th District. The Multnomah County Sheriffs Office on Friday night warned residents of Corbett not to set up illegal checkpoints, even if their stated purpose was keeping the community safe. The admonition came hours after the sheriffs office said deputies responded to reports of a brush fire near Corbett, and discovered fireworks near the scene. Neighbors heard several pops, spotted the flames and quickly extinguished the blaze, deputies said. Corbett Fire Chief Dave Flood confirmed that the fireworks started a brush fire. The sheriffs office tweet about the fireworks was shared nearly 5,000 times on Twitter. Hours later, the sheriffs office said residents had set up checkpoints around the town. Deputies have contacted several groups of residents in Corbett who have set up checkpoints and are stopping cars. While we understand their intent is to keep the community safe, it is never legal to block a public roadway or force other citizens to stop. Multnomah Co Sheriff (@MultCoSO) September 12, 2020 While we understand their intent is to keep the community safe, it is never legal to block a public roadway or force other citizens to stop, the sheriffs office said in a tweet around 9 p.m. Friday. This type of action increases the risk of injury to everyone at one of these roadblocks. We have had extra deputies patrolling Corbett all day and will through the rest of the weekend." The sheriffs office did not say whether the groups of people left when asked or how many people they had contacted. The agency has not said if investigators learned more about who lit the fireworks that sparked the short-lived fire. Fears of violence have sparked anecdotal reports of vigilantism across the state, after several right-wing groups began spreading false rumors that the devastating wildfires were started by anti-fascists. Investigators are looking into at least one of the fires as possible arson, but authorities have uniformly stated that there is no evidence to suggest any of the fires are politically motivated. Law enforcement agencies have increased patrols in fire-affected regions to deter thieves from breaking into evacuated homes and business. 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. This story has been updated. K. Rambo of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report. Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Your browser does not support the audio element. Vietnamese American 2016 Pulitzer winner Nguyen Thanh Viet has been selected as the newest member of the Pulitzer Prize Board, according to an announcement on the awards official website. The selection was announced on September 8. Its an honor to join the #Pulitzer Board, especially as its first Vietnamese American and Asian American member, Viet wrote in a tweet on September 9. As someone fortunate enough to be a recipient of the prize, I know the impact that the prize has on a writers career and on the perceptions of readers. Im delighted to join in the Boards crucial work, Viet told the Pulitzer. Nguyen Thanh Viets novel 'The Sympathizer' won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and numerous other awards. Viets other books include the short story collection 'The Refugees,' which received widely favorable reviews and was also published in the Vietnamese language in 2017. Information on the Pulitzer website shows that Viet is a professor at the University of Southern California and also a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. We are delighted to welcome Viet Thanh Nguyen to the Pulitzer Board, said Pulitzer co-chairs Stephen Engelberg and Aminda Marques Gonzalez. His remarkable range of experiences as a novelist, journalist, essayist and scholar make him a wonderful addition to the board in this time of extraordinary ferment. Viets most recent publication is 'Chicken of the Sea,' a childrens book written in collaboration with his six-year-old son, Ellison. His next book 'The Committed' is the sequel to 'The Sympathizer' and will come out in March 2021. The Pulitzer Prizes, which are administered at Columbia University, were established by Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian-American journalist and newspaper publisher, who left money to Columbia University upon his death in 1911. A portion of his bequest was used to found the School of Journalism in 1912 and establish the Pulitzer Prizes, which were first awarded in 1917. Pulitzer Prizes 19-member board is composed mainly of leading journalists or news executives from media outlets across the U.S., as well as five academics or persons in the arts. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! As in years past, a crowd gathered around the courthouse square in Fredericktown on Sept. 11 to hear the story of the events of that day 19 years ago and to honor the country's brave first responders. "Thank you for coming today to remember those that gave their lives on this day 19 years ago and those that are still suffering this day from injuries received from the dark moment in history on September 11, 2001," Madison County Deputy Clerk Rebecca Blackman said. "The support today from the Fredericktown Fire Department, Fredericktown Police Department, Madison County Sheriff's Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Madison County Emergency 911, Madison County Ambulance District, Fredericktown Black Cat JROTC Battalion and all other first responders is truly appreciated." The court square was closed to traffic as the Fredericktown Black Cat JROTC came forward for the Presentation of Colors. Then, the crowd recited the Pledge of Allegiance and Barb Huffman sang the National Anthem. Madison County Deputy Collector Sarah Garcia then began to tell the story of the 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group Al-Qaida and the four airplanes they hijacked in order to carry out suicide attacks against the United States. "At 8:45 a.m. on that clear morning, American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City," Garcia said. "Eighteen minutes later Flight 175, a United Airlines Boeing 767 crashed into the South Tower." Garcia said many people were instantly killed or trapped in those buildings. "First responders were quickly on the scene but many perished in the fire and collapse of the buildings," Garcia said. "At 9:45 a.m., as many of us watched those towers crumbling to the ground another plane, American Airlines Flight 77, crashed into the west side of the Pentagon in Washington D.C., killing 125 military personnel along with 64 people aboard the airliner." Garcia said 40 minutes later the fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania after some of the passengers and crew overpowered the hijackers. "There were a total of 2,996 killed in the attacks, including 19 terrorist hijackers aboard the four airplanes," Garcia said. "Several first responders have died since the attacks due to complications of wounds, smoke inhalation and PTSD." Garcia said President George W. Bush addressed the country that night and then on Oct. 7, 2001 Operation Enduring Freedom began searching for the leader of Al-Qaida, Osama Bin Laden. "Bin Laden was found and killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011," Garcia said. "Al-Qaida and the Taliban has diminished but still exists. The war on terrorism continues even today, 18 years later." Garcia said on Dec. 18, 2001, Congress approved naming Sept. 11 as Patriot Day to commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. She said in 2019, Congress also declared Sept. 11 as National Day of Service and Remembrance. "We should always remember those that died working in those places and aboard those airplanes that day," Garcia said. "We should never forget the ultimate sacrifice those first responders made trying to save those trapped in those buildings and we should never forget those in the military service that have died in the war on terrorism since that day." The crowd was hushed as everyone remembered where they were and what they were doing during that moment in 2001. A grateful appreciation for the first responders, both around the country and standing among the crowd, could be felt as Madison County Clerk Don Firebaugh took to the podium to end with a poem, by Roger J Robicheau, and prayer. "We mourn their loss this day," Firebaugh said. "Those now with God, no danger near. So many loved ones left do stand, confronting loss throughout our land. I firmly pray for peace of mind, dear God please help each one to find. And to our soldiers now at war, God guide above, at sea, on shore. One final thought comes clear to me, for what must live in infamy. Absolutely, we'll remember, the eleventh of September." Firebaugh said a prayer placing the thousands of innocent lives lost on that unforgettable day into the loving arms of God. He said they will always remember the courage of the countless men and women who put their lives at risk in order to rescue, alleviate and bring solace to the afflicted. Victoria Kemper is a reporter for the Daily Journal. She can be reached at 573-783-3366 or at vkemper@democratnewsonline.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A man walks past a poster depicting portraits of Indian soldiers killed in a hand-to-hand fight with their Chinese counterparts in Ladakh on June 15, in a market area in New Delhi on Aug. 31, 2020. (Jewel Samad/ AFP via Getty Images) India Sets Condition of Peace and Tranquility on Border for Development of Relations With China India says relations with China will only improve when there is peace and tranquility on the border, as Indian foreign minister S. Jaishankar met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Moscow on Sept. 10. Maintenance of peace and tranquility on LAC [line of actual control] is essential to carry forward the development of these relationships, a source in the Indian government told The Epoch Times. We conveyed that recent incidents in eastern Ladakh have inevitably impacted the development of bilateral relations. Therefore, an urgent resolution is in the interest of both countries, the official said, adding that since 1976, when the nations resumed their bilateral relations, peace on the border was essential for developing the relationship. The ministers had a frank and constructive discussion and agreed on five points to work out the tension that persists in eastern Ladakh, according to a joint press statement released on Sept. 10. Relations between India and China suffered a serious setback with the killing of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers in a clash on June 15, and the killing of a patrolling Indian soldier by a Chinese land mine on Aug. 29, both incidents occurring in the Himalayan border region of Ladakh. This was followed by an incident in which guns were fired into the air on Sept. 7 for which both sides blamed the other. The event was described as the first exchange of fire between the two countries in 45 years. The officials in their meeting on Sept. 10 agreed to not allow differences to become disputes, and that troops on both sides should continue to talk and disengage. The two foreign ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side, the statement said. Joint Press Statement following meeting of External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar with State Councillor and Foreign Minster of China Wang Yi @MFA_China pic.twitter.com/k8Y3ei3bmK Vikram Misri (@VikramMisri) September 10, 2020 Meanwhile, the source in the Indian government said that India expressed strong concern about the deployment of Chinese troops with equipment along the LAC. Presence of such large troops is not in accordance with 1993 and 1996 agreements, and this has created flashpoints along the LAC. The Chinese side hasnt provided any credible explanation for their deployment. Provocative behavior from China is a disregard for the maintenance of border areas, the source said. The joint statement also highlighted discussions about abiding by the existing protocols and agreements to resolve the conflict on the border. Just three days before the firing-in-the-air incident on the line of actual control, the defense ministers of the two countries, Rajnath Singh of India and Wei Fenghe of China, had also met in Moscow on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting. He [Singh] emphasized that the actions of the Chinese troops, their aggressive behavior and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo, were in violation of the bilateral agreements and not in keeping with the understandings reached between the Special Representatives of two sides, according to a Sept. 5 statement from Indias Ministry of External Affairs. The government source told The Epoch Times on Sept. 11 that India wont sit idly by if theres any attempt by China to change the status quo unilaterally. We also emphasized that Indian troops have scrupulously followed all protocols to the management of border areas. The immediate task is to ensure the disengagement of troops in all section areas to be done to prevent any untoward incident in the future, the source said, adding that the final locations of troop deployment and how to go about the process of disengagement are to be worked out by military commanders. Following the escalating tensions on the LAC and the killing of its soldiers, India has taken several measures to counteract the Chinese regime. These include banning 59 apps including Tik Tok in late July and further banning 118 Chinese apps on Sept. 2 including the popular video game, PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds, which has 50 million players in India. 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, Lorenzana, 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. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. New Delhi, Sep 12 : Six months after the congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz and its subsequent closure, a Delhi district court has directed the city police to hand over the keys of its residential portion to the family of Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad. Nizamuddin Markaz was vacated and locked in March after Saad allegedly organised a religious gathering in violation of social distancing protocol amid the coronavirus pandemic. The mother of Maulana Saad, Khalida, then moved the court seeking unlocking of the residential premises. Granting relief, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gurmohina Kaur stated, "This court will deem it appropriate to give one more opportunity to the investigating agencies to inspect the premises sought to be unlocked within five working days from the date of receipt of this order. Thereafter, keys should be handed over to the applicant against acknowledgment." While allowing her application, the judge also stated that citizens of India have right to access to the residential property, right to life and liberty enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution of India. The court has directed Saad's mother and her family members to give an undertaking that they will not obstruct the investigation in any manner and the residential portion will only be used by its residents and they will not enter any other part of the Markaz and its premises. The Markaz was closed since the lockdown and on the night of March 29, police and health authorities started bringing people out from the Markaz and sent them to hospitals and quarantine facilities. A former doctor convicted of sexually assaulting six of his patients shattered their trust when they most needed comfort, a judge was told Friday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A former doctor convicted of sexually assaulting six of his patients shattered their trust when they most needed comfort, a judge was told Friday. Dr. Amir Ravesh, 54, stood trial last year accused of sexually assaulting the women during medical exams at his Elmwood walk-in clinic. "A doctors office is a sanctified place for any patient," Crown attorney Mark Kantor told Queens Bench Justice Ken Champagne, recommending Ravesh be sentenced to 12 years in prison. "There is an expectation they will be safe there, but they werent." Richard Wolson, Raveshs lawyer, slammed the Crown sentencing recommendation as "outrageous and unprecedented," and instead urged Champagne to consider a sentence of three years, the same sentence handed down in Calgary earlier this week to retired neurologist Kevin Hoyte, convicted of sexually assaulting 28 women over a 30-year period. "In my view, (the Crown recommendation) is an overreach of huge proportions," Wolson said. "I understand swinging for the fences, which we have all done, but it is an overreach that cant be supported." Wolson argued the current coronavirus pandemic supported a shorter period of custody for Ravesh, who is diabetic and has a family history of heart disease. "A penitentiary could not be a worse place to be during a pandemic," Wolson said. Ravesh, whose full name is Amir Houshang Mazhariravesh, will be sentenced later this month. He remains free on bail. In victim impact statements provided to court, several of the women said they no longer trust doctors and now have intimacy issues with their male partners. One woman said she suffers panic attacks and was so worried she would run in to Ravesh somewhere she sold her house and moved to B.C. to live with her parents. "You took advantage of your title," the woman said. "You took advantage of people looking up to you for help." Police arrested Ravesh in October 2017 after a 19-year-old woman visited Health Sciences Centre for treatment and reported she had been sexually assaulted a day earlier. News coverage that followed resulted in other victims stepping forward, alleging sexual misconduct dating back as far as 2013. Ravesh was removed from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitobas list of practising physicians the day police publicized his arrest in October 2017. He had been licensed in Manitoba since July 2010, according to the college. The woman whose complaint prompted Raveshs initial arrest, testified at trial he digitally penetrated her vagina and anus at the same time, moving his fingers at increasing speed, saying: "This might help your sex drive." Ravesh, the woman told court, grabbed her breast, put her hand on his erect penis and told her she had "a nice ass, you should use it." Another victim, a sex-trade worker, testified Ravesh asked her if she had anal sex with clients, and told her he frequented escorts. The woman told court Ravesh said if she wasnt comfortable with anal sex "there was probably something wrong down there," and proceeded to digitally penetrate her anus for several minutes. 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. Another victim said she started seeing Ravesh on the recommendation of her then-fiance. She said she had no complaints about Ravesh until her marriage broke down and Ravesh told her he had feelings for her. Ravesh, she said, told her he was only in his marriage for his children and promised to make her "more sexually happy" than her current partner. Ravesh asked her to feel his heart and when she refused, he put his hand under her shirt and over a breast. The woman said she felt pressured by her ex-husband to continue taking their children to Ravesh. She testified Ravesh offered to pay $40 for medical records she required in her divorce proceedings, telling her: "Im doing a favour for you, Id like you to do a favour for me and see me on a weekly basis." The woman said she interpreted the comment as sexual. At the conclusion of Fridays hearing, Ravesh was about to address court, saying, "The thing Im going to say is going to surprise my lawyer," before Wolson interrupted him and asked for a recess to speak to Ravesh privately. When court resumed, Ravesh no longer had anything to say. dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca A three-member panel of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday met farmers who have been protesting in Haryana, seeking a roll back of three ordinances promulgated by the Centre. The panel, constituted by BJPs Haryana unit chief Om Prakash Dhankar, comprises Bhiwani-Mahendergarh MP Dharambir Singh, Kurukshetra MP Nayab Singh Saini and Hisar MP Brijendra Singh. The meeting came two days after the protesting farmers blocked a national highway in Kurukshetras Pipli and clashed with Haryana police. Farmers bodies have called the ordinances -- 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 --- anti-farmer, and sought their rollback. Following the meeting, Dharambir said, A few people are misleading the farmers over the ordinances. But we have briefed the farmers about the benefit of these ordinances. We are taking suggestions from farmers and will discuss the same with Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Brijendra Singh said introducing structural reforms in agriculture was the main objective behind brining in the ordinances. There are efforts being made to spread confusion regarding the three ordinances. The reality is that these ordinances will neither abolish the existing Mandi system nor abolish the minimum support price, he said. All India Kisan Sabha vice-president Inderjit Singh said that the ordinances under contention were against farmers and the MPs should raise the issue in the Parliament. The Haryana government should pass a resolution to withdraw these ordinances, otherwise farmers will be destroyed. We have submitted our grievances in the written to the three members MPs committee, he said. Targetting the BJP government, farmers leader, Preet Singh, said, The committee formed by Dhankar is an eyewash. The BJP government has become arrogant and we are surprised how a state president of the ruling party can form a such committee. Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar has committed to ending a months-long blockade of oil facilities, the U.S. embassy in the country said in a statement on Saturday. The statement said the (LNA) had conveyed "the personal commitment of General Haftar to allow the full reopening of the energy sector no later than Sept. 12". Search Keywords: Short link: The Army could be drafted in to deliver a 'moonshot' vaccination drive at empty NHS Nightingale hospital sites, it has emerged. Officials believe soldiers are needed to dish out the tens of millions of jabs to the public when a vaccine is ready. Troops could be deployed to the makeshift hospitals - which have been empty since the first Covid wave ended - and other public buildings. Health service bosses have been tasked with creating these vaccination plans by the end of next month in case a vaccine is ready in the winter. It comes as the government's screening advisers said they have not been consulted over Boris Johnson's ambitious Operation Moonshot. Officials believe soldiers (pictured at the NHS Nightingale in London in April) are needed to dish out the tens of millions of jabs to the public when a vaccine is ready It comes as the government's screening advisers said they have not been consulted over Boris Johnson's (pictured, on Wednesday) ambitious Operation Moonshot Pictured is the NHS Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre in east London, which was transformed into the field hospital for the pandemic The Prime Minister is hoping to carry out ten million tests a day by early next year including DIY pregnancy-style kits which turn around results in 15 minutes. Sources told the i GPs and chemists do not have the resources to hand out the huge number of vaccinations that will be needed to tackle the coronavirus. But it is believed the NHS would thrash out a Military Assistance to Civil Authorities (MACA) to the British Army to get help. Soldiers would also be needed to assist with moving vaccines across the country, as well as refrigerating and storing them an potentially defending them from sabotage. And army medics could also work with NHS nurses to administer the jabs, which is a harder task than the current Covid-19 swab test. It would not be the first cooperating between the military and NHS during this crisis as the Army was deployed for the setting up of the NHS Nightingale sites in March. There are plans being considered for a 'dry run' before a vaccine is found, where soldiers would assist with the dosing out of the annual flu vaccine. Troops (pictured, a mobile testing unit in Scotland last month) could be deployed to the NHS Nightingale hospitals - which have been empty since the first Covid wave ended This NHS Nightingale hospitals (pictured, Matt Hancock outside the London one in April) have been mothballed since the first wave of the pandemic A pie chart shows how some 20 per cent of UK public spending is on health care, with the government wanting to spend a similar amount on the Moonshot project Health Secretary Matt Hancock said this year the jab will be given to people over the age of 50, on top of the usual over 65-year-olds. An Ministry of Defence source said a MACA had not been submitted, but they would 'lean into any MACA request we do get and support things like roll-out and logistics'. SAGE voiced scepticism over 'moonshot' plan The government's own SAGE group of experts has voiced serious doubts about the 'moonshot' testing initiative. A 'consensus' statement from the experts on August 31 assesses the idea, saying it can only be 'one component' of the overall response. 'Establishing a new mass testing programme must be undertaken with a view to the entire end-to-end system - testing technology is only one component,' the paper said. The body also cautioned that the 'cheaper, faster tests that will be useful for mass testing are likely to have lower ability to identify true positives (lower sensitivity) and true negatives (lower specificity) than the tests currently used'. SAGE also raised doubts about whether the idea would provide value for money. It said that 'careful consideration should be given to ensure that any mass testing programme provides additional benefit over investing equivalent resources into improving... the speed and coverage of NHSTT for symptomatic cases... and the rate of self-isolation and quarantine for those that test positive'. The scientists said testing to allow entry to sporting events and theatres could be considered as a way of reducing risk. But the document added: 'Such applications of testing would require superb organisation and logistics with rapid, highly sensitive tests. 'This is also separate from the national strategy to reduce R, for which such testing would have only minimal effect.' Advertisement They added that the 'Covid war is not over'. Meanwhile the government's screening advisers have revealed they have not been consulted over Operation Moonshot. Outraged public health experts slammed the news as 'incomprehensible' as the PM looks to test the entire population for the coronavirus. The National Screening Committee, which helps government ministers and the NHS on population screening, is yet to be approached about the 100billion plans. The group is made up of 23 doctors, academics and public health representatives and assists with mass screening for diseases such as cancers and chlamydia. The committee members work closely with the chief medical officers for each of the four powers that make up the UK. Prof Bob Steele, who is its chairman, confirmed to the Guardian: 'The NSC has not been involved with this in any way.' The news was branded 'incomprehensible' by director of the Newcastle University Centre for Excellence in Regulatory Science Dr Allyson Pollock. She told the newspaper: 'Mass testing is screening and we have a huge amount of experts in this country who run design and run research. 'This is another example of how public health has been marginalised. Why has Matt Hancock not put the committee in charge of scrutinising all these proposals?' The Prime Minister is hoping to carry out ten million tests a day by early next year including DIY pregnancy-style kits which turn around results in 15 minutes. He believes the strategy, costing up to 100billion, would enable the UK to return to normal in the absence of a vaccine and go to work presuming they have a negative. But scientists claimed the tests were potentially dangerous and misleading because they are prone to telling patients they are in the clear when it is a 'false negative.' Equally the results may wrongly tell someone they are infected, prompting them to quarantine needlessly along with all their close contacts, a 'false positive.' At the same time, the pregnancy-style tests that the strategy is likely to depend on have not even been approved by health regulatory bodies yet. Soldiers (pictured in Scotland last month) would also be needed to assist with moving vaccines across the country, as well as refrigerating and storing them an potentially defending them from sabotage Meanwhile the Government's labs are currently struggling to process just 170,000 tests a day - far below the level needed to make the plan viable. Mr Hancock was on Wednesday jeered in the Commons when he tried to claim the strategy would enable the country to get back to normal. 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 Opposition MPs were seen laughing as Mr Hancock attempted to explain how Operation Moonshot would enable theatres and sporting venues to open up. Even Tory MPs called for the Government to get a grip of the issue amid complaints over the current testing shortages. One complained that people were having to 'criss-cross the country and travelling for many hours' to secure a test. Moonshot - first put forward by Mr Johnson during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday - aims to carry out up to ten million tests a day, up from 170,000. Britons would be encouraged to take tests at home before going into offices, theatres and sporting events to ensure they were negative and could safely mingle with others. Some of the tests which are swab or saliva-based are already being piloted on the NHS and in Hampshire and Southampton, and can turn around results in between 20 to 90 minutes. But the Prime Minister also has his eye on a 15-minute home-based pregnancy-style test, which has not yet been approved by medical regulators. A leaked document published by the British Medical Journal on Wednesday claimed the Government was hoping to carry out ten million tests by early next year at a cost of 100 billion. Department of Health and Social Care officials said the NSC was not involved in Moonshot because it was about testing, not screening. But it flies in the face of the operation's documents, which say: 'It will fast become possible to extend mass routine screening to groups at moderate risk.' The 42nd GST (Goods and Services Tax) Council meeting scheduled for September 19 will now be held on October 5. The decision to postpone the GST Council meeting has been taken due to the Parliament session, which is set to begin on September 14. Much like the 41st GST Council meeting, the 42nd GST Council will most likely be a single agenda meeting. The issue of GST shortfall is also likely to be picked up in the Parliament session, following which another round of deliberations between states and the Centre can be expected. The GST Council meeting comes hot on the heels of the ongoing conflict between states and the Centre over the issue of Rs 2.35 lakh crore GST shortfall. Also read: Rebooting Economy XXVI: Derailment of economy is not 'Act of God', it is 'Art of Misdirection' The central government gave two options to the states to meet the shortfall -- either borrow Rs 97,000 crore from a special window facilitated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) or borrow Rs 2.35 lakh crore, the estimated shortfall on account of GST transaction and COVID-19 induced slowdowns, from the market. Of this, the central government has pegged Rs 97,000 crore allocation on account of GST compensation and the rest Rs 1.38 lakh crore due to COVID-19 impact on states. The centre is of the opinion that the revenue from the GST compensation cess goes to the states, and therefore, it cannot borrow on the security of the tax it does not own. Also read: 'Committed to compensate entire GST shortfall to states': FinMin sources The chief ministers of six non-BJP ruled states -- West Bengal, Kerala, Delhi, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh -- have written to the Centre, opposing the two options put forward by the government. While Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Tripura chose to borrow Rs 97,000 crore, states like Sikkim and Tripura chose to borrow Rs 2.35 lakh crore. Its already several weeks into the new year, the holiday cookies are just about gone, the gifts that werent quite what you wanted have been exchanged, and, for many, the Christmas tree is in the street, waiting to be picked... College and university campuses have emerged as a center of both the expanding coronavirus pandemic in the United States and opposition to the criminal and deadly policies of the ruling class. At the University of Michigan, more than 1,000 graduate students concluded the fourth day of their strike on Friday. At a meeting late in the evening, the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) announced that its steering committee was recommending the extension of the strike by another week. A formal decision will be announced over the weekend. Among the striking students, there is overwhelming support for continuing and broadening the struggle. On Wednesday, graduate student workers voted by more than 700 to 400 to reject an initial proposal from the university administration that did not meet any of their demands. This came in the face of threats of reprisals against the students if they continued their strike. Striking graduate students picket at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, on September 11, 2020 (WSWS photo) At Wednesdays meeting, a section within the GEO leadership advocated ending the strike. While the GEO leadership presented a unified message on Friday in support of extending the strike through next week, it is unclear if those who originally advocated ending the strike on Wednesday have reversed their positions. Since Wednesdays vote, support for the strike has exploded on the campus, throughout the community and beyond. One Columbia University graduate instructor told the World Socialist Web Site: The graduate workers at Michigan are taking remarkable action and putting themselves at great risk... They are demanding decent support from their university under extraordinary circumstances, safe working conditions for everyone, and an end to cops on campusand theyre willing to fight to make it happen. The University of Michigan Resstaff (Residential Advisors and Diversity Peer Educators) have posted impassioned statements of support, and many joined the picket lines on Thursday and Friday. A letter of support from faculty, circulated on social media, has now been signed by 461 educators, up from 190 on Friday morning. Local high school students have also reached out to the grad students to seek assistance in organizing in support of the strikers. The university dining hall staff initially proposed a walkout in support of the strike on Friday, but backed down in response to threats from the university. While the situation at the University of Michigan is the sharpest expression of this struggle, hundreds of other college and university campuses throughout the US are emerging as battlegrounds in the fight to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. A report published Friday morning by USA Today reveals that 19 of the 25 hottest outbreaks in the US are in communities with colleges that have reopened for in-person learning. San Diego State University (SDSU) recently made national headlines for its brazenly negligent reopening policies, which have resulted in at least 513 known positive cases on campus. Hundreds of University of California students have signed an open letter opposing the drive to reopen UC San Diego, writing that the university is being run as a business rather than as a community, and that financial incentives are being prioritized at the expense of community well-being. At the University of Wisconsin in Madison, 2,230 students living on campus have been ordered to carry out a two-week quarantine, after 846 students tested positive for COVID-19. Illinois State University has the highest percentage of cases out of any school in Illinois, with 6.45 percent of the student population having tested positive for the virus. Students and teachers in Iowa organized a one-day strike last week. In all of these struggles, students, faculty and staff are fighting for an end to the reckless policy of in-person learning, for resources to be allocated for safety and online learning, and for policies based on science. On the other side of this fight stand the university administrations, the major corporate-controlled trade unions and both the Democrats and Republicans. The social interests driving policy since the onset of the pandemic have been those of Wall Street, corporate executives and the capitalist class as a whole, not the concerns of masses of people who want to save lives. The Trump administration has spearheaded this policy. The taped interviews released by Bob Woodward this week expose the fact that the White House deliberately lied about the threat and sought to downplay the danger of the virus. Trump, however, has had many aiders and abettors. At the University of Michigan, the Board of Regents is dominated by officials with close ties to the corporations and the political establishment, in particular, the Democratic Party. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has led the campaign to reopen factories, including auto plants, sending workers back into dangerous conditions. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the parent organization of the GEO, has deliberately isolated the strike. While there has been a surge of public support for the strike across the country, AFT President and Democratic Party official Randi Weingarten has yet to even publicly acknowledge the strikes existence, let alone support it. The criminal reopening campaign on campuses and in workplaces is part of a broader policy of the ruling class, supported by both the Democrats and Republicans, which has already led to almost 200,000 deaths. The University of Washington now estimates that the number of deaths by the end of the year could rise to above 400,000. In a statement published Friday, Socialist Equality Party US Presidential candidate Joseph Kishore wrote: The ruling class in the United States, along with its counterparts internationally, has effectively adopted a policy of herd immunitythat is, that the virus should be allowed to spread without restraint, come what may. Businesses must resume, workers must go back to producing profit, schools must open. The statement explains: The issues at stakeprotection against the coronavirus, economic security, opposition to militarism and police violencecannot be resolved within the university. These are mass issues that require the intervention of the working class throughout the country, and indeed around the world. What is involved is a fight against an entire social and economic system, which subordinates social need to private profit and the accumulation of wealth by the rich... This is the central issue: The fight against the pandemic is a fight against capitalism and for socialism. The SEP and its youth and student wing, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, urge students, teachers and staff at the University of Michigan to turn to the working class and connect their fight with that of the entire working class against the capitalist system. ISTANBUL : Turkey's president has taken aim at France's leader, following French criticism about Turkish maritime activities in the eastern Mediterranean that have ignited tensions with Greece and the European Union. In a speech Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that French President Emmanuel Macron was targeting him. You will have many more problems with me," Erdogan said, adding, don't mess with the Turkish nation and Turkey." On Friday, Marcon said that Europe needed to be clear and firm" with Erdogan's government over its actions. France and Turkey, both NATO members, have been at odds over an arms embargo for Libya and over the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, where Paris is supporting Greece and Cyprus, who say Turkey is looking for oil and gas in their waters. Turkey says it has equal rights to the resources in those waters. Erdogan also said France has no right to criticise Turkey, considering its colonial record. 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 Islamabad: Leaders of Afghanistan must seize the historic opportunity to work together constructively and secure an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement to the years-long conflict in their country, Pakistan said on Saturday at the start of the long-awaited Afghan peace talks in Qatar. The talks were set to take place in March but have repeatedly been delayed over a prisoner exchange agreement made as part of the US-Taliban deal signed in February this year. Qatars foreign ministry made the announcement on Thursday after the Afghan government released the last batch of six Taliban prisoners, clearing the last hurdle for the negotiations to start. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi addressed the commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations in Qatar through a video link, Pakistan Foreign Office said. He said the Afghan leaders must seize the historic opportunity to work together constructively and secure an inclusive, broad-based, and comprehensive political settlement. We hope all sides will honour their respective commitments, persevere in the face of all challenges and setbacks, and remain unflinchingly committed to achieving a positive outcome," he said. Qureshi said that Pakistan had walked alongside Afghanistan in every possible way by encouraging a reduction in violence and by urging dialogue and negotiations. Pakistan has fully facilitated the process that culminated in the US-Taliban Peace Agreement in Doha on February 29, 2020, and has reached this juncture," he said, adding that the start of the talks was the result of combined efforts. The forthcoming negotiations are for the Afghans to decide about their future. The Afghans alone must be the masters of their destiny, without outside influence or interference," he 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 Ukraine has formally become a member the Biarritz Partnership for Gender Equality, the press service of the head of state reports. Ukraine's accession to the Biarritz Partnership for Gender Equality was initiated by First Lady Olena Zelenska in December last year. In May, the Cabinet of Ministers voted for the country's accession to the international Biarritz Partnership. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba sent a corresponding letter from the Government to the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic with a statement on Ukraine's participation in the Biarritz Partnership on an ongoing basis. At a ceremonial event on the occasion of Ukraine's accession to the Biarritz Partnership, French Ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins presented a formal written response from Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic Jean-Yves Le Drian. The event was attended by First Lady Olena Zelenska, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna, ambassadors of the G7 countries and Sweden, as well as representatives of international organizations. This is an important step for Ukraine towards equality in a broad sense - regardless of gender, age, cultural, physical or mental differences. The experience and support of the participating countries and the expertise gathered in the framework of the Biarritz Partnership will certainly be of great importance in our work to create equal opportunities for all Ukrainians," the First Lady said. The French ambassador, in turn, invited Ukraine to participate in the Generation Equality Forum, convened by UN Women and co-hosted by the governments of Mexico and France, with the aim of mobilizing all those working towards gender equality and making ambitious commitments in this area. As a member of the Biarritz Partnership, Ukraine assumes commitments in five areas: developing a barrier-free public space, friendly to families with children and low-mobility groups; teaching children the principles of equality between women and men; preventing violence; reducing the pay gap between women and men; and creating greater opportunities for men to care for children. The Biarritz Partnership was launched by the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) states at a summit in Biarritz, France, on August 25, 2019, chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron. The initiative is aimed at strengthening the responsibility of the G7 and consolidating the efforts of other states to achieve gender equality. ish Iran said Saturday that it had executed a 27-year-old wrestler accused of murder after he took part in antigovernment protests two years ago, a case that set off a campaign by international sports groups to demand clemency for the athlete. The wrestler, Navid Afkari, was executed on Saturday morning at a prison in the southern city of Shiraz, his lawyers confirmed. Mr. Afkari was accused of fatally stabbing a water-utility worker amid unrest in his home city, Shiraz, a center of the antigovernment protests that swept the country in 2018. The charges against him had been met with widespread skepticism in Iran and abroad, with many government critics saying he was being used as an example to silence dissent. In an audiotape smuggled from prison, Mr. Afkari said he had been tortured until he falsely confessed to the crime. Mr. Afkaris lawyers said Saturday that Iranian officials had carried out the execution without giving their client a final visit with his family, which they said was dictated by law. Mr. Afkaris family was notified Saturday morning, after the execution. A bipartisan group of 19 members of Congress on Friday penned a letter to Disney CEO Bob Chapek questioning Disney's cooperation with "security and propaganda authorities" in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) during its filming of the remake of "Mulan." Driving the news: Earlier this month, Disney revealed that some scenes from its live action remake of the 1998 animated classic were filmed in Xinjiang, where the Chinese government is engaged in a campaign of cultural and demographic genocide against indigenous minorities. What they're saying: "The XUAR Publicity (or Propaganda) Departmentwhich is an arm of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)has denied, distorted, and otherwise covered up these crimes against humanity that also include forced labor and a campaign of mass sterilization, forced abortions, and birth suppression against Uyghurs," the letter reads. The letter asks that Disney explain its cooperation with XUAR authorities, including what contractual agreements were made, Disney executives' awareness of the political complexities of the region, what local labor was used and what Disney policies exist on prohibiting relationships with human rights abusers. "The closing credits of Mulan extend thanks to the 'Turpan Municipal Bureau of Public Security' and the 'Publicity Department of CPC Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Committee' as well as other local level XUAR propaganda elements," the letter adds, noting that "in October 2019, the U.S. Department of Commerces Bureau of Industry and Security added the Turpan Municipal Bureau of Public Security to its Entity List for 'human rights violations and abuses in the implementation of Chinas campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, and high-technology surveillance against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other members of Muslim minority groups in the XUAR.'" Worth noting: Since the film's release on Disney+ on Sept. 4, many have used the hashtags #BoycottMulan and #BoycottDisney on Twitter in an effort to stifle the film's success. Even before its release, there were calls to boycott the film after its lead actress, Crystal Liu Yifei, expressed support for the crackdown on Hong Kong protesters. In February, Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn responded to the controversy surrounding the star's comments, telling The Hollywood Reporter that Disney tries remain "non-political, apolitical when it comes to all this stuff." Disney did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. A white Black Lives Matter protester accused of rioting in Lower Manhattan had plans to take over luxury apartments abandoned by affluent white New Yorkers. Clara Kraebber, the 20-year-old whose parents own a $1.8million co-op on the Upper East Side, planned to defend the the properties by tossing bricks off the roof. She also sought to build a 'BLM focused' network for 'wealth redistribution' in notes seized by law enforcement last week, the New York Post reports. Kraebber, 20, was arrested along with Adi Sragovich, 20, Frank Fuhrmeister, 30, model Claire Severine, 27, Etkar Surette, 27, and Elliot Rucka, 20, Jade OHalloran, 30, on September 4. Included in the notes are a 'revolutionary strategy' that praises the work of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin and Communist revolutionary Leon Trotsky, law-enforcement sources said. They also detailed how she would wear 'casual attire' before changing into black at the demonstrations and monitoring police radio frequencies. Clara Kraebber planned to build a 'BLM focused' network for 'wealth redistribution' in notes seized by law enforcement last week EXCLUSIVE: As protestors take to the streets of New York, a small group of troublemakers are seen smashing windows. We know of at least 8 arrests tonight. One store worker says he understands the protests, but doesnt get the destruction of property - 11p @NBCNewYork pic.twitter.com/vr4z76ZqQn Adam Harding (@HardingReports) September 5, 2020 She has been hiding out at her family's farmhouse in Litchfield County, Connecticut, since being accused of vandalism during peaceful BLM protests Kraebber has been hiding out at her family's farmhouse home in Litchfield County, Connecticut, since she was accused of being among those who caused roughly $100,000 in damages to two Starbucks, a Duane Reade and at least five banks during Black Lives Matter protests. The protest had been advertised on Twitter by groups calling themselves the New Afrikan Black Panther Party and the Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement. Kraebber and the others busted with her are white and come from privileged backgrounds. 'These are domestic terrorists looking to turn New York City into another Portland and Seattle,' said one source. 'This is a planned conspiracy and the FBI should be investigating.' Kraebber was interested in the 'HUGE number of empty units' in 'white flight apts, new luxury buildings' and had plans 'study tactics of clearing buildings.' Moving trucks in the Upper West Side, where many affluent New Yorkers have been fleeing Kraebber and others are accused of vandalism during a BLM protest. Destruction was roughly $100,000 in damages to at least five banks, two Starbucks and a Duane Reade pharmacy Kraebber (top left) and the others busted with her are white and come from privileged backgrounds Kraebber was interested in the 'HUGE number of empty units' in 'white flight apts, new luxury buildings' and had plans 'study tactics of clearing buildings.' The notes mention references to 'scouts' to find vacant apartments and locksmiths to help break into the homes. They also mention need to 'prep for SWAT-style eviction efforts' through the use of 'barricades' and 'bricks on roofs as weapons,' according to sources. One August 21 page titled 'Revolutionary Strategy' includes the note 'Stalin - defend USSR at all costs' and 'Trotsky United front of all working class but don't let capitalists in,' sources said. Sources say that notes mention the Spanish Civil War, and a declaration 'failure of leadership' led to the end of the revolution of 1936. 'Some think actual revolution will be lead by more deliberate leadership,' Kraebber said in her notes, according to sources. She had participated in rallies in the past, demonstrating in Manhattan on 2014 to protest the police killing of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. 'We don't have much political power right now, being youths, but this is something we can do,' she explained to the New York Times at the time. Kraebber was once a fan of then-US Rep Beto O'Rourke's 2018 bid to unseat Senator Ted Cruz and had donated $121 to the Rice Young Democrats PAC, but she had since declared her disdain for mainstream liberal politics. 'Anyone who fks with Democrats can't be leadership,' she stated. She is an undergraduate at Rice University. Her father is a psychiatrist who teaches at the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, and her mother is an architect at a prestigious Manhattan firm. Iran holds run-off parliamentary vote amid strict COVID-19 measures Iran Press TV Friday, 11 September 2020 10:02 AM Iranian voters have voted across the country in run-off parliamentary elections in which 10 seats are up for grabs in the 290-seat Majlis. As part of measures to contain further spread of the novel coronavirus in the country, all voters and the people involved in the elections are obliged to wear face masks and hand gloves and refrain from any gathering outside the polling places. The voting started at 8:00 am (local time) in 3,100 polling places located in 23 counties and 10 constituencies in Alborz, Kermanshah, Isfahan, Golestan, Khuzestan, Ilam, and Zanjan provinces. Iran's parliamentary elections were held on February 21, 2020. Over 24 million people took part in the polls with the overall turnout of more than 42 percent. The elections took 279 lawmakers into the 290-member legislature. The second round to elect the 11 remaining seats was expected to be held in April, but was postponed until September due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Friday votes, only 10 seats were up for grabs, as one of the candidates in Miyaneh constituency in East Azarbaijan was disqualified. Now the fate of Miyaneh constituency, along with that of four other seats whose occupiers have either died of COVID-19 or been disqualified after winning the February votes will be decided in another round of elections due to be held in 2021 when people will go to ballot boxes for presidential votes. 'Friday votes benchmark for 2021 presidential elections' Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said Friday's run-off parliamentary elections held amid the COVID-19 pandemic will be analyzed so that the country would be prepared to hold the next year's presidential elections in a glorious way. "If the coronavirus pandemic lingers on, we will have to consider special conditions, reservations, and requirements for the 2021 presidential elections," Rahmani Fazli told reporters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address This report is part of "Turning Point," a groundbreaking month-long series by ABC News examining the racial reckoning sweeping the United States and exploring whether it can lead to lasting reconciliation. It was just before 1 a.m. on a Friday night in March when 26-year-old EMT Breonna Taylor drifted to sleep with her boyfriend Kenneth Walker. They had been watching a movie as Louisville, Kentucky, police swept through several homes in the city tied to suspected drug operations. Taylor's ex-boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover, was a suspect in the officers' search. He was arrested 10 miles away from her home earlier that night. Police suspected that Glover had been sending mail to Taylor's apartment. Believing there may be drugs or money there, police arrived at her home with a warrant. Police say they announced themselves repeatedly, but Walker said Taylor repeatedly asked who was there and did not receive an answer. Fifteen minutes after arriving at Taylor's door, police would fire 22 bullets into the home, with eight striking and killing Taylor. The details in Taylor's death were unknown and overshadowed by other high-profile killings of Black men and then the COVID-19 pandemic. When George Floyd was killed in police custody in Minneapolis in late May and bystander video of the incident was shared on social media, the issue was brought front and center. People remembered Taylor's case, and calls for justice began to ring out amid the countrywide protests. PHOTO: Breonna Taylor, 26, was shot and killed by Louisville, Kentucky, police officers after they allegedly executed a search warrant of the wrong home. (Courtesy Tamika Palmer) The police did not find any drugs or money related to drugs in Taylor's home. The night Breonna Taylor died On the night Taylor died, Walker said in a statement that, contrary to police claims that they announced themselves repeatedly, neither he nor Taylor had heard police when they banged on the door before entering. He said Taylor called out at least twice, asking, "Who is it?" Believing someone had broken into her apartment, Walker grabbed his legally owned gun. Story continues PHOTO: Breonna Taylor, 26, was shot and killed by Louisville, Kentucky, police officers after they allegedly executed a search warrant of the wrong home. (Breonna Taylor Family) "I never even fired my gun outside of the range. I'm scared to death," he said in a statement that night. "When we get out of bed or whatever, like walking toward the door, the door comes off the hinges, so I just let off one shot." Officials allege Walker's shot hit Sgt. John Mattingly in the leg. "As soon as the shot hit, I feel the heat in my leg," Mattingly said in new audio from a police interview conducted the night of the shooting. "So I return fire with, I think, four shots." Two other officers executing the warrant, Detective Myles Cosgrove and Detective Brett Hankinson, also fired their guns into the apartment. "And it was simultaneous," said Mattingly, "Just boom, boom, boom ... and I think I got two more off around the corner of the door." "Next thing I know," Walker said later on that night, "she's on the ground and the door's busted open, and I'm yelling, 'Help,' because she's right here bleeding and nobody's coming, and I'm just confused and scared." PHOTO: Ju'niyah Palmer is the sister of Breonna Taylor. She says her sister strived to help others through her work as an EMT. (ABC News ) Taylor's family learned about the incident in pieces. Her sister, Ju'niyah Palmer, said she'd heard about a shooting on their street and thought it involved two people who had gotten into an argument where one shot the other. Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, said she was asleep when Walker called her. "I said, 'Hello,' and all I could hear is Kenny crying," Tamika Palmer said. "And he said, 'Somebody kicked in the door and shot Breonna.' ... And he was screaming her name." Tamika Palmer said she dropped her phone and that when she picked it back, Walker's phone had disconnected. She rushed to Taylor's apartment. PHOTO: Tamika Palmer said her daughter, Breonna Taylor, was 'full of life' before she was killed when Louisville, Kentucky, police carried out a no-knock search warrant at Taylor's apartment. (ABC News ) "We're [were] just standing out here and waiting and still begging to see Breonna," Tamika Palmer said. "And so, it's about 11 [o'clock] in the morning and the officer comes back over. He says, 'Well, it won't be much longer, and you guys will be able to go in.' And so I screamed at him, 'Why won't you just tell me where Breonna is? Like, why won't you?' And he said, 'Well ma'am, she's still in the apartment.'" Taylor's mom said that at that moment, even though the officer didn't say her daughter had died, she "knew what it meant." PHOTO: Tamika Palmer, mother of Breonna Taylor, speaks at the March on Washington, Aug. 28, 2020, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. At left is Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, and at right is Rev. Al Sharpton. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) A crime scene analysis After analyzing over 1,200 photos of the scene obtained by ABC News, Robert Boyce, former chief of detectives for the New York Police Department, said that during the thousands of search warrants carried out by law enforcement across the United States, "gunfire is very unusual." "It's these horrible incidents that happen; that do happen, unfortunately," he said. "So it's important to understand and keep things serious. Had they been wearing body camera[s], you'll be able to hear the audio: 'Police, police police.' And that's important. We don't have that here." PHOTO: Robert Boyce, former chief of detectives for the New York Police Department, discusses crime scene photos from Breonna Taylor's case. (ABC News ) The photos showed how one officer, Hankinson, fired 10 shots from outside Taylor's home through her door. In a termination letter posted to the Louisville Metro Police Department's Twitter in June, Chief Robert Schroeder said Hankinson violated deadly force procedures when he "blindly" fired the rounds. "Somebody has to explain why he did that," said Boyce, an ABC News contributor who is not connected to the case. "Did he see the muzzle flash? Did someone point a gun at him? He has to explain that because ... he's covering the escape route. He's not part of the entry team." MORE: From Eric Garner to George Floyd, 12 black lives lost in police encounters that stoked mass protests Cosgrove and Mattingly were placed on administrative leave and no charges have been filed against any of the officers. Daniel Cameron, Kentucky's attorney general, released a statement this week saying the investigation was still ongoing. Walker was arrested on the same night Taylor was killed and later charged with attempted murder and first-degree assault. His charges were eventually dropped. "My life changed forever," he said during a press conference earlier this month. "I was raised by a good family. I am a legal gun owner, and I would never knowingly shoot a police officer. I can no longer remain silent." Meanwhile, Lonita Baker, the attorney representing Taylor's family in a civil suit against the Louisville Metro Police Department, said they're still trying to determine why the police went forward with the search warrant after Taylor's ex-boyfriend was arrested. PHOTO: A large-scale ground mural depicting Breonna Taylor with the text 'Black Lives Matter' is painted at Chambers Park, July 5, 2020, in Annapolis, Md. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images) "That's one of those questions we're still trying to figure out," Baker said. "We know Jamarcus was apprehended, so why did they execute the warrant? And it's our belief, just based off of some of the things that happened, that the warrant was called off for Breonna's [home], but they chose to still execute it." "They sprayed the entire apartment with gunfire, the neighboring apartments with gunfire," she went on to say. "The firing of a single shot would not justify that. ... Even if drugs were found in her apartment, and they were not, even if money were found in her apartment -- it was not -- it would not justify Breonna's death in any way." Remembering Breonna Taylor Taylor's family said she was the type of person who wanted to help others, and that she had a "big heart," her sister said. "Sometimes too big." "She just wanted to make sure nobody else had to suffer," said Ju'niyah Palmer of her sister's work as an EMT and first responder. "If they didn't have anybody at home, that they would be able to have her. She would get close with her patients to the point where if it was a patient she knew would need her at the end of the day, she would extend her number to make sure her patient understands like, 'I care.'" PHOTO: A demonstrator holds a sign with the image of Breonna Taylor, a black woman who was fatally shot by Louisville Metro Police Department officers, during a protest against the death George Floyd in Minneapolis, in Denver, June 3, 2020. (Brett Carlsen/AFP via Getty Images) Her mother said Taylor was full of life and a "much better version of me." "She's always been strong and just powerful, even as a kid. She always had her head on straight," Tamika Palmer said. Fighting for justice for Breonna Taylor, and so many more Taylor died just three weeks after Ahmaud Arbery was shot dead while jogging on a Georgia street and 10 weeks before video circulated showing Floyd dying as he gasped for air while a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck, the latter of which sparked worldwide Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality. During the ensuing protests, demonstrators not only chanted, "Say his name," for the countless Black men unjustifiably killed, but they chanted, "Say her name," for Breonna Taylor as well. "I've never seen a movement for a Black woman who was killed by police that touched people in Africa and in Europe and across the world," said Tamika Mallory, co-founder of Until Freedom, an organization dedicated to social justice and ending police brutality. Journalist LZ Granderson said it was the video of Floyd's death that sparked such intense outrage. "Breonna Taylor doesn't have a video; doesn't even have body cam," he said. But when word began circulating that "something like this occurred in Louisville, that's the reason why, in terms of the public's knowledge, that her name came after Mr. Floyd's." "We know that just by what we've seen over the years, and specifically even with Breonna Taylor's case, it took George Floyd being murdered in a brutal way to make people say, 'Wait a minute, there's a lot of things happening in here. There are people being killed all over the country,'" said Mallory. PHOTO: Tamika Mallory is a co-founder of Until Freedom, an organization dedicated to social justice and ending police brutality that has been fighting for justice for Breonna Taylor. (ABC News) She said her organization, co-founded by Linda Sarsour, Mysonne Linen, and Angelo Pinto, had originally planned on being in Louisville for a month, but they decided to stay until there's an announcement on whether the officers involved in Breonna's death will be charged. The "Say Her Name" campaign, launched by the African American Policy Forum in 2014, has become a unifying mantra for advocates who wish to highlight the stories of women of color who've been victimized by police. "'Say Her Name' is designed to do just that: make it where we don't need to have a man killed or a focus on men in order for us to also acknowledge the women that we have lost and the challenges that women feel," she said. "And so, when people say 'Say Her Name,' it is to say, 'Give us priority. Give our lives attention. Give our death and our circumstances the same attention you would give to anyone else.'" MORE: Timeline: Inside the investigation of Breonna Taylor's killing and its aftermath As pressure mounts, the Louisville Metro Police Department recently announced the appointment of a new interim police chief, Yvette Gentry, the first Black woman to lead the department. However, Taylor's supporters said it's not enough. "Justice is the officers being held accountable for their actions in her death," Baker said. "But justice is also true, systemic reform. ... We need police reform immediately. And so, I think that if all we get out of this is that these officers are charged and arrested and convicted, we've not done enough with everything that's going on." Amid calls for justice for Taylor have been demands for a grand jury to convene. It remains to be seen whether that will happen. Until then, her family waits. Tamika Palmer said she misses her daughter "more than life." She said it's "amazing to have all these people standing up for her, saying her name." "I always knew should would be great," Tamika Palmer said. "I hate that she had to die to be great." ABC News' John Kapetaneas, Stephanie Fasano, Karin Weinberg, Candace Smith, Keturah Gray, Muriel Pearson, Emily Wynn and Jahmia Phillips contributed to this report. What we know about Breonna Taylors death and the ongoing fight for justice originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Ghana, as a multilingual and multicultural nation, identifies herself with over 60 local languages. These languages are spoken by the majority of the population, although we speak, read and write in English, as the official language. Language has social and cultural uses such as signifying group identity, social stratification and social grooming. In the same light, people are mostly identified by the language they speak as well the phonics they use. Relatively, in Ghana, there is low production of books in the local languages as compared to English. Hence there is a need to develop and promote the production of books in our indigenous languages, especially for the younger generation or early learners. In 2008, UNESCO undertook a research to ascertain the role of mother tongue in helping learners to learn faster and actively participate in literacy classes, and whether such an approach can help reduce drop-out rates and increase retention rates. The research recommended the use of the learners mother tongue as medium of instruction in the first three years of basic education (early-exit bilingual model). In response, the National Literacy Acceleration Program (NALAP) was introduced in Ghana by the Ministry of Education in September 2009. NALAP was introduced to ensure that children in the early grades (Kindergarten to Primary three) have quality literacy materials, effective instructions, and public support to read and write in their mother tongue and English. It has been suggested that, there might be some challenges surrounding teaching of the mother tongues or the choice of local languages in the early stage of the basic education, with respect to the area the school is located and the pupils who attend. Notwithstanding this challenge, the production of books in the Ghanaian languages should be encouraged. This calls for a considerable number of stakeholders in the book industry, especially authors, publishers, translators as well as booksellers to come on board to increase the production and distribution of storybooks and textbooks in our local languages. These books could come in bilingual or trilingual versions. It would not be surprising to hear that some of our local languages are phasing out, thereby the tendency of losing some of our cultural heritage as a country. Just like producing quality books which meet international standards, book production in the local languages is surely not an easy venture. Production of books in the local languages requires a great deal of expertise. The normal chain of book production requires the involvement of authors, publishers, editors, designers/illustrators, printers and booksellers. With the production of books in local languages, a translator could be involved in the book chain. Aside the translator, the services of an editor who is versed in that local language is very essential to the publishing process. One could also use the services of individuals or private persons who are very good at translating and editing in a particular language. Furthermore, in Ghana, the Bureau of Ghana Languages (BGL) is an entity under the Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture, with the function of producing and promoting literature in Ghanaian languages. The Bureau of Ghana Languages also serves as a public publishing house for the publication of books in Ghanaian languages, assist authors to improve upon their manuscripts, and translate from English into the Ghanaian languages. Authors and publishers who venture into the production of books in any Ghanaian language should as much as possible conform to the current local orthography by consulting the Bureau of Ghana Languages. As authors and publishers invest in the production of books in the local languages, citizens must also patronise such publications. Libraries should also designate a section mainly for assorted books produced in the local languages. Books published in our local languages can serve as effective tools for fostering literacy development for a variety of learners in the country. When these books circulate in our market, people would appreciate and value other local languages, cultures and diversity. In conclusion, it is necessary to emphasise that books serve as a communication channel to target audience, hence the need to sell our culture and ideologies, without compromising quality and standard. Books that are published in our local languages will aid in promoting the Ghanaian cultural heritage and ideas. These books would aid instill in young learners a sense of belonging, and help them value their culture. Kofi Asante Twumasi Production Services Manager Ghana Book Development Council Brooks Hubbard with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers takes photos from the historic North Broadway Bridge over the Los Angeles River Tuesday morning as smoke and ash from the Bobcat fire cloak the area. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) Theres smoke and ash outside. You feel like youre inhaling tiny dust particles. You check your weather app for the air quality. But what do the numbers and colors mean? The Air Quality Index is a number from 0 to 500 that indicates the health effects certain individuals might experience while breathing. The higher the number, the more polluted the air. The AQI is divided into six categories, each assigned a color, from green (under 50, posing little to no risk) to dark red (greater than 300, hazardous for everyone). The categories in the middle take into consideration various sensitivities to poor air quality; for example, in children, the elderly and people with conditions such as asthma. Green/Good (0 to 50): Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk. Yellow/Moderate (51 to 100): Air quality is acceptable; however, unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion. Orange/Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101 to 150): The following groups should limit prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion: People with heart disease, pregnant women, children and older adults and people with lung disease such as asthma. Red/Unhealthy (151 to 200): Everyone may begin to experience some adverse health effects (such as difficulty breathing and throat irritation), and members of the sensitive groups may experience more serious effects. Everyone in the sensitive groups should avoid prolonged time outdoors. Purple/Very Unhealthy (201 to 300): This would generate a health alert suggesting that everyone may experience more serious health effects. People in the sensitive groups should avoid all outdoor physical activity; everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy outdoor activity. Dark Red/Hazardous (greater than 300): This would trigger a health warning of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected. Everyone should avoid all physical activity outdoors. Story continues Once you get above 101, even people without environmental sensitivities and existing respiratory illnesses will start to feel an impact, said Tyler Knowlton, director of communications at Plume Labs, which developed the Plume AQI, which Accuweather uses for maps showing global air quality. That index takes into consideration World Health Organization guidelines, and its categories go from Fresh Air to Airpocalypse" (which was the reading Friday evening in Portland, Ore.). The Environmental Protection Agency calculates the standard AQI based on five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. The most dangerous and what accounts for the smog in California are ground-level ozone (created by chemical reactions when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants and chemical plants react with sunlight) and particulate matter, or PM. PM10 and PM2.5 describe the sizes of PM, referring to their maximum diameter in micrometers. According to Nahal Mogharabi, director of communications at the South Coast Air Quality Management District, PM2.5 from the wildfires is driving the AQI in most cases this week. Romain Lacombe, chief executive of Plume Labs, explained that PM2.5 molecules are small enough to enter the lungs and even the bloodstream. PM2.5 are small, inhalable particles, smaller than a human hair, that are emitted from a variety of sources such as wildfires, vehicles, fugitive dust and industrial sources, said Mogharabi. The PM2.5 can also be formed in the atmosphere from the reaction of gases emitted from these same sources. The AQI across Los Angeles hovered in the mid-100s Friday afternoon, or unhealthy for sensitive groups. The forecast for the next few days is in the 200s, which would be categorized as very unhealthy, meaning everyone should avoid prolonged outdoor activity. Lacombe recommends looking at AQI forecasts to get a sense of the general trend, but he warns that the numbers can be misleading. Weather patterns can result in quick changes, and even neighboring cities can have very different readings, he said. South Coast AQMD encourages people to check its website, aqmd.gov, or download its smartphone app for real-time air quality information. "As always, if you see ash or smell smoke, we encourage the public to stay indoors with their windows and doors closed," said Mogharabi. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Kim Jong Un displayed the headless body of his executed uncle to senior North Korean officials, according to the US President Donald Trump. Jang Song Thaek, the North Korean leaders uncle and a hugely powerful figure within the regime, was killed in 2013 for committing 'treason' and corruption in 2013. "Kim tells me everything. Told me everything, Trump told the Washington Post 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 AFP. Trumps account of Jang's death shows the close nature of his relationship with the North Korean dictator, even though the hermit nation has never admitted how he was killed. Nuclear negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington have stalled since the collapse of the Hanoi summit last year when Trump and Kim failed to reach an agreement. Pyongyang officials said they had offered to dismantle all the nuclear production facilities in the Yongbyon area, but according to the book Trump demanded five sites be given up. Listen, one doesnt help and two doesnt help and three doesnt help and four doesnt help. Five does help, Trump reportedly told Kim according to the book. Yongbyon was the Norths biggest site, Kim countered Its also your oldest, Trump retorted. Kim, though, would not offer further concessions, and Trump told him: Youre not ready to make a deal. Ive got to leave, he added, to Kims shock. I am really, very offended. 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 New Delhi, Sep 12 : Justice N.V. Ramana of the Supreme Court on Saturday said that the judges are becoming victims of juicy gossip and slanderous social-media posts. The judges have to balance their social life in order to be independent and it is completely upon the judge to maintain such self-imposed restrictions, he said. "As judges are self-restrained from speaking out in their own defence, they are now being construed as soft targets for criticism. This issue is further complicated by the proliferation of social media and technology, wherein judges are becoming victims of juicy gossip and slanderous social-media posts," said Justice Ramana, who was delivering a special talk at the virtual launch of retired Supreme Court judge Justice R. Banumathi's book -- "Judiciary, Judges and the Administration of Justice". Justice Banumathi demitted office on July 19. Chief Justice S.A. Bobde also delivered a special talk at the virtual book release. Justice Bobde said the Covid-19 pandemic has affected each and every individual and institution significantly, and the judicial system has seen an unprecedented increase in the pendency of cases across the country. Justice Bobde emphasised on utilising pre-litigation mediation in all matters. "For judges, and consequently the judiciary, the biggest challenge is to ensure that our nation inches towards the goals set in the Constitution. The Constitution guarantees rights, acknowledges past inequalities, accommodates diversity, prescribes functions, and grants and limits state's (executive, legislature and Judiciary) powers," the Chief Justice said. Both the Chief Justice and Justice Ramana underscored judges' tough life, as they have to strike a balance between the two aspects of life: professional and personal. Justice Bobde said, if the public is to give profound respect to the judges, the judges should by their conduct maintain dignified conduct and aloofness. Justice Ramana emphasised that the judgeship in the present day requires sacrifices unparalleled in any other profession, as the country's future is dependent on strong independent judges. "From my own experience I can state that the life of a judge is not a bed of roses. There seems to be misunderstanding that judges lead a life of luxury in their ivory towers. However, the reality is quite different and it is difficult for others to comprehend," said Justice Ramana. The Chief Justice said this institution belongs to the nation and its achievements are the result of unflinching dedication and commitment of numerous individuals on and off the bench, and it has been able to play a defining role in the public life in large measure because of the trust it enjoys among the public. "Having said that I acknowledge that there are remaining areas of concerns in the working of the institution. That is natural, especially in an institution that attempts to balance, day in and day out, the firmness of law against the vagaries of human nature. However, we must also remember that neither inadequacy nor aberrations define a system, nor are hasty solutions a sensible way forward," added the Chief Justice. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 12 By Samir Ali - Trend: Azerbaijans Nasimi District Court considered a motion to replace the measure of restraint in the form of arrest, chosen against arrested ex-ambassador of Azerbaijan to Serbia Eldar Hasanov, to a house arrest on Sept. 12, Trend reports. The motion was considered and rejected during the trial, chaired by Judge Babak Panahov. Head of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's Office of Affairs, Chairman of the Tender Commission Farhad Mollazade, Head of the ministrys Consular Department Faig Bagirov and others were found criminally liable upon the criminal case initiated by the State Security Service. The case was filed in connection with numerous illegal actions committed by some officials of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry that harm the interests of the state protected by the law by deliberately using of their powers contrary to the official interests, abusing the official powers, as well as in connection with theft and bribery. During the current criminal investigation, new information was obtained on the embezzlement of budgetary funds allocated for the activity of the Foreign Ministry. Proceeding from the collected materials, a decision was made to carry out the comprehensive audit of financial and economic activity. During the financial inspections, reasonable suspicions arose that Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina Eldar Hasanov spent huge budgetary funds for other purposes and committed other offenses. Hasanov was arrested as a suspect as part of the investigation. Hasanov was charged under Art. 308.2 (abuse of office duties) and 308-1.1 (misuse of budgetary funds) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan. A preventive measure in the form of arrest was chosen against Hasanov until November 3 upon the decision of the Sabail district court. Rosalind Gray, 55, has been jailed for 13 years (Picture: Police) A grandmother who killed her friend by pushing her down the stairs has been jailed for 13 years. Rosalind Gray, 55, shoved Linda Rainey, 60, after they fell out when a holiday to Marrakesh they had planned together was cancelled. She had owed her friend 200 after a flight mixup caused the trip to be postponed, the court heard. Gray had tried to cover up the killing along with 53-year-old Adrian Lawrence. The court heard how an ambulance was called to Lawrences home address in South Market Road, Great Yarmouth, on 5 August last year to reports Rainey had fallen down some stairs. Read more: Woman arrested for hosting silent disco for more than 300 people Adrian Lawrence helped Rosalind Gray cover up the crime (Picture: Police) Read more: Husband of teacher who 'slept with pupil' says couple were trying for a baby Linda, from Great Yarmouth, was taken to the James Paget Hospital with serious head injuries and later transferred to Addenbrooke Hospital where she died on 7 August. Three days later police received a phone call from a woman who had been drinking with Linda, Gray and Lawrence at his home on the night Linda was injured. The woman stated she saw Gray push Linda down the stairs following an argument about some money which was owed over a missed holiday. Officers from the Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team launched a murder enquiry and it emerged Gray and Lawrence had initially told the witness to hide in a room while the ambulance service attended the address as she couldnt be trusted to stay quiet. They both later applied more pressure, even arranging a meeting between the three of them at a local pub, in order to discuss getting their story straight. They threatened the witness to keep quiet but once she discovered Linda had died, she contacted police. Read more: Jodie Chesney's stepmother says her killers 'don't deserve forgiveness' During the investigation officers also discovered Lawrence had called Lindas family while she was in hospital to inform them the police had been in attendance which was untrue. Story continues Gray, of Marlborough Square in Great Yarmouth, was found guilty of manslaughter and conspiring to pervert the course of justice, following a trial at Norwich Crown Court last month. Adrian Lawrence was found guilty of conspiring to pervert the course of justice. Gray was given a 17-year extended sentence, to serve 13 years in prison, on Thursday, while Lawrence received a 38-month prison term. Detective Chief Inspector Mike Brown said: While Lindas family have seen justice, nothing can make up for their loss and I can only hope todays sentence will go some way in helping them during this difficult time. Melissa Shea Melissa Shea Melissa Shea Woburn, MA, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tami Bonnell, CEO of EXIT Realty Corp. International, recently announced that the subfranchisor rights for the states of Rhode Island and Connecticut have been awarded to EXIT Realty franchisee, Melissa Shea. With over 15 years of experience as a real estate investor, Ms. Shea focuses on business development and leads a team involved in real estate sales, mortgages, education, and networking. She is dedicated to the singular mission of empowering and educating families and individuals to gain financial independence through real estate. Financial independence is more important than ever right now. I get to help people to use real estate to do that. Im also a mom of eight kids, so Im passionate about this because Ive seen what it does for my family, she said. Ms. Shea will bring her success with over 500 fix-flipped units, $100 million in real estate transactions, and $50 million in brokered mortgages to her new challenge of expanding EXIT Realtys footprint in Rhode Island and Connecticut. EXIT is one of the best models for real estate agents because it provides the opportunity to earn single-level residual income, retirement and death benefits something no other company is doingso people can take a break from real estate or retire comfortably and know their families are taken care of. This has been very helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic, she says. Melissa Shea is the real deal, said Mrs. Bonnell. Her business acumen, real estate and mortgage experience are the perfect mix to build Connecticut and Rhode Island. We are thrilled to have her as part of our regional leadership team. About EXIT Realty: EXIT Realty is a company founded and built on human potential. A full service, forward-thinking, real estate franchisor with offices across North America, EXIT has to-date paid out more than $460 million in single-level residual income to its associates. The companys Expert Marketing Suite including geolocation Smart Sign technology gives sellers an edge in a competitive marketplace and the Focus on Good Health blog promotes wellness at work and home. A portion of every transaction fee received by EXIT Realty Corp. International is applied to its charitable fund. To-date, more than $5.5 million has been pledged to charity. For more information please visit joinexitrealty.com and exitrealty.com. Story continues Attachment CONTACT: Susan Harrison Senior Vice President EXIT Realty Corp. International Phone: (888) 668-3948 E-Mail: sharrison@exitrealty.com Delayed referral from smaller centres and financial stress due to lack of health insurance were the main concerns, said private hospitals treating patients with coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in a virtual conclave organised by the Union health ministry. The conclave, which was attended by over 150 hospitals, was organised to share best practices and effective treatment strategies among government and private hospitals. The health ministry said that no Covid-19 patient must be denied admission and the treatment must be affordable and accessible to ensure that the mortality rate of the infection can be brought to below 1%. The ministry stressed the importance of timely treatment in co-morbid patients to reduce fatality. Hospitals were also asked to protect the healthcare workers by following infection control protocols. The ministry asked the hospital representatives to share their key concerns and challenges in management of Covid-19 in their facilities. The best practices shared included a tele-consultation session conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences through e-ICU and clinical rounds to enhance the clinical management capability of doctors across the countries. The government said that this along with various strategies for containment, prevention, and early identification has resulted in higher recoveries and a steadily declining mortality. Over 81,500 people recovered from the infection in 24-hours on Friday, according to data shared by the Union health ministry. Around 60% of these recoveries were reported from five states Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh the same five states that have been adding to the total active cases in the country. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 10:48:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- China calls on countries worldwide to jointly forge universally-accepted global data security rules, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Friday. Wang made the remarks when answering questions about China's "Global Initiative on Data Security" during a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Noting that the China-proposed initiative has drawn attention from across the world, Wang said that many countries have described the initiative as constructive and said they will carefully study it. It is widely believed that the initiative does not evade problems, directly responds to the common concerns of the international community, and puts forward solutions to major data security issues of common concern to all parties, Wang said. He added that Russia attaches importance to China's initiative and welcomes China's efforts to strengthen global data security. In fact, China and Russia have been engaged in multilateral and bilateral cooperation to safeguard data and cyber security, and this cooperation will continue, Wang said. He noted that at an annual China-ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) foreign ministers' meeting two days earlier, Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin said on behalf of ASEAN that China's proposal reflects the common concerns of countries worldwide and that ASEAN countries attach great importance to it and are ready to work with China to strengthen cooperation on global digital governance and cyber security. "We believe that with the passage of time, this initiative will definitely be recognized and supported by more and more countries," Wang stressed, adding that China is ready to work with all countries holding the same or similar positions to push forward this process. Noting that there are some speculations on the initiative, Wang emphasized that China does not merely focus on proving its innocence and honesty on data security, but considers more on how to effectively safeguard global data and cyber security, to truly stop the behavior of exploiting cyber technology to arbitrarily monitor other countries, or even to infringe on the privacy of personal information. "China's purpose is crystal clear, that is, to call on all countries to join hands to create universally-accepted global data security rules, to forge a peaceful, safe, open and cooperative cyberspace, to promote the healthy development of digital economy, and to contribute to the progress of human society," Wang said. Enditem Shere Hite, whose taboo-busting "Hite Reports" on human sexuality sold millions of copies after their debut in 1976, energizing feminists with their frank discussion of how women achieve sexual pleasure even as many social scientists decried the studies as pseudoscience, died Sept. 9 at her home in London. She was 77. She had corticobasal degeneration, a rare neurological disorder, said her husband, Paul Sullivan. Shere Hite - her name was pronounced "cher height" - was an unusual successor to sex researchers such as Alfred Kinsey, who began documenting the sexual lives of Americans in the 1940s, and William Masters and Virginia Johnson, who took sex into a laboratory setting in the 1960s. A onetime Playboy model with a master's degree in history, she joined the feminist movement in the early 1970s after appearing in an advertisement for an Olivetti typewriter that, according to its billing, was "So Smart She Doesn't Have to Be." Disgusted by the misogynistic message, she signed on with the National Organization for Women, which was protesting the campaign, and agreed to lead a project on feminist sexuality. (She had recently suspended doctoral studies at Columbia University.) Hite - Nihon University in Tokyo reportedly awarded her a doctorate for the research published in her reports - began distributing among women and later men detailed surveys to be completed anonymously about their sexual experiences and desires. The responses yielded enough material to fill volumes, and controversy sufficient to keep Hite in the news for years. One day she might appear on Oprah Winfrey's talk show, the next day before an audience at the University of Oxford in England, offering her listeners a rare entree into the inner sanctum of other people's bedrooms. The first installment of her works, "The Hite Report: A Nationwide Study of Female Sexuality," appeared in 1976. Even at that point, well into the sexual revolution, the book caused a stir by championing the idea that women do not need men to achieve orgasm, and that for many it is reached not through traditional intercourse but rather by clitoral stimulation. The book "became so popular because it was the only book to say there is nothing wrong with women - that women can have orgasms very easily, but the kind of stimulation women need isn't being included in sex," Hite told USA Today three decades after the report was released. "It was trying to say that women need to be half of the equation, and, if we're going to have equality in sex, it has to be rethought." The sequel to the first Hite Report - Playboy magazine called it the Hate Report - was released in 1981 as "The Hite Report on Male Sexuality." That volume, relying on questionnaires returned by 7,239 respondents ranging in age from 13 to 97, reported that many men had deep fears of intimacy and their own sexual inadequacy. Her third study, "Women and Love: A Cultural Revolution in Progress" (1987), reported rampant infidelity and unhappiness in romantic relationships. According to Hite, 70 percent of women married for at least five years had extramarital affairs - a number far higher than the figures found in other surveys. Ninety-eight percent reported dissatisfaction in their sexual relationships. Ninety-five percent of women, Hite said, described emotional harassment by their male partners. The findings were based on 4,500 replies to 100,000 questionnaires that Hite distributed. Social scientists who criticized her work noted that, besides the dismal response rate, respondents were self-selecting and therefore were the individuals most likely to have strong feelings, positive or negative, about the issues at hand. "It has no resemblance whatsoever to science," Gordon Black, a pollster for USA Today, told the Associated Press in 1987, describing "Women and Love" as "distorted, basically prejudicial to her own point of view and in no way in accordance with tons of other data done in legitimate research." A writer for the London Daily Mail went further, saying "these implausible majorities read like old-style Albanian election results, where 99.9 percent of the electorate voted for the dictator." DHite argued that such points did not invalidate the insights that she gleaned from the confessional-style questionnaires that poured into her mailbox. "Most of the answers I received were 14 and 15 pages long, usually handwritten," she told USA Today. "Can you imagine at that time how hard it was? I still have them. They would say things like they waited and stayed up late after they put their whole family to bed and they were answering on the kitchen table and things like that, so I didn't feel inclined to disbelieve them." Reviewing the book in the New York Times, Arlie Hochschild, a sociologist at the University of California at Berkeley, cautioned that "to accept this study as 'science' would be wrong," but that "fishy statistics don't necessarily equal fishy insights." The fracas over "Women and Love" coincided with reports of erratic personal behavior by Hite. In 1987, she told the AP that she had assumed the identity of a fictional publicist called Diana Gregory - Hite's full name was Shirley Diana Gregory - for an earlier interview. The Times reported that another purported assistant working for Hite, a Joan Brookbank, spoke on the telephone in a voice that "bore a strong resemblance" to Hite's. Sterling Lord, a prominent literary agent, resigned around that time as Hite's representative. At one point, according to Newsweek magazine, Hite called a book critic at 2:30 a.m. to assail the critic for a negative review. Hite, who cultivated with her blond locks and red lipstick a look that evoked Marilyn Monroe, denounced her critics as nitpicking her data rather than giving serious consideration to what she said it revealed. Dispirited by her reception in the United States, Hite moved to Europe in the early 1990s with her then-husband, a German pianist. In 1996, she renounced her U.S. citizenship and became a German citizen. "It's much harder for what a woman does to be taken seriously, expectations, assumptions are different," she had once told The Washington Post. "When people say 'It's not scientific, what they really mean is 'You're not a man, you're not wearing a white coat. It's just women talking, that's nowhere, that's not scientific, not Important with a capital I.' " Shirley Diana Gregory was born in St. Joseph, Mo., on Nov. 2, 1942. Her mother was 16 when she gave birth and soon divorced. Hite, who took the surname of a stepfather, was largely raised by her grandparents and later by an aunt in Florida. "My grandmother never talked about sex except once when I came home from a date," Hite once recalled. "I had been kissing my boyfriend on the front porch and she said: 'You know, they only marry the nice ones.' " She studied history at the University of Florida, where she received a bachelor's degree in 1963 and a master's degree in 1966. She began modeling around the time of her graduate studies to pay pills. Her success as a writer, she told The Post in 1977, meant that "now I can eat regularly and I know I'll be able to eat regularly for a number of years. And I don't have that horrible lurking feeling whenever I go out of my apartment, the fear that I'll run into my landlord." Her books included "The Hite Report on the Family: Growing Up Under Patriarchy" (1994), "Women as Revolutionary Agents of Change: The Hite Reports and Beyond" (1994), "The Hite Report on Shere Hite: Voice of a Daughter in Exile" (2000) and "The Hite Report on Women Loving Women" (2007). Hite's marriage to Friedrich Horicke ended in divorce. A complete list of survivors other than her second husband, of London, was not immediately available. In 1994, after distributing thousands upon thousands of questionnaires to potential survey participants, Hite agreed to respond to one crafted for her by the London Guardian. Among the questions: "With which historical figure do you most identify?" "Perhaps Simone de Beauvoir," she replied, referring to the French feminist intellectual, "or Margaret Mead," the renowned cultural anthropologist. She concluded with a nod to the powerful mistress of King Louis XV of France: "Pompadour, too." - - - The Washington Post's Karla Adam in London contributed to this report. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 22:35:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Bambang Purwanto JAKARTA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia has to resort to public health rather than economic endeavors following the inception of the Committee on the COVID-19 Mitigation and Economic Recovery on Aug. 20. With the committee, the government was previously seen as more concerned with economics than health given that the Indonesian economy continued to tumble down, but consequently the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the archipelagic country kept rising. Trubus Rahadiansyah, a public policy observer with Trisakti University in Jakarta, said the committee with Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Erlangga Hartarto serving as its chairman would concentrate more on handling the economic recovery than mitigating the COVID-19. The committee was intended to marginalize the health sector in the effort to cope with the novel coronavirus pandemic in the country, he told the CNNIndonesia recently. Indonesian President Joko Widodo was aware of reverting the way from prioritizing the economy to giving substance more to public health. He then ordered the committee, the Health Ministry, the State Armed Forces and the State Police to focus on COVID-19 mitigation before economic recovery. "It means that we keep focusing on health, namely on the COVID-19 mitigation. It is the key," Widodo told a cabinet meeting early this week. The economic condition will be good if the public health condition is ameliorating, he said, underscoring that efforts to recover the domestic economy would much depend on the results of the application of policies on the COVID-19 mitigation. Widodo also urged the Health Ministry to make a comprehensive design on measures to mitigate the pandemic including building labs in every province in the country. He also reminded that the authorities anticipate further spreads of the deadly virus to offices, families and areas where regional elections will take place and other public places which would likely become new clusters of the virus. The committee's chairman Hartarto said on Thursday that the government pledged to maximize all the health facilities nationwide, including those in the capital of Jakarta which has decided to re-impose a partial lockdown policy as the number of cases is surging. "The government has sufficient funds and will persistently raise the capacity of (hospitals') rooms to meet the demands," he told a virtual press briefing. In addition, Hartarto said the government will increase the capacity of athlete dormitory-turned hospital in Jakarta's sub-district of Kemayoran and set up more isolation rooms at emergency health facilities designated for the COVID-19 patients. "The facilities including the number of rooms will be boosted. The government stresses that there are no limited health facilities," he said, adding that several hotels might also be converted into health facilities to deal with the lingering virus pandemic. To meet the president's order, Hartarto also announced a campaign of "Let Us Keep Distances and Avoid Crowds," which is effective from Sept. 7 to Oct. 6. The Health Ministry said on Saturday that the COVID-19 cases in Indonesia rose by 3,806 within one day to 214,746, with the death toll adding by 106 to 8,650. According to the ministry, 2,241 more people were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 152,458. The drastic daily increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Indonesia has prompted some 59 countries and regions to warn their citizens not to visit the country, and ban Indonesians from entering those countries. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi admitted several countries and regions have restricted entry of Indonesian visitors. "We also call on the Indonesian citizens not to make foreign trips except for urgent needs," she said. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reportedly asked Indonesia to review the measures it has been taking as the number of the country's COVID-19 cases continues to rise. Legislator Syaifullah Tamliha worries that the fact that Indonesians are banned from entering some countries and regions will give negative impacts on Indonesia's image in the international community. He believes that Indonesia will be then viewed as an undisciplined country in applying the health protocols under the WHO guidance. According to him, this perception could affect Indonesia's economy and stock market as well as the value of the country's rupiah against foreign currencies. He also suggested the government pay special attention to the implementation of upcoming regional elections which could trigger new clusters of the COVID-19 as there would be people in throngs from political campaigns to polling activities. Jerry Massie, executive director of the Political and Public Policy Studies, told the Sindonews.com website that tactical and strategic measures should be taken besides improving the inconsistent regulations on the fight against COVID-19 as they tend to change at any time. Enditem Phase three trials for AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine have resumed in the U.K. after they were halted earlier this week over safety concerns, raising hope that one of the leading candidates in the global race to develop an injection which can stem the pandemic is back on track. AstraZeneca said it received confirmation from the United Kingdom's Medicines Health Regulatory Authority that it was safe to resume clinical trials. The company declined to disclose medical information about the pause of the trial, but indicated earlier this week that a potentially unexplained illness was under investigation. The company said "the standard review process triggered a voluntary pause" to all global trials on Sept. 6 so that independent committees and internal regulators could review the safety data. While trials can now resume in the U.K., the status of trials elsewhere remains unclear. "The Company will continue to work with health authorities across the world and be guided as to when other clinical trials can resume to provide the vaccine broadly, equitably and at no profit during this pandemic," AstraZeneca said in a statement. The University of Oxford, which developed the vaccine in partnership with AstraZeneca, said Saturday that some 18,000 people have so far received the vaccination in trials. "In large trials such as this, it is expected that some participants will become unwell and every case must be carefully evaluated to ensure careful assessment of safety," Oxford said in a statement. New Delhi, Sep 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated 1.75 lakh houses built under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin) in Madhya Pradesh along with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and said that the scheme was meant to empower the poor. Modi inaugurated the houses through videoconference from Delhi and interacted with the beneficiary. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said: "Today, the entire state is cheerful and happy. The Prime Minister today fulfilled the dreams of thousands of poor people of Madhya Pradesh." Interacting with a beneficiary, Pyarelal, the Prime Minister asked: "Did you ever think that you will get your own house? And what did you cook on the occasion of housewarming at your new house?" Pyarelal replied that he felt assured after he saw other beneficiaries get homes from the government. He also said that he had cooked food and also ordered some sweets. Modi then asked when he got approval for the new house under the government scheme, to which Pyarelal said that the approval was accorded in 2019 and he got it 15 days before the deadline. The Prime Minister also enquired if any middlemen had tried to the money from him, to which Pyarelal replied in the negative. Modi pointed out to Pyarelal that after getting a new house, his responsibilities had increased and now he needed to take care of the education of his children. Modi also said that this scheme was not only meant to provide pucca houses to the poor but also to make them self-confident so that they overcome small issues and sleep peacefully so as to give 100 per cent to their work. "Our motive is to make the poor empowered and giving them the strength to grow," Modi said. Narendra, another beneficiary from Gwalior, told Modi that his daughter had died of a snake bite when they were living in a makeshift house. "But I got support from the government and now we have a new house. I have also bought a buffalo and do sewing for a living," Narendra said. Modi jokingly asked the beneficiary if he planned to contest elections after the latter appreciated him for revoking Article 370 of the Constitution. Narendra's wife also thanked the Prime Minister for schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana and extended an invite to him for lunch at her new house, which Modi accepted. Pointing out that Narendra and his wife were joint beneficiaries, Modi said the PMAYG was also meant to empower women. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Tajikistans State Committee for National Securitys delegation headed by the Committee Chairman Saymumin Yatimov made a working visit to Afghanistan from September 9 through September 11, Trend reports citing Khovar. During the meetings and talks with the First Vice President of Afghanistan Amrullah Saleh, Chairman of the Supreme Council of National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah, Speaker of Parliament Mirrahmon Rahmoni, Security Adviser to the President Hamdullah Muhib, Chairman of the Directorate of National Security Ahmad Zia Siraj, Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar, Minister of Defense Asadullah Khalid and Minister of Internal Affairs Masoud Andarobi an exchange of views took place on enhancing security situation in the two friendly countries and the region, state border protection, fight against international terrorism and extremism, drug trafficking and other new challenges and threats, as well as communication and energy security and economic projects. The two sides fully agreed on the above-mentioned issues and stressed that the two friendly and brotherly countries are ready to strengthen and expand integration and relations in the political, economic, cultural and security spheres, thereby contributing to peace, stability and stability in the region. It was stressed that the end of the war in Afghanistan and the prevention of the destructive activities of special services and political circles of some countries with the use of international terrorist groups are the most important factors in ensuring security. While referring to the need to improve the quality and raise the level of bilateral cooperation to the required level, the parties expressed their full readiness to implement effective and concrete measures in this process. It was concluded that the visits of the delegations of the two countries should be organized on a regular basis and the long borders between the two countries should be transformed into safe and friendly borders. After giving birth almost two years ago, Nayeli Espinoza agonized over whether to drop out of her high school in Trenton, New Jersey, and get a job to support her newborn son. She credits the School Based Youth Services Program at Trenton Central High School with allowing her to continue her education by helping her secure day care and giving her a place to talk about her problems with counselors. "It was a blessing," Espinoza, now 17, said Friday. "I was suffering a lot." But the program that thousands of New Jersey students, particularly those in lower-income districts and communities of color, consider a lifeline could be eliminated at the end of the month under the proposed state budget. The plan has sent students and their families scrambling to figure out how to get crucial services without it. "We have this program that can help us be something for our kids in life, and the state is taking that away from us," Espinoza said. "This makes me sad." Since recently learning of the proposed cut, students and families have rallied outside the State House in Trenton and expressed their fear and anger online. Supporters say it will be next to impossible to replace the mental health services it offers for free, including in the areas of sexual assault awareness, teen parenting, LGBTQ support and work and college readiness. The Trenton Student Voice Power Movement organized a rally outside the State House in Trenton, N.J., against cutting school-based youth service programs on Sept. 4, 2020. (Julia Hyland) The program operates in nearly 100 of the more than 500 school districts in New Jersey and serves an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 students. After its inception more than 30 years ago, the program has been recognized nationally for what was seen as a simple innovation: operating inside schools and offering counseling and resources that students might not otherwise access. Melda Grant, coordinator of the program in Trenton, said the office was already busy last week when students came to pick up Chromebooks for remote learning. One student whose father had recently died sought counseling, while another who was pregnant needed assistance. Story continues "Without this program, our students would have to learn to navigate systems in the community, and I don't know that they have that self-efficacy and confidence," Grant said. New Jersey is facing a $5.7 billion shortfall in its upcoming budget, worsened by a decline in revenue amid the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, has proposed about $1.25 billion in cuts, including nearly $12 million for the school-based programs. The state would also lose federal matching funds for the programs. With opposition mounting, Murphy suggested this week the initiative could be restored in the budget. "This is one that I think there's a broad agreement and support to try to find a way to get back in," Murphy said during his monthly radio show. "I've just got to make sure we have the money to pay for it." A spokeswoman for the governor's office referred questions to the Department of Children and Families, which said Friday that "any reduction is painful" but all state agencies have had to find areas to cut. Those calling for youth services programs to be saved have found backing from both Democratic and Republican state lawmakers who support a bipartisan resolution to restore funding. State Sen. Anthony Bucco, a Republican, said mental health counseling is needed even more now for children after "months of social isolation, separation from their friends and the stress of starting a new school year with the education landscape constantly changing." The governor's budget proposal allocates $45 million to another mental health and behavioral program, the Children's System of Care. "In these tough budget times, the department feels that the Children's System of Care while not located in schools can provide youth and families with an array of in-home, in-community and out-of-home supports," said Nicole Brossoie, a spokeswoman for the Department of Children and Families, in an email. Funding shortfalls blamed on the pandemic have forced other states, such as North Carolina, to weigh whether they can afford school-based mental health programs as well. While program directors throughout New Jersey said out-of-school programs are important and can also benefit from more money, they are not as accessible to all students. "In-home therapy can work if everyone in the house buys in," said Mariam Gerges, director of the School Based Youth Services Program at Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, a suburb of New York City. "But what if the parents are working two jobs? When is the family therapy going to happen?" Children can be reluctant to speak to a therapist with their parents or they may live in a home where abuse or other disruptions are occurring, making it even more important to have a safe space at school where counselors can reach students who might otherwise suffer in silence, Gerges said. More than 560 students at Dwight Morrow meet with a clinician, youth development specialist or college readiness expert each year, and about a quarter of students receive mental health services through the program. Gerges said the strain of the pandemic has only exacerbated feelings of anxiety and depression. Demonstrators rally with the Trenton Student Voice Power Movement outside the State House in Trenton, N.J., to support saving school-based youth service programs on Sept. 4, 2020. (Nick Spanola) For students at the high school, which has a majority Black and Latino population and where about half qualify for free or reduced lunch, the program is "a lifeline," Gerges said, recounting stories of students who were saved from sexual abuse, suicide and even human trafficking. But the program, known by students at Dwight Morrow as The ZONE, also tackles issues on a smaller scale, like befriending students who are struggling socially and feeling alone. "I can't tell you how many times we've gone in the lunchroom and said to someone, 'Why don't you come and eat lunch with us?'" Gerges said. Several students referred to their School Based Youth Services Programs as "second homes." Lauren Blann, a mother in Brick Township, along the Jersey Shore, applauds the program at her 12-year-old son's middle school for being a salvation for him during the school year. She said her son, Trevor, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and is high-functioning on the autism spectrum, has had difficulty in school and with making friends, but the therapist he sees has been "life-changing." "He told me yesterday that school is the hell of his existence," Blann, a pediatric nurse practitioner, said. "It breaks my heart." Now, with the program appearing to near its end, Blann said her son has already threatened to stop going to classes; his middle school is doing both remote and in-person learning. "He stood in my room last night in tears," Blann said. "He said to me, 'I'm losing the one person who actually listened to me and went to bat for me in school.'" Blann, looking for support, joined hundreds of other parents, students and educators during a virtual rally this week. She explained her son's journey and hinted at her fears for his future without the program. "My son's life is worth more than a line item on the budget," she said. Sir David Attenborough has warned that the world is 'facing a crisis' and urges everyone to take responsibility for mass extinction and the planet's eco systems. In a new documentary, the iconic natural historian gives humanity his starkest warning yet to safeguard species from mass extinction for our own survival. His one-hour film Extinction: The Facts, which airs on the BBC in Britain tomorrow, portrays the devastating consequences of mankind's encroachment on natural habitats - and draws a clear link to pandemics such as the coronavirus crisis. It comes as one expert has warned that one million of the world's eight million species are now under threat of extinction, according to the BBC. Sir David Attenborough, 94, has warned that the world is 'facing a crisis' in his new BBC documentary Extinction: The Facts, which airs on Sunday The documentary portrays the world's last two northern white rhinos, a mother and a daughter, in Central Africa as it warns about extinction (above) International experts warned in a report this week that global animal, bird and fish populations have plummeted more than two-thirds in less than 50 years due to humanity's rampant over-consumption. Experts believe that extinctions are occurring at around 100 times the natural rate and are continue to speed up, Radio 4's Today programme reported on Saturday. At the start of the documentary, Sir David warns that 'we are facing a crisis' and it is one 'that has consequences for us all'. The programme reportedly contains 'horrific scenes of destruction', including monkeys leaping from trees into a river to escape a huge fire. In another scene, a koala limps across a road in a doomed search for shelter from a forest blaze. Sir David said: 'I do truly believe that together we can create a better future. 'I might not be here to see it but if we make the right decisions at this critical moment we can safeguard our planet's eco systems, its extraordinary biodiversity and all its inhabitants. What happens next is up to every one of us.' The new film from the maker of Blue Planet and Planet Earth also tracks the suspected origins of Covid-19 to populations of bats living in caves in the Chinese province of Yunnan. It shows the Chinese 'wet market' in the city of Wuhan, specialising in the sale of wild animals for human consumption, which scientists believe was at the root of this year's deadly pandemic. Sir David's stark warning comes as one expert has claimed that one million of the world's eight million species are now under threat of extinction The documentary contains 'horrific scenes of destruction', including a koala limping across a road in a search for shelter from a forest blaze (above, a koala near Brisbane, Australia) The film comes after this week's Living Planet Index report warned that continued loss of natural habitats increases the risk of future pandemics, as humans come into closer contact with wild animals. 'Over the course of my life I've encountered some of the world's most remarkable species of animals,' the 94-year-old said. 'Only now do I realise just how lucky I've been - many of these wonders seem set to disappear forever.' The world's last two northern white rhinos, a mother and a daughter, in Central Africa are also portrayed in the documentary. 'We will not allow any other species to walk this tragic road of extinction,' says rhino caretaker James Mwenda, according to BBC's Today programme. But Sir David has not given up hope, as he retraces his iconic 1970s film Life On Earth, showing a fast-dwindling band of mountain gorillas on the border between Rwanda and the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo. Their population has recovered from just 250 then to more than 1,000, thanks to a determined conservation campaign in Rwanda. The broadcaster meets the offspring of a playful young female he met four decades ago. Throughout the programme, Sir David urges people to take responsibility for their role in the crisis and says we can still safeguard our planet's natural world. Kathy Willis, professor of biodiversity at Oxford's department of zoology, appears in the new documentary and spoke to BBC's Today programme about extinction. Sir David retraces his iconic 1970s film Life on Earth (above), showing a fast-dwindling band of mountain gorillas between Rwanda and the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo She said: 'Normally with extinction thinking about dinosaurs they took not thousands but millions of years to go extinct whereas this is happening the date over the last 50 or so years.' She added that the rapid declines are human driven, not due to natural causes, arguing that the biggest driver of extinction is land use change, when human activities transform the natural landscape. The professor also draws upon an interesting statistic in the programme, which states that the average person in the UK uses four times the resources of a person in India. And in the US, the average person uses seven times more resources than someone living in India. She says: 'One thing we can all do is start to think about the amount of waste we generate and also where our products come from. 'Look in your fridge, look in your fruit bowl and think "actually is that being grown in a sustainable way and do I really need to have apples that come right the way from south america?"' Mixed martial arts star and boxer Conor McGregor was released from two days in police custody in Corsica today after being accused of sexual assault and indecent exposure. Prosecutors on the French holiday island in the Mediterranean confirmed that the 32-year-old Irishman was arrested on Thursday night following a complaint against him. The suspect was arrested and placed in custody by the judicial authorities, said a spokesman for the Bastia prosecutor. He was released on Saturday. An investigating source later revealed that the claims about Conor McGregor relate to an incident involving a young woman in a bar in Calvi very late last Sunday evening. The accused had been drinking heavily around the Marina, and is said to have got involved in some bad behaviour. A formal complaint was made to police on Thursday by an as-yet unnamed witness, believed to be the woman. McGregor is pictured in Calvi, Corsica on Thursday, the same day he was arrested on suspicion of attempted sexual assault and indecent exposure The MMA fighter was in the region to take part in a voyage to raise awareness of water safety Conor McGregor has reportedly been taken into custody for alleged indecent exposure This led to police raiding McGregors 3million yacht, which was named locally as the Dave Ocean, the next day. McGregor answered this summons on Friday morning said the source, who said that McGregor made his way to the local Tramariccia Gendarmerie by bike, surrounded by bodyguards. It was there that he was questioned by a magistrate and judicial police, said the source, before being released on Saturday. The source said a number of tests had been carried out on McGregor while in custody, without offering further information. McGregor has been staying on is yacht, which is moored close to Calvi, the upmarket port town in the north of the island. McGregor has been on holiday in Corsica with his girlfriend, Dee Devlin, and their two children. There had been a complaint pointing toward sexual assault and indecent exposure, said the spokesman, who did not offer any more details about the alleged crimes. French police can hold a suspect for an initial period of 48 hours before having to apply for an extension to custody, charge them, or release them. In this case McGregor was released without charge, but the case has not been closed, and there may be further action. Emmanuelle Ramon, McGregors lawyer, said his client vigorously denied any wrongdoing. He has been released before the legal end of police custody and without any judicial review, said Mr Ramon. It was not clear whether Mr Ramon was being asked to remain on Corsica while enquiries continued. Audie Attar, McGregors manager, said in a statement: I am irate and putting out a warning loud and clear: Conor McGregor is not and will not be a target for those seeking to score a headline or a payday. In Corsica, McGregor was preparing to take part in a 180-kilometre, 24-hour charity water bike race from Calvi to Monaco. Princess Charlene of Monaco would have been alongside him to help promote water safety, but McGregor has now been forced to withdraw. The prosecutor's office wrote in a statement: 'Following a complaint filed on September 10 denouncing acts that could be described as attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibition, Mr. Conor Anthony McGregor was the subject of a hearing by the police.' McGregor was pictured attending a lavish event in the region, on the port of Calvi, alongside his fiancee on Friday night. He proposed to Devlin, his long-term partner, during the summer, and has shared several social media posts of them both during their holiday. McGregor, who has retired from UFC for a third time, has denied the accusations against him McGregor was pictured attending a lavish event in Corsica alongside his fiancee Dee Devlin McGregor shared several photos of himself preparing for the 180km voyage on social media Conor McGregor's controversial moments Brooklyn bus attack - McGregor assaulted a vehicle full of fellow UFC fighters in 2018 Labelling German fighter a 'Nazi' - McGregor fought Germany's Denis Siver in 2015 and tweeted, 'Kiss them feet, Nazi' Bar assault - McGregor pled guilty to assaulting an older man in a Dublin bar in 2019 Threatening to kill people from Jose Aldo's city - Before his fight with Aldo in 2015, McGregor said: 'In previous times I would invade his favela on horseback and would kill anyone who wasnt fit to work' Arrest for stamping on a fan's phone - McGregor was placed in custody after being accused of stamping on the phone of a fan in Miami last year Advertisement McGregor revealed in July that he was set to be one of the athletes to take part in the 24-hour challenge across the course of this weekend. He had cheered on Tour de France cyclists from Nice in late August, and uploaded several pictures of himself wearing the famous yellow jersey on Instagram during his preparations. McGregor had announced his retirement from UFC in June for the third time in just four years. McGregor, an icon of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), who goes by the nickname 'Notorious', is no stranger to controversy. He hit the headlines in 2019 for an attack on an older man in a Dublin bar captured in a viral video. In 2018 he pled guilty in Brooklyn, New York to disorderly conduct after attacking a bus filled with UFC fighters. McGregor held the UFC title for featherweights from 2015 to 2016 and lightweights from 2016 to 2018 and lost to American legend Floyd Mayweather in August 2017 in a lucrative boxing match. In June, he announced his retirement for the third time, after twice returning to the octagon Despite stepping away from fighting, McGregor was recently drug-tested by officials onboard his 3million yacht. His preparations for the voyage were abruptly interrupted by the unexpected arrival from the United States Anti-Doping Agency. After the visit, he tweeted: 'What's going on here UFC? USADA have just arrived to my yacht this morning for testing? I've retired guys! 'But go on then, I'll allow them test me. It's all natural here baby! Forever and always, God Bless.' McGregor was recently drug-tested by officials onboard his 3million yacht despite retiring NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- If you own shares in any of the companies listed above and would like to discuss our investigations or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, please contact: Joshua Rubin, Esq. WeissLaw LLP 1500 Broadway, 16th Floor New York, NY 10036 (212) 682-3025 (888) 593-4771 [email protected] Rosetta Stone Inc. WeissLaw LLP is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Rosetta Stone Inc. in connection with the proposed acquisition of the company by Cambium Learning Group. Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, which is structured as a tender offer, RST shareholders will receive $30.00 in cash for each share of RST common stock that they own. If you own RST shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us at one of the numbers listed above or visit our website: https://weisslawllp.com/news/rosetta-stone-inc/ BMC Stock Holdings, Inc. WeissLaw LLP is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of BMC Stock Holdings, Inc. in connection with the proposed acquisition of the company by Builders FirstSource, Inc. ("BLDR"). Under the terms of the merger agreement, BMCH shareholders will receive 1.3125 BLDR shares for each share of BMCH common stock they own, representing implied per-share merger consideration of $41.87 based upon BLDR's September 11, 2020 closing price of $31.22. At closing, current BMCH shareholders will only own a 43% stake in the new entity. If you own BMCH shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us at one of the numbers listed above or visit our website: https://weisslawllp.com/news/bmc-stock-holdings-inc/ SOURCE WeissLaw LLP Related Links http://weisslawllp.com F ormer US Vice President Joe Biden laid a wreath at the memorial to the victims of Flight 93 on the 19th anniversary of the attacks. Mr Biden, who is running for President of the United States, laid the wreath under First Officer LeRoy Homer's name at the Flight 93 memorial, before going to greet some of Homer's family members with elbow bumps. United Airlines Flight 93 was hijacked by four al-Qaeda terrorists during the September 11th attacks. However, it crashed into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew attempted to regain control. 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. Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, right, and his wife Jill Biden arrive to lay a wreath at the Wall of Names / AP 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. Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, center, visits with Pat White, left, his son Joey and wife Dawn, right, after laying a wreath at the Wall of Names / AP 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. President Donald Trump delivered a speech at a commemoration event in Shanksville earlier Friday. Meanwhile, Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said it's "disgraceful" that the official 9/11 commemoration event features only prerecorded name readings. "If I were the mayor of this city you wouldn't be allowed to hold a ceremony with prerecorded names," Giuliani told reporters before a separate ceremony nearby ground zero. "I'd take the recording and burn it." Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Vice President Mike Pence greet each other during the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks / REUTERS 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 it's 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 don't 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." Raytheon Technologies Corp. RTX Missiles and Defense segmentrecently secured a contract worth $52.2 million to support the production of AIM-9X Block II missiles. The deal has been awarded by the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD. The contract is expected to be completed by July 2023. In particular, the company will execute development of Operational Flight Software (OFS) 10.15 for the AIM-9X missiles. Per the terms, Raytheon will offer new software development, software risk reduction, existing software support, software improvements and production integration planning. The majority of the work will be executed in Tucson, AZ. Growing Missile Demand & AIM-9X Over the past decade, rapidly growing inter country as well as intra country conflicts around the globe have prompted nations to bulk up their arsenal count, in which missiles have played a vital role. Consequently, developed nations like the United States and Europe along with emerging nations like India, Japan, South Korea and a few more have been ramping up their defense capabilities. Notably, Raytheons AIM-9X Sidewinder missile is the most advanced infrared-tracking, short-range, air-to-air and surface-to-air missile in the world. It is configured for easy installation in a wide range of modern aircraft including Boeings BA F-15, F/A-18, E/A-18G, Lockheeds LMT F-22 and F-35 fighters. Its latest variant, the AIM-9X Block II missile adds a redesigned fuse and a digital ignition safety device that enhances ground handling and in-flight safety. These features have been boosting the demand for AIM-9X as is evident from the latest deal win. Deal Benefits for Raytheon Technologies Thanks to its wide range of combat-proven defense products, Raytheon Technologies continues to receive ample orders from the Pentagon and its foreign allies. During the second quarter, the company won a handful of such notable contracts. Consequently, it witnessed record bookings of $10.16 billion, which translated into a solid backlog of $73.13 billion by the end of the second quarter. Story continues These make us optimistic about the revenue growth prospects of the company, which, in turn, will boost its bottom line, over the long run. Impressively the latest contract win will enable this defense major to record similar backlog in the coming days as well, thereby bolstering its growth trajectory. The latest software development that Raytheon will offer to AIM-9X is a further indication of growing demand for more upgraded missiles. Such demand boosts the chances of this missile maker to win more such contracts in the future. Growth Prospects The U.S. fiscal 2021 defense budget proposal provisioned $20.3 billion for major war-fighting investments in missile defense. This should enable Raytheon Technologies to clinch more contracts related to missile defense systems and associated services, considering the companys proven expertise in varied missile systems. Other major U.S. missile defense players like General Dynamics GD, Boeing and Lockheed Martin are also expected to benefit from the aforementioned budget provision. Price Performance & Zacks Rank Raytheon Technologies stock has lost 9% in the past three months against the industrys growth of 60.5%. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. 5 Stocks Set to Double Each was hand-picked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2020. Each comes from a different sector and has unique qualities and catalysts that could fuel exceptional growth. Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor. Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The Boeing Company (BA) : Free Stock Analysis Report General Dynamics Corporation (GD) : Free Stock Analysis Report Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Raytheon Technologies Corporation (RTX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Twenty-eight days before the governorship election in Ondo State, the Peoples Democratic Party has officially flagged off its campaign amid ... Twenty-eight days before the governorship election in Ondo State, the Peoples Democratic Party has officially flagged off its campaign amid fanfare in Akure, the state capital on Saturday. The venue of the event, the M.K.O Abiola Democracy Park, was filled to the brim with party supporters from the 18 local government areas of the state, who wore different attires carrying party logos. Speaking at the event, the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, declared that the PDP would win the forthcoming governorship election. He said the state belonged to the PDP. Addressing the supporters, Secondus said, Do not vote for APC, do not allow APC to rig the election. If APC rigs this election, they will face the wrath. The only thing Akeredolu is relying upon is to rig the election because he has not performed. Make sure you vote out the government that has turned Ondo State to a family business, let Buhari know that the only thing left for him is to conduct free and fair elections in Edo and Ondo States. Eyitayo Jegede, the candidate of the party, urged the people to vote for the PDP, saying if he won the election, there would be a new face of development in the state. After receiving the flag of the party from the national chairman, Jegede who was also the candidate of the party in the 2016 governorship election, said he would liberate the state if elected the next governor. Jegede pledged, There would be a new face of Ondo State after I have been sworn in February 2021, there would be a reduction in school fees, there would be a reduction in hospital bills, there would be jobs for the youths, our economy will grow, vote for the PDP on October 10, 2020. Both state and national leaders of the party were present to witness the event. They included the governors of Oyo and Sokoto States, Engr. Seyi Makinde and Aminu Tambuwal respectively, former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former governor of Ekiti State Engr. Segun Oni among other party men and women. US pledges to provide over US$153 million in assistance to Mekong countries The US has pledged to provide nearly US$153.6 million in assistance to several projects of the Mekong countries, official said. Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh co-chairs the 1st Mekong-US Partnership Ministerial Meeting on September 11, 2020. Photo: VGP The financial assitance was announced by US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun at the 1st Mekong-US Partnership Ministerial Meeting on September 11. The money includes US$55 million for transboundary crime combat and US$1.8 million for the Mekong River Commission to strengthen water resource data sharing in support of policy making process, according to Stephen Biegun. Over the last 10 years, U.S. agencies have offered more than $3.5 billion in assistance to the Mekong region that comprises Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The participants to the meeting also officially announced the Mekong-US Partnership (MUSP) from a decade-long cooperation under the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI), which was initiated by the US in 2009. The new partnership framework will lay foundation for promoting the potentials of the bilateral ties, thus making effective contributions to the sustainable development and prosperity in the future. The participants highlighted the fine friendship and achievements in such cooperative areas like sustainable management of water resources, environmental protection, national disaster response, healthcare, education, and regional connectivity. Regarding future cooperation orientations, the participants agreed that the Mekong countries and the US should work toward promoting peace, stability, and prosperity, supporting the implementation of the 2030 sustainable development goal and the 2025 ASEAN Community Vision. The participants agreed that the MUSP should focus on four cooperation areas: (i) economic connectivity, (ii) sustainable management of water and natural resources and environmental protection, (iii) non-traditional security, (iv) and human resources development. Addressing the meeting, Deputy PM, FM Minh affirmed Viet Nams commitment to fostering cooperation between the Mekong countries and the US, expressing his belief that the MUSP would further contribute to sustainable development and narrowing develop gap in the region./ Antarctica: Vast icy rock peaks tower above Argentina's Carlini research base in Antarctica. But scientists who have worked here for decades say the glaciers are less icy than they once were. For international experts stationed at the base, the frozen southern continent is a good gauge of climate change. "When I used to come to Antarctica in the 1990s, it never used to rain," said Rodolfo Sanchez, director of the ArgentineAntarctic Institute (IAA). "Now it rains regularly -- instead of snowing," he told AFP during an Argentine government visit to King George Island, off the tip of the western Antarctic peninsula. Scientists monitoring conditions at the base say the average temperature here has increased by 2.5 degrees Celsius (4.5 degrees Fahrenheit) over the past century. "The glacier used to reach all the way to the shore," Sanchez says. "Now there is a 500-meter (550-yard) wide beach." Dark scars of rock are showing through what were once spotless sheets of white snow on the glaciers' flanks. "Antarctica is a thermometer that shows how the world is changing," said Adriana Gulisano, a physicist at Argentina's National Antarctic Directorate. "There is no place where climate change is more in evidence." Local wildlife also appears to reflect to the change. Scientists at the Carlini base say a pair of yellow-throated King penguins have swum up to mate nearby for the past three years. Although the theory is not confirmed, they suspect another sign of climate change. The species had previously been thought to be restricted to warmer spots on the Falkland Islands and the Argentine mainland. Technician Luis Souza, 56, has divided his time since 1979 between Buenos Aires and the Carlini base, where he has studied migrating birds: cormorants, gulls and penguins. "There are more and more birds coming here every year," he said. More crucially, scientists say melting ice is disrupting the breeding of krill, a shrimp-like creature that serves as food for numerous species. "Less ice means fewer krill for the whales, penguins and seals," said Sanchez. "The whole food chain is affected." Various countries maintain bases in Antarctica, a shared pace for scientific research under a 1959 international treaty. Former military bases have become laboratories for research into the planet's future. The Carlini base's red cabins nestle at the foot of a mountain range known as "The Three Brothers." Below the structures, the shore is strewn with blackvolcanic rocks. The population of scientists and military logistics personnel at the 13 Argentina bases in Antarctica can reach 1,000 at busy times. Supplies are brought in by boat or helicopter. Garbage is stored and taken away by an icebreaker. Other kinds of experts are also busy in Antarctica, a continent roamed by dinosaurs 75 million years ago. "The signs are under the ice," said paleontologist Marcelo Reguero cryptically. He has been working in Antarctica since 1986. Although Antarctica lies thousands of miles from any industrialized area, a recent study by Argentine and Italian scientists found that levels of harmful carbon dioxide gas are rising all the same. That is "due to the circulation of currents in the atmosphere" bringing the gas from emissions elsewhere all the way down to Antarctica. But closer to the South Pole in the heart of the white continent, the trend is the opposite, Gulisano said average temperatures are getting colder."Why?" she asked. "That is the million-dollar question. We are working on it." For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Beijing Sat, September 12, 2020 14:00 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c446e73a 2 Entertainment Mulan,Disney Free Pilloried internationally and given a lukewarm debut by Chinese cinemagoers, Disney on Friday discovered its $200 million live-action epic "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 northwestern region in the end credits. 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 organizations." He went onto applaud Chinese-American star Liu as "the contemporary Mulan" and "a true child of China". Mulan opened in China on Friday and sold around 41 million yuan (US$5.99 million) worth of tickets by the afternoon, according to ticketing platform Maoyan. But the movie, which many have seen online, has already attracted a torrent of poor reviews and a 4.7 out of 10 rating on popular user review site Douban. 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. 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. 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 defense against overseas critics, in typically unvarnished language, describing attacks on the film as "depravity". Topics : Mulan Disney This is the shocking moment a British man on a flight from London to Turkey throws a punch at an African woman. Footage shows people shouting and swearing at each other before easyJet staff intervene. Witnesses said the brawl broke out when the male passenger allegedly racially abused another flyer. A woman says: 'I am African - do not chat sh*t about my people', before the man lunges over the seats towards her, flinging a clenched fist. It is not clear from the video whether his punch connected with the victim or if it hit the chair in front. EasyJet staff intervened when the argument broke out at the front of the plane, and a video shows people shouting and swearing at each other Onlookers claim the woman in the footage was defending a friend, who the man had racially abused. Turkish police were called to meet the plane on arrival and clips show the man being led from the plane. Witnesses said it was the second fracas the Briton had been involved in on the flight after he allegedly kicked off when a passenger threw away his son's paper plane. Footage shows other holidaymakers getting out of the way while the man shouts and raves, penned in by plane staff, on the Gatwick to Antalya flight on Wednesday. A traveller who filmed the apparent attack said: 'Approximately two hours into the flight from Gatwick, most of the flight were disturbed by a commotion at the back of the plane. 'It was clearly two grown men coming to blows and prolific use of the C-word from one of them. 'All available staff rushed to the back of the plane to separate the men with the [apparent] instigator being relocated to the front, still shouting and swearing. 'Calm ensued for about an hour, whereby he requested to visit the back of the plane to retrieve some cash. It is unclear whether the man's punch connected with the apparent victim or if it hit the chair in front 'Accompanied by staff he went back up, only to re-launch his attack on the initial victim and be returned again to the front. 'We find out from the airline staff that the son of the instigator had thrown a paper plane in the direction of the first victim which he then screwed up and threw away, prompting the violent outburst. 'Another hour passes and we are about to land when all hell breaks loose again. 'Absolutely no idea what prompted this but it was racial abuse of the most vile kind directed at one woman of colour. 'A second woman of colour verbally defends her friend only to be met with the same torrent of abuse which escalated into the violent assault that you see in the video. 'Some people offer to restrain him until he can be ejected from the plane. 'We land and the police are waiting, he's removed from the plane to a loud cheer from everyone on board and as we pass through security, we saw him again as he pleaded for leniency from the Turkish police.' A spokesman for EasyJet said: 'We can confirm flight EZY8841 from London Gatwick to Antalya on 8 September was met by police on arrival and a passenger was removed by police as a result of their disruptive behaviour onboard. 'Whilst such incidents are rare, we take them very seriously, and do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour on board. 'easyJet's cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time.' They added: 'The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is our highest priority..' Antalya Airport have been approached for comment. Animal Trials of Coronavirus Vaccine Covaxin Successful: Bharat Biotech Vaccine maker Bharat Biotech on Friday announced that the animal trials of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin were successful and the results demonstrated the protective efficacy of the vaccine in a live viral challenge model. 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. READ MORE With Adhir at the Helm, Congress Hopes to Ride Pillion to Position of Power in 2021 Bengal Polls Gasping heavily, a 64-year-old pillion rider jumped off a motorcycle, stumbled, and screamed, Dhor, oke dhor, booth capture korche (catch him, he was capturing a polling booth)." His pen fell down while the lanyard struggled to hold his pair of glasses safe while swinging around his neck. After a brief chase with minor injuries on his knees and elbows, the man managed to get hold of the youth, and after a heated argument he was handed over to the paramilitary jawans. Then, the youth in a fit of rage showed his trigger finger to the man while being dragged inside a police van. READ MORE Centre May Hand Over 2 Cases in Connection With Bengaluru Riots to NIA The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday informed the Karnataka High Court that the Centre might transfer to it two of the cases registered in connection with the August 11 riots here. The public prosecutor for the NIA approached made the submission before a division bench led by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka during the hearing of a petition seeking investigation by the central agency in the cases. The PP said the Centre may pass an order soon for transfer of the two cases in which the Unlawful Activity Prevention (Prevention) Act provisions have been invoked. READ MORE 2nd Sero Survey Will Reveal How Fast Covid-19 Spread: Scientists After facing much criticism over the delay in publishing results of the first national sero-survey, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) finally made the study public on Thursday evening. The survey estimated that 64 lakh adult Indians had been exposed to the coronavirus infection by as early as May, indicating the scale of infections missed by the countrys health system, despite one of the worlds most stringent national lockdowns that effectively grind a billion people to a halt. On May 1, the month when the survey began, India had reported 37,336 cases and 1,218 deaths. Even as he admitted the delay in publishing the results of the study, lead author Dr Manoj Murhekhar said the purpose of tracking the trends in the infections at a national level was served. LIVE UPDATES Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet Singh Allegedly Consumed Drugs With Rhea, Under NCB Scanner: Report At least 25 top Bollywood personalities including Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh are currently under the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) scanner after Rhea Chakraborty, in her questioning, reportedly admitted to having consumed drugs with them, according to Times Now. Fashion designer Simone Khambhattas name also came up during the investigation, reports Times Now, which states that these names have been given by Rhea Chakraborty in her interrogation by the NCB that went for three days. Times Now also accessed Rhea Chakrabortys call detail record (CDR) which showed that she was in touch with Rakul Preet and Simone. READ MORE Not Leaving Home: Defying Evacuation Orders to Ride Out California Blaze James Hancock scans the hills he has known since childhood and rules out flames coming towards his home, on a Native American reservation nestled in a mountainous area of California ravaged by out-of-control wildfires. Hancock has decided to defy an evacuation order issued for the town of Tollhouse, close to where the blaze known as the Creek Fire is burning. It has already devoured more than 175,000 acres (71,000 hectares) since it was ignited a week ago, and just six percent of it is contained. Hancock is one of the few who stayed. Life seems to have stopped suddenly on his block: Toys and balls are abandoned in the yards of neighboring houses. A couple of black dogs wander aimlessly, sneezing from the dense smoke that has settled over the street. READ MORE 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 The Delhi Assemblys peace and harmony committee has summoned Facebook India vice-president and managing director Ajit Mohan in connection with complaints about the social media companys deliberate and intentional inaction in controlling hateful content on its platform. -- the second time in weeks that the Facebook executive will be appearing before a government panel to justify the companys behaviour. The panel, headed by Aam Aadmi Party legislator from Rajendra Nagar, Raghav Chadha, has issued a notice, asking Mohan to appear before it on September 15 at the Delhi Vidhan Sabha premises. The summons were issued on the basis of scathing depositions of key witnesses as well as incriminating material submitted by them on record, the committee said in an official statement Saturday. The notice came weeks after the committee, in its second hearing on August 31, said that prima facie, it has found that Facebook was allegedly complicit in aggravating the February riots in north-east Delhi that left 53 dead and at least 400 injured. These primarily have to do with posts on its platform ahead of and during the rites. The committee is investigating the matter after it took cognisance of several complaints received from people based on an article published in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on August 14. The article alleged that the social media company ignored its own hate speech guidelines and decided not to act against comments posted by a lawmaker from the Bharatiya Janata Party at the instance of its (Facebooks) top lobbyist in India. The report titled Facebook hate speech rules collide with Indian politics stated that Facebook officials, especially its top public policy executive in India, Ankhi Das, cited business imperatives while choosing not to apply hate-speech rules to at least four individuals and groups linked with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India. BJP leaders have since complained that the social media company is actually biased against it -- and law and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has shot off a letter to the effect to the company. Facebook did not respond to e-mails, text messages and calls seeking comment . HT has seen a copy of the notice that the Delhi assemblys deputy secretary sent to Mohan on September 10. It reads, We hereby summon you (Ajit Mohan) to appear before the committee on September 15, 2020 at 12 Noon at MLA Lounge- 1, Delhi Vidhan Sabha, for the purpose of recording your deposition on oath and participating in the proceedings carried out by the committee, In the last hearing, the committee said there should be an independent investigation, leading to the filing of a supplementary charge sheet, in the ongoing cases related to the Delhi riots on the basis of supportive and corroborative material during the course of the purported investigation. Chef Amrita Raichand added another feather to her cap as she and her cooking show for children called 'Mummy Ka Magic' was recognised by a major international magazine, Tatler Asia, in a list of 7 Cooking Show Hostesses from Around the Globe. The article that lists down popular hostesses from around the globe, says "Mummy Ka Magic is a charming cooking show that has comfortably found its niche in the vast pan Indian market thanks to its focus on simple yet tasty child-focused recipes. At the heart of the show is Amrita Raichand, whose motherly charm has pulled the show through a whopping 16 seasons!" Other hostesses in the list include Ili Sulaiman from Malaysia, Debbie Wong of Hong Kong, Nigella Lawson from the UK, Rachael Ray from the US, Siba Mtongana from South Africa and Pati Jinich from Mexico. It is indeed an honour to be featured in this prestigious list! All the hours of toiling in the kitchen and burning the midnight oil while researching and honing my skills seem to have paid off, Raichand told Mumbai Mirror. The incident took place around 11.30 am in Lokhandwala Complex area in Kandivali Four people, including a Shiv Sena worker, Kamlesh Kadam, were arrested in connection with an attack on a 62-year-old retired Navy officer on Friday. The retired Navy officer, Madan Sharma, was beaten up by alleged Sena workers in Mumbai after he forwarded a cartoon on Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on WhatsApp on Friday, the Mumbai police said. The incident took place around 11.30 am in Lokhandwala Complex area in suburban Kandivali. As per reports, some Sena workers reached his house to beat him up. "Sharma sustained an eye injury and is being treated at hospital," an official said. Speaking to ANI, Sharma said, "8-10 persons attacked and 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." The police registered a case under IPC section 325 (causing grievous hurt) and provisions related to rioting against Kadam and his 8-10 associates at the Samata Nagar Police Station in Mumbai. Bryan Thomas is the third generation of his family to run the butchers shop in Morriston on the outskirts of Swansea. But the dishes in the window that once displayed prime cuts and sausages now lie empty. Much of Mr Thomass trade came from workers at the nearby Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, but the reluctance of civil servants to return to their desks means fewer customers. The nearly empty car park for workers at Swanseas DVLA office is pictured above. The Mail on Sunday counted just five vehicles at the sprawling site late on Wednesday morning, despite Boris Johnsons plea to civil servants to get back to their offices Until the DVLA staff return to work here, theres no point, says Mr Thomas. Normally the metal dishes in the display window would be overflowing with fresh meat, much of it bought by the DVLA staff up the road. Theyd come in during their break and buy meat for their supper that evening. They have fridges at work so they could keep it cool until it was time to go home. Now, I guess theyre getting supermarket deliveries to their homes instead. Its not their fault, I know that. Management are slowly bringing them back but its too slowly for my business, Im afraid. Bryan Thomas is the third generation of his family to run the butchers shop in Morriston on the outskirts of Swansea. But the dishes in the window that once displayed prime cuts and sausages now lie empty The DVLA car park is almost as empty as Mr Thomass window. The Mail on Sunday counted just five vehicles at the sprawling site late on Wednesday morning, despite Boris Johnsons plea to civil servants to get back to their offices. The Prime Minister has ordered mandarins to provide weekly figures on how many officials have returned. The Prime Minister has ordered mandarins to provide weekly figures on how many officials have returned. The DVLA office is seen above He wants 80 per cent of staff to be back in the office at some point during the working week by the end of September. There is little sign of a positive response, certainly not at the DVLA, where many of its workforce of 5,344 are staying away from the 1960s 16-storey building. Reji Joseph, owner of the nearby Taste Buds cafe, surveys his empty chairs as he explains how he has been forced to cut his opening times. Normally, these tables would be full of DVLA staff popping in for a cup of coffee and a toastie, or whatever, he says. But its deserted now. Im really worried. Ive worked out that my takings are down more than 50 per cent at the moment. This business will fold if more DVLA employees dont return to their office desks soon. Down the road, the future of florist Sian Evans has been secured only by signing contracts with local funeral directors as DVLA custom dried up. Her shop opened two years ago and was starting to make headway before the lockdown in March. Before then, there was a constant stream of people coming in for flowers and gifts. Many would spend time browsing, then buy several things, she says. Now, its one customer at a time to comply with Covid regulations and they buy the one thing they came in for and then go. In addition, we badly miss the DVLA staffs custom. They would always be dropping in to buy big bunches of flowers for loved ones or to brighten up their homes, or maybe just their desk at work. Down the road, the future of florist Sian Evans has been secured only by signing contracts with local funeral directors as DVLA custom dried up But everything has changed. Weve got all these lovely colourful fragrant flowers in here and people seem nervous about coming in. In July, the Government dropped its formal advice that people should work from home if possible. But Britain seems reluctant to return to the office, with some cities at just 17 per cent of pre-lockdown worker levels. Most of those who have come back work for private companies. The Cabinet Office has not revealed how many civil servants are back at their desk and last week would only repeat its target. The DVLA did not respond to requests for comment. CBI chief Dame Carolyn Fairbairn says town centres face a dire future, adding: The cost of office closures is becoming clearer by the day. Some of our busiest city centres resemble ghost towns, missing the usual bustle of passing trade. This comes at a high price for local businesses, jobs and communities. The United States voted against a COVID-19 resolution in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 11 that sought a "comprehensive and coordinated response" to the pandemic and also called for recognition of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) leadership role. The United States, which withdrew from the UN health body this July, along with Israel, voted against the resolution that was adopted by an overwhelming majority with 169 countries voting in favour of the text. Washington had accused WHO of mismanaging the COVID-19 pandemic and also siding with China before officially withdrawing from the global health agency this summer. Out of 193 nations, 169 voted in favour of the resolution, Ukraine and Hungary abstained from voting, while the United States and Israel voted against the text, that calls for international cooperation to contain and overcome the pandemic and its consequences. Read: UN Assembly Approves Resolution On Dealing With The Pandemic Read: India Votes In Favour Of UNGA Resolution, Calling For Multilateral Cooperation To Combat COVID Unsuccessful in removing abortion paragraph Ahead of the vote, Washington unsuccessfully moved to remove a paragraph from the text on protecting women in areas of sexual and reproductive health. The Trump administration, which is a staunch opponent of abortion rights for women in the US wanted the paragraph to be removed from the resolution. However, with 120 countries voting in favour of the paragraph, it was finally kept in the final draft of the resolution. Iraq and Libya also sided with the US in voting for the removal of the paragraph but to no avail. Read: United Nations Urges US To Ban Surveillance Equipment Exports To Saudi Arabia The UNGA resolution also reiterated Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' call for a global ceasefire amid the pandemic in order to better facilitate the fight against COVID-19. The text also called for the removal of all "unjustified obstacles", referring to the sanctions imposed on various countries, so that they could access products needed to combat the disease outbreak. Read: United Nations Recognises COVID-19 As One Of The Greatest Challenges In Its History Social media has replaced so many older forms of communication. From celebrities and common people sharing about their lifestyle to informative channels, theres everything out there on the internet. In recent years, government and public service departments have also realised the importance of these platforms. In a recent tweet, Hyderabad Police attempted to warn people of the dangers of fake news with the help of Paatal Loks protagonist Haathi Ram. In the very minimalist Paatal Lok meme, Hyderabad Police tried to warn against the WhatsApp University" with the message that fake message is not less than a virus. When fake news peddlers are asked - where did you get this exclusive news from?#NewsFromPaatalLok #ExposeFakeNews pic.twitter.com/SvHSgp4oJR Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) May 17, 2020 The comments poured in commending the police for their public interest messaging. The message is clear as it gets. Just like the virus, fake news travels from one person to the next and before you know it, you have a severe crisis at hand. This isnt the first time when a police department took to social media to spread public awareness on the issue. Earlier this year, Mumbai Polices Twitter handle shared a very culturally relevant yet hilarious meme from Paatal Lok. Fake news via WhatsApp has become a huge problem in India. Especially during the pandemic, with cheap internet and no cost instant messaging of WhatsApp and a need to be connected, people share forwards without ever confirming them. Earlier this year, a team of doctors and health workers was attacked in Indore due to a WhatsApp rumour with communal messaging. According to an Indiaspend report, a study on misinformation in India by scholars from the University of Michigan, released on April 18, 2020, has shown a rise in the number of debunked stories after the lockdown announcement. According to a Financial Express report, WhatsApp is aware of the problem and is actively working on finding ways to curb the issue. The most common solution presented so far is to limit the number of forwards that can be sent to one account. The council in Marbella has agreed with local organisers that the San Pedro fair, and associated festivities, will not go ahead in mid-October. The 280,000 euros of town hall funds set aside for the popular annual event will instead go to the Social Services department to help those affected by the Covid crisis. Mayor Angeles Munoz held a meeting on Tuesday with Miguel Angel Mata, the head of the religious brotherhood in charge of the more solemn side of the events, which mark the saint's day of San Pedro de Alcantara on 19 October. Munoz said there wouldn't be as many festivities as usual but there would be a focus on worship of the saint, with fewer crowds. "I believe it is a sensible decision, although it's hard for all of us for what it means," she said. Miguel Angel Mata said, "We've always been clear that we aren't going to put people at risk of possible contagion," adding that the most important and painful step had been deciding that the procession of the statue of the patron saint would not go ahead. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan offered to hold future rounds of the intra-Afghan peace talks as the first round of negotiations between Afghanistan and the Taliban took place on Saturday, September 12. The intra-Afghan peace talks are being held in Doha at the moment since the Taliban has a political office in Qatar. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have offered to host future talks to provide a platform for the ongoing peace talks that could end four decades of conflict in Afghanistan. Read: US Will Reduce Its Troop Strength In Afghanistan To 4,000 In A Very Short Period Of Time: Trump Afghan peace process Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov and Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov both addressed the Afghan peace talks via video conference on Saturday. Kamilov said, "I would like to reaffirm Uzbekistan's readiness to host one of the rounds of the intra-Afghan talks in the wonderful city of Samarkand. Turkmen Foreign Minister Meredov during his address stated that his country wholeheartedly supported the peace process in Afghanistan and wished to contribute to the strengthening of regional security and stability. Turkmen Foreign Ministry, in a press release, further said that the country has always advocated for all manner of disputes to be resolved exclusively via diplomatic and political instruments, and added that Turkmenistan is willing to contribute to the cause by hosting future peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Read: International Support For Afghanistan Peace Talks The intra-Afghan peace talks are being considered a diplomatic breakthrough that could potentially stabilise the war-torn country after nearly four decades of conflict. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attended the talks in Qatar and, 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. On February 29, the Taliban and the United States reached a landmark agreement wherein the US vowed to reduce its troop strength in Afghanistan and the Taliban and Afghan government agreed to swap prisoners. The Taliban agreed to a concrete date for the beginning of the peace talks after the last batch of 400 Taliban prisoners were released by the Afghan government. (With ANI Inputs) Read: Afghanistan Reopens Schools After Five Months Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Read: Afghanistan Releases 400 Taliban Prisoners Ahead Of Peace Talks Ferozepur: Vigilant troops of the Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday seized a consignment of weapons, including rifles and magazines at the border outpost of Abohar of Ferozepur district in Punjab. The BSF said that its personnel at the outpost on the India-Pakistan border seized three AK-47 rifles with six magazines and 91 Rounds, two M-16 rifles with four magazines and 57 Rounds and two pistols with four magazines and 20 Rounds. A search operation is in progress. More details in this regard are awaited. Channel Hyundai Launched The smart TV app features multimedia content and digital interface for new customer experience amid pandemic World premiere of the all-new 2021 Tucson will be broadcast on the app on September 15 The app is available on LG and Samsung smart TVs SEOUL, September 12, 2020 Hyundai Motor Company is leading the digital transformation in the era of COVID-19 and beyond with the launch of Channel Hyundai, an interactive app for smart TVs featuring multimedia content and a digital interface for customers to experience the brand in a new way. Channel Hyundai offers various online content and services to give customers direct access to the world of Hyundai from the comfort of their homes. Channel Hyundai is our solution to the growing need for enhanced digital experiences amid the global pandemic, said Wonhong Cho, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer of Hyundai Motor. Our hope is that watching content on the big screen will bring family members together for a shared digital experience, since digital experiences can often feel isolated. Hyundai Motor is initially presenting three categories within the app LIVE, TV and MODELS with plans to add more features in the future. The LIVE category offers product launches and presentations on the companys vision, including the upcoming world premiere of the all-new 2021 Hyundai Tucson, which will be broadcast on the app in high-resolution video on September 15. The TV category features videos that cover a wide range of lifestyle topics, from Hyundais various partnerships with the art community to its motorsport activities. Hyundai is also planning to produce original content exclusively for Channel Hyundai. The MODELS category is for those who want to find out more about Hyundai vehicles. The Channel Hyundai app features not only videos, but also a virtual interactive showroom that allows customers to get first-hand virtual experience of key features on Hyundai models. New online content and services will be added over time to provide customers an extensive collection of branded content with seamless access over smart TVs. The content are currently in English, with subtitles and other language contents in the making. The Channel Hyundai app is available on LG and Samsung smart TVs manufactured in 2017 or beyond, and with webOS 3.5 or higher for LG models. Hyundai plans to make the app more widely available on more brand of smart TVs in the future. The app can be downloaded under the search words Hyundai or channel Hyundai" on LG Content Store or Samsung TV App Store. All content can also be viewed on the Channel Hyundai website at http://channel.hyundai.com. COVID-19 outbreak linked to Westport Ale House, KCMO Health Department says KANSAS CITY, Mo. - At least seven employees and two patrons at a Westport bar have tested positive within the last month for COVID-19, according to the Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department. The health department announced Friday evening that it has been investigating an outbreak at the Westport Ale House , 4128 Broadway Blvd., since Wednesday after receiving complaints about mask and capacity violations. Weekend COVID report has a great many people concerned . . . We'll talk more about this in the morning but for right now here's the best report: Photo: (Photo : Alejandro Avila from Pexels) A senior couple celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary wore their original wedding attire during their photoshoot. Marvin Stone, 88, and Lucille Stone, 81 got married in 1960 at Lutheran Church in Sterling, Nebraska. It was in a little county church, she told Insider, but it is no longer there. Sixty years, three children, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren later, they are still together, still celebrating love for better or worse. For the 60th anniversary of their blissful marriage, they thought it would be a good idea for them to have a photo, so they asked photographer Katie Autry to help them relive the magical moment. At first, they only wanted simple, fresh photos that they could send out with friends and loved ones along with Christmas letters. However, Lucille had another idea: why not slip in their original wedding outfits for the photoshoot? "I could still get into my wedding dress," she said told Yahoo! Life, and Marvin and his suit haven't changed. Their original wedding outfits still fit like a glove Thus, the couple decided to wear the wedding gown and suit that they wore that special day, 60 years ago. Amazingly, the outfits still fit as if it was just yesterday that they got married. Lucille Stone looked lovely in her lace gown and Marvin was just as charming in his suit. The couple looked so adorable in their photos as danced, kissed, posed individually and together, looking still very much in love. Their 60th wedding anniversary proves their love stood the test of time Katie Autry told Bored Panda how honored she was to have captured the love between the adorable couple. Autry said she had tears in her eyes while doing the shoot and that Marvin and Lucille were an amazing example of true love that stood the test of time. The couple met in 1959, Yahoo! Life noted. Lucille and Marvin were both teachers at the same school at the time. Marvin was an Army veteran and the faculty's only bachelor while it was Lucille's first teaching job. They first dated while attending a high school game and they became the gossip of the school since. By May they were engaged and Lucille found herself spending summer making her own wedding gown. Their secret to their long-lasting marriage They said that the secret to their love and long marriage was their Christian faith, hard work, patience, and understanding. While they sometimes get angry with one another, they were just fleeting moments and they never thought of divorce. Marriage to them is permanent and life-long deal. "I had the pleasure of working with Marvin and Lucille," Autry wrote in her Facebook post. She said that it may be one of her favorite sessions to date. The couple's advice to have a lasting marriage was to work hard and be kind to one another. They also said that it is important to think before you speak and rely on each other's strengths so that you could overcome your weakness. Lastly, stay strong in one's faith. Autry said she was so glad to have met them, and "honored to have captured these memories for them." Also, there was a heavy police presence. City Manager Ghida Neukirch said the city had assistance from multiple police departments, including Lake Forest, Highwood, Metra and the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System. She said the police presence was comparable to that of an event that was held in June, where the city saw more than 2,000 individuals come out. India and the US on Friday held a bilateral 2+2 inter-sessional meeting at the official level during which the two sides exchanged views about regional developments and agreed to pursue their quest for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. At the meeting held virtually, the Indian delegation was led jointly by Vani Rao, Joint Secretary (Americas) in the Ministry of External Affairs, and Somnath Ghosh, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) in the Ministry of Defence. The US delegation was led jointly by Dean Thompson, Senior Bureau Official, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs in the US Department of State, and David Helvey, Acting Assistant Secretary for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs in the US Department of Defense. Both sides reviewed the progress and developments in bilateral ties in defence, security, and foreign policy areas since the last 2+2 ministerial meeting held on December 18, 2019 in Washington DC, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. They explored opportunities for enhancing ongoing cooperation in these fields based on mutual interest, the MEA said. "They also exchanged views about regional developments, and agreed to pursue their quest for a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific," the statement said. The inter-sessional meeting mechanism was set up pursuant to the 2+2 ministerial. The two sides agreed to continue these discussions in the future, MEA said. The meeting comes amid a border standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh. Migrants onboard a different ship in the Mediterranean look at the Maersk Etienne freighter on August 27 Twenty-seven migrants stranded at sea for nearly 40 days on a Danish freighter got permission to disembark in Sicily on Saturday, a day after being transferred to an NGO vessel. On August 4, the Maersk Etienne responded to requests from Maltese authorities to pick up the group, which includes a pregnant woman and a child, but the ship had been shut out of harbours. On Friday, they were transferred to the ship Mare Jonio, which belongs to the Italian non-governmental organisation Mediterranea, which rescues migrants stranded at sea. On Saturday evening, the Italian authorities "assigned Pozzallo as the port of disembarkation for 25 people still on board on the Mare Jonio," Mediterranea said. "After 40 days, the nightmare of the (rescued migrants) on the Maersk Etienne is ending," it said. On Sunday, three of the rescued people jumped overboard from the Maersk vessel before being recovered by the crew. "At last", tweeted Danish Shipping (Danske Rederier), denouncing an absence of any political solution despite the ship rushing to the aid of the stranded migrants. The UN had this week called for the urgent disembarkation of the migrants. The International Chamber of Shipping had meanwhile accused European nations of flouting international law. ljm/ach/dl A severed human head is thought to have been discovered by workers in a quiet Worcestershire village, prompting a police investigation. West Mercia Police confirmed on Friday that human remains had been found in Frankley, Worcestershire, and said they were working with a forensic archaeologist to recover them. The remains appeared to have been left at the location for several years, police said. The force added that a post-mortem examination would be carried out once the remains were recovered to determine how the person died, with the death currently being treated as unexplained. It is understood that a human head was uncovered on Thursday by a group of telecom engineers in the village, which sits near Worcestershires border with Birmingham. I can confirm that the remains appear to have been in their location for several years, Detective Inspector Lisa Duncan said in a statement. 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. Ms Duncan added: 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. One resident, who did not wish to be named, said they had never seen anything like the police presence in the village on Thursday and Friday. 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, the resident said. You can only imagine what it was like finding that if that is the case, it doesn't bear thinking about. On Thursday, Detective Inspector Mark Walters of West Mercia Police said officers were treating the death as unexplained and no identification had taken place for the remains yet. He added that identification could be a lengthy process. Officers have asked anyone with information which could be helpful to the investigation to contact police on 101, quoting incident number 00206i of 10 September 2020. Additional reporting by agencies Italy's new academic year begins with the reopening of schools on 14 September. Around 13,000 teachers and staff in Italian schools have registered positive results after being tested for covid-19, days before Italy reopens its schools to students on 14 September. More than half a million school employees, both teachers and non-teachers, have undergone serological testing in recent days, ahead of the full reopening of schools on Monday. The number tested represents about half of the country's 970,000 school staff, with the number of those who registered a positive result equating to 2.6 per cent of those tested, reports Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano. School employees who tested positive are not permitted to return to work until they register a negative test result. Italy's coronavirus emergency commissioner Domenico Arcuri told Tg1 News that two million tests are currently being distributed to schools across the country, in addition to millions of masks, with a free mask to be given each day to every student, teacher and staff member. The central Lazio region, which includes Rome, is carrying out screening of its 200,000 school staff independently, reports Il Fatto Quotidiano. On 11 September the Italian association of school head teachers (ANP) called on the government to make it obligatory for students returning from an absence of three days or more to present a doctor's note certifying they have recovered, reports Italian news agency ANSA. Meanwhile the union of Italian students is planning to stage demonstrations on 25-26 September to protest against alleged failings in preparing schools to reopen, reports ANSA. The union claims that transport services are lacking and teacher numbers are insufficient. Admitting that "it will be a tough year," Italy's education minister Lucia Azzolina acknowledged recently that there is "understandable concern" in relation to schools but reassured that Italy now has "clear rules, among the most rigorous in Europe." Italy's schools reopened on 1 September for catch-up lessons after a nationwide closure of six months due to the covid-19 pandemic. Although the official school opening date is 14 September, several Italian regions will reopen their schools on different dates: in the northern Alto Adige region schools reopened on 7 September, in Sardinia they reopen on 22 September, and in the southern region of Puglia the reopening date is 24 September. Photo Vatican News The Creek fire creeps closer to town in Shaver Lake, Calif. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Brock Kant first heard of the Creek fire in an early morning text from his father. Fire down by Camp Sierra near Big Creek, FYI. Smokey? Brock stepped outside of his cabin, looked up through the pines into the mountain blue sky and replied. Nothing yet. The skies fill with smoke as the Creek fire approaches towns in Fresno County. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) A fire had broken out the night before, 10 miles to the west and down a 2,000-foot grade near the small Sierra Nevada town of Big Creek. Firefighters had responded with an aerial attack, limiting the fires spread through the dry, parched hills. By that Saturday morning, though, the blaze had begun to explode. Brocks five-bedroom cabin on the north shore of Huntington Lake was nearly 100 years old. He had lived there for four years with his girlfriend and their 2-year-old son, a cousin and roommate. They werent concerned. Every season brought new fires, and crews had always been able to manage them. Then a neighbor came by shouting for everyone to get out. Firefighters battle the Creek fire along Huntington Lake Road as the blaze approaches the Southern California Edison Big Creek Hydroelectric Plant on Sept. 6 in Big Creek, Calif. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Emergency evacuation, he repeated. Brock, 23, looked again to the sky, and he and his cabin mates started packing, grabbing food, clothes, pictures, kid toys, the PlayStation and two 65-inch televisions. They didnt expect to be gone for long. Driving east toward the fork with Highway 168, they slowed through the town of Lakeshore on the northeast corner of the lake. His grandfather was talking to employees. Brock stopped the truck and leaned out the window. Were going down, he said. Stephen Sherry shook his head. As the owner of Lakeshore Resort, he felt he had too much to lose to leave the place in the hands of local authorities, and this year he wasn't able to get fire insurance for the complex. He and about a dozen others werent going to have anything to do with an evacuation. The family's property along Tollhouse Road. The family also owns the Lakeshore Resort. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) They had already begun dousing the place with water. Large hoses snaked from the roadside hydrants, and a giant tractor, its wheels as tall as any man, was ready to start cutting a firebreak around the place. Were staying, said Sherry, 80, in defiance of anyone who would try to order him out. Story continues Sherry tried to persuade his grandson to stay. But all that went through Brocks mind was the image of the captain going down with the ship. :: The Kant and the Sherry families are well-known around Huntington and Shaver lakes, lying east of Fresno and now burning at the heart of the massive Creek fire, which has blown through nearly 175,000 acres. In the last 30 years, the families have built a small empire, based on the resort and a tree-cutting business, and left a broad stamp among the communities of cabins and camps scattered throughout these rugged mountains. Sherrys daughter Gabrielle, 49, tells the story of her dad, who for years manufactured electric wheelchairs out of a shop in Hermosa Beach. The family lived in Palos Verdes and spent their Augusts at Huntington Lake. It was the highlight of my life every summer before school started, she said. Gabrielle Kant and Dusty, one of her horses at Shaver Stables. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) In the late 1980s, they were driving by Lakeshore Resort, and Sherry, who had sold his business in Los Angeles, saw a sign: If youre interested in this property, contact the Fresno Municipal Court. The resort, built in 1922 for workers on the neighboring dams, was run down but extensive. Lying on 33 acres, it included a hotel, a restaurant and bar, a dance hall and 28 small cabins for visitors, and Sherry was able to pick it up for $75,000 at an auction on the Fresno courthouse steps. Niles was 30 and fresh out of the Marines when he arrived at Huntington Lake. He got a job as a cook at the resort and fell in love with Gabrielle. They married in 1998. Eager to make a name for himself, Niles built up a firewood company into the Huntington Lake Tree Service and provided employment for most of his family, including Brock and his sister Emily, a cousin and a few young men in the area. The pine bark beetle, which was killing broad swaths of the forest in the Sierra, had started a boom for anyone with a chainsaw and the skill to drop trees nearly 200 feet tall. Niles and Gabrielle Kant look at photographs in the cab of their truck. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Niles and Gabrielle bought their first home down by Auberry, a nearby town. In 2015 their business doing well they bought a second house and five acres on Tollhouse Road, soon turning it into their dream home. The next year they bought Brock the cabin, as well as Shaver Stables, where Gabrielle was able to share her love of horses and these mountains with visitors. Now, all that they had created lay in the path of a wildfire that was growing faster than anyone could have imagined. I suspect Ive lost absolutely everything I own, Niles said. I hope for the best, but Im not holding out much hope. I dont even know if my father-in-law is alive. :: Brock left his grandfather behind and raced down Highway 168 toward the family home on Tollhouse Road. He wanted to drop off his gear, and with luck make another run back up to Huntington Lake. A pyrocumulus cloud was building up in the west. It was like nothing I had ever seen, he said. There was no smoke in the air, just this massive cloud billowing into the sky. Gabrielle was gearing up for work at the stables that Saturday morning when she heard about the fire. She called Niles, asking if they should evacuate the horses. They had 18 in the corral and needed a plan. But the Creek fire was 10 miles away, and Niles thought theyd be safe. Jarad Jennings rests on Zoe before preparing to transport some of the horses that Gabrielle Kant rescued from her business at Shaver Stables and evacuated to a friend's place because of the Creek fire on Sept. 10 in Clovis, Calif. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) The pandemic had made the summer the strangest and yet the best season they ever had. Stay-at-home orders meant a late opening, but they were soon filling their calendar with reservations. Gabrielle took a small group of six riders out on the trail. By early afternoon, though, she started to worry. The highway out of Fresno was closed. Cars from Huntington Lake were rushing by; fire engines were streaming north, sirens blaring, lights flashing. The wind was starting to blow, and the power went out. Friends from a local ski resort pulled into the parking lot at the stables. They had been evacuated. I think you need to get out of here, one of them told her. Gabrielle started throwing all her tack saddles and bridles into a trailer and decided to split the herd. Half would go to a friends ranch in Clovis, the rest to Auberry where Gabrielles parents lived. It was better than turning them loose. Jarad Jennings hugs his mother-in-law, Gabrielle Kant, as Gabrielle's daughter Emily Jennings looks on. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) :: By that night, the Kant family had gathered at the home on Tollhouse Road. They still hadnt heard from Sherry up at Lakeshore. The cell tower had burned down, Brock learned, so there would be no way to reach his grandfather. Niles had wanted to drive to Huntington Lake to pick him up, but Gabrielle would have nothing of it. Just an ember, she thought, and the resort would be gone. Were not trained firefighters, she told him. We cant fight this. She knew how stubborn her father was, and she was angry. It is wrong to put your family through all this, she said. In recent years, the resort had divided the family management decisions, upkeep, costs, all the squabbles that take place in any family business but it was also what kept them together and the reason they come into these mountains in the first place. Brock tried to understand why his grandfather would want to stay behind and put himself at risk. The Creek fire jumps Highway 168 in Fresno County. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Thats his whole life up there, not even just Lakeshore but the entire area, he said. Hes been there for so long, I think, in his mind he cant leave. That night they got dinner from a pizza joint down the road. They had earned themselves a breather, glad at the very least to have gotten some equipment out of Huntington and the horses off the mountain. The home on Tollhouse Road was their brief sanctuary. Gabrielle called it her little artisan house for the man who shod her horses and made a wrought-iron handrail with oak leaves and birds, for the contractor who fit the tongue-and-groove so snugly no spider could ever get in, and another who finished the upstairs bathroom with river rock that reminded her of the local hot springs. But the view was the centerpiece. Mornings she and Niles would wake up to the sunrise over the Kings Canyon drainage and the 10,000-foot peaks of the Sierra, often covered with snow. :: Crews battle the Creek fire as it approaches town. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) By Sunday morning, the Creek fire was pouring out in all directions. It scaled the ridge into the Huntington Lake basin. It chewed through the forests toward Shaver Lake, and it forced the California National Guard to coordinate a harrowing night rescue of more than 200 people stranded at a reservoir known as Mammoth Pool. The Kant family woke to their own chaos at the home on Tollhouse Road. The sky was an eerie orange. It looked like dusk, Brock said. Smoke was everywhere with ash falling from the sky. They knew they needed to get out, and as they tried to make a plan, they kept checking their phone for updates. Still no news about Sherry or the status of Lakeshore Resort. Niles priority was to try to save as much equipment as possible. He had to hold onto his business; it would be the only way they could survive in the months ahead. He knew how devastating these fires were. Over the last four years, his tree business had expanded beyond Huntington and Shaver lakes. He won contracts to remove hazardous trees in the aftermath of the massive Tubbs and Atlas fires that ripped through suburbs in Northern California in 2017, and of the Camp fire that destroyed the town of Paradise the next year. Niles Kant shows Karin Farley a video of his home on his phone. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Left, the Shaver and Kant property. Right, Niles Kant sifts through family photographs. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Gabrielle grabbed photo albums and pictures off the walls and made decisions that left her second-guessing as soon as she drove away, such as leaving behind the four-foot handsaw that Niles had given to her on their 15th wedding anniversary, painted with a scene from Huntington Lake. But mostly she wanted to get everyone off the mountain. She had lived through the last big evacuation, from the 1994 Big Creek fire. It had spared Huntington Lake, but since then she had watched the forests grow thicker with brush and more and more trees die from the bark beetle. But her family wasnt listening to her. They were overwhelmed, she realized, caught up in the belief that a fire of this scale one that could destroy all they had built was just not possible. I never would think that in one episode, it could all disappear, Niles said. I can see it getting wiped out with different fires, but to lose it all in one that grew as fast as it did is unreal. And still there was no news from Sherry at Lakeshore. Niles Kant greets Karin Farley as she tells him that she has the spare key for the truck behind him. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) :: After a day of ferrying personal belongings and business equipment to friends and family living on the outskirts of Fresno, the Kant family found itself divided and alone on Sunday night. No one was seeing eye to eye, Brock said, leaving everyone to find their own separate places for the night. Brock and his family stayed with a friend who had gotten news by satellite phone from Lakeshore. The word was that Sherry and a few others had put together a flotilla a pontoon boat and a powerboat and taken it out to the middle of the lake. Brock tried to understand this. He was sure that the fire crews and law enforcement, working the north side of the lake, didnt want them to be there. Evacuations were meant to keep everyone safe, but his grandfather had other ideas. Getting out on the lake meant he and the others would be left alone. The Creek fire approaches the marina at Shaver Lake. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) I know they did what they could to save the resort, and after that I believe they went to the lake for a safe place to be and not to be bothered, he said. On Monday morning, Niles who spent the night alone in the house on Tollhouse Road got busy rescuing more of his equipment. As he was getting in his truck to leave, he looked up and watched a helicopter and plane drop water on approaching flames. The sky was dark, filled with ash. He gave his property a look and wished there was some way to take Old Orange, his first diesel truck, a '96 Dodge 12-valve. There just wasn't enough time. On his way down the mountain, he ran the math, calculating that with help from Brock, his cousin and two friends, he had saved at least $100,000 worth of equipment. He told himself it was just stuff, but sometimes stuff matters. This was their livelihood. Meanwhile, Gabrielle was having to coordinate another evacuation of her horses, fitting nine animals in two trailers that typically accommodated six. The memory brings tears to her eyes. We were totally overwhelmed, she said. And I had to keep moving. I did all that I thought I could do. But I cant do enough. :: Niles Kant, center, needed time to figure out a plan since his family depended on him. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) By Tuesday afternoon, Niles was driving across the Central Valley heading to Morro Bay. He needed time to try to figure out a plan, a future for his family. They depended on him. It is so sad, he said. From what I heard, there is not much left of anything. But all my family made it out. Hopefully, my father-in-law did too. Gabrielle was staying with friends on the outskirts of Clovis. They had a large trailer where she and her two dogs had set up. I feel like my whole mountain is hurting, she said. She monitored videos posted by the county supervisor who was at Shaver Lake, and she saw the roadside sign for the stable still intact. I have hope that the stable is OK, she said. I dont know about our house. There was no news from Lakeshore Resort, no way to know for sure if Sherry was safe. Early Wednesday, she got a call from a neighbor who was working on front lines near Shaver Lake. He had managed to get on Tollhouse Road to see the extent of the damage. Their home was no more. The remains of the Kant family's property along Tollhouse Road that was destroyed in the Creek fire is seen on Sept. 9. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) The Kant family was able to rescue several horses at Shaver Stables, but the home along Tollhouse Road was destroyed. (Ken Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Gabrielle was in tears, driving along, on the road outside of Clovis to feed her horses. Everything burned down, she said. It all just burned down. Im in shock and awe that this monster of fire made it all the way down to my home. Im in a living hell, trying to figure this out. She hoped to find a little comfort in the company with the animals she worked so hard to save. Brock with his family and friends had found a rental home hundreds of miles away in Clearlake, where the air might be clearer and where they wouldnt have to be evacuated again. Jarad and Emily Jennings watch as horses Apples and Ivy explore their winter home after being evacuated from Shaver Stables. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) He was certain that their cabin had been lost in the fires advance along the north shore of the lake. He wished he had grabbed the two .22 rifles that Niles had given him. But there was some good news. Brock had heard from a cousin that Lakeshore Resort was still standing and his grandfather was no longer at Huntington Lake. Stephen Sherry poses for a portrait after buying clothes and supplies at a Walmart in Clovis on Sept. 10. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Niles confirmed the story: Stephen Sherry had been arrested on Wednesday by Fresno police, who drove him down the mountain in handcuffs in the back of their vehicle. The family was relieved. People loot stores at the Grove shopping center in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles on May 30, 2020, following a protest against the death of George Floyd. (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images) California Law Enforcement Groups Advocate for Prop. 20 SANTA CLARA, Calif.Proposition 20, on the November ballot in California, will ask voters to undo previous bills that many law enforcement officials say have favored criminals and allowed them to get away with serious crimes. Prop. 20 would restrict early parole, recategorize crimes, and require DNA collection for some misdemeanors. Opponents of Prop. 20 say it would keep more people in prison, which costs the state money and leads to overcrowding, instead of emphasizing rehabilitation outside of prison. We want the first-time offenders to be rehabilitated and get back into society and have a productive life, Ken Lomba, president of the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs Association, said during a Zoom conference call on Sept. 4. But for the people that are repeatedly violating the law knowinglythe professionals, the crime ringsthere has to be an escalation of consequences. Michele Hanisee, president of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys, helped draft Prop. 20. In the same Zoom meeting, she explained how the proposition would change existing laws. In 2014, Prop. 47 was passed to reduce some felonies to misdemeanors. It also made it easier for criminals to get away with theft if the value of stolen goods totaled less than $950. Law enforcement officials have said thieves started organizing shoplifting rings as a result. Even if theyre caught, because its a misdemeanor, they receive a citation with a court date. They dont go to jail, said Ron Lawrence, the immediate past president of the California Police Chiefs Association. Which means they can walk right across the street, go into the next store, and steal something else up to $950, and theyre still not going to jail. Prop. 47 also reduced many drug felonies to misdemeanors. It decreased the strength of drug courts by reducing the likelihood that addicts would go to those courts and received the rehabilitation services they promote, and limited the cases in which DNA is collected. Under Prop. 20, serial thefts would be monitored, and those with repeat offenses would receive increased punishment. A criminal caught stealing goods worth a total of $250 or more for the third time could be charged with a felony offense. The proposition would allow victims to be informed if their attacker is to be released early. It would also reinstate DNA collection for certain crimes that were reduced to misdemeanors under Prop. 47. This is important because multiple studies have shown that DNA collection from theft and drug offenses help solve violent crimes like murder, robberies, and rapes, Hanisee said. In 2016, Prop. 57 was passed to grant parole for nonviolent criminals. However, many serious offenses are categorized as nonviolent crimes, say proponents of Prop. 20. According to Lawrence, felony domestic violence, solicitation to commit murder, rape of an unconscious person, and child trafficking are among such crimes not categorized as violent in California. Under Prop. 20, some of the crimes would be redefined, and those who have committed severe offenses would be ineligible for release. It puts these violent crimes right back where they belong, right in the violent crime category. It doesnt put more people in prison, but it does hold those bad actors accountable for their heinous crimes, and it gives a voice back to our victims, Lawrence said. According to a No on Prop. 20 website, Proposition 20 will roll back effective criminal justice reforms and waste tens of millions of taxpayer dollars on prisons. Crime victims and law enforcement leaders oppose Prop. 20 because it wastes tens of millions of taxpayer dollars on prisons while cutting the rehabilitation programs we know workthat makes us all less safe, the website notes, citing William Lansdowne, a retired San Diego police chief. On Mondays Four Corners, Dylan Welch reports on Soldiers of Fortune, the Australian mercenaries selling paramilitary services to warlords and despots abroad. If you want to conquer in the 21st centuryyou use mercenaries, special forces, things to keep war secret and nobodys better at secret wars than mercenaries. Former private military contractor In conflict zones around the world, battles are increasingly being fought, not just by armies, but by private military contractors operating as guns for hire. Mercenaries allow anybody who can swipe a big pay cheque to wage war. And mercenaries will follow the contract. Former private military contractor These mercenaries live in a shadowy world away from the public eye where the normal rules of combat dont apply. Their work usually remains secret unless something goes very wrong. This is a world of duplicity and, and false stories and backstabbing. If youre a mercenary youre essentially breaking the law in many countries. Author On Monday Four Corners investigates this murky world and the Australian military men at the heart of it. It is exceptionally serious that former Australian military are applying the skills that have been granted to them by our community and our government for potentially criminal, certainly immoral things. Former Australian Defence Force commander Last year a group of private military contractors made a failed attempt to overthrow a Middle Eastern government. The operation fell through when the warlord they were working for accused the mercenaries of failing to deliver on a contract worth tens of millions of dollars. The teams hasty escape lifted the lid on a plot worthy of a blockbuster novel. This was off the scale. Ive never come across anything like it before. Ive dealt with murders, Ive dealt with criminals, but nothing of this magnitude, nothing involving heavy military hardware being channelledinto a war zone. Crime reporter In an investigation criss-crossing the globe, Four Corners pieces together the incredible plan to provide military support to the warlord in contravention of an international arms embargo and a UN-backed peace process and how it all went wrong. Once they landed on shore, these 20 peoplethey were arrested immediately. Police spokesperson Those who know first hand what its like to work in this murky world warn of the consequences of unleashing mercenaries in dangerous places. When you privatise war, anything goessuddenly laws of supply and demand replace laws of armed conflict. Ideology, patriotism, national security; its only as good as you can afford. Former private military contractor. Monday 14 September 2020 at 8:30pm on ABC. 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. Donald Trump at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland (AFP via Getty Images) Among the explosive revelations from journalist Bob Woodwards new book on Donald Trump is that the president claimed to have developed a secret new weapons system possibly a nuclear one. In one of the many interviews he gave Mr Woodward for the upcoming book, Rage, Mr Trump who has pulled the US out of several arms control treaties discussed the threat from North Korea in the first year of his term and the extent to which the US was braced for a nuclear confrontation. According to the Washington Post, this is where he boasted of the new development. I have built a nuclear a weapons system that nobodys ever had in this country before, Mr Woodward quotes the president telling him. "We have stuff that you havent even seen or heard about. We have stuff that Putin and Xi have never heard about before. Theres nobody what we have is incredible. It is unclear from the quoted excerpt whether Mr Trump specifically meant a new nuclear system, but Mr Woodward apparently did independently confirm that a new weapons system exists. In the absence of any further detail, the reaction from weapons control experts has been mixed. Many have pointed out that given Mr Trumps tendency toward hyperbole, it is quite possible he was alluding to either a minor development to an existing technology. James Action, co-director of the Carnegie Nuclear Policy Programme, speculated that given the timing of the discussion Mr Woodward describes, Mr Trump might have been referring to the new lower-yield warheads fitted to Trident D5 missiles that were announced in 2018 and first deployed at the end of 2019 the timing of the first deployment having been classified. I don't believe that the US could build an actually new nuclear weapon in secret, he wrote. Too much money for classified budgets. Too many people involved for it not to leak.Andrew Facini, a nuclear weapons expert at the Harvard Extension School, ran through a list of possible candidates for Mr Trumps secret new system in a Twitter thread, concluding that given Mr Woodward had confirmed that whatever Mr Trump referred to did in fact exist, it was probably either something mundane they told Trump was awesome in order to sell it or something truly new we still don't know about and he shouldn't have blabbed. Story continues Aside from the tantalising line about the new system, Mr Woodward also relates discussions with Mr Trump and others in which they conveyed just how close the US came to a conflict with North Korea, as well as the extent to which senior members of the administration struggled with their consciences while working for the president. General James Mattis, Mr Trumps first secretary of defence, apparently went to the Washington National Cathedral to pray for the nations safety under Mr Trump. He also reportedly told then-director of national intelligence Dan Coats that the president is dangerous and unfit, and that there may come a time when we have to take collective action presumably a reference to the 25th amendment, under which a majority of cabinet secretaries can vote to remove the president from power. Read more US tells Russia that China has secret and rapidly expanding nuclear warhead arsenal A group of 11 slum dwellers living near railway tracks in various parts of the Capital moved an application to join the proceedings pending before the Supreme Court in the MC Mehta case. The court, on August 31, had directed the Railways to remove nearly 48,000 slums situated close to the safety zone of the Railways within three months. All courts were restrained from ordering a stay on their eviction. The slum dwellers, in their application, stated, The impleaders (slum dwellers) work in the markets and industrial areas near their residence. It will be very difficult for them to earn their livelihood if they are removed from the said area in these difficult and unprecedented times of the pandemic. The applicants are residents of Jhuggi Jhopdi (JJ) clusters of Sarai Rohilla, two camps of Kirti Nagar, and another cluster near Defence Colony. This application follows a separate plea filed by senior Congress leader Ajay Maken in the Supreme Court demanding alternate housing for the slum dwellers, nearly 2.4 lakh persons, under the Delhi Slum & Jhuggi Jhopdi (JJ) Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015, before they are removed. He sought urgent intervention by the top court as the Railways has proposed to start the demolition drive between September 11 and 14. HT was the first to report on the Supreme Court order on September 3. Advocate Lubna Naaz, who filed the application on behalf of the slum dwellers, said, At present, 11 slum dwellers have applied, but any order by the Court will affect residents of 48,000 slums. In the current circumstances, these people need compassion and a little help from the Court for their suitable rehabilitation. The slum dwellers, in their application, have annexed two documents that could be relevant to deciding the future course of action. The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) began a survey of the JJ clusters situated close to the railway tracks on land belonging to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Central government. This survey was meant to identify slum dwellers for in situ rehabilitation and redevelopment. Of 196 JJ clusters, the survey covered 158 clusters. The survey was stopped midway after DDA instructed DUSIB on October 23, 2019, to stop the survey in view of the Delhi Assembly elections that were held in February 2020. Another document annexed to the application is a communication by the Director, Railway Board, on January 7, 2016, which records a decision regarding the removal of jhuggis on Railways land. The document records a decision that no demolition is to be carried out without joint notice by representatives of DUSIB and Railways and without a rehabilitation plan for eligible slum dwellers. During the Supreme Court proceedings, which resulted in the eviction order, at no stage did the Court call upon the slum dwellers to be heard. In a February 28, 2020 order, the Court observed, By the sides of the railway lines in outer Delhi region, heaps of plastic bags and garbage are lying on both sides and people living in the slums. The situation is pathetic. Accordingly, it recommended that an expert body on environmental issues, EPCA (Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority), Delhi government and various municipal corporations should chalk out a concrete plan for the removal of the plastic bags, garbage and other waste along the tracks. EPCA, in its July 9, 2020 order, asked the Court to direct the Indian Railways to prepare a time-bound plan under the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 for all the waste generated. Prior to the August 31 order, Railways submitted an affidavit in Court stating that in dealing with garbage, solid waste and plastic waste, a major hindrance was the predominant presence of jhuggis along 140 kilometre route length of track in the region of National Capital Territory of Delhi. Such encroachments, the Railways said, are not only adding to the present menace of accumulation of garbage, municipal solid waste, human waste along the Railway line but are a safety threat to the day-to-day operation of the Railways. This became one of the factors for the Court to order the immediate eviction of close to 48,000 slums situated adjacent to Delhis railway tracks. People across Leitrim are encouraged to nominate a heritage hero from their region, as part of the search for Irelands heritage hero for 2020, launched this week by the Heritage Council. Every year, the Heritage Council seeks nominations for an individual or a group of people who have worked tirelessly to protect and promote heritage. The public are invited to nominate who they feel deserves the award by completing the Heritage Hero nomination form. Nominations close at 12 noon on Friday, 18th September. According to Virginia Teehan, CEO of the Heritage Council: Heritage Heroes come in different forms: last year, it was the Egan family from County Offaly who worked together to preserve and celebrate their old family homestead, and who have made it a place that people can visit from time to time. Previously, the award has gone to people who work tirelessly in their communities to promote and preserve aspect of local heritage. Ultimately, what makes a heritage hero is their relentlessly investment in heritage: it may be natural heritage, built heritage or in part of our intangible herniate, which comprises everything from skills to language and sport. The heritage hero award is part of the National Heritage Awards, run annually to celebrate the outstanding projects and events from National Heritage Week. National Heritage Week 2020 ran from 15 23 August, and comprised a mix of online, in person and community events and projects. In total, 854 projects and events took place around the country, with many communities celebrating local heritage, for the first time, as part of National Heritage Week. Evangelical, Catholic voters in 5 swing states may shift 11% for Biden over Trump: survey Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment New data commissioned by a left-leaning Christian activist group and compiled by several university researchers suggests that there could be an 11-point swing among evangelical and Catholic voters in swing states away from President Donald Trump and toward Democrat Joe Biden. Vote Common Good, a voter mobilization nonprofit that has been holding events in swing states this fall in an effort to persuade evangelicals not to vote for Trump, released the results of the new survey called the Presidential Candidate Vice and Virtue Poll: Swing State Evangelical and Catholic Perceptions of Donald J. Trump and Joseph R. Biden. The poll claims to be the largest survey of swing state faith voters in the 2020 cycle. The data is made up of responses from 1,430 respondents who are registered to vote and reside in one of five swing states: Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania or Wisconsin. They were interviewed between Aug. 11 and Aug. 26. The survey was designed and analyzed by a team of behavioral scientists representing institutions such as Duke University, the University of Maryland, the University of Southern California and the University of North Carolina. The 2020 election is currently on track to produce an 11% swing towards Biden compared with 2016 among Evangelicals and Catholics, averaging across both Christian denominations and all 5 swing states surveyed, an analysis of the data states. In 2016, exit polls indicated that 50% of Catholics nationwide said they voted for Trump, while only 46% said they voted for then-Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton. While 59% of Protestants surveyed in exit polls said they voted for Trump in 2016, only 36% said they voted for Clinton. As for white evangelicals, exit polls showed that 81% voted for Trump and only 16% voted for Clinton. Among swing state Catholics, the new report suggests that 2020 is on track to produce a 16% swing toward Biden, who himself is Catholic. The report suggests that there will be a 7-point swing in favor of Biden when it comes to evangelicals in the five battleground states. The poll comes after the Biden campaign said it planned to make more of an effort to reach out to voters of faith than the Clinton campaign had in 2016. Additionally, NeverTrump conservative groups have also spent millions on advertising in an attempt to convince voters of faith that they should not vote to re-elect Trump. The poll also asked respondents how they evaluated Trump and Biden against seven biblical virtues and sins. According to the study, the perception that Trump lacks basic Christian kindness is the strongest driver of defecting from Trump in 2020. The poll suggests that seven out of the top eight predictors of Trump 2016 voters defecting concern Trumps perceived absence of Christian virtues. Furthermore, disaffected Trump voters may generally be willing to forgive the presidents perceived sins, but not his perceived lack of basic kindness, the analysis reads. This pattern was consistent across both Catholics and Evangelicals, as well as across males and females. It was also present for younger and older respondents alike, but especially strong among older respondents, who are especially likely to defect from Trump because of a perceived lack of Christian virtue. About half of the respondents rated Biden as more virtuous than Trump while 39% rated Trump as more virtuous than Biden. About 46% of evangelicals and Catholics said they have a more favorable opinion of Biden than they had of Clinton, while only 11% said they have a more favorable opinion of Clinton than Biden. For Catholics, the biggest defections from Trump in the survey came in North Carolina (22% swing), Pennsylvania (20% swing) and Wisconsin (17% swing). As for evangelicals, the data indicates the biggest defections from Trump in Florida (13% swing), North Carolina (9% swing) and Michigan (7% swing). Trumps lack of kindness will likely cost him the election, Vote Common Good Executive Director Pastor Doug Pagitt, of Solomons Porch in Minneapolis and a prominent evangelical Trump critic, said in a statement. Four years ago, many religious voters decided to look the other way and give Trump a chance, but after witnessing his cruelty and corruption, some of them are searching for an off-ramp. Some conservative Christians have shot down the argument that 2020 will see a percentage of Christian voters leaving Trump for Biden. Conservatives note that Trump has accomplished many of the promises he laid out to Christian conservative supporters before his 2016 election in regard to abortion, federal judges, Israel and religious freedom. In 2016, then-candidate Trump was running purely on his rhetorical statements and never held office, so there was no track record to point to, Tim Head, executive director of the national grassroots organization Faith & Freedom Coalition, which is spending millions to drive conservative evangelical and Catholic turnout in 2020, told The Christian Post last week. Some people thought that was smoke and mirrors and he was going to deviate from the stuff he was promising on the stump. But honestly, he has delivered. It's been one thing after another. As far as Catholics go, Head acknowledged that the Biden campaign has been more proactive than the Clinton campaign in targeting faith voters. That is not saying a lot because literally, the Clinton campaign did not have one single staff member that was dedicated to the faith vote, Head said. There has at least been a nominal effort to try to reach out to the faith vote, particularly the Catholic vote. But it didnt help when some Catholic bishops and priests have denied sacraments to Biden because of his stances on life and religious liberty. He is trying to make a better case at least than the Clinton campaign did, but it has yet to be seen how well that is going to be. The survey also asked respondents who they think Jesus would vote for in the 2020 presidential election. The results were divided. Across Evangelicals and Catholics, 28% say Jesus would vote for Donald Trump in 2020 and 27% say that he would vote for Joe Biden, the analysis states. About 23% said Jesus would not vote and 22% said Jesus would be equally likely to vote for either candidate or they didnt know. The Conservative and Labour grandees wrote in The Sunday Times: It puts the Good Friday Agreement at risk, because it negates the predictability, political stability and legal clarity that are integral to the delicate balance between the north and south of Ireland that is at the core of the peace process. This has wide-ranging ramifications. It will not only make negotiation with the EU more difficult, but also any trade negotiations with other nations, including the United States. Once trust is undermined, distrust becomes prevalent. We both opposed Brexit. We both accept it is now happening. But this way of negotiating, with reason cast aside in pursuit of ideology and cavalier bombast posing as serious diplomacy, is irresponsible, wrong in principle and dangerous in practice. It raises questions that go far beyond the impact on Ireland, the peace process and negotiations for a trade deal crucial though they are. It questions the very integrity of our nation. 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 U.S. 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. (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 Gov. Gavin Newsom tours the North Complex fire zone in Butte County on Friday. (Pool Photo) A lull in the wind and heat Friday gave firefighters a chance to make headway against record-shattering fires in California as historic amounts of smoke continued to cause choking air pollution across the entire state and well beyond. The scope of such widespread destruction was still being assessed. In Butte County, authorities announced they had recovered nine bodies from the footprint of the North Complex fires, the deadliest this year. An additional 19 people have been reported missing in the area of the fire complex, which has burned more than 252,000 acres and was 21% contained as of Friday night. So far, 19 people are known to have died in the enormous fires that began in mid-August. Flames shoot from a home in the Berry Creek area of Butte County on Wednesday. The tiny town was virtually entirely torched. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) Zygy Roe-Zurz waited frantically to hear word of his mother, Suzan Violet Zurz, who was missing from the community of Berry Creek. I can imagine so many scenarios, he said, speaking by phone from Oklahoma. A medical student, he last spoke with his mother Tuesday, when she was packing to evacuate with his aunt and uncle, with whom she shared a house. But he said they subsequently heard word that made them believe the fire was being contained, the wind was dying down and it would be safe to stay. Fire, no stranger to these hills where the Sierra Nevada meets the Cascade Range, had bypassed the family before. So they began to unpack. A day of multiple phone calls gave way to silence. Roe-Zurz saw news that Berry Creek had been entirely torched by the fire. On Thursday night, investigators with the Butte County Sheriffs Office called his cousin and asked for a DNA sample, he said, to positively identify the remains of his aunt and uncle. They were found in a truck not far from their house, he said, but he does not yet know whether his mother was with them. Knowing the fate of two beloved family members is a relief, but its also disturbing that they werent all together, he said. My mom could have done something different. She was the type of person who would have done her own thing. Story continues Gov. Gavin Newsom surveyed the damage of the North Complex fires Friday. They destroyed more than 2,000 structures, a number that officials say may increase as crews further survey the area. If you do not believe in science, I hope you believe in observed evidence, Newsom said. Were in the midst of a climate crisis. We are experiencing weather conditions the likes of which weve never experienced in our lifetime. This is a climate damn emergency, he said. This is real, and its happening. The scale of the fires raging across the state would break records even if they were just half as big. More than 3.1 million acres have burned. The August Complex in and around Tehama County is the largest wildfire incident in California history, at more than 491,000 acres. And it is so close to the Elkhorn fire 255,309 acres that the same incident command is now managing both, a revelation that sparked incorrect online reports that the two fires had merged into an even bigger mammoth. Six of the states 20 largest recorded wildfires have started in the last month, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. With that unprecedented fire comes unprecedented smoke. An acre of woodland can carry 2,000 tons of fuel to be released into the atmosphere. The archipelago of fire from San Diego to northern Washington has put a gray shroud over a good swath of the planet, flowing thousands of miles into the Pacific and deep into Mexico. And the lung-damaging particulates are coming down. The worst pollution so far since the record-setting firestorms began last month has been in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Valley, where millions have spent weeks exposed to unhealthy air quality from wildfire smoke. The smoke has been so thick in some areas that its been in the very unhealthy or hazardous range on the Air Quality Index. In the Bay Area, which has been socked in with smoke thick enough to blot out the sun, 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. Seattle is doing the same and closed its parks and beaches over the weekend because of the smoke. Southern California had been faring better, with the smoke still aloft. But the situation deteriorated Friday with levels of fine-particle pollution tiny, health-damaging soot particles known as PM2.5 violating health standards across most of the Greater L.A. region of 17 million people. As of Friday afternoon, pollution was highest in areas of the San Gabriel Valley downwind of the Bobcat fire, where PM2.5 was in the very unhealthy range. Air quality was unhealthy across much of the Los Angeles area, including Central and South L.A. and southeast L.A. County. Smoke advisories will probably remain in effect into the weekend, said Philip Fine, deputy executive officer of the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Fine said the unpredictability of wildfires including how long theyre going to burn, how hot they will be and how much smoke they will create makes it difficult to forecast air quality beyond one or two days. Throughout Southern California, everybody is experiencing this, Fine said. It looks like its overcast, but a lot of that is smoke from the Northern California and Oregon wildfires. They have created a plume up and down the West Coast thats over a thousand miles wide. The plume is generally moving south, he said, although that can change at any moment. If youre looking at the air monitoring data in Northern California and Oregon right now, Ive never seen anything that widespread and bad, Fine said. The smoke is helping the weather, keeping temperatures cooler. Cal Fire officials also said an onshore flow next week will bring more humidity. Despite the challenges, California fire officials say they have continued to gain ground amid weather conditions that are currently improving. Though the near-term forecast is promising, officials warned that the fire season is far from over. Roughly 14,800 firefighters are still battling 28 major wildfires burning statewide, according to Cal Fire. Dont let these cooler temperatures fool you. Do not let your guard down, Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said Friday. Historically, it is September and October when we experience our largest and our most damaging wildfires. Times staff writers Hayley Smith, Maura Dolan and Colleen Shalby contributed to this report. With 435 members at full capacity, the House is not fit for social distancing. The chamber practically stopped functioning. Over the next two months, the House came into session on just two days, to approve two massive relief bills worth more than $2.5 trillion, with only brief debate. No committee hearings were held to fully vet the legislation, with old rules even forbidding virtual hearings. michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today: At the start of the Trump presidency, leaders within ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement jumped at the chance to give two filmmakers, Christina Clusiau and Shaul Schwarz, inside access to document the agencys new hardline agenda. Four years later and with the election approaching, the agents tried to block the release of their film. Its Monday, September 14. Hi, guys. christina clusiau Hi, Michael. michael barbaro Were so grateful for your time. Thank you. shaul schwarz Sure. michael barbaro OK. So were going to start. shaul schwarz Awesome. michael barbaro Christina and Shaul, we know that ICE is a notoriously secretive organization. It is very rare for them to allow journalists or filmmakers access to their operations. But you were able to follow them for nearly three years with a tremendous level of access. So how did you go about getting that access? Whats the story? shaul schwarz Yeah. I originally started working with ICE almost a decade ago, doing stories about the drug war. And as part of that I met a ICE spokesman, who was at the time a local Arizona spokesman. As the years kind of progressed, he had moved up the ranks. And actually, during the Obama time, they were not so interested in somebody really taking a deep dive into the agency. And so archived recording (donald trump) I want to recognize the ICE and border patrol officers in this room today and to honor their service, and not just because they unanimously endorsed me for president. shaul schwarz When Trump got elected archived recording (donald trump) That helps, but thats not the only reason. shaul schwarz Me and Christina thought maybe ICE would be interested now. They seemed to michael barbaro Huh. shaul schwarz be looking at getting a lot of heat, you know? The campaign of Trump was so on the nose on how tough he was going to be on immigration. archived recording (donald trump) For too long, your officers and agents havent been allowed to properly do their jobs. You know that right? Do you know that? Absolutely. But thats all about to change. shaul schwarz So we approached the spokesman, who I had, at this point, a long relationship with and at that time was already in D.C. And we pitched him. We said, listen, we think the agency is going to come under a lot of heat. And we would like to see what the men and women of ICE will be up against during this administration. And thats how it started. michael barbaro So kind of counterintuitively, the organization was not interested in having you document them during a relatively low heat moment the Obama administration. But at its most heated moment, when ICE was under the most scrutiny, they were willing. christina clusiau Yeah. I think that under this administration, they realized very quickly that enforcement policies were changing. archived recording (donald trump) And Im very happy about it. And youre very happy about it. From here on out, Im asking all of you to enforce the laws of the United States of America. They will be enforced and enforced strongly. [APPLAUSE] christina clusiau And that they were going to be looked at under a different light. And I think a lot of the officers, at least when we started filming, were feeling that there was a lot that they were up against. And they felt that they wanted to tell their story from the inside. shaul schwarz Its almost like when youre hated, you have to talk about it, right? So you think of an agency that suddenly, on one hand, the gloves are off. And they have this support. On the other hand archived recording (alexandria ocasio-cortez) We need to occupy every airport, we need to occupy every border, we need to occupy every ICE office until those kids are back with their parents. Period. shaul schwarz Everybody were up in arms with them. archived recording (PROTESTERS SINGING) Together we will abolish ICE. shaul schwarz And then, of course, zero tolerance happened. And then they really were in the hot seat. michael barbaro This is family separation? christina clusiau Yes. archived recording (ilhan omar) We need to abolish ICE [CHEERING] and end all inhumane deportation and detention programs. archived recording (SINGING) This is for the people who are locked inside. Together! shaul schwarz And of course, that kind of gave birth to the abolish-ICE movement and a huge outrage that really sparked the debate. archived recording (SINGING) Together we will abolish ICE. This is for the people! This is for the people who are locked inside. michael barbaro And what were the specific terms of the agreement that you had with ICE? Once they said that you could come in, what did they ask for, if anything, in return for granting you this access? shaul schwarz Yeah. The basics of the agreement was that ICE would see the cuts that we are putting forward and that they would have, say, in three categories: Law enforcement sensitivities, which is really if we are showing kind of how theyre doing their work and kind of giving away police secret tactics and stuff like that. It was privacy issues, meaning everybody in the show had to agree and sign releases that they are willing to participate, both on D.H.S. and the immigrant side. And it was factual incorrectness, if we were just making a mistake. And other than that, the contract stated very clearly that we had the first right amendment to tell our story as we see fit. And really those were what they were going to be allowed to comment on. michael barbaro So based on that, it sounds like you had real confidence that you would be given free rein to document what you saw and ultimately include it in whatever you produced. shaul schwarz Yeah. Overall, we were happily surprised. They said we were going to get a carte blanche look, that theyre going to introduce us. And once we got to the field in these places, that agents were keen on having us ride along, we got to spend endless time and really see them work. And be with them in the field by ourselves and really do the work we were hoping to do. So we were really grateful for the agents for being kind of, doing their thing and letting us do our thing, be flies on the wall and document. [doorbell ringing] anna I didnt call you. agent 1 Yeah. You please open the door. agent 2 Were not going to yell out in the hallway through a closed door, maam. Thats now how we do business. Please open the door so I can talk to you. michael barbaro Well, lets talk about that documentation. What did you see in those first months in terms of exactly how the agency was changing under this new Trump administration? christina clusiau We saw that the scope of ICEs mandate under this period of time had expanded. agent Can we come in and talk to you? We dont all have to come in, just a couple of us. But I want to show you some pictures. Somebody were looking for has been using this address. anna Oh. OK. agent All right? anna You want to come in? agent Yeah. If you dont mind. Whats your name, maam? anna Anna. agent Anna. OK. You mind if I come in? shaul schwarz You know, and I think these days were also when the tactic of installing fear were really at its height. interposing voices Did you guys [INAUDIBLE]. Yeah. One of my partners. christina clusiau You know, under the previous administrations, there were specific priorities, that you could only pick up a felony charge or an egregious criminal. But now, because of this idea of installing fear of, like, pushing people into the shadows they expanded that mandate to say there are no priorities. If youre here illegally, we can come after you. And I think that really put fear into communities. And I think they were successful at it. anna OK. But I mean, can I see any paperwork? agent Yeah. Ill give you a card. anna No. I mean paperwork saying that you guys have permission to come in here or something. agent Oh, no. I have a warrant for him. And I know he lives here. So thats why Im in here. Plus, you opened the door and let me in. michael barbaro One of the more notorious examples of this fear tactic under the Trump administration was an increased focus on collaterals, which is ICE-speak for undocumented people who are not the target of raids, but who agents find by accident along the way. And theres this moment where youre sort of witnessing agents adjusting to this new approach. Can you tell me about that? shaul schwarz You know, I think youre referring to one moment that we were in a car with an agent. And he was kind of telling us how he typically does not do collaterals. agent I dont really I dont do collaterals. I just dont think its right. shaul schwarz He really wants to catch real criminals, his targets. When youre part of fugitive operations, you have targets of people who committed crimes. And thats who youre going after. agent I know its my job. But you know, I got guys that are aggravated felons that Id like to catch. I dont care about the guy thats minding his own business and cooperating with me. shaul schwarz And literally, kind of as he was finishing to tell us that agent Yeah. Whats up, man? supervisor Start taking collaterals, man. I dont care what you do, but bring at least two people in. agent OK. shaul schwarz The supervisor came on the radio. And hes heard clearly saying, I dont care what you do, get me two people. agent He know you guys were with me, right? speaker Yeah. agent Yeah. Because thats a pretty stupid [EXPLETIVE] to say. shaul schwarz Its very clear when you see that scene and what he meant: Just get me two people. Because they wanted to show numbers. michael barbaro So what you were seeing here was an individual ICE agent saying that, left to my own discretion, I would like not to arrest a collateral. But youre kind of seeing this prevailing culture of ICE in that moment, under this administration, kind of winning out. Because here is a boss coming on the radio and making clear that what hes interested in is just detaining people. Get me people. shaul schwarz Collaterals were something we saw on a daily basis for years. Fear will equal dont come here. Fear will equal make it as hard on them, as bad on them, maybe they will leave. archived recording (tom homan) There has been a significant increase in non-criminal arrests. Because we werent allowed to arrest them in the past administration. But you just seeing more of an uptick in non-criminal because were going from 0 to 100 under the new administration. shaul schwarz And Tom Homan, the director of ICE at the time, basically his message was, you should be scared. archived recording (tom homan) As I said earlier, if youre in this country illegally, and you committed a crime by entering this country, you should be uncomfortable. You should look over your shoulder. And you need to be worried. shaul schwarz If youre here illegally, thats the way it should be. That was part of what they were trying to put out there. And I think some did it happily. And I think some did it less happily. And some did it in certain moments. And I think the agents grappled with it. christina clusiau Yeah. I mean, I do think, you know, we did see them grappling with it. Thats for sure. You know, on one side, they are the ones that really know what it means when you take somebody into the system. Because a lot of times, when you pick up a collateral, their entire world begins to crumble. Because they get stuck in the system. Whether or not theyre going to be detained and deported, or they have a court case, or all of these small things now come into the fold. Whereas before, they were just going to work, minding their business. shaul schwarz But that deterrence equation of creating fear, of letting a story be heard, of letting people know that were going to hold you for long times and detentions. That was by design. michael barbaro So as we talked about, this is unfolding during the era of family separations. And here, too, you captured the agents adjusting to this new reality. Theres this scene where youre with these agents in New York discussing the policy. And I wonder if you can talk us through that. shaul schwarz Yeah. We were in the car with Judy, an agent we spent a long time with. judy We constantly look like were the bad guys, when all were doing is enforcing the laws and doing our job. shaul schwarz And she was grappling, I think, with this idea of family separation. And judy Luckily for us, we havent really been involved in any of that family separation thing. shaul schwarz Being part of fugitive operations, she kind of hinted that they dont do that. judy We dont rip children out of families arms and things like that. We dont do that. Its just thats not what we do. shaul schwarz But we proceeded to go to a house with her where she had actually found that target, that person that ICE was looking for. judy [SPEAKING SPANISH] shaul schwarz And she ends up arresting them. But mother [SPEAKING SPANISH] judy [SPEAKING SPANISH] shaul schwarz some of the targets are parents. judy This is not going to be easy. shaul schwarz The mother asked that the child say goodbye to the father. And she let that happen. [baby crying] mother [SPEAKING SPANISH] judy Listen. She wants him to say goodbye to his daughter. So [baby crying] shaul schwarz And I honestly think it hurt her. Shes a parent. Shes the daughter of an immigrant. judy We always take into consideration that the children and the family. And we try to make, you know, this probably unpleasant situation just a little bit easier for everyone. shaul schwarz But in that morning, Judy was doing exactly her mission. And her mission was different than the systemic separation that was happening at the border at the same time. judy Just as a human, you have compassion towards other people. But you know the saying, right? Its a job. And somebody has to do it. So that somebody is you. And you just have to kind of learn how to separate your personal feelings or your personal emotions from doing your work. christina clusiau Yeah. I mean, I think that we have to remember a lot of these ICE agents are career officials. Many of them were ICE agents under the last administration. Theyre ICE agents under this administration. And theyre going to be ICE agents under the next administration. The policies and the mandates do shift within whoevers in the presidential office. And so I think that something to recognize is the fact that they, you know, they had different mandates under Obama. They couldnt do certain things. And they could do other things. And then same under Trump. And I think thats something that they grapple with. They are federal jobs. They are federal employees. They have federal positions. And I think, you know, there is something to be said that maybe there are a few that say, you know what, I just cant do this anymore. You know, I dont agree with the policies. Im going to quit. But theres a lot that dont. Theres a lot that just grapple with it. They just continue doing their job. They do their mission. And and thats it. michael barbaro Well be right back. So when you went to publish this film, as you said, you had to first run it by ICE. And they were going to put it through their various filters. How did that process go? christina clusiau So initially, we handed off the first cut to ICE. And about a week later, we got a phone call from the spokesperson that we had been dealing with throughout the entire process of the show. And he immediately said: We do not like it. This does not portray us in a favorable light. In the 15 years, Ive never been called up to the front office in order to talk about a series such as this. And theres things that we do not like about this. And we need you to relook at some of these issues. shaul schwarz He expressed anger that came from all the way to the top. He expressed that this is not what they expected. He brought up, even in that initial phone call, some stuff that legally just didnt make any sense. It didnt fall under the three things that they were allowed to comment. He brought stuff like the Hatch Act that is a old rule that during Soviet times, during the Cold War, government employees cannot try and overthrow a government. It didnt make any sense. michael barbaro Oh, does he mean that he would be accused of violating the Hatch Act? Or the agents? shaul schwarz No, that agents in the episode. Because they were speaking about Trump. You know, there was examples of them kind of coming back with pushback. We talked a lot about that collateral scene. One thing they do is use a fingerprinting machine. And they said, well, that machine is law enforcement sensitive, something they had a right to comment about. And so you have to take out the whole scene. Which we were like, all right, take out that shot. But why the whole scene? And then Christina proceeded to Google to see if anybody else had covered that. And we saw that not only that it was widely covered, that the same ICE-D.H.S. spokesman had actually put that same machine picture and wrote a story about it and sent it to the press. So michael barbaro Wow. shaul schwarz You know, and once we would bring these issues, of course they would crumble legally and try to find another. So there was a lot of pushback that really started to draw a quick clear line. michael barbaro So they were trying to knock things out of the film? shaul schwarz Yes. christina clusiau Yeah. shaul schwarz But there was something that felt familiar in that mechanism of push. michael barbaro Familiar in the sense that you had seen it in operation on the ground in your time with the ICE agents? shaul schwarz Constantly. It was part of the machine that we saw. christina clusiau We understood from the things we saw exactly what they were trying to do to get us to fold and to comply and to give up. And I think thats something that we understood from the years of spending with them was that these tactics are something that they use. And Im speaking now more about leadership and not about the individual ICE agents on the ground, but how these tactics of weaponizing bureaucracy come into the fold. And its not just for us. But its for everybody. michael barbaro In some ways, it seems surprising to me that ICE would find itself surprised by what you captured and depicted in the film. Right? Because on some level, it seems difficult for me to imagine that ICE wouldnt have imagined that the documentary would capture what it captured. The rules and the policies and these enforcement actions were not a secret. shaul schwarz Yeah. We were surprised, too. You have to remember also we started pretty early in the Trump days. And a lot has changed in D.H.S. And. a lot of people who are now at the leadership have been reshuffled there. And as in many places in this administration, but we can definitely attest to D.H.S., its a little bit the yes men that have stayed. And this is an election time. So I think a lot came into that. And we have a very different relationship with ICE agents that we spend time with than with leadership and spokesmen. And they had a very different reaction to the show they ultimately saw on Netflix. michael barbaro Mhm. What was their reaction? christina clusiau This is mainly the individuals that we were fairly close to throughout the production and that weve kind of stayed close to. michael barbaro Mhm. christina clusiau Those ones, you know, came back. And some of them liked what they saw. Others didnt like what they saw. It was quite a variety. But I think they understood that we did profile what we saw day-to-day and what they do day-to-day. shaul schwarz You know, we had an officer who told us in the show officer You know, its unfortunate situation. Because a lot of these guys are hardworking individuals. shaul schwarz That he understands the people hes arresting. And maybe its hard for him, because he would do exactly the same. Theyre here to work and provide for their family. And they just got caught up in politics, if you look at it. Thats how it is. And when we checked into it with him after the show had been published, we kind of asked, hey, how was the portrayal? What do you think? Hes like, no. Its fine, this was the real world. But that line wasnt so good for me. And I said, why? Youre showing empathy. And hes like, yeah, but empathy in these days could be looked as: Youre not supporting the mission. christina clusiau Yeah. shaul schwarz We didnt see that coming. christina clusiau That one really we didnt see that one coming. This attitude that, in our minds, we were putting this individual in a place where he was having compassion and empathy towards those that he detains. And in his mind, he was not supporting the mission. shaul schwarz But I could see what he meant. And I think that surprised us. Where we were gratified is most agents felt that we portrayed the world as it exists. And certainly, its not easy to always look in the mirror. But it was a very, very, very different reaction than christina clusiau We anticipated. michael barbaro Well, Christina and Shaul, thank you very much. We really appreciate it. shaul schwarz Thank you. christina clusiau Thank you. michael barbaro ICE has disputed Shaul and Christinas account of efforts to block the film, Immigration Nation, from being released until after the election. In a statement to The Times, the agency said, quote, The men and women of ICE perform outstanding work daily that often goes unnoticed or is misrepresented to the point of falsehood. ICE, the statement continued, is firmly committed to carrying out the agencys sworn duty to enforce federal law as passed by Congress professionally, consistently and in full compliance with federal law and agency policies. Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. archived recording (jeff merkley) It is apocalyptic. I drove 600 miles up and down the state. I never escaped the smoke. We have thousands of people who have lost their homes. I could never have envisioned this. michael barbaro At least 25 people have died from the wildfires in California, Washington and Oregon, where the fires have now consumed more than one million acres. archived recording (jeff merkley) The east winds came over the top of the mountain, proceeded to turn the fires into blow torches that went down and just incinerated a series of small towns, like Blue River and Phoenix and Talent. You have community after community with fairgrounds full of people, of refugees from the fires. michael barbaro In an interview with ABC News on Sunday, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley blamed the fires on decades worth of climate change. And archived recording (alex villanueva) Seeing somebody just walk up and just start shooting on them, it it pisses me off. It dismays me at the same time. And I theres no pretty way to say it. michael barbaro Authorities in Los Angeles are investigating what they said was the unprovoked shooting over the weekend of two sheriffs deputies sitting in their patrol car in an incident caught on surveillance tape. The officers remain in critical condition. And the shooter remains at large. But Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva suggested that the ambush was linked to rising antipathy toward police. megan twohey From The New York Times, Im Megan Twohey. This is The Daily. Today: As wildfires continue to rip through parts of the West, Oregon is seeing unprecedented destruction. My colleague Jack Healy talks to those living in its path. [music] Its Tuesday, September 15. So Jack, tell us whats been happening in Oregon. archived recording Unrelenting fires continuing to rage throughout Oregon jack healy Well, a million acres of Oregon have burned in recent weeks archived recording The flames comes that toxic smoke thats blanketed the West Coast, smothering several major cities. jack healy as incredibly dry conditions, exacerbated by the effects of climate change, combined with a really historic and devastating windstorm to create some of the worst fire conditions that people here have seen in years, if not generations. archived recording Nearly three dozen wildfires so widespread they can be seen from space. jack healy There are 30 different fires burning. archived recording In Oregon, officials are bracing for a mass fatality incident. jack healy They have killed 10 people and displaced tens of thousands of people across the state, from just outside of Portland all the way down to southern Oregon. archived recording This could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfire in our states history. jack healy The damage is widespread, and the scale is just absolutely mind-boggling. So I flew into Portland last Thursday. And when I arrived, the plane touched down through a thick, impenetrable haze of smoke that has actually grounded a lot of flights and prevented travel in and out of the area pretty severely. megan twohey Wow. jack healy So right after touching down in Portland, as I drove into the fire zone through tiny little towns that were being evacuated and places that were smoldering, one of the things that I kept hearing from residents, whether it was people in Portland, or fire officials who were on the front lines of this, or people whose houses were being actively evacuated, was this: Everybody just kept saying, The entire state is burning. The scope of these fires is so widespread that its hard to conceive of what a million acres really looks like. I talked to one Red Cross volunteer who had been trying to put people up in hotels. And one of the challenges that they had been facing is that as hotel rooms fill up around the area where the fires are, they were trying to put people farther out in different towns. But the problem they were running into is that they were encountering refugees from other fires the farther out they put people. So it was like these disasters were sort of spreading and colliding as you went south from Portland, to Salem, to Eugene, to Medford. megan twohey So youre hearing that the whole state is on fire, and now you have to cover it. Where are some of the places you go? jack healy So I went to an evacuation site in Salem at the state fairgrounds. There were a lot of people sleeping in their cars and just parked in the parking lot waiting for some motel or some room that was close by that would take a pet or accommodate their family. jack healy Whats your name, maam? carla heath Carla. jack healy With a K or a C? carla heath C. My sister is Cindy. jack healy OK. jack healy Two of the people I met were Carla Heath and Cindy Essman. Theyre two sisters. carla heath Im 64. jack healy OK. OK. And Cindy? carla heath Is 67. cindy essman [CLEARS THROAT] interposing voices [LAUGHTER] jack healy And for the past week or so, they have been sleeping in the front seats of their silver Buick Encore. carla heath The seats go back. Its comfortable. Were actually sleeping, so jack healy Thats amazing. carla heath It is, I know. You do what you have to do at this point. jack healy Yeah. carla heath You know? And that way, everybody can stay together. jack healy They spent two nights in the parking lot of a shopping center. jack healy OK. carla heath Yeah, Bi-Mart shopping center in Stayton. jack healy And they decamped to the Oregon State Fairgrounds just because smoke was getting so terrible that it was getting hard to breathe. jack healy Just the smoke in Stayton is so bad? carla heath Oh, you could cut it with a knife its so bad. jack healy Wow. carla heath Thats why were here with three birds, two dogs. jack healy Oh really? Oh my goodness! cindy essman Yeah, really. carla heath Yeah. The birds were on the other side. megan twohey Their house survived, and theyve been able, like some other residents, to kind of return and check on it and go back and forth as the fires have continued to kind of chew through the landscape. carla heath Its been interesting. Lets just put it that cindy essman They dont want us to go back. carla heath No, they dont want us to go back now. Its getting too oh, the smoke is horrible there now. jack healy But theyve been really concerned about what theyre going to do long term and how long theyre going to be evacuated from their house. jack healy Is your patience starting to wear thin? Or you seem like youre in pretty good spirits about all this. carla heath No! Were keeping a good were keeping a positive attitude about this. jack healy Yeah. cindy essman Not at first. carla heath Not at first, but were getting better. Now that were out out, I think things are looking up. jack healy Well, ladies, thank you so much for your time. carla heath Thank you. It was nice meeting you. jack healy Really good to meet you. Take care. [music] megan twohey So Jack, where do you go next after talking to those sisters? jack healy So after I spend some time talking to other evacuees, I decided to head up closer to the burn zone. And as you drive up, the air just gets worse and worse, and the smoke gets thicker and thicker until its basically like the most noxious cloud youve ever been in. As Im driving, I have the air conditioning blasting and trying to recirculate air through the cab of this white Toyota pickup truck that I have rented to get around. And Im wearing an N95 mask inside the car in an attempt to keep as much of this fine particulate matter that just fills the air from entering my lungs. And as you push further into the areas that have been burned, you start to see telltale signs of what the fire has wrought along the roadside. You see fields that look like Hawaiian black sand beaches because the fires have just scoured them the color of charcoal. You see areas that are totally unburnt, and then you turn a corner and there is whats left of a house just the cytoskeleton of twisted metal and a single chimney standing up like a, like a solitary soldier standing guard or something. And things get worse and worse the farther east you go, where these little communities of retirees and recreational enthusiasts and summertime campers were just really devastated. resident Hello there. jack healy Hey. How are you, sir? resident Good. jack healy Hey. Im a newspaper reporter covering the wildfires. resident OK. jack healy When I pulled into the tiny town of Gates jack healy Are you guys part of the crews of residents who are just trying to resident This is my house. jack healy protect your places? resident Thats my house. jack healy Good to meet you. resident This is my friend, Sean. Hes just here for the cause. jack healy Sean, hey. Im Jack. resident Mike. jack healy Mike, great to meet you. jack healy I met a little cluster of neighbors who had decided to stick it out inside of the fire zone inside of this part of the area that had been evacuated and cleared out because they were determined to try to save their homes. resident And if we didnt come back in here, my house would be gone, because theres fires going around that we put out. jack healy Oh, so you actually came back in and resident 1 Absolutely. resident 2 Hes been here. resident 1 Ive been here since then. I havent left. resident 2 Hes been here the whole time. jack healy No kidding? Thats amazing, Darren. resident 1 Im not leaving either. resident 2 I just bought the house in November. interposing voices [LAUGHTER] resident Ive been trying to stay, but I got a wife calling me at home going, get out. And Darrens staying. jack healy They were taking a break from days of driving up and down the roads resident So you think it just jumped from house, to house, to house. jack healy Yeah. resident I mean, I was there with other people for 11 hours trying to put that town out. jack healy looking for a little spot fires or smoldering areas of the woods when I got there. And jack healy having a beer. Looks like youre taking a break from helping defend your resident Yeah, we just sent a truck down, and hes filling up at the fire hydrant down jack healy They were actually cracking open a couple beers and waiting for another couple of neighbors to return to their houses with a refill of water supplies from one of the local fire departments. resident Yeah. I should take you down to my house. Im just three houses down. I told you, its right where the fire stopped. jack healy Oh, sure. Yeah. jack healy They walked me around the back of their homes and showed me the hillsides right immediately behind their houses resident This was on fire. jack healy This is crazy. resident When I came back, this was on fire. If we didnt come back, his house wouldnt be here. My house jack healy that had burned up and almost swallowed up their houses. resident They lost everything. jack healy Jeez. resident Their house is gone. jack healy Theyve also armed themselves with shotguns and sidearms. jack healy Are you guys carrying because youre concerned about looters, or would you normally be carrying anyways, even if this wasnt a fire situation with no resident Both. jack healy law enforcement? resident Both. jack healy OK. resident 1 We carry anyway. resident 2 Yeah. resident 1 I have my underwear drawer is locked and loaded. Its ready to go. Open carrying like this I usually wouldnt walk around like this. jack healy Yeah. resident But with everything going on, I absolutely would. jack healy Yeah. jack healy They say they are worried about looters and outsiders coming in to rob their places or exploit the evacuations to carry out looting. resident The sheriffs are going through, and theyre tagging mailboxes with the caution tape. And that indicates, weve checked and no ones here. jack healy Ah. Which is like an invitation. resident Which for looters means, oh, theres no one there. jack healy Mm-hmm. megan twohey And is the looting a real thing thats happening? Is that a real threat at this time? jack healy To a certain extent, yeah. What has happened in some cases is that there have been some reports and arrests of looting. But whats also happened, though, is that there have been a bunch of rumors and swarms of misinformation circulating on social media about some alleged organized effort by Antifa to set fires or carry out organized sprees of robberies in communities that have been evacuated. You know, kind of really fan the flames of a climate of fear right now, as people try to wait for some sort of semblance of order, or normalcy really, to be restored. megan twohey So it sounds like these guys feel like theyre caught between the danger of the fire itself and the potential fear of someone breaking into their homes. And they have decided that staying and protecting their homes is worth the risk of the fire. jack healy I think that is the essential calculation for so many people. Its do you risk your house burning down, or do you risk just not knowing whats happening at whats probably your biggest economic asset and the source of so many years of work? Or do you leave and stay safe personally? People across the state are making that individual calculation for themselves. speaker 1 Its the apocalypse, man. The whole states burned down. Ive never seen anything like it. speaker 2 700,000 acres right now. speaker 3 Ive never seen anything like it. [music] megan twohey Well be right back. So Jack, after you leave the town of Gates, where do you go next? jack healy Well, I went to the Black Bear Lodge, a little motel in Salem where evacuees had been staying for the past week. And there I met Travis and Jane James. jack healy Did you guys want to chat out here, or jane james Yes. jack healy OK. OK, great. jack healy And they are from the tiny little communities of Detroit and Idanha. And Detroit suffered probably some of the worst devastation in the fires outside of Portland. About 70 percent of the businesses and homes in this little lakeside resort town were destroyed, including cafes, a motel, a little restaurant, the market, and even the city hall was destroyed. megan twohey Wow. jack healy The town was basically wiped off the map. megan twohey And what do you Travis and Jane tell you? jack healy Well, Travis and Jane had a pretty harrowing story of escape. jack healy So just take me back to Monday, I guess it was, when the wind started to really kick up. What had you guys been doing that day? travis james Just jane james Watering. travis james Just watering everything. jack healy OK. jane james Watering everything travis james Watering everything. jane james Because the lieutenant said, water, water. So we were watering the perimeter. jack healy Some people from Detroit and Idanha were able to get out earlier. They left when evacuation was only a suggestion or a possibility. jane james Didnt want to leave, because we just got the house. jack healy Yeah. travis james That was my stupid mistake, thinking that I could save the house. jack healy They had been hoping that they could stay and protect their house. But around 2 or 3 oclock in the morning on Tuesday, it was just getting to be way too dangerous. jane james It was gray. It was smoky. It was getting bad. travis james It was orange outside the day before from the smoke. jane james And we had limbs of trees travis james Yeah pine trees. jack healy OK. jane james coming down on our house totally burnt. jack healy Oh, wow. jack healy Burnt limbs were raining onto their house, as well as burning pine cones and other pieces of ash, and all this other debris that was rising on the column of heat from this fire and just being thrown for miles. jane james When that happened, we got the code three: Get out now. jack healy How did it arrive? Did your phones go off? jane james On my phone. jack healy OK. jane james Yeah, it came on as an alert. jack healy They finally got the alert. jack healy And so had you guys already assembled like a jane james Nope. jack healy bag or anything like that? jane james Nope. jack healy OK. travis james We came out with a suitcase and two dogs. jack healy OK. jack healy They ran out of the house and started to drive down the mountain to try to get to safety. But what happened is, as theyre driving through these walls of fire, trees are falling around them. Theyre exploding as they drive. travis james Yeah. We went around a tree had fallen down on the highway. We went around it. And as soon as we went around it, the rocks slide hit us. jack healy And their car smashes into a rock slide, and they get a flat tire jack healy And so, yeah, so what happens then? The tire blows? jane james The tire blows. jack healy in the middle of a forest fire. megan twohey Wow. jack healy And so how do you jane james We couldnt change the tire. jack healy How do you take the tire off? You cant. travis james We didnt. We had to jack healy They had no choice but to turn around and head back to Detroit, where they had just come from. jane james We had to put everything back, throw the dogs back in, and then ride on the rim another seven miles back to Detroit. jack healy And the entire forest is basically exploding around them. jack healy I mean, are you talking to each other during all this? What are you doing? Are you filming? Or just jane james I was filming a little bit. I was screaming at him. jack healy Yeah. What were you saying? jane james Why are you putting me through this? megan twohey So what do they do once they get back to Detroit, which is on fire? jack healy Which is on fire. So Travis and Jane and about 70 other their refugees from this fire ended up taking shelter at a boat dock that was sort of a clearing, an area that was not immediately surrounded by trees. Then they were going to wait there until some National Guard helicopters could land and evacuate them by air. jane james They had to cut a tree because we were surrounded. We couldnt get out. So they going to bring what had three helicopters hovering. travis james Yeah, they had Pave Hawks up from the jane james To come take us out. travis james National Guard place right down here in Salem. jack healy Wow. travis james Theyre on station for about four-and-a-half hours before they had to abort because of fuel. jane james Yeah. Because they couldnt come because of the smoke. jack healy So they were just kind of hovering? jane james Yep. travis james Yeah, they couldnt the wind was blowing 65 miles an hour, so they couldnt land. jack healy They waited there for hours, but those helicopters could never come in because the winds were just too rough. megan twohey And what is happening with the fire during all of this? jack healy I mean, the fire is just burning all around them basically. Theyre getting covered in debris and ash. And as Jane said, we were surrounded. We couldnt get out. jack healy How many people would you say were there? travis james When we left, there was 40 vehicles and 78 people. jack healy Wow. Wow. travis james They just kept coming in from all over the place. Nobody could get out. They just kept coming in and coming in. megan twohey And so what do they do? What is the plan? jack healy Well jane james They were going to move us all down to the docks. travis james Yeah, they told us to grab jane james and surround the fire trucks around us the water trucks and put a big water barrier. jack healy The plan was to essentially make a last stand against the fire. Thats what the fire department called it. jack healy And so essentially the plan was the fire trucks were going to be your last wall of defense. jane james Yes. travis james Yes. jack healy Which would try to create a sort of wall or barrier between them and the fire. And they would spray as much water between the people and the encroaching flames as possible and just try to hold out as long as they could. But ultimately, what happened is that jane james Then they got an OK to leave. So we all lined up, followed the fire trucks out. jack healy Someone with the Forest Service was able to find another way out of there, and they found an evacuation route. And they assembled a convoy of fire trucks, R.V.s, pickup trucks, and they headed out of there on a narrow, little road with smoke and flames roaring up on either side of it. jane james And theres all this fire on the left-hand side. travis james Trees were falling down. jane james Falling down. And were going travis james We had got to stop a couple of times, so then they jane james So the fire department could get out and remove travis james Theyre out there chainsawing jack healy Wow. travis james burning trees. Theyre chainsawing them and pulling them out with their trucks so we could keep going. It happened two or three times. jack healy And during that drive, they sort of crept along and tried to stay together as best they could, so that people would not get detoured into other fire zones. Because as theyre driving, there are skirting along the edge of another massive fire that is burning just to the north of the one that had just consumed their community. travis james It was just a last minute make-or-break thing. It was like, we got one shot to get out here. Its on fire, but were going to go. So we went. jane james the whole fire department. And Im just gonna tell you Idanha-Detroit Fire Department, they travis james Bunch of studs. jane james Oh my gosh, they are they get so many kudos from us. travis james They had no heroes until that day. jack healy Thats amazing. jack healy Jane was still really distraught and really traumatized by this. jane james But I went into complete meltdown. jack healy When we talked, it had been five days or so. And just thinking about that trip was still something that brought her to tears. jack healy worried that you were gonna die? jane james I couldnt stop crying. jack healy Wow. Wow. travis james It got ugly really quick. jane james When you see death, it humbles you even more than you are. All I did the whole time was just cry. jack healy Wow. jane james I could not stop crying. He kept trying. Im like, I I cant. It was just way too much. And so what is their plan now? What will they do once the fires stop? jack healy Well, their house survived. jane james Yeah, they sent the lieutenant of Idanha-Detroit Fire Department, sent me a picture at of house. jack healy Oh, OK. So there it is. Thats great. jane james This is out house. jack healy Thats great. travis james I guess the fire burnt right up to our property line. jack healy They were some of the lucky ones, and their plan is to go back. And Ive actually been struck by how many people in these places that have burned down are planning to go back. And whether its just, return to a house that is now surrounded by a landscape of char, or whether its to go back and try to rebuild from nothing again. People said that this had increased, in some ways, their commitment to these communities that are incredibly threatened and are going to be even more threatened and even more at peril as the effects of climate change grow more pronounced. megan twohey Yeah, Jack, my understanding is that these fires arent going anywhere. So how did these people square those realities, that the land they live on is under increased threat of destruction but that they also want to try to rebuild their lives there? jack healy Are you guys going to go back? I mean go back and live there jane james Yes! jack healy Ok, and tell me why. travis james Its beautiful. jane james Its beautiful up there. Its Gods country up there. Its I could sit outside for hours just watching the wildlife. travis james We got chipmunks and squirrels. jane james We got three families of chipmunks. We got a koala bear squirrel. We got chucks. jack healy I think for a lot of the people that Ive talked to there is a certain amount of wishful thinking, hoping that this fire was just some sort of historically aberrant event that the winds that ignited these firestorms wont flare up again, that somehow things will get better. But at a certain point, I think others are starting to wonder whether they can just live with the increased risk of living in a fire zone. Because if you look outside your window across the West, we sort of all are living in some kind of fire zone. Even if you live in San Francisco or L.A. or Seattle or Portland, youre miles away from any place, any hillside thats going to burn down and surround your family, youre still socked in by smoke. And youre still contending with incredibly dirty and, in some cases, dangerous air conditions. And honestly, Im one of them. I live in Colorado, and I live on the side of a hill in a pretty wildfire-prone part of Colorado. And I know that climate change is real, that the risks of these fires are getting worse as hotter temperatures dry out the brush and as weather patterns shift. But I think that there is a certain love and commitment that people have to these communities in the mountains, in forests that theyre not willing to give up. Not to mention the fact that for so many people youre locked into your home. A lot of people dont have the ease of just pulling up stakes and leaving. Its what so many of the people in Detroit or Idanha or Gates had invested their entire lives and savings, and a lifetime of work into. And to leave even when the fire is banging down your door and climate change is screaming its presence to leave is a really difficult thing. [music] megan twohey Well, thank you, Jack. jack healy Thank you so much. megan twohey Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. archived recording (donald trump) Itll start getting cooler. archived recording (wade crowfoot) I wish archived recording (donald trump) You just watch. archived recording (wade crowfoot) I wish science agreed with you. archived recording (donald trump) I dont think science knows, actually. megan twohey On Monday, while meeting with leaders in California about the wildfires there, President Trump brushed off a question about climate change, suggesting instead that the state had failed to properly manage its forests. archived recording (donald trump) When you have years of leaves dried leaves on the ground, it just sets it up. Its really a fuel for a fire, so they have to do something about it. megan twohey Meanwhile, in a campaign speech, Joe Biden attacked Trumps record on climate change, saying his inaction and denial had fed destruction in California and Oregon. archived recording (joe biden) If you give a climate arsonist four more years in the White House, why would anyone be surprised if we have more of America ablaze? If you give a climate denier four more years in the White House, why would anyone be surprised when more of America is underwater? megan twohey And archived recording (lovely warren) Now that I have a clear understanding of what happened, I have to let you, the public, know what steps I am taking today to deal with our failures. Today is Chief Singletarys last day. megan twohey Lovely Warren, the mayor of Rochester, New York, announced she was firing the citys police chief two weeks before he was scheduled to voluntarily step down because of the departments handling of the death of Daniel Prude. archived recording (lovely warren) we have a pervasive problem in the Rochester Police Department, one that views everything through the eyes of the badge and not the citizens we serve. [music] megan twohey YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited Goris town in Syunik province where he got acquainted with the towns tourism infrastructure development process, in particular the restoration of Old Goris. He was accompanied by Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Suren Papikyan, Syunik Governor Hunan Poghosyan and Mayor of Goris Arush Arushanyan. The PM said that the area near the towns observation post previously has been a construction landfill, but after restoration it tends to become one of the attractive sites of the town. The project is implemented within the frames of subvention programs. The Mayor of Goris informed that new hotels are being built in the town. PM Pashinyan also toured the Old Goris historical-cultural center aimed at getting acquainted with the past and ongoing works. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Steve Martin has learned how to make the mask look work for him. 'I always wear a mask when I go outside. But something about it was leaving me anxious and unsettled,' wrote the 75-year-old. 'I thought about the problem, addressed it, and here is the solution,' he concluded, adding a picture showing just what he meant. Still got it: Steve Martin has learned how to make mask-wearing work for him, he revealed in a funny tweet this weekend The comedy icon was pictured wearing a mask, with a giant sign over his head that read: 'STEVE MARTIN' and had an arrow pointing down toward his face. His picture got multiple replies remarking on how it reminded them of his old stand-up bit with an arrow through his head. The bit became so beloved by his fans that while playing the Universal Amphiteatre in the late 1970s he got a huge applause break just for putting the prop on. 'It's kinda fun for me to see the people in the audience with the amateur model arrow-through-the-head,' he cracked. Remember when: His picture got multiple replies remarking on how it reminded them of his old stand-up bit with an arrow through his head 'This of course is the professional model, made in Germany, it costs $150,' he added, in a moment captured for his special Steve Live At The Universal Amphitheatre. When the coronavirus lockdowns began in March, Steve was on tour in Ireland as a double-act with his old pal Martin Short. Martin revealed on Conan that he and Steve 'frantically got out' of Ireland when President Trump declared a travel ban from Europe to the United States. Mask off: Steve is pictured in November 2017 attending the opening night of the Broadway play Meteor Shower, which was written by him and starred Amy Schumer He shared that 'it was around three in the morning Dublin time and I'm seeing the president say, you know: "Everyone must get out in 24 hours," you know. Of course, Trump forgot to mention, not: "But you have more time if you're Americans or if you're in Ireland or the UK."' The president announced the ban in an Oval Office speech on Wednesday, March 11, saying it would 'go into effect Friday at midnight,' though there would 'be exemptions for Americans who have undergone appropriate screenings.' Shortly thereafter the White House clarified that Americans 'will be directed to a limited number of airports where screening can take place.' and that the restrictions applied to the Schengen Area of which neither the UK nor Ireland is a part. Martin said he 'got back to LA on the 13th of March' - one day before it was announced the ban would extend to Ireland and Britain starting midnight March 16. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 10:26:39|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close The water level of the Nile near the confluence of its two major tributaries, the White Nile and the Blue Nile, starts to gradually decline after unprecedented floods in Khartoum, Sudan, Sept. 11, 2020. Sudan often witnesses floods caused by heavy rains from June to October. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua) Parti Liyani and her lawyer Anil Balchandani exiting the High Court on 4 September after her acquittal. (Photo: Grace Baey) SINGAPORE The pro-bono lawyer who managed to get a full acquittal for a prominent businessmans former maid accused of stealing from his family in charges which he described as trumped up at trial has directed credit for her acquittal to non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Anil Balchandani said such organisations toil day and night to help foreign workers in distress, and paid particular tribute to the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics, or HOME, which had first approached him to represent Parti Liyani in late 2017. Since December 2016, when she was arrested, Parti has been sheltered by HOME, which also found a bailor for her. The Indonesian had been sentenced in March last year by a district court to more than two years jail on four counts of theft, but was last week acquitted on all charges by the High Court. In a video interview with HOME, posted on the NGOs website on Wednesday (9 September), Anil said, Lawyers like myself who work on pro-bono matters do some work, but the real work is done by a lot of these NGOs. He added, Thats the real...back-breaking activity meeting with (migrant workers) every week, every month, giving them that...hope that something good can happen. Anil had been praised by High Court judge Chan Seng Onn in the concluding paragraph of his 100-page written judgment on the case. Among other things, Justice Chan said of the lawyer, His written submissions were detailed and well-footnoted; his arguments were persuasive; he explored carefully every aspect of the prosecutions case and scrutinised the voluminous evidence in the transcripts in order to mount his clients defence both at the trial and the appeal with clarity; he analysed the grounds of decision of the trial judge in great detail to submit on areas where the trial judge had erred in her findings; he handled all these matters single-handedly and had shown much dedication in his pro-bono work for this case. Story continues In a statement posted on its website after the acquittal, Anils firm Red Lion Circle, of which he is managing proprietor, said, The bulk of the work was done, and continues to be done by non-government organisations, who toil day and night, weekday and weekend, to console, advance and assist foreign domestic workers, foreign workers and others who are in distress. There are many more Parti Liyanis who languish in shelters and our prisons whose attention we, as a nation, should turn to. HOME deserves more, or almost all the credit regarding Parti Liyanis acquittal. In his video interview with HOME, Anil explained some challenges he faced with the case. The interview was conducted last month after the appeal hearings had concluded, but before the acquittal verdict was delivered. We were up against tenacious prosecutors, a prominent family Parti was initially accused of stealing a total of 144 items worth $50,000 from former Changi Airport Group chairman Liew Mun Leong, his son Karl, daughter Cheng May and Karls wife Heather. She was found guilty by District Judge Olivia Low, who amended the value of stolen items to $34,000, after a 20-day trial, which took place between April 2018 and January last year. Anil told HOME, It was a very, very difficult trial, not just because we knew it was going to last 10 months. It was a very difficult and long-drawn trial because of the sheer number of items that we had to deal with. And I didnt have any assistants, so I had to rely on a well-managed, or well-accounted for, set of documents, (and) understand Partis instructions clearly. We were up against a very tenacious set of (three) prosecutors. We were also up against a very prominent family, he added. The lawyer noted that the appeal was also long, with hearings spanning three days in total, and which took place in November last year, February and August. Anil said each allegedly misappropriated item had to be explained, and we had to basically convince a (High Court) judge that, look, why would someone steal junk? Indeed, Justice Chan found that many of the allegedly stolen items were old and displayed some form of dysfunctionality. Said the judge, It is rather unusual, to say the least, for Parti to mostly steal items that were ostensibly spoilt, broken or lacking in value to their alleged owners. The duration of the criminal trial was, however, not the longest for Anil, a lawyer of eight years who graduated with a post-graduate law degree from the Singapore Management University in 2012; he was previously a professional engineer for eight years, having done his undergraduate studies in electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. In 2017, Anil secured an acquittal for SMRT bus driver Zhang Kun, a Chinese national, who was accused of speeding and losing control of bus service 700A at a sharp bend at the slip road of Bukit Timah Expressway towards Dairy Farm Road. One passenger died while another was injured. Zhangs trial on two charges of causing death and endangering life by a rash act took place over 26 days, and spanned over three years. Parti Liyani (right) and her lawyer Anil Balchandani before the State Courts on 8 September 2020. (PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore/Wan Ting Koh) An injustice if foreign workers plead guilty out of convenience In his HOME interview, Anil also spoke about the need to better protect foreign workers. As of December last year, there were over 1.42 million foreigners working here, according to data from the manpower ministry. Of these, 261,900 were domestic workers and 341,400 were in construction. I always had this impression that when you have about a million people here who are foreign domestic workers and foreign workers without proper representation Im talking about at the political level you are going to run into problems down the line...with our justice system, where foreign domestic workers or foreign workers just dont know what theyre up against; they dont know who to turn to, he said. He pointed out that such workers may feel that its convenient to apologise and plead guilty to an alleged wrongdoing, so that they can be sent home, which is what they really want after a little while of being accused and interrogated. But this is an injustice, said the lawyer. I think as we move forward, and as we get a little more advanced as a nation, we need to realise that the system as we envisioned it doesnt cater for these unrepresented folks and Im talking about politically unrepresented, said Anil. And the reason why I say that is, with proper representation, these issues are naturally heard, but without this representation you dont know, until something terrible happens. The HOME interview can be viewed here. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Related stories: Liew Mun Leong steps down from CAG, Temasek, after acquittal of ex-maid Parti Liyani Changi Airport Group chairman Liew Mun Leong's maid acquitted of theft: High Court CAG chair Liew Mun Leong's maid given discharge amounting to acquittal over final charge AGC to study judgment acquitting CAG chief Liew Mun Leong's maid of theft; may take further action Government to deal with 'what went wrong' in prosecution of CAG chairman Liew Mun Leong's maid: K Shanmugam About 200 inmates at the Deer Ridge Correctional Institution held a peaceful demonstration late Friday night and early Saturday morning over conditions at the prison during Oregons wildfires. The protest included calls to address the bad air quality in the facility where they were housed and calling for access to phones. The male inmates were moved from their original facility, a medium-security building at the Madras prison, to a minimum-security building on Thursday, after more than 1,300 inmates from Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, the states womens prison, were transferred to the medium security building at Deer Ridge during wildfire evacuations. The Department of Corrections confirmed that inmates left their housing units around 10 p.m. Friday and went to the prison yard, peacefully protesting the conditions at the minimum security facility. Jennifer Black, a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections, said a crisis negotiation team responded to the protest but did not use any force on the inmates. She said they talked to inmates and all but 12 of them returned to their housing units by 2 a.m. Saturday. The 12 inmates who did not return to their housing units were placed in special housing and transferred to another institution, Black said. Black said they are figuring out a solution to the smoky conditions in the building and are working on setting up phones inside the minimum security building so that inmates can make calls. She said that previously, the building was vacant so there were no phone set up. She said in the mean time, corrections employees are allowing inmates to make calls on their employee phones. But family members of at least five inmates who were moved to the minimum security building told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the inmates had reported mold and poor ventilation at the building, contributing to their inability to breathe. Wendy Holdeman said her fiance called her and told her that the conditions in the building where male inmates had been moved were inhumane. Several prisoners are not getting their medications, the whole building is full of smoke, theyre sleeping on the ground, Holdeman said. She and other family members of prisoners also reported that their loved ones had told them they were not getting their meals on time, and that the building was over capacity. Inmates across Oregons prison system have also been concerned about crowding since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. She said when she and other family members of inmates have tried to call the prison, they have been hung up on. Holdeman said her fiance and many of the other inmates in the minimum security building are medically fragile her fiance is up for compassionate release because of his health. These people should be cared for especially, she said. This is unacceptable treatment. Black said, to her knowledge, the building did not have mold and that she did not have any information to suggest the building had worse ventilation than the medium security building where women are currently staying. She said the minimum security building last housed inmates in February of 2016, and they were moved to the medium security building because the Department of Corrections needed additional beds to house more inmates. Black said that there are very few bunks inside the minimum security institution, and that for the most part, inmates are sleeping on mattresses on the ground. During an emergency, operations do not run as smoothly as normal. Meals and medications are being given to AICs (adults in custody), but not on their normal schedule we are improving every day and having additional employees go to (the prison), Black said. Holdeman said she was afraid for her fiances health and welfare. Its very clear the DOC is in over their head, she said. Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Tourists' visits to Santa Claus in Lapland could be saved under new Finnish travel rules Finland will allow holidaymakers to visit the country for up to three days in order to help the struggling tourist industry, ministers announced on Friday. Under the new measures, travel restrictions will be eased to allow visitors from Germany, Sweden and other countries with fewer than 25 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the past fortnight. Arrivals from countries with higher levels of infection, such as France and the UK, will also be admitted without quarantine requirements if they are travelling with a charter flight or organised tour group, and if their stay does not exceed 72 hours. In recent years tourist numbers in Lapland, in Finland's far north, have grown to record levels. Among three million overnight stays in 2018, British tourists were the largest group. Husky sled rides, seeing the Northern Lights and a visit to the "real" Santa's grotto are among the most popular attractions. The Finnish government has come under heavy pressure to ease travel restrictions to help businesses in Lapland, where tourism generated one billion euros ($1.1 billion) of revenue in 2018 according to the area's regional council. Currently, Finland's tight border restrictions ban arrivals from all but a handful of EU countries in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Economic Affairs Minister Mika Lintila told a press conference on Friday that the new policy "will bring clarity to the business and tourism sectors." "The decision takes into account safety and the needs of business." An official told reporters the health ministry had been "critical" of the idea of loosening border restrictions. But "these decisions have been made based on broad cabinet discussions," health ministry strategic director Liisa-Maria Voipio-Pulkki said. The country of 5.5 million has registered 337 Covid-related deaths and around 8,500 cases, though there has been an uptick in infections after the summer. sgk/po/tgb Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 15:45:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's northern Borneo state of Sabah kicked off campaigning for state legislative elections on Saturday with political parities nominating their candidates. Nominations proceeded as scheduled, with candidates contesting in 73 state seats, including 13 new seats for the polls on Sept. 26, state news agency Bernama reported. The state government was dissolved on July 30 after an alleged attempt by former chief minister Musa Aman to draw state legislative representatives to his side to form a new state government. The elections will see incumbent Chief Minister Shafie Apdal and his allies trying to hold on to power against the challenge by the multi-party coalition supported by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Enditem With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 14.5x Briscoe Group Limited (NZSE:BGP) may be sending bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in New Zealand have P/E ratios greater than 23x and even P/E's higher than 36x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E. The recently shrinking earnings for Briscoe Group have been in line with the market. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think the company's earnings may begin to slide even faster. If you still like the company, you'd want its earnings trajectory to turn around before making any decisions. At the very least, you'd be hoping that earnings don't fall off a cliff if your plan is to pick up some stock while it's out of favour. Check out our latest analysis for Briscoe Group pe If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Briscoe Group. How Is Briscoe Group's Growth Trending? In order to justify its P/E ratio, Briscoe Group would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the market. Taking a look back first, we see that there was hardly any earnings per share growth to speak of for the company over the past year. Likewise, not much has changed from three years ago as earnings have been stuck during that whole time. Therefore, it's fair to say that earnings growth has definitely eluded the company recently. Shifting to the future, estimates from the dual analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 0.3% per year over the next three years. With the market predicted to deliver 9.4% growth per year, the company is positioned for a weaker earnings result. With this information, we can see why Briscoe Group is trading at a P/E lower than the market. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on while the company is potentially eyeing a less prosperous future. Story continues The Bottom Line On Briscoe Group's P/E It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator. As we suspected, our examination of Briscoe Group's analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior earnings outlook is contributing to its low P/E. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in earnings isn't great enough to justify a higher P/E ratio. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels. Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Briscoe Group (1 can't be ignored) you should be aware of. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on a P/E 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. French health authorities on Saturday reported 10,561 new confirmed Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, a new daily record as the number topped 10,000 for the first time. Saturdays record figure came after French Prime Minister Jean Castex warned on Friday that there has been 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". A previous record of 9,843 new infections had been reported on Thursday. Despite this resurgence in cases, Castex did not announce any major new restrictions, saying France's aim is to "avoid a general lockdown" and succeed in living with the virus through social distancing, mask-wearing and ramped-up testing. Castex said his government would implement fast-tracked Covid-19 testing for priority cases and provide local authorities with the power to make some businesses reduce opening hours. The country's Defence Council met on Friday to discuss new measures to stem the spread of the virus, while experts say that tough measures will have to be taken to stem the resurgence in cases. Jean-Francois Delfraissy, who heads the scientific panel counselling the French government on coronavirus matters, said on Wednesday that the government would be "obliged to take a certain number of difficult decisions... in the next eight to 10 days at most". (FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS) Hong Kongs customs officers have made their largest seizure involving inbound airborne drug shipments so far this year, bagging about HK$45 million (US$5.8 million) worth of liquid cocaine, ketamine and methamphetamine, and arresting a man in the process. The customs department on Friday said it found about 31kg of suspected liquid cocaine concealed in 45 red wine bottles, during an inspection of an air cargo consignment arriving in the city from the United States at Hong Kong International Airport on September 7. After an investigation, officers arrested a 40-year-old man suspected of being involved in the case in Yau Ma Tei on Thursday, seizing another 910 grams of suspected ketamine and about 520 grams of suspected methamphetamine, also known as Ice, as well as one piece of drug-taking paraphernalia. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. The seized drugs had a total estimated market value of around HK$45.3 million. This has broken the record of this year's largest inbound dangerous drugs case detected by customs at the airport [previously set] on June 19 in terms of seizure amount and value, a government press release said on Friday. In the operation in June, the department found about 25kg of suspected cocaine at the airport, which was estimated to be worth about HK$29 million on the street. The man arrested on Thursday has been charged with two counts of trafficking in a dangerous drug and one count of possession of an apparatus fit and intended for the inhalation of a dangerous drug. In a separate drug bust, customs officers found around 1kg of suspected cocaine concealed inside a batch of polystyrene beads when they inspected an air parcel from Canada to Hong Kong on September 5. Hong Kong customs found about 1kg of suspected cocaine inside a parcel from Canada on September 5. Photo: Handout The items had an estimated market value of around HK$1.4 million. A 36-year-old woman suspected of being connected to the case was arrested in Yau Ma Tei on Thursday. She has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. Story continues She and the arrested man appeared at Kowloon City Magistrates Courts on Saturday. Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, the maximum penalty for trafficking in a dangerous drug is a fine of HK$5 million and life imprisonment. This article Hong Kong customs officers seize more than 30kg of drugs in years largest airport bust first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. WASHINGTON - Explaining his deceptive assurances about the pandemic, President Donald Trump suggested he was doing what Winston Churchill had done, soothing the public in a time of danger. Thats not how it went down in World War II. Churchill did not tell Britons that Nazi Germany was under control or that, like a miracle, it will disappear, to cite Trumps words on the virus. The British prime minister spread fear, as well as resolve, as he summoned Britons to national purpose against the hideous apparatus of aggression enslaving swaths of Europe and soon to be turned upon us. Trumps statements about the pandemic have been rife with misinformation from the start. But journalist Bob Woodwards new book, Rage, reveals Trump admitting to using distortion as a tactic as he underplayed the threat of COVID-19 to Americans and young people in particular, while knowing better. The president said his purpose was to avoid panic. Details from the book and its recorded interviews with Trump dropped during a week of intense politicking as the campaign for the Nov. 3 election entered its homestretch. As the rhetoric flew, both Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden exaggerated their influence in reviving the auto industry. In a mix-up, Biden vastly overstated military COVID-19 deaths. Trump thoroughly misrepresented Bidens positions. BLOOD, SWEAT, TEARS TRUMP on Churchill during the German bombing of London: He always spoke with calmness. He said, We have to show calmness. remarks to Michigan supporters Thursday. TRUMP: As the British government advised the British people in the face of World War II, Keep calm and carry on. Thats what I did. Michigan remarks. THE FACTS: Historians take sharp issue with that. Churchill understood that candour in crisis was vital, tweeted Erik Larson, author of The Splendid and the Vile, a history of Churchill and Britons during the German bombing campaign known as the Blitz. He did not sugarcoat the German threat. Fellow historian Jon Meacham responded to Trump with a quote from Churchill himself, rendered with Twitter abbreviation: 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 fools paradise. The slogan to Keep calm and carry on was printed on British posters in preparation for war but did not gain favour and the posters were soon scrapped. In his first BBC broadcast as prime minister, in May 1940, Churchill described in chilling detail the remarkable advance of German armoured columns and infantry through the ravaged French countryside and said it would be foolish to disguise the gravity of the hour. He said that hideous apparatus of aggression which gashed Holland into ruin and slavery in a few days will be turned upon us. I am sure I speak for all when I say we are ready to face it; to endure it. The Blitzkrieg started that September. While Trump was repeatedly minimizing the danger of the outbreak in his public remarks, he was telling Woodward that he knew the virus was deadlier than even a severe seasonal flu, that he was struck by how easily it spread and that plenty of young people were contracting it. I wanted to always play it down, he said in March. I still like playing it down. Because I dont want to create a panic. ___ VIRUS TRUMP: We are going to have vaccines very soon, it may be much sooner than you think. news conference Thursday. TRUMP: Youll have this incredible vaccine, and ... in speed like nobody has ever seen before. This couldve taken two or three years, and instead its going to be its going to be done in a very short of period of time. Could even have it during the month of October. news conference Monday. THE FACTS: Hes almost certainly raising unrealistic hopes as the November election approaches. The Food and Drug Administration already has told manufacturers it wont consider any vaccine thats less than 50% effective. Getting the right math before November, as Trump has promised, is incredibly unlikely, said Dr. Larry Corey of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute, who is overseeing the U.S. governments vaccine studies. Public health experts are worried that Trump will press the FDA to approve a vaccine before it is proven to be safe and effective. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the governments top infectious diseases expert, has said he is cautiously optimistic that a coronavirus vaccine will be ready by early next year. Even then, Fauci made clear that the vaccine would not be widely available right away. Ultimately, within a reasonable period of time, the plans now allow for any American who needs a vaccine to get it within the year 2021, Fauci told Congress last month. Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, also expressed cautious optimism this past week that one of the vaccines being tested will pan out by years end. But he warned: Certainly to try to predict whether it happens on a particular week before or after a particular date in early November is well beyond anything that any scientist right now could tell you. The particular date is Nov. 3, Election Day. ___ TRUMP: The approach to the virus is a very unscientific blanket lockdown by the Democrats. news conference Thursday. TRUMP: Bidens plan for the China virus is to shut down the entire U.S. economy. news conference Monday. THE FACTS: Thats not Bidens plan at all. Biden has said he would shut down the economy only if scientists and public health advisers recommended he do so to stem the COVID-19 threat. He said he would follow the science, not disregard it. Biden told ABC last month he will be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives when he was asked if he would even be willing to shut the country again. I would listen to the scientists, he said. If they said to shut it down, I would shut it down. ___ TRUMP: When Joe Biden was vice-president, his failed approach to the swine flu was disastrous. ... And 60 million Americans got H1N1 in that period of time. ...We did everything wrong, it was a disaster. news conference Thursday. THE FACTS: This is a distorted history of a pandemic in 2009 that killed far fewer people in the United States than the coronavirus is killing now. For starters, Biden as vice-president wasnt running the federal response. And that response was faster out of the gate than when COVID-19 came to the U.S. Then, the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions flu surveillance network sounded the alarm after two children in California became the first people diagnosed with the new flu strain in this country. About two weeks later, the Obama administration declared a public health emergency against H1NI, also known as the swine flu, and the CDC began releasing anti-flu drugs from the national stockpile to help hospitals get ready. In contrast, Trump declared a state of emergency in early March, seven weeks after the first U.S. case of COVID-19 was announced, and the countrys health system struggled for months with shortages of critical supplies and testing. More than 190,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. The CDC puts the U.S. death toll from the 2009-2010 H1N1 pandemic at about 12,500. ___ AUTOS BIDEN: President Obama and I rescued the auto industry and helped Michigans economy come roaring back. tweet Wednesday. THE FACTS: Biden is assigning too much credit to Barack Obama and himself for saving the auto industry. As an initial matter, what the Obama administration did was an expansion of pivotal steps taken by Obamas predecessor, President George W. Bush. In December 2008, General Motors and Chrysler were on the brink of financial collapse. The U.S. was in a deep recession and U.S. auto sales were falling sharply. GM, Chrysler and Ford requested government aid, but Congress voted it down. With barely a month left in office, Bush authorized $25 billion in loans to GM and Chrysler from the $700 billion bailout fund that was initially intended to save the largest U.S. banks. Ford decided against taking any money. Once in office, Obama appointed a task force to oversee GM and Chrysler, both of which eventually declared bankruptcy, took an additional roughly $55 billion in aid, and were forced to close many factories and overhaul their operations. All three companies recovered and eventually started adding jobs again. ___ TRUMP: We brought you a lot of car plants, you know that right? ... I saved the U.S. auto industry. Michigan rally Thursday. BIDEN, on Michigans economy: Donald Trump squandered it and hardworking Michiganders are paying the price every day. tweet Wednesday. THE FACTS: Both Trump and Biden are overstating it. Trump did not wreck Michigans economy, but he certainly didnt bring an auto industry boom, either. In fact, the number of auto and parts manufacturing jobs in the state fell slightly between Trumps inauguration and February of this year, before the coronavirus took hold. When Trump took office there were 174,200 such jobs, and that dropped to 171,800 in February, according to Labor Department statistics. While most plants shuttered for about eight weeks after the pandemic hit, many are back running near capacity again, at least for now. In July, the most recent figures available, Michigan had 154,400 auto and parts manufacturing jobs. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, recently said the states economy was operating now at 87% of pre-pandemic levels, citing figures from Moodys Analytics and CNN. ___ ENERGY and ENVIRONMENT TRUMP: Instead of focusing on radical ideology, my administration is focused on delivering real results. And thats what we have. Right now we have the cleanest air ever weve ever had in this country lets say over the last 40 years. remarks Tuesday in Jupiter, Florida. FACTS: Hes not responsible for all of the progress far from it. All six air pollution measurements monitored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency showed that in 2019 the U.S. air was the cleanest on record. But the most important pollutant, tiny particles, was essentially about the same as 2016, only down 1%, according to Carnegie Mellon University environmental engineering professor Neil Donahue. The same figures also showed that air pollution rose in the first two years of the Trump administration before falling greatly in 2019. Donahue and three other outside experts in air pollution said the president was wrongly taking credit for what years, even decades, of ever-increasing emissions restrictions caused. H. Christopher Frey, an engineering professor at North Carolina State University and former chief of the EPAs air quality scientific advisory board, said that current trends in air quality are for reasons irrespective of, or despite, policies of the Trump administration. Instead he and Donahue attributed it to a shift from use of dirtier coal a shift the Trump administration has fought against and to newer, cleaner cars replacing older vehicles. ___ TRUMP: Were showing that we can create jobs, safeguard the environment and keep energy prices low for America and low for our citizens. And you see that. You also see it when you pump the gas in your car and youre sometimes paying a lot less than $2 lately. So were doing well. Florida remarks. THE FACTS: Trump is wrongly taking credit. Gasoline prices didnt fall because of the Trump administration. They plunged because the coronavirus forced people to abandon their offices, schools, business trips and vacations. Reduced economic activity related to the COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in energy demand and supply patterns in 2020, said the U.S. Energy Information Administration. World demand for oil has fallen by 8 million barrels a day, the agency estimates. Underscoring the connection to the pandemic shutdown, U.S. gas prices were at their lowest in April when people were staying home most now are up 33 cents a gallon on average, the agency says. ___ TROOPS TRUMP: Were pretty much out of Syria. news conference Thursday. THE FACTS: Not so much. Last year close to 30 U.S. troops moved out of two outposts near the border area where a Turkish attack on the country was initially centred. But the U.S. currently has about 700 troops deployed to Syria, a number that hasnt changed a lot lately. ___ BIDEN: Troops died in Iraq and Afghanistan: 6,922. ... Military COVID deaths: 6,114. Folks, every one of these lives mattered. remarks Wednesday in Warren, Michigan. THE FACTS: Hes way off on the number of coronavirus deaths in the U.S. military. According to the Defence Department, just seven members of the military have died from COVID-19, including reservists and those in the National Guard. The Biden campaign acknowledged he had misspoken. citing overall coronavirus deaths in Michigan instead of U.S. military deaths in a mix-up. ___ NATO TRUMP: If you look at NATO, with the exception of eight countries were one of them every country is way behind. Theyre delinquent, especially Germany, in paying their NATO bills. ... And theyve increased their spending now $130 billion, going up to $400 billion a year. Its all because of me. news conference Monday. THE FACTS: Hes incorrect on several fronts. First, countries dont pay to be in NATO and dont owe the organization anything other than contributions to a largely administrative fund that Trump is not talking about. Member countries are not delinquent on NATO bills. Nor have collections increased, as he asserted. Trumps actual beef is with how much NATO countries spend on their own military budgets. Hes pressed them to spend more. So did Obama. And in 2014, during the Obama administration, NATO members agreed to move toward spending 2% of their gross domestic product on their own defence by 2024. Trump then mangles what happened next. In December, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that by 2024, military spending by non-U.S. members of the alliance will have increased by $400 billion since 2016 because of commitments from the member states. Thats $400 billion cumulatively over eight years. Its not $400 billion a year, as Trump put it. And its not all because of me. ___ NOVEMBER ELECTION TRUMP, retweeting an Associated Press analysis projecting the number of ballots that get rejected will soar this fall because of increased mail-in voting: Rigged Election! tweet Tuesday. THE FACTS: No, defective ballots do not equate to fraud. The overwhelming majority arent. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, the vast majority of ballots are disqualified because they arrive late, a particular worry this year because of recent U.S. Postal Service delays and an expected surge in mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic. Ballots also are deemed defective if there is a missing signature common with newer voters unfamiliar with the process or it doesnt match whats on file. In addition, some states require absentee voters to get a witness or notary to sign their ballots. None of those are fraud, said Wendy Weiser, director of Brennans democracy program at NYU School of Law. When suspected cases are investigated for potential fraud, studies have borne out the main reason for defects is voter mistake. The AP analysis published Monday found that rejections of absentee ballots could triple compared with 2016 in some battleground states, potentially tipping the election outcome. It said voters could be disenfranchised in key battleground states and that nullified votes could be even more pronounced in some urban areas where Democratic votes are concentrated and ballot rejection rates trended higher during this years primaries. Thats far from an election rigged against Trump. ___ Associated Press writers Lauran Neergaard, Seth Borenstein, Josh Boak, Christopher Rugaber, Robert Burns, Lolita C. Baldor and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar in Washington, James LaPorta in Delray Beach, Florida, Tom Krisher in Detroit, Alexandra Jaffe in Warren, Michigan, and Tom Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report. ___ EDITORS NOTE A look at the veracity of claims by political figures. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apnews.com/APFactCheck Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck (Photo : Microsoft ) Microsoft Surface Duo dual screen (Photo : Microsoft ) Microsoft Surface Duo great for gaming (Photo : Microsoft ) Microsoft Surface Duo thin design (Photo : iFixit) Microsoft Surface Duo Teardown simple hinge (Photo : iFixit) Microsoft Surface Duo Teardown Microsoft Surface Duo is a first generation experimental phone, which looks like a 360-degree laptop, but smaller. iFixit recently tore down one of these foldable unit to see the insides of this $1,400 device. As reported by Engadget, here are some of their insights: The most notable feature was the "refreshingly simple hinge design," which is comparable to a "miniature 360-degree laptop." Unlike the Samsung Fold and other foldables that seemed to require complicated hinge design, the Duo's hinge looks simple, although Microsoft surely spent loads of time to refine these tools. Well, such sophistication is really apparent as the Duo is pleasing to fold and unfold. Unlike Samsung's Galaxy Fold and Motorola Razr that have foldable displays, Microsoft's Duo has two screens that can be used separately or together to have a bigger screen. The iFixit team also noted one that the device's two batteries are different in size, one of which is double in size and capacity as the other. However, Microsoft used lots of glue and screws on them which would make them hard to replace. Well, it seems that all other parts are actually hard to replace, except for the back glass covers and the displays, which can be easily changed even without disassembling other components. Meanwhile, the gluing of all entry points would make it really hard to do repairs on Duos. Similarly, the USB-C port is directly connected to the mother board while other tri-point screws secure key components. Moreover, the OLED panels, which need to be detached when doing repairs, are not properly protected from accidental breakage. Overall, while the Duo showed a great hardware, iFixit also found issues on the software as it would eventually lead to flickering screens and crashes when loading websites. Read also: Microsoft Claims Apple's Policy "Remains a Bad Experience" Despite Allowing xCloud and Stadia in the App Store Microsoft Surface Duo review: Great dual screen, poor software Initially, the Microsoft Surface Duo seemed to be fit the new normal of working from home. The dual screen provides extra screen space for loading more apps. It can easily switch from a smartphone to a tablet by just spreading out the displays. The sweetest of it all is the price as it only costs $1,400, which is much cheaper than its more expensive rival, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 that is sold at $2,000. The two phones arrived at the same time, so they are being compared most of the time. The great features of the Duo are on its hardware and shape. The phone can be used at different angles: one screen, dual display spread horizontally, dual display spread vertically, expanded screen, and the tilted 180 degrees. It is also has thin design and its hinge can move at 360 degrees and remain stable in any orientation. Meanwhile, its OLED screens are great for reading and documents, and it supports Microsoft Pen, which is great for working people. However, CNET noted that compared with the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Microsoft seemed to fall short with the Surface Duo's software, particularly the flow that Duo tried to attain. Also, not all apps are supported for cross-screen viewing and it does not give a great movie watching experience. Moreover, the Duo does not support 5G and just have one mediocre camera. Read also: This Virtual Tour will Take you Along Singapore's Marina Bay Sands Apple Store, including its 'Secret Passage' This is owned by Tech Times Written by CJ Robles 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The countrys largest start-up incubation centre will come up on around 2.5 lakh square feet land in Uttar Pradeshs capital Lucknow and Uttar Pradesh electronics corporation, the start-up nodal agency appointed by the state government, has already identified land opposite the Amausi airport for the facility. The corporation is in talks with software technology parks of India (STPI), a central government enterprise, to build and operate this start-up incubator. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has taken up the issue with the union ministry of IT & electronics to rope in STPI to assist the state government in implementing the project. Recently, STPI had made a presentation before the states infrastructure and industrial development commissioner (IIDC), and shared the plan and scale of the project. During the presentation, STPI had demonstrated its capabilities through the recently established state-of-the-art centre of excellence at Mohali, Chandigarh. The proposed facility will be developed on the plug and play model, following the global standards to offer an all-inclusive ecosystem helping start-ups and innovators realize their dreams, said Alok Kumar, additional chief secretary, department of IT and electronics of the state government. This incubation centre will work on a hub and spoke model wherein the largest incubator will act as hub for all other government recognised incubators and e-cells in the state to draw synergies from the hub for their capacity development and growth, added Kumar. The state government has also received a proposal from IIT Kanpur to establish a centre of excellence on artificial intelligence in Noida. The state government is also working with STPI to develop IT Parks in various cities, including Meerut, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur, Bundelkhand region, and Bareilly among others. Also Read: Lucknow to get seven more special trains from Saturday The Prayagraj IT Park has become operational and is functioning at full occupancy. Meerut IT Park is in advance stages of development and is expected to be operational by November this year. Construction work on Agra and Gorakhpur IT parks is in full swing and expected to be completed by December. These parks too provide incubation facilities. Also Read: Migrants in UP pack their bags as former employers lay out red carpet for their return STPI is also assisting the state government to establish the first centre of excellence in MediTech at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Lucknow. Deputy chief minister and IT and electronics minister Dinesh Sharma has assured full support from the government to all agencies working to materialise this project. New start-up policy of the state government offers additional incentives of 50% to start-ups based in Purvanchal and Bundelkhand regions as well as to those where start-up founders/co-founder is a woman, divyangjan or belongs to the transgender community. Amanda Kloots has been keeping her late husband Nick Cordero's legacy alive, since his death in July from coronavirus-related complications. And the fitness personality was recently graced with a beautiful reminder of her husband's enduring talent. She gushed over his album Live Your Life, as she posted a video Friday to her Instagram Story, after receiving her copy of the CD in the mail. In memory: Amanda Kloots gushed over late husband Nick Cordero's album Live Your Life, as she posted a video Friday to her Instagram Story, after receiving her copy of the CD in the mail The 38-year-old was greeted with the package when she returned home from quick trip to Montecito, California with her and Nick's son Elvis, one. 'Guys, I walked into the house tonight, and look what arrived,' she said, as she held up the CD, adding: 'Awww, how cool is that?' She showed off a handsome black-and-white photo of her late husband on the cover, before flipping through the booklet. Kloots continued: 'So, we did a little booklet. I wrote something. I was pregnant with Elvis at the time... It's just cool pictures and the setlist. It's really special, and you can still preorder it, or order it when it comes out Thursday, Nick's birthday.' Home sweet home: The 38-year-old was greeted with the package when she returned home from quick trip to Montecito, California with her and Nick's son Elvis, one It's here! 'Guys, I walked into the house tonight, and look what arrived,' she said, as she held up the CD, adding: 'Awww, how cool is that?' Special tribute: Kloots continued: 'So, we did a little booklet. I wrote something. I was pregnant with Elvis at the time... It's just cool pictures and the setlist. It's really special, and you can still preorder it, or order it when it comes out Thursday, Nick's birthday' Healing music: She followed it up with a photo of the album cover, writing: 'September has been the month of music! I love it so much because music is so healing, inspiring and motivating for me!' She followed it up with a photo of the album cover, writing: 'September has been the month of music! I love it so much because music is so healing, inspiring and motivating for me!' Live Your Life drops Thursday, September 17, on what would have been the Broadway actor's 42nd birthday. Proceeds from the recording of his cabaret Live Your Life: Live at Feinsteins/54 Below will benefit Kloots and Elvis. Recorded during its run in April of 2019, it features appearances from his friends and costars Zach Braff, Kathryn Gallagher, Drew Gehling and Sara Chase. Kloots told Broadway.com of the show: 'Ive never seen my husband work so hard on a show, and boy, was he nervous. It was the first one-man show he had created, and he wanted to give the audience something to remember. 'Nick created a night of music and storytelling that was extremely personal too. It is a mix of Broadway, rock n roll, standards and original music, and if you knew Nick, it was perfect!' She previously took to Instagram on Wednesday, where she recommended an app called Peanut that has connected her with other mothers. Peanut app: She previously took to Instagram on Wednesday, where she recommended an app called Peanut that has connected her with other mothers Can't prepare: 'I don't think anything can prepare you for becoming a single parent. On top of being a full time mom who is still breastfeeding Elvis, I'm having to run two businesses. It is hard and there are many days where I don't know how to get it all done,' she began Connect: Kloots revealed she's turned to an app called Peanut, which she said, 'connects you with other women in your area so that you're never alone. Caring: 'It's a special pocket of people who really care about togetherness and family. As hard as this new normal is, I'm very grateful for the community of women I have around me,' she added. Helping women: She added that she thinks women are incredible, 'especially when we work together to help each other' The mother-of-one also took shared some photos from Cordero's Rock of Ages dressing room, where she even tried on some of his iconic outfits. Kloots posted a photo of her hugging her one-year-old son Elvis, while opening up about raising her son on her own, and seeking help when she can. 'I don't think anything can prepare you for becoming a single parent. On top of being a full time mom who is still breastfeeding Elvis, I'm having to run two businesses. It is hard and there are many days where I don't know how to get it all done,' she began. 'Emails flood in, my phone is full of text messages and I have a little guy pulling on me to pick him up. How are you supposed to get everything done and feel like you are being a great mother too?' she added, before recommending an app called Peanut. 'One big lesson Ive learned in life is that it is OK to ask for help. I would not be standing right now if I didnt have help! In fact, I believe it shows a sign of strength not weakness,' she added. Kloots revealed she's turned to an app called Peanut, which she said, 'connects you with other women in your area so that you're never alone. She added that her late husband, 'wanted to move to Laurel Canyon because of the incredible community here. 'It's a special pocket of people who really care about togetherness and family. As hard as this new normal is, I'm very grateful for the community of women I have around me,' she added. 'When women support women amazing things happen! Being able to ask questions and get advice from other women on @peanut has really helped me navigate my new role as a single mother,' she added. Dressing room: She also took to her Instagram story to share photos from her visit to the Rock of Ages dressing room, where her late husband portrayed Dennis Dupree Last costume: She also tried on his fringed 'finale coat' which was, 'the last costume that Nick wore' during the production 'Whether you're looking for a friend to go on a walk with, or just someone to listen and offer support without judgment, the app is a great support network,' Kloots continued. She added that she thinks women are incredible, 'especially when we work together to help each other.' 'When you have a true girlfriend or two that has your back, that you can talk to, complain to, seek help from... it's life changing,' she proclaimed. 'If you're a mom, mom-to-be or trying to conceive, and looking for a little extra help and community, I suggest checking out the app,' Kloots concluded. She also took to her Instagram story to share photos from her visit to the Rock of Ages dressing room, where her late husband portrayed Dennis Dupree. She also tried on his fringed 'finale coat' which was, 'the last costume that Nick wore' during the production. Kloots also sat in front of his vanity mirror with his coat and sunglasses, which she captioned, 'Channeling my man.' GRAND RAPIDS, MI When Edwin Collazo describes City Built Brewing Companys approach to making beer and food, he has a simple saying. We want to show love for the craft by making the strange become familiar and the familiar fresh and bold, said Collazo, a former teacher and financial adviser who opened the downtown Grand Rapids brewery and restaurant in 2017. India, along with 168 nations, voted in favour of a COVID-19 resolution in the UN General Assembly that reaffirms cooperation to respond to one of the greatest global challenges and acknowledges the World Health Organisation's key leadership role in responding to the outbreak, a reference the US objected to as it opposed the resolution. The Omnibus Resolution on Comprehensive and Coordinated Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic was overwhelmingly adopted by the 193-member General Assembly Friday, with 169 nations voting in favour of the resolution that recognised the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the greatest global challenges in the history of the United Nations. The US and Israel voted against the resolution and Ukraine and Hungary abstained. India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador K Nagaraj Naidu tweeted " votes in favour of the #COVID-19 omnibus resolution in the General Assembly recognising the pandemic as one of the greatest global challenges that calls for a global response based on unity, solidarity and multilateral cooperation. The resolution reaffirms its commitment to cooperation, multilateralism and solidarity at all levels and as the only way for the world to effectively respond to global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and their consequences, and acknowledges the key leadership role of the World Health Organisation and the fundamental role of the United Nations system in catalysing and coordinating the comprehensive global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Afghanistan's UN envoy Adela Raz and Croatian Ambassador Ivan Simonovic were co-coordinators of the extensive and wide-ranging resolution, the third adopted by the General Assembly this year on the pandemic that has killed over 900,000 people and infected 28.3 million globally. The resolution is not legally binding. General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande said the omnibus resolution is a powerful and ambitious text and it reflects the collective will of Member States to overcome this unprecedented challenge as nations, united. Negotiations were intense but cooperation prevailed. The resolution urged member states to "enable all countries to have unhindered timely access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable diagnosis, therapeutics, medicines and vaccines, and essential health technologies for the COVID-19 response and recognised the role of extensive immunisation against COVID-19 as a global public good for health in preventing, containing and stopping transmission in order to bring the pandemic to an end, once safe, quality, efficacious, effective, accessible and affordable vaccines are available. It supported Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' appeal for an immediate global ceasefire, including to help create corridors for life-saving aid, open windows for diplomacy of dialogue. It called upon political and religious leaders to promote inclusion and unity in response to the pandemic and to prevent and take strong action against racism, xenophobia, hate speech, violence, discrimination, including on the basis of age and stigmatisation. The resolution also calls upon Member States to advance, with determination, bold and concerted actions to address the immediate social and economic impacts of the pandemic, while striving to get back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by designing recovery strategies out of the crisis to accelerate progress towards the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda. In its explanation of vote, the US said it does not concur with the references to the World Health Organisation in the resolution and criticised China for hiding the truth about the outbreak that originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Unfortunately, we might never know for certain how much of the pain and suffering caused by COVID-19 could have been avoided if the Chinese Communist Party had behaved like a responsible government and immediately warned the rest of the world of the virus that they uncovered in Wuhan, the US Mission to the UN said. Not only did they fail the world, but the World Health Organisation's failures in the early days of the pandemic also contributed to needless suffering and the worsening of this pandemic. The WHO needs to reform, including by demonstrating its independence from the Chinese Communist Party, the US Mission said. It added that Washington voted against the resolution as it cannot allow the resolution to be hijacked by several themes that are not pertinent to the discussion. In a tweet, the US Mission said it cannot, in good conscience, support a resolution including unrelated language supporting the advancement of Chinese Communist Party propaganda, abortion, and language against sanctions that are designed to constrain bad actors including removing unilateral economic and trade sanctions. The US said the text attempts to undermine the community's ability to respond to acts that are offensive to international norms. Economic sanctions are a legitimate means to achieve foreign policy, security, and other national and international objectives, and the United States is not alone in that view or in that practice. The resolution emphasised that illicit financial flows, in particular those caused by tax evasion, corruption and transnational organised crime, reduce the availability of vital resources for responding to and recovering from 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.) Ottawa police have arrested and charged a 17-year-old girl with first-degree murder in connection with the death of a 21-year-old man whose body was found behind a school this summer. Mohamed Hassan's body was discovered behind College catholique Samuel-Genest, a French Catholic high school on Carsons Road east of the Aviation Parkway, in late July. At the time, police said there were obvious signs of violence. Police confirmed later that Hassan was shot. The teen girl cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Ottawa Police Service Ottawa's homicide unit said it worked with the North Bay Police Service to make the arrest. The girl is scheduled to appear in court for the first time on Sunday. 2nd person sought A Canada-wide arrest warrant, meanwhile, has been issued for 21-year-old Jeffery Dondji of Ottawa, who is also wanted for first-degree murder. Dondji is described as a Black man, 195 pounds, six-feet-two-inches tall, with a prominent scar above the left side of his lip. Investigators said they believe he may be in northern Ontario. Anyone with information about Dondji is urged to call Ottawa police at 613-236-1222, ext. 5477. People who would like to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or at crimestoppers.ca. Initially it was being designed and built with only the Indian market in mind. But Sonet, the compact SUV from Kia Motors that has been designed collaboratively in its R&D centres across the world (including Hyderabad), drew attention in other markets. So the car-maker decided that the Sonet would be manufactured in India and launched here first, but would also be sold in as many as 70 countries. And the markets identified for exports, to begin with, include Chile, Indonesia and Africa. Kia has huge expectations from its new compact utility vehicle sub-four metre Sonet, which is due to ... New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate an LPG pipeline project and bottling plants in Bihar on Sunday as the government pushes its development agenda in the poll-bound state. The projects include the Durgapur-Banka section of the Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur pipeline project and two LPG bottling plants, an official statement said. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will also be present on the occasion. The 193-km long Durgapur-Banka pipeline section, built by state-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC), is a part of the Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur Pipeline Augmentation Project, for which the foundation stone was laid by the Prime Minister on February 17, 2019. Durgapur-Banka section is the extension of the existing 679-km long Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur LPG pipeline to the new LPG bottling plant at Banka in Bihar. The pipeline of 14-inch diameter passes through West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar. While LPG is presently injected into the pipeline at IOC's Paradip and Haldia refineries, the completion of the whole project would enable the facility to be also available from the Paradip import terminal and Barauni refinery. IOC's LPG bottling Plant at Banka will help meet cooking gas demand of Bihar. The bottling plant has been built at an investment of around Rs 131.75 crore to serve the districts of Bhagalpur, Banka, Jamui, Araria, Kishanganj and Katihar in Bihar, along with the districts of Godda, Deoghar, Dumka, Sahibganj, and Pakur in Jharkhand, the statement said. With the LPG storage capacity of 1,800 tonnes and bottling capacity of 40,000 cylinders per day, this plant would generate direct and indirect employment opportunities in Bihar. Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd's (HPCL) 1,20,000 tonnes per annum LPG bottling plant at Harsidhi in East Champaran district has been built at a cost of Rs 136.4 crore. This plant has been constructed on 29 acres of land and its foundation stone was laid by the Prime Minister on April 10, 2018. The bottling plant will cater to the LPG requirement of East Champaran, West Champaran, Muzaffarpur, Siwan, Gopalganj and Sitamarhi districts in Bihar, it added. LONDON: 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. Johnsons 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 Britains 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 Britains economic and political integrity, according to two of those who were on the call. Johnson asked the lawmakers to back him, saying Lets not go back to those miserable squabbling days of last autumn", a reference to last years 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 Johnsons message had been well received. Earlier, Johnsons spokesman said the prime minister would reiterate Britains 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 Britains international standing. 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 "I feel it in the air, the summer's out of reach." -Don Henley Our warm days are numbered with no 80s in the short-term forecast, perhaps no more until spring 2021. Sorry if that's all Debbie Downer, it's just the reality of how things are shaping up over the next week and beyond. The good news is we have plenty of sunshine in the pipeline today with only a few showers tomorrow. From there, we stay dry and for the most part, cool through the end of the workweek. Today It's a downright chilly start to our second weekend of September. Temps are starting off in the upper 30s to the middle 40s under a mainly clear sky with a light breeze. We'll warm things up at a decent clip this morning, into the middle and upper 60s down the Hudson Valley around lunchtime with afternoon highs across the area in the 60s and low 70s. The average high and low for today is 74 and 53, so we're in a rare spot to stay under those averages. Over the last year, many more days have been above average than below. Skies will stay clear into the night which will have temps dropping off pretty quickly after sunset. However, as we'll keep a southeast breeze around today, it'll stay with us into the night. That'll help keep temps from falling as much as they could, so we'll look for lows in the 40s and low 50s. Tomorrow Continues to look better than it has in previous forecasts. Clouds will be rolling in through the morning with a few showers breaking out from west to east. You'll notice the humidity creeping up a bit as we get into the afternoon as dewpoints hit the low 60s. The steadiest and heavier rains will fall west of the Hudson Valley up through the Mohawk Valley and Adirondacks, from late morning into the afternoon. Looking farther east toward the Capital District and points east and south from there, we'll just have more of a scattered shower kind of deal through the mid and late afternoon. Highs will be kept down with the clouds and eventually the showers in place, mainly in the 60s. Some 70s will be found east of the Hudson Valley and down it as well. Getting into the night, the front that will push those showers in and through will sweep out. Clouds will linger and even re-form overnight which will help to keep temps from falling off much. Next Week Monday will be like yesterday if you remember. We'll have lots of clouds to start the day off before the sun bursts out from late morning into the afternoon. It'll be a breezy, mid-fall-like day with highs only in the 50s and 60s despite the sunshine. After a chilly night and Tuesday morning, Tuesday will be like today with that cool start and lots of sunshine. We'll stay dry through Wednesday if not Thursday with Wednesday cracking the 70s in many spots. A weak front looks to show up in the Thursday/Friday timeframe which would bring only a few showers sometime to close the work week out. Overall, things will stay pretty dry over the next week with scattered showers tomorrow and a few spotty ones by week's end. This is a great pattern to kick start the foliage, it's already underway in the Adirondacks. I'll have your first report next week. Have a great day! JasonsWeather The Forecast You Want New Delhi: A Delhi Assembly panel has issued a notice to Facebook India vice president and managing director Ajit Mohan, asking him to appear before it on September 15 in connection with complaints about the social media giant's alleged deliberate and intentional inaction to contain hateful content in the country. According to an official statement, the Facebook official has been summoned based on "scathing depositions of key witnesses as well as incriminating material" submitted by them on record. "We hereby summon you (Ajit Mohan) to appear before the committee on September 15, 2020, at 12 noon at MLA Lounge-1, Delhi Vidhan Sabha, for the purpose of recording your deposition on oath and participating in the proceedings carried out by the committee," the Delhi Assembly's deputy secretary said in the notice sent on September 10. The move by the Delhi Assembly Committee on Peace and Harmony, headed by AAP MLA Raghav Chadha, follows a recent Wall Street Journal report which claimed that one of Facebook's senior India policy executives intervened in internal communication to stop a permanent ban on a BJP lawmaker from Telangana after he allegedly shared communally charged posts. "The assembly's committee had received multiple complaints addressed to its Chairman Raghav Chadha against the officials concerned of Facebook for their alleged deliberate and intentional inaction to contain hateful content in India for vested reasons," the statement stated. Last month, Facebook had said its social media platform prohibits hate speech and content that incites violence and these policies are enforced globally without regard to political affiliation. "We prohibit hate speech and content that incites violence and we enforce these policies globally without regard to anyone's political position or party affiliation. "While we know there is more to do, we're making progress on enforcement and conduct regular audits of our process to ensure fairness and accuracy," a Facebook spokesperson had said. SIS called in to end ragging in universities By Damith Wickremasekera Vice Chancellors agree on tough new measures after report by expert committee; more than 3,000 victims so far View(s): View(s): The State Intelligence Services (SIS) has been called in to help end ragging in universities. Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne told the Sunday Times that the MoD (Ministry of Defence) had assured the University Grants Commission (UCG) that the SIS and other state Intelligence agencies would be provided to help end ragging in the universities. We need to keep away groups involved in ragging as it is disrupting educational activities, he said. The move came after an eight-member committee handed over its report last week on the issue of controlling ragging in universities. Usually, Police do not enter university premises unless invited by the authorities or a crime has taken place. UGC Chairman Sampath Amaratunga told the Sunday Times that state university vice chancellors were also consulted on measures to be taken on eliminating ragging and they agreed on seeking the help of the SIS. We do not have a network to find those responsible or involved in ragging in universities despite introducing various measures for the victims to inform the authorities about persons involved in ragging, he said. Prof. Amaratunga said that under the arrangement security marshals would coordinate with the intelligence services by sharing information and arrest offenders with the help of the police. The Anti-Ragging Act is strong and action can be initiated under it, he added. The UGC chairman said these steps were being implemented at a time when the universities were trying to expand their services by increasing the student intake. He said the Attorney Generals Department too had been consulted on the matter. The committee headed by the retired Supreme Court Justice, Saleem Marsoof, compiled its report on ragging and ragging-related violence after interviewing affected students. The committee made a series of recommendations on how to stop ragging. More than 3,000 students are reported to have abandoned university education or not enrolled due to ragging. Some of the victims have also suffered disabilities. It is time for my wife, Stacy, and I to move to another phase of our lives, Holland said. We are looking forward to spending more time with our grandson, Nikolai, and other family members and we look forward to additional time for travel. Robotic-assisted surgeries had made a significant contribution to the Indian healthcare industry. These surgeries have made a key contribution to India's patient and healthcare system, and it will be an important part of its future. Between 2019 and 2024, the growth of the Indian robotic-assisted surgical technique is on the upward path, and a CAGR of 19.8 percent is anticipated, revealed Research and Markets report. Robotic-assisted surgery can provide them with the ability to perform many complex surgical procedures with more precision, flexibility, and control than traditional techniques. "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." Advertisement In 2019, the inauguration of the robotic-assisted surgery facility at the Safdarjung Hospital in the national capital by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan 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." "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. Using da Vinci systems, India is currently home to more than 500 robotic surgeons, and more than 70 da Vinci systems have been installed at various government and private hospitals. In the coming years, these numbers are expected to grow substantially. Source: Medindia Somshekhar, Chairman and Robotic Surgeon at Hipec Super Specialist Manipal Comprehensive Cancer Centre, said,In 2019, the inauguration of the robotic-assisted surgery facility at the Safdarjung Hospital in the national capital by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan represented an important milestone for RAS in India.Anup Kumar, Head of Department, Urology and Renal Transplant at Safdarjung Hospital, said,he added.Using da Vinci systems, India is currently home to more than 500 robotic surgeons, and more than 70 da Vinci systems have been installed at various government and private hospitals. In the coming years, these numbers are expected to grow substantially.Source: Medindia Features and benefits of robotic-assisted surgeries:Help surgeons perform surgeries with more precision and flexibility.Shorter recovery period post-surgery.Less pain and blood loss.A better alternative to open surgeries and laparoscopic surgeries.Came to the aid of critical patients when elective surgeries were on hold during the pandemic.Huge advancement for urology. China, India reach consensus on easing border tensions PLA Daily Source: Xinhuanet Editor: Huang Panyue 2020-09-11 23:10:41 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Its now Tropical Storm Sally, and it is headed for the northern Gulf Coast. And it may be a hurricane by the time it gets here. The National Hurricane Center said Tropical Depression 19 had strengthened on Saturday and become Tropical Storm Sally as it moved into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. With the title upgrade Sally becomes the 18th named storm this year. It is forecast to gradually strengthen as it heads northward in the Gulf and is expected to be a hurricane when it nears the northern Gulf Coast early next week. Hurricane and storm surge watches have now been issued for the northern Gulf Coast, including Alabama. Sally is also expected to be a slow-moving storm and is raising serious concerns about flooding along the northern Gulf Coast through next week. Six to 12 inches of rain will be possible close to the coast through Thursday, which could lead to considerable flooding, according to forecasters. Unfortunately, confidence is increasing that Sallys expected slow forward speed near the Gulf Coast will exacerbate the storm surge and heavy rainfall threats, the hurricane center said late Saturday. As of 10 p.m. CDT Tropical Storm Sally was located 70 miles southwest of Port Charlotte, Fla., or 425 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, and had winds of 40 mph. It was tracking to the west-northwest at 8 mph. The hurricane center said Sally appeared more organized on Saturday as it moved farther into the Gulf. It is expected to strengthen and make landfall on the northern Gulf Coast as soon as Tuesday. It could be a Category 1 hurricane with top winds of 85 mph by then. Where exactly it could come ashore is still uncertain as of Saturday. The hurricane centers so-called cone of uncertainty, which tracks where the storms center of circulation is expected to go, stretched from southeastern Louisiana to the Alabama-Florida border as of Saturday night and that includes all of Alabamas coastline. However, the cone has shifted to the west earlier today and now doesnt include Florida - but more of Louisiana. But it still includes all of Alabamas coastal areas. Areas even outside of the cone could feel the effects, too. Users are reminded to not focus on the exact details of the track or intensity forecasts, as the average NHC track error at 72 (hours) is around 110 miles and the average intensity error is around 15 mph, the hurricane center said. In addition, winds, storm surge, and rainfall hazards will extend far from the center. A storm surge watch is in effect from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Alabama/Florida border, including Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, Lake Borgne and Mobile Bay. Forecasters said 2 to 4 feet of surge will be possible along the coast and into Mobile Bay. A hurricane watch is in effect from Grand Isle, La., to the Alabama/Florida border, including Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas and metropolitan New Orleans. The hurricane center said hurricane conditions will be possible in the watch area by early Tuesday, with tropical storm conditions possible within the watch area by Monday. A tropical storm watch is in effect from the Alabama/Florida Border to the Ochlockonee River in Florida. Who gets the worst weather from Sally will depend on where its center makes landfall. Areas to the east of the center will likely get the worst wind, rain and surge. The hurricane center said that dangerous impacts from storm surge, wind and heavy rainfall will be possible along the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle to southeastern Louisiana this weekend and early next week. Forecasters are also becoming increasingly concerned about the storms slow pace and the potential for storm surge and inland flooding if it lingers near the coast before making landfall. Tropical Storm Sally is expected to steadily intensify over the weekend. The storm will be moving over very warm water, but there is some question if there will be some wind shear present, which could slow the rate of intensification as it nears the coast. The National Weather Service in Mobile was keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Sally on Saturday as well. Forecasters said now is the time for those along the coast to make sure they have their hurricane supplies in order. Weather will deteriorate on Monday, with the worse conditions likely coming in Monday night and lasting through Tuesday, the weather service said. Forecasters said to expect a high risk of rip currents starting tonight and lasting into early next week. Heavy rainfall, gusty winds and tornadoes will all be possible later on Sunday as the outer bands of the storm move onto the coast. Tropical storm conditions could be possible along the coast as the storm makes its closest approach late Monday afternoon into Monday night, forecasters said. The weather service was getting more concerned about the potential for heavy rain and flooding and said a significant flood event is not out of the question. Six to 12 inches of rain with locally higher amounts will be possible along the coast, which is an increase from earlier today, with 2 to 4 inches possible farther inland, which will raise the risk of flash flooding. Dangerously high surf, life-threatening rip currents and coastal flooding will be possible during this period however, exact impacts will be dependent on the exact track and intensity of the system, forecasters said. The weather service cautioned those along the coast to be ready for forecast changes especially the intensity forecast and stay up to date on the forecast. It is important to stay vigilant and have an action plan in place, as the track and intensity forecasts for TS Sally (and associated impacts to the local area) could continue to change as the system evolves, the weather service said Saturday afternoon. Areas farther inland in Alabama could also feel some of the effects depending on where Sally makes landfall. Areas -- especially those east of the center -- could have to deal with heavy rain, strong winds and the threat of quick-hitting tornadoes in rain bands. The National Weather Service in Birmingham was also monitoring Sally and said its too soon to say exactly how central Alabama will be affected. But expect higher rain chances from the first part of next week through possibly Thursday. Forecasters said central Alabama is most likely at the receiving end of unsettled weather for much of next week with potential tropical downpours and periods of locally heavy rainfall. This of course will depend on how the system tracks after landfall to our south and southwest, and how it evolves/weakens inland. India expects that the soil of Afghanistan is never used for any anti-India activities, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday, joining the inaugural session of the intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha through video conference. In his brief address, the external affairs minister said India's friendship with Afghanistan is "strong and unshaken" and that no part of the country is untouched by New Delhi's development programmes. The Taliban and the Afghan government are holding direct talks for the first time to end 19 years of war that has killed tens of thousands of people and ravaged various parts of the country. An official delegation led by Joint Secretary (Pakistan-Afghanistan- Iran division) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) participated in-person in the inaugural ceremony in Doha, according to an official statement. United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Chairman of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and representatives from a number of leading countries attended the inaugural session of the historic peace initiative. "Our friendship with Afghanistan is strong and unshaken, we have always been good neighbours and will always be so. Our expectation is that the soil of Afghanistan should never be used for any anti-India activities," Jaishankar said. There have been apprehensions in India over possibility of use of Afghan soil for anti-India activities if a new dispensation friendly to Pakistan emerges from the intra-Afghan negotiations. In his remarks, Jaishankar also reaffirmed India's long-led position that any peace process in the country must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled. He said the peace process in Afghanistan must respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, adding it must effectively address the issue of violence across the country and its neighbourhood. 'The rising levels of violence cannot be allowed to continue and like others, we support an immediate comprehensive ceasefire,' Jaishankar said. Talking about the peace process, he said the progress made in the establishment of a democratic Islamic republic in Afghanistan as well as interests of minorities, women and vulnerable sections of society must be preserved. 'The friendship of our peoples is a testimony to our history with Afghanistan. No part of Afghanistan is untouched by our 400-plus development projects. Confident that this civilizational relationship will continue to grow,' the external affairs minister tweeted. Jaishankar referred to the millennia-old relationship between India and Afghanistan, which he said had withstood the test of time. 'The external affairs minister highlighted India's role as a major development partner of Afghanistan with over 400 projects completed in all the 34 provinces of Afghanistan,' the MEA said in a statement. It said he wished for the success of the Intra-Afghan negotiations in delivering to the people of Afghanistan what they have longed for -- a peaceful and prosperous future in an independent and sovereign nation, the MEA added. The MEA said Jaishankar's participation was in response to an invitation extended to him by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. Last month, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani agreed to release 400 Taliban prisoners, paving the way for beginning of the long-awaited peace process aimed at ending nearly two-decades of conflict in the war-torn country. India has been a major stakeholder in peace and stability of Afghanistan. It has already invested $2 billion in aid and reconstruction activities in the country. India has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled. India has been keenly following the evolving political situation after the US inked a peace deal with the Taliban in February. The deal provided for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, effectively drawing curtains to Washington's 18-year war in the country. The US has lost over 2,400 soldiers in Afghanistan since late 2001. India has also been maintaining that care should be taken to ensure that any such process does not lead to any "ungoverned spaces" where terrorists and their proxies can relocate. India has been calling upon all sections of the political spectrum in Afghanistan to work together to meet the aspirations of all people in that country including those from the minority community for a prosperous and safe future. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 12 By Elnur Baghishov Trend: The loans worth 16.1 trillion rials (about $383 million) were issued to manufacturing enterprises in the Semnan Province (northern Iran) since 6th month of the last Iranian year (August 22-September 21, 2019), Chairman for Industry, Mine and Trade Organization of Semnan Province Ali Teshnedel said, Trend reports citing the organization. The chairman noted that these loans were issued to 614 industrial and agricultural enterprises in the province. He added that 12.2 trillion rials (about $290 million) of these loans were issued to 387 enterprises to increase production. Teshnedel stressed that 3.91 trillion rials (about $93 million) of these loans were issued to 227 enterprises related to employment. According to the chairman, 26 percent of the loans were issued by the Bank Melli Iran, 16 percent by Tejarat Bank, 14 percent by Saderat Bank, 12 percent by Sepah Bank, 10 percent by Mellat Bank, and 9 percent by the Bank of Industry and Mine. QUEENSBURY The two individuals at Queensbury Elementary School who tested positive for COVID-19 got it through a household member who contracted it from a workplace in Saratoga County. Saratoga County Public Health Services confirmed on Friday that Saratoga Bridges, which helps people with disabilities, has an COVID-19 outbreak of 22 people, including 10 individuals from one home and 12 staff members. Also on Friday, the Greenwich Central School District reported that two students have tested positive for COVID-19. In the Queensbury cases, Warren County Health Services reported Friday that the two individuals who tested positive were in school for the first day on Tuesday and for a short period of time on Wednesday and underwent mandatory health screenings after arriving on both days, according to a news release. The two individuals left school for quarantine when the household members infection was confirmed on Wednesday morning. Health Services staff arranged testing and were informed late Thursday that the two individuals tested positive. County health officials reviewed procedures, interviewed school staff members and watched camera footage that showed mask and social distancing protocols were followed during their time on campus, and potential exposure to students and staff was minimal. Warren County Health Services Director Ginelle Jones credited Queensbury school officials for their professional handling of the investigation. I am impressed with the level of detail Queensbury school staff were able to provide in response to my questions about this situation. We were fortunate that school staff responded quickly Wednesday morning, ramping up cleaning and tracking activities of those involved, she said in a news release. The schools planning, attention to detail, and rapid response were impressive and certainly helped prevent exposures in this case. As a result of the investigation, no breaches to the schools safety plan were identified and no quarantines or testing were required, Jones added. Queensbury Superintendent of Schools Kyle Gannon said Friday that no one else has needed to quarantine after it was learned that two individuals at Queensbury Elementary School had tested positive. Gannon said that when Queensbury officials learned of the positive tests Thursday evening, they contacted Warren County Public Health, which made the determination that there was minimal risk of transmission. They deemed that were in accordance with our plan and no one else needed to be quarantined as a result of the safe practices of mask wearing, as well as the 6 feet separation and hand washing, he said. Students have been doing a great job following the procedures, according to Gannon. Gannon said the district is continuing its cleaning protocols. High-touch areas and bathrooms are cleaned and disinfected three times a day at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Schedules of school custodians have been shifted to accommodate the workload. After students leave for the day, everything gets disinfected again at night, he said. Gannon said there was not a significant absence rate on Friday after the news came out late Thursday. About 17 more students were out at the elementary school compared with the previous day. He attributed that to the open lines of communication with parents. Because of health privacy laws, the district has not revealed whether the two people were children, adults, or one of each only that they are members of the same household. There is no talk at this point of closing the school and shifting to online classes, Gannon said. Queensburys situation is different than that of the Mohonasen Central School District in Schenectady County, which has shifted to online classes after an adult tested positive for COVID-19. Superintendent Shannon Shine said in a letter to the community that the decision to go all-virtual is because almost all of the districts administrative team was at a lunch with the infected person during a professional development day. Contract tracing is ongoing. All administrators except one were fully socially distanced during this luncheon. However, the Schenectady DOH, after consulting with the NYS Department of Health, has determined out of an abundance of caution that the entire group must quarantine for up to 14 days from the point of contact, he wrote. In addition, a small number of teachers were also potentially exposed and must quarantine for 14 days. The district intends to resume on-site learning as soon as it is safe to do so. Greenwich cases Greenwich Central School District Superintendent Mark Fish said in a news release early Friday afternoon that one student, who had not been in school, had gone to the doctor and gotten a positive test. The school sent out a second news release at about 5 p.m. confirming a second case of a student, who has been in school. Washington County Public Health officials have been identifying contacts related to the case. Those people involved are being notified and either quarantined and/or isolated depending on the exposure, in accordance with guidance from the state Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Glens Falls High School makes tweaks Elsewhere in Warren County, Glens Falls school officials confirmed that they had to make some adjustments to their plan at the high school after the first day of school. Students are being divided up based upon their last name to alternate between in-person and remote learning. The groups were divided into students with last names beginning with A through M and those with names starting with N through Z. However, a parent told The Post-Star that during the first few days, some classes have had 20 or more students on one day and five or less on another day. District spokeswoman Skye Heritage confirmed that the school did make adjustments after the first day. Any class that has a large number of students has been moved to a bigger space to accommodate the size. The classes affected were college-level calculus, English 10 honors, an Earth science class and a Spanish class. Reach Michael Goot at 518-742-3320 or mgoot@poststar.com and follow his blog poststar.com/blogs/michael_goot/. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 3 Angry 10 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. HALIFAXThe RCMP in Nova Scotia have handed a $1,000 fine to a university student from outside the Atlantic region for failing to self-isolate. The Mounties issued a statement Saturday saying the student in Wolfville, N.S., violated the provincial Health Protection Act. The Nova Scotia RCMP is reminding university students arriving in the province from outside of the Atlantic bubble to follow all Public Health orders, the RCMP said in a statement. We ask everyone coming into the province to educate themselves on the directives and enforcement measures. RCMP spokesperson Const. Steeve Plamondon said the Mounties in the Kings District received a complaint on Thursday and the fine was issued later that day. Plamondon couldnt say where the student attended school or where they had come from. Aside from certain essential workers, anyone arriving in Nova Scotia from outside the Atlantic region must remain isolated for 14 days. On Friday, Sainte-Anne University in Church Point, N.S., announced it had expelled a student who failed to self-isolate earlier this month and later tested positive for COVID-19. The French-language university issued a statement saying its disciplinary committee determined the student had committed numerous infractions of health rules and the schools code of conduct, which prohibits anyone from endangering the health and security of others. Universite Sainte-Anne wishes to remind everyone that we are experiencing a time of crisis, the statement said. There are numerous stress factors, and everyone reacts differently to triggering events. We can all actively choose to be understanding and compassionate in these challenging times. Read more about: The discussions are important in the search for lasting peace that will also provide an exit for US and NATO troops after nearly 19 years Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Afghanistans warring sides started negotiations on Saturday for the first time, bringing together the Taliban and delegates appointed by the Afghan government for historic meetings aimed at ending decades of war. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attended the opening ceremony, which was held in Qatar where the meetings are taking place. Its the latest in a flurry of diplomatic activity by the Trump administration ahead of the US presidential election in November. The discussions are important in the search for lasting peace that will also provide an exit for US and NATO troops after nearly 19 years. Pompeo indicated the talks are expected to be contentious. He said that the outcome is entirely up to Afghans, and not the US. Each of you carry a great responsibility, he told the participants. You have an opportunity to overcome your divisions." The sides will be tackling tough issues. This includes the terms of a permanent ceasefire, the rights of women and minorities and the disarming of tens of thousands of Taliban fighters and militias loyal to warlords, some of them aligned with the government. The Afghan sides are also expected to discuss constitutional changes and power sharing during the talks in Qatar's capital of Doha, where Taliban insurgents maintain a political office. Even seemingly mundane issues like the flag and the name of the country the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan or as the Taliban's administration had been known, when it ruled, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan could find their way on to the negotiation table and roil tempers. Among the government-appointed negotiators are four women, who vow to preserve women's rights in any power-sharing deal with the fundamentalist Taliban. This includes the right to work, education and participation in political life all denied women when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan for five years. The Taliban were ousted in 2001 by a US-led coalition for harboring Osama bin Laden, the architect of the 11 September terrorist attacks on America. There are no women on the Taliban's negotiation team, led by their chief justice Abdul Hakim. Abdullah Abdullah, who was named as head of the High Council for National Reconciliation that's overseeing the talks, said in his remarks that the sides do not need to agree on every detail, but should announce a humanitarian cease-fire. He said that if the negotiations bring about lasting peace, protect Afghanistan's independence and lead to a system based on Islamic principles that preserves the rights of all people, then both sides will be peace heroes. Taliban representative Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said in his remarks that the talks should lead to an Islamic system where all Afghans see themselves as part of. Pompeo warned that their decisions and conduct will affect both the size and conduct of US assistance. He encouraged the negotiators to respect Afghanistans rich diversity, including women and ethnic and religious minorities. He said that while the choice of Afghanistans political system is theirs to make, the US has found that democracy and rotation of political power works best. I can only urge these actions. You will write the next chapter of Afghan history, he said. Pompeo spoke the day after the 19th anniversary of the 11 September attacks. He said the US will never forget the 9/11, and that America welcomes the Taliban commitment not to host terrorist groups, including al-Qaida, which was responsible for the carnage. The intra-Afghan negotiations were laid out in a peace deal Washington signed with the Taliban on 29 February. At that time the deal was touted as Afghanistan's best chance at peace in 40 years of war. Abdullah noted that since that agreement was reached, 1,200 people have been killed and more than 15,000 wounded in attacks across the country. Current talks had been originally expected to begin within weeks of the signed agreement between the Taliban and the U.S. But delays disrupted the timeline. The Afghan government balked at releasing 5,000 Taliban prisoners, which was stipulated in the deal as a sign of good faith ahead of the negotiations. The Taliban were required to release 1,000 government and military personnel in their custody. Political turmoil in Kabul further delayed talks as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival in controversial presidential polls the year before, Abdullah Abdullah, squabbled over who won, with both declaring victory. The Taliban refusal to reduce the violence further hindered the start of talks. While Washington ramped up pressure to get the intra-Afghan negotiations started, the deal they signed with the Taliban to withdraw completely from Afghanistan does not hinge on the success of the talks. Washington's withdrawal is contingent on the Taliban honoring commitments to fight terrorist groups, in particular the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan, and ensure that Afghanistan cannot again be used to attack America or its allies. The US has refused to give specific of the guarantees citing security reasons, but the withdrawal of U.S. troops has already begun. President Donald Trump has said that by November, about 4,000 soldiers will be in Afghanistan, down from 13,000 when the deal was signed in February. Washingtons goals are very simple: It wants intra-Afghan talks happening as soon as possible, because these give the White House political cover for an imminent withdrawal, said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Washington-based Wilson Center's Asia program. Trump likely wants a peace deal before the election, so that he can garner political benefits galore and pitch himself as a Nobel Peace Prize candidate. But presumably even he realizes its wildly unrealistic to expect a deal so soon. These types of negotiations tend to be measured in years, not weeks. The talks in Doha follow the Trump administration-brokered recognition of Israel by two Gulf Arab nations Bahrain on Friday and the United Arab Emirates in August. Welcome back to Politics, Not Law, where legal process is once again asked to do the heavy lifting for democratic self-determination in a free republic. In this weeks episode, we have the anti-Trump world in full froth over the Justice Departments intervention on the presidents behalf in a lawsuit brought against him by E. Jean Carroll. A longtime advice columnist at Elle magazine, the 76-year-old Ms. Carroll alleges that, 24 or 25 years ago she says she cant be sure of the year . . . or the time of year Donald Trump, then a flamboyant New York real-estate magnate, raped her in a fitting room at Bergdorf Goodman, a tony department store in midtown Manhattan. Only the lawsuit is not about rape. At the time she alleges she was sexually assaulted, Carroll neither went to the police nor said anything publicly though she says she told a couple of friends about it. Rather, nearly a quarter-century later, when Trump was president, Carroll included the allegation in a book she published, entitled What Do We Need Men For? Inevitably, the media asked Trump about her claim, and he strenuously denied it. So Carroll sued him . . . for defamation. Interestingly, Carrolls book also makes a similar allegation against Les Moonves, the former CBS bigwig. Like Trump, Moonves has been the subject of unproven sexual-abuse claims (though he has resigned over some of them, and the network is withholding his megabucks severance package pending its investigation). Carroll says Moonves accosted her in a hotel elevator sometime before February 1997, when the profile for which she was interviewing him was published by Esquire a profile in which she makes no mention of the alleged incident (because, she says, she is one of the Silent Generation, who does not dwell on the past). Again like Trump, Moonves strenuously denies the claim, but Carroll does not appear to have taken legal action against him. As for Carrolls tawdry Trump tale, there is slightly more to it, on both sides. Story continues Trump being Trump, he can never just deny something and leave it at that. In an interview with The Hill, he snarked that the allegation could not be true because Carroll is not my type a variation on a go-to response Trump has used to parry similar allegations, though this time he noted that he was saying it with great respect. In the interview and in a statement put out by the White House, the president maintained that Carroll was lying, insisting that he had never met her and knew nothing about her. Carroll quickly produced a photograph in which she and Trump are both depicted at a 1987 party, alongside their (now former) spouses. The snapshot seems cordial enough, but, of course, it establishes neither that Trump and Carroll were much acquainted with each other nor that he would remember her many years later either at Bergdorfs or today. In any event, it is not defamatory to deny knowing someone (at least in these circumstances and maybe in any circumstances). The gravamen of Carrolls defamation claim is Trumps assertion that she is not telling the truth about the rape allegation. Is that defamation? If Carroll had pressed charges when the accusation was still actionable, and Trump had pleaded not guilty (which hed be entitled to do), the implication of the plea would be that she was lying, even if Trump had not said so in so many words. That is to say, this is not much of a defamation case. As a tort claim, defamation is a pretext here. Carrolls real objective is to press a sexual-assault claim that is otherwise time-barred both civilly and criminally. Now, dont get me wrong; the law allows her to do this. A New York State court has been entertaining her civil lawsuit. But lets keep it real: While Carroll and the battalions of anti-Trumpers cheering her on are now feigning outrage at the legal gamesmanship of the president and his Justice Department, there is only a court case at all because Carroll is engaged in legal gamesmanship, too. Now, about all that maneuvering. For nearly four years, the president has taken his share of lumps in court proceedings. This time, though, he holds the trump card, as it were. Under federal law, government officials may not be hauled into state court anytime they are accused of committing civil wrongs in the course of their official duties. A statute, known as the Westfall Act, generally permits them to move the case into federal court and, more importantly, to substitute the United States as the defendant. The theory is that when public officials act in their official capacity, their actions are the governments actions. Under the Westfall Act, as construed by federal courts, the ambit of official acts is extremely broad. No surprise there: Statutes are written by members of Congress, and this one protects members of Congress (as well as officers of the executive and judicial branches). High-profile officials become subjects of public concern, and that affects how they do their jobs. The courts have thus recognized that these officials statements to the media even if unsolicited and involving personal rather than public matters are deemed to be actions within the scope of their governmental duties. And here is the kicker: If the United States is the defendant, the doctrine of sovereign immunity applies. Under the Federal Tort Claims Act, the government has not consented to be sued for defamation. Therefore, the Justice Departments action this week, which transfers Carrolls lawsuit to federal district court in Manhattan, almost certainly means the case will be thrown out. As youd expect, there are gusts of indignation over this. Attorney General Bill Barr chalks them up to the bizarre political environment in which we live. DOJs intervention here is routine, and the AG explained that similar motions were made on behalf of Presidents Obama and Bush 43, as well as Vice President Cheney. But these days, as the Wall Street Journals Bill McGurn dryly observes, the Trump justifies the means unlike past presidents, this one is portrayed as if he were not entitled to the rights, prerogatives, privileges, and immunities of the office. Wait, you say, Obama, Bush, and Cheney were not accused of rape. Fair enough, and it is not within the realm of imagination that such an accusation would be leveled at any of those gentlemen. So then, you figure libertines like Trump and, say, Bill Clinton should not be in that same staid category? Okay, thats fair enough, too, and maybe it should make a difference politically. Legally, though, its beside the point. Whatever you may think of Trump, he is not accused of rape not in the legal sense of accuse. The accusation against him is defamation, which is significantly less serious. If Trump had been formally accused of a sexual assault, federal law would not have helped him. When Bill Clinton was formally accused by Paula Jones of sexual harassment prior to his presidency, there was no immunity. He was civilly sued and ultimately paid an $850,000 settlement. The law is not concerned about the character of the federal official implicated in a civil claim; the questions are strictly (a) whether the official was acting in his governmental capacity and (b) whether the tort involved is one for which the United States, as the sovereign, has consented to be sued. End of story. Well, not quite the end. Lets be real again. E. Jean Carrolls case is not about rape, but her story is. Her claim is stale and there are significant credibility problems with it, just as there are with the allegation Tara Reade has leveled against Joe Biden. But its not like these women are outliers. There are lots of disturbing allegations about the candidates. Character flaws abound. And its exhausting. But thats a political issue, not a legal one. If our political processes continually produce flawed candidates, thats not a problem of the laws making. We should stop expecting lawsuits to fix it. More from National Review Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 12, 2020 09:10 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c445f0b3 1 Editorial anies-baswedan,Airlangga-Hartarto,Jokowi,COVID-19,COVID-19-Jakarta,COVID-19-Indonesian-patients,pandemic Free The growing resistance to Jakartas plan to reinstate large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) demonstrates the tendency of many policymakers to avoid harsh measures, even if they are exactly what the country needs to win the prolonged struggled against COVID-19. Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto, who also heads the National Economic Recovery and COVID-19 Response Team, blamed Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedans decision to pull the emergency brake for causing uncertainty in the market, while leaders of Jakartas satellite cities remain undecided about following the capital citys example and reinstating stricter measures. The support Jakarta needs to bring the virus under control has been elusive. Just a few days ago, President Joko Jokowi Widodo acknowledged that public health was the key to economic recovery and Budi Gunadi Sadikin, head of the economic recovery task force, said Indonesia should focus on tackling the COVID-19 health crisis rather than on economic recovery. Clearly the country lacks unity in its fight against COVID-19, but more worryingly, policymakers have failed to learn from the steep rise in infections as a result of relaxed restrictions, something that epidemiologists had forewarned. Jakarta alone cannot bring down infection rates, given the high mobility of people within Greater Jakarta. Many people who work in the capital live in its neighboring cities, which belong to the provinces of West Java and Banten. Stricter restrictions akin to PSBB throughout Greater Jakarta will make a difference, and the imposition of PSBB across Java would be ideal given the fact that the densely populated island accounts for the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the country. Indonesian Epidemiologists Association (PAEI) head of professional development Masdalina Pane suggested that PSBB should be imposed throughout Java to truly contain the virus. The spread of the virus, she said, resembled a ping-pong game because of the mobility of people, in particular from hot spots like Jakarta to other areas and vice versa. In fact, prior to the imposition of PSBB in April, migration from Jakarta to the rest of Java intensified. The pattern may repeat itself this time around, putting many destination cities and regencies at risk of contagion. While PSBB was in place, the COVID-19 positivity rate in Jakarta gradually fell below 5 percent, but about three months after the relaxation of restrictions, the rate skyrocketed to 12 percent, which is why Anies announced his decision to reimpose the restrictions. The bold measures will, of course, have costs, but it is our propensity to seek compromise and refuse to swallow the bitter pill that has caused our COVID-19 efforts to go nowhere. Indonesia has wasted the time it had to effectively contain the virus by avoiding tough policies that people would dislike. Other countries have performed better in this fight because they have dared to sacrifice. Hopefully Budi Gunadi, who insisted that ending the health crisis was a prerequisite for economic recovery during an online discussion hosted by the Indonesia Fintech Association (Aftech) on Thursday, reflects the views of all the countrys policymakers. 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." President Donald J. Trump Has Brokered a Historic Deal Between Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain September 11, 2020 Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates' lead. President Donald J. Trump SECURING ANOTHER HISTORIC AGREEMENT: President Donald J. Trump has brokered a deal to establish full diplomatic relations between Bahrain and Israel the second such agreement between Israel and an Arab nation in less than one month. Israel and Bahrain have committed to begin the exchange of embassies and ambassadors, start direct flights between their countries, and launch cooperation initiatives across a broad range of sectors. This peace deal is a significant step forward for both Israel and Bahrain. It further enhances their security while creating opportunities for them to deepen their economic ties. This deal comes on the heels of the historic normalization agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are the first Arab nations to normalize relations with Israel in more than 25 years. The United States will continue to support the people of Bahrain as they work to counter terrorism and extremism, develop economically, and build new peaceful partnerships across the region. CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR PEACE: President Trump's wise foreign policy strategy has created the conditions for peace between Israel and its neighbors. When President Trump took office, the Middle East was in a state of extreme turmoil. President Trump has worked to rebuild trust with our regional partners and identify their shared interests, moving them away from the conflicts of the past. Thanks to the President's bold foreign policy vision and his acumen as a dealmaker, nations across the region are realizing the benefits of his thoughtful approach. As the President's work continues, more Arab and Muslim countries will likely seek to normalize relations with Israel. Each country that normalizes relations will build upon the other, bringing peace and prosperity to the region and the people who live there. AN UNPRECEDENTED REGIONAL TRANSFORMATION: After decades of instability and crisis, nations across the Middle East and Africa are increasingly working together to build a more peaceful and prosperous future. Thanks to President Trump's leadership, the Arab world is experiencing the most rapid geopolitical transformation in more than a generation. As more countries normalize relations with Israel, the region is becoming more stable, secure, and prosperous. Expanded business and financial ties between economies will accelerate growth and economic opportunity across the region. Agreements with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates also help to advance President Trump's vision for finding a fair and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The United States will continue to stand with the people of the region as they work to build a brighter, more hopeful future. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sept 11 (Reuters) - Facebook Inc launched legal action on Friday against Ireland's Data Protection Commission in an attempt to end a proposed order that could stop it from transferring data from the European Union to the United States. The social media company urged the regulators to adopt "a pragmatic and proportionate approach until a sustainable long-term solution can be reached". The Irish regulator declined to comment. (Reporting by Akanksha Rana in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta) What attracted me to him was that many people were talking about corruption and he was doing something tangible, he said. Hes charismatic. Hes smart. He has an acute political sense. He was able to build an organization of like-minded people. Another layer is his bravery and resolve to continue what hes doing even under pressure against himself and his family and against his organization. These are the ingredients that make him quite unique in Russia. New Delhi, Sep 12 : China has mobilised thousands of soldiers, tanks and howitzers within rifle range of Indian Army deployment at Spanggur Gap in the southern part of Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh, sources said, even as Indian troops are on high alert. The Chinese People's Liberation Army made provocative military deployments at Spanggur Gap, which is between Gurung Hill and Magar Hill, from August 30 after Indian soldiers seized tactical heights on the ridge line on the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). "Seeing the Chinese PLA troop and guns mobilisation, the Indian Army too made mirror deployments at Spanggur Gap. Both the countries' troops and guns are within shooting range," said a government official. Further, sources said, China has deployed its militia squads to "consolidate the border" and "stabilise Tibet region". They have been tasked to try and dislodge the Indian Army soldiers from the tactical heights. The militia is an irregular mix of mountaineers, boxers, members of local fight clubs and others. Most of the members are raised from the local population. "Militia is basically a a reserve force of the Chinese's People Liberation Army. They are deployed during war time situations and to help the PLA in its military operations," said a senior government officer. The officer also said that Chinese militia also conducts independent operations and provides combat support and manpower replenishment to the PLA. Indian Army has clearly reiterated that the forces will retaliate if Chinese troops make provocative military moves. At the northern bank of Pangong Lake, sources said that even as PLA troops continue to occupy positions on Finger 4 mountain spur jutting into the lake, Indian soldiers have occupied some heights overlooking their positions. "Our troops have occupied some heights overlooking the positions occupied by PLA," said a source. The north bank of the lake is divided into 8 'Fingers' that are contested by both sides. India claims Line of Actual Control at finger 8 and had been holding on to area till Finger 4 but in a clear alteration of status quo the Chinese have been camping at Finger 4 and have set up fortifications between Finger 5 and 8. Movement of Chinese troops, vehicles and new defence mechanisms of Chinese are visible in the north, south banks of Pangong Lake. In some places heavily armed troops are in close proximity. To de-escalate the situation, armies of India and China are holding interaction daily. 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. (Sumit Kumar Singh can be reached at sumit.k@ians.in) Nineteen years ago at 8:46 a.m. on Sept. 11, terrorists crashed a plane in the World Trade Center in New York. As the news began to break across the country, a second plane hit the second tower. On Friday morning at 8:46 a.m., Plainview Firefighters Jesse Edwards and Bryan Alvarado, both advanced EMTs, and Corporal Jesse Ortiz, with the Plainview Police Department, departed Fire Station 2 at 911 Quincy for a two-and-a-half mile run to Station 3 at 3405 SW 3rd St. in memory of the horrific event that killed thousands of people now almost two decades ago. Edwards and Alvarado said they were both about 6 years old at the time of the terrorist attack. After finishing their run, which was escorted by both PD and Fire/EMS units, Edwards said the goal was just to remember those who lost their lives in the attacks and those who risked their lives with efforts to help. We want to make sure theres never a time anybody forgets what happened, Edwards said. The memorial run was organized by the Plainview Fire/EMS Department. Only two firefighters participated this year, which was the first time to host it, because of low staffing due to COVID-19. Under different circumstances, Fire Chief Timothy Gibson said, there might have been more participants. The two firefighters were joined on their run by a brother in blue. Cpl. Ortiz was in middle school at the time of the attacks. He watched the coverage of events on TV, he said. The one thing that stood out beyond the horror was the actions of a nation coming together as strangers sacrificed for strangers. Its one of those moments in life where you realize theres a greater good, he said. That was one of the starting points that led him to choose a career as a law enforcement officer. I knew I wanted to help others and be there when people needed me, he said. Ortiz ran the distance with his police gear on Friday morning. He decided to join the run, he said, because we dont always do things because its easy. On Sept. 11, 2001, he said, the first responders at the scene ran their own distances shouldering their own gear to help whoever they could. The Week In Russia: Poison And Geopolitics, Anarchy And Dictatorship By Steve Gutterman September 11, 2020 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." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ poison-and-geopolitics-anarchy-and- dictatorship/30833920.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 First Minister Arlene Foster announced during Thursday's press conference that information will be provided to healthcare workers in relation to socialising. Belfast. Stock image The Executive Office was silent last night on details of advice for health workers around socialising when they are not at work. First Minister Arlene Foster announced during Thursday's press conference that information will be provided to healthcare workers in relation to socialising. The Executive Office did not respond to a request for a comment, while the Department of Health said that an update would be communicated "in due course". It comes as health bosses work hard to suppress the growing number of Covid-19 cases being diagnosed every day in Northern Ireland. Read More Last night the Southern Trust - which has been dealing with an outbreak at Craigavon Area Hospital - suspended all visits across its sites. A series of local restrictions were revealed by Ms Foster during her first appearance on the podium at a Covid-19 briefing for a number of months. There are growing concerns over the possibility that healthcare staff may be inadvertently carrying the virus into hospitals after it was reported last week that a birthday party at a restaurant attended by nurses is being investigated as a possible link to coronavirus clusters at Craigavon Area Hospital. Four patients at the hospital who tested positive for Covid-19 have died since the beginning of the clusters. It is understood that medical unions have not been made aware of any guidance that is to be issued to healthcare workers. It comes as SDLP MLA Justin McNulty expressed concern after reports of positive Covid-19 cases among medical staff at Daisy Hill Hospital. Expand Close SDLP MLA Justin McNulty / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp SDLP MLA Justin McNulty 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 added that the staff members involved were now off work and self-isolating. 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. Chandigarh, Sep 12 : A trial court in Mohali in Punjab on Saturday issued an arrest warrant against former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in connection with a 29-year-old kidnapping-murder case. Saini has been evading arrest after leaving behind his security cover. The trial court has directed the police to present Saini before it by September 25. Earlier, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had dismissed the retired police officer's anticipatory bail plea in the kidnap-murder of Balwant Singh Multani, a junior engineer with the Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation in 1991. Saini has since moved the Supreme Court. After the former Director General of Police (DGP) absconded, a special investigation team of Punjab Police has been conducting raids in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and New Delhi to arrest him. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) had denied Saini's wife's claim that the ex-DGP's security had been withdrawn, thus endangering his life. The kidnap-murder case against Saini is related to a bomb attack on him by the Khalistan Liberation Force militants in 1991 when he was the Senior Superintendent of Police in Chandigarh. He survived with injuries, but his three security personnel were killed. A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Multani's disappearance began in 2007 against Saini but he got relief from the Supreme Court and the probe was stopped. Based on a fresh complaint, a case was registered under Sections 364 (kidnapping or abduction in order to murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 344 (wrongful confinement), 330 (voluntarily causing hurt to exhort confession) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code in SAS Nagar adjoining Chandigarh on May 7 against Saini. Later, Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the IPC was added against the former DGP. Saini, also facing trial in a Special CBI court in Delhi for the alleged abduction of businessman Vinod Kumar, his brother-in-law Ashok Kumar, and their driver, moved the Supreme Court on Friday for anticipatory bail. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Dhaka, Sep 12 : Child kidnappers have become quite active in the capital of Bangladesh and on its outskirts. The police have arrested four women for allegedly abducting kids, and rescued three children, in the past few days. The police in Bangladesh capital Dhaka have arrested a 42-year-old woman on charges of abducting a minor girl. Nur Nazma Akhter Alias Lupa Talukder was arrested on charges of abducting Jinia, a nine-year-old girl. Lupa allegedly abducted Jinia after offering her money, police officers told IANS. According to locals, Jinia was a common face at the TSC area in Dhaka University, where she used to sell flowers to support her family. Lupa used to introduce herself as a journalist who works for different media outlets. Law enforcers are looking into whether Lupa has any links with any trafficking racket. On Sunday night, the police rescued Jinia from Narayanganj and arrested her abductor Lupa from Amtola area of Fatullah. After a two-day remand, Lupa was presented before the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on Friday. Earlier, Detective Branch Joint Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Mahbub Alam said Lupa kidnapped Jinnia by showing various temptations for 'malicious purpose'. Lupa was put on a two-day remand in an abduction case filed with Shahbagh Police Station. Mishu Biswas, an additional deputy commissioner at Ramna Division of police, said that Lupa has a criminal record. "She was once accused in a triple murder case. Besides, there are allegations of fraudulence against her," the police officer said. Jinia was abducted on September 1. She lives with her mother and two siblings in the TSC area. After Jinia went missing, her mother Senura Begum told in her complaint that she last saw her daughter talking with two women near Suhrawardy Udyan. The police conducted an investigation to look out for those two women. Biswas said Lupa claimed that she is a member of the National Press Club, but could not provide any proof. "She just gave us a business card of Mohona TV where she claims to have worked once," the police officer said. Mahbub Alam, a joint commissioner of the Detective Branch at Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said police officers are looking into whether she has any links to child traffickers. She also used to introduce herself as a crime reporter at different newspapers, online portals, and TV channels, and a member of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists and Dhaka Union of Journalists. A police team in Dhaka arrested two women, as suspected child abductors Rasheda and Fatema from Dhamrai area in Dhaka on Thursday. The team also rescued an abducted 3-year-old minor child, Shahadat Hossain, on Wednesday night. The boy was abducted from Shah Ali area of Mirpur of the capital on September 5. Meanwhile, RAB personnel rescued a 9-year-old child who was abducted from Pallabi area. The crime-busting team also arrested another female abductor, Sumi Begum, in connection with the abduction. RAB-4 Assistant Director Ziaur Rahman Chowdhury said a team of RAB rescued abducted Mithila and arrested the abductor from Pallabi area on Wednesday afternoon. During interrogation, the arrestee confessed to her involvement in the abduction of the child. B uilding strong relationships and working together in offices is crucial for fast-growing businesses and young professionals, the founder of UK snack brand Proper has warned. Cassandra Stavrou, who started the company in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, said they have grown through two recessions because of their resilient workplace relationships. In lockdown, Proper maintained growth by adapting changing consumer patterns as the workforce began emptying office canteens and flocking to local supermarkets, Ms Stavrou said. But she warned that prolonged distance over lockdown could still be damaging for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as the development of young professionals. Cassandra Stavrou, who started the company in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis / Proper It comes as the Government campaigns to get more Britons back to the office in a bid to kick-start city centre economies that have been crippled by the coronavirus pandemic. Ms Stavrou told the Standard: The office used to be a factory for productivity but now the modern office is a hub for creativity and social bonds. SMEs rely on those quick exchanges at the coffee machinethe spontaneous, everyday interactions that take place in the officeto stay creative, agile and relevant. The culture of innovation this produces is what makes us special and allows us to challenge the bigger players. It's one of the reasons that the start-up scene is so exciting. London's empty network continues during Coronavirus 1 /32 London's empty network continues during Coronavirus Daniel Hambury Jeremy Selwyn Daniel Hambury Daniel Hambury Daniel Hambury Jeremy Selwyn Daniel Hambury Daniel Hambury Daniel Hambury Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn While confirming that Proper will abide by government advice on returning to offices, she added: If we are also allowed to gather in the office then we need to find a way to make that work well - not just for the health of the SME scene - but for the hundreds of thousands of young people those businesses employ and are responsible for. Some 60 per cent of younger workers struggled to build relationships with colleagues and 53 per cent with their managers during lockdown, according to a TotalJobs survey 2,000 UK workers in July. For those who are early on in their career, Ms Stavrou highlighted that lockdown has prevented exposure to an office environment that is so fundamental to their development. Without face-to-face working, Ms Stavrou said: You just are so siloed and your interactions are dramatically minimised. I just dont think it is good for your development." One 25-year-old told the Standard about how his SME team had found it more challenging to build relationships with partners in lockdown. Morgan Parry Ward - the head of business development at pre-mixed cocktail company Black Lines that launched 2019 - said he has learned more in the last month by meeting venue partners face-to-face than in all the months of lockdown put together. While reaching new distributors for their (Covid-secure) pre-mixed drinks, he said: It is so integral to meet someone in person. We are a slightly new product so we need to go and build those relationships to get people to believe in what were doing. "All the relationships we have built in person are the ones which have either lasted the longest or been the most fruitful for everyone." You can't make a deal just by email or get a full understanding of what partners want to achieve and how you can help them over Zoom," Mr Ward added. 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 Meanwhile, Elissa Makris, a Business Psychologist at NHS-backed wellbeing platform Thrive, said the absence of face-face business networks can cause a sense of disconnection. She said that this can be especially daunting for individuals early on in their careers, having to learn organisational processes and navigating new relationships; there will be many questions and uncertainties which they can feel they are left in the dark about. It is the non-verbal cues that help us to form connections and find it easier to approach someone out of the blue, as we might be worried that we are interrupting them, these physical cues are taken away when communicating online making it much harder for us to judge the social situation. Ms Markis added that: "Fast growing businesses who bring in many new people and are in need of constant problem-solving and bouncing ideas off each other could also encounter barriers with working from home." For Ms Stavrou, the pandemic has still been the biggest test of leadership that she has ever experienced. Overnight you have a seriously compromised supply chain a dispersed team, bucket loads of economic uncertainty, she said. The fact that the bonds in our team were so strong just meant we were really set up to navigate a lot of that. Proper, which has grown to become the UKs No 1. Independent snack brand in just a decade, is now planning to launch more snack ranges despite the economic turmoil. Ms Stavrou said the company continues to thrive because of resourcefulness but also because of their understanding of people. The emphasis on people and culture from day one has held us in such a good stead in this second recession because we built such a strong foundation internally and despite the distance we have been able to remain really agile and react really quickly. From the start, we were obsessed with relationships, knocking down doors and having zero pride in rocking up at peoples receptions and waiting for the right buyer to turn up. It was absolutely bloody-minded about relationships and people." One of the largest websites promoting QAnon conspiracy theories has shut down after reports identified its operator as a New Jersey man. The fact-check site Logically.ai published a report Thursday saying it discovered Jason Gelinas of Berkeley Heights as the sole developer and mouthpiece of Qmap.pub. Bloomberg News also tracked the website to Galinas, an information specialist, in a story published Friday. Qmap aggregates posts by Q, the anonymous figure at the forefront of QAnon. The core (and unproven) conspiracy theory of QAnon is that President Donald Trump is fighting a secret, deep state group of pedophiles including celebrities and Democratic politicians who worship Satan and run an international child sex-trafficking ring. QMap averaged more than 10,000 monthly visits in May, June, and July of this year, according to web analytics firm Similar Web Ltd. The sites creator has been known online only as QAppAnon. As of Saturday morning, the website is no longer operational. It now reads, Origin Server Offline. NJ Advance Media on Saturday morning left a message for Gelinas via a phone number linked to his company, Patriot Platforms LLC. But the message was not immediately returned. Bloomberg said Gelinas declined to comment on whether he was behind the Qmap website when reached outside his home. Im not going to comment on any of that, Gelinas said, according to the report. Im not going to get involved. I want to stay out of it. He did call QAnon a patriotic movement to save the country," according to the report. Last month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the first time identified fringe conspiracies as a domestic terrorist threat, according to a document obtained by Yahoo News. The document specifically mentions QAnon. Asked about QAnon last month, Trump said he doesnt know much about the movement but that they like me very much, which I appreciate. These are people that dont like seeing whats going on in places like Portland, Chicago and New York and other cities and states. ... Ive heard these are people that love our country and they just dont like seeing it. When a reporter from NBC News told Trump about QAnons beliefs that he is fighting a Satanic sex-traffic ring, the president replied: Is that supposed to be a bad thing? If I can help save the world from problems, Im willing to do it, Im willing to put myself out there. "And we are actually, were saving the world from radical left philosophy that will destroy this country, he added. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. SACRAMENTO California lawmakers advanced proposals Saturday to study reparations for slavery and require more diversity on corporate boards, part of a broader push to address racial disparities in the state. AB3121 by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, D-San Diego, would create a task force to study the history of slavery in the United States and its legacy, such as California laws with disproportionately negative effects on Black people. The panel would be expected to make recommendations to the Legislature by June 2022 for remedies that should be made and to educate the public on its findings, including Californias role in perpetuating slavery. The state Senate passed the measure Saturday on a bipartisan 33-3 vote. It moves next to the Assembly, which must act by the end of the legislative session on Monday. The Senate also advanced AB979, which would require corporations headquartered in California to have at least one board member from an underrepresented community by the end of 2021. Those directors could be people of color or identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The target would increase in 2022: at least two directors from underrepresented communities for companies with a board of between four and eight members, and at least three for companies with nine or more directors. Corporations could be fined if they missed the mark. The measure passed on a 26-8 vote, with most Democrats in support and most Republicans opposed. Assemblyman Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, introduced the bill in June, following nationwide protests over police brutality and racial injustice. While many companies publicly expressed support for the protests and the Black Lives Matter movement, Holden said at the time, that message did not always translate to diversity in their own ranks. The Latino Corporate Directors Association completed an analysis this year of 662 publicly traded companies based in California and identified 233 with all-white boards of directors. Holdens bill is based on SB826, a law passed in 2018 that set similar benchmarks for hiring women for the boards of California corporations. The number of female directors increased by at least 23% in the first year. Developing a pipeline of candidates has become a priority for Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of Gov. Gavin Newsom. The law was challenged in court last year by the Pacific Legal Foundation, a libertarian nonprofit, which argued that the quotas violated the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution in addition to being deeply patronizing to women. The case has not yet been decided. The study by the Latino Corporate Directors Association noted that the law has mainly benefited white women: Seventy-eight percent of the directors added last year were white, while only about 37% of California is white. Latinos are the largest ethnic group in California, at 39% of the population, but Latinas were appointed to just 3% of the new board seats. While California prides itself on being a majority-minority state, corporations do not reflect the vast cultural wealth in this state, Sen. Ben Hueso, D-San Diego, said on the Senate floor. There is no doubt that there is a structural and inherent bias in our economic system in our country. Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @akoseff An influencer is being labelled 'insensitive' after posting Instagram photos of herself in an orange ballgown after the West Coast sky turned a similar color amid the swath of wildfires. Earlier this week, the skies sprawling over California and Oregon turned a frightening, apocalyptic shade of amber as dangerous wildfires raged on. Social media on Thursday quickly flooded with shocked reactions as pictures surfaced, but one photo set taken by a San-Francisco based blogger stirred some controversy. Colette LeClair shared a pair of beach photos on Wednesday that accompanied a message discussing her new move from the Bay Area to Los Angeles. Colette LeClair (pictured), an influencer with 30K followers, shared a pair of beach photos this week on Instagram The photo set of LeClair (pictured) caused some outrage among social media users who dubbed the pictures 'insensitive' and 'tone deaf' But while LeClair was preparing for her nearly 400-mile move further south, some people online argued that the Instagram post was in poor taste. 'We live in hell,' wrote author Carolin Moss, who flagged the pictures in a now-deleted Twitter post, Yahoo Life reports. 'This is an influencer who just posted a photo of clothing shes selling by *posing in it* on the beach in San Francisco as forest fires rage around her.' The photo set also received backlash, with some calling it 'tone deaf', because it advertised where to purchase the orange gown and was seen as attempt to boost traffic to her blog site. As of Saturday afternoon, the Instagram post's comment section has been turned off and the caption has been edited. Pictured: The caption shared with the beach photo set was edited by LeClair after receiving backlash In the new caption, LeClair explained that post was simply a final goodbye to San Francisco and that the photos were an extension of her love for photography. 'My last day here! Wanted to say goodbye to the ocean and beach and do something I used to enjoy so much here for years- TRIPOD PHOTOS,' she wrote. 'And to Clarify- I drove to the beach on my last night in town, and took photos, I love taking photos. I have taken photos for the last 3 years in this city. I love this city.' The message ended with 'prayers' for California and the affected people, which Yahoo Life reports was not included in the initial Instagram post. LeClair told the publication that she often takes photos on the beach, and acknowledged how overwhelming the fires have been for California residents. In this photo provided by Frederic Larson, the Golden Gate Bridge is seen at 11 a.m. PT amid a smoky, orange hue caused by the ongoing wildfires, Wednesday The Bobcat Fire burns downed trees in the Angeles National Forest on September 10, 2020 north of Monrovia, California A view of downtown Los Angeles under an orange overcast sky in the afternoon in Los Angeles on Thursday 'There is a forest fire 100 miles from where I live, according to the news. It is heartbreaking,' said LeClair, who has 30,000 followers. 'I am always Googling the fires and have been since they started, as most people in California would do. I am very sorry for the fires.' Despite the amended caption and explanation, some social media users were still put off by the Instagram post. 'Last days are here!!....to get this dress! And...you know know save the environment and stuff,' one person wrote on Twitter. 'Influencer aspirations have poisoned the minds of these uncultured swine,' another person chimed in. 'Doing a fashion shoot in California , posing with the Orange skies due to the devastating fires that have ravaged over 2M ACRES...I CANT. Should have stayed home and ate ya food!' Some people on social media were offended or mocked LeClair's beach photos (pictured) One woman noted that LeClair took the photos from San Francisco as the wildfires scorched a devastating number of acres One user quipped 'does my dress match this burning home?' Tanya Chen, a Buzzfeed News reporter, wrote: 'An influencer in the middle of the california fires: hey guys I just wanted to hop on here really quick to say I know times are hard right now but remember to be yourself!' One man responded to Chen, saying: 'We all want these fires to be put out, but remember to never put out the fire in your heart. I know I never do and my Fit Tea gives me the energy I need to push through each day.' Tanya Chen: 'An influencer in the middle of the california fires: hey guys I just wanted to hop on here really quick to say I know times are hard right now but remember to be yourself!' However, some people rushed to LeClair's defense in the comment sections of her other Instagram posts. 'I think the dress and the photos are STUNNING and very artistic. You found a way to show beauty in the midst of tragedy, and the juxtaposition is breathtaking. Don't let the haters bother you,' wrote on person. 'I came to tell you how beautiful I think the photo of that orange dress was but the comments were turned off,' another said. 'I think it was a very artistic shoot and cant see how it stirred up any type of negative reaction.' So far, more than one million acres and thousands of structures have been destroyed by the dozens of blazes across the state sending 10 percent of residents fleeing their homes in their masses. At least 29 people have died as a result of the fires, including a 13-year-old boy named Wyatt Toft who hid with his pet dog inside a car to escape the inferno. Wyatt Tofte (pictured) was killed in an Oregon wildfire this week after huddling in a car with his dog to try to escape the flames Wyatt (pictured in an undated image) died Tuesday in the Santiam Fire in Marion County, along with his 71-year-old grandmother, Peggy Mosso (center). Wyatt's mom Angela Tofte (left) is in critical condition with full body burns 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 Thursday Wyatt's mother is in critical condition with full body burns and his grandmother was killed in the flames. Dozens of people are missing in Oregon's Jackson County in the south and Marion County, where a fire continues to burn east of Salem, Gov. Brown told a news conference Friday. Hundreds of firefighters battled two large wildfires Friday that threatened to merge near the most populated part of the state, including the suburbs of Portland, causing the city to declare a state of emergency Thursday. In California at least 20 have died and there has been at least one death reported in Washington state. Four people have been arrested for arson for deliberately starting blazes along the West Coast while the states are already grappling with dozens of deadly blazes. Syracuse, N.Y. A Pulaski man pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing child pornography, according to federal prosecutors. Christopher Hoyt, 34, admitted in federal court to possessing thousands of images of child pornography, specifically on one charge apiece accusing him of transporting, distributing, receiving and possessing the images. Hoyt admitted he used the Tumblr social media platform to upload one image and that he sent another user 1,900 images and 122 videos of child pornography, according to prosecutors. He also admitted to having 1,445 such images and videos on his cell phone when police recovered it, prosecutors said. He is scheduled to be sentenced in January. He faces at least five years in prison and a maximum of up to 20 years in prison on each of the four counts, plus a fine of $250,000 and supervised release of at least five years. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. He was caught due to a tip sent to the Internet Crimes Against Children task force, which is made up of local and federal law enforcement. Back in 2012, Venier Customs was founded by Stefano Venier. Thanks to serving a worldwide market, the New York-based workshop enjoyed a great deal of attention from the global press. Veniers crew specializes in crafting some of the neatest retro-styled custom machines you will ever come across. As of 2015, the reputed firm teamed up with an Italian fashion designer, by the name of Veronica Sent, to introduce a gorgeous collection of casual apparel goodness.Today, Veniers aftermarket surgeons pride themselves with an extensive portfolio thatll have just about any motorcycle enthusiast completely awe-struck. Their two-wheeled works of art have been featured in publications in over twenty countries around the world and let me tell you; they deserve all that attention and more!To give you a better idea as to what these daredevils are up to, well be taking a closer look at one of their delicious masterpieces, based on a Moto Guzzi V75. For comparisons sake, Ill start by pointing out a few of the original bikes specs.The 1989 model in Moto Guzzis V75 family is brought to life by a four-stroke V-twin engine, with four valves per cylinder and a generous displacement of 744cc. At around 7,300 rpm, this air-cooled piece of machinery will deliver up to 58 hp, along with 45 pound-feet (61 Nm) of torque to a five-speed gearbox. Ultimately, power is channeled to the rear wheel by means of a shaft final drive, allowing the V75 to reach a respectable top speed of 117 mph (189 kph).At the front, the structure is supported by a pair of telescopic air-assisted forks, joined by a fully adjustable Marzocchi setup at the rear. Stopping power is handled by twin 270 mm (10.63 inches) brake discs up front, coupled with a single 235 mm (9.25 inches) rotor on the opposite end.Venier Customs kicked things off by removing V75s chunky bodywork. After disposing of its stock panels, the team proceeded to manufacture several custom units in-house, such as aluminum fenders and side panels, as well as a magnificent one-off fuel tank.Next, the bikes frame was tweaked to accommodate the new components. Besides these modules, Venier also installed a set of Tarozzi rear-mounted foot pegs, clip-on handlebars and a fresh saddle. Additionally, rear suspension duties are taken care of by dual Ikon shock absorbers that provide a considerable improvement in terms of handling.A slim taillight was incorporated into the leather seat, while the headlight has been relocated between the forks, contributing to the immaculate overall aesthetic. The license plate is suspended above the rear wheel, gripped by a hand-crafted bracket.The V-twin powerplant was treated to a meticulous overhaul. It breathes with ease, thanks to an aftermarket exhaust and mufflers from Mistral, while a carburetor recalibration concludes the engine upgrades. As a result, the 744cc mill is capable of generating up to 60 bhp.Lastly, the fuel tank was blessed with a satin white finish, standing in contrast to the satin black paintwork found on the frame, exhaust and fenders.If this made you curious about Venier Customs ambitious undertakings, the remainder of their incredible projects can be checked out on the firms Facebook and Instagram pages. In fact, why not head over there now to please your eyes with these spectacular two-wheelers? Biblica, a non for profit international Christian organization in collaboration with the Kumasi Council of Christian Churches (KCCC) on Friday, September 11, 2020, launched a new Twi Bible. Known as Nkwan Asem, the new Asante Twi Bible provides an alternative to Twere Kronkron, which was published by the Bible Society of Ghana. The Nkwa Asem which was published by Biblica, formerly known as the International Bible Society, is to provide a much simpler and easy read to Twi Bible and also serves as a secondary version of scripture just like the English Bible also has so many versions. The journey Speaking at the launch, Rev. Walter Aboagye Frimpong, Board Chair of Biblica Ghana, and also a Board Member of Biblica West Africa, said Biblica has a rich history that spanned over 200 years and has worked across the globe translating the Bible into the various languages to make it easier for the people to understand the word of the God. He said so far, the organization has translated the full Bible into 64 languages and the New Testament, into 16 local languages. According to him, it took Biblica 24 years to complete the Nkwa Asem Bible and paid glorious tribute to all those who helped in the translation and the reviewers. He said the mission of the organization was to provide the Bible to the people in accurate, contemporary translations and formats to enable people around the world to have the opportunity to be transformed by Jesus Christ. Chairman The Chairman of the occasion, the Primate of the West Africa Province of the Anglican Church, Most Rev. Prof. Daniel Yinkah Sarfo, stressed the need to have different versions of the Twi Bible just as there are in English to provide the people with varied meanings of the Word. He said currently, the Twere Kronkron provided only one meaning to the Bible in Asante and the people did not have any other alternative if they failed to grasp the meaning of what they read. However, he said with the launch of Nkwa Asem, people would now be in a position to compare the meanings and be able to arrive at a decision when confused. Nkwa Asem Explaining the name Nkwa Asem, one of the translators, Rev. Dr Ebenezer Boafo explained that the word of God is a living word and unlike the texts in novels and story books are descriptive and communicate, the words in the Bible go beyond just communication and are transformative and give life. He said it was based on this that they decided to call the new Asante Twi Bible Nkwa Asem: the Living Word. He said the organisation was ready to support other minority language speakers such as Larteh and Efutu to translate the Bible into their languages. He said they could adopt the Twi version to help them to do the translation and added that Bibilca is ready to provide the technical support to achieve that. According to him, the objective of the organisation is to get everybody to read the Bible in their own native language for better understanding. Otumfuo Baffour Agyei Ofosu Twitwiakwa II, Otumfuos Anantahene who represented the Asantehene, also commended Biblica for the feat and explained that the new Asante Twi Bible would also help in the spread of the Twi language as more children would learn how to read in Twi and thereby become fluent in the language. He said the promotion of the Twi Bible would also help in the promotion of the Twi language in the country. 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 Northside Baptist Pastor Fred Evers dies of cancer Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Fred Evers, the longtime pastor of Northside Baptist Church in Tifton, Georgia, passed away Monday after a months-long battle with esophageal cancer. He was 64. Evers widow, who was married to him for 45 years, made the announcement of his passing through the churchs social media as well as a webpage that had been chronicling his battle with the disease. Today has been the most challenging and heartbreaking day of my life. Today at 10:25 AM, I kissed the love of my life, for 45 years, goodbye and walked him to the end of where the LORD would permit me to walk him home. I have discovered there is sacred holiness in walking a child of God home. It is an incredible privilege, and one that is not without heartbreak for those of us who are left behind, Cindy wrote. I spent last night and this morning holding Fred's hand, reading scripture, and playing praise music. It just seemed a fitting way to walk a child of God home. I will treasure the time I had with him in these last months as precious, because they were every minute! When he left this Earth, his hand went from holding my hand to holding Jesus's hand. Evers, who is survived by Cindy, his children and grandchildren, was well-known for his 21 years as leader of Northside Baptist Church and his work with the Georgia Baptist Convention. He served as chairman of the administration committee of the GBC, chairman of the executive committee, president of the preaching conference, chairman of the nominating committee as well as other capacities, The Christian Index reported. He was a board of trustee member for Brewton-Parker College, New Orleans Theological Seminary, and Truett McConnell University. J. Robert White, who served as Georgia Baptist executive director until 2018, called Evers a great friend and said he demonstrated exemplary leadership in his work with the GBC. That was very important. I saw Fred lead in a number of ways in the state, including on the executive committee and administration committee. I preached for him a few times at Northside and he became a great friend. You could pick up the phone at any time and he was available to pray for you. He loved his wife, Cindy, very much and was tremendously proud of his children, White told CI. An obituary also highlighted how Evers was recognized for mentoring and teaching young men called to ministry. While my heart is shattered into a million pieces, I find my heart is also bursting with gratitude to God for the incredible things he has done for Fred and me. We enjoyed the most blessed life and love. This life is an unspeakable gift, for which I will always be grateful, his widow said. Please continue to pray for my family and me in the days to come. I know there will be hard days ahead, but I can also tell you from personal experience that God's faithfulness is real and powerful. I will never forget his faithfulness to both Fred and me, especially in the darkest of days. I rest in the truth of scripture that I will one day see him again, and my heart will be overjoyed! she said. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:4. A funeral service for Evers will be held at Northside Baptist Church at 6 p.m. on Friday Sept. 11. Bigg Boss Marathi 2 winner and choreographer Shiv Thakare is all set to make a big-screen debut with Mahesh Manjrekar's upcoming historical drama. During the grand finale of BB Marathi second season, host and director Mahesh Manjrekar had offered him a role in his next directorial venture. Well, the film was supposed to go on floors this month, but Shiv fans will now have to wait a little longer. According to Times of India report, Shiv Thakare's debut Marathi film's shooting has been pushed to February 2021. While confirming the same to the leading daily, Maharashtra's Most Desirable Man on TV 2019, Shiv Thakare said, "Yes, due to the pandemic, the shoot has been postponed. It has been pushed to February. Being a big-budget historical film, it needs to be shot in outdoor locations, which seems a bit difficult in the current situation. So, I'll have to wait a little longer to face the camera." Speaking about his character in Mahesh Manjrekar's next film, which based on Maratha warriors, Shiv said, "I'm playing one of the seven warriors from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's army. I idolise him and for me, this is nothing short of a dream role." Well, Shiv Thakare has always been a great follower of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's ideology. Hence, working on a project based on Maratha history is indeed an honour for him. The report further suggests that the story of Shiv Thakare's debut film is about the bravery of the seven Maratha warriors, including Prataprao Gujar. Notably, renowned Marathi poet Kusumagraj beautifully narrated a particular incident from Maratha history in his ode, 'Vedat Marathe Veer Daudale Saat'. Also Read : Siddharth Chandekar & Mitali Mayekar Postpone Their Wedding Due To COVID-19 Pandemic Talking about Shiv Thakare, the newcomer was also seen in Roadies Rising (Season 15) as a contestant. Shiv won Bigg Boss Marathi 2 in 2019, where he met his girlfriend and popular Marathi TV actress Veena Jagtap. Also Read : Chaitanya Tamhane's Film The Disciple Wins Critics Prize At Venice Film Festival Chris Hemsworth made a surprise appearance on Weekend Today on Saturday. The actor, 37, walked on screen behind weather presenter Lauren Phillips as she was about the read the weather from the New South Wales town of Scone. Back in the studio, hosts Richard Wilkins and Rebecca Maddern were in shock to see the Thor star on screen. 'Get your brollies out I reckon!' Thor star Chris Hemsworth made a surprise appearance on Weekend Today on Saturday Lauren then invited him to take over the segment and read the national weather forecast for viewers at home. 'Let's mispronounce all of these. Alright, let's do this,' he enthusiastically said. The Avengers star injected his humour throughout his presentation and even gave a special shout out to Victorians in lockdown, saying: 'Hello to all my friends in Melbourne. I am a Victorian.' 'But that rain, get your brollies out I reckon,' he suggested. Giving live TV a go! The Avengers star injected his humour throughout his presentation and even gave a special shout out to Victorians in lockdown, saying: 'Hello to all my friends in Melbourne. I am a Victorian' After the report, Lauren joked that the A-list star gave her a run for her money and could take her job, but he insisted that she was doing a 'fantastic' job. Chris revealed that he was in the small town to visit people in the area doing important wildlife work and protecting Australia's ecosystems. He also poked fun at Richard, following his recent interview with his older brother Luke. 'He did an interview with my brother Luke. Apparently he didn't want to interview me. You can't avoid me,' Chris joked. What a surprise! Back in the studio, hosts Richard Wilkins and Rebecca Maddern were in shock to see the Thor star on screen The Extraction actor also briefly mentioned his family, wife Elsa Pataky and their children - India Rose, eight, and six-year-old twins Sasha and Tristan, who is based in Byron Bay. He said this year has been the longest he has been in Australia for, adding: 'I have been here all year, it has been fantastic, being with the family and laying low.' Before wrapping up the live TV cross, Dickie added: 'Tell him he is booked and we will see him the same time tomorrow.' Chris said right back: 'I am only available for the next 35 seconds. You are going to have to keep her.' She failed to receive a rose from The Bachelor's Locklan 'Locky' Gilbert during last week's virtual rose ceremony. But on Friday, Bel Colwell appeared to be anything but heartbroken as she was spotted making her way to dinner with a friend in Sydney. The 25-year-old star looked impeccably chic in an all-black ensemble which consisted of a long sleeve sweater and black high waisted jeans. The Bachelor EXCLUSIVE! Evicted star Bel Colwell (pictured) was spotted looking impeccably chic in a black ensemble as she stepped out to get dinner in Sydney on Friday night She accessorised her look with a matching handbag and white sneakers. Bel wore her signature blonde tresses out, and appeared to be wearing little makeup for the occasion. The sighting comes just days after she was sent home on the Channel 10 dating show. Stylish: The 25-year-old star looked impeccably chic in an all-black ensemble which consisted of a long sleeve sweater and black high waisted jeans Weird: Speaking about her eviction, the media buyer told Who magazine that being sent home during 'love in lockdown' was a bizarre and lonely experience Speaking about her eviction, the media buyer told Who magazine that being sent home during 'love in lockdown' was a bizarre and lonely experience. 'I don't recommend it to anyone... There's a red rose just staring at you and then you just close the laptop,' she said. 'Obviously, it's better to be with everyone because you can hug everyone goodbye and have a moment with Locky if you need it for that closure,' she added. Bel, who was at her home on the night she was sent packing, only had her producer to turn to for comfort after being abruptly cut off the Zoom call. Brutal: 'I don't recommend it to anyone... There's a red rose just staring at you and then you just close the laptop,' Bel (right) told Who magazine of her elimination. Pictured during last Thursday's rose ceremony, which took place over Zoom 'It was nice, he sat with me in the house afterwards and asked me if I was okay,' she said. At the end of last Thursday's episode, the series' first-ever virtual rose ceremony saw each of the remaining ladies standing by a rose. However, they could only pick it up if Locky called out their name. After Bel failed to receive a rose, she waved goodbye to the other ladies before her screen abruptly blanked out. The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on many people's lives and made it difficult for them to even fulfil their basic needs. The basic source of income has been cut off from them, there are many cases surfacing on the internet from all over India about people who have not got a single penny during these tough times. In light of the same, a visually impaired man in Ahmedabad Gujarat, named Thakkar Ashwin has been forced to sell homemade snacks after losing his only means of income - his job during the coronavirus pandemic. ANI This is a well known fact that the employment rate in the country is currently at an all-time low and millions of people have lost their jobs. However, Ashwin has courage and not to give up attitude and in Prime Minister words to be Atmanirbhar as he told ANI. In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's idea of Atmanirbhar Bharat, a visually impaired man along with his wife started to sell Gujarati snacks after he lost his job during the lockdown. The Courage of Man Led Him To Become ' Atmanirbhar' Ashwin Thakkar, who is visually-impaired, was working as a telephone operator in a hotel in Ahmedabad. Financial crisis during the COVID-19 induced lockdown gave an idea to Ashwin of starting his own business. In the month of May-June, he started selling Carrie as it was a season of the fruit. Later he started the business of dried Kutch dates and then switched to selling Farsan which is a Gujarati snack. ANI Speaking to ANI, Ashwin Thakkar said, "I have never done business before and I never thought the business would go this long. I started selling Carrie fruit then I started selling dried dates and now I have started selling homemade Gujarati snacks. Being blind it was difficult for me to do the delivery, bring raw materials but, with my will power I got success in doing business. My wife also supported me a lot. We are planning to set up a stall of sweets during the days of Dussehra and Diwali." ANI "As I am not able to see, many people come to help me. But, I believe that if we are fit we should not take the help of anyone. Everyone has some talent in themselves and if they work hard they will achieve success. I have learnt how to be Atmanirbhar," added Ashwin. Where some people are trying new ways to earn livelihood there are several cases where people are duping innocent job seekers in return of jobs offers. Unemployment Rises, People Are Duping Job Seekers 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 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. Brilliant move! Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted about actress Eva Longoria Bastons emcee role on the first night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention. No one is more in touch with the challenges & obstacles faced by everyday Americans than actors & celebrities. There was instant, online backlash. What else could be expected from a tweet regarding a convention that was completely virtual? The senator from Florida, who not too long ago was the sweetheart of the right, was tweeting an off-the-cuff, smarty-pants quip. It wasnt original; its a common observation from the right whenever a celebrity uses the spotlight in support of the left. It was a remark made along party lines, the type that sounds rehearsed and stale. And it wasnt personal; its not as if he made a snarky remark about Longoria Bastons small hands. But for those of us whove had an eye on Rubio from way back, it was disappointing. It was not so long ago Rubio was riding high. Young, Cuban American and charismatic, he put forth a vibe the Republican old guard was missing. He spoke of his parents immigrant story and their sacrifices for the American Dream. He worked to move Florida further right and said Ronald Reagan was his inspiration in a very Alex P. Keaton way. He delivered the State of the Union response in 2013. He ran for president in 2016, and things were looking good for the young upstart who spoke to conservative Latinos. Time Magazine called him The Republican Savior. But that was before he struggled on the presidential campaign trail, especially after attacking then-candidate Donald Trump. It was before he had issues with personal credit card charges on a business account. It was before he told a survivor of a high school shooting, who asked him if hed pass on National Rifle Association campaign donations, that hed always accept the help of those who agreed with his agenda. And it was before he tweeted a photo of himself shaking hands with Rep. Elijah Cummings in an attempt to honor Rep. John Lewis. Its what happens when one is beholden to the party or the job but not necessarily the people. On ExpressNews.com: Republican Wesley Hunt tries to use health care to break through in race against Lizzie Fletcher Longoria, on the other hand, earned the applause she received for her role in this years Democratic National Convention. The Mexican American actress from South Texas nailed it, just like she did four years ago when she proudly told delegates, Im with her! And eight years ago when she told delegates she was working to re-elect President Barack Obama because the Eva Longoria who worked at Wendys while in college needed a tax break, but the Eva Longoria who works on movie sets did not. Predictable along party lines? Sure. What is impressive is that she doesnt have to be involved but sees it as her duty as an American. Recently, she told the Daily Shows Trevor Noah that both parties need to do a better job understanding Latino voters rather than approaching this group as one giant bloc they assume votes Democrat. On ExpressNews.com: Fact-checking Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's claims about the murder rate in Austin Shes not just punting to politicians, either. On Aug. 31, Longoria Baston, actress America Ferrera and a handful of other Latina leaders launched She Se Puede, a digital platform that aims to educate, inform and empower Latina voters, reminding them they have the power to transform their lives, communities and their nation. She Se Puede aims to curate a social network promoting a modern Latina lifestyle, with articles and videos on food, parenting, wellness and beauty, but primarily civic engagement. Its a fresh approach at reaching those who dont vote because they dont think their vote makes a difference. And isnt that something the Democratic old guard is missing? Its the new face of Latinx political activism, and its real. So real, in fact, that she touched up her COVID-19 lockdown roots on a TV commercial. Mariaanglinwrites@gmail.com Pro-independence protesters hold placards as they attend a rally during Catalonia's day of 'La Diada' in Barcelona, Spain, on Sept. 11, 2020. (Nacho Doce/Reuters) Catalans Rally for Independence Despite Health Warnings BARCELONAWearing 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. A pro-independence protester holds a torch during a demonstration on Catalonias day of La Diada in Barcelona, Spain, on Sept. 11, 2020. (Nacho Doce/Reuters) 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. Pro-independence protesters hold placards as they attend a rally during Catalonias day of La Diada in Barcelona, Spain, on Sept. 11, 2020. (Nacho Doce/Reuters) 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. A pro-independence protester holds a placard that reads: Yes to democracy. No to dictatorship, as she attends a rally during Catalonias day of La Diada in Badalona, Spain, on Sept. 11, 2020. (Albert Gea/Reuters) 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 wrote on Twitter. Pro-independence protesters wear Esteladas (the Catalan pro-independence flag) during Catalonias day of La Diada, in Badalona, Spain, on Sept. 11, 2020. (Albert Gea/Reuters) Opinion polls show people in Catalonia are split on the issue of independence. The latest survey shows more respondents in favor 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 wrote on Twitter. The Spanish government makes the final decision on admitting refugees. By Joan Faus Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 12, 2020 08:30 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c445bf89 1 SE Asia diplomacy,ASEAN,South-China-Sea,law-at-sea,US-China-tension,Treaty-of-Amity-and-Cooperation,ZOPFAN,rules-of-engagement Free Every year, 10-nation ASEAN prides itself on being able to convene major powers with interests in Southeast Asia, offering a stage for diplomatic rivalries and geopolitical dynamics to play out. This year is no different, even though Vietnam as chair of the bloc has had to move the four-day summitry online as a result of the current pandemic. Among the most contentious of issues on the agenda is the South China Sea dispute, which has become the flashpoint for escalating tensions between the United States and China in the region. Tensions are simmering over the disputed waters, with the US last month sanctioning 24 Chinese state-owned companies it accused of assisting in Beijing's military buildup in the South China Sea. This year's ASEAN ministerial meetings also come days after Beijing launched ballistic missiles in the resource-rich waterway as part of live-fire exercises. But Indonesia and ASEAN in general have continued calls for self-restraint from all sides, so as not to complicate an already tense situation. In an address to the 10th East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers Meeting on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the US Navys recent activity was interfering with consultations between his country and ASEAN members to resolve their dispute. At the ASEAN-US Ministerial Meeting on Thursday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attempted to galvanize support from his ASEAN counterparts by urging them to stand up to Chinas maritime expansion in the waters and reconsider their business relations with Chinese state firms that bully ASEAN coastal states in the South China Sea. Read also: Pompeo urges Southeast Asia to shun South China Sea firms China claims most of the South China Sea despite the great distance from its coastline, but a 2016 international tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines and invalidated China's sweeping claims, which are disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. China has rejected the ruling and continues to build and militarize artificial islands as part of its claims over the sea, causing anxiety among Southeast Asian nations and giving the US a reason to pick a fight. In their joint communique issued on Thursday evening, a day after convening the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, ASEAN ministers addressed the South China Sea dispute by reaffirming the importance of maintaining peace security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation. Wording in the two paragraphs addressing the dispute remained similar to that of the previous year, but the ministers reported progress on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea negotiations, which aims to bring the resulting document in line with international law practices, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). We further reaffirmed the need to pursue peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with the universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, the ministers said in the joint communique. The joint communique is a document containing ASEANs common negotiated stance on various issues of regional concern. Read also: South China Sea rules cannot be negotiated virtually: Indonesian official The ministers also reaffirmed the importance of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) as the key code of conduct in governing inter-state relations in the region and a foundation for maintaining regional peace and stability. We were committed to further promoting the principles embodied in the TAC and emphasized the importance of all high contracting parties in fulfilling their obligations under the Treaty, they said. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has repeatedly stressed the importance of respecting the principles contained in the TAC and the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN) Declaration, beginning with the EAS meeting and in subsequent ASEAN post-ministerial conferences. The TAC is a peace treaty that legally binds its signatories to the promotion of regional peace and stability among ASEAN member states and other dialogue partners. It was signed by the leaders of the original member states in 1976, and was followed by later members. Other countries began signing the treaty a requirement to enter into a dialogue partnership with ASEAN in 2003, with China and India being the first countries to do so. The US signed it in 2009. Meanwhile, ZOPFAN is a Cold War-era ASEAN document that was signed by the associations five original members Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand in 1971. Nations that have subsequently joined the regional organization have automatically acceded to the agreement. It sought, with delayed success, to remove US and Soviet military bases from the region. Read also: The way forward on the South China Sea issues On Thursday at the ASEAN-US meeting, Retno said she brought up these two decades-old ASEAN documents to drive home the point that the bloc was established in the name of peace, stability and prosperity. The TAC not only relates to ASEAN but also [...] its dialogue partners, including the United States. Indonesia hopes that cooperation between ASEAN and the United States can continue and it can become a true partner for peace and stability, she told reporters after the meeting. Retno spoke more frankly about the issue during the ASEAN-Australia meeting later that day, during which she called for Australia to join ASEAN member states in taking the region away from being a stage for geopolitical contests. I would also like to point out that Australia acceded to TAC in 2005, in which there are the principles of rejecting the threat and the use of force, a commitment to resolving problems peacefully and continuing to prioritize cooperation, she told reporters. It is hoped that these principles can continue to be applied amid the current geopolitical challenges, she said. S Nagaraja Rao By Express News Service KADAPA: Ten years ago, he migrated to Kadapa district from Nepal and started working as a watchman at Duvvuru Rice Mill and at a school. He had three children, and his wife is seven months pregnant. But 10 days ago, Baji Bahadur (name changed) lost his life to coronavirus, leaving his family in dire straits. His wife Sarla (name changed) could barely understand, let alone speak Telugu, and couldnt even explain her problems to her neighbours. Due to the Covid-19 crisis, the family could not pay their house rent for the past four months. Taking note of their plight, residents of Duvvuru, led by a few voluntary organisations, came forward to assist the family. Bahadur had migrated to Kadapa district in search of work when he was 30 years old, and settled in Duvvuru. He eventually brought Sarla, and the couple had two daughters and a son. Though they were poor, they were able to make ends meet, with Bahadur working day and night. Unexpectedly, Bahadur contracted coronavirus and fell victim to it, leaving his family devastated. The people of Duvvuru stood by the family, with YSRC leader Sampat, Revolutionary Socialisty Party leader Subbarayudu, contractors and a few volunteers extending a helping hand. They pooled in money to clear the pending rent. Stating that the people of the town would continue to support the family, K Srinivasulu of Duvvuru said they could only provide temporary relief. The government should extend support and provide them a stable source of income to help the poor woman and her children, he added. Rent dues for 4 months cleared As the family was unable to pay their house rent for the past four months, the volunteers pooled in money and cleared the dues. Family gets cash, goods Volunteers gave the family Rs 5,000, essential goods worth Rs 3,000, and fruits and nutritious snacks. Actor Deepika Padukone was spotted at Mumbai airport on Friday. She was reportedly on her way to Goa to shoot for an upcoming film. According to a Times of India report, the Bajirao Mastani actor will be shooting for Shakun Batras next in Goa. The film also stars Siddhanth Chaturvedi and Ananya Pandey. Wearing a bright green shirt and pants combination, a pair of white sneakers, a contrasting pink handbag and with a mask on, Deepika cut a stylish picture. Siddhanth was also spotted at the airport by paparazzi. Deepika Padukone at airport. (Varinder Chawla) Deepika Padukone getting off her car at Kalina airport. (Varinder Chawla) As per the report, the film was initially to shot in Sri Lanka, but owing to the pandemic, it will now be shot in Goa. In an earlier report in Mumbai Mirror, an unnamed source had informed: The delay gave Shakun time to work on the script. Since shooting in Sri Lanka is not feasible, they changed the setting to Goa which has a similar landscape of beaches and vintage churches. Answering a question to Hindustan Times on the tone of the film, Deepika had called the film domestic noir: To be honest, you cant call Shakuns film light either... Although the overall tonality of the film is slightly lighter than my last film, in terms of inner, emotional turmoil my character goes through, its quite challenging. The overall genre of the film is something we havent seen much in Indian cinema, its called domestic noir. I dont think thats a genre we are very familiar with, but at the same time the audience is completely ready for it, as we have been exposed to that genre in different ways, whether through Hollywood films or OTT platforms. What I enjoy and look forward to, as far as this film is concerned, Shakun has this strong point with people and relationships. As an audience/ actor I have enjoyed watching and performing these sort of films, whether Piku (2015), Tamasha (2015), Love Aaj Kal, films that deal with intricate human relationships. 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 The film comes four years after Shakuns hit debut film, Kapoor & Sons. Follow @htshowbiz for more Pitting one race or one ethnic group against another is a game the Left has been playing for a very long time. In my 2014 documentary film, Theres No Place Like Utopia, I explored the rarely told history of Leftist exploitation of race and ethnicity, a practice that dates back to the 1930's. Soviet leader Josef Stalin focused his American propaganda efforts not on fomenting a workers revolution - unlikely given Americas free market history - but on discrediting the very idea of America both to its own citizens and the world. The Soviets decided the easiest way to discredit America was through racial division. The Soviet involvement began in 1932, after nine young black Americans were accused of raping two white women on a freight train in Alabama. Even before most Americans had heard of the so-called Scottsboro Boys, even before their guilt or innocence was determined, the Soviet Unions most famous propaganda artist had created a poster, Freedom to the Prisoners of Scottsboro! Public domain via Brown University Library The Soviets instructed their international apparatus, the COMINTERN, to employ its legal arm called "International Labor Defense," to push the NAACP aside and defend the young men, much as BLM has pushed the NAACP away today. In his book Black Bolshevik, party regular Harry Haywood proudly owned up to the strong-arm Communist tactics in Alabama. Scottsboro represented our first serious challenge to recognized Black reformist leadership, wrote Haygood. For the Soviets and their Leftist American allies, the Scottsboro boys provided a field of battle. If the Communists were to seize that field, liberal black reformers had to be eliminated. It was necessary to struggle on two fronts, Haywood wrote, for both deviated from the line of proletarian internationalism. The case of the Scottsboro boys dragged on for years, and Communist Party USA exploited the young men at every turn. For the COMINTERN the goal was not justice for the "boys" or racial equality. The goal was disruption and revolution. Some American blacks bought into the idea of socialism. They became known as "Black Bolsheviks." Hoping to embarrass the United States during the Depression, the Soviets lured many to the Soviet Union. Prominent among the Black Bolsheviks was an activist named Lovett Fort-Whiteman. In fact, the then conservative Time magazine called Fort-Whiteman the reddest of the blacks. A true believer in Communism and a willing propagandist, Fort-Whiteman proved to be a highly successful recruiter as well. Thousands of black Americans flocked to the Soviet Union during the Depression, Fort-Whiteman among them. Unbeknownst to them, Communists viewed American blacks as the raw material for revolution according to former KGB spy Konstantin Preobrazhensky. In this regards, Fort-Whiteman served as something of a prototype. The Left would use African Americans like Fort-Whiteman for their propaganda value and dispense with them when that value was exhausted. In the Soviet Union, that value was short-lived. The Black Bolsheviks in Russia proved to be too Americanized to yield to the mindless brutality of the Soviet regime. In time, Stalin did with them what he did with other troublesome minorities. He eliminated them. In 1938, Lovett Fort-Whiteman, the reddest of the blacks, was dispatched to the notorious Kolyma Gulag in Siberia, and he was dead within a year. No black American survived to tell the tale of the purge by the Communists that killed Fort-Whiteman and uncounted other Black Bolsheviks. Another Black Bolshevik was Chicago poet Frank Marshall Davis. He was sent to Hawaii in 1948 by the COMINTERN to assist in organizing a strike by the communist-controlled dock workers union, the ILWU. The goal was a takeover of the island and expulsion of US naval forces to pave the way for Soviet expansion in Southeast Asia. The strike failed after six months, but Frank Marshall Davis became a writer for the Hawaii communist newspaper and later mentored Barack Obama, radicalizing him during his formative years. I explore this relationship and more in my 2012 film, Dreams from My Real Father. The Russians continued to exploit black-white friction right up until the end of the Soviet era. Vasili Mitrokhin, the senior archivist for the KGB, confirmed this in his 1985 book, The Sword and the Shield. According to Mitrokhin, in 1971 KGB Chairman Yuri Andropov initiated a series of active measures to stir up racial tensions in the United States. One tactic was to send forged letters to prominent African Americans (Hank Aaron, likely being one of them) and attribute them to the Ku Klux Klan or the John Birch Society. The outspoken Communist Jim Jones, of Jonestown notoriety, boasted of doing the same and for the same reason: to keep African Americans stirred up and angry, making it easy to recruit and exploit them. Laird Wilcox, a lifetime ACLU member, has monitored extremist movements both Right and Left. According to Wilcox, many of Americas hard-core progressive groups made a conscious shift after the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet dream died. Rather than present Marxism-Leninism as their goal, Wilcox wrote, they piggy-back it onto anti-racism which is far more popular. They now stake out a claim as "anti-fascist watchdogs" and exert political objectives by expanding the definition of racism to meet their needs, to include more and more behaviors, and to require more and more invasive remedies. Those remedies were always socialism, of course. In researching my recent film, The Trayvon Hoax: Unmasking the Witness Fraud the Divided America, I saw how Soviet tactics had outlasted the Soviet Union. George Zimmerman, the young man who shot Trayvon Martin, was an Hispanic old-time liberal and a walk-the-walk civil rights activist. He devoted his free time to mentoring black youth. George believed in hope and change and voted for Obama. In 2012, however, Florida was the ultimate battleground state in a presidential election year, and the man running to retain the White House depended on a racially charged African American electorate to offset his flatlining U.S. economy. Jobs were scarce due to Obamas increasing taxation and regulations, and an influx of illegals was driving down wages in inner cities. Black voters were not motivated, not yet. As I presented with irrefutable evidence in The Trayvon Hoax, a fake witness was used to incriminate Zimmerman. Rachel Jeantel pretended to have been on the phone with Trayvon Martin prior to his beating of Zimmerman. Her changing story, her inability to read her own letter, and the apparent sudden change of her name and age were of no interest to the Left. It was as if the COMINTERN had resurfaced to take over the media and Democratic Party. The historical liberal belief in due process, equality before the law, and innocent until proven guilty was crushed under the Stalinist boot - in America! Unfortunately, the strategy worked. Obama narrowly won Florida and was re-elected president. If these Stalinist tactics carried Florida in 2012, the activists who control the Party concluded, why not roll it out nationwide in 2020? That is exactly what they have done, and black Americans are once again pawns in their game. Hollywood film director Joel Gilbert @JoelSGilbert is president of Highway 61 Entertainment. Among his many films are political documentaries including The Trayvon Hoax: Unmasking the Witness Fraud that Divided America, Trump: The Art of the Insult, There's No Place Like Utopia, Dreams from My Real Father, Atomic Jihad, and Farewell Israel: Bush, Iran and the Revolt of Islam. In route news, JetBlue is adding more California routes, including one from San Francisco, one from Palm Springs and several from Los Angeles; United tweaks its new no-change-fees policy; United also announced some new international service, including a route to India from SFO; American will push up the revival of LAX-Sydney flights and code-share them with Alaska; Air New Zealand and Emirates cut SFO schedules; and Salt Lake City will open its new airport next week. Like other airlines, JetBlue is focusing more on leisure markets as it revives its network, and it announced a bunch of new routes this week including several from California. Besides some transcontinental routes from Los Angeles which is playing a larger role in JetBlues operation following its decision to consolidate its Long Beach flights at LAX the new routes are mainly to points in Florida, the Caribbean and Latin America. Bay Area residents who want to check out Cancun, the popular resort town on the Yucatan Peninsula, will be able to get there on JetBlue from SFO starting Nov. 19 when the carrier introduces twice-daily flights on the route. The only other carrier offering nonstop service in the market is United. (Considering a trip to Mexico? Read this first.) JetBlue will also begin twice-daily LAX-Cancun flights on Nov. 19, along with new daily service from LAX to Palm Beach, Fla. On Dec. 18, JetBlue will start flying from LAX to Charleston, Raleigh/Durham and Richmond once a day, and will introduce new daily flights to San Jose, Costa Rica and twice-weekly service to Liberia, Costa Rica. Another new California transcontinental route starting Dec. 18 is Palm Springs-Ft. Lauderdale, with two flights a week. You can see the full schedule announcement here. JetBlue said it will reactivate some of its parked aircraft to fly the new routes, but it is also hedging its bets: These new markets will be regularly evaluated. The airline will remain flexible, allowing market demand to determine how long a particular route continues to operate. Its only been a couple of weeks since major airlines announced one after another that they would be getting rid of ticket change fees for good (or for the immediate future, at least). And already some changes are coming to those new policies. United Airlines has confirmed to The Points Guy blog that its no-change-fee policy, initially limited to domestic flights only (and not applicable for basic economy fares), will be expanded Jan. 1 to include flights to Mexico and the Caribbean. That could be because archrival American, which announced its policy a day after United, applied the no-change-fee plan to Mexico, the Caribbean and Canada as well as domestic flights. The blog also reported that Uniteds new policy comes with a footnote that travelers might not like: Customers who change reservations to a less expensive flight will not get a travel credit for the fare difference (although if they change to a more expensive flight, they will have to pay that fare difference). Speaking of United, we reported earlier this week that the carrier has unveiled plans to add more international service in 2021, including new daily 787-9 flights from San Francisco to Bangalore (Bengaluru), India a much-desired destination for the tech industry. When it starts next spring, it will be the longest route in Uniteds network at 8,701 miles. United already flies from SFO to New Delhi. Other routes United announced include three to Africa (Washington Dulles to Accra, Ghana and Lagos, Nigeria; and Newark to Johannesburg, South Africa) starting next spring; and new Hawaii service from Chicago to Kona and Newark to Maui beginning in the summer. American Airlines has pushed up the date to resume its Los Angeles-Sydney service from March 2021 to Nov. 10 this year, with plans to fly the route four times a week using a 777-300ER. As part of AAs closer partnership with Alaska Airlines, its LAX-SYD flights will also carry the Alaska code. Alaska is expected to become a full member of Americans Oneworld global alliance sometime in the next six months. (And our standard international flights disclaimer: Just because an airline is offering service from the United States to a foreign country doesnt mean you can go there. Many nations still maintain bans on U.S. and other international arrivals, and/or require a period of quarantine. Do your research.) Don't miss a shred of important travel news! Sign up for our FREE weekly email alerts. As passenger reservations continue to underperform industry expectations, airlines both domestic and international are starting to have second thoughts about some of the schedules they had planned for the fall and winter seasons, and are now reducing service or delaying the resumption of some routes. For example, Air New Zealand, which had planned to operate three weekly 787-9 flights from San Francisco to Auckland, has now canceled that service from Sept. 15 through March 27, according to its latest schedule filing in Routesonline.com. It will also cut back Los Angeles service from daily frequencies to three a week. The airline had previously said it was grounding all its 777s at least through the end of the year; this week, it said it doesnt expect any of those aircraft to start flying again before September 2021 at the earliest. And Emirates, which recently resumed service from San Francisco to Dubai, plans to reduce its schedule from daily frequencies to three a week effective Oct. 25-Nov. 30, then raise it to five a week starting Dec. 1. Emirates is also cutting back LAX service from seven flights a week to four on Oct. 25. In airport news, Sept. 15 marks the official opening of the new Salt Lake City Airport, a years-long, $4 billion rebuilding of the airports 50+-year-old facilities. On the night of Sept. 14, the airports Terminal 1 and 2, international terminal and parking garage will close, and the airports new parking garage (twice the size of the old one), new central terminal and new Concourse A-West will open for passengers. Concourses C, F and G of the original airport will remain open for six weeks until Oct. 27 when Concourse B-west opens, the airport said. At that point, the following airlines will move into Concourse B: Alaska, American, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest and United. The two concourses are connected via an underground tunnel. Departing travelers will use a new elevated roadway to access the terminal, while arriving passengers will exit via the ground level roadway. The new SLCs Concourse A-West will eventually be used exclusively by Delta, which operates a hub at the airport. Delta travelers will see a new 28,000-square-foot Delta Sky Club with an outdoor Sky Deck at the new airport, which also features five dozen restaurants and stores, new escalators and moving walkways, and new restrooms. The new facility will have a total of 78 gates, up from 71 previously. Still to come is a second phase that will give Concourse A a new east wing, but thats not due until 2024 after the demolition of existing structures. Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Chris McGinnis is SFGATE's senior travel correspondent. You can reach him via email or follow him on Twitter or Facebook. Don't miss a shred of important travel news by signing up for his FREE weekly email updates! SFGATE participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. The current situation of COVID-19 cases in India is out of control. With over ninety thousand cases almost everyday in the last one week, India has skyrocketed to the second worst his country in the world. In the last couple of days, many celebrities too have tested positive with the virus. Arjun Kapoor, Malaika Arora and Aftaab Shivdesani to name a few are currently home-quarantined and recovering from the virus. Also getting affected with Coronavirus, director Raaj Shaandiliyaa revealed that he showed only one symptom that was fever and is doing fine now. He was back home in Jhansi during the lockdown and had just returned to Mumbai with his wife and brother. Describing his condition, he said, I tested positive a couple of days ago. The only symptom I have is a fever. Ive no other symptoms. I am okay otherwise. Hopefully, I will be fit and fine soon. Heres wishing him a speedy recovery. Some people may have slowed down in 2020, amid a pandemic that has shut down much of the world. Not Chamath Palihapitiya . According to a new report in Bloomberg, Opendoor, the San Francisco-based company that aims to help people buy and sell homes with the push of a button," is in advanced talks to go public through a merger with Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp. II. The outlet says the blank-check company, which raised $360 million in April and is led by Palihapitiya, is "discussing raising fresh equity to help fund the transaction with prospective investors," and that the combined company would be valued at around $5 billion in the deal. It adds that nothing has been finalized and that the deal could still fall apart. We reached out to both Opendoor CEO Eric Wu and to Palihapitiya for comment. An Opendoor spokeswoman said the company has no comment; we have yet to hear back from Palihapitiya but will update this story if we do. Assuming the deal is fairly far along, and at a $5 billion valuation, one could see the appeal for Opendoor, which was last valued by private investors at $3.8 billion and that like many other venture-backed outfits has had a topsy-turvy 2020. Indeed, in April, it laid off 600 employees, or 35% of its workforce at the time, citing the "unforeseen impact on public health, the U.S. economy, and housing," prompted by COVID-19. In recent months, however, home sales around the country have been brisk, spurred by low mortgage rates and a heightened appetite for more space, particularly outside of crowded cities. According to a late-August report by the National Association of Realtors, U.S. home sales rose an unprecedented 24.7% in July, up 8.7% from the same time last year. Home sales rose 20.7% in June, too (which was a record at the time). The equation makes sense for Palihapitiya, too. For starters, Opendoor is a brand that many retail investors already know and can easily understand and would likely continue to support as a public company. In fact, its consumer appeal isn't so unlike that of the space tourism company Virgin Galactic, which Palihapitiya's first blank-check company ultimately went on to acquire after it raised $600 million in 2017. Story continues The combined outfit went public last October with a $2.3 billion market capitalization; its market cap is now above $4 billion. As for what Palihapitiya might do with a third special purpose acquisition vehicle that he also whipped together in April -- having raised $720 million, it's the biggest SPAC of the three -- stay tuned. The company has said it will use its IPO proceeds to buy a tech company that's primarily outside of the United States. In the meantime, Palihapitiya isn't focused on his own SPACs alone. He's also investing in Desktop Metal, a Burlington, Massachusetts company set to go public via a separate SPAC. Desktop disclosed plans last week to list on the New York Stock Exchange by merging with Trine Acquisition Corp., a blank-check company that raised $261 million in March of last year. Palihapitiya helped lead a $275 million PIPE (private investment in a public equity) investment to finance the deal. A new study finds that partisan conservative media led to "hurricane skepticism" among Trump voters before Hurricane Irma hit Florida in September 2017, discouraging evacuations. Why it matters: As the divided response to the coronavirus pandemic underscores, how we view the world politically is increasingly determining how we view the threat of natural catastrophes. With extreme weather on the rise, that's a dangerous recipe. What's happening: In a study published Friday in Science Advances, researchers from UCLA examined evacuation patterns for the hurricane using GPS phone location data from each affected voting precinct, which allowed them to compare the behaviors of likely Clinton and Trump voters living as closely as 500 ft. apart. They found Florida residents who voted for Donald Trump were between 10% and 11% less likely than residents who voted for Hillary Clinton to obey evacuation orders. That partisan gap was not present during Hurricane Harvey in August 2017 or Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. Context: The researchers theorize the partisan gap seen in Irma was due at least in part to conservative media pushing hurricane skepticism before the storm hit, casting doubt on official predictions of its severity and the need to evacuate. They cite a broadcast from Rush Limbaugh a few days before the storm's arrival, where the conservative radio host blamed government officials and the media for overhyping the hurricane to "advance this climate change agenda." While such "hurricane trutherism" existed in pockets before Irma, the researchers noted an unprecedented spike in Google searches for skeptic content in the days leading up to Irma. Irma ultimately caused 123 deaths in Florida, and it was the most expensive storm in the state's history. Of note: There is evidence that at least some people in Oregon are resisting evacuations from the state's wildfires in part because of baseless rumors that left-wing activists are setting the fires so they can loot abandoned houses. The bottom line: It's frightening to realize a growing number of Americans trust partisan media over authoritative sources even in matters of life and death. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday will hold talks with Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko, who faces the biggest protest of his nearly three-decade rule, the Kremlin said. Lukashenkos visit will be the first to Soviet-era master Russia by the Belarusian leader since protests broke out over his disputed election win last month. Putin has been keen to unify Russia and Belarus, and Moscow has accompanied its recent offers of military aid with calls for tighter integration. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday however there was no plan for the leaders to hold a news conference or sign any documents. The location of the working visit" in Russia was yet to be announced, he said. Lukashenko said last week that during his talks with Putin, he planned to dot all the is on issues that are very sensitive and delicate for the two states". Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years, has vowed that he will not give up power to the opposition, which claims its candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya was the rightful winner of the August 9 polls. She has taken shelter in EU member Lithuania after coming under official pressure. Mounting Western Pressure There were fresh global expressions of worry and outrage on Friday. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply concerned" over the use of force against peaceful protesters and also expressed worry over the detention of people exercising their legitimate democratic rights." The European Union, meanwhile, deplored the increasingly open disregard for the rule of law in Belarus, in particular the escalation of violence and forced exile of members of the Coordination Council" opposition grouping. The EU reiterates its determination to impose sanctions on individuals responsible for violence, the repression of peaceful protests and the falsification of election results and is ready to take further restrictive measures as necessary," a statement said. Lukashenko, 66, has had a volatile relationship with Moscow, playing it off against the European Union and ruling out an outright unification with Russia. But with Western pressure against Lukashenko mounting, his options are now limited. Since mass demonstrations against him began he has sought support from Putin, with regular phone calls between the leaders. Lukashenko has harshly cracked down on the protest movement with thousands detained, and those held in custody giving accounts of police violence and torture. Putin has swiftly congratulated Lukashenko on his victory and raised the possibility of intervening militarily. More than 100,000 people are estimated to have taken to the streets of the Belarusian capital Minsk over the past four weekends, and a new protest is planned for the coming weekend. Historically, Russians and Belarusians have enjoyed good relations and members of the opposition say the protests movement is not aimed against Russia. In an address to Russians this week, Tikhanovskaya said it was important not to allow politicians and propaganda trying to poison" ties between the two peoples. Belarus, an ex-Soviet state sandwiched between Russia and the European Union, has for years relied on Moscow for cheap oil and loans. The two countries have already formed a union state" that links their economies and militaries but the Kremlin has been pushing for a closer integration. Historic Maps In a symbolic gesture, the Russian ambassador to Minsk, Dmitry Mezentsev, on Thursday handed Lukashenko a gift of a book of historic maps depicting Belarus when it was part of the Russian Empire. The opposition formed a Coordination Council to organise a peaceful handover of power but the Belarusian authorities have detained senior members and pressured them to leave the country. One leading activist, Maria Kolesnikova, who is currently in jail in Minsk, issued a statement through lawyers saying security officers threatened to force her out of the country alive or in pieces." She said she ripped up her passport to resist forced expulsion but has been jailed on suspicion of making calls for actions aimed at harming national security." Its the story I never thought Id have to tell and the last story Id ever want to tell. But in the end, it was the story that gave me no choice. It is the story of my own fathers death. Liz Hayes telling the story of her father's death on 60 Minutes. Credit:Courtesy: 60 Minutes Bryan Ryan was a proud and trusting rural man who spent his entire 88 years living and loving life not too far from the meandering Manning River on the NSW mid-north coast. But in early September last year, his inherent country town trust was betrayed and within days dads life ended. Courtesy of Eagle RockThe sixth and final episode of The Who's "Join Together @ Home" weekly YouTube series, which features previously unseen archival concert performances, rare footage and more, premieres this Saturday, September 12, at 1 p.m. ET. As announced last week, the new installment will be the second of a two-part episode featuring footage from a July 2006 concert that the British rock legends played in Locarno, Switzerland. This week's episode will feature six songs from the event, held outdoors at the Piazza Grande in Locarno. In a brief preview of the episode that's been posted on the group's official YouTube channel, Who frontman Roger Daltrey discusses the Locarno concert, noting that it "was a very special show in a very special place." Daltrey adds that he has "very fond memories" of the event, while pointing out that it was a time when The Who's now-longtime touring drummer Zak Starkey had just gotten into the band. Also in the clip, Roger admits that life in lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic is starting to get to him. "I'm starting to go crazy, he says. "I need to go out. I really do need to go out." A previously noted, the "Join Together @ Home" features are free to view, although The Who is encouraging fans who watch it to donate money to two charities supported by the band -- Teen Cancer America and its U.K. counterpart, Teenage Cancer Trust. Visit Join-Together.org to donate. By Matt Friedlander Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. 12.09.2020 LISTEN Barbara Tommey was killed earlier this week on Wednesday at the hands of her disgruntled husband. The self-proclaimed prophet Sylvester Ofori walked into Barbaras job in Florida and murdered her in cold blood. The two were in the process of divorce after just getting married back in 2016, the signs were there but unfortunately were not addressed properly. There was an incident where police were called to their home on the grounds of domestic violence. Ofori resisted arrest and became combative with the police officer but the charges were later dropped. The ball was dropped in the case of Barbara Tommey, society as a whole failed her. Domestic violence is sadly all too common and it is not easy for victims to leave. Sylvester Ofori is of Ghanaian origin and the truth is his patriarchal mentality represents an even deeper issue. African women are not protected, they put up with being abused in the name of keeping the family together. Some women even believe that when a man begins to abuse you it means he truly loves you. When these women do speak up or try to leave, there are family members who advise them against that. Society encourages suffering in the name of perceived love, and divorce becomes such a shameful thing that people stay in the marriage. Tommey became one of the few women who did decide to leave and start over but it still led to her death. The prevalent patriarchal mindset in parts of Africa is that women are something to be owned. To some men, women are just like a car or watch that one parades around when convenient and disposes of eventually. The fact of it is this mentality will be passed down and normalized for generations to come. Barbara Tommey was only 27 years of age, she did not deserve to lose her life at the hands of the man that made vows to love and protect her forever. LONDON : UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called on his Conservative Party MPs to back a controversial parliamentary bill that would override parts of the Withdrawal Agreement struck with the European Union, or the so-called Brexit divorce pact. In a Zoom call with party members on Friday, he reportedly urged the members of parliament (MPs) not to return to the "miserable squabbling" over Europe and support his Internal Market Bill, which is intended to ensure no hiccups in Northern Ireland, the UK territory which shares a border with the EU member-state of Ireland. The bill is set to be formally debated in the House of Commons for the first time on Monday and focuses on the Northern Ireland Protocol the part of the Brexit divorce designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland. If it became law, it would give UK ministers powers to modify or "disapply" rules relating to the movement of goods between Britain and Northern Ireland that will come into force from January 2021, unless the UK and EU are able to strike a trade deal ahead of that. Writing in 'The Telegraph', Johnson sought to explain his reasons for the bill and warned that the EU could threaten to blockade parts of the UK unless it is passed. "We are now hearing that unless we agree to the EUs terms, the EU will use an extreme interpretation of the Northern Ireland Protocol to impose a full-scale trade border down the Irish Sea," he said. "We are being told that the EU will not only impose tariffs on goods moving from Great Britain (GB) to Northern Ireland (NI), 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," Johnson said. But many members of his own party and the Opposition have challenged the UK prime minister on his proposals, which are seen as a breach of international law. The European Union (EU) has called the move a serious breach of trust and threatened to take legal action if Johnson does not alter the bill by the end of the month. The two sides have less than five weeks to agree a post-Brexit trade deal to come into effect at the end of the Brexit transition period in December. Johnson has set a October 15 deadline for the talks, after which he says he is prepared to "walk away". Informal UK-EU talks are due to resume on Monday, with the next official round of talks the ninth since March starting in Brussels on September 28. Earlier this week, at the end of the eighth round of talks between the negotiators from both sides, UK Brexit Chief Negotiator David Frost said the exchange was useful" but that a number of challenging areas remain and the "divergences on some are still significant". There are a number of sticking points in the talks, including the so-called "level playing field" criteria, fishing rights and the future role of the European Court of Justice. Britain formally left the 27-member European economic bloc in January this year after a referendum in favour of the exit in June 2016. The ongoing Brexit transition period means all EU rules apply until the end of December, before which both sides must agree on a new arrangement or end up with a no-deal Brexit and resort to trading on broad World Trade Organisation (WTO) norms. 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 The 27 nations presented a firmly united front to the UK on Friday after the British government said it plans to violate part of their divorce agreement, warning London that there was little chance of a new trade deal unless the UK reverses course. The European Parliament's lead lawmaker on said that even if a free trade agreement is struck, the EU legislature will refuse to ratify it unless drops a proposal to override parts of the legally binding withdrawal agreement. Should the U.K. breach the withdrawal agreement, the European Parliament won't ratify a future agreement between the and the United Kingdom," said David McAllister, a German politician who heads the European Parliament's U.K.-EU coordination group. McAllister said the British bill was a serious and unacceptable breach of law. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's 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 it's not easy to negotiate our future relations under these threatening circumstances. EU leaders have expressed anger and bafflement at the U.K's announcement that it will breach an treaty with a bill that would diminish the EU's oversight of trade between mainland 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 leaves the EU's economic structures on Dec. 31. A no-deal 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 treaties. The British government has acknowledged it plans to breach international law with the Internal Market Bill, which would diminish the EU's 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. Johnson's 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. It's not about if we implement the Withdrawal Agreement and the Northern Irish protocol, it's 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 aren't on the verge of collapse and could continue even if the EU sues the U.K. for violating the withdrawal agreement. (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, Sept.12 Trend: Immediate actions are required by EU against Armenias illegal settlement policy in Nagorno-Karabakh, Peter M. Tase, the US expert in European and Latin American politics, told Trend. Dark clouds of regional insecurity and socio-political uncertainty in the outskirts of Europe is being fostered and quickly shaped through the double standard and suspicious silence coming out of Brussels and the heart of Europe. It is an arrogant behaviour on the part of EU and European leaders as they are hiding on the back rooms of Cognac Diplomacy set up by fascist Armenia. Immediate actions are required by EU and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Brussels is totally at fault and must impose economic sanctions against Armenian authorities and freeze their bank accounts. European Union is in a dangerous geopolitical situation and has come out as a weak alliance against anarchists, fascists coming out of Yerevan and - what is most disturbing - continue to defend the status quo, despite of terrible atrocities and crimes committed by fascist Yerevan against Azerbaijan, its environment and Azerbaijan innocent citizens. Armenia is holding hostage the European democracy and its institutions, by installing these Lebanese terrorist groups inside the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan Republic. OSCE Minsk Group is totally lost and irrelevant, as fascist Armenian leaders are fanning the fire of war. By establishing a new ethnic fabric inside Nagorno-Karabakh, sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, Armenia is violating international laws and EU Human Rights Convention, he said. And while Mr. Trump delivered a focused set of attacks on Mr. Biden at the Republican convention, he has swerved far off message in recent days as he has struggled to rebut reports that he disparaged American war dead and told the journalist Bob Woodward that he deliberately misled the public about the severity of the pandemic. In Wisconsin, Mr. Biden received 48 percent support compared with 43 percent for Mr. Trump. Thats a significant drop-off from June, when a Times/Siena poll showed Mr. Biden ahead by 11 points. Nearly all of the narrowing came as a result of Mr. Trumps recovering support from voters to the right of center, some of whom had expressed feelings of disillusionment in the earlier poll amid the ravages of the pandemic and a major wave of racial-justice protests. Mr. Biden is further ahead in Minnesota, 50 percent to 41 percent. Though no Republican presidential candidate has captured Minnesota since Richard M. Nixons re-election in 1972, Mr. Trump lost it by only 1.5 percentage points four years ago. His campaign wants to compete aggressively there to counter anticipated setbacks elsewhere in the industrial Midwest. Both nominees are headed there next week. Chris Rutherford, 51, of Minneapolis, is leaning back in Mr. Trumps direction as a result of recent unrest. A Republican who said he was dismayed by Mr. Trumps constant lying, Mr. Rutherford said he had been deeply troubled by the damage to his community inflicted first by the coronavirus pandemic and then by episodes of vandalism and rioting. Covid is wiping out these businesses and this was the nail in the coffin, Mr. Rutherford said, stressing, We cannot have these riots. Mr. Rutherford said that while he slightly favored Mr. Trump, he might still support Mr. Biden if he did more to warn of repercussions for people who grotesquely violate the law. Hong Kong Catholics 'Divided' Over Response to National Security Crackdown 2020-09-11 -- 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 preacher's personal views (such as his own view on a social or political issue) but God's 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 Kong's 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. 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 Police have launched a murder investigation following the disappearance of a 32-year-old woman in Exeter. Lorraine Cox was last seen in Exeter city centre on Tuesday last week. Four local men, aged 22, 30, 33 and 71, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in police custody. Detective Chief Inspector Lee Nattrass from Devon and Cornwall Major Crime Investigation Team said: Lorraine Cox had initially been treated as a missing person following concerns for her welfare from her friends and relatives. However, following a significant development in the case, we are now treating this as a murder investigation. Sections of Exeter City Centre were closed off by police yesterday in aid of the search operation and cordons remain in place on Thursday, Mr Nattrass added. Extensive searches by specialist officers are currently taking place in and around Mary Arches Street in Exeter City Centre. A cordon remains in place and the public are likely to see police activity ongoing in the area for the next few days." he said before urging anyone with information relating to Ms Coxs disappearance to come forward. We would like to hear from anyone who believes they had seen or heard from Lorraine since 1 September as a matter of urgency. If you have any information that can assist us with our investigation, please contact the police on 999 quoting log 285 for 9 September. The family of Ms Cox have been informed of this development and are being supported by trained liaison officers at this difficult time. They ask for their privacy to be respected. Search operations were launched after Ms Cox, a type 1 diabetic, disappeared overnight on 1 September, leaving her medical kit at home. Friends and family have handed out flyers and put up posters across Exeter with pictures of Ms Cox, including the last known photograph of her which was taken on the evening prior to her disappearance. On Wednesday, witnesses reported seeing a number of men being led away from a building in the city centre by officers in forensic suits. Police reminded people that any information relating to Ms Coxs disappearance can be given anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Give me a B: Laura Gallagher cant believe she got it wrong This is the moment when thousands of pounds slipped through Northern Ireland woman Laura Gallagher's hands. The Ballykelly student crashed out of Thursday's Who Want To be A Millionaire when she fluffed a 4,000 question: 'Which of these ITV daytime shows was first broadcast in 1988?' She was given the options: 'A. Dickinson's Real Deal; B. GMTV; C. Loose Women; D. This Morning.' After using up her 50/50 lifeline, she was left with GMTV and This Morning. She chose the former, saying "Okay, easy. It's GMTV". "Wrong answer", said host Jeremy Clarkson, adding: "I am struggling to think of anything to say to make you feel better. I'm sorry." Instead of 4,000, the PhD psychology student headed for home with just 1,000. "More than I came with," she quipped bravely. Islamabad: Pakistans Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Saturday defended his widely criticised meeting with popular extremist leaders, saying it was unfair to link everything to a sectarian leader also known as the godfather of militants. Nisar was referring to the criticism he faced from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for his meeting with Maulana Ahmad Ludhianvi, chief of the proscribed anti-Shiite Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ).The party had also accused him of maintaining friendly ties with Ludhianvi. How is it fair to link everything to Maulana Ludhianvi? Khan told reporters in Rawalpindi in response to a question. Which PPP leader did not meet leaders of proscribed organisations in their time? he asked.Khan created a storm after his last years meeting with so-called godfather of militants Maulana Samiul Haq and Ludhianvi among others which was widely covered by the mainstream media. The minister created another controversy last week when he told Senate that outlawed sectarian organisations should not be equated with terrorist outfits. Responding to criticism, Khan said that he was suggesting that there should be a separate law to deal with groups banned on sectarian basis from the militants groups. He said there was nothing wrong in saying that the Shia-Sunni conflict dated back 1300 years and is a part of the Islamic history. Taking credit for action against militants, Khan said, During my tenure, about 450,000 Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) and 32,400 passports have been blocked. There is no record of a single CNIC being blocked from 2002 till 2007, which reflects on negligence of previous governments. He said that efforts were being made to recover the five civil society activists who went missing in the past week. We are making efforts to recover all missing men so they could return to their families, Khan said. The minister also said that a meeting was held to discuss the future of special military courts to try hard-core terrorists but no decision has been taken so far. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. By Online Desk MUMBAI: A 62-year-old retired Navy officer was beaten up by alleged Shiv Sena workers here after he forwarded a cartoon on Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on WhatsApp on Friday, the police said. Four men were arrested in connnection with the incident, they said. The incident took place around 11.30 am in Lokhandwala Complex area in suburban Kandivali, an official said. #WATCH My father received threats for forwarding a message. A no. of ppl from Shiv Sena attacked him.Later,police came to our residence & insisted on taking my father with them.We've registered FIR: Sheela Sharma,daughter of former Navy officer who was attacked in Mumbai. (11.09) pic.twitter.com/SolGWw7Nyh ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2020 "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. Kamlesh Kadam and three others were arrested late in the evening, he said, adding that probe was on. (With PTI Inputs) Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. When facing a cancer diagnosis, people seek leading-edge care in a comfortable and compassionate setting close to home. Nebraska Cancer Specialists has a tradition of providing such care and recently added a new physician to its team. Nebraska native Dr. Mary Huerter Wells is seeing patients in Fremont and Omaha. Huerter Wells has completed her fellowship in medical oncology and hematology. She has a background in palliative medicine and a special interest in female cancers. She has a personalized approach to providing care to patients, said Kelly Horn, physician liaison. Huerter Wells acts as a partner to individuals diagnosed and spends the time to educate patients and their loved ones on the understanding of their diagnosis and choosing the right treatment plan thats best for them. In her biographical data, Huerter Wells personable attitude and sense of humor come to light when she says she enjoys testing new recipes on unsuspecting loved ones and imagining what her dogs would say if they could talk. Huerter Wells has two stepsons and said she enjoys coercing her husband into playing board games. Nebraska Cancer Specialists was started by Dr. Robert Langdon and Dr. Margaret Block in 1989. Since then, the practice has grown to include 12 medical oncologists, one radiation oncologist, one nuclear medicine physician, 14 nurse practitioners, three Physician Assistants and almost 200 devoted professionals operating at eight locations throughout the state including the Fremont Health Park Plaza Medical Center at 450 E. 23rd St. No matter which location a patient visits, they're cared for by a team consisting of a dedicated medical oncologist, advance practice provider, nurse case manager, medical assistant and scheduler. Besides providing caring medical professionals, NCS continues to serve as a regional leader in cancer diagnosis, treatment and research. The research program, which has grown, conducts phase I-IV trials and has enrolled more than 200 patients in clinical trials in the last few years. Currently, NCS has more than 100 active clinical research trials available. The focus of these research trials is to bring the latest anti-cancer therapies to the Midwest, Horn said. This program is a turning point for cancer patients in Nebraska, who will play a key role in accelerating cancer research, leaving a legacy for those that follow. Its Legacy NCS Early Phase Clinical Trials program helps advance cancer research while offering hope to patients facing the toughest cancer diagnoses. Legacy NCS provides the latest clinical trial drugs available to advanced-stage cancer patients, who do not respond well or are not expected to benefit from the available standard of care treatment substantially, Horn said. Horn points out the benefits of patient involvement in clinical trials. One of the best things about being on a research trial is you get an extra layer of compassionate care, Horn said. Not only are you working with your medical oncologist and their care team, youre also working with a research team. You get a lot of extra care." The NCS research team is comprised of dedicated research physicians, advanced practice providers, research nurses, data coordinators, a regulatory coordinator, research pharmacy technicians, research assistants, a research manager, and a research director. Altogether, the team has combined more than 100 years of experience conducting clinical research trials. Horn added that the research team can get a trial running in two weeks. NCS continues to grow. Not only has Nebraska Cancer Specialists expanded its clinical research trials program, weve also added two new locations, Horn said. One is in the Think Whole Person Health Person Health Care at 71st and Center streets in Omaha, providing convenient access to current and future patients. Our focus is and always has been providing the highest level of patient care and the best experience, Horn said. Easy access to health care is key. We look forward to offering our patients this opportunity to receive services from Nebraska Cancer Specialists in a convenient location, she said. Think Whole Person Healthcare is a large, independent primary care clinic. The clinic provides a variety of services, such as primary care, orthopedic, oncology, physical therapy and other services, all in one location. The one-stop location works especially well for retired individuals. NCS also has expanded its clinic at the Pender Community Hospital. The clinics at Pender and in the Think Whole Person feature consultation appointments, follow-up visits, side-effect management, genetic counseling, nutrition services and referrals to NCS providers for mental health counseling, occupational therapy, financial advocates, social work and clinical trials. And NCS has a clinic within the Whole Person Healthcare clinic. Dr. Joel Michalski and Dr. Nagendra Natarajan see patients at this clinic. We are looking forward to expanding our NCS footprint and to deliver the same level of advanced hematology and oncology care patients have come to know and trust, Michalski said. NCS provides extensive access to clinical trials, cutting-edge therapies and integrated healthcare services, which are essential components to treatment and recovery. With this expansion (into the Pender community and the Think Whole Person Clinic), we are able to provide care in a location that is convenient for our patients and their families, Michalski said. Dr. M. Salman Haroon, who sees patients in Fremont, is also seeing patients in Pender, Omaha and West Point. Haroon points out the benefit of patients receiving personalized care and leading-edge treatments in their own neighborhood. "Patients really need help not only medically, but emotionally, socially, financially so there are a lot of aspects that go into it," he said. Natarajan said it's important to focus on individualized care. "In my practice, my goal is to educate every patient regarding their diagnosis, discuss standard and clinical trial treatment options and provide the personalized care they deserve," he said. "Here at NCS, I have the privilege to practice medicine and provide care as it was meant to be." Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. After Astrazeneca resumed Oxford University coronavirus vaccine trial in the United Kingdom, Serum Institute of India on Saturday said that they will restart the trial in the country once the apex drug regulator allows. Commenting on the resumption of trial, Adar Poonawalla, the chief executive officer of Serum Institute of India said, "We should not jump to conclusions until the trials are fully concluded." AstraZeneca paused its trials late Tuesday after observing a single event of an unexplained illness that occurred in the UK phase III trial". Later, Pune-based drug maker suspended the clinical trials of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine in the country. The vaccine maker took the decision based on instructions from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) V.G. Somani. On Wednesday, the central drug regulator issued a show-cause notice to the company, asking it to explain why it was not informed about AstraZeneca pausing the clinical trial of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine candidate. Commenting on the resumption of trial in India, Poonawalla said, "The recent chain of events are a clear example why we should not bias the process and should respect the process till the end." Oxford University said in a statement that the UK regulator had recommended that the trials resume after an independent review of the safety data. "The UK committee has concluded its investigations and recommended to the MHRA that trials in the UK are safe to resume," said the Astrazeneca. AstraZeneca's pause of an experimental vaccine for the coronavirus after the illness of a participant is a "wake-up call" but should not discourage researchers, the World Health Organization's (WHO) chief scientist earlier said. "This is a wake-up call to recognise that there are ups and downs in clinical development and that we have to be prepared," Soumya Swaminathan told. Serum Institute of India partnered with AstraZeneca to manufacture the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine candidate for low-and-middle income countries. Pune-based vaccine maker earlier shortlisted 17 sites in India for the Phase II clinical trial of COVID-19 vaccine. At least 1,600 candidates aged between 18 to 55, will participate in the trial. . Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Manitoba has now issued 3,511 Letters of Advice to Apply this year. Manitoba PNP invites 212 candidates to apply for nomination Manitoba has now issued 3,511 Letters of Advice to Apply this year. Manitoba PNP invites 212 candidates to apply for nomination Manitoba has now issued 3,511 Letters of Advice to Apply this year. Manitoba PNP invites 212 candidates to apply for nomination Manitoba has now issued 3,511 Letters of Advice to Apply this year. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Friendly Manitoba has held another invitation round, inviting 212 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence on September 10. The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) invited skilled workers and international student graduates through three immigration streams: Skilled Workers in Manitoba, Skilled Workers Overseas and International Education streams. The invitations, also known as Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs), were distributed as follows along with their respective Expression of Interest (EOI) score requirement: Skilled Workers in Manitoba 168 LAAs with a minimum score of at least 475; Skilled Workers Overseas 9 LAAs with a minimum score of at least 824; and International Education Stream 35 LAAs, no EOI score requirement. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration program The province has issued 3,511 LAAs to immigration candidates in these categories so far in 2020. This was Manitobas 98th draw since the program began in April 2014. Express Entry Among the LAAs issued in the September 10 draw, 22 went to candidates with a valid profile in the federal Express Entry system. Candidates who qualify for the Express Entry pool are ranked based on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score that considers human capital factors such as age, work experience, education, and language ability. The highest-scoring candidates are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence through regular draws from the Express Entry pool. Those who receive a provincial nomination are awarded an additional 600 CRS points and are effectively guaranteed an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Express Entry candidates who received a provincial nomination from Manitoba in this draw declared a valid Express Entry ID and provided a job seeker validation code. Manitobas EOI system People who want to immigrate through Manitobas Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) need to register an Expression of Interest with the MPNP to receive an LAA through the Skilled Workers in Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas streams. Under Manitobas system, such candidates are ranked out of 1,000 points for human capital characteristics such as their English or French language skills, education, work experience, Manitoba connections, and other factors. About Manitoba immigration streams The Skilled Workers Overseas Category and Skilled Workers in Manitoba streams allow the province to nominate skilled workers who can support Manitobas labour market needs. People who are applying from overseas need to have an established connection to Manitoba. This can be demonstrated through close family ties or friends in the province, previous experience in Manitoba, or an invitation under one of the MPNPs Strategic Recruitment Initiatives. Candidates do not need to be physically present in Manitoba at the time of the application to be eligible. Successful candidates in the Skilled Workers in Manitoba category must meet certain criteria, such as having a full-time permanent job offer from an employer in Manitoba. International students that graduated from an educational institution in Manitoba may receive an LAA under the International Education Stream if they have in-demand skills. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration program 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved The Ogun State Police Command have arrested a 23-year-old man, Asogba Dansu, for killing his 60-year-old aunty, Iyabo Dansu, over her alleged involvement in witchcraft. Mr Dansu, who was arrested on Friday, allegedly perpetrated the act on August 22. According to a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES by Ogun police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, on Saturday, the suspect admitted killing his aunt. The suspect was arrested following a report by two children of the deceased who reported at Ipokia divisional headquarters that they received information on the 22nd of August 2020 about the demise of their mother who is not known to be suffering from any illness. After the deceased was buried, the children claimed they got information from neighbours that Mr Dansu who is a nephew to the deceased, was seen in her house shortly before the woman was declared dead. This rose the suspicion of the people of the community and they threatened to carry out a traditional ritual which will expose the killer. On hearing about the intention of the community to go spiritual about the death, the suspect, Dansu Asogba came out and confessed being the one responsible for the womans death, the Police statement partly read. Upon his confession, the DPO Ipokia division, Adebayo Hakeem asked his detectives to (go to) the scene where the suspect was promptly arrested. On interrogation, he admitted killing the deceased but claimed that he did so because of his belief that the deceased was witch responsible for the death of his first child and the subsequent miscarriage suffered by his wife. He confessed further that it was an iron rod he used to hit the woman on the neck which resulted to her death, police said. ALSO READ: The state commissioner of police, Edward Ajogun, has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to the homicide section of the state criminal investigation and intelligence department for further investigation and prosecution. Mr Oyeyemi also said the CP expressed concern over the ignorance of the suspect as he warned citizens against taking laws into their hands. He was looking to get some work on his hands but never imagined that his hand would be cut off, says Ikram Salmani, the elder brother of Ikhlaq Salmani. Ikraam says his brother was attacked for being Muslim. Police, though, are prima facie ruling out a communal angle, saying he was caught while trying to sexually assault a child. Ikram says his brother, 28-year-old barber Ikhlaq, had his right hand chopped off on August 23 by two men in Panipat when he went there in search of a job. Ikram says, He left his home in Nanauta, 33 km from Saharanpur, for Panipat. It turned dark when he reached Kishanpura, Panipat. He didnt have any place to stay, so he decided to spend the night at a park. Two people came and they stopped him from sleeping there. They started beating him after learning his name. Ikram says Ikhlaq collapsed there and he needed to drink some water. He thought of getting help from people living near the park. In a semi-unconscious state, he knocked on a door, and, unexpectedly, it was opened by the two men who had beaten him at the park. They dragged him inside the house and beat him badly. Including two women, there were six people involved. He was beaten with sticks and they hit his head with a stone. He was bleeding and begged them to let him go but no one was ready to listen," Ikram alleges. They saw 786 (a representation of Bismillah) tattooed on his right hand and one of them said lets separate this tattoo from his body and then they chopped off the hand with a saw. They dumped Ikhlaq at the railway tracks in Kishan Pura, thinking he was dead. The next morning, when he regained consciousness, he sought help from a passerby and informed his family." An FIR was lodged at Chandni Bagh police station in Panipat, Haryana. Ikram has also questioned the polices role in the matter. I want justice for my brother. The police are not investigating the matter properly under pressure from the state government. The police are saying my brothers hand was cut off by a train. They are hiding real facts to make it an accident case. My brothers life has been ruined. They not only cut off his hand, but his dreams too," he says. Ikram says he visited the area where the incident occurred. I went to the spot to know the truth. A few who live in that colony have accepted the fact that on the night of August 23, some people were beating a man," he claims. However, the man who Ikhlaqs family have accused of assault, has denied the charge and alleged that Ikhlaq was involved in child trafficking. I was sleeping next to my 7-year-old nephew in our house when Ikhlaq took him. I informed my family members that I found the child missing. We were searching for him and after walking around half a km we were shocked to see Ikhlaq was sexually harassing my nephew and both were in a state of undress," he says (name withheld to protect the identity of the minor). On the question of Ikhlaqs hand, he replies, We beat him when we found him sexually assaulting the 7-year-old but Ikhlaq managed to run away from us. We did not cut his hand." The boys uncle also alleges that Ikhlaq broke two of his teeth and there were marks of assault on his body. The child was sent to Kundu hospital in Panipat for a medical test. When this reporter asked him to share the childs medical report for adding to this report, he replied, I dont have the report right now. I will send it to you the next day." Hes stopped responding to calls since then. After 14 days of the incident, Randhir has registered an FIR on September 7 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act at Chandni Bagh police station and, under section 164 of CRPC, the childs statement has been registered in front of a magistrate. The matter has snowballed on social media with many sharing Ikhlaqs photos, seeking justice for him. Inspector Ankit Nandal, who is investigating the matter, says, Prima facie it appears the man was involved in the sexual assault of a minor boy. Bachche Bhagwan ka roop hote hain aur jooth nahi bolte (children are the human representations of God and they dont lie). We are investigating all possible angles and whoever is found guilty will face action." The incident took place around 11.30 am in Lokhandwala Complex area in suburban Kandivali, an official said Mumbai: A 62-year-old retired Navy officer was beaten up by alleged Shiv Sena workers after he forwarded a cartoon on Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on WhatsApp on Friday, the police said. Four men were arrested in connection with the incident, they 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. Kamlesh Kadam and three others were arrested late in the evening, he said, adding that probe was on. Tesla owners have found parts inside their Model Y cars held on by straps that don't appear to be standard. In forums, some owners said the parts looked like someone had "made a run to Home Depot to make Q2 numbers." It isn't clear how widespread the possible use of the non-standard parts is, or if they can cause any issues with the cars' performance. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The new Tesla Model Y is seen at its unveiling in Hawthorne, California on March 14, 2019. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images Some Tesla Model Y owners have made an interesting discovery when exploring the inner bowels of their vehicles. "Someone made a run to Home Depot to make Q2 numbers," someone said on the Tesla Motors Club forum last week, along with a photo of what appears to be a cooling unit held in place by plastic straps and faux wood. Related: Why Teslas accelerate so fast The user said it wasn't in an easily accessible place, beneath the vehicle's frunk insert, but they were already diving into the car's innards to fix a separate issue when they found the straps. "I wouldn't recommend doing it just to look for this," they said. But it didn't stop others from searching and following up with their own found examples. According to The Drive, the part in question is the car's Liquid Cooled Condenser, which is responsible for not only making sure the battery doesn't overheat but also cooling the powertrain and cabin air conditioning as well. The site also uncovered several YouTube videos that show a more form-fitting covering holding the part in place. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. To be sure, it's not clear if the materials have had any effect on the cars' operation, although Car and Driver also called some elements of the Model Y build quality into question in its review of the car. Read the original article on Business Insider A seriously smiley fish and a photobombing giraffe are among the hilarious finalists for the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020. The competition, founded by photographers and conservationists Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, announced the top 44 images on Friday. This year, they include a fox in heavy negotiations with a mouse, a bear waving hello and a Kingfisher landing on a "No Fishing" sign with his catch in his beak. The awards both showcase funny images of earth's wildlife and raises awareness for conservation. A Kingfisher landing on a "No Fishing" sign with his catch in his beak / Sally Loyd-Jones/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020 The Category and Overall Winners will be announced on October 22. Joining Mr Joynson-Hicks and Mr Sullam on the judging panel is wildlife TV presenter and writer Kate Humble, actor and comedian Hugh Dennis, wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas, co-founder of Amazing Internet Andrew Skirrow and Photographer Simon Pollock. A racoon is stuck upside down in a hollow tree / Charlie Davidson/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020 Wildlife expert and co-founder of BFF Will Travers OBE, Managing Director of Affinity, Ashley Hewson, the Telegraphs online travel editor Oliver Smit, Bella Lack, an inspiring and next generation conservationist and finally Celia Dunlop, a brilliant picture editor, are also judging the competition. But the public can also vote for a winner of the People's Choice Award. A seriously smiley fish is one of the finalists / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020 The top image will win a one-week safari with Alex Walker's Serian in the Masai Mara, Kenya as well as a unique handmade trophy from the Art Garage in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The competition is also supported by The Born Free Foundation, Affinity photo, Amazing Internet, Think Tank, Alex Walkers Serian, Spectrum Photo and Nikon. To raise promote how to be a "conservationist at home", the CWPA said: "With the recent lockdown, we have all got used to doing things slightly differently, including shopping closer to home, so why not carry on? "It helps in all sorts of ways from supporting small, local businesses to shrinking your carbon footprint and is way more fun! And if you can avoid buying un-recyclable products and one-use plastics/packaging, even better." "One of the easiest things to do... put a plant box on your windowsill, grow some flowers, and give the bees somewhere to go," it added. Ten days of Extinction Rebellion protests have drawn to a close in Westminster with topless activists chaining themselves to the fences around parliament and an arrest over the defacing of a statue of Winston Churchill. At least 648 people were arrested over the course of the action, including a man who was held by officers on suspicion of criminal damage following the daubing of the phrase is a racist alongside the statue of the former PM. Similar graffiti daubed during Black Lives Matter protests earlier in the year prompted anger and the erection of temporary casing to protect the monument. 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." The defacing of the statue came after topless activists attached themselves to the railings outside parliament while holding aloft a banner that read cant bare the truth? Locking themselves to the metal boundaries to the parliamentary estate with bicycle locks, 30 semi-naked campaigners for the environmental group sat with face marks bearing the figure 4C - a reference to the temperature rise required to trigger widespread ecological disaster. Each also had words painted onto their chests including drought, starvation and wildfires to highlight the anticipated consequences of global warming. The Metropolitan Police confirmed protesters had dispersed after 7pm, in line with conditions imposed on the event. Sarah Mintram, a teacher who took part in the action, said: "Now we've got your attention. By neglecting to communicate the consequences of a 4C-world - war, famine, drought, displacement - the Government are failing to protect us." It comes after home secretary Priti Patel described the activists as "so-called eco-crusaders turned criminals", while pledging to prevent "anarchy on our streets". Meanwhile Prime Minister Boris Johnson criticised their "completely unacceptable" action in blocking the delivery of some of the UK's major newspapers earlier in the week. Additional reporting by agencies Domestic incidents. Drug activity. Calls of shots being fired. Assaults. A series of fights and noise complaints. A shooting death leading to murder charges in November 2019. These are just a sampling of the onslaught of calls and incidents the Auburn Police Department has handled at 8 Delevan St. over the last year, exhausting police resources and terrifying neighbors, though the home owner said he feels a lot of the calls from neighbors have been unnecessary. From July 31, 2019 to the morning of Sept. 11, 2020, there have been 88 calls requiring a police response at that one address, Auburn Police Chief Shawn Butler said. The frequency of incidents, which have resulted in various arrests, is one of the reasons why the Auburn government has taken steps, unprecedented in the city's history, to attempt to have the house condemned. The latest action in that effort happened in the past few days. The city filed a complaint in the state Supreme Court in Cayuga County seeking an injunction to effectively seize and shut down the property. If successful, an injunction would provide an immediate remedy to the issue as the longer court process plays out, city officials said. A summons was served on the property owner Friday night by the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office. Butler personally delivered a Notice of Public Nuisance and Opportunity to Abate Public Nuisance to the owner, who is at least a part-time resident there, in May. The owner is Brant C. Wright, who also lists an address in Moravia. The spring notice ordered corrective action halting criminal activity on the property to be taken within 30 days, or the city would file a civil complaint against the property owner, seeking year-long condemnation of the residence. That 30-day period came and went, Auburn Assistant Corporation Counsel Nate Garland said, without the public nuisance being abated, leading to the most recent action. Garland said the city's usual process server felt unsafe serving papers to the 8 Delevan St. address, so the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office did it instead. Butler said the APD began looking into what kind of relief the other residents on Delevan could receive after a homicide took place at the property last year. Three Auburn residents are accused of being involved in the shooting death of Joshua Poole, 36, on Nov. 15. Gage Ashley was charged with first-degree murder, Tyree Anglin was charged with second-degree murder and Lucciano Spagnola was charged with second-degree murder. At a press conference last fall announcing the arrests, Butler said the death was "another tragic and senseless outcome resulting from the scourge that surrounds the illegal activities and use of narcotics in our community." The city's complaint said it became apparent to the APD during the homicide investigation that "the property functioned as a 'drug house,' and the various comings and goings of those individuals involved in illicit activity had become a blight on the neighborhood, homicide notwithstanding." In an interview with The Citizen Saturday, Wright said he hadn't had a chance to look through the entire complaint yet, but said he felt many of the calls for service have stemmed from 911 calls from neighbors about "every little thing," such as a single loud noise. He said many of the incidents have not ended in arrests and added that some people who have been arrested on the property have been picked up for unrelated arrest warrants. He said the November homicide was a robbery and home invasion and that he didn't know the three people charged with the crime. Wright added that he understands neighbors' concerns following the death. "They overreact, and I understand that because of what happened, but that could have happened to anyone on this street," Wright said. The building is "not a drug dealer house or anything like that," Wright said, though he mentioned some people who have been on the property during police visits have had drugs with them before. A public nuisance ordinance has been on the city's books for decades but hasn't been used until now. Butler said Friday that Wright "lives there, he owns it, he's part of the problem." Butler said he told Wright back in May the APD can assist him but he has to "step up" and request the assistance. If there are people staying at the residence that Wright doesn't want there, Butler continued, the city can assist him with the proper steps to have those people evicted. Butler said he gave Wright his card, but Wright hasn't contacted him. Wright said Saturday that he has tenants for the property, and those tenants have guests. He added that APD have told them they could help him if there were people at the property he didn't want there, and he had called the department to take them up on that before. However, Wright continued, officers have told him that his tenants are allowed to have guests and he can't remove them, so he feels is "caught between a rock and a hard place." Wright said he will do what he can to try to keep people away. Even if the building is condemned for a year, Butler said, it likely won't completely solve the problem, since the residents of the house will go somewhere else. "It goes way beyond quality-of-life issues. This residence fosters criminal behavior by many, many people, and it is our job, obviously, to rectify that for the good, tax-paying neighbors that surround that residence," Butler said. "So this was kind of a last-ditch effort, 'what can we do to try and rectify this?'" Constantly sending officers to the house has also sucked up APD's resources, time and effort. The chief said this effects every unit of the department, including the drug unit, detective unit and the patrol unit that responds to every call connected to that property. Butler added that he doesn't want Delevan residents to continue to contend with these problems in their neighborhood. "It's got to be an absolute nightmare. I feel horrible for these people, I wish we could do more," he said. "I mean, I'm looking at these calls for service, we're there every other day it's ridiculous." If the city is able to get relief through the court, the process will likely be utilized in the future. The city has "a handful of problem properties," Butler said, they will target in the future if this is successful. "I hope that it's a warning to our absentee landlords who own properties in the city, who rent and know that they rent to disorderly individuals. We're not going to tolerate it anymore. This should be a shot across the bow that if we get relief through the court action, then we're going to take every necessary action we can to hold you accountable," Butler said. "That's all it is. You are accountable. You can't just rent, walk away, collect a paycheck and not be responsible for the property or the comings and goings of what's going on at the property. You do have some responsibility to keep that property orderly for the sake of the neighbors in the city." Another notable recent incident at the building was the arrest of Scott A. Corey Sr. in July 2020. The Finger Lakes Drug Task Force, the APD and state police in executed a search warrant at the residence, where Corey had been using the garage as a living area, and found a loaded "ghost" handgun a weapon without serial numbers and is assembled in parts instead of being bought at a gun shop or another retailer a small amount of the synthetic drug molly, money and scales. Corey was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm and possession or sale of a mislabeled dangerous substance. A great deal of effort went into making the city's case against against 8 Delevan St. Garland said "certain legal elements that must be met" for an injunctive relief to be ordered. After the public nuisance notice's 30-day period ended in mid-June, a letter was sent out to people who live in the vicinity of the property. The letter explained the city was planning on taking legal action, and said it would help if they told their stories. Eventually, four people who live near by signed sworn affidavits on how living near this residence has impacted their daily lives, Garland said. He added that he hopes those affidavits help the court make a decision toward relief. "I don't feel safe to sit outside or open up windows or doors," one of the neighbors said in a statement filed with the city's complaint. "Many times I am awake half the night with fights and arguments. ... There aren't enough words to say the hell that people on this street are going through." Beyond the four who supplied affidavits, Garland said many people in the neighborhood told him they want to sell their houses "but they know they can't because of this particular house." Earlier this month, a person who lives nearby called him in tears, saying they were considering moving in with a relative. "It really hammered home that the criminal justice system doesn't address all possible harms that are (inflicted) upon people," Garland said. "There's no crime of being a bad neighbor. There's nothing that penal law can really offer the residents of Delevan Street and the neighbors of Delevan Street, and so hearing from members of the community about how this house essentially terrorized them had an impact on me." Calls for service Auburn Police Department calls for service to 8 Delevan St. in Auburn: Domestic, 7/31/2019 Warrant arrest, 7/31/2019 Juvenile, 8/30/2019 Burglary, 9/13/2019 Check welfare, 9/16/2019 Larceny, 10/3/2019 Stand by, 10/12/2019 Stand by, 11/8/2019 Suspicious incident, 11/9/2019 Shots fired, 11/15/2019 Suspicious person, 11/18/2019 Fight, 12/4/2019 Noise, 12/7/2019 Fight, 12/14/2019 Check welfare, 12/31/2019 Noise, 1/6/2020 Check welfare with med, 1/7/2020 Domestic, 1/10/2020 Arrest warrant, 1/24/2020 Suspicious vehicle, 1/31/2020 Fight, 1/31/2020 Suspicious vehicle, 2/1/2020 Assault, 2/3/2020 Suspicious person, 2/4/2020 Domestic, 2/9/2020 Property Check-off1, 2/16/2020 Property check-off1, 2/17/2020 Noise, 2/21/2020 Noise, 2/22/2020 Suspicious incident, 2/22/2020 Noise, 2/29/2020 Unknown trouble, 3/8/2020 Stand by, 3/11/2020 Suspicious incident, 3/12/2020 Drug inv., 3/12/2020 Check welfare, 3/16/2020 Suspicious incident, 3/20/2020 Larceny, 3/22/2020 Fight, 3/25/2020 Shots fired, 3/29/2020 Unknown trouble, 4/9/2020 Special det-law, 4/10/20 Inv-law, 4/17/20 Inv-law, 4/17/20 Unknown trouble, 4/21/20 911 hang-up, 5/13/2020 Arrest warrant, 5/16/2020 TS, 5/21/20 Fight, 5/22/20 Unknown trouble, 5/22/20 911 hang up, 5/24/2020 Overdose, 5/24/2020 Inv-law, 5/31/2020 Fight, 5/31/2020 Inv-law, 6/2/2020 Suspicious law, 6/9/2020 Fight, 6/11/2020 Unwanted guest, 6/19/2020 Arrest warrant, 6/24/2020 911 hang up, 6/25/2020 Inv-law, 6/25/2020 Neighbor, 6/26/2020 Assist by law, 6/27/2020 Assist by law, 6/28/2020 Assist by law, 7/5/2020 Assault, 7/8/2020 Suspicious vehicle, 7/14/2020 Assist by law, 7/17/2020 Drug search warrant, 7/17/2020 Inv-law, 7/17/2020 Domestic, 7/20/2020 Assist by law, 7/24/2020 Fight, 7/26/2020 Larceny, 8/4/2020 Unwanted guest, 8/6/2020 Inv-law, 8/8/2020 Fight, 8/10/2020 Fight, 8/20/2020 Suspicious vehicle, 8/24/2020 Shots fired, 8/24/2020 Drug, 8/29/2020 Larceny, 8/29/2020 Fight, 8/31/2020 Fight, 9/1/2020 Suspicious incident, 9/3/2010 Arrest warrant, 9/3/2020 Arrest warrant, 9/4/2020 Sex offender activity, 9/10/2020 Source: Auburn Police Department Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 3 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Dakotas were not always a hot spot. For months, the states appeared to avoid the worst of the pandemic, watching from afar as it raged through large cities. But spiking infection rates have fanned out across the nation, from the East Coast to the Sun Belt and now into the Midwest, where states like Iowa and Kansas are also dealing with surges. The family of a New Jersey woman killed by a plane propeller while working at Newark Liberty International Airport is suing over her death. Jacqueline Mkalama, 53, who worked cleaning airplanes at the airport, was killed Sept. 2, 2017. She was walking on the tarmac across from Gate 25 in Terminal A when the spinning propeller of a Bombardier DHC-8202 struck the Orange resident in the head, according to the lawsuit. The suit claims that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, failed to provide a safe place and means to perform the work she did. That included failing to provide safety provisions such as alarms and lighting, and being negligent in operations, hiring and training, the suit claims. The suit also names as defendants United Airlines, Champlain Enterprises, Primeflight Aviation Services, all of which were involved with the operation of the CommutAir plane, and several unnamed mechanics it says were in the cockpit when the accident occurred. Our thoughts and prayers remain with Jacqueline MKalamas family," a representative for CommutAir said Saturday. "This unfortunate accident is in litigation and we can not comment any further at this time. The mechanics and United Airlines failed to heed her presence in operating the aircraft, wrote Joseph Monaco, the attorney for the plaintiff. He filed the suit on behalf of Theresa Sikiny, Mkalamas sister. It was previously filed in New York in 2018 but the court dismissed it in favor of it being refiled in New Jersey, which it was Aug. 25, according to court records. The lawsuit is seeking damages, interest, attorneys' fees and costs. MKalama was an employee of CommutAir, not United, according to a United Airlines representative. Wed like to express our deepest condolences to this individuals family, he said. As this litigation is pending, we cannot comment any further. After Mkalamas death, the local SEIU that represents airport workers said she was a strong supporter of unions and a safe workplace for airport workers. We are lucky to have known her and worked with her, the union said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. NJ Advance Media Staff Writer Allison Pries contributed to this report. Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Snow showers early, with a steadier snow developing late. High 16F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%. About one inch of snow expected.. Tonight Cloudy. Low 14F. Winds light and variable. Seoul, Sep 12 : South Korea and the US have agreed to launch a working-level dialogue channel to regularly discuss issues of mutual concern, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said. South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun held talks in Washington on Thursday with US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun to make a broad discussion on the bilateral relations, the Korean Peninsula issues and regional situations, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying on Friday. The two diplomats shared the need to set up a new director general-level dialogue channel, tentatively named the 'Alliance Dialogue', to regularly review and cooperate on the issues of mutual concern, it added. Choi and Biegun shared their assessment on the Korean Peninsula situations, agreeing to closely cooperate for the rapid resumption of talks between the South North and between Pyongayng and Washington. Choi told Biegun to actively cooperate with each other to diplomatically support the permanent peace settlement on the Korean Peninsula. Biegun expressed his support for the South Korean government's efforts to improve inter-Korean relations. Denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington have been stalled since the second summit between North Korea's Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump ended with no agreement in February 2019 at the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. The first formal link has been made between Victorias calamitous quarantine hotel program and the spread of coronavirus to aged care, with the states health department saying an infection went from the Rydges on Swanston hotel to Embracia Aged Care in June. It came as the managing director of Embracia which has had five residents in one of its homes die after contracting COVID-19 criticised the Health Department over its poor contact tracing among aged care staff. Embracia's aged care home in Avondale Heights. Victoria recorded 37 new coronavirus cases and six deaths on Saturday. All of those deaths were residents in aged care homes. More than 550 elderly Victorians have died in the past nine weeks after contracting the virus in an aged care home. As wildfires continue to ravage across the state, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new bill on Friday, allowing inmate firefighters on the front lines to become professional firefighters after they are released from prison. The bill fast tracks the inmates' process to clear their records so they can earn a certificate to be part of the fire department. According to Newsom, the legal measure will give people on the front lines hope. "Thousands of prisoners are on the front lines, that are near the end of their time in prison, that are getting credits and want the opportunity," Newsom said in a report. Newsom noted that the training would let the inmates to possibly join a workforce they have been trained in and have actively participated in heroic ways. In recent years, prison inmates have long helped California combat the wildfires as fire sources have struggled to keep up. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Conservation Camps Programs pays inmates around $1 an hour to fight fires and earn time off their prison sentences. Around 200 inmates helped fight the fire in the 2019 Camp Fire in Butte County. Critics said that the skills learned do not benefit the inmates once they out of prison as their criminal record often prevents them from getting any firefighter positions. Under the bill, an inmate would need to appeal a court to set their convictions aside. Convicts of violent felonies and sex offenses would not be qualified for the petition. Newsom cited climate change for the wildfires. "It is here now, California is America fast-forward. What we're experiencing is coming to communities all across America unless we get our act together...This is a climate damn emergency," Newsom said in a report. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention, a wildfire ravaging Northern California is reportedly the state's largest on record. CBS News meteorologist and climate specialist Jeff Berardelli said that there had been a buildup of brush, but climate change is making fires worse. Air temperatures in the West have risen over the past few decades, which adds energy and heat to the atmosphere. Newsom reiterated his previous statement tackling climate change to prevent future fire seasons like what is currently happening in California. Cal Fire said that around 14,000 firefighters were on the line of 29 major wildfires in the state. It added that although 37 new fires were sparked yesterday, the workforce contained most of them quickly, though two have grown to large wildfires. Over 3.1 million acres have burned in the state since the beginning of the year, which is another record. At least 12 people have died because of wildfires. Over 3,900 structures have been destroyed, according to Cal Fire. Meanwhile, 500,000 people in Oregon, which is 10 percent of the state's population, were forced to evacuate as wildfires continue to race more than a dozen Western states. At least 26 people have died, and hundreds of homes have been destroyed by more than 100 major fires, which consumed an area close to the size of New Jersey. Want to read more? Check these out! Save or Spend: How Americans Used the First Round of Stimulus Checks California Gov. Newsom Wants to Expand Protections for Essential Workers, Especially Latinos New Study Shows Other Strategies to Combat COVID-19 and Reduce its Symptoms 'I Saved His A**': Trump Admits to Helping Saudi Crown Prince Duck Consequences of Khashoggi Murder Sputnik News 00:39 GMT 11.09.2020 US President Donald Trump has admitted that he led a multi-year charge to take congressional heat off of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who ordered the brutal murder of 59-year-old Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to a new excerpt from renowned journalist Bob Woodward's forthcoming book "Rage." Mutassim Khashoggi, the Khashoggi family attorney, issued a statement earlier this week, asserting that they accept the final sentences leveled against eight people tied to the murder and dismemberment of the 59-year-old opposition Saudi journalist in October 2018. Five of the convicted individuals were given 20-year prison sentences, while three others were handed down sentences ranging between seven and 10 years, according to a spokesperson for the Saudi public prosecutor's office. While the family's statement conveys acceptance regarding the "application of Allah's law and his judgment," Trump apparently had a different perspective on how justice should be carried out. Woodward, whose highly anticipated book "Rage" has provoked mixed moral feelings among commentators, conducted a total of 18 interviews with the US president and, until recently, kept the details of those conversations hidden. "The people at the Post are upset about the Khashoggi killing," Woodward told Trump on January 22, according to Business Insider, citing an advanced copy of the book. "That is one of the most gruesome things. You yourself have said." "Yeah, but Iran is killing 36 people a day, so " Trump stated before he was presumably interrupted by the journalist, who redirected the interview's focus to the Saudi crown prince's involvement in Khashoggi's death. "I saved his a**," Trump claimed, speaking of the widespread demand to hold bin Salman accountable for ordering Khashoggi's murder. "I was able to get Congress to leave him alone. I was able to get them to stop." The CIA concluded in November 2018 that Khashoggi's murder had been ordered by the Saudi crown prince. At the time, Riyadh denied any wrongdoing, and Trump communicated to senior White House officials that he wanted bin Salman to remain in power because Saudi Arabia keeps Iran in check, according to the Washington Post. Allegations of the Saudi crown prince's connection to Khashoggi's murder were backed by both the United Nations and US lawmakers on both sides of the political spectrum, including Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Todd Young (R-IN) and Angus King (I-ME). "The failure to hold the crown prince accountable sends a terrible signal to people throughout the world and puts at risk other journalists - other critics - within Saudi Arabia and the journalists and critics of authoritarian regimes around the world," Van Hollen said in September 2019, Middle East Eye reported. A total of 18 suspects were originally arrested by Saudi authorities in October 2018, weeks after Khashoggi's slaying. However, only 11 were put on trial in front of a Saudi court, which determined that the journalist's murder was not premeditated, as Western officials had argued. A Riyadh criminal court originally sentenced five individuals to death in December 2019 for "committing and directly participating in the murder of the victim." Three individuals were found guilty of "covering up this crime and violating the law" and received prison sentences totaling 24 years. The Khashoggi family pardoned the late journalist's murderers in May, citing the holy month of Ramadan, thus sparing them from execution. It's worth noting the opportunity to pardon the individuals came about due to the court's assessment of the murder's motivation. "We, the sons of the martyr Jamal Khashoggi, announce that we forgive those who killed our father as we seek reward from God Almighty," Salah Khashoggi, the journalist's eldest son, expressed in a May tweet translated by the Associated Press. "If a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah," he said. "The Saudi authorities are closing the case without the world knowing the truth of who is responsible for Jamal's murder," Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi's fiancee, argued in a written statement obtained by Reuters. "Who planned it, who ordered it, where is his body?" A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Wildfires In Oregon Force Mass Evacuations And Threaten Hundreds Of Structures A sign warning of impending fire danger is posted on September 10, 2020 in Estacada, Ore. Credit - Nathan HowardGetty Images The FBI and other law enforcement officials issued statements on Friday to dispute rumors that wildfires in Oregon had been intentionally started by extremists. FBI Portland and local law enforcement agencies have been receiving reports that extremists are responsible for setting wildfires in Oregon. With our state and local partners, the FBI has investigated several such reports and found them to be untrue, the FBI Portland Division said in a statement. 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 statement continued. Please help our entire community by only sharing validated information from official sources. Reports that extremists are setting wildfires in Oregon are untrue. Help us stop the spread of misinformation by only sharing information from trusted, official sources. pic.twitter.com/ENc4c3kjep FBI Portland (@FBIPortland) September 11, 2020 Devastating wildfires are currently raging across the West Coast, including several massive fires in Oregon that have burned hundreds of thousands of acres. In a press conference on Friday, The Director of the Oregon Office of Emergency Management Andrew Phelps said officials are preparing for a mass fatality incident based on the number of buildings and homes that have been destroyed. Demonstrations against system racism and police brutality have taken place in Portland since late May, sometimes resulting in violent clashes between activists and authorities. As the fires spread throughout the Pacific Northwest, rumors started to circulate online that they had been intentionally started by either far-left or far-right extremists, according to a report from the Associated Press. Law enforcement officials have since put out numerous statements disproving these claims. Story continues 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 six Antifa members have been arrested for setting fires in Douglas County, Oregon, the Douglas County Sheriffs Office posted on Facebook on Friday. THIS IS NOT TRUE! Unfortunately, people are spreading this rumor and it is causing problems. Do your part, STOP. SPREADING. RUMORS! Follow official sources of information such as local emergency response websites and pages, government websites and pages and local reputable news outlets. The Jackson County Sheriffs Office in Jackson County, Ore., posted a similar message on Friday. 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. THIS IS NOT TRUE! the Sheriffs Office wrote. When official information about the investigation is available it will be on reputable government, fire and law enforcement internet sites and social media pages. One increasingly problematic issue related to the disastrous fires in Jackson County is the spreading of false Posted by Jackson County Sheriffs Office Oregon on Thursday, September 10, 2020 As of Friday, around 95,000 people in Oregon are currently under evacuation orders, according to an analysis by The Oregonian. Only a "miracle" prevented major casualties in the fire that destroyed Europe's largest refugee camp, a volunteer worker on the Greek island of Lesbos has claimed. The blaze gutted much of the site, where some 12,000 people were in makeshift accommodation. Among those living in the camp were 4,000 children. Volunteers said the fire was "a disaster waiting to happen" and although there were no fatalities in the blaze, it had made life even more difficult for the refugees. Many of the refugees had fled to the packed camp from warzones in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. "It was a miracle that hardly anyone was injured, but the impact on their mental health, especially on the children, will be a catastrophe," Dr Essam Daod, a volunteer psychiatrist working with international aid organisation Humanity Crew, said. Dr Daod said roads to the camp were being blocked by both locals and police, and authorities have restricted access to the area around the site. "No one is allowed to get close due to trucks blocking the roads and everything has been made more complicated because of Covid-19," he said. "The authorities say it's not because they don't want to help but because of the pandemic - on one hand... but on the other, it doesn't mean you block aid and put people in the streets." According to UK-based NGO Help Refugees, at least 35 people living in the camps tested positive for coronavirus this week. But those who are supposed to be in quarantine have not been since the fires broke out and had run "like everyone else", said Dr Daod. "People on the site are in shock and are really scared," added Freya Mergler, Greece field manager for Help Refugees. "Our partners are being blocked, some were able to distribute food in some spots in the camp yesterday but today it's a lot more restricted. It's a massive, massive challenge,." Expand Close A migrant pulls a child on a cart. Photo: Reuters / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A migrant pulls a child on a cart. Photo: Reuters Medecins Sans Frontieres confirmed its teams have been unable to access its clinic outside Moria, tweeting: "Locals blocking the road prevent us from accessing the people still inside the destroyed camp and our medical facility. It is urgent to provide medical care for those in need. Totally unacceptable!" Dr Daod said the actions by locals - who are trying to stop the camp from being rebuilt and are halting refugees from trying to get to the capital of Lesbos, Mytilini - are a result of EU countries turning their back on the refugee crisis. "It was not always this way, back in 2015 and 2016, the locals were some of the most beautiful, generous people I had ever seen in my life. This is what the Greek authorities and the EU are doing, making people fight each other, taking the humanity out of the locals and making refugees unhuman, unseen," he added. "This fire is another traumatic experience and Covid-19 is making it harder because the most valuable resource for the refugees is the aid workers and they've lost it now. There aren't many volunteers because of flight cuts. "There is that same feeling of loneliness and helplessness again, that they are again on their own even though they made it here from Syria, Afghanistan and wherever else they've come from. The impact on their mental health, especially on the children, will be a catastrophe." Ms Mergler said that around 400 unaccompanied minors in the camp have been evacuated, but more than 4,000 children are still among the thousands stranded on the island. "The situation is devastating and the number of children is incredibly worrying," she said. "We are calling on the Greek government to conduct immediate rapid testing of the newly displaced population in a safe environment with access to food, water and medical care. Following testing, people should immediately be evacuated from the island to appropriate safe locations." Stelios Petsas, a spokesperson for the Greek government, told reporters: "Today we will undertake all necessary actions to house families and the vulnerable while food distribution continues." Authorities said they were sending 19,000 coronavirus test kits to Lesbos and a passenger ferry had docked at the island's port of Mytilini to house families. But Dr Daod said it was unclear how authorities or grassroots organisations were going to be able to distribute food and other forms of aid due to the restrictions placed around the area, which does not allow cars into the site. "It is impossible to distribute anything without cars because it is such a huge area and nothing is clear," he said. ( Independent News Service) Counter terrorism officers arrested a man in his 20s today after a homemade explosive was allegedly posted to a home in London. The Metropolitan Police said the suspect was detained in Cambridge this morning on suspicion of attempting to cause an explosion, or making or keeping explosives with intent to endanger life or property. The arrest was carried out with the assistance of Cambridgeshire Constabulary Armed Response Unit 'as a precautionary measure', the Met said. The man has been detained under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act and taken into custody at a south London police station. Officers are currently searching two addresses in Cambridge. The arrest relates to a suspicious package received via post at a residential address in north London. Counter terrorism officers for the Metropolitan Police arrested a man in his 20s today after a homemade explosive was allegedly posted to a home in London Police were called shortly after 9am on Thursday to reports of a suspicious package in Cricklewood. Specialist officers attended and secured what was assessed to be a small improvised explosive device. Police have confirmed that there is no risk to the local community. In a statement, the Met Police said: 'The arrest relates to a suspicious package received via post at a residential address in north London. 'Police were called shortly after 9.10am on Thursday to reports of a suspicious package in Cricklewood. 'Specialist officers attended and made safe what was assessed to be a small improvised explosive device.' Enquiries are ongoing. Netflix is not backing down after receiving yet another backlash because of the movie called "Cuties." The movie follows the story of an 11-year-old Senegalese Muslim girl named Amy, who was fascinated by her disobedient neighbor Angelica and her dance group. She joined the gang and took part in a "twerking competition," which is against Amy and her family's strict religious belief. Last month, Twitter users called out Netflix for allegedly sexualizing young girls featured in the Frech movie. The streaming giant chose the photo of the girl dance clique wearing skimpy outfits and posed like they are twerking for the camera to promote the film. While the film aims to elicit awareness and commentary on the dangers of sexualizing youth, viewers who saw the "Cuties" trailer and poster are not happy about how Netflix market it in a provocative manner. Eagle-eyed internet users compared how Netflix used the twerking photo in the promotional material, while the original poster features young girls celebrating a happy shopping trip. Others also noticed how Netflix sexualized the synopsis of the film. Instead of highlighting its purpose of raising commentary about young girls being sexualized by society, Netflix's used the word "twerking," which was not mentioned in the original version. Despite taking down the provocative poster and changing the synopsis, Netflix faces a new controversy after the film is now out for streaming on the platform. #CancelNetflix Now that "Cuities' is out, viewers claim that the whole movie is heavily sexualizing young girls. The film also leads internet users to boycott the streaming service. The hashtag #CancelNetflix immediately went viral on social media, with Twitter users criticizing the film, which premiered last September 9, 2020. "About to end a decade long relationship with @netflix. As a dad of an 11 y.o daughter, this is so unacceptable. Their stubborn defense of it is what's costing them another customer. No amount of pedophilia is acceptable. #CancelNetflix" one Twitter user wrote. "#CancelNetflix because sexualizing 11-year-olds and having a movie about them for 18+-year-olds is clearly feeding pedophilia," another one added. The Twitter appeal also lead to a petition over Change.org urging Netflix users to cancel their subscription. As of writing, over 607,000 people already signed the petition and aimed to get a hundred thousand more to reach its one million goals. Netflix's Response Despite the left and right backlash, Netflix stood firm that the movie is not sexualizing young girls in the film. Instead, the streaming giant said it is a movie meant to elicit commentary against sexualizing young children. In a statement released to "Variety," Netflix said: "'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." In the end, the streaming giant even encouraged viewers to watch it. "We'd encourage anyone who cares about these important issues to watch the movie," the statement added. "Cuties," directed by Maimouna Doucoure, premiered in the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and won a world cinema dramatic directing award. READ MORE: 'The Walking Dead' Drops Devastating News Amid COVID-19 Pandemic BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's daily new coronavirus cases reached a record 916 on Saturday, by far the highest since the onset of the pandemic as schools reopened and strict measures that helped contain the pandemic in the spring have yet to be reinstated. Even as the number of cases rise, the number of people dying from the disease has remained fairly low, with only two elderly patients with chronic pre-existing conditions dying from complications of the coronavirus in the past 24 hours. The government's coronavirus task force said active cases reached 7,134, but Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who attended a session of the task force early on Saturday, said schools can stay open and life must go on. "The health care sector is prepared to handle the next wave of the pandemic with more than 10,000 free beds," he said, adding that citizens must respect the lenient rules that are in place, such as mandatory mask wearing in public transit. "We can operate schools," Orban said in a video on his Facebook page. "From October 1st we will impose mandatory temperature checks at school gates as well." Orban said the government will force a cap on the price of COVID tests, which has reached as much as 100 euros in private clinics around the country, as the free tests provided by the health care sector were slower and more difficult to come by. Hungary must protect its citizens, including the most vulnerable elderly, while also keeping the economy going, Orban reiterated his government's strategy. Hungary has had 11,825 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with 633 people dying. (Reporting by Marton Dunai; editing by Clelia Oziel) Mumbai-based director Chaitanya Tamhane is currently in the first week of a mandatory quarantine regime in India, after he retuned from Venice on Monday. That may be a small price to pay for being able to walk the red carpet at the Biennale as his feature, The Disciple, premiered at the prestigious Italian film festival. In a year thats been a downer for movies thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, The Disciple, is also the only Indian selection at the Toronto International Film Festival or TIFF. It was a bit of suspense for Chaitanya to get to Venice since he required special exception to travel from the Ministry of External Affairs. It was the first Indian film since Mira Nairs Monsoon Wedding in 2001 to be selected in the competition category at Venice. Chaitanya will have to visit Toronto virtually as restrictions on non-essential travel remain in Canada. As he said in an interview, It would have been great to present the film in person but given this year and given the safety protocols that Toronto has in place, I totally want to respect that for my own safety and for the safety of others. A deeply contemplative exploration of the evolution of a Hindustani classical vocalist in Mumbai, The Disciple, which is mainly in Marathi, is already being feted globally and won the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize at Venice Film Festival. Were just so grateful and relieved that the film premiered at Venice and is now in Toronto, just happy that even in this year we could get a film out and also for us this is a great start. We couldnt have asked for a better like fall festival launch, the director said. Chaitanya took four years to complete the film, including spending half that time on research. When I started out, I was just fascinated with the anecdotes and the stories of eccentric geniuses and this idea of some secret knowledge and lost wisdom, he said. The cast comprises first time actors, mostly trained classical exponents, including the exceptional performance of Aditya Modak, who plays the central role of Sharad Nerulkar, a young man torn between the somewhat ascetic sensibility required for his art and the pressures of reality and modernity. Casting non-professionals was a very very thorough process for Tamhane, as he said, Because you just need to make sure they have the screen presence they have an intuition for acting because they will be ultimately delivering scripted lines. 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 The meditative film is a slow burning flame spanning three time periods, as it tracks Nerulkars development. Making it special is the incredible music, including the vocal art at its core, making this a work where sound and sight complement and enhance each other. This is Tamhanes first feature since Court in 2014, and he was mentored by Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron, winner of multiple Oscars for films like Gravity and Roma. Cuaron is also the films executive producer, which for Chaitanya was almost too good to be true. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The latest weapon used by councils to fleece motorists is being rolled out nationwide later this year. Transgress and you will be hit with a fine of up to 130. Welcome to the road junction yellow box now dubbed by critics as a 'money box'. Drivers who momentarily stop their car in the criss-cross section of one of these boxes risk being filmed by a camera and automatically issued with a penalty charge notice for committing a 'moving traffic violation'. Caught on camera: CCTV catches a car stranded on a yellow box in Cardiff Already being used at key crossroads and T-junctions in London and Cardiff, the Department for Transport has given all local authorities the green light to jump on board this lucrative cash cow. In London and Cardiff, councils pocketed 60 million from such moving traffic violations last year. The junctions are a sneaky trap as far as motorists are concerned. According to motoring association the RAC, eight out of ten drivers struggle to drive smoothly through these boxes while a third say they have ended up stuck in one due to the vehicle ahead failing to exit quickly. Hugh Blazon, founding member of action group Alliance of British Drivers, says: 'Handing power to local councils to issue penalties for being stuck in a yellow box junction is idiotic. Local authorities seem incapable of understanding the needs of motorists and will simply use it as an excuse to grab more money off an easy target.' The RAC says the changes will roll out countrywide within the next 12 months. Nicholas Lyes, its head of road policy, says: 'Most motorists think local authorities will rush to install cameras as a way to generate extra revenue. Four out of ten drivers we spoke to fear road layouts and signage will be made deliberately confusing to increase the number of penalties issued. 'Local authorities should consider sending first offenders a warning letter and to only issue a penalty if they repeat the offence later on.' The only sure way to avoid a fine is not to stop in a box. However, to confuse matters, you may be able to wait in a box junction if turning right and unable to make the turn until oncoming traffic clears because this is not deemed a driving offence. Details are covered in the Highway Code rule 174. Barrie Segal, who runs the motoring penalty advice website AppealNow, says: 'Yellow box junctions can be hugely confusing and if someone cuts you up or the road markings are not clear you might be stung with a fine that is wrong and unfair.' He adds: 'In fact, councils often issue fines for offences when they do not understand the law. All they are really interested in is taking your money. 'If someone cuts across a free space and leaves you stranded in the box it could even be a fire engine or ambulance you should consider fighting to overturn the penalty. And if you cannot see the markings because they are rubbed out or even if they look to have been put in the wrong place you could also have grounds for an appeal.' Fortunately, if you are in the right, the odds should be in your favour. According to research by comparison website Confused, two in five drivers appeal against penalty charge notices. And of those, about three quarters are successful at throwing out the penalty or having the fine reduced. But Segal adds: 'Of course, there are instances when you must pay up and with yellow box junctions you might not be aware of the rules until it is too late. Before appealing, understand the law.' Unfortunately, many motorists are not aware that they have stopped in a box until it is too late. But this cannot be used as an excuse to fight a fine. The only reason you should enter a box is if there is also enough space on the other side of the box to fit your car. If there is no space after the yellow box, you should not move. Although you could get fined 130 for stopping in a yellow box, you will not receive penalty points on a driving licence as it is deemed a minor infringement. Figures collected by the RAC after a Freedom of Information request found that in London there were almost half a million yellow box junction fines last year giving local authorities more than 30million. In addition, there were more than 400,000 fines for either 'no turn' or 'no entry' mistakes. In Cardiff, there were 24,000 fines for box junctions that raked in more than 800,000 treble the previous year. Also, there were almost 50,000 fines for 'no turns' or 'no entries'. A spokesman for the Department for Transport says: 'Part of tackling congestion is about ensuring all road users play by the rules and that local authorities are given the powers they need to keep traffic moving. We are determined to ensure these powers are used fairly and proportionately.' SIX OTHER SNEAKY TRICKS THAT SNARE MOTORISTS Fuel emission Enter a so-called 'ultra low emission zone' in Central London and you may get hit with a 160 penalty (80 if paid in 14 days) if your car breaks emission limits introduced last year and you have not paid a daily 12.50 charge that allows such cars in this area. To avoid the levy, petrol cars must pass a 'Euro 4' emission test and diesel ones a 'Euro 6' standard. These measure the level of pollutants such as nitrogen oxide that your car emits. Find if your car will pass the gas-guzzling test at the Vehicle Certification Agency website. Spy cameras automatically look up a vehicle by reading the registration plate to see if the car is liable. Toll bridge You no longer have to stop and hand over your money at a toll bridge but do it online or via phone. Unfortunately this makes it easier to forget paying and getting a penalty. For the Dartford Crossing (either bridge or tunnel) in Essex, it is 2.50 one way or 5 return. Forget and you face a 70 fine reduced to 35 if paid within 14 days. Cameras read your car registration plate number. Wrong turn Spy cameras being introduced by councils for yellow box junctions will also be used to catch drivers going the wrong way up a one-way street or taking a turn in a direction which a sign says they cannot take which might include a U-turn. Motorists can get a 130 penalty charge notice that is halved to 65 if paid within 14 days. Bus lane Going into a bus lane even to avoid an accident can end up with a penalty charge notice. These can be as high as 160 reduced to 80 if paid within 14 days. Spy cameras are not just put on street corners but also on the back of buses. Congestion charge A charge for driving in Central London was raised to 15 a day in June, with the hours extended to include weekends. Failure to pay can result in a 160 fine, reduced to 80 if paid in 14 days. There is a congestion charge in Durham of 2 a day, where failure to pay gets you a 50 fine. Low speed limit This year, a 20mph speed limit was introduced in Central London copying a similar scheme in Bristol. Breaking the limit can result in a 100 fine and three points on your driving licence. The nationwide introduction of revenue-generating yellow boxes is the latest financial attack on motorists. In March, 20mph speed limits were introduced in Central London by Mayor Sadiq Khan following a similar scheme in Bristol. Exceeding this limit can result in a 100 fine and three points on the driving licence. Then in June, the congestion charge for driving into Central London during the day was raised from 11.50 to 15. The charge already raked in about 160million a year for Transport for London. There are also fears Chancellor Rishi Sunak will hike fuel duty on a litre of petrol by 5p in the autumn Budget. Motorists already pay a high fuel duty tax equivalent to 64.55 per cent of the price of petrol and 60.8 per cent for diesel so 71p of 1.10 litre paid for petrol goes to the taxman. As far as cash-strapped councils are concerned, the yellow boxes cannot come quickly enough. It will help them boost the 454million they pocketed last year from parking fines. SACRAMENTO (AP) A Chinese researcher accused of lying about her ties to the Chinese military to gain access to a lab at the University of California, Davis has been released on bail. But, federal officials are trying to return her to custody as a flight risk. Dr. Juan Tang was released from jail late Thursday after an attorney put up $750,000 in his home equity as bail. Tang, a cancer researcher, was arrested by the FBI in July after spending nearly a month at the Chinese consulate in San Francisco. The lawyer who put up his house for bail was identified this week as Steven Cui, a civil attorney from the Bay Area who had never met or spoken to Tang before. Cui, an immigrant from China, said he wanted to offer help to show that the U.S. justice system works fairly, the Sacramento Bee reported. Tang was ordered to spend 14 days in quarantine at Cui's house as a precaution against the coronavirus by U.S. Magistrate Judge Kendall J. Newman. She was told not to leave the home after that without the permission of pretrial service officials. She was also ordered to only consult with officials of the Peoples Republic of China at the consulate only in the presence of counsel via telephone or video-conference." Assistant U.S. Attorney Heiko Coppola filed a motion asking another judge to overturn Newmans orders and return Tang to jail, arguing that she has no reason to stay in the country once released. Because there is no relationship between the parties, Tang loses absolutely nothing of value to her if she flees the United States, he wrote. Mr. Cui and his family assume all of the risk for Tangs flight. Moreover, because the United States has no extradition treaty with the Peoples Republic of China, should Tang flee, it is unlikely that she will ever return. Tangs attorneys, Malcolm Segal and Tom Johnson, have argued that she is a respected scientist who would not choose the life of an international fugitive in order to escape the possibility of a prison sentence as low as six months. Story continues Her lawyers also say that any photos of her wearing Chinese military uniforms are from her days attending military school. But the U.S. government says that FBI agents found ample evidence that she has ties to the Peoples Liberation Army-Air Force and China's communist party and lied about those ties on her visa application. During a later review of the electronic media evidence seized from Tangs residence, agents discovered a myriad of different photographs of Tang wearing a military uniform, Coppola wrote. Agents also found a video depicting a presentation conducted by Tang in which she is wearing what appears to be the PLAAF military uniform found in their open source search, and she begins the presentation with a salute. The video presentation was recorded within days of Tangs entrance into the United States on the J-1 visa. Representatives from several countries participated in the opening ceremony of historic talks that began in Doha. Historic peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government have opened in Qatar, with the warring parties meeting face-to-face for the first time to end nearly two decades of conflict. At the opening ceremony of the talks in Doha on Saturday, top diplomats from several other countries, including the United States, and representatives from global bodies such as the United Nations, made their opening remarks, many of them virtually because of the coronavirus restrictions. In the negotiations that begin on Monday, the Afghan sides are expected to tackle issues including terms of a permanent ceasefire, the rights of women and minorities, and the disarming of tens of thousands of Taliban fighters and militias loyal to warlords, some of them aligned with the government. They are also expected to discuss constitutional changes and power-sharing during the talks in Doha, where the Taliban maintains a political office. The peace talks began a day after the 19th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in the US, which triggered its military involvement in Afghanistan in 2001. Negotiations to broker a comprehensive peace deal were envisaged in a troop withdrawal pact signed between the US and the Taliban in February. Here are the highlights of the remarks made by the top diplomats from participating countries in the opening ceremony: Qatar In his opening speech, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the foreign minister of host Qatar, asked the Afghan parties to keep an open mind during the talks. He said the long-warring parties must make the decisive decision in line with the current challenges and rise above all forms of divisions and honour the ambitions and aspirations of their people by reaching an agreement on the basis of no victor and no vanquished. I hope you agree with me that today we must overcome the past and its pains and focus on the future and the hope it brings us while surely drawing lessons from the past, he said. United States US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the talks are expected to be contentious, adding that the outcome is entirely up to the Afghans, and not the US. Each of you carry a great responsibility, he told the participants. You have an opportunity to overcome your divisions. We will undoubtedly counter many challenges in the talks over the coming days, weeks and months. Remember you are acting not only for this generation of Afghans but for future generations as well, your children and your grandchildren, he said. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the warring sides to seize the opportunity to strike a comprehensive peace deal [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera] Pakistan In his opening remarks, Pakistans foreign minister warned the Afghans against foreign meddling in their negotiations. Forthcoming negotiations are for the Afghans to decide about their future. Afghans alone must be the masters of their destiny without outside influence or interference. Constant vigilance will be required to guard against their machinations, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said via video conference. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has long maintained that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. Political solution is the only way forward, he said, adding that he is gratified that our perspective is now widely shared across the international community. Alia Chughtai/Al Jazeera Turkey Turkeys foreign minister hailed the peace talks, describing them as a real chance for peace in Afghanistan, and calling for a fair and lasting deal at the end of the process. After decades-long conflict, there is a now a real chance for peace. We hope that this historic chance will not be missed and negotiation process lead to a lasting peace agreement, Mevlut Cavusoglu said. He also said Ankara was ready to contribute to the peace process in any way possible, including hosting another round of talks if necessary. India Welcoming the talks, Indias Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the peace process must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled. The Doha talks should respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, promote human rights and democracy, ensure interest of minorities, women and the vulnerable, effectively address violence across the country, Jaishankar later tweeted. The friendship of our peoples is a testimony to our history with Afghanistan. No part of Afghanistan is untouched by our 400-plus development projects. Confident that this civilizational relationship will continue to grow, he said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 12 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory letter to Albert Likhanov, President of the International Association of Children's Funds, Chairman of the Russian Children's Fund, writer. "Dear Albert Anatolyevich, Accept my sincere congratulations and best wishes on the remarkable occasion of your 85th anniversary. You can rightly be proud of the years behind you, your brilliant life dedicated to caring tirelessly about the rising generation. Under your leadership, the Russian Children's Fund has been carrying out an important work for more than 30 years aimed at reinforcing family institution and family values, protecting children's rights and supporting children in difficult circumstances. Your long-term fruitful public activity in the field of child protection has earned you respect and recognition as a kind-hearted person not only in Russia, but all over the world. Your caring attitude towards the memory of the outstanding son of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev, his significant contribution to the noble cause of protecting children, and your joint work with him, which resulted in the establishment of the Children Fund of the Soviet Union, is highly appreciated in Azerbaijan. Dear Albert Anatolyevich, once again I congratulate you on your jubilee and wish you the best of health, inexhaustible energy, prosperity and new successes in your activities," the letter said. WASHINGTON (AP) 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. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence listen during an announcement in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in Washington. Bahrain has become the latest Arab nation to agree to normalize ties with Israel as part of a broader diplomatic push by Trump and his administration to fully integrate the Jewish state into the Middle East. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)AP 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. Jared Kushner listens during an announcement in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in 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. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)AP 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. Texas lawmakers urge Lubbock to block Planned Parenthood, become 15th sanctuary city for unborn Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment One of Texas largest cities could soon become the states 15th sanctuary city for the unborn if pro-life activists have their way. With an estimated population of 260,823, Lubbock is the 11th largest city in the Lone Star State. On Aug. 25, state Sen. Charles Perry and state Reps. Dustin Burrows and John Frullo wrote a letter to Lubbock Mayor Dan Pope urging him to enact a sanctuary city ordinance that would ban abortion within city limits. The battlefield to protect the unborn has shifted from the state to the local arena in recent years, the lawmakers said in the letter. For that reason, passing an ordinance designating Lubbock as a Sanctuary City for the Unborn will help to continue the Texas belief that life begins at conception, while also protecting the safety of mothers. The proposed ordinance declares that: It shall be unlawful for any person to procure or perform an abortion of any type and at any stage of pregnancy in the city of Lubbock, Texas. ... It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly aid or abet an abortion that occurs in the city ... The letter to Pope comes as Planned Parenthood, the nations largest abortion business, announced plans to open a new abortion clinic in Lubbock by the end of the year. We respectfully request that the city of Lubbock take all necessary actions to prevent them from opening, since this organization profits off ending the lives of unborn children, the lawmakers wrote. Perry also launched a petition asking residents to send a clear message that the abortion industry should not set up shop in our backyard. Two weeks after the lawmakers sent the letter to Pope, more than 200 Lubbock residents gathered outside of Lubbocks Citizens Tower to express support for the proposed ordinance. This is not a matter that can wait until after the November election but must be addressed now, Mark Lee Dickson, the director of Right to Life of East Texas, said in a Facebook post featuring pictures of the gathering. The Mayor and City Council have the opportunity to save a countless number of unborn children from being murdered within their city limits. The choice is theirs. Two years ago, a majority of Republican primary voters in Lubbock voted in favor of proposition 7 to abolish abortion. The proposition received the support of 15,480 Republican voters in Lubbock while 5,986 opposed it. The Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn initiative, led by Dickson and Right to Life of East Texas, had its first success last year when the East Texas city of Waskom became the first sanctuary city for the unborn. Since then, 13 other Texas cities have followed suit. While the ACLU filed a lawsuit against seven of the cities that have become sanctuary cities for the unborn, it ultimately dropped the lawsuit. Besides Lubbock, efforts to create sanctuary cities for the unborn extend into other larger Texas cities, including Abilene and San Angelo, both of which have more than 100,000 residents. The city of Big Spring, which has a population of slightly less than 30,000, is the largest city so far to have passed an ordinance banning abortion within city limits. While Right to Life of East Texas has succeeded in convincing several Texas cities to establish themselves as sanctuaries for unborn babies, that has not stopped other Texas municipalities from going in the other direction on the issue of abortion. The pro-life organization labeled Austin, the capital of Texas and one of the states largest metropolitan centers, as a city of death after its city council voted to allocate $150,000 of taxpayer funds to help fund travel, lodging, child-care, and other support for Austin women who are planning on aborting their unborn child. Nantucket Hospital officials have issued a warning to Nantucket residents that the island is experiencing community spread of coronavirus, they said on Friday. The island is now experiencing community spread of the coronavirus with at least 14 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 48 hours, the hospital Tweeted. #Nantucket! The island is now experiencing community spread of the coronavirus with at least 14 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 48 hours. Remember:#MaskUpMA Physical distancing Hand washing Avoid large gatherings Stay home when possible Nantucket Hospital (@ACKHospital) September 11, 2020 Officials and urging residents to avoid large gatherings, wash hands frequently and stay home when possible. The island, home to roughly 11,300 residents, had largely avoided an outbreak of the disease so far in the health crisis. In a joint statement, Nantucket Cottage Hospital President & CEO Gary Shaw and Nantucket Health Department Director Roberto Santamaria said that 12 of the 14 new cases are island residents. We ask that if you receive a phone call from a contact tracer, that you answer their questions thoroughly and truthfully, cooperate with the case investigation, and comply with all isolation and quarantine procedures, they said. Contact tracing is among the strongest tools we have to prevent the spread of the virus in our population. Shaw and Santamaria said that the majority of those who have become ill in recent days work in the trades, including landscaping, construction, carpentry and painting, as well as cleaning. This is an important reminder to enforce COVID-19 protocols at job sites and businesses, they said. The town is reporting a total of 77 COVID-19 cases as of Thursday. State health officials reported 14 coronavirus deaths on Friday across the Massachusetts, bringing the statewide death count to 8,971. Officials also confirmed another 443 COVID-19 cases, for a total now of at least 122,202 cases across the state. Thats based on 19,406 new molecular tests reported on Friday, according to DPH. Related Content: Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Washington Sat, September 12, 2020 11:03 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4465037 2 Health restaurant,health,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free A new study by US health authorities published Thursday provided more data showing that, when it comes to catching COVID-19, visiting bars and restaurants is far more dangerous than going shopping, working from an office or using public transport. It was already suspected that this was the case, but few studies have sought to rigorously establish a hierarchy of risk in public activities. The new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) isn't perfect: it can't confirm definitively where people in the cases it studied were infected. CDC officials approached people who had gone for a test at 11 American hospitals in July and asked them to fill out a detailed questionnaire. Overall, about 300 participated, half of whom tested positive and the other half negative. Participants were asked questions about possible community exposure over the previous 14 days, in settings including public transport, at private gatherings, offices, churches, salons, bars and restaurants. They realized that the participants who tested positive and those who tested negative reported similar mask-wearing behavior and similar levels of exposure in all the settings except bars and restaurants. Read also: Malls may close, cinemas to remain shut as Jakarta reimposes PSBB "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," it found. The risk was even higher for bars when the analysis was restricted to participants who hadn't reported exposure to a person with a known case of COVID-19. The analysis will need further validation, particularly since it did not distinguish between indoor and outdoor drinking and dining settings. But it is further evidence of the contamination risks associated with microdroplets that travel much further than the two meters recommended by social distancing guidelines and can be carried along air ventilation currents. Eating and drinking also requires people to take off their masks, which they do not need to do in other settings. Actor Vadivelu is ringing in his 60th birthday today. The actor who is known for his impeccable acting chops in films is called the Meme King on social media, thanks to the zillion memes made with his one-liners on a daily basis. Though his dialogues seem very simple and commonly used, his perfect comic timing turns it capable of making one laugh to death. Take any situation of the world (controversial or light-hearted), trending on Twitter, and you will surely find one Vadivelu meme in it. Well, today his fans and followers took to their respective social media handles to wish the Meme King on his special day and thanked him for being a stress buster. Sharing Dhanush's video from Velai Illa Pattadhaari a user wrote, "Happy Birthday My Stress Buster." In the video, one can see Dhanush sitting on a footpath after getting rejected in an interview. Suddenly he picks up his phone from his pocket and watches Vadivelu's video in it that says, "Yenna Thambi? Yennachu?" Soon, after watching the video, the VIP actor gets up and walks towards his destination with a broad smile. Another tweet read, "Happy birthday to the one of the most talented comedian of Kollywood industry. Without you there will be no 90% of templates in social media.Stressbuster of 90s era Hundred points symbolBouquet #HappyBirthdayVadivelu" Happy birthday to the one of the most talented comedian of Kollywood industry. Without you there will be no 90% of templates in social media.Stressbuster of 90s era #HappyBirthdayVadivelu pic.twitter.com/dDKaUVmqV9 Bala Bruno (@BalaBrunooffl) September 12, 2020 A fan page of Thalapathy Vijay wished the legendary actor Vadivelu with his picture along with Vijay from various films and tweeted, "No other comedians made us laugh like hell by just with their body language and without hurting other person emotions. Wishing the legendary Vadivelu sir, a very happy birthday on behalf of #Master @actorvijay and his fans." For the unversed Vijay-Vadivelu combination has been loved by the audience especially in films like Friends (2001), Pokkiri (2007), Bhagavathi (2002) and Sura (2010) among others. No other comedians made us laugh like hell by just with their body language and without hurting other person's emotions. Wishing the Legendary #Vadivelu sir, a very happy birthday on behalf of #Master @actorvijay and his fans! #HBDLegendVadivelu #HappyBirthdayVadivelu pic.twitter.com/W40MsNzuRG Actor Vijay Team (@ActorVijayTeam) September 12, 2020 Calling the actor a living legend, a user wrote, "He is one of the legendary comedy actor He is real imsai arasan in tamil cinema Happy birthday vaigaipuyal vadivelu sir." He is one of the legendary comedy actor He is real imsai arasan in tamil cinema Happy birthday vaigaipuyal vadivelu sir#VadiveluForLife#HappyBirthdayVadivelu pic.twitter.com/HN2zoc4YFb Mr_Jacky (@alumini748) September 12, 2020 Sharing a compilation video of the actor, a user wrote, "Happy Birthday One of the Biggest Entertainer of our times Without him a Day is impossible My favourite Comedian, laugh maker, stress buster of all time." Happy Birthday One of the Biggest Entertainer of our times Without him a Day is impossible My favourite Comedian, laugh maker, stress buster of all time #HBDVadivelu#Master @actorvijay #HappyBirthdayVadivelu pic.twitter.com/boav4pmWIj H (@Giri_ssg) September 12, 2020 Thalapathy Vijay-Vetrimaaran Project In The Pipeline, Confirms The Asuran Director! Vijay Sethupathi's Ka Pae Ranasingam To Release On Zee Plex In 5 Indian Languages! 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. The Chinese virologist who fled from China to the United States after claiming that Beijing tried to cover up the origin of the coronavirus says she has proof the deadly virus was manmade. Previously, Dr Li Meng-Yan supported accusations that China attempted to gag anyone who tried to speak about the truth about the coronavirus when it was first discovered last year in Wuhan. Manmade global pandemic According to The Sun, the scientist fled to the United States in late April before openly speaking out about her claims. Li revealed she was forced to leave Hong Kong in fears of what Beijing could do to punish whistleblowers. During the initial stages of the coronavirus pandemic, several doctors who went to social media warning the public about the COVID-19 virus were reportedly detained. Journalists were also affected as authorities moved to confiscate their equipment when trying to report on the matter. Dr Li was a former specialist at Hong Kong's School of Public Helth and was told by her supervisor to investigate a newly-emerging SARS-like virus in Wuhan on December 31. However, she also said that higher-ups later restricted her efforts on the research. The scientist claims that when she reported about the worrying exponential rise of positive cases of the virus, authorities told her to be silent and careful. Her supervisor allegedly warned her that they would get into trouble and would be made to disappear. Li also supported claims that the coronavirus did not originate from a meat market in Wuhan as is widely believed, but rather, was manmade inside a virology institute in the city. She added that the claims of the virus coming from the public was a smokescreen used by the Chinese government. Also Read: New Cluster of COVID-19 Cases Linked to Fraternity Party at State University Silencing whistleblowers The scientist previously accused Beijing of lying about the coronavirus after she learned about the fatal virus and that the Chinese government conducted widespread disinformation to hide the truth, as reported by the New York Post. Dr Li has recently claimed that she has sufficient evidence to prove that the coronavirus was made inside a laboratory. During an interview, the scientist said that the genome sequence of the virus is similar to a human's fingerprint. The virologist said that based on the evidence, experts could determine that the COVID-19 virus was, in fact, created by human hands. She also claims that even people who have no knowledge about biology can understand the evidence and be sure of her accusations. The scientist said she is now planning to reveal the evidence to the public because she would regret it if it causes the world to lose the battle against the deadly virus. Li said that before she departed from China, officials removed all traces of her data from government databases. During the interview, Li claims that Beijing hired several people to spread rumors about her and call her a liar, arguing her claims were unfounded. The director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Yuan Zhiming, previously denied rumors that a fatal virus accidentally got out from his facility. In April, Zhiming told the state media that there was no plausible way the coronavirus came from them. Related Article: North Korean Authorities Issues 'Shoot to Kill' Order to Keep COVID-19 Out of its Borders @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. "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 China to dispatch troops for military drills in Russia People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:58, September 11, 2020 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Actress Pooja Bhatt feels no one can dismiss anyone by calling names like small-time actors, B-grade or C-grade. Pooja along with filmmaker Hansal Mehta took a stand after actor Arjun Kapoor was called a small-time actor on a news channel. Nobody is a small-time" actor. Get that straight f**khead (name of the TV journalist). Enough of this demeaning and abuse of our profession," Mehta tweeted. Pooja agreed with Hansal, and wrote: I agree with Hansal Mehta 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." Thats what makes ALL artistes across the 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. 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 Bhatt (@PoojaB1972) September 11, 2020 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! Pooja Bhatt (@PoojaB1972) September 11, 2020 Pooja also gave a special shout out to people associated with showbiz, writing: 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!" Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said his government was firm on giving justice to the Marathas, and the option of issuing an ordinance to restore quota for students from the community has been discussed. The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed implementation of the 2018 Maratha quota law of the state and referred the petitions challenging the law to a larger constitution bench. Speaking at a meeting with representatives of Maratha organizations and a cabinet subcommittee on the issue, Thackeray said all the stakeholders should refrain from indulging in politics and provoking the members of the community. The CM also said he had spoken to NCP chief Sharad Pawar and discussed the possibility of helping Maratha students through the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research Training and Human Development Institute (Saarthi), or by promulgating an ordinance. SAARTHI has been established for research, policy advocacy, and training for socio economic and educational development of Marathas. We will do whatever it takes to give justice to the Maratha community by taking all into confidence. Opposition leaders will also be invited for talks, he said. Legal experts, researchers on the Maratha issue were also present at the meeting through video conference. Thackeray said the Maratha quota bill was passed in the state legislature unanimously and was upheld by the Bombay High Court. The legal team representing the government in the Supreme Court had been appointed by the previous (BJP-led) government, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi would also be requested to intervene to resolve the issue, he added. The Maratha outfits which took part in the meeting extended support to the state governments efforts and assured cooperation, a statement by the chief ministers office said. Mumbai, Sep 12 : Actress Preity Zinta, who recently travelled to the UAE for the forthcoming season of Indian Premier League (IPL), says flying amid the Covid-19 pandemic is a strange experience. Mumbai, Sep 12 (IANS) Actress Preity Zinta, who recently travelled to the UAE for the forthcoming season of Indian Premier League (IPL), says flying amid the Covid-19 pandemic is a strange experience. "Flying across the globe during a pandemic is strange. Almost no one at airports, various Covid tests and the constant use of sanitisers, masks and gloves. Happy to finally be on the ground but not too excited about the quarantine that will follow." After reaching her hotel in Dubai, she posted a video that shows her getting sanitised while entering the premises. "The most fun thing about arriving at the hotel was this sanitising spray. Felt like I was in Star Wars. Almost made me forget the jetlag," she wrote on Instagram. Preity co-owns the IPL team Kings XI Punjab, and is in Dubai for the new season of the Twenty-20 tournament that starts on September 16. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Rabat, Morocco (PANA) - The Executive Secretariat of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) Friday welcomed the successful outcome of the inter-Libyan talks held in Bouznika, Morocco, a statement issued here Saturday said BJP chief JP Nadda, who is on a two-day visit to the state, met Nitish Kumar at his residence where informal discussions on seat-sharing for the polls took place. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday held a meeting with BJP national president JP Nadda at the formers residence here, and both the parties discussed seat-sharing for the upcoming assembly polls in the state, as per sources from Janata Dal-United (JDU).While the Chief Minister and Lalan Singh represented JDU, JP Nadda, Sushil Modi, and Bhupendra Yadav represented BJP. In the meeting, they also held a discussion on Jitan Ram Manjhi and Chirag Paswan. According to JDU sources the party is is understood to have expressed its desire to contest more seats in Bihar. On behalf of JDU, Chirag Paswan also expressed his displeasure to JP Nadda. According to sources, JDU discussed its new partner Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) HAM(S) party.It was agreed between the BJP and JDU that seats should be announced as soon as possible to ensure better coordination.Bihar Assembly elections for 243 seats are due in October-November and the tenure of the current Assembly is scheduled to end on November 29. ALSO READ: No need to be panic about Coronavirus : Covid Warrior MP Vijay Sai released a book to fight the Pandemic The Election Commission has not yet taken a final call on poll dates in Bihar due to the coronavirus pandemic and has sought suggestions from political parties.Meanwhile, Nadda earlier today offered prayers at the famous Patan Devi temple here. ALSO READ: Delhi Assembly panel summons Facebook India MD over hate speeches dispute ITANAGAR: The five youths who went missing from Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Subansiri district last week were returned to Indian authorities by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Saturday (September 12), the Indian Army confirmed. According to defence sources, the five youths returned to India almost 11 days after they were said to have been abducted. They were handed over to Indian authorities in Damai, near Kibithu in Anjaw district of eastern Arunachal Pradesh. "Five individuals from the Upper Subansiri District inadvertently strayed across LAC recently. The Indian Army had approached PLA on the hotline to trace and return them. On September 8, the response on the hotline confirmed that the missing individuals had been traced. The Indian Army took over all five individuals in Kibitu on September 12 after completing all formalities," Lt. Colonel Harsh Wardhan Pande, PRO Defence, Tezpur, said. According to a statement issued by the Indian Army, the five individuals will now be quarantined for 14 days as per COVID-19 protocol and will thereafter be handed over to their families. This is the third such incident to take place in the Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh this year. In all previous cases, individuals were brought home safely after consistent efforts and coordination by the Indian Army in the past. On Friday, Union minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed on Twitter that the five missing hunters were found by China's PLA and would be handed over to the Indian side on Saturday. "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 had tweeted. The five youths inadvertently crossed over to the other side and went missing on September 2 from the Sino-Indian border in the district. China had on September 7 brushed off concerns over the whereabouts of youths from a village in Arunachal Pradesh allegedly abducted by the PLA and said it had never recognised the northeastern state, which it claims is part of southern Tibet. Stacker looks at how the university experience has evolved over the last century, according to the National Center for Education Statistics and various news articles. Flash South Korea and the United States agreed to launch a working-level dialogue channel to regularly discuss the issues of mutual concern, South Korea's foreign ministry said Friday. South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun held talks in Washington on Thursday (Washington time) with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun to make a broad discussion on the bilateral relations, the Korean Peninsula issues and regional situations. The two diplomats shared the need to set up a new director general-level dialogue channel, tentatively named the 'Alliance Dialogue,' to regularly review and cooperate on the issues of mutual concern, the foreign ministry said. Choi and Biegun shared their assessment on the Korean Peninsula situations, agreeing to closely cooperate for the rapid resumption of talks between South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and between the DPRK and the United States. Choi told Biegun to actively cooperate with each other to diplomatically support the permanent peace settlement on the Korean Peninsula. Biegun expressed his support for the South Korean government's efforts to improve inter-Korean relations. Denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington have been stalled since the second summit between top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump ended with no agreement in February 2019 at the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. Yes, flyers' itch is for real or why would Singapore Airlines come up with no-destination flights? The airlines is planning to start flights to nowhere for flyers who have been missing the experience of flying. The move is aimed at boosting revenues for the airline, which, according to a recent Reuters report, plans to cut 4,300 positions, or around 20 percent of its staff, as business takes a hit due to the coronavirus oitbreak. Singapore Airlines no-destination flights, which will begin by the end of October, will depart and arrive at the same airport, The Straits Times quoted sources as saying. The carrier is also exploring a partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board under which passengers will be allowed to pay for such flights partially with tourism credits. The airline is also to include partnerships with hotels to offer staycations, shopping vouchers at Jewel Changi Airport and limousine service to ferry customers around. Track this LIVE blog for all the latest updates on coronavirus pandemic The flight will depart from Jewel Changi Airport and return to the same after staying in the air for around three hours, as per the report. The report comes in the wake of a survey conducted by aircraft charter firm Singapore Air Charter. In the survey of 308 people, 75 percent were willing to pay for flights to nowhere. Sixty percent of respondents also said they would prefer the duration of the flight to be around two hours. Refusing to confirm the development, a Singapore Airlines spokesperson told Straits Times, "SIA is considering several initiatives that would allow us to continue engaging both our customers and members of the public." An announcement would be made at an appropriate time if the plan were to go ahead, the spokesperson added. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. As per the report, Singapore Airlines operated a flight to nowhere in 2015 for a charity initiative. EVA Air, one of the biggest carriers in Taiwan, recently operated a no-destination flight on Father's Day (August 8) in Taiwan. Korean airline Air Busan operated a no-destination flight with a select group of passengers on September 10. The flight took off from Gimhae International Airport, travelled over multiple areas of the country, including Pohang, Seoul, Gwangju and Jeju Island, for nearly two hours before returning to Gimhae. No-destination flights are among the novel services to come out of the aviation industry in the middle of the pandemic. The airline industry is one of the worst affected due to the coronavirus outbreak. Many have resorted to layoffs, leave without pay and salary cuts to reduce costs. [Follow our live Hurricane Sally updates and our map tracker.] When Hurricane Lauras destruction fell off the front pages of national newspapers within 48 hours, my people in Southwest Louisiana felt more than a little bit peeved. The narrative of the storm that passed quickly and was not as bad as it could have been, doesnt reflect whats happening there: the many weeks without power or potable running water in heat that has reached into the 100s, the barely functional hospitals and indefinitely closed schools. The damage everywhere, exhaustingly catastrophic, numbing in its ubiquity, mile after mile. Granted, natural disasters disappear from the headlines faster than most other issues. Its true that Laura didnt inflict the dramatic storm surge that Katrina did in 2005. And lets be honest, Lake Charles, which suffered the brunt of the storm, isnt easy to love. Its a petrochemical town on a working coast, and like the wetlands it sits on, it gets the job done but isnt much to look at. Sprawling big-box stores, strip malls and parking lots, car dealerships, mobile home parks, pipe yards, fast food franchises. All those chemical plants, too, turning petroleum into ingredients for your shampoo, disinfectants, milk cartons, pharmaceuticals, adhesives, toys, shoes, furniture, electronics. And the poison those plants belch into the air and lakes and bayous in which we swim, from which we eat. In some ways, Southwest Louisiana is exactly what you think it is. Lake Charles is the kind of place where a committee of mostly white officials can vote to keep a Confederate monument on the courthouse lawn (until Hurricane Laura blew it down) despite the fact that more than half of the citys population is Black or brown. Its schools and neighborhoods are deeply segregated. When my friend Ellens family who are Chinese-American bought a house in a white neighborhood in 1980, their housewarming gift was a dead cat on the doorstep. Almost a quarter of the citys population of 78,000 lives below the poverty line. In 2016, the metro area voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump and almost certainly will again. Households across the country have been split over the dramas of Brexit and how best to tackle the coronavirus crisis but not many have demonstrated them as starkly and publicly as Michael Goves. The Cabinet Office Minister was put on the spot over the issue when he was grilled about the views of his wife, columnist Sarah Vine, during an interview yesterday. Ms Vine argued last week that the nation should find the courage to get on with life and detected a whiff of religious zealotry in the way some seem to have revelled in the more draconian aspects of lockdown just as Mr Gove was introducing the controversial new rule limiting social gatherings to no more than six people. When asked yesterday whether the pandemic was more divisive than Brexit, Mr Gove laughed and said: I know what you mean... there are a range of views in the Gove household on a range of issues... its an environment where almost every opinion can be expressed. Michael Gove, pictured, has been identified as the prime mover behind tomorrow's new restrictions, which his wife, Mail columnist Sarah Vine, has branded 'draconian' Sarah Vine said he was 'mystified' why people in 2020 cannot accept that a wife can have a different opinion from her husband After the interview, Ms Vine wrote on Twitter that she was mystified as to why, in 2020 media outlets seem to think that a wife cant have a different opinion from her husband, before adding #everydaysexism. Her libertarian view on coronavirus was highlighted by journalist Petronella Wyatt, who wrote: My old friend Michael Gove was the driving force behind the rule of six cancel Christmas diktat. Yet, a few days ago his wife, Mail columnist Sarah Vine, wrote that we should ignore Covid and get on with our lives. Is something amiss in the Gove household? In response, Ms Vine sarcastically thanked Ms Wyatt for her touching concern, before adding: Its quite simply that [Mr Gove] is not the kind of man who tells his wife what to think. During her career, Ms Vine has been unsparing in the detail she has provided about life married to a frontline politician. When Boris Johnson was criticised for taking a holiday in Scotland last month at the height of the exam grades crisis, she wrote: Being prime minister is 24/7. The stress alone is incomprehensible. People make bad decisions when they are tired and stressed. Last month Ms Vine launched a trenchant attack on the Governments performance over the A-level grades fiasco. Ms Vine whose husband served as Education Secretary wrote: Parents and pupils may not forgive a Conservative government that, in their eyes, has hung them out to dry. And, quite honestly, who can blame them? Surely we could have done better by our young people? 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. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) -- Make sure that the online transaction platforms you're using are not also being devised by somebody else to commit fraudulent activities. The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) noticed a rising number in suspicious transaction reports (STRs) this year in the time of COVID-19 pandemic. AMLC Executive Director Mel Racela said the number of STRs since January up to now is at around 400,000, the same number for the entire 2019. "So yes, it has been increasing and the usage of suspicious transaction reports is not a good indication if whether or not these are useful to us," Racela told reporters during the virtual presser hosted by the Presidential Communications Operations Office. Racela, however, noted that not all the STRs can be considered as related to any unlawful activity especially if the crime was not properly identified. He explained misinformation found in identification documents presented to a financial entity can be considered an STR but not necessarily a crime. "So the number is not indicative of any increasing number of crimes also in the Philippines but the AMLC has continuously conducted a study on the STRs," Racela added. The AMLC chief also reminded the so-called covered persons to be careful when using online transaction platforms. Among the covered persons are those working in banks, insurance companies, pawnshops, foreign exchange firms, among many others. For the full list of covered persons, you may visit this section of the AMLC website: bit.ly/3k8XGnI AMLC urges Congress to pass much needed AMLA amendments The AMLC, meanwhile, urged the Congress to immediately pass certain amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001. Among these are including tax crimes as predicate crimes to money laundering, and listing real estate developers and brokers as part of covered persons. Racela also wanted the Congress to expand AMLC's powers which includes issuing a subpoena and invoking contempt powers. "Failure to pass and to implement the amendments to the AMLA before February 2021 will have similar effects that is the Philippines' inclusion to the Financial Action Task Force - International Cooperation Review Group Gray List," Racela warned. The FATF-ICRG Gray List is composed of nations considered to be high-risk when it comes into money laundering. He said this will result into more layers of scrutiny from regulators and financial institutions in other countries. Racela fears this may also increase the cost of doing business with Filipinos and block the country's chances to an A credit rating. BRIDGEPORT The day after he was charged for allegedly conspiring to ensure Armando Perez became Bridgeports top cop, the head of personnel David Dunn tendered his resignation Friday. Today officials received notification that David Dunn has resigned from his position as acting personnel director, Mayor Joe Ganims office said in a statement. Dunn, 72, is a veteran of the municipal payroll and has worked for several different administrations, beginning in the late 1970s under then-Mayor John Mandanici. He took over as acting head of the personnel or civil service office in 2009 when Bill Finch was mayor. Ganims office did not state who will succeed Dunn. Administration officials are assessing the personnel matters to make prompt and appropriate leadership changes, the statement read. Former Mayor Leonard Paoletta, who ousted Mandanici in the early 1980s, recalled letting Dunn go my team wins, we fill those slots and vice versa only for Dunn to get rehired when Tom Bucci was subsequently elected to office. Paoletta described Dunn as a survivor. And while holding a key job in City Hall and no stranger to political fundraisers when department heads are called on to help mayors raise campaign money, Dunn has typically not been a high profile figure. Now, Dunn has, along with Perez, been charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and lying to the FBI in connection with the 2018 police chief search which resulted in Ganim giving Perez a five-year contract. According to former Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Spears, once federal prosecutors file a criminal complaint against a suspect, they have about a month to get an indictment by a grand jury. You cant just have a criminal complaint out there indefinitely, said Spears, who is not involved in the case against Dunn and Perez. If convicted, Dunn, a Stratford resident, could face up to 40 years in prison, Perez a maximum of 50. Bucci, now a prominent labor attorney, has often been at odds professionally with Dunn over the years. But personally the too have maintained a close friendship. Ive known David to be a dedicated city employee for a long time, Bucci said. Hes never been accused of any wrongdoing and hes always run a professional operation. Dunn could not be reached Friday and his attorney declined comment. The FBI probe into Bridgeport government first became public in February 2019 when it was revealed that federal authorities had launched a criminal investigation into public facilities department contracts and municipal scrap metal sales. By April 2019 the FBI had expanded its interest to the 2018 police chief search. This past March The Connecticut Post reported that a consultant the Ganim administration hired to respond to subpoenas had contacted attorneys for both Dunn and Perez. By late June it was revealed the city had hired those lawyers, as well as counsel for Ganim and his chief-of-staff, Daniel Shamas. Ganims office on Friday also declined to say whether, as a result of Thursdays arrests, an Office of Internal Affairs probe would be launched. According to federal authorities, Perez also received help in navigating the requirements of the 2018 police chief search from two officers one who resigned from the department because of racist emails and from a civilian driver for the chief. Staff writer Daniel Tepfer contributed to this report. New Delhi: Interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday expressed grief over the passing away of social activist and former Haryana MLA Swami Agnivesh and said that he fought for "the marginalised sections of our society" with "great courage and conviction". "I am grieved to learn of the passing away of Swami Agnivesh. All his life he fought with great courage and conviction for the most marginalized sections of our society fearless in defending their rights and in facing up to those who exploited and oppressed them and terrorised the poor, often at great personal risk," Sonia Gandhi said in a statement. She said that Swami Agnivesh was the "most powerful and effective voice for the vulnerable and the defenceless" and added, "Swami Agnivesh`s energy and faith in constructive social activism was indeed admirable and inspiring. He worked with equal dynamism to promote interfaith understanding and dialogue, non-violence, and justice for the tribal people of Chhattisgarh caught in a violent conflict." The Congress chief further said, "He will be widely mourned, and India will honour the memory of this brave and noble soul. May his soul rest in peace." The social activist was associated with Arya Samaj and had led a campaign against bonded labour. Swami Agnivesh passed away on Friday at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in Delhi. He was suffering from liver cirrhosis and was critically ill. Ten minutes into The South Westerlies (RTE1) and I was thinking: so they've remade that Norwegian drama series, State of Happiness (recently shown on BBC4 and RTE1), in which protesting villagers try to scupper the plans of a multinational gas-drilling company. Five minutes later, I was thinking: oh, they've remade Local Hero, that lovely 1983 Bill Forsyth movie in which protesting Scottish villagers try to scupper the plans of oil-drilling billionaire Burt Lancaster. And five minutes later again, I was thinking: how nice to have Ballykissangel back, two decades after it was made, complete with conniving barflies, bearded hunks and prissy busybodies, along with Sally O'Brien and the way she might look at you. Actually, that last line - as older readers will recall - is from a 1980s Harp lager ad in which a lovelorn expat recalled the woman of his dreams back home. But it suits Kate (Orla Brady), who has been sent undercover by her cold-hearted Norwegian (yes, Norwegian) bosses back to the West Cork village of her youth to soften up the locals over an offshore wind turbine project. Derivative or not, this week's opening episode was a bit of fun, despite some decidedly ropey acting (no names) and an overly jaunty tone (I'm guessing it's not going to turn into Village of the Damned or The Hateful Eight). Indeed, I was quite taken with the scenario devised by creator/writer Catherine Maher, despite its over-reliance on old tropes, and I was beguiled by how director Simon Gibney filmed the village in all its picture-postcard prettiness. There was no denying the liveliness and warmth brought by Orla Brady to her central role, effortlessly commanding both your attention and your engagement, with winning support from Sam Barrett as her teenage son. I'll certainly have a look at the second episode, though I mightn't be doing the same with The Deceived (Virgin One), a mystery drama created and written by Lisa McGee (of Derry Girls fame) along with her husband Tobias Beer. The first episode was a straight lift from Rebecca, though not so much Daphne du Maurier as just daffy. Five minutes in, star-struck student Ophelia was humping bearded professor Michael Callaghan rather uncomfortably on a chair in his Cambridge University college rooms, while her voiceover was confiding that "the moment I gave in to it, it seemed there was no going back. I tried not to think about his wife or the suffering we were causing." Not to worry, because wife Roisin was soon burnt to death in their Donegal mansion, though not before she encountered Ophelia in a Cambridge ladies' toilet. "Hello, I'm Roisin", she said. "I know," said Ophelia, "I'm Ophelia." To which Roisin cryptically (not to mention hilariously) responded: "Not all women are allies, Ophelia. Some are the enemy." Video of the Day Roisin, though, didn't take the warning hint and ended up in Manderley (sorry, Donegal) as the second Mrs de Winter (sorry again, Mrs Callaghan), and was soon being subjected to all sorts of weird gaslighting things, just as in the Du Maurier novel and in Alfred Hitchcock's classic 1940 movie. As Michael, Emmett J Scanlan played the least likely academic you'll ever meet, while as Ophelia (honestly, couldn't they come up with a more believable name), Emily Reid was really only required to look wan and a bit apprehensive. Oh, I almost forgot, there was also Paul Mescal in a supporting role as local Donegal builder and part-time fireman Sean. Here, though, he was not the tongue-tied teenage hunk who was both so loveable and so exasperating in Normal People. Instead, he was just, well, normal and did it quite well. I wish I could say the same about the basic set-up or the script but, who knows, maybe it will get better if you're prepared to stick around. Strike: Lethal White (BBC1) certainly got better with this week's third episode, but that was mainly due to Robin's withering parting speech to her drippy, cheating husband. Holliday Grainger's playing of the scene was thrilling, so I'll stay around for tomorrow night's last instalment, if only to savour the unfamiliar London locations and to see if Robin and Cormoran finally get it on. Joe Duffy has taken over the role hitherto occupied by Gay Byrne on The Meaning of Life (RTE1), with this week's first instalment devoted to interviewing Blindboy Boatclub, best known for the Rubberbandits and for his podcasts. He was so garrulous that Duffy hardly got a word in, but when he finally managed to do so, it was by peddling the same old pieties to which Byrne was prone. And so, even though Blindboy was a declared atheist and didn't believe in an afterlife, Duffy felt obliged to invoke the "pearly gates" say "Let's presume there's a god there in some shape or form, what would you say?" Oh, enough already, and, to his credit, Blindboy responded with: "I'd just say. F*** off, man, give me Satan, I'm going down to hell". Previous seasons of Tastes Like Home (RTE1) had Catherine Fulvio making carbon-guzzling plane trips to the far ends of the world just so Maire or Eamon or whoever could get to savour mammy's signature dishes that they were missing by choosing to live in Auckland or Shanghai or wherever. Covid-19 has put a stop to these mad excursions, but that hasn't deterred Catherine from rehashing her greatest travel hits, and this week's opener to a new series saw her reminiscing about the great times she has had in South Africa when the world was a very different place. New Delhi on Saturday made it clear that any new dispensation that emerges from the intra-Afghan dialogue process must ensure that the soil of Afghanistan is never used for anti-India activities. External affairs minister S Jaishankar, who joined the inaugural session of the intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha, Qatar, via video conference, reiterated Indias support for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled peace process and sought an immediate ceasefire in the war-torn country. WATCH | Whats at stake for India in Taliban-Afghanistan govt talks: Explained Teams comprising representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban will come face-to-face for the first time on Monday for peace talks in Qatars capital for a negotiated settlement after nearly two decades of war. The talks were to have begun in March but were delayed by differences over the release of prisoners. ALSO READ | Peace process must be led, owned and controlled by Afghans:India on historic talks between Taliban and Afghanistan. Read full statement here Jaishankar, who joined the event at the invitation of Qatars deputy prime minister and foreign minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, said: Our friendship with Afghanistan is strong and unshaken, we have always been good neighbours and will always be so. Our expectation is that the soil of Afghanistan should never be used for any anti-India activities. The peace process, he said, has to address the violence in Afghanistan and the neighbourhood and also protect the interests of minorities and women. Jaishankar said, It [the peace process] has to respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan. It should promote the values of human rights and democracy that can foster development. The interests of the minorities, women and vulnerable must be ensured. And most important, the issue of violence across the country and its neighbourhood has to be effectively addressed. The rising levels of violence cannot be allowed to continue and, like others, we support an immediate, comprehensive ceasefire. India, which is the regions largest provider of development aid to Afghanistan, has watched a recent spike in violence and attacks on minorities such as Sikhs with growing concern. Since 2001, India has undertaken projects worth $3 billion in Afghanistan, including $1 billion pledged in 2016 under the new development partnership scheme for a period of five years. Jaishankar referred to Indias role in development aid and talked about the infrastructure created by the Indian partnership that spreads across all 34 provinces, be it the Parliament house for the nation, transmission lines and hospitals in Kabul, the friendship dam in Herat, the Afghanistan national agricultural science and technology university in Kandahar. Equally impactful have been capacity building projects, scholarships and training of youth, he said, adding that India has supplied more than a million tonnes of food grains in recent years. To address the challenge posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, India provided more than 15 tonnes of life-saving drugs and medical equipment and facilitated the travel of Afghan citizens to India for medical treatment. He added, These are but examples of our deep commitment to the welfare, prosperity and stability of the Afghan nation, and today, these are the very objectives that bring us here to discuss peace and reconciliation. Our approach in that regard has always remained consistent any peace process must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled. A senior official delegation led by JP Singh, joint secretary (Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran) in the external affairs ministry, also participated in the inaugural ceremony in Doha. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-13 02:21:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NUR-SULTAN, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Saturday met with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, with both sides reaffirming commitments to strengthening ties of the two countries. During the meeting, Wang said that China and Kazakhstan, as good neighbors and partners, have developed long-term stable relationship. President Xi Jinping and President Tokayev, who have forged firm mutual trust and friendship, decided last year to lift the bilateral ties to permanent comprehensive strategic partnership, opening a new chapter in the bilateral ties. Wang said the two countries should continually make the long-lasting friendship a consensus among all aspects of life and translate it into cooperation in various fields. China appreciates the significant results achieved by Kazakhstan in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic and will continue to support Kazakhstan's efforts by sharing its experience in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 patients, and strengthening cooperation in the research and development of vaccines and drugs, Wang noted. Wang added that President Xi Jinping has set out the goal of fostering a dual-cycle development architecture with the domestic cycle as the mainstay and with domestic and international development reinforcing each other. The move is an inevitable choice for China's economic growth and also a response to a new international economic situation. He reiterated that the expansion of the Chinese market and China's further opening up will provide more opportunities for those eyeing broader cooperation with China, adding that China welcomes Kazakhstan to attend this year's China International Import Expo. Wang stressed that China is ready to firmly defend the Sino-Kazakh friendship, unwaveringly support Kazakhstan's commitment to pursuing stable development and increasing the well-being of citizens. The two sides will jointly safeguard multilateralism and the international system with the United Nations at the core, maintain regional peace and stability, and jointly build a community of shared future for mankind, Wang said. For his part, Tokayev said he appreciated China's assistance in sending medical experts and materials to his country in the anti-epidemic fight, and hoped the two sides would strengthen cooperation in vaccine research and development. Tokayev said Kazakhstan's foreign policy to develop friendly relations with China will never change. The country is ready to deepen cooperation with China in various fields, so as to deliver more tangible benefits to the two peoples. The president added that no matter how the international situation changes, Kazakhstan always opposes interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and stands ready to work with China to combat false information, including the spread of false information through social media to destabilize a country. Kazakhstan is willing to strengthen people-to-people exchanges with China by promoting cooperation in the fields of youth, education and culture, and willing to see the opening of more Confucius institutions in the country, Tokayev said. Enditem MINDEN, Nev. - Kicking off a Western swing, President Donald Trump barrelled into Nevada on Saturday looking to expand his paths to victory while unleashing a torrent of unsubstantiated claims that Democrats were trying to steal the election. Trump defied local authorities by holding a rally in tiny Minden after his initial plan to hold one in Reno was stopped out of concern it would have violated coronavirus health guidelines. Unleashing 90-plus minutes of grievances and attacks, Trump claimed the states Democratic governor tried to block him and repeated his false claim that mail-in ballots would taint the election result. This is the guy we are entrusting with millions of ballots, unsolicited ballots, and were supposed to win these states. Who the hell is going to trust him? Trump said of Gov. Steve Sisolak. The only way the Democrats can win the election is if they rig it. As part of his ongoing crusade against mail-in voting, lawyers for the presidents 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 election. Addressing a mostly mask-less crowd tightly packed together, Trump spoke in front of mountains draped in haze, the scent of smoke in the air from wildfires raging a state away in California. The president expressed his condolences to the victims but, declaring that I dont have to be nice anymore, focused on tearing into his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden. Trump claimed that the Democrats running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, would be president in about a month if Biden won, asserting that the former vice-president would be but a figurehead and that Harris would hold power. He claimed that the media would treat Biden like Winston Churchill if he was able to merely stand on the debate stage in three weeks. And embarking on a swing that would also include stops in Las Vegas and Phoenix, Trump mocked Bidens slower travel schedule. You know where he is now? He is in his damn basement again! And, for good measure, Trump invoked his 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton, leading the crowd to launch into its traditional Lock Her Up! chant. The president claimed he usually tried to stop the chant but on Saturday declared, I dont care if you say it anymore and, breaking yet another norm of the office, suggested that Clinton should be in jail. Trump also offered a fierce defence of his handling of the pandemic, which has killed more than 190,000 Americans and still claims nearly 1,000 lives a day. And he blamed Democratic governors across the nation, including Sisolak, for deliberately slowing the pace of reopening their states to hurt his election chances. State Republicans claimed Sisolak tried to stop the rally, but the decision to cancel the Reno event was made by airport officials. Sisolak has limited in-person gatherings indoors and outdoors to 50 people since May, a recommendation based on White House reopening guidelines. Privately, the Trump campaign welcomed the fight, believing it highlighted a reelection theme: Trumps insistence that the nation has turned the corner on the pandemic, while Democrats, including Biden and governors, are hurting the nations economy and psyche with stringent restrictions. Its the kind of political fight that Trumps team relishes and underscores the growing importance of Nevada in Trumps quest for 270 electoral votes as the race looks tight in a number of pivotal states. Several thousand people covered the tarmac in Minden, including Tom Lenz, 64, of Sparks, Nevada, who said he didnt vote for Trump last time. But I will this time. I think he knows what hes doing, said Lenz. Hes pro-faith, pro-life, hes made more peace in the world. Biden cant even talk. Trump narrowly lost Nevada in 2016 to Clinton, and the state has trended further toward the Democrats in the past decade. But Trumps campaign has invested heavily in the state, relying on its ground game to turn out voters. Democrats, by contrast, have largely relied on virtual campaign efforts during the pandemic, save for the casino workers Culinary Union, which has sent workers door to door. The White House announced Saturday that, while out west, Trump will also visit California on Monday to receive a briefing on the devastating wildfires racing through the region. He has largely been silent on the blazes, which Oregons emergency management director said was a possible mass fatality event. Some Democrats fear a possible Trump momentum gain in Nevada, with the president showing increasing support from Latinos and non-college education white voters, two important constituencies in the state. The tightening race in a number of the most contested states, including increasing concern on the presidents team about Arizona, has led to a renewed effort for Trump to expand his electoral map. Once considered fairly safely in Trumps column, Arizona has been ravaged by the coronavirus and the Trump team has grown worried about a slip in support among the states older residents. If Arizona slips away, Trump campaign officials privately acknowledge that it would complicate his path to 270 electoral votes. If he loses Arizona, winning Wisconsin the most likely Midwest state for Trump to retain would not be enough even if he keeps Florida and North Carolina. It would require him to win somewhere else, which has led to a renewed focus on Minnesota, New Hampshire and the at-large congressional districts in Nebraska and Maine. And Nevada has become a particular focus, with hopes of turning out huge numbers in rural areas, including Minden, population 3,000. Everything he said he was going to do, he has at least tried to do, said Ron Falstad, a 67-year-old retired firefighter. Last time, everybody underestimated him. This time, you cant underestimate him. So they are trying to destroy his character. Trump was hosting two fundraisers in Las Vegas on Sunday. The Republican National Committee said it expected to raise $18 million, which would be shared by Trumps campaign, the committee and several state GOP committees. Trump and Republicans raised $210 million in August, a robust sum but far behind the record $364.5 million taken in by Biden and his party that month. ___ 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/ There were 20 known cases of COVID-19 in Haldimand-Norfolk as of Friday. But as schools reopen and the weather cools, the health unit is preparing for that number to climb. The region has already weathered one of the provinces worst outbreaks in long-term care, which killed 27 residents of Anson Place in Hagersville, and a farm outbreak that sickened 200 Mexican migrant workers, killing one. But grim springtime predictions of 500 local COVID-related deaths and hundreds more on ventilators have not come to pass. Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, Haldimand-Norfolks chief medical officer of health, said widespread adherence to physical distancing, facemask use, self-isolating when sick and limiting human-to-human interaction have proven to be effective defences against the virus. We recognize that these measures on occasion are inconvenient and can be challenging to effectuate on a consistent basis, Nesathurai said. But I think overall, people in this community recognize that COVID-19 is a serious problem and are committed to taking the measures to try and minimize the transmission of the illness. And I believe that will continue as we progress through the pandemic. The next front in the ongoing effort to keep coronavirus at bay is in the classroom. Nesathurai consulted with school officials about how to open schools safely, but the health unit still expects schools to be a source of new infections. Although there have been measures to try to reduce the risk, theres the still the risk of outbreaks or transmission of COVID-19 in schools, Nesathurai said, adding he is particularly worried about the asymptomatic spread of COVID-19 from children and teens to their parents, grandparents and others at higher risk. He had some advice for parents wondering how to talk with their anxious children. I think its important to speak in terms that are age-appropriate for your child. Let them know whats going on without causing undue angst, and be there to talk to them and answer any questions they have, he said. Additionally, COVID-19 has underscored the importance of having a strong social network, so be sure to help your child keep connected to their friends even when seeing them in person might not be an option. That applies to everyone, he added. The summer sunshine allowed for more socializing, as residents who had been quarantining for months safely gathered outdoors and experienced some semblance of normalcy. Once winter hits, Nesathurai recommends finding other ways to stay connected. Winter weather doesnt have to mean were stuck inside at all times. Id encourage people who can to bundle up for winter walks to keep active outdoors. Should we get snowfall, spend time tobogganing or building a snowman with the kids, he said. And of course, we should all continue to keep in touch with our friends and loved ones using the wide array of technology at our disposal. A video call can brighten even the greyest winter day. While only time will tell if a second wave of COVID-19 will emerge in Ontario, Nesathurai said the health unit remains concerned about additional cases in the fall. In addition to continuing the assertive strategies that have worked thus far to limit the spread of the virus, he reminded residents to get tested if they experience any of the myriad symptoms associated with the disease, or are worried that they may have been exposed. He also recommends getting the flu shot as a helpful measure to limit airborne illnesses. Immunization from the flu doesnt prevent you from getting COVID, but it does prevent you from getting the flu and spreading the flu to other people. And thats a worthwhile strategy, Nesathurai said. The death toll from the worst wildfires in Oregon in living memory could rise as scaores of people are still missing across three counties, the states governor Kate Brown has warned. The states emergency management director, Andrew Phelps, said officials were preparing for a mass fatality event and that thousands of structures had been destroyed. Oregon officials have not released an exact death toll but at least eight fatalities have been reported. Marion County sheriff Joe Kast said on Friday evening that searchers had found two victims of the Beachie Creek fire near Salem. Hundreds of firefighters are battling two large blazes that threatened to merge near the most populated part of Oregon, including the suburbs of Portland. More than 1,500 square miles have burned in the state during recent days, but if the fires merge, they could generate enough heat to send embers thousands of feet into the air, potentially igniting other areas. Ms 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. Scores of people are missing in Jackson County in the southern area of the state and in Marion County east of Salem, the state capital, Ms Brown told a news conference. Improved weather has, however, offered some hope and helped efforts on the ground after days of high winds, heat and low humidity. The wind laid down quite a bit for us yesterday, said Stefan Myers of the states fire information team. Almost 500 firefighters were working on the blazes near Portland, which were just a few miles apart, with rugged terrain between them that limits boots-on-the-ground efforts to control the flames, Mr Myers said. Authorities also said a man had been arrested on two counts of arson in connection with a fire in southern Oregon. Additional reporting by agencies 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. Vietnam Airlines to resume regular international flights next week Only single flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Tokyo will be conducted in the first phase, said a Vietnam Airlines representative, adding the return flights will be announced pending careful consideration from both sides. Vietnam Airlines' Boeing 787 Vietnam Airlines will use Boeing 787 aircraft, one of the most modern planes of the carrier to date for the Japan route. Passengers on board these flights are mostly Vietnamese who want to work, study and live in Japan. All crew members will undergo medical check-ups and be quarantined in line with COVID-19 regulations after returning to Vietnam. The aircraft, especially the entire passenger cabin and cockpit, will be disinfected according to international standards. In addition to Japan, Vietnam Airlines is making plans to restore routes to the Republic of Korea, China, Taiwan (China), Laos and Cambodia. In June 2020, Vietnam Airlines operated several one-way flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Seoul (the Republic of Korea) and to Frankfurt (Germany). The recovery of regular international flights is a good signal for Vietnam Airlines as well as Vietnams aviation industry when COVID-19 has been brought under control in many countries and regions. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The Specialized Commission for Constitutional Reforms held a session, the ministry of justice told Armenpress. Commission members Artur Ghambaryan and Anahit Manasyan introduced the first report of the agenda, proposing to discuss the issue of enshrining by the Constitution the principle of mutual respect and cooperation between the authorities in the norm over the principle of separation and balance of powers. A Q&A session was held, the Commission members presented their views and proposals. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan India: Police threaten to charge pastor, frame son with crimes, if he refuses to stop sharing Gospel Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Christian pastor in northern India was forced to sign papers renouncing all religious activity including sharing the Gospel or holding worship in his home after a police officer threatened to file false charges against him and his teenage son. A house church pastor identified only as Pastor Sugriv told Morning Star News that the threats by police in Uttar Pradesh state came after his son, 19-year-old Pawan Kumar, asked intoxicated Hindu extremists to stop making offensive comments about Christianity outside their home in Tarkulwa village, Maharajganj District. The officers at Shyam Deurwa police station joined hands with the assailants and forced us to sign a document vowing that we would never conduct prayers in our home, and that we would not share the Gospel with anyone, he said. I was forced to sign it. What kind of justice is this? The night of the first incident, drunk Hindu extremists reportedly shouted Hallelujah, hallelujah outside the Christians home. Though police initially ordered the Hindus to stop harassing the pastor and his family, they returned the next night, shouting obscenities. Once again, the Christians informed police of the incident: We had no other option but to inform the police, Sugriv said. It is not safe for us to have these drunkards come by whenever they want and start picking fights with us, shouting at the top of their lungs. We have women in our house, and it was beyond what we could tolerate. This time, two police officers came to the Christians home and asked the pastor's son to show them where the accused lived. We thought they came to take action against them for our safety and allowed our son to go with them to show their homes, he said. We had waited very long for our child to return, and someone passing by informed us that police had taken him into custody. At the station, police threatened to charge the pastor with sexual harassment based on false accusations presented by a Hindu extremist and frame his son in such a case that he will be behind the bars for many, many years. As a condition for his sons release, the officers forced Sugriv to sign a document vowing that they would never practice their faith in their home or talk about Christ with anyone, he said. Shyam Deurwa Police Inspector Vijay Singh denied that the document the pastor signed violated Indias religious freedoms, saying it prohibited only fraudulent conversion. Villagers have been opposing them since they have been propagating Christianity in the area, so I had only taken their signatures on a document vowing that they will not forcefully convert or allure anyone to convert, Singh told Morning Star News. Attacks on Christians in India have been on the rise since Narendra Modi of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party took office as prime minister in 2014. In a recent report, Persecution Relief, an organization that aims to protect the right to worship guaranteed by India's Constitution, revealed that hate crimes against Christians had risen by an alarming 41%. It records 293 cases of hate crimes against Christians, including five rapes and six murders, compared to 208 incidents last year. The majority of the incidents took place in Uttar Pradesh state, where believers make up just 0.18% of the population. In March, Christians in Uttar Pradesh were falsely accused of forcefully converting Hindus to Christianity and were subsequently brutally beaten by a drunken police officer who then ordered them to pose like Christ on the cross. In August, a pastor was attacked and brutally beaten by a mob of radical Hindu nationalists as he returned home from a prayer meeting in Bikampur village, located in the Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh. Christian rights activist Dinanath Jaiswar from the advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom International said that police in Uttar Pradesh have time and again unleashed their anger against minorities. It appears the Hindu extremist groups are closely working with the police officers to target Christian worship, he said. India is ranked No. 10 on Open Doors USAs 2020 World Watch List of the countries where it's most difficult to be a Christian. The group notes that Hindu radicals often attack Christians with little to no consequences. Women and people aged 25-44 are now at the centre of the rise of Covid-19, which claimed another life yesterday. They account for the highest number of people who were newly diagnosed with the virus in the week up to September 4, as Covid-19 was tightening its grip in Limerick and Dublin in particular. These two groups make up the highest number of confirmed cases of the virus during that week, as public health doctors witnessed the infection gaining ground. Read More However, since the pandemic began, 26 more men than women had died up to that date. And 64pc of all people who succumbed to the virus were 80 years of age or older, according to the Central Statistics Office. The virus is continuing to spread at worrying levels, with another 211 cases of Covid-19 confirmed yesterday. There are appeals to Dubliners, in particular, to reduce their socialising and cut the number of people they are inviting into their homes. Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said: "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 chain of transmission in our communities. "This weekend, please limit your social contacts, especially visitors to your home. Avoid crowds, keep your distance from others, and wear a face covering where appropriate." In a video message last night, he again warned that the number of cases in Dublin could double in a fortnight unless people change their behaviour. There are an average of 104 new cases in the capital each day and now is the time to grasp the "window of opportunity". Limit contacts, avoid crowds and prioritise the people you want to see, he added. As many as 42 cases yesterday were due to community transmission - which means the people infected could not identify the source. The figures for yesterday show that 121 cases were in Dublin, 17 in Louth, 10 in Limerick, eight in Cork, seven in Westmeath, seven in Wicklow, six in Laois, five in Donegal, and five in Galway. The remaining 24 cases are in Carlow, Clare, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Meath, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary, and Waterford. Meanwhile, nursing-home visits in Dublin are to be curtailed and each resident is to be confined to one nominated visitor. The advice to nursing homes across the city and county has been issued by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) amid major concern at spread of Covid-19. The new restrictions will come into effect from tomorrow. Until now, residents were allowed visits from four nominated family members or friends. This will now be reduced to one nominated visitor per resident. It is intended to reduce the risk by cutting down on contacts. The measures are in place for three weeks. Nursing Homes Ireland chief Tadhg Daly said there is no restriction on the frequency of the visits, but it will be a matter for each nursing home to give guidance to families on how best they feel residents should be kept safe. He said there appears to be no increase in clusters in nursing homes in recent weeks. Alert There has been a rise in the number of older people catching the virus in recent weeks and authorities remain on high alert in light of the increase in the spread of the virus. The HSE confirmed yesterday children in 64 schools nationwide have been diagnosed with Covid-19 so far and around 30 classes tested for the virus. A spokeswoman said its departments of public health have been informed of a number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in people attending educational facilities. In these instances, they undertake a risk assessment to ascertain what further actions might need to be taken. As part of the investigations and risk assessment, it considers the possibility that transmission is occurring within the school setting. DAKAR (Reuters) - Nearly 100 Senegalese soldiers tested positive this week for the coronavirus after returning home from a deployment in neighbouring Gambia, a military source said on Friday. The source said testing continued of the contingent of 600 soldiers, who are part of a force deployed in 2017 to enforce President Adama Barrow's election victory over then-President Yahya Jammeh. The source did not say how the soldiers may have been infected. Senegal has recorded 14,193 cases of COVID-19, including 293 deaths. Gambia, which is mostly surrounded by Senegal, has confirmed 3,293 cases and 99 deaths. (Reporting by Diadie Ba; Writing by Aaron Ross; editing by Philippa Fletcher) Help save Bandulas life View(s): Journalist and former diplomat Bandula Jayasekara has been suffering from blood cancer for the past 14 months. He was planning to undergo bone marrow transplant in Singapore as it cannot be done in Sri Lanka. Well-wishers have been raising funds for his transplant. A donor was available. However, COVID-19 came in between and the transplant got delayed. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy, blood and platelets transfusions. He has suffered various setbacks in his fight to become a cancer survivor. Frequent hospitalisation with infections has resulted in him incurring high medical costs in his battle with cancer. A delay in carrying out the transplant could endanger his life. An appeal has been made to persons to donate generously to save his life. Those interested could send contributions to the special cancer treatment account created by three of his friends. Commercial Bank, Battaramulla branch; Account No. 8005463011, Bank Code 7056, Branch Code 029, Swift Code CCEYLKLX. Those who are sending their donations from overseas need to mention Bandula Jayasekara as the name of the account. Amid standoff with China, IAF to get land in Uttarakhand to carry out activities in border areas India pti-Madhuri Adnal Dehradun, Sep 12: Amid the ongoing standoff with China along the LAC, Central Air Command chief, Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar met Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat to seek land for setting up facilities that will help the IAF carry out its activities in the border areas. The Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), Central Air Command, during his meeting with Rawat on Friday also discussed the availability of land for installing air defence radars and advance landing ground in the hilly areas of the state due to their strategic significance, an official release said. Uttarakhand shares its borders with China and Nepal. NSA Doval led CSG to meet, work on agenda for military commander level talks with China Setting up facilities like air defence radars and an advance landing ground in Uttarakhand's hilly districts of Chamoli, Pitgoragarh and Uttarkashi will be of great help to the air force as they are in the country's northeast, the AOC-in-C said. The Air Marshal also requested for expansion of Pantnagar, Jollygrant and Pitgoragarh airports besides seeking allocation of land for an airport in Chaukhutiya. The chief minister said land will be made available to the IAF on priority basis to conduct its activities and immediately ordered appointment of a nodal officer in the administration to identify suitable land for the purpose. Rawat apprised the AOC-in-C about the steps being taken by the state government to develop Pantnagar airport as a green field airport and upgrade facilities at the Jollygrant airport to international standards. Close Brexit briefing: How long until the end of the transition period? European parliament leaders have vowed to block any future UK-EU trade deal if Boris Johnson goes ahead with a bill which would violate the Brexit withdrawal agreement, after the blocs chief negotiator Michel Barnier said it was increasing its planning for a no-deal scenario. The prime minister sought to fend off a looming revolt, reportedly telling some 250 Tory MPs that his planned breach was necessary to stop a foreign power from breaking up our country but that there was no time for questions, after Tory rebels tabled an amendment that would give parliament a veto on his Internal Market Bill. It comes as Irelands Europe minister said the move to renege on last years deal was a unilateral provocative act that was uniquely unprecedented in history. Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday, September 11 expressed concern for the 12 Hong Kong rights activists who were arrested 2 weeks ago. As per reports, the detained activists have been denied access to their lawyers. Neither China nor Hong Kong authorities are reported to have confirmed who all have been arrested but local media has identified some of them as facing prosecution for involvement in pro-democracy protests last year. Read: Mike Pompeo, Taliban, Afghan Govt Representatives Meet In Qatar For Talks The US Secretary of State said, The United States is deeply concerned that 12 Hong Kong democracy activists, arrested two weeks ago off the coast of Hong Kong by Guangdong Maritime Police, have been denied access to lawyers of their choice. We question Chief Executive Carrie Lam's stated commitment to protecting the rights of Hong Kong residents, and call on authorities to ensure due process. Pompeo further added that the local authorities of Hong Kong are yet to reveal information regarding the welfare and charges against the 12 activists. A few days back, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said that her government will provide every possible assistance to the 12 people arrested by Chinese authorities as they were spotted escaping to Taiwan to take political asylum. Lam added that the local residents will have to be dealt with by China as the Chinese authorities detained them on the basis of illegal border crossing on a boat off the coast of the southern mainland province of Guangdong. Read: Hong Kong Leader Lam Says Locals Arrested At Seas Will Be Dealt By Mainland China As per local media reports, the activists were travelling to Taiwan to apply for political asylum. Lam is reported to have said that if the residents of Hong Kong were arrested for violating mainland regulations then they would have to go through mainland laws and in accordance with the jurisdiction before any other things could happen. The Hong Kong Chief Executive assured that her government will provide every possible assistance to Hong Kong residents caught in all sorts of situations. She further added that the government's representative office in Guangzhou will find out every possible way to help the residents and liaise with mainland authorities. Read: Hong Kong Police Arrests Hundreds As Protestors Return To Streets On September 7 Also Read: Hong Kong Govt Claims Almost 1 Million People Have Registered For Mass COVID-19 Testing (Image Credits: ANI/AP) Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Help is on the way for many unemployed New Mexicans in the form of an extra $1,500 in federal benefits even as state unemployment funds run dry. New Mexico was approved for five weeks of federal funding through the Lost Wages Assistance program, which provides many unemployed New Mexicans with an additional $300 per week. The funding which retroactively covers a five-week period that runs from July 26 through Aug. 29 will be distributed in a lump sum to eligible New Mexicans. Workforce Solutions Secretary Bill McCamley said Friday unemployment recipients should expect to see the funds by the end of this weekend, if they havent already provided they meet the federal eligibility requirements. The governor has been extremely passionate about every state agency getting every single resource possible to help New Mexicans through this pandemic, McCamley said. To be eligible for the federal program, McCamley said claimants are required to certify for the weeks they were eligible for unemployment, which includes confirming that they are unemployed or partially unemployed due to the pandemic. Additionally, federal guidance dictates that people are only eligible for the federal program if their normal weekly unemployment benefit amount is at least $100, including the allowance for dependents. More funding could be on its way in the future. McCamley said DWS has been approved for a sixth week of funding through the federal program, though the money hadnt been transferred as of Friday morning. The new funds should provide welcome relief for many of the more than 124,000 New Mexicans still receiving unemployment benefits. After months of heavy use, however, McCamley said the states unemployment trust fund has been drained. The state is now borrowing money from the federal government to keep its programs operating. New Mexicos unemployment trust fund stood at $465 million as recently as mid-March. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and associated business shutdowns caused joblessness to skyrocket, pushing unemployment claims to levels not seen before this year. The state workforce department stated it has paid out more than $2 billion in assistance to New Mexicans since March 15. McCamley said in an email that the trust fund balance officially hit zero Sept. 8. Earlier this summer, McCamley told the Journal the state had requested up to $285 million from the U.S. Labor Department to secure funding through October. McCamley said Texas sought federal funds to help with unemployment payments earlier in the year, and he expects Arizona and Nevada to follow suit. This is something that most states are doing, he said. At least for now, the federal government isnt assessing interest on the loans. McCamley said the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which was signed into law in March, gives states access to interest-free loans until the end of the year. McCamley said the state workforce department has put together a task force to study the issue as 2021 approaches. Were going to have to continue to monitor that when we get closer to the end of the year, he said. Can Americans still have a sensible and friendly political discussion across the partisan divide? The answer is yes, and we intend to prove it. Julie Roginsky, a Democrat, and Mike DuHaime, a Republican, are consultants who have worked on opposite teams for their entire careers yet have remained friends throughout. Here, they discuss the weeks events with Tom Moran, editorial page editor of The Star-Ledger. Q. Why do politicians ever talk to Bob Woodward? How damaging are the recordings of President Trump describing the virus as deadly stuff in private as he played it down in public? Julie: They talk to him for the prestige, I suppose. The recordings would have been devastating for any other president but public opinion of Trump is pretty much baked in. His supporters wont ever hear about his self-own on COVID because right-wing media wont cover the story and the rest of us already knew, even without this recording, that he has utterly failed the nation in managing the deadliest pandemic in over a century. This is the reporter I trust more than any other on the subject of Trump's interactions with journalists. He has lengthy experience with the subject. (Was sued by Trump and won...) He does not traffic in the fantasy that Trump is some kind of media wizard. https://t.co/ygEH57okLn Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) September 11, 2020 Mike: Most politicians are born believing so deeply in their own charm that they think they can win absolutely anyone over, even Bob Woodward. Most communications experts also believe its better to cooperate with Woodward to make sure your sides story is included, because he will find plenty of sources anyway. On the substance, Republicans should be questioning why he said one thing privately and another publicly. The way we avoid panic in America is by being truthful with each other, not hiding the facts and treating us like toddlers. I think of Rudy Giuliani after September 11th and FDR after Pearl Harbor. Americans were scared but responded to being treated like adults. They told us the hard truth. We would have reacted better to truth, and we would be in far better shape today. He was not saying the same things publicly that he was privately to Bob Woodward, Fox News anchor Bret Baier said, correcting his guests attempt to rewrite history.https://t.co/pnCKBEqyJ1 The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) September 11, 2020 Q. In the presidential race, we are past Labor Day and the conventions, and polls show not much has changed, with Biden still holding a lead in most swing states, and nationally. What does that stability tell us about these times? Who does it help? Julie: I refuse to be complacent. To me, this is very reminiscent of 2016, when Hillary Clintons supporters pointed to the polls and thought she had it in the bag. Between post office delays, Russian interference and other pro-Trump shenanigans, this race is closer than polls would indicate. All I would urge anyone reading this column is to vote by mail as soon as your ballot arrives and then go online to the NJ Secretary of States website to check that your ballot arrived. Mike: If does feel very much like 2016. The Democrat is ahead, but its close in the key states, and Trump is running a better campaign. Julie: Better campaign? Trumps campaign spent like drunken sailors and have blown their fundraising advantage less than two months before the election and right when early voting begins in some states. It may be a better campaign for those Republican operatives who are buying boats and houses with money that should have been going to GOTV efforts in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The rest of us know better. Mike: Allow me to clarify. He is running a better and more disciplined campaign over the last few months. The Trump campaign should not have started in 2017, which led to a waste of some donor money over years when the campaign did not need to be operational. America 2020, where the president's racism gets pushed out of the news by the president's disrespect for the troops, which gets pushed out of the news by the president's rape victim, which gets pushed out of the news by the president's indifference to the deaths of thousands Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) September 10, 2020 Q. If Attorney General William Barr gets his way, the public will pay the bill for President Trumps defense against a defamation suit from one of the women who accuses him of rape, E. Jean Carroll -- a woman Trump memorably dismissed as not my type. We live at a time where none of this will matter in November, right? Julie: Let me get this straight: Trump allegedly raped a woman in the Barneys dressing room years before he was president, proceeded to trash her when she spoke up about it and my tax dollars now have to pay to defend his trashing of her? Its depressing but its par for the course. Its also not the first time taxpayer dollars have been spent to attack women who dare to speak about the misbehavior of men long before those men were elected to office. It happens in Washington and it happens in Trenton. The only consistent thing is the selective outrage by partisans when the other side does it. Mike: The federal government should not be paying for his defense for something that happened so many years before while he was in the private sector and has nothing to do with his service to the government. Attorney General William Barr defends the Justice Department's decision to represent President Donald Trump in a defamation lawsuit filed by a woman who has accused Trump of sexual assault in the 1990s https://t.co/OyrkaPdO1D CNN (@CNN) September 9, 2020 Q. With all the focus on the virus, you can almost forget that New Jersey is about to vote on legalizing recreation marijuana. How do you two see that campaign playing out? Julie: I suspect most voters in New Jersey, even those who dont consume cannabis themselves, understand how ridiculous it is to spend resources prosecuting those who sell and consume it, rather than putting those resources to use on more important priorities. Mike: I dont support it, but it will pass. Q. Gov. Phil Murphy gathered core supporters and made an aggressive pitch for his plan for a baby bond program in New Jersey modeled on Sen. Cory Bookers plan in Washington, granting each child $1,000 at birth, with an income limit. Is this a political show or a real possibility? Julie: The beauty of Sen. Bookers proposal is that it adds money into an account for qualified children each year until they reach 18. Thanks to compound interest and annual payments, that would create a real nest egg for young adults looking to go to college, buy a home or learn a trade. The governors proposal is a one-off, which means that infants receiving $1,000 now wouldnt even double that amount when they reach adulthood. Meanwhile, those same babies have been handed truly pressing challenges now: lead in the water, the remediation of which is crucial so that they dont grow up with long-term health issues. Daycare options that are out of reach for their parents. Crumbling schools where it is often impossible to learn. So proud that our baby bonds proposal continues to gain traction, starting right here in New Jersey! Together we can start chipping away at the widening racial wealth gap in this country. https://t.co/rhGoOqzZdS Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) September 10, 2020 Julie: I appreciate the symbolism of the governors play but since this is a non-recurring contribution, he is asking for a significant deposit into a very low-interest bearing account that could otherwise be spent to meaningfully improve these childrens lives today. Because if we dont invest in addressing the lead crisis immediately, many of these kids will have much more serious challenges than worrying about how to spend their $1,000 in 18 years. Mike: The baby bonds are well intentioned but a silly idea. We are borrowing billions of dollars this year and using some of the money to fund these baby bonds. We will pay much more in interest than the bonds will earn in interest. More bad Trenton math for feel-good programs that do little to address the systemic problems working poor families face in New Jersey. Murphy misfires, trying to be like Booker | Moran https://t.co/UuHGSMeDiS pic.twitter.com/2T6IWu1J4E NJ.com Politics (@NJ_Politics) August 30, 2020 Q. Susan Cole will retire, 23 years after she became the first woman president of Montclair State University. She doubled the student population, added 30 million square feet of academic and performance space, and turned MSU into a doctoral research university. Anything to say beyond thank you as she departs? Julie: Susan Cole is a great leader and a role model for a lot of women. And yes, thank you for your service, Dr. Cole. Mike: I had the pleasure of serving with Dr. Cole on Gov. Christies transition team. Also, two of my sisters graduated from Montclair State before Dr. Coles time. I have seen the amazing progress, both physically on the campus as well as with the prestige of the school and quality of the education. Dr. Cole has done a great deal to improve the futures of countless New Jerseyans, so we all owe her an immense debt of gratitude. Q. Best luck to the restaurant business on inside dining, but Im going to keep asking for an outside table. You two ready to make the leap inside? Julie: Im ready to eat inside but Ive got the COVID antibodies to back up the bravado. Maybe those of us who are much, much younger than you, Tom, can leave the outdoor tables for you as a sacrifice we make in support of our elders. Mike: As long as people dont go out when sick and take proper precautions, I think youll be fine. Get some mozzarella sticks. They will make you happy. 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. Justifying pay cuts as need of the hour, actor comedian Archana Puran Singh has revealed that she also reduced her fees a decade ago during the global recession. Archana is currently seen on popular comedy show, The Kapil Sharma Show. Elaborating on why she took a pay cut, Archana said, Whenever you sign a contract anywhere, the agreement is only after a bargain. It is not just a matter of lockdown, artists fees have been deducted earlier as well. We need to adjust our remuneration according to the times. You must remember the 2011 recession - that was a time when producers talked to us and my fees was reduced. We need to be realistic in such tough times. Archana was speaking with Navbharat Times. You need to understand that everyone is working under losses, then how can you charge high fees? The circle starts with the advertisement of the product - when advertisements get halved., the channels also pay half to the producers. It is then obvious that producers will ask us to take pay cuts, she further told the Hindi daily. About taking pay cuts, Saumya Tandon of Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain fame recently said, Its not just me, it has happened with everybody. Its not in just our industry, it is happening everywhere. It is for the work that is to be done for the future, it is not for the work which we have already done for which the payments are pending. Advocating the pay cuts, producer JD Majethia had told Hindustan Times, Of course pay cuts will happen and it has already started in the TV industry. Our industry is largely dependent on advertisement revenue. Everything is hierarchical in TV advertisers to broadcaster, broadcasters to producers, producers to artistes and technicians. Also read: Parveen Babi survived on a diet of milk, eggs towards the end of her life: Karishma Upadhyay The television industry suffered a major setback due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all shoots halted from mid-March. The shoots were only allowed to resume late June, after the Maharashtra government came out with a list of guidelines to be followed by the cast and crew. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Greenaway is among several who have raised this barrier since the "bubble" was launched after pressure from those living alone months into isolation. She says it matters because "these relationships people have with friends are as psychologically meaningful and deep as romantic relationships". She is among the fastest-growing demographic among Australian households, solo dwellers, which demographer Hugh Mackay calls "the single most significant demographic statistic about Australian society". He says the rapid rise of living alone has not been well enough factored in to social planning and the cracks are showing in the pandemic. "I liken it to climate change," he says, "We know what's causing it, we know it's coming and we haven't really done anything much [to best serve those in it and society]." Loading "Households have been shrinking for the last 100 years ... It's a symptom of how dramatically our society is changing that the ABS predicted a few years ago that by 2030 [sole-person households] would be one in every three households," he said. "Well over 20 per cent of the population have lived alone at some time." Some of those living alone do so voluntarily and very much enjoy their independence, while some are involuntarily alone, an arrangement many move in and out of. Those living alone involuntarily are more likely to experience loneliness, but in the pandemic even those who choose to fly solo may be finding it very difficult, says Mackay, whose new book The Inner Self examines questions of our authentic identity. "They are experiencing social isolation which they didn't seek," he says. "When we choose to live alone we do it on the assumption we can connect with people when we want to." When people, particularly those living alone, are experiencing social isolation, a fundamental human need is being frustrated. Hugh Mackay, demographer and author of 'The Inner Self' "Social isolation is a dangerous state for ... humans because we absolutely need each other, we are that kind of species. We need groups to sustain and maintain our mental health." Mackay says even before the pandemic "as a society we've been really neglectful of the needs of involuntary solo householders". "The most basic of all our human needs - apart from survival stuff like food, drink and sleep - is our need to be taken seriously, to be acknowledged, appreciated, recognised. When people, particularly those living alone, are experiencing social isolation, a fundamental human need is being frustrated. "It's no wonder it can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression. In the criminal justice system solitary confinement is the worst punishment we can think of for a prisoner, and here we are particularly in Victoria we've put 25 per cent of households into it 23 hours a day." Loading A survey of 14,000 people soon to be published in the Medical Journal of Australia found people living alone, especially young people who had lost their jobs, were among those at highest risk of anxiety or depression during the pandemic. Lack of human engagement was taking a serious toll. Those with the greatest likelihood of experiencing poor mental health were people living alone, those having lost a job, those being fearful of contracting COVID-19 and those "experiencing the restrictions as having very adverse effects on their lives" many living alone could be in all of those groups, according to Jane Fisher, professor of Global Health at Monash University. "The group who are experiencing the most difficulty with this is young people who might perhaps be yearning for a partner or are students or international students and haven't yet got one and who are not choosing to live like this," said Fisher, a co-author of the study Mental health of people in Australia in the first month of COVID-19 restrictions: a national survey. Katie Greenaway says it's time to acknowledge deep and lasting friendships as being as significant as other loving relationships. Credit:Justin McManus "For those people, social isolation is very costly; there's a big difference between going for a walk with one other person for an hour and having a multi-stranded social life that allows you to engage and meet with others." "The 'bubble' is welcome but not sufficient. In our efforts to restore things we need to focus on mechanisms enabling everyone to see others, but especially for those in this group," she said. "They need to be able to re-engage in purposeful activity and social engagement in groups of more than one other person and it should be a priority as we lift regulations." Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, a psychiatrist and director of the Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre, said she was seeing an "unprecedented" number of people suffering anxiety and depression triggered by pandemic living. "A lot of them are women presenting with first-time-ever anxiety; a sense of hopelessness and helplessness," she says. Though there are a minority of more introverted people who enjoy isolation, the "sense of never-endingness and time distortion" could be extremely difficult for many living alone, who miss the chance to debrief with face-to-face downtime conversations. There's a big difference between going for a walk with one other person ... and a social life that allows you to engage and meet with others. Professor Jane Fisher, Monash University Centre for Global Health "It's interesting that after the announcement of the extension of lockdown in Victoria a number of people went into a sort of panic state: 'I can't do anything about this, I have no power over this, it's something that is imposed on me and I can't do anything about it'," she said. This may be experienced as "I feel like I'm in a tunnel and there's no end, a claustrophobic shortness of breath because of the sense this might go on for weeks." Kulkarni advises patients feeling distressed by isolation to try to think in the short term as much as possible, to exercise regularly and stick to a routine including getting dressed for work and setting out morning tea and lunch as you would if working on site, and to communicate as much as possible with others. People around those living alone should take time to initiate contact, says Dr Grant Blashki, lead clinical adviser for Beyond Blue. "We know loneliness is a risk factor for mental health problems; and the research shows an association with loneliness and higher rates of depression and some link with anxiety conditions as well," he said. For people living alone right now, "COVID-19 is the perfect storm: you've got lockdown, people have lost their jobs and a job is a lot more than bread on the table, it's about about socialising banter in the tearoom people have lost a lot. "A lot live more than five kilometres away from people they want to catch up with, it's been really hard for people in Victoria," he said. "Telehealth has given me insight into how difficult this is and the sorts of examples I'm seeing are students who have come from interstate and can't see family, or from overseas, workers from interstate and older people who have lost their confidence to go out." Greenaway says it is normal to struggle at present and has plenty of strategies for those feeling the emotional pinch of isolation: "I'm mindful of finding connections where I can [for now, virtually], for example last night I watched a movie with some friends in Brisbane and we chatted about it afterwards." Creating regular routines around online socialising and sticking to them, learning coping strategies to regulate your emotional response to the situation and accepting your emotions when they were challenging could also help. Loading "General acceptance of emotions - labelling your emotions in terms of 'I'm feeling sad', or 'I'm feeling anxious and angry' - is a fine-grain way of coming to terms with exactly how you are feeling," she said. Australia's top airlines and travel agents are publicly pleading for Queensland's borders to open so they don't go broke. Rival travel agents Helloworld and Flight Centre have joined Qantas and Virgin to ask for state borders to be immediately opened to save their businesses. The quartet are launching a four-week publicity campaign in Queensland as politicians begin campaigning for the upcoming state election on Saturday, October 31. Pictured: A Qantas employee protests outside Parliament House in Canberra earlier this month. Qantas has joined Virgin, Helloworld and Flight Centre to campaign for open borders Flight Centre founder Graham Turner said it was meaningless to talk about business survival and recovery without open borders and free trade between states. The travel agency has been crushed by the collapse of international travel and state border closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Turner said borders needed to be opened immediately for any recovery plan. 'A travel and tourism restart will be the key to Queensland coming out of the depths of the current recession,' Mr Turner told the Courier Mail. Rival travel agency Helloworld has joined the push, with chief executive Andrew Burnes saying they had cut jobs from the equivalent of 2000 full-time positions in February to 600. Virgin Australia's empty ticket desk. Airlines are struggling under pandemic border closures Flight Centre founder Graham 'Skroo' Turner is spearheading the campaign to open borders Flight Centre's business has been crushed by the collapse of international travel and state border closures due to the coronavirus pandemic Mr Burnes said Australia would be facing 20 per cent unemployment in March if nothing was done, and he couldn't see why low-case states Western Australia, Tasmania, South Australia, the ACT and Queensland didn't at least have their borders open to each other. 'There seems to be exceptions if you are a Hollywood movie star and there seem to be exceptions if you've got anything to do with the AFL but if you've got deeply personal reasons for legitimately wanting to cross the border it seems those requests have met a brick wall,' he said. Australia's tourism industry is estimated to be losing up to $10 billion every month during the pandemic, made up of $6 billion in domestic tourism and $4 billion in foreign visitors. As many as 532,000 jobs and up to $21.3 billion in wages and salaries have been so far lost across the country, Nine News reported. Virgin Australia chief executive officer Paul Scurrah said Australia had 'lost context' in its coronavirus response and asked for the government to consider opening borders where there is low risk between cities. Virgin Australia, now owned by American private equity firm Bain Capital, announced on Thursday night that it was closing its budget arm Tigerair after 13 years of operations. Tigerair emailed a statement to customers on Thursday saying how hard the decision had been. Helloworld travel agency says they have cut jobs from the equivalent of 2000 full-time positions in February to 600. 'There is no denying these are tough times for everyone in the travel and tourism industry,' the statement said. Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce wants Australia's state borders to open first as a prelude to opening international borders. The Sunday Mail revealed there are now discussions between NSW and New Zealand about a travel bubble. The national carrier has started a petition called 'Safely Open Our Borders' which calls for a shared definition of a coronavirus hotspot so states can standardise their decisions on border closures. Mr Joyce said there was hope in a new breathalyser coronavirus scanner being tested at US airports. The BBC reported in June that Professor Gabby Sarusi of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel is developing a breathalyser test to detect coronavirus, however it is not expected to be ready until next year. Virgin Australia, now owned by Bain Capital, has joined the call for open borders Mr Joyce said people's hearts were being broken. 'They are grandparents who haven't seen grandkids, they are people who can't go and visit relatives, they are families that have been separated for months,' he said. Mr Joyce said the New South Wales suppression strategy of tracking and tracing was successful in minimising the virus spread while allowing life to go back to normal. Christmas is just over three months away and Mr Joyce said this landmark holiday would be emotional for people if they were not able to visit loved ones. Qantas has shed more than 20,000 employees since April as the pandemic hit the airline industry with lockdowns and border closures. Qantas announced earlier this month that it had issued $500 million in unsecured 10-year bonds with a 5.25 per cent yield to give it extra liquidity and to repay $400 million in 7.5 per cent yielding bonds that expire in June 2021. The debt issuance was oversubscribed and Qantas said on its website that this ready access to funding sources reflected the strong position of the national carrier. Business lobby groups have increasingly been putting pressure on state and federal governments to lift coronavirus restrictions so that business can return to normal. Epidemiologists, however, have warned that lifting restrictions in hotspots such as Victoria too soon could simply lead to a resurgence of the virus and a return to economically devastating lockdowns. Editor: I find myself thinking of what has become of our democracy, our country, over the past four years. It saddens my soul to see our democracy trashed by Trump, w/the complicity and full support of Ms. Stefanik. I had the opportunity to ask her a direct question @ her Moreau Coffee, a simple one: "Will you be completely honest in your campaign? Yes or no." Ms. Stefanik refused to answer, which is the most honest she has been. Her voting record disclaims her environmentalist cloak, the votes that are "bipartisan" are actually "safe votes' for her: She can vote against the party line & claim to be bipartisan by so doing. Yet, in truth, those votes go nowhere as McConnell & Trump indicate they would not pass the legislation in question. Case in point: the recent bill to fund the post office. She has yet to speak out on Trump's assessment of the military, other than a statement on the rain in France, verified by her office. The obvious truth in her carpetbagger status, the glaring conflicts in her resume vs. her claim to be from Willsboro. Her character is further shown in supporting Trump's handling of CoV, or lack thereof, which has sent our country to her knees. We are no longer "One Nation under God," instead we have been divided, pitted against each other. Ms. Stefanik is guilty of that herself w/her campaign of name-calling & mistruths, counting on her base to believe w/out question. Her not condemning the idea of a Trump Army, indeed condoning such w/her silence re: Apex & the North Country Deplorables is quite discouraging, silently condoning their behavior as counter-protesters. Please remember in November, use your vote to get the Good Ole USA back vote Tedra Cobb. Thank you. LoisAnn Jahne, Cambridge Love 13 Funny 5 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 5 T he Government said that as of 9am on Saturday, there had been a further 3,497 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK. Overall, 365,174 cases have been confirmed. It comes as people have been warned against having a party weekend as a former chief scientific adviser said the UK is on the edge of losing control of coronavirus. The Government dashboard also said a further nine people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Saturday. This brings the UK total to 41,623. Separate figures published by the UKs statistics agencies show there have now been 57,400 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. The pubic have been urged to act in tune with the new guidelines / PA The public has been urged to act in tune with Covid-19 guidelines before the rule of six restrictions come into force on Monday. The call came as former chief scientific adviser and member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) Sir Mark Walport said the only way to stop the virus spreading is to reduce the number of people we all come into contact with, adding that there is an extremely strong argument that home working should continue. Tough new Covid-19 lockdown measures were announced for parts of the UK on Friday as cases continued to rise and as the R number the reproduction number of coronavirus transmission climbed above one. New measures banning people from mixing in homes and gardens will be imposed on Birmingham, Solihull and Sandwell from Tuesday in response to a rocketing infection rate in the area. The R number is continuing to rise / PA Ahead of the rule of six coming into play, the chairman of the body representing rank and file police officers raised concerns about behaviour over the weekend. John Apter, of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: There is a real risk some members of the public will take advantage of the current situation and treat this weekend as a party weekend ahead of the tighter restrictions being introduced on Monday. Police in Manchester where a local lockdown has been in force since July 30 said they broke up a house party of 30 people in the early hours of Saturday. When asked whether the UK was still in control of the spread of the virus, Sir Mark Walport said: I think one would have to say that were on the edge of losing control. Young adults with the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) usually get mild symptoms, but risks of complications and death rise significantly for people under 35 with obesity, hypertension and diabetes, according to a new research. An analysis of clinical profiles of 3,222 young adults (aged 18-34 years; mean age of 28.3 years) hospitalised for Covid-19 between April 1 and June 30 in 419 hospitals in the US revealed that 21% of them needed intensive care, 10% required mechanical ventilation, and 2.7% died. Morbid obesity, diabetes and hypertension were the most common risk factors in young adults, with those having more than one of these conditions facing risks comparable to older adults having no pre-existing illnesses, reported a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, which is the journal of the American Medical Association. The study found that 36.8% of hospitalised young adults were obese, 24.5% were morbidly obese, 18.2% had diabetes, and 16.1% had hypertension (morbid obesity, hypertension and being male are associated with greater risk of mechanical ventilation and death). In India too, men with Covid-19 are twice more likely to die than women, with men accounting for 69% of all deaths, reveals health ministry data. People under 40 with Covid-19 account for fewer than 10% of total Covid-19 deaths in India, with deaths being the highest in the 61-70 years age group in both genders. People under 40 usually have mild disease and most cases can be managed at home or in Covid Care Homes. Those who are hospitalised almost always have co-morbidities like obesity, diabetes and hypertension, and less than 5% need ICU admission. But if they do and are put on ventilator, their vascular risk increases and their chances of getting a heart attack or stroke becomes the same as older adults, said Dr Yatin Mehta, chairman Institute of Critical Care and Anaesthesiology, Medanta The Medicity, Gurugram. Covid-19 has also been called a vascular disease as it leads to the formation of blood clots in arteries and veins, which can block blood supply to the heart, brain and lungs and lead to stroke, heart attack and respiratory failure. If you are obese, you are likely to be diabetic or have hypertension, and vice versa, so the risk is compounded, said Dr Mehta. The progression of Covid-19-induced thrombosis is very rapid in young adults, with deaths often occurring within 24 hours of hospitalisation. Older adults die of pneumonia and other Covid-19-related complications, but sudden, unexpected death is more common in young adults in their 20s and 30s, whose condition dips very rapidly. In such cases, the cause of death is usually cardiovascular, with abnormal clotting in brain, lungs and heart leading to cardiac arrest, said Dr Shiv K Sarin, director, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi. At Max SuperSpecialty in New Delhis Saket, people under 40 account for less than 4.5% deaths, with 29% deaths occurring in those between 40 and 59 years old, and 47% deaths in the 60-74 age group. Those over 75 years account for 18% deaths at the hospital. Young people have mild disease and rarely need hospitalsiation, but they need to be isolated to break the chain of infection, which makes testing, tracking and treating important, as does social distancing and wearing masks, said Dr Sandeep Budhiraja, clinical director, Max Healthcare. We should not look at the absolute number of cases and deaths; those will always be high, given Indias large population. What we must look at is deaths per million, and India has 56 deaths per million compared to 596 for the US and 61 for Brazil, which remain far lower than other countries even if you factor in some amount of under-reporting..., said Dr Budhiraja. Four young adults, the takeaway is that those with obesity, diabetes, and hypertension share the same risks as older adults. So they must seek Covid-19 treatment under supervision from the moment they get their test results. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The inappropriate touching that Judge Jeff Perilloux allegedly committed on three of his daughters childhood friends in various incidents in 2017 never happened, he insisted on Friday, taking the witness stand in Edgard near the end of his trial on four sex charges. One by one, Perilloux, 53, flatly rejected the stories his purported victims told over the first two days of the trial. Each of his accusers claimed the 40th Judicial District Court judge from LaPlace had rubbed or touched their breasts or reached under their clothing. One claimed Perilloux went too far while insisting on applying Vicks VapoRub to her chest while he stood in his underwear in his kitchen one night during a sleepover. Another alleged victim said she was 14 when Perilloux slathered sunscreen all over her, after shed declined. A third accuser was 15 when she claims Perilloux reached across her shoulder and placed his hand over her breast for several seconds during a back massage. No sir, I didnt do it at all, for one second, Perilloux insisted under cross-examination from Assistant Attorney General Matthew Derbes. Perilloux claimed he'd done nothing he wouldnt have done in the presence of the girls' fathers. I believe I treated them all like daughters and did a lot of nice things for them, he said of the teen girls who once frequented his house in LaPlace, before the allegations started flying and friendships dissolved. The judge's turn on the witness stand, over about two hours on Friday, followed emotional testimony in support by his ex-wife, Alicia, and their two daughters, as Perilloux's defense team tried to undermine the state's case against Perilloux. Perilloux's daughters contradicted their former friends accounts of the incidents. His attorneys, Jim Williams and Kim McElwee, cast the girls stories as lies, suggesting the criminal case spun wildly out of unreliable accounts of a girl who was 15 at the time and struggling with the loss of a family member. The other girls who would accuse Perilloux of touching them inappropriately may have been swayed by suggestion, they implied. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The 15-year-old girl was vacationing with Perilloux's daughter and other teens in Florida, a trip that Perilloux chaperoned. She'd left his room at a condo distraught, her friends said, and told local police that night that Perilloux had tried to reach inside her bikini bottoms. Florida authorities did not charge Perilloux over that allegation. Ad hoc Judge Dennis Waldron allowed the jury to hear about it, however, and Perilloux denied it from the witness stand. He claimed he was awoken in the dark and was reaching blindly across his body for his cell phone when he may have inadvertently touched the girl, who had come in asking for a later curfew for the group. But the teen, who had often addressed Perilloux as Papa J, told a different story, saying Perilloux reached inside her swimsuit bottom, asked to see under her shirt and told her not to be scared as she backed away. Perilloux faces three felony counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile and one count of misdemeanor sexual battery. Two of the felony counts involve alleged crimes in Louisiana against the same girl who had accused him in Florida. Under questioning from Derbes, Perilloux acknowledged having bought alcohol for the underage girls on the Florida vacation, in violation of state law. But for his part, Perilloux testified, he hasnt had a drink since 2010, the year he pleaded guilty to drunk driving for a second time. That second DWI ended Perillouxs job as an assistant district attorney in St John Parish, where he served for several years as parish counsel. Perilloux said he was hired on again in 2013 before he ran three years later for an open seat on the bench. Perillouxs testimony came in the same courtroom where he was sworn in as a judge. He has remained suspended, with pay, for more than two years pending the outcome of the criminal case. He is currently running for re-election. Closing arguments are slated to begin Saturday morning, with deliberations to follow by a jury of five women and one man. The Yellowknife RCMP's new detachment commander takes over during an especially charged moment for police. For months, amid a stream of police killings of Black and Indigenous people in the United States and Canada, people have been demonstrating against police brutality and racism. They're calling for police forces to be defunded, and in some cases, abolished. Insp. Dyson Smith says he hears those calls. "It's difficult for anybody with compassion and a heart to see what's happening, and that goes for the police as well," he said. "It's easy to just see a uniform and kind of lump people all in the same group, but we have compassionate members, hard working employees all around, that are just trying to do the best jobs that they can." Smith has been with the RCMP for a long time 20 years and has worked all over the country, including previous stints in the North. He replaces Insp. Alex LaPorte, who was posted near Ottawa. Originally from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Smith says he's of Metis heritage. When asked how his heritage may inform how he runs the detachment in Yellowknife, a city with a large Indigenous population, the RCMP said over email that "Insp. Smith is proud of his Metis heritage. He believes that all citizens deserve to be treated with dignity and respect by the RCMP, [whether] they are Indigenous or not." Grappling with systemic racism At least five Indigenous people have been killed by police in Canada since the start of 2020. Their names are Stewart Andrews, Jason Collins, Chantel Moore, Rodney Levi and Eishia Hudson who was just 16 years old when she was shot and killed by Winnipeg police in April. With increased scrutiny on police nationally, and with his more visible role, Smith will likely have to grapple with what even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said is systemic racism in the RCMP. "I'm not blind to the fact that racism exists in society, and the RCMP is made up of members from society. Every police force and every organization is," said Smith. Story continues He echoed the words of his superior Chief Supt. Jamie Zettler, commanding officer of the Northwest Territories RCMP, who said in June that, "We recruit our employees from across the country. Our employees are part of society. We have racism in our society. There's obviously going to be some that comes into our organization." Walter Strong/ CBC Smith said that when he thinks about systemic racism, he thinks about "policies and procedures that are designed with a purpose of hindering or discriminating against people." "And that is non-existent," he said. "Like we do not have policies that are written or designed to purposefully hurt people." But RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki, in a statement acknowledging systemic racism in the force, takes a different view. Systemic racism, she said, "shows up in policies, processes or practices that may appear neutral on the surface, but disadvantage racialized people or groups." Addressing calls to defund police On whether the RCMP should be defunded, Smith said doing so could limit officers' capacity to to do things like with mental health calls and wellbeing checks. Some critics, though, question whether police should be responsible for these kinds of calls in the first place. To this, Smith said what people want is to re-examine how policing is done and that he's open to those conversations. I'm not blind to the fact that racism exists in society, and the RCMP is made up of members from society. - Insp. Dyson Smith "I understand the call, though, for wanting to fund better, or increase funding, for other agencies, and of course we support that as well." Happy to be back in the North Smith said he's happy to be back in the North, and that Yellowknife is a special place. "What's so unique about Yellowknife is the people," he said. "I've always said it takes a special breed of person to come up here and work and live and, you know, become accustomed to sometimes going without the challenges of the North." Smith said he encourages officers to get involved with the community: building relationships enhances public trust. He also said that the negativity surrounding police right now weighs heavily on his members. "But we do get a lot of support here, and that's nice to see. I'd like to thank everyone for that support." A Georgetown community is giving back to a Purple Heart recipient with a mortgage-free home. U.S. Army veteran Sgt. Kristopher Biggs will receive a brand-new custom home courtesy of Perry Homes, Building Homes for Heroes, and Hillwood Communities. This is the first time all three organizations have partnered together to construct a house for a wounded warrior, while it will be Perry Homes twelfth specialized home donated to a soldier wounded in the line of duty. On Thursday, Aug. 27, at 10:30 a.m., crews broke ground in the Wolf Ranch community in Georgetown. The streets were lined with decorated cars, and the Patriot Guard Riders and Georgetown Fire Department joined the neighbors lining up outside to welcome Sgt. Biggs to the site of his new home-to-be. The 1,800-square-foot house is specially designed to accommodate the individual needs of Sgt. Biggs, who was significantly injured during his second deployment in Iraq. After serving for seven years in the military, Sgt. Biggss time in Iraq ended in an explosion that knocked him unconscious and led to traumatic brain and leg injuries. After many years of physical therapy and effort to save his leg, doctors eventually determined an amputation was necessary. Im beyond grateful, Sgt. Biggs said in a press release, thanking the generous donors. I cant wait to sit outside on the outdoor patio and grill up some Texas barbecue with my neighbors. I know Ill feel right at home here in Georgetown. The handicap-accessible home will feature three bedrooms and two bathrooms, as well as custom modifications, including an adapted primary bathroom shower, specialized kitchen cabinets, and wider hallways. The anticipated date of completion is December 2020. We are pleased to provide Sergeant Biggs with this specially-modified, mortgage-free home, Christie Christian, director of Texas, Building Homes for Heroes, said in a press statement. Were honored to be able to show just a small portion of our gratitude to Sgt. Biggs for his selflessness and heroism while serving this country. In building this specialized new home, we hope to offer Sgt. Biggs a little more flexibility and freedom in his day-to-day life, just as he has done for others in this country throughout his military career. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal After contributing about $2 million to Albuquerque arts organizations, the Frederick Hammersley Foundation is primed for sunset. The foundations Board of Directors decided to transfer assets to the Albuquerque Community Foundation, which includes his home and its contents. The Frederick Hammersley Foundation will close. Hammersley died in 2009 at the age of 90, leaving artwork valued at $12 million, said Kathleen Shields,the Frederick Hammersley Foundation executive director and president. Were giving away all the art about 3,000 objects, including paintings, drawings and prints, Shields said. The change means visiting artists from the University of New Mexico Art Department can stay in Hammersleys Nob Hill home, Albuquerque Community Foundation vice president Kelli Cooper said. The Frederick Hammersley Foundation also established the Frederick Hammersley Foundation for the Arts to continue awarding grants to local arts organizations in perpetuity. The Frederick Hammersley Foundation most recently donated $60,000 in emergency relief funding to 516 ARTS Fulcrum Fund to help alternative, artist-run visual spaces in New Mexico that have lost funding during the pandemic. It gave $20,000 to the Albuquerque Museum in support of its visiting artist program and $15,000 to the Museum of New Mexico Foundation for the book project Sharing Code: Frederick Hammersley and the Dawn of Computer Art. Hammersley was one of the first artists to use a computer program to produce art, Shields said. Hes gotten a lot of attention for his computer drawings done in 1969 with a computer and punch cards, Shields said. The Frederick Hammersley Foundation also has given $50,000 to New Mexico PBS a year, covering documentaries and the COLORES! series, which reaches approximately 650,000 households in central and northern New Mexico. In 2020, UNMs Tamarind Institute received $52,500 in support for its artist residency program. By all accounts, Hammersley was a character, as revealed in his home. People loved to go to the bathroom because he made this black and white checked wallpaper against the pink tile, Shields said. The artist splashed a kitchen wall with clouds and a blue sky above an oven. He always had art everywhere by him and by others, Shields added. Every room had a nail with a yardstick hanging on it. For 50 years he documented everything he made in a notebook. He wrote every step of the process he used the paint used, sketches and what he changed. He bought his house for $18,000, she added. Hammersley first gained recognition for his abstract paintings in 1959 when they were included in the exhibition Four Abstract Classicists, which originated in California and traveled to London and Belfast. The exhibition catalog first coined the phrase hard-edged painting to describe the flat, colored shapes with sharply delineated edges used in his work. Hammersley studied traditional representational painting and drawing in California from about 1940-50, with a hiatus when he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. After the war he studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he also visited the studios of Pablo Picasso, the sculptor Constanin Brancusi and post-Impressionist Paul Cezanne and began experimenting with abstract imagery. In 1968, Hammersley was invited to teach at the University of New Mexico. It was while he was teaching at UNM that he made some of the earliest computer art, reinvigorated his painting style, drew from life and traveled the state. He resigned in 1971 to devote himself to art full-time and continued to work for nearly four decades. Over its first 10 years, the Frederick Hammersley Foundation worked to place the artists work in museum collections across the country through donation and in prestigious private collections through sales. Today his work hangs in the Getty Research Institute, the Archives of American Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Albuquerque Museum. Expressing concern over the situation prevailing along the India- border, a top US lawmaker on Friday said that Beijing should work with its neighbours to peacefully resolve disputes and respect law. "I'm concerned by increasing hostilities along the India- border and urge both countries to use its longstanding diplomatic mechanisms to de-escalate the situation," Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera said. Increasing military presence on either side of the Line of Actual Control is counterproductive and unhelpful, he said in a tweet. "I continue to be concerned about China's provocative moves on its periphery -- from its actions in the South Sea to the Line of Actual Control," he added. "China should work with its neighbours to peacefully resolve these disputes and respect law," Bera said. 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. (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.) Five Indians who had strayed over the border in Arunachal Pradesh earlier this month and were detained by the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) were working for the Indian intelligence, a state media report said on Saturday, hours ahead of their release by the Chinese army. The five civilian porters from the Tagin tribe of Arunachal Pradesh went missing in early September. Union minister Kiren Rijiju and the Indian army have repeatedly said that the five were porters and worked for the armed forces to carry and transport goods for troops stationed in the Indian side of Line of Actual Control (LAC) or the McMahon Line in Upper Subansiri in Arunachal Pradesh, which separates it from Chinas Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). On Saturday, Rijiju tweeted: Chinas PLA has handed over our five boys to our side here at Kibitu area. I appreciate Indian Army for the smooth return of our citizens. I thank Indian Army Chief, his office and the local Commanders for constantly following up the matter and regularly updating me on the matter. The Hindustan Times has reached out to the Chinese foreign ministry for details of the case. Ahead of their release, state-run nationalistic tabloid, Global Times claimed in a report that five were spies working for the Indian army. The five had disguised themselves as hunters, the report said, quoting an anonymous source, adding that they were Indias intelligence staff. They recently trespassed the China-India border and entered the Shannan prefecture of Tibet, the report said. The Indian side often sends staff via this means to gather intelligence of China. This is how it encroaches China-controlled areas, the report said, adding: The Chinese side has detained, warned and educated the five persons, who will be released soon. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of south Tibet. The Chinese side has detained, warned and educated the five persons, who will be released soon, the report said. China and India have a very long border and there are vast stretches that are unguarded. In recent years, India has taken an aggressive approach in China-India border areas, which poses a challenge for China to strengthen its border control, it added. On September 7, when asked about the whereabouts of the five missing Indians, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said: Chinas position on the eastern sector of the China-India boundary, or Zangnan--the southern part of Chinas Xizang (Tibet), is consistent and clear. The Chinese government has never recognized the so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally established on the Chinese territory. Im not aware of the situation you mentioned. KABUL (Reuters) - 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. "It's 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. "(It's) 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 Saturday's 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. Pompeo's 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. Story continues 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. (Reporting by Hamid Shalizi, Abdul Qadir Sediqi and Charlotte Greenfield; additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk, Patricia Zengerle and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore, William Maclean and Paul Simao) One familys loss has turned into a blessing in disguise for a Montgomery County military veteran who has been gifted a car to help steer his life in a new direction. I was an hour from going and buying a car and I couldnt afford it, said U.S. Army veteran Nick Moffitt, 34, of Pinehurst. I had to start over, I lost everything, but in this process, I found me. I am forever grateful for the family; you guys have helped me out in more ways than you know. Moffitt addressed Mark and Linda Asteris of Montgomery, who sat in the Honor Cafe in Conroe on Saturday morning. The couple shared the 2018 Honda Accord presented to Moffitt about two weeks ago belonged to their late son, Paul Asteris. The family said their late son had just turned 50 when he passed away unexpectedly on May 27. They described him as a good father, sports fanatic and architect who graduated from the University of Berkley. He specialized in designing pediatric hospitals across the United States, including Texas Childrens Hospital on Interstate 45 in The Woodlands with the national Houston-based firm FKP Architects. The family decided they wanted to give his car to a deserving veteran and reached out to George Huxel, who meets with a veteran group in the Bonterra at Woodforest community. Huxel is also a member of the American Legion Post 411 in Conroe, who received the car and selected Moffitt to be its new owner. Im just glad somebody could use it and that it went to a deserving person who is in need, Linda Asteris said. While trying to find a veteran, Post 411 Service Officer Ashley Taylor, who served in the Army, wanted to collaborate with the PTSD Foundation of America who works with combat veterans in their six-month Camp Hope program. She connected with her friend, an outreach director, and informed him the post had a vehicle donation from the family whose only request was that it go to a veteran. He said, let me call you right back because we have a veteran right now who graduated from Camp Hope, which is a six month program, and he is actually interning for us, and he is actually on his way to get a car that he cant afford, Taylor said struggling to hold back tears. I was like, thats God, so it was so cool to find this recipient. The American Legion Post also reached out to Gods Garage in Conroe who was happy to help transfer the car and provide maintenance check for the veteran. Since the car was still warranty, the car was brought to a dealership which repaired a transmission issue at no cost. The post and Gods Garage met with the family to host an official ceremony at the cafe Saturday for Moffitt. This last 10 years has been a struggle, Moffitt said addressing the group. I didnt really know how to identify a lot of the things that were wrong. I lost two families to this PTSD, not to say I didnt earn it. I earned my keep through this whole thing, but I finally took a stand to better myself and try to do things a different way, try to do things Gods way and it has been working out so far. Gods Garage, Ashley, the Legion. I am just forever grateful, Moffitt continued. All the glory is to God, for sure, he continued. We are just people trying to do the best we can to get by and I am forever indebted to every ones contribution here, so I will make it count. Thank you. Moffitt, who is originally from Missouri, moved to Montgomery County last August and served for six years in the military, including in Iraq. It was an honor to serve what I think is the greatest country in the world, he said. Some things happened that were unfortunate, that changed the course of my life a little bit, but I wouldnt take it back for anything. I am glad to be able to be here, to receive a blessing like this, theres a lot of people who are not as fortunate as I am. At the end of the day, I may have to work to make some changes in my life. I have that opportunity and I am very grateful for that. After returning home, Moffitt found it challenging to manage his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which he said led to family issues and drinking alcohol. He turned to Camp Hope in 2019. Camp Hope helped me establish a relationship with God, which is something that was nonexistent for me, Moffitt said. Camp Hope gave me an opportunity to sit around a bunch of my brothers and realize I was not alone as I thought I was. It provided me an opportunity to be open, honest, and vulnerable, but transparent in my situation. I put all the cards on the table and started fighting the battle here at home, he added. Now, without the worry of transportation, Moffitt is interested in getting his college degree. Im in a position where I can focus on school, I can focus on the relationship with my children and myself, Moffitt said. It gives me a true reset button, not having a bill, not having that situation the car is brand new. There is nothing I need to do to it, except for put gas into it, and Ive got 40 miles to the gallon. Moffitt realized Saturday morning while talking to the Asteris family that he graduated from Camp Hope on May 27 the same day Paul Asteris died. Its a sign, its a sign Linda Asteris said knowingly. Ive had lots of signs. mellsworth@hcnonline.com 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. The detainment in mainland China of a dozen Hongkongers arrested while reportedly trying to flee to Taiwan has sparked a new Sino-US diplomatic row, as the families of the 12 made their first public appeal to the local government to bring the group back to the city for trial. Within hours of the United States top diplomat, Mike Pompeo, releasing a statement to express concern that the suspects had been denied access to lawyers of their choice, Beijings foreign affairs arm in Hong Kong hit back on Saturday and called on US politicians to stop interfering in the citys affairs. Pompeo, the first American official to weigh in on the matter, accused mainland authorities of not providing information on the welfare or the charges against the 12 Hong Kong residents detained in Shenzhen after the China Coast Guard intercepted their speedboat on August 23. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is the first American official to weigh in on the matter. Photo: AFP The 12, including a 16-year-old, were arrested for allegedly crossing the border illegally. The US secretary of state also questioned Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngors leadership. We hope Chief Executive Lams stated commitment to protecting the rights of Hong Kong residents is more than just words, Pompeo tweeted after the statement. In response, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the city issued a strongly worded statement, accusing individual US politicians of intervening in the internal affairs of Hong Kong and China. [They] show their unusual care about the internal affairs of other countries and intervene arbitrarily, but turn a blind eye to serious problems in their own countries, a spokesman said in the statement. As the latest diplomatic row in what are already fraught US-China relations escalated, the families of six of the suspects held a press conference for the first time to air their grievances over the treatment of their loved ones on the mainland. Story continues On behalf of all the detained, the family representatives wearing hoods and with their faces covered said all attempts by them or their lawyers hired on the mainland to reach the 12 had been in vain over the past three weeks. The mother of Li Tze-yin, a 29-year-old surveyor, said the lawyer she appointed was not allowed to meet her son in a detention centre in Shenzhens Yantian district on Thursday even though they prepared notarised documents as requested previously. Officers said Li had already appointed two defence lawyers. Im sure my son wont do this. We have no relatives on the mainland and dont know anyone there, she said. Every night now I cant sleep. I worry that he has no medicine to cope with his condition Mother of detainee Three of the detainees needed daily medication, said lawmaker Eddie Chu Hoi-dick, who was helping the families, including one woman with depression, as reported by the Post. The mother of another detainee, Tang Kai-yin, 30, said her son needed daily doses of drugs to treat his asthma and skin conditions and she believed he did not have medication with him when he went missing. Every night now I cant sleep. I worry that he has no medicine to cope with his condition, she sobbed. Please let me know whether he is alive or not. The group of 12 Hongkongers were caught at sea by the China Coast Guard. Photo: Weibo The wife of 29-year-old technician Wong Wai-yin and family members of other detainees said their efforts in seeking help from both the mainland and local governments had hit a dead end. I felt we were being treated like balls, kicked between different departments. No concrete help has been given so far, she said, urging Lams administration to help them in getting the 12 back to the city for trial. Chu said among the 12, one was a Portuguese national while two held British National (Overseas) passports, and he believed their families would also seek help from the respective consulates in Hong Kong. Some of the detainees were linked to anti-government protest cases from last year. Among them was activist Andy Li, who was arrested by Hong Kong police under the national security law last month. According to mainland sources familiar with the situation, at least three lawyers were told by Chinese authorities that their clients had already appointed other legal representatives, while two said they were warned by officials from the local justice bureau to drop the cases. Pompeos comments came after an online petition to the White House demanding the groups release collected 103,400 signatures within 10 days of its creation on September 2. Supporters of the drive said it was unacceptable that mainland laws allowed executive detention to be extended to 30 days without charge, demanding the suspects immediate release and safe return to Hong Kong. Speaking to the Post on condition of anonymity, a lawyer who represented one of the 12 hoped the US pressure would encourage the mainland authorities to be more transparent in their handling of the detainees. But another lawyer described Pompeos remarks as a double-edged sword, fearing they might minimise room for political manoeuvring by local officials if Beijing was giving most of the instructions on how to approach the cases. Veteran China watcher Johnny Lau Yui-siu said Pompeos comments alone would not force Beijing to back down because of the political sensitivities involved. But the key is how international and local leaders will use this card to persuade Beijing that they sincerely hope to solve problems with them, without stirring up trouble for them, he said. But, he said, considering the mainlands poor track record, the chances of the suspects being sent back to the city for trial were slim. Yantian district detention centre in Shenzhen. Photo: Weibo Lam had said on Tuesday that the group had to be dealt with according to mainland laws if they were arrested for breaching mainland offences. The citys Immigration Department said on Saturday it had received requests for help from the families of 10 detainees, whom the authorities understood, were in good health and had hired legal representatives on the mainland. The department and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong have explained to the family members about the law and regulations of the mainland, the statement read. We have also reminded them that they could consider adopting the free legal consultant service by a Hong Kong organisation appointed by the office. The department also said it could reflect medical requests to the mainland authorities in accordance with the mechanism and that the Hong Kong government would monitor the situation closely. Additional reporting by Christy Leung More from South China Morning Post: This article US-China row over detention of 12 Hongkongers in Shenzhen escalates, as families seek city governments help to bring group back first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. KYODO NEWS - Sep 12, 2020 - 21:16 | All, World Bahrain has become the latest Arab country after the United Arab Emirates to agree to normalize ties with Israel in a deal brokered by Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday. The agreement is the second of its kind in about a month, with the United States hailing it as another step toward bringing peace and prosperity to the region as it seeks to work with Arab states to counter Iran's influence. "This is a truly historic day," Trump told reporters, after he hosted a call between Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the deal. He also said, "I am very hopeful that there will be more (countries) to follow." On Aug. 13, Trump announced that the UAE had agreed to normalize its diplomatic relations with Israel, making it the third major Arab nation after Egypt and Jordan to reach such a deal. Palestinians have been disappointed by the developments, as many Arab countries had held off from opening diplomatic ties with Israel due to its decades-old conflict with Palestinians. "The Bahrain-Israel announcement is not a peace deal. It is U.S. President Donald Trump playing to his base in the wake of elections and a reward to Israel's escalating aggression and impunity," Hanan Ashrawi, an official of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in a statement issued Friday. "Normalization of states in the region with Israel will not change the essence of this conflict, which is the systemic denial of the Palestinian people's inalienable right to freedom and sovereignty," she also said. Regional power Iran, meanwhile, condemned the "shameful and ignominious measure by Bahrain that would sacrifice the cause of Palestine, decades of struggles, and the Palestinian people's fortitude against miseries and sufferings for the sake of U.S. election." "The Bahraini government's move will definitely result only in escalating anger and perpetual hatred among the oppressed people of Palestine, Muslims and the world's free nations," the Iranian Foreign Ministry also said in the statement. At the heart of the conflict has been the West Bank, an area of the former British-mandated territory of Palestine west of the Jordan River. It was captured by Israel in the 1967 war with Arab states but remains an area claimed by the Palestinians, who are Arabs. The Trump administration has pushed ahead with a series of pro-Israel policies, such as recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, which the president himself has admitted was an effort to shore up his support among evangelical Christians for the Nov. 3 election. A joint statement issued by Israel, the UAE and the United States on Aug. 13 said that Israel had agreed to suspend a plan to annex parts of the West Bank. But Netanyahu reportedly said at the time that there was "no change" to the annexation plan and that it was just on "temporary hold." Representative image Washington [US], September 12 (ANI): While skin lightening creams are loaded with bleaching agents that may cause more harm to your skin than good, a recent study has found that women who misuse corticosteroid creams for cosmetic skin lightening may be at risk of developing adrenal insufficiency. The research was presented at e-ECE 2020. Women that frequently used high strength steroid creams had significantly lower baseline cortisol levels, a sign of impaired cortisol function. Low cortisol and adrenal insufficiency is a serious condition that causes extreme fatigue and can even lead to death. These findings suggest that better education on the side effects of steroid creams is needed to prevent these women from seriously damaging their health. The misuse of topical corticosteroids to cosmetically lighten the skin is common among some populations, including Egyptian women. The practice is associated with significant adverse effects such as acne, skin thinning and other skin damage. Yet the practice continues and there is a lack of awareness of these side effects and other potential health risks from prolonged usage. It has been suggested that prolonged usage, particularly at higher doses, could also affect the body's own regulation of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is released from the adrenal glands and has an important role in the regulation of stress, metabolism and immune function. It is unknown to what extent these topical corticosteroids could be dysregulating normal cortisol function. Low levels of cortisol lead to a condition known as adrenal insufficiency, which is characterised by extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, depression and if left untreated can cause coma or even death. In this study, Dr Hany Khairy Mansour and colleagues at Ain Shams University in Cairo, measured the baseline cortisol levels (at 8 am), BMI and blood pressure of 45 women who had been using topical corticosteroid creams for at least three months and compared with women who had not used these creams. The team found that cortisol levels were lower in women using more potent corticosteroid creams, as well as in frequent users who applied it to larger areas of the body. Those using lower strength creams (e.g. 1 per cent hydrocortisone) did not have significantly different cortisol levels. Additionally, there were no significant differences reported for BMI or blood pressure. Dr Hany Khairy Mansour says, "The use of topical corticosteroids to lighten the skin is common in Egypt, particularly among younger women with lower socioeconomic status, but few are aware of the side effects and potentially serious health problems they can cause." Dr Mansour advises, "We need to raise awareness of the serious complications associated with the misuse of topical corticosteroids to young Egyptian women. Over-the-counter sale of these high strength steroid creams should be restricted and prescription only. I would like to see government policymakers devising measures for appropriate health education on the health hazards associated with persistent cosmetic use of topical steroids." Although these results point towards a risk of adrenal insufficiency in persistent users of high strength steroid creams for cosmetic purposes, this was a small study and more investigation is required to confirm these findings. Dr Mansour hopes to extend these findings by looking at cortisol levels in urine, over a 24 hour period, which is a much more sensitive measure of abnormal adrenal gland activity and possible adrenal insufficiency. (ANI) 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. Haiti - Politic : Construction of housing for the police officers with the Japan aid The Prime Minister informs Japan of the approval by the Haitian Government of the Haitian Government's proposal for the use of KR counterpart funds from 2015 to 2018 for an amount of more than 179 million Gourdes (179,524,672.95) for the construction of 3 housing units for the benefit of Haitian National Police (PNH) agents. As President Moise had promised at the start of his mandate, the Government will soon build 600 affordable housing units on the Delmas 33, street Charbonniere site, on the land called Cineas declared to be of public utility. The launching ceremony of this vast, ambitious and job-creating project was chaired this week by Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31768-haiti-news-zapping.html It is a village made up of apartments of 72.27 m2 each, comprising two bedrooms, a living room, a dining room. This village will also include leisure areas, aqueducts and electricity, playgrounds and sports, shops, private and public car parks... In order to improve living conditions, the Moise/Jouthe Administration plans to build other social housing for other socio-professional categories, such as nurses and teachers. Thus, several sites have been identified, respectively at Delmas 75 and on the site of the former Military Aviation. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30182-haiti-politic-start-of-housing-construction-work-for-police-officers.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-28688-haiti-politic-the-eppls-maintains-its-objective-of-20-000-housing-built-during-the-mandate-of-moise.html HL/ HaitiLibre Supporters of jailed Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni called Friday for his immediate release on health grounds. Drareni, sentenced in August to three years in jail for his coverage of Algeria's anti-government protests, attended an appeal hearing on Tuesday, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said. "The national and international Khaled Drareni Support Committees call for this journalist's immediate and unconditional release on health grounds after seeing how thin and weak he looked when brought before a court in Algiers at the start of his appeal hearing on 8 September," RSF said. "Those grossly unjust proceedings are putting his health in grave danger," it said, quoting the committees, which include lawyers, journalists, NGOs and ordinary citizens. Editor of the Casbah Tribune news site and correspondent for French-language TV5 Monde, Drareni, 40, was found guilty of "inciting an unarmed gathering" and "endangering national unity" with his coverage of Algeria's year-long demonstrations. His case has been seen as a barometer of press freedoms in Algeria. RSF, for which Drareni also works, condemned his conviction as "arbitrary, absurd and violent". Drareni "should have been acquitted right from the outset because the charges brought against him were so absurd", it said. "But now, ending the judicial harassment to which he is being subjected is urgent on health grounds as well." His lawyer said the appeal verdict was to be delivered on September 15. RSF ranked Algeria 146 out of 180 countries and territories in its 2020 World Press Freedom Index, five places lower than in 2019. By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. You can find out more by clicking this link 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. NEW DELHI : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said the Afghan peace process must respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan. In a virtual address on Afghan peace negotiations at Doha, Jaishankar said the peace process must promote human rights and democracy, ensure interest of minorities, women and the vulnerable sections, and "effectively" address violence across the country. Giving a gist of his address in a series of tweets, Jaishankar also reaffirmed India's long-held position that the peace process should be "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled". "The friendship of our peoples is a testimony to our history with Afghanistan. No part of Afghanistan is untouched by our 400-plus development projects. Confident that this civilizational relationship will continue to grow," he said. Last month, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani agreed to release 400 Taliban prisoners, paving the way for beginning of the long-awaited peace process aimed at ending nearly two-decades of conflict in the war-torn country. India has been a major stakeholder in peace and stability of Afghanistan. It has already invested USD two billion in aid and reconstruction activities in the country. India has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled. India has been keenly following the evolving political situation after the US inked a peace deal with the Taliban in February. The deal provided for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, effectively drawing curtains to Washington's 18-year war in the country. The US has lost over 2,400 soldiers in Afghanistan since late 2001. India has also been maintaining that care should be taken to ensure that any such process does not lead to any "ungoverned spaces" where terrorists and their proxies can relocate. India has been calling upon all sections of the political spectrum in Afghanistan to work together to meet the aspirations of all people in that country including those from the minority community for a prosperous and safe future. 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 Ukraine continues its own investigation into the case of the "Derkach tapes," Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said. "Now the investigation on the 'Derkach tapes' continues. And again, examinations: are the tapes edited, is it possible to identify the voices, all this is happening. The investigation continues, we are trying not to lose investigative opportunities. We are waiting for the results of the research," Venediktova said in interview with Savik Shuster, released on the YouTube channel. She said that Ukrainian investigators will "come to their own conclusions," not focusing on the results of the investigation, released in the United States. Answering a question about how serious responsibility for this may be with fifth president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, the prosecutor general said that she considers it more political corruption, not legal. "There are several articles that [...] were included in the qualification when they were submitted to the Unified Register of Pretrial Investigations. But still, my personal impression today is very evaluative [...]: if we talk about corruption, it will be political corruption," she said. The burning forest lit the way Hundreds of Labor Day revelers were trapped in the High Sierra as the Creek Fire devoured tens of thousands of acres. An air rescue was ruled too dangerous. But Joe Rosamond and his helicopter crew were already on their way. The burning forest lit the way Hundreds of Labor Day revelers were trapped in the High Sierra as the Creek Fire devoured tens of thousands of acres. An air rescue was ruled too dangerous. But Joe Rosamond and his helicopter crew were already on their way. Night fell as Joe Rosamond throttled his helicopter forward, tracing the edge of a wildfire that had overtaken Sierra National Forest. He raced toward the hundreds of people trapped within the inferno. The Creek Fire had devoured tens of thousands of acres in only a few hours, toppling oak and pine trees onto the curvy, single-lane road leading up the mountain to Mammoth Pool Reservoir. More than 360 people and 16 dogs found themselves trapped near Wagners General Store, along the lake. They clustered on the beach, some wading into the cool water, as flames encircled the 8-mile-long reservoir, surging closer. They faced the prospect of burning alive unless Rosamonds chopper could reach them in time. It was Labor Day weekend, and the popular outdoors destination northeast of Fresno had been packed. Bounded by two national parks and spanning 1.3 million acres, the forest drew a mix of hikers, campers and boaters every summer, particularly on holidays and especially since the pandemic hit. By Saturday evening, the number of revelers was at Fourth of July levels, the Madera County sheriff said. The Creek Fire, which ignited northeast of Shaver Lake the previous day, had already forced the evacuation of two campgrounds. Then, on Saturday afternoon, the blaze exploded. Flames ripped across the drought-stricken slopes of the Sierra Nevada, devastated by a bark beetle infestation that had killed 32 million trees between 2010 and 2017. An ashy plume of black smoke punched 50,000 feet through the air, creating a pyrocumulonimbus cloud, or what NASA scientists call the fire-breathing dragon of clouds. They say it may have been the biggest ever on U.S. soil. Fire season has just begun, but a record 3 million acres have already burned in California. By Friday, 19 people had died. Smoke has smothered huge portions of the state and left the sky in San Francisco tinged in science-fiction sepia. The Creek Fire doesnt rank among the top of the states largest wildfires on record, a grim leaderboard now changing by the week. But the blazes raw violence and speed outpaced evacuation alerts and caught thousands of people unaware, ambushing them on hiking trails, backcountry campsites and recreational lakes. For many, escape wasnt possible, not without help. Cal Fire ground crews had tried and failed to reach Mammoth Pool. A California Highway Patrol helicopter couldnt navigate through the smoky skies. Thats when the military helicopters, with special sensors, showed up. One of them was piloted by Rosamond, a 40-year-old military veteran with the California Army National Guard. Rosamond had already heard the radio reports of broken bones and burns as people fled the wildfires. He knew that he and his crew needed to act fast. They wanted to evacuate people not carry away body bags. A Blackhawk followed behind his Chinook helicopter, their rotors thumping as they chopped through the darkness. Rosamond snapped on his night-vision goggles, casting the landscape in green. He couldnt see farther than a half-mile out. The haze obscured even the moonlight. The burning forest would have to light the way. The coronavirus pandemic had left Lorinda Pardi feeling adrift. The 50-year-old didnt want to sit around her Clovis (Fresno County) home. She wanted balance and nature, and so she decided to take up backpacking. She had long loved hiking, snapping photos and selling her landscape prints as a hobby. But overnight backpacking was a first. Standing at 5 feet 4, Pardi weighed 124 pounds without her plum red backpack on. The extra weight from her camera gear, combined with her 30 pounds of camping equipment, made her maiden trip a heavy schlep. In the past six months, though, Pardi had managed to hike 150 miles by herself. She felt proud of her progress. With the encouragement of a new friend from Florida, whom shed met on a Facebook group, Pardi decided to tackle the High Sierra, just south of Yosemite National Park. The women departed together at the start of Labor Day weekend. By Saturday night, they had hiked 15 miles to reach Marie Lake, off the John Muir Trail in the famed Ansel Adams Wilderness. At 10,500 feet, the alpine lake was nestled among the rugged cathedral towers that once inspired naturalists including Muir and Adams. The situation at Mammoth Pool was devolving as Pardi and her friend reached their campsite that evening. Firefighters on the ground couldnt get to the hundreds of people trapped there. At 6:46 p.m., a Madera County firefighter called in about the spiraling situation: We have reports of injuries there. We need to get those people out. But Pardi, without cell phone service, was unaware of the danger. As she set up her tent, she watched the sun sink on the horizon. Brilliant red, pink and purple hues streaked the sky. She thought it might have been the most beautiful sunset she had ever seen. Maybe too beautiful, she said later. The colors had been intensified by wildfire smoke and particulate matter a warning of what was to come. Rosamond pushed the Chinook forward through the smoke, navigating from ridgetop to ridgetop, as he tried to keep his bearings in the 16-ton, heavy-lift helicopter. He couldnt make out the electrical wires that latticed the mountains but this was an aircraft designed for warfare. With the use of delicate military sensors, he was able to continue safely. His radio chattered again. In the choking smoke, the Blackhawk pilot who had been tailing him had lost sight of Rosamonds Chinook and turned back, hoping to find a safer route. This was a dangerous mission. The call to the California National Guard had gone out five hours earlier, around 3:15 p.m. and only after every other ground attempt to evacuate Mammoth Pool had been exhausted. While the force is routinely summoned for search-and-rescue operations in the state, none has ever looked quite like this. That afternoon, an exasperated Madera County firefighter had reported that an attempt to use a California Highway Patrol helicopter for a rescue hadnt been successful. Wind speeds had picked up too much, whipping the wildfire into a frenzy. We couldnt do it, he said over the radio. At the same time, an airplane mapping the Creek Fire for ground crews bailed and was diverted to a wildfire burning in San Bernardino County ignited by a couple who had used pyrotechnics for a gender reveal video because of the dangerous air conditions. Across the state, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. had announced plans to cut power to prevent igniting a wildfire for the first time this year, catalyzed by the same winds that were now grounding aircraft. Were unable to get close enough, the surveillance pilot had said. Its making significant runs and severe fire behavior is being observed out there. At 6:58 p.m., a Creek Fire operations commander called off the air rescue: At this time its negative to be able to fly into that area, too much smoke. The National Guard helicopters one piloted by Rosamond were already on their way. At about 7:40 p.m., he called Cal Fire commanders over the radio, asking how soon firefighters would be able to reach the scene. Their response: It may take hours. Crews would first have to cut their way in through fallen trees and spray down flames. About 20 minutes later, Rosamond spotted the Mammoth Pool Reservoir dam. He circled the lake, searching for a landing place. Embers whipped through the air, and stands of pines torched like candles. The Wagner General Store, a 6-decade-old institution, had already burned down along with six cabins. The flashing hazard lights of all-terrain and recreational vehicles and campers pointed him to the beach. People had gathered along the low-tide line, as close to the water as possible. He landed the Chinook atop the boat ramp. The rotor kicked up so much ash, dirt and sand that he couldnt see through the windshield. It reminded him of landings he had done during deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Flight engineers in camouflage passed out bottled water and loaded the injured, along with women and children, into the back of the helicopter. As Rosamond surveyed the scene, he noticed multiple burn victims and some people with broken bones. He called for ambulances to meet the Chinook at the airport in Fresno. Then, a family caught his eye. A young mother held hands with her two small children as they settled into the aircraft. They were dressed in light summer clothing. They reminded Rosamond of his own kids: Lucas, 5, and Gianna, 10. He was supposed to have taken them swimming that day for the holiday. It was heart-wrenching, he later said. I felt it all the way to my soul the scared looks on their faces, just thinking about how I would feel if my children were in that position. About 60 more people packed into the seats. Startled, Rosamond realized that earlier estimates had been inaccurate. There were 30 families not 30 people seeking refuge at the lake and in need of rescue. Hundreds more than he had known. The Chinook would have to return. Nearly 250 miles away in Berkeley, Johanna McCloy reviewed the Xs on a printed topography map that her husband had given her three days earlier. The markings indicated where Henri Laborde Jr. and his two friends had planned to camp each night on their annual weeklong backpacking trip. Before departing the Bay Area, the three had been worried about smoke from the Castle Fire, roaring to the south in Tulare County. But now, Labordes wife was concerned about the triple-digit heat wave and the newly ignited wildfires. She logged onto Cal Fires website, hoping to take a quick glance at the 20 large blazes burning across the state to set her mind at ease. Boom, she recalled. Fire over Shaver Lake. And huge already! The blaze was the second-largest recorded in the Sierra Nevada, outranked only by the 2013 Rim Fire, which scorched more than 250,000 acres. McCloy could see that flames were already overwhelming the dirt roads her husband would need to traverse to leave the High Sierra. She read news reports, Twitter feeds and evacuation announcements. She called ranger stations that had been abandoned due to dense smoke or the coronavirus. The phone just kept ringing. Meanwhile, her husband and his two friends were halfway through their adventure and in high spirits. It was the 25th consecutive year they had left behind their cell phones and wound off-trail with only a compass and a map to guide them. Laborde, 59, liked to get away from everybody. They had spent Saturday evening at Heather Lake, as scheduled. Then, as they crested a ridge along Red Mountain, they spotted a massive mushroom cloud in the distance. From 10,000 feet in elevation, they marveled at the dark column of smoke as it unfurled in the distance. A fat thunderhead rippled atop the wide column. They had no idea what was going on but Laborde had a feeling that their trip was about to end early. Rosamond landed in Fresno with the first round of evacuees. He stayed only as long as it took to refuel, then whirred back into the wildfire. He approached from the east and circled over Huntington Reservoir, waiting for the Blackhawk to pick up a load of passengers, before touching down onto the boat ramp again. The surface of the lake roiled, thick with ash and debris. The flight engineers gestured at people to climb inside. Nearly immediately, they lost count of how many had boarded. About 30 to 33 soldiers in full combat gear can normally fit in a Chinook, but it was standing room only in the back of the helicopter. Campers filled every inch of space, with duffel bags or children in their laps. The aircraft was so heavy with passengers that it added 10 minutes to their flight time. We used up every bit of skill that weve learned for high altitude and heavy flying, Rosamond said. We had to take the longer way back. We needed more time to climb above the mountains. It was only after landing in Fresno that they were able to do a proper count. There were 102 people crammed onboard. On his third, and final, return trip to Mammoth Pool, Rosamond crept along the back edge of the blaze, steering toward the reservoir from the north. For hours, he had watched the line of fire ripple in the blackness, progressing farther and farther as the night continued. A familiar phrase came to mind: How do you eat an elephant? There was only one answer: One bite at a time. By now, it was nearly 2 a.m. The remaining passengers were mostly men, who had sent their families to safety first, along with others who had heard the thump-thump-thump of the helicopter rotors and raced toward the boat dock from the other side of the lake. The crew loaded up the passengers and returned to the safety of the valley. The helicopter erupted in cheers as Rosamond descended into Fresno, the city lights twinkling beneath them like a million flickering fireflies. But for hundreds of other hikers and backpackers, the danger was far from over. The wildfire that would grow to more than 196,000 acres by Saturday was still burning, chewing through the parched forestland. Neither Pardi nor her friend knew that a massive wildfire had hit, nor that Mammoth Pool had been evacuated with military aircraft though the miraculous rescue was dominating headlines across the state. They still didnt have cell service. But they awoke on Sunday morning to a layer of ash frosting their tents. They booked it downhill, backtracking to Pardis car at Bear Creek Trailhead. As they drove off the mountain, the skies were tie-dyed red and blue the colors sickly and bruised as they darkened to pitch black. Pardi and her friend hadnt gone far when a Fresno County sheriffs deputy diverted them into the parking lot of China Peak Mountain Resort, a popular mountain biking spot in the summer. About 50 cars clumped together on the cement. Soon they were in a conga-line of vehicles led by a deputy. They inched down Highway 168, past Shaver Lake, as flames licked along the roadside. She cranked the air conditioner to stay cool. Feeling the heat , Pardi later said, trailing off. You never know what could happen. Pardi calls herself a tree-hugger. She meditates. Being outdoors is spiritual for her. As she descended into the Central Valley, Pardi stopped for a Farmer Boys burger and thought about the chaotic 24 hours. Mother Earth will take care of herself, but its all gone, she said. My grandkids wont see what we got to see. It was a 7-mile cross-country hike back to Florence Lake for Laborde and his buddies. After hitching a ride on a ferry across the alpine lake, a deputy greeted them. For the first time, they learned of the Creek Fire. In two cars, they rumbled down the notoriously rough Kaiser Pass Road with an escort. About 20 other vehicles followed amid thick smoke. They arrived at Edison Lake on Monday and were told to pitch tents by the Vermilion Valley Resort, a well-known rest and refuel lodge used by weary Pacific Crest Trail backpackers. Another helicopter rescue was under way, but likely wouldnt arrive until the next morning. They planned by sound a police siren meant that the helicopter had arrived and they would need to quickly pack and hop onboard. An air siren meant that the fire had arrived first, with only moments to run to the lakes edge for survival. At around 3 a.m. Tuesday, a hovering Blackhawk helicopter jarred them awake. It scooped up four groups of hikers on consecutive trips. At 8:30 a.m., Laborde and his friends, along with about 50 men, women and dogs, piled into another Chinook helicopter. As they took off, they watched the High Sierra vanish through the rear hatch, almost obscured by a wall of smoke. As his friend steered their rental car home on Tuesday, Laborde realized they needed to rethink their annual trips. The group had preferred late August or early September, to take advantage of fewer people and fewer bugs, along with cooler days and the sight of fall colors. But perhaps it would be better to get out of the woods earlier, before the heart of fire season. The California he knew had changed. Lizzie Johnson and Matthias Gafni and San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com, matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn, @mgafni New Delhi, Sep 12 : Though several major art fests across the world have been cancelled or metamorphosed into a digital format, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale-2020, slated to commence on December 12 in Kochi, Kerala is on track, with the team working on a custom set of guidelines and precautionary measures to follow when they assume production, and as art spaces are thrown open to the public. Artist Bose Krishnamachari, the founder member and President of Kochi Biennale Foundation, tells IANS that the primary reason for going ahead with the mega event, which in its previous editions witnessed a massive national and international footfall, is to assert the fact that during times of adversity, art and culture can play a critical role. Adding that engaging with art must not be viewed as a recreational activity, but something that can be instrumental in instilling hope and confidence among people, he says, "We felt it important to proceed with the Biennale, not just to bring back confidence to the art and culture sector, but as part of the Foundation's larger vision to demonstrate how art and culture can directly feed into an economy." In addition to its pronounced cultural impact, it has also been an important economic generator for the city and region, activating sectors such as transportation, tourism, hospitality and small-scale businesses. "In 2018, we played a small role in helping Kerala get back on its feet after the floods and the outbreak of the Nipah virus. We trust that we can help provide this much-needed respite and stimulus to the region," the artist adds. Stressing that there was no pressure from the state government to cancel the event this year, Krishnamachari says that the state government has always been their biggest supporter and they had been requested by the GoK to carefully analyse the situation and take an independent decision regarding the upcoming edition of the Biennale. "The government has also remained resolute in supporting the event during these difficult times and has assured to extend all necessary support to help us meet with the prescribed safety measures. However, a physical opening will always be contingent on the existing public health conditions at the time," he says. Learning from other art institutions, museums, and biennales that have managed to open doors during the pandemic, including the Yokohama Triennale, RIBOCA2, Manifesta 13, the Berlin Biennale, the artist says that they are aware that the international attendance for this edition will be relatively thin. "So, to be able to make the exhibition available to our audiences who cannot make it to the event in person, we will be involving stronger virtual elements." Considering the pandemic and consequent state of the economy including sectors that were earlier performing well and supporting the arts, the Biennale this time is encouraging more people to join their network of supporters and pledge smaller amounts, through crowd funding. "However, the artist community and our patrons have reaffirmed their faith in our cause, and have pledged to support us to the best of their capacity," says Krishnamachari. Believing that the KMB is not just an occasion to present contemporary art, but in fact an intervention in the cultural and educational milieu in India, with the response from ordinary people a reflection of this, Krishnamachari, talking about how it has proven to be a model for involving the common person in an art fest adds, "The initiative is not ours, but people carrying their curiosity into the Biennale. Our responsibility is to answer and nurture this curiosity." Today, the Kochi Biennale Foundation has multiple verticals in education, art for children, interpretation programmes, and so on, but these were born out of our observations from an ongoing feedback loop between us and our audience." While the KMB has had a limited online presence for quite some time now, for this edition, the team is putting in efforts into developing a strong digital counterpart to complement the physical exhibition. For someone who has always believed that countries should study the impact of soft power, Krishnamachari feels that nations like Germany, Canada, France and China understand it well. "We have 29 states and around 650 districts in India. We should develop 650 cultural centres and 29 multicultural centres with contemporary museums. India has an abundance of art and culture that needs to be sanctuarised - the inadequacy of art infrastructure in the country puts it under threat of erasure," he concludes. Ask him how he manages to focus on his art practice along with the responsibilities of the Biennale, and Krishnamachari asserts, "Yes, this does not allow much time or head-space for my work, but this is a compromise I accept wholeheartedly since I feel very strongly about the importance of community building and development." Clinical trials of one of the most advanced experimental Covid-19 vaccines resumed Saturday after a brief safety pause, as infection numbers continued to march upward in countries across the globe. The world's hopes for a reprieve from the pandemic were dealt a blow earlier in the week when pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University announced they had "voluntarily paused" their vaccine trial after a UK volunteer developed an unexplained illness. But on Saturday the trial was given the all clear by British regulators to resume following a safety review. The company also announced it was resuming clinical trials in Brazil next Monday after being given the green light there as well. The global death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 916,000 with 28.5 million infections, while France and the United Arab Emirates posted grim new milestones for daily infections on Saturday. And with billions still suffering from the fallout of the pandemic, a worldwide race for a vaccine is underway, with nine companies already in late-stage Phase 3 trials. Even during the pause, AstraZeneca said it remained hopeful that the vaccine could still be available "by the end of this year, early next year". Oxford University said that "in large trials such as this, it is expected that some participants will become unwell and every case must be carefully evaluated". Charlotte Summers, lecturer in intensive care medicine at Cambridge University, said the pause showed the researchers' commitment "to putting safety at the heart of their development programme." "To tackle the global Covid-19 pandemic, we need to develop vaccines and therapies that people feel comfortable using, therefore it is vital to maintaining public trust that we stick to the evidence and do not draw conclusions before information is available," she said. - Backlash - That public trust will be crucial to convincing a public that is impatient for a vaccine -- and in some corners sceptical. Story continues Among the impatient is US President Donald Trump, who has been accused by rival Joe Biden of "undermining public confidence" by regularly raising the possibility that a vaccine will be ready before November's election. The Republican president is under pressure as the US toll continues to rise, nearing 6.5 million cases on Saturday with more than 193,000 deaths -- by far the most in either measure in the world. Biden also called Trump "reckless" for holding a rally in the Nevada city of Reno even after the venue had to be changed because the event breached local Covid-19 restrictions. Television images of the rally Saturday showed a packed outdoors crowd, with few wearing face masks. Some of those potentially sceptical about a vaccine meanwhile turned out in numerous German cities and Poland's capital Warsaw on Saturday, protesting against anti-coronavirus measures and often defying mask-wearing rules. The movement is made up of a number of different groups, from self-declared "free thinkers" to anti-vaccine campaigners, conspiracy theorists and far-right activists. - France, UAE milestones - There are signs of a resurgence of the virus in numerous countries that lifted many coronavirus measures after beating back the first wave of infections months ago. France reported 10,000 new infections on Saturday, the country's highest daily number since launching wide-scale testing. The milestone came a day after Prime Minister Jean Castex declined to announce any new major restrictions despite a "clear worsening" in the country's outbreak. "We have to succeed in living with this virus, without returning to the idea of a generalised lockdown," Castex said. Another country to hit a daily milestone on Saturday was the United Arab Emirates, which recorded more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases for the first time. In Spain, which this week became the first EU country to pass half a million infections, a case was detected among Princess Leonor's classmates. The 14-year-old heiress to the Spanish throne -- who only returned to school in Madrid on Wednesday -- will now have to observe a two-week quarantine. And in Latin America, which this week passed the milestone of eight million virus cases, worst-hit Brazil charted more than 131,000 deaths from Covid-19 as of Saturday, the second-highest in the world behind the US. Latvia meanwhile reinstated a compulsory 14-day quarantine for arrivals from neighbouring Estonia due to an upsurge in cases there. burs-st/bfm Suspected Fulani militia has gruesomely killed a 24-year-old final year student of Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria identified as Isaac Thomas in Atakmawei, Zamandabo ward, in Atyap Chiefdom, Zangon Kataf Local Government Area (LGA) in Southern Kaduna. This was contained in a statement released on Friday by the National Public Relations Officer of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), Mr. Luka Binniyat, The SOKAPU PRO said the Fulani militia laid ambush for Isaac, his brother Anthony Magaji and one other person, on the way to their sugar cane farm. According to the statement, the Fulani militia on the 8th September 2020 lay an ambush for three Atyap youths from Atakmawei in the same Zamandabo Ward in Atyap Chiefdom, as they went to clear weed in their sugar cane farm about a kilometer from their village. Suddenly, armed herdsmen came from hiding and struck. They descended on them with daggers and machetes. Isaac Thomas, a final year student of Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria, was hacked down. They axed his neck and head with macabre wounds and killed him instantly Anthony Magaji, also an OND student of the same school, managed to escape with life-threatening injuries and is now under intensive care in a hospital, while the third escaped with less injury. The colleague of the deceased identified as Ugwuja also confirmed the incident and further stated that Anthony is still in critical condition. I regret to announce the sudden death of a colleague, friend and a humble secretary of Our Lady Cause of Our Joy Praesidium, Legion of Mary Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic Zaria.. Brother Isaac Thomas.. A final year HND student at Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic Zaria He was attacked along side his brother Magaji Anthony who is in critical condition now, but the attackers (herdsmen) succeeded in killing Isaac it all happened in their hometown Kafanchan early morning of today.. Brother with a heavy heart we pray your soul rest in peace and may perpetual light shine in your part, Amen. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates An international business that was incubated at The Eureka Project has sold its Las Vegas call centre operations to EBQuickstart of Austin, Texas. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. An international business that was incubated at The Eureka Project has sold its Las Vegas call centre operations to EBQuickstart of Austin, Texas. The deal to acquire Everywhere Managed LLC, a subsidiary of Managed Sales Pros LLC, was three years in the making, MSP CEO Carrie Simpson said. "Their organization is well known and trusted in the MSP space, and their business model and priorities are closely aligned to ours," EBQuickstarts CEO Tim Edwards said in a statement. Simpson founded Managed Sales Pros in Winnipeg in 2014 as an outsourced lead generation company. Managed Sales Pros early clients were technology startups in Manitoba that were supported by the Eureka Project (now North Forge Technology Exchange) as well as Skip The Dishes in its infancy. MSP focused on the Information Technology Channel as a target market. MSPs first client was Manitoba-based managed IT services provider, 365Technologies. 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. In 2016, Simpson, along with her sister, Tracie Orisko, and her mother, Sharon Lagace, launched Everywhere Managed to expand the business into the United States, where they provided U.S.-based support to companies such as Cisco, Datto and SnapAV. The company experienced double-digit growth until EBQ came calling. Terms of the acquisition were undisclosed. Besides her sales team and family, Simpson sent a shout out to Gary Brownstone, who mentored her when he was the CEO of the Eureka Project. "Thank you youre all rock stars," said Simpson, who splits her time between Winnipeg, Las Vegas, Michigan and Cancun. When asked what she was planning next, Simpson indicated "shes solving a major content marketing challenge for IT companies" and will be launching this new service in the weeks to come. EBQuickstarts Edwards said the multi-year pursuit of EveryWhere Managed was well worth it. "Carrie and her team built an amazing portfolio of customers, and we could not be more excited to have them as part of EBQ. We look forward to building upon their success and bringing their clients and brand into EBQ." shane.minkin@freepress.mb.ca Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama called on world leaders Saturday to join forces in fighting climate change. "Now we should pay more attention about global warming," the exiled leader said in a video message to a virtual meeting of Group of Seven parliamentary leaders. The session was hosted by the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, a longstanding advocate for the Himalayan region. National leaders have been meeting less frequently with the Dalai Lama due to pressure from China. In his video address, the Dalai Lama said people today have more of a sense of shared interest in saving the planet. "If you look (at) past history, too much emphasis individual nation, individual religion, including color," the 85-year-old Buddhist leader said, according to a statement from the International Campaign for Tibet. "So it creates a lot of problem. Basically, you see, they are selfish, self-centered attitudes," the 1989 Nobel peace laureate said. Climate change is affecting some of the world's least powerful people, the Dalai Lama added. "Due to global warming, too much rain some area. Some area dry. So these people suffer, the Dalai Lama said. "Particularly like in Africa and some area in India and China also." The impact along economic lines is also imbalanced, he added. "The rich people, big hotel, not much serious sort of feeling, the Dalai Lama said. But poor people, they really face serious problem." Saturday's meeting brought Pelosi together with counterparts from Britain, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. GATE 2021:The online registration process for Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineering (GATE 2021) started before schedule on Friday, September 11. According to the information brochure released by IIT-Bombay, the online registration process for GATE 2021 was scheduled to begin on September 14. Interested and eligible candidates can register for GATE 2021 online at the GOAPS portal at appsgate.iitb.ac.in. The last date to register is September 30. Online registration with late fee will be accepted til October 7. GATE 2021 Exam Dates: February 5,6, 7,12,13 and 14. There are two sessions (forenoon and afternoon) on each examination day. The results of the GATE 2021 is scheduled to be declared on March 22, 2021. Exam Pattern: All Test Papers of GATE 2021 will be entirely objective type. Patterns of questions may include (i) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), (ii) Multiple Select Questions (MSQ), and/or (iii) Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions, reads the official notice. Click here for GATE 2021 information brochure GATE 2021 online registration link GATE 2021: How to apply online Visit the official website of IIT- Bombay gate.iitb.ac.in Click on the link that reads, GATE Online Application Portal is live. Click here to Apply Go to register here at the end of the new web page and fill in your details Sign-in using your register id Fill in the Online Application Form and note down Registration No./Application No Upload scanned images of your latest photograph and signatures Pay application fee Application Fee: Candidates filling the application form will have to pay 1500, which will be raised to 2000 from October 1. Reserved category along with female candidates needs to pay 750 and post-deadline the fee will be hiked to 1250. GATE 2021: Eligibility criteria 1. Candidates must have a graduation degree in engineering or technology or a masters degree in any relevant science subject. 2. Candidates with backlogs (failed subjects) in any of the subjects in their qualifying examination have to upload a copy of any of the mark sheet of the final year issued from the institute where he/she was pursuing their qualifying examination. It has to be noted that the internet downloaded mark-sheet will not be accepted in any circumstances. 3. SC/ST category candidates have to upload a valid official document proof confirming their identity to avail a concession in the application fee. 4. If the candidate is expected to complete its course, he/she has to upload a Certificate from the Head of the Department/Institute or a copy of the mark sheet. This certificate must mandatorily have the signature and seal of the Head of Institute/Department with the current date GATE 2021: Documents required while filling the application form 1. Personal information: name, date of birth, mobile no, parents name, parents mobile no, etc. 2. Address for communication, including pin code 3. Eligibility degree details 4. College name and address with PIN code 5. GATE paper (subject) 6. Choice of GATE examination cities 7. Scanned copy of reservation certificate (if applied) 8. Scanned copy disability certificate (if applied) 9. Scanned photograph and signatures 10. Scanned copy of degrees GATE is a national examination conducted jointly by IISc Bangalore and seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) at Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras and Roorkee on behalf of National Coordination Board (NCB)-GATE under Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two of the eggs, which she laid on July 23, are being used for genetic sampling, which will help determine whether the python reproduced sexually or asexually. Snakes are also known to store sperm from an earlier encounter for delayed fertilization, though Mr. Wanner said that was unlikely in this case, as the longest snake sperm storage documented was seven years. Of the remaining eggs, three are in an incubator at the zoos herpetarium, which houses its snakes, lizards, frogs and other amphibians. The two others did not survive. Dr. Jonathan Losos, a professor of evolutionary biology at Washington University in St. Louis who specializes in reptiles, said scientists had known for a while that there were some species of snakes and lizards in which no males exist and females reproduce asexually. What we didnt realize until relatively recently is that there are some species who normally are sexual that is, require a male and a female to reproduce that can occasionally reproduce without any sperm, Dr. Losos said. Komodo dragons, for instance, have been known to lay eggs asexually, a process called facultative parthenogenesis. The ball python in St. Louis, which is between four and four and a half feet long and does not have a name, arrived at the zoo in 1961 through a private owner. It was estimated to be about 3 years old at the time. The zoo also has a male ball python that is about 31 years old. They are kept side by side in the zoos herpetarium, out of public view, but never come into contact. By Associated Press SEATTLE: Emergency responders in the Pacific Northwest are fighting misinformation along with raging wildfires 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 it's 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 some posts blamed far-left antifa activists and others claimed the far-right group the Proud Boys was responsible for the fires scorching wide swaths of the region. I am physically and emotionally exhausted. Weve been working really hard to protect peoples lives and homes, firefighter Matt Lowery wrote Thursday night on the Facebook page for the East Pierce Fire & Rescue union south of Seattle. I also want to address an issue that keeps coming up, even from some of the public that we are talking to while working. It is hot, dry, and fire spreads quickly in those conditions. There is nothing to show its Antifa or Proud Boys setting fires. Wait for information. The Mason County Sheriff's Office urged Washington residents to stop spreading rumors as isolated incidents of apparent arson led to widespread, unfounded claims that antifa agitators were conspiring to start fires along the West Coast. Antifa is short for anti-fascists, a range of far-left militant groups that oppose white supremacists. Though some agencies have made arrests related to arson recently, they appear to all be separate individuals, however as with many incidents, it will be an ongoing investigation in each jurisdiction, the agency wrote Thursday night on Facebook. ALSO READ | Media access to wildfires, disasters varies widely by state While some arson arrests have been made, its not yet clear how all the scores of fires in Washington state and Oregon started. Officials say high winds and dry conditions have made them worse in a region with a cool, wet climate that's historically protected it from intense fire activity. Both Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee have called the wildfires unprecedented. The false claims come as left- and right-wing groups have clashed during protests in the Pacific Northwest, particularly in Portland, Oregon, where a caravan of President Donald Trumps supporters drove pickup trucks through the liberal city last month. An antifa supporter shot and killed a member of a right-wing group and was fatally shot by Washington state authorities a week later. The FBI said it worked with local authorities to investigate claims that extremists set wildfires and found them to be false. Conspiracy theories and misinformation take valuable resources away local fire and police agencies working around the clock to bring these fires under control," an FBI statement said. "Please help our entire community by only sharing validated information from official sources. Officials in Oregon also debunked claims this week of widespread arrests affiliated with the Proud Boys or antifa. Remember when we said to follow official sources only, the Douglas County Sheriffs Office posted Thursday. 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, Oregon, police knocked down a fake graphic spreading online that used the departments logo and a photo from an unrelated 2018 arrest to falsely claim five Proud Boys had been arrested for arson. ALSO READ | US wildfires: Dozens missing as firefighters battle two large Oregon blaze A social media post shared widely on Thursday featured a picture of a woman along with claims that she tried to start a fire near a high school in Springfield, Oregon. Springfield police told The Associated Press that they spoke to the woman Wednesday and that wasnt true. Another post claimed a landowner called police after arsonists threw Molotov cocktails on his land in Clackamas County and they got into a shootout. The Clackamas County Sheriffs Office told the AP that no such reports existed. Freelance journalist Justin Yau tweeted Thursday that he was told to leave the small town of Molalla, Oregon, by an armed group that feared outsiders after seeing rumors of arson nearby. Thousands of Twitter and Facebook users shared posts trying to link the fires to antifa activists, including from Paul Romero, a former Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Oregon. Reached by phone, Romero blamed the surge in fires statewide on a coordinated army of arsonists but offered no evidence to support that claim. The posts also are being shared by social media accounts associated with QAnon, a conspiracy theory centered on the baseless belief that Trump is waging a secret campaign against enemies in the so-called deep state and a child sex trafficking ring. Police are investigating a fire that originated in Ashland, Oregon, as a potential arson after finding human remains, Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler told reporters Wednesday. However, Ashland Deputy Police Chief Art LeCours confirmed to the AP that the case has no connection whatsoever to antifa. The Jackson County Sheriffs Office hasn't made any arrests and its investigation shows no evidence at this point of a coordinated effort, spokesman Mike Moran said. These investigations take time, he said. Theyre intense. Theyre fast moving. And so people ought to consider: Does this even make sense? They should question anything they see in a social media setting. A stone tablet, dating back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), has been discovered in north China's Hebei Province, local authorities said on Friday. The tablet, which was made in 1848 during the reign of Emperor Daoguang, as shown on the inscriptions, was found in Dongbalizhuang Village under the city of Nangong. The cuboid, which is 135 cm tall, 73 cm wide, and 23 cm thick, features 705 character inscriptions describing the history of a special school called "Yixue" in Chinese in the village. In the old days, "Yixue" was set up with the help of government funds and social donations. Most of the students in these schools were poor, and they went to school free of charge, according to Wen Shijia, head of the city's department of cultural relics protection. "The discovery provides an important material reference for studying the development of local culture and education in southern Hebei," Wen said. President Trump Creates Judicial Legacy NEWS PROVIDED BY Liberty Counsel Sept. 11, 2020 WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- Through the appointment and subsequent confirmations of hundreds of capable federal judges, President Trump has reshaped the federal judiciary, creating a judicial legacy that will last for decades to come. Since his inauguration, President Trump has appointed and had confirmed more judicial nominees than any other president. He has appointed over 200 federal judges, including more than 50 appeals court judges, and two Supreme Court Justices. To put the number of appeals court judges in perspective, President Obama appointed 55 appeals court judges during his entire eight years as President. Currently, one quarter of all active federal circuit court judges were appointed by President Trump. Because of his appointments, the Second, Third, and Eleventh U.S. Court of Appeals have a Republican-appointed majority, and President Trump has reshaped the Ninth Circuit which has been notoriously dominated by Democrat appointees. President Trump successfully appointed and confirmed Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. This week he released a strong list of new potential Supreme Court nominees. These names are in addition to the list of possible nominees he previously released. We are witnessing unparalleled attacks on our Constitution and leaders abandoning the rule of law. A commitment to originalism and judicial restraint is critical. Despite the unprecedented levels of opposition by Democrats, President Trump is fulfilling his promise to appoint judges who will set aside their personal views and political prejudices in order to protect and honor the Constitution and the rule of law. Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, "President Trump has consistently nominated federal judges who are committed to originalism. Judges who interpret the law according to the Constitution are critical for maintaining the rule of law and the proper balance of the three branches of government. President Trump's legacy in reshaping the federal judiciary to one that respects the rule of law will last for decades," said Staver. Liberty Counsel provides broadcast quality TV interviews via Hi-Def Skype and LTN at no cost. SOURCE Liberty Counsel CONTACT: Mat Staver, 407-875-1776, Liberty@LC.org Related Links lc.org/ The ethics of boiling lobsters and crabs while theyre conscious is being fiercely debated after the national body representing UK vets called on the practice to be outlawed. Crustaceans show signs of distress and pain according to the British Veterinary Association (BVA) in a revised animal slaughter policy released in August, and thats a position supported locally by the RSPCA. Cooking the animals without stunning is banned in a number of countries including New Zealand and Switzerland, however, in Australia, the legislation varies in each state or territory. Lobsters and crabs should not be boiled while conscious according to British vets. Source: Getty In NSW, Victoria, ACT and the Northern Territory retailers must ensure they dont treat crustaceans in a way that unreasonably, unnecessarily or unsuitably inflicts pain, and they are covered by animal protection laws. Legislation introduced to protect lobsters within commercial settings in NSW was used to prosecute Nicholas Seafood, based at Sydney Fish Markets, after RSPCA collected video of them butchering lobsters without rendering them unconscious. Across Australia, the RSPCA advocate for stunning to ensure immediate loss of sensibility before death and believe crustacea should be captured, handled, transported, stored and killed humanely. We want to give them a good death: Lobsters show signs of pain While the squealing sound lobsters make when boiling alive has been found to be nothing more than gas bubbles escaping from their shells, that doesnt mean theyre still not experiencing discomfort, according to BVA Senior Vice President Simon Doherty. It's very easy to get drawn into anthropomorphic discussions around does it feel pain, Mr Doherty told Yahoo News Australia from Northern Ireland. Clearly animals at that strata do not necessarily feel pain in the same way as us, and they don't necessarily perceive it in the same way as us, they dont have as intelligent a brain as we do. While some argue that crustacea are just reacting to the sensation of pain in a mechanical way, Mr Doherty argues behavioural research indicates they are most likely sentient. Story continues An example of an unconscious response, he says, would be someone with a severe spinal injury, who didnt feel pain in their feet, reacting to a pin prick without actually feeling it. Simon Doherty says he doesn't want the lobster he eats boiled without stunning. Source: Michael Dahlstrom Thats very much a reflex response, he said. Where you start getting into the piece around sentience is where some of that avoidance behaviour then then becomes learned, and the animals start to learn to avoid particular situations. Mr Doherty backs the BVAs position by pointing to research conducted by Queens University Belfast, which found crustacea that undergo unpleasant experiences learn to avoid that stimuli based on past encounters. Further awareness of lobster welfare, Mr Doherty argues, now must be translated into practice, a process that has been implemented with chickens, pigs, cows and other livestock. Crabs for sale in a Melbourne restaurant display window. Source: Getty In years gone by, researchers dismissed the idea higher animals could feel pain, but now that thinking has changed and their sentience is becoming widely accepted. Advancement in human knowledge has led to improved understanding of other species which has resulted in better animal husbandry. If we're making advances and throughout the entire production system, then it's only right that we should be considering that sort of last moment, Mr Doherty said. If we've given them a good life, then as far as possible, we want to give them a good death. Lobsters less advanced than insects Despite a growing list of Australian industry bodies adopting practices to minimise crustacea stress, not all researchers are convinced that lobsters feel pain. While he welcomes consumers thinking about animal welfare, Professor Caleb Gardner, a fisheries scientist at UTAS, says evidence points to these crustacea reacting to the sensation as a reflex only. Lobster advocates say crustacea have been found to have memories and avoid pain. Source: Getty They do not feel pain, theyre just not an advanced an animal, he said. I think its quite a good thing to still be empathetic towards animalsI still respect people who would like to treat anything in a caring way. Lobster welfare, Prof Gardner believes, receives more attention than that of insects and spiders, simply because they are larger animals, despite them being less advanced than their distant cousins. Similarly, he believes that people respond empathetically towards crabs because they have hands, while prawns and shrimps receive less attention because they scuttle rather than walk. Professor Caleb Gardner doubts that lobsters are evolved enough to feel pain. Source: Michael Dahlstrom So if we're concerned about lobsters and crabs, then we should be equally concerned if we swat a mosquito, or use fly spray one a housefly, he said. I think most people are comfortable swatting a mosquito, and theres good reason for that, because all of these arthropods have actually got very simple nervous systems. So, Im not so concerned about (crustacea pain) personally. No easy way to kill lobsters and crabs Peak representative body, Seafood Industry Australia (SIA), told Yahoo News Australia the humane treatment of animals is of utmost importance. SIA CEO Veronica Papacosta told Yahoo News Australia the industry endeavours to follow any best-practice animal welfare guidelines. To avoid undue stress, we recommend all seafood, including crustaceans, be humanely killed before cooking, Ms Papacosta said in a statement. As an industry, we advise all seafood should be killed as quickly as possible, by the most humane means suitable for each species. Simon Doherty says attitudes towards animal sentience have changed over time. Source: Getty For lobsters, current best-practice involves chilling them for 20 to 60 minutes until they are stunned or insensible before they are killed via boiling or receive a spike to the back of the head. Prof Gardner says killing crustaceans is quite hard, but boiling them, despite growing opposition to the practice, is actually one of the fastest methods of destruction, especially for the home chef. While ice baths can slow some species of crustacea down, others are tolerant of cold as they are used to surviving in chilly ocean temperatures, and being frozen alive is not a particularly fast way to be put to sleep. Using a machine to deliver an electric shock to stun crustacea is gaining traction amongst chefs at some high-end restaurants, but it is not an option available domestically. Prof Gardner warns home cooks who try to using the spiking method and pierce the head more often than not end up hitting the bladder instead which is located between the eyes. Even when done accurately, theres another reason that spiking lobsters in the brain doesnt work, according to the scientist. RSPCA argues crustacea must be captured, handled, transported, stored and killed humanely. Source: Getty There's not a lot of right options for crustaceans unfortunately, and one of the reasons is they don't have a simple clear brain, Prof Gardner said. All the guidelines for killing poultry or killing livestock humanely generally involves doing something to the brain, so youve got one target. You don't have that option in a lobster where there's 12 little brains if you like down its body. You wouldnt boil a rabbit alive Advocating for the humane treatment of lobsters and other decapods most vocally is UK animal welfare organisation Crustacean Compassion, which does not have an equivalent in Australia. The groups co-founder, Maisie Tomlinson, spoke to Yahoo News Australia from her London home, saying research has shown that it can take a brown edible crab up to three minutes to die when boiled in a pot, and death could be even slower for lobsters as they are larger. Now, clearly, that is absolutely unacceptable for any animal, she said. We would not accept that in a vertebrate animal like rabbits, or a rat, or a mouse, in fact under EU law, the requirement is that animals should lose consciousness within one second. So for them to remain conscious for three minutes is just completely unacceptable. Maisie Tomlinson says boiling lobsters without stunning is unacceptable. Source: Michael Dahlstrom / Yahoo News Australia Ms Tomlinson believes that electrical stunning can result in death within a second, and this not only improves animal welfare, but it improves the taste of the meat. Part of the reason that people like to use machines is actually because it improves the quality, she said. What the manufacturers claim and indeed, what some of the chef's claim is that the meat is is more tender, it has better texture, and it has a sweeter flavour because the animals haven't been struggling. Ms Tomlinson said she hopes the BVAs statement on sentience in crustacea will be the first step in giving them legal protection both in the UK and across the globe. No animal is more evolved or less evolved than another, she said. Each animal is evolved perfectly for its specific ecological niche. We should be protecting all animals that are capable of experiencing pain. The Australian Veterinary Association did not respond to requests for comment by Yahoo News Australia. The former officers appeared in court for a hearing on the prosecutions request to move the trial out of Minneapolis. Prosecutors in the case of four former Minneapolis officers charged in the death of George Floyd told a judge Friday that the men should face trial together because the evidence and charges against them are similar, and multiple trials could traumatise witnesses and Floyds family. But defence lawyers have argued for separate trials, saying they would likely offer antagonistic defences and the evidence against one officer could negatively affect another. The former officers appeared in court Friday 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, but granted a defence request to remove a local prosecutor from the case. Floyd, a Black man in handcuffs, died May 25 after Derek Chauvin pressed his knee against Floyds neck as Floyd said he could not breathe. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Thomas Lane, J Kueng and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter. Chauvin, who is in custody, appeared in person for the first time, after attending previous hearings via videoconference. He did not make eye contact with any of the defendants as he arrived, but Kueng looked at him as he passed and Lane glanced over. People carry posters with George Floyd on them as they march from the Lincoln Memorial to the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial during the March on Washington, on August 28, 2020, in Washington, DC [File: Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo] Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office has taken the lead on prosecution, was also in court. Cahill said Friday that four Hennepin County prosecutors including County Attorney Mike Freeman are disqualified from the trial because they met with the county medical examiner to discuss autopsy results. Cahill said they could be called as witnesses. Freeman has long been out of favour with local activists for the way his office has handled cases against police officers. Before the hearing, a few dozen protesters gathered in front of the court, 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. Prosecutors said in court filings that the case should proceed with one trial because the evidence including witness statements, body camera video and police department policy on the use of force is similar for each officer. Neal Katyal, an outside special attorney assisting the prosecution, told Cahill on Friday that the interests of justice favour one trial because multiple trials would place a burden on the court and witnesses, and could delay justice for months, if not years. Katyal also said publicity about a verdict in a first 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. Defence lawyer Earl Gray, who represents Lane, and other lawyers argued briefly against trying the ex-officers together but relied mostly on written arguments. Gray said if trials were separate and Chauvin was tried first and acquitted, the others would essentially be cleared. Finger-pointing already prevailed in defence court filings. Lawyers for Lane and Kueng argued their clients were rookies who followed Chauvins lead. Thaos lawyer, Bob Paule, said his clients role was absolutely distinct from the others, because he was on crowd control while the others restrained Floyd. Chauvins lawyer, Eric Nelson, wrote that his clients defence will be different, and the other men are already saying that if Chauvin committed a crime, they did not know about it or assist in it. They blame Chauvin, he wrote. The Minneapolis Police Department has been under close scrutiny following the death of George Floyd who died in police custody on May 25, 2020, after former officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes while detaining him [Brandon Bell/Getty Images/AFP] 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 Chauvin arrived and believed Floyd was overdosing on fentanyl. Nelson wrote that while Lane and Kueng called for a paramedic and believed Floyd was on something, they didnt elevate the call to one of more urgency or give medical assistance. Nelson wrote that Chauvin could argue their inaction led to Floyds 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. Ben Crump, a lawyer for Floyds family members, said afterwards that the hearing was emotional. 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 Minnesota, Minneapolis, police department, Crump said Who are you going to believe, your eyes or these killer cops? he said. Lawyers for all four men have also asked that the trial be moved from Minneapolis, saying pretrial publicity has made it impossible for them to receive a fair trial. Cahill deferred most of that discussion, but said he would like to send out questionnaires to potential Hennepin County jurors to find out whether theyve seen the pretrial coverage or whether they have been affected by it. Paule, Thaos lawyer, argued for moving the trial, noting the several nights of unrest in Minneapolis that followed Floyds death. The sides were split on whether the jury should be kept anonymous. Some lawyers said they have received angry calls from people who think their clients are guilty, and expressed fear that jurors would be subject to coercion if their names become public during the trial. Nelson said his client was persona non grata number one in Minnesota and expressed concern about pressure on the jurors if their names got out. This incident has caused civil unrest not just nationally, but internationally, he said. She has perfected the art of French fashion. And Vanessa Paradis pushed the boundaries of style with a trouser dress hybrid as she attended the closing ceremony at 46th Deauville American Film Festival on Saturday. The actress, 47, looked incredibly demure in the unconventional ensemble as she sauntered down the red carpet and smiled for the cameras. Trendsetter: Vanessa Paradis pushed the boundaries of style with a trouser dress hybrid as she attended the closing ceremony at 46th Deauville American Film Festival on Saturday The actress showcased her slender frame in the peplum trouser dress that trailed down to the floor with a low hem and was adorned with a sequin bow. The media personality- who shares her two children Lily and John with ex Johnny Depp- kept her tresses in an effortless wave and donned a red lip. Vanessa also wore a matching black face covering as she smiled under the flashing lights of the paparazzi. Timeless: The actress, 47, looked incredibly demure in the unconventional ensemble as she sauntered down the red carpet and smiled for the cameras. Red carpet ready: She showcased her slender frame in the peplum trouser dress that trailed down to the floor with a low hem and was adorned with a sequin bow Stunning: The media personality- who shares her two children Lily and John with ex Johnny Depp- kept her tresses in an effortless wave and donned a red lip The Deauville American Film Festival is a yearly celebration dedicated to films from US cinema, and is held in the French city of the same name, and this year Vanessa has been appointed President of the Jury. Vanessa's appearance comes after her testimony in her ex Johnny's libel case was cancelled last month. The star, who was in a relationship with Johnny for more than 14 years and had two children with him, had been expected to give evidence in support of the Pirates Of The Caribbean star's case over a videolink. But the court was told that there was no need for her - or his ex-fiancee in the 1990s, actress Winona Ryder - to give evidence because Depp's claim that he has never hit a woman was only tested by the defence regarding Amber Heard. Safety first: Vanessa also wore a matching black face covering as she smiled under the flashing lights of paparazzi cameras Big responsibility: The Deauville American Film Festival is a yearly celebration dedicated to films from US cinema, and this year Vanessa has been appointed President of the Jury However their bombshell statements were released by the court, showing both stood faithfully by his side. Winona said she was 'absolutely shocked, confused and upset' by the allegations against him. She added in her statement, provided in advance of the trial: 'The idea that he is an incredibly violent person is the farthest thing from the Johnny I knew and loved. 'I cannot wrap my head around these accusations. He was never, never violent towards me. He was never, never abusive at all towards me. He has never been violent or abusive towards anybody I have seen,' she added. Johnny is suing The Sun publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN) and its executive editor over an April 2018 article which alleged he was violent towards ex-wife Amber, 34, during their tumultuous relationship. Three executives of an Anglo-Australian mining giant have stepped down following strong backlash over the companys destruction of ancient indigenous rock shelters in Western Australia. Rio Tinto blew up the rock shelters at Juukan Groge in the region of Pilbara in May this year so that it could mine better quality iron ore. The ancient Aboriginal site was one of the oldest in Australia and showed evidence of continuous human habitation dating back 46,000 years. The company said in a statement that its CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques and two other senior executives would step down by mutual agreement with the companys board. Mr Jacques, who became CEO in 2016, would remain in his role until 31 March or the appointment of his replacement, whichever came first. The boards previous disciplinary measures over the incident involved cutting the three executives short-term bonuses, which fury outrage among Indigenous activists and members of the public who felt it was an empty gesture and inadequate. But after several significant stakeholders voiced their concerns over executive accountability for the failings, the board announced the departures on Friday. 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. We are also determined to regain the trust of the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people and other Traditional Owners. We have listened to our stakeholders concerns that a lack of individual accountability undermines the Groups ability to rebuild that trust and to move forward to implement the changes identified in the Board Review. Rio Tinto CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques (REUTERS) He added that the three executives deeply regret the destruction of the Juukan rock shelters. The mining giants senior executives had claimed they were not aware of the sites significance until after it was destroyed. However, it was later found to have known for years about the importance of the shelters with the head of an Australian parliamentary committee looking into the affair raising concerns that Rio Tinto had given the inquiry misleading evidence. Indigenous groups welcomed the news, but urge the industry to do better. The First Heritage Protection Alliance said in a statement: Unless there is industry-wide reform and robust legislative change, there will be other appalling situations like Juukan Gorge. The Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura Aboriginal Corporation said it would continue to work with Rio Tinto in the aftermath of the destruction. 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. We cannot and will not allow this type of devastation to occur ever again. Indias External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said he expects that soil of Afghanistan would never be used for any anti-India activities. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said Afghan soil should never be used for carrying out anti-India activities and supported the need for an immediate ceasefire in order to establish long-lasting peace in Afghanistan.Addressing a conference on Afghan peace negotiations in Doha, through video conferencing, Jaishankar reiterated that the peace process should be Afghan-led and ensure the interests of minorities and women. Our expectation is that the soil of Afghanistan should never be used for any anti-India activities, he said. Taking to his Twitter, the External Affairs Minister said, Addressed the conference on Afghan peace negotiations at Doha today. Conveyed that the peace process must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled, respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, promote human rights and democracy, ensure the interest of minorities, women and the vulnerable and effectively address violence across the country.He stressed that India has been a major development partner of Afghanistan and said India has supplied more than a million tonnes of foodgrains to the war-torn country in recent years. Jaishankar stated that India has also facilitated the travel of Afghan citizens to India for medical treatment. He added, These are the examples of our deep commitment to the welfare, prosperity and stability of the Afghan nation. He said, The friendship of our people is a testimony to our history with Afghanistan, adding that no part of Afghanistan is untouched by Indias 400-plus development projects. The External Affairs Minister said Indias friendship with Afghanistan is strong and unshaken. We have always been good neighbours and will always be so, he further said. The intra-Afghan talks between the Afghanistan government and the Taliban opened in Doha earlier in the day, which is aimed at establishing peace and stability in Afghanistan after nearly two decades of war. ALSO READ: JP Nadda meets Nitish Kumar, holds talks on seat-sharing Addressed the conference on Afghan peace negotiations at Doha today. Conveyed that the peace process must: Be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled Respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan Promote human rights and democracy pic.twitter.com/wFG3E2OVlJ Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 12, 2020 Ensure interest of minorities, women and the vulnerable Effectively address violence across the country Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 12, 2020 The friendship of our peoples is a testimony to our history with Afghanistan. No part of Afghanistan is untouched by our 400-plus development projects. Confident that this civilizational relationship will continue to grow. Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 12, 2020 The Afghan governments 21-member negotiating team was led by Masoom Stanekzai, a former intelligence chief. On the other hand, the Taliban was led by Mawlavi Abdul Hakim, the armed groups chief justice and a close aide of the groups chief Haibatullah Akhunzada, Al Jazeera reported.Peace negotiations were expected to take place in March but was delayed repeatedly due to a prisoner exchange agreement made as part of the deal signed between the United States and Taliban in February.According to the agreement, the Afghan government said it will release 5,000 Taliban prisoners while the Taliban agreed to release 1,000 Afghan troops. ALSO READ: No need to be panic about Coronavirus : Covid Warrior MP Vijay Sai released a book to fight the Pandemic NOTE: This is the second in a series addressing the flooding issues along Cypress Creek. We welcome your comments, ideas, story suggestions and any possible solutions. Frank Adamek and his wife built their dream home in Deer Park off Fairmont Parkway in a quiet, secluded neighborhood where life was pretty good for the couple. A four-car garage, two-car workshop, and a beautiful home where they raised their children, all graduates of Deer Park High School, they were happy. Things changed though when the area was hit with a 16-inch rain that inundated Pasadena and Deer Park. On Franks trip home from work across town, to save his vehicle, he ended up parking it on SH 225 and walking a few miles to his home. Cypress Creek flooding series: Fed up with flooding, Cypress Creek dwellers organize for help Thats history, but it was a day I wont ever forget, he said. His wife suggested they move closer to his work off Texas 249 and FM 1960 area. Hed been making the drive for 18 years and figured there was an ulterior motive. Well be closer to the grandkids, she said. He laughed and realized what she was up to. I figured it out pretty quick. They drove the area and bought a home in Cypress in 2007. The homeowners made it a point to show them the watermark where Tropical Storm Allison had dumped water and it was three feet from the curb onto the property. They felt safe. They told us that was the worst storm and we would be on high ground and not to worry, he said. A few storms later and during the Tax Day flood, the water came within two inches of breaching the home. They were concerned. The couple did the expedient thing and purchased flood insurance. On HoustonChronicle.com: Progress on post-Harvey flood control efforts remain slow. Heres why We even received a letter from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) thanking us for being prudent homeowners and buying insurance in a low-risk area, he chuckled. When Harvey hit, the unthinkable occurred and they found themselves and many of their neighbors in four feet of flood water. They were inundated. At least 87 homes of the 339 in his Wimbledon Champions subdivision received water in their homes from as little as 4-inches to 4-feet deep. We lost everything. We lived in the 500-year plain. It shouldnt have flooded, he said frustrated. Bewildered by the situation, they had little choice. It was the first time we ever had water in our house, he said. They sold the home to investors and walked away. He was fortunate. He had flood insurance. They moved to Lakes of Cypress Forest and he attended one of the homeowner association meetings where they elected him president of the board. Adamek knows flooding and he knows transportation and isnt fooled by the pat answers and chicanery he hears at meetings. A retired engineer from General Electric, he works part-time in Washington, D. C. for the Department of Transportation. One of his first orders of business was to put some more strength behind efforts he and his colleagues wanted to see done and hurry along the process by joining with four other HOAs to get some power behind their requests for help. He and his colleagues got involved with the Water Control and Improvement District No. 110 who was planning to contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with a study on short-term possibilities to mitigate flooding along I-45 and 249 caused by Cypress Creek. We offered to kick in $12,000 to go toward the study and a neighboring HOA another $20,000, he said. He became disenchanted when he discovered on the surface what appeared to be a turf war between Harris County Flood Control District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers getting involved in their business. Adamek and his colleagues could care less about the politics, they were only interested in solutionstheir very homes and livelihoods are on the line with every storm that comes. One of the bottlenecks that appears to be a culprit in the flooding occurred at the I-45 bridge and Cypress Creek, according to Adamek. He has made numerous trips to the area where he has documented tons of concrete chunks, rumble strip debris, and mounds of concrete slabs dumped by the contractor during the demolition of the old I-45 bridge after 1989. The debris is not only in the creek bed but along the banks. Cars used to be able to drive underneath the bridge when it was a four-lane highway. When they rebuilt it into the 10-lane highway it is now, they dumped the slabs of pavement and concrete into the river below. Some of the center stripes from the old road are still showing, he said. The disappearance of the ability to drive under the freeway began to disappear, Adamek says, beginning in 1998 2014 according to a review of Google Earth maps. Theres no way a car could drive under the bridge right now with 10-20 feet of rubble and silt blocking your path, he said. They (TxDOT) dont want to seem to clear it, Adamek said. In a meeting with WCID 110, they approximated it would cost $300,000 to get it done. That was a lot less than the losses I took in Harvey on my house, he said. His personal losses were close to $450,000. The demands from the HOAs are to restore the bridge back to its original design and cleanup the creek. The five HOAs now have monthly meetings with Matt Zeve from the HCFCD to find remedies and get updates. What we found after four or five meetings and loads of evidence weve submitted to them, the meetings have yielded little, according to Adamek and the HOA colleagues. TxDOT, however, had a case for keeping the chunks in place, at least for the time being. The concrete chunks are placed intentionally to protect the bridge foundation since the Cypress Creek channel is very sandy and unstable, said TxDOT spokesperson Danny Perez. We do this as means of repurposing material that would otherwise be discarded. The material provides a solid barrier that can handle impacts from the creek. Perez also said that the agency was working with a consultant to perform a hydraulic study to determine if any changes to the channel are needed without causing flooding downstream. We have had multiple significant rain events the last few years including Hurricane Harvey and Tropical Storm Imelda that contributed to multiple communities being flooded, he said. This area will be looked at for potential improvements that could be determined by the hydraulic study. Adamek also asked about trees that had been cut and left in the floodway without proper disposal. Perez said they had gone to the area to cut some trees and trim the brush. Trees which were not removed are on a steep slope and require special equipment, he said. The contractor plans to come back to remove those and do a final cleanup of tree and brush material. One additional note is the southbound frontage road bridge is scheduled to let next summer. Adamek said he would join the task force being formed by the Cultural District and Glenn Wilkerson to try and gain support for more answers and quicker action. More organizations have joined the formation of the Cypress Creek Flooding Task Force including the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce, The Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts, cycreekstoptheflooding.com, and the Foundation for the Arts and Cultural Enrichment (FACE) which brought world-class entertainment to the Centrum before it flooded during Harvey. Residents can register their support and post suggestions, questions, and stories at CCfloodTF@yahoo.com. dtaylor@hcnonline.com WASHINGTON For two decades, the United States presented an official face to the world that reflected the power and promise of a land of immigrants. Madeleine K. Albright, Czech-born and the first woman to become secretary of state, arrived at Ellis Island in 1948. Colin L. Powell, the first Black man to be this countrys chief diplomat, is the son of Jamaican immigrants. Condoleezza Rice, President George W. Bushs second secretary of state, grew up in segregated Alabama. When Hillary Clinton succeeded Ms. Rice, State Department officials joked that the post was closed to the white men who had held a monopoly on the job for more than 200 years. But even the patrician John Kerry, Mrs. Clintons successor and President Barack Obamas second secretary of state, was seen overseas as working for a man who represented a personification of the American dream to people around the world. A Luo man, people in Mr. Obamas fathers home country of Kenya marveled, became president of America before one could become president of Kenya. As dozens of wildfires rage across California, air pollution levels are skyrocketing. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) measures air pollution with the Air Quality Index - an AQI of 50 or below represents good air quality. A score of between 201 and 300 is considered 'very unhealthy,' while anything above 300 is considered 'hazardous,' with emergency conditions in effect for all residents. In some regions of the California now, the AQI is above 700, according to the U.S. government's AirNow website. The result is an environmental crisis that could easily become a health crisis. AirNow's map of the air quality across the western United States. Yellow is considered moderate, while red is 'unhealthy,' purple is 'very unhealthy' and maroon is 'hazardous' 'In my experience, the impact of the current fires is unprecedented and exposures may prove dangerous for many people,' Michael Kleinman of the University of California, Irvine's Division of Occupational and Environmental Health told Newsweek. While California faces wildfires every year, experts say climate change has greatly increased their frequency and intensity. 'The debate is over around climate change,' Governor Gavin Newsom said Friday while touring the fire-ravaged town of Oroville. 'Just come to the state of California, observe it with your own eyes,' Newsom cited August being the hottest in state history, 14,000 dry lightning strikes in three days, plus record-breaking temperatures and droughts. The Bobcat Fire consumes trees in the Angeles National Forest on September 10, 2020. Particulates can travel miles and impact the health of people far from a blaze This year's season is already the worst on record, with two months still to go. More than three million acres have been incinerated, with 19 recorded deaths and 4,000 buildings burned across the state. 'It's a historic season on top of a historic season that replaced a historic season,' Sean Norman, a battalion chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, told the AP. A chart indicating the Air Quality Index levels and their meanings. Anything about a 200 is considered 'very unhealthy,' and above 300 is 'hazardous. Parts of California have registered over 700 all week 'We just keep setting new precedents, and then we keep destroying them.' In addition to devastating the landscape, the fires pose a threat to human health. Particles from burning biomass can drift miles to reach areas far from a fire. The worst of these fine particulates, known as PM2.5, irritate the respiratory tract and lungs and can cause chest pain, bronchitis, pneumonia, COPD, and even heart failure. An AirNow map indicating air quality across the US on September 11, 2020. Green dots represent 'good' air levels, while red, orange and maroon indicate increasing levels of air pollution An October 2018 study found that PM2.5 exposure raised the risk of mouth cancer by up to 40 percent. 'Some of the compounds on the particles are also known carcinogens,' Kleinman told Newsweek. 'The gases contain carbon monoxide, which is poisonous, oxides of nitrogen, and vapors such as formaldehyde and acrolein, all of which can impact health.' He compared it to the damage caused by cigarette smoking. 'Many of the same toxic compounds that are found in tobacco smoke are found in wildfire smoke.' The downtown Los Angeles skyline on September 10, 2020. Residents are being encouraged to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed and set air conditioners to run on recirculated air And the danger isn't limited to the Golden State - Oregon and Washington are also reporting record high air quality measurements, as well. In Western Oregon, Cottage Grove, a town of some 10,000, recorded a measurement of 807, according to KOMO Channel 4. Even in Portland, which hasn't been hit as badly as other parts of the state, the index reached 500 yesterday. That's worse than pollution capitals like Mexico City and Beijing. Residents in impacted states are being told to limit outdoor exposure, set air conditioners to run on recirculated air, and avoid activities like driving, lawn mowing and barbecuing. 'Keep windows and doors closed,' Travis Knudsen with the Lane County Regional Air Protection Agency told KOMO. 'Seal any place air may be getting into your home. We're waiting for a major weather pattern shift before we see any relief from the smoke. One may arrive early next week if the forecast doesn't change, until then our air won't see much improvement.' 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. Story continues 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 (Still on the indomitability of education in this Information Age; why education should never be used for political piloolo; and the urgency of advancing our human resource capital to global standards.) Beautiful Minds Just this Wednesday, September 2the very day on which I am writing this article, in fact CNN ran a story on the worlds fastest human calculator, Neelakantha Bhanu Prakasha 20- year-old Indian gentleman (why are you not shocked by this name and nationality attached to mathematical prowess?). Whats 869,463,853 times 73? the CNN article beginstaunting readers, as I am, you right now. Apparently, the answer is 63,470,861,269; apparently, Prakash answered within 26 seconds. This is our cueyou and Ilets clap for Prakash. This young gentleman has a lot of awards and accolades to prove; he has been accumulating them since age seven (7). A friend of mine related to me, in excitement, somewhere last year, that he had met a math genius. He was frantic, speaking; implying, with his bewilderment, that this is something not typical of his country, something one only saw in moviesthese beautiful minds; in this particular instance, this beautiful mathematical mind. I met an illiterate mason today. Herh! The man can just look at a long string of numbers and, without referring back to them, recite these numbers. In this golden, global age of knowledge, this Information Age, where knowledge is a principal, vital tool, this beautiful mind, this potential 21st century giant, is dwarfed by illiteracy. Strangulated Minds I am going to, with this article, exclude myself from the bunch. I am going to present myself only as an onlooker; I advise that you do same. That you and I put on our caps of recollection and think back at some phenomenal peoplephenomenal brains we have met in our lifetime, and make examples of themcase studies. In this vein, I nominate two childhood classmates of mine: Nkrumah and Addaeone female, the other male. Such an intelligent duo they were! While their classmates were, for the most part, oblivious of the world around them; while their mates were trying their best to grasp (and sometimes failing) the lessons being taught them, these duo were already contemplating the vast world around them. They were speaking things thatas I reflect back onstand the test of time, still hold relevance and still exude maturity. These two were just Primary 4 children. At this juncture, I may have to refer back to my beloved rural students, already referred to, in this articles prequel, and say that I have met in them, an Nkrumah and an Addae. But be careful when measuring the brain prowess of a village child, you might find yourself wantonly writing their potentials off. Be careful when subjecting them to these standardised measures we have come up withthese standardised tests, finding their accumulations in our BECEs and WASSCEs. Be careful when judging them by those red inks, their test scores, their command (specifically, lack thereof) of the English language, their seeming limited-mindedness, their closely walled aspirations. Be careful not to hurriedly judge (misjudge?) the village boy and girl, because theirs is a world plagued by scarcity. A lack and scarcity of the physical: infrastructure, motivated and qualified teaching staffs, educational wherewithal, etc. These students lack the indispensablesthings without which one cannot expect a child to flourish. And these lacking physicals have repercussive sociological and psychological effects: limited world views, scant sense of self-worth etc. This section of the article is proving quite problematic, isnt it?because I have not included another very deprived bunch: children of underprivileged urban Ghana. So there you have it: the student-child of rural and deprived urban Ghana is plagued with scarcity. I have met an Nkrumah and an Addae in rural and underprivileged urban Ghana, but the truth is when it comes to these students, one ought to have a sixth sense to be able to sniff out capabilitiesthese capabilities shrouded by depreciatory environments. One should not approach these students seeking tangible and immediate proof. You toowalled! Even with the inclusion of deprived urban Ghana this article still is proving problematic, because it creates the impression of a flourishing grass-is-greener section of Ghana. The part of the country where students are constantly acing the BECEs, the WASSCEs; the part seemingly grounds producing the nations future leaders; an un-plagued nirvana Ghanaprivileged urban Ghana. I laugh at such suggestion. Because the entire nation, with its manpower and brainpower, with its children youth and adults, are automatically, too, plagued with a limited worldview. Our dreams and capacities, only limited to the beautifully shaped boundaries of our national border. (Topic for another day, eh?) The Chinese, Indian Wisecrack I have such visceral reactions to those racist-fueled biological explanations we tend to, without scientific proof, or with pseudo-scientific proof, give to certain sociological phenomenaand this abhorrence I have communicated in a number of articles. Because these explanations always are to the disadvantage of the Black mind and capabilities. So when you say Chinese, Indians are naturally brilliant I go into anaphylactic shock (I tell you) and retort: it has been a conscious decision by these nations to pursue, and build the mental prowess of their populace. And in fact, this Prakash gentleman, in this CNN article said something along those lines. He, refusing the tag math prodigy, stated: I find the word prodigy a little troubling as it just doesnt capture the efforts and experience, its just a state thats obtained out of nowhere. Brilliant, brilliant gentleman. This is a topic needing an article of its ownI have just a paragraph or so, to my word limit. But quickly I must note: genius, like greatness, does not happen in the vacuum, it requires work. Genius, like greatness, can exist in a person but be easily strangled, and never see the light of day in the face of unfavourable environments. Think about all the Ghanaian geniusesall the brilliant Ghanaian children being suffocated by a lack of quality education, by a lack of a globally-minded environment. We all who could, with the right environment, influence not just our nation but this vast world around us, are left to dieour capacities untapped. Think about this illiterate mason with a photographic memory, these village and underprivileged urban boys and girls, very much an Nkrumah and an Addae but not really an Nkrumah and an Addae because of their circumstances, think about the great Ghanaian minds you have met The Grand Inquisition Ghana, which of these four Biblical grounds are you? Soil-less ground? Rocky ground? Thorny ground? Fertile ground? This entire nation, having within it, its fair share of great mindsminds that ought to inspire global awewe all are relegated to the audience seat, watching on as other nationals marvel us with their brains, as they change the world with their beautiful minds. You know it already: this is our cue, lets clap for them. A man from Texas was arrested on September 8 for molesting a teenage girl in her bed. The victim reportedly told authorities that the 62-year-old Daniel Ditmyer came into her bedroom on September 7 and sat on the edge of her bed. Sexual assault According to the victim, she pretended to be asleep and was too scared to say anything when Ditmyer started touching her, as reported by KSAT. Ditmyer allegedly stopped touching the victim after her mother called his name. The mother then opened the bedroom door and asked him why he was standing near her daughter's bed. He claimed he was giving the teen a kiss, according to an affidavit. Bexar County police said that the victim told a relative about the incident. The relative reportedly relayed the information to the mother of the victim, who called the police. Also Read: Massive Fire at Beirut Port Broke Out Just a Month After Explosion Ditmyer allegedly fled the scene before the police arrived, but he eventually was arrested and charged with indecency with a child. It is not clear what his relationship is with the mother and daughter. His bond was set at $75,000. Similar incident In August 2020, Electra police arrested a man and charged him with the sexual assault of a child. Michael Pumfrey is charged with allegedly having sexual contact with a girl when she was 15 years old, according to Times Record News. According to the report, the victim told officers during an interview at Patsy's House that she had known Pumfrey since she was a baby, and he was best friends with her mother. The victim said that she and Pumfrey started dating when she was 14 years old and that they had sex several times when she was 15 at a residence in Electra. The victim said that they quit having sex when she became pregnant, and he was worried that he would go to prison. The investigators pulled text messages from Pumfrey to the victim. The messages said he wanted to be with her and marry her when she turns 17 but that their relationship has to end. Other messages from Pumfrey to the victim said that he is taking a big chance of going to prison for the rest of his life for being with her and that he knows that the victim's mother is going to press the issue. He also threatened the victim as he does not want her to get an abortion. The police arrested Michael Pumfrey and charged him with the sexual assault of a child. His bond was set at $50,000. In July 2020, a 23-year-old man has been arrested for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. The suspect, Jordan W. Slater, was arrested and charged with carnal knowledge of a child, according to Chesterfield Police. Chesterfield Police Sgt. Mike Agnew said that a minor was contacted by Slater through social media. The investigation indicates that they developed a relationship, and the relationship led to an assault, as reported by WTVR. According to the police, Slater also asked the 13-year-old girl to send him sexual photos of herself. The police are investigating if he has other victims. Agnew said that when somebody is caught in a situation like this, it is possible that it is not their first instance of assaulting or attempting to assault a minor. Slater is being held at the Chesterfield County Jail. Related Article: Teen Boy Smashes Sister's Skull With Hammer While Asleep Because of Tablet @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. 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. The census data will be used to distribute hundreds of billions of dollars in federal aid each year for the next decade. Some of the lowest rates in Chicago are in areas that have struggled with poverty and a lack of resources: Back of the Yards, West Englewood, Little Village and North Lawndale. The humanitarian aid of the Greek Government to the people of Lebanon, including the necessities, food, medicines, medical goods and building materials donated by numerous private-sector companies, was loaded onto LST IKARIA, which will set sail on Monday, 14 September, from Salamis Naval Base. Over 500 pallets with hundreds of tonnes of products from no fewer than 60 Greek enterprises were collected within 15 days of the announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning the Prime Ministers initiative for our country's ongoing solidarity towards the quadruple (economic, political, refugee and social) crisis facing Lebanon. This shipment includes products collected by the Embassy of Lebanon in Greece, the Greek-Lebanese Association, as well as social groups such as PAME, which immediately heeded the call to contribute. On the instructions of Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias, the Directorate General of International Development Cooperation-Hellenic Aid, under the oversight of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kostas Fragogiannis, has been tasked with implementing this action; a vital part is also played by the Embassy of Lebanon in Athens and the Embassy of Greece in Beirut. Also worthy of note is the cooperation with the Hellenic Navy General Staff and the Hellenic National Defence General Staff which, during a trying time for the country's armed forces, undertook to transport hundreds of tonnes of the products collected. A few days after the large fire that broke out at a warehouse containing engine oil and tyres at the port of Beirut last Thursday, and one month after the unprecedented, lethal explosion that devastated the Lebanese capital on 4 August, our country responded to the call of the Lebanese authorities and will dispatch a second shipment of humanitarian aid this coming Monday. The second shipment of Greek solidarity to Lebanon will be carried by LST IKARIA and delivered to the Lebanese armed forces, special units of which have been charged with receiving, coordinating and distributing the humanitarian aid to its final beneficiaries. Dozens of Greek enterprises as well as the Institute of Pharmaceutical Research & Technology (IFET) answered the call issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is reminded that our country responded immediately to the crisis, just 18 hours after the explosion, sending a Greek Special Disaster Unit (EMAK) team, consisting of 12 responders, two support vehicles, as well as transport of medical personnel and four tonnes of pharmaceutical material by LST IKARIA, in response to the request of the Cypriot Government to assist the transport of its humanitarian aid to Beirut. Greece's support to the long-suffering people of Lebanon was also underscored by the immediate visit of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Fragogiannis, just hours after the devastating explosion, as well as the Prime Ministers participation in the international donor video conference on Lebanon. As Americans pause to remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001 which saw almost 3,000 innocents killed in the worst terror attack in United States history, it might also be worth contemplating the horrific wars and foreign quagmires unleashed during the subsequent 'war on terror'. Bush's so-called Global War on Terror targeted 'rogue states' like Saddam's Iraq, but also consistently had a focus on uprooting and destroying al-Qaeda and other armed Islamist terror organizations (this led to the falsehood that Baathist Saddam and AQ were in cahoots). But the idea that Washington from the start saw al-Qaeda and its affiliates as some kind of eternal enemy is largely a myth. Recall that the US covertly supported the Afghan mujahideen and other international jihadists throughout the 1980's Afghan-Soviet War, the very campaign in which hardened al-Qaeda terrorists got their start. In 1999 The Guardian in a rare moment of honest mainstream journalism warned of the Frankenstein the CIA created among their ranks a terror mastermind named Osama bin Laden. 1998 CNN still of Osama bin Laden, right, along with Egyptian jihadist Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan, CNN/Getty Images But it was all the way back in 1993 that a then classified intelligence memo warned that the very fighters the CIA previously trained would soon turn their weapons on the US and its allies. The 'secret' document was declassified in 2009, but has remained largely obscure in mainstream media reporting, despite being the first to contain a bombshell admission. A terrorism analyst at the State Departments Bureau of Intelligence and Research named Gina Bennett wrote in the 1993 memo The Wandering Mujahidin: Armed and Dangerous, that support network that funneled money, supplies, and manpower to supplement the Afghan mujahidin in the war against the Soviets, is now contributing experienced fighters to militant Islamic groups worldwide. The concluding section contains the most revelatory statements, again remembering these words were written nearly a decade before the 9/11 attacks: US support of the mujahidin during the Afghan war will not necessarily protect US interests from attack. ...Americans will become the targets of radical Muslims' wrath. Afghan war veterans, scattered throughout the world, could surprise the US with violence in unexpected locales. There it is in black and white print: the United States government knew and bluntly acknowledged that the very militants it armed and trained to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars would eventually turn that very training and those very weapons back on the American people. And this was not at all a "small" or insignificant group, instead as The Guardian wrote a mere two years before 9/11: American officials estimate that, from 1985 to 1992, 12,500 foreigners were trained in bomb-making, sabotage and urban guerrilla warfare in Afghan camps the CIA helped to set up. But don't think for a moment that there was ever a "lesson learned" by Washington. Instead the CIA and other US agencies repeated the 1980s policy of arming jihadists to overthrow US enemy regimes in places like Libya and Syria even long after the "lesson" of 9/11. As War on The Rocks recounted: Despite the passage of time, the issues Ms. Bennett raised in her 1993 work continue to be relevant today. This fact is a sign of the persistence of the problem of Sunni jihadism and the wandering mujahidin. Today, of course, the problem isnt Afghanistan but Syria. While the war there is far from over, there is already widespread nervousness, particularly in Europe, about what will happen when the foreign fighters return from that conflict. On 9/11 we should never forget the innocent lives lost, but we should also never forget the Frankenstein of jihad the CIA created. * * * The U.S. State Dept.s own numbers at the height of the war in Syria: access the full report at STATE.GOV WATERLOO The Waterloo City Council on Monday will consider $4 million in additional general obligation bonds to fund renovations to the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center. If approved, the money mainly will fund a year-long lobby reconstruction, including the removal of escalators, addition of at least one elevator and an atrium addition for the main entrance on the corner of Commercial and West Fourth streets. The city already used more than $5 million in general obligation bonds in the past couple of years for ceiling, chiller, plumbing and other projects at the center. The bonds will be repaid by property taxes and hotel-motel tax revenue. Noel Anderson, community planning and development director, said the new bond money might go toward other mechanical improvements. That could include roofing, paneling, restroom renovations and more chiller work. Weve been trying to make improvements to the convention center that are aesthetic improvements, that are functional improvements, but we have to mix those in with the not-so-exciting infrastructure improvements, Anderson said. At last Mondays meeting, Chief Financial Officer Michelle Weidner said the city plans to seek charitable funding for future projects if needed. If that doesnt work, she said, the city will work projects into a long-term capital improvements program. The city chose Cardinal Construction of Waterloo to complete lobby renovations, Anderson said. The company already is working on other renovations. The project will cost about $5.5 million, Anderson said. The city received bids from four companies that all set their highest bids above $6 million. All companies provided alternate bids at lower rates. Other bidders for the lobby renovation were Henkel Construction Company, Larson Construction Company and Pro Commercial LLC. Anderson said Cardinal Construction provided a deduction from its original base bid of more than $692,000 for additional footings, and proposed adding piers to the parking area for safety reasons. The city engineers original estimate for the lobby renovation was $4.4 million, more money than will be allotted in new bonds. Anderson said the city can use other bond money it received for capital projects in recent years, likely including the $3.7 million the council approved for convention center work in June. Anderson said the gap between the estimate and actual cost might be due increased costs driven by COVID-19 and the destructive derecho that hit parts of Iowa. He added costs could be higher if contractors must move equipment in and out of the convention center to accommodate events. The city hopes the renovations attract more visitors and business. We see the convention center as a magnet for bringing people to Waterloo, Anderson said. Mondays meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall. Residents can attend in person, on the phone or via video platform Zoom. People interested in attending electronically can email the City Clerks Office for login information. Residents who want to comment on agenda items should contact the clerk via email. Sydney Czyzon covers Waterloo and Black Hawk County. You can reach her at Sydney.Czyzon@wcfcourier.com or follow her on Twitter @SydneyCzyzon. Love 6 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 The JD(U) made fresh inroads into the Grand Alliance as two Congress MLAs, a former RJD minister and several other leaders including an spokesman joined the ruling party ahead of the polls due in October-November. The opposition Grand Alliance comprises four parties the RJD, Congress, and the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). Congress legislators Sudarshan Kumar and Purnima Yadav, senior RJD leader and former state minister Bhola Rai, Rashtriya Lok Samata Partys (RLSP) Bihar unit spokesman Abhishek Jha are among those who switched sides on Friday. These leaders took the membership of the JD(U) state headquarters here in the presence of senior leaders such as Ashok Choudhary, Neeraj Kumar and Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh. A total of seven RJD MLAs have so far quit the party to join the in the past one month while five RJD MLCs joined the ruling party in June. Those who joined the party on Friday reposed their faith in the leadership of Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, saying that they want to work with him for states all round development. (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.) Taoiseach Micheal Martin has hit back at critics in his own party, saying that while they are entitled to their views, he doesn't agree with them. Speaking at a jobs announcement in West Cork, he said that he was too busy running the government at a time of crisis to be concerned with such critics. He was reacting to a story in Fridays Irish Examiner which reported remarks attributed to party colleague Marc MacSharry, who said Mr Martin should stop holding press conferences with Leo Varadkar because the Fine Gael leader is running rings around him. The Taoiseach said Mr MacSharry had made it clear from the onset of him assuming office that he is dissatisfied. He said: He is entitled to his views...I disagree with them, of course. I focus on the issues of substance, such as dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and dealing also with the challenges of Brexit. He also said he was busy bringing a million people back to our schools in the last number of weeks which is a very significant achievement. Mr Martin was also asked about another potential lockdown in Dublin and whether or not given the growing rates of infection in the capital there might be a rethink on the decision to let all pubs reopen at the end of the month. When asked if he would shut the city down if that was the public health advice, he said, It won't be yes or no and that is exactly the point in terms of how we are going to deal with Covid. There is not going to be knee-jerk reactions. We will take advice, we will consider the advice and then we will act on the advice. Right from the onset of the pandemic we have accepted the broad thrust of the public health advice, that is important. Mr Martin said that the Government is to create a new 'oversight group', which will involve stakeholders in government departments. Their role will be to examine any public health advice the Government gets and to come up with plans on how to implement that advice in a structured way. 'We have got to be smart' Mr Martin said people have to "be resilient" in the current crisis. He added: I understand people are fed up with restrictions and they would love to get back to the normality that we once experienced. But the virus is around for a while and will be around for a while and we've got to be clever, we have got to be smart, we got to be resilient in terms of how we deal with it. Our overarching objective is to protect public health but equally to protect the livelihoods and to keep people working and then have a decent quality of life for our children and our people overall. Mr Martin was speaking at a major jobs announcement in West Cork, where Clonakilty-based firm Global Shares confirmed it is increasing its workforce from 370 to 1,000 by 2024. That includes 150 "high-skill, high-value roles", which will be filled immediately. "The story of Global Shares is a remarkable one, illustrating how from small beginnings a company can grow and develop a global footprint," the Taoiseach said. It is an inspiring example of what can be achieved through talent and ambition." At least one person has been killed by a gunman after a gunman opened fire in an Indiana mall and footage showed terrified shoppers sprinting away. Frantic calls flooded into the Mishawaka Police Department just before 3pm as residents reported a shooting at University Park Mall. St. Joseph County Coroner Michael McGann confirmed on Saturday evening that one person had been killed but no other details were available, the South Bend Tribune reported. Investigators have so far not released any information about a possible suspect. As of 3:45pm, police said the incident was no longer an active shooter situation and that they were searching for a suspect. The gunman was reported to be wearing a clown mask and covered in a ripped up US flag. Footage taken by a witness at University Park Mall shows a crowd of people screaming as they run towards the exit doors. Footage taken by a witness at University Park Mall in Mishawaka, Indiana, shows shoppers sprinting out of the exit doors after shots were fired The woman who posted the video claimed her younger sister was at the mall when two shots went off. Authorities have confirmed to ABC 57 that shots were fired inside the mall. There is no official word on injuries, but one Indiana journalist and witnesses reported that a person was shot. 'I heard a bang and saw people running,' said 44-year-old Renee Dominik. 'I thought it was maybe a tornado.' Dominik said a shoe store employee told people take cover inside once the gunfire started. She, her family, and about 35 others rushed into the store's back room before eventually emerging after the danger had apparently passed. There is no official word on injuries, but one Indiana journalist and witnesses reported that a person was shot St. Joseph County Metro Homicide has taken over the investigation and authorities were at the scene at University Park Mall (pictured) DailyMail.com has reached out to the Mishawaka Police Department and St. Joseph County Metro Homicide to confirm. St. Joseph County Metro Homicide has taken over the investigation, and the mall has been evacuated as a precaution. Mishawaka is a town that neighbors South Bend. It is located about 150 miles north of Indianapolis. EDWARDSVILLE Madison County voters will have a number of decisions to make in the Nov. 3 election on issues ranging federal, state and local candidates, as well as a number of referendums and an amendment to the Illinois Constitution. Workers at the Madison County Clerks Office completed proofing the specimen ballot last week. Ballots will be mailed out and available for early voting later in September. FEDERAL RACES President Incumbent President Donald Trump and Vice President Michael Pence, Republicans, are challenged by Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Voters can also choose Green Party candidates Howie Hawkins and Angela Walker; Gloria La Riva and Leonard Peltier of the Party for Socialism and Liberation; Brian Carroll and Amar Patel of the American Solidarity Party; or Jo Jorgensen and Jeremy Spike Cohen of the Libertarian party. U.S. Senate Incumbent Sen. Richard Durbin, a Democrat, is challenged by Republican Mark C. Curran Jr., Willie L. Wilson of the Willie Wilson Party, Green Party candidate David F Black and Libertarian Danny Malouf. U.S. Representative 12th Congressional District Incumbent Republican Mike Bost is challenged by Democrat Raymond C. Lenzi, a Democrat. 13th Congressional District Incumbent Republican Rodney Davis will again be challenged by Democrat Betsy Dirksen Londrigan. 15th Congressional District Democrat Erika C. Weaver and Republican Mary Miller are seeking the seat being vacated by the retiring U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, a Republican. STATE LEGISLATIVE RACES Six Illinois House seats from our area are up for grabs in the Nov. 3 election. 95th District Incumbent Republican Avery Bourne is challenged by Democrat Chase Wilhelm. 100th District Incumbent Republican Christopher C.D. Davidsmeyer is challenged by Democrat Brandon Adams and Pro-Gun and Life Party Candidate Ralph Sides. 108th District Incumbent Republican Charles Meier is challenged by Democrat Kacie Weicherding. 111th District Incumbent Democrat Monica Bristow is challenged by Republican Amy Elik. 112th District Incumbent Democrat Katie Stuart is challenged by Republican Lisa Ciampoli. 113th District Incumbent Democrat Jay C. Hoffman is challenged by Libertarian Ryan Musick and Constitution Party candidate Mark Lemore for the seat. COUNTYWIDE OFFICES Three of the five county-wide offices in Madison County are up for grabs. Auditor Rick Faccin and Circuit Court Clerk Mark Von Nida are retiring, and Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons has opted to run for a judicial seat. Madison County Board Chairman Incumbent Republican Kurt Prenzler is challenged by Democrat Robert A. Daiber. Coroner Incumbent Democrat Steve Nonn is challenged by Republican Adam J. Micun. Circuit Clerk Democrat Amy Gabriel and Republican Tom McRae are seeking to fill Von Nida s spot. States Attorney Democrat Crystal Uhe and Republican Tom Haine are battling over Gibbons position. Auditor Democrat Joe Silkwood and Republican David Michael are seeking Faccins seat. MADISON COUNTY BOARD Eleven seats are up in this election. Two incumbents, Michael Doc Holliday Sr. and Victor Valentine Jr., both Democrats are unopposed. District 2 Democrat DeAnn Rizzi and Republican Stacey Pace are vying for the seat held by Republican Don Moore, who chose not to run this year. District 3 Democrat Maria Ferrari and Republican William S. Meyer are seeking to fill Republican Phil Chapmans seat. Meyer, who had previously held the seat, defeated Chapman in the Republican Primary. District 4 Democrat Kelly A. Simpson and Republican Bobby Ross are seeking David Michaels seat on the board. District 18 Democratic incumbent Jack Minner is challenged by Republican Richard Keasey. District 19 Democrat Dina Burch and Republican Aaron Messner are seeking to fill the seat being vacated by board member Michael Parkinson. District 20 Incumbent Democrat Kristen Novacich-Koberna is challenged by Republican Denise Wiehardt. District 26 Republican incumbent Erica Conway Harriss is challenged by Democrat Collin Vanmeter. District 27 Democrat Paul Rydgig is facing off against incumbent Heather Mueller-Jones. The position was not supposed to be up this year, but Mueller-Jones was recently appointed to the board after her husband, Board Member Clint Jones, died. District 29 Democrat Jim Trucano and Republican Ryan Kneedler are seeking the seat being faceted by Larry Trucano. JUDICIAL RACES Illinois Supreme Court Democrat Judy Cates and Republican David K. Overstreet are seeking to fill Chief Justice Lloyd Karmeiers spot on the court representing the Fifth Appellate District. Appellate Court Democrat Sarah Smith and Republican Mark M. Boie are vying to replace Judge Melissa Ann Chapman on the Fifth District Appellate Court. Circuit Judge Democrat Leslie Ann Wood and Republican Steve Stobbs are seeking the judicial seat previously held by Andy Matoesian, while Democrat Tom Gibbons and Republican Amy Maher are seeking to fill the seat vacated by Judge David Hylla. Three judges are also up for judicial retention: Fifth District Appellate Court Judge Thomas M. Welch and Circuit Judges Dennis R. Ruth and Richard L. Tognarelli. SANITARY BOARDS: Two candidates are unopposed for the Holiday Shores Sanitary District Board, and there is no candidate for an unexpired term on the Rosewood Heights Sanitary District. ILLINOIS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT: Illinois voters will decide whether to change how the state income tax is applied to resident. The amendment is explained this way on the ballot: The proposed amendment grants the State authority to impose higher income tax rates on higher income levels, which is how the federal government and a majority of other states do it. The amendment would remove the portion of the Revenue Article of the Illinois Constitution that is sometimes referred to as the flat tax, that requires all taxes on income to be at the same rate. The amendment does not itself change tax rates. It gives the State the ability to impose higher tax rates on those with higher income levels and lower income tax rates on those with middle or lower income levels. You are asked to decide whether the proposed amendment should become a part of the Illinois Constitution. According to the ballot instructions, failure to vote on the issue may be counted as a no vote. MADISON COUNTY REFERENDUMS All Madison County voters will have vote on three referendums, one binding and two nonbinding. The binding resolution asks: Shall the maximum tax rate for general county purposes of Madison County, Illinois, be established at 0.18 percent of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein instead of 0.20 percent, the maximum rate otherwise applicable to the next taxes to be extended? The two nonbinding advisory referendums are: Shall members of the Illinois General Assembly change state law to stop automatic annual salary increases for legislators? Shall retired Madison County employees and officials drawing a pension be permitted to also draw a salary for service in another position as an employee, official, or independent contractor of Madison County? Metro East Sanitary District Referendum: Shall bonds for the purpose of improvements to the Landsdowne Sewer System in the sum of $14 million be issued by the Metro East Sanitary District? WOOD RIVER ROUNDHOUSE: Wood River residents have an advisory referendum on the Wood River Roundhouse: Shall the City of Wood River, Illinois save the existing Roundhouse as a center for recreation and community use and suspend capital spending on the planned recreation center project? For more on the upcoming election visit https://www.co.madison.il.us/departments/county_clerk/index.php. Florida is a crucial state in US President Donald Trumps re-election strategy and this decision could sway the outcome. Florida felons must pay all fines, restitution and legal fees before they can regain their right to vote, a federal appellate court ruled Friday in a case that could have broad implications for the November elections. 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 the GOP-led Florida Legislature. Under Amendment 4, which Florida voters passed overwhelmingly in 2018, felons who have completed their sentences would have voting rights restored. But the legal dispute arose after legislators the next year moved to define what it means to complete a sentence. In addition to prison time served, lawmakers stipulated that all legal financial obligations, including unpaid fines and restitution, would also have to be settled before a felon could be eligible to vote. The full 11th Circuit agreed in a 200-page ruling on a 6-4 vote, deciding that the Constitutions due process clause was not violated by the passage of the law implementing Amendment 4. NOW: The 11th Circuit has ruled en banc that Florida can require people with a past felony conviction to pay off all fines and fees before they can get their right to vote back even if they can't afford it https://t.co/WHG07U7zcf pic.twitter.com/Criur3C1CQ Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) September 11, 2020 States are constitutionally entitled to set legitimate voter qualifications through laws of general application and to require voters to comply with those laws through their own efforts, Chief Judge William Pryor wrote in the majority opinion. So long as a state provides adequate procedures to challenge individual determinations of ineligibility as Florida does due process requires nothing more. Four judges issued a dissenting opinion. They argued, in part, that it is sometimes extremely difficult for returning felons to know what outstanding financial obligations they may still have and that the state should create a mechanism to provide that information. In light of the chaos created by the majoritys holding that (financial obligations) must be satisfied according to the every-dollar method, countless scores of individuals will be uncertain of their eligibility to vote, wrote US Circuit Judge Beverly Martin in the dissent. With its constitution amended in this way, Florida gained an obligation to establish procedures sufficient to determine the eligibility of returning citizens to vote, and to notify them of their eligibility in a prompt and reliable manner, the dissenters added. Leonel Frage, 60, who has not been able to vote in more than 15 years, poses proudly holding a paper restoring his right to vote during a special court hearing aimed at restoring the right to vote under Floridas Amendment 4 in November 2019 [File: Zak Bennett/AFP] The amendment permanently bars convicted murderers and rapists from voting, regardless of financial debts. Still, an estimated 774,000 disenfranchised felons in Florida who could register to vote represents a significant bloc of voters, should they be allowed to cast ballots. The ruling could influence the election outcome in November. Florida is considered a must-win state in President Donalds Trumps bid for re-election and is famed for its razor-thin statewide election results. Democrats had hopes of gaining support from thousands of former felons in Florida. This is a deeply disappointing decision, said Paul Smith, vice president at the Campaign Legal Center which is pushing for full voting rights for most felons. While the full rights restoration envisioned by Amendment 4 has become less likely to be realised this fall, we will continue this fight for all Florida voters, so the full benefits of Amendment 4 will someday be realised. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alya Nurbaiti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 12, 2020 09:15 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c445fdf1 1 Health mental-health,Jakpost-Up-Close,COVID-19-in-Indonesia Free The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of many people, triggering new challenges while exacerbating existing issues, and experts agree that peoples resilience, or the ability to adapt to their surroundings and rise up against adversity, is key to surviving the emotional epidemic. Clinical psychologist Annelia Sari Sani has said that it is important to continuously educate people in Indonesia on mental health because among most communities in the country stigma still attaches to those with mental illnesses. Proper education is important in finding solutions to mental health issues in Indonesia, she added. [The education starts] when people reach out. Reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness, it means we understand we are facing problems. This is a part of being resilient, Annelia said on Friday during The Jakarta Posts Jakpost Up Close webinar titled Mental health during the pandemic: What you need to know. Quarantines and restricted mobility have brought changes to peoples lives as they fear that they themselves or their loved ones might contract the disease, lose jobs and income, or suffer from the uncertainty about when the pandemic will end. A recent survey conducted by the University of Indonesias School of Medicine (FKUI) shows that 35 percent of its adult respondents had depressive symptoms during the early phase of the pandemic, five times the normal period, and almost half of these admitted to having suicidal thoughts. Read also: Drawn-out pandemic causes various mental health problems: Groups People with pre-existing mental health problems have also been unable to receive or have had to make do with limited services, which could lead to a relapse and the recurrence of mental health problems. This situation was even more critical in Indonesia, said Annelia. With a population of 260 million, the country has fewer than 3,000 clinical psychologists and psychiatrists, a figure well below the World Health Organizations recommendation of one psychologist and one psychiatrist per 30,000 people, she added. In such a situation, we have to fill the gaps by coordinating with other mental health workers and the community, while nurturing peoples resilience, she said. Gina Anindyajati of the FKUI-Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) psychiatric department said even though services had moved to telemedicine, there were still problems of accessibility. Therefore, efforts from all parties were needed to ensure the continuity of health services for people with mental illness, including raising awareness through online webinars and other channels, as well as strengthening peoples self-efficacy to move forward from shock and denial into acceptance. A section for mental health on healthcare platform Halodoc. (Halodoc/File) We can regulate ourselves in choosing and committing to a healthy lifestyle, communicating with others in an assertive way, developing empathy and connecting socially, she said. Annelia, who is also the head of Indonesias Clinical Psychology Association (IPK) task force to contain COVID-19, also stressed the importance of forming a new routine and redefining menial things into a source of happiness in order to achieve resilience. Try to find meaningful activities, even from the mundane. There is always the possibility of finding new sources of happiness, she said. Moreover, Rina Anggraeni Dewi, a relationship therapist and founder of Yayasan Indonesia Bahagia, said that maintaining communication in every relationship was important as many relationship conflicts arise during the pandemic. This can only be achieved with adaptability, creativity and humility to overcome value differences between each person, she said. Read also: Amid pandemic, Halodoc provides new channel for mental health Further, Annelia gave tips for responding to anxious and uncomfortable feelings through the grounding technique. To remind ourselves that at this very moment we are safe. The common technique is breathing while counting in regular patterns and feeling all the sensation around us, she said. Siti Khalimah, the Health Ministrys director of prevention and control for mental health and substance abuse, also encouraged people to seek professional help when needed. The government has launched a psychological hotline by dialing extension 8 on the National COVID-19 hotline of 119, she said, adding that the ministry would launch the Sehat Jiwa app on World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10. Meanwhile, telemedicine service Halodoc vice president of marketing Felicia Kawilarang said the app had also introduced a feature dubbed Kesehatan Jiwa, aimed at explaining the importance of maintaining mental health and allowing users to consult with more than 500 registered psychologists and psychiatrists. This feature has led to a fivefold increase in access to psychological services on Halodoc. We hope to bring these clinicians closer to the people who need it as first aid, she said. Demonstrators and police clashed in the Chilean capital Santiago on Thursday, during the 47th commemoration march of the military coup that ousted the government of Salvador Allende on Septermber 11, 1973. Protesters threw stones and lit fire barricades while police used water cannon trucks to disperse the crowds behind the cemetery gates, where they gathered to pay respects on the memorial for the "Arrested and Disappeared" people during the regime that ended in 1990. Dozens of people marched peacefully today, many wearing face masks but failing to comply with the social distancing measures that are in place in Chile due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to government figures, during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, at least 3,095 people were killed and tens of thousands more were tortured or jailed for political reasons. Chilean courts have appointed special judges on human rights violations, with 447 defendants sentenced and 1,328 more put on trial between 2000 and 2018. An amnesty law issued by Pinochet in 1978 shielded offenders who committed human rights abuses during the dictatorship's first five years, but has also not been applied since 1990, leading to the prosecution of hundreds of others. (Image Credit Pixabay) After Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt's fans are now asking whether he would say "I do" for the third time. Reports about Brad dating again shocked the internet because he is still in the middle of a custody battle. Despite that, the actor is not keeping anything a secret as he freely introduced Nicole Poturalski to the public. However, while they seem to be perfect for each other and there is a spark between them, Pitt reportedly has no plan to marry the German model. A source recently revealed to Us Weekly that Brad and Nicole are merely enjoying each other's company. "Brad thinks Nicole is beautiful and kind," the source said. "He has absolutely no plans nor any desire to ever get married again. Brad doesn't want a girlfriend that he's with every day." For what it's worth, Nicole seems to think the same, too. She refuses to "run around" to broadcast what she feels toward the actor. Instead of overthinking things, the two are just making the most of their go-with-the-flow situation. "Nicole is there a lot for work. That's where the bulk of her dates with Brad have been," another source disclosed. "Going by what Brad's been saying, they are totally falling for each other." The "Ad Astra" actor was first seen with the 27-year-old model in August 2020. They have shared several dates together while Brad is in the middle of his divorce settlement and custody battle with Jolie. Brad Pitt, Nicole Poturalski's Former Relationships The report about Brad Pitt not wanting to get married again certainly isn't shocking, especially since he went through two failed marriages with Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie. Previously, Brad and Jen shared five years as a married couple -- from 2000 to 2005. But when the actor started filming "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" with Ange in 2004, things between them began to turn ugly. Indeed, the "dastardly affair" between the co-stars turned into a disaster for Jen since Brad had Angelina pregnant before they were able to finalize their divorce. Even Angelina's former bodyguard, Mark Behar, confirmed that he witnessed how the pair "made out" in their trailers and that he used to pass x-rated notes between them. "[Angelina] and Brad were constantly laughing and flirting with each other and acting like two school kids who had the hots for each other, and it was so cute," Behar told Us Weekly. "I caught them several times in each other's trailers making out. I wasn't shocked at all when they got married years later." In 2014, Brad and Angelina tied the knot. Unfortunately, two years later, they announced their separation. Although they have been legally separated since 2019, the former couple is still in the middle of a custody battle over their six kids: Maddox (19), Pax (16), Zahara (15), Shiloh (14), and twins Knox and Vivienne (12). Poturalski, for her part, is also a parent. She is married but is also in an open relationship. READ MORE: Brad Pitt Net Worth: Just How Rich Is Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston's Ex? Her multi-coloured hair made her one of the breakout stars of 90 Day Fiance's Before The 90 Days. But now Erika Owens has shaved off her signature locks to raise money for the Cancer Council. In videos and photos shared to social media this week, the 24-year-old had her hair shaved off to a very short crop. 'New hair, same old me!' Australian 90 Day Fiance star Erika Owens shaved her head to raise money for the Cancer Council She then had the remaining fuzz dyed a bright neon yellow. Posing for a post haircut photo on Instagram, Erika wrote: 'New hair, same old me. 'It feels f***ing great to say good bye to this chapter of my life but it feels even better that were less than $3000AUD until we reach my $10,000 goal for the Cancer Council! Please consider donating even if it is just a few dollars - it all counts!!' Before and after: Erika was known for her multi-coloured hair (left) before shaving it all off for charity (right) Shave it off! The reality star documented her transformation in videos shared to Instagram She added: 'I am continuing to fund raise for another few weeks with some super fun things planned - I wont stop until we fly past that $10k goal! 'Biggest love and thank you to everyone who has donated and supported both me and Cancer Council.' Erika starred on the most recent season of 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days. Iconic: Erika made history on the 90 Day Fiance franchise as one-half of the first ever same-sex couple to be featured on the show, along with ex-girlfriend Stephanie Matto (pictured) She made history on the franchise as one-half of the first ever same-sex couple to be featured on the show, along with ex-girlfriend Stephanie Matto. The young photographer stood out on the series thanks to her multi-coloured hair and outrageous outfits and quickly became a fan favourite with viewers. She has since found love with fellow photographer Chris Siclari. The National Chief Imam Sheikh Usman Nuhu Sharubutu has thrown his support behind the ongoing End Child Marriage campaign thats seeking to eliminate the menace of child marriage across the country. The Chief Imam says the struggle to end child marriage and forced marriage is a duty of all and not just the civil society organisations. We must all as a nation agrees on a plan of action on the reduction of child marriage, sexual violence and abuse against children, he noted. The National Chief Imam made these remarks when officials of Plan International Ghana paid a courtesy call on him to brief him on ongoing activities to end child marriage, sexual violence, and commercial exploitation as part of the Girls Advocacy Alliance Programme. The team included Country Director of Plan International Ghana Mr. Solomon TesfaMariam, Project Manager of the Girls Advocacy Alliance (GAA) Project Mrs. Anna N. Nabere, and Mr. Kamal Deen Habib who is an Economic Empowerment, Specialist. Mr. TesfaMariam explained the objective of the project was to strive for the attainment of a just world that advanced childrens rights and equality for boys and girls. Women must be given equal rights to become leaders, as girls have equal rights as boys to lead, he said. Mr. TesfaMariam disclosed about 263 girls in Ghana have been saved from early marriage and its related consequences as a result of the project. A communique read by a group of young people working to end abuse against girls, the Youth Advocates Ghana observed child marriage has become a matter of high concern. The group consists of 25 young people spread across various regions of the country including Eastern, Ashanti, Northern, Upper West and Greater Accra. According to by Ms. Issah Rahama who read the communique on behalf of her colleagues, the number of girls and women of all ages who were first married or in union before age 18 is about 2 million. We the Youth Advocates of the Girls Advocacy Alliance of Plan international Ghana and Defence for Children International are contributing our quota to change the situation in the country, she said. With the support of the Girls Advocacy Alliance project, we joined hands with other youth groups in the various regions to embark on community sensitization and radio programs to educate the general public on the negative consequences of child marriage and the importance of supporting the education of children especially girls, she explained. According to Ms. Rahama, some regional chief imams have incorporated issues of child marriage and other practices that violate the rights of children into their sermons as a result of the campaign. Your Eminence, today we are in your office, not for any reason, but for the same course that we have been championing for the past 3 to 4 years. As one of the most influential personalities in the country and beyond, we humbly seek for your endorsement in our quest to end child marriages in the country, most importantly, in our Muslim communities in Ghana in order to empower girls through education, she said. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Helping run a drug crew after the leader was busted proved to be a bad move for a Port Richmond man. James Martin has been sentenced to seven years behind bars and five years post-release supervision under his top-count drug plea. Martin was among more than a dozen defendants charged in a major drug takedown in November 2018. Members of four narcotics-trafficking rings peddled drugs which allegedly were tied to 21 overdoses, including eight deaths, in the borough, said authorities. Damien Rice, who was sentenced last December to 16 years in prison, supplied the groups, officials said. The NYPDs Narcotics Borough Staten Island launched the original investigation in April 2017, targeting a heroin and cocaine distribution ring. Tyrone Ford, one of the defendants, headed that group. Ford was arrested in a police chase in January 2018 during which cops recovered a large amount of heroin, said authorities. Ford was subsequently convicted in state Supreme Court, St. George, of 13 drug-sale counts. He was sentenced last November to 39 years behind bars. After Fords arrest, Martin, whose street name is T, helped run the crew. In addition, Martin sold fentanyl and heroin on multiple occasions to undercover officers in 2018, said an indictment. Cops raided Martins Jewett Avenue home on Nov. 14, 2018, and allegedly found a treasure trove of illegal narcotics. Police seized more than four total ounces of fentanyl, including about 1,800 glassine envelopes of heroin mixed with fentanyl, said a source with knowledge of the investigation. They also recovered over 500 milligrams of cocaine, the source said. In addition, cops found buprenorphine and methadone, which are used to treat opioid addiction, said an indictment. Police also confiscated a loaded 9 mm Glock pistol and a loaded .40-caliber Taurus pistol, court documents said. Martin also was dinged for allegedly having a variety of drug manufacturing, packaging and dispensing materials. Officers confiscated scales and balances, said the indictment. In January, Martin, then 35, pleaded guilty state Supreme Court, George, to second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal firearm possession to resolve his case. The drug charge was the top count against him. In exchange, he was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison and five years' post-release supervision on the drug conviction. The defendant received a concurrent term of one to three years for possessing an illegal gun; namely, the Glock. Mr. Martin as looking at spending a significant portion of his life in prison and decided it was in his best interest to take the plea, said defense lawyer Mario F. Gallucci. After the plea hearing, District Attorney Michael E. McMahon said the cases disposition reflects my commitment to the people of Staten Island that those who are convicted for purveying narcotic poison in our borough will face the full force of the law. She's getting back to reality after her summer break from This Morning. And Holly Willoughby cut a casual figure as she ran errands in London on Saturday morning. The presenter, 39, nailed daytime chic in a dark grey jacket and Levi's t-shirt for the low-key outing. Style: Holly Willoughby cut a casual figure in a dark grey jacket and Levi's t-shirt as she ran errands in London on Saturday morning She finished off her trendy look with a pair of navy jeans and grey trainers as she clutched a large black handbag. Holly appeared downcast as she made her way along the street while talking on the phone. The mother-of-three wore her trademark blonde tresses loose and looked radiant as she went makeup free for the the trip out. Out and about: Holly appeared downcast as she made her way along the street while talking on the phone Her outing comes after Holly lamented the new 'six person rule' as England prepares to face updated coronavirus restrictions on Monday following a spike in infections. Talking on Thursday's This Morning she asked whether she was going to have to choose between her mother Lynne, 71, or father Terry, on Christmas due to having a family of five. On Monday, no more than six people will be permitted to gather in England - with a few exceptions, which include going to school, work or 'exceptional life events'. New rules: Her outing comes after Holly lamented the new 'six person rule' as England prepares to face updated coronavirus restrictions on Monday following a spike in infections Family: Talking on Thursday's This Morning she asked if she was going to have to choose between her mother Lynne, 71, (pictured) or father Terry, due to having a family of five Breaking these new restrictions will mean fines of 100, doubling for each incident up to 3,200. Holly has three children - Harry, 11, Belle, nine, and Chester, five, with husband Dan Baldwin meaning just one of her parents would make up the 'six person rule'. Discussing the new restrictions with Matthew Wright on This Morning, the ITV star said: 'A lot of people are thinking, "What will this mean for Christmas? What will Christmas look like?" 'It's going to be very awkward in my house as I'm a family-of-five, so I'll have to choose between my mum and dad on Christmas day!' To which Matthew, 55, replied: 'I'm feeling very confused and conflicted. The rules are different everywhere else in the United Kingdom. 'You can't have your parents over on Christmas Day but you can go on public transport? For the life of me, I can't make any sense of it.' With Holly adding: 'I guess the other thought is how is anyone going to police these rules. The government are going to have marshals to monitor people.' The Michelin star restaurant sector here runs the risk of contraction until its corporate and international clientele returns, 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 said: "Michelin restaurants are at the top of their game but they are expensive to run due to the quality of their product." He said the sector was on course for a record year in 2020 before the Covid-19 impact. He said: "I feel that until we have an international and corporate market, you will see contraction in the Michelin sector." New accounts filed by the Ross Lewis-owned Chapter One restaurant underline the buoyant year enjoyed by the sector last year. The Michelin-starred Dublin restaurant firm's cash pile increased by 296,000 to 1.28m in the 12 months to the end of February this year. In February, Lindley Ltd had an accumulated loss of 69,724 and 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 directors' pay rising by 55pc from 328,225 to 509,267. Belarus police detained dozens of protesters on Saturday as thousands of people gathered in the capital Minsk demanding the release of a jailed opposition leader, the latest in a wave of mass protests following a disputed election. Maria Kolesnikova, 38, has emerged as a key opposition figure after others were either jailed or forced out of the country, including Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya who challenged President Alexander Lukashenko in the presidential election. Protesters say the Aug. 9 election was rigged to hand Lukashenko a phoney landslide win and that Tsikhanouskaya - who has since fled to Lithuania - was the real winner. Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years, denies this and has said foreign powers are behind the protests. At least 5,000 protesters, many of them women, gathered in central Minsk on Saturday, chanting "Go away!" in reference to Lukashenko, and "Masha" - a common alternative for Maria - in support of Kolesnikova, a Reuters witness said. "Sveta is my president, Masha is my queen," read one of the slogans held up in the crowd. Police starting detaining people shortly after the protests started at 1200 GMT, putting at least 40 into police vans in the first hour of the rally alone, according to the witness. Kolesnikova was driven to the Ukrainian border earlier last week after being seen snatched off the streets of Minsk and into a van by masked men. According to two allies who were with her, she prevented being expelled from Belarus by tearing her passport up into small pieces and throwing it out of a car window. She is now detained in Minsk, and faces a potential long prison term over accusations of trying to seize power illegally. Tsikhanouskaya,who stood against Lukashenko in place of her better-known husband who was detained before election, called on Saturday for the police to stop cracking down on dissent. "Violence you are putting on women is disgraceful," she said in a statement. "Anyone who commits a crime against peaceful protesters will be called to answer." (REUTERS) Advertisement On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked two planes and crashed them into New York City's Twin Towers in lower Manhattan, killing 2,606 people and satellites captured the horrifying scene from space. Satellite images show a massive smoke plume rising from where the buildings once stood, which was spotted by the International Space Station (ISS) some 250 miles above the surface. A NASA satellite equipped with infrared bands highlighted a number of hot spots blazing surrounding ground zero hours after the attack and another captured white dust still lingering over the devastation the following day. In honor of the 19th anniversary, the American space agency shared a satellite images of lower Manhattan as it looks today, along with a shot taken by astronaut Frank Culbertston who witnessed the that fateful day aboard the ISS. Scroll down for video Slide me In honor of the 19th anniversary, NASA shared a shot taken by astronaut Frank Culbertston who witnessed 9/11 aboard the ISS 19 years ago - if you swipe right you can see a satellite images of lower Manhattan as it looks today The satellite images reveal the attacks on September 11 and the destruction left behind over the next few weeks. The Spot satellite was flying over Manhattan about three hours after the planes crashed into the towers. This was around 11:30 am ET, some 30 minutes before Rudolph Giuliani, New Yorks mayor at the time, ordered lower Manhattan to be evacuated and about an hour after the second tower collapsed. This craft is equipped with infrared technology, which highlighted fire spots surrounding the devastation. This was around 11:30 am ET, 20 minutes before Rudolph Guiliani, New Yorks mayor at the time, ordered lower Manhattan to be evacuated and about an hour after the second tower collapsed. This device is equipped with infrared technology, which highlighted fire spots (red dots) surrounding the devastation Slide me The Landsat 7 satellite captured the scene on September 12 , using its Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus, allowing it to spot smoke flowing up from the ground. If you swipe right the satellite snapped an image of the same location two years later The Landsat 7 satellite captured the scene on September 12, using its Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus, allowing it to spot smoke flowing up from the ground. Maxars IKONOS satellite snapped an image of ground zero on the same day as Landsat, but with its high-resolution capabilities, the image shows intricate details of the Financial District. A massive cloud of white dust can be seen lingering over where the World Trade Center Towers once stood. IKONOS took another image on September 15, giving the world an up-close look at ground zero, which was nothing more than debris and dust. Maxars IKONOS satellite snapped an image of ground zero on the same day as Landsat, but with its high-resolution capabilities, the image shows intricate details of the Financial District IKONOS took another image on September 15, giving the world an up-close look at ground zero, which was nothing more than debris and dust The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) offered their services to officials following the attacks, but constructing a 3D model of the surround area. The organization used LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to create a digital surface model to help locate structures, including stairwells, elevator shafts and basements The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) offered their services to officials following the attacks, but constructing a 3D model of the surround area. The organization used LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to create a digital surface model to help locate structures, including stairwells, elevator shafts and basements. The NOAA Cessna Citation II jet mapped ground zero using aerial photography, along with LIDAR technology. Flights began on September 23, 2001, and ended October 15, 2001, each lasting about four hours. Along with the attack in New York City, two other planes in American airways were also hijacked by terrorists. One crashed into the Pentagon, killing 184 people including passengers of the plane. United Airlines Flight 93 was set to for the White House, but the 39 passengers took over the plane and veered it off course it crashed into a field n Somerset County, Pennsylvania. China in Focus (Sept. 11): Chinese Netizens Unexpected 9/11 Response An unexpected response to 9/11: Chinese netizens seem to have taken a harsh attitude toward the attacks anniversaryeven condemning those who mourn for its victims. Three explosions ripped through a restaurant in the coastal city of Zhuhai. Reports say three were injured, but its unclear if anyone was killed. In an exclusive report, an internal document we obtained details how Chinese authorities were criticized for not destroying classified documents. China is turning to its playbook for economic downturnbuilding infrastructure. Chinese authorities are calling on the countrys local governments to borrow and spend even more in order to boost the economy. Thats as theyre already suffering from a mounting debt crisis. And a well-known Chinese publisher is detained by Beijing police. Friends say her decision to speak out for Chinese dissidents prompted the arrest. Subscribe to our Youtube channel for more first-hand news from China. For more news and videos, please visit our website and Twitter. Stauning Whisky hopes to 'tell brand's story' with radical redesign Premium Danish distiller Stauning Whisky has unveiled a striking new bottle design, set to hit European shelves later this month. The redesign, which includes Nordic-inspired artwork and a new bottle size, is part of a plan by the brand to grow its exports and share the "Stauning story" with more consumers. Stauning collaborated with Danish design agency Everland, Danish artist Asbjrn Staunstrup Lund and British branding agency Jenkins Studio to create the new-look bottle. The artwork is a tribute to Stauning's purpose-built state-of-the-art distillery on Denmark's west coast, to which it moved in 2018, while the redesign has also seen its bottle volume increase from 500ml to 700ml. The bottle features a striking black and gold label and screen-printed illustration. It depicts the nine friends who started Stauning as a hobby back in 2005, as well as the whisky's production methods including the technique of floor-malting. The new design will be rolled out across Stauning's core range: Floor Malted Rye Whisky, Floor Malted KAOS Triple Malt Whisky, and Floor Malted Peat Single Malt Whisky. Stauning co-founder Alex Munch said: "We wanted to find a visual way to tell the story of Stauning Whisky - something we'd never seen done before. It sets us apart as a Danish whisky which hails from the country's west coast. The changes to the bottle represent us better than ever and give our premium whisky a bottle it truly deserves." 12 September 2020 - Bethany Whymark President Nicols Maduro said Friday that Venezuelan authorities captured a US spy targeting a pair of refineries on the north Caribbean coast as this nation once wealthy from oil is gripped by a deep gasoline shortage. The spy, Maduro alleged, was a Marine who had served as a CIA operative in Iraq. He gave no identity or other immediate proof to support the claim, saying more details would follow, such as photos and video. The suspect was captured Thursday while possessing specialised weapons and a large sum of dollars, Maduro said, adding that the man was being interrogated about his activities around the Amuay and Cardon refineries in Falcon state. Maduro, an adversary of the United States, also said Venezuelan authorities had dismantled a plot on Wednesday that was aimed at blowing up a third refinery, El Palito in Carabobo state. He urged the nation's oil workers to be on alert for more attacks. The gringo empire wants revenge against Venezuela, he said. It wants to prevent from producing all petroleum products, gasoline. Oil once made a wealthy nation, but critics of Maduro say two decades of socialist rule have left it near ruin. Its dilapidated oil fields and refineries barely produce, and the nation today relies on imports from Iran, another US foe. A second, deep scarcity of gasoline struck in recent days, frustrating drivers stuck in lines for hours and days to fuel up, even in the capital of Caracas. Analysts say the next three Iranian ships hauling fuel won't arrive for weeks. While Venezuela's broken oil industry leaves drivers stranded, stiff US sanctions have also blocked Maduro from importing gasoline. If Maduro's claim of netting a US citizen prove correct, the suspect would join two ex-Green Beret soldiers already jailed in for allegedly participating in a failed attempt to overthrow the socialist leader. The two former US special forces soldiers were arrested in early May among more than 80 rebel Venezuelan fighters who staged a failed beach attack called Operation Gideon aimed at arresting Maduro. The ex-green berets Luke Denman Airan Berry Venezuela have been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Authorities say the two men confessed to being part of the plot. While the Trump administration denied having anything to do with the blundered May incursion, Washington backs Venezuelan opposition politician Juan Guaid who seeks to overthrow Maduro. (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.) Chinas Mars probe Tianwen-1, which blasted into space in July, is now more than 15 million kilometers (9 million miles) from Earth en route to the red planet, the National Space Administration said Saturday. The administration said that Tianwen-1 was in stable condition, having completed its first mid-course orbital correction early last month. It will be about 195 million kilometers (118 million miles) from Earth when it arrives at Mars around February, having traveled 470 million kilometers (292 million miles) in all to get there. The administration, however, has yet to release information about a mysterious reusable experimental spacecraft that returned to Earth a week ago after a two-day flight. The spacecraft consists of an orbiter, a lander and a rover, and marks Chinas most ambitious Mars mission yet as it seeks to join the United States in successfully landing a spacecraft on the planet. It was blasted into space aboard a Long March-5 on July 23 during a month when the United Arab Emirates and the U.S. also took advantage of a shortened distance between the planets to launch similar missions. China said the reusable spacecraft returned to its designated landing site last Sunday, calling the flight a breakthrough that will eventually provide convenient round-trip transport to space at a low cost. No other details on the mission or the configuration of the spacecraft have been released. That is also seen as an attempt to put China on the leading edge of space flight. The U.S. has for years been operating the secretive X-37B space plane that remains in orbit for months. Chinas military-backed space program has developed rapidly since it became just the third country after Russia and the U.S. to put a man in space in 2003. Last year, Chinas Change-4 became the first spacecraft from any country to land on the far side of the moon. By PTI LONDON: Retired Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju was challenged as a 'self-publicist' on behalf of the Indian government on Friday as he gave evidence in the extradition case of fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi via a live videolink from India at Westminster Magistrates' Court here. On the final day of a five-day hearing, Justice Samuel Goozee heard Katju's detailed evidence before adjourning the case until November 3, when he will hear arguments on the admissibility of the evidence provided by the Indian authorities on the charges of fraud and money laundering against the diamond merchant in the USD 2-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case. The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), arguing on behalf of the Indian government, sought to counter Katju's written and oral claims that Modi would not receive a fair trial in India because a majority of the judiciary was corrupt and the investigating agencies subservient to the government. "Is it at least possible, you are something of a self-publicist who will make any outrageous statements for the purpose of courting the press," questioned barrister Helen Malcolm, to which Katju replied "you are entitled to your opinion". ALSO READ | Nirav Modi faces politically biased trial in India, having mental health issues, alleges his legal team Malcolm also queried his decision to give media interviews in India earlier this week related to the evidence he was to give before the UK court in a sub judice matter, to which the former Supreme Court judge said that he merely responded to reporters' questions and that it was his duty to speak out on matters of "national importance". During what became a quite a fiery exchange in court at times, some of his past controversial statements were also read out in court, in reference to gay relationships being "unnatural" and women who remain single being "prone to psychological problems". Katju countered by stating that he was entitled to his opinion and that he had quoted from Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw's "Man and Superman", which Malcolm "as a Britisher" should have read. The former judge had been deposed by Modi's defence team in order to substantiate their claims that the jeweller faces an unfair and biased trial if extradited to India. Katju also repeatedly made comparisons between India and Germany under the Nazi regime, saying Modi has been made a "convenient scapegoat" akin to the Jews in Nazi Germany in order to be blamed for the economic crisis in the country. Asked by the if the diamantaire's own alleged dishonest actions could be to blame, he said: "I am not making any statements on the merits of this case. I am simply saying that he cannot get a fair trial, all ministers and media have pronounced him guilty." His assertion that post-retirement appointments were among the inducements which led to corruption among judges brought his own appointment as the Chairman of the Press Council of India following his retirement into focus, which he stressed was not a government appointment. "So, the three-member appointment committee, composed of the Speaker of the Lower House, Chairman of the Upper House (Vice-President of India) and a Press Council member, are completely apolitical and nothing to do with the government," queried Malcolm. The hearing on Thursday concluded the bulk of the oral evidence in the extradition case, which was observed by Modi via videolink from a room in Wandsworth Prison in London, where he has been lodged since his arrest in March last year. The first set of hearings in the case took place in May, with the hearings this week slotted to complete arguments to establish the 49-year-old jeweller has a case to answer before the Indian courts. The defence team, led by barrister Clare Montgomery, has sought to not only establish that Modi's actions related to PNB-issued Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) did not amount to fraud but also deposed witnesses to highlight his fragile mental health condition and a high risk of suicide. They have also claimed that the conditions at Barrack 12 in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, where he is to be lodged on being extradited, do not meet the court's human rights criteria. The has set out the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) case of fraud and the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) case of the laundering of those fraudulently acquired funds. It has also played videos in the court in support of additional charges of disrupting the CBI's investigation by causing the disappearance of evidence and criminal intimidation of witnesses. Assurances of adequate prison conditions have been provided by the Indian government, which were further added to this week with an assurance of appropriate mental health care for Modi on being extradited. A hearing for final submissions in the case is currently slated for December 1 but that date is likely to be delayed, with a ruling in the case not expected before the end of this year or early next year. (Natural News) Seismologists have been detecting deep, silent earthquakes along the Parkfield segment of the San Andreas fault for years. These tremors occur well below the point where most seismic activity in California is recorded, leaving geologists puzzled about why they happen. Researchers from the University of Southern California and the China Earthquake Administration attempted to find out whats causing these quakes. They suggested that the heavy slabs of rocks below the Parkfield segment are partially melting, triggering a positive feedback loop that produces the mild quakes. In turn, the quakes may redistribute stress along the fault, which can lead to seismic movements in the crust above. There is a possibility that these tremors may play an important role for triggering larger earthquakes near the surface, said geophysicist and co-author Sylvain Barbot. The findings of the study were published in the journal Science Advances. Melting rocks drive tremors The Parkfield segment of the San Andreas is one of the most intensively monitored sections of the fault. Interest in Parkfield sparked due to its relatively predictable behavior; geologists observed that magnitude 6 earthquakes occurred there at fairly regular intervals: 1857, 1881, 1901, 1922, 1934 and 1966. In 1993, researchers hoped to make the first earthquake prediction on this segment, an attempt that backfired when the fault failed to rupture and generate a magnitude 6 earthquake as predicted. Instead, that earthquake broke out in 2004. In the same year, geologists drilled into the fault zone to place seismometers about 1.2 to 1.8 miles below the surface to improve monitoring efforts. These trackers worked alongside GPS instruments to give scientists a detailed look into the fault and allow them to detect seismic activity that couldnt be normally detected. Geologists were able to spot a series of tremors that occur 10.5 miles below Earths surface, which are over a mile deeper than the quakes that typically hit elsewhere in California. They occur every few months. And they may be linked to the recurring magnitude 6 earthquakes in the Parkfield segment. Were studying these [small quakes] because these earthquakes occur every few months, said Barbot. [Our] findings apply to understanding large earthquakes. For the study, the team developed a computer model to simulate the Parkfield segment and its behavior. They found that friction and high temperatures play an important role in producing the tremblors: They heat up and partially melt as the rocks slide against each other, with temperatures ranging from 1,100 to 1,650 F depending on the type of rock. Just like rubbing our hands together in cold weather to heat them up, faults heat up when they slide. The fault movements can be caused by large changes in temperature, said Barbot. The gooey rocks move more easily and generate more friction. They heat up further, causing them to move faster. This positive feedback loop is responsible for the deep, silent earthquakes that geologists have been detecting for several years. The researchers suspected that these quakes play a role in generating bigger earthquakes near the surface. Its also possible that movements higher up along the crust are driving these smaller, deeper quakes. The team plans to search for indicators of melting in order to learn more about what happens to deep-seated rocks when they melt. Findings from this effort will greatly enhance their models and may even improve earthquake forecasts. (Related: Scientists warn a massive earthquake is on the horizon for California.) Salton Sea records more than 50 temblors in one day A swarm of mild earthquakes occurred in southern California back in August. It was located beneath the Salton Sea, which is eight miles from the southernmost tip of the San Andreas fault. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded 54 temblors on the swarms first day, fueling worries that it might trigger the big one. However, this years swarm isnt the first time something like this happened, said the USGS. The Salton Sea region has been hosting swarms since at least the 1930s. Experts suspected that slow, incremental movement along faults or fluid moving around may be causing the swarms. Disaster.news has more on research on San Andreas. Sources include: LiveScience.com Earthquake.USGS.gov News.USC.edu Temblor.net The arrival of five mountain gorilla babies has lifted the spirits of gorilla conservation workers in Bwindi in Uganda, amidst the string of bad tidings that plagued gorilla conservation early in the year. (Photo : Wikimedia Commons) The arrival of five mountain gorilla babies has lifted gorilla conservation workers' spirits in Bwindi in Uganda, amidst the string of unfortunate tidings that plagued gorilla conservation early in the year. They were given birth within only several weeks in the Bwindi's Impenetrable National Park in Uganda and has given light to the region's gloomy atmosphere. Conservation Community Overjoyed Conservation workers in this region welcomed the babies' arrival. This has been extraordinarily joyful because from early in 2020 up to as late as last July, mountain gorilla conservation had been suffering a string of setbacks in Uganda. The first blow was the coming of the coronavirus pandemic. Tourist visits in the three gorilla range states have been suspended, leading to the park's loss of income. READ: Red Foxes Invade Habitats of Arctic Foxes Due to Littering This threatened the communities' livelihoods, which ultimately decides the fate of gorillas. Authorities of the park have since been struggling to find means to pay their rangers' salaries, who are passionate workers who dedicated their lives to protect these gorillas and their habitats. And to add to the continued misfortune, the Ugandan mountain gorillas were hit first by a tragic accident that claimed four individuals' lives, then secondly by another intentionally inflicted death. The first was a tragic accident that claimed three adults and one infant in early February of this year. Among the adults was a pregnant gorilla female. The four were struck by lightning in the Mgahinga National Park. Mgahinga is Uganda's portion of the extensive Virunga Massif, located in the territories of three countries: Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda. Poachers claimed the second death. Rafiki is among Bwindi park's revered and renowned male silverbacks. He was a 25-year old silverback gorilla and the leader of 17 individuals since 2008. READ ALSO: Giant Panda Gives Birth at Smithsonian National Museum A poacher's spear fatally wounded Rafiki after confronting a hunting group. The pandemic shutdown caused the loss of livelihood opportunities for people, which led to poachers illegally entering the park and laying snares to catch bushmeat. Four of the suspects were arrested and meted with life imprisonment plus a 5.4-million dollar fine. However, this was little consolation for Rafiki's demise. This is a grim example of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. It catalyzed chain reactions, which ultimately caused the loss of biodiversity and threatened a species' future, which is already endangered. Glad Tidings It was, therefore, a refreshing respite to the world when the babies were born. Since this January, seven gorillas have already been birthed in the Bwindi park, which is more than twice the births that have occurred in 2019. The tourist industry could also soon pick up again and bring renewed vigor to the conservation effort for the gorillas. Furthermore, small tourist groups are accepted under strictly required rules to use face masks and observe social distancing. It is hoped that this good news will reinvigorate the spirit of workers in producing more mountain gorilla babies and ensuring the successful conservation of Bwindi gorillas in Uganda. READ NEXT: Elephant Shrew Rediscovered in Africa After Being "Lost" for 50 Years Check out more news and information on Endangered Species on Nature World News. 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. Pro-life groups praise Trump's 20 additions to Supreme Court list Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pro-life organizations have expressed their support for President Donald Trumps recently released short list of candidates for the United States Supreme Court should a vacancy emerge. Trump announced the additions to his list on Wednesday, with names including Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and Josh Hawley of Missouri, along with District Court Judge Sarah Pitlyk, Florida Supreme Court Justice Carlos Muniz, and Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, among others. The Susan B. Anthony List, which launched a $52 million campaign to reelect Trump, also approved of the list of potential Supreme Court nominees. SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser, who co-chairs the group Pro-Life Voices for Trump, said in a statement released Wednesday that the list was filled with all-stars. The list reflects the presidents firm and proven commitment to only nominating Supreme Court justices who will respect the Constitution and the inalienable right to life, stated Dannenfelser. We are confident that if a Supreme Court vacancy occurs in 2020 that President Trump and our pro-life Senate majority led by Leader McConnell and Judiciary Chairman Graham will move swiftly to fill it. Dannenfelser went on to say that she believed the future makeup of the Supreme Court continues to highly motivate our base and persuade targeted voters. It is a central issue in emphasizing that the 2020 election is the most important of our lifetimes and is why SBA List is committed to educating 7 million voters across key presidential and Senate battlegrounds, she continued. Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, reportedly the largest pro-life group in the U.S., also released a statement in support of Trump's list. Trumps expanded list of potential Supreme Court justices is laden with an impressive assembly of well-qualified men and women who would make outstanding additions to the Supreme Court, and who have demonstrated a commitment to defending the text and history of the Constitution and the principles of judicial restraint, stated Tobias. President Trumps list stands in stark contrast with the judicial-legislation activists who would be nominated by Joe Biden. The subject of nominees to the Supreme Court has been a major political topic in both the 2016 presidential election and the current cycle, as many expect more justices to retire soon. During his first term, Trump successfully nominated two Supreme Court Justices, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, giving the high court what some believe to be a more conservative slant following a long period of a leftist majority. Although former Vice President Biden has yet to release a list of potential nominees to the Supreme Court, in the past he has vowed to appoint an African American woman. We are putting together a list of a group of African American women who are qualified and have the experience to be on the court, Politico reported him saying back in June. On Thursday, Judicial Crisis Network President Carrie Severino, a former law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, told "Fox & Friends" in an interview that she doesn't think Biden will be releasing his list because it would be "so radical the American people would be frightened." In season 2 of 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days, Angela Deem prepares for her first trip to Nigeria to see Michael Ilesanmi. She has a get together with friends that she calls a bon voyage party. While out, she reveals to some of them some surprising information about why Michael cant have pictures of Angela in his phone. Read on to learn more. Angela Deem and her friends get together for her going away party before she heads off to Nigeria Angela Deem and Michael Ilesanmi | deemangela via Instagram Angela goes to a bar to celebrate her impending trip to meet Michael. Its going to be their first-time meeting, and expectations are high. Angelas friends gather around her cake, which says, Bon voyage congratulations Momma/Michael. The cake is in the colors of the Nigerian flag, which makes it perfect for the occasion. Angela sits at the bar and says, I never ever wanted to leave my country. I am an American. Angela laughs after saying it, clearly enjoying herself. She shows off a picture of Michael to some of her friends, and one of them asks how old he is. Angela says hes 30, and that they havent met yet. I get when people come up and talk about Michael and I its crazy like just to go over there for someone you didnt meet, Angela tells the cameras. But Im doing this because I really love him, and I wouldnt be going to Nigeria if I didnt feel he was doing it for the right things. Angela and her friends yell, Nigeria as Angela cuts the cake and the night continues. Angela reveals why Michael says he doesnt have pictures of her in his phone RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: Fans Discuss 1 of the Most Talked About Moments Between Angela Deem and Michael Ilesanmi Angela heads outside for a cigarette, and her friend lights one for her. She mentions that Michael says she cant smoke in front of his mother and himself. She also brings up things that they argue about, including him not having pictures of her in his phone. A lot of things we get into arguments about like keeping my pictures, Angela says. Now thats the main thing. I would say, Michael you aint got my pictures on the phone? And hes like, No. Michael doesnt have any pictures of me on his phone, Angela reveals to the cameras. He says that if the police pull him over, they check their phones, they would see me, and they would think automatically that hes scamming me, and they would take him to jail. And I believe that. Angela continues talking to her friends about it. And hes like, Theyll arrest me cause Im young, and theyll think Im scamming, Angela tells her friends. Angela clearly believes him, and says she trusts him. I feel Michaels different, Angela tells the cameras. Theres just a hair, that doubt people throw in your head. Its scary. Its very scary. I mean if hes really scamming me, I need to know. So this trip is going to tell all. Angela ends up meeting Michael in Nigeria, and they are still together to this day. Past News Releases RSS Laura Cala mysteriously lost her balance six years ago. She has been searching for answers ever since. One day I woke up with a spinning sensation that was nothing like Id ever felt before, like I was walking on marshmallows. I was tired and nauseated. I felt awful, Laura remembers. As a professional dance instructor and competitive dancer who has performed around the world, Laura was accustomed to feeling completely in control on her own two feet -- until that fateful day when she suddenly found herself afraid to even stand up. Doctors said at first that she might have a virus and assured her it would go away, but it didnt. Another doctor told her she had an anxiety disorder, but deep down she knew it was more than that. I was quite bubbly before I started struggling with balance. I liked going out. Id been teaching dance for a long time. I had my career going, says Laura, an accountant who co-owns two businesses in her hometown of Perth, Australia. For three years Laura continued to work full time, but she found herself really struggling. I was always cancelling plans, she says. I felt like I was always going to fall over. I got tired often and felt nauseated. I stopped driving I look back on it now and wonder how on earth did I do three years of that before getting a firm diagnosis? Laura was finally diagnosed with vestibular migraine, one of the most debilitating chronic disorders. It is almost as prevalent as hypertension (high blood pressure) and is more common than asthma and diabetes mellitus. More importantly, migraine strikes people during what are expected to be their most productive years: between ages 20 and 40 for most women, with a slightly higher age range for men. Despite better diagnostic capabilities, it is estimated that approximately 50% of people who suffer from migraine go undiagnosed or mismanaged. During the three years she searched for a diagnosis, Laura found the information she was looking for when she discovered VeDA, the Vestibular Disorders Association, based in Portland, Oregon. VeDA connected me with other people who had what I had, Laura says. VeDA gave me the confidence to embrace my vestibular journey. I know now that Im not weak, just different, and that is okay! Vestibular migraine is me, and I love me. Today, Laura is the official ambassador of VeDAs 2020 Balance Awareness Week, taking place September 13-19, 2020. The annual awareness campaign seeks to broaden understanding of balance-related vestibular conditions. As lead ambassador, Laura helped choreograph VeDAs first annual Virtual Vestibular Conference, taking place Sept. 14-18, 2020, in conjunction with Balance Awareness Week. She will moderating panels of vestibular patients discussing the Psychological Impacts of Vestibular Disorders, Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD), Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy, and Integrating Complementary & Alternative Treatments in Recovery. Im excited about sharing the information VeDA has put together for this years Balance Awareness Week and the first Virtual Vestibular Conference. I encourage all Vesties to Uncover the Vestibular Mystery, the theme of this years awareness campaign. Ask yourself, Why am I dizzy? Why do I get headaches? What are my triggers? VeDA is here to help you uncover the mystery of your symptoms and find solutions. ABOUT VeDA: VeDA is the leading international organization for information about vestibular (inner ear and brain) disorders. VeDA supports people with vestibular disorders by connecting them to health care specialists and support networks, and promotes awareness for vestibular disorders. Website: https://vestibular.org Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vestibulardisorders Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/vestibularveda Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/vestibularveda Gordon Brown has labelled the governments plan to flout international law to override the Brexit withdrawal agreement a huge act of self harm, as he urged Boris Johnson to put aside ideology to save negotiations with the EU. The former Labour prime ministers comments came as tensions between London and Brussels reached boiling point over Downing Streets incendiary act to introduce legislation next week to disapply key aspects of the Brexit agreement in the event of trade talks collapsing. And Dublin lashed out at the plans, which Europe minister Thomas Byrne said would put at serious risk the basis of the peace on the island of Ireland. But Brexiteers piled pressure on Mr Johnson to stand firm, with Tory backbencher Steve Baker saying the UK should now repudiate the whole treaty on the basis of the EUs bad faith. Following emergency talks on Wednesday, the European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic said Mr Johnsons move had seriously damaged trust and set a 20-day deadline for No 10 to drop the Internal Markets Bill or face legal action from the bloc. Speaking on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Mr Byrne said the UKs action was a totally unacceptable way to do business a unilateral provocative act.Mr Brown described the governments approach as a huge act of self harm, he added: We knew there was a debate over fishing and state aid, but then to explode the argument into breaking an international treaty has been condemned by so many people. Backing Mr Sefcovics demand for Mr Johnson to withdraw the law-breaking measures, the Irish Europe minister said: It is completely wrong to say that this is to protect the Good Friday Agreement. In fact, the opposite is the case. What they propose to do is put at serious risk the basis of the peace on the island of Ireland and the basis of our trade, and unfettered trade, cross-border in goods, which is absolutely essential for that peace. Mr Brown told Today the governments approach was a huge act of self harm, adding: We knew there was a debate over fishing and state aid, but then to explode the argument into breaking an international treaty has been condemned by so many people. Look, if I had done that when I was prime minister the Conservatives would have accused of me breaching the rule of law, they would have thrown everything at us and said that 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 is going wrong on the part of the government. They think they will have a European Council meeting on 16 October and that they can persuade Angela Merkel to step in instead of [Michel] Barnier. They think they can tie up a deal because people will be desperate. He added: I would appeal to the government to be pragmatic and not ideological, to recognise that we do need a deal in the interest of our economy to understand that are programmes like Horizon, Erasmus, the European Investment Bank, the Green New Deal that even outside of the EU, for pragmatic and job-creating reasons, we should be part of. Bring back to the table a sense of what is in the interests of the British economy and the British people, not simply ideology. If Mr Johnson sticks to his proposals, the legislation will be introduced in the House of Commons next week, but reports suggest growing unrest among Conservative MPs dismayed at the governments willingness to undermine Britains traditional support of the international rule of law. According to The Times, up to 30 Tory MPs are prepared to break the whip next week and table an amendment to the governments plans which aims to block No 10 from overriding the the Brexit withdrawal agreement without parliaments support. Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Saturday backed party leader Rahul Gandhi's views on loss of jobs and the Indian economy and said that it was facing a terrible crisis while industries were shutting. Speaking to the media here, he said: "What Rahul Gandhi says is absolutely justified; the BJP had promised to give 2 crore jobs every year if it came to power at the Centre. On the contrary, crores of jobs have been lost in the past few months. Salary cuts are happening; China has entered our border areas in Ladakh; however, other issues are being discussed to divert public attention." He, however, said that the entire country will stand by the Indian government if it took any action on these issues. Rahul Gandhi has tweeted in the past to attack the Modi government on multiple issues, including Chinese aggression on the India-China border, job cuts, rising unemployment, and drastic fall in GDP growth. Pilot also appreciated the initiative taken by a special committee appointed by the Congress high command, led by Rajasthan affairs incharge Ajay Maken, to collect feedback from Rajasthan people on various issues. "Thousands of party workers have given their feedback to Maken, who also lent an ear to their grievances in an open environment. The party looks motivated and so the workers are jubilant," he added. MANISTEE COUNTY It may be easier to walk or bike around Manistee in the next decade. Manistee Countys Planning Department released a plan for non-motorized transport on Wednesday, an important step toward creating new trails and crosswalks throughout the county. Planning Director Rob Carson described the Manistee Lake Area Non-Motorized Plan as a wish list, on which the Planning Department put everything they might want to have to make walking and biking in the area more accessible. This includes aspirational projects like placing a pedestrian bridge on 12th Street over U.S. 31, which could be prohibitively expensive. Some of these ideas are really grandiose, like building a pedestrian bridge down by Family Fare and Manistee Catholic Central over (U.S.) 31. But if we don't put that stuff into the plan, then it's not eligible. So if we write a plan that doesn't have a pedestrian bridge, but all of a sudden, people are saying, Hey, we want to write a grant for a pedestrian bridge, the state of Michigan is gonna say, Well, that's not in your plan, he said. So we put everything in [the plan] that we would ever want. Do we envision seeing a pedestrian bridge? I would love to see it, but it's very, very expensive. And it's much easier to put in flashing crosswalk signs or speed reduction signs. The plan covers locations all over the county, in the City of Manistee, Eastlake Village, and Manistee, Filer and Stronach Townships. It includes improvements for nine crosswalks to make it safer for pedestrians crossing U.S. 31, with additions like flashing sings, a pedestrian refuge island in the center lane and striping to signify the crosswalk. Carson said the department welcomes public input on the plan and wants residents to know that not it will not be exploring condemnation or exercising eminent domain to create these new trails and sidewalks. If someone doesn't want us on their property, then we are not in a push or shove position to go that route, he said. We will find another way around. Implementing the plan also wont cost the taxpayers any money, Carson said. The department plans to use a combination of funding from the Manistee County Community Foundation and money raised by local nonprofit Friends of SMARTrails to match federal and state grants. Now, the plan needs to be approved by all the local governments in the city, village and townships it encompasses to be approved by the state and eligible for grant funding, which will take over a month. Then the department will be in discussion with the Manistee Area Public Schools Board of Education to chart routes for Manistee students to walk and bike to school, which will make the plan eligible for grant money from the federal Safe Routes to School program. Then Manistee County will apply for grants, while Friends of SMARTrails raises money for trail maintenance and grant matching before implementation can begin. Carson urged residents who are interested in the plan to let their elected officials and planning commissions know. He said just a note that goes to [peoples] local unit of government that would be the adopting body that says We support this document, please adopt this plan, is the kind of support the department needs to bring money from the state of Michigan into the community. Its desperately going to be needed. Especially in certain areas, we need that support to show that this isn't something that the planning department dreamed up, there is actual community involvement, Manistee County Planner Mike Szokola said. Residents can also get involved with the Friends of SMARTrails to support the plan. The complete draft of the Non-Motorized Plan can be found at manisteecountymi.gov/453/Recreation-Plans. To give feedback on the plan, send an email to planning@manisteecountymi.org or send a note to the Manistee County Planning Department at 395 Third St. Manistee, MI 49660. Pushkar Banakar and Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: A five-point mechanism to resolve the ongoing tension between India and China in eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control became the talking point on Friday, with analysts seeing it as the first important step in the right direction, as it gives political guidance for disengagement. The mechanism was arrived at during a bilateral meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Thursday on the sidelines of the SCO foreign ministers meeting. In a joint statement issued early on Friday, the two leaders said that they should not allow differences to become disputes. 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. Indian partners expressed commitment to cooperation and dialogue for deescalating tensions. 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 LAC, Wang Yi said at a joint press conference with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov a day after his meeting with Jaishankar. Both reiterating that channels of communication will remain open and that soon the SR level meeting will take place, demonstrates that there is a silver lining as regards solving the standoffs through diplomacy. This ultimately may pave way for another Modi-Xi meeting that could be a face saver to both the sides, said B R Deepak, Sinologist and Chairperson of the Centre for Chinese and South Asian Studies at JNU. Sources said during the meeting, Jaishankar highlighted Indias strong concerns at the amassing of Chinese troops with equipment along the LAC. The conciliatory tone seems to have trickled to the ground with sources saying both sides have exercised restraint on the LAC and there has been no aggressive action for the past 24 hours. Both sides agreed to avoid any action that could escalate matters: Statement 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 tranquillity in the border areas, the statement said. Meanwhile, sources said 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 India recognised 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. Meanwhile, the Chinese statement said Wang told Jaishanakar that it was important to move back all personnel and equipment that have trespassed and it was imperative to stop provocations that violate commitments. Beijing called for a quick disengagement of frontier troops. 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. Syrian air defense units intercept, destroy Israeli missiles over Aleppo Iran Press TV Friday, 11 September 2020 5:26 AM Syrian air defenses have thwarted another Israeli act of aggression against the war-ravaged Arab country, and shot down a number of "hostile" missiles in the skies over the strategic northwestern province of Aleppo. Syria's state-run television, citing a military statement, reported that Israeli aircraft fired several missiles at areas in the vicinity of Aleppo at 1:30 a.m. local time on Friday (2230 GMT Thursday), but most of the projectiles were intercepted and destroyed before hitting any of their targets. The statement said that the attack targeted al-Safirah town, located 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) east of Aleppo city. Late on September 2, Syrian air defense systems engaged hostile targets near the Tiyas Military Airbase, also known as the T-4 Airbase, in the country's central province of Homs. Syria's official news agency SANA reported that Israeli warplanes fired missiles from the direction of al-Tanf region in southeastern Syria. The report, quoting an unnamed Syrian military source, added that most of the missiles were shot down and the rest caused only material damage. The development came only two days after two Syrian soldiers lost their lives and seven others sustained injuries in an Israeli missile attack against military sites in southern Damascus. The assault was reported to have been launched from the occupied Golan Heights. Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the country. Israel frequently targets military positions inside Syria, especially those of the resistance movement Hezbollah which has played a key role in helping the Syrian army in its fight against foreign-backed terrorists. The Tel Aviv regime mostly keeps quiet about the attacks on Syrian territories which many view as knee-jerk reaction to Syrian government's increasing success in confronting terrorism. Israel has been a main supporter of terrorist groups that have opposed the government of President Bashar al-Assad since foreign-backed militancy erupted in Syria nine years ago. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Seoul Sat, September 12, 2020 09:00 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c445da53 2 World Donald-Trump,kim-jong-un,Book Free The headless body of Kim Jong Un's 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 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 AFP. The North has never officially stated how Jang was executed, although multiple reports say an anti-aircraft gun was used. 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. 'I am really, very offended' The collapse of the summit came despite high expectations on both sides beforehand, but according to the book Trump continued to insist on full denuclearization even after the pair's surprise meeting several months later in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula. "It was an honor 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 and 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. Mr Daneil Titus-Glover, Member of Parliament for Tema East, has appealed to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to reopen the fish market at the Tema Fishing harbour. The fish market was among a number of markets in Tema that were shut down as a measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the Metropolis. Mr Titus-Glover, who is also the Deputy Minister of Transport, said it was about time that GPHA opened the market to enable the Tema Newtown women return to their normal business since the government had eased several restrictions including the reopening of the Kotoka International Airport. He revealed that he had met the Director-General over the issue and would send an official letter to that effect. He also appealed to the GPHA to turn the store for wooden fish crates into a creche for mothers selling at the market to have some relief. The MP said the move was to ease the pressure and stress the women go through when they strap their babies at the back during selling. 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 Vow (HBO at 10) Mark, Bonnie, Sarah and Nippy strategize with Catherine Oxenberg about how to get her daughter, India, out of DOS, even though she wants to stay. Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday rolled out a smart ration card scheme for providing subsidised foodgrains to 1.41 crore beneficiaries in the state. He also announced a separate state-funded scheme to provide subsidised rations to nine lakh beneficiaries not covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). With this, the total number of beneficiaries in the state will go up to 1.50 crore, the chief minister said while rolling out the smart ration card scheme under which 37.5 lakh cards will be distributed to the eligible beneficiaries this month. The CM said the Centre has capped the maximum number of beneficiaries to 1.41 crore and, despite repeated requests, has not agreed to provide subsidised rations to the deserving nine lakh people not covered under the NFSA. His government has therefore decided to cover all such left out eligible persons under a state-funded scheme, details of which will be announced shortly, he said. Launching the smart ration card scheme, the CM said the scheme would help curb corruption and give freedom to the beneficiaries to buy from any depot. Describing it as a major step towards empowering the beneficiary, he said it will end the exploitation of beneficiaries by unscrupulous ration depot holders. The scheme empowers the beneficiary to get his entitled quota of foodgrains from any ration depot in the state of Punjab, he said. The CM lashed out at the BJP-led central government for attempting to destroy through three farm ordinances the spirit of Punjabs farmers, who, he said, have toiled for the country and fed the nation. The ordinances are Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, he said. These ordinances are aimed at ending the MSP regime and will hit the farmers hard, he claimed. Referring to the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal issue, the CM said that is another problem Punjab is facing. He said while he recently had one meeting with the Union Water Resources Minister and his Haryana counterpart, the problem continues to haunt the state. Pointing to the melting glaciers and the receding groundwater level in the state, he said the situation is critical and the state simply cannot afford to give any water to other states. In a symbolic gesture, the CM handed over the smart ration cards to four beneficiaries here, after which all ministers and MLAs distributed cards in their respective districts and constituencies, as per a government release here. Earlier, state Food minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said the state government had weeded out ghost beneficiaries and undeserving people who were being provided subsidies by the erstwhile SAD-BJP regime at the cost of genuine beneficiaries, he added. The Smart cards, said Ashu, will enable the beneficiaries to take ration from any shop, thus ending the monopoly of the ration depots. Bio-metrics of the cardholder will be matched with the data stored in a chip on the smart ration card to prevent any fraudulent transfer of food grains, he said. One card will suffice for the entire family, he said. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor The economys collapse, as businesses shut down as part of the efforts to combat the pandemic, robbed Trump of the ability to credibly argue his case. Today, his campaign message is a combination of hope claiming the economy is already roaring back in the face of numbers that suggest otherwise and the argument that he will be more effective than Biden in the rebuilding. More Americans still trust him over Biden on the economy, but the margin is not what it was. 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. A recent Brock University study of 451 adults ages 20 to 82 living in the United States found that people who believed they had contracted the virus werent always honest. Thirty-four percent of COVID-19-positive participants said they had denied having symptoms when asked by others, and 55% reported some level of concealment of their symptoms. Twenty-five percent of participants reported that they had in some way concealed their physical distancing practices; that rate increased among those with COVID-19, according to the study, published last month in The Journal of Health Psychology. Women were more likely to disclose health symptoms than men were, researchers said, and older adults were more honest about their COVID-19 status and behaviors. But the exact reasoning behind lying during the pandemic is complicated and may be related to the environment, according to David M. Castro, a psychotherapist and adjunct professor of psychology at Adelphi University and the City College of New York. I think that so much is barred from someone right now, Castro said. Theres a lot of loneliness, a lot of depression stemming from loneliness. The fact that the current social environment may not provide people what they need could tempt people to act in ways that get them what they need, he added. Robert Feldman, a professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the author of The Liar in Your Life: The Way to Truthful Relationships, said that his research showed that people typically tell three lies within the first 10 minutes of meeting someone else. Its part of what we do as members of society, Feldman said. We tell people that were feeling well when were not feeling so well. Another common example of lying, he said, is saying that you liked a gift you didnt like. Society operates on lies in many ways, Feldman said. Most of these lies are probably fairly trivial in the grand scheme of things, but they are lies. Feldman said that he believed the number of lies people tell had gone up during the pandemic and that there were incentives to being dishonest. Its important, during the course of this pandemic, to be honest, stay at home and to wear a mask, to do social distancing, he said. But I also think there are a lot of subtle pressures that push people to not be totally truthful. When people do lie, he said, they sometimes gives themselves excuses that its OK because theyre just trying to cope with the pandemic. Castro said people might be more inclined to lie about their health because its such a personal matter. People ask for honesty about their health to protect others, and that becomes very difficult because there is a moral element of that, he said. When people lie, Feldman said, they make a risk-reward calculation: If youve been in lockdown for months, you begin to feel like you deserve to be free, he said. Because you tell yourself, Ive suffered, Im still suffering who knows when life is going to get back to normal? he said. The fact that weve been through a period, and are still in it, of such uncertainty and lacking in clarity of when its going to end, it sort of gives us permission to be less honest. Pregnant Bindi Irwin and her husband Chandler Powell announced they were expecting their first child together last month. And the couple celebrated a special milestone on Sunday as they shared their baby's first sonogram on Instagram. Bindi, 22, excitedly posted a photo of herself and her 23-year-old husband, posing with the scans while cuddling a wallaby joey and koala at Australia Zoo. 'Baby Wildlife Warrior is about about the size of a hummingbird now!' Pregnant Bindi Irwin, 22, and Chandler Powell, 23, proudly share their baby's first sonogram on Instagram this Sunday 'The animal joeys we care for are excited to meet our human joey,' the mother-to-be began her caption. 'Baby Wildlife Warrior is about about the size of a hummingbird now! We cant wait to teach our little one about the importance of protecting our planet and the beauty of the wildlife and wild places we love so much,' she continued. Bindi finished her caption by thanking her fans for their 'kindness and support on this magical journey'. Heartwarming: Meanwhile, American wakeboarder Chandler posted a similar photo to his Instagram page, while telling fans he 'can't wait for his baby to meet everyone in person' Meanwhile, American wakeboarder Chandler posted a similar photo to his Instagram page, telling fans he 'can't wait for his baby to meet everyone in person'. 'Being a dad is already the highlight of my life,' he added. It comes after Bindi spoke candidly about the incredible moment she found out she was pregnant with her first child. 'I started crying tears of pure joy': It comes after Bindi spoke candidly about the incredible moment she found out she was pregnant with her first child In an emotional Instagram post, the wildlife conversationalist revealed that husband Chandler was making a cup of tea when she broke the exciting news. 'Discovering that I was going to become a mother will forever be a moment where time stood still,' she wrote. 'I took a test and ran into the kitchen where Chandler was making us tea,' she continued. 'This news would change the course of our future':In an emotional Instagram post, the wildlife conservationalist revealed that husband Chandler was making a cup of tea when she broke the exciting news 'He didnt hear me come in so I speechlessly watched him pouring the water into my most loved hedgehog mug.' Bindi said that the news changed their future forever and left her filled with tears of joy. 'This news would change the course of our future in the best way. I started crying tears of pure joy and told my sweetheart husband that my test was positive,' she added. Bindi and Chandler were married on March 25, in a makeshift ceremony at Australia Zoo. The couple met close to seven years ago in November 2013 when Chandler, who hails from Florida, was touring Australia for a wakeboarding competition. Mr Daniel Kwartei Titus-Glover, Member of Parliament for Tema East, on Wednesday kicked started his campaign for the 2020 elections with an apology to his constituents and call for unity among party members. He began his quest for another term at the Tema Fishing Harbour fish market as a follow up to the outdooring of the constituencys campaign team a week ago. Mr Titus-Glover, apologizing to party members, debunked allegations and accusations of the constituents inability to reach him after voting him to become the MP. I am asking for forgiveness from anyone that I may have wronged remember that just like Former President Kufuor said, it is better to be a messenger in a party that is in power than to be a general secretary of an opposition party. He explained that it was not his intention to ignore any of his constituents, saying that he had a dual role of MP and a Deputy Minister of Transport and therefore needed to work hard to justify his election by the people of Tema East. He said he used his share of the MPs Common Fund to support education and other activities. He added that he also constructed an office for the National Health Insurance Authority at the Manhean Clinic to make it easy for residents to acquire the health insurance card. He asked the voters to retain him and President Akufo-Addo in power, saying that the fishing community must remember that the NPP has done a lot for the coastal areas than any other party. Everyone has gotten something from the NPP, we are giving you free water meaning everyday Nana Addo give you, your child and relatives one Ghana cedis each from the free water, so dont say you have not benefitted from this government, he said. On the free SHS policy, he said the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) wished that majority of Ghanaians did not have education so they could continue with their lies and propaganda". Today the children of the NDC people are even enjoying the free SHS more than us. When they said it was not possible. They did not choose the E-block schools they build for their children, they should have used that money to expand the good existing schools to admit more students," he stressed. Mr Kingsley Francis Ato Codjoe, Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, on his part, asked the fishing community to look upon the good works of the NPP in the coastal area to vote for massively for the NPP. Mr Codjoe said the NPP was constructing 12 landing beaches for the fishing communities nationwide as well as two fishing harbours at Teshie and Elmina adding that John Mahama brought you 2,000 outboard motors but Nana Addo brought 13,000 of the motors for distribution, we also make sure that 250 tanks of premix fuel are released to the landing beaches every week to prevent shortages. Other speakers included Madam Grace Acheampong, Greater Accra Regional Womens Organizer for the NPP, and Nii Armah Quaye, National President, Ghana Inshore Fishermen Association. The MP presented 300 pieces of metal washbasins as well as branded nose masks and hand sanitizers to the fishmonger. 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 There are many job vacancies within the Peterborough census metropolitan area, according to Rhonda Keenan, president and CEO of Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development. As of Aug. 17, there were 840 active job postings for Peterborough posted on the Workforce Development Job Map. Keenan told county council members at their virtual meeting on Wednesday The jobs are there. We are hearing from our employers that they have open job postings; particularly in the manufacturing sector where they have had open job postings for quite some time and they are unable to fill them, Keenan said. Some of the anecdotal stories that business owners have told Keenan or that shes heard is that when theyve posted jobs, theyve had a lot of applicants, but when they actually call individuals to do an interview or to show up to work, theyre not returning any phone calls. And so the businesses are getting very discouraged by this, said Keenan. Many of the job postings arent entry level positions, Keenan said. They are across the board and some are competitive positions, she said. Asphodel-Norwood Deputy Mayor Burtt said its concerning that they cant fill these job postings. While there are many job vacancies, Keenan said the Peterborough CMA has one of the lowest labour force participation rates in the province. Over the last several years, Peterborough has been in the bottom three in participation rates, along with St. Catharines and Windsor, she said. Barrie has one of the highest participation rates in Ontario, she said. And of course, they have a younger demographic, so I think age certainly does play a role in this, but I dont think its the only answer. I think theres something else that we need to figure out and encourage more participation, Keenan said. As of May, only 49.5 per cent of individuals 15 and over are participating in the labour force in the Peterborough CMA, while that number was at 62.2 per cent in May of last year, she said, citing Statistics Canada labour market surveys. The average provincial participation rate for the same period in May was 60.8 per cent and 65.1 per cent in May 2019, she said. People who are not in the labour force include people who are unable or unavailable to work, she said, but it also includes people who are without work and have not actively looked for work in the past four weeks. While it may be easy to lay blame with COVID-19, this statistic was also true prior to COVID-19, Keenan said. Marissa Lentz is a staff reporter at the Examiner, based in Peterborough. Her reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Reach her via email: mlentz@peterboroughdaily.com Peterborough labour market August unemployment rate: 10 per cent, down from 10.6 per cent in July Number of people working in August: 51,200 Number of people working in August 2019: 61,600 Number of people available to work in August: 56,900 Number of people available to work in August 2019: 64,400 source: Statistics Canada seasonally adjusted labour survey The UN General Assembly said in a new resolution the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic represents one of the greatest challenges since the establishment of the United Nations. The UN General Assembly said in a new resolution the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic represents one of the greatest challenges since the establishment of the United Nations. The text of the resolution adopted on Friday said that the General Assembly [recognizes] that the COVID-19 pandemic was one of the greatest global challenges in the history of the United Nations. The resolution notes with concern the impact of the pandemic on health, the loss of life, wellbeing, humanitarian needs, human rights, livelihoods, food security, education, poverty and the global economy. According to the resolution, the pandemic is reversing gains that had been reached globally in the framework of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The resolution notes the vital role of health and other frontline workers in addressing the global health crisis. It further points out with concern the spread of discrimination, hate speech and xenophobia, as well disinformation and propaganda on the Internet in relation to the pandemic. Also read: 9/11 Tribute in Light shines bright over New York City Also read: US, India agree to strengthen quadrilateral ties with Japan and Australia The resolution was supported by 169 member states. The United States and Israel voted against its adoption, while Ukraine and Hungary abstained. With 97,570 fresh COVID-19 cases reported in India the highest spike in new cases in the last 24 hours the national coronavirus cases tally has gone beyond the 46 lakh mark, the central government said on Saturday. With this latest spike, the count stands at 46,59,985 of which, there are a total of 9,58,316 active cases while 36,24,197 patients have been cured/discharged/migrated from the disease, the Union health ministry said. The current death toll due to coronavirus in the country rose to 77,472 after 1,201 deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours. Also read: China to imposes reciprocal restrictions on US diplomats Boris Johnsons kamikaze threats to break international law have damaged trust and put a trade deal with the EU at risk, the Irish government has warned. The warning from deputy prime minister Leo Varadkar came as Taoiseach Micheal Martin demanded a phone call with Mr Johnson to voice very strong concerns about the UKs plans. Ireland and other EU nations have reacted with alarm to legislation being published at Westminster today which would give UK ministers powers to overrule the arrangements for the sensitive Northern Irish border agreed by Mr Johnson with Brussels. Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis yesterday told the House of Commons that the plans would break international law in a very specific and limited way in a safety net arrangement to ensure that goods continue to flow between the province and the British mainland if no UK/EU free trade agreement (FTA) is secured by the end of 2020. Mr Martin told a news briefing in Dublin: "The timing of this initiative, the unilateral nature of this initiative, does not build trust and I will be speaking later this afternoon with the British prime minister to register our very strong concerns. And Mr Varadkar said the Northern Ireland secretarys commits were really extraordinary and certainly set off alarm bells in Dublin. But he suggested that they may amount to no more than sabre-rattling designed to scare the EU into making concessions on the fractious issues of fisheries and state aid which stand in the way of an FTA deal. I think they have backfired," Varadkar told RTE radio. "Certainly, the strategy and behaviour of the British government was one of brinkmanship, was one of threatening to crash out, you know, if you don't, if we don't get to an agreement we might go kamikaze on you, that sort of thing. The most benign assessment I can give you is that this is brinkmanship that this is sabre rattling. Mr Varadkar said there could not be a trade agreement with the EU in "circumstances where the UK government is not honouring the withdrawal agreement", but said he thought Britain ultimately wanted a compromise. "I think they want a deal," he said. "It would seem that the sticking points are around fisheries, which is going to be a very difficult one, and also around state aids. "They to me, would not seem insurmountable, and there is time." Varadkar said that a zero-tariff trade deal with the EU would remove the requirement for some of the controversial changes in legislation the British government has proposed to reduce trade friction between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. "That could be what they are playing at," he said. Asked about the chances of a EU-UK trade deal in the wake of the British move, Martin said: "Where there's a will, there's a way of getting a reasonable free-trade deal with no tariffs and no quotas." A company director and an accountant have been arrested over a suspected 70,000 fraud involving the coronavirus furlough scheme. HM Revenue and Customs said its officers arrested the two people aged 51 and 43 on Thursday after attending two homes in Romford and Walthamstow in east London. The arrests were announced as chancellor Rishi Sunak was urged to consider a targeted extension of the Coronavirus job retention scheme. MPs on the Treasury Select Committee said that bringing it to an abrupt end next month risks putting hard-hit firms out of business and creating mass long-term unemployment. Since it was the launched on 20 March, around 9.6 million workers have been supported by the scheme, which covered up to 80 per cent of an employee's salary. However Mr Sunak - who has already extended the furlough several times past its original end date of 31 May - has insisted it will end on 31 October. Instead, firms will be paid a 1,000 "job retention bonus" for every furloughed employee brought back to work. The government has so far paid out 35.4bn in furlough cash, according to the latest figures. However HMRC estimates that between 5 per cent and 10 per cent - up to 3.5bn - could have been wrongly issued through error or as a result of fraud. Earlier this week Jim Harra, the top civil servant at HMRC, said the agency was targeting fraudsters rather than employers who made "legitimate mistakes" - although they expected any excess to be repaid. The first arrest in connection with an alleged fraud on the furlough scheme was made on 8 July, when a 57-year-old man was questioned over claims for 495,000. Richard Las, acting director of the Fraud Investigation Service at HMRC, said: The Coronavirus job retention scheme is part of the collective national effort to protect jobs. The vast majority of employers will have used it responsibly, but we will not hesitate to act on reports of abuse of the scheme. This is taxpayers money and any claim that proves to be fraudulent limits our ability to support people and deprives public services of essential funding. Anyone who is concerned that their employer might be abusing the scheme should report it to HMRC online. Additional reporting by Press Association Hotelier Sir Rocco Forte is a cheerleader for Boris Johnson and Brexit, but the Government's handling of the coronavirus crisis has tested his loyalty. Fresh from arriving at Gatwick after a meeting in Rome at his newly reopened Hotel de la Ville, Sir Rocco launches into a tirade against the Government's 'draconian lockdown', calls mandatory facemasks 'a bit of a nonsense' and says the 14-day quarantine rules are 'a farce'. He says: 'I am a complete cynic about the whole situation. For most young people who get Covid, it's a walk in the park. Warning: Sir Rocco Forte says families will be destroyed by unemployment 'Therefore, the whole country shouldn't be forced to lock down and follow restrictions because of a group of people who are at risk. We should be allowed to get on with our lives in the normal way.' Forte, 75, is in the high-risk category himself. He developed coronavirus the day the Government announced the lockdown in March, and took three weeks to recover. 'After an hour, I was exhausted,' he says of the peak of his illness. He is now back to full health and has resumed the intensive training regime he took up in his 50s. Before our morning meeting last Friday, the former triathlete had already cycled 23km in 40 minutes with his personal trainer, plus 'some weight training and bench presses'. Having experienced Covid-19, Sir Rocco believes the lockdown is more damaging than the disease. He says: 'The economic damage is going to be huge and we haven't seen the beginning of it yet the unemployment that is going to be created, and the families that will be destroyed as a result of that.' He adds: 'It is understandable that the Government is cautious, but this lockdown has gone on for too long. We need to find ways to normalise the situation as quickly as possible: stop scaring people into thinking everyone who catches the disease is going to die, and get places open.' Sir Rocco, the son of the legendary Trusthouse Forte founder Lord Forte, is one of Britain's most famous businessmen. He founded Rocco Forte Hotels with sister Olga Polizzi in 1996 after Trusthouse Forte, which ran 800 hotels from Sandy Lane in Barbados to the Hotel George V in Paris, was bought by TV group Granada in one of the City's most hostile takeovers. He has developed his anti-lockdown stance after witnessing the devastation wreaked on the 14 luxury hotels across his international group, including the Balmoral in Edinburgh and the Hotel Astoria in St Petersburg. Last week, he took the 'heartbreaking' step of making 20 per cent of his 450 UK staff redundant as he forecasts a 60million loss this financial year. 'I have been lobbying to get furlough extended for the hotel industry, but that hasn't been the case,' he says. 'I warned job losses would be the result and we are starting to see throughout the industry many people are being made redundant.' The five-star Le Richemond hotel in Geneva, owned by Malaysian billionaire Ananda Krishnan, closed indefinitely at the end of August, and Forte says many smaller hotels without access to debt financing will follow. 'We have had five months without any income, and four of those months were the most important of the year for us,' he says. 'That's 60million out of the window, whereas we would have had an inflow of 30million in a normal year.' His group's biggest market are American tourists, who count for up to 45 per cent of guests, followed by the Middle East and Russia. International travel bans have reduced occupancy rates to 'rock bottom'. 'We are looking at a maximum of 20 to 25 per cent occupancy across the group and some are much lower than that,' he says. When Brown's in Mayfair, a favourite hotel of Rudyard Kipling and Oscar Wilde, opened this month it was only nine per cent full. Brown's was where Forte hosted a victory celebration for Conservative party staff who worked on Boris Johnson's leadership campaign in 2019. The Prime Minister dropped in for a drink with his team, and the bill came to 12,000. In the same year, Sir Rocco donated 100,000 to the Conservatives. He has no plans to donate to the Tories again 'at the moment I can't afford to' and his enthusiasm for Boris now seems lukewarm. 'If you generally support a government in its overall policies, it doesn't mean you have to agree with every action they take,' he says. Forte lives in England and pays tax in the UK, and has short shrift for Chancellor Rishi Sunak's plans to raise taxes to pay for the crisis. 'We have about 300billion of extra national debt, which at today's rates will cost half a billion pounds to service each year,' he says. 'That's peanuts in relation to the overall Budget expenditure. Why do we have to start repaying it today? We finished repaying our Second World War debt to the Americans three years ago.' Instead, he says the Chancellor should 'take action to get the economy moving' to encourage foreign investment to make Britain 'the most attractive country to do business in'. He adds: 'The way to raise tax revenue is to increase the size of the economy, not by imposing heavy taxes on businesses and individuals today.' Forte, who grew up in the UK but is of Italian heritage, says he is old enough to have travelled around Europe as a student before Britain joined the EU, and welcomes a freer movement of trade once Britain is released from 'the control of Brussels'. He says: 'Now we are leaving the European Union, we have an opportunity to do that even more than we have in the past, without the restrictions of the EU imposed on us.' He adds: 'Europe is not a static situation things are continually moving to become even more restrictive and more controlled by Brussels. I see the problems in Italy with their dealings with the EU: they are arguing about whether they can increase the budget by 0.5 per cent of GDP and there are crisis meetings as a result of that. 'The Italian economy is where it was when it joined the monetary union in 2000, but Brussels will not allow expansion. We talk about austerity in this country; you should see what has been applied in Italy.' Despite coronavirus, Forte hopes to expand his Rocco Forte Hotels group to open further hotels across Italy and then the US, starting with New York and Miami. He has signed a lease for the Baglione Hotel Carlton in Milan, which will open after a two-year refurbishment under Forte's guidance in early 2023. The Villa Igiea in Palermo is also being upgraded and will reopen next May. At his group's first resort Verdura on Sicily Forte is developing residential villas for guests to rent, backed by funding from the Italian government. Eight have been completed, and a further 12 will be finished by March. 'I see the pandemic as a temporary blip,' says Forte although he admits the uncertainty scares him. 'The financial crash was a very difficult time but you could see the light at the end of the tunnel,' he says. 'With this crisis, you can't.' Continuing its initiatives ahead of next years assembly polls, Assam government on Saturday announced infrastructure projects worth nearly Rs 12,000 crore. Health, education, PWD and finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters that work on the projects to be undertaken with governments funds and external loans would start soon. The entire cost of projects is around Rs 11,900 crore. This would be the highest capital investment for infrastructure in the state. Work on most of the projects would start in December, he said. New projects include construction of four new medical colleges, nine women colleges, six degree colleges, ten law colleges, two flyovers and road corridors across the state. Also read: Prashant Bhushan moves SC for intra-court appeal in criminal contempt cases Sarma also announced that the education department would appoint 10,789 new teachers in primary and secondary schools. Besides the projects that would be undertaken with the governments funds, 12 other road projects worth Rs 6,000 crore funded by Asian Development Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank would also begin in the state soon, he said. The minister also announced lifting of several austerity measures that had been enforced in April this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They include lifting of limit of 10 percent spending of establishment expenditures by departments, resumption of tax exemption granted to industries and spending of money from MLA development funds. However, several measures like ban on purchase of new vehicles, organising conferences, workshops and seminars, events in 5-star hotels, foreign visits by bureaucrats and ministers and 30 percent cut in salaries of ministers would remain. I had met Union finance minister two days back and she assured new compensation formula for GST and release of revenue deficit grant. This will enhance the state governments spending capacity. We are in a much comfortable situation to go forward with commitments made in our budget, the minister said. In recent weeks, Sarma has announced regularisation of services of 46,000 teachers, several sops for students, teachers and educational institutes; funds for religious bodies and a scheme to give Rs 830 per month to nearly 17 lakh families in the state. Assembly elections are due in Assam in April next year. Mourners hug beside the names of the deceased Jesus Sanchez and Marianne MacFarlane at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in New York. Americans commemorated 9/11 with tributes that have been altered by coronavirus precautions and woven into the presidential campaign. Read more NEW YORK The Trump administration acknowledged Friday that it stripped millions of dollars from the citys fire department fund that pays health care bills for 9/11 survivors and promised to try to put an end to the practice. The administration's about-face came after the Daily News reported Thursday that the Treasury Department has over the past four years siphoned nearly $4 million from the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program, which helps cover medical services for firefighters, EMTs and paramedics still suffering from 9/11-related illnesses. The Treasury Department explained that it conducts offsets through the Treasury Offset Program, which matches the name and taxpayer identification number, or "TIN," for outgoing payments against its debt records. If there is a match, an offset is applied as require by law. Some payees such as New York City use a single TIN for many or their subdivisions, which can result in the payment for one subdivision being subject to offset for a debt owned by another. However, Dr. David Prezant, the FDNY's chief medical officer who oversees the 9/11 program, told The News earlier this week that he's been asking the Treasury Department and the city for years about the quiet rerouting of cash and that no one has ever given him an answer. The City Department of Finance did not immediately return a request for comment; however, an administration official said that Treasury adhered to its statutory obligations established by Congress regarding debts owed by New York, but that they are working with Congressman King and others to examine any potential authorities to provide relief in this case to support our nation's 9/11 heroes. Like Prezant, Republican Rep. Pete King of Long Island, cried foul on finger-pointing. "The initial blame has to go to Treasury. Whoever decided to target the FDNY 9/11 firefighters health fund _ it's just absolutely disgraceful, totally indefensible, when you start with that," said King, who's retiring at the end of this year. Our and Congressman Kings only goal is to get FDNY its funding we have done everything in our power to try and resolve this issue and are continuing to work with the city while also look into possible alternate ways of making this happen, said an administration official. The Treasury Department told King in a letter last month that it had taken about $1.9 million from the 9/11 fund between August 2016 and May 2020 to cover "delinquent Medicare Secondary Payer debt" owed by "various entities within New York City." The Aug. 20 letter,, which King shared with The News, did not specify which entities held the debt, but said the City Department of Finance was "actively looking into the situation." Prezant said the Treasury Department's $1.9 million figure was low. Documents he provided to The News actually showed that the Treasury Department has docked about $3.7 million from the 9/11 fund since 2016. The timing of the FDNY 9/11 fund revelations wasn't missed on King, who attended Friday's commemoration ceremony of the terror attacks at ground zero in downtown Manhattan. "The 9/11 firefighters are still untarnished heroes, and to take them on, the heroes, the victims, and to just be quietly, silently, not even advising them that they're losing their money, just taking it like thieves in the night," King said, his voice trailing off. Vice President Mike Pence also attended Friday's Ground Zero ceremony, and King said he brought up the issue to him afterward. Pence definitely listened, King said. He knew it was important. Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama (pictured 1996) said in a video message to a virtual G7 meeting that people have more of a sense of shared interest in saving the planet Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama called on world leaders Saturday to join forces in fighting climate change. "Now we should pay more attention about global warming," the exiled leader said in a video message to a virtual meeting of Group of Seven parliamentary leaders. The session was hosted by the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, a longstanding advocate for the Himalayan region. National leaders have been meeting less frequently with the Dalai Lama due to pressure from China. In his video address, the Dalai Lama said people today have more of a sense of shared interest in saving the planet. "If you look (at) past history, too much emphasis individual nation, individual religion, including color," the 85-year-old Buddhist leader said, according to a statement from the International Campaign for Tibet. "So it creates a lot of problem. Basically, you see, they are selfish, self-centered attitudes," the 1989 Nobel peace laureate said. Climate change is affecting some of the world's least powerful people, the Dalai Lama added. "Due to global warming, too much rain some area. Some area dry. So these people suffer, the Dalai Lama said. "Particularly like in Africa and some area in India and China also." The impact along economic lines is also imbalanced, he added. "The rich people, big hotel, not much serious sort of feeling, the Dalai Lama said. But poor people, they really face serious problem." Saturday's meeting brought Pelosi together with counterparts from Britain, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. dw/to Press Release September 12, 2020 Gatchalian assures 30-day moratorium of bills payment in 'Bayanihan 2' Consumers can heave a sigh of relief, insofar as payment for their most recent utility bills are concerned, as the recently signed 'Bayanihan to Recover as One Act' or 'Bayanihan 2' provides for a 30-day moratorium. Senator Win Gatchalian said a provision in the measure assures a 30-day grace period for payment of utility bills covering those falling within the period of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ). For now, Iligan City, Bacolod City, and Lanao del Sur are the provinces that have remained under MECQ until September 30. The senator said that the payment of interests, penalties, and other charges would likewise be waived in the covered period. "This provision in the bill will lessen the financial strain of the already overburdened Filipino families living in areas under ECQ or MECQ. For most of them, payment for utility bills eats up a big percentage of their monthly income and this is a relief to those having trouble making payments due to financial difficulties brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic," Gatchalian said. The senator introduced the provision in the measure directing all institutions providing electric, water, telecommunications, and other similar utilities to implement a minimum of 30-day grace period for the payment of bills. Gatchalian clarified that after the grace period, the unpaid bills of residential, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and cooperatives may be settled on a staggered basis payable in not less than three monthly installments, subject to the procedural requirements of the concerned regulatory agencies. Gatchalian, even before Congress started deliberating on Bayanihan 2, had initiated moves to protect electricity consumers during the ECQ period earlier this year by urging the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to direct the distribution utilities (DUs) to allow deferred payment of bills since mid-March when the quarantine took effect. His call was immediately heeded by the ERC, easing the burden of affected consumers whose payables are piling up. "Malaking bagay ang 'Bayanihan 2' lalo na doon sa mga Pilipinong nawalan ng hanapbuhay o nabawasan ang kita dahil sa pinaigting na quarantine protocols ng gobyerno," the senator said. "Para sa mga arawan ang kita, mababawasan ang kanilang mga aalalahanin sa kanilang mga buwanang gastusin at makakatulong ito sa unti-unting pagbangon sa hamon na kinakaharap nating lahat," he added. Bayanihan 2, which was signed by the President Friday night, grants emergency powers to the Chief Executive after the 'Bayanihan to Heal as One Act' (Bayanihan 1) lapsed last June. It will be in effect until December 19, 2020, in time for Congress' Christmas recess. ### Gatchalian: Bayad utang sa utility bills palalawigin ng 'Bayanihan 2' Binibigyan ng palugit na tatlumpung araw ang mga may bayarin sa utility bills kasunod ng pag-apruba sa 'Bayanihan to Recover as One Act' o Bayanihan 2. Sa ipinanukalang probisyon ni Senador Win Gatchalian sa Bayanihan 2, binbigyan ng tatlumpung araw na moratorium sa pagbabayad ng utility bills, tulad ng kuyente at tubig, ang mga nakatira sa lugar na nasa ilalim ng enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) at modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ). Sa ngayon, ang Iligan City, Bacolod City, at Lanao del Sur ang mga probinsiyang idineklarang naka-MECQ hanggang katapusan ng Setyembre. Ayon sa senador, hindi na rin muna pababayaran ang interes sa bill, penalties, at iba pang dagdag singilin o charges sa loob ng tatlumpung araw habang naka-ECQ o MECQ ang isang lugar. Ayon kay Gatchalian, pagkatapos ng 30-day grace period ay pinapahintulutan din ng Bayanihan2 ang residential users, micro, small and medium enterprises o MSMEs, at mga kooperatiba, na magbayad ng pautay-utay sa loob ng tatlong buwan. Matatandaang nanguna si Gatchalian sa pagkalampag nuon sa Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) na sabihan ang mga distribution utilities (DUs), tulad ng Meralco, na pumayag ng deferred payment nuong kasagsagan ng ECQ sa Metro Manila at mga karatig lalawigan. "Malaking bagay ang 'Bayanihan 2' lalo na doon sa mga Pilipinong nawalan ng hanapbuhay o nabawasan ang kita dahil sa pinaigting na quarantine protocols ng gobyerno," ayon sa senador. "Para sa mga arawan ang kita, mababawasan ang kanilang mga aalalahanin sa kanilang mga buwanang gastusin at makakatulong ito sa unti-unting pagbangon sa hamon na kinakaharap," dagdag pa niya. Pinirmahan ni Pangulong Duterte nitong Biyernes ng gabi ang Bayanihan 2. Ito ay magiging epektibo hanggang ika-19 ng Disyembre ngayong taon, bago mag-Christmas break ang kongreso. Hyderabad, Sep 12 : The Cyberabad Police have arrested an engineering student of Telangana for harassing and blackmailing a minor girl residing in the United States to share her nude photographs and videos with him through a social media platform. Devanapally Sandeep Rao, 27, a resident of Nizamabad district, has been charged with criminal intimidation and using a child for pornographic purposes. The sleuths of Cyber Crime arrested the accused who committed the offence by using Instagram, and recovered one mobile phone and connected incriminating evidence. The police made the arrest within four hours after the girl's parents lodged a complaint. According to the police, the girl residing in California accepted the accused's friend request on Instagram in March. He interacted with her and slowly started influencing her. During that time, she sent some 'inappropriate' photographs of herself. She blocked him after he requested her to send some more nude pictures. Sandeep Rao then started blackmailing her by threatening to upload her inappropriate photographs on social media. He shared the photographs with her friend and forced the victim to talk to him and share more nude photos and videos. As the situation became unbearable, she informed her parents, who lodged a complaint with the police. Based on the complaint, the police registered a case against the accused under Section 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 13 r/w 14 (1) of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and took up the investigation. A special team was formed and it apprehended the accused within four hours and produced him before a court, which sent him to judicial custody. The police have advised people not to accept unknown friend requests on Facebook, Instagram etc. and not to share their personal photographs or videos with unknown persons. Mumbai: The Shiv Sena said on Saturday that the foundation of the Indian film industry was laid by Dadasaheb Phalke, a Maharashtrian, and artists have achieved success in the industry due to talent and not religion. The comment in the editorial ofparty mouthpiece `Saamana comes against the backdrop of actor Kangana Ranauts recent tweet that she staked her life and career" in an Islam dominated" film industry, and made films on Rani Lakshmibai and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Artistes from all over the country are benefitting from the fruits of the foundation laid by Phalke, the editorial said. Those who come to Mumbai to try their luck in this industry first stay on the footpath and then shift to Juju, Pali Hill and Malabar Hill to build their bungalows. All these people have always been grateful to the city and the state which allowed them to chase their dreams and make it big. They have never betrayed Mumbai but have also contributed to the growth of the city," the Saamana said. Many artistes have been awarded Bharat Ratna and also Nishan-e-Pakistan," it noted. Incidentally, the Shiv Sena had protested vociferously against Dilip Kumar when he accepted Nishan-e-Pakistan, the highest civil award of the neighbouring country, several years ago. The editorial also pointed out that the Mumbai film industry provides jobs to lakhs of people. Referring to the criticism that it is dominated by the Khans", the newspaper said at one time the industry was dominated by Punjabis and Maharashtrians. Many Muslim actors adopted Hindu screen names such as Dilip Kumar (whose real name is Yusuf Khan), Madhubala (Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi), it said, adding that what mattered was only talent and not the persons religion. While talented members of Bollywood dynasties such as Kapoors, Roshans, Dutts, Shantarams survived, actors like Rajesh Khanna, Jitendra, Dharmendradid not have any film family background, the editorial said. What is the problem if their children and grand- children take forward their legacy," the Sena mouthpiece asked, in apparent counter to Ranauts tirade against nepotism in the film industry. Dynasties or `gharanas exist in the fields of music and direction too, it added. These people did not fight the fish while living in a pond" (did not fight the milieu in which they lived)" and did not throw stones at others while living in a glass house," the editorial said, in a veiled reference toRanaut who has criticized bigwigs in the film industry. Letters to the Editor View(s): Remember the Constitution should be for the people, not for any political party I would like to share some random thoughts on the 20th Amendment which is now being hotly debated. Dual citizenship: Why should dual citizens be allowed to enter Parliament? If their primary motive is to serve the country, they must be able to make the sacrifice of giving up their dual citizenship to prove their sincerity. We always admire the good work done by dual citizens. However there is no guarantee that all who enter Parliament with dual citizenship will have the same dedication and commitment. Therefore, those wanting to enter Parliament should also make the same sacrifice like the present President. Qualifying age to contest presidency: It is ridiculous to reduce the age to contest the presidency to 30. What is the life experience one has at that age? It is only then that people mature to think and act as adults. I feel scared to think what might be with a 30-year-old as the President with all the powers, perks and privileges. The age should be increased at least to 45 or 50 when a few gray hairs are to be seen thalasthani vayasa as it is said in Sinhala. Before contesting the post of Presidency, ideally one should have at least 25 years of experience in his/her chosen field of career. Even though the incumbent President did not have any political experience, people elected him and he has already proved his sincerity of purpose. Term of presidency: It is very unreasonable to limit the terms for presidency to two. Anyone should have the right to contest and get elected or defeated any number of times. If there is any restriction imposed then it should be for all and then the wording should be one has the right to contest the presidency only twice. The right to dissolve Parliament after one year: We did not elect our representatives to Parliament to be under the thumb of the President and have to bend backwards to please him for fear of having to go home after one year. Why should the taxpayer spend a colossal sum of money to elect them if people have to run the risk of being back to square one after one year. There should be strict conditions under which the President will have the power to dissolve Parliament. If the President has the right to dissolve Parliament without any valid reason then why should we vote? It is better for the President to have his own council and sack them at his discretion and utilize the money saved for the development of the country . Limit the Cabinet to 30: We should continue to follow this rule without appointing every Tom, Dick and Harry to the Cabinet just to reward them for favours done. Our country cannot afford to look after their needs and privileges. Or else have a jumbo Cabinet, provided all will have to work free of charge and not be a burden to the taxpayers. We hope 20A will be amended and better terms and conditions will be included in the new Constitution. However until it is done safety measures should be taken to preserve democracy. A new Constitution is welcome if some unbiased people will draft it, keeping in mind the welfare of the country and its future generations and not to suit any political party! R. W. W. Via email Why dont we have District Development Councils instead of costly Provincial Councils? The Provincial Councils that were forced upon Sri Lanka are a white elephant the country is burdened with. The citizens do not feel a need for these PCs. In some provinces their term has expired. People realise that it is a costly process to continue with them. Newspapers report that Chief Ministers who have been allocated funds from the Treasury have returned the money, having done nothing with it. So one wonders what is the use of continuing with these PCs? Surprisingly in the maiden speeches made by the newly elected Parliamentarians they mentioned that their stepping stone to become an MP was to become a PC member. What an irony for MPs to say that a system that was thrust upon us by another country was what paved their path to becoming a Parliamentarian. We are still burdened with this cost that was thrust upon us in 1987. District Development Councils would be the ideal solution. These are confined to a smaller area, where the most immediate needs of the people could be identified and priority given to finding a solution. Also the accessibility to the person who oversees the area is greater, the member responsible for the allocated area could coordinate with the person to take the necessary action to solve any probem without delay. The District Secretaries and Secretariats could be the nucleus. The members of these councils should be from every Grama Sevaka Division of the district, male or female. They should be hardworking, public spirited and down to earth, preferably with a good educational background. They should receive a reasonable salary and no perks. They should have an office to meet the public and a secretary to attend to their correspondence. This will sort out a lot of problems. Even a school in these areas which lacks basic facilities like proper toilets could approach the member who represents the area without the burensome process of going through much tedious red tape that wastes considerable time. So why dont we have District Development Councils instead of costly Provincial Councils which our country does not need and which are a great financial burden to us. Padma Perera Colombo 5. As of this week Alabama was ranked dead last in U.S. Census response rate, and that could mean the state loses millions in federal funding for schools, health care and job programs. The state is also on track to lose one of its seven seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressional representation and some federal funding is determined by the number of people living in the state. You can help the Yellowhammer State by completing the decennial Census, which aims to count everyone living in the United States once every decade. Filling out the Census is easy. Heres how: Online at 2020Census.gov By phone at 844-330-2020 for English speakers, or 844-468-2020 for Spanish speakers Or, you can fill out and mail in a form that was sent to your home this spring. Youll need to know some basic demographic information about every person who was living or staying temporarily in your home on April 1: Name Age Date of birth Race Sex Relationship to you As of Tuesday, Alabama was the only state in the country with a response rate below 80 percent. Overall, the U.S. response rate was about 89 percent. Bengaluru: The Sandalwood drug connect is taking an ugly political turn, with whistle blower and celebrity manager Prashanth Sambaragi, who was summoned by CCB on Friday, claiming that he has given clinching evidence to CCB over Congress MLA Zameer Ahamed Khan's association with the racket. However, Zameer has shot back saying that he is ready to be hanged if Sambaragi proved that he had any connection with drug dealers. He also added that he is ready to surrender all his property to the government, if someone proves that he went to Colombo with actress Sanjjannaa Galrani. "I did not say that I have never gone to Colombo or casinos. When in JD(S), I went there with HD Kumaraswamy and 26 MLAs. Barring Deve Gowda's another son HD Revanna and one more party MLA, all our party MLAs went there and went to casinos also. I go to Colombo once in a year or so," Zameer said. The drug trail is now heading towards the parties being organised in Colombo casinos by Prashanth, the `Rakhi brother' of actress Sanjjannaa and it is being said that many politicians, including Zameer, were a frequent participant to these parties. "Of course, I go to Colombo and go to casinos. Is it illegal? I have not gone to Pakistan. As a matter of fact, most of the Karnataka legislators go to Colombo and go to casinos. To be honest, more number of BJP MLAs go to casinos than MLAs of other political parties. What that person (Sambaragi) is alleging is that I am involved with drug peddlers. If anyone proves that, I am ready to be hanged and I will urge the government to hang any politician involved with drug mafia to be hanged," Zameer added. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 13:04:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's Mars probe Tianwen-1 has traveled 137 million km, said sources with the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration. As of 9 a.m. Friday, the probe was in stable condition at a distance of more than 15.3 million km away from Earth, according to a center statement. The probe captured a photo of Earth and the moon in late July, and completed its first mid-course orbital correction in early August. China launched the Mars probe on July 23, kicking off the country's independent planetary exploration mission. The spacecraft, consisting of an orbiter, a lander and a rover, is expected to reach the red planet around February 2021. When arriving at Mars, the probe will be about 195 million km from Earth with an actual flight distance of 470 million km, said the center. Enditem He was seen at the end of August for the first time in months looking completely unrecognisable as he deals with his health issues. And Ozzy Osbourne was seen again on Friday as he chatted to pals outside a home in Beverly Hills. The Black Sabbath rocker, 71, cut a dapper figure in a smart grey coat, while he leaned on his cane for support amid his battle with Parkinson's disease. Out and about: Ozzy Osbourne was seen again on Friday as he chatted to pals outside a home in Beverly Hills Ozzy appeared in good spirits as he mingled outside the house, sporting a stylish grey coat with black leather sleeves. The now grey-haired rocker at one point leaned on a wall for support amid his low-key outing. The Prince Of Darkness is known for his long mane of dark brown hair, but -as seen in the end of August- he's currently grey-haired and tied his hair back in a ponytail. Ozzy went public this January with his Parkinson's battle, after being diagnosed with the disease in February 2019. In company: The Black Sabbath rocker, 71, cut a dapper figure in a smart grey coat, while he leaned on his cane for support amid his battle with Parkinson's disease He announced in February that he was canceling the North American leg of his No More Tours II concert gigs, owing to an excruciating neck injury. What's more, he suffered a fall last year and required spinal surgery, ultimately scrapping his tour dates for 2019. Ozzy was meant to hit the road again this year, but scrapped the North American leg of his tour so that he could seek treatment in Switzerland - only for the coronavirus lockdowns to leave him confined to his home and unable to travel to Europe. Although Ozzy has not been seen out in public in months, he did appear with his family on Celebrity Watch Party with a finale that aired July 23rd. Support: The now grey-haired rocker at one point leaned on a wall for support amid his low-key outing The reality show is a take-off of the UK show Gogglebox and offers a glimpse at celebrities in their homes watching and reacting to TV. Prior to that, he was seen in January, looking a little more like his old self, when he attended the Grammys with a walking cane alongside his daughter Kelly. Despite his recent health crises and reduced mobility, the father-of-six and former reality star has repeatedly declared that he will never abandon showbusiness or rock and roll. Battle: Ozzy went public this January with his Parkinson's battle, after being diagnosed with the disease in February 2019 'You know the time when I will retire? When I can hear them nail a lid on my box. And then I'll f***ing do an encore. I'm the Prince of Darkness,' he said . The Black Sabbath rocker admitted he has found it tough staying at home throughout the coronavirus pandemic, as he opened up about his mental health. Speaking on The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne, he said: 'When I am in a room on my own, it is a bad f****** place. Our heads are our worst enemies in times like this because people are locked up and worried about this pandemic.' Scrapped: Ozzy was meant to hit the road again this year, but scrapped the North American leg of his tour so that he could seek treatment in Switzerland (pictured with Sharon in 2017) They need to unload because if you do not unload, you'll get depressed. My therapist suggested that I start meditating again. I am on this new antidepressant which is working wonders.' As for his Parkinson's diagnosis, the rocker shared that he is making progress, explaining: 'I'm feeling better every day. It's so slow. I go in the swimming pool for an hour every day. I work out every day ... It catches up with you in the end'. 'I've got no complaints. I've had a great career. I had a great time. And I ain't done yet ... As soon as I get back on my feet I'll go out. I can't wait. Pandemic or not, I can't wait ... I will be happy as well. If my life ended on a stage, so be it. That's the place I belong.' Police are searching two Royal Mail sorting offices after reports of a suspicious package. Avon and Somerset Police are searching the Royal Mail sorting offices in Filton and Bath, and have asked the public to avoid the areas while the searches take place. The force said in a statement: At 2.17am this morning we were made aware of reports of a suspicious package at the Royal Mail sorting office in Filton. Specialist officers attended and established the package could have been transported to the Bath delivery office. We dont believe there to be any risk to the public but ask people to avoid the area while the searches take place, it added. Local newspaper Bristol Post reported a major police presence around the depot in Filton, with the surrounding area cordoned off. A Royal Mail spokesperson said: "Bristol Mail Centre and Bath Delivery Office have been evacuated as part of an ongoing police operation. "Customers in the South West region may experience disruption to services. We are working hard to process and deliver mail where possible." A Post Office depot located near the Royal Mail sorting office has been reportedly evacuated along with other local businesses. A spokesperson told the Bristol Post that police are investigating a bomb threat and staff were asked to evacuate the area. The use of chemical irritants is authorized under the Use of Force Policy of both 2019 and 2011. This from General Secretary of the Police Social and Welfare Association Sgt. Ancil Forde who also notes that there must be accountability. The Delhi Metro is fully functional, with all its corridors operational at regular, pre-lockdown timings, from Saturday. Flying squad teams of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Delhi Police will inspect the Metro routinely to ensure commuters do not violate social distancing norms. As part of the last leg of the graded resumption, DMRC has reopened its final line, the Airport Express Line (Dwarka Sector- 21 to New Delhi), and resumed its regular timings of 6am to 11pm. Saturday is the first day since March 22 when Delhi Metro trains are running on the pre-lockdown schedule. Also Read: If youre travelling in Delhi Metro, strictly adhere to social distancing rules Since the beginning of the week, when the Delhi Metro started reopening its network to commuters in a graded manner, the timings of the service have been limited to two shifts, morning and evening. This was primarily done to acclimatise commuters to the new rules of travel, meant to ensure social distancing. The operations are being resumed fully from Saturday, but passengers requested to stagger their journeys so that there are no peak crowding hours, said Mangu Singh, managing director, DMRC. Since the reopening of the Metro, passenger movement on all of its corridors is witnessing a steady increase, which also means that DMRC will, from Saturday, face a greater challenge in crowd management. Also Read: Metro deploys flying squads to ensure commuters keep their masks on inside trains For this purpose, DMRC said that additional teams have been deployed on the station premises and inside trains to check for violations. Apart from safety protocols regarding screening and sanitising all passengers, doing away with tokens for travel, restricting entry into stations and capping train capacity to 50 passengers, DMRC on Friday also launched a flying squad to keep a watch for any kind of safety violation. On Friday, the squad counselled over 150 people and fined at least 92 passengers Rs 200 each under the Operations and Management Act (2002) of the Delhi Metro for not wearing masks and following social distancing rules. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON CHIBOUGAMEAU, QC, Sept. 11, 2020 /CNW/ - The governments of Canada and Quebec are taking decisive action to meet the needs of communities by investing in green infrastructure projects in all regions of Quebec. Providing communities with modern and reliable water infrastructure is a shared priority for both governments. Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and Andree Laforest, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, announced funding for an infrastructure project that will modernise municipal drinking water and wastewater systems in the Nord-du-Quebec region. This project will include the replacement of approximately 1,533 metres of drinking water and wastewater pipes as well as work to restore roads and roadway landscaping associated the pipe replacement. The Government of Canada is investing $569,430 through the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Plan. The Government of Quebec is also investing $569,430 through the Fonds pour l'infrastructure municipale d'eau (FIMEAU) funding program. The Town of Matagami will contribute $284,715 dollars for this project. These federalprovincial contributions are part of a significant $637.8 million investment, announced by both governments on August 20, to upgrade water infrastructure in the province. Quotes "Building healthy communities starts with investing in essential services. Working with our provincial and municipal partners, we are ensuring Quebecers have access to safe and reliable drinking water and wastewater systems. Modern and efficient water infrastructure is essential to support healthy and resilient communities throughout Quebec. Canada's infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country, and builds stronger communities." The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities "Once again, our government is showing its commitment to prioritizing sustainable development with the modernization of water infrastructure. It is vital that all Quebecers have access to quality essential services. I am also proud of this investment because it contributes to the well-being of current and future generations, all the while having a considerable and positive impact on economic recovery. This is a fine example of partnership for the benefit of our communities." Andree Laforest, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing "I am very pleased that the Nord-du-Quebec region can benefit from these water infrastructure projects. The work that will be carried out is a significant investment which will ensure the sustainability of our municipal infrastructure all while creating jobs and helping communities get back on their feet." The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Quebec Lieutenant "I welcome this collaboration between our two levels of government and municipalities because it will assist all regions of Quebec, including the Nord-du-Quebec region. Citizens will greatly benefit from the investments announced today through access to better and safer water services. Given our current environment, this is also good news for the economic development of the region." Pierre Dufour, Minister of Forests, Wildlife and Parks and Minister Responsible for the Nord-du-Quebec Region Quick facts Under the Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public-transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities. plan, the Government of is investing more than over 12 years in public-transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and rural and northern communities. As part of the Investing in Canada Plan, the Government of Canada has invested over $6 .2 billion in 790 infrastructure projects in Quebec . Plan, the Government of has invested over .2 billion in 790 infrastructure projects in . The Government of Quebec's Fonds pour l'infrastructure municipale d'eau (FIMEAU) aims to carry out the construction, rehabilitation, expansion and addition to municipal water and wastewater infrastructure. It consists of a total investment of $1.5 billion . Two more project submission periods are planned for 2022 and 2024. (FIMEAU) aims to carry out the construction, rehabilitation, expansion and addition to municipal water and wastewater infrastructure. It consists of a total investment of . Two more project submission periods are planned for 2022 and 2024. Quebec's 20202030 Infrastructure Plan calls for nearly $7.5 billion in investments in municipal infrastructure under the responsibility of the Ministere des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation (MAMH). 20202030 Infrastructure Plan calls for nearly in investments in municipal infrastructure under the responsibility of the Ministere des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation (MAMH). To support Canadians and communities during the coronavirus pandemic, a new stream has been added to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to help fund pandemic-resilient infrastructure. Infrastructure Program to help fund pandemic-resilient infrastructure. Furthermore, the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative will provide up to $31 million in existing federal funding to help communities adapt spaces and services in response to immediate and ongoing coronavirus-related needs over the next two years. Related links News Release Canada and Quebec invest in water infrastructure to ensure adequate services and stimulate the economy, August 20, 2020 Investing in COVID-19 Community Resilience Canada Healthy Communities Initiative Investing in Canada Plan Project Map Federal investments in Quebec infrastructure projects Fonds pour l'infrastructure municipale d'eau (FIMEAU) Quebec Infrastructure Plan, 20202030 Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Website: Infrastructure Canada SOURCE Infrastructure Canada For further information: Chantalle Aubertin, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 613-941-0660, [email protected]; Benedicte Trottier Lavoie, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and Minister Responsible for the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region, 514-686-7100; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll-free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; Media Relations Team, Communications Directorate at the Ministere des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation, 418-691-2015, extension 83746 Related Links www.infrastructure.gc.ca MUMBAI: All six men arrested for assaulting a retired Indian Navy officer on Friday were released on bail on Saturday (Seprember 12, 2020). The six accused, including Shiv Sena leader Kamlesh Kadam, assaulted the retired Indian Navy officer over a WhatsApp forward on Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. According to reports, all six accused were arrested by Mumbai police overnight after an FIR was registered in connection with the incident. The ex-navy officer identified as Madan Sharma (65) sustained an eye injury in the assault. The entire incident was recorded on a CCTV camera. The incident took place in Lokhandwala Complex area in suburban Kandivali. The Navy officers daughter, Sheela Sharma in an interview to Zee News, express sadness at the incident and said that the accused should be brought to the books as they may resort to the same antics again later. A case has been registered against the goons under IPC Section 325 (causing grievous hurt) and provisions related to rioting. According to the police, the Sena workers allegedly thrashed the ex-navy officer for forwarding a cartoon on WhatsApp which made fun of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Sharma said he had received threatening calls for the message after which around eight to ten people attacked him. "Eight to ten persons attacked and 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," Sharma was quoted as saying to ANI. The incident has created a furore across the country with people expressing shock at the incident. Reacting to the incident, former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis slammed the Thackeray government calling it 'Gunda Raj'. "An extremely sad and shocking incident. A 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," Fadnavis tweeted, along with a picture of the officer. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 10:52:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday condemned the increasing number of attacks against journalists, said his spokesman. "The secretary-general is appalled at the continued and increased numbers of attacks against journalists and media workers around the world," said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement. The recent killing of Julio Valdivia Rodriguez, a Mexican journalist, is yet another example of the hazardous and difficult conditions in which many journalists work globally, said the statement. "The secretary-general condemns all attacks and killings of journalists and calls on the respective authorities to ensure that they are thoroughly investigated and that those responsible are held accountable." Guterres reiterated his call that free press is essential for peace, justice, sustainable development and human rights. No democracy can function without press freedom, which is the cornerstone of trust between people and their institutions, said the statement. "When media workers are targeted, societies as a whole pay a price." Enditem The Bombay high court (HC) on Friday granted anticipatory bail to a Pune resident booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act for tearing off the clothes of a minor girl during a scuffle. The court said the provisions of the law are applicable only when a child is harassed with sexual intent. In order to attract the provisions of the Pocso Act, 2012, it is necessary to commit an act of harassment with sexual intent, said justice Bharati Dangre while granting pre-arrest bail to Ravindra Khude. Khude was booked on the basis of a 17-year-old girls complaint on August 1. The judge noted the reading of the first information reports (FIRs) by the parties in the case against each other suggested petty rivalry between two families. Dangre said on account of some petty reasons, there was verbal altercation over some trivial issues. It aggravated and resulted into a scuffle, added Dangre. Lucknow: Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav might have stayed in the shadows of her family seniors so far, but political insiders say that she might emerge as a force to reckon with in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Dimple, second-term MP from Kannauj, is lending a strong support to her husband Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in building an alliance with Congress for the crucial state polls. Since Akhilesh is mired in family and party affairs, Dimple is being used as an emissary by him to convey the message for formulating a strong alliance, a Congress leader said. With Dimple taking the role of the main negotiator for her party, Priyanka Gandhi appears to be donning the same role for Congress as the two have had at least one meeting in New Delhi a couple of days ago, he said. Akhilesh Yadav has publicly supported an alliance with the Congress saying that it will help win over 300 seats in the 403 constituencies in the state, whereas his father and party supremo Mulayam Singh has opposed such a tie-up. Although posters featuring Dimple and Priyanka came up in Allahabad recently, party functionaries said it was an act of a few individuals. It seems that some individuals have worked on their own in this regard (posters)....we will go ahead on any such thing only after a green signal from the party high command, district unit president of Congress Anil Dwivedi said. The party insiders believe that the coming together of Samajwadi Party and Congress will be in the interest of both, especially the latter, which has been out of power for 27 years. Another Congress leader said the alliance will be formally announced as soon as the Election Commission gives its verdict on the Samajwadi Party symbol, with some smaller outfits also finding a place in the tie-up. The Mulayam and Akhilesh Yadav camps of the ruling Samajwadi Party have staked claim over cycle symbol of the party. The Election Commission, which has heard both the sides, has said that a judgement will be delivered at the earliest as the process of filing nominations for the phase one of the Assembly elections will begin on January 17. Also read: Samajwadi Party feud: 'Bicycle' war may end in truce as 'Margdarshak' Mulayam tones down stance, EC reserves order on symbol, expected to pass interim order before Jan 17 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Two homeless men are being hailed for their efforts cleaning up the beaches of San Diego after being spotted on a webcam all the way from New Jersey 2,000 miles away. Mark Pacana, a New Jersey resident on the east coast, has dreams of moving to San Diego; every morning, he wakes up and watches the shoreline of Ocean Beach through the Ace Tattoo Surf Cam. Once this became his ritual, it didnt take long for Pacana to notice a trend: every morning, around 5 a.m., two men made their way around the beach, carrying buckets and picking up trash. Pacana was so inspired by the sight of these two selfless strangers, he wrote a letter to CBS8 asking them to thank the good Samaritans. Inspired by Pacanas letter, the news outlets Jeff Zevely decided to investigate the story further. He dialed Mark on a video call to get more details. (Illustration Christopher David Semple/Shutterstock) Every morning, Pacana told CBS, I see a little minivan pull up, a beige minivan. They get out, they open the back of their minivan, they pull out two buckets, and they walk around the entire beach area cleaning up. God bless them for doing what they are doing. Pacana asked again if the news station could thank the men for their efforts to clean the beach. Zevely readily agreed, but he couldnt have expected that hed find not just two good Samaritans but two homeless men, selflessly cleaning the beach for free. David Hendon and Marc Gervais are friends who live in a van near Ocean Beach with their dog, Pico. When asked why they get up at 5 a.m. every day and tirelessly clean up the beach, Gervais told CBS, I love this community and people come down here at night and break bottles and you know we are dog lovers and I hate to see a dog on a piece of glass and cut their paws. Hendon and Gervais are recovered drug addicts. They said that after getting clean, they decided they might as well pay it forward and put some good back into the world. For four years, they have picked up trash, swept the sidewalks, and even sifted cigarette butts out of the sand. We are homeless, not moral-less, Gervais said. My dad taught me the first time I went fishing, you always make a place look better than when you got there. Though they ask for nothing in return, they arent without need. As it turns out, their minivan needs some work, and if they dont get help soon, the van will be towed, and theyll be out on the streets. Back on the east coast, Pacana was awestruck upon receiving news of Zevelys findings. Amazing, he said. To find two people, homeless, taking it upon themselves to clean up a beach area every single night. You know Im warm, it warms me up especially considering all of the B.S. that is going on in the world right now. Pacana suggested setting up a GoFundMe to help out. Hendon and Gervais were too proud to ask for more than $1,500, but at the time of this article, the GoFundMe has already raised over $26,000 from strangers who were inspired by their selflessness. On the GoFundMe page, one donator wrote, The world needs more kindness like this. Thanks for doing your best to do your part. Wish I could give more. I hope the best for you. Be blessed. When asked if he would like to say anything to Hendon and Gervais, Pacana said, Thank you for being a good citizen. More people need to take a page out of their book. God bless them, thats amazing. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc SPRINGFIELD Traffic through Court Square is being blocked until Monday morning as artists and volunteers create a street mural saying Black Lives Matter in Springfield. Organized by City Councilor at Large Tracye Whitfield, the mural leaves no confusion about what it means. Black Lives Matter, painted in yellow across the pavement in 20-foot-tall letters, will run nearly the length of Court Street in front of City Hall. Where the mural is placed is as important and the message itself. If the mayor sees it every day, if the elected officials see it all the time, then it will become ingrained in their thinking and in their culture, she said. We want to make the bold statement that if you do not believe that Black people deserve the basic human rights of others that Springfield, Mass., is not going to stand for that. As volunteers began painting in the temporary outlines of the mural, lead artist Kim Carlino used a stretched chalk line and a tape measure to mark the exact position of the letters. Carlino said she uses a grid method, laying out each letter for the same height but different widths. The "M" in Matter measures 13 feet wide, while the "I" in Lives is about 2 feet wide. It is classic typography on a huge scale. I feel like I am creating a container for the community, she said. For me, it felt like a great way as an artist to come out and support the movement with actual action. I do street murals like this in my own work, and I have experience working on the ground, taking a design and moving it to scale. Ramiro Davaro handled the logistics for Saturdays work. He estimated the 40 volunteers would use about 25 gallons of yellow paint to cover the letters of the mural. Its a special paint for use on asphalt to make sure it stays a lot longer than, for example, traditional acrylic paint, he said. Davaro also brings his art expertise to the Springfield project. He just completed managing an asphalt painting project in Northampton and a concrete barrier beautification project as well. Mary Friedman, from Longmeadow, carefully rolled out the yellow paint, filling in the outline of one letter Saturday morning. A member of the Pioneer Valley Project, she said she participates in justice actions frequently. She said working on the Court Square mural is important to her. Absolutely, particularly for us white folks, she said. You know, we need to show solidarity, we need to be part of this. This is historic, this movement. Three letters down from Friedman, Anthony Dixson was filling in a K. He said he felt the need to contribute in some way. There are a bunch of disparities that are happening in the world right now, he said. If you can do a little bit of good and bring attention to people who are suffering, you should do it no matter what. People just want to be treated like you would treat your brother. If you saw your brother in need, wouldnt you help him? Thats what I believe doing this will show people, that we need to treat people with respect and dignity. The mural was not the only art project underway in Court Square Saturday. As volunteers painted in the gargantuan letters, several artists created smaller-scale works on the Black Lives Matter theme. Martin Thomas was preparing his canvas for a Ruby Bridges-themed work. Bridges was the 6-year-old girl escorted by federal marshals into a New Orleans elementary school in 1960, becoming the first Black child to attend that school. Richard Johnson worked on a painting that included elephants and women in African-styled dress. The black elephants kind of represent Black good luck and the Black women represent the mothers who are praying over Black lives, he said. City officials said Court Street, between Main Street and East Columbus Avenue, will be closed through the weekend until Monday morning. New Delhi, Sep 12 : Despite several rounds of review meetings and even more detailed Covid-19 protocols to be in place in Parliament as it resumes this Monday, there will be a number of MPs who will skip it, regardless. While many of them are worried about their age and the government's suggestion of staying indoors for those with co-morbidities , others are battling Covid, or have simply come out of it or other diseases that make them vulnerable. BJP's Belagavi MP and Union junior minister for Railways Suresh Angadi will definitely give the monsoon session a miss as he has tested Covid-positive. Though he says he continues to remain "fine" and "asymptomatic", attending the House is out of question for the Minister. Meanwhile, Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik, was on Saturday discharged from a Panaji hospital after being admitted for the same deadly virus, for a month. In fact, his situation turned serious following which a central team from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences was monitoring his health. However, it's very unlikely the 67-year-old minister will attend the parliament session. Meanwhile, at least seven Trinamool Congress MPs including its Chief Whip in the Rajya Sabha Shukhendu Sekhar Roy have decided to give the monsoon session a miss. "I wrote to the House Chairman informing that I will not be attending this session primarily due to two reasons: my age and the order of the Home Secretary during unlock, asking people above 65 years of age to stay indoors, which I have enclosed. As lawmakers, we cannot be lawbreakers," Roy told IANS. According to Roy, at least 3 TMC MPs in the Lok Sabha and 4 in the Rajya Sabha, including him, have decided not to attend this monsoon session. Roy claims, In the Lok Sabha, TMC's Kolkata North MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Kanthi MP Shishir Adhikari and Mathurapur MP Chowdhury Mohan Jatua will also skip the session. While Bandyopadhyay is 67 years old, Adhikari and Jatua are 78 years and 82 years old respectively, putting all of them under vulnerable categories. Speaking to IANS, Adhikari confirmed,"Yes, that is correct. I am not attending Parliament this time. My age doesn't permit me to, at the time of a pandemic." Similarly in the upper house, Roy claims he, who is also the Trinamool Congress's Chief Whip along with other 3 TMC members have decided not to attend. The other three are Subrata Bakshi, Manas Bhuiyan and Subhasish Chakraborty. However, Roy adds that there is no party diktat but it was a "joint decision" by the concerned members. While there is no confirmation of whether they will attend or not, there are a lot of ailing members or those recuperating who definitely fall under the category of being vulnerable. Sources have told IANS that Congress President Sonia Gandhi is likely to fly out abroad for availing medical treatments. Also a BJP Rajya Sabha member who is still recuperating from his cancer treatment, was advised to stay indoors by his doctors, way before India came to learn the term 'quarantine'. However, sources say two Congress seniors -- 87-year-old former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as well as 79-year-old AK Antony -- are very likely to attend the monsoon session, despite their age. Shukhendu Shekhar Roy said a lot of this absenteeism could have been avoided had the government shifted the Parliament session to a larger space such as the Talkatora Stadium. "The government talks of 'do gaj ki doori' (keeping a distance of two yards). If the session was arranged at Talkatora Stadium, there would be 'das gaj ki doori' (a distance of 10 yards). But here, we are, having the monsoon session in the Parliament building," Roy told IANS. He also warned about the risk it puts the attending members in, given the vast numbers of drivers, secretariat staff, security officers who will also be in the same space. Interestingly, on the very first day this session, the upper House will see a strong fight for the post of the Deputy chairperson. RJD leader Manoj Jha is backed by opposition parties as NDA propped up JDU's Harivansh Narayan Singh. With the BJP already issuing a three-line whip to all its Rajya Sabha members to be present on Monday, it remains to be seen how the first Parliament session after the pandemic works. (Anindya Banerjee can be contacted at anindya.b@ians.in) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-13 02:33:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Smoke rises after a fire erupted at the Al-Sabah health zone in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on Sept. 12, 2020. A huge fire erupted Saturday afternoon at the Al-Sabah health zone in Kuwait City and the fire has been brought under control, the Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD) said. (Photo by Ghazy Qaffaf/Xinhua) KUWAIT CITY, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- A huge fire erupted Saturday afternoon at the Al-Sabah health zone in Kuwait City, capital of Kuwait, and the fire has been brought under control, the Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD) said. Currently, more than 300 firefighters are trying to extinguish the fire that gutted in a parking lot of a building under construction in the health zone, KFSD said in a press statement. According to the statement, some floors of the building had been transformed into makeshift warehouses where materials had been stacked randomly with no consideration to safety rules. Fifty-five firefighters were injured after they were exposed to the blaze, it said. Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anas Al-Saleh has arrived at the site to follow up on the case and investigations into the cause of the blaze are ongoing, it noted. Enditem Parents, staff and students in Cy-Fair ISD experienced their first week of instruction as students began the new school year Tuesday either online through CFISD Connect, or on campus with new guidelines in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. To prepare for the school year, Cy-Fair ISD installed physical barriers, created one-way paths for hallways, required masks for all who enter the building and distanced students within classrooms. Laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots were also given to families before the beginning of the semester in order for them to attend live classes through the internet. Back-to-school amid the pandemic: Cy-Fair ISD prepares for fall semester to start Sept. 8 It was great to have students back on campuses this week, Leslie Francis, assistant superintendent of communication, said in an email. Principals reported that on-campus students and staff are all taking health and safety precautions very seriously. Though 2020-2021 is going to be different, we remain committed to providing a high-quality education and a safe learning environment for all CFISD students. On HoustonChronicle.com: An inside look at Rices outdoor classrooms for in-person classes Cy-Fair ISD began both in-person and virtual classes on Sept. 8 across all campuses. Parent Julie Porter, who has a daughter that is attending classes in-person at Bridgeland High School, said they chose to go in-person because they were tired of waiting to go back to normalcy. Porter said her daughter has settled into her classes, which have students separated from other desks and ask students to wear masks and use hand sanitizer. Theyre very up on the mask, she said. Shed taken it off for a second to put some Chapstick on and her teacher told her to put it back on. Parent Jennifer Ramirez said her students first day of virtual learning went well, with a few hiccups. We are virtual and the teachers and technology were amazing for day 1, she said. Teachers dont get enough credit. We worked hard beforehand creating a productive workspace for an elementary and middle schooler. I expect every day to get better and better. Mindee Kohring said her child, who is learning virtually, was not able to work on school assignments until 1 p.m. on the first day of school, although the second day was smoother. I think it will pan out, Kohring said, though she looks forward to her child eventually resuming in-person classes. Francis said the district is working on the virtual system, providing support along the way. Learning a new platform takes time, and we continue to educate and provide support to our teachers, students and parents, she said in an email. Many campuses are providing their own technology help, in addition to the districts Customer Care Center in order to respond quickly to parents technology concerns. For more information, visit www.cfisd.net/en . chevall.pryce@chron.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 05:12:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meet the press after their talks in Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi) MOSCOW, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia should strengthen cooperation in the fight against COVID-19 and other areas to promote bilateral relations, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday. After 70 years of hardships, China-Russia relationship has become more mature, more stable, and more dynamic, Wang said at a press conference after meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. While commending the achievements of China-Russia relations, Wang said, "We must think deeply how we can maintain, consolidate and develop our bilateral relationship in the new situation," adding that it is not only related to the development and revitalization of the two countries and the well-being of their peoples, but also has exemplary significance globally. Therefore, the two sides should strengthen cooperation in four areas, said the Chinese top diplomat. First, China and Russia should be supporters for international cooperation in the fight against COVID-19, Wang said. Facing the pandemic, the international community needs unity instead of selfishness, collaboration instead of blame-shifting. China and Russia are willing to work together with all parties to firmly support the World Health Organization, do a good job in normalizing epidemic prevention and control, and make vaccines a universally accessible public product for the whole world. The irresponsible act of releasing "political virus" instead of controlling the spread of the novel coronavirus should be opposed, so as to nurture a sound political environment and favorable public opinion for international cooperation in the fight against COVID-19, he said. Second, the two countries should be examples of major powers living in harmony, Wang said. Being each other's largest neighboring country, China and Russia are the world's largest countries in terms of population and territorial area respectively, he said, noting that the larger a country's size, the greater its responsibility. The two sides will take the implementation of the consensus of the two heads of state as the core task, continue to deepen mutual political trust and strategic cooperation, push forward the docking of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with the Eurasian Economic Union, and promote the mutually beneficial development of the BRI and the Greater Eurasian Partnership, and set an example for cooperation between major powers, Wang said. Third, the two sides should be leaders in cutting-edge science and technology, Wang said. China and Russia have huge complementary advantages and potential for cooperation in the development of science and technology. They will take advantage of the Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation between the two countries, vigorously develop and implement strategic projects, deepen cooperation in the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, promote talent exchanges, and encourage high-tech and Internet companies to start businesses and invest in the other country, providing scientific and technological support for the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries and their respective national economy and people's livelihood, he said. Fourth, the two countries should be guardians of international fairness and justice, Wang said. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and the founding of the United Nations (UN), and the international community is faced with a historic test that needs it to make a choice between multilateralism and unilateralism, and between cooperation and confrontation, he added. As permanent members of the UN Security Council and major emerging economies, China and Russia are willing to work with the international community to firmly safeguard the core position of the UN in international system, abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, reiterate the commitment to multilateralism, actively reform and improve global governance system, advocate the construction of an open world economy, and join hands to build a community with a shared future for mankind, Wang said. Enditem The Minister of Culture, Bogdan Gheorghiu, on Saturday stated that museums in Romania face "a problem of specialists," one of the options for attracting them being to remunerate them from external funding sources. "Currently, the Brukenthal Museum [in Sibiu - editor's note]has 127 positions in the organizational chart, only 107 occupied. At the moment (...) we are considering several options and the most efficient, fast and plausible one seems to me to be accessing projects through the Project Management Unit. This unit generally implements projects from Norwegian funds or EU," said Minister of Culture, Bogdan Gheorghiu.According to the Minister of Culture, the most sought-after specialists in the field of museums prefer collaborations with public institutions on externally funded projects, because that way they are better paid."Employees can be hired on the project. If the project is for a period of three years, they are employed on that project and even the salary is financed from the project's funding sources, respectively from external funds. And I think this is the most viable solution, because then you can pay better the specialists and in general, the specialists nowadays, especially the very sought after ones, prefer such collaborations, in which they can have a greater flexibility in carrying out their activity," specified the Minister of Culture, Bogdan Gheorghiu.The Minister of Culture, Bogdan Gheorghiu, together with the Deputy Prime Minister Raluca Turcan visited on Saturday the Brukenthal National Museum in Sibiu. Madurai: A 19-year-old medical aspirant died of alleged suicide here on Saturday, apparently 'apprehensive' over the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET), police said. The victim, identified as Jothisri Durga, daughter of a police Sub-Inspector, was found hanging at her residence and a purported suicide note left behind by her said she was 'apprehensive' about NEET though others had high 'hopes' on her, they said. According to ANI, a note left behind by her reads, "I really studied well but I'm afraid if I can't get seat I'll disappoint everyone. I'm sorry." The death, which comes days after another medical aspirant in Ariyalur in the state also allegedly committed suicide, drew sharp responses from Tamil Nadu political parties opposed to NEET, even as Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam of the ruling AIADMK expressed shock over the incident. DMK President M K Stalin said NEET "is not an exam at all." Taking to Twitter, Palaniswami expressed grief over the "sad" incident and said students have many avenues to taste success and resorting to such extreme steps was distressing. "It is distressing to see students, the hope for the future, taking such steps," he said. Condoling the girl's death, he expressed his sympathies with the family. In a tweet, Panneerselvam expressed grief over such incidents concerning the students, who are the "pillars of the future." "Students should learn to face any situation with guts and parents should aid them in this," the deputy CM, also the AIADMK Coordinator, said. State Revenue Minister R B Udhayakumar visited the family and consoled them. Stalin, Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, expressed shock over the alleged suicide, but said killing oneself was not the solution. "We can realise from the death of Anitha (a medical aspirant who died of suicide in 2017) to Jothisri Durga that NEET is severely affecting students," he said in a tweet. "I repeat, suicide is not a solution; NEET is not an exam at all. #BanNeet_SaveTNStudents," he added. In a separate statement, he appealed to students not to resort to such extreme steps, asserting that success has to be achieved through struggle. Training his guns on the Centre and the state government, he said "the student community is falling prey to the fire called NEET fuelled by them." Assuring his party's support to the students on the issue, he said the DMK was prepared to take forward any legal or political struggle against NEET. Meanwhile, DMK Youth Wing Secretary and Stalin's son, Udhayanidhi visited the family and provided an assistance of five lakh. PMK MP Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, whose party is an NDA constituent, condoled the student's death and expressed his sympathies with her family. "#SayNoToNEET #BanNEET," the PMK Youth Wing leader tweeted. His father and party founder Dr S Ramadoss also called for scrapping the exam. MDMK founder and Rajya Sabha MP Vaiko slammed the BJP-led Centre, saying suicides of students in the state was happening due to the "imposition" of NEET on them. Recalling various instances of suicides by students in Tamil Nadu, including that of Anitha, which had sparked an outrage in the state, Vaiko alleged that despite their high class XII scores, students from the poorer sections were 'filtered' in NEET and their medical dreams 'destroyed.' "Cancellation of NEET alone can prevent such deaths," he said in a statement. Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader and independent legislator, T T V Dhinakaran and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan also expressed anguish over Durga's death. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain a batch of pleas seeking deferment or cancellation of NEET scheduled for Sunday. A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan had said that authorities will take all necessary steps for conducting the NEET-undergraduate exam amid the COVID-19 pandemic for admission in medical courses. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics The government has presented 25 vehicles and 24 motorbikes to four public institutions to facilitate their work as well as assist them to improve on their performance. The vehicles were procured with funds secured from the World Bank for the Public Sector Reform for Results Project (PSRRP) . Entities that are to benefit from the donation are the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation, the Office of the Senior Minister and the Births and Deaths Registry. The DVLA received six minibusses while the Births and Deaths Registry got 10 pickups and 23 motorbikes, with the Monitoring and Evaluation Ministry and the Senior Ministers Office receiving four and five vehicles each. PSRRP The PSRRP is a government initiative to support the implementation of the National Public Sector Reform Strategy. The project aims to assist 16 selected ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to improve their efficiency and accountability in the delivery of key public services to the citizenry and firms. At a presentation ceremony in Accra yesterday, the Senior Minister, Mr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo, said the governments donation was a significant milestone in the implementation process of the PSRRP. He said the logistics support would make the public sector responsive, efficient and effective in its service delivery programmes. The people and the private sector expect the public sector to be more responsive to their needs. How quickly public services are delivered, how citizens and firms are able to convert their needs into opportunities and whether the government, through the public sector, is responsive to their needs are key to increasing economic growth, Mr Osafo-Maafo said. The senior minister also said the World Bank, in collaboration with his office, had also procured other equipment and undergone major consultancy services all in a bid to hasten services delivery in the public sector. Revamping the public sector The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Public Sector Reforms, Mr. Kusi Boafo, said several attempts had been made over the years to improve upon public services rendered to citizens of the country and civic institutions. He said through those attempts the government had become more self-assured in its determination to improve institutions in the public sector so they could provide timely and efficient services. Monitoring and Evaluation The Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei, for his part, said the vehicles would help enhance the ministrys monitoring and data collection activities in the field as it was responsible for the third component of the PSRRP. That component, he said, focused on monitoring and evaluation activities across the government sector for purposes of strengthening institutional capacity and promoting results-based stakeholder engagements. According to Dr. Osei, the ministry was on track towards achieving objectives set under the component. 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 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. When asked if reporters were threatening their businesses in order to receive advertising in their newspapers, a number of businesspeople said there "have been numerous such cases". T, the media executive of a large private corporation, showed VietNamNet reporters a message on his mobile phone, which had been sent that day. Nguyen Tri Thuc from Tap Chi Cong San The sender introduced himself as a reporter and asked for a meeting with the spokesperson of the corporation to get some related documents. The executive asked the reporter to send questions via email and said he would reply. However, the reporter refused and stressed that he would still publish the article even though he could not meet the spokesperson. He also warned that the opinions of the companys leaders would be recorded and would appear in the follow-ups of a series of articles. But what if he (the reporter) truly wanted to meet the companys leaders to get information? VietNamNet reporters asked. No," the executive asserted, adding that he has been in the post for many years and he knows who just wants money and who wants to meet for information. He mentioned another story. One day, we had a small environmental incident. A reporter called us and threatened that if we did not sign an advertisement contract worth VND100 million, he would 'fling articles about the incident at the company, he said. The common trick used by reporters is that they say they know a lot of information which may be disadvantageous to the company, and if the company wants to settle the problem it needs to have a working session with our leaders. The final purpose of the meetings is to obtain contracts from the company. However, he refused to sign the contract. If we had signed it, more and more reporters would come and ask the same thing, he explained. When asked why he did not report the cases to the police, T said it would be better for the company to keep silent, because while the grass grows, the horse starves. The common trick used by reporters is that they say they know a lot of information which may be disadvantageous to the company, and if the company wants to settle the problem it needs to have a working session with our leaders. The final purpose of the meetings is to obtain contracts from the company. Meanwhile, a media representative of a state-owned enterprise said that he receives numerous calls from press agencies, inviting him to sign advertisement contracts, sponsor events, and run media campaigns. I dont know if they are real reporters, or they are just officials of advertising agencies. If we refuse the invitations for cooperation, they will call again and again, and threaten us, he said. We are a state owned enterprise with limited budget for media campaigns. And we cannot sign advertisement contracts with all newspapers, he said. In another case, a newspaper published tens of articles, disclosing the problems of a state-owned enterprise, with materials provided by some sources. At that time, the leader of the company was seriously ill and had left Vietnam for overseas medical treatment. The newspaper then reported that he had tried to flee abroad. Later, the problems shown in the articles were clarified by the police. The problems had been wrongdoings made by their predecessors, which did not have any relation to the current management board. The people who borrowed the power of the press to manipulate the business were prosecuted. Black patron In the last months of the year, some press agencies turn on the green light on to reporters to visit businesses, asking the latter to sign advertisement contracts in exchange for press agencies silence. V.X.H, deputy CEO of a real estate firm, said every time the firm plans to introduce a new project, he has to meet reporters to give a "black patron" package. This money is given to a reporter who is the head of a team of reporters, who divides it among others. When bad news about projects appears in newspapers, the reporters change the information or take down the articles. Businesses fear press agencies Nguyen Tri Thuc from Tap Chi Cong San (Communist Journal) said the press has acquired a bad reputation and he sometimes feels ashamed and dare not say he is a journalist. Thuc said the harassment by the press has become alarming, making businesses afraid of meeting journalists. If businesses give money to one newspaper, other newspapers will come with the same scenarios, he said. Some officials in provinces said they are more afraid of meeting the press than their superiors, he added. Many businesses have reported cases to the police and appropriate agencies and asked for help. Many cases in which reporters extorted money from businesses were caught red-handed and brought to court. Ngo Huy Toan from the Ministry of Information and Communications inspection agency noted that the reporters extorting money are from certain press agencies, especially online newspapers under associations. Nguyen The Ky, General Director of the Voice of Vietnam (VOV), stated that this not only spoils press agencies, but also the leaders of the press agencies. A press agency is like a family, if the parents are decent, love their children, have real responsibility for their children, the children will always respect them. But if parents pamper and cover up for their naughty children, and use dirty money their children earn, the families will be damaged and value will disappear. In current conditions, leaders of press agencies, press management agencies and governing bodies are required to be more exemplary, responsible, and serious. The press agencies that have good regulations, and regularly cultivate ideology and political and social knowledge among their staff, will develop and become prestigious. Ha Duy - An Phuong - Manh Hung - Le Nam - Nhan Tung Leaders of Maryland's commission on African American History and Culture and an associated museum were told by state officials not to use the term "police brutality," prompting some to decry what they considered an attempt to censor their speech. The directive from a state agency came, two people involved in the dispute said, after the executive director of the Banneker-Douglass Museum was challenged for using "police brutality" in a written statement and later had the phrase edited out of a news release. Both people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the incident. The commission's chair, Tamara Wilson, said an official from the Governor's Office of Community Initiatives, which oversees the commission and the museum, told her not to use "police brutality." But Wilson declined to provide additional details. Both the office of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and the community initiatives office said there is no blanket ban on the term "police brutality," which was included in a recent Baltimore Sun editorial column co-authored by Sam Abed, Hogan's secretary of the Department of Juvenile Services. But Hogan spokeswoman Shareese Churchill acknowledged that the phrase was removed from the museum's July 3 news release about a Breonna Taylor mural and replaced with the term "systemic racism." Churchill said the change was made because the latter "is more of an umbrella term, a broader term, intended to strengthen the message." The debate over what was said to the commission - and why - comes as protests over the police shooting of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., continue to roil communities across the country. It sheds light on the sensitive and sometimes precarious choices that governments make when trying to position themselves in relation to these protests, and the determination of people inside and outside government to hold their elected representatives accountable. After Wilson notified other members of the commission about the instruction not to use the phrase "brutality," they roundly agreed in an Aug. 3 public meeting not to abide by the request. Several of the commissioners denounced what they said appeared to be an attempt to soften the speech around police killings of Black people. Chanel Compton, director of the Banneker-Douglass Museum, said in a statement that terms such as "police brutality" and "white supremacy" are commonly used in scholarship on Black civil rights movements. "At times, these terms can be very difficult to confront, but truthful portrayals of Black history is critical to racial equity," Compton's statement said. "The Banneker-Douglass Museum and the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture are committed to this critical work." She declined to answer questions. The 16-member commission, which is charged with documenting and promoting the history of African Americans in Maryland, includes prominent Black lawmakers, activists and community leaders, among them Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., a former NAACP chief. The Banneker-Douglass Museum, located in Annapolis, is the state's official museum on African American history. Discussion over the phrase "police brutality" first came up in June when the commission and the museum published a statement in response to the killing of Floyd, the two individuals who spoke on the condition of anonymity said. "The MCAAHC and BDM honor and exalt the lives of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and every Black brother and sister who have lost their lives as a result of police brutality and vigilante acts," the June 6 statement said. According to one of the two individuals, Heather Epkins, a spokeswoman for the Governor's Office of Community Initiatives, then told Compton that the museum and commission should avoid using the phrase "police brutality" because it was not inclusive. A month later, the phrase was removed from the July 3 news release about the 7,000-square-foot mural in Annapolis that honors Taylor, a Louisville woman fatally shot by police in her apartment. Epkins referred questions to Churchill and Steven McAdams, the director of the Governor's Office of Community Initiatives. McAdams declined requests for an interview about whether the phrase "police brutality" was banned. "Our office has no policies of this nature, and we regret if there was any miscommunication," he said in a statement. "We appreciate the Commission's leadership in bringing these important issues to the forefront." When the Taylor mural was unveiled on July 7, Compton told reporters it was meant to raise awareness of "police brutality and vigilante violence against Black people in Maryland." Several weeks later, Wilson said, Compton informed her about another conversation with Epkins. She said Epkins told the museum director that members of the commission and staff at the museum should not use the term "police brutality" in their formal roles. Wilson then sent an email to Epkins asking for written confirmation of that policy, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post. "It has come to my attention through Director Compton that your office has mandated that we . . . are prohibited from using the term 'police brutality' in our communications in an effort to correlate with Governor Hogan's messaging," Wilson said in the July 31 email, which she also forwarded to state Sen. Jill Carter, D-Baltimore City, and all members of the commission. "Would you please corroborate this by providing clarity to the mandate or correction if it is in error." When the commission met four days later, Wilson told those in attendance she had not received a response. "We have not received anything in writing, so as far as we are concerned, we will continue to move forward with [using the term,]" she said, according to a video recording of the meeting. "To use the term 'brutality' is mild [given] what has historically happened to men of color," replied Steven X. Lee, a commissioner from Baltimore County and the former director of the Banneker-Douglass Museum. "This is not about our emotions and our feelings," Wilson continued. "This is about facts that can be documented throughout history. . . . We do a disservice to the community by using terms that may be passive and that make other people feel better about what they've done." Mfume said in an interview that he is not certain whether there was an order not to use the term, given there was nothing in writing, but he was glad Wilson "rang the alarm" by bringing the issue to the commission's attention. "Just the notion is a little awkward and chilling," he said of the controversy. Churchill, the Hogan spokeswoman, said no one from the commission has asked the governor's office directly if there is a policy on using the term "police brutality." "If they had they would have been told 'no,' " she said, adding that there appeared to be some miscommunication between the state agency, museum and commission. Carter said it is "absolutely absurd" for any part of the Hogan administration to tell members of the commission how to discuss the impact of policing on African American communities. Members are appointed to the commission because of their expertise on the issues that disproportionately affect Black communities, she said. "What we're dealing with is rampant, unchecked police brutality - it's the issue of the day," she said. "Let's call it what it is." Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 19:59:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VALLETTA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Three books about China dating back to the 18th century have been found recently in the national library of Malta by a senior science teacher. The three old books are "not so rare but still very prestigious for our national collection", Martin Azzopardi who found the books when researching old texts and books about China in the library, told Xinhua. He works as a senior science teacher at St. Margaret College Secondary School Verdala, Cospicua. One book he found in the library often known as National Bibliotheca, dates back to the year 1723. Besides account of then history, it also talks about Chinese customs, manners, religion and costumes. The other two date back to the year 1760 and 1770 respectively. "These three books are a big part of the national heritage books in our National Bibliotheca in Malta," said Azzopadi, adding that the authors of these books "contributed to the building of a bridge of understanding between the West and the East." The books are in a very bad condition awaiting restoration now. Maroma Camilleri, librarian of the national library of Malta, said, "We will do our best to restore them as soon as possible so that we can make these precious works known and appreciated." Enditem California Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing to speed up his states effort to fight climate change as wildfires rip through the region at a record pace and a 1,000-mile sheet of smoke drives air quality to dangerous levels. This is a climate damn emergency. This is real, Newsom said in a briefing Friday from a fire zone in Butte County, surrounded by charred trees shrouded in smoke. His comments came as air quality across the US West deteriorated in the wake of record-breaking wildfires that have consumed more than 3.1 million acres in California and 1.4 million acres in Washington and Oregon. Damage could top $50 billion, according to Chuck Watson, a disaster modeler with Enki Research. And Oregon officials warn that the blazes may have claimed many lives, although they have not yet released a death count. In California, 20 people have died during the last month of relentless wildfires. We are 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 the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. About 40,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and around 500,000 residents are under evacuation notice in the state. Newsom said the string of calamities striking the West Coast -- record heat waves, massive fires, smoke-filled skies blotting out the sun -- were exactly the kinds of problems long forecast by climate scientists, only theyre happening sooner than expected. He said hed tasked the heads of the California Environmental Protection Agency and the natural resources agency with reviewing the states climate programs and finding a way to achieve 100% clean energy sooner than the current goal of 2045. I think 2045s too late, Newsom said. The move, however, may garner pushback, as Californias aggressive push toward clean energy in recent years was partly to blame for blackouts during an August heatwave, the states first rolling outages in 20 years. The air quality index in Eugene, Oregon, neared the ceiling set by the US Environmental Protection Agency on Friday while Portland and Seattle had the worst air quality among major world cities, according to IQAir AirVisual pollution data. The gloom will last into the weekend before a Pacific storm bringing rain to coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest and winds in Northern California may push the smoke eastward, according to the National Weather Service. While the weather system might move the smoke, theres also the risk that winds could fan the fires further, especially over the Sierra Nevada mountains, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Sacramento. Earlier this week, a wind storm prompted utilities in California and Oregon to proactively shut down power lines lest they be toppled by high winds and ignite new blazes. Utility PG&E Corp. said it found at least 52 instances of damage to its de-energized equipment from the wind storm. The moisture is good for fire suppression, but the winds are not, Chandler-Cooley said. There are no critical fire weather conditions present across the US and none forecast through the weekend, the US Storm Prediction Center said. However, low humidity in many areas of the West and high temperatures mean the risk of fire spreading will remain. The highest chances for rain will be in Oregon and Washington, said Bryan Jackson, a meteorologist with the US Weather Prediction Center. A senior lawyer representing actor Rhea Chakraborty in connection with the Sushant Singh Rajput case in court said on Saturday he does not have any account on Twitter. Dear Friends, this is NOT my Twitter Account and a Fake one created by some so called Fan. Its Fake news being spread and I have no concern whatsoever with this Tweet. I have said so earlier. Im taking Criminal and Civil steps to stop this nonsense, Satish Maneshinde said in a statement. Maneshinde, a criminal lawyer, is helping Rhea Chakraborty fight the case in court. He had said on Friday that the 28-year-old actor could move the Bombay high court after her bail plea was rejected by a special court. Once we get a copy of the order, we will decide on the course of action about approaching the high court, said Maneshinde. Also read: BJP wont rest till Sushant Singh Rajput gets justice, says Fadnavis The special court had rejected the bail applications of Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and four other accused arrested in connection with a probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death. The six are among nine people arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), which is probing allegations of drug abuse and distribution in the case. Chakraborty, who has been booked under section 27A or financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, said she was innocent and had been falsely implicated. Also read: Rhea Chakraborty being kept in jail cell without bed, pillow or fan The allegations against the present accused would, at the most, make out a case of purchasing a small quantity of a 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, she said in her plea. Rhea was arrested on September 8 and sent to judicial custody till September 22. Theres a reason that Blasy Electric, Inc, a fixture in the Midland community since 1965, continues to rack up awards and accolades for residential and commercial work, both on high-profile projects and smaller ones alike. Its because we have the best employees, explained Brad Blasy, second generation owner of a company founded by his father, Don, after learning the electrical company added another honor to its growing list: The 2020 Daily News Readers Choice for Best Electrical Company. Blasy has been part of the business for 24 years, the last year and a half or so as its president and CEO. Hes seen and done a lot during his lengthy tenure with the company. So when he mentions how impressed he was when his crews sprung into action to help restore power to so many homeowners and business owners left in the dark (and worse) during the historic flood in mid-May, you tend to believe him. I cant give the service teams enough credit, Blasy said. They really answered the call during the flood. They worked multiple days in a row, evenings, weekends, doing whatever it took to restore power. It got to the point that I had to about force them to take a day off to retain their sanity. Mandy Marr, Blasys service team leader, was front and center during this pressure-packed and stressful time. She does a phenomenal job of interacting with customers, praised Blasy. She provides the personal attention our company is noted for and schedules our service electricians so efficiently. No job is too big or too small for a company that has done major work for many high-profile Midland organizations such as the Great Lakes Loons, Midland Country Club, Northwood University, the Midland Center for the Arts and Mid Michigan Medical Center, to name a few. The same level of skill and attention to detail is given to every job, regardless of scope and price. I am so proud of our employees for their commitment to work as a team and value each and every job, Blasy said. One of our companys top goals is 100% customer retention and customer satisfaction. Were able to reap the benefits of this and other awards because of the type of culture weve built here. Blasys commitment to safety has earned it a number of national awards through the years. The company also gives back, philanthropically, to a community that has supported it for 55 years. The company has about 35 employees and each of them, like service leader Mandy Marr, take seriously a shared responsibility to uphold the companys solid reputation. The company has name recognition, earned over decades of stellar electrical service and contracting. Blasy combines small town values with big-time resources. It all adds up to electrical work, performed by highly trained and dedicated staff, that the Midland community and beyond continues to rely on. Delhi Metro resumed its normal operations from Saturday and Delhi Metro Railway Corporation (DMRC) trains on all routes will run according to pre-lockdown timings of 6 am to 11 pm. DMRC has asked commuters to ensure social distancing in metros in order to avoid spreading the coronavirus. Delhi Metro was shut down for more than 5 months due to the lockdown and reopened on September 7. DMRC had earlier said that it will introduce flying squads and charge hefty fines to commuters who do not adhere to the preventive measures to stop the spread of Covid-19 suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the ministry of health and family welfare. A report published by Hindustan says that 92 people were fined and challaned for not adhering to the social distancing rules and mask wearing protocols. The new travel protocols are in place to ensure your safety. Do follow the guidelines to help us serve you better. #MetroBackOnTrack pic.twitter.com/zx2eIVkQj9 Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (@OfficialDMRC) September 8, 2020 The violators were challaned Rs 200 for not sticking to the rules. DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal said that the actions were taken based on the complaints lodged by other commuters. DMRC is taking all efforts to keep your commute a safe and comfortable experience. Please follow our safety guidelines to ensure your safety. #MetroBackOnTrack pic.twitter.com/VI50DrsLkt Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (@OfficialDMRC) September 8, 2020 Stay safe and avoid physical contact. If you see someone you know, greet them with a wave or folded hands. #MetroBackOnTrack pic.twitter.com/p7W6fMBwjh Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (@OfficialDMRC) September 10, 2020 DMRC has been proactive in spreading awareness regarding social distancing on social media platforms while travelling in the Delhi Metro and continually requests its passengers to ensure those rules are being followed. Dr Martin Feeley, clinical director of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, said in an Irish Times article published today that current draconian restrictions are no longer justified to combat the virus. The doctor said that people at low risk from the virus should have been exposed to the virus during the summer months before flu season, so they could develop herd immunity and reduce the risk to vulnerable groups. In a statement issued this afternoon in response to his comments, the HSE said it dissociates itself from and rejects the comments attributed to Dr Martin Feeley as reported in the Irish Times today. Chief Clinical Officer for the HSE Dr Colm Henry said: For the avoidance of any doubt, the position as stated by Dr Feeley in the Irish Times today is not the position of the HSE on this important subject. Obsession Advertisement It comes as Dr Feeley had criticised the media and public obsession with daily case numbers of the virus when low numbers were being admitted to hospital or intensive care. The number of deaths among recent cases is less than one in a thousand. This data reflects a disease much less severe than the average annual flu, he said. Experience has taught us that at-risk and vulnerable individuals are identifiable with remarkable accuracy; and protective measures, hygiene, masks, social distancing and cocooning are effective, he told the Irish Times. Dr Feeley also said Irelands response to the virus should take into account the cost of peoples quality of life and added you cant postpone youth. The financial cost can be seen in any walk or drive through cities, towns and villages. Mortgage repayments and other financial setbacks are virtually all suffered by the young worker or business person and not by the over-65, who are guaranteed their pension, as indeed are the salaries of the individuals who decide to inflict these draconian measures, the 70 year old told the paper. There have been over 28 million cases and 900,000 deaths worldwide. In response to Dr Feeleys comments, the HSE said: The WHO declared a Covid-19 pandemic on March 11th. There have been over 28 million cases and 900,000 deaths worldwide, many among older and vulnerable populations. This is a novel coronavirus for which there is no cure or vaccination currently and against which our population have no immunity. Herd immunity for an infectious disease occurs when a sufficient proportion of the population develops a sustained immunity either through vaccination or previous infection. Relying on infection, as we now know, has the power to overwhelm healthcare systems and lead to large-scale illness and death, particularly in vulnerable populations. According to the WHO, the threshold for establishing herd immunity is not yet clear. Neither is the duration of post-infection immunity known. The most effective way of protecting older people and vulnerable groups is not by expecting them to protect themselves, but by everybody adhering to the public health advice which that will limit transmission of the virus between individuals and households. Four people have been arrested in connection with an alleged gang rape of two British girls following a private house party in the village of Marconia, in the Basilicata province of Matera in Italy. The rape allegedly happened on Monday night, and local news agency Adnkronos reported that the 15-year-old girls, who were in Marconia on holiday, were beaten before being sexually assaulted by eight people. Police are still working to identify and find four other suspects. Those arrested are said to be locals between the ages of 19 and 23, and remain in police custody at the request of the public prosecutors office. Police in Matera said in a statement on Thursday: 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. The investigative unit of Matera police headquarters has begun investigations in coordination with the public prosecutors office. It is unclear if the rape occurred during the party or at a different location. After the attack, the girls reportedly returned to the place they were staying and alerted the police. Medics attended the scene and treated the girls for injuries and shock, and then transferred them to a nearby hospital. The girls have since been discharged from hospital, reported Adnkronos. Viviana Verri, mayor of Matera, said in a statement on Facebook: The gravity of this incident deeply disturbs the serenity of a country foreign to these forms of hateful violence, even more serious because it is perpetrated against two minors. I express full confidence in the work of law enforcement and the Prosecutor of the Republic and I invite everyone to cooperate at this time, in order to bring to justice those guilty of such an atrocity. The massive wildfires ravaging the West Coast of the United States continue to burn unabated. More than 100 active fires are raging across the region, including the largest fires in the history of Washington state and California, with the fire season expected to last until at least October or November. The governments of California, Oregon and Washington have all declared a state of emergency. On Thursday night, authorities announced seven new deaths attributable to the North Complex fire in Butte County, California, bringing the total death toll in the state to 19. At least 25 people have now died in the fires across the West Coast, with dozens of people missing in the region and hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes. As with the criminal mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the mass devastation wrought by the wildfires exposes the complete inability of capitalism to address any social problem. While the fires may be considered a natural disaster, the unprecedented destruction is a product of the subordination of all aspects of society to the profit interests of the financial oligarchy. The ruling class has done nothing to address climate change, which in recent decades has created ever deeper droughts and longer and more intense wildfire seasons. State budgets have been cut to the bone, leaving fire departments drastically under-staffed and ill-prepared to handle such massive fires. So far this year, wildfires across California, Oregon and Washington have burned millions of acres of forest and decimated small mountain communities. The fires have filled the air with ash and smoke, compromising air quality and shrouding the densely populated metropolitan regions of Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and other cities in an apocalyptic orange haze akin to images of Mars. Portland, Seattle and San Francisco now have the worst air quality in the world, while Los Angeles ranks seventh worst. Fine particulate matter released by the fires will cause permanent lung damage to millions of residents and threatens the lives of tens of thousands of people with respiratory conditions. Those with heart, lung or vascular diseases are now at higher risk for stroke and heart attack. The poor air quality weakens the immune systems of even healthy people, placing the regions population of roughly 50 million people at greater risk of contracting COVID-19, while those who do contract the virus will suffer exacerbated symptoms. According to official counts, which are generally considered significant underestimates, roughly 186,000 homeless people live in California, Oregon and Washington, many of whom lack access to indoor shelter and are now forced to endure unbearable breathing conditions on the streets. The limited supply of hotel vouchers provided by the Democratic-led state governments has quickly dried up, forcing thousands more people to live in their cars. The majority of the fires began as the result of dry lightning strikes, triggered by record-breaking, triple-digit heat waves. The extreme heat, combined with very low to no humidity and the drying out of thousands of acres of forestry, has created tinderbox conditions. These arid conditions also encourage the infestation of certain types of beetles that weaken and kill trees, which in turn feeds the wildfires. The speed at which the fires have spread has broken records, with the Bear Creek fire in California tearing through roughly 230,000 acres in approximately 24 hours. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, told the New York Times: Its really shocking to see the number of fast-moving, extremely large and destructive fires simultaneously burning. Ive spoken to maybe two dozen fire and climate experts over the last 48 hours and pretty much everyone is at a loss for words. Theres certainly been nothing in living memory on this scale. California Across the state, at least 19 fatalities have been reported, over 3.1 million acres have been burned, and over 6,000 structures have been destroyed. There have been 7,700 wildfire incidents so far this year. On Thursday, the August Complex Fire, located 150 miles north of San Francisco, became the largest fire in the states history at 746,755 acres, far surpassing the Mendocino Fire of 2018, which burned 459,123 acres. The fire complex, only 24 percent contained, is the result of the merger of multiple fires and is now larger than the state of Rhode Island. Several other major fires continue to burn in Northern California, including the North Complex fire in the foothills to the Sierra Nevada, northwest of Sacramento, and the Creek Fire, northeast of Fresno, both of which have led to the evacuation of thousands of people. In Southern California, the SQF Lightning Complex has burned 35,674 acres and remains wholly uncontained despite burning for nearly a month. The Apple Fire, which began on July 31 and is 95 percent contained, has been one of the longest-burning fires. The Dolan fire has burned 73,089 acres and is 40 percent contained. The Lake Fire is 90 percent contained and has burned 12 structures. The Valley Fire, east of San Diego, has burned nearly 18,000 acres and is only 39 percent contained. Oregon With 39 fires burning through the state, over 500,000 residents have been told to prepare to evacuate from their homes, representing over 10 percent of the states population. At least 14 people have been killed, almost 1 million acres have been burned, and hundreds of homes and commercial buildings have been destroyed. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler issued an emergency order on Thursday as extreme wildfire conditions threatening lives and property grew closer to the metropolitan area of 2.4 million people. Saturated with smoke from the 39 fires raging across Oregon, the citys air quality index registered at 379 on Friday, according to the Office of Emergency Management--a level that can be described as hazardous to human health. The air quality is currently considered the worst of all major cities in the world. The city order closes parks, directs homeless people to elocate as quickly as possible to safer areas," and activates evacuation sites for fire victims. The order does not provide any resources or safe evacuation areas for the city's homeless. The Beachie Creek and Riverside fires, close to the town of Estacada24 miles outside of Portlandwere threatening to merge on Friday, as they were separated by only one mile. A merger of the wildfires would increase the intensity due to plume dominated fire behavior. The towns of Estacada and nearby Molalla have been evacuated. With nearly 3,000 firefighters deployed against fires tearing through rural areas, several towns in the western part of the state have been completely decimated. The chief of the Oregon Department of Forestry estimates that another 3,000 firefighters are needed, highlighting the urgent need for more firefighters and resources to combat the fires. This could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfire in our states history, Oregon Governor Kate Brown warned at a recent press conference. We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across our state. Washington There are approximately 15 active fires in Washington state, with over 500,000 acres having been burned in the span of just a few days. The Pearl Hill and Cold Springs Canyon fires are threatening to merge together. A one-year-old boy was tragically killed in the Cold Springs fire, and both of his parents remain in critical condition with severe burns. The Cold Springs Canyon fire is only 25 percent contained at present, while the Pearl Hill fire is 50 percent contained. In total, over 200 homes and structures have been lost with close to 800 more threatened. The Olympic Peninsula has been especially affected by poor air quality. A dense and massive plume of smoke has moved north from the Oregon fires. Cooler winds are expected soon, which will bring more smoke particles from the southwest. California, Oregon and Washington are all dominated by the Democratic Party, which has overseen decades of budget cuts. These cuts have deepened as a result of the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, which will further undermine the already insufficient funding for much needed resources to combat the growing number of fires. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom supported cutting $681 million from this years state budget for environmental protection. Oregon lawmakers recently proposed $400 million in budget cuts, as a budget writing subcommittee kicked off its July meeting by proposing to delay much needed wildfire equipment purchases. Scientists have been warning for decades that climate change will have catastrophic consequences for the worlds population. The devastating wildfires gripping the West Coast mark a qualitative deepening of a years-long process of worsening wildfire seasons. They follow similar record-setting wildfires across Australia last year. The underlying cause of these immense crises is the capitalist system, in which all of societys resources are controlled by a tiny layer of parasitic oligarchs. The massive social dislocation caused by the wildfires, like the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, is a testament to the inability of capitalism to serve the interests of the vast majority of the population. Only through the socialist transformation of society will the working class be able to stop the devastating wildfires, halt and reverse climate change, put an end to the pandemic and ensure that social needs take precedence over private profit. Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesBY: LAUREN LANTRY AND STEPHANIE EBBS, ABC NEWS (WASHINGTON Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top expert on infectious diseases, predicted Friday that Americans won't be going back to anything like normal until the middle of next year at the earliest, one of several recent statements putting him at odds with President Donald Trump. If you're talking about getting back to a degree of normality which resembles where we were prior to COVID, it's going to be well into 2021, maybe even towards the end of 2021," Fauci told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell. "I believe that we will have a vaccine that will be available by the end of this year, the beginning of next year," Fauci added. "But by the time you mobilize the distribution of the vaccinations and you get the majority or more of the population vaccinated and protected, that's likely not going to happen till the mid or end of 2021. Fauci also took issue with Trump's new characterization that the country is "rounding the corner," instead calling current data trends "disturbing." "When you downplay something that is really a threat, that's not a good thing," Fauci said, responding to Trump's admission to journalist Bob Woodward that he intentionally minimized the danger from the virus so as not to "create panic." On Thursday, in contrast to the president's rosy outlook, Fauci told a Harvard forum, I just think we need to hunker down and get through this fall and winter, because its not going to be easy. We know every time we restrict, we lift restrictions, we get a blip. I mean its whack-a-mole. His statements come days after Trump once again suggested that a vaccine would come before the Nov. 3 presidential election. Were going to have a vaccine very soon, maybe even before a very special date, Trump told reporters during a White House news conference on Monday. You know what date Im talking about. That "special date" is less than two months away, and polls showing Trump has high disapproval numbers for he's handled the pandemic, the early availability of a vaccine could help his reelection campaign. When asked about his recent campaign rallies where supporters are outside but mostly packed together, with few wearing masks Fauci said Trump's supporters may not be safe. "Just because you're outdoors does not mean that you're protected, particularly if you're in a crowd and you're not wearing masks," Fauci said on Friday. "We really need to forge ahead and do everything we can to contain this outbreak," he said. While Democrats raise concerns over whether Trump is putting political pressure on the vaccine approval process, he's accused Democrats of playing "dangerous" politics with the vaccine as well, suggesting they are undermining the public's trust in an eventual vaccine. On Friday, Fauci said "when you're dealing with a political atmosphere, it makes it that much more difficult." The high-stakes political atmosphere has put the Food and Drug Administration in the hot seat, with questions being raised about whether the agency is a truly independent public health authority. On Thursday, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn insisted that the FDA's decisions on a COVID-19 vaccine will be made based on the science and data from clinical trials, rather than political influence. "I can tell you throughout this pandemic, throughout my tenure as commissioner, I have not reversed a decision by the career scientists on medical products, and I have no intention of doing that now," Hahn said. He later added, we will independently call the balls and strikes." Hahn conceded the FDA will be criticized for either moving too fast or too slow, but, ultimately, he said, he is completely confident in the career scientists. Other public health officials working directly on the vaccine candidates are trying to send the message that politics has nothing to do with the process, saying that if people don't trust a vaccine when it's available, then it won't be effective, because the vast majority of Americans need to get it to stop the virus. Peter Marks, the FDA official in charge of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research that ensures safety of drugs and vaccines, said Friday his colleagues plan to be as transparent as possible to overcome any doubts about a vaccine's safety. "As we do things at FDA, they're all focused ultimately, around the fact that we have to make sure that we have a safe and effective vaccine that people will trust enough to want to take," Marks said at an event with Duke University. "Because it's just absolutely critical that we put aside all of the noise that we've been hearing and there's all sorts of cacophony about blah, blah, blah, vaccine, blah, blah, bad blah, blah, blah, blah, blah," he said. "No, we need to get that that cacophony needs to go away. We need to understand that there are scientists here at FDA ...These people are so committed to making sure that what comes through this process is safe enough for their own families. And they want they want it to be safe for everyone's family, just like for their own family. And those people are have that incredible commitment. It's really important that people know that is going to be out there," Marks said. Marks is one of several senior FDA officials, who, in another effort to restore public confidence in the agency, penned an op-ed in USA Today on Thursday, restating their commitment to rely on science and data when making decisions. We absolutely understand that the FDA, like other federal executive agencies, operates in a political environment, the officials wrote. That is a reality that we must navigate adeptly while maintaining our independence to ensure the best possible outcomes for public health. The foundational and fundamental principles of the FDA, however, remain steadfast: to protect and promote the health and well-being of the American public, and to base our decisions in support of our public health mission on sound science, they said. ABC News' Jordyn Phelps contributed to this report. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Vatican City: The Palestinian leader on Saturday meets with Pope Francis as he rallies international support ahead of this weekends Paris peace summit. Among other things, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to raise with Francis Palestinian concern about a possible move of the US embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The Palestinians strongly oppose the move, saying it would kill any hopes for negotiating peace and rile the region by undercutting Muslim and Christian claims to the holy city. The Vatican has long sought an internationally guaranteed status for Jerusalem that safeguards its sacred character. After the papal audience, Abbas will open an embassy of his own: The Palestinian embassy to the Holy See, fruit of recent accords in which the Vatican formally recognized the Palestinian state. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. By Trend Immediate actions are required by EU against Armenias illegal settlement policy in Nagorno-Karabakh, Peter M. Tase, the US expert in European and Latin American politics, told Trend. Dark clouds of regional insecurity and socio-political uncertainty in the outskirts of Europe is being fostered and quickly shaped through the double standard and suspicious silence coming out of Brussels and the heart of Europe. It is an arrogant behaviour on the part of EU and European leaders as they are hiding on the back rooms of Cognac Diplomacy set up by fascist Armenia. Immediate actions are required by EU and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Brussels is totally at fault and must impose economic sanctions against Armenian authorities and freeze their bank accounts. European Union is in a dangerous geopolitical situation and has come out as a weak alliance against anarchists, fascists coming out of Yerevan and - what is most disturbing - continue to defend the status quo, despite of terrible atrocities and crimes committed by fascist Yerevan against Azerbaijan, its environment and Azerbaijan innocent citizens. Armenia is holding hostage the European democracy and its institutions, by installing these Lebanese terrorist groups inside the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan Republic. OSCE Minsk Group is totally lost and irrelevant, as fascist Armenian leaders are fanning the fire of war. By establishing a new ethnic fabric inside Nagorno-Karabakh, sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, Armenia is violating international laws and EU Human Rights Convention, he said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-13 00:14:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- A senior Chinese legislator has stressed the thorough implementation of the Charity Law to promote the healthy development of China's charity services. Wang Chen, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, made the comments during an inspection tour on the law enforcement of the Charity Law in northeast China's Liaoning Province from Wednesday to Friday. The inspection team from the NPC Standing Committee heard reports from local authorities, held symposiums with representatives from the governments, charitable organizations, experts and donors, and conducted on-site inspections and random spot checks. Wang applauded Liaoning's efforts in fully enforcing the Charity Law and the progress and achievements gained. He stressed building modern charitable organizations with good social reputation, strong professional ability, good managing structure and reasonable division of labor. He underlined that the internet and other new technologies and platforms should be fully used to promote the sustained and healthy development of online charity activities. Wang also called for greater promotion and publicity of the Charity Law among the public. Enditem The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 (2020) comes in three colours - Dark Grey, Gold and Silver. After recently being made official in Europe, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 (2020) is headed to India soon. The support pages for the LTE and the WiFi-only variants of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 (2020) is live on Samsung Indias official website and this indicates that the launch is imminent and dates could be announced soon. As reported by Gizmochina, the support pages indicate two model numbers for the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 (2020) - SM-T500 and SM-T505 corresponding to the LTE version and the WiFi-only versions of the tab. For now, there is no information regarding the specs on the support pages. The firmware for both the tablets is available on the Samsung firmware database website. We know from the European variants that the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 (2020) was priced at 233 euros for the WiFi-only variant and 282 euros for the LTE variant. That converts to 20,282 approx for the WiFi-only tab and 24,548 approx for the LTE version. The India prices may follow this but be slightly different when announced here. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 (2020) comes in three colours - Dark Grey, Gold and Silver. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 (2020) comes with a 10.4-inch IPS LCD panel with 2,000 X 1,2oo pixels and a 80% screen-to-body ratio. It is powered by the Snapdragon 662 chipset and 3GB of RAM. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 (2020) will come in two storage variants - 32GB and 64GB, and also has a microSD card slot to expand storage. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 (2020) has a 5MP front camera and a 8MP rear camera. There is a 7,040mAh battery and the tab supports fast charging. San Francisco, Sep 12 : Microsoft is gearing up to give some competition to Amazon as it seeks to offer a service to connect satellites to its Cloud computing service Azure. The Federal Communications Commission in the US earlier this month gave Microsoft permission to make proof-of-concept demonstrations of the service that would connect Azure with a ground station the company wants to build, CNBC reported on Friday. According to documents the company filed with the FCC last month, Microsoft plans to connect a Spanish imaging satellite, called Deimos-2, to two ground stations in Washington. The aim of the company is to show its ability to directly download satellite "data to the Azure Cloud for immediate processing," the FCC documents said. Also called an earth station, a ground station is a crucial link for data transmission to and from satellites in orbit. Microsoft seeks to perform demonstrations before, during and after its Ignite conference for IT professionals, beginning September 22, said the CNBC report, citing a different FCC filing. The development comes at a time when the competition between Amazon's Cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft is growing. AWS, which is rapidly expanding its influence in the space industry, announced a new unit called AWS for Aerospace and Satellite Solutions in June. AWS says it already has significant experience supporting commercial and government customers that design satellites and conduct spaceflight operations. Its portfolio of Cloud services help organisations process and transform massive collections of data from space, and then quickly analyse the data to make it actionable, the company said. Amazon last week vowed to continue its protests after the US Department of Defense (DoD) reaffirmed that Microsoft has won the $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure, or JEDI, Cloud computing contract which was originally awarded in October last year. At least one Republican congressional candidate, Georgias Marjorie Taylor Greene, supports the QAnon conspiracy theory. United States Vice President Mike Pence has cancelled plans to attend a campaign fundraiser for President Donald Trump in Montana following revelations that the events hosts had expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory. The US presidents re-election campaign told The Associated Press news agency on Saturday that Pences schedule had been changed, but the campaign did not provide a reason why or say whether the fundraiser might be held at a later date. The change comes after the news agency reported on Wednesday that hosts Cayrn and Michael Borland in Bozeman, Montana, had shared QAnon memes and retweeted posts from QAnon accounts. The baseless and diffuse QAnon conspiracy theory alleges, among other things, that Trump is battling an entrenched bureaucracy and a sex trafficking ring run by paedophiles. The FBI has deemed the theory which, while still marginal, is increasingly creeping into mainstream US political discourse a potential terrorist threat. Three Republicans seeking election in Montana had also been scheduled to attend the fundraiser: US Senator Steve Daines, who faces a November challenge from Democratic Governor Steve Bullock; US Representative Greg Gianforte, who is running for governor; and state auditor Matt Rosendale, a candidate for the US House. Future Republican star Pence has said QAnon is a conspiracy theory and last month told CBS, I dont know anything about QAnon and I dismiss it out of hand. Trump, however, has not said outright that QAnon is false and even has had positive things to say about supporters and Republican Party candidates who embrace the movement. In August, Trump called QAnon supporters people that love our country, while maintaining he did not know really anything about the actual underlying conspiracy theories. He also congratulated Georgia congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has in the past supported QAnon and made xenophobic and racist comments on social media, after her primary win last month. Congratulations to future Republican Star Marjorie Taylor Greene on a big Congressional primary win in Georgia against a very tough and smart opponent. Marjorie is strong on everything and never gives up a real WINNER! Trump tweeted at the time. On Friday, Greenes Democratic opponent, Kevin Van Ausdal, bowed out of the race citing personal and family reasons. Under state law, the window appears to have closed for Democrats to put forward another candidate, leaving Greene to run unopposed in the already overwhelmingly conservative district. While other congressional candidates have voiced varying degrees of support for the broad QAnon conspiracy theory, Greene currently has the most direct path to a seat in the US legislative chamber. Greene in 2017 referred to Q, the mythical person at the centre of QAnon, as a patriot who very much loves his country and is on the same page as us. After winning the primary, however, she told Fox News she has started questioning certain aspects of QAnon. Best wishes to @KevinVanAusdal, who stepped down from the #Ga14 race today. Now let's all work together to re-elect @realDonaldTrump, hold the U.S. Senate, repeal Nancy Pelosi as Speaker, and help GA Republicans win! SAVE AMERICA. STOP SOCIALISM. DEFEAT THE DEMOCRATS!#gapol Marjorie Taylor Greene For Congress (@mtgreenee) September 11, 2020 According to the Southern Poverty Law Centers Hatewatch, which monitors far-right groups in the US, Greene also incorporated into her campaign messaging from far-right organisations. Those include Georgia Three Percent Security Force Intel Militia and Gun Owners of America, as well as anti-LGBTQ hate groups Mass Resistance and Alliance Defending Freedom, Hatewatch said. Greene has also suggested that Muslims were trying to infiltrate Congress, and she recently posted a photo on Facebook of herself holding a gun next to images of Democratic representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. Text posted with the image urged people to go on the offense against these socialists. Facebook later removed the photo. Weve been following the Smith family for years, and its hard to believe Jaden Smith is already 22 years old. So far, hes had a ton of success thanks to his music and acting chops. And it looks like the best is yet to come, as he certainly has star power. Jaden grew up in a seriously creative household with his parents, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith. And he seems he got his own place when he was 18, though his neighbors reportedly werent too thrilled with him. Jaden Smith has always lived a glamorous life thanks to his parents, Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Willow Smith, Jaden Smith, and Trey Smith attend the VH1 Dear Mama taping at St. Bartholomews Church | Donna Ward/Getty Images RELATED: Why Jada and Will Smith Staged an Intervention for Jaden The Smiths are certainly worth a lot, as both Will and Jada have found major success in Hollywood. And their kids live luxurious lives. The List notes Jaden was raised meeting famous actors on set with his mom and dad. We know he starred in The Pursuit of Happiness with Will when he was a child, and he revisited the set of The Matrix with Jada. Jaden also has the swag to prove hes worth a lot of money. Hes had Cartier jewelry since a young age, some of his sneakers cost him over $100,000 per pair, and his first car was a Tesla Model X, which ran the Smiths around $130,000. This is all without mentioning the incredible Smith family home, too. Will and Jada own a property in California thats 25,000 square feet and worth $42 million. And it was custom built with all their preferred quirks and amenities to be perfect for their family. Will told Jaden that hed eventually have to move out Jaden Smith and Will Smith attend Paramount Pictures Premiere Of Gemini Man | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Theres no doubt Will and Jaden are incredibly close. But that doesnt mean Jaden could live in Will and Jadas house forever. Back in 2013, the father and son appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. They talked about their tight-knit bond, but Will expressed some concern over the floors in his home, as Jaden had taken to skateboarding through the house. Then, the topic of possible emancipation came up. Im not going anywhere, Jaden told DeGeneres regarding the Smith home. The thing that people dont get is everything at his house is free. So, I can get anything and everything that I want at his house, so I think Ima be there for 20-30 more years. He says as soon as I have a movie thats bigger than one of his movies, then I have to get my own house, Jaden added. Theres no reason to be living in my house no more, Will retorted. Jaden has his own place but he reportedly caused trouble with neighbors Willow and Jaden Smith just got even weirder thanks to this 'NY Times' interview. http://t.co/Jo8JfqUniy pic.twitter.com/vRQk5urLQq Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) November 18, 2014 Back in 2017, it seems Jaden moved out of his familys home and into his own place. Daily Mail reports Jadens home is worth $4 million and resides in a gated community in Hidden Hills, California. The mansion reportedly has five bedrooms and six bathrooms and is surrounded by plenty of vegetation. But he mightve been quite a disruptive neighbor when he was 18. Will and Jada lived here while they were building their large compound in Calabasas, and Wills business partner James Lassiter lived in the home for a while, but now its Jaden and his buddies who have free reign of the place, a neighbor explained. He has a sense of entitlement, bravado. He doesnt care if security reprimands him or gives him a warning, he just continues to do whatever he pleases. This was a quiet neighborhood, but Jaden and his entourage are turning it into their own personal kingdom, another resident told the publication. Were hoping Jaden took these complaints into account at the time and has made amends since then. Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Singapore Airlines is planning trips that start and end at the same airport in a bid to boost business after passenger traffic drops amid the coronavirus pandemic. The flights 'to nowhere' are set to take off by the end of October and may include staycations at the city's hotels, shopping vouchers and limousine ferry rides, the Straits Times reported. Each flight is expected to last around three hours and will both set off and land at Singapore's famous Changi airport. Singapore Airlines Group, which do not offer domestic flights, has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and announced it was cutting around 4,300 jobs on Thursday. Singapore Airlines Group is reportedly planning flights to 'nowhere' in a bid to boost business following financial losses amid the coronavirus pandemic The company has cut around 20 per cent of the workforce across Singapore Airlines, regional arm SilkAir and budget unit Scoot and warned that any recovery would be 'long and fraught with uncertainty'. The domestic market would be the first to see a recovery following the pandemic, leading the company to announce its airlines will operate a smaller fleet on a reduced network in the coming years. Stefan Wood, director at aircraft charter firm Singapore Air Charter, reportedly approached Singapore Airlines about offering flights to nowhere using the Airbus A-350 planes. But talks have allegedly stalled recently as Singapore Airlines signalled interest in going ahead with offering the unique flights on its own. A survey by Singapore Air Charter reportedly showed 75 per cent of 308 people were willing to buy tickets. The most popular price that 45 per cent of participants were willing to pay for an economy class seat was $288 (225). Sixty per cent of respondents said they would prefer the flight to last for two hours, rather than the expected three hours. The flights, which would begin at the end of October, are set to take off and land at Singapore's famous Changi airport (above) in a three-hour round trip In July, Singapore Airlines Group, who do not offer domestic flights, reported a 1.12billion Singapore dollar (639million) net loss for the three months until June Mr Wood told the Straits Times: 'As travel opens, the novelty will certainly wear off. However, when bundled with a staycation, limo transfers and airport shopping experiences, people will lap it up.' But Singapore Airlines is not the first airline to offer trips that land at the same airport that they departed from. Japan's ANA Holdings sold tickets for charter flights to nowhere last month, while two Taiwan carriers launched similar campaigns. Starlux Airlines introduced a 'pretending to go abroad' journey while EVA Airways filled all 309 seats on a Father's Day flight. In July, Singapore Airlines Group reported a 1.12billion Singapore dollar (639million) net loss for the three months up until June - the company's largest quarterly loss. The International Air Transport Association also said it does not expect passenger traffic to recover to pre-pandemic levels until 2024, according to Bloomberg. MailOnline has contacted Singapore Airlines for comment. Caracas, Sep 12 : Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has claimed that a "US spy" was captured near two oil refineries in the state of Falcon, it was reported on Saturday. In a televised address to the nation on Friday, Maduro said the man, who was captured near the Amuay and Cardon refineries on Thursday, also possessed large amounts of cash and weapons, the BBC reported. Without giving further details, the President said the man was "serving as a marine on CIA bases in Iraq". On May 3, Venezuela thwarted a maritime raid in the state of La Guaira, near Caracas, in which eight people were killed and another two were detained. The next day, the Maduro government announced the detention of 13 "mercenaries" which included US Army veterans Luke Denman and Airan Berry. Last month, a Venezuelan court sentenced Denman and Berry to 20 years in prison for trying to overthrow Maduro, said the BBC report. They were found guilty of conspiracy, illicit trafficking of weapons and terrorism. Maldives - Introduction The US Central Intelligence Agency notes that "the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), with its small size and with little serviceable equipment, is inadequate to prevent external aggression and is primarily tasked to reinforce the Maldives Police Service (MPS) and ensure security in the exclusive economic zone." The authoritative Military Balance is the IISS annual assessment of the military capabilities and defence economics of 171 countries worldwide. Maldives did not make the list. There had been a growing trend in Islamic conservatism since the advent of democracy and free speech. Opposition sources claim that over 350 Maldivian citizens have joined the ranks of the so-called Islamic State terror group. In per capita terms, no other country in the world had so many of its citizens affiliated with the outfit. In 2016 the government stated that of a population of about 350,000, the number of fighters was in the range of 40 to 50. Even after taking into account the number of family members who had accompanied these fighters, the total figure remains below 100. A report published in 2015 by the Kellogg Institute at the Northwestern University in the US concluded that the Maldives ranked second worldwide - behind Tunisia - in the number of IS foreign fighters to overall population. Historically, the Maldives was an important crossroad in the Indian Ocean, hence Maldivian culture is a melting pot of various influences gathered from visitors who set foot there over the centuries. Influences of India, Sri Lanka, Arabia, Persia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Africa are evident in the unique culture of the Maldives. Maldivians have assimilated these influences over the years and created their own cultural identity like no other. A proud history and rich culture evolved from the first settlers in the Maldives, who were seafarers from various parts of the world, traversing the oceans in ancient times. Since people from different parts of the world settled in the Maldives over the centuries, some of the traditions they brought with them remain in Maldivian culture. Some of the traditional drumming and dancing (known as boduberu) shows African influences, with rhythmic beating of drums and some songs in a language resembling that of East African countries. As one would expect, there is a great South Asian influence in some of the music and dancing and particularly in the traditional food of the Maldives. This includes spicy curries using coconut milk and fish as the main staples and roshi (a thin flatbread) as a popular accompaniment. Those who arent fans of curries will also find a range of world cuisine available including pasta, burgers, noodles and other home comforts. The resorts boast a wide variety of international cuisine, much of which is serious competition for the worlds top restaurants. Fresh ingredients are flown in daily or grown on the islands. However, some of the South Asian customs especially with regard to women such as the Sub Continents tradition of secluding women from public view are not tenets of life here. In fact, women play a major role in society - not surprising considering the fact many Maldivian men spend the whole day out at sea fishing. Many of the countrys traditions are strongly related to the sea and the fact that life is dependent on the sea. Traditional handicrafts include matt-weaving and beautiful lacquer-work, usually painted in black, red and yellow. Although these traditions are less commonplace today, there are still some talented craftsmen and women who make these (matts are weaved exclusively by women). NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Washington: The US has signed a framework for defence cooperation with the Maldives to deepen engagement in support of maintaining peace and security in the strategic Indian Ocean, the Pentagon has announced, as the Trump administration looks for strengthening alliances in the Indo-Pacific to counter China's growing presence in the region. The framework for defence and security relationship was signed in Philadelphia on September 10 between Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia Reed Werner and Maldivian Minister of Defence Mariya Didi. "The framework sets forth both countries' intent to deepen engagement and cooperation in support of maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean, and marks an important step forward in the defence partnership, the Pentagon said. The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean. During discussions after signing the agreement, Mariya said the framework will strengthen defence and security cooperation between the two countries, Maldivian portal Sun Online reported. Mariya said that peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean region is tied to the best interests of both countries. She stressed the importance of bilateral dialogue and engagement, against a backdrop of growing transnational threats such as piracy, violent extremism, terrorism, and illicit trade, which she said remained relevant, even amidst the coronavirus pandemic. According to a statement released by the Defence Ministry, the framework outlines a number of bilateral activities, including senior-level dialogues, discussions, engagements, and opportunities in areas such as maritime domain awareness, natural disasters, and humanitarian relief operations, the report said. Mariya said that the Maldivian government sees the framework as an important milestone in defence and security cooperation between the Maldives and the US. Werner and Didi also discussed US support for the island nation in its response to COVID-19 and areas for future cooperation, and agreed to work toward scheduling the first Defense and Security Dialogue, the Pentagon said. Both sides reiterated their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific that promotes the security and prosperity of all nations in the region, the Pentagon said. The Central Indo-Pacific includes the numerous seas and straits connecting the Indian and Pacific oceans. The resource-rich Indo-Pacific region is where China has been trying to spread its influence. The US has also been pushing for a broader role by India in the strategically important region. China is eyeing to expand its influence in the Indian Ocean region. China has already taken control of Pakistan's strategic Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea. China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and with Japan in the East China Sea. Both the areas are said to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources. Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims in the waterway. One mans fight to prevent World War III Tenet View(s): View(s): Christopher Nolans spy movie Tenet, one mans struggle to prevent a possible World War III is now being screened in theatres including PVT- One Galle Face, Colombo City Centre and others cinemas around Colombo. Produced by Emma Thomas, the film is a co-production between the United Kingdom and United States. The film stars John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh. Armed with only one word, Tenet, and fighting for the survival of the entire world, a protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time. An unnamed CIA agent participates in an undercover operation at a Kiev opera house. He is aided by a masked soldier with a distinctive trinket, who appears to un-fire a bullet through a hostile gunman. After rescuing an exposed spy and seizing a strange artifact, the Protagonist is captured by Russian mercenaries. He endures torture before consuming a cyanide pill. He later awakens to learn the pill was fake; his team has been killed and the artifact lost. The Protagonist learns that he is now employed by a secret organization called Tenet, whose mission involves the human races survival. He is directed to Barbara, a scientist studying objects with inverted entropy and thus move backwards through time. She believes they are manufactured in the future, and there exists a weapon that can wipe out the past. The Protagonist traces the bullet cartridges to Mumbai-based arms dealer Priya Singh. Assisted by a local contact named Neil, he confronts Priya, who turns out to be a member of Tenet. Her cartridges were purchased and inverted by Andrei Sator, a Russian oligarch originating from Stalsk-12, a former Soviet closed city, and who can apparently communicate with the future. The Protagonist approaches Sators estranged wife Kat, an art appraiser who unknowingly sold Sator a forged Goya drawing. Kat reveals that Sator uses the drawing to keep her under his control. To enlist Kats help, the Protagonist plots to steal the drawing from Freeport, a facility within Oslo Airport. Inside Freeport, they find a machine (later referred to as Turnstile) from which two masked men emerge; the inverted one attacks the Protagonist, while Neil chases after the normal one. Neil prevents the Protagonist from killing the inverted man, adding that he took care of the other one. Started in March 2019, the film was shot in Denmark, Estonia, India, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom, and United States. A lmost eight million Britons will be subjected to tighter lockdown restrictions next week after fresh measures were imposed in the West Midlands and Scotland. From Tuesday, households in Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull will be banned from mixing after the region reported a surge in coronavirus cases. Further north, Lanarkshire joins areas around Glasgow subject to tougher controls, with the new rules in force as of midnight on Friday. It comes as nine new local authorities were added to Public Health England's watchlist - meaning they, too, could soon see new restrictions imposed. The nine at-risk areas are: Gateshead, Sunderland, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Hertsmere, Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, Sheffield and St Helens. Some 5.8 million people in England (one in 10) will be forced to follow tougher rules than the rest of the country, when the new measures take effect in the West Midlands, according to analysis by Sky News. Designated areas in Bradford, Kirklees, Calderdale, Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle and Greater Manchester where restrictions are already in place remain as areas of national intervention, the Department of Health confirmed. In addition, around 1.76 million (one in three) people are set to be under stricter rules in Scotland. Restrictions in Glasgow, East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire were continued for a further week on Monday, having first been introduced on September 1. Meanwhile 181,000 (one in 20) residents are affected in Wales after a local lockdown was imposed in Caerphilly on Tuesday evening. This takes the UK total to 7.8 million. 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 The localised crackdowns come as the rest of the country prepares for the Government's new rule of six limit on social gatherings. This means that from Monday meet-ups of more than six people will be illegal. John Apter, national chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, urged people to look out for one other and avoid a party weekend before the restrictions come into force. He said: There is a real risk some members of the public will take advantage of the current situation and treat this weekend as a party weekend ahead of the tighter restrictions being introduced on Monday. Alcohol and warm weather are not a good combination at the best of times. Using the current situation as an opportunity and excuse to party would be incredibly irresponsible and put pressure not only on policing, but potentially on the ambulance service and NHS. We are in the grip of a deadly pandemic and we have seen cases increasing over recent weeks. Policing is under pressure like never before, but my colleagues will give enforcement notices if they feel its appropriate, and we make no apology for doing so. His warnings come as the number of Covid-19 cases rose to their highest level since mid-may with 3,539 new infections recorded on Friday. The figures were published after the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) released that the coronavirus reinfection rate has crept above the critical 1.0 threshold for the first time since March. The R value across the UK now stands between 1.0 and 1.2 meaning the epidemic is growing across the country. Separately, an Imperial College London study found that coronavirus cases in England were doubling every seven to eight days at the beginning of September. The findings of the Real-Time Assessment of Community Transmission (REACT-1) study suggest the virus is now spread more widely in the community. Professor Paul Elliott, director of the programme at Imperial from the School of Public Health, said the large and robust dataset clearly shows a concerning trend in coronavirus infections, where cases are growing quickly across England and are no longer concentrated in key workers. He added: What we are seeing is evidence of an epidemic in the community and not a result of increased testing capacity. This is a critical time and its vital that the public, our health system and policymakers are aware of the situation. "We cannot afford complacency. Flouting international law to unilaterally rewrite the Brexit withdrawal agreement will jeopardise Boris Johnsons ability to negotiate a free trade deal with America, the former UK ambassador to the US has warned. It comes after Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis conceded in the House of Commons that government proposals to backtrack on the deal if talks with Brussels collapse were unlawful in a very specific and limited way. Sir Kim Darroch, the UKs representative in Washington between 2016 and 2019, said a move to violate the agreement with the EU was unacceptable. You really cant unilaterally rewrite an international agreement, he told BBC Newsnight. We just dont do that. First of all I think that it risks the Good Friday Agreement peace settlement in Northern Ireland, if you end up having to impose some sort of hard border. Second I think it blows the chance of a UK-EU free trade deal. Michel Barnier has already made that clear and the Irish government has made it clear. He added: Third, I think it potentially also puts a UK-US free trade deal as risk. Mr Darroch referenced a visit to London in August 2019 from Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives, who said there would be no chance of a trade agreement between the two countries if the Good Friday Agreement is put in jeopardy. She came across to London about 18 months ago and said if there were an outcome on Brexit in which the Irish government wasnt happy, particularly one that puts the Good Friday Agreement at risk, we Democrats would block a free trade deal in the House of Representatives, which they can do: they have a majority at the moment, Sir Kim said. Obviously they could lose it in the November election, but not many observers think that is likely. So you could have a free trade deal could even be negotiated by a Republican president and get blocked in the House of Representatives. After Mr Lewiss comments in the Commons on Tuesday, Anthony Bilnken, the chief foreign policy adviser of the Democratic nominee for US president, posted on his Twitter account: Joe Biden is committed to preserving the hard-earned peace & stability in Northern Ireland. As the UK and EU work out their relationship, any arrangements must protect the Good Friday Agreement and prevent the return of a hard border. Christine Jardine, the Liberal Democrat trade spokesperson, told The Independent the government had itself to be untrustworthy to the core, but added: Ministers readiness to trash the UKs reputation by reneging on international treaties marks a new low. She said: It is laughable to think countries will be queuing up to negotiate new trade deals with the UK given this governments complete disregard for international commitments. The US has made crystal clear that it will not tolerate the UK negotiating in bad faith what self-respecting nation would? Boris Johnson must change course or he risks making the UK a pariah on the world stage. If he cannot put the national interest first, he is not fit to be prime minister. Appearing in the Commons on Tuesday, former prime minister Theresa May also warned the threat to backtrack on aspect of the EU withdrawal agreement could damage Britains reputation abroad and insisted the government needed to reassure other countries it would stand by its word in future agreements. PM says legislations provides legal safety net to protect against extreme or irrational interpretations' of the Northern Ireland provisions (PRU/AFP via Getty Images) Her comments were echoed by Tobias Ellwood, a Conservative MP who chairs the Commons Defence Committee said breaching international law would mean the UK would lose the moral high ground in regards to issues raised with China and Russia. On future trade agreements being brokered, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Also we speak of global Britain, how can we convince other states to sign up to agreements in the future if they doubt our trust at this moment? Addressing the issue at prime ministers questions, Mr Johnson defended the legislation to override the EU withdrawal agreement in the UK Internal Market Bill, which was published on Wednesday afternoon. He said it provided a legal safety net to protect against "extreme or irrational interpretations" of the Northern Ireland provisions of the agreement which could lead to the creation of "a border down the Irish Sea". However, the EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she was very concerned about the comments from the British government to override key parts of the agreement . This would break international law and undermines trust, she said. Pacta sunt servanda = the foundation of prosperous future relations. A day after Congress president Sonia Gandhi carried out a major organisational reshuffle, some of the 23 party leaders who earlier called for sweeping reforms appeared unhappy and disappointed and met on Saturday to discuss their next course of action, people familiar with the developments said. A leader present in the meeting, who did not want to be named, said they were not satisfied with the changes as these do not in any way address the concerns raised by them in their August 7 letter to Sonia Gandhi that triggered a flutter. The reshuffle is disappointing. We are displeased and unhappy. It does not reflect any attempt on the part of the leadership to take the party on the revival path..., he added. In their letter, the 23 signatories called for full-time and active leadership and introspection behind the steady decline of the 135-year-old organisation while outlining an 11-point action plan. Those who signed the letter included Kapil Sibal, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Mukul Wasnik, Jitin Prasada, Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tewari. Saturdays meeting, the leader quoted above said, was attended by 18 of the 23 letter-writers. The fallout of this futile exercise of reshuffle has been such that there were many new participants in the meeting today. We will reveal their names at the appropriate time, he added. HT couldnt independently confirm the names of the attendees or the number. The letter-writers, who drew flak from the party, also demanded an election process for members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the partys highest decision-making body, and not nomination, as announced on Friday. Soon after, on Friday, Kapil Sibal said: The wisdom of great minds has prevailed. Nomination seems to be the rule and election is not even an exception. The rejig bore a clear imprint of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi as many leaders (including Randeep Singh Surjewala, Ajay Maken and Jitendra Singh) considered close to him were appointed general secretaries. The reconstituted CWC, too, is dominated by those close to Rahul Gandhi. The party removed some key faces, including senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge, as general secretaries. Both of them were, however, retained in CWC. Of the letter-writers, apart from Azad, three others (Mukul Wasnik, Anand Sharma and Jitin Prasada) who were already part of CWC, have been retained in the body an indication, according to some functionaries, that the party leadership was trying to strike a conciliatory note. The letter-writers have decided, for the time being, that they will focus on the monsoon session of Parliament beginning Monday, and try to corner Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government over several issues. Once the monsoon session is over and the Congress president returns after undergoing health check-up, we will once again raise our issues, the person cited in the first instance said. Sonia Gandhi, accompanied by Rahul Gandhi, left for the US on Saturday for a routine health check-up. Surjewala, who has been a gainer in Fridays reshuffle, separately said Sonia Gandhi formed a five-member Central Election Authority (CEA) and set in motion the process of elections to the party presidents post. At an online press conference, he also commented on the organisational changes, saying they were part of a continuous process. A lot of new people have got a chance, many old people of the party have got a chance, a lot of colleagues who were already there have got more strength to continue serving the organisation. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON India and China have agreed to disengage troops and de-escalate tensions that flared this week along their contested border, but analysts say overcoming their differences will not be easy. The meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries was held in Moscow on the sidelines of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. It came days after a fresh confrontation in Ladakh when the Indian army said it occupied hilltops on the south bank of the strategic Pangong Tso Lake as a preemptive measure when it noticed Chinese movements. Concerns about the volatile border deepened after both countries accused each other of firing warning shots for the first time in 45 years long-standing protocols forbid the use of firearms. A joint statement Friday issued by India and China after the talks said that both sides agreed that the current situation on the border is not in the interest of either side. The statement said, They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions. At some places, analysts say that troops are deployed less than a kilometer apart. Its very tense, and I stress the word very because there are large number of troops massed on both sides, an estimated 40,000-plus, Jayadeva Ranade, who heads the Center for China Analysis and Strategy in New Delhi, said. Whether the ice has been broken at the latest round of talks remains to be seen. We should be cautiously optimistic about this new agreement but be under no illusions about how difficult it will be to implement. Mistrust among troops along the LAC [line of actual control, the de facto border between the two countries] is greater than it's been in years, said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Wilson Center in Washington. The military standoff began in May when India accused Chinese troops of crossing into Indian territory at several points along the line of actual control where both sides disagree on where the border stands. The situation escalated sharply in June after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a clash in the Galwan Valley. One of the key flashpoints is Pangong Tso Lake, where India says Chinese troops have come into its territory on the north side -- Beijing denies it. India, as a counter, say analysts, occupied key ridges on the south side of the lake last week. There used to be a buffer which the two sides used to respect. The Chinese have tried to gain an advantage over India by encroaching on that buffer and India has realized that they also need to have those tactical advantages on the ground if they have to manage China along the border so that has led to this very peculiar situation, according to Harsh Pant, head of the Strategic Studies Program at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi and professor of international relations at Kings College, London. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar that the "imperative is to immediately stop provocations such as firing and other dangerous actions that violate the commitments made by the two sides," according to a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The Indian foreign minister is reported to have told Wang that there should be the restoration of the status quo that existed on the border before the military standoff. The rhetoric in the run-up to that meeting was sharp -- Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh had said "there should be no doubt" about the country's resolve to protect its territorial integrity. China's Global Times, an arm of Chinese state media, in an editorial said that any talks with India should be paired with "war readiness." It remains to be seen whether the latest call to maintain peace and tranquility will translate into actions on the ground talks held to deescalate tensions have not yielded results so far as neither country has backed down from their differing perceptions of their disputed border. The Chinese are very insistent that they are in their side of the LAC, they are in their claimed territory. We are equally insistent that they have crossed over and they should go back to where they were, Ranade said. That could be a sticking point despite signals by India and China that they want to resolve the crisis. It will be a tall order for both sides to muster the willingness to stand down, despite the pledges made at the negotiating table, Kugelman said. Ties between the two countries have come under severe strain since the border dispute flared India has banned scores of Chinese apps including the hugely popular TikTok and video game PubG. It has also taken steps to restrict Chinese firms from infrastructure projects since the military standoff. Unless the border dispute is managed to the satisfaction of both sides, I dont see a likelihood of the normalization of the India-China relationship again underscoring that the trust has completely gone, Pant said. Karthik K K By Express News Service MYSURU: While authorities are busy chalking out plans to revive the tourism sector in the state, passionate bikers are already on the ground taking out rallies to create awareness among the public. The pandemic outbreak and the subsequent lockdown have left the tourism sector gasping. The hospitality industry and tour operators are pinning their hopes on a revival with most tourism destinations thrown open for the public following relaxation of the lockdown. But with cases spiralling out of control in several districts in the state, many are still wary of venturing out for short and domestic trips. However, bikers seems to have taken the responsibility of building confidence among the people to come out and join hands in reviving the tourism sector adhering to all COVID norms. Many bike enthusiasts are taking weekend trips visiting nearby destinations, posting snaps on social media platforms and motivating more people to come out. "We took a bike rally from Bengaluru to BR Hills a few days ago and a total of 20 bikers joined us. We followed all norms like wearing masks, gloves and other safety gear. We had also made prior reservations at the restaurant and got the place sanitised. We had a quality time biking after a gap and are planning for the next trip," said Sujay Janardhan, founder of Sanchari -- a bikers' group. Meanwhile, like several other tourism forums, bikers are also holding awareness rallies to instill confidence among people to come out. On Saturday, the Karnataka Tourism Forum (KTF) held a rally where bikers rode from Bengaluru to Mysuru creating awareness that it is safe to travel in the state. Ravi M, vice president of KTF, said: "This symbolic rally was held to create awareness and publicise the fact that Karnataka is safe for travel as long as the new norms of social distancing and self-safety are followed." Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat assured the members of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, which met on Friday that the Army is well-stocked under any situation. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat assured the members of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, which met on Friday that the Army is well-stocked under any situation. According to sources, General Rawat assured the committee that the Army has enough ration even for the additional troops deployed on LAC and border. Sources stated that as the meeting began at 3 pm sharp, Army officials gave two presentations on provisions and quality of ration and ordnance. The official giving details of supplies and stock assured the committee that for any situation along the border including LAC, Army is well stocked. He also said that the Army has adequate stock of 10 months to meet any casualty, stated the source. Also read: Soil of Afghanistan should never be used for any anti-India activities: Jaishankar Also read: JP Nadda meets Nitish Kumar, holds talks on seat-sharing NCP supremo Sharad Pawar did ask the committee chairman Jual Oram to ensure that exact situation along LAC should be made known to the members. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asked questions on the difference in the nutritional value of army official and jawans. The source said that he had asked why bread was not made available to the jawans like their seniors. On reports of Rahul Gandhi raking up the issue of nutrition in the parliamentary standing committee on Defence meeting, member Lt Gen (retired) DP Vats said he too has read the reports and pained to see the details of the meetings leaked even before parliament could ratify the minutes. Congress deliberately and selectively leaked the details of parliament standing committee discussion before being ratified in parliament. I welcome Rahul Gandhi for attending the committee meeting for the first time. The difference in the food of army personnel is due to the fact that our army is still working on British army lines. That time Britishers used to eat bread and they were on top posts and it continues. Inferior ration talks are completely bogus, said Vats, Rajya Sabha MP. Vats while diverting on the violence on LAC said, There are temporary phases in border issues. Our Army is in an advantageous and disadvantageous position. LAC is an understanding area of common patrolling. Now China has stationed its Army on a few of these points, so, we too did the same. They question our Arunachal as well. Both countries should work on the demarcation of the border. Violent happenings were not expected as bringing rifles werent allowed. China is neither a well-meaning friend nor well-meaning neighbour. We need to be in a continued state of preparedness and continued state of hybrid war to keep China in check, added Vats. Also read: 6 arrested for assaulting retired Navy officer in Mumbai granted bail Why nations fail View(s): After reading one of my previous write-ups on Prosperity through democracy and elections in this column a few weeks ago, Alabi Moshood a University lecturer from Africa, studying for a Doctorate degree in Economics, sent me a text message: A very brilliant piece sir; well said. Policy formulation has never been our problem, rather it is about having the right leaders with the political will to deliver the desired outcome. After reading one of my previous write-ups on Prosperity through democracy and elections in this column a few weeks ago, Alabi Moshood a University lecturer from Africa, studying for a Doctorate degree in Economics, sent me a text message: A very brilliant piece sir; well said. Policy formulation has never been our problem, rather it is about having the right leaders with the political will to deliver the desired outcome. His comment inspired me to revisit the issue that I addressed in the above article, but this time it is from a different angle. In the above article, I argued against the popular notion that countries with democracy and elections are unlikely to achieve prosperity. I argued that it is not the democracy and elections, but rather the compromise on the rule of law which leads to weaken the institutions. I posed the question that democracy and elections have never been an obstacle to compromise on the rule of law. Has it ever been a barrier to engage in indisciplined acts or corrupt practices or abuse of power? How is it possible then that the same democracy and elections would be a barrier to development? Some nations are rich, while others remain poor. Some nations prosper while others continue to struggle even to manage their economic affairs incomes and jobs, government budget, external finance and public debt. What is the reason? I thought of focusing on this question today. Having resources A nations prosperity depends on the ability to create wealth. About 200 years ago, it took 100s of years for a nation to become rich. But during the past 100 years, the time required to become rich became shorter and, it was even shorter for smaller countries than for bigger countries. In fact, within the past 50 years, many countries in Asia have proved to be richer even within a quarter of a century that is in front of the eyes of one generation. By looking at the sources of growth, many would consider the importance of the availability of resources as the main cause of becoming rich. Well, if we go by this argument, then resource-abundant countries should become rich, while resource-scarce countries will have no hope. Then it is a question as to why the Latin American country Venezuela, which has the worlds largest proven oil deposits, failed miserably. The same is true for some African countries such as Nigeria, which struggles today to manage its economic affairs in spite of having large oil deposits. In fact, it is the African continent which has the worlds largest mineral resources precious metals such as gold, silver and titanium, precious stones such as gems and diamonds, and mineral sands and oil. But until the recent past, Africa continued to be the home for the worlds poorest nations. The flip side of the same coin is that if resources are the underlying factor of prosperity, then it is difficult to explain the prosperity of the countries which do not possess the resources. Asias richest countries such as Japan and Singapore did not have resources for creating wealth. In spite of having no drop of oil of its own, Singapore has become Asias largest oil trading hub and the worlds largest bunkering port, while the countrys oil industry adds about 5 per cent of its GDP. Agricultural land It is a good thing for a country to have a prosperous agriculture and even better to have abundant land for cultivation. But the shocking piece of information is that agriculture has never been important for wealth creation, and neither for even food security. Two countries with the worlds largest agriculture land are the US and Australia, while the size of their agricultural land is about 4 million square kilometers in each country. But the agriculture sector contribution to GDP is only 1 per cent in the US and 2 per cent in Australia. Even though the agriculture sector provides inputs into the processing industry and exports, an overwhelming share of wealth creation in both countries takes place outside agriculture. The top-10 countries in the world with the highest food security are Singapore, Ireland, the US, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Canada, Netherlands and Austria. They all are rich countries, but none of them has more than 2 per cent agriculture contribution to GDP. It is quite strange to figure out that the country with the worlds highest food security is Singapore, which as a land-scarce country has almost zero agriculture contribution to GDP. It is not the fact that smaller countries do not have an advantage in agriculture. Netherlands is a small country which has a competitive agriculture productivity similar to that of a big country like the US. An average farmer in the Netherlands contributes about US$75,000 to the countrys GDP, whereas in Sri Lanka an average farmer contribution to GDP is about $3,500. The point that I want to stress is that having agricultural land does not necessarily make a country rich; having no agricultural land does not make a country poor either. Labour, capital and technology Educated and skilled labour are necessary for creating wealth, but none of the countries in the world had skilled labour at the beginning. They all invested in creating a skilled labour force on the one hand and imported the skilled labour from foreign countries to fill any shortage on the other hand. Thus, the shortage of skilled labour has never being a binding constraint to development. Besides, having skilled labour alone does not guarantee development either, because some of the countries export their skilled labour for the benefit of other countries. Capital is needed for investment and technology is needed for productivity. Shortage of domestic savings is also not a binding constraint to development, because the domestic savings gap could be bridged with foreign capital. There are billions of dollars which remain accumulated in the world seeking better investment locations. About 25 years ago, the foreign capital outflows in the world amounted to $200-300 billion, which has now grown to about $1,500 billion and turned increasingly to developing countries in Asia. And technology is a commodity that can be purchased in the global market. Technology is also transferred along with foreign capital provided that there is a better and trustworthy investment climate. Policy and institutions It is clear that the availability of any of the resources mentioned above is not the underlying factor of creating wealth. The two main pillars on which the prosperity of a nation rest are the policy and institutions, while both are the choices of the leaders of the nation. Among the two pillars, the choice of policy is less ambiguous today than ever before. The most convincing principle which guides the development policy is that a nations ability to create wealth is limited by the size of the market. Therefore, income generation and job creation as well as the speed of this process whether it is within a decade or within a half century-, depends on the policy choices. The second is again a choice by the leaders to influence institutions which is even more critical than the policy choice, because their impact would be carried forward for generations having no time to make corrections. By the term institutions, we refer to the established patterns of behaviour in a society and polity. Even if there are mistakes in policy choices, there is time to correct these mistakes. But the betrayal of the development potential by weakening the institutions such as the rule of law cannot be corrected. Therefore, nations fail, when the leaders fail when they decide to compromise on the established behaviour patterns of a civilised society, which undermine the development potentials. In conclusion, we can say that being rich or poor is a choice of a nation, or rather the choice of the nations leaders who have a vision for the nation as well as a mission to reach that vision. (The writer is a Professor of Economics at the University of Colombo and can be reached at sirimal @econ.cmb.ac.lk and follow on Twitter @SirimalAshoka). Victoria Police Monitoring Social Media for Lockdown Dissent Victoria Police confirmed that they are monitoring social media activity ahead of planned protests against the states controversial COVID-19 lockdown. Victoria Police is aware and monitoring potential protest activity planned for this weekend. We are currently making a number of enquiries in relation to this and remain in the process of planning our operation response, Victoria Police Media Unit Supervisor Sam Bidey told The Epoch Times in a statement. Bidey confirmed the focus is on suspected organisers and not a blanket approach to anyone but he did not reveal how this is determined. Victoria Police will not be providing a running commentary on where and how police conduct their daily enforcement activities, said Bidey. Victoria Police are empowered to take stronger action on prohibited gatherings under the state of emergency powers legislated by Parliament this month. A local resident, Luke Martinez, told The Epoch Times the police sent him a warning letter on Sept. 8 after he liked content on social media about the planned protest. They told me that they were informed that I had liked a post on Facebook indicating that I was going to a protest, said Martinez. Martinez posted a photo of the letter to Facebook, it reads: Victoria police understands you are planning to participate in a protest on Sunday 13 September 2020, within the Melbourne Metropolitan area. It then goes on to warn Martinez that it is a breach of the Chief Health Officers directions to leave home for any reason other than essential shopping, exercise, providing or seeking health care, or attending work. The letter warns him that if he is caught organising or participating in a protest he could be issued an on the spot fine of $1,652. Discontent about lockdown measures in the state has increased in recent weeks after the Victoria government extended the state of emergency powers for six months after the initial legislated six-month period came to an end. Stage four restrictions were also extended by two weeks. Police place a face mask on an arrested protester at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia on Sept. 5, 2020. (William West / AFP via Getty Images) Heavy-handed Police In light of Buhlers arrest, human rights advocates and COVIDPolice partners Liberty Victoria raised their concerns about how police are conducting pre-emptive arrests. The prospect of pre-emptive arrest and the laying of criminal charges to prevent engagement in peaceful protest is a disturbing development, Liberty Victoria Senior Vice-President Sam Norton said in a media release on Sept. 3. When the Melbourne lockdown ends it will be one of the longest in the worldlonger even than the lockdown in Wuhan, China where the outbreak originated. Were it not for nearly 1,000 years of, shall we say, complicated and often unhappy Anglo-Irish relations, Brexit would be a bit simpler than it is turning out to be. Thats not to say that it would be easy, or a disaster or economically mixed, or any other unknowable event; it is simply to point out that the latest bump in the road, the British proposal to override part of the UK-EU withdrawal agreement relating to Northern Ireland, is unusually problematic because of history. Specifically it arises as a direct result of the partition of Ireland in 1922, and the centuries of war and the Troubles that came before and after. The fear is that the kind of customs and border posts commonly seen internationally (and even in Europe) would incite a return to Republican and Loyalist violence. That might, in turn, mean remilitarising the Northern Ireland-Ireland border; the political future of the province, and the possibility of a united Ireland, comes into play. Contrast the Northern Irish border issue with the position in the English, Belgian and French ports. There, the chances are that the end of the transition period on 1 January will see the sprouting of a vast infrastructure of border controls and customs checks to administer the tariffs and regulations on both sides. It is all very inconvenient, but no one wants to blow them up. That is the difference. The question does arise as to whether, after the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 and two decades of peace, anyone in Ireland wants to go back to the world of sectarian murder, army observation posts, barricaded police stations, helicopter controls and bombing campaigns in England. The answer to that is unknown, of course, but there is at least a risk that the continuing small groups of terrorists would go back to their dirty work, and, rather more dangerously, that the Provisional IRA and the various Ulster loyalist paramilitaries would regard the Good Friday Agreement as finished, and with it their commitment to exclusively peaceful means. The consequences of that would be gruesome. Putting a tag and a tax on a lorry-load of beef would be the least of our problems. The TCN-SEED Apprenticeship offers aspiring journalists an opportunity to build their communication skills and professional network under the guidance of experienced mentors. The vision of the program is to provide training and capacity building for authentic voices from communities traditionally absent in mainstream Indian media. Two Circles (TCN) is a long-standing non-profit voice for the marginalized sections of India and has been a pioneer platform for community journalism. Support TwoCircles Support for Education and Economic Development (SEED) is a charitable organization with a vision of supporting the underprivileged in India. The goal of the apprenticeship is to provide employment, tell news stories of marginalized communities and prepare a young person for a life that works towards the empowerment of the marginalized in India. It is a professional, vocational training scheme that doesnt compromise on the exacting standards that are vital in modern newsrooms. Former journalism apprentices with TCN have gone on to join reputable organizations. Term of apprenticeship Jan 2021 Dec 2021 Requirements Applicants should have recently completed a journalism or equivalent degree. At least one year of experience in professional employment or an advanced graduate degree is preferred. Experience and familiarity with writing and content creation in English and/or Hindi is required. Apprentices have similar responsibilities as full-time journalists at TCN. Hence, they are required to be able to work in a fast-paced environment and be quick to respond to feedback. Everyone attached to Two Circles and SEED has a commitment to social justice and an active interest in highlighting the perspective of marginalized communities in India. Apprentices are expected to adhere to the same values. Individuals from under-represented groups are highly encouraged to apply. How to Apply Please email the following to [email protected] A resume detailing your educational and professional background A short description (not exceeding 750 words) of why you are interested in this position and your career goals A writing sample on a topic of your choice (Optional) Deadline for Application Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until October 31, 2020 Frequently Asked Questions What is an apprentice journalist expected to do? A TCN-SEED apprenticeship begins with an initial meeting with TCN staff and/or mentors to discuss their strengths and needs. TCN evaluates the annual plan and capacity to match the journalist with their mentors. One may have more than one mentor assigned. The mentors meet with the journalists on a regular basis and advise them on various aspects of writing community stories. Journalists are expected to write or help with writing at least a minimum number of stories for TwoCircles.net. and they receive a byline for their work. All stories are subject to the same editorial standards and processes as regular TCN journalists. Is this a paid programme? Apprentice journalists receive a monthly stipend of 15,000 INR for their work. How much of a time commitment am I looking at? Each story that a journalist works on is assigned a due date by the mentor. Journalists are expected to treat the programme as a full-time commitment for a one-year period. What can I submit as a writing sample for the application? Virtually any kind of writing in English or Hindi will be accepted as long as it is original. It can be a piece published/submitted elsewhere or written for the express purpose of this application. Applicants are encouraged to pick something that showcases their writing skills as well as their interest in the topics relevant to Two Circles. Can I choose my mentor? Two Circles welcomes experienced journalists, communicators and alumni to share their knowledge and skills with the next generation as mentors. Journalists will have an opportunity to express their preference but the final matching and structure of the apprenticeship is determined based on capacity and availability of the mentors. What is the policy on republishing my stories? All stories written by the journalists for TCN shall be original, not published or submitted elsewhere. The mentor and editor will work with the journalist to ensure quality content. However, if a pitch or story is deemed unfit by the editor/mentor and is not published by TCN, you will be welcome to seek other venues. Unless otherwise noted, a journalist can republish their piece by crediting TwoCircles.net and linking it back. All stipulations of the Creative Commons license apply to apprentice journalists as well. The dock area of Jemulpo Port in the late 19th century. Courtesy of Diane Nars Collection By Robert Neff In the early 1880s, Jemulpo [modern Incheon] was one Korea's three open ports. In the beginning, only two Japanese-subsidized steamships visited the isolated port generally once or twice a month and, unsurprisingly, they were expensive to utilize. But in the late summer of 1883, a competitor appeared the British-owned Nanzing. It was a small steamer only 808 tons commanded by Captain C. R. Balbernie assisted by four or five European officers and a small Chinese crew. The Nanzing proved quite popular. Most Europeans and Americans traveling to Jemulpo and Fusan (modern Busan) preferred to travel on it, as did many Chinese merchants, who were tired of the Japanese steamships' high prices and biased service. Naturally, the Japanese continued to patronize their government steamers but not always sometimes the lure of cheap tickets and early departures overcame nationalistic pride. Trade, especially at Jemulpo, was still in its infancy and there really was not enough to justify three steamships. Despite costly advertisements in the Japanese and Chinese newspapers, these ships often sailed with holds only half-full and sometimes nearly empty. Drastic cutthroat measures were sometimes taken. In the spring of 1884, the Nanzing's agent at Jemulpo reported that the Japanese steamer was due in a day or two so he managed to persuade two Japanese merchants to ship their goods on the British steamer. "I put down the rate for both cargo + passengers, so as to secure what might be going," he boasted and then added that he had done the same the previous trip and had "cleared the market of passengers," some of whom had tickets for the Japanese steamship but canceled them so that they could leave on Nanzing, which was leaving a day earlier. Captains sailing along the Korean coast in the 1880s were naturally a cautious group. Much of the coast was still poorly charted and many ships including European warships were wrecked or damaged on shoals and reefs. In inclement weather, a captain required more than caution, he required a great deal of intestinal fortitude. Apparently Captain Balbernie possessed all he needed. A group of Chinese passengers steerage class aboard a steamship traveling to Fusan circa 1890-1900s. Robert Neff Collection - A gentleman from the University of Education, Winneba, supported himself financially with okada business & has now graduated with 3.96 GPA - He emerged as the best student in the Faculty of Science and Environment Education and the College of Agriculture Education - George wishes to now study medicine or emergency surgery and would be wildly excited if anyone could support him on that journey Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in George Ameyaw, a student of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), who supported himself through school with his aboboya/okada business has graduated as the best student. In an interview with YEN.com.gh, the gentleman confirmed that he had a GPA of 3.96, which was the highest in the Faculty of Science and Environment Education. George studied BSc Integrated Science Education from UEW-Mampong campus in the College of Agriculture Education at the respected university. READ ALSO: Security guard helps woman, 36, give birth at busy taxi interchange Ghanaian who rode okada to fund himself graduates as best student with 3.96GPA Source: Facebook, Kweku Ameyaw Source: UGC His journey to becoming an aboboya rider started when George was in level 200 and his study-leave salary was cut. With no solid financial support coming in, George applied for a scholarship from MTN Ghana Foundation and also gathered some funds to purchase an 'aboboya' to start a business. MTN's funds helped George with school fees, accommodation and book purchases but he had to support himself with all other expenses from his okada business. READ ALSO: Mahama should let other people to also be president - Market woman declares In the end, the alumnus of Kibi Presbyterian College of Education where he previously graduated as the overall best student, made himself very proud. Throughout his entire university education, George had straight A's and B+ only three times. George wishes to now study medicine or emergency surgery and would be wildly excited if anyone could support him on that journey. READ ALSO: Beautiful lady ends up marrying orange seller after deciding to give him a chance It another powerful report regarding students, a young graduate from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology named Prosper Setsoafia is contesting as parliamentary candidate for the Anlo Constituency. In an exclusive interview with YEN.com.gh, the young graduate mentions that he also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the University of Education, Winneba. When asked why he was running for the high office in his constituency, the aspiring MP revealed that he hopes to bring the constituency to the high level it is supposed to be. Enjoy reading our stories? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! VGMA21 full performances | #Yencomgh Share your stories and news by getting interactive on our Facebook page! Source: YEN.com.gh BEIJING, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 4, Zuoyebang, China's largest online education startup providing K12 tutoring, attended the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing. During CIFITS, Zuoyebang presented its cutting-edge suite of online education solutions including livestreaming courses, the latest Cocos-courseware for primary education, and Paperang P3 series miniature printer. "For Zuoyebang, 2020 has been a year of development and expansion," said Su Jing, Executive President of Zuoyebang. "Zuoyebang is committed to creating effective digital classrooms and tools for online learners. We are focused on providing quality alternatives to in-person teaching using cutting-edge AI and big data technology." Showcased at CIFTIS 2020 was Zuoyebang's Cocos-courseware, an AI-assisted learning platform that pairs students with teachers via livestreaming. Designed for primary school students that may struggle with concentrating and processing information, it uses gesture recognition, facial recognition, facial expression recognition and voice recognition to engage young learners. This software ensures students are paying attention by monitoring their levels of concentration and adapting to each individual, thus greatly enhancing results. The company also unveiled its new Paperang P3 series printers equipped with cutting-edge OCR text recognition technology. By taking photos of mistakes, learners can easily print and categorize their mistakes and enhance their learning outcomes. Zuoyebang took the opportunity to showcase its renowned Famous Teacher service. Led and designed by outstanding alumni from some of China's most prestigious universities such as Peking and Tsinghua Universities, Zuoyebang's Famous Teacher program requires exceptional teachers to analyze and recognize as well as overcome specific challenges in each student's learning. Zuoyebang takes its social responsibilities to next level by providing inclusive education to K12 students. Its Big Data Monitoring Platform Cungong can effectively learn and analyse user's behaviour pattern so as to provide in-app personalized exercises and push messages to Zuoyebang's users. It also filters offensive and negative language appeared on the platform to create healthy and safe learning environments for young learners. "We will always commite to boosting the development of educational innovations with technology in China," said Su. About CIFTIS 2020 Under the theme of "Global Services, Shared Prosperity", CIFTIS 2020 is China's largest offline service trade exhibition since the COVID-19 outbreak and attracted over 2,000 domestic and international brands. About Zuoyebang Established in 2015, Zuoyebang is the largest K12 online education platform in China. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services, including the Zuoyebang Super App, Zuoyebang Live Course App and the Zuoyebang Oral Arithmetic App. Zuoyebang currently has over 800 million registered users, of which 50 million are active daily and over 170 million are active monthly. With headquarters in Beijing, Zuoyebang has 11 branches across the country including Wuhan, Xi'an and Ji'nan. The Ed-tech startup currently employs over 22,000 staff nationwide and recruited an additional 10,000 staff to assist in job creation despite the pandemic in the first half of 2020. At the end of June 2020, Zuoyebang completed its Series E financing of US $750 million. SOURCE Zuoyebang Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao being welcomed on his arrival on the first day of the Monsoon Session of the State Assembly in Hyderabad. Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Friday announced prohibition on all kinds of land transactions, including sale and registrations of Wakf and Endowments lands, across the state from Saturday till further orders. While replying to the debate on New Revenue Bill in the House , the Chief Minister said, I am assuring this House that the state government will issue orders by Saturday prohibiting all transactions, including sale, lease , granting of No Objection Certificates and permissions to build structures on the Wakf and Endowments lands across the state. Responding to the request from MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, the Chief Minister said that after the first survey, the state government had notified 77, 538 acres Wakf land in the state, out of which 57, 423 acres of land was under the illegal encroachments. He said there was over 80,000 acres of Endowments lands, including the land in the name of Temples and Pujaris, a major portion of them also under the illegal encroachments. KCR assured the House that after completion of the Comprehensive Survey proposed by the state government appropriate steps will be taken to protect the Wakf and Endowments lands and also make proper use of the lands to generate revenue. Stating that under Section 22(A) of the Registrations Act, the state government was empowered to stall the registrations, he announced that he will issue an order under the provision prohibiting the registrations. Today is most memorable day in his 20 years of life an a member of this House and he delighted and entire Muslim community will remember KCR forever for his bold step to protect the Wakf properties, Akbaruddin Owaisi said while thanking KCR. Newfoundland and Labrador reported one new case of COVID-19 on Saturday, with a presumed positive case related to a worker travelling to a mine site in Labrador City. The new confirmed case is a male in the Central Health region between 40-49 years old. In a media release, the provincial Department of Health said the new case is travel-related and the man is a resident of the province. The department said he was returning to the province from Alberta. "While travelling to the province, the individual was asymptomatic. He has been self-isolating since arrival and following public health guidelines," the media release reads. The department said contact tracing is underway and anyone considered a close contact will be advised to quarantine. Previously, the province had gone six days without a new case of the virus. The province's caseload is now 271, with 266 people having recovered and three deaths since March. There are two active cases in the province. In total, 34,934 have been tested as of Saturday's update 431 in the last 24 hours, marking the largest single-day increase since the pandemic began. Presumptive positive related to Labrador City mine Meanwhile, the Iron Ore Company of Canada says a contractor coming to its Labrador City mine site from outside the province has presumptively tested positive for COVID-19. In a memo to employees Friday evening, obtained by CBC News, the company said the person is from New Brunswick and received a presumptive positive test result during a regular screening of out-of-province workers. A spokesperson from New Brunswick's health department told CBC News Saturday, however, that the worker is not from New Brunswick. Adam Walsh/CBC The person did not proceed to the work site in Labrador City and immediately self-isolated, the memo from Daniel Allaire, general manager of processing operations, reads. "The individual will continue to remain in isolation until cleared by public health," wrote Allaire. Story continues "This is a very clear reminder to us all to continue with our tried and tested protocols related to COVID-19, and remain focused on following all public health guidelines in place both on site and in our communities." In Saturday's media release, Newfoundland and Labrador's Department of Health said additional testing through the provincial Public Health and Microbiology Laboratory is being completed to determine if this is another confirmed case. Read more articles from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador In The Soviet Tragedy, Martin Malia describes many Soviet citizens feeling great relief at the outbreak of World War II. These were people less than twenty years removed from devastating wars, so they were unlikely to be naive to the horrors, yet many welcomed the news of war because, as Malia describes, war provided a coherent, tangible reality again, in contract to the schizophrenic insanity of communism. The incoherence is everywhere. It's difficult to believe, given modern rhetoric, but in the early days of communism, wealth was considered a good thing, and, they argued, communism was superior because it created more of it. By the mid-1950s, it became impossible to ignore communism's poverty and deprivation, so rather than abandon their revolutionary ideology, the communists completely replaced what had been their fundamental goal. Yes, capitalism caused wealth, they conceded, but the wealth caused inequality, and inequality, not poverty, was the great evil against which all society's resources must mobilize. The intellectual bankruptcy is absolutely shameless and calls to mind an observation from the great black conservative Thomas Sowell: "Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it." Philosophy professor Stephen Hicks's excellent little book Explaining Post-Modernism details the many outrageous ideological pivots the radical left has been forced to make over the years to preserve a revolutionary posture, including even its abandonment of the presumption of truth. Frank Lentricchia: "Seek not to find the foundation and the conditions of truth but to exercise power for the purpose of social change." Foucault: "Knowledge is not for knowing: knowledge is for cutting." Foucault: "Schools serve the same social functions as prisons and mental institutions to define, classify, control, and regulate people." Ludwig Wittgenstein: "All propositions of logic say the same thing. That is, nothing." Marcuse: "'... absolute annihilation' of the common sense world." Rorty: "I think that a good Left is a party that always thinks about the future and doesn't care much about our past sins." If these postmodernists were true nihilists, you might expect them to have various political beliefs, but they were all radical leftists. Also, you'd think some of them might exercise a shred of self-reflection and turn their nihilistic deconstruction to their own work. If words are devoid of meaning, then what makes their arguments worthy? No such questions are asked. It seems that postmodernism is a torture chamber for ideas and cultures masquerading as scholarship. It doesn't matter what arguments you make once you're inside. What matters is which ideas and cultures are sentenced to "deconstruction" and which are held above reproach. Consider this boast made by a Bolshevik named Yurii Piatakov in 1928 (by other accounts, 1932), a generation before the postmodernists: "ordinary people in general, cannot make an instant change, a turn, amputating their own convictions. ... We are not like other people. We are a party who make the impossible possible. ... And if the party demands it, if it is necessary or important for the party, we will be able by an act of will to expel from our brains in twenty-four hours ideas we have held for years. ... Yes, I will see black where I thought I saw white, or may still see it, because for me there is no life outside the party or apart from agreement with it." One of my great fears is that the postmodernists, like the Bolsheviks, are correct in prioritizing power over meaning. Those who believe in meaning exhaust themselves making arguments to people who do not believe in truth modernist argument against a post-modernist ideology. What if a thousand slogans and bad arguments really are superior to fewer logical arguments rooted in evidence and subject to the test of predictive validity? The multifaceted tangle of logic pointing generally in the direction of class-hatred has something for everybody. It is unconcerned with contradiction and may even view it as an advantage. Its radicals have no obligation to defend any one argument; they simply survey their inventories for the words (or even just sounds) that will best defeat their current adversary. It gives them flexibility. Orest Subtelny's Ukraine, A History describes Lenin's "willingness to take one step back in order to move socialism forward two steps later the famous Lenin tango." Other historians make similar descriptions of the cunning duplicity of Bolshevism. British writer Theodore Dalrymple offers this shocking rationale: "In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, not to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better. When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is in some small way to become evil oneself. One's standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control." He adds, "I think if you examine political correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to." Perhaps it is also a part of what famous high-level KGB defector Yuri Bezmenov described as "ideological subversion" or "psychological warfare," the goal of which is to "change the perception of reality to such an extent that despite an abundance of information no one is able to come to sensible conclusion in the interests of defending themselves, their families, their community, and their country. ... It's a great brainwashing process which goes very slowly. ... A person who was demoralized is unable to assess true information. The facts tell nothing to him." Rooting an ideology in lies also allows you to quickly identify your loyal fanatics who will fight for the movement, untethered even by reality. This seems to be evidenced by the ridiculous confessions (of things like incest and murder) authored by Romanian prisoners at the Pitesti re-education camp, or the boasting of Bolshevik Yurij Piatakov noted above. This idea is not new. Believing something absurd is like a gang initiation ritual. It is similar to the famous saying of the early Christian theologian Tertullian, who has been called "the founder of Western theology": "I believe in the Trinity because it is absurd." Lastly, perhaps the explanation is a continuation of communism's all-consuming ambition. Communism is a jealous god, and you shall have no other gods. Perhaps reality itself is an affront to the aspirations of communists, and rather than operate within reality, they ultimately strive to conquer it. For these reasons, we should consider whether the lies and contradictions are not errors that more thoughtful communists might have avoided, but are deliberate strategies and expressions of their ultimate ambition: dominion over reality. I advise everyone to say things that are true with complete confidence that doing so is moral. In the words of Saint Thomas Aquinas, "the greatest charity one can do to another is to lead him to the truth." BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah group said on Saturday it strongly condemned Bahrain's move to normalize ties with Israel as a "great betrayal" of the Palestinian people. Bahrain joined the United Arab Emirates in agreeing to normalize relations with Israel on Friday, a move forged partly through shared fears of Iran. In its statement on Saturday, Hezbollah said the move by the "tyrannical regime in Bahrain" was done at the behest of the United States. The comments followed earlier condemnation by Iran's foreign ministry and Revolutionary Guards. Bahrain became the fourth Arab country to reach an agreement with Israel, which exchanged embassies with Egypt and Jordan decades ago. The UAE agreed to normalise ties with Israel a month ago under a U.S.-brokered deal due to be signed on Tuesday at a ceremony hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump, who is seeking re-election on Nov. 3. (Reporting by Raya Jalabi in Beirut and Omar Fahmy in Cairo; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Pravin Char) Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said that the Ukrainian side acted clearly within the law in the story of the arrest of 33 members of Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) in Belarus. "When these events started to develop, it was clear that this was again a case when they were trying to draw Ukraine into, and this case could become such a negative example, so you have to be careful. We acted clearly within the law," she said in an interview with Savik Shuster, released on Saturday on the Shuster online YouTube channel. KYODO NEWS - Sep 12, 2020 - 11:05 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, there have been increasing reports that foreigners living in areas with prominent international communities in Japan are being subject to discrimination and hateful remarks. "Shitty foreigner, corona." A 22-year-old Indian student at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University was targeted by such a verbal attack while walking around JR Beppu Station, Oita Prefecture in mid-August. The comment came from three Japanese men apparently in their 30s. Although the student's university, also located in Beppu, southwestern Japan, had reported from Aug. 8 that a dozen or so exchange students had tested positive for the virus, he was not one of them. He attempted to object, but the men told him, "We're social distancing. Get lost," so in the end he could do nothing. Such prejudice against foreigners is seen to be the result of an excessive fear of infection and ignorance among those who lack opportunities to communicate with the international communities with which they reside. The some 2,700 exchange students at APU, who make up almost half of its enrollments, usually forge deep connections with the local community through part-time jobs and extracurricular activities. But since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the city has received reports that some hair salons and dining establishments have put up signs denying entry to students from the university. In response, it immediately set about distributing around 1,500 notices to business operators reminding them that "the fight is against the virus, not people." Some businesses in Yokohama's Chinatown near Tokyo also reported receiving hate mail in March blaming Chinese people for the coronavirus outbreak, with messages such as "Get the hell out of Japan." According to a May survey of around 400 foreigners living in Fukuoka Prefecture by monthly multilingual magazine Fukuoka Now, around 20 percent of respondents said they have experienced some sort of discrimination in relation to the coronavirus. Toshihiro Menju, managing director and chief program officer at the Japan Center for International Exchange, believes that ensuring local residents and foreigners have opportunities to interact is the solution to eradicating discrimination and prejudice. "The relationships built in the community on a daily basis thrive during extraordinary times," he said. With foreigners, many of them Japanese-Brazilians, accounting for around 10 percent of the population of Minokamo, Gifu Prefecture, the city has been working to strengthen information sharing with its international community. City officials, together with a pastor with interpreting experience, are visiting around 10 churches with foreign congregations to urge them to take thorough measures against the coronavirus' spread. "Local governments should treat foreign residents in the same way as Japanese residents, and make their guidelines and other policies clear," said Menju. Irans decision to bring fresh charges against Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is indefensible and unacceptable, Downing Street has said, as allegations that Tehran is holding her for political leverage in a fiscal dispute with the UK intensify. The British-Iranian dual national was jailed for five years in Iran in 2016 on charges of plotting to overthrow the Iranian regime - which she denies - while working as a project manager for the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Having been moved to house arrest in March, when thousands of prisoners were granted clemency and released from Iranian jails amid the coronavirus outbreak, the 42-year-old was returned to court on Tuesday only months from her expected release date and told she would face a second trial. We've been consistently clear that she must not be returned to prison, to do so would be unjust and inhumane, Boris Johnson's official spokesperson said on Wednesday. "We are continuing to support Nazanin and her family at this very distressing time. Iran's decision to bring new charges against Nazanin is indefensible and unacceptable. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty "We are seeking to be allowed to attend the hearing that does take place, and we're raising our concern about Nazanin's case with the Iranian government at the highest levels." Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, has urged UK officials to insist on attending her second trial when it begins in Tehran on Sunday, and said the situation had left his family "caught" between two governments "fighting". We've always been treated in a strange, odd way and marked out as exceptional, he said. "This second court case is doing again that, and it's signalling again she's being held for political leverage to push the British government to do something. "That's a tricky position for us to be in, it's a tricky position for the British government to be in." It has been claimed that Iran is holding Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe in order to force the UK into settling a multimillion pound dispute dating back to the 1970s, when the Shah paid the UK 400m for 1,500 Chieftan tanks. After he was toppled in 1979, Britain refused to deliver the remaining 1,315 tanks to the new Islamic Republic and kept the money, despite British courts accepting it should be repaid. Mr Ratcliffe added: "I've always felt the government is reluctant to be honest with us, reluctant to call us in hostage, reluctant to acknowledge some of the abuses she's gone through, and reluctant to really call out Iran for its practices. "I don't think that's got us very far. In a situation like this, the more you escalate it, the risk there is of things happening. "So it's not as if just shouting at Iran is suddenly going to change things, but certainly being a lot more honest, a lot more straightforward, is much more likely to protect people." Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe will face charges of spreading anti-government propaganda at her trial on Sunday, her husband said, in a case officials dropped in December 2017 after a visit from the then-foreign secretary Boris Johnson, but reopened in May 2018. "Her lawyer got to look at the file," he told BBC Radio 4s Today. "It looks like the file is really a rehash of what she got convicted of first time round. "But, you know, previously the evidence has changed between the lawyer reading it and what happens in the court case so we'll only really know on Sunday what she's going to be accused of." She is clearly being held as a bargaining chip, he added. Describing how his wife "woke up terrified" on Tuesday when Iranian soldiers came to take her to court, Mr Ratcliffe told the Press Association: "The guys in the Jeep came along, Revolutionary Guards, they're the guys that kept her and interrogated her. "So she was fearing the worst, that she was being taken back to prison and had to be reassured, really, that it was actually court she was going to. "Oddly she came back from court more relieved than she had gone in that, 'OK, at least I'm back home and it's only a court case'." Redress, a torture survivors group working to free Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, urged the government to react "firmly and quickly". The UK government must assert Nazanin's rights under international law, given its decision to exercise diplomatic protection in her case, said Leanna Burnard, the group's legal officer. "It must insist on urgently visiting Nazanin and seeking consular access to attend Nazanin's second trial, to demonstrate to Iran that it is ready to protect the legal rights of its nationals." Additional reporting by PA Advertisement The view is a little underwhelming as we emerge, blinking, from the murk of the Kingsway tunnel the toll road that links Liverpool to the east of the Wirral peninsula. Frankly, the river looks as brown as sludge, and the tangled debris of rested shipyards less than appealing as we motor for ten minutes towards the ferry station at Seacombe to use the car park. But as we gather our knapsacks and turn our shoulder to the wind, the disappointment falls away. We pause for a moment to look across the water to the three edifices that provide the signature for the Liverpool skyline: the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building known collectively as The Three Graces. Gentle charms: The Wirral has many pretty diversions, including Port Sunlight village But they are for another day. Instead, we march forward to the starting point of the Wirral Coastal promenade, a broad walkway that snakes around the headland to the mouth of the River Dee. The Wirral peninsula is much overlooked. Perhaps its because this 15-mile finger of land, bookended by the Rivers Mersey and Dee and crowned by the Irish Sea, lies close to the seaside attractions of North Wales. But the thirst for less well-trodden places has become increasingly apparent, and the Wirral certainly delivers: history, culture, walks, cycle rides and beach. For history, we need only walk two and half miles along the promenade to New Brighton. Here, we find the wave-splashed Fort Perch Rock, a former defence built in 1829 at the mouth of the Mersey. It seems an odd place for a fort. But Liverpool merchants, concerned about invasion by the French during the Napoleonic Wars, put forward the idea and it stands next to the splendid Perch Rock lighthouse. For history, head to New Brighton where you'll find Fort Perch Rock and the splendid Perch Rock lighthouse Its hard to believe this was once a popular seaside resort with bandstands and the tallest building in Britain: the 567ft, New Brighton Tower (dismantled after World War I). Following a steady decline from the Seventies, the area has since been revamped with restaurants and a Travelodge. We find a bench and gaze across the river to the Liverpool docks. Further on are countless sandy beaches not least Leasowe Bay, a wide stretch backed by a sea wall and pimpled with dunes. We stop for a lolly from a dawdling ice cream van. And we tell ourselves that next time were going to book into the Leasowe Castle Hotel originally built in 1593 by Ferdinand, 5th Earl of Derby. It would be quite something to wake up to such a wild view. West Kirby is a hotspot for watersport lovers, sailing and windsurfing on the 52acre man-made Marine Lake TRAVEL FACTS B&B doubles at Leasowe Castle from 70 (leasowecastle.com). See visitwirral.com for more places to stay and information on walking and attractions. Advertisement On another day we drive on to West Kirby on the north-west corner of the peninsular and the end of the promenade. This town is a hotspot for watersport lovers, sailing and windsurfing on the 52acre man-made Marine Lake. But we prefer bracing experiences without getting wet. Thanks to tide and timing, we cross the Wirral Estuary by foot from West Kirby beach. This is a two-mile walk to Hilbre Islands, three tidal islands lying at the mouth of the Dee Estuary. This archipelago is a magnet for birds such as meadow pipits, willow warblers, swallows and wheatears. You may also see the occasional grey seal (we didnt). While it is tempting to stay at West Kirby, there are so many other places. Not least Wirral Country Park, home to the former West Kirby to Hooton railway. The model village of Port Sunlight (home of the eponymous soap) is another delightful day out, with 900 grade-II listed buildings surrounded by fields and woodland. Returning to our home in Manchester, faces pink from the breeze curling away from the Irish Sea, were exhausted and uplifted. Who knew getting away from it all meant you dont really need to get that far at all. Soi Dog Foundation doctor appointed to Thailands Cruelty Prevention and Welfare of Animal Committee PHUKET: Soi Dog Foundations Bangkok Director of Animal Welfare Dr Tuntikorn Rungpatana (Dr Oob) has been officially appointed to Thailands Cruelty Prevention and Welfare of Animal Committee by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC). By Soi Dog Foundation Saturday 12 September 2020, 01:12PM Dr Oob joins six other committee members and will hold the position for a term of four years. He replaces Kiranee Narabal, president of Soi Dog Foundation Thailand, who served on the committee between 2017 and 2020. The committee consists of representatives from government agencies, representatives from animal welfare organisations and animal aid centres and other experts in animal welfare and cruelty prevention appointed by the minister of the MoAC. Committee members will have the power to propose new policies, plans, measures or guidelines and offer opinions as to how the current legislation the Prevention of Animal Cruelty and Provision of Animal Welfare Act 2014 can be revised. Soi Dog Foundation sat on the committee that drafted full details of the Act, the first of its kind in Thailand. Through my role on the committee, I hope to educate the nation, to help build an understanding of animal welfare and an awareness of the penalties that come with cruelty towards animals and abandonment of pets, said Dr Oob. I will also be urging the government to expand on existing animal welfare legislation. There are still a number of issues that arent included in the current legislation. Its important that the issues that are already included are comprehensive and fully enforced. Dr Oob added that he hopes to see both government and private shelters in Thailand managed to the same high standards. Although shelters are far from ideal environments for animals, we must ensure that they enjoy a quality of life during their time there, he explained. This is a great opportunity for Soi Dog Foundation to enact change, and Im looking forward to continuing our close work with the government. Since its founding in 2003, Soi Dog Foundation has collaborated with government agencies and local authorities on a number of animal welfare issues, such as introducing spay and neuter programmes, ending the countrys dog and cat meat trade and responding to disasters like the Bangkok and Ubon Ratchathani floods which left thousands of animals displaced. Meanwhile, Soi Dog Foundation last month came to the aid of two stray animal feeders after their home was left heavily damaged in a storm. Noi and Dominic, who have fed and cared for over 20 street dogs and cats in the Thalang area for many years, and who were fortunately away at the time of a heavy storm, returned to find their bathroom and bedroom flattened by surrounding trees that had been uprooted by heavy winds. Upon hearing of Noi and Dominics situation, Soi Dog sent its infrastructure team down to assess the damage. The team have been busy recently constructing new dog runs and kennels to cope with the shelters ever-increasing population as well as renovating the spay and neuter suite. However, they took time out of their schedule to repair the house by installing columns, wall panels, doors and a new electrical system; replumbing the bathroom; and painting the interior and exterior. A local foundation and the local OrBorTor reroofed the house and donated building materials. Feeders like Noi and Dominic play a vital role in caring for the islands stray dogs and cats by supplying them with regular food and fresh water and liaising with Soi Dog to ensure they are neutered, vaccinated and treated when they are sick or injured. In turn, Soi Dog provides feeders with food for the animals and educates them in basic animal care and first aid through its Community Outreach Programme. Tomball ISD students of all grade levels experienced their first day of school either face-to-face or online instruction, Tuesday, Sept. 8, some returning to campus for the first time since schools closed in March due to the pandemic. Chief Academic Officer Amy Schindewolf said the districts student body was approximately 40 percent online and 60 percent face-to-face districtwide to start the 2020-2021 school year. Back-to-school during the pandemic: Tomball ISD approves $1M purchase of Chromebooks and hotspots for the new school year This is a community that really depends on our schools and values the education system, Schindewolf said. As we have come back to school whether its virtual or face-to-face, it gives our community hope and it gives our staff hope and our kids hope that we are working thru this pandemic and that were going to be OK because our schools are the cornerstones. Prior to the start of instruction, Schindewolf said the district provided general professional learning sessions for teachers and also changed the school calendar, pushing back the start of school until Sept. 8. She said that additional time helped them prepare. On HoustonChronicle.com: An inside look at Rices outdoor classrooms for in-person classes The district was required by the state of Texas to utilize a learning management system for online instruction and therefore purchased Schoology, she said, which they later found was the system endorsed by the state and provided free of charge for two years to districts. Brittany Brecht from Oakcrest Intermediate teaches sixth grade math face-to-face in the morning and virtual in the afternoons. She said teachers tried to keep everything as streamlined as possible for both types of learners and that her team started at ground zero by planning instruction based on best practices, making sure everything was as rigorous as it needs to be. Its hard not to see their smiles because of masks but it just feels good to be in a classroom full of warm bodies, so the biggest success is that we started. We now have a place that were moving forward to, so its just been an overall great week, Brecht said. Brecht said that on-campus and virtual learners are doing the same skills every single day, with each student having access to a teacher for the same amount of time and doing the same activity, just presented in a different way. She said teachers wanted to make sure instruction was based on the right expectations for all learners to prepare them for the unexpected. We dont know what a month will look like so if something happens, and if we regress with this, we want our face-to-face learners to be equally as prepared and then our virtual learners to be prepared to come back to the classroom and be ready to perform with all of our other students, Brecht said. Increased safety Schindewolf said the district made Chromebooks available for any family who needed a device, with each campus deploying devices to families in need. She said it was different from this past spring semester when schools provided one device per family but are now distributed as needed. Because of the rigor that was being added to the fall with our learning, we opted to give one device per student, so a family can get multiple devices, dependent on the number of students in their home, Schindewolf said. That was all based on need and were still deploying those; some families learned that once they started the virtual learning that they maybe needed an additional device in the home. Brecht said that at Oakcrest teachers have made it a point to use current devices to get as close as they can to a one-to-one ratio. She said students begin the morning by grabbing their individually assigned Chromebooks, with no sharing to keep things safe, and are able to access Schoology and virtual resources in class. Schindewolf said Oakcrest was fortunate to be in that situation where they were almost one-to-one but that every campus is different, with others such as Tomball and Tomball Memorial High schools not quite there yet. They dont check out devices for students during the day, its more of a blended model where they might use them as needed or they can bring their own device, Schindewolf said. Schindewolf said Tomball ISD did apply and get approval through the Texas Education Agency for the Connectivity grant to receive a certain number of devices that will get the district near to being on a one-to-one ratio but had not received those yet. The district will also receive hotspots. The district implemented safety procedures at each campus, customized by school depending on the grade level, according to Schindewolf. There are hand sanitizer stations; teachers are asked to explain to their classes the importance of washing hands and building that into the day; and students are required to have a mask on campus and wear it in common areas. Even for our students less than 10 years old, we require them to wear those in transition, Schindewolf said. We require them to wear those when moving about the classroom or when unable to social distance and we are trying to keep people apart at lunch, we are trying to not congregate in areas. Brecht said one of the changes made at Oakcrest this year to increase safety standards is shifting the bell between grade levels to have fifth grade change classes at a different time then sixth graders to minimize the number of students in the hallway. She said the school also changed the hallways to walk one direction to limit the quantity of students in the hallways. We have teachers manning the restrooms for cleaning purposes but also limiting the amount of students in the restroom, Brecht said. So, anything we can do to increase the safety we are trying to do. Excited to learn Brecht said teachers at Oakcrest focused on success criteria for Schoology during the first week of school, training students how to do certain things within the learning management system. The biggest challenges that they have faced as teachers from the virtual side of instruction is some of the troubleshooting, she said. Being a virtual teacher does not make me an expert in technology and having students at home on their own, different kinds of devices, sometimes the problems you run into are really specific to that student and its a really hard to problem solve, Brecht said. She lauded the districts technology department, saying that any time shes run into something that needs to be addressed, there are various outlets she can call and touch base with and parents also have resources they can reach out to. Schindewolf said that districtwide, not just at Oakcrest, the biggest challenge has been the onboarding to the learning management system getting students online, on the right platform and set up on their device. We are in a good place today (Sept. 11) compared to where we were on Tuesday but our goal this week was to acclimate and I think that we were successful at that, Schindewolf said. Brecht said that regardless of whether students are learning in-person or virtually, shes seen kids being able to express their personalities, open up and share stories. Ive noticed students who are excited to come to my virtual classroom, Brecht said. I found that to be my biggest success and my biggest apprehension before, so I was very relieved that it has worked out the way that it has. Three pillars Schindewolf said that on-campus learning is going to look similar to what it looked like in the past expect for heightened safety and health protocols. The instruction is also going to look similar but with the inclusion of Schoology and some additional technology in the classroom. Our teachers design instruction to meet the needs of the students were built on three pillars and thats high-quality instruction, collaborative culture and social emotional learning and that didnt change, Schindewolf said. She said the district has a team that is monitoring enrollment and attendance through the virtual environment as well as on-campus, getting daily counts. She added that after about the first week of school, the district really gets a true picture of who has not engaged in the learning yet and update enrollment. Brecht said that all things considered, this week has been better than she expected amid all the uncertainties and learning curves. As a whole, both from virtual and face-to-face, I have kids to engage and I have a curriculum to take them through and I have kids that want to be in my classes, Brecht said. Schindewolf said district leadership has met daily in the afternoon to debrief and to look at any issues. With any start of school, even in a normal environment, there were always things that we needed to consider, Schindewolf said. Parents, students, staff, administration, we are all working together towards the common goal and we think its been a phenomenal start. We started this school year with the mantra that we will approach everything with grace, patience and love and we remind ourselves of that every day and I want to thank our families and our students for being in this with us and really working toward that common goal of serving the students of Tomball ISD. alvaro.montano@chron.com Four killed in flooding in south China 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. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 12 Trend: Armenia is conducting a policy of illegal settlement across Azerbaijan's occupied territories and recently launched a policy of resettlement of Armenians from Lebanon there, Assistant to Azerbaijans President - Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev said, Trend reports. Hajiyev added that news about a family from Lebanon resettled in the Azerbaijani Shusha city - a destination of utmost historical and moral significance for Azerbaijan - has been posted on social media, Hajiyev stressed. As the world countries, including Azerbaijan, are dealing with the issue of elimination of tragedy's consequences that befell Lebanon and offering humanitarian assistance, Armenia is exploiting this tragedy and people's hardship, pushing their sordid agenda. Thereby, Armenia has once again demonstrated that it recognizes no moral values, stressed Hajiyev. The population resettled in our occupied territories has become victim of Armenia's reckless and adventurist policy. The policy of illegal settlement across Azerbaijan's occupied territories has no validity, and Azerbaijan rejects its outcome categorically, the presidents assistant emphasized. Hajiyev said that Armenia is also using the people from Lebanon and Syria resettled in the occupied territories as mercenaries. Armenia aims to alter the demographic situation across Azerbaijan's occupied territories by pursuing the illegal settlement policy. The same policy is a flagrant violation of the international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Convention of 1949. According to the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, the occupying power cannot transfer its civilian population into the territory it occupies, said the assistant. During the 1946 Nuremberg International Military Tribunal for the Trial of Major War Criminals, two of the defendants were convicted for changing the ethnic composition of the occupied territories, said the official. According to international law, the pursuit of illegal settlement policy by the occupying power in the occupied territories should be classified as a military crime. In this regard, Armenia's illegal settlement policy across Azerbaijan's occupied territories is a military crime, noted Hajiyev. Ironically, such actions are considered a crime under Armenia's own legislation. In Article 390 of Armenia's Criminal Code, the occupying power's deportation of the local population and transfer of its people to the occupied territories is a grave violation of international humanitarian law, punishable by 8-12 years of imprisonment, the presidents assistant said. Hajiyev stressed that Armenia's act of aggression perpetrated in the direction of Azerbaijans Tovuz district, along the state border between the two countries this July and an attempt to carry out a subversion operation across the Line of Contact reveal that Armenia is preparing for yet another provocation. Moreover, in recent days, Armenia has once again begun to declare explicitly; through its own puppet regime in Karabakh, its intention to occupy Azerbaijan's other areas and threatened to launch a missile strike on the city of Ganja, said the assistant. Inflammatory rhetoric by Armenia's Prime Minister and Defense Minister and their actions and other steps of such nature, once again confirm that the goal of Armenian leadership is to fully disrupt the negotiation process and secure the annexation of Azerbaijan's occupied territories, added Hajiyev. He said that the responsibility for perpetrating provocations and escalating the situation lies with Armenia's political and military leadership. Armenia must withdraw its troops from Azerbaijan's occupied territories to achieve progress in the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. The conflict must be resolved only and solely in line with Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of its internationally recognized borders, Hajiyev emphasized. DaveAlan/iStockBy WILLIAM MANSELL AND KARMA ALLEN, ABC News (SAN FRANCISCO) -- 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. "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. 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." 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. "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. 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. 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. 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. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which investigates instances of officers using their weapons, was responding to the scene on Saturday, according to a statement on social media. The agency asked anyone with information to call 312-746-3608. Boris Johnson's daughter has recommend soaking in candelit rose-scented baths and deleting social media for weeks as she revealed her stress-relieving hacks in an article for society bible Tatler. Lara Johnson-Wheeler, 27, who is the eldest of the Prime Minister's four children with his second wife, Marina Wheeler, has followed in her father's footsteps by forging a career as a writer and editor. The 27-year-old journalist and editor, who spent lockdown with her boyfriend at her family's country home in Thame, Oxfordshire, which has an estimated value of 1million, has now revealed her 'tried and tested hacks' for managing stress amid the Covid-19 crisis. Writing for the society bible, she said she does a 20 minute face mask each morning and follows online yoga tutorials as part of her daily routine, as well as revealing: 'For me, after missing yet another end of play deadline, theres nothing quite like plunging into a hot bath to wash away the stresses of the day.' The eldest of the Prime Minister's four children with his second wife, Marina Wheeler, Lara Johnson-Wheeler, 27, has revealed her 'tried and tested stress hacks' amid the Covid-19 crisis The 27-year-old confessed working-from-home had brought her 'shoulder-knot inducing anxieties' and said there September is 'no better time' for a set of 'soothing' relaxation techniques. She called looking after oneself 'a real stress buster', adding that she often starts the morning with a 20 minute face mask before spending her lunch hour using a rose quartz roller to massage her skin and 'give life emotionally and cosmetically.' Meanwhile Lara also revealed how she also found walks through the city perfect o 'clear the head and reconnect with the body'. She added that people should wear a face mask, saying: 'Keep your worries at bay and protect those around you by ensuring to keep covered, as well as comfortable.' Lara, who has followed in her father's footsteps by forging a career as a writer and editor, said she enjoys taking candelit rose-scented baths to relax and confessed she often deletes social media for weeks in order to relax Lara also confessed to following yoga tutorials on YouTube, calling an online 30 minute stress management class a 'crucial part' of her schedule. The 27-year-old went on to add that she takes long candlelit baths to sooth her soul, adding oils scented with rose which she says have been recommended to her as 'a natural depression reliever.' And she recommended others delete social media 'for as long or as short as you feel will help', saying she often quits the online platforms for weeks. Her most recent comments come after she admitted she is unsure about the impact the coronavirus pandemic will have on her 'future financial prospects' in an article for British Vogue. Lara, who spent lockdown with her mother at her family home in Thame, said working-from-home had brought her 'shoulder-knot inducing anxieties' In the piece, which was published in April, Lara admitted she is holding off on buying new clothes because she is uncertain about how the COVID-19 crisis will impact her finances. However she has treated herself to luxury designer headbands from Prada and Shrimps, which are thought to have cost between 100-200 each. Writing for the fashion bible, Lara explained she has resorted to delving into her teenage wardrobe after failing to pack enough clothes. Lara, whose mother Marina recently divorced the Prime Minister, works as a writer, editor and broadcaster and lives in London. She was educated at the 33,000-a-year Bedales School in Petersfield, which is known for its liberal, free-spirited approach to education. Her mother attended the same school. Ms Johnson-Wheeler has four siblings: Milo Arthur, Cassia Peaches,Theodore Apollo and Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas, who was born in April. Head of Monitoring Unit at the Forestry Commission, Charles Owusu has slammed former President and NDC flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama over his death wish for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. A viral video surfaced with Mr. John Mahama asking Ghanaians not to entrust the future of the country into the hands of Nana Akufo-Addo again stressing it is highly probable that the President won't live long enough to remit the debts he is piling up for the nation. He urged Ghanaians to demand accountability from the government over how it expended its borrowed monies, claiming the Akufo-Addo government, in its first term, has added a whopping GHC 137bn to the countrys debt stock. ...if we follow the order of life, the path ahead of Akufo-Addo is shorter than all of you, young people. If you go to the market, youll see a small goatskin and an old goatskin. Young people can die; I agree, but if the natural order is to be maintained, somebody who is twenty years old is going to live the next fifty years. At my age, Im going to live shorter, Nana Akufo-Addo is going to live shorter because at his age, in the natural order of things, he has shorter time so that debt, he is not going to pay'', Mr. Mahama said this while addressing Chiefs and elders of the Nadowli traditional council, a few days prior to the launch of the party's 2020 manifesto. But Charles Owusu has rebuked Mr. Mahama for wishing death for the President. Seaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', he asked how he (Mahama) came to his conclusion about natural law being that elderly people die before younger persons. He accentuated that Ex-President's death remarks about the Nana Addo are very inappropriate, stressing nobody knows the time he or she will pass away. ''We don't have the law of nature which tells that once you're elderly, you will die before a younger person...Nobody knows the time he or she will die'', he said. Charles Owusu therefore admonished Mr. Mahama to choose his words carefully when delivering speeches. ''We should be mindful of our words when speaking. Like musician OJ once said, it's impossible to turn back the hand of time, therefore be very careful when you speak because words are irreversible.'' 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 Victoria police are gearing up for another day of anti-lockdown protests as thousands vow to attend a 'Melbourne Freedom Walk' on Saturday. The planned protest is set to kick off at the city's Tan walking track at 11am and has garnered around 1,500 responses from people saying they will attend online. The march is believed to be the doing of sacked Clive Palmer political candidate and conspiracy theorist Tony Pecora, 43. Mr Pecora was arrested by police after allegedly planning the event and charged with two counts of incitement. The 'Freedom Walk' comes just one week after anti-lockdown protests erupted across the city with 17 demonstrators arrested and 160 fined. A 'Freedom Walk' planned for Saturday was allegedly organised by sacked Clive Palmer political candidate Tony Pecora (pictured) Saturday's planned march comes just one week after protests erupted across the city with 17 arrested The march is expected to kick off at 11am on Saturday at Melbourne's Tan walking track (pictured people walking the Tan last week) Mr Pecora allegedly created the event on social media under the alias Arkwell Tripellego. He believes the deadly coronavirus was 'genetically engineered by world banks to kill off weak humans'. He then quoted Midnight Oil, allegedly telling police if someone contracted coronavirus at one of his events 'it would be better to die on your feet than live on your knees'. Organisers say the event will be legal and only available for people who live within 5km of the Tan. 'Come together, get healthy and talk about getting our freedoms back,' the event says. 'Social distancing will be adhered to, along with facial coverings, and the aim is to remain walking so as not to create a conflict with police.' The walk is expected to be replicated next week. Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius (pictured) slammed anybody thinking about attending the march One protester is seen arrested by police during the Freedom Day marches in Melbourne last Saturday On Friday, Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius unleashed on anybody thinking about attending the march and warned police would be out in full force. 'I feel a bit like a dog returning to eat his own vomit,' he said. 'I am incredibly frustrated. If people were less selfish and a bit more grown up, we wouldn't have to keep doing this. 'Don't take us for fools. We'll have no hesitation in issuing fines.' Mr Cornelius said as well as the $1,652 fines, people could be charged in court and forced to pay up to $20,000. A man with his shirt ripped is taken away by police in Melbourne last week Police clashed with thousands of protesters at the Shrine of Remembrance last Saturday Premier Daniel Andrews also pleaded with people not to take part. 'All you're potentially doing is spreading the virus,' he said on Friday. Mr Pecora was granted bail on Friday with conditions disallowing him from using social media or contacting other organisers. Under Stage Four restrictions Melburnians can only leave their homes for exercise if they stay within five kilometres of their house and only for one hour. They can exercise with one other person. Last Saturday 'Freedom Day' protests erupted at the city's Shrine of Remembrance with police tackling demonstrators to the ground and dragging them away in handcuffs. Thousands turned up to the protest - many without masks - but they were no match for the wall of police officers. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 18:20:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KINSHASA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- At least 50 people have been killed after a gold mine collapsed in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, local authorities said Saturday. The accident occurred on Friday in the town of Kamituga in South Kivu province, following days of heavy rain, with the cause of the landslide currently under investigation. Provincial Governor Theo Ngwabidje Kasi confirmed in a statement on Saturday morning that the majority of the victims are young people, including children. Rescuers are continuing to identify the dead and provide assistance. Local media quoted a survivor as saying that more than 50 people had been in the three shafts, which water had poured in to. Kamituga Mayor Alexandre Bundya decreed a two-day mourning period and called on local residents to help rescuers extract bodies from the ground. The South Kivu province has recorded landslides every year due to artisanal mining activities in several communities. Enditem The Delhi Police has named CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav, economist Jayati Ghosh, Delhi University professor and activist Apoorvanand, and documentary filmmaker Rahul Roy as co-conspirators in the February Delhi riots. They have been accused of asking anti-CAA protesters to go to any extreme, spreading discontent in the community by calling CAA/NRC anti-Muslim, and organise demonstrations to malign the image of the Government of India. The names appeared in a supplementary charge sheet, a copy of which is with the PTI, filed by the police on the riots in North East District between February 23 and 26, which claimed 53 lives and left 581 injured, 97 of them having gunshot wounds. These eminent personalities have been made accused based on the confessions of three students - womens collective Pinjra Tod members and JNU students Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal, and Gulfisha Fathima of Jamia Milia Islamia - in the Jafrabad violence, from where the riots spread to other parts of north-east Delhi. All three are facing charges under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. In the charge sheet, which was made public just two days before the commencement of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Delhi Police has claimed that Kalita and Narwal admitted to not just their complicity in the riots but also named Ghosh, Apoorvanand and Roy as their mentors, who allegedly asked them to carry out the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and go to any extreme. Their similarly-worded disclosure statements mentioned in the charge sheet - claim the two JNU students said they organised the Daryaganj protest in December and the Jafrafad chakka jam (road block) against the CAA on February 22, 2020 at the behest of Ghosh, Apoorvanand and Roy. The student-activists also told the police the three coordinated with the Islamist group Popular Front of India (PFI) and the Jamia Coordination Committee to mentor the Pinjra Tod members to carry forward their campaign against the CAA, according to the charge sheet. The police have used Jamia student Fathimas statement to corroborate the ensuing events. The charge sheet claims that apart from Yechury and Yogendra Yadav, Fathimas statement mentions Bhim Army chief Chandrasekhar, United Against Hate activist Umar Khalid and some leaders from the Muslim community such as ex-MLA Mateen Ahmed, and MLA Amannatullah Khan. The document claims they aided the conspirators of the violence. In her statement, Fathima said that she was told to organise the protest to malign the image of the Government of India, the police claimed. In her statement, included in the charge sheet, she says that big leaders and lawyers started coming in to provoke and mobilize this crowd, including Omar Khalid, Chandrashekhar Ravan, Yogendar Yadav, Sitaram Yechury, and lawyer Mahmood Pracha, etc. Pracha said that the sitting in demonstration is your democratic right and the rest of the leaders filled the feeling of discontent in the community by calling CAA/NRC anti-Muslim she said, according to the charge sheet. According to the charge sheet, Kalita added, Umar Khalid had also given some tips for doing protest against CAA/NRC. On the directions of these persons, Umar Khalids United Against Hate Group and JCC (Jamia Coordination Committee) & members of our Pinjda Tod (we) together started protest in difierent parts of Delhi. The Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL), a Govt. of India undertaking, has invited applications in prescribed format from qualified and experienced individuals for filling Thirty One (31) vacancies to the post of Consultants through direct recruitment to be posted at New Delhi and its PMU Offices anywhere in India on a fulltime basis. The offline application process towards the same started on September 9, 2020 and closes on September 24, 2020. CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Consultants Organisation Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) Educational Qualification Graduate/Post-Graduate Degree (any discipline); Bachelors Degree; Engineering Degree Experience Refer to the advertisement Job Responsibilities null Skills Required Desirable Job Location New Delhi Salary Scale As per BBNL Recruitment notification norms Industry Telecom Application Start Date September 9, 2020 Application End Date September 24, 2020 BBNL Recruitment 2020: Age Criteria And Fees Candidates interested in applying for Consultants posts through BBNL Recruitment 2020 must not be more than 65 years of age as on September 9, 2020 with relaxation (upper age limit) for reserved categories as specified in BBNL Recruitment notification. For details regarding application fee for Consultants posts through BBNL Recruitment 2020, refer to the official BBNL Recruitment notification given at the end of the article. JEE Main Cutoff 2020 Percentile Category-wise For Paper 1 Released BBNL Recruitment 2020: Education And Eligibility Desirous candidates applying for Consultants posts through BBNL Recruitment 2020 must possess a Graduate/Post-Graduate Degree (any discipline); Bachelor's Degree; Engineering Degree from a recognised University/Institute with other required qualifications as detailed in the BBNL Recruitment notification. BBNL Recruitment 2020: Selection And Pay Scale The selection of candidates for Consultants posts through BBNL Recruitment 2020 will be done through Shortlisting, Interview and Document Verification as mentioned in the BBNL Recruitment notification. Shortlisted candidates for Consultants posts through BBNL Recruitment 2020 will be paid emolument as per BBNL Recruitment notification norms. NEET 2020 Postponement: JEE Main, NEET Exam Live Updates BBNL Recruitment 2020: How To Apply Candidates applying for Consultants posts through BBNL Recruitment 2020 must fill the application from attached with the BBNL recruitment notification and e-mail the same along with relevant supporting documents to bbnl.recruitment@gmail.com or send it by post to the "Manager (Admin), BBNL, 3rd floor, Office Block-I, East Kidwai Nagar, New Delhi-110023" on or before September 24, 2020 as detailed in the BBNL recruitment notification. Download BBNL Recruitment 2020 PDF Notification for Consultants Calaveras County Public Health COVID-19 numbers-9-11-2020 View Photo San Andreas, CA Sadly, Calaveras County Public Health is reporting 8 new deaths from COVID-19 bringing its total to 10. The latest fatalities include 2 females and 6 males all over the age of 65. All tested positive for coronavirus and their deaths stem from an outbreak among residents at the Avalon Health Care San Andreas, inform health officials. Due to state HIPAA privacy rules, no additional information is being released regarding these individuals. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of those who passed away from COVID-19, said Dr. Dean Kelaita, Calaveras County Health Officer. Today is a somber day as we also remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001. We extend our gratitude to all the first responders for their courage and service. We also take a pause to reflect on the lives lost to COVID-19 in Calaveras County and reflect on the heroism of healthcare workers that continue to provide valuable services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health officials also reported that there are 12 new cases of coronavirus in the county. They include 1 female and 2 males between 0 to 17 years of age, 4 females and 2 males between 18 to 49 years of age, and 3 males over 65 years of age. There were 4 cases reported in District 1, 1 case in Districts 2, and 7 cases in District 3. Calaveras County is still among California Counties where the county risk level is substantial. This means that some indoor business operations are allowed to proceed with specific modifications. We must remain vigilant. People can help Calaveras lower its risk by taking the necessary steps to prevent being exposed to COVID-19, stated Dr. Kelaita. Practice physical distancing, wear a face covering, get tested, wash your hands often, stay home if you are sick, and avoid any gatherings where physical distancing and masking is not being followed. The county has reported 298 confirmed cases of COVID-19 to date with 259 recovered and 29 cases remain active. 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. Authorities revealed in court Thursday that while the man they believe killed Stephanie Parze is dead, his parents remain targets of an ongoing investigation. Parze, 25, of Freehold, was killed by her ex-boyfriend John Ozbilgen last fall, according to authorities. He later took his own life and left a note admitting to being responsible for her death, prosecutors said. She remained missing for months until her body was found in January. Richard E. Incremona, the attorney for Ozbilgens parents, Haken and Cynthia Ozbilgen, filed a motion seeking the return of property belonging to them that authorities seized during the investigation into the disappearance. During a virtual court hearing Thursday, first reported on by NorthJersey.com, Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Caitlin Sidley said that the property was part of their ongoing investigation into anyone who might have helped John Ozbilgen or hindered the investigation. Incremona said his clients deny wrongdoing. They did everything they could to help police find this girl when she was still missing. As time went on they got treated like criminals," he said. At that point, he said, they were less cooperative because of the treatment. John Ozbilgen was released by Judge Paul Escandon at his detention hearing at the Monmouth County Courthouse on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019. He is charged with child porn and has been identified as a person of interest in the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend Stephanie Parze, 25, of Freehold Township.Russ DeSantis | For NJ Advance Media Police executed 50 search warrants across multiple counties and Long Island as they tried to locate Parze. Among the things they seized were the cellphones, computers, gaming systems and cable modem of Ozbilgens parents, Incremona said. In rebutting the motion, Sidley said investigators have not been able to access the phones and have still not processed some electronics, Incremona recalled. During COVID, when everyones binging on Netflix or computers, my clients have none of that, he said. Theyre upset. They want their things back." The prosecutors office did not respond to a request for comment Friday evening. Parze, a make-up artist who lived with her grandmother in Freehold, disappeared Oct. 30, 2019. Authorities suspected Ozbilgen, her on-again-off-again boyfriend who had previously been charged with assaulting her. In one of many searches, volunteers look for Stephanie Parze in woods in Freehold Township Nov. 23, 2019.Russ DeSantis | NJ Advance Media After searching his phone, they charged him with possessing child pornography Nov. 8. Just days after a judge released Ozbilgen from jail, he killed himself inside his familys Freehold Township home. Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said authorities are confident Ozbilgen acted alone in killing Parze. Ozbilgens parents told NJ101.5 in January that they do not believe that their son was responsible for Parzes death. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. When operations outgrew the Chicago location, the company relocated to a former wool mill in Elgin and later to the North Grove Street location, biographical accounts said. In 1885, Cook built a 12-room mansion for his family at 105 N. Gifford St. and lived in Elgin until his death in 1927. He is buried in Elgins Bluff City Cemetery. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 10:11:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- No new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported Friday across the Chinese mainland, the National Health Commission said Saturday. Meanwhile, six confirmed COVID-19 cases arriving from outside the mainland were reported -- two in Shanghai, two in Guangdong, and one each in Fujian and Shaanxi, the commission said in its daily report. One new suspected COVID-19 case was reported. No new deaths related to the disease were reported, the commission said. On Friday, nine COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery, the commission said. By the end of Friday, a total of 2,625 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Of them, 2,471 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 154 remained hospitalized, with one in severe condition. No deaths from the imported cases had been reported. As of Friday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland had reached 85,174. Altogether 80,386 people had been discharged after recovery, and 4,634 had died of the disease, the commission said. There was one suspected COVID-19 case on the mainland, while 6,800 close contacts were still under medical observation after 351 were discharged Friday, according to the commission. Enditem Beleaguered Vietnamese carriers are looking to the next Tet, or Lunar New Year holiday, to pump up revenues after months of suffering Covid-19 impacts. All five carriers have begun accepting bookings for Tet 2021, the countrys largest annual holiday, which falls in the second and third week of next February. On offer are a total of five million tickets, up 10 percent year-on-year. Vietnam Airlines and its subsidiaries Pacific Airlines and Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO) are offering two million tickets, while Vietjet and Bamboo Airways each have 1.5 million. Ticketing agencies have already begun recording bookings for the holiday, even though it is still five months away. Salespeople say the most popular routes are between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and between Ho Chi Minh City and the northern Hai Phong City and the central Nghe An Province. Vietnamese people in big cities typically travel back to their hometowns during Tet. Airfares for a return ticket between Hanoi and HCMC during the first two weekends of February cost VND6-7 million ($260-302). Airlines are also offering promotions from several hundred thousand dong (VND100,000 = $4.31) for a return ticket in mid-January. They will offer refunds if flights are canceled by authorities over Covid-19 situations. Industry insiders express confidence that the next holiday will boost revenues of the aviation industry, which has been crippled this year by travel restrictions. Bui Doan Ne, general secretary of the Vietnam Aviation Business Association (VABA), said that as Vietnam has been able to contain the second wave of Covid-19 outbreak, domestic travel will become vibrant again next month. With six international routes planned to be resumed this month, the financial situation of local airlines should improve soon, and a large number of passengers are expected to travel during Tet 2021, he added. Lai Xuan Thanh, chairman of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam that manages 22 airports, said the aviation industry in Vietnam seems to be better off than many others in the world, and local airlines could survive the pandemic if their revenues surge during the next holiday. Airlines are also making plans to expand their fleet for post-pandemic scenarios. Vietnam Airlines plans to purchase 50 narrow-body aircraft, assessing that now would be a good time to negotiate with aircraft manufacturers amid the mass cancellations of orders globally. The CEO of budget carrier Vietjet, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, also said the airline will purchase more aircraft but did not reveal specifics. Vietnamese authorities plan to reopen four regular routes to mainland China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan starting September 15 and to Cambodia and Laos starting September 22, Minister and Chairman of the Office of the Government Mai Tien Dung said Friday. The official unveiling of the seven (7) Pillars that are the foundation of Beyond the Return took place on Wednesday 9thSeptember, 2020 at the National Theatre. Members of the local and diaspora community came to hear the announcement about the Beyond the Return pillars. Beyond the Return is the follow-up to last years successful Year of Return campaign which was a landmark campaign that commemorated the 400-year anniversary of the first documented ship of enslaved Africans to arrive in Virginia, U.S.A. It put Ghana in the spotlight as a travel destination and a place for potential investment opportunities. CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority and Coordinator for Beyond the Return, Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, acknowledged the loss of African American actor Chadwick Boseman, whose unexpected death last month shocked the world. The actor played the epic role TChalla in the movie, Black Panther. The film contributed to changing the narrative of Africa and proving that Black African Superheroes and stories about Africa can resonate with all audiences. May I request that we all rise for a minute of silence?, Mr. Agyeman said, One for our ancestors who went through the torturous journey of slavery, two, for our brothers and sisters who have fallen in recent times, especially our brother Chadwick, of Black Panther fame. He also asked that we honour the late Elolo Gharbin, who died recently. He was a Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast and a strong pillar in PANAFEST and Emancipation annual events. Each of the 7 pillars being unveiled today touches on the many areas that are key to developing Ghana and providing an environment that supports the diaspora, said Hon. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture when she delivered her keynote address. She expressed that the team behind Beyond the Return is listening and working diligently to address the concerns expressed by the diaspora community. Ghana is currently developing a homeland return legislation to facilitate various forms of migration and integration into the country for our diasporan kith and kin, she continued. Ghana as a leader in pan Africanism, through the Homeland Return Act, will offer the opportunity for citizenship to our brothers and sisters. Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo, officially unveiled the pillars which will be the core foundation of Beyond the Return over the next decade. He acknowledged the importance of the Year of Return as he addressed attendees. One cannot speak of Beyond the Return without mentioning the Year of Return in 2019, which was a major landmark campaign targeting the Historical African Community outside our continent, the Senior Minister said. Over the next decade, the project seeks to consolidate the gains of the Year of Return and grow tourism in the country, showcase its investment potentials and solidify its diaspora engagement programs to promote the African Renaissance. The seven pillars unveiled during the event are, Experience Ghana, Invest in Ghana, Diaspora Pathway to Ghana, Celebrate Ghana, Brand Ghana, Give Back Ghana and Promote Pan African Heritage & Innovation. Each pillar represents its own unique area for which the Year of Return team received feedback from the diaspora and local Ghanaian community. Beyond the Return, will work towards building bridges and creating activities, events and policies that are inclusive and integrate our local community in ways they can connect with our global African diaspora. The National Theatre featured cultural performances that captured the audience attention featuring dance and music befitting of Ghanas culture. The National Symphony Orchestra opened the event keeping attendees entertained with their harmonies. Before the official unveiling of each pillar, a theatrical performance representing each of the pillars showcased a beautiful display of Ghanas culture. 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 SALT LAKE CITY - A 13-year-old autistic boy who was shot by police in Salt Lake City last week is lucky to be alive and will likely experience lifelong injuries, the familys lawyer said Friday. Linden, whom the family wants referred to only by his first name, remains hospitalized with bullets still in his body and is suffering from pierced organs and shattered bones, attorney Zach Weyher wrote in an email. The shooting got attention amid nationwide calls for police reform targeting excessive force by officers. Emergency assistance was requested to deescalate a situation involving a neurologically diverse child, Weyher wrote. That request ended with an unarmed 13-year-old boy shot multiple times and lying on that ground as officers met him handcuffs rather than helping hands. Lindens mother, Golda Barton, says she called 911 on Sept. 4 because the boy was having a breakdown and she needed help from a crisis-intervention officer. Barton told KUTV-TV that she informed police her son was unarmed and warned them that he did not know how to regulate his behaviour. The Salt Lake City officers who came were not specialists in crisis intervention but had some mental health training. They ended up shooting the boy as he ran away because they believed he made threats involving a weapon, authorities said. There was no indications he had a weapon. Salt Lake Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a statement late Sunday that the shooting was a tragedy and called for a swift and transparent investigation. More details are expected emerge when police body camera footage is released, which is required within 10 days of an incident under a city ordinance. Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday said that most of the work at Darbhanga airport is almost complete and bookings for flights from Darbhanga to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru will begin by the end of September. Puri, who visited Darbhanga airport to review the progress of work and construction status, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "Hawai chappal se hawai jahaz tak'' continues to transform lives. Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday said that most of the work at Darbhanga airport is almost complete and bookings for flights from Darbhanga to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru will begin by the end of September. Puri, who visited Darbhanga airport to review the progress of work and construction status, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of Hawai chappal se hawai jahaz tak continues to transform lives. The minister also reviewed the development work at Deoghar airport. While work on ground is in full swing in Darbhanga, other processes are going ahead as well. Flight calibration by Spicejet took place today whilst we were at the Darbhanga Airport, the minister said in a tweet. Very happy to see that most of the work at the airport is almost complete. Arrival and departure halls, check-in facility, conveyor belt etc have already been installed. Remaining work will be completed before end October. Spicejet has already been awarded this route under RCS-UDAN, he added. Also Read: Assault on ex-Navy officer: BJP leaders and daughter protest against release of accused, demands strict punishment He said the airport will prove to be a boon for 22 districts of Bihar. Bookings will start by the end of September for daily flights from Darbhanga to Delhi and Mumbai and Bengaluru. Flight operations will begin in the first week of November before the auspicious festival of Chhath Puja. This a boon for 22 districts of North Bihar, he said. The minister said Deogarh airport will be operationalised very soon and some key decisions will be taken by next week. Work at the Deogarh airport is at an advanced stage and will be completed on schedule. I had extensive discussions with Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey. We have decided to operationalise the airport very soon. We will be making some key decisions in this regard by next week, he said. The minister said that apart from providing aviation connectivity to the Santhal region, the airport in Deoghar which is strategically located to provide connectivity to Patna, Kolkata and Bagdogra will also be able to serve people from Bhagalpur and Jamui districts of Bihar. (ANI) Also Read: Now government reaches out to people PM Modi highlights how rural housing changed under NDA regime She recently set the interwebs ablaze with shots of her nude torso covered in a coffee scrub. And Bella Hadid continued to pose on her Instagram account Friday, with a fashionable and more covered-up gallery of images and video in a fabulous aqua marble print shirt and pants set. The 23-year-old supermodel squatted down by a wooden wall in the first two shots, her hair done in an elaborate high ponytail with spitcurls courtesy of hairstylist Yusef. Trippy: Bella Hadid continued to pose on her Instagram account Friday, with a fashionable gallery of images and video in a fabulous aqua marble print shirt and pants set The 5ft9in Palestinian and Dutch catwalker wore a dark shirt over the psychedelic outfit, which covered her statuesque figure in a wash of aqua tones with hints of purple, blue and red. Bella completed the statement ensemble with transparent heels. She accessorized with bauble-like earrings. Kicking up a heel: The 5ft9in catwalker wore a dark shirt over the psychedelic outfit, which covered her statuesque figure in a wash of aqua tones with hints of purple, blue and red Drama: Her hair done in an elaborate high ponytail with spitcurls courtesy of hairstylist Yusef Her somber, runway-ready expression in the first two shots was complemented nicely by a smile in the last two entries in the post. 'Swipe for a smile' Hadid captioned the post, adding 'loving you madly' to both Yusef and the makeup artist for the shoot, Fenty global makeup artist Priscilla Ono. The soon-to-be aunt kept the fashion parade going on her IG feed this week, when she marked what would have been the 87th birthday of German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld with a throwback photo on Thursday. There's that smile: Her somber, runway-ready expression in the first two shots was complemented nicely by a smile in the last two entries in the post 'Miss you': Hadid kept the fashion parade going on her IG feed on Thursday, when she marked what would have been the 87th birthday of German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld The eccentric designer, creative director and artist died at age 85 in February 2019 just outside of Paris, France. Bella, whose older sister Gigi is awaiting the birth of her first child with beau Zayn Malik, also wowed on Thursday with images of her bare torso covered in the coffee grounds scrub on her Instagram Story. Bella recorded a boomerang video of her bare stomach and under cleavage covered in the brown scrub. Bella got back: Bella's older sister Gigi is awaiting the birth of her first child with beau Zayn Malik; Bella seen this week in a different Instagram post 'My bestie made me a coffee scrub before work this morning,' she wrote alongside the nude snaps. 'Blessed.' She went on to tag her friend Lauren Perez calling her `skin queen.' Coffee scrubs are known to reduce inflammation, increase circulation, reduce puffiness and the appearance of cellulite among other benefits. By 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. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Bhoa (Pathankot): AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said people of Punjab will be accorded 80 per cent reservation in jobs in the local industry if his party formed government in the state. Whosoever be the Chief Minister of Punjab in the AAP government, it would be his duty to fulfil all promises, he said while addressing a rally here during his 330 km-long, two-day long Ghar Bachao Muhim in Majha region started from Pathankot to culminate at Khemkaran. The Delhi Chief Minister said his priorities would be to bring to book the culprits of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib, eliminating drugs, waiving farmer loans, and providing jobs to the youth and a giving a life of dignity to every Punjabi. I promise to stop drug supply within a month and would ensure de-addiction of about 40 lakh addicted youth within six months, he said. Kejriwal said he was pained that a so-called panthic government allowed desecration of holy scripture to happen and then spared the culprits. He alleged that there was no doubt that ruling party was involved in the sacrilege incidents.Conspirators and accused of Bargari sacrilege and Bebbal Kalan Police firing, in which two persons were killed, would not be allowed to go scot free, Kejriwal said. AAP government on first day of taking oath would increase the old age, widow and handicapped pension from existing Rs 500 to Rs 2,500 per month, he said. AAP is committed to rejuvenate the education and health system in Punjab which has collapsed during Badal government, Kejriwal said. He said within three years all government schools would be re-modeled and Pind Clinics will be opened in every village. Kejriwal claimed that Delhi government had opened Mohalla clinics and renovated all government schools with facilities like swimming pools. Kejriwal gave a clarion call to people of Punjab and to join the battle against corruption, drug and mining mafia. He said 10 years of rule by crooked political family had ruined Punjab. The AAP convener said, Almighty has given an opportunity to AAP and also the people of Punjab to save the state from clutches of corrupt and inept alliance of SAD-BJP. Kejriwal further said Ghar Bachao Muhim, was aimed to create a bond with the people of Majha to save them from the peril of drugs, I have full solidarity with the families whose breadwinners fell prey to drugs, he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Akhmed Zakayev, Former Member Of Chechen Separatist Government, Says His Relatives Detained In Chechnya By RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service September 11, 2020 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 teenager's 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. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/former-chechen -separatist-government-member-zakayev-says- relatives-detained-in-chechnya/30833258.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 Labour ministry guidelines say workers returning to cities must get housing, health insurance, facemasks. The Centre has also asked states to issue guidelines to employers to take care of the needs of migrant workers. Somesh Jha reports. IMAGE: A daily wage migrant labourer runs with his son as he and other labourers are chased away by the police, according to who they had gathered for day work and were not following Covid-19 social distancing, in Ahmedabad. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters The central government has asked states to ensure essential needs of migrant workers coming back to cities are taken care of, including free Covid-19 testing, housing facilities, and health insurance coverage. States have been advised to ensure periodical medical examination of migrant workers. They have also been asked to ensure their children are enrolled in schools where they are staying 'to prevent adverse effects on education'. 'Migrant workers should not face any financial burden on account of testing or any treatment/quarantine required to be undertaken by them,' the advisory guidelines by the labour and employment ministry said. 'A proper database of migrant workers is a preliminary step in order to identify and protect vulnerability among them This data should also be shared with the concerned labour authorities to facilitate compliance with existing labour laws relating to wages, occupational safety and health and working conditions,' the guidelines said. States have also been advised to enrol eligible migrant workers under the Ayushman Bharat scheme to provide them health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family a year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation. For construction workers who migrate, states have been advised to incur expenditure towards payment of premium for state insurance schemes. The Building and Other Construction Workers' welfare funds can be utilised for this purpose, the government has said. The Centre has asked states to issue guidelines to employers to take care of the needs of migrant workers. Apart from adequate availability of sanitisers, face masks, soaps at the workplace, 'employers should also be encouraged to provide one-time transportation allowance/journey fare to migrant workers'. 'Employers should also be encouraged to provide wages according to prevailing labour laws; facilitate provision for suitable housing arrangement, and ensure enrolment of the migrant workmen in existing social security and welfare schemes,' the ministry said. States have been asked to provide an online single-window grievance redressal system, including a toll-free helpline number to assist the migrant workers in distress. After the national lockdown in March, an estimated 500,000-600,000 workers had to walk back home on foot. According to one official estimate, around 8 million workers have migrated back to work after lockdown restrictions were eased. A member of a same-sex couple whose partner died before they could legally marry is entitled to the same Social Security survivors benefits as a widow or widower, a federal judge ruled Friday. In denying benefits to a woman in Washington state whose partner of 27 years died in 2006, six years before the state legalized same-sex marriage, the Social Security Administration relied on an unconstitutional law that discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation, said U.S. District Judge James Robart of Seattle. He said he is inclined to issue a nationwide order that would require Social Security to reconsider all cases in which it had denied benefits and determine whether the applicant would have gotten married if state law allowed it. That should be a familiar process, said Peter Renn, a lawyer for the gay-rights group Lambda Legal. He said states that allowed benefits for domestic partners, before legalizing same-sex marriage, had to make similar assessments to determine whether two people had a relationship that qualified as a domestic partnership. In the Washington case, Renn said, Helen Thornton and Margery Brown were together for more than a quarter century, had conversations with one anther about marrying, had a joint household with integrated finances and held themselves out as a couple before Browns death in 2006. Thornton applied for Social Security survivors benefits in 2015, shortly before becoming eligible for her own benefits at age 60, but was denied because they had not been marred. Im gratified that the judge understood that, even though we were barred from marriage, our love and commitment was no different than that between heterosexual couples who had the freedom to marry, Thornton said in a statement released by her lawyers. We gladly paid into the Social Security system through our jobs, and it is an enormous relief to know Im entitled to the same financial protections that are available to surviving spouses. Federal law makes survivors benefits available to a widow or widower who had been married for at least nine months before the spouses death. But in a separate Lambda Legal case, a federal judge in Arizona ruled in May that the Social Security Administration had to grant benefits to a surviving spouse who had been married for less than nine months because of the states then-ban on same-sex marriage. The Trump administration has appealed the ruling. Robart, appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush, is also the judge who struck down the first version of Trumps ban on travel from a group of predominantly Muslim countries in 2017, and was derided by Trump as a so-called judge. The Supreme Court upheld a revised version of the travel ban in 2018. 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. Fridays case dates from President Barack Obamas administration, when Thornton was denied benefits. But Renn said the Trump administration had decided to enforce the benefit ban despite the Supreme Courts 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Robart said the administration argued that allowing benefits only to survivors of legally recognized marriages reduces the risk of fraudulent marriages and gives priority to those who are most likely to have been in a financially interdependent relationship with the deceased individual. He said none of those arguments could justify withholding benefits from someone who was denied solely because of Washingtons unconstitutional failure to recognize same-sex marriage. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Oregon corrections officials confirmed that more than 1,300 inmates evacuated from the state womens prison in Wilsonville are now in central Oregon. The Coffee Creek Correctional Facility was evacuated Thursday due to threats from wildfires in Marion and Clackamas counties. Inmates are now at the Deer Ridge Correctional Institution in Madras. Department of Corrections spokesperson Jennifer Black said there are two facilities at Deer Ridge, one minimum security and one medium security. Men in custody at the prison were moved from the medium security facility where theyre usually housed into the minimum security building, which had previously been vacant. Women from Coffee Creek were moved into the medium security facility. Black said the women have access to phones, video calls and tablets, and that the inmates have to initiate the call. Black said prison staffers are working to set up phone access for men. A total of 1,400 other inmates from three other Oregon prisons were evacuated earlier in the week due to fire threats people from the Santiam Correctional Institution, Mill Creek Correctional Facility and Oregon State Correctional Institution were moved to the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. Black said inmates from Santiam and Mill Creek were returned to those facilities on Thursday, while inmates from the Oregon State Correctional Institution remain at the state penitentiary. Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Binita Jaiswal By Express News Service CHENNAI: Swift adaptation to the changing requirements as well as the anti-China sentiments have helped Tirupur, one of the biggest knitwear manufacturing cluster in the country, to bounce back to life. When the lockdown was announced in March, the 10,000 manufacturing units in Tirupur, which roughly employs over six lakh labourers, were staring at an uncertain future. With massive cancellation of export orders, pending dues, shipments worth crores stuck in transit and labourers returning back to their native states, these manufacturers and exporters in Tirupur were skeptical about their revival. However, now after six months the cluster is up and running strong. The factories were shut during the lockdown. But some of them swiftly ventured into medical textiles and started making personal protective equipment (PPE) kits and masks, which benefited the cluster. The manufacturing units are now operating at almost 70 per cent of their production capacity and by September end it is expected that the units would be running at full capacity. According to Raja M Shanmugam, president of Tirupur Exporters Association, there is a spike in export orders since the last 2 months and a rise in enquiries, too. He added that the rise in anti-China sentiment globally, after the coronavirus outbreak, has favoured Tirupur and they are receiving orders for more volumes and enquiries for new product range from leading global brands. On an average, Tirupur exports goods worth Rs 2,600 crore monthly. As the US and EU markets opened up, we are witnessing a 10-15 per cent rise in the export orders. Adding to that, many global brands are looking beyond the China market and have been enquiring about new products like manmade fibre, though we specialize in knitwear, said Shanmugam. The cluster, he said, has not seen job losses. In fact, the units have been hiring local workers. Three Chinese medical expert teams are currently scoring major successes in developing Sierra Leones health sector. Since their arrival in the West African nation, the Chinese medics have been widely acclaimed by Sierra Leones government and people for not only playing key roles in treating cases like malaria, typhoid fever, diarrhea, and other contagious diseases, but for also being on the forefront in diagnosing and treating coronavirus (COVID-19) cases. Two of the teams, which arrived in the country in July 2019, had their mission ended on 30th June 2020. Due to the non-availability of flights and the important role they have been playing in complementing the government of Sierra Leones fight against COVID-19, the three Chinese medical teams have decided to extend their stay, continuing their work to ensure a healthy society. Recently, the Chinese medical experts have been working side by side and around the clock with their Sierra Leonean counterparts in detecting, diagnosing, and treating COVID-19 cases. China and Sierra Leone have emerged as genuine and reliable partners, and since the establishment of diplomatic ties 49 years ago, the two countries have gone a long way in conducting practical cooperation in infrastructure construction, fishery, agriculture, public health, education, and human resource development. The Chinese Medical Team at Jui Hospital Team Leader Dr. Jiang Haibo (middle) with two Senior Medical Experts The team, attached to the Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital at Jui in Freetown, is comprised of three physician doctors, three surgical doctors, one NVV doctor, one Chinese traditional medicine expert, one laboratory expert, and three nurses. Dr. Jiang Haibo, team leader of the Chinese medical team at the Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital in Sierra Leone, revealed that they have been working relentlessly in providing medical support in areas like surgery, observation, treatment, administering Chinese medicines, skills transfer to local staff, laboratory management, etc., before the COVID-19 outbreak in Sierra Leone. He named malaria as one of the most effective diseases in Sierra Leone for which they have trained local staff, such as laboratory technicians, on how to diagnose and treat. Their partnership with local staff has led to the discovery of Olva malaria, which was diagnosed in a patient who has been taken to several hospitals in Sierra Leone without any solution. We normally do a joint consultation with the local staff on how to treat complicated cases, and we have successfully treated three cases that required intensive care. They all recovered successfully and were discharged, he said, adding that they also use Chinese traditional medicines to treat some cases. Another disease the Chinese medics have been treating is cataracts, which is an eye disease that is different in Sierra Leone due to the strong sunlight, according to Dr. Jiang Haibo, noting that most patients find it extremely difficult to undergo surgery, but the Chinese medical team has successfully remedied 22 cases before the outbreak of COVID-19. Pediatrician Zhao Mengwen said they have treated lots of children with diseases like malaria, typhoid fever, upper respiratory diseases, and they have trained local doctors and nurses on how to manage cases like convulsion and other respiratory infections. He revealed that children infected with COVID-19 have been referred to the Chinese Hospital. We have been working closely with the Ola During Memorial Hospital for children in treating cases, he said. Since the arrival of the Chinese medical team in July 2019 to March 2020, it has treated 18, 000 outpatients, admitted 963 patients, conducted 277 surgeries, carried out 34, 000 tests on drug routines, kidney and blood samples, and administered Chinese traditional medicines to 1,200 patients. Since the COVID-19 outbreak in Sierra Leone, the Chinese Friendship Hospital has been transformed from a normal hospital to a treatment facility of mostly COVID-19 patients. The hospital is divided into three zones, namely, blue, yellow, and red zones. Most of the local staff who have a wealth of experience in treating the Ebola disease are working with the Chinese medical experts in taking the lead in emergency response, diagnoses, and treatment of COVID-19 patients. Due to training provided to local staff in areas like emergency response, diagnosis, treatment and the proper use of equipment, none of the medical staff been infected with COVID-19. Seventy-seven COVID-19 patients were admitted to Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital, including 12 children under the age of 14 and eight under the age of five. All pediatric patients were cured and discharged, whilst five deaths were recorded due to the severity of the adult patients, most of whom had other medical complications before contracting COVID-19 like diabetes, hypertension, HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and hepatitis. COVID-19 patients, like children who are treated and discharged at the Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital, are followed up to ensure that they are ok. We want to see the Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital go back to the normal treatment of various disease, because most people in Sierra Leone are in dire need of quality medical services, says Dr. Jiang Haibo, adding the patients need us and we too are missing those times when we were treating normal health complications. Shiv Sena leader Kamlesh Kadam and five others, who were arrested for allegedly assaulting a retired Navy officer in Mumbai, have been granted bail from the Samta Bagar police station, police said on Saturday. IMAGE: Madan Sharma. Photograph: ANI According to the police, the Supreme Court order empowering the police station to release an accused on bail from police station itself in matters where maximum punishment is seven years or less was exercised in granting bail to the six accused persons. All the six accused were arrested by the Mumbai police overnight after a first information report was registered in connection with the incident on Friday. Speaking to ANI on Friday, Madan Sharma, the former Navy officer had said that he was attacked after he forwarded a message on WhatsApp. "Eight to 10 persons attacked and 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," Sharma said. Dr Sheela Sharma, daughter of the retired officer said that he was attacked by people from the Shiv Sena after the received threats for forwarding a message on Whatsapp. "My father received threats for forwarding a message. A number of people from the Shiv Sena attacked him. Later, the police came to our residence and insisted on taking my father with them. We've registered an FIR," she said. Reacting to the incident, Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition leader in Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis had expressed shock and appealed to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to take action against the accused. Sharma also said that people should be allowed to exercise the fundamental right of freedom of expression and added that the government must step in to identify the primary source of the forwarded message. "In our country, everyone has the freedom to express and Whatsapp is a medium to stay connected and share the news. The government should take steps to identify the source of a message, from where did it generate," he said speaking to ANI. Talking about the incident, Sharma's daughter Dr Sheela said that hours after forwarding the message, her father received a phone call and added that '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 have registered an FIR." The victim's son Sunny Sharma talked about the injuries received by his father and said, "My father has received injury on of his eyes. Doctors told me that recovery will take one month. I believe that citizens should be allowed to practice freedom of speech. They should be allowed to express their views." The Purpose and Meaning of Life 9/12/2020 Christianity 16 Comments All creatures exist for a definite purpose, and it is in the fulfillment of such purpose that their lives become meaningful. If you are a keen observer of the different creatures around you, you would come to understand that each of them is aware of the very purpose of their existence, and that they are ready to carry out their purpose, no matter what it takes. Take the case of honeybees. A male honeybee, or a drone, knows that his purpose or duty is to mate with and impregnate the queen honeybee. And since he understands what his duty is, he performs it despite his knowledge that, in doing so, he would lose his life because after mating with the queen, he is destined to die. Hence, they call it sexual suicide. Below is an excerpt of an article entitled, Sexual Suicide by Honey Bees: The tragic Plight of the Male Honey Bee. Sexual Suicide by Honey Bees: The Tragic Plight of the Male Honey Bee: The Male honeybee, called a drone, exists for one reason onlyto mate with the queen. He is entirely expendable once he provides this service to the colony..." The drone takes his mission seriously, however, and will give his life for the cause. Honey bee mating is one of the most dramatic examples of sexual suicide in the insect world. Honey bee sex occurs in mid-air when the queen flies out in search of mates. Drones compete for the chance to mate with their queen, swarming around her as she flies. Eventually, a brave drone will make his move. As he grasps the queen, the drone everts his penis using a contraction of his abdominal muscles and hemostatic pressure and inserts it tightly into the queen's reproductive tract. He immediately ejaculates with such explosive force that the tip of his penis ruptures, and is left behind inside the queen. The drone falls to the ground, where he dies soon after From this, we see how the male honeybee is taking his mission very seriously, even if it would cost him his own life. It is not only the male honeybee, or the drone, that has a specific duty to perform. Actually, each member of the honeybee colony has a duty to fulfill. The queen, for example, is in charge of protecting the entire honeybee colony; it is her responsibility to defend their colony from intruders. And since she assumes a very huge responsibility, she is not required to go out to look for her food. That duty belongs to the worker bees. The worker bees are the ones who go out, hovering from one blossom to another to gather nectar for the queen. The worker bees collect nectar from flowers by sucking, and then, bringing it to the hive so that the queen will be assured of a steady supply of food. As the nectar is passed on through their mouths, it gradually turns into honey, which the worker bees store in honeycomb cells. As the queen honeybee cannot consume all of the honey that has been stored for her, the excess is consumed by humans. Honey, the honeycomb especially, does not only taste sweet, but it is also very beneficial to mans health. In fact, eating honey is recommended by the Bible. PROVERBS 24:13 (KJV) says, My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: We can always count on every pronouncement of God written in the Bible. Honey, indeed, is good; actually, it is considered as a complete food for it contains all of the essential minerals and vitamins that the human body needs. Its completeness can be likened to milk which is also considered as complete food for babies. It must be remembered that when God delivered the Israelites from the land of Egypt, He promised to bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey. EXODUS 3:8 (KJV) And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey;... That means the people of God would not lack nourishment in that land; both the young and the old would have a supply of complete food milk for babes and honey for grown-ups. However, honey should not be given to infants or to children below one-year of age, as it could be detrimental to their lives. So, instead of honey, they should be given milk. Actually, even grown-ups are also advised to take just the right quantity of honey. According to the Bible, man should only eat a sufficient amount of honey, not excessively. PROVERBS 25:16 (KJV) Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. If you ingest more than the sufficient amount of honey, your glycemic level will rise and this might induce vomiting. The point that I want to emphasize is this. If honeybees have not been faithful in fulfilling the purpose of their existence, that is, if the male honeybee refuses to risk his life in mating with the queen honeybee, if the worker bees, likewise, do not gather and store nectar for the queen, and if the queen fails to lay and hatch eggs which become young honeybees, surely, not only will their colony perish but, most especially, humans wont get the chance to benefit from the health and curative properties of honey. Apparently, although honey is originally meant for their queens consumption, humans benefit from it, too. In other words, men have become the end beneficiaries of the bees diligent performance of their respective duties. Actually, even if we speak of other creations such as trees, cattle, fishes, hogs, and chickens, you will realize that the end beneficiaries of their existence are also men. They exist for the purpose of sustaining men of their need for nourishment; and their existence becomes meaningful because they are able to fulfill that purpose. Now, if non-human creatures exist for a definite and noble purpose, the same thing must be true with humans. Man also exists for a specific purpose, or duty, which he also ought to fulfill. And that duty is to serve God. Man must not spend his life aimlessly and uselessly; instead, he must spend it in honoring God and in keeping His commandments because that is his whole duty. As it is written in ECCLESIASTES 12:13 (KJV), Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Mans whole duty is to serve God, the Creator of life. We owe Him our lives and our beings. ACTS 17:28 (KJV) says, For in him we live, and move, and have our being;... So, it is but rightful that our lives be spent in serving our Creator for without Him, we could not have existed here on earth. Sadly, the people then did not realize it, so they killed Him the Son of God and Author of life. ACTS 3:15 (RSV) and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. Instead of showing love and gratitude to the Lord Jesus Christ and instead of serving Him, they even killed Him. Indeed, it will be very unfortunate if we fail to understand the purpose of our existence, and if we wont be able to discover the meaning of our lives, lest, we might just end up as loafers and idlers, or hedonists perhaps. To understand the meaning of life is to know first the purpose of our existence as well as the duties that we have to fulfill. And it is in fulfilling our duties and in serving our purpose that our lives become meaningful. As humans, our purpose and our whole duty is to serve God. That duty is what gives meaning to our lives without it, our lives become purposeless and meaningless. So, if we want our lives to be purposeful and meaningful, we have to spend it in serving God. And serving God means honoring Him and keeping His commandments. May God bless you! It can be said that the life of the drone becomes meaningful because he is able to fulfill the purpose of his existence and becomes an instrument in the proliferation, or birth, of more honeybees. If the male honeybee, or the drone, takes his duty for granted, the bees of their kind would probably have already become endangered, or they could have undergone extinction. But because of their sexual encounters, the queen lays lots of honeybee eggs, which later on will be hatched and become young honeybees. Congress flag falls off while being hoisted by interim president Sonia Gandhi [Video] Divisive ideologies anchored in hate causing havoc on secular fabric of our society: Sonia Gandhi Sonia Gandhi leaves for United States for health check-up with son Rahul India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 12: Congress President Sonia Gandhi left for the United States on Saturday for a routine medical check-up, with her son Rahul Gandhi. The Congress chief will not attend the first part of parliament's monsoon session - starting Monday. Gandhi, 73, is expected to be away for around a fortnight and would miss more than half of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. Her medical check-up was overdue and was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports said Gandhi left for abroad early on Saturday and would return in the last week of September. She had cleared the Congress'' organisational restructuring before departing for her medical check-up. The most notable of the leaders removed from the post of party general secretary is Ghulam Nabi Azad, the de-facto leader of a group of 23 senior party men, who had written to Mrs Gandhi seeking sweeping changes in the party's organisational structure. Motilal Vora, Ambika Soni and Mallikarjun Kharge were also removed as general secretaries of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in the Friday shuffle by Gandhi. The group had talked about "collective leadership" of the party in the letter, which was seen as an attack on the Gandhis. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday underlined the cooperation and warm relations between Turkey and Senegal following a meeting with his Senegalese counterpart Amadou Ba in the West African country, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah. Senegal is a friendly country for us and is a grand actor for the whole world, Cavusoglu stated, adding: We thanked President Macky Sall for the trust they have in Turkish companies and the support they gave them while we also expressed our expectation that Turkish companies should be more widely represented in the Emerging Senegal Plan (ESP). He said they also laid the foundation for Turkey's new embassy in Senegal's capital Dakar. Hopefully, we will complete this construction as soon as possible in a manner worthy of Turkey and Senegal, he said. Cavusoglu earlier attended the groundbreaking ceremony of Turkeys new embassy building in Dakar. Sharing photos from the ceremony on his Twitter account, the minister expressed his best wishes. Cavusoglu also indicated during the news conference that regional issues were discussed along with bilateral ones and said, Especially regarding Libya, we voiced that the African Union, as well as African countries, must play a more active role. The two diplomats also discussed the situation in Mali, where a group of army colonels has been ruling the country since the ousting of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on Aug. 18. No consensus has yet been reached on the makeup and duration of a transitional government ahead of promised elections. Cavusoglu said that Turkey and Senegal were on the same page regarding Mali and that the transitional period as well as the return to constitutional order have to be established as soon as possible. We stated that Turkey is ready to support the people of Mali in this regard. This process has to be completed with the cooperation of the international community and especially civilians and the (15-nation West African regional bloc) ECOWAS," he said. Cavusoglu invited Foreign Minister Ba to visit Turkey. Saying that this was the first visit from Turkey at the level of foreign ministers, Cavusoglu added: "We agree upon holding a joint economic commission which involves our relations with Senegal in all aspects in Turkey as soon as possible. Regarding the agreements signed between the two countries during the visit, Cavusoglu said that importance was also laid on educational and cultural cooperation beside economic relations. "We wish to see more Senegalese students in Turkey," he continued. Ba, for his part, indicated that the bilateral trade volume increased to $250 million (TL 1.86 billion) between the years 2008-2019 and said that Senegal wishes to increase it to $400 million. He underlined that relations between the two countries are based on a win-win principle. Cavusoglu arrived in Senegal Thursday, marking the final stop of his three-nation Africa tour. Cavusoglu was due to be received by President Sall during the day. Cavusoglu visited Mali and Guinea-Bissau earlier in the week. The visits to Guinea-Bissau and Senegal represented the first official visits by a Turkish foreign minister. Cavusoglu and his counterparts addressed bilateral relations at all levels and reviewed possible new cooperation opportunities between the countries. Regional and international matters were also discussed at the meetings. The Tamil Nadu Assembly Privilege Committee has issued fresh notices to Leader of Opposition and DMK president MK Stalin and his legislators on the issue of display of banned gutkha sachets in the House in 2017, seeking their response by Monday. Incidentally, the House will meet for a brief three-day session starting September 14. The privilege notice was initially served by the Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal in 2017 against 21 DMK lawmakers- two died during the pendency of the case- on the ground that "prohibited items" were brought into the Assembly by them. Gutkha (chewing tobacco) has been banned in Tamil Nadu since 2013. The notices that have been issued anew about three days ago sought response from the members by September 14. Deploring the issuance of the notices, DMK said the move was aimed at preventing the party MLAs from taking part in the ensuing session of the Assembly, which is all set to commence on Monday at Kalaivanar auditorium. Stalin and the DMK members have filed writ petitions against the fresh notice, a party statement said. It recalled that the Madras High Court had last month set aside an earlier privilege notice against Stalin and the other MLAs, after they challenged it. "Following this, the Assembly Privilege Committee meton September 7, 2020, again and discussed the events of July19, 2017 with the Secretary to the Tamil Nadu LegislativeAssembly, and issued notices to the MLAs,"it said. The notices were issued on the eve of the Assembly session and the MLAs have been asked to respond by September14. "The purpose of this new notice is clear. It is to prevent our MLAs from participating in the forthcoming Assembly session, and raising the issue of government'smismanagement on coronavirus," DMK claimed. Hence, the DMK members have filed a fresh writ petitionin the High Court challenging the new notices. On August 25, the Madras High Court, while making its observation, had left it to the Privilege Committee to deliberate on the issue further and examine whether the conduct would amount to a breach of privilege, particularly since the legality of a conduct does not necessarily mean that it is not a breach of privilege. The first bench of Chief Justice AP Sahi and Justice Senthil Kumar Ramamoorthy had granted liberty to authorities for initiation of the privilege proceedings afresh. After examining the various offences set out in the May 2017 notification, the High Court ruled that the display of Gutkha sachets by the MLAs on the Assembly Floor, with the intent of highlighting its availability despite the ban, did not constitute an offence under the law banning Gutkha in Tamil Nadu. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi kept up his attack on the government on Saturday for the decline in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), job losses and the increasing number of Covid-19-related cases and deaths in the country. Taking a jibe at the Modi government, he said its well-planned fight against Covid-19 has put India in an abyss of 1.historic GDP reduction of 24%, 2. loss of 12 crore jobs, 3. Rs 15.5 lakh crore additional stressed loans, 4. highest daily Covid-19 cases and deaths globally. But for GOI and media sab changa si. Also Read: Congress amps up attack on govt, launches online campaign #SpeakUpForJobs The Congress has been attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for failing to control the spread of the coronavirus disease, with India surpassing Brazil to record the second-highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world. The party has maintained that the Prime Minister should tell the nation his future strategy and plans to contain the pandemic. Also Read: When exactly will you get our land back: Rahul Gandhi again questions government on Chinese aggression in Ladakh Indias GDP shrank steeply by 23.9% in April-June as the Covid-19-induced lockdown battered an already slowing economy. Apart from the ongoing India-China border standoff, the Congress has decided to raise, among other issues, the Covid-19 situation and the current state of economy in the monsoon session of Parliament, beginning Monday. Syed Ata Hasnain, a retired lieutenant-general, is a former commander of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps. He is also associated with the Vivekananda International Foundation and the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. While jingoism will rule the airwaves under such conditions and every Indian becomes an analyst, the term war adopts a romantic hue Ambulances belonging to Indian army moves along with the army convoy on the Srinagar-Ladakh highway at Gagangeer, northeast of Srinagar. PTI Photo As you enter the hallowed precincts of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) at Wellington, Tamil Nadu, one of Indias most prestigious military institutions, the credo Yuddham Pragya greets you everywhere. Before it got translated to its Sanskrit version, it existed as Tam Marte Quam Minerva, or To War With Wisdom. It essentially denotes two things to future senior leaders of the armed forces. First, you need to be wise enough to understand the enormity of war; and second, war should be resorted to if only you have the wisdom to understand and prosecute it. As the ongoing four-month standoff continues at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, with some dramatic changes in the last few days, people are increasingly worrying about the possibility of war. While jingoism will rule the airwaves under such conditions and every Indian becomes an analyst, the term war adopts a romantic hue rather than a pragmatic one. It is the wisdom and not the romanticism which must prevail, as per the DSSC credo. After suffering a perceived ignominy of surprise by PLA troops, under training in depth areas, who transgressed an appreciable distance and refused to vacate the Finger complex of northern Pangong Tso, the ongoing dynamics of buffer zones and uncertainty about transgressions in other areas like Depsang, the Indian Army smartly turned the tables on the PLA. It opened an unexpected front and proactively beat the PLA to the occupation of dominating features on the Kailash Range, south of Pangong Tso, to secure a couple of advantages. First, this gives depth to the Chushul Bowl, currently the nerve centre of eastern Ladakh. Second, it gives clear and uninterrupted domination over the Spanggur Gap, Spanggur Lake and the PLAs Moldo garrison; the locations from which all PLA forces against Chushul will need to spring. Third, it forces the PLA to focus on our current strength, with no immediate flanks for riposte. Reading this, the natural question a non-military mind should ask is why this action couldnt have been executed in late May or June. The decision not to do so probably had a basic military rationale. Since the LAC is perceptual, the Kailash Range features have remained unoccupied by both sides; a sudden occupation at that stage in a critical area like Chushul could have led to a response from the PLA while we were still imbalanced; remembering that in terms of mobilisation of additional troops the PLA had a fair headstart over us. We are more balanced now and in position for a protracted fight should the PLAs response be violent. In terms of a military response, its not just the first order of action by the adversary that needs to be assessed; that assessment has to go well beyond with imponderables increasing at every level and every order. Judging by the emotive and passionate response from China in the political and military domains this time, the temptation to go overboard and attempt eviction to evacuate the Indian occupation would even then have been extremely high. In May-June 2020 it would have triggered a situation of much higher intensity to which we would have had to respond yet from a position of weakness without adequate troops to maintain the necessary balance all along the front. The operation of August 29-30 has been smart thinking, probably a result of some war gaming, but has also been risky as Chushul remained vulnerable. It is equally important to assess why the PLA did not grab the opportunity to place troops at Rechin La or Helmet Top and dig in, in May or even June. My reasoning only leads me to imagine that it was contempt and a PLA superiority complex which gave it the perception that the Indian side would never have the proactivity to occupy features at a location where it had felt deterred to do so all these years; opening another front by India probably made no sense to the PLA leadership. Chushul is such a sensitive location on our side, it is surprising that the PLA probably got lulled. It attempted to do something on the basis of a late appreciation once Indian forces (including a lot of mechanised elements) were visible in the Chushul Bowl and its vicinity. We beat them to it with good early warning. Prominent media persons are asking whether India is now in a position of advantage and whether counterattacks should be expected on the Kailash Range heights as appreciated by a former senior Indian Army commander. Whatever be the surmise we arrive at, the belief that counterattacks should be expected is sound; this could happen without application of any reasoning; a PLA lower-level knee-jerk response could be expected to retrieve a situation usually associated with commanders in desperation. Tactically, the heights once secured and in this case reinforced with mechanised elements (some of these heights are rolling downs), it will make it extremely difficult to evict our troops without the use of force multipliers; that means artillery, air, rockets and missiles. All this means war, because India too has a lot of those ready for action. Does China wish to pursue this option? At present neither is its narrative carrying weight in the international community nor is there any guarantee that the PLA has the capability to worst the Indian Army in a short, sharp border war. Its a risk, and a serious one at that. Inability to achieve its objectives means a virtual loss for China and Xi Jinping cannot afford that, especially with the fifth plenary of the 19th Central Committee and Politburo due in October 2020. Conventional wisdom from the past points to October-November being the period for a war-like situation, the winter setting in thereafter. As such there is a month or more available, for war avoidance by negotiators on both sides. The positive in all this is that engagement at the political, diplomatic and military levels has not broken down. Sharp words from the Chinese state-controlled media as part of its psychological and information warfare should not influence us. To my mind, the stumbling block to status quo ante just got a little more complex with southern Pangong Tso getting added to the list. Skirmishes could therefore well be on the cards though war is only a remote possibility, with elongation of the standoff a certainty. If and when that remote possibility happens at all, let our wisdom prevail in pursuing it. Himani Shivpuri said she is receiving treatment at Holy Spirit hospital in suburban Mumbai on the advice of her doctors. Veteran Bollywood and television actor Himani Shivpuri on Saturday said she has tested positive for COVID-19. The 59-year-old actor said she is receiving treatment at Holy Spirit hospital in suburban Mumbai on the advice of her doctors. (Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak) "The doctor suggested I should get admitted to Holy Spirit hospital because I am 60-year-old and I have a history of diabetes. So today morning I got admitted. Shivpuri told PTI. Shivpuri, who recently shot for comedy show Happu Ki Ultan Paltan, said even though adequate safety measures were followed on the sets, she still doesn't know how she contracted the disease. "I have no idea how I got COVID-19... Nobody seems to know where one would get it from," the actor added. Shivpuri had revealed her COVID-19 diagnosis earlier in the day in a post on her official Instagram page. "Gud morning this to inform you that I tested positive for Covid. Anyone who has come in contact with me kindly get yourself tested," she had posted. Check out the post In her over three-decade-long career, Shivpuri has featured in many critically-acclaimed and blockbuster movies such as Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Raja, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Khamoshi, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Biwi No.1, Hum Saath-Saath Hain, and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.... On the small screen, she has been part of shows such as Yatra, Sasural Simar Ka, Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi, and Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani. As of Friday, Maharashtra's tally of COVID-19 cases crossed 10 lakh, with the death toll reaching 28,724, according to a health official. Michael Solomonov, a chef and an owner of K'Far, an Israeli cafe at 110 S. 19th St. Read more If youve ever had questions for chefs Mike Solomonov and Nina Compton, nows your chance. #AskChefsAnythingBeirut is auctioning 30-minute virtual chats with more than 100 chefs and food personalities from around the world through Sept. 13 to benefit people affected by the explosion at the Port of Beirut that killed at least 200 people. The initiative includes renowned restaurateurs and food media personalities, including Rene Redzepi of Noma, cookbook author Anissa Helou, and those with Philly ties like James Beard Award-winner Zach Engel, who spent time at Zahav. Right now is some of the hardest times Ive ever experienced since starting in the restaurant industry 10 years ago, said Engel, the executive chef and owner of Galit in Chicago. Whats really wonderful about #AskChefsAnything is its really theyre not asking for money or food or anything like that. Its literally for you as a chef to become humanized to spend a little bit of your time and connect on a very real level with another person in order to benefit others. All the proceeds from the auction will go to Beit el Baraka a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to repairing homes, offering medical counsel, and restoring essential stores. The founder of the organization, Maya Ibrachimah, also will use the proceeds to buy meals from a community kitchen run by Lebanese restaurateur and hotelier Kamal Mouzawak. The conversations will be hosted on AskChefsAnything.com. Payments will be processed through PayPal. The explosion, which occurred Aug. 4 at a warehouse at the Beirut port, has resulted in mass homelessness and the destruction of local shops and an estimated $5 billion in damages. #AskChefsAnything was founded in April by Gaeleen Quinn and Anna Polonsky to support immigrant restaurant workers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Since its launch, the organization has raised over $180,000 and provided 165,000 meals for people in Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, St. Louis, Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco, Nashville, and Houston. #AskChefsAnythingBeirut marks the organizations first international effort. Iran executed Navid Afkari for murder - Shutterstock Iran executed a wrestler after authorities accused him of murder during anti-governemtn protests, defying a global campaign for him to be spared the death penalty. Navid Afkari was convicted of stabbing a security guard to death during anti-government protests in 2018. But 27-year-old Greco-Roman wrestler, a national champion, insists he was forced into a confession after being tortured by security services clamping down during unrest in 2018 over economic hardship and political repression. An international union representing 85,000 athletes had called on Tuesday for Iran's expulsion from world sport if it executed Mr Afkari. US President Donald Trump also appealed to Iran, saying the wrestler's "sole act was an anti-government demonstration on the streets". The International Olympic Committee said the execution of Mr Afkari was "very sad news", adding in a statement that IOC President Thomas Bach had written this week to Iranian leaders asking for mercy for him. "It is deeply upsetting that the pleas of athletes from around the world and all the behind-the-scenes work of the IOC... did not achieve our goal," their statement said. Protests against Navid Afkari's execution at the Iranian embassy in Berlin, Germany - Shutterstock According to state media, Mr Afkari was executed by hanging in the southern city of Shiraz. Mr Afkari's attorney accused authorities of denying his client a family visit before the execution, as required by law. "Were you in so much hurry to execute the sentence that you also deprived Navid of a last meeting?," Hassan Younesi said on Twitter. There was no immediate reaction by Iranian officials to the attorney's accusation. The killing of Hassan Turkman, a water company security guard, occurred during some of the worst unrest in a decade over economic hardships in Iran. Irans rulers blamed the unrest on what they call thugs linked to foreign foes, the United States and Israel, and exiles. Last week Iranian state television aired a video of Mr Afkari confessing to Mr Turkmans killing. I hit twice, once and then again, Mr Afkari was shown saying, with a stabbing gesture during a police reconstruction of the killing. Story continues It also displayed what appeared to be written confessions by Mr Afkari, but he said in a recording widely circulated on social media that he was forced to sign the documents. Human rights groups frequently accuse Iran's state media of airing coerced confessions. Iran denies the accusation. Mr Afkari was a national champion in wrestling, a hugely popular sport in the country. Related: UN rejects US bid to extend Iran arms embargo Chennai, Sep 12 : Will the promoter family of industrial conglomerate Rs 38,105- crore Murugappa Group induct a female for the first time on the board of family holding company Ambadi Investments Ltd? The answer will be known on September 21, 2020 when the company's annual general meeting (AGM) will be held through videoconference. As per the notice calling the AGM, the general body as a special business will consider the appointment of Valli Arunachalam as a board member. The notice said Arunachalam had sent a notice on August 5, 2020 along with a deposit of Rs 100,000 to propose her candidature for Director's post. The Ambadi Investments owned by the Murugappa Group promoter family is the ultimate holding company of the group. Early this year, the US-based Arunachalam, the daughter of late MV Murugappan, had alleged that the group promoters have gender bias against women getting into family business and hence she or her sister were denied a board berth in Ambadi Investments after their father's death in 2017. She had laid two demands to the other branches of the Murugappa group family -- give a board berth to her or her sister Vellachi Murugappan, or buy her family's 8.15 per cent stake in Ambadi Investments at a fair value. Arunachalam had said her family also holds stakes in the group's listed companies. She had said that after her father's demise, her family did not have a board representation in Ambadi Investments. Murugappan was on Ambadi Investments' board since 1969 until sometime in 2016, when he resigned due to health reasons. Interestingly, the unwritten 'male only' rule in the Ambadi Investments' board room was there for a long time, including the time when Arunachalam's father Murugappan was alive. Responding to the issue, she had told IANS earlier: "My father and I never discussed this. However, I have checked with my mother and she has confirmed that my father often expressed his displeasure over the exclusion of women from the management of the family business, albeit in the face of resistance of other family members. "There cannot be any gender discrimination for board berth. Similarly, there cannot be written or any unwritten rules whereby daughters, daughters-in-law, and sons-in-law can be denied board berth and the board membership is reserved only for the male heirs," D Varadarajan, a Supreme Court advocate specialising in company/competition/insurance laws, had told IANS. Varadarajan said that Arunachalam should offer her candidature for appointment at the ensuing AGM by following the provisions of company law. It's a rumour that just won't die. When asked whether the COVID-19 virus was genetically engineered in a lab, scientists have already said "no" rather firmly, but the matter of the new coronavirus' origin is unlikely to be put to rest so easily. Discussions around this subject have become even more pertinent since US government intelligence officials are reportedly investigating the potential source of the pandemic, focussing on theories that it may have originated in a laboratory, despite all evidence pointing to SARS-CoV-2 not being human-made. "All evidence so far points to the fact the COVID-19 virus is naturally derived and not man-made," explains immunologist Nigel McMillan from the Menzies Health Institute Queensland. "If you were going to design it in a lab the sequence changes make no sense as all previous evidence would tell you it would make the virus worse. No system exists in the lab to make some of the changes found." Back in late March, we covered a study published in Nature Medicine, in which the researchers investigated the genomic data of SARS-CoV-2 - particularly the receptor-binding domain (RBD) sections of the virus - to try and discover how it mutated into the virulent and deadly version we're currently struggling to contain. As a by-product of their research, they were able to determine that SARS-CoV-2 was not genetically manipulated. "By comparing the available genome sequence data for known coronavirus strains, we can firmly determine that SARS-CoV-2 originated through natural processes," one of the researchers, Scripps Research immunologist Kristian Andersen, said at the time. "Two features of the virus, the mutations in the RBD portion of the spike protein and its distinct backbone, rules out laboratory manipulation as a potential origin for SARS-CoV-2." Although it is clear the virus was not created in the lab, there have been ongoing concerns it may have 'escaped' a research facility, with most of the speculation - understandably - focussed on the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). However, it remains just speculation. The Washington Post recently reported that US embassy officials had safety concerns about the lab back in 2018, and the institute did keep a closely related bat virus - but even that's far from a smoking gun. "The closest known relative of SARS-CoV-2 is a bat virus named RaTG13, which was kept at the WIV. There is some unfounded speculation that this virus was the origin of SARS-CoV-2," explains University of Sydney evolutionary virologist, Edward Holmes. "However, RaTG13 was sampled from a different province of China (Yunnan) to where COVID-19 first appeared and the level of genome sequence divergence between SARS-CoV-2 and RaTG13 is equivalent to an average of 50 years (and at least 20 years) of evolutionary change." Now, it is important to note that viruses can mutate naturally anywhere - in animal hosts, in humans, or even in laboratory cell cultures. Unfortunately, it's difficult to determine where and how the new coronavirus acquired its mutations, although most researchers think the process involved an animal host. Additionally, researchers are still investigating if the necessary mutations for causing the new disease occurred before or after SARS-CoV-2 made the jump to humans. The institute at the centre of the controversy has repeatedly denied accusations of being the source of the pandemic. Back in March, head of bat coronavirus research at WIV, Shi Zhengli, explained that when she first received samples from early COVID-19 patients, she immediately did a thorough investigation at her department, finding no match between the viruses her lab had been working on, and COVID-19 patients. "That really took a load off my mind," she told Scientific American. "I had not slept a wink for days." What experts do agree on is that a pandemic like this is no surprise. Scientists have been warning governments for years that a new disease was on the horizon, and that many countries were woefully under-prepared. For example, the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, told the incoming US government administration in January 2017 about the inevitability of a "surprise outbreak", urging them to make preparations. "We've been aware for some time that another coronavirus, like SARS and MERS before it, could cause a pandemic, and so in many ways, the emergence of a new coronavirus with pandemic potential is not a surprise," explains La Trobe University epidemiologist Hassan Vally. "We have to be careful to not aid those irresponsibly using this global crisis for political point-scoring by giving any oxygen to these and other rumours." (Newser) Diminishing winds and rising humidity helped firefighters battling deadly blazes in Oregon and California, but with dozens of people still missing, authorities in both states feared that the receding flames could reveal many more dead across the blackened landscape, the AP reports. Oregon's emergency management director said officials were preparing for a possible "mass fatality event." In California, smoke that painted skies orange also helped crews corral the state's deadliest blaze of the year. The smoke helped blocked the sun, reducing temperatures and raising humidity, officials said. Nine people, including a 16-year-old boy, have been confirmed dead in California since lightning-caused fires that started weeks ago fused into a monster blaze. story continues below Oregon authorities have not released an exact death count, but at least eight fatalities were reported from the blazes that have taken a toll from one end of the state to the other. Gov. Kate Brown said Friday that tens of thousands of people had been forced to flee their homes. Two large blazes threatened to merge near the most populated part of Oregon, including the suburbs of Portland. More than 40,000 Oregonians have been evacuated and about 500,000 are in different levels of evacuation zones, having been told to leave or to prepare to do so, Brown said. The governor dialed back a statement late Thursday by the state Office of Emergency Management that said a half-million people had been ordered to evacuate statewide. (Read more wildfires stories.) Former Garda Majella Moynihan, who was forced in 1984 to give up a child she had following an affair with another Garda, has been through hell but this week she gets to tell her side of the story on RTE's flagship Late Late Show. Kanturk woman Majella's appearance on the chat show hosted by Ryan Tubridy coincides with the publication of her book telling what happened, A Guarded Life, which is topping the best sellers charts just a week after its publication. Majella spent years in St Joseph's Orphanage in Mallow where she was abused by a nun. In June of last year, RTE Radio's Documentary on One programme featured Majella Moynihan's disturbing account of how she was treated after disclosing to her superior officer that she had become pregnant as a result of a liaison with a fellow Garda. The documentary has won several international awards and forced both the then Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan, and the current Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, to apologise to Majella for the way she was treated after she made her disclosure. At the time of the liaison Majella, who was just 22, and the other Garda involved were trainees. She was charged with breaching Garda rules for having premarital sex with another trainee. She was questioned several times by senior Gardai following this disclosure and a very aggressive line of questioning was pursued by those officers against her. She faced being dismissed from the force but for the intervention of then Archbishop of Dublin, Dermot Ryan. It was felt by Church authorities that if Garda Moynihan was dismissed for giving birth to a child as an unmarried mother, it would lead to an increase in the number of women seeking abortions in the UK. However, the fact that the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin had any say in the fate of a 22 year old Garda who was an unmarried mother was strange at the time and seems even stranger now, more than 35 years later. Shortly after giving birth to her son in a St John of God's Hospital, the young mother was forced to give up her son for adoption. She has since been reunited with her son, called David, but the separation so soon after his birth was gut wrenching for her. After the Documentary on One aired last year, she spoke on Today with Sean O'Rourke of the way she was treated by the Gardai after her baby was born. She felt she was 'portrayed as an easy woman' and said she had to deal with sexual harassment. "They felt they could do and say what they liked to me and they did," she said. One incident in the disciplinary process against her stood out. A year after her son was born, she was sent to Garda HQ in Harcourt Street where she met a superintendent. "I walked in and he was so cold, just looked me up and down, never told me to sit down. I just felt ....lonely, again on my own with no support. "He said the words, and I can still hear them, 'if it ever happens to you again, you're sacked'. And I just walked out the door." The trauma of what happened was so great that she attempted suicide five times. "I'm strong, they thought they could break me. They didn't. I'm a very strong woman." Majella spent 15 years in the Garda Siochana before leaving the service. That was the happiest day of her life, she said. Now she's a healing professional who specialises iin Reiki healing and massage. Her appearance on Friday's Late Late Show, the television programme which has set Ireland's social agenda for decades, signifies a new chapter in the life of a woman whose autobiography tops the Irish bestseller charts. The book is published by Hachette Books Ireland. Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe has endorsed the book, saying: "Majella Moynihan tells her important story with courage and truth." The IMF predicts that the global economy will contract by 4.9% this year, down from growth of 2.9% in 2019, while the World Bank has forecast a fall of 5.2%, the worst contraction since the Second World War. With national economies suffering from revenue shortages, and populations in need of additional government support to mitigate the impacts of the crisis, SWFs have in many cases seen their roles transformed. As a result of reduced income, many governments have been tapping SWFs to help balance budgets and provide stimulus to businesses or households. This development has changed the conventional wisdom surrounding SWFs, which have combined assets estimated of around $6trn globally. Before the pandemic the funds were seen as having limited or a total lack of liabilities. However, Covid-19 has seen SWFs called on to meet the implicit liabilities associated with economic shocks. Among some SWFs, there is a growing realisation that they are no longer standalone institutions, but rather fiscal policy tools that are fully integrated into the macroeconomic management of their respective countries. This shift has also brought about significant challenges for SWFs as they adapt to the new economic environment. For commodity-based funds, many of which are underpinned by significant hydrocarbons exposure, the reduction in economic activity associated with Covid-19 has combined with persistently low oil prices to create twin challenges. Meanwhile, for funds primarily based on trade surpluses, the deceleration in global trade and subsequent logistical and transport challenges have created similar hurdles. Asset sell-off Covid-19 has forced many of the less liquid SWFs to offload assets to generate cash. The trend is expected to be particularly prevalent in countries with a heavy reliance on oil revenue. For example, in Norway, where the government expects net cash flows from petroleum activities to fall by 62% this year to the lowest level since 1999, the country is expected to withdraw some $37bn in assets from its SWF, more than four times the previous record of $9.7bn in 2016. This development is also expected to affect the Middle East, where funds will be called on to bridge fiscal deficits, which international credit ratings agency Fitch expects to constitute between 10% and 20% of GDP this year. In Abu Dhabi, where the deficit is forecast to total 12% of GDP, the agency expects a $20bn drawdown on sovereign savings, while in Oman, tipped for a 19% fiscal deficit, analysts say as much as $8bn could be withdrawn from its SWFs. In light of this, JP Morgan estimates that SWFs in the MENA region could dump up to $225bn in equities this year. In addition to selling off assets to pay for budgetary spending, some SWFs have been called on to make other forms of investment. In June Temasek, Singapores SWF, recapitalised domestic shipbuilding and repair conglomerate Sembcorp Marine with $1.5bn. This came after the fund channelled $13bn into flag carrier Singapore Airlines. Such investment is a prime example of the increasing attention SWFs are paying to their home markets since the outbreak of the pandemic. While most investments remain international, domestic deals are increasing in size and frequency. According to the International Forum of SWFs (IFSWF), domestic deals accounted for 21% of the total value of SWF investment in 2019, with this trend increasing over the past six months. Opportunities amid disruption While some funds have sought to offload assets, others are looking to take advantage of lower share prices during the pandemic. Among them is Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund (PIF), which despite the downturn in the global hydrocarbons industry and its stated goal of spurring diversification has recently made investments in international energy giants. In April the PIF acquired around $1bn worth of stakes in European energy majors Royal Dutch Shell, Eni and Total, which was followed by a $200m investment in Norways Equinor. The fund also acquired stakes in other sectors affected by the pandemic, including an 8.2% stake, valued at $369m, in US cruise ship operator Carnival, and a $300m investment in events company Live Nation. The PIF is not the only active investor among SWFs in this difficult environment. According to data from capital markets data company PitchBook, SWFs poured $17bn into venture capital companies in the first half of the year, exceeding the 2019 full-year levels. Chinese tech companies Tencent and Kuaishou were both significant beneficiaries, while Abu Dhabis Mubadala Investment Company put $3bn into Waymo, Alphabets self-driving technology arm. Among some funds, there has been a broader shift towards tackling issues related to the pandemic. We reshuffled our priorities based on Covid-19, Ayman Soliman, CEO of the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, told OBG. We looked at the issues that were emerging in the region food security, medical security and medical supplies and realised that these should be our top priority. Looking ahead Although it can be difficult to assess the losses accrued by SWF portfolios since the outbreak of the pandemic given the opaque nature of their investments, in April JP Morgan estimated that funds would suffer total equity losses of around $1trn. However, this recent contraction seems to be accelerating a pre-existing trend that has seen the amount of equity invested by SWFs fall from $54.3bn in 2017 to $35bn in 2019, according to the IFSWF. In a report released in August, Bernardo Bortolotti and Veljko Fotak from the Sovereign Investment Lab, along with Chloe Hogg from the London School of Economics, wrote that the golden age of SWFs is over. Declining oil prices, mounting protectionism and increasing barriers to international capital flows have halted the spectacular rise of SWFs of the last two decades. The double whammy of the Covid-19 shock and of the new macroeconomic reality represents a quintessential challenge for an industry, the trio wrote. Yet, with $6trn under management, SWFs remain major players in global finance and have the potential to mitigate some of the worst financial consequences of the current crisis. As countries recover from the economic recession, recent developments suggest the funds will be seen as a key tools in building resilience against future economic shocks. By Oxford Business Group More Top Reads From Safehaven.com: HALIFAX - The RCMP in Nova Scotia have handed a $1,000 fine to a university student from outside the Atlantic region for failing to self-isolate. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. HALIFAX - The RCMP in Nova Scotia have handed a $1,000 fine to a university student from outside the Atlantic region for failing to self-isolate. The Mounties issued a statement Saturday saying the student in Wolfville, N.S., violated the provincial Health Protection Act. "The Nova Scotia RCMP is reminding university students arriving in the province from outside of the Atlantic bubble to follow all Public Health orders," the RCMP said in a statement. "We ask everyone coming into the province to educate themselves on the directives and enforcement measures." RCMP spokesman Const. Steeve Plamondon said the Mounties in the Kings District received a complaint on Thursday and the fine was issued later that day. Plamondon couldn't say where the student attended school or where they had come from. Aside from certain essential workers, anyone arriving in Nova Scotia from outside the Atlantic region must remain isolated for 14 days. On Friday, Sainte-Anne University in Church Point, N.S., announced it had expelled a student who failed to self-isolate earlier this month and later tested positive for COVID-19. The French-language university issued a statement saying its disciplinary committee determined the student had committed numerous infractions of health rules and the school's code of conduct, which prohibits anyone from endangering the health and security of others. "Universite Sainte-Anne wishes to remind everyone that we are experiencing a time of crisis," the statement said. "There are numerous stress factors, and everyone reacts differently to triggering events. We can all actively choose to be understanding and compassionate in these challenging times." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2020. New Delhi: Already reeling under a financial crisis induced by the coronavirus pandemic, auto-rickshaw drivers in the national capital say the resumption of metro services has hit their earnings further. They say their business was slow as a large number of people have been working from home, and things have not improved even after a gradual reopening of offices as commuters are taking the metro for their travels. Waiting outside an exit gate of the busy Rajiv Chowk metro station, Jai Mangal, who returned from his village in Bihars Muzaffarpur on September 7, said auto-rickshaw drivers have been struggling to find passengers. Mangal says he starts his day around 7 am but, on Saturday, got only three passengers in the seven-eight hours. It has become difficult to even pay the rent for the auto-rickshaw Rs 250 a day, he said. We hardly have any work these days. Now that metro services have resumed, it is even more difficult to find passengers. All I have earned today is Rs. 300. Of this Rs 300, I need to pay Rs 250 as rent for the vehicle. I hardly have anything left at the end of the day," he said. Mangal, the only bread-earner in his family, has a rented accommodation on the Asif Ali Marg and he pays Rs 3,500 for it. When the lockdown was announced, I had nothing to eat for three days. So, I left for my village along with others. It took us nearly three days to reach there. I didnt want to return, but I had to, since Im the only bread-earner in my family," he said. Another auto-rickshaw driver, Shailesh Kumar, a resident of Khajuri Khas, said the re-opening of metro services have hit their earnings severely. At least earlier, we got passengers since there were no other mode of transportation. People were hardly stepping outside due to the pandemic. But when offices started re-opening, we started getting passengers from Connaught Place here as they opted to commute via autos over buses for various reasons. So, if our income was not very handsome, we at least had a decent earning from them. But now that metros have started again, people are opting the metro," he said, adding he has hardly got any passenger during the day. Another auto-rickshaw driver, Shyam Prakash, a resident of Karawal Nagar, said that at least during lockdown, passengers preferred auto for long-distance rides but now with metro back, they hardly get five-six passengers a day. In a hope to find another passenger at Connaught place, Amrit Kumar, a resident of Seelampur, said he has rented the autorickshaw for Rs. 250 per day and all that he has earned since morning is Rs 60 from his first ride to Karol Bagh. Its been extremely tough for us. We wait for hours here only to get passengers but we hardly find any. All I have earned since morning is Rs.60 but as the day progress, we hope to find more passengers but then most of the passengers prefer autos for short-distance rides," he said. Mohan Kumar Singh, another auto-rickshaw driver said that even though markets have re-opened, eateries and shops are functional, there is not much business happening since they dont have customers. Unless people step out for shopping or sightseeing, how will their business run? Connaught Place used to be crowded at one point of time especially during weekends. Now, with metro services in place, people have slowly started stepping out but then our earnings have gone for a toss because of the metro," he 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 04:07:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Rania al-Halabi (C) looks on as her children practise to wear face masks at home in Damascus, capital of Syria, Sept. 10, 2020. Instead of helping her son review the lessons, Rania al-Halabi now spends time teaching her fifth-grade boy how to wear a mask and keep a distance at school to protect him from the coronavirus. For al-Halabi and her husband, the school year, which begins on Sept. 13 in Syria, poses a challenge to them amid fears of the COVID-19. They could not even hide their worries about sending their child to school. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) by Hummam Sheikh Ali DAMASCUS, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Instead of helping her son review the lessons, Rania al-Halabi now spends time teaching her fifth-grade boy how to wear a mask and keep a distance at school to protect him from the coronavirus. Previously, the woman had to prepare books, pens, and school bags with a good luck wish. Now, al-Halabi has to prepare another bag for her son, Laith. The new bag contains masks, gloves, and detergents. For al-Halabi and her husband, the school year, which begins on Sept. 13 in Syria, poses a challenge to them amid fears of the COVID-19. They could not even hide their worries about sending their child to school. "We are especially worried that my kid is in primary school as this age needs more awareness. I hope that they will postpone the school opening particularly for primary school students," she told Xinhua. Despite her hesitation, the worried mother said she is teaching her child how to protect himself at school in case the schools were not pushed back. "We are taking all precautionary steps for our child and we are teaching him all he needs to know about coronavirus and how to deal with his friends in the classroom," she said. Al-Halabi said that another bag with Laith to school will add burden both financially to the family and physically to the child. She lives with her family-in-law in the Jaramana area in the same building. Her brother-in-law, Ismat Jabr, and his wife, Tagrid Hamzeh, both shared the same worries for their son who is in the eighth grade. Jabr told Xinhua that the parents this year have an additional task, which is making sure that their children follow the guidelines to protect themselves and their surroundings from the COVID-19. He said he is particularly worried about the younger children as it is difficult to make sure they are adhering to the instructions of their parents and teachers. "I am worried but I have to deal with the new academic year with great caution for my kid and all the children," he said. Jabr said the most important thing this year is raising awareness for the kids and the parents who must teach their kids how to deal with the new situation. "We must take protective measures so that the student doesn't transmit the disease to his parents and friends," he said. The new cleansing equipment added a burden to the families such as the detergent gel, alcohol, masks, and water bottles. All these things added extra financial burden to the parents and also extra weight to the student, he said. Hamzeh said her son is responding to her instructions about the steps needed to protect against the coronavirus. She noted that her son is also afraid that he might bring an infection back home. Hamzeh also told her son not to bully or fear the kids if they were sick at school, noting that this is important to not create a bullying situation for sick kids at school. Enditem Former special counsel Robert Mueller testifies before the House Intelligence Committee on July 24, 2019. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Trump: Mueller Teams Erasure of Data From Phones Illegal President Donald Trump charged Saturday that the erasure of data from dozens of phones used by special counsel Robert Muellers team was illegal. Trump took to Twitter, his favored social media platform, to comment on the surprising disclosure, which came to light through a Freedom of Information Act request by watchdog Judicial Watch. ALERT: So now we find out that the entire Mueller hit squad illegally wiped their phones clean just prior to the investigation of them, all using the same really dumb reason for this accident, just like Crooked Hillary smashing her phones with a hammer, & DELETING HER EMAILS! Trump wrote. Hillary Clinton used a private server while secretary of state during the Obama administration. Clinton directed her team to delete some 33,000 personal and private emails that had not been provided to investigators. Trump continued, adding: It has now been determined that the Mueller Scam should never have been set up in the first place, there were no grounds. It was all an illegitimate Witch Hunt, & a big price must be paid. How different my life would have been if this fraud on America was never committed!!! Muellers team was tasked with probing whether Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia. His team found no evidence supporting the allegations, which were promoted widely by a slew of media outlets and lawmakers despite a dearth of evidence. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump return to the White House in Washington on Sept. 11, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton called for a criminal investigation into what he described as the pandemic of wiped phones among Muellers team. The Department of Justice and FBI hid the records for nearly two years, adding to the appearance of a cover-up, he added in a statement. Former Vice President and current Democratic presidential nominee Joe Bidens campaign didnt respond to a request for comment regarding the update on Muellers team. Members from Muellers team didnt return inquiries from The Epoch Times. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Oversight Committee, asked Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz on Friday to investigate the erasure of data. Calling the matter troubling, Johnson said the new disclosures raise concerns about record retention and transparency. Johnson also asked whether Horowitz is already aware of the matter and whether it is possible to retrieve text messages from the phones. He asked the inspector general to respond by Sept. 18. Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) also demanded more information from the Department of Justice and FBI. 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, he said in a letter to Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray. Zachary Stieber Reporter Follow Zachary Stieber covers U.S. news and stories relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is based in Maryland. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday said she was optimistic about Congress passing coronavirus relief legislation before the Nov. 3 presidential election. "I'm optimistic. I do think that we should have an agreement," Pelosi said in a CNN interview. "That's what we all want." The U.S. Senate on Thursday killed a Republican bill that would have provided around $300 billion in new coronavirus aid, as Democrats seeking far more funding - around $3 trillion - prevented it from advancing. Pelosi said she was proud to see Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer "reject that terrible skinny bill to a massive problem that we have." She did not refer to any planned negotiations with the White House or congressional Republican leaders on a new bill. President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic has become a focus of the 2020 presidential race, in which he trails Democratic rival Joe Biden in several opinion polls. The pandemic has led to the deaths of more than 190,000 people in the United States and more than 910,000 worldwide. Earlier this year, Congress rapidly passed four bills providing about $3 trillion to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. The Democratic-controlled House passed a fifth bill in May that would provide another $3 trillion in aid, but the Republican-led Senate did not take it up. The Republican bill defeated on Thursday would have renewed a federal unemployment benefit, but at a lower level than Democrats sought. It also would have set new protections for businesses against lawsuits during the pandemic. Other initiatives - including aid to state and local governments, a second round of direct payments to households, and bailouts for airlines - were not addressed in the Republican bill. (Reporting by Lisa Lambert and Jan Wolfe; Editing by Chris Reese and Grant McCool) Carlos Sainz has slammed Racing Point for dumping Sergio Perez. The McLaren driver said at Mugello that he is "a little angry" about the way Perez alleges he was given little notice that his 2021 contract would be cancelled to make way for Sebastian Vettel. "Checo had a trusting relationship with the team for so many years, even saving it from bankruptcy," Sainz told Spanish media. "Now they are finally able to build a good car for him and they don't want to continue. That makes me a little angry because I have a good relationship with him and I respect him as a driver." Sainz, who is moving to Ferrari next year to replace Vettel, said the Perez story highlights how Formula 1 is "not always about performance". "If it was about performance, there would be no reason why Racing Point should no longer want him," he said. That sentiment is widespread in the paddock this weekend, with even Max Verstappen telling RTL that Perez "would not be much slower" than quadruple world champion Vettel. "Perez certainly didn't do a bad job at Racing Point," said the Red Bull driver, adding that Aston Martin was ultimately "the only option" for Vettel. Even former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, a strong supporter of Vettel's, doesn't disagree with that. "Seb didn't have a big choice, but Aston Martin could still be a hand with four aces for him," he told Sport1. "Should Mercedes quit as a works team, Aston Martin could take over this role. Both brands are also linked in the automotive sector, so if that happens, Sebastian will have done everything right." (GMM) In early March, I was in New York, a writer on the staff of an Apple TV+ show about a society rebuilding after a pandemic. During those early days of the coronaviruss spread, we ignored the parallels between the real world and the shows plot, until Apple itself instructed most of its employees to work from home. At that point, the writers all of us lived in Los Angeles yet had been sent to New York because apparently there is a shortage of writers in New York flew home. My older daughter returned from Bard College, where she was a junior studying music. My younger daughter missed her prom, graduation and the well-earned lollygagging of a second-semester senior. My wife and daughters easily adapted to sheltering in place. They initially took to bed as if afflicted not with coronavirus but instead a malaise that induced shopping and the consumption of pastel-colored iced beverages regularly deposited at our door. That initial laziness, however, quickly gave way to productivity. My younger daughter and a friend shifted from shopping for clothes to designing them. My older daughter got back to songwriting via SoundCloud. My wife, trained as an interior architect in the Netherlands, took over the dining-room table and drew plans for a dream house. While my family busied themselves in various useful solitudes, I had no more TV jobs looming. I lacked a pandemic plan. As a boy, I collected army men, starting with common, green blobby plastic soldiers and graduating to more intricate 1:72-scale armies of German, American and British soldiers and materiel. My favored maker of these figures was the English company Airfix, whose soldiers came 40 or more to a box: men shooting, kneeling (and shooting), lying down (and shooting) and, yes, dying (as a result of all that shooting). I painted them, applied decals and generally ran a disciplined outfit. Some of the happiest moments of my childhood were spent in escapist solitude beneath a plum tree in our backyard setting up and admiring my little works of art. There were war games you could play, similar to Dungeons & Dragons in requiring complicated numerical tables and many-sided dice, and while I claimed to be a war-gamer because that sounded less juvenile, in truth I just liked playing with army men. Trump and his allies have also stepped up attacks against what the president has called an unfounded criminal investigation into whether individuals associated with his campaign conspired in Russias effort to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election. Trump has said he is strongly considering pardoning Flynn, who the president said was a victim of dirty, filthy cops at the top of the FBI. Days after announcing its plans to soon turn debt-free, Tata Motors is all set to begin the process of stake sale in Tata Technologies and Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery. The consolidated debt of Tata Motors stood at Rs 68,000 crore as of July 31. "Tata Motors has resumed talks with multiple stakeholders for potential equity stake sales in its software arm (Tata Technologies) and in the Hitachi joint venture," Mint reported citing unidentified sources. "The intent is to monetize non-core assets and the exercise has begun with these two companies," the daily also reported citing the sources. Tata Motors aims to reduce its total automotive debt to ''near-zero levels'' in three years and generate free cash flows from FY22 onwards, company chairman N Chandrasekaran had recently said at company's AGM. However, the company's management had to face ire from several shareholders on various issues, including non-payment of dividend four years in a row. Chandrasekaran, while addressing shareholders at Tata Motors' 75th annual general meeting (AGM) had said the company would look to unlock non-core investments in order to deleverage business, but asserted that neither the passenger vehicles business nor Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is being sold. "Currently, the Tata Motors Group has a net automotive debt of Rs 48,000 crore (by March 31) and we are deleveraging this business substantially," he had then said. "We have set a target to significantly bring down the debt and come to near-zero debt levels in the next three years." The company has initiated steps towards this and set a target to generate positive free cash flows from FY22 onwards, he added. Also read: Tata Motors share rose 140% in five months, here's why (Natural News) Theres a lot of hype surrounding 5G technology, with promises of lightning-fast download speeds and vast connectivity that extends even to those in remote areas. Of course, the potential health repercussions of 5G mean that all that connectivity isnt quite as desirable as it sounds and now researchers have found that it isnt likely to solve those rural connectivity issues after all. For example, the Daily Mail reports that only 28 percent of the UK will have 5G coverage by the end of 2020, and 23 million are still struggling to get 4G. Even though it was first launched in 2012, 4G remains still rare in rural areas. The rollouts concentration on cities and suburbs means people living in rural areas wont even have the option to sign up. Urban areas such as London and Cardiff will be home to four 5G networks at launch, while Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Bristol will have three providers. uSwitch has warned that the new networks could take quite some time to hit rural areas in the UK, especially given the very limited range of the technology. Its this limited range that is behind some of the health concerns associated with this technology. Last year, hundreds of respected scientists issued a warning about the possible negative health effects of 5G technology on the population. They identified studies in several scientific publications showing that EMF can raise cancer risk, genetic damages, cellular stress, learning and memory problems, neurological disorders and a rise in harmful free radicals. It can also impact animals and plants. A lot of what we know about these dangers is related to 3G as it has been around long enough to be the subject of more studies. Given how much more intense and faster 5G is, its reasonable to expect the damage to be even greater. Washington State University Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Sciences Dr. Martin Pall said that rolling out 5G without safety testing has got to be about the stupidest idea anyone has had in the history of the world. 5G will be impossible to escape in urban areas The waves of 5G are ultra high-frequency and are easily absorbed by trees and buildings. This means that while cell towers for 5G will be a lot smaller than those of previous generations, they will also have to be placed significantly closer together, along with mini stations. They can be placed easily on utility poles, street signs, and municipal buildings. Some experts have estimated they will need to be placed roughly every two to eight houses to provide adequate coverage; the ideal range is said to be just 500 feet apart. 5G is reportedly as much as 100 times faster than the 4G currently being used in many places, and proponents claim it will transform how people work, communicate and learn. However, uSwitch found that just one out of every seven phone users intend to upgrade to 5G in the next year, while just 19 percent think it will improve connectivity. Many rural areas around the world are at a huge disadvantage when it comes to connectivity, especially in the coronavirus era when in-person interactions are potentially dangerous. While no one really needs to download a full-length 8GB film in six seconds, children in remote areas do need to be connected to their schools during quarantine. All the many promises of 5G technology may never come to fruition for people in these areas, but that could well spare them from the serious health effects of this technology that will be nearly impossible for city dwellers to escape. Sources for this article include: DailyMail.co.uk ?TheIET.org NaturalNews.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 10:04:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW YORK, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Commemorative activities were held on Friday in New York City to remember those who lost their lives in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of people took part in a memorial ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum on Friday morning, with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, Vice President Mike Pence, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and many other dignitaries among the participants. Outside Fire Department of New York City Ten House, a fire station close to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in Lower Manhattan, firefighters gathered and paid their respects. Meanwhile, players with the New York Yankees and New York Mets wore special hats honoring first responders in their games. In Westchester County located north of New York City, a solemn ceremony was also held and live streamed, paying tribute to people who died in the attacks and the aftermath. Enditem The Harris County District Attorneys Office has moved on Friday to dismiss charges against two defendants in the criminal trial against Arkema for endangering the public with toxic emissions following Hurricane Harvey. The charges dismissed were against the company itself and a former vice president, Michael Keough, for assault against a public servant. Prosecutors believe there is probable cause in both instances but not enough evidence to convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. Three charges remain on the books of reckless emission of toxic chemicals by the company itself, its CEO, Richard Rowe, and plant manager Leslie Comardelle. Dane Schiller, spokesman for the DAs office said the judge has instructed the lawyers not say anything that could impact the jury. Prosecutors always have a duty to seek justice; in this case, a prosecutor felt that there was enough evidence for a criminal charge, but that he could not prove that charge beyond a reasonable doubt at this time, so he requested it be dismissed, he said. Defense counsel for the company and Keough declined to comment citing the ongoing trial. The judge has not yet ruled on the motion to dismiss the charges. The case alleges the chemical company and several executives failed to move dangerous chemicals off their Crosby plant as the facility became inundated with floodwater. Organic peroxides on site eventually combusted as the property flooded, causing 23 people to be briefly hospitalized and more than 200 nearby residents to be evacuated. Two sheriffs deputies were counted among the injured. The defense has argued that Harvey was an unprecedented storm and an act of God. Officials had no way of knowing this would happen at the plant, lawyers have said. The allegations originated in April 2019, when prosecutors charged Arkema and its then-vice president for logistics, Michael Keough, with reckless assault on a peace officer. The trial is set to resume on Sept. 21 at NRG. Samantha Ketterer contributed. gabrielle.banks@chron.com Chicago Police Union Endorses Trump The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) chapter in Chicago has endorsed President Donald Trump for reelection. The Chicago police unions board of directors voted on Sept. 2 to endorse Trumps reelection, reported the Chicago Tribune. The FOP president of the Chicago chapter, John Catanzara, told the Tribune of Trump, I will do whatever I can for him. I hope he makes a somewhat local appearancethat he doesnt think Illinois is a lost cause and will just kind of mail it in. Catanzara told the Tribune that the endorsement largely reflects the views of its membership. But theres definitely people who are not going to be happy about it, he told the paper. There are more Democrats, locally speaking, but theres even some Democrats who would agree that the current president has been very good for employment and law enforcement these days. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democrat, has endorsed Trumps opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, also a Democrat. Catanzara has called Lightfoots leadership a failure in a letter to Trump in July. He told Patch.com on Friday: [Democrats] have absolutely run this city into the ground, and they will not take blame in any way, shape or form Its always somebody elses fault. Its the finger-pointing way, its the Chicago way. [Trump] has been a stalwart for supporting the men and women of this police department and constantly highlighting the issues within Chicago, he told the outlet. The FOP chapter in Delaware, Bidens hometown, has endorsed Trump. Read More Largest US Police Union Endorses Trump for Reelection The Chicago FOPs vote to endorse Trump comes just days before the National FOP, the largest police union in the United States, announced its endorsement for Trump on Sept. 4. It had endorsed Trump in 2016 and alleged that former Secretary of State and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton had snubbed them for not seeking their endorsement. President Sam A. Cabral said that the union was backing the presidents reelection bid as it believes there is no other viable alternative for anyone who desires peace and security in their community. The Chicago FOP announced on Facebook on Sept. 4: Such a proud moment this morning. At the National FOP board meeting, EVERY state trustee endorsed Donald J. TRUMP for reelection 45-0 !!!!!! Now thats unity. Lodge 7 Chicago couldnt agree more. President Trump has been the most vocal supporter of law enforcement ever. We owe him our full support. Other police unions have also endorsed Trump, including the Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA), the Milwaukee Police Association, the International Union of Police Association, the National Association of Police, the New York Police PBA, and the National Border Patrol Council. On Thursday, Trump announced that he had received an endorsement from the Police Officers Association of Michigan and took the chance to name drop a few more. As president, I will always support the heroes of law enforcement. I was very honored to receive the endorsement of the Police Officers Association of Michigan. Thank you, fellows, Trump said. Thats really nice. Ill tell you. Thats an honor. I have to be honest. I got it from Florida, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, South But Michigan is Michigan. Thank you. I dont think theres any law enforcement officer that is against us, he added. Trump also shared with supporters in Michigan his promises for law enforcement, saying that the administration will see that more police are hired, increase penalties for assaults on law enforcement, increase federal prosecutors into high-crime communities, and ban sanctuary cities. Jack Phillips contributed to this report. Read More Police Group That Endorsed Obama Twice Backs Trump Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has once again attacked the Buhari-led government, saying that Nigeria is slowly becoming a failed and divided state under this administration. Obasanjo stated this while delivering a speech titled, Moving Nigeria Away from Tipping Over at a consultative dialogue attended by various socio-cultural groups including Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum, Northern Elders Forum, Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo and Pan Niger Delta Forum, in Abuja on Thursday, September 10. The former President said he has never seen Nigeria more divided as it currently is under the Buhari-led government. He expressed sadness that Nigeria is also now the poverty capital of the world. I do appreciate that you all feel sad and embarrassed as most of us feel as Nigerians with the situation we find ourselves in. Today, Nigeria is fast drifting to a failed and badly divided state; economically our country is becoming a basket case and poverty capital of the world, and socially, we are firming up as an unwholesome and insecure country. And these manifestations are the products of recent mismanagement of diversity and socio-economic development of our country. Old fault lines that were disappearing have opened up in greater fissures and with drums of hatred, disintegration and separation and accompanying choruses being heard loud and clear almost everywhere. he said. According to the former President, only self-deluded people would claim that all is well in Nigeria. He knocked some politicians who are already in talks about the 2023 presidential election instead of fixing the problem the nation already has. I believe Nigeria is worth saving on the basis of mutuality and reciprocity and I also believe it can be done through the process of dialogues rather than talking at each other or resorting to violence. It will amount to dangerous and destructive self-delusion for anybody to claim that all is well in Nigeria today. Some people are obsessed with 2023, I believe that with death, destruction, debt, disease, deceit, disbelief, disenchantment, doubt and suspicion around, we need to see our way through to 2023 and beyond in some form of unity of purpose, reasonable security, shared values, true democratic practice, inclusiveness and shared society. That is why we are here. No constitution is even permanent; it is dynamic with time and experience. he said Source: LIB 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 King George V, at Belfast City Hall accompanied by Queen Mary to the opening of the first Ulster Parliament. 22/6/1921. Ulster turns her face eagerly and hopefully towards the dawn. She knows that the future is in her own hands. She means to shape that future to noble ends and the achievement of a happy destiny. With these optimistic words, an editorial in the Belfast Telegraph welcomed the opening of the new Northern Ireland parliament by King George V on 22 June 1921. Northern Ireland was formally established as a result of the Government of Ireland Act which received royal assent on 23 December 1920. This act laid down structures for a new government and parliament. Over the next five years such arrangements would be sorely tested. After King George gave his assent he remarked that the act was the fruits of more than 30 years of ceaseless controversy. He also expressed his hope that it would help to bring conciliation to Ireland, as it covered both Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. The late nineteenth century in Ireland witnessed the emergence of a clear political divide over the national question. Nationalists wanted some form of independence for Ireland while unionists sought to maintain full union with Britain. Unionists were based most strongly in Ulster. Another feature of politics was a strong correlation between denominational attachment and politics. Most unionists were Protestant and most nationalists were Catholic, although there were important exceptions. The nationalist and unionist parties failed to reach a compromise on the national question. This led to the formation of armed forces, in the shape of the Ulster Volunteer Force, on behalf of northern unionists, and the Irish Volunteers, on behalf of nationalists. Only the outbreak of war prevented violent conflict in 1914. After the 1916 Dublin Rising there was a rise in support for a more advanced form of Irish self-government. In 1918 Sinn Fein became the dominant nationalist party and the following year saw the beginning of the War of Independence fought by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) against crown forces. While Ulster did not experience the same level of violence as in Munster, Belfast saw violent riots. At Westminster efforts to find a political solution resulted in the Government of Ireland Act which partitioned Ireland into two political entities. Given the confrontation between unionists and Sinn Fein/nationalists, there was no realistic alternative to partition in 1920. A 32-county state, run from Dublin, with an oath of allegiance, would almost certainly have found itself facing, as historian Tom Garvin has written, not one but two civil wars, one in Munster and one in Ulster. At the same time, this settlement left important national and religious minorities in each jurisdiction which were not happy with the arrangement. Sinn Fein did not accept the Government of Ireland Act and so only Northern Ireland, based on the six north-east counties of Ulster, came into existence. On 7 June, the parliament met for the first time and a cabinet was formed with Sir James Craig as prime minister. On 22 June King George conducted the official opening of the parliament in a ceremony at Belfast city hall. In his speech the King called for peace among the people of Ireland. Afterwards he conferred honours on a number of prominent citizens, including a knighthood on Robert Baird, owner of the Belfast Telegraph. Expand Close The Belfast Telegraph coverage of the first Parliament / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Belfast Telegraph coverage of the first Parliament On 11 July a truce was called between the British government and Sinn Fein. Negotiations led to the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921 which established a new government in the south with considerable powers of self-government but not a republic. The first five months of 1922 witnessed great violence in Northern Ireland. The IRA, with the support of the southern government, mounted a concerted armed campaign against the state. Two unionist M.P.s, Sir Henry Wilson and William Twaddell, were murdered. Between December 1921 and the end of May 1922, 236 people were killed In Belfast, consisting of 147 Catholics and 89 Protestants or members of the security forces. Sectarian violence included the murders of six members of the Catholic McMahon family in Belfast and six Protestants at Altnaveigh, Co. Armagh. The Northern Ireland government assumed responsibility for law and order in late November 1921. It relied on the army and the Royal Irish Constabulary until their disbandment on 31 May 1922 when they were replaced by the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The government also relied on the Ulster Special Constabulary, particularly the B specials, established in late 1920. Tough emergency laws were enacted to deal with the security situation. By June 1922 there were over 500 republican internees. The violence had mostly ended by late June 1922, due in part to divisions in republican ranks over the terms of the treaty which led to a civil war in the south that lasted until May 1923. The Irish government brought in emergency legislation of even greater severity than that in the north. By February 1923 there were around 13,000 republican prisoners and internees. Despite the cessation of violence, the Northern Ireland government still faced problems, in particular the threat posed by the boundary commission contained in the Anglo-Irish Treaty. This commission, however, had unintended consequences, as both Michael Collins and Ernest Blythe later acknowledged. The government saw the commission as a threat to the boundaries of Northern Ireland and the viability of the state. Consequently steps were taken to end PR in local government elections and to redraw council boundaries, in anticipation of the commissions work. These changes restored unionist control in a number of key areas, such as Co Fermanagh where the county council had declared allegiance to Dail Eireann. In 1925 the report of the commission was shelved. This was followed by the 1925 Tripartite Agreement which declared that the Irish Free State, British and Northern Ireland governments, were united in amity... and resolved mutually to aid one another in a spirit of neighbourly comradeship, confirmed the 1920 boundary and recognised the powers and position of Northern Ireland. At this stage there were hopes that political relations would improve. The nationalist leader Joe Devlin boycotted parliament in 1921 but took his seat in 1925, saying that nationalists must recognise that parliament as a sacrosanct institution of democracy. He urged that at such a hopeful time it would be cruelly wrong to revive old controversies, stir up forgotten feuds. The Belfast Telegraph, on 1 January 1926, reported how at a meeting attended by Devlin, J.M. Andrews, minister of labour, expressed his hope that the better spirit which had been growing in Northern Ireland would continue to grow and that in future their differences would not be exaggerated unnecessarily. Such aspirations did not materialise in the end. The constitutional issue remained at the centre of political life, linked to religious divisions. Politics became deeply polarised. In the early 1920s other states were established, such as Czechoslovakia and Romania. They also contained majorities in favour of these arrangements and minorities opposed to them. They resembled Northern Ireland, and indeed the Irish Free State, in lacking homogeneity, in relation especially to national identity, but also religion and language. Eventually some of these countries collapsed because of such deep divisions. In spite of early and subsequent difficulties Northern Ireland survived. Today we can be proud that it has existed for 100 years. Brian M. Walker is Professor Emeritus of Irish Studies at Queens University Belfast. His most recent book is Irish history matters: politics, identities and commemoration (History Press) Revelations that Trump and other top US officials lied publicly about the danger posed by COVID-19 expose the politically criminal policy of the European Union (EU). While they had access to official briefings like those available to their US counterparts, they reproduced the same litany of lies and expressing the same flagrant contempt for their citizens lives, advocating a policy of herd immunity, that is, of controlled spread of the virus in the population. This is a warning about European Union (EU) officials who are now demanding that workers and children return to work and to school despite an accelerating spread of the virus. Their statements on COVID-19 are worthless. Like Trump, they have a record making false public statements trivializing the pandemic, in flagrant contradiction with medical information they were receiving in private, to boost the stock markets and the wealth of the super-rich at the expense of workers lives. These revelations about Donald Trump, published by the well-known US journalist Bob Woodward, center on the American presidents private knowledge of COVID-19, provided by intelligence briefings and discussions with Chinese officials. It is simply not credible to assert that EU officials did not have access to the same type of information as Trump. On January 28, intelligence officials told Trump the pandemic would be the biggest national security threat you face in your presidency. Then on February 7, Trump told Woodward that Chinese President Xi Jinping had warned him about the disease: This is deadly stuff. Its also more deadly than even your strenuous flus this is five percent [case fatality rate] versus one percent and less than one percent. He added, It goes through air, Bob. Thats always tougher than the touch. For months afterwards, however, Trump and other US officials publicly mouthed a pack of lies, also told by EU officialscomparing COVID-19 to the flu, insisting that fear of the virus is worse than the virus, and so on. Speaking of the virus, Trump told Woodward that he always wanted to play it down in order to avoid panic, that is, a collapse of the financial markets. The initial response of major European papers to revelations of this conspiracy at the summit of the American state has been as extraordinary as the report itself. Virtually all published superficial articles focused almost exclusively on the question of whether the report would harm Trump and benefit the Democratic Party in the November US presidential elections. Germanys Suddeutsche Zeitung titled its article Woodwards book on Trump is a gift for Biden. It wrote, Trump has lied to the American people. At least that is how Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden sees it. After discussing Woodwards report, the SZ contradicted its own headline, concluding it was unclear whether it would benefit Biden: What Woodwards revelations mean for Trumps re-election, we will find that out first in November. Frances Le Monde claimed that the world is by now familiar with the phenomenon of Trump struggling with embarrassing revelations. It concluded: These extracts show that the president lied to his fellow citizens about the seriousness of the threat, and he is already frequently accused of having delayed taking measures he knew would strongly impact the economy. None of these articles posed the obvious question: if these reports expose Trump as a liar, what does this say about EU officials who knew the same things and made similar statements as Trump? Firstly, EU states were doubtless well aware of the tone of the intelligence briefings Trump received on COVID-19. Indeed, as EU states have pledged in recent years to spend hundreds of billions of euros on strengthening the NATO military alliance, they were intensifying the already close coordination of their intelligence agencies reporting of common threats facing NATO. Two months before the outbreak of COVID-19 last December, the NATO alliance published an article on its web site, titled A new era for NATO intelligence. It announced a broad series of reforms to improve the quality and utility of intelligence provided to NATOs most senior political and military leaders. It reported that the allied NATO powers agreed that a common approach would improve intelligence sharing, coordinate production, enhance indications and warning, and improve management and governance. As for Chinese officials, they were in close discussion with the EU on the pandemic. On February 13, almost a week after Trump told Woodward about discussing COVID-19 with Xi, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi traveled to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the virus. According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Merkel highly commended China's decisive and forceful response and tremendous efforts and pledged to support, help and work with China on COVID-19. It is not credible under these conditions to claim that top EU officials were unaware that US intelligence saw the pandemic as the major world threat in January and that Chinese officials had explained that COVID-19 was a deadly threat. Yet not only did EU officials abstain from unmasking Trumps conspiracy, of which they were well aware, but they themselves repeatedly downplayed the virus. Like Trump, they sought to avoid taking measures that would affect the flow of profits to the banks and the financial aristocracy. They constantly equated COVID-19 with milder illnesses that are not fatal for healthy adults or children. On January 23, German Health Minister Jens Spahn infamously compared COVID-19 to the flu: That is also a risk we have every day. On February 24, eleven days after Merkel met Wang, Spahn again argued against establishing social distancing, this time comparing COVID-19 to the measles. Tagesschau cited him as saying: Measles are clearly more contagious than COVID-19, but cities are not blockaded because of measles outbreaks. On March 5, French government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye declared, We must remember that 80 percent of those infected [with COVID-19] only get a big cold, or at worst a big flu. We are not going to stop the country. That same day, as his government advocated a herd immunity strategy, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain could take it on the chin, take it all in one go and allow the disease, as it were, to move through the population, without taking as many draconian measures. Though EU governments apart from Britain and Sweden did not admit it so openly, the entire EU sought to implement the herd immunity policy. On March 11, Merkel called a press conference and baldly asserted: A high percentage of the population, experts say 60 to 70 percent, will be infected. Given the EUs population of over 510 million, this meant accepting well over 300 million cases of COVID-19 in Europe. The exposure of Trumps lies about COVID-19 shows that these EU officials were also misleading the public, while accepting in private a level of infections that would lead to millions of deaths. They vindicate the warnings and the political work of the ICFI. Already, on February 28, the ICFI had issued a statement calling for a globally coordinated emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic. It warned of the pandemics vast potential scope and called for the allocation of hundreds of billions of dollars to fight the pandemic and help workers, immigrants and other people protect themselves from the virus. Responding to the advocacy of herd immunity strategies by Johnson, Merkel, and others, the WSWS wrote: What such statements reveal is not incompetence, but political criminality. Seventy-five years after the downfall of the Nazi Third Reich, a fascistic attitude towards the working class prevails in the financial aristocracy, mirroring that of Ancient Rome to its galley slaves: work until you die. In its reply to Merkel, it called for massive public spending, quarantines and the independent organization of the working class in workplaces in order to fight the virus. Only the independent intervention of the working class, in a wave of spontaneous strikes centered in Italy that spread across Europe in March, compelled EU governments to adopt lockdowns. The EU relentlessly pressed for a return to work, however, voting trillions of euros in EU and European Central Bank bailouts to the banks and major corporations, which were explicitly approved by the major German and French trade unions. At the same time, they denied small businesses and workers appropriate funding to weather the economic impact of the lockdowns. Studies by Imperial College London published in Nature have estimated that the lockdowns saved around 3 million lives in Europe. The fact that several million lives are at risk is underscored by a 17-page internal memo prepared on March 18 by the German Interior Ministry and later published on its web site. Titled How we get COVID-19 under control, it asserts: Most virologists, epidemiologists, doctors and political scientists, when asked what would happen if nothing is done, reply with a worst case scenario in which over 1 million die in 2020, in Germany alone. As EU officials now force children back to school and their parents back to work, the European ruling class is again conspiring against the population. Governments across the EU have declared that there will be no more lockdowns, and Spanish officials have already blurted out that their back-to-school policy leads to practically all children being infected. That is to say that, behind the backs of the people, the EU is conspiring to place the lives of millions at risk in order to fund bailouts and enrich the financial aristocracy. Workers across Europe must be warned: the ruling class and its political establishment are again preparing a massive social crime. It can only be fought on the basis of the independent, international mobilization of the working class, based on a revolutionary and socialist perspective. Are you happy now? That was, in a nutshell, what one angry reader who wrote to me late last week wanted to know. The Government, it had been announced, was reimposing limits to meeting others from 30 people down to six. The reason was the ominous rise in Covid-19 cases across the country, with newly released figures showing those under 30 accounting for the majority of these. Since June, Ive argued, passionately, for the reopening of schools to give our children back their lives. It also makes scientific sense that, from here on, a more risk-specific approach to distancing guidance and restrictions be introduced mainly because the virus is so mild for the vast majority of younger people, and so deadly for older people and some others. Of course, what Ive never called for is throwing caution to the wind or rule-breaking. And if, as Health Secretary Matt Hancock suggested last week, the rise in cases was in part driven by middle-class youngsters and twentysomethings flouting guidance, then it should give pause for thought. So no, I am not happy. Prime Minister Boris Johnson pictured giving a press conference on the new Covid-19 restrictions in England. From Monday, the government will introduce the 'rule of six' Meanwhile, my words seem to have been even more widely misinterpreted by another, more troubling group. In my article last weekend I tried to answer the question everyone seems to be asking at the moment: Why, when Covid-19 cases are soaring, are deaths (for the time being at least) staying low? Yes, young people are getting it more, and they dont get so ill, so theres that. But I paid particular attention to one theory being talked about by some virologists: the idea that the amount of the virus were exposed to in the first instance has a direct baring on how sick we get. We see this with other infections, such as chicken pox. If we get a lower dose, we get less ill as the immune system can mount a robust defence. But if we breathe in large amounts of the virus such as through face-to-face contact the number of infected cells in the body overwhelms the immune system and the illness is worse. My conclusion was that, if this theory held true, then social distancing, handwashing and masks might not be stopping people from getting Covid-19 completely, but theyre getting it in a low enough dose to trigger only a mild illness. And I once again questioned the continuing fear there will be a second wave of Covid-19 that kills as many or even more than the first. Ive said all along that if we stick to the guidelines (more on those later), I believe we wont get a second wave. But within minutes of the articles publication, I was inundated with supportive messages from conspiracy theorists whod hijacked my words to reflect their pandemic-denying agenda. Some Twitter users who use #KBF to show their support for the mask-rejecting Keep Britain Free movement actually thanked me for my article. They thought it supported their notion that Covid is over, that we should all relax, move on and get back to normal. Of course I never wrote anything of the sort, and much as Id love that to happen, its just not possible without risking a disaster. And if theyd bothered to read anything Ive written in the past, theyd know I was one of the first to advocate the use of masks, way back in April, as a way of preventing Covid spread. In fact, because of my public stance, Ive been endlessly trolled by #KBF loons. Health Secretary Matt Hancock makes a Ministerial Statement to socially distanced MPs on the Covid-19 situation in the House of Commons in London on Tuesday All water off a ducks back. But, to be honest, the fact that Id unwittingly become a poster girl for the Covid-deniers shook me. I pored over my previous articles. Had I said something misleading? But I stand by everything Ive written. So whats changed? Well, for a start, people seem to be becoming increasingly polarised. Its either Covid restrictions are like Nazi Germany! or Were all going to die! Lock down till theres a vaccine! Of course, neither view has much bearing on reality. There is, as Ive always tried to demonstrate, a middle way. It seems this is confusing those who think Im either on their side or somehow against them, when Im in neither camp. And where, I wondered, had our health chiefs disappeared to when they should be guiding and informing us? Early in the pandemic, we had the daily briefings. Ministers, often flanked by chief medics and scientists, would explain what was going on. Theyd show graphs and patiently answer endless questions in detail. But then that stopped. And I think this has left gaping holes in the nations understanding of the current situation. Its no surprise that, slowly, these holes become filled with irrational fear or spurious ideas, such as those being pushed by the #KBF lot. Untruths become oxygenated when the answers from authorities are lacking. It creates the perfect breeding ground for fake news the reason why usually rational people fall victim to it. Often its a case of a small sliver of truth being crudely misinterpreted as was the case with my own article to fit an agenda. I was so enraged, on Monday I emailed the Department of Health and Social Care suggesting they restart the daily podium briefings. They responded but only with a simple thank you. But the Prime Minister and I are obviously thinking along the same lines, because on Wednesday he appeared on TV, with Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance, to announce the latest on Covid-19 case numbers, explain forthcoming restrictions and to launch the new slogan: Hands, Face, Space. Im all for this. It reinforces the basics of personal responsibility, which is a good start. But they cant stop there. Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Witty (left), Mr Johnson (centre) and Chief Scientific Advisor Sir Patrick Vallance (right) attend a virtual press conference on Wednesday I know Im not alone in feeling slightly bamboozled at the moment. There are local lockdowns, and new limits to meeting in groups (no more than six people), but were encouraged to visit bustling restaurants, take holidays abroad and go back to working in offices. Rising cases amid falling deaths seems nonsensical, and if there really is a great risk, should we be worried or go about our lives? Do middle-aged and older people need to start taking more care? Please tell us as soon as possible, and keep us up to date. Every single day. Its OK for a Minister to get up there and really explain these things, because I do like to think that what theyre advising is for our collective best. It seemed that Mr Johnson woke up to the renewed need for proper, clearer guidance this being that its not all over and there will be no easy escape from Covid. During the coming months well be fatigued, frustrated and desperate for a magic bullet. And while officials must do more to provide facts, and give clear messages about what we should do, we must also learn to live with question marks. Uncertainty feels uncomfortable, I know. But at this stage, weve been through worse. A nurse has opened up about the terrifying moment she was attacked by a patient in hospital, leaving her with blood pouring from gash on the side of her head. The patient, a 26-year-old man from Winston Hills, was receiving treatment when he lashed out at Westmead Hospital in Sydney's west at 5am on Friday. He allegedly punched Bec Davis, a 31-year-old nurse, in the back of the head before grabbing on to her, causing her to fall and hit her head on a door. 'I kept trying to run and then his arms went around my neck and then his bodyweight came down on me and i just went into the doorframe,' she told 9NEWS. Nurse Bec Davis, 31, was left with a deep gash (pictured) that ran from the middle of her forehead to the her scalp after allegedly being attacked by a 26-year-old hospital patient The patient, from Winston Hills in Western Sydney, allegedly assaulted Ms Davis (pictured) and a 40-year-old security guard at Westmead Hospital around 5am on Friday morning 'All of a sudden out of nowhere he jumped out of the bed and started going straight for out security guard and chasing him and started punching him,' she explained. Ms Davis, a specialist nurse of twelve years, said the man chased a security guard, 40, through the department and in front of other patients before turning on her. 'He looked like he wanted to kill someone... I was shocked that I became the target,' she said. Ms Davis was left with a deep gash running through the middle of her forehead and deep into her scalp, which caused blood to gush out. The nurse was transferred to a nearby hospital for further treatment while the 26-year-old man was eventually restrained and sedated by hospital staff. The security guard had also allegedly been punched in the face and arm and was treated for minor injuries at the scene. Ms Davis received 16 staples in her head to treat the wound and is now recovering at home. The nurse posted photos of her graphic injuries to Facebook to raise awareness for the violence healthcare workers face on the job. 'No one should go to work and have this happen to them. Work should be a safe place,' she captioned the post. The patient was arrested at Westmead hospital (pictured) on Saturday morning and charged with common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and reckless wounding The 26-year-old man allegedly grabbed Ms Davis, causing her to fall down and hit her head on a door. The nurse was left with a deep gash (pictured) as a result 'If you present to an Emergency Department you should treat all our staff - clerical, admin, porters, wardsmen, allied health, doctors and nurses - with utmost respect.' Officers from Parramatta Police Area Command were called to the hospital after the attack and commenced an investigation. They arrested the 26-year-old man when he was discharged around 11am on Saturday. The man was charged with common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and reckless wounding. He was refused bail and will appear at Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday. NSW Police Chief Inspector Traci Watt condemned the attack and said the nurse had suffered a 'horrific laceration' to her forehead. 'No person deserves to be assaulted in their workplace, 'But emergency services personnel are appalled and horrified that this nurse, an essential health care worker, whose sole role is to help people, has been assaulted and injured as a result of this,' Chief Inspector Watt said. A Western Sydney Local Health District spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the aggression toward healthcare staff was 'appalling and completely unacceptable.' 'We are working closely with police in their investigation, and the incident is also being reviewed by the Western Sydney Local Health District Violence Prevention Team. 'The safety and well-being of our staff is our main priority. The two staff members who were assaulted are receiving ongoing follow-up support, including check-ins with management and access to counselling,' the spokesperson said. US diplomats in China will be subject to new restrictions after Beijing announced Friday that it would retaliate against Washington's decision to limit the movement of Chinese diplomats in America. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in a statement that China would impose "reciprocal restrictions" on all US embassies and consulates on Chinese soil, including the consulate in Hong Kong, without giving further details. "The US practice has severely violated international law and basic norms governing international relations and disrupted China-US relations and normal exchanges between the two sides," Zhao said. It comes after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a rule change Sept. 3, under which Chinese diplomats in the United States will be required to seek permission before they meet local government officials or visit university campuses. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. AP-Yonhap Texas officials have suspended the placement of children in the foster-care system at the Whataburger Center for Children and Youth, a San Antonio facility that focuses on high-need kids 12 and older who have no place else to go. The center has racked up too many deficiencies in recent months for problems such as children fighting, damaging property and running away and refusing therapy, said Annette Rodriguez, president and CEO of the Childrens Shelter, a nonprofit that oversees the center. The suspension went into effective immediately Tuesday while the state reviews ongoing investigations and contract findings that might potentially impact the health, safety and well-being of children, according to a letter from Judy Pavone, who oversees residential child care contracts for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The center, named for the restaurant chain that donated $250,000 to renovate the building, opened in February 2019 as a placement of last resort for youth with severe behavioral and emotional issues or complex medical needs. It has a no eject, no reject rule for any child. The 26 residents are being relocating, Rodriguez said. Some will likely end up in foster care outside of Bexar County and even the state because of a shortage of foster-care homes or facilities, she said. The children were placed at the center by Family Tapestry, which itself is a division of the Childrens Shelter that took over most foster care responsibilities in the San Antonio region two years ago part of an ongoing effort by the state to privatize its beleaguered foster care system. The center on the Northwest Side is separate from the Childrens Shelter and has its own staff. Rodriguez points the finger at the novel coronavirus pandemic for putting more stress on the center. She also believes the impact of a federal class-action lawsuit in Texas, which was sued in 2011 over its treatment of foster care children and lost, also played a role in the suspension. The challenging nature of the foster youth who end up at the center was partly the reason for the states action, she said. Jerry Lara /Staff photographer On ExpressNews.com: Whataburger Center provides a place for hard-to-place kids Some of these kiddos are coming out of juvenile detention or psychiatric hospitals, Rodriguez said. They have a high level of need. Many may have been in multiple, failed foster care placements. There is a dearth of places in San Antonio and beyond for high-need children, Rodriguez said. She said the center couldnt handle the number of youth sent there by Family Tapestry. The latter oversees the placing of all youth who enter the foster-care system, whether it be in a traditional foster home, with a family member or in a larger residential facility, such as the center. But, remember, judges make decisions where children and youth are placed, too, said Anais Beira, chief public relations officer for the Childrens Shelter. Since opening, the center has served more than 300 people, Rodriguez said. Its located on 12 acres dotted with oak trees and playscapes. The long hallways are painted with bright murals. Patrick Crimmins, spokesman for DFPS, said the class-action lawsuit had nothing to do with the suspension at the center. A placement suspension is not a punishment, he said. Its a tool that we can use, and are using here, to improve the organizations performance for the benefit of foster children and youth in Bexar County. We will continue to work closely with Family Tapestry and look forward to their continued growth. Too many problems This wasnt the first time the Whataburger Center has had trouble with too many deficiencies. Rodriquez said that in its first five months of operation, the center was overwhelmed with youth placed by Family Tapestry. Though the center was designed to handle up to 30 people at a time, most of them older, staff struggled to deal with the more than 20 kids who had many problems. Male teens punched holes in the walls. Teens beat each other up. They ran away to live with friends and the abusive or neglectful families that the state had removed them from, Rodriguez said. We have to report all that (to the state) and it counts against us, she said Changes were made and the deficiencies were brought under control, from August to December, she said. Family Tapestry worked to place more kids with other providers equipped to deal with high-need youth, and the census dropped from more than 20 to a more manageable 10 to 14, she said. Then the pandemic hit. The numbers of residents zoomed back up, as foster placements became harder to come by, not just for high-need youth but foster children in general. Weve had issues with kids whove tested positive (for the coronavirus) and refused to isolate or quarantine by staying in their rooms, Rodriguez said. Some staff made anonymous reports to the state, saying that they didnt feel safe at work. Rodriguez said she plans to meet with DFPS officials in Austin next week to come up with solutions. She hopes the suspension will be lifted in a couple of months. Were talking about reducing the number of youth we take in at the center, or maybe focusing on kids in a certain age range or perhaps just one gender, she said. Rodriguez said the state is under tremendous pressure to abide by standards and rules set by a federal judge as part of the class-action lawsuit filed by people who once were in the foster care system. That lawsuit argued the Texas foster system leaves children more damaged than before they went into it and violates their constitutional rights. At a recent hearing, U.S. District Judge Janis Jack focused on how the state is still not providing enough safety for youth who live in residential treatment centers and other large residential settings, such as the Whataburger Center. On ExpressNews.com: Judge may hold state in contempt This (suspension) action is a response to the hearing that took place last week, thats my guess, Rodriguez said. Rodriguez said that, because of the lawsuit, four residential treatment centers in the region where Family Tapestry places youth with have closed. Such centers provide housing and treatment for the most problematic foster kids. The four didnt have enough funds to adhere to the new mandates, such as providing overnight supervision by staff, she said. The suspension stands to cost the Whataburger center financially, at least in the short term. Family Tapestry pays the center $520 per day for each child placed there, money that comes from the state contract. Biera said the average cost of care for each child is higher $654 per day. The suspension doesnt affect Family Tapestry, which will continue to oversee foster care responsibilities it took on after becoming the sole contractor for the San Antonio region in 2018. The state started rolling out community-based care as part of a redesign of the foster care system that began six years ago. Family Tapestry is now responsible for training and developing foster care providers, handling child placements and monitoring its foster care subcontractors to make sure children stay safe. Were excited about community-based care and the opportunities it provides, and are pleased to be able to continue to work with Family Tapestry as the sole contractor for Bexar County, Crimmins wrote in a statement to the Express-News. The state continues to handle all child abuse and neglect investigations. Rodriguez said she doesnt agree with how the state handled the trouble at the center. Im very proud of the work weve done here, she said. I think maybe a slow-down of placements, instead of stopping them altogether, could have been a different approach. Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje is a general assignment reporter covering breaking news, cultural trends and interesting people and goings-on around San Antonio and Bexar County, as well as all across South Texas. To read more from Melissa , become a subscriber. mstoeltje@express-news.net | Twitter: @mstoeltje The authorities of the oil tanker that went up in flames off Sri Lanka's eastern waters seemed to have neglected warnings from the crew on possible fire on board, a Sri Lankan court has heard. The Panama registered MT (Motor Tanker) New Diamond, a Greek-owned vessel and under charter by the Indian Oil Corporation, was carrying nearly two million barrels of crude oil from Mina Al Ahmadi port in Kuwait to the Indian port of Paradip when it caught fire off the coast of Sangamankanda in Ampara district on Thursday last. A Filipino crew member died and another was injured in the mishap. The fire was doused in a joint operation of the Indian and Sri Lankan forces on Sunday last. But a new fire broke out within hours due to extreme heat and strong winds. After the second fire was brought under control on Wednesday, the tanker was towed away from the site. According to the Lankan Navy a narrow diesel patch, one km from the ship, was noticed on Monday evening and an Indian Coast Guard aircraft sprayed dispersants to minimise potential damage to the marine environment. The state authorities sought court's permission to obtain oil samples onboard the vessel to carry out tests to verify that the oil leaks visible in the surrounding sea area were those from the tanker. The oil slick near the ship is about 10 to 30 metre wide and about a nautical mile long. During the hearing of the case on Thursday, the state lawyers told the Colombo Chief Magistrate that the tanker's authorities seemed to have neglected warnings from the crew on the possibility of fire on board. They had failed to see the activation of the fire fighting equipment on board the tanker. The court permitted the Marine Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) personnel to board the oil tanker and directed the authorities to obtain samples from the crude oil stored inside the tanker and the copies of the vessel data records. The court also ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to record statements of the 22 crew members, including the Captain, of the tanker, which is currently 45 nautical miles (83 km) off Sri Lanka's east coast. The Attorney General had earlier advised the officials concerned to compile a report of the costs for Sri Lanka in tackling the fire. The MEPA had said it plans to take action against the ship's owner under the country's laws to protect the marine ecosystem. (Image Credits: Twitter/Indian Navy) The already busy, record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season has gone into hyperactive mode, with Tropical Storms Paulette and Rene continuing to spin, a tropical depression near Florida on the verge of strengthening into a named storm, and three other tropical disturbances brewing. Forecasters say the tropical depression that formed near South Florida on Friday, lashing the region with heavy rain, will likely turn into a tropical storm by early Sunday. If that happens, the storm will be named Sally and would become one of the earliest "S" storms on record. It also would mean three named storms would be actively spinning in the Atlantic hurricane basin at the same time, something that is uncommon but does happen on occasion. UPDATE (2:15 p.m. Saturday): The tropical depression near Florida has been upgraded to Tropical Storm Sally, with maximum sustained winds now blowing at 40 mph. A map showing the storms latest forecast track is posted below. Since the modern satellite era began in the 1960s, there have been six years in which four named storms hurricanes or tropical storms were spinning in the Atlantic basin simultaneously, according to Phil Klotzbach, a meteorologist and hurricane expert at Colorado State University. This happened in 1971, 1995, 1998, 2004, 2008 and 2018. AccuWeather says the most unusual case in modern times was in late September 1998, when four hurricanes Georges, Ivan, Jeanne and Karl were swirling in the Atlantic at the same time. There are older records showing four Atlantic hurricanes spinning on Aug. 22, 1893, with one slamming into Georgia and South Carolina and killing as many as 1,000 to 2,000 people. Status of the current storms Heres a look at the National Hurricane Centers latest forecast maps for Tropical Storm Paulette, Tropical Storm Rene and Tropical Depression 19 (now named Tropical Storm Sally). Update (11:30 a.m. Saturday): Tropical Storm Rene has been downgraded to a tropical depression, with its top sustained winds now blowing at 35 mph, with some higher gusts. A tropical storm has sustained winds of 39 mph to 73 mph. Note: None of these storms pose a direct threat to New Jersey or other coastal areas along the eastern United States, but forecasters say Tropical Storm Paulette is generating swells that are causing rough seas. So the surf is high and theres a high risk of dangerous rip currents forming along the Jersey Shore on Saturday and Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. This map shows the latest forecast track of Tropical Storm Paulette as of Saturday, Sept. 12. Forecasters expect the storm to strengthen into a hurricane as it approaches Bermuda on Sunday. A hurricane warning has been issued for Bermuda.National Hurricane Center This map shows the latest forecast track of Tropical Storm Rene as of Saturday morning, Sept. 12. (Update: Rene was downgraded to a tropical depression at 11 a.m. Saturday, with top sustained winds blowing at 35 mph instead of 40 mph.)National Hurricane Center This map shows the forecast track of newly named Tropical Storm Sally (formerly called Tropical Depression 19) as of 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. National Hurricane Center 3 other disturbances being watched The National Hurricane Center is also monitoring three tropical disturbances. One disturbance in the north-central Gulf of Mexico is generating disorganized showers and a few thunderstorms, the hurricane center said on Saturday. Some slow development of this system is possible while it moves westward and then southwestward over the northern and western Gulf of Mexico through the middle of next week. (Forecasters say this disturbance has a 30% percent chance of forming into a tropical depression or tropical storm within five days.) Another disturbance is several hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands near Africa and is producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms, the hurricane center said. A tropical depression is expected to form within the next couple of days while the system moves generally westward at 15 to 20 mph across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic. (Forecasters say this disturbance has an 90% percent chance of forming into a tropical depression or tropical storm within two days.) A third disturbance, also near the Cabo Verde Islands, is associated with a tropical wave, with forecasters saying a tropical depression could form over the far eastern tropical Atlantic early next week while the system moves slowly westward. (Forecasters say this disturbance has a 40% percent chance of forming into a tropical depression or tropical storm within two days and a 60% chance within five days.) It will be a quiet day on land with dry weather and mild temperatures. However, on the water we are expecting rough surf and a high risk of rip currents. The rip current risk will likely remain elevated into next week as swell from Paulette approaches. #njwx #pawx #dewx #mdwx pic.twitter.com/VPgXsoBOuH NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) September 12, 2020 Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. COLUMBIA, S.C. Henry McMaster's plan to spend the second phase of South Carolina's Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act funding has the support of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce. Frank Knapp, president and CEO of the chamber, said he commended McMaster in a statement issued Friday morning. "The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce commends Governor Henry McMaster for recognizing that thousand of our states very small businesses, including sole-proprietors, were not able to receive the Paycheck Protection Program loans to help them survive the Covid-19 recession," Knapp said. "Over 63,000 PPP loans were made in South Carolina but there are over 400,000 small businesses in the state." He said McMaster's recommendation to use $30 million of the funding to provide grants to businesses that didn't receive loans will help more businesses to survive until the economy fully recovers from the COVID-19 shutdowns. McMaster issued his recommendation Wednesday in a letter to Senate President Harvey S. Peeler Jr. and House Speaker James H. "Jay" Lucas. A Michigan woman got quite a surprise when she went to her mailbox this week amid her regular bills and junk mail was a postcard that had been mailed almost 100 years ago. Brittany Keech said she didn't give the card much thought at first because she was busy with her kids and her daily hustle and bustle. "I thought it was very peculiar that I was receiving a postcard because nobody sends postcards anymore nowadays," Keech said. "I went 'OK, this is different.'" Later she noticed that the card was postmarked Oct. 29, 1920. It had her Belding, Michigan, address but was written to someone named Roy McQueen in faded cursive writing. The card reads: "Dear Cousins, Hope this will find you all well. We are quite well but mother has awful lame knees. It is awful cold here. I just finished my history lesson and am going to bed pretty soon. My father is shaving and my mother is telling me your address. I will have to close for a night. Hope grandma and grandpa are well. Don't forget to write us Roy get his pants fixed yet." It was signed by Flossie Burgess. The card has a Halloween theme that includes a black cat holding a broom, a bat, a goose and an owl, along with a woman with a cane and a jack-o'-lantern in a witch's hat. There's a George Washington one cent stamp on the back and the smudged postmark says Jamestown, but the state appears to be covered by some kind of sticker. Keech, 30, said she has no idea what delayed the card, which was mailed decades before she was born. A spokesperson for the Postal Service told CNN affiliate WXMI that "in most cases these incidents do not involve mail that had been lost in our network and later found. 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. The end result is what we do best as long as there is a deliverable address and postage, the card or letter gets delivered." Keech posted photos of the postcard on a Facebook group in hopes of finding McQueen's or Burgess' relatives, or someone who might have known the families. "I have two wonderful ladies that are helping me look into their genealogy," she said. Several people have posted old documents in the comments section that might help solve the mystery. Keech wants to return the card to a family member and said they've got a lead on one possible relative. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Singapore Convention on Mediation came into force on Saturday and will provide a more effective way for enforcing mediated settlements of corporate disputes involving businesses in India and other countries that are signatories to the Convention. Also known as the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, this is also the first UN treaty to be named after Singapore. "With the Convention in force, businesses seeking enforcement of a mediated settlement agreement across borders can do so by applying directly to the courts of countries that have signed and ratified the treaty, instead of having to enforce the settlement agreement as a contract in accordance with each country's domestic process," an official statement said on Saturday. The harmonised and simplified enforcement framework under the Convention translates to savings in time and legal costs, which is especially important for businesses in times of uncertainty, such as during the current Covid-19 pandemic, the statement issued by Singapore's Ministry of Law said. As on September 1, the Convention has 53 signatories, including India, China and the US. According to the statement, the Convention, which entered into force on Saturday, would boost Indias 'ease of doing business' credentials by enabling swift mediated settlements of corporate disputes. "Businesses in India and around the world will now have greater certainty in resolving cross-border disputes through mediation, as the Convention provides a more effective means for mediated outcomes to be enforced," it said. Singapore had worked with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and other UN member states and non-governmental organisations to contribute to the development of the Convention. Singapore's Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam said the Convention's entry into force is a significant milestone, as it further strengthens the international dispute resolution enforcement framework. "This benefits businesses by providing greater certainty in resolving cross-border commercial disputes, ultimately facilitating international trade and commerce," he added. Secretary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Joubin-Bret said that with the Convention successfully entering into force, "we look forward to it bringing certainty and stability to the international framework on mediation, and contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals". Over the years, Singapore has set up various institutions to provide a full suite of dispute resolution services for international commercial parties to resolve their disputes in Singapore. These include the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, Singapore International Mediation Centre and Singapore International Commercial Court, the statement said. When the Holy Family nuns spread their kindness in Lanka With the Association of the Holy Family commemorating 200 years globally, Kumudini Hettiarachchi traces how the nuns arrived here in 1862 with a mission to educate girls View(s): View(s): A simple celebration next Saturday at the mystic jungle shrine of Lady of Madhu Church in Mannar, coinciding with the global commemorations, will mark a momentous event that changed the course of history both in the world and Sri Lanka. The celebrations of the 200th jubilee are muted not just because of the major changes wrought by the new coronavirus which has brought in its wake a new normal but also reflect the silent, though powerful, service rendered by a dedicated group emulating the simplicity of the Holy Family Jesus, Mary and Joseph of the Christian faith. While the Association of the Holy Family set down its roots 200 years ago (on May 20, 1820) in Bordeaux, France, long before the tree so tenderly planted by Founder Fr. Pierre Bienvenu Noailles spread its sheltering branches to many other parts of the world it found a place in the soil of Sri Lanka, blossoming in the hearts of the people. A peep at history reveals that in those early days, Spain embraced the Association of the Holy Family in 1843, Belgium in 1854 and coming third was Sri Lanka in 1862, even before England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy or more. As the Association of the Holy Family commemorates its double century, it is active in 21 countries now. The five vocations of the Association of the Holy Family Apostolic Sisters; Contemplative Sisters; Consecrated Secular; Lay Associates encompassing children, youth and elderly; and Priest Associates are working in the community to provide succour to all and sundry, says Colombos Provincial of the Holy Family Sisters, Sr. Jesmin Fernando. Looking back through the dim mists of time, she reveals how Pierre Bienvenu was born at the height of mayhem and terror, during the French Revolution. While being a lively and daring child, as he became a young man he was charming, embracing with enthusiasm everything life had to offer, with the exception of religion. A celebrated lawyer of the time who would later become a Minister of King Charles X, employed the 17-year-old Pierre Bienvenu as his secretary, impressed by his literary talents. However, there were other divine plans for him. Coming into contact with a priest Pierre Bienvenu with a few youth formed the Society of Christian Friends, a study circle. His pathway became clear when preparing for First Holy Communion, he had a mystical experience before the statue of Our Lady (Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ) and there was no turning back. He ordained as a priest in June 1819. Appointed as a curate in a parish in Bordeaux, Fr. Noailles took it as a sign from above when three girls wanted to serve God and came to him for spiritual direction and the seeds of the Association of the Holy Family blossomed from here with the Catechism of Perseverance. There was much hardship and suffering as it was soon after the French Revolution. These three girls wanted to work selflessly for society. This took root and became a religious organization, getting entwined with other branches, says Sr. Jesmin, reiterating that Fr. Noailless yearning was to respond to any crying need of the people. Sr. Jesmin focuses on the Sisters of Hope who worked among the elderly and Soeurs Agricoles (Field Sisters) who gave dignity to labour in the fields, toiling alongside the few who had been left behind in the villages after a majority had been drawn by the lure of the towns or urbanization. The Association of the Holy Family was ready and willing to respond to every need in society, while also welcoming any other vocation, missionary or lay, into its fold, she says. Charting the voyage of the six nuns who arrived in Ceylon from France, on November 2, 1862, having been buffeted by stormy seas for 45-days, Sr. Jesmin says that they paid a courtesy call on Governor Charles Justin MacCarthy in Galle and set up base in Jaffna with a driving passion to educate the girl-child. That was Holy Family Convent, Jaffna, and from there they worked their way south, to Kurunegala, Wennappuwa, Katuneriya, then back to the north central area of Anuradhapura and finally Colombo and Kalutara. Education was a priority in the formation of the girl-child, says Sister Provincial, but with the takeover of schools in 1960, the Holy Family Sisters expanded to other areas such as Hindagala and Embilipitiya extending a comforting and helping hand to women, working with families and setting up nurseries. As the Association of the Holy Family looks forward to the future, apart from education, they have under their wing a fruitful counselling programme evident last year after the Easter Sunday bombings with nuns going door-to-door at Katuwapitiya giving a shoulder to cry or lean on; a Safe House for battered women in the Puttalam district; a Meditation Centre in Halpe, Negombo; and a Drug Prevention Centre in Ratmalana catering to those living on the beach. The Association of the Holy Family in Sri Lanka is grouped under two Provincials Colombo and Jaffna with 86 communities working in all 12 diocese of the Catholic Church. It is also not in this country alone that the Holy Family nuns spread their kindness and concern but in 13 others including India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Cameroon, South Africa, Italy, France and Canada. We started a new community in impoverished Malawi, in southeastern Africa, one of the poorest countries in the world. The weather is scorching hot and there is no water. Even the basic necessities are hard to come by but we are persevering, she says. Back here, different vocations of the Association of the Holy Family have been addressing issues such as cancer by carrying out awareness campaigns on prevention and coming together to support the poor and the marginalized. All these efforts are to keep alive the dream of their Founder, Fr. Noailles who saw..the Holy Family like a great tree..with verdant branches.. flowers and fruits of all seasons; birds of every coloureach species with its own song, but every now and then forming a single voice and in perfect harmony seeming to say: Glory to God alone! Three-year jubilee culminates at Our Lady of Madhu Sri Lankas highlight of the three-year jubilee (2017-2020) preparations will be next Saturday, September 19, when a prayerful procession with the participation of all communities of the Association of the Holy Family will wend its way around the Church of Our Lady of Madhu, culminating in a simple mass presided over by the Bishop of Mannar, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Fernando.2017 had been dedicated to thanking God for all blessings received; 2018 devoted to deepening spirituality; 2019 to sharing the fruits of the missionary community and 2020 for the jubilee celebration. Western Union, a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments, and the Western Union Foundation have announced the Foundations pledge of USD 250K in relief to support the immediate and long term recovery needs of refugees including the people displaced from Greeces Moria Camp. More than 12,000 people have been evacuated from the Moria Camp on the island of Lesbos, which was destroyed by fires earlier this week. The camp was the temporary home to migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from more than 70 different countries, among them elderly, pregnant women, children, and people with disabilities. With a fire devastating their only place of refuge, thousands are now without shelter and access to water and sanitation. The Foundation will deploy USD 100K to support the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in their immediate relief efforts for the Moria camp evacuees. Funds will support secure accommodations, mental health and psychosocial support, and distribution of urgent supplies, with a focus on safety to avoid the risk of COVID-19 transmission. An additional USD 150K in funding will support longer-term advocacy and relief efforts to enable sustainable living for refugees in Greece. Western Union and our Foundation are unrelenting in our support of migrants, refugees and forcibly displaced people around the globe. Our hearts are with the people of the Moria camp, said Hikmet Ersek, Western Union President and CEO. Many of our customers are migrants who have moved from their home to their host country for a variety of reasons - economic, financial, family-driven, or security reasons. We call on global leaders to come together to support this vulnerable community as their survival is at stake. We know first-hand that people thrive when they are given fundamental support and opportunities through education, job skills training, and access to the global economy. In a recent statement released by the IRC, Dimitra Kalogeropoulou, IRC Greece Country Director, said, The recent events in Moria are unthinkable but, tragically, predictable. The dire situation on the islands has gone on for far too long. With the camp destroyed and residents evacuated, the situation is alarming as there is no secure place to live. These already traumatized people have now lost what few belongings they had; they have nothing. Since its inception, the Western Union Foundation has granted USD 10.5M globally to support displaced persons, including immigrants, refugees, asylees, conflict-affected, and migrants. This includes USD 2.5M across Europe. Since 2018, the Western Union Foundation, in partnership with MIT D-Lab, has been providing hands-on, experiential learning in design, innovation, and entrepreneurship for refugees in Greece. These individuals are being equipped with technical and soft skills to establish their own business while building confidence, agency, and problem-solving ability. Globally, more than 70 million people were forced from home by conflict and persecution at the end of 2018, according to the UN. Among them are nearly 30 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18. There are also millions of stateless people who have been denied a nationality and access to fundamental rights such as education, healthcare, employment, and freedom of movement. WU-G About Western Union The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments. Our omnichannel platform connects the digital and physical worlds and makes it possible for consumers and businesses to send and receive money and make payments with speed, ease, and reliability. As of June 30, 2020, our network included over 550,000 retail agent locations offering our branded services in more than 200 countries and territories, with the capability to send money to billions of accounts. Additionally, westernunion.com, our fastest growing channel in 2019, is available in over 75 countries, plus additional territories, to move money around the world. With our global reach, Western Union moves money for better, connecting family, friends, and businesses to enable financial inclusion and support economic growth. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com. About the Western Union Foundation The Western Union Foundation believes that education is the surest pathway to economic opportunity. After nearly 20 years of impact, we are continuing to deliver against our mission with our Opportunity Beyond Borders commitment, with a focus on empowering forcibly displaced and marginalized youth with the training and education needed to succeed in todays technology-driven global economy. The Foundation also provides funding to communities in crisis through disaster relief and other humanitarian efforts, a key reason for forced migration. To date, more than $126 million granted to fund projects and scholarships in 174 countries across the globe. The Western Union Foundation is a separate charitable corporation that is tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code and receives support from The Western Union Company, its employees, agents, and business partners. Contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible for US income tax purposes. To learn more, visit wu.com/foundation or follow us on Twitter @TheWUFoundation. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200911005525/en/ HURON COUNTY Habitat for Humanity of Lapeer-Tuscola has worked to help some improvement projects in Huron County recently, with a local organization helping with the financial aspects. Bay Port State Bank has helped support Habitat for Humanity and their projects, from providing home repairs to helping the Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse with its new Keeper Program. The partnership between Bay Port State Bank and Habitat for Humanity started in 2019, after Teresa Snider, the bank president, was aware that local families needed critical home repairs and wondered what the bank could do to help. The two partnered to take part in the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis neighborhood impact program, which provides critical home repairs to homeowners with household income at or below 80% of the area median income. Related Stories: Habitat for Humanity helping renovate Huron County homes Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse makes improvements to Keeper Program Being involved in this process was overwhelmingly positive from all angles, Snider said. It was wonderful to help those in our area and we look forward to continuing our focus of giving back and service our community. During the two program workshops held earlier this year, Habitat for Humanity presented the eligibility guidelines and encouraged homeowners to apply for the program through Bay Port State Bank. Each qualified homeowner could apply for home improvement repairs worth up to $7,500. The funds were made available on a first-come, first-served basis until all the funding was exhausted. Grants for all 16 Huron County applicants were secured, totaling over $104,000. Our local commitments have always been a core part of Bay Port State Bank and we look forward to our continued participation with FHLBI and Habitat for Humanity in 2021. The program covers peoples roofs, windows, doors, heaters, wells, and septic systems, with those who qualify must owning the property they live in. Licensed contractors carried out the home repairs instead of volunteers. The bank was also able to help fund repairs to the Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse that resides in Lighthouse County Park. This was done through Habitat for Humanitys Critical Home Repair Program. This was done in part with helping the Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse Society raise funds for improvements and to maintain the grounds. Outside of Habitat for Humanity, Bay Port State Bank has also provided $500 to Bad Axe Schools to fill up its Hygiene Closet for the year, supports organizations like the Huron Community Fair and Huron County Community Foundation, along with other schools, non-profits, and hospitals. The bank has donated $150,000 to various Thumb-based organizations in 2019. It was a busy lockdown for the manager of investment trust Jupiter US Smaller Companies as he sought to protect the fund from pandemic fallout. Although Robert Siddles quickly managed to offload a number of holdings whose businesses he thought would suffer from a prolonged lockdown, the trust's share price still fell sharply in March. This precipitous correction is reflected in the short-term performance numbers with losses of 9 per cent recorded over the past year. 'It's been a tough time,' admits Siddles who has managed the 104million fund since 2001. 'The trust was hit hard in March and April, but the share price has since improved. Yes, the performance numbers do not look good when compared with the price gains registered by some big US technology stocks. But markets move in cycles and the out-performance of the technology companies will not go on forever.' Siddles believes the shock to the market, triggered by the pandemic, persuaded many investors to opt for the 'security' of leading stock-market-listed US companies. But as the US economy recovers, he is confident that investors will 'go back into the small US company arena'. Stocks that were jettisoned as the pandemic struck include Allegiant Travel Company and real estate specialist Colliers International. 'Basically, I sold those companies where demand for their services would be badly hit,' Siddles says. New stakes were taken in companies with an interest in 'digital transformation' the likes of digital consultant Perficient and IT services company Grid Dynamics. The result is a 39-strong portfolio. Siddles describes himself as a stock-picker and a 'value' investor, constantly searching for businesses where the share price has fallen but which he believes are 'natural winners'. 'When I see a stock's price fall, I will dig a bit deeper,' he says. 'I assess whether the share price correction is justified or whether there is shareholder value in the business that others don't see. 'Ultimately, I'm looking for undervalued companies with strong business franchises, that are generating lots of cash, and where management are shareholders. A combination of these attributes will get me excited.' While his judgment as a stock-picker is the main driver behind the trust's long-term performance, he is buoyed by a positive outlook for the stock market a result, he says, of improving business confidence in the United States and the Federal Reserve's continued support for the economy. Siddles has managed the trust for nearly 20 years although when he took up the reins in 2001, he was working for rival investment house F&C and the trust was called F&C US Smaller Companies. When he moved to Jupiter in 2014, the trust's independent board kept him as the investment manager, hence the trust's re-labelling. Over the years, Siddles has somewhat adapted his management style. He now holds his investment winners for longer previously he would already have sold most of his current top 10 holdings and runs a more concentrated portfolio than previously. Despite this change in tack, a number of US smaller company funds have delivered stronger returns, both over the short and long term. They include JPM US Small Cap Growth and Artemis US Smaller Companies. Scrutineer FundCalibre labels the Artemis fund as one of two 'elite' US smaller companies funds, the other being managed by Miton. Annual charges on the Jupiter trust are just under 1 per cent. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 16:41:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Moving to the newly-built Dekyi village, Jainca County of Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Daba has seen life-changing transformations. In 2017, under China's poverty alleviation strategy, Daba and more than 940 villagers from remote villages in Jainca bid farewell to their poor life and moved to Dekyi village. The village sits next to the Yellow River, which brings villagers tourism business. Kyiv: Belarusian authorities detained scores of demonstrators Friday while seeking to end more than a month of protests against the country's authoritarian president, who is set to visit Russia to help shore up his hold on power after 26 years in office. Protesters in Belarus have spent a month denouncing the results of the country's Aug. 9 presidential election as rigged and demanding the resignation of President Alexander Lukashenko from the sixth term he won. Facing criticism from the West, Lukashenko has worked to cement ties with his main ally and sponsor, Russia. He is set to head to Russia on Monday for talks with President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Some expect Belarusian authorities to take tougher actions against protesters ahead of the meeting. At least nine protesters were detained Friday outside a court in Belarus's capital, Minsk, as they rallied in solidarity with industrial workers defending their right to launch a strike. Police detained more protesters in the cities of Vitebsk, Gomel and Baranovichi, according to the Viasna human rights center in Minsk. The threats and detentions come before the protests set for the weekend, the head of the center, Ales Bialitski, said. Lukashenko would very much like to show the Kremlin that the protests are abating and he controls the situation, but so far repressions have had the opposite effect. The post-election protests have attracted the biggest crowds on Sundays, when up to 200,000 people have flooded the streets of the capital. Another protest is set for this Sunday. After a brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in the initial days after the vote drew international outrage and swelled the opposition ranks, Belarusian authorities have sought to squelch the dissent by targeting top activists. Prosecutors have launched a criminal probe against top members of the Coordination Council created by the opposition to push for a new election, accusing them of undermining national security. All of the council's senior members except for Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich have been either jailed or forcibly expelled from the country. Unidentified people attempted Wednesday to enter Alexievich's apartment in Minsk, and diplomats from several European Union nations gathered there to prevent her detention and again on Thursday evening. Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics tweeted Friday that he had a call with Alexievich and expressed Latvia's full support to the Belarusian society in the strive for political rights and freedoms. A leading member of the opposition council, Maria Kolesnikova, remained in jail after resisting her forcible expulsion from Belarus on Tuesday. She alleged that officers of the nation's state security agency abducted her and threatened to kill her and pushed for a criminal probe into their actions. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Belarus'authorities to refrain from the use of force against those engaging in peaceful assembly and to ensure that allegations of torture and other mistreatment of people in detention are fully investigated and addressed, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Friday. The United States and the European Union have criticized Belarus' election as neither free nor fair and urged Lukashenko to engage in talks with the opposition, which he has rejected. US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said the U.S., in coordination with the EU, would be announcing sanctions on Belarusian officials and possibly companies in a few short days. He noted that the US Treasury could also revoke several general licenses that it has issued in recent years to allow certain transactions with Belarusian businesses. There is no legitimacy delivered to the ruler of Belarus by the Aug. 9 election, Biegun said in a conference call with reporters, adding that the level of violence against protesters is unbelievable. That behavior will not be treated with impunity by us or our European partners, he warned. Amid Western criticism, Lukashenko has increasingly reached out to Russia, which has a union agreement with Belarus envisaging close political, economic and military ties. Putin has said he stands ready to send police to Belarus if protests turn violent, stoking fears that Moscow could move to annex its neighbour. In an interview with Russian television stations earlier this week, Lukashenko ruled out a full merger of Belarus and Russia but spoke in favor of closer integration. New Delhi: Sushil Kumar, the first Rs five crore winner of the popular reality show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati', on Saturday (September 12, 2020) expressed that it is better to be a good person rather than being a famous one. Sushil, who hails from Bihar and took home over Rs 3.6 crores in 2011 said that the 2015-16 period was the most challenging time and that he had no idea about what to do in his life. "Due to being a local celebrity, I used to attend functions across Bihar for 10-15 days in a month, and these kept me away from studies," said Sushil in a long motivational post on his Facebook account. Sushil also penned down that he was very serious about the media at that time and whenever the media persons used to ask him about his profession, he used to tell them that he's doing business in order to let them know that he's not 'useless'. He said that those businesses eventually used to fail after a few days. "After KBC, I used to donate a lot which was mostly undisclosed donations and around Rs 50 thousand was spent in a month in such donations," said Sushil. "Due to this, few clever people started connecting with me and I was also cheated a lot of time, that I realised after a long time." Sushil also opened up on his deteriorating relationship with his wife and his time in Delhi with media students of Jamia Millia Islamia, Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) and researchers from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Sushil said that his wife often used to say that you do not recognize the right and wrong people and that you do not worry about the future. "After hearing all these things, I used to think that she is not able to understand me, and then there used to be a lot of fights between us," said Sushil in a post that has so far been liked by more than 1k people and has been shared by 60 Facebook users.a Sushil expressed that there were also some good things happening at the same time as in the national capital, he had started a cab business with a friend, due to which he had to visit Delhi almost every month for a few days. "I was introduced to some media students in Jamia Millia. Then I was introduced to students of IIMC, then their seniors, then the students doing research at JNU, and some theatre artists etc. When these people used to talk about a topic, it seemed like that "I am a frog in the well" who knows nothing about so many things," wrote Sushil. He also stated that with these things, he also got addicted to smoking and drinking. "Whenever I used to sit with these people, alcohol and cigarettes were always there." "At one time, if I stayed for seven days, then it would have been different sittings with seven such groups for seven days," said Sushil. Sushil also talked about how he loved cinema and how he had left his home to settle in Mumbai to become a movie director. "I watched a lot of cinema, saw almost every National Award-winning films, Oscar-winning films, Ritwik Ghatak and Satyajit Ray's movies and had a dream of becoming a film director," said Sushil. "When I spoke to a producer friend, he asked me about some technical things related to the film, which I could not tell, then he suggested me to work with a TV serial for a few days and later he will get me placed with a film director." "Then I worked with a big production house and got a chance to understand the story, screenplay, dialogue copy, props costume, but after a while, my mind started getting restless," said Sushil. He said that he had come to Mumbai and had dreamt of becoming a film director but left the dream and stayed in a friend's room where he spent all day watching movies and reading books that he bought from the Delhi Book Fair for six months. "I used to finish a cigarette packet in a day." "Living alone all day and reading and writing gave me an opportunity to look inside myself and realise that I did not come to Mumbai to become a director, instead I'm someone who is running away from the truth," said Sushil adding that the real happiness is doing what one desires and that the pride can never be pacified. "Happiness is hidden in small-small things," said Sushil. Sushil stated that he last had alcohol in 2016 and has also left smoking since last year. "I think that the needs of life should be kept as low as possible, and we should only earn to get those fulfilled," opined Sushil. Amid a statewide shortage of firefighters, Melissa Rose, left, and Christine VanOeveren throw water on hot spots at a fire line near Molalla, Ore. (Richard Read / Los Angeles Times) Christine VanOeveren grabbed a bucket Saturday and lugged water from a neighbors swimming pool to douse embers from a wildfire that threatened to merge with another blaze to cover an area as big as Los Angeles. The 45-year-old mother of two and her husband, John, had helped beat back flames Friday that came within 500 yards of their house 45 miles south of Portland, Ore. On Saturday, after clearing ash from their roof, they joined neighbors dousing hot spots at a nearby home. The VanOeverens were among thousands of Oregon residents who, despite warnings from state officials to evacuate, have sought to defend their houses and property from wildfires that have left at least seven people dead and dozens missing. The couple do stay away at night and sent their children to stay with grandparents but go back during the day, to check on the house and to fight ongoing fires in the neighborhood. Short on firefighters, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is asking other states and the federal government to send crews to help battle more than three dozen blazes that have scorched 1 million acres and wiped out entire towns. The state's emergency management director, Andrew Phelps, said Friday that officials were preparing for a "mass fatality incident" once crews get access to burned-out communities. And he and others have strongly warned people not to return to evacuated communities. But with 500,000 people more than 10% of the state's residents subject to evacuation orders or warnings, many felt compelled to stay and fight. "Even if we lose our homes, at least we fought to save them," said VanOeveren, whose house in an evacuation zone has been without power since Tuesday. "We have generators running to keep our freezers going, and all our smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are beeping constantly." Thick smoke and ash from the fires made Portland's air quality the worst among the world's major cities Saturday morning. The smoke partially blocked the sun, reducing temperatures and raising humidity as winds diminished, helping firefighters. Story continues Outside Portland's suburbs, the Riverside fire threatening the VanOeverens' house had burned 133,000 acres and destroyed at least 33 homes as of Saturday. Officials said it could merge with the Beachie Creek fire to the south into a blaze covering 500 square miles, potentially causing explosive fire activity. High winds earlier in the week drove eruptive fires that decimated towns including Phoenix, Talent and Blue River. By Saturday, as many as 40,000 Oregonians had evacuated their homes. In Clackamas County, south of Portland, officials imposed a nightly curfew. Search-and-rescue teams were starting to look for bodies as some areas became safer to enter. Emergency director Phelps has warned residents to remain away from evacuated areas and to not engage in disaster tourism. "Don't do it," he said Thursday. "It's disrespectful to those who have lost everything" and is "dangerous to you and firefighters." But many people have been returning to check on their homes and livestock. Some residents have set up checkpoints to stop motorists, saying they want to ask them questions to prevent burglaries a practice that officials have also discouraged. In a sign of strain on the official response, Oregon's fire marshal, Jim Walker, resigned Saturday after having been put on administrative leave, state police announced. His chief deputy, Mariana Ruiz-Temple, was appointed to succeed him. In southern Oregon, crews battling raging fires that have left about 50 people missing made progress thanks to favorable weather overnight Friday, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. Officials said the Almeda fire which leveled Phoenix and Talent had minimal growth and was 50% contained. The fire gutted entire neighborhoods and mobile home parks, where residents had little notice to evacuate. Vanessa Houk and her two daughters narrowly escaped the fire when it raged through her mobile home park near Ashland on Tuesday, leaving the area devastated and smoldering. When the 51-year-old saw the gray billowing smoke filling the air about three miles from her home, she told the children to start packing their clothes. The plan was for Houk's husband to return home, pick them up and leave. Houk grabbed a box that contained paperwork, passports and other documents. She laid out the items on the porch, including mementos of her son who died shortly after he was born in 1998, and waited for her husband. But it was too late. The fire was inching closer and he was unable to reach her. He told me we needed to leave on foot, Houk recalled her husband telling her. Soon, her neighbors followed. As they walked to a nearby creek, they struggled to breathe through the thick smoke engulfing them. Two sheriff's deputies came and said we need to get in their vehicles now, Houk said. As we left, everything was burning around us. Jose Acosta, 73, fled his home of 60 years in Phoenix, population 4,500, without time to cart away tools from his three shops. The house and shops burned, causing at least $1 million in damage, he said. A neighbor saved his second home and three other houses in the area by dousing spot fires with water from a nearby creek after local taps ran dry. They met up Saturday in the parking lot of a park Acosta helped build years ago. He saved my house. Im grateful for what we have here and to you guys, Acosta said. We just went in there and did all we could, said the neighbor, Jim Brady, 68, who moved to town five years ago from Torrance. There are some things beyond what we can do. Authorities on Friday arrested a man on suspicion of setting a fire in Phoenix near the area where fire officials were already battling the Almeda blaze. The suspect, 41-year-old Michael Bakkela, was charged with two counts of arson, 15 counts of criminal mischief and 14 counts of reckless endangerment. Law enforcement officials around the state were trying to put a stop to what they said were baseless rumors that fires were being started by adherents of antifa, a leftist, anti-fascist movement whose followers have participated in social justice protests in Portland. "Rumors spread just like wildfire, and now our 911 dispatchers and professional staff are being overrun with requests for information and inquiries on an untrue rumor that six antifa members have been arrested for setting fires in Douglas County, Ore.," the county Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post Thursday. "Unfortunately people are spreading this rumor and it is causing problems." Across Oregon, about 3,000 firefighters were combating wildfires, but officials say that to contain them, double that number is needed. Utah was dispatching strike teams, and Gov. Brown, a Democrat, has asked the U.S. Department of Defense to send trained crews. Ignoring official warnings, some volunteers were forming roving amateur crews and driving into fire zones. Sheriff's deputies appeared to look the other way at times, despite official policy. In the hard-hit canyon town of Gates, about 35 miles east of Salem, construction worker Ricky Keen drove around in a water truck with his brother, a friend and makeshift fire hoses, putting out small blazes.They stopped at the remains of one house, drove past it and sprayed smoking embers in surrounding bushes until they died. Its still smoldering. There are a lot of spots, said Keen, 38, of nearby Mill City, whose house had survived. We're just trying to help out. Stephan Weaver fought fires when he was younger as part of a private contract hot shot crew, but this week he joined volunteers in Gates. It made a big difference. Let the local fire department worry about in town. Theres a lot of small flare-ups that could have added up into bigger things, said Weaver, 42, who lives in Mill City and drives a log truck. On Friday, Weaver said he and other volunteers spotted 15-foot flames leaping from a stump. We took the water truck, a few guys and some hoses, and put the fires out, he said, before U.S. Forest Service police arrived and told them to leave the area. Weaver said he and his friends, one of whom lived on the property, refused. We said, 'Were not going,'" he recounted. "'You guys took off five days ago. Weve been here the whole time. Dont come back and tell us were in the way.' But Weaver said he also understands fire officials concerns. A volunteer can be just as much of a hindrance as a help. There were people going out in a completely black area dumping water on some smoke. The experienced people were like, No, we need to move on to where its actively burning and we can do some help, he said. Its kind of a double-edged sword. Its nice that people want to volunteer, but in my opinion, we shouldnt have to," Weaver added. "The Forest Service shouldnt have pulled out and put the community in that position. Read reported from Molalla, Ore.; Hennessy-Fiske from Phoenix, Ore.; and Etehad from Los Angeles. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The frozen shrimp is loaded onto a truck to prepare for the export to the EU on September 11 (Photo: VNA) Ninh Thuan The export of the first batch of frozen shrimp to several European countries under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) was marked with a ceremony in the south central province of Ninh Thuan on September 11. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said tariff removal under the EVFTA is expected to create big opportunities for Vietnams aquatic product exports. Accordingly, the EU is set to eliminate tariffs on 86.5 percent of Vietnams aquatic product exports in three years, 90.3 percent in five years, and 100 percent in seven years, he said, noting that to take this advantage, orders for Vietnamese aquatic products since the beginning of August has increased by around 10 percent compared to July. Tien added the EVFTA, taking effect on August 1, promises a bright prospect for shrimp exports to the EU in the remaining months of 2020. In July, Vietnam earned 54.2 million USD from shrimp exports to the EU, up 2 percent from a year earlier. The year-on-year growth continued in August, at about 20 percent, and the upward trend is expected to be sustained until the year-end although the pace is unlikely to be fast due to COVID-19 impact, according to the deputy minister. At the ceremony, Carsten Schittek, head of trade and economic affairs at the EU Delegation to Vietnam, said the shipment of this batch of brackish-water shrimp to the EU affirmed the success of shrimp farming, processing and exporting businesses of Vietnam. Vietnams fishery industry, including the shrimp sector, is highly competitive, he noted, adding that with tariffs slashed from 12 percent to zero percent under the EVFTA, the countrys shrimp sector will become even more successful in gaining a bigger market share in the EU. For his part, Truong Huu Thong, Chairman and General Director of the Thong Thuan Co. Ltd the shrimp exporter, said among the largest markets his firm is selling products to, Europe is the most stable one in terms of demand, policies and prices. When the EVFTA came into force, orders the company received from the EU have risen sharply, he added. According to Chairman of the Ninh Thuan Peoples Committee Luu Xuan Vinh, frozen processed shrimp is one of the key export items of the province, accounting for 43.5 percent of total shipments, and over 95 percent of the local shrimp exports is contributed by the local branch of the Thong Thuan company. Following an unannounced inspection by the Tennessee Corrections Institute and an inspection by the United States Marshall Service, the Bradley County Jail has received positive results with zero deficiencies found from both inspecting agencies, including an official certification from the TCI Board of Control. On the state government level, the Tennessee Corrections Institutes jail inspection was based on the following categories: sanitation, hygiene, medical services, food services, inmate programs and activities, mail and visitation, supervision of inmates, security, maintenance, admission, records and release, physical plant, administration and management, personnel, discipline and classification. The states inspection was conducted on Sept. 1, with no deficiencies found. The inspection results were presented to the TCI Board of Control on Sept. 9, resulting in the Bradley County Jail receiving its official certification. The Tennessee Corrections Institute recently inspected the [Bradley County Jail], says William Wall, TCI executive director, in a letter to Sheriff Steve Lawson. The inspection revealed this facility meets all applicable minimum standards . . . You are to be congratulated for attaining this degree of professionalism in your organization. The Sheriff, Captain, Sr. Lieutenant and staff were very professional during the inspection process and are to be commended on operating a clean facility, says William Kane, TCI Operations & Programs director in the comments on his inspection report. All of the inmate housing areas, day rooms and shower areas were very clean at the time of the inspection. On the federal government level, the United States Marshall Service also conducted an inspection, due to the federal inmates housed at the Bradley County Jail. The federal governments inspection was conducted on Aug. 27 with no deficiencies found. Bradley County Mayor Gary Davis makes the following comment, The results of these inspections are particularly important, because they show the major areas of improvement and growth in our countys jail: the first, overcrowding; the second, understaffing. Over the past two years, Sheriff Lawson and his administration have successfully remedied the overcrowding issue and have worked hard to increase the correctional staffing numbers. This is great news for Bradley County to be certified and with no deficiencies. Erica Davis, Bradley County commissioner of the 6th District and Law Enforcement Committee chairwoman, said, Sheriff Lawson inherited a jail that brought with it a number of challenges, along with a history of below standard TCI findings. Since taking office, Sheriff Lawson, along with his command staff, have made it their goal to get better every day. This most recent TCI inspection is proof that their leadership is making a difference at the Bradley County Justice Center. I congratulate Sheriff Lawson and his team, and look forward to continuing to serve alongside them. I am very pleased to see our jail receive the results that it did from the TCI and USMS, especially the certification from the states Board of Control, said Sheriff Lawson. I want to recognize and sincerely thank my corrections staff for their hard work in achieving this great milestone. Over the past two years, a great majority of my focus and energy as sheriff has been directed towards improving the condition and functionality of our jail little by little, day by day. Our jail has received a lot of negative attention lately, with several false claims regarding our treatment of inmates and how we have handled the COVID-19 pandemic. These baseless claims have continued, despite the many times that myself and my press team have thoroughly explained the numerous illness prevention procedures we have followed since March. As far as Im concerned, the findings of the TCI and USMS are the final word in that conversation. Sheriff Lawson goes on to say, During my two years in office, all of Bradley Countys commissioners and Mayor Davis have worked with me to provide better compensation for our corrections officers and allow for more employment opportunities in our jail this not only has reduced our staff deficiencies in the jail, but has allowed us to become better everyday. This helpful cooperation has played a very large role in getting us to where we are today. I look forward to continuing to serve Bradley County to the very best of my ability. The Bradley County Jails certification was received from the TCI Board of Control on Sept. 11 following their review and approval. A day after Memorial Day in 2018, H-E-B issued a voluntary recall of store-branded ice cream because pieces of broken metal were found in equipment used to make the products at its San Antonio plant. The recall involved various flavors and container sizes of Hill Country Fare and EconoMax ice cream and H-E-B Creamy Creations sherbets. No injuries were reported at the time of the recall. Nevertheless, the incident proved costly for H-E-B, which sustained more than $1 million in damages. They included damage to its equipment, loss of income due to the contamination and investigation costs. On ExpressNews.com: Ex-San Antonio man sues for more than $1M after Coke bottle exploded in H-E-B H-E-B submitted an insurance claim for reimbursement for its damages and received an undisclosed amount from Starr Surplus Lines Insurance Co. Starr now is suing the equipment manufacturer, blaming improper design, manufacture or installation of the equipment for causing the contamination. Larine Urbina, a spokeswoman for Tetra Pak Inc., the manufacturer, said the company doesnt comment on pending litigation. Regarding the equipment in question, I can say that thousands operate at customer sites around the world without incident, Urbina added in an email. The company bills itself online as the world leader in liquid food processing and packaging. Its part of a Swiss-based multinational conglomerate. H-E-B uses Tetra Pak self-contained freezers to make its own ice cream products. According to the lawsuit, the ice cream runs through a metal canister barrel housed inside the freezers. A unit called a dasher is inside the barrel and has metal blades to scrape the ice cream off the barrel. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio man sues H-E-B after cashier allegedly whacked him with cucumber H-E-B workers opened a freezer to complete a scheduled monthly preventative maintenance in late May 2018. They discovered the dashers scraper blades were damaged to the point of missing metal. Some particles were found inside the dasher, but no metal fragments were found, just missing chunks of metal from the blades, the suit alleges. H-E-B suspected the metal fragments were smaller than roughly a fifth of an inch because there is a metal detector positioned at the end of the production line that detects anything larger, the suit adds. Based on the findings, H-E-B issued the recall and submitted an insurance claim to Starr. By virtue of the payments it made, Starr says its essentially substituted for H-E-B to pursue any claims against Tetra Pak. H-E-B is not a plaintiff in the case. Starr accuses Tetra Pak of selling a freezer with a defective dasher, which caused metal to break off inside the dasher and chunks of metal from the blades to be missing. The defects rendered the freezer unreasonably dangerous, the suit adds. Starr is suing for product liability, breach of warranty and negligence. The complaint was filed Wednesday in state District Court in San Antonio. A lawyer for Starr didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. H-E-B spokeswoman Dya Campos said the company had no information on the dispute. Patrick Danner Patrick Danner covers banking, insurance, business litigation and bankruptcies. To read more from Patrick, become a subscriber. pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was stabbed at a block of flats in north London. Officers were called to Priestley House, Wembley, shortly after 10am on Saturday morning, but the victim in his 60s was pronounced dead at the scene. A man, who had barricaded himself into an address and was Tasered by Metropolitan Police officers, was then arrested on suspicion of murder. The suspect, 45, remains in custody and it is believed the two men knew each other. Police were previously called to the same address shortly before 7am on Saturday to reports of a noise complaint and an activated smoke alarm. Scotland Yard officers and the London Fire Brigade both attended, and a man was spoken to, the force said. The Met's Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed of the incident because of the earlier call. More than 300 people and 100 vehicles paraded through Katy, Fulshear, Richmond and Simonton on Saturday, Sept. 12, in support of President Donald Trump. The vehicles varied in size, from two-door sedans to Hemtt M978 military tankers, but they were all festooned in pro-Trump flags and signs. MORE FROM CLAIRE GOODMAN: Its up to us to make sure theyre never forgotten: Katy remembers victims of 9/11 The parade route traversed from Bass Pro Shops in Katy, past City Hall and the Katy Police Department, down the Grand Parkway and across FM 1093 before its final destination at Anthonies Grill in Simonton. Before the parade began, supporters gathered in the Bass Pro Shops parking lot to listen to speakers Duane Gaither, the event organizer, and Frank Estes, pastor at West Oaks Fellowship Church. Private planes flew over the event in solidarity. While the crowd was in fervent support of Trump, Gaithers message was one of unity, calling together both political parties to honor America and the right to vote. For todays parade we are celebrating our freedom. Were celebrating the fact that we have a say in our government. Were celebrating the fact that we are free, said Gaither. I dont care if youre a Biden fanatic or if youre Trumps No. 1 fan. Thats not what Im about today. Today is about America. On HoustonChronicle.com: Trump played down the pandemic, but voters may have figured that out already Gaither also called for Americans of both parties to vote. Dont be intimidated out of participating by one side or the other, no matter what your beliefs. If you have something you believe in, and you want to support Biden, then get out there and support him. If you want to support President Trump, then get out there and support him. Be a part of the process, he said. In his invocation, Estes issued harsher words about the state of America. He asked God to forgive America for greed, allowing children to receive a public education and for turning away from the belief that marriage exists only between a man and woman. (Trump) seems to be a God-fearing man, Estes said. May our country be exalted, may our president be exalted, and we are standing here because we need him to be our president once again. MASS MAILING: AG Ken Paxton seeks quick appeal on mail-in ballots as applications set to go out Johnny Nimmons is a staunch supporter of Trump. He attended the parade in his M1079 tanker, which he purchased at a military auction. I only have one thing to say, and thats that Im here in support of my president, Nimmons said as he lined his vehicle up for the parade. As the parade wound its way through Fort Bend County, multiple cars joined in support. (Many people) did not know about the parade and just joined in along the way, Gaither said. Reflecting on the experience, Gaither lamented the schism between political parties and social divides. MORNING REPORT: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox My personal feeling is that this is probably one of the more important elections in my lifetime, and Im 62 years old. I see a great division in the United States right now that I dont like very much, and that I never really saw before, Gaither said. Gaither acknowledged that the death of George Floyd has made him more acutely aware of racial divides in the nation. Ten years ago, even right here in the deep south, I would have told you that I dont believe racism exists. Today, its obvious, he said. Gaither reiterated his hopes that the parade will inspire voters of both political parties to vote in the November election. We need to unite ourselves, and we need to put our partisan politics aside and understand that the election the vote is a process. Its a political process that gives us our voice in government. And it gives us our right to express and keep our freedom. Thats the important part. claire.goodman@chron.com Sebastian Vettel has not signed a fixed long-term contract with Aston Martin, according to Bild newspaper. While the quadruple world champion will definitely race in 2021, the report claims that the deal he has signed will allow him to quit after just one year. However, Vettel told RTL: "The goal is not short-term, but for a long-term cooperation." Bild also said the value of the German's current EUR 45 million per year contract at Ferrari is dwindling to just EUR 15m at Aston Martin for 2021. 33-year-old Vettel admits he thought hard about simply retiring. "Yes, I've been thinking about retiring," he told Sky Deutschland at Mugello. "And quite often. "I have a family that I love and that I love to take care of, so to retire was a thought - to stop and do something else. "But I'm curious to see what I can give to a new project. As I said, I am glad that in the end I found something that can be exciting, so I'm looking forward to it," Vettel said. (GMM) Several students returned to Eton College with coronavirus (Picture: Getty) Several Eton College pupils have been forced to self-isolate following a coronavirus outbreak at the exclusive boarding school. Officials confirmed a few students in Year 13 had tested positive for COVID-19 when they returned on Thursday for the new term. The outbreak has affected the colleges Wooton House, Angelo's House and Keate House, the Telegraph reported. The school, which caters for boys aged 13-18, is currently trying to find those who came into contact with the infected pupils. Eton has educated many of England's most famous men (Picture: Getty) Eton College said in a statement: 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. Other pupils continue in school in accordance with the appropriate social distancing and other mitigating measures we have put in place. More than 3,000 coronavirus cases have been recorded in the UK for the second day in a row as former chief scientific adviser Sir Mark Walport warned the country is on the edge of losing control of COVID-19. It is the first time since mid-May that recorded cases have been above 3,000 on consecutive days, and the figures come as the public is urged not to have a party weekend before the rule of six restrictions come into force on Monday. The Government said as of 9am on Saturday, there had been a further 3,497 lab-confirmed cases in the UK, slightly lower than the 3,539 cases recorded on Friday. Another nine people have died with coronavirus. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news, advice and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter Vingroup has been quick to nip rumours in the bud, saying it will expand both Vinmec and Vinschool Putting rumours to rest, the representative of Vingroup also affirmed that the group will continue to invest to expand these systems. We are still looking for opportunities to co-operate with both local and foreign partners to make Vinmec become an international-level hospital system with branches overseas. Regarding Vinschool, it targets the local market only and as such, it is not looking to cooperate with new partners, the representative said. Previously, Reuters quoted a source saying that Vingroup is likely looking for partners to buy its education and hospital systems. According to the source, the group has yet to select a consultant unit for the deals but it has been negotiating with two potential partners. Vietnams major conglomerate Masan on January 1 announced its takeover of 540 million shares or an 83.74 per cent stake in VinCommerce Services and Trading Development, Vingroups subsidiary in charge of retail business. The company now owns VinCommerces network of 2,600 supermarkets and convenience stores of VinMart and VinMart+ across 50 cities and provinces in Vietnam, along with a customer base of millions. They only want to serve the public and are described by some as the dynamic duo. Pat Hudson and Jean Dryer lead the effort at Helping Hands in CyFair and are happy to be back in the middle of their ministryserving, leading. For a few days, though, the team at the nonprofit was sidelined while they fought through their own battles with the coronavirus. Heres how they are dealing with the fluctuating finances, increase in demand for services, and staying safe themselves from the coronavirus. The answers are from both Hudson, executive director of community outreach and Dreyer, founder and executive director of homeless initiatives. Q&A: Cy-Fair Houston Chamber President Leslie Martone discusses adjusting to COVID-19 challenges Q: When did you shut down, then reopen, and did closing affect the number of volunteers you were able to secure? A: A faith-based ministry, CFHH is run entirely by volunteers, most of whom were of retirement age. Due to age, health issues, and childcare responsibilities, the Coronavirus pandemic has forced many of our volunteers to remain at home. When a pantry volunteer tested positive for the Coronavirus in early June, we shut down and had all key volunteers tested. Thankfully, all tested negative, and the pantry reopened the following week, shutting down for no more than three days of normal operation. The volunteer in question returned after receiving two negative test results. Despite these issues, the Food Pantry has maintained regular days and hours of operation on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month, 9:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. On HoustonChronicle.com: Coronavirus expert Dr. Peter Hotez reveals when we can expect a vaccine Q: What kind of new procedures did you have to change for your clients and staff? Handling the food? Mask orders? A: We have taken appropriate precautions to keep everyone safe by screening and taking temperatures of all volunteers entering the office and pantry. We are sanitizing everything with bleach solution daily, donning gloves and masks, and practicing social distancing. We have modified our distribution of food through a curbside drive through. Client registration is completed through a mobile application that was modified to provide all the needed information and is collected via laptop and tablets. Once registered, clients are instructed to remain in their cars and pop their trunks, as volunteers place boxes of non-perishables dairy, bakery goods, produce, meat, and prepared foods into their cars. Since the Stay Home directive was passed, we have seen an exponential increase, some days as many as quadruple the number of clients we normally see. On two consecutive days, a record number 88 cars lined up outside our door, with many new seniors, single parents with children, and clients seeking food to feed themselves and their families. Prior to the pandemic, we were serving very few Vietnamese families. Those numbers have changed substantially, with the majority speaking only Vietnamese. Bilingual volunteers are needed to assist with both Vietnamese and Hispanic clients. The phone does not stop ringing, as those in need anxiously ask for assistance. In the month of August, our community food pantry served 951 households, for a total of nearly 5,000 individuals served. (This is especially noteworthy, as in the months of January and February, 2020, prior to Covid-19, we were serving 300-350 households monthly). Q: Did the pandemic affect your donations or services? A: The coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent emotional and economic backlash has most decidedly affected our efforts to serve the needy in our community. As a direct result of the initial hysteria produced by the virus, some partnering food agency donations were cut back drastically. With the closures of schools, churches, and community businesses, our sources for non-perishable food, toiletries, and other essential items dwindled. While financial donations were gratefully received, limited inventory on grocery shelves made it difficult to purchase the high volume of product needed to fill family food bags. We hold Fellowship Wednesdays for our homeless clients. On this day, they are welcome to come in out of the elements, have some coffee and doughnuts, indulge in a hot meal in a welcome environment and socialize. They receive a health screening, get assistance with recovering documents, and even grab a hot shower. Once a month, they are invited to join in a church service where they celebrate Gods gifts. All of this is on hold until the pandemic ends. Q: Are you partnering with the Houston Food Bank to help distribute food? More Information Editor's note: This Q&A has been edited for length. See More Collapse A: Cy-Fair Helping Hands is grateful for a strong partnership with the Houston Food Bank. Since the pandemic began, we have depended on HFB to fill our ever-growing food needs. One of the most welcome sights is the arrival of the Houston Food Bank delivery truck bringing much needed food for our perpetually emptying pantry shelves. Through the Houston Food Bank Mobile Food Pantry program, we were able to provide two additional dates for food distribution in the northwest Houston area, distributing over 10,000 pounds of food. Q: What kind of needs do you have for the ministry? How can patrons, businesses, and organizations assist you? A: As students and school employed volunteers have returned to work, and our drive-thru food pantry distribution requires more volunteers daily, we are looking for volunteers with a heart to commit to serving this community one day a week. We especially need bilingual volunteers (English/Spanish and English/Vietnamese). Volunteers must be physically able to work outside and be able to lift boxes of produce boxes, and cases of canned goods. We need businesses to take a day of service to volunteer with Cy-Fair Helping Hands. We are asking that businesses and organizations commit to providing just one non-perishable item each month to help us keep our shelves and family bags filled with essential food items. Cy-Fair Helping Hands is located at 7520 Cherry Park Drive, Suite B and can be reached at 281-858-1222. For Community Outreach, contact phudson@cyfairhelpinghands.org; for Homeless Initiatives, contact jean@cyfairhelpinghands.org. Follow them on Facebook under Cy-Fair Helping Hands or visit their website at cyfairhelpinghands.org. Donations can be made online on the website or by sending funds to 7710 Cherry Park Drive, #T-385, Houston, TX 77095. dtaylor@hcnonline.com TOKYO - Japanese prime minister hopeful Yoshihide Suga said Saturday that he lacks the kind of diplomatic skills that outgoing leader Shinzo Abe has, including Abes personal friendship with President Donald Trump, and that he will need his assistance if he assumes the top job. Abe in late August announced his intention to step down as prime minister due to health problems. He has led Japan since he returned to power in December 2012 for a second stint as prime minister. Suga, the chief Cabinet secretary, is expected to win Mondays party election and then be endorsed in a parliamentary vote on Wednesday because of the majority held by the ruling bloc. Abe has travelled to 80 overseas destinations during his tenure, bringing stability and consistency to Japanese diplomacy and raising the countrys profile in the international community, experts say. He was noted especially for developing a personal friendship with Trump. Prime Minister Abes leadership diplomacy was truly amazing. I dont think I can match that, Suga said as he joined the two other contenders at a public debate. Former Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida are also in the race. I think there is a diplomatic stance that would fit me and I will stick to my own style, while also seeking assistance from the Foreign Ministry. And of course I will consult with (Abe), Suga said. Suga said his top priorities are fighting the coronavirus and turning around an economy battered by the pandemic. When asked about his policies on the economy, womens empowerment and other areas, he repeatedly noted achievements under the Abe-led government. Suga served as a policy co-ordinator and adviser to Abe, the point man behind the centralized power of the Prime Ministers Office and its influence over bureaucrats in implementing policies. The son of a strawberry farmer in northern Japan and a self-made politician, Suga is a rarity in the countrys largely hereditary world of politics. But despite his influence and his political skills at home, Suga has hardly travelled overseas, and his diplomatic skills are unknown, though he is largely expected to pursue Abes priorities. On Saturday, he noted the importance of Japan-China relations and said he would patiently work to improve ties with the worlds No. 2 economy. Abe failed to achieve his goals to settle a territorial row and sign a peace treaty with Russia or to normalize ties with North Korea. Suga would also inherit unfinished business on other challenges. China continues its assertive actions in the East China Sea. He will have to decide what to do with the Tokyo Olympics, and tackle COVID-19 and the economic fallout. And he will have to establish a good relationship with whoever wins the U.S. presidential race. Suga has demonstrated influence in domestic policies, but his diplomatic skills are unknown, said Yu Uchiyama, a University of Tokyo politics professor. But I think there will be little change. ___ Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi Read more about: Obtain a Scholarship for AIC Campus Study Abroad programmes View(s): As global pandemic rolls through, the year 2020 has become a year deflated of hopes and dreams. Sri Lanka, renowned as a country to produce professionals in the global context with a higher literacy rate, has been hit hard as a result of the global pandemic crisis. Moreover the global financial crisis has extended its arms to the local economic and financial arenas and gone down to the root level of households where utter financial problems have increased, affecting the education of students in the country. Specifically the students who are seeking to study abroad and become a globally recognized professional are in a chaotic situation of fulfilling their study abroad dreams due to current financial instability. Therefore with our philanthropic vision of assisting and facilitating the Sri Lankan students who aspire to lead the world regardless of the hindrances, AIC campus has partnered up with its long term network of foreign universities to offer Special Scholarships. AIC is the only partner in Sri Lanka to bring opportunities to Sri Lankan students to enter into Grande Ecole Universities in France, one of the worlds largest economies in the world. The Network of Universities around the globe with USA , Europe ,Canada, Australia have partnered with AIC campus, working towards producing students into globally recognized skilled professionals in the spheres of most demanded professional platforms. In a context where the financial abilities are deteriorating at a faster rate, AIC has come forward to assist the students who have completed their O/L or A/L and are dreaming of studying abroad. In the time of need, with our network of international universities California State University Sacremanto, University of Wisconsin Parkside, ESIGELEC, EPF, ESTP, Montpellier Business School and the universities from Belarus, UK, Germany Canada have spontaneously partnered to offer scholarships for students who perform well in education but have been affected by the prevailing economic turmoil. The students with a vision to become future global leaders, now have a unique opportunity with AIC to experience world class education pathways to build up an international career. In seeking of finding the best students to offer these concessions, we will be holding a Scholarship Examination on the 19th of September (Saturday) 2020 at AIC Campus premises. Experience the difference with American International Campus (AIC) the leader in Higher education in Sri Lanka. AIC is a member of the IMC AIC Education Consortium, a transnational education service conglomerate with a vision to provide total higher education under one roof. AIC Campus is partnered with some of the worlds leading universities from Europe, USA, UK and Australia with a vision to provide affordable higher education with cutting edge technology for students who aspire to study overseas and obtain a globally recognized degree. AIC Campus currently offers degree programs in Engineering, Business Computer Science and Biomedical Science. Students after O/Levels could start with the AIC foundation programme whilst students with A/Levels could join the first year of the degree program. Students have the option of completing their degree in Sri Lanka or transfer after completing one or two years at AIC Campus to one of the partnered universities overseas to complete the degree program. Moreover, students have the opportunity to go directly to study in overseas universities of their choice. Students will be entitled for a free career guidance session which will be helpful in making a decision on his or her higher education based on their career aspirations. Students who are interested in joining the Scholarship Examination are encouraged to contact AIC Campus and reserve a seat as theres only a limited number of seats available. To reserve a seat for the Scholarship examination and for further information please contact AIC Campus. Call Raskhan 0779779776 / Dhana 0774436725 Visit Us AIC Campus No 154 , Havelock Road , Thimbirigasyaya, Colombo 05 , Sri Lanka. AKRON, Ohio -- Two men are facing charges that accuse them of shooting a 6-year-old girl who was riding in a car with other children. Marqualle Clinkscales, 23, and Corey Jemison, 39, were arrested and charged with the shooting. UPDATE: 6-year-old girl dies nearly two weeks after she was shot in West Akron Clinkscales is charged with felonious assault and tampering with evidence while Jemison is charged with felonious assault and weapons under disability, according to Akron police. The shooting happened about 1:15 p.m. Thursday on Copley Road just east of South Hawkins Avenue, police said. Officers arrived and found the 6-year-old girl at a nearby home on Greenwood Avenue. Paramedics brought her to Akron Childrens Hospital, where she underwent surgery. She remains in critical condition. Police originally reported the girl is 8. Officers also found a car on the street with bullet holes in it, police said. Investigators learned another child suffered minor injuries as a result of being grazed by a bullet, police said. Investigators determined Clinkscales and Jemison exchanged gunfire after an argument. Clinkscales' shots struck the car with six children inside, including the 6-year-old girl and the child who suffered the graze wound. Read more Akron news on cleveland.com: 8-year-old girl shot in car in West Akron Black Panther movie night set for Canal Park in Akron ATV crash in Stark County kills 18-year-old driver CMHA gets $8.2 million federal grant to help homeless during coronavirus pandemic Summit back as a red county on latest coronavirus advisory map Vaping increases the risk of developing breast cancer, a new study suggests. In another hammer blow to the vaping industry, scientists from a group of American universities, including Yale, Johns Hopkins and Princeton, found exposure to e-cigarette vapour creates a 'tumour-promoting environment' in the breast and elsewhere in the body. Professor Kefah Mokbel, a surgeon at the London Breast Institute at the Princess Grace Hospital, said the findings should be a wake-up call to those who think the devices are harmless. 'This study provides a good level of evidence that vaping has the potential to induce breast cancer and promote its progression and spread to the lungs,' he said. Vaping increases the risk of developing breast cancer, a new study suggests. In another hammer blow to the vaping industry, scientists from a group of American universities, including Yale, Johns Hopkins and Princeton, found exposure to e-cigarette vapour creates a 'tumour-promoting environment' in the breast and elsewhere in the body. (File image) He added that it was a 'misconception' that e-cigarettes are safe and believes vaping could prompt the development of other types of cancer. The US team carried out tests on female mice, some kept in fresh air, others exposed to e-cigarette vapour. After a fortnight, all were injected with breast cancer. At the end of six weeks, tumours had grown almost twice as fast in the mice exposed to the vapour. The mice who inhaled e-cigarette vapour were also more likely to develop pulmonary metastasis secondary malignant tumours in the lung, which is often fatal when it occurs in humans. Writing in the journal Cancer Letters, the team noted that 'young women represent a target of e-cigarette companies' and the results came in the context of 'the increasing popularity of vaping, especially in teenagers'. News of the findings comes days after scientists on the UK Government's Committee on Toxicity said vaping can worsen heart disease and lung disorders, but was safer than smoking tobacco. (File image) Professor Charles Coombes, of the Cancer Research UK Imperial Centre, cautioned that the study involved a small number of animals. 'The results are suggestive but not conclusive,' he said. News of the findings comes days after scientists on the UK Government's Committee on Toxicity said vaping can worsen heart disease and lung disorders, but was safer than smoking tobacco. About 3.6 million UK adults have used e-cigarettes in the past decade. The annual vaping market in Britain is worth 2.5 billion. The manufacturers of e-cigarettes, which work by heating up a liquid that usually contains nicotine, propylene glycol and flavourings, say vaping is much less harmful than smoking tobacco. KYODO NEWS - Sep 12, 2020 - 20:03 | World, All, Coronavirus Asia-Pacific foreign ministers expressed fears about the recent security environment in the region at an online meeting hosted by Vietnam on Saturday, touching on the South China Sea dispute, Hong Kong affairs and the North Korean nuclear issue. The 27-member ASEAN Regional Forum, including the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the United States, China and Japan, is one of the very few multilateral events attended by North Korea's foreign minister almost every year. With escalating Sino-U.S. tensions affecting security and economic structures in the region, many foreign ministers, at the gathering, raised matters such as China's military activities in the nearby waters and human rights. Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said at the outset of the forum that it is "important" to reduce security risks by creating "mutual trust and confidence" amid an increasingly complicated regional situation. Coronavirus vaccine development may have also been a source of conflict between the United States and China at the meeting, while remarks by North Korea, which has not carried out ballistic missile tests for more than five months, were of interest. This year's regional gathering, however, was relatively low-key, as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Son Gwon were absent. Other senior officials from the respective nations participated. In recent years, China and the United States have clashed over the South China Sea at the ASEAN regional security forum, but they avoided a head-on confrontation this time. Beijing has rapidly built artificial islands with military infrastructure in the sea, further chilling relations with the United States that has been intensifying its offensive against the Asian power over security issues. Washington said in July that it is taking a tougher stance against Beijing's maritime assertiveness, calling its claims to offshore resources across most of the contested waters "completely unlawful." China has been at odds with four ASEAN members -- Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam -- as well as Taiwan over jurisdiction in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which more than one-third of global trade passes. "The South China Sea must be a sea of peace, stability and trade, and never become an arena for contention," Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said at the meeting, according to a document seen by Kyodo News. "Southeast Asia intends to remain the master of its own destiny with the sole aim and purpose of ensuring peace and stability in our region," he added. Prior to the forum, Pompeo released a statement saying, "We stand with our ASEAN partners as we insist on the rule of law and respect for sovereignty in the South China Sea, where Beijing has pursued aggressive campaigns of coercion and environmental devastation." At another ASEAN-related gathering on Wednesday, Wang criticized Washington for directly intervening in territorial and maritime disputes in the region, saying the United States is becoming the biggest driver of militarization in the South China Sea. In late June, meanwhile, the National People's Congress Standing Committee, China's top legislative body, enacted a security law for Hong Kong that bans acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces in the former British colony. On July 14, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order to fully end the special treatment extended to Hong Kong under U.S. law, saying that he will hold China accountable for its "oppressive actions" against the people of the territory. At Saturday's meeting, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi voiced "grave concerns" over the situation surrounding Hong Kong, his ministry said. The implementation of the controversial national security legislation "undermines the international community's trust in the principle of 'one country, two systems' framework," Motegi was quoted as saying. Under the mainland's one country, two systems policy, Hong Kong was promised it would enjoy the rights and freedoms for 50 years following its return to Chinese rule in 1997. From North Korea, An Kwang Il, ambassador to Indonesia, joined the security forum instead of the foreign minister. The nation's economy has been hit hard by the global virus pandemic and natural disasters. The ARF comprises the 10 ASEAN states, China, Japan, the United States, Russia, North and South Korea, India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the European Union, Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh, East Timor, Mongolia and Sri Lanka. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. Related coverage: U.S., Mekong ministers meet amid latest rivalry with China Japan pledges $1 mil. in fund to assist ASEAN's COVID-19 response U.S., China trade barbs over S. China Sea, Hong Kong Billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel hosted a dinner for Milo Yiannopoulos during Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign. Newly uncovered emails seen by BuzzFeed News show white nationalists were wined and dined by Thiel in summer 2016. Thiel enjoyed the June 2016 dinner he had with former Breitbart News editor Yiannopoulos, according to an email he sent the day after he hosted him at his Hollywood Hills home, Buzzfeed News reports. Thiel invited Yiannopoulos over after turning down the chance to appear on the provocateur's podcast in May of that year at a night dubbed 'Right Wing Dinner Squad, III'. DeAnna, an influential white nationalist who writes for VDare, was also hosted by him in July 2016. Peter Thiel's relationship with members of the alt-right gave them hope for utilizing his tightness with Donald Trump in 2016 The billionaire venture capitalist sent an email sharing that he enjoyed his 2016 dinner with Milo Yiannopoulos (pictured) Peter Brimelow, founder of white supremacist website VDare, emailed writer DeAnna on July 2 to chastise him for freelancing at other outlets. In the email he asserted that 'Hispanics do specialize in rape, particularly of children,' but he also wanted to know: 'Why hadn't his writer kept him updated on an upcoming meeting with Thiel?' 'I am fed up with being surprised about e.g. this meeting with the Right Stuff, Ann Coulter, Thiel etc.,' Brimelow said. 'You are being paid in part to keep me abreast of Alt Right developments and you're not doing it.' 'He's fully enlightened, just plays it very carefully,' Curtis Yarvin, known as far-right blogger Mencius Moldbug (pitured), said about Thiel in an email to Yiannopoulos in 2016. Peter Thiel's seemingly tight relationship with the alt-right gave them hope for his influence on Trump, following his steep financial contribution to his 2016 campaign. DeAnna responded the following day: 'Not sure why I'm getting in trouble for the Thiel thing.' He would add that he only told Brimelow's wife of specific information. On July 29, 2016, Thiel hosted DeAnna at a dinner party. The day after he emailed him dubbing the event the 'Right Wing Dinner Squad, III'. 'Kevin -really enjoyed meeting you last night,' Thiel wrote. 'I may be in DC towards the end of September, and let me know [if you] make it to SF anytime!' The venture capitalist's seemingly tight relationship with the alt-right gave them hope for his influence on Trump, following his $1.25million contribution to his 2016 campaign. 'He's fully enlightened, just plays it very carefully,' Curtis Yarvin, known as far-right blogger Mencius Moldbug, said about Thiel in an email to Yiannopoulous in late 2016. However according to sources familiar with the matter, Thiel, whose net worth is valued by Forbes at $2.3billion, has distanced himself from Trump during the president's reelection campaign. Thiel, who made his fortune as co-founder of PayPal and was one of Facebooks earliest investors, has been s***-talking the president over what he views as his botched management of the coronavirus crisis, sources close to the billionaire venture capitalist have told The Daily Beast. The billionaire has made no media appearances for the president - unlike his appearance at the 2016 Republican National Convention, nor penned any opinion pieces in favor of Trump. He has also not made any donations to Trump's reelection bid. Thiels data-mining venture, Palantir, has benefited from billions of dollars in government contracts. In March, Palantir won an $80million contract to build a logistics management system for the US Navys warships and aircraft, according to The Washington Post. In February, Palantir won an $823million contract to provide software to the Pentagon. On January 12, 2017, a 20-year-old man was transported to the hospital. The victim, Austin Parra, had an accident after his chair caught fire while he was sleeping, and he was burned as he carried the chair outside. The investigators found out that the fire started after the cord that he used to charge his phone burned. The cord experience a short circuit while the phone was charging overnight. The cord had been made by Amazon. Faulty products The charger was sold by Amazon's private label line, AmazonBasics, which offers budget-friendly products, including consumer electronics, home goods, household appliances, and office accessories. AmazonBasics was launched in 2009 and now offers more than 5,000 products. A massive number of their products have become bestsellers, and many have rated the products above four stars, according to Marketplace Pulse research. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the sales increased as consumers stayed at home and brought their essentials online. However, consumers raised serious safety concerns about AmazonBasics items. Also Read: Massive Fire at Beirut Port Broke Out Just a Month After Explosion Since 2016, more than 1,500 reviews were recorded, and more than 70 items were covered. The reviews described the products as catching on fire on its own, exploding as soon as it is plugged in, causing electrical malfunctions, smoking, melting, and other risks. Although user error can be a factor of all these incidents, faulty wiring, and defective devices are also the culprit. According to an electrical engineer that was interviewed by CNN, if an item is well-made and the consumer used it properly, electronics should rarely pose dangers. Consumers have written in their product reviews that they trusted that Amazon purchases would be safe and that products are well-made because of the brand name. But even if thousands of complaints about the products were submitted, Amazon provided little to no information regarding the matter. Amazon's red flag Amazon has received wide criticism for allowing third-party sellers with dangerous products to do business on the site. Multiple court rulings have found that the retailer can be held liable for defective items that are sold in its third-party marketplace. From microwave catching fire, USB cords melting or burning despite no visible wear and tear or overuse to paint on outdoor patio heaters lighting on fire. Consumers claimed that the products malfunctioned as soon as they plugged them in to use them. The mounting number of complaints shows that there is a defect in the design or manufacturing of items sold on Amazon. According to Boston University's College of Engineering professor, Mark Horenstein, the incidents reported certainly leads to the suspicion that the product is at fault. Amazon said that customer reviews are only one indication of a potential issue and that they look at a number of other factors such as sales history, returns, and customer service contacts when assessing potential problems. The company said in a statement that using customer reviews alone to conclude a product is not safe or imply there is a widespread issue is misleading. Businesses are required by law to immediately report potentially hazardous items to the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission or CPSC so the agency can determine whether an official recall is necessary. Concerns similar to those detailed in Amazon reviews have been relayed to the CPSC in at least ten reports that specifically mention an AmazonBasics product. The complaints cover at least eight items and date back in 2012. Related Article: Fact Check: Is Antifa Behind the Devastating Wildfires? @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. With Kangana versus Shiv Sena playing up in the aftermath of BMC razing the allegedly illegal portion of her Mumbai office, the political connection of the Bollywood actor is in news. The actor was provided with Y plus security as she reached Mumbai on September 9, after she complained of receiving threats from Shiv Sena following her comment comparing Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. The actors mother, Asha Ranaut, thanked Union home minister Amit Shah for providing Kangana security, despite knowing that the family has Congress links. This triggered several speculations over Kangana joining politics. Union minister Ramdas Athawale has recently met the actor at her Mumbai residence and said BJP or his party RPI will welcome Kangana if she wants to join. But the actor harbours no political ambition, Atawale confirmed. Talking about politics, Kangana on Friday said Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray has been one of her most favourite icons. She also took a swipe at the Congress and party president Sonia Gandhi for Congresss silence during the entire episode. Both Kangana and her sister Rangoli Chandel are vocal supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But the actor had no plans to join politics, as she had tweeted in August, this year. From Congress, fortunately after Manikarnika even BJP offered me a ticket, I am obsessed with my work as an artist and never thought about politics so all the trolling that I get for supporting who I want to support as independent thinker need to stop Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) August 15, 2020 This is to set the records straight for everyone who thinks I support Modi ji because I want to join politics, my grandfather has been congress MLA for consecutive 15 years,my family is so popular in politics back home that after Gangster almost every year I got offers from Congress, she tweeted on August 15. From Congress, fortunately after Manikarnika even BJP offered me a ticket, I am obsessed with my work as an artist and never thought about politics so all the trolling that I get for supporting who I want to support as independent thinker need to stop, she wrote. In 2018, however, the actor was not averse to join politics. Whenever I decide to take up the path, I will do so with utmost sophistication, dignity and full focus. If I have to be a national servant, I cant have a family or kids, or an alternate career. A politician should be nothing more than a government servant, she had said in an interview. Lafayette Police Interim Chief Scott Morgan briefs the media about the officer involved shooting by Lafayette Police Officers at the Shell Station on Chalmette Dr. and NW Evangeline Throughway Friday, August 21, 2020 in Lafayette, La.. Others present are Carlos Harvin second from left, City-President Josh Guillory, center, Louisiana State PIO Derek Senegal and Marja Broussard, right, president of the Lafayette chapter of the NAACP, right. Mumbai, Sep 12 : The Maharashtra Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Saturday said that the recent threat calls to several state leaders were made by the same Kolkata gym instructor Palash Bose who was arrested by Mumbai Police on Thursday. Posing as an associate of absconding mafia don Dawood Ibrahim, the accused had allegedly made threat calls to Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and Sena chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut during the week. Using technical intelligence, the Mumbai Police nabbed Bose from his Tollygunge home in south Kolkata and brought him to Mumbai on transit remand from Alipore court (Kolkata) and the probe is now being handled by the ATS. The operation was carried out by a crack team of ATS comprising Inspector Daya Nayak, APIs Dashtra Vitkar and Sachin Patil and constable Dhiraj Rane. "On the basis of sources' information, we conducted the operation with the help of Kolkata Police to zero in on the accused and arrested him. We have seized two mobile phones, one Indian and three international SIM cards. He has confessed to the crime in our preliminary interrogations," said an ATS official. A BSc graduate, Bose had worked in Dubai for around 15 years and now the ATS is probing his possible links with any crime syndicate after he admitted to making landline calls to Thackeray, Pawar, Deshmukh and Raut using his international SIM numbers earlier this week. On Friday, his lawyer Anirban Guhathakurta had said in a statement: "Palash Bose, resident of Tollygunge, has been arrested yesterday (Thursday) night by Mumbai Police allegedly for a threat call to MP Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena. It has been alleged that Palash is a supporter of Kangana Ranaut, and so this threat call." The police are also probing Bose's connections with Kangana, and what might have provoked him to allegedly call and threaten Raut using the actress' name. Bose's arrest came at a time when there is increasing friction between Kangana and the Shiv Sena over her recent tirades at the Mumbai Police and the MVA government in Maharashtra, after which on September 9, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation razed her "illegal office" in suburban Bandra. Whatever you pay at the till, the environmental cost of fast fashion is never reflected in the price tag. It takes about 2,700 litres of water to make a T-shirt - a massive demand on an often-scare resource in fragile countries of origin. Back into that water go the dyes and chemicals that give the consumer vibrant colours and on-trend logos. Those are some of the downsides when the fabric is natural, such as cotton. The vast majority of clothes produced now are largely or entirely synthetic, made from various forms of plastic. Plastic is made from oil, a fossil fuel, and fossil fuels are driving climate change at a frightening rate. That T-shirt has a lot to answer for. Read More There may be some justification if it is a wardrobe staple, worn regularly for years, but the chances are it's a one-season, or even one-week, wonder that quickly loses its appeal, its shape, or both, and, because it only cost a few euro, the purchaser doesn't feel bad about getting rid of it. Read More The responsible thing is to deposit it in a clothing bank or donate it to a charity shop. Some 10 million second-hand garments are sold by charity shops each year, so many clothes do get an extended life. But it is estimated that the same quantity again is shipped abroad, often ending up in Africa, where it floods markets and kills off local textile industries, while also creating a huge waste problem. Caitriona Rogerson, project co-ordinator with the Irish Environmental Network, saw the impact for herself when she produced the short film Textile Mountain, released in the summer. She met market stallholders in the Kenyan capital Nairobi who have a special word for the second-hand clothes that they sell cheaply to the impoverished local community. They call it 'mitumba', though they often use less flattering language when they see exactly what we see fit to export. Video of the Day Stallholders buy plastic-wrapped bundles of mitumba from shipping warehouses, and only when they own it can they examine the contents. Filthy, ragged, torn, worn-out garments often spill out, leaving the buyer out of pocket and with a disposal problem. The city's meagre waste management infrastructure cannot cope and dumping is widespread, with rivers and drains clogged with rotting textiles and mountainous dump sites growing daily. Children clamber over them to get to school while families choke on the smells and smoke from the regular fires. "From what I saw when I was there, the practice of exporting second-hand clothes in itself is not the problem. The problem is the quantity and very definitely the quality," Rogerson says. "People need to realise that there's no such thing as throwing something away. Everything that we dispose of ends up somewhere and, in this case, our unwanted fashion waste, which is such low quality now compared to what it was 20 years ago, is ending up in landfills and waterways in countries that don't have the resources to deal with it." We're not so good at dealing with it ourselves. Textiles are not meant to be put in the household green bin but, because there is no separate textile bin, householders regularly toss them in alongside paper and plastic. "We don't want them," Conor Walsh of the Irish Waste Management Association, says. "They get wrapped around the sorting machinery and have to be cut out. We can't do anything with them; they're not worth anything and they cost time and money to weed out of the other recyclables." Once segregated, the main option for them is incineration, so that's where they generally end up -along with the estimated 80,000 tonnes of unwanted textiles that householders also throw into their general 'black bin' waste every year. Some of it also goes to landfill which is far from ideal. That's just one of the reasons that Dr Ian Marnane, chemicals expert with the Environmental Protection Agency, is not a fan of fast fashion. "It can be manufactured in countries where regulations around chemicals and bleaches and dyes are not so rigorous as would be applied in Europe so you don't always know what's in the fabric and what comes out of it when it breaks down," he says. But fast fashion can also cause problems long before it falls victim to a wardrobe clear-out, he explains. "Microplastics are a big issue. A lot of these kinds of clothes would have a high plastics content and as part of the washing process, these fibres end up in waste water. In Ireland, 98pc of the sludge from waste-water treatment plants is spread on agricultural land, so there's a pathway there for plastics into the food system." Unless we're comfortable with fast fashion becoming fast food, he warns, we need to start rethinking our clothes buying habits. John Wood Community College will be offering a recertification course for certified nursing assistants beginning Sept. 21. The course will include four classroom days 2-6 p.m. each day of the program, and will cost roughly $300. The cost does not include preparation costs including update of any health requirements, Basic Life Support provider training or criminal background checks. Following the completion of the course, students will be eligible to sit for the written competency exam. Questions about the program can be directed to the schools Health Sciences Department at 217-641-4551 or email sstraza@jwcc.edu. Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree The Spokesperson to the Vice President, Dr. Gideon Boako has expressed surprise that a donation made by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to the funeral of the late Wa Imam has been rejected. While expressing surprise in a Facebook post, Dr. Boako put out the facts on the said donation and the circumstances under which it was made. Dr. Boako emphasized the point that the Vice President did what Islam required of him as a Muslim to fellow human beings in times of grief. Below is the full statement by Dr. Boako on his Facebook: 1. Neither the Presidency nor the Vice President was formally informed of the death of the Imam as has been the practice over the years. 2. Final funeral dates are usually stated when such formal announcements are made to the Presidency to facilitate attendance. 3. It follows that since the Presidency nor the Vice President was NOT informed of the death, the Vice President could not have been aware of the funeral date let alone attend same. 4. As a Muslim, the Vice President upon learning of the death and subsequent funeral performance, notwithstanding the familys inability to inform him, did what Muslims are required by Islam to do for their fellow human beings in times of grief, by sending his donation and representatives to the family of the late Imam. 5. Yes, a donation was made by the Vice President in good faith, and the said donation was heartily accepted by the Head of the family. We are however, surprised to learn that a few days after the visit by representatives of the Vice President, the donation, which was initially accepted, has been returned to those who sent it. 6. It is unfortunate that such gesture by the Vice President, anchored on pure Islamic values and teachings, found its way into the media. 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 Last month, the Conservation Advisory Board, or CAB, resolved support for an alternative to the renowned Edwards Aquifer Protection Program, known as EAPP. Up to now, the EAPP has been funded through a voter-approved sales tax used to purchase land or conservation easements over the recharge and contributing zones. Approximately $282 million has been expended to protect more than 160,000 acres from development in perpetuity. No matter what happens in the future, those easements are secure. A portion of the $100 million approved by voters in 2015 remains to be collected and expended. But this incarnation of the program will end with those final expenditures, sometime in 2022, as City Council did not vote to put it on the ballot for reauthorization. Instead, this alternative funding source is now being considered in its place. Since it is not CABs role to comment on the broader political context, our discussion focused solely on ensuring the programs continued success through extension of its current mission, funding levels and sustainability. The draft ordinance and program agreement we reviewed retains the mission through the same watershed protection language that anchors the current program. Funds must continue to be used solely for aquifer protection through fee simple and easement purchases. The city will contract with a local government corporation (whose board consists of mayor and council) to fulfill this objective, keeping City Parks and Recreation Department staff support and CAB infrastructure in place. On ExpressNews.com: The best-kept secret in S.A. politics just might convince you to vote for workforce development While the mission remains intact, the funding level and source would change, which has caused some confusion and concern. The alternative, which commits $100 million over 10 years, has been portrayed as a 50 percent reduction from the current model of $100 million over five years. This interpretation is not entirely correct. Although the initial 2000 authorization of EAPP was renewed three times at five-year intervals, the endpoint was always tied to a given amount of money, not a set time frame. In 2015, voters authorized collection of $100 million, however long that took, which in reality will be closer to six years. On the other hand, while this alternatives funds are estimated to be spent over 10 years, that could be accelerated if warranted. Furthermore, even if the program had appeared on the ballot this year and was approved for another $100 million, there is no guarantee it would have appeared/been approved again, whether in 2025 or ever. The alternative plan shifts the funding source from sales tax to debt secured by a portion of the citys revenue payment from the San Antonio Water System. This has triggered alarm that SAWS will play a role in the program, but that simply is not the case. SAWS annual payment has been in place for years, serving as a revenue source for the citys general fund. Other than continuing to have representation on CAB, SAWS will have no role in coordinating or approving expenditures, or any other aspect of the program. A second concern is these funds could diminish or SAWS could refuse to pay. In reality, SAWS has no discretion to withhold funds, and while it is possible that nothing would be left after paying other costs, that has not occurred in the agencys history. Commentary: Advancing women in college, honoring Lila Cockrell Finally, and a reasonable cause for apprehension, is the sustainability of the program under the alternative mechanism. The biggest difference is that a future council could vote to end the program, whereas the current version is assured to completion upon voter approval. A few impediments temper this new threat. Once a bond issuance occurs for example, if the city kicks off the program in 2022 by borrowing $25 million those funds must be spent toward the programs objectives. Furthermore, future reductions to the overall allotment must be made in a stand-alone council vote, not simply negotiated in a budget session. A requirement for multiple public hearings prior to any such vote may be added. Understandably, none of this may satisfy residents disappointed with the change. A significant feature of the EAPP was the bond between voters and water protection facilitated by the ballot measure, and its loss should not be minimized. Texans hold a sacred connection to their water source, in combination with a healthy dose of governmental skepticism, so the ability to safeguard the aquifer through a direct and binding vote was a perfect fit. We all owe a debt to former Mayor Howard Peak and former Councilwoman Bonnie Conner for pioneering that mechanism. But it will soon vanish, and we must find a way to continue the effort. If approved, the new approach can be successful, but it will require public vigilance to safeguard this grand venture to protect our primary and ancient water source. Francine Sanders Romero is the chair of the Conservation Advisory Board and the chair of the Department of Public Administration at UTSA. COLUMBUS Ohio - The Tenth District Court of Appeals has granted an emergency stay on a Franklin County judges order to have all county board of elections accept absentee ballot applications by fax or email, according to a statement from Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose' office. A stay pending appeal is a routine component of the legal process and it was absolutely the right decision by the court," said the statement, filed Saturday. "Without the stay, it would be open season for hackers to attack our boards IT systems. Ohioans need to understand that forcing our county boards to open thousands of e-mailed attachments is not a secure online absentee ballot request system. It puts our elections system at a far greater risk of cyber-attack where just one attachment with a malicious virus could cripple an entire countys IT infrastructure and degrade the trust voters have in our elections. An online ballot request system does not use email or fax, the statement said. Instead, it includes fields to provide voter information without being able to send an attachment. Instead, the Franklin County judge allowed for ballot requests to be transmitted by fax or by sending a picture of a ballot request form to a countys e-mail address. That means a much more appropriate descriptor is an e-mail/fax ballot request system, or something, the statement says. Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Stephen L. McIntosh sided with Ohio Democratic Party attorneys who stated that there is nothing in current state law that prohibits officials from offering an online option. Currently, the system allows voters to request an absentee ballot application online. But the application itself must be printed and filled out in ink before being physically delivered to a county elections office. An earlier version of this story incorrectly said the judges ruling would allow a voter to cast a ballot via email. It actually would allow them to request an absentee ballot via email. It has been corrected. Read more stories on cleveland.com Judge orders Ohio officials to allow online absentee ballot applications Ohio reports 1,242 new coronavirus cases, 8 new deaths: Saturday update Three Northeast Ohio liquor establishments cited in violating state health orders to stop the spread of coronavirus 12-year-old boy struck by car on Interstate 90 in Cleveland dies Westlake man raises $14K for MS research in late fathers honor preparing for virtual Boston Marathon 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. EMNs 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 In late 2019, Id discussed some of my favourite stocks for RRSP investors. Well get into some stocks that are interesting for a retirement portfolio later. In this article, I want to go over three tips that can help boost your RRSP for the long haul. Maximize your RRSP contribution Last spring, Id discussed why it was more important than ever for Canadians to maximize their RRSP room. One of the reasons this is so important is the decline of defined-benefit (DB) pension plans. These plans may be virtually extinct in the private sector by the end of the 2020s. This means that Canadians need to take retirement planning into their own hands. The COVID-19 pandemic is going to make retirement planning even more important. Many sectors have suffered irreparable damage due to the pandemic. Ideally, Canadians should be using their full allowable contribution limit each year. If you do not have enough cash to contribute to the maximum, you can contribute in kind or consider an RRSP loan. A contribution in kind allows you to add to your RRSP through non-registered investments such as mutual funds. Stick to a strategy An RRSP investment strategy should be constructed to fit an investors timeline and risk tolerance. Younger investors may want to target growth stocks like Shopify. This Ottawa-based technology company has attracted enthusiasm, powered by the growth of its e-commerce platform. It has eyes on bigger international growth in the 2020s. Shares of Shopify have climbed 138% in 2020 as of close on September 10. This tech stock has made fortunes over the past five years. Younger investors can stash these high-growth stock without worrying about near-term volatility. Older RRSP investors, however, may be looking for more stability in their portfolio. This is where dividend stocks like Fortis come in. The St. Johns-based utility holding company is an elite dividend stock on the TSX. It has delivered dividend growth for 47 consecutive years. Fortis stock has increased 1.2% so far this year. Story continues The company last announced a quarterly dividend of $0.4775 per share. This represents a 3.6% yield. Avoid dipping into your RRSP This is a very important tip to remember for investors of all ages. Canadians receive a tax break for contributing to their RRSP. However, any RRSP withdrawals are taxed at a marginal rate. This can range anywhere from 10% to 30%. Unlike the TFSA, the contribution room in an RRSP cannot be restored. Because of this, any withdrawal will erode the potential of your RRSP portfolio. This can be especially damaging to younger investors who choose to dip into their retirement funds early. In previous articles, Ive discussed why using the TFSA as a savings account is not the best use of its potential. However, this is still a far better option than dipping into an RRSP. Contributions in an RRSP should be considered untouchable. Investors who require cash for a home purchase do have the ability to use the RRSP Home Buyers Loan. The post 3 Super RRSP Tips appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Ambrose O'Callaghan owns shares of FORTIS INC. Tom Gardner owns shares of Shopify. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Shopify and Shopify. The Motley Fool recommends FORTIS INC. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2020 Patna, Sep 12 : With the upcoming Assembly election in Bihar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President J.P. Nadda has exhorted party members to play the role of a catalyst for promotion of 'Vocal for Local' campaign. "The Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has formed so many policies and adequate allocation of funds (nearly Rs 20 lakh crore) for people of Bihar, it's time party leaders and members publicised those policies before common people so that they would get maximum benefits from government aid," Nadda said. In a bid to reach common people in Bihar, Nadda gave an example, saying the Prime Minister has allocated funds of Rs one lakh crore for MSME sector for loans to the youth. There is also an allocation of funds for street-vendors who can apply for a Rs 10,000-20,000 loan. Now, it is the duty of BJP youth wing and members on ground to publicise the scheme for the benefit of the people of Bihar. It will eventually push the state to become self-reliant ('Aatmanirbhar Bihar'), he added. "I am a native of Bihar and I know the state has the potential to become self-reliant. The Makhana industry in Bihar, Madhubani paintings, Lithi of Muzaffarpur, silk industry of Bhagalpur are recognised by the world. We have to develop these industries at the highest level. There are huge job opportunities through marketing, branding, packaging, transportation, among others. We have to develop these resources," Nadda said in context of unemployment in the state. Nadda pointed out that the manpower of Bihar was responsible of changing the economy of other states in the country. He said if people of Bihar could change economy and infrastructure of other states, why can't they do it for their home state? They have the potential to change the economy of Bihar as well. This is posible in the current phase as the government in the state and at the Centre both support them. The Prime Minister, he added, says that of every one rupee sent to Bihar, the whole of it must reach the common people. This was not the case with the earlier governments. "I want to ask opposition parties about who stopped them from constructing roads in villages, providing electricity supply, LPG cylinders in rural areas, insurance of Rs five lakh to 50 crore people. Why did they not act so far?" These policies have been implemented after Narendra Modi came to power in 2014. Now almost every village is connected with roads, power supply up to 18 to 20 hours, etc. "I was Health Minister in the past and I know that the number of heart disease patients will decline in future as our mothers and sisters are no longer forced to use firewood for cooking food," Nadda said. "In the corona phase, the health system of western countries like the US, Italy and Spain has collapsed despite their population being much lesser compared to ours. We have won the battle with corona now and it is possible only due to clear vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He had strictly imposed lockdown in the country and saved lives of 130 crore countrymen," Nadda added. "Now, we are having 1,659 dedicated Covid hospitals, 12 lakh beds, 16,000 labs. Eleven lakh Covid tests per day, production of 4.5 lakh PPE kits per day, three lakh ventilators. This is called Self-reliant India," Nadda said. On the occasion, Nadda also launched party song for the election campaign and 38 'vehicular raths' in every district of Bihar. Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi was also present along with Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of State For Health Ashwani Kumar Choubey and BJP State President Sanjay Jaiswal. Sushil Modi pointed out that 2020 Bihar election is a fight between 55 years of Congress and RJD regime versus NDA's 15 years. "We have opened 29 engineering colleges compared to two by them, 120 ITIs, 6.4 lakh jobs and adequate hospitals. The situation is such that the Covid beds in hospitals such as PMCH, NMCH, AIIMS Patna are vacant," Sushil Modi said. "I heard that Lalu Prasad may get bail before elections. It is a good opportunity for BJP to publicise his 'Jungle Raj' during his and his wife Rabri Devi's tenure before 2005," Modi added. He said "Sushant Singh Rajput and Kangana Ranaut are not a poll issue in Bihar but I want to ask Sonia Gandhi that why she is silent on these two issues. Her government in Maharashtra is responsible for vandalism of Kangana's office and shoddy investigation in the Sushant case." Jaiswal said there are so many 'Shakunis' roaming in Bihar and creating false propaganda againt the NDA government. Their efforts will go in vain as no one wants to go back to the 'lantern' phase. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Karachi, Sep 12 : Four people were killed and seven others injured when a three-storey residential building caught fire in Pakistan's Karachi city on Saturday, rescue teams said. The fire broke out in the first floor of the building in a densely populated area of the city due to a short circuit, Salman Qureshi, a rescue worker with the Karachi-based NGO Saylani Welfare Trust, told Xinhua news agency. He said that the fire erupted in the early hours of Saturday morning, but rescue work got a bit delayed because of congested roads. Four families were residing in the building. The victims were members of the family who lived on the first floor which was the worst-hit, Qureshi said, adding that residents of the other floors were safely evacuated by the rescue workers. The injured people were shifted to a nearby hospital where one of them who jumped from the third floor in panic, is in critical condition, the rescue worker said. Saeed Khatibzadeh, the spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, says the Iranian government "has not received and will not receive" any Canadian government complaints about the Ukrainian plane's downing over Tehran on January 8. According to IRNA, Iran's official news agency, Khatibzadeh was quoted on Friday as saying that "the Canadian court has no jurisdiction" in this case and that "judicial proceedings will be conducted inside Iran." The Canadians, Khatibzadeh said, can file a lawsuit at the "competent court" set inside Iran to hear the case. Khatibzadeh's remarks were a response to a report published earlier by the Canadian National Post. "The federal government [of Canada] confirmed to lawyers recently that it delivered two class-action lawsuits to Tehran's foreign affairs ministry, clearing a roadblock for the civil suits over January's airliner shoot-down to move ahead in Canadian courts," the National Post reported on September 8. Canada filed suit in January soon after the crash of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752, with the National Report revealing a joint lawsuit against the Islamic Republic Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) other Iranian officials filed at a Toronto court. In their petition to the Canadian court, the victims' families referred to the incident as a "terrorist act." Copies of the petition were sent to the Iranian embassies in Australia and Britain. For his part, Khatibzadeh has announced that a court investigation into the tragic case is underway. Nevertheless, eight months after the deadly disaster, no information about the hearing has so far published. Meanwhile, some of the Ukrainian plane crash victims' families have repeatedly expressed their despair over the handling of the case and the officials' negligence in Iran. "We have no hope at all," said the father of the 28-year-old Mehraban Badiei Ardestani, who was killed in the plane crash. The brother of Mohammad Amin Beirouti, a 29-year-old Iranian who used to work in Canada and was later killed in the plane crash, also lamented that Iranian officials never contacted them, nor do they expect any response. The families of the plane crash victims who live outside Iran have formed an association to sue Iran for the tragedy. Named the "PS752 Family Association", it has repeatedly criticized Islamic Republic officials' negligence and inappropriate comments. In an interview with Radio Farda on August 25, the spokesman for the Association of the Families of the Victims of Flight 752, Hamed Esmaielion, stressed that some of the victims' families had been harassed and disrespected by Iranian judiciary officials during their visits to the military court to follow their loved ones' case. The victims' families also went to Kyiv's Embassy in Tehran on August 25 and met with Ukraine's ambassador to Iran, Sergey Burdylyak, to express their concern about the process. Iran at first denied any involvement in the crash. Three days alter, when overwhelming evidence emerged showing the plane had been shot down, the IRGC claimed it was "an accident due to human error" and that the missile operator had fired without orders from his superiors. For more than six months, Iranian authorities refused to hand over the plane's black boxes to other countries that could decode the contents, before finally surrendering the flight records and sending them to France for decoding and analysis. The crash victims included 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, eleven Ukrainians, ten Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans, and three Britons. Santa Barbara firefighters Eric Cole, left, and Mark Kramer monitor a backfire along Oro Quincy Highway in the aftermath of the Bear fire, part of the North Complex blazes, on Thursday in Oroville, Calif. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) We've got the North Complex fire and the August Complex fire. Then there's the CZU Lightning Complex fire and the LNU Lightning Complex fire, not to mention the SCU Lightning Complex fire. It's just all so complex. In normal times whatever that means anymore most wildfires in California were named after landmarks. The emergency dispatcher who fields the first call about flames typically looks up the coordinates for the incident on a map and finds a nearby valley, river or canyon, sometimes a road, after which to name the conflagration. Sometimes it's the incident commander who decides. Either way, they keep it short, using a name that's just one word. Thats why the wildfire that ignited in July along Apple Tree Lane in Riverside County, for example, became the Apple fire. But these are abnormal times. Or new normal times? Or new abnormal times? Or maybe just the end of times. Whatever. All I know is that, this year, there are so many wildfires scorching the parched wilderness in California that the flames have merged into masses called complexes. According to the U.S. Forest Service, a "complex" is two or more individual fire incidents in the same general area that are assigned to the same commander or unified command. The August Complex, for example, is actually made up of about 40 individual fires burning in and around Tehama County. "When we have these lightning events that happen every few years, we get into this quote-unquote complex issue," said Tom Harbour, a former director of fire and aviation for the U.S. Forest Service. "A complex issue is just for the ease of the incident management team to deal with the group of fires. I will tell you that it's confusing." Indeed, what might be handy for firefighters managing a rapidly changing situation on the ground is not so handy for the rest of us. We won't even talk about how long it took me to figure out what the LNU in LNU Lightning Complex stood for. Story continues Twitter is another mess entirely. As is known by most Californians who live in a fire zone (which is all of us now), the social media platform has become one of the best ways to get real-time information from reliable sources, whether that's from Cal Fire, the local sheriff's department or journalists. It's all about the hashtags. #CreekFire, #BobcatFire, #OakFire, #BearFire. Well, the fire formerly known as #BearFire. This year, such once-trusty hashtags have been morphing at a rapid pace. I'll let Ventura County Fire Capt. Steve Kaufmann, the public information officer for the team on the ground in Butte County, explain why. "Hopefully you can follow me on this," he said at a news conference Thursday evening, after flames had decimated the mountain town of Berry Creek, killing at least 10 people, including a teenager. "There were two fires up in the Plumas National Forest. One was called the Claremont fire [#ClaremontFire]. One was called the Bear fire. When those fires merged, they take on the name of the largest fire. The largest fire was the Bear fire, so the entire fire got called the Bear fire. Both of those were in what we call the North Complex." Uh huh. "For a little bit of history," Kaufmann continued, "when there's a lot of fires in the state of California and they assign an incident management team to manage those fires, when there's multiple fires in an area they will call it a complex. So that fire was called the North Complex. "In the early hours, when the fire was pressing into Butte County, they were using terms like Bear fire or Bear contingency. We have completely renamed and taken the Bear fire or Bear contingency out of the equation to reduce the confusion. So going forward, it will be known as the North Complex, and when we speak about the fire that is directly affecting Butte County, it will be known as the North Complex West Zone." Only, as of Friday, most people were still calling the North Complex West Zone the Bear fire. So now, in order to find that real-time, reliable information, it might be under any of those hashtags #BearFire, #NorthComplex, #NorthComplexFire or #NorthComplexWestZone. There has been similar confusion over the behemoth that is the August Complex fire. By one estimate, it now tops 491,000 acres. But by another estimate, it's more like 725,000 acres if you include the Elkhorn fire, which swallowed the smaller Hopkins fire among others burning in the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers national forests. An air tanker drops fire retardant in the hills above Monrovia as the Bobcat fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest on Wednesday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) It just depends on how complex you want make it. Meanwhile, the August Complex has now been divided into three zones: North, West and South. But Humboldt County, at least as of Friday on Twitter, was still hanging onto the #HopkinsFire. #AugustComplex was suspiciously missing. So you figure it out. Rather, you shouldn't have to do that, and neither should I. Though many of us might get a chuckle out of the confusion, the truth is clear communication has never been more vital at a time when megafires are ravaging the state without mercy. Missing, even by a few minutes, an order to evacuate or a warning about incoming flames could easily be the difference between life and death. "Years ago, there was no Twitter. There was no Facebook. There, in fact, weren't nearly the demands for public information that we have today," said Harbour, who also is chief fire officer at Cornea, an Arizona data company specializing in disaster management. "But we want people to know where the risks are. And so we've got to figure it out." It really doesn't have to be this complex. Department of Justice Announces Charges of North Korean and Malaysia Nationals for Bank Fraud, Money Laundering and North Korea Sanctions Violations FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, September 11, 2020 The Department of Justice announced a criminal complaint charging Ri Jong Chol, Ri Yu Gyong, North Korean nationals, and Gan Chee Lim, a Malaysia national. The three were charged with conspiracy to violate North Korean Sanctions Regulations and bank fraud, and conspiracy to launder funds. The defendants allegedly established and utilized front companies that transmitted U.S. dollar wires through the United States to purchase commodities on behalf of North Korean customers. "Violations of U.S. sanctions on North Korea enrich the regime and allow it to continue to fund the destabilizing activities that the sanctions are meant to prevent," said John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. "These defendants allegedly violated U.S. sanctions by lying to international financial institutions in order to dupe them into processing transactions in U.S. dollars which they would not otherwise have cleared. The Department of Justice will continue to investigate and prosecute violations of the North Korea sanctions so that one day that country may rejoin the community of nations." "The defendants knowingly and willfully circumvented sanctions designed to protect the U.S. financial system from abuse by individuals working on behalf of North Korea," said Acting U.S. Attorney Sherwin. "We will continue to disrupt their actions and hold them accountable." "The FBI will not stand idle while North Koreans attempt to covertly access the U.S. financial system in violation of U.S. sanctions," said Alan E. Kohler Jr, Assistant Director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. "The FBI will continue to protect the sanctity of the U.S. financial system." "Protecting our financial institutions from National Security focused money laundering is a top priority of our office," said Michael F. Paul, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Minneapolis Division. "Our agents, financial analysts and intelligence analysts worked tirelessly on this international investigation, and their hard work paid off." U.S. sanctions and banking regulations prevented correspondent banks in the United States from processing wire transfers on behalf of customers located in North Korea. According to court documents, beginning in at least August 2015 and continuing until at least August 2016, the defendants deceived banks in the U.S. into processing transactions for North Korean customers. The defendants and their co-conspirators utilized financial cutouts and front companies to conceal the North Korean nexus. Court documents note that Ri Jong Chol was the Deputy Director of a company sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasury, which referred to the company as a subordinate of North Korea's Ministry of People's Armed Forces. The defendants discussed new sanctions on North Korea and referenced several news articles detailing those sanctions published by U.S. and U.K. news organizations. They utilized shipping companies previously linked to the attempted sales of luxury goods to North Korea, and failed to seek the required licenses from the U.S. Government. FBI's Minneapolis field office is investigating the case. The case is being handled by the National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia Assistant U.S Attorney Zia M. Faruqui and National Security Division Trial Attorneys David Recker and Alexandra Hughes are litigating the case, with assistance from Financial Intelligence Analyst Charlotte Coolidge, Paralegal Specialist Elizabeth Swienc and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick. Attachment(s): Download _ri_affidavit_090920.pdf Download ri_complaint.pdf Topic(s): Counterintelligence and Export Control National Security Component(s): National Security Division (NSD) USAO - District of Columbia Press Release Number: 20-918 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The sides have discussed in detail the process of implementing the agreements of the Normandy Four summit held in December 2019. The Office of the President of Ukraine has revealed details of the meeting of political advisors to the Normandy Four leaders held on Friday, September 11. Details of Friday meeting The sides have discussed in detail the process of implementing the agreements of the Normandy Four summit held in December 2019, as well as the details of negotiations within the Minsk negotiating group, as reported on the presidential website. "The participants have backed Ukraine's call on the need to take comprehensive measures to extend a sustainable ceasefire [in Donbas]," reads the report. Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak said Ukraine would do everything to preserve the truce and prevent it from being disrupted. "Like no one else, we are interested so that Ukrainian servicemen and civilians no longer die, as it has happened for six years," he said. The release of prisoners and access of the Red Cross to them were among other topics of the talks. "The implementation of the proposals presented by the Ukrainian side gives reason to expect progress in the access of international human rights organizations to detainees in the near future," the President's Office said. The participants in the meeting have agreed to meet in the same format over the next weeks and continue discussing the implementation of the agreements of the 2019 Paris summit. Normandy Four: Latest developments A 70-year-old woman was lynched on suspicion of being a child lifter at the border of Bihars Nawada and Gaya district on Saturday. The victim was identified as Shanti Devi, a resident of Sirdala police station area of Nawada. Police have detained some suspects in the incident, which took place in Nagwa village of Fatehpur police station area and launched a hunt for other suspects. A purported video of the incident, viral on social media, shows children and men beating up the victim. The incident occurred following rumours that a child lifter had entered the village and taken away several small children. The woman was reportedly accosted by the locals as she was seen in the area for the first time, raising doubts. According to the victims daughter, Neelu Devi, her mother went to Nagwan Bazar, five kms away from her home in Angra village and did not return till evening. At around 7pm, she was informed that her mother was admitted to Sirdala primary health centre. She rushed to the centre with other family members and found that her mother was critical. Shanti Devi was later rushed to Sadar hospital, where she died during treatment late on Friday night. Also Read: Report seeks special financial help for resource-starved Bihar Sirdala station house officer (SHO) Ashish Kumar Mishra claimed the incident occurred in Fatehpur police station area, while Fatehpur SHO Bharat Shah said the incident took place in another village. Multiple police teams have been formed to arrest the perpetrators who are on the run. We will take strict action against them, said Gaya range IG Rakesh Rathee. Also Read: Big blow: Ahead of Bihar polls, two Congress MLAs and RJD senior join JD(U) In 2019, Bihar witnessed lynching of 26 people on false suspicion of being child lifters. Bihar police have filed first information reports (FIRs) against 360 people in connection with these incidents. Police headquarters said 325 suspects have been arrested in connection with 65 incidents of mob lynching in the state so far. Apart from the deaths, at least 20 people have been injured in attacks by locals over such rumours, police said. Ten community college transfer students will join the entering fall 2021 freshman class. Pictured is the freshman class from fall 2019. | Photos: Kristen Martin Transfer students will take part in Honors coursework including a Signature Honors Project focusing on research or creative activity. Phoenix Little displays her research during Selection Sunday on Feb. 16. This post appears here courtesy of ECU News Services . The author of this post is Kristen Martin The Honors College at East Carolina University will now admit students who are transferring to the university from a North Carolina community college.said Margaret Turner, Honors College director of admissions and recruitment.Previously, the Honors College application was available only to first-year students applying to ECU immediately after graduating from high school who met the minimum SAT/ACT test scores and GPA requirements. For several years, the Honors College and Office of Undergraduate Admissions have discussed admitting transfer students and began laying the groundwork in spring 2019 to start the process.said Interim ECU Chancellor Ron Mitchelson.The college will accept 10 transfer students as Centennial Fellows for the entering fall 2021 class. Each student will receive a scholarship valued at $1,250 per semester for five semesters along with all of the benefits associated with participation in the Honors College.said Erica Hoyt, associate director for transfer recruitment at ECU.Community college students interested in applying need to submit a completed application for undergraduate transfer admission to ECU by Dec. 8. To be eligible, a student must have completed 24 credit hours post-high school, have a 3.5 cumulative GPA, last attended an N.C. community college, and plan to attend ECU in fall 2021 as a campus-based student.Once prospective students receive a notification alerting them that they are eligible to apply to the Honors College, they will have until Jan. 15, 2021, to complete the Honors application and submit the required essay, letter of recommendation provided by an administrator at their current community college and a resume.Hoyt said.The Honors College will host several virtual academic days for transfer students to learn more about the college and why they should apply. These sessions will provide an overview of the application process and allow prospective students to talk with current students about their experiences.Turner said.For more information, visit the Honors College transfer students website or contact Margaret Turner at turnerm@ecu.edu SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) After a San Francisco Medical Examiner's Office forensic laboratory analyst was arrested last week in Utah with an evidence bag carrying methamphetamine, District Attorney Chesa Boudin said Friday his office will be taking a closer look at past cases he was involved in. Justin Volk was arrested Aug. 31 by Washington County sheriff's deputies after they reportedly found the drugs in his vehicle. Volk has since been charged by Washington County prosecutors with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Volk has been released from custody. According to his LinkedIn profile, Volk first started working for the medical examiner's office in 2007. With the allegations against Volk, city officials said they're now questioning Volk's credibility, as he's assisted prosecutors with some 2,500 cases over the past eight years. "When an individual law enforcement officer, or staff at the medical examiner's office engages in serious misconduct or potentially criminal misconduct... it substantially undermines my office's ability to prosecute cases," Boudin said in a statement. Boudin's office will now have to go through thousands of previous cases to determine Volk's level of involvement in them and which ones resulted in convictions. "The arrest of Mr. Volk casts another dark shadow on the credibility of the medical examiner's office, and I urge the District Attorney to immediately review the thousands of cases and convictions that relied on his work to determine whether dismissal is required," said Public Defender Mano Raju. "My office will be seeking records on Mr. Volk from the medical examiner's office and demanding an independent audit of the medical examiner's office," he said. "It's disturbing that we're still relying on the San Francisco medical examiner's office to inform criminal cases after years -- if not decades -- of poor protocols that have led to a loss of national accreditation, substandard work product, and a lack of transparency. Justice simply cannot happen when the medical examiner's employees -- tasked with providing objective and unbiased scientific evidence and opinion -- lack integrity." 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. Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has begun preparations for the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls by addressing the problem of fake news and rumours circulating on social media -- especially those that the party claims show TMC in bad light. For this, according to a report by Hindustan Times, Chief Minister Banerjee has asked the West Bengal and Kolkata Police to strengthen their cyber-crime cells. At a recent address on Police Day, the chief minister had said that tackling cybercrime is the state government's priority. According to the report, over the past five months, over 250 people have been arrested in West Bengal on charges of posting or forwarding allegedly harmful fake news and rumours. "The chief minister has asked to explore options if students from IIT and various universities could be roped in for internships at the cybercrime cells of the state police. All police stations have been asked to tackle all complaints of cybercrime and potentially harmful fake news on a priority basis," a senior police official said. TMC's Derek O'Brien, a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) and the party's national spokesperson, said TMC is "not fighting a lollipop match." "We are fighting an election and we would do whatever it takes to fight the BJP, both on the ground and in the virtual world, to counter their fake new and rumours," O'Brien said. Banerjee, too, had recently targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party's IT cell, indicating that it was behind some of the recent fake news and rumours circulating on social media, the report said.. The BJP, which analysts say is making rapid inroads in the state ahead of the crucial polls, has accused Banerjee and the TMC of coming up with new ways to "harass and implicate BJP workers and supporters". "Mamata Banerjee knows very well that she is losing ground and thats why she is coming up with new ways to harass and implicate BJP workers and supporters. Our party workers are being either implicated in false cases or murdered. But none of her tactics would work as people of Bengal have come to see her true face," Rahul Sinha, BJP's national secretary, said. Virabian said that he was fired by Justice Minister Rustam Badasian on Tuesday after refusing to step down. A spokeswoman for the Armenian Ministry of Justice, Lusine Martirosian, attributed the sacking to accounting irregularities which she said have been exposed by the State Revenue Committee (SRC). The SRC claimed two years ago that the National Archive failed to pay 742 million drams ($1.5 million) in profit and value-added taxes. According to Martirosian, the SRC fined it more than 21 million drams as a result. The archives chief accountant, Vahagn Abisoghomian, insisted that that the tax arrears resulted from a delay in government funding of the state-run agency, rather than its mismanagement. He argued that the Finance Ministry paid the back taxes after the SRC audit. Virabian likewise denied any fraud or other financial wrongdoing. If it was my fault why would they give me [the sum paid to the SRC?] he told RFE/RLs Armenian service. The well-known historian, who has managed the National Achive for 19 years, said he will file a lawsuit against the Justice Ministry on Monday. He expressed confidence that a Yerevan court will overturn his sacking. Virabian described the legal action as a matter of principle. He said that his employment contract was due to expire in November and that he did not plan to ask the government to extend it. Virabians colleagues interviewed by RFE/RLs Armenian service voiced support for him and deplored his dismissal. They included Karen Khtrian, the archives newly appointed acting director. There are some 350 million historical and other documents kept at the National Archive. The oldest of them date back to the 1830s. The First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, on Friday toured the Okaikwei North Constituency and called on the electorate to vote for four more years for President Akufo-Addo to do more for the country. She visited and interacted with the chiefs of Achimota and Akweteman, as well as traders at the Achimota and Lapaz Markets, appealing to them to vote massively to retain the Government in power in the December 7 elections, so it could continue with its developmental agenda. The First Lady said the New Patriotic Party- led government had done a lot of work within the past three and a half years and, thus, deserved another term in office. The President is doing all the work he promised to do one by one, which include free SHS, the restoration of teacher trainee and nurses allowance, and ending of dumsor and so he and the NPP deserve four more years to continue the good works for all Ghanaians, she said. She, however, explained that her visit was to interact to know the current challenges of the electorate so she could inform the President to find a solution to them. The Rebecca Foundation, she said, was also complementing government efforts by supporting health care delivery, provision of mentorship and skills training for both in and out of school girls, and women empowerment, among others. Nii Ayibonte Adams, Chief of Achimota, and Nii Nmai Akwetey Brenya III, Akweteman Mantse, welcomed the First Lady to the Constituency and wished her Party well in the upcoming elections. Nii Brenya appealed for a footbridge to be built on the N1 Highway, specifically between Akweteman and Apenkwa, to put a stop to the frequent pedestrian knockdowns on that stretch as they tried to cross. Both chiefs also appealed to the Government to focus on the construction of their community link-roads, especially the bypass from the Old Station to Akweteman, which is untarred and posed health hazards to the residents due to the dust. The First Lady was accompanied on the tour by Mr Fuseini Issah, the Member of Parliament for Okaikwei North, and Mr Boye Laryea, the Municipal Chief Executive, as well as other NPP officials, who were cheered and applauded by the community members gathered on streets to hail her arrival among shouts like Four more for Nana. 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 Delhi HC refuses to stay release of movie 'Nyay: The Justice', purportedly based on Sushant Singh Rajput's lif Sushant Singh Rajput Death Anniversary: A Timeline of the of events that have transpired so far Relief for Rhea Chakraborty, Court allows de-freezing of actress' bank accounts after a year At least 6 members of Sushant Singh Rajputs family killed in road accident in Bihar Drug nexus in Bollywood: NCB raids 7 locations in Mumbai, Goa; agency to send summons to 25 celebs India oi-Madhuri Adnal Mumbai, Sep 12: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday conducted raids at almost seven locations in Mumbai and Goa in connection with the drug abuse angle in Sushant Singh Rajput death case. According to reports, a high-level meeting will take place at NCB Mumbai office later in the day to chart the next course of action in the case. It is learnt that 25 Bollywood celebrities to be summoned in link with the drug probe. The names have been given by Showik and Rhea during their interrogation. Rhea has also given names of the Bollywood parties where drugs were consumed. Further, she was questioned about her involvement and the role of other celebrities in the film industry. Meanwhile, 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. Rhea's legal team is expected to move the Bombay High Court on Monday. Rhea, Showik Chakraborty, Abdul Basit, Zaid Vilatra, Dipesh Sawant and Samuel Miranda were denied bail by the court. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 12, 2020, 10:51 [IST] Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 16:57:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The lander and rover of the Chang'e-4 probe have resumed work for the 22nd lunar day on the far side of the moon. The lander woke up at 5:15 a.m. on Saturday (Beijing time), and the rover Yutu-2, or Jade Rabbit-2, woke up at 11:54 a.m. on Friday, sources with the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration said. The Chang'e-4 probe, launched on Dec. 8, 2018, made the first-ever soft landing on the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon on Jan. 3, 2019. A lunar day is equal to 14 days on Earth, and a lunar night is the same length. The Chang'e-4 probe, switching to dormant mode during the lunar night due to the lack of solar power, has survived about 618 Earth days on the moon. Enditem London, Sep 12 : UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday has urged MPs of his ruling Conservative Party to back his plan to override part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, a media report said on Saturday. The Internal Market Bill, which will be formally debated in the House of Commons for the first time on Monday, addresses the Northern Ireland Protocol - the part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement designed to prevent a hard border returning to the island of Ireland, the BBC reported. If it becomes a law it would give UK ministers powers to modify or "disapply" rules relating to the movement of goods between Britain and Northern Ireland that will come into force from January 1, if the UK and European Union (EU) are unable to strike a trade deal. The EU says the planned changes must be scrapped or they risk jeopardising the trade talks between the two sides. But the government has rejected this demand, arguing the measures in the bill are needed to protect the integrity of the UK and the peace process in Northern Ireland. In a Zoom call with the MPs on Friday, the Prime Minister called for "overwhelming support" for the bill, describing it as "absolutely vital" to "prevent a foreign or international body from having the power to break up our country". Johnson added that he would not countenance "the threat of a border down the Irish Sea". But he said there was still a "very good chance" of the UK and EU striking a deal by mid-October. The Prime Minister added that the party must not return to "miserable squabbling" over Europe. On Saturday, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove told the that he believed the government had the support of Conservative MPs to pass the controversial bill, but added "we are reaching a crunch moment". On Friday in a written statement to the House of Commons, Gove reiterated the government's commitment to implementing the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, including the protocol covering Northern Ireland. The bill is expected to face a strong opposition on the unelected House of Lords where a number of peers have already expressed their displeasure against it. The Times reported on Friday that at least 30 Conservative MPs have threatened to rebel against the bill when it goes before parliament. Despite the dispute over the internal market bill, both the EU and the UK have agreed to meet next week in Brussels to continue discussions on a new trade pact which is expected to come into operation on January 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. The UK ended its EU membership on January 31 but is still following EU rules during the transition period until December 31. Unless a trade deal is agreed by the end of this year, the UK will have to trade with the EU under the World Trade Organization terms. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The killer, surnamed Wang, was a hired hit man sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in 2005 for murdering a teacher in return for 200,000 yuan. Another incidence of a convicted murderer using medical parole to abscond from prison has come to light in North Chinas Inner Mongolia autonomous region, days after a similar case sparked an outcry over criminals serving so-called on-paper sentences. The killer, referred to only by the surname Wang in legal documents, was a hired hit man sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in 2005 for murdering a teacher in the regional capital Hohhot in return for 200,000 yuan ($29,242). Lawyers subsequently told Caixin the man is Wang Yunhong, whose case was widely covered in the Chinese media that year. Wang, who is in his mid-40s and hails from East Chinas Shandong province, conspired with prison hospital officials to secure a series of medical paroles allowing him to spend more than seven years outside jail, during which time he worked, traveled and started a family. He returned to prison last year. The case bears striking similarities to that of Batumenghe, who was sentenced to 15 years behind bars in 1993 for killing his former schoolmate but immediately received medical leave and never spent a day incarcerated. He was recaptured in 2017 and imprisoned a year later. On the night of Sept. 3, 2001, Wang lured Wu Zheng, a teacher formerly employed at a private technical college in Hohhot, into his off-road vehicle, killed him, and buried his body under soil and leaves, according to contemporary reports by Chinese state news agency Xinhua. A court later found that college director Zhang Mingde had paid Wang 200,000 yuan to do in Wu and another teacher, Liu Zhiguo, who had both left the college earlier that year after a dispute but continued to hold classes under the schools name. Lius murder was never carried out. Wang evaded justice until 2004, when he was seized by police in the southwestern city of Lijiang. The following year, a Hohhot court found him and Zhang guilty of intentional homicide and sentenced them to death with a two-year reprieve and lifelong deprivation of their political rights, as well as ordering them to pay legal costs of 283,000 yuan. A court document shows (link in Chinese) the verdict was upheld on appeal but Wangs sentence was subsequently commuted twice, most recently in March 2011 when it was reduced to 15 years imprisonment and four years without political rights. One month after that decision, Inner Mongolias prison management bureau granted Wang medical parole for six months following his hospitalization for a heart attack. Wang did not return to jail after that period, despite making a partial recovery, the court document shows. Instead, his parole was renewed six more times before he secured temporary release in 2015. He cumulatively spent more than seven years of his sentence outside prison between 2011 and 2019, working, travelling, marrying and starting a family. Investigators subsequently found that five officials at a hospital affiliated with Wangs prison practiced favoritism toward Wang to exaggerate his health complaints and help him secure medical parole that failed to accord with statutory conditions, according to the court document. Wang returned to prison in June 2019. Four months later, a Hohhot court ruled that Wang had obtained parole illegally and added the time he had spent on the outside a total of seven years, one month and 20 days onto his prison sentence. In April this year, a court in the Inner Mongolian city of Tongliao found the five hospital officials guilty of negligence and abuse of power and handed down sentences ranging from three to five and a half years. The sentences were upheld on appeal. Wangs case is the second in a week to showcase how some criminals in China exploit corruption networks and administrative shortcomings to avoid incarceration a phenomenon known as serving sentences on paper. On Sunday, Inner Mongolian authorities announced they had launched an investigation into Batumenghe, another convicted murderer who spent his entire 15-year sentence on medical parole and later embezzled 282,000 yuan while working as a village chief in Chen Barag Banner, a county-level jurisdiction. An expansive region of resource-rich grasslands, Inner Mongolia has been the site of a string of corruption scandals this year. In June, a former high-ranking provincial commerce official was sentenced to 17 years for bribe-taking and embezzlement, and Hohhots Communist Party chief was detained on unspecified corruption suspicions. Contact reporter Matthew Walsh (matthewwalsh@caixin.com) and editor Joshua Dummer (joshuadummer@caixin.com) Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. SINGAPORE / ACCESSWIRE / September 11, 2020 / Jadestone Energy Inc. (AIM:JSE) ("Jadestone", or the "Company"), an independent oil and gas production company focused on the Asia Pacific region, yesterday announced its maiden interim 2020 dividend ... Jadestone Energy Inc. SINGAPORE / ACCESSWIRE / September 11, 2020 / Jadestone Energy Inc. (AIM:JSE) ("Jadestone", or the "Company"), an independent oil and gas production company focused on the Asia Pacific region, yesterday announced its maiden interim 2020 dividend of US 0.54 cents per share. Computershare Trust Company, the Company's transfer agent, is expected to mail certain documents to shareholders today, in respect of the Company's interim 2020 dividend. On behalf of Jadestone, Computershare is contacting all registered shareholders and depositary interest holders by mail, requesting information relating to tax residency and rates of withholding tax to be applied to dividend payments. Computershare will also request payment preferences, in particular as to cheque or direct deposit, with respect to the dividend. Responses are required by October 16, 2020. Downloadable versions of the relevant forms are also available on the Company's website at www.jadestone-energy.com/investor-relations/dividends/. - Ends - Enquiries Jadestone Energy Inc. +65 6324 0359 (Singapore) Paul Blakeley, President and CEO +44 7392 940 495 (UK) Dan Young, CFO +1 403 975 6752 (Canada) Robin Martin, Investor Relations Manager ir@jadestone-energy.com Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Nomad, Joint Broker) +44 (0) 20 7710 7600 (UK) Callum Stewart Simon Mensley Ashton Clanfield BMO Capital Markets Limited (Joint Broker) +44 (0) 20 7236 1010 (UK) Thomas Rider Jeremy Low Thomas Hughes Camarco (Public Relations Advisor) +44 (0) 203 757 4980 (UK) Georgia Edmonds jadestone@camarco.co.uk Billy Clegg James Crothers About Jadestone Energy Inc. Jadestone Energy Inc. is an independent oil and gas company focused on the Asia Pacific region. It has a balanced, low risk, full cycle portfolio of development, production and exploration assets in Australia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Story continues The Company has a 100% operated working interest in the Stag oilfield and the Montara project, both offshore Australia. Both the Stag and Montara assets include oil producing fields, with further development and exploration potential. The Company has a 100% operated working interest in two gas development blocks in Southwest Vietnam and is partnered with Total in the Philippines where it holds a 25% working interest in the SC56 exploration block. In addition, the Company has executed a sale and purchase agreement to acquire an operated 69% interest in the Maari Project, shallow water offshore New Zealand, and anticipates completing the transaction in H2 2020, upon receipt of customary approvals. The Company has recently executed an agreement to acquire an operated 90% interest in the Lemang PSC, onshore Sumatra, Indonesia, and anticipates completing the transaction in Q1 2021, upon receipt of customary approvals. The block includes the Akatara gas field. Led by an experienced management team with a track record of delivery, who were core to the successful growth of Talisman's business in Asia, the Company is pursuing an acquisition strategy focused on growth and creating value through identifying, acquiring, developing and operating assets in the Asia Pacific region. Jadestone Energy Inc. is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. The Company is headquartered in Singapore. For further information on Jadestone please visit www.jadestone-energy.com. This announcement does not contain inside information. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: Jadestone Energy Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/605722/Jadestone-Energy-Inc-Announces-Dividend-Related-Mailing If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. Submit Irish designer Richard Malone has taken the standout sculpting and draping techniques he executed so cleverly in his AW20 collection and introduced it to the world of interiors. His clothing pieces marked him out for special attention at London Fashion Week last February and now his very authentic commitment to sustainability has found a new expression in unusual chairs. And before you ask, yes, they are definitely meant for sitting on. The chairs are made from a reclaimed wooden base using pine and oak. For the chair pictured top right, he used recycled nylon fabric in teal but he also created one in a striking amber velvet fabric. The technique achieves a dressed chair but it's all about comfort and function, according to the Co Wexford-born designer. "It's a project that we have been working on for a while in the studio, making objects and sculptures," he tells me. Richard describes the chairs as "very loungy". "They allow for a different way, a more relaxed way, of sitting. You can form your body around them or just sink into them. The first one I made for myself. I had this leftover wood in my flat and decided to build something. We all liked it and it went from there." Working with the wood, recycled waddings and different insulation foam, he then shapes it all up by hand, and creates the silhouette on the outside with hand-stitching and draping the outer shell. The chairs cost 1,900 from his studio and the lead time is six weeks. Expand Close Richard Malone's Draped chair, 1,900 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Richard Malone's Draped chair, 1,900 "They are not around in the studio for long. The limited pieces tend to go quite quickly, just like the show pieces from the fashion show," he says. Richard tells me he has a couple of projects coming up that involve "more sculpted homewares, things that are more functional and affordable". richard-malone.com Mid-century chic Michael Mortell single-handedly changed the face of rainwear in Ireland with his signature coats with funnel collars and luxury leather trim. In recent years, however, the urbane Corkman has shifted his genius eye for detail to the world of interiors. He has a store at 53 Francis Street in Dublin 8 where he will happily discuss his passion for mid-century furniture and decor. Expand Close Relaxing concept: Oscar Niemeyer Rio chaise longue, 5,600, Michael Mortell, 53 Francis Street, Dublin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Relaxing concept: Oscar Niemeyer Rio chaise longue, 5,600, Michael Mortell, 53 Francis Street, Dublin We discussed the Oscar Niemeyer Rio Chaise Longue which was designed by the famous Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer in 1978, in collaboration with his daughter, Anna Maria. He christened this piece after his birth place, Rio de Janeiro. It has an adjustable headrest, with two small leather sacks filled with lead as contra weights. It was manufactured in Italy in blackened ash, leather and brass. Michael specialises mainly in furniture and pieces from the French art deco period and mid-century Italian period which he sources for their high quality and aesthetic beauty; the periods cover the 1920s-1960s. "Every piece that I have in the shop, I would love to have at home," says Michael. michaelmortell.com Let them wear... curtains! Forget all this tab-top, instant-hanging curtaining vibe. I'm all for a good curtain with measured flow of strong regular pleating and structure. I found those exact two qualities in the debut collections from Cork twins Muireann and Aoibhin O'Riordan from Glanmire who recently graduated from Limerick School of Art and Design. They have different takes and approaches which mark them out for attention. In her Let Them Eat Cake collection inspired by Marie Antoinette, Muireann explored the drama achieved with a gathered curtain drape while Aoibhin excels at structure and her strong architectural designs were inspired by Irish boxer Katie Taylor. The sisters want to get experience before eventually setting up their own label. @muireannoriordandesign and @aoibhinoriordandesign Full circle Helen James trained and worked in textile design, moved into accessories, then morphed that into a fashion collection before returning to pure interiors in 2009. Her Considered range is a popular go-to with Dunnes Stores customers. Helen says that from the beginning, her brand has been "very much about the William Morris ethos of practical, functional and beautiful". Her brass and marble side tables cost 60 and 100 each and are ideal for small spaces. Expand Close Helen James's Considered tables, 60 and 100, dunnesstores.com / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Helen James's Considered tables, 60 and 100, dunnesstores.com dunnesstores.com Light up When David O'Malley moved to Antwerp to do an MA in Fashion, the avant-garde Irish designer decided to explore extending his brand beyond fashion. His hand-poured soy wax candles (36) have 40 hours' burn time and there is small, travel-size one for 28. Made with essential oils, choose from the Rose, Damson, Plum and Patchouli or the Tobacco and Oak. They are available from Om Diva, Drury Street and at Marion Cuddy's boutique, Powerscourt Centre. They will also be available from his shop due to open online at the end of the month. There's a soap and hand lotion coming soon too. domalleydesign.com DUBLIN, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Ferro-Alloy Directory 2020" directory has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Ferro-Alloy Directory contains details of the world's producers and traders of Ferro-alloys and ores and concentrates of: Chromium; Manganese; Molybdenum; Nickel; Tungsten; Vanadium; Cobalt metal/ powder/ oxides Ammonium paratungstate; Vanadium pentoxide; Slags If you need to find a supplier of, or trader, in Ferro-alloys, it can be a time-consuming task. In recent times new company start ups, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, technological advances, furnace and mine openings and closings and other industry developments, have changed the shape of the industry considerably. This new directory reflects the influx of new players into the industry - on both the producing and trading side. These new players have been attracted by increased steel production and high Ferro alloy prices, especially in the emerging markets, such as in China and India, where the Ferro-alloys industry is fragmented and contains hundreds of small producers. Why waste valuable time searching the internet for these new contacts when we've done the hard work for you? Simply order this directory today and save yourself time and money. Wherever you sit in the Ferro-alloys supply chain, this directory is an essential business tool. If you're a producer, trader, or consumer; or if you're involved in plant equipment, shipping or warehousing; this new directory includes details on all the key contacts in the global Ferro-Alloys marketplace. This essential guide to the global Ferro-Alloys industry contains full contact details for companies and personnel in the industry, including: Company name & address; Telephone, fax; Email and web addresses, Personnel names and job titles, with direct telephone and fax numbers The new directory also covers: Works details; Materials produced and traded; Modernization and expansion plans; Plant capacity; And much more For more information about this directory visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qsm1yy 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: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Police with the assistance of 50 RR on Saturday arrested three persons for "glorifying terrorism" by displaying banners of terrorists in Pampore, Police said. " Police with the assistance of 50 RR today arrested 03 persons for glorifying terrorism by means of pasting posters and displaying banners of terrorists in town on 06th September 2020," the Police said in a statement. The said posters/ banners were seized by Police and a case under relevant sections of law was registered in Police Station Pampore. The three persons identified as Nadeem Ahmad, Irshad Ahmad Sofi and Shakir Ahmad Dar. "One computer system along with accessories have been seized in the said case from a printing press under the name and title 'Rampage Advertising Agency Rengreth Srinagar'," the police added. Further investigation in the case is ongoing. More details are awaited. (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.) There was a lot of laughter about the fact that, on the same day Biden announced that Trump is "dangerous" to Israel, Trump announced that Bahrain has followed in the United Arab Emirates' footsteps and is normalizing its relations with Israel. Biden's epic timing problem reflects a deeper issue, which is his and the left's failure to understand the miracle that Trump is working in the Middle East. Biden made the statement during a virtual fundraiser that J Street organized. The media like to characterize J Street as a "liberal" Jewish group concerned about Middle East policies, but that's a serious misrepresentation. J Street, which had its glory days during the Obama administration, is made up of hard-left Jewish activists who accept the false premise that Jews who are the indigenous people on that holy land are Western colonizers. Because these leftist Jews are ignorant, J Street pursues an agenda that is hostile to Israel's existence. This includes supporting anti-Semitic and anti-Israel political candidates and putting its weight behind Hamas, which is openly dedicated to a genocidal war against Israel. This attitude is certainly in sync with other Biden-supporters, such as Jacob Blake, Sr. During his presentation to the J Street crowd, Biden made the following statement: "Trump's [sic] put Israel in danger by tearing up the Iran nuclear deal and replaced it with nothing," Biden said Thursday. "He's allowed Israel's foes to take residence in Syria, a dangerous power vacuum has formed. [sic] He's undermined the stability of self-determination for the Palestinians, undercutting hope for a viable two-state solution any chance that he gets." [sic] Within a short time of Biden's word-soup pronouncement that Trump is a "danger" to Israel, the White House announced that Bahrain had followed in the UAE's footsteps and agreed to normalize its relationship with Israel. Thomas Lifson wrote an outstanding piece yesterday about the preference cascade in Israel's favor, in which he detailed all of the events that have happened under Trump's watch to increase Israel's security and to create a collection of mutually beneficial relationships throughout the Middle East. His point is that we're witnessing a "preference cascade," which sees various nations spotting a trend and eager to get on board. Biden does not understand what is happening. He's making the same mistake the entire foreign policy establishment has made for decades, which is to believe that the Palestinians matter. As Biden said, "he's undermined the stability of self-determination for the Palestinians, undercutting hope for a viable two-state solution[.]" Trump understood, as all Israel-supporters have long understood, that there was never going to be a two-state solution. Israel was always willing to exchange land for peace. It was the Palestinians, whether in the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority or in Gaza, under Hamas, who were opposed to the two-state solution. Their single, loudly, and explicitly stated goal has been for a "judenrein" (free of Jews) Palestine "from the river to the sea." Trump, however, went off in a different direction from all other negotiators. Everyone kept trying to sweeten the pot for the Palestinians to entice them to come to the table and "make peace." Trump's approach was to decide to make the Palestinians irrelevant. He took both Jerusalem and the Golan Heights off the table, and they were helpless to stop it. That made for instant irrelevancy. It helped that Trump (unlike Biden) had a broad enough perspective to recognize three essential things about the surrounding Sunni Arab nations. First, Obama's beloved Iran deal terrified them. As Israel made clear when Benjamin Netanyahu begged the U.S. Senate to oppose the deal, Israel was also terrified. Ironically, Obama helped create peace in the Middle East by pushing Israel and the Sunni states into an alliance against Iran. Both Israel and the Sunni nations are deeply concerned about Biden's promise that he'll immediately reinstate the Iran deal. Second, Trump understands money and business. The Sunni states are hurting, in part because the oil under their sands is getting harder to reach and, in part, because America has now become a net energy exporter. Third, using that understanding, Trump was able to convince the Sunni states that their future lies with profitable alliances with Israel, rather than trying to suck the last drops of oil out of the sand. And with that alliance, they can stop having to support the whiny, violent Palestinians, whom none of the Sunni states likes. With the Palestinians out of the way, nothing stands between peace between Israel and her Sunni neighbors. Because Biden still thinks the Palestinians matter, even as the Gulf Arabs are grateful to know they don't, he'll always be stuck behind the eight ball, looking stupid and making ill timed remarks, when it comes to Israel's national security and peace in the Middle East. Ratan Tata Tata Sons has approached the Supreme Court (SC) with an urgent application to stop the Shapoorji Pallonji Group (SP Group) from raising funds against security of their shares in Tata Sons. Tata Sons moved the court on September 5, a day after SP Group signed a definitive deal to raise Rs 3,750 crore with marquee investors on security over their interests in Tata Sons, The Economic Times reported. Asking the court to dismiss Tata Sons application, the SP Group said that mere creation of a pledge on shares does not mean transfer of share title as established by retired SC judge Justice BN Srikrishna. In his order staying an NCLAT verdict, Justice Srikrishna had said Cyrus Investments and Sterlings pledge of shares in Tata Sons to a third party was not controlled by the Article 75 of the Articles of Association (AoA) of Tata Sons and didn't amount to transfer of title to the shares. Tata Sons has in its recent application also asked the SC to allow it to use Article 75 to squeeze out the Mistry family by buying their shareholding at market value. An SP Group spokesperson questioned the timing, pointing out that fundraising was also carried out in January 2020 and that security documents clearly record that lenders would comply with AoA of Tata Sons in case pledged shares are enforced. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. Further, Tata Sons has also communicated with lenders such as Canadian investor Brookfield advising them against participating in the illegal Tata sons share pledge by SP Group. Sources told the newspaper this is significant as most lenders have sought a green light from Tata Sons. Brookfield, Tata Sons and Tata Trusts did not respond to queries, the ET report said. A Tata Sons executive told the newspaper there is clear restriction as it is a closely held holding company and AoA clauses state that the first right of refusal rests with Tata Sons. AoA says that shares cannot change hands including to lenders or other parties. The first right of refusal rests with Tata Sons and the SP Group will have to issue a notice to the Tata Sons board, they said. Hugo Weaving is fed up of people misinterpreting The Matrix (Image by Warner Bros) Hugo Weaving is befuddled by online mens rights activists that are co-opting and misinterpreting The Matrix. The Australian actor played Agent Smith in the original trilogy of films, which were written and directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski. Recently, Lily Wachowski admitted that the film is a trans metaphor. However, over the last few years, both conspiracy theorists and mens rights activists have used the term, red-pilling, from the film for their own agendas. Which is something that Weaving, understandably, is rather peeved about. Read More: Hugo Weaving reveals why he's not in 'The Matrix 4' I am befuddled by it, he told The Daily Beast. It just goes to show how people dont read below surfaces. They dont read between the lines. They will take something that they think is cool and they will repurpose it to fit themselves when the original intention or meaning of that thing was quite the opposite. SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 20: Hugo Weaving attends the Sydney premiere of Babyteeth At Randwick Ritz on July 20, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images) Weaving said that these individuals have a very, very shallow reading of the intention of [The Matrix]. Thats a problem with popular culture: these films are profoundly thought through, but its too easy to look cool, have a cool haircut, and have a gun, and you think thats all you need to do in life. He then went even further with this assertion, linking it to the current divisive social and political problems across the world, especially in the United States Of America. Read More: Keanu Reeves reveals 'beautiful script' was the reason he returned for 'The Matrix 4' They arent thinking about other people and are only thinking about themselves. Trump is the classic, most unbelievable example. Narcissist is a stupid thing to say, its so obvious. He doesnt give a flying fuck about anyone else but himself. Its just unbelievable that hes the president. Unfortunately, while a fourth installment to The Matrix franchise is currently in production, Weaving has already confirmed that he wont be a part of it. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 23:54:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JUBA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- After five years of brutal civil war, several South Sudanese parties signed a revitalized peace agreement in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on September 12, 2018, following ten months of intense negotiations. Two years on, the peace deal is yet to produce tangible results as political crisis and violence, food insecurity and economic meltdown continue to ravage the world's youngest nation. "I was happy when the peace deal was signed in September 2018 because I thought it was the end of the suffering," said Majok Yen, who has lived in the UN Protection of Civilians (POC) site in Juba since 2013. The initialization of the peace agreement provided renewed hope for a return to peace and stability in the east African country. "I feel our leaders have let us down because for over two years, we are still suffering and people continue to die," he added. "We have been crying for peace to come to our country, but I'm disappointed that two years since the signing of the peace agreement, nothing much has changed in South Sudan and the people continue to suffer," Nelson Sworo, a Juba resident told a local radio station on Saturday morning. "I blame our leaders for the current problems because they only care about their own interests but not the common citizens," he added. According to a recent report by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), sporadic violence has killed over 600 civilians in the past six months of 2020. Half of the country's population of an estimated 12 million people are food insecure, and over four million have been displaced both internally and externally. "It is unacceptable for South Sudanese to continue bearing the burden and consequences of this conflict including impunity, rape, severe hunger, displacement and almost complete lack of services," the Women Monthly Forum, a pressure group that brings together over 40 South Sudanese peace advocates, said in a joint communique on Friday. The campaigners said that since the signing of the peace deal in 2018, nothing much has changed in South Sudan because violence, economic hardship and human rights abuses have continued unabated. The group is particularly concerned about the recent escalation in fighting between government troops and forces of holdout rebel group, the National Salvation Front of Thomas Cirilo Swaka in Central Eqautoria state and upsurge in inter-communal violence in several parts of the country. "We note with concern that security is not only the absence of conflict but the guarantee of freedom of movement, access to resources, food, water, shelter and education, and more importantly a general sense of safety," said the group. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in July 2011, but barely two years later, the young nation descended into civil war in December 2013. A peace deal signed in August 2015 failed to contain the violence after it collapsed following renewed violence in the capital Juba in July 2016. The 2018 revitalized peace agreement was signed by South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, former rebel leader Riek Machar and several armed groups with the aim of ending the devastating civil strife. But political commentator James Okuk opined that the peace deal has not yielded many benefits for the people of South Sudan since key provisions had not been implemented. "The revitalization of the peace agreement has not progressed as expected and the two years have been wasted just talking on chapter one," Okuk said. Okuk, who is also a senior research fellow at the Center for Strategic Policy Studies, a Juba-based think tank, expressed concern that the revitalized peace deal may not be fully implemented within the 36-month timeframe because the parties have wasted 24-months without achieving much. "Until now, the parties are still arguing on petty issues yet time is running out and we are remaining with one year to implement the peace agreement," said Okuk. He said that notable achievement in South Sudan's peace process was the formation of the government of national unity in February, but he warned that the country's path to peace remained bumpy and long. "The parties are not really working in harmony to stabilize the country, so it is better the push comes from the people and the international community," said Okuk. He said that the peace agreement should be amended to allow South Sudan to go ahead with elections even though most parts of the pact remain unimplemented. "The agreement should be amended so that we go for elections right away and the rest of the provisions that are not moving should be brushed aside so that we move on," said Okuk. "Otherwise if we stick to the content of the agreement, the remaining time is not enough to implement everything in it," he added. Enditem Lounge Heroes | Leading the sustainable agriculture fightback Vijay Jardhari, 68, farmer and environmental activist led a movement among Uttarakhands farmers to revive sustainable agricultural practices like crop rotation and boost food security Jardhari had been part of the Chipko Andolan, which successfully protested the haphazard destruction of forests, in the 1970s. By the late 1980s, farming practices in India had undergone drastic change. The government was handing out high-yielding variety seeds, artificial fertilizers and pesticides to farmers at a marginal cost. At the time, most farmers considered it to be a blessing. advertisement advertisement It was no different in the hills of present-day Uttarakhand, where the government was encouraging the cultivation of soya bean.But as time passed, the dependence on a single crop began to take a toll on lives, livelihoods and the soil. And in 1986, environmental activist and farmerVijay Jardhari, now 68, launched the Beej Bachao Andolan to preserve local seeds and encourage indigenous farming methods. The crop production had increased in the first couple of years and everyone celebrated the success. But over time we could see that the quality of the soil was degrading due to the chemical fertilizers, Jardhari says, perched outside his workspace, which overlooks the green fields of Nagni in Tehri Garhwal. advertisement advertisement The region used to be renowned for its sustainable farming practices, passed down generations. It believed in crop rotation, mixed crop farming, and the use of natural products as manure. Every farmer kept animalsthe milk offered nutrition for the family and the dung was used for manure. Most farmers were self-sufficient, bartering the surplus produce or simply selling it in the market. All this changed. For, while soya bean could fetch a fair price, locals now had to buy essential grains and pulses for consumptionearlier, they would just grow these in their own fields. advertisement advertisement Before soya bean, our fields were providing food for us, while the by-products were fodder for the domesticated animals. I soon realized that in case of crop failure, we would have neither money nor food to survive, Jardhari recalls. Jardhari had been part of the Chipko Andolan, which successfully protested the haphazard destruction of forests, in the 1970s. By 1984, his comrades and he were battling illegal mining in the region. But though activism was an integral part of his life, Jardhari remained a farmer at heart. And the next cause he took up was linked closely to his daily subsistence. advertisement advertisement When Jardhari and others who worked with Beej Bachao Andolan consulted village elders, they realized the change in farming practices wasnt the only problem: Nutritious indigenous crops, such as millet, had been edged out completely. We set out for remote, interior villages of Uttarakhand in order to collect seeds and created a bank. No scientist or member of the agriculture department had ever visited these places before. Once we had gathered enough seeds, we started giving them out to farmers, he says. In 1988, the team marched on foot from Arakot in Uttarkashi to Askot in Pithoragarha distance of over 600kmdistributing seeds and spreading the word on reviving sustainable practices in farming pockets across the state. They encouraged farmers to revive the crop rotation system known as Bara Anaaja farming cyclethat involves12 different seeds. For, cultivating a variety of crops not only ensured a constant supply of food through the year, it also allowed the soil to breathe between cycles. advertisement advertisement The earth is a living being and it needs a holiday just like the rest of us, says Jardhari, smiling. We call her Mother Earth but dont respect her. The rotation is great for the soil and keeps it healthy. Within a few months, they collected 350 varieties of seeds from farmers around Uttarakhand, including 220 types of rajma (kidney bean), 12 varieties of mandwa (finger millet), eight varieties of jhangora (barnyard millet), over 30 varieties of wheat, and four-six varieties of jowar (sorghum). They organized workshops to educate farmers on the need to keep cultivating these local crops. advertisement advertisement This is not my conceptpeople have been practising this for years. Out attempt was only to get people to realize that traditional farming was more sustainable in the long run as compared to other methods, he says. Things didnt always go smoothly. There were occasions when the gram sabhas would accuse Jardhari of misguiding farmers. A few farmers scoffed, arguing he was against progress. But time and again the critics were proved wrongfor whether it was the droughts of 1986 and 2009, or the heavy rain of 2010-11, crops such as mandwa, jhangora, kauni and chaulai survived. Even in the worst of times, farmers were able to grow enough to feed their families and sell some produce in the market. advertisement advertisement If you see, in places where suicides are being reported, farmers have taken to growing a single crop, Jardhari says. Local crops tend to be both hardy and nutritious, easy to grow since they need less water. For though Uttarakhand may have glacier-fed river systems, farmers high up in the mountains still depend on monsoon rain for cultivation. So the crops are carefully selected to ensure they do not require too much water. In addition, millet, for instance, has the highest nutrition value and those who consume it have few illnesses, says Jardhari. advertisement advertisement Monetary packages for farmers are not going to end suicides. We need to bring back the values of farming, keeping in mind the changing weather pattern, and act accordingly, he says. Shail Desai is a Mumbai-based writer. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. This article was published originally in Manitoba Pageant by the Manitoba Historical Society in January 1960. This is a story about a five-year-old boy who lived for 10 days in a badger hole. It is a story that has been told for more than 80 years and is by now almost a Manitoba legend. The story was told for the first time in the Manitoba Free Press of July 19, 1873. It was told again in 1953 just about the time a little Winnipeg girl was missing near Kenora. Between 1873 and 1953 it has been recalled on a number of occasions. In 1881 Jeff Gee, in his book A Sketch of Both Sides of Manitoba, reprinted Peter Fidlers account of the incident. Fidlers story of how he found the missing boy in a badger hole was told in the Winnipeg newspaper soon after the boy was returned safely to his parents. Jeff Gee, whose real name was J. F. Galbraith, had taken part, while working for the paper, in the search for the boy. In 1908, Ernest Thompson Seton, naturalist to the Government of Manitoba, published a two-volume study called Life History of Northern Animals. He tells of many strange friendships that animals form but the most remarkable of all, he thought, was the friendship of the badger with a lost boy. Seton was told the story by George Fraser and his mother of Kildonan and by Archbishop Matheson, who no doubt had told the story many times to his friends, for he had been a student minister in the district at the time the boy was lost. Finally, the story was told in the Country Guide in 1951 by Margaret Arnett MacLeod, one of our most respected students of Manitoba history. Mrs. MacLeods story won an award in the 1950-51 literary competition conducted by the Toronto Womens Canadian Club. Here then is the story of Billy Service who lived and played with badgers for 10 days. One day in July 1873 Billy left his home to pick strawberries. When it grew dark and he did not return, his parents and friends near Springfield were worried and set out to look for him. A few days later, a large number of people from Kildonan and Winnipeg joined in the search. When the loss of the boy became generally known throughout Winnipeg, further attempts to organize search parties were made and an application was made to Lt.-Col. Osborne Smith for assistance from the army. Soldiers, however, were not available. One large search party which went out from Winnipeg included the entire staff of the Manitoba Free Press. Still, Billy couldnt be found and there seemed little chance he could survive without food, water, or shelter. Finally, Billys father offered a reward of $200 for the recovery of his son. Ten days after he had strayed from his home, Billy Service was found eight miles away in a badger hole by Peter Fidler, who was out hunting. When Archbishop Matheson told the story of Billy Service in 1936, he stated that Mrs. Fidler was said to have had a dream in which it was revealed to her that the boy could be found in a badger hole and that she induced her husband to go out and look for him. When he was found, Billys clothes were torn, his face scratched, and his mouth and tongue were black with mud and swollen. He had lived on strawberries, grasshoppers and mud. While he had been wandering around lost, Billy had come across a mound in which there was an unusually large badger hole. It was large because it had been used by a wolf before the family of badgers moved in. The badgers did not use the large entrance made by the wolf but a smaller tunnel on the opposite side of the mound. 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. When it started to rain, Billy ran to the only shelter he could find the badger hole. He crawled in. At least there he was warm and dry. He found out though that he wasnt very welcome. The badgers scratched him and tore his clothes. The only thing Billy could do was slap them and scratch back until they stopped bothering him. When it stopped raining, Billy went outside to look for strawberries. While the older badgers were away looking for food, the young ones came out and started to play. Billy drew near and joined in their play. Soon they became friends and when the mother and father badger returned, they didnt seem to mind the new playmate their cubs had found. At night, Billy and the badger family went back into their home. The badgers didnt object to him now. Each day the older badgers brought him food when they fed their young. Sometimes he ate it. Sometimes he preferred strawberries, roots and mud to the gophers and mice his animal friends brought him. One day while resting in the hole, Billy saw a man with a gun. He was frightened and cried a little. The man came nearer. He had heard Billy cry and as he bent down to look in the badger hole he was surprised to see a small boys hand. Billy didnt say anything. He was so frightened that Peter Fidler, the man who had found him, had to coax him out by promising him food. Billy began to cry again when he was taken away from his prairie playmates for they had become good friends, but all his life he knew that he was the only boy in the world who had lived for 10 days in a badger hole. For more information or to become a member of the Manitoba Historical Society, call 204-947-0559 or email: info@mhs.mb.ca. The MHS is on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as manitoba-history. When will the nightmare of Americas COVID shutdowns end? Many think the country wont get back to normal until there is a COVID vaccine. My organization polls Minnesotans each quarter; just last week, we asked some questions about COVID. One was: 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? A considerable number, 27%, saw the release of a vaccine as the end of COVID: * 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 President Trump has touted Operation Warp Speed, a federal effort to develop, test, and bring to market a COVID vaccine much faster than has ever happened before. The FDA has even suggested that it might approve such a vaccine on an emergency basis without going through the usual Phase 3 clinical trials. Dr. Alex Berezow denounced this idea in an article on the web site of the American Council on Science and Health titled FDAs Reckless Gamble: Emergency Use Of COVID-19 Vaccine Prior To Phase 3 Clinical Trial Completion Is Nuts. I interviewed Dr. Berezow on the Dan Proft Show yesterday. The audio of that interview is embedded below. Berezow makes, in my view, a strong case against taking any short cuts in getting an anti-COVID vaccine to market. Phase 3 trials, involving large numbers of subjects so that relatively rare adverse reactions can be brought to light, are, in his view, essential. That is hard to dispute. He also explains why they take so long. But there is more to the vaccine story. In this interview, we discuss the fact that it is by no means certain that an effective COVID vaccine can be found. In fact, there has never been a successful vaccine against any coronavirus (e.g., the common cold). Further, we already have an anti-vaxxer movement in the U.S., and both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have reinforced anti-vaxxer sentiment by saying they may not get any vaccine developed under the Trump administration. Poll data suggest that many Americans will adopt a wait and seeor, one could say, a you go firstattitude toward any COVID vaccine. To the extent Americans dont choose to get the vaccine, it cant help. Here is the interview: The bottom line, in my view, is that a vaccine may or may not be proved effective someday, but it is more important, for now, to focus on treatments that can forestall the catastrophic immune reactions that can actually cause death in a COVID patient. Meanwhile, I think our governments should lift lockdowns and get all of us back to normal. Quite a few people will catch COVID, and a few of those will also die. Of those who die after catching COVID, an unknown percentage will actually die on account of COVID. This is nothing new in human history: diseases can kill people. Fortunately, this particular virus kills very few who are not already on, or close to, their death beds. We should be grateful for that, and should get our lives back to normal. Now. A 13-year-old boy accused of setting fire to trees outside the home of a garda "forced the garda, his pregnant wife and two young children to run through burning embers and escape over a boundary wall", a court has heard. Following the alleged arson attack, the family were left traumatised, with one of the young children refusing to return to the family home. The teen, who cannot be identified as he is a juvenile, allegedly did not know who owned the house, Drogheda District Court heard. The teen appeared before Judge Erin McKiernan, where after the alleged facts of the case were heard, the judge accepted jurisdiction to have the case dealt with summarily at district court level. Detective Garda Andrew Duffy told the court that at 11pm on June 7 large fir trees outside the home in Hawthorn Crescent in Dundalk, Co Louth were set on fire. A neighbour ran into the home of the garda and told him and his family to leave the home due to the fire. The garda, his pregnant wife and young children had to run through burning embers and climb a boundary wall to avoid the flames which blocked the driveway. The garda returned to the property to remove his vehicle and a neighbour's vehicle fearing the cars would go on fire. Two appliances from Dundalk Fire Service attended the scene. "2,000 worth of damage was caused to the soffits of the house while the trees that were set on fire were removed," said Det-Gda Duffy. It is alleged the accused was identified on CCTV footage setting the fires. "It is alleged no accelerant was used and the trees went up in flames quickly because of the dry period," said Det-Gda Duffy. Gda Duffy said the incident was "extremely traumatic for the family", with one of the young children refusing to go back to the house. Defence barrister Ronan O'Carroll, instructed by solicitor Brian Keenan, said he has not yet received instructions on whether the accused is pleading guilty or not guilty. Penalties It is alleged the teen did not know the house was owned by a serving member of An Garda Siochana. Judge Erin McKiernan said the alleged offence is "extremely serious" but because of the teen's age and maturity she accepted jurisdiction to have the case heard at district court level where if convicted the penalties are less than those imposed at circuit court level. The judge ordered a Probation Report and remanded the accused on continuing bail to appear before the court again in November. Putin, Lukashenka To Hold First Face-To-Face Talks Since Postelection Crisis By RFE/RL September 11, 2020 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." 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 Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-lukashenka- to-hold-first-face-to-face-talks-since- postelection-crisis/30833486.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 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. A Mohali court on Saturday issued an arrest warrant against former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in connection with the 1991 Balwant Singh Multani disappearance case. The court has directed the police to produce Saini by September 25, according to the order. Saini, the former Punjab director general of police, continues to remain elusive despite the special investigation team of the Punjab Police conducting raids at several places to nab him. Saini, whose whereabouts were still unknown, was booked in May in connection with the disappearance of Multani in 1991 when he was working as a junior engineer with Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation. The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday had dismissed Sainis anticipatory bail plea in this matter. The high court had also dismissed Sainis second petition that sought quashing of an FIR in the case or the transfer of investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). A Mohali court had dismissed his bail plea on September 1. Last month, the police had added murder charge under Section 302 of the IPC in the FIR in Multani disappearance case after two former Chandigarh Police personnel former UT police Inspector Jagir Singh and former ASI Kuldeep Singh who are also co-accused turned approver in the disappearance case. The Punjab Police on September 3 had claimed that Saini absconded while leaving behind the Z plus security allotted to him. Saini had left his Chandigarh residence without Punjab Police security personnel and security vehicles, including a jammer vehicle. Balwant Multani, who was a resident of Mohali, was picked up by the police after a terrorist attack on Saini, who was then the senior superintendent of police in Chandigarh, in 1991. However, the police had later claimed that Balwant Multani had escaped from custody of Qadian Police in Gurdaspur. Saini and six others were booked on the complaint of Balwant Multanis brother, Palwinder Singh Multani, who is a resident of Jalandhar. The case was registered against them under sections 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence), 344 (wrongful confinement), 330 (voluntarily causes hurt) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code at Mataur police station in Mohali. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 23:13:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Ministry of Commerce on Friday reported that the country's cross-border trade fell 8.5 percent year-on-year in the first seven months, mostly due to the closure of border checkpoints amid COVID-19. Overall cross-border trade, including transit trade, totaled 741 billion baht (23.68 billion U.S. dollars) from January to July, said the Ministry's Foreign Trade Department. Of the total figures, exports were 429 billion baht (13.7 billion U.S. dollars), down 8.2 percent year-on-year, while imports shrank 9 percent to 312 billion baht (9.97 billion U.S. dollars), resulting in a trade surplus of 116 billion baht (3.7 billion U.S. dollars), said the department in a press release. Border trade with four neighboring countries amounted to 434 billion baht (13.87 billion U.S. dollars), down 12.8 percent year-on-year. Of the total, exports stood at 256 billion baht (8.18 billion U.S. dollars), down 10.9 percent, and imports were 178 billion baht (5.69 billion U.S. dollars), down 15.4 percent. However, the Foreign Trade Department also said that cross-border trade prospects for the remaining months are likely to improve after the department worked with nearby countries to reopen more border checkpoints. As of Aug. 13, Thailand had reopened 40 of the 97 border checkpoints nationwide. Enditem Welsh voters could elect up to 50% more Senedd Members in 2026 election This article is old - Published: Saturday, Sep 12th, 2020 Welsh voters could elect up to 50% more Senedd Members if the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) Cymru get its way. It has thrown its weight behind a Committee on Senedd Reform report calling on the number of representatives to be increased to at least 80 and preferably closer to 90. The report said the increase would reflect the greater powers invested in the body since devolution in 1999. Welsh Conservatives said there was no public appetite for an increase. The report also called for a change in the voting system to the single transferable vote (STV) and boundary reform, in time for the 2026 Senedd poll. The findings of the committee echo those from a 2017 study by the Expert Panel on Assembly Electoral Reform. Plaid Cymru backed the changes saying the Welsh electoral system needed urgent reform. ERS Cymru director Jess Blair claimed the move was desperately needed. She said: The truth is the Senedd is operating chronically over-capacity and it is ordinary voters in Wales who lose out. Politicians in all parties recognise the need for reform, but too many are choosing to play politics with the issue, avoiding making the crucial decision that would give the Welsh people the voice they deserve. It has been well over 15 years since an increase in the size of the Senedd was first recommended. In that time the Senedd has gained more powers while having insufficient capacity to properly scrutinise legislation and hold the Welsh Government to account. It is now time for parties to grasp the nettle, and commit to enacting these important and positive reforms in the first part of the next Senedd term. Stronger scrutiny pays for itself. Paul Davies MS, leader of the Conservative opposition, said the report represented the views of just two parties (Labour and Plaid Cymru) and there was no public appetite for the changes. He added: The current voting system enables a roughly proportional Senedd while maintaining local accountability with two thirds of Members of the Welsh Parliament elected on a first past the post basis; we see no reason to change it. Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price MS claimed a strengthened Senedd was needed at a time when devolution was under direct assault from Westminster. Mr Price was referring to a row over who gets to set standards normally defined in Brussels, which has broken out between the devolved nations and the UK Government. Its UK Internal Market Bill seeks to give the UK Government the last word on food standards, air quality and other regulations over Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland who would then have to abide by those rulings. The devolved nations can decide their own standards but would still have to accept goods and services from other parts of the UK even if their standards were different. He added: Better value for money than any five billion pound refurbishment to Westminster, Plaid Cymru has long maintained that our national parliament needs more powers and that our electoral system needs urgent reform. Our Parliament is too small and that represents a big danger to the health of our democracy. Its a crisis in our democracy that we have to put right today. Senedd elections currently operate under the Additional Member System which sees 40 constituency members voted for in a first past the post, winner takes all poll. Voters then make a preference for a political party on their voting slip and members from each region are drawn from a list given by each party. The bigger the proportion of the vote, the more additional members a party gets. Under the Single Transferable Vote electors rate their choices in order of preference for a given area, by writing one, two, three, etc next to their choices. Each candidate must receive a certain quota of the votes to be elected. If your first choice has enough votes, second preference votes are then counted to top up other candidates, and so on until enough nominees have the required numbers to fill the vacancies. The system is used in Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland for their Parliamentary elections. By Jez Hemming BBC Local Democracy Reporter No new cases of community transmission have been reported for nine days and a continuous increase in the number of recoveries show that the disease has been brought under control nationwide, he said. He reiterated the need, however, to remain vigilant, especially in the health sector and at hospitals, as there remains a risk of the disease breaking out once more, especially with several re-opening measures being applied in the time ahead. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc addresses the meeting of the Government's permanent members on September 11 (Photo: VNA) Vietnam must continue working on the dual targets of disease prevention and economic development over the remainder of the year to achieve a positive growth rate, possibly 3 percent, he emphasised. He asked ministries, sectors, and localities to create the conditions necessary for trade to flourish, and required localities to stay ready to attract investment, especially from major partners. The Government leader asked the health sector to coordinate with ministries, sectors, and localities to publicise the latest disease prevention and control measures and to monitor and test all people entering Vietnam once international commercial flights resume. He urged the Transport Ministry to direct airlines to consider resuming commercial flights to and from several nations and regions and opening flights for those transiting through Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Laos, and Cambodia. The ministry was also requested to coordinate with the ministries of Health, National Defence, Public Security, and Foreign Affairs when considering issues relating to the re-opening of international flights, including selecting prioritised passengers and airports, monitoring and quarantining passengers, and taking test samples. He asked the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Transport to consider increasing the frequency of flights to and from countries that have not been so hard hit by the disease, to bring Vietnamese citizens home and facilitate investors, experts, and managers coming to the country. The ministries of National Defence and Public Security and localities need to control and strictly punish those illegally entering Vietnam, while the ministries of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Finance, and Planning and Investment are asked to continue submitting to the PM measures to carry out the second phase of the social welfare assistance package and propose other packages in support of others, especially the unemployed./. Turkey decries European statement in support of Greece as 'biased' Iran Press TV Friday, 11 September 2020 1:29 PM Turkey has decried as "biased" a statement issued by European countries in which they threatened sanctions against Ankara in a dispute with Greece over maritime boundaries. "The expressions in the joint communique are biased, disconnected from reality and lack a legal basis," Turkey's Foreign Ministry said on Friday, a day after a European summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. In a joint statement late on Thursday, France, Italy, Spain, Malta, Portugal, Greece, and Cyprus said the European Union "is ready to develop a list of further restrictive measures" on Turkey unless Ankara ends its "confrontational actions." According to the statement, the measures could be discussed at the European Council on September 24-25. NATO allies Greece and Turkey are at odds over a range of issues, including sea boundaries. Tensions have spiked between the two since Ankara resumed energy exploration work in a disputed area of the eastern Mediterranean on August 10. The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Friday urged the EU countries supporting Greece's claims to "abandon their one-sided approach." Ankara also reiterated its call for unconditional talks with Greece. "We invite Greece to give up its illegal and maximalist claims over maritime zones," the ministry said. In remarks published on Thursday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed the importance of dialog with Turkey provided that it was held on peaceful terms, not "at gunpoint." Greece and Turkey almost went to war in 1974 over Cyprus, which has since been divided, with the northern third run by a Turkish Cypriot administration recognized only by Turkey and the southern two-thirds governed by the internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot government. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address How to navigate Trump's temporary payroll tax break A tax cut meant to help workers struggling through the coronavirus crisis will need to be repaid early in 2021 so if you're affected by it, you'll need to do some planning. The payroll tax holiday declared by President Donald Trump could give you larger-than-usual paychecks through the end of 2020, but much skimpier ones for the first four months of the new year. Financial experts say the smart approach is to think of the payroll tax holiday as a loan, and that means using the money wisely while preparing for payback. How the payroll tax cut works An executive order that Trump signed last month allows employers to hold off on collecting some federal payroll taxes through the end of the year, to give plumper paychecks to Americans who earn $4,000 or less every two weeks. Specifically, the president's memorandum lets bosses temporarily stop dinging their employees for a 6.2% tax that funds Social Security. A worker making the $4,000 threshold amount at a participating business would get an extra $248 in each biweekly paycheck, through Dec. 31. But the order doesn't cancel the taxes it just delays them. The IRS says payroll taxes deferred between September and December of this year under Trump's order will have to be paid between January and April of next year, "or interest, penalties, and additions to tax will begin to accrue on May 1, 2021." The official White House memo says Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin will "explore avenues, including legislation" to permanently wipe out the tax debt, but there's no guarantee Congress will agree. Major business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have balked at the payroll tax holiday. Workers won't have anything to worry about if their employers don't participate. But Trump's order will apply to an estimated 1.3 million federal employees and more than 1 million U.S. service members, starting with the pay period ending Sept. 12, according to The Washington Post and other media outlets. Story continues What to do if your payroll taxes are deferred Luca Santilli / Shutterstock The payroll tax deferral has been described as a "payroll tax loan" by Janet Holtzblatt, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, in multiple interviews. Holtzblatt says affected workers who treat it that way should be fine. This kind of no-interest loan may be welcome relief for people who have been racking up debt during periods of unemployment. But if they don't plan ahead, wintertime will be a shock as their paychecks suddenly come up short. Here are a few coping strategies: Put the excess pay into savings. If the money is a loan, "pay it back" as you go. During the months payroll taxes are deferred, examine each pay stub and find the "gross pay" amount, before taxes. Multiple that by 0.062 (6.2%) to determine how much you didn't pay into Social Security, as you normally would. Then, deposit that amount into a high-yield savings account. You'll need that stash to get through the winter and early spring, when your paychecks shrink to make up the unpaid payroll taxes from the fall. And, you might as well earn some interest on the money while you sit on it. Use the extra cash to pay down debt. If you've got a lot of debt from credit cards, follow the advice above to see how much additional pay you're receiving while your payroll taxes are cut temporarily. Apply the amounts to your debt, to help reduce your balances and your minimum payments. You will experience a pay cut early in 2021 as the deferred payroll taxes are paid back, but you should find yourself paying smaller bills. Make a New Year's resolution to be more responsible with debt, and consider taking out a debt consolidation loan to help shrink your credit card balances to zero. Devote some of your padded pay to new financial habits. Calculate how much extra pay you're getting and squirrel away most of it into savings for the first part of next year. But spend a small amount on a financial goal you haven't been able to get around to, like buying life insurance to protect your loved ones if something happens to you, or getting into investing if you've wanted to put money into stocks. Life insurance policies can be surprisingly inexpensive; the industry nonprofit Life Happens says you can pay as little as $13 a month, depending on your age and desired coverage level. And, today's investing apps allow you to start with as little as $1, and you can find yourself paying no fees or commissions. The fate of the payroll tax deferral Though White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told reporters last week that the payroll tax break will be "extremely helpful" for workers, members of Congress are unconvinced. More than 20 mostly Republican members of the U.S. Senate have signed a letter urging the administration to let federal government employees and members of the military say no thanks, and opt out. "Federal workers and service members should not be used as pawns for a payroll tax scheme that many private-sector employers are unlikely to join and where key questions remain unanswered," the letter says. Republicans say they plan to introduce legislation to forgive the deferred taxes, as the White House wants. But since that proposal is likely to face resistance in the House, which is controlled by Democrats, the safe move for affected workers is to put at least a little extra aside. A 'party lad' thought to be behind Bolton's coronavirus case spike 'always had parties and people round' after returning from his six-week Ibiza holiday, neighbours say. Construction worker Layton Migas, 23, spent six weeks sunning himself on the Ibiza island Es Vedra before returning to his home in Bolton on August 20. His neighbours have today shed light on Mr Migas' partying ways, adding 'he was hardly discreet' about defying quarantine. Travellers returning from Spain, which is not on the UK's approved travel corridor list, are required to self-quarantine for 14 days in an attempt to prevent the spread of the virus. Layton Migas, 23, spent six weeks sunning himself on the Balearic island of Ibiza before returning to his home in Bolton on 20 August. Pictured in A neighbour said: 'When he came home from Ibiza, he was hardly discreet. He was always going out in his van. 'If I'd have spent weeks in Ibiza, then posted all over social media, I would have stayed in and kept my head down. 'He was always having parties and people were coming in and out his house all the time when he was supposed to be in quarantine. 'He is a young lad but should have known better.' Ibiza was excluded from England's travel corridor list on July 26 and when Mr Migas flew back to the UK he should have quarantined at home for 14 days. Instead, neighbours say Mr Migas invited friends round and constantly left home in his van. Ibiza was excluded from England's travel corridor list on July 26 and when Mr Migas (pictured on holiday in Dubai) flew back to the UK he should have quarantined at home for 14 days Migas is pictured with his friends while on holiday in Ibiza in August this year. Bolton MP Chris Green confirmed that one infected holidaymaker is thought to be behind the rise in infections in Bolton One said: 'He is a real party lad and is always on holiday and going to places like New York. As soon the travel ban was lifted he was away. 'He wasn't expecting to be out for so long but was having such a good time, he decided to say. 'He decided to stay out in Ibiza instead of coming home when the travel corridor was closing so it's his own fault. 'If it's true that he's responsible for the spike in Bolton, which has closed the pubs and restaurants, then that's terrible behaviour. But would one person be responsible for the spike?' Another said: 'He's a nice enough lad. He's just been daft.' Greater Manchester Police has fined the 23-year-old 1,000 for the repeated breaches. Migas is pictured while on holiday in Ibiza in August this year. Migas said he feels he has been 'scrutinised' for being a young person Bolton West MP Chris Green confirmed he was told by health authorities that one infected holidaymaker is thought to be behind the rise in infections in the Lancashire town. Mr Green told the Sun: 'The only suggestion I've heard so far to what's happened in Bolton is that someone who had been on holiday in Spain, came back, didn't go into quarantine. 'He had coronavirus, went on a pub crawl. That's so far the only explanation of a contributory factor in Bolton.' Mr Green said he doesn't think the breaches are the only factor behind the staggering rise in cases in Bolton. He expressed concern over the unknown reason behind the increasing rate of transmission. Migas himself confirmed he had been fined by Greater Manchester Police and said he thought he had been 'scrutinised' for being young. 'I'd say I have definitely been scrutinised for being a young person,' he told the Sun. Migas is pictured with his friends while on holiday in Ibiza in August this year. The 23-year-old went to the Spanish island for his summer holidays, returning on August 20 'They wouldn't have known. It's only the neighbours that have told them. There's loads of people I know who didn't quarantine. 'What I actually got done for was that I was partying but I was actually in my house with the people I had been on holiday with.' Migas claims that he was in his house with two other people, who he'd been on holiday with, when police knocked on the door, accusing him of not quarantining. Officers went to the house, which Migas shares with a friend, at 9am and 1pm, he said, adding that he was asleep at the time so didn't answer. 'It is pretty harsh,' he said. 'There is no payment plan, you literally have to pay the 1,000 or go to court.' Despite not having a test, the 23-year-old said he never had the virus because he was not experiencing any symptoms. Thirty per cent of people infected with the disease are asymptomatic. 'I've not had any symptoms,' he said. 'I did actually want to go for a test but there wasn't any in Bolton and the next nearest was Blackburn. It's a long way to drive if you know you're not ill.' The jet setter has travelled to Dubai, New York, Mallorca and Thailand in recent years. Chief Inspector Nicola Williams, of GMP, told the Sun: 'The actions of this man were completely irresponsible, not only was he leaving the house while he should have been self-isolating, he also held a house party, which breached further regulations and subsequently put others at risk.' People queue to undertake a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test at a walk-in test facility in Bolton, Britain last week She said the 1,000 fine 'should serve as a stark warning' to other people who feel they can ignore Covid-19 regulations and get away with it. Bolton Council Executive Cabinet Member for Environment Services Regulatory, Cllr Hilary Fairclough, called the individual's actions 'disappointing', 'selfish and irresponsible'. A couple in nearby Chorley, Lancs, were also hit with a 1,000 fine after returning from the Canary Islands and failing to isolate. Last week, Bolton was placed under tighter Covid-19 restrictions as the infection rate in the area became the highest in England with hundreds of thousands of people banned from mixing. Bolton Council asked people in the town to avoid mixing with other households and to only use public transport for essential purposes. It comes as the town's infection rate recently increased to 99 cases per 100,000 people per week, the highest in England, the council said. Sunday update: New maps and information released Sunday, Sept. 13. Wildfires continue to rage throughout the state, although two fires did not join into one as of midday Saturday. The death toll grew to 10 with three more human remains found in Jackson County. Meanwhile, 50 people remain unaccounted for in the aftermath of a blaze that leveled entire neighborhoods in the small southern Oregon towns of Phoenix and Talent. Statewide, wildfires have burned more than a million acres, twice the yearly average over the past 10 years, in just the past week. The Oregonian/OregonLive has compiled fire information and evacuation resources for 10 of the states most prominent blazes, with information updated as of Saturday afternoon. Click on each fire name to see a map and find out more about the blaze: Beachie Creek Location: Santiam Canyon east of Salem; southern Clackamas County Size: 186,988 acres Containment: 0% Cause: Unknown Evacuation resources: Marion County The fire has yet to merge with Clackamas Countys Riverside fire, but authorities have said they still expect the blazes to combine. Holiday Farm Location: East of the Eugene-Springfield area Size: 156,708 acres Containment: 0% Cause: Unknown Evacuation resources: Lane County; Linn County The community of Blue River 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. The 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. Lionshead Location: 20 miles west of Warm Springs Size: 136,346 acres Containment: 5% Cause: Lightning Evacuation resources: State dashboard The lightning-caused fire started on the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation about 14 miles west of Warm Springs and has spread to the Willamette National Forest and beyond. Slater/Devil Fire Location: Josephine County Size: 142,000 acres Containment: 0% Cause: Unknown Evacuation resources: Josephine County Community of Happy Camp, California, and energy infrastructure are threatened. Evacuations, area, road and trail closures in effect. Fire commanders remain concerned Saturday about whether the Riverside fire in Clackamas County (top, center) would merge with the Beachie Creek and Lionshead fires (lower center). Riverside Location: Near Estacada Size: 130,052 acres Containment: 0% Cause: Human Evacuation resources: Clackamas County Firefighters continue to go direct on the fire around the community of Estacada, with the help of hotshot crews and engines. Favorable weather limits the fire growth seen on the early days of the wildfire. However, conditions remain extremely dangerous with active fire across thousands of acres in and around the fire perimeter. Archie Creek Location: Northeast of Roseburg Size: 115,857 acres Containment: 0% Cause: Under investigation Evacuation resources: Douglas County The fire is burning in the North Umpqua drainage on the west slope of the Cascades. Firefighters report progress made with structure assessments, protection of structures, use of roads, power infrastructure, and containment of fire, with fireline construction continuing. Wildfire tracker: See all fires in Oregon and across the nation Two Four Two Location: Chiloquin area Size: 14,450 acres Containment: 7% Cause: Unknown Evacuation resources: InciWeb Fire activity increased on the northwest side of the blaze overnight, officials said, but crews minimized additional spread of the fire. S. Obenchain Location: Jackson County Size: 29,432 acres Containment: 20% Cause: Under investigation Evacuation resources: Jackson County Rich Tyler, spokesman for the Oregon State Fire Marshal, said Friday that the fire continues to burn unchecked near the rural communities of Butte Falls and Shady Cove. Evacuations were ongoing. Smoke continues to prevent use of aircraft to support suppression efforts. Thielsen Location: Diamond Lake area Size: 5,110 acres Containment: 0% Cause: Unknown Evacuation resources: Douglas County Ten structures have been lost in the blaze, according to fire personnel. Almeda Location: Ashland, Talent, Phoenix and Medford area Size: 3,200 acres Containment: 50% Cause: Being investigated as arson Evacuation resources: Jackson County Fifty people remain unaccounted for in the aftermath of the fire, which leveled entire neighborhoods in the small towns of Phoenix and Talent. Tyler stressed the number of missing people is subject to change as officials work to track down displaced residents. Medford Police posted: Anyone who has information on the location of any of the listed individuals, please call 541-774-2283. This line will be staffed all evening, if there is no answer, please leave a message. - Schmidt, Donald - 55 - Adamson, Teresa Ann - 72 - Laxson, Benjamin 65 - Russell, Charles John 61 - Found safe - Vallarta, Debra 78 - Johnson, James 92 - Found safe - Lobdell, Violet 92 Echo Mountain Complex Location: Lincoln County Size: 2,435 acres Containment: 15% Cause: Under investigation Evacuation resources: Lincoln County While winds have lessened, the Echo Mountain Complex remains active. Firefighters are watching weather conditions and monitoring other factors such as relative humidity, as they relate to fire behavior. New Delhi: The Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday (September 12, 2020) informed that the bookings for daily flights from Darbhanga (Bihar) to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, will start by the end of September. The Minister after reviewing the groundwork of Darbhanga airport said that the flight operations will begin in the first week of November, before the auspicious festival of Chhath Puja and expressed that this a boon for 22 districts of North Bihar. Civil Aviation Minister reviewed the progress and construction status of the Darbhanga airport along with Gopal Jee Thakur, MP, Darbhanga, Ashok Yadav, MP, Madhubani, Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary, MoCA Arvind Singh, Chairman AAI and other officials. Bookings will start by end September for daily flights from Darbhanga to Delhi, Mumbai & Bengaluru. Flight Operations will begin in first week of November, before the auspicious festival of Chhath Puja. This a boon for 22 districts of North Bihar. pic.twitter.com/A6faxQYl9Y Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) September 12, 2020 Expressing satisfaction over the progress of work of Darbhanga airport, Puri said that most of the work at the airport is almost complete. He added that arrival and departure halls, check-in facility, conveyor belt etc have already been installed and remaining work will be completed before end October. "Spicejet has already been awarded this route under RCS-UDAN," stated the Minister. Puri emphasized that the Prime Minister's vision of 'Hawai chappal se hawai jahaz tak' continues to transform lives. This is one more step under the ambitious UDAN Scheme to provide air connectivity to the interior regions of the country under the motto 'Sab Uden, Sab Juden.' Congratulations to my sisters & brothers of Mithila Bhumi. pic.twitter.com/KeauTs5BeO Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) September 12, 2020 He said that while the work on the ground is in full swing in Darbhanga, other processes are also going ahead. Notably, the flight calibration by Spicejet took place today while the Minister was at the Darbhanga Airport. After reviewing the status of Deoghar airport in Jharkhand, Puri said that the work at the Deogarh airport is at an advanced stage and will be completed on schedule. He had extensive discussions with MP Nishikant Dubey. Puri said that the airport would be operationalised very soon. He added that the Government would be taking some key decisions in this regard by next week. Apart from providing aviation connectivity to the Santhal region, the airport in Deoghar which is strategically located to provide connectivity to Patna, Kolkata & Bagdogra will also be able to serve people from Bhagalpur & Jamui districts of Bihar. pic.twitter.com/sduLrXIWcj Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) September 12, 2020 Apart from providing aviation connectivity to the Santhal region, the airport in Deoghar which is strategically located to provide connectivity to Patna, Kolkata and Bagdogra, will also be able to serve people from Bhagalpur and Jamui districts of Bihar. The Minister has stated that this is one more step under the ambitious UDAN Scheme to provide air connectivity to the interior regions of the country under the motto 'Sab Uden, Sab Juden.' Thinking of a sunny retirement in Spain? Make sure youve got an expat funeral plan. Thinking of a sunny retirement in Spain? Make sure youve got an expat funeral plan so you can kick back and relax knowing everythings sorted. Spain is the perfect place to retire, thanks to the great weather, low cost of living and thriving expat community. With over 300,000 Brits currently living there, almost half are over 65 and enjoying a sunny retirement in Spain. If youre thinking of moving to Spain for retirement, chances are youve already thought about the basics like accessing your UK state pension, registering as a resident, and of course finding a new home to call yours. But theres one other major life event that you should plan for if youre moving to Spain. Funerals in Spain are very different to those in the UK. Even if youve had experience arranging a funeral for a loved one back home in Britain, there are some key differences that might catch you unawares in Spain. British pensioners in Spain often struggle with the Spanish funeral system. For example, funerals take place much quicker sometimes within 48 hours and delays can cost hundreds in daily mortuary fees. Then theres the logistics of finding and choosing a local Funeral Director. Its difficult enough to shop around for funeral services in the UK, let alone in a foreign country with language barriers. All these potential difficulties mean added stress on top of what is already an emotional time. Thats why if you want to retire to Spain from the UK, you should think about an expat funeral plan for both your peace of mind, and your familys. Funeral plans for British pensioners in Spain A funeral plan is a simple way of paying for and arranging your funeral in advance. It makes everything easier for your loved ones when the time comes, so they wont have to navigate an unfamiliar system in a foreign language. Plus, Avalons expat plans are fully guaranteed, meaning your next of kin wont have any unexpected costs to cover either. And, because Avalon operates in Spain, the UK, Portugal and Cyprus, if you decide relocate to one of those countries, we can transfer your funeral plan. Or if you split your time between Spain and UK, your funeral plan can be enacted in either country. A plan from Avalon makes everything simpler for your loved ones, giving them support when they need it most, and giving you peace of mind so you can enjoy your retirement in Spain. article_detail Liberian President George Weah, has declared rape a national emergency in the country after a recent increase of rape cases. Late on Friday, Weah said he would install a special prosecutor for rape in Liberia, set up a national sex offender registry, while ordering new measures to tackle the problem. The statement by Weah comes after thousands of Liberians protested against increased rape cases in the capital Monrovia last month, in a bid to highlight the countrys alarming rate of sexual assault. Addressing the meeting, the one time Ballon d'or winner said Liberia was witnessing what is actually an epidemic of rape within the pandemic, affecting mostly children and young girls across the country. Weah also announced that the government will also establish a so-called national security task force on sexual- and gender-based violence. A 2016 UN report recorded 803 rape cases the previous year in the country saying only two percent of sexual violence cases led to a conviction, for example. Margaret Taylor, the director of Liberias Women Empowerment Network, told AFP last month that her NGO had recorded 600 cases of rape between June and August, for example. That was up from between 80 and a hundred cases in May, she said. 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 New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has issued a mandatory evacuation order for Orleans Parish residents living outside of the parish's levee protection system in preparation for Tropical Storm Sally. Update: Tropical Storm Sally's track has shifted west, and the storm is forecast to be a Category 2 hurricane at landfall. Cantrell's order is set to go into effect at 6 p.m. on Sunday, along with an order lifting parking restrictions throughout Orleans Parish. The lifting of parking restrictions will allow residents to move vehicles to higher ground along the neutral grounds and sidewalks. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a state of emergency for the region as well. +6 Hurricane watch issued for metro New Orleans; see Tropical Storm Sally's latest track A hurricane watch is in effect for part of southeast Louisiana as Tropical Storm Sally moves slowly away from south Florida, the National Hurr "Everyone needs to take this very seriously," Cantrell said at press conference Saturday afternoon. Collin Arnold, the city's emergency preparedness director, said the evacuation is being issued due to expected storm surges in the area reaching between 6-9 feet. Grand Isle has also issued a voluntary evacuation order, with Mayor David Camardelle asking that campers, RVs and boats be evacuated from the area starting at 8 a.m. Sunday. Tropical Storm Sally is expected to make landfall Tuesday along the Louisiana-Mississippi border, possibly as a Category 1 hurricane with winds up to 85 mph. A hurricane watch is currently in effect for metro New Orleans, as well as a storm surge watch. Get hurricane updates in your inbox Sign up for updates on storm forecasts, tracks and more. e-mail address * Sign Up A flash flood watch is in effect for the New Orleans area as well, with rain totals forecast to be between six to ten inches. Arnold said those evacuating from the areas outside the levee protection system should do so by Monday morning before evacuation routes are cut off in preparation for the storm. Sand bags will be available for pick up starting at 8 a.m. on Sunday at the following locations: Arthur Monday Center, 1111 Newton Street, Algiers Dryades YMCA, 2220 O.C. Haley Blvd, Central City Former Wal-Mart and Sam's Club parking lot, 6901 Bundy Road, New Orleans East Milne Recreation Center, 5420 Franklin Avenue, Gentilly New Orleans' Sewerage and Water Board is currently down two drainage pumps of its 99 available. One pump, located at a drainage pump station on Grant Street in New Orleans East, is out of service pending electrical repairs. The other at drainage pump station 13 in Algiers, is under repair. SWB Executive Director Ghassan Korban said the drainage pump out of service in New Orleans East is not a concern should a storm event happen because it services areas that are green. The pump at station 13, however, raises a bit more concern, but it should be readily available by Monday morning. Four turbines are ready for use, as well as five electro-motive diesel generators and all five frequency changers, Korban said. Northern Ireland faces years of economic rebuilding if it's to return to pre-pandemic levels of activity, an economist has said. Dr Esmond Birnie of Ulster University Business School spoke as figures showed UK GDP was up 6.6% in July - down from 8.7% in June. And the senior economist said Northern Ireland's performance was likely to be tracking that of the UK. He also said the GDP figures were vindication for the NI Executive's decision to impose localised restrictions to contain the further spread of Covid-19 -instead of risking the economic impact of another general lockdown. While lower than June, July's growth was still above May expansion of 2.4%. Dr Birnie said: "If we assume broadly similar trends are happening here in the NI regional economy - the available "timely" data such as unemployment levels, business confidence surveys and numbers furloughed all suggest it is unlikely NI is performing better than the UK trend - then the implications for the local economy are that it is going to be a long climb-back to regain the levels of output we had prior to lockdown. Such recovery could take years. "The data on GDP are one possible justification for the policy approach to containing the virus outlined by the Executive on Thursday: instead of a general NI lockdown, which had such a large economic impact, we now have restrictions relating to social gatherings in specific localities." The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said GDP increased for the third consecutive month in July after lockdown restrictions eased further, but remained 11.7% below pre-virus levels. A consensus of analysts predicted a 6.8% month-to-month increase. Figures showed that the economic rebound decelerated after the UK had reported 8.7% growth in June. The ONS said the UK has now clawed back around half of the output it lost after the pandemic fully hit the economy. A group of families - some of them sobbing - appealed for help Saturday in getting their relatives released. Mainland Chinese authorities detained their activist relatives last month as they tried to flee the city by boat to Taiwan. Hong Kong media say the activists were seeking political asylum. At a news conference, their relatives wore masks and hats to shield their identities. Speaking in Cantonese, one detainee's mother, whose son needs allergy medicine, said, I hope Hong Kong can help the detainees come back We dont even know if he is dead or alive. The local governments office in Guangdong said the 12 detainees are in what it called good physical condition and have hired representatives FROM mainland lawyers. But Hong Kong lawmaker James To said their right to legal representation was being undermined. Its only right that the Hong Kong government should discuss with the mainland authority so that the Hong Kong persons legal right under the mainland law should be respected. Its very unusual that the mainland lawyers appointed by their relatives, their family members, are persuaded to withdraw from those cases. Its very unusual. The arrests come as a sweeping new national security law imposed by Beijing in July takes full effect. Earlier this week, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said if the detainees had been arrested for breaking mainland law, then they - quote - "have to be dealt with according to the mainland laws. Genetically engineered, virus-free specimens and semen for sale that guarantees offspring of a certain gender: thankfully, Genus is a company aiming to feed the world rather than a bad sci-fi story. The company's roots are in the Milk Marketing Board and a formerly listed business called the Pig Improvement Company (PIC), which did exactly what it said on the tin. The scientific breakthroughs mentioned above apply only to cows and pigs and are designed to meet chief executive Stephen Wilson's stated aim of 'helping to nourish the world'. Fighting viruses: African swine flu has ripped through China's pig population Before Covid even appeared, Wilson was already an old hand at viruses. He's been dealing with the fallout from African swine flu, which ripped through China's pig population, and has bred a type of pig that's resistant to PRRSv a virus that is practically endemic in Chinese porkers. Perhaps we should put him in charge of Britain's Test and Trace system, since this week's full-year figures suggest he's doing a pretty good job. Despite operational challenges caused by Covid including supply chain disruption and significant price volatility, as well as the usual need to keep staff and customers safe while doing business, Genus posted a 13 per cent increase in revenue to 551.4million, while profit before tax rose 16 per cent to 71million. The company also increased its dividend five per cent, and Wilson said he anticipated further growth in the coming year. Brokers don't think Wilson is telling porkies. Alistair Campbell, at Liberum, has a 'buy' rating on the stock, and says that the company has performed 'exceptionally well' during the pandemic. Campbell says there is plenty of headroom for growth in China, where porcine production is 20 per cent below demand because of the effects of Asian Flu and many suppliers want to restock. He's also bullish (or cowish) about the prospects for Sexcel semen, sold to dairy farmers who want to produce female calves rather than male ones, which is driving growth in the firm's cattle business. Midas Verdict: Virus-resistant anything sounds like a good idea at the moment, and Genus's porkers are popular with the recovering Chinese market. The company's performance is testament to good leadership and market-leading products, a winning combination. Genus's share price, which stood at a record high of 39.80 on Friday, reflects its popularity and puts the firm on a toppy 37 times forward earnings with a prospective yield of 1 per cent. As Genus's customers will tell you, you have to pay for quality. It's worth going to market for this little piggy as it might just bring home the bacon. Traded on: Main market Ticker: GNS Contact: genusplc.com or 01256 347100 German authorities have reported a confirmed case of African swine fever (ASF) in Brandenburg. A dead wild boar had traces of the deadly disease near the border of Poland. African swine fever is a viral disease that can affect both wild and domestic pigs. Although they are not contagious to humans, the disease can cause large losses for the pork industry. The country's animal health institute has tested nearby areas and will try to restrict areas to prevent the disease from spreading. The disease is a threat to Germany's hog exports with China as its key buyer. Investigations of the flu began late last year when cases were reported in Poland. There had also been other cases reported in Belgium since 2018. There have been temporary electric fences along the German-Polish border to prevent possibly infected wild board from crossing over. The reported case of ASF adds further complications to how Germany is coping with economic problems due to the pandemic. It has been predicted that the economy will not recover until early next year. Meatpacking Industry In late June, Germany had to reimpose lockdown after more than 1,500 employees from a meatpacking plant tested positive for coronavirus. Several reports confirmed that physical distancing in factory settings is difficult. Factories, especially meatpacking companies, also have environments favorable for the virus. The Tonnie plant that was shut down processed about 20,000 pigs per day. At the time, Gereon Schulze Althoff from the company said that the Covid-19 pandemic was "far from over and that Tonnies, just like other meatpackers, may easily have to deal with another outbreak." Similar cases were found in slaughterhouses as well all over Europe and the United States. Recently, coronavirus infections were linked to the fish and food packaging industry as well. READ MORE: Germany Reimposes Lockdown As 1500 Cases Are Linked to Meat Plant Temporary Ban on Exports Authorities shared that after the case of ASF was confirmed. All pork exports will be temporarily on hold. This may largely disrupt Germany's pig market. Julia Kloeckner, Germany's Agriculture Minister, shared that China had been informed of the ASF outbreak. China imports more than 50 percent of EU pork exports between January and June. China also imports pork from the United States. Rupert Claxton, Meat Director from Gira, said that they expect ASF "to continue to creep across Germany. Once it's in wild boar in the forests there, it can be very difficult to control." For now, pork products and livestock shipments from Brandenburg, especially near the outbreak area, have been banned. Hunters have also been ordered to cull wild boars in the area. Experts have predicted that the disease may spread to more wild pigs since there is no vaccine for ASF yet and is easily spread via direct contact. In Poland, more than 80 cases of the disease were reported from domestic pig farms. The European Commission estimated that there are about 3,000 confirmed cases of African swine fever in the country, with the majority of cases found in wild boar. READ: New Swine Flu Strain in China May Have Pandemic Potential, Experts Warn Check out more news and information on Swine Flu on Science Times. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 11 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: BMB Trade Group considers the expansion of the range of export products as one of the priority tasks of its production and trade intermediary activities, Baxodir Kamilov, Advisor to the General Director for Public Relations and Communications of BMB Trade Group LLC told Trend in an interview. "Having a large land area where at present mostly beans, fruits, and vegetables are grown, the main focus of the company is on creating joint investment projects aimed at creating an export-oriented production, which is in demand in the partner's market," said Kamilov. According to him, the successful formula of establishing and developing joint investment and export activities of the company presupposes a high degree of mutual trust and consideration of interests between partners, which is achieved through the careful elaboration of all details. "I would like to emphasize the high role and active participation of our diplomatic and trade missions accredited abroad, which carry out a solid work to establish relations with representatives of business circles of the host country, as well as a wide range of support and assistance to domestic businessmen," said Kamilov. As an example of successful cooperation, he stressed the creation of new and promising for Uzbekistan, the business of growing, processing, and export of saffron to Italy, by BMB Trade Group. For this purpose, BMB Trade Group and Italian Opera SRL created JV BMB-Opera Zafferano in the Jizzakh region. BMB Trade Group has signed an investment agreement with the Italian Opera SRL company for 25 million euros on the cultivation and processing of saffron in the Bakhmal district of Jizzakh region. "The business model of creation of this unique cluster on the cultivation of medicinal plants is based on mutual benefits for the Uzbek and Italian sides: modern laboratory equipment will be brought to Uzbekistan to issue certificates of quality conformity to international standards not only saffron but also other fruit and vegetable products," Kamilov stated According to him, leading Italian agronomists from the Catholic University of Piacenza will also provide agronomic support. The Italian side will have the opportunity to organize the largest saffron plantation in Uzbekistan and expand the joint export of processed goods to the international markets. "In another case, a joint project of BMB Trade Group with the French Advantage Central Asia company to establish an enterprise in Paris for packaging of dried fruits and vegetables exported from Uzbekistan has been implemented," said Baxodir Kamilov. Moreover, as he said, the company has been implementing the project on the construction of a modern Agrological Center in cooperation with the Russian National Reserve Corporation. The main purpose of the project is to provide services on storage, processing, calibration, sorting, organization of laboratory tests, freezing, and packing of agricultural products produced in the Jizzakh region and other regions of Uzbekistan. "The project will launch laboratories that have been accredited by the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (Rosselkhoznadzor) and certify the control of their products on site. Moreover, this project organizes a continuous and unlimited supply of domestic products through the border and green corridors directly to the Russian trade networks. In other words, Uzbek exporters can submit the necessary documents for the authorized Russian bodies directly in the Agrological Center and use the opportunity of guaranteed export," stated Kamilov. As he said, this, in turn, will serve to strengthen Uzbek-Russian ties and increase exports of domestic products to Russian markets. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini Search crews this morning found the body of 76-year-old pilot William Elliot McClain at the site of a plane crash in Etowah County, officials said. McClains body was found at the crash site in a thick, wooded area off Old Baker Gap Road in the Aurora community, about 15 miles northwest of Gadsden. McClain was from Acworth, Georgia. The crash will be investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. McClains body will be autopsied at the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. There does not appear to be (any) foul play and the incident appears to be a tragic accident, Etowah County Sheriff Jonathon Horton said in a press release. McClain built the Zenith CH750 aircraft over the past couple of years and was certified to fly, his brother Gary told the authorities. McClain planned to fly from Georgia to visit his brother in Arkansas and celebrate their birthdays this week. The plane went off radar Thursday afternoon in the west end of Etowah County in Alabama. The plane left Calhoun, Georgia earlier that day headed for Tupelo, Mississippi, where it was supposed to refuel, The Gadsden Times reported. Instead, the plane circled the airport in Tupelo and headed back east. The sheriff said McClain was doing a test flight to Tupelo the halfway point between his departure point in Georgia and landing location in Arkansas. Search teams and helicopter crews had been looking for the plane since Thursday evening near Aurora Lake. The area has rugged terrain with ridges, valleys and thick woods around various farms, ponds, lakes and homes, the authorities said. The crash site was discovered around 10:30 a.m. today. China, India agree to take steps for 'peace' on contested border Iran Press TV Friday, 11 September 2020 5:58 AM China and India say they have agreed to take steps to restore "peace and tranquility" on their disputed Himalayan border, where escalated tensions prompted the two nuclear powers to accuse each other of committing border aggression. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar met with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Russian capital, Moscow, on Thursday. They issued a joint statement, calling for dialogue and disengagement to ease tensions. China and India have engaged in renewed tensions since a clash in the Ladakh region in mid-June led to the death of 20 Indian troops. The two sides reached a five-point consensus, including agreements that the current border situation is in neither side's interests and that troops from both sides should quickly disengage in order to ease tensions, according to the statement. Discussions to de-escalate the situation at the border were "frank" and "constructive," 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," he said During the Thursday meeting, the Chinese diplomat told India's Jaishankar that 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." A fresh spike in tensions occurred again last week, when Indian soldiers went up to the border line, claimed by India near Pangong Tso, which straddles the frontier. There they took control of "dominating heights that will give us an advantage over the long term," the Indian official said. China reacted to the move, saying that India had "illegally crossed the LAC, made provocations, changed the status quo in the border areas and violated bilateral agreements." On Tuesday, the two sides accused each other of firing in the air at the frontier, known as the Line of Actual Control, where long-standing, mutual protocols prohibit the use of firearms. Both countries, however, moved thousands of troops as well as tanks, artillery and fighter jets to areas close to the unmarked border. Russia's Foreign Ministry on Friday said it hoped China and India would find a solution as soon as possible to de-escalate renewed tensions, the Interfax news agency said. 'China must be fully prepared if talks fail' China's official newspaper, 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," said the newspaper. It warned that if India "keeps following its radical China policy, it will pay a heavy price." "India has an abnormal confidence in confronting China. It does not have enough strength," the newspaper added. Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed that the country will never give up an inch of its territory. US trying to fish in troubled waters The United States, which has already engaged in tensions with China on multiple fronts, said it was willing to mediate between Beijing and New Delhi. Last week, US President Trump said that the situation between Beijing and New Delhi had been "very nasty" and that Washington stood "ready to help." The Trump administration claims to support India but just last year, it imposed tariffs on the country and planned to restrict H-1B visas issued each year to Indians. Washington also sells weapons to India at high prices. Now that conflicts have broken out between China and India, Washington might be trying to provide India with more weapons. New Delhi, however, has recently turned to Russia for arms purchases, in a move that has prompted Washington to threaten New Delhi with sanctions. The government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which has formerly called on the Trump administration for exemptions from sanctions, said it can make its own arms purchases independently. Indian external affairs minister said previously that New Delhi would "not be influenced by other countries on what we do in terms of our national security and defense." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A 74-year-old businessman from Tamil Nadu's Madurai, has installed a life-size statue of his late wife in his home, to symbolically recreate her presence with him. His wife, S. Pichaimani, 67, died of heart attack on August 10. The Hindu reports that Sethuraman had a difficult time after she passed away and struggled to fill the void she left. ANI A month after her demise, he unveiled the life-size statue of his wife sitting in 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." Also Read: 70-YO COVID Positive Man Refused To Leave Blind Wife Behind When Authorities Came To Take Him To Hospital 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 told The Hindu. Mr Sethuraman said that his three daughters were married and his eldest son-in-law is Tirupparankundram MLA, P. Saravanan. 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 Sethuraman, who owns three big marriage halls in Madurai, said that in his 48-year-long marriage, there wasn't a single day where he would be away from his wife. Sethuraman's story is similar to that of a Karnataka-based businessman who had installed a life-size statue of his late wife during the housewarming ceremony. In all three photos you will notice one thing common, the person on the sofa sits with the same expression. A man in Karnataka installed a wax statue of his beloved wife, who was killed in a road accident years ago. He wanted her presence to be felt during their house warming. pic.twitter.com/qIFpjPC8Kp Paul Oommen (@Paul_Oommen) August 10, 2020 His wife, Madhavi, was travelling along with her daughters to Tirupati when their driver tried to avoid a speeding truck on Kolar highway but ended up rear-ending into the vehicle instead. Madhavi, who was seated in the passenger seat, passed away in the accident, while the daughters escaped with minor injuries. It was then that 57-year-old Murthy, a businessman from Koppal in Karnataka, decided to fulfill his late wife's dream of owning a bungalow. He hosted a housewarming ceremony in his newly-constructed home and wanted his late wife to be part of it. Also Read: Man Allegedly Slits Mother-in-Law's Throat Because His Wife Refused To Stop Visiting Her Its hard to overstate the importance of the census to everyday life in the United States. The vast amount of demographic information it gathers determines who gets how much political power in Congress and the states; it steers more than a trillion dollars in federal funding for health care and other critical services; it guides long-term economic decisions by governments, corporations and mom-and-pop stores; it helps determine the location of highways and schools, hospitals and housing, police and fire stations. All Americans, wherever they live and whatever their politics, depend on the census being as complete and accurate as possible. In the middle of a pandemic that shut down much of the country for months, that means allowing extra time for the count to be finished and the data to be processed. So why is the Trump administration fighting this every step of the way? In the best of times, it takes a lot of effort to go door to door to count everyone who didnt return a census form. In times like these, its far harder. Thats why, back in April, as the coronavirus upended life across the globe, the Census Bureau extended its deadline for in-person data collection from Aug. 15 to Oct. 31. The bureau also requested an extra four months to process and deliver its data to Congress, which uses that data to apportion districts for the House of Representatives. This was clearly necessary. Four former census directors agreed with the request. So, at the time, did President Trump. I dont know if you even have to ask them. This is called an act of God, he said. They have to give it, and I think 120 days isnt nearly enough. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. The military site where an explosion occurred in Jordan early Friday is now clear of danger, according to the Jordanian army. The large blast was reportedly caused by high temperatures in the country. Authorities said the explosion at a military facility in Zarqa, a city near the capital, Amman, caused no injuries. Footage obtained obtained by the Jordanian news outlet Khaberni shows a massive, orange blast shooting up into the sky. There are no more explosives at risk of going off following an inspection by the army, the state-run Al-Mamlaka news outlet reported, citing Brig. Gen. Talal al-Ghobain. The explosion took place in an old ammunition depot that is no longer in use, a military source told Al-Mamlaka. The area is uninhabited. The Associated Press reported that unusable mortar shells were stored there. Reuters reported that there were several loud explosions and that the army later concluded that the intense heat caused the incident. Temperatures reached 107 degrees Fahrenheit (nearly 42 Celsius) in Jordan on Thursday, according to AccuWeather. Ammunition explosions are not uncommon in the Middle East during the hot summer months. There have been several such incidents in neighboring Iraq in recent years. Its the busiest time of the year for Steve Hendricks and Flora Habibi. The owners of Ruby Vineyard & Winery high in the hills of Washington County planned next week to begin the annual grape harvest. The harvest would likely stretch over the next several weeks as they and other area vintners hoped for the perfect combination of early fall sun and mild temperatures that can transform a good pinot noir into a great one. Then came the fateful phone call Tuesday night. Get out now, the automated voice said. Hendricks rushed to the door. A wall of flame was a half-mile away. For the first time in the memory of area residents and veteran firefighters, out-of-control wildfire had come to Washington County. Hendricks and his wife herded their two cats and Stanley, their aging Doberman mix, into the car and motored two-and-a-half miles down the hill to the winery. The five of them gathered on the floor of the Ruby tasting room. As Stanley snored, Hendricks stewed over the continuing climate changes role in the crisis. . Life on the vineyard had convinced him long ago: Grapes dont lie. His vines were planted in 1976-79, making them some of the oldest Pinot Noir fields in the state. The Tektronix engineer who grew them from sprout to maturity kept scrupulous records, as has Hendricks since he bought the place in 2012. Theres no denying, he said, the entire annual life cycle of the vines have changed. There are three major events in the year of a grape vine: The bud-break, when the first green shoots break through, the blossom, and the ripening of the fruit that leads to the harvest. In the case of Hendricks' fields, the bud break traditionally came on tax day, April 15. The blossoming came in mid- or late June. And harvest traditionally began the first week in October. Each of those events now occur a week or two earlier. A subtle and invisible change to the outsider. A major issue for wine makers. The timing has changed because Oregon has grown warmer, argue Hendricks and his winemaker Andrew Kirkland. Summers are hotter, droughts are more common. Thats particularly difficult for growers of Pinot Noir. The grape reaches its full potential only with a prolonged growing season that stretches into October. To last that long, it needs the intense heat of summer to rapidly give way to cooler temperatures in September. But the mellow relief of the classic Pacific Northwest September is now a rare commodity. Theres no arguing with it, Kirkland said. The historic normal for Oregon is no longer the norm. I talk to guys who have been in this business for decades. Theres no living memory of anything like this. Climate change skeptics are fewer now as the evidence mounts, and in the face of this weeks fires. Prof. Greg Jones, director of the Evenstad Center for Wine Education at Linfield University, said every wine grower in the world is dealing with similar issues. Jones argues the strong winds and low humidity that set the stage for the fires were themselves the product of climate change. A warmer atmosphere cant help but produce more extreme events, he said. Amid all the horror and misery caused by the rampaging wildfires, the plight of a wealthy lawyer and his team of winemakers will not earn much sympathy. Hendricks actually shares that sentiment, especially as the wildfire threat in Washington County eased late in the week. We were lucky, he said. Were not one of those people who got their houses burned out from under them. But the fire could turn what he anticipated would be a solid year into a disaster. Grapes can be ruined by what growers call smoke taint. Ash falling onto a grapes skin can lead to chemical changes that alter the taste. The good news so far is that while the smoke has been thick, they havent seen a lot of ash. For Kirkland, the Chehalem Mountain/Bald Peak fire offers an obvious lesson: You can choose to believe in Climate change or not, he said. But the fact is, natures in charge. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-13 01:27:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People are seen on Tower Bridge in London, Britain, on Sept. 12, 2020. Almost 8 million Britons will be subjected to tighter lockdown restrictions next week after fresh measures were imposed in the West Midlands and Scotland, local media reported Saturday. A study by Imperial College London found that coronavirus cases in England were doubling every seven to eight days at the beginning of September. (Xinhua/Han Yan) LONDON, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Almost 8 million Britons will be subjected to tighter lockdown restrictions next week after fresh measures were imposed in the West Midlands and Scotland, local media reported Saturday. From Tuesday, households in Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull will be banned from mixing after the region reported a surge in coronavirus cases, according to the Evening Standard newspaper. Further north, Lanarkshire joins areas around Glasgow subject to tougher controls, with the new rules in force as of midnight on Friday. Previously, nine new local authorities were added to Public Health England's watchlist, meaning they, too, could soon see new restrictions imposed. They are: Gateshead, Sunderland, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Hertsmere, Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, Sheffield and St Helens. Some 5.8 million people in England (one in 10) will be forced to follow tougher rules than the rest of the country, when the new measures take effect in the West Midlands, according to analysis by Sky News. Designated areas in Bradford, Kirklees, Calderdale, Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle and Greater Manchester where restrictions are already in place remain as areas of national intervention, the British Department of Health confirmed. The British government imposes the new restrictions at a time when countries, such as Britain, China, Russia and the United States, are engaged in a race against time to develop a vaccine for the new coronavirus. A study by Imperial College London found that coronavirus cases in England were doubling every seven to eight days at the beginning of September. The findings of the Real-Time Assessment of Community Transmission study suggest the virus is now spread more widely in the community. Enditem Edrees said that the phenomena of terrorism, hate speech, racial and religious discrimination and xenophobia all need to be tackled using a comprehensive approach Egypts permanent representative to the United Nations Mohamed Edrees called for concerted international efforts to face the worlds current unprecedented challenges, including the coronavirus pandemic, in a virtual High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace, the Egyptian foreign ministry said. Edrees also addressed other challenges, saying that the phenomena of terrorism, hate speech, racial and religious discrimination and xenophobia all require a comprehensive approach with economic, social, cultural and intellectual dimensions. He said that these dimensions include the need to reform religious speech, improve education, settle disputes in the region and establish national state institutions. Edrees said that empowering the youth is an absolute necessity to save them from falling prey to extremist thought and terrorist organisations that spread hatred. The meeting, held this year on 10 September, is held annually to uphold commitments to the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, adopted by consensus in September 1999 by the UN General Assembly. The programme encourages UN member states to promote a culture of peace locally, regionally and internationally, as well as promote respect for all human rights and sustainable economic and social development, according to the UN. It also aims to ensure equality between men and women, foster democratic participation, advance understanding, tolerance and solidarity, support participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge, and promote international peace and security. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres participated in Thursdays meeting. Search Keywords: Short link: They are located in Uchturpan county, and are home to more than 20,000 Uyghur inmates, about 10% of the local population. A few days ago, on a visit to Europe, Wang Yi declared that all "education centers" had been closed. US website: 268 fortified structures built in the region since 2017. The international community protests. Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - At least three internment camps, with more than 20,000 Uyghur prisoners, are still in operation in Xinjiang. Their existence was confirmed to Radio Free Asia by two police officers from Uchturpan county, home of the offending structures. The news repudiates recent statements by the Chinese authorities that the detention centers - educational institutions for Beijing - have all been closed. On August 30, during a visit to France, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that all the people housed in these institutions have finished their studies and have found employment. According to expert data, confirmed by the United Nations, over one million Uyghurs (out of a population of nearly 10 million) and other Turkish-speaking Islamic minorities are arbitrarily detained in Xinjiang, which the local population calls "East Turkestan". Human rights activists and many governments, including the United States and the European Union, describe the detention facilities as real concentration camps used to indoctrinate the Uyghur population. The Chinese authorities admitted the centers existed in October 2018, arguing, however, that they are vocational training centers to educate Uyghur citizens, especially young people, against terrorism, separatism and Islamic extremism. The three internment camps indicated by Uchturpan police officers are home to about 10% of the county's Uyghur population (235,000 people). In the largest facility, the Kongtai center, more than 10 thousand local Muslims are reportedly interned. These latest revelations about Chinese concentration camps come just days after Buzzfeed, a US website, reported that Xinjiang authorities have built 268 fortified structures since 2017: at least one for each county. The calculation was made through the use of satellite data. Beijing is increasingly under pressure from the international community for its policies in Xinjiang. Yesterday, at the end of a ministerial meeting in Brussels, the European Union and Canada condemned the treatment reserved by the Chinese authorities for the Uyghur minority. On September 1, during Wang Yi's visit to Berlin, the German government demanded China allow international observers to enter Xinjiang. The US has also intensified its attacks on Beijing's leadership. On September 8, the Trump administration said the United States intend to ban imports of cotton and tomatoes - two of China's top export goods - from Xinjiang. Washington claims that they are produced thanks to the exploitation of Uyghur internees. Due to the abuses against the Uighur people, the US government has already called on US companies to cut ties with their suppliers in Xinjiang. Nike and Apple, which have strong interests in the autonomous region, have opened an investigation into the employment of Uyghur workers and other local minorities. President Donald Trump will visit wildfire-ravaged California on Monday, the White House announced Saturday. The president will travel to McClellan Park in Sacramento County to receive a briefing on the fires from federal and local officials. He previously made a wildfire-related visit to the state in November 2018 following the devastating Camp Fire in Butte County. Prior to that visit, the president tweeted, "There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor," and blamed a lack of leaf-raking and ground-sweeping for the fires. A large group of local experts and officials strongly refuted the president's misleading claims, highlighting the fact that many of the state's most devastating fires did not start in forests and cannot be attributed to poor forest management. Trump repeated this line during an August campaign event, telling a Pennsylvania crowd, Youve got to clean your floors, youve got to clean your forests," before threatening to withhold federal aid from the state. In a fact-check of the president's California wildfire statements, the New York Times noted that even if poor forest management was the primary cause of the fires, it would primarily be the job of the federal government to deal with the issue. State agencies are only responsible for managing 3% of the states 33 million acres of forest, while federal agencies such as the Forest Service and the Interior Department own and manage 57% of the state's forests. Governor Gavin Newsom has blamed climate change altering weather patterns for the worsening fires, stating Friday that the debate is over in terms of climate change, and, if you dont believe that, just come to the state of California. In a November 2018 interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace, Trump stated that climate change "maybe contributes a little bit" to California's fire season growing more extreme in recent years. Eric Ting is an SFGATE reporter. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting "Nomadland" by director Chloe Zhao scooped the top prize at the Venice film festival on Saturday, the first woman to win the Golden Lion in a decade. The film, an ode to American wanderlust and the highs and lows of the open road, won the top honour in a competition billed as a relaunch of global cinema bruised by the coronavirus crisis. Starring Frances McDormand, it is set among a motley tribe of ageing van dwellers, down on their luck and roaming the West. The double-Oscar winner plays a widow who takes to the road after losing her home. Its Chinese-born director Chloe Zhao picked up the coveted award 10 years after Sofia Coppola's 2010 win for her film "Somewhere", in a year in which nearly half of the films in the main competition were directed by women. Via Zoom, Zhao and McDormand appeared from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California -- where the film had a US premiere on Friday -- sitting inside the van used in the film. "Thank you so much for letting us come to your festival in this weird, weird world and way," said McDormand. "We will see you down the road," they said in unison, quoting a greeting used by the van dwellers in the film. The 77th edition of the "Mostra" festival -- presided over by Australian actress Cate Blanchett as jury president -- took place in a year when theatres have been closed, film sets shut down and moviegoers forced to embrace streaming video at home instead, during months of coronavirus-imposed lockdown. - Hot new talent - Zhao, 38, is one of Hollywoods hottest new talents, with Variety magazine having hailed her last film, "The Rider", about a rodeo grunt, as a "mini-masterpiece." She is currently making the next Marvel movie, "The Eternals". "Nomadland" was loudly applauded when it premiered at Venice Friday and had horns honking at a Pasadena drive-in cinema for its US premiere. Story continues The Hollywood Reporter called the film "a unique portrait of outsider existence" while Variety said it was "a marvel of empathy and introspection". Zhao, who cast real van dwellers opposite McDormand, insisted the film was not political, but many saw it as a subtle allegory on US decline, with its humble heroes clinging onto the last threads of the American Dream. - High-profile 'test' - Normally attended by more than 10,000 film industry executives, critics, journalists and moviegoers, the Venice festival was the first major international movie competition to go ahead after others around the world, including its main rival, the Cannes Film Festival, were cancelled. Festival director Alberto Barbera called the event "a sort of test" for the film industry, which is slowly regaining its footing, with some production resuming and cinemas reopening, even as Covid-19 cases continue to rise in many parts of the world. In Italy, the festival was also viewed as a sign of hope and normalcy for the first country in Europe to be battered by the global crisis. Nevertheless, big-budget blockbusters that have premiered in Venice in years past were missing, as was the bevy of Hollywood A-listers, who have fans screaming for autographs on the sidelines of the red carpet. Instead, the 2020 version was decidedly low-key, with about half the usual number of attendees, fewer films and seating in theatres that was staggered to respect social distancing. Masks were mandatory, hand sanitiser bountiful, temperatures were taken on entering the festival grounds and ubiquitous red signs warned attendees to respect the anti-coronavirus measures. - Street child winner - The festival's Grand Jury prize was awarded to "Nuevo Orden" (New Order) by director Michel Franco, an unflinching look at a dystopian Mexico. Japan's Kiyoshi Kurosawa won a Silver Lion for his wartime espionage thriler "Spy No Tsuma" (Wife of a Spy). Britain's Vanessa Kirby, best known for the Netflix series "The Crown" won best actress for her performance in "Pieces of a Woman" by Kornel Mundruczo about a home birth that goes wrong. The the best actor award went to Italian star Pierfrancesco Favino in "Padrenostro" (Our Father). A special award for young talent was awarded to Rouhollah Zamani from Majid Majidi's "Khorshid", (Sun Children), about child workers in Iran. Zamani, a street child cast as the 12-year-old lead, was unable to attend the festival after testing positive for coronavirus. Last year, "Joker" by US director Todd Phillips took home the Golden Lion and -- in a controversial choice -- Roman Polanski won the runner-up Grand Jury prize for "An Officer and a Spy." ams-fg/har FILE PHOTO: Russian opposition leader Navalny attends a rally to demand the release of jailed protesters in Moscow BERLIN (Reuters) - The novichok nerve agent used to poison Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was 'harder' than previous forms, Der Spiegel magazine reported the head of Germany's foreign intelligence service as saying. Bruno Kahl, head of Germany's foreign intelligence service, informed what Spiegel termed a "secret meeting" about the potency of the poison, the magazine said, but did not give any other details of the meeting. Spiegel added that a delegation from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was said to have visited at the weekend the Berlin hospital where Navalny is being treated. The BND foreign intelligence service declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. "The Federal Intelligence Service will comment on any findings exclusively to the federal government and the responsible committees of the German Bundestag that meet in secret," a spokeswoman said. Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's highest-profile critic, was airlifted to Germany last month after falling violently ill while travelling in Siberia. German doctors say he was poisoned with novichok, a Russian nerve agent. Moscow says it has seen no evidence he was poisoned. Der Spiegel reported on Thursday that Navalny had made further progress in his recovery, and was able to speak again. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Catherine Evans and Frances Kerry) Boris Johnson has pleaded with fractious Tory MPs to back him in his bust-up with Brussels, amid Downing Street fears of a backbench rebellion against measures which ministers admit break international law. In a Friday evening video conference call, the prime minister sought to answer deep anxieties over provisions in his UK Internal Market Bill which have been condemned by three former prime ministers and provoked Brussels to threaten legal action. Senior and normally loyal Tories have vowed to vote against the government when the bill is rushed through the Commons next week, and while privately some were doubtful of mustering the 40 or more rebels needed to block the legislation, it then faces likely defeat in the House of Lords. Mr Johnsons decision to give UK ministers powers to override the provisions of his own Brexit divorce agreement on tariffs, state aid and customs procedures for Northern Ireland led the European Commission to issue an ultimatum to back down or put talks on a trade deal at risk. The PM told around 250 MPs that controversial clauses in the 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, which suffered connection issues and saw 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. And 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. The UK side is understood to be ready to keep talking even if Brussels is suing the UK for breach of an international treaty, but continues to demand realism from EU negotiators on issues like state aid and fisheries. On fisheries, a senior UK negotiating official insisted that huge change was still needed from Brussels in order to get an agreement, which Mr Johnson insists must be concluded by 15 October. Labours former PM Gordon Brown on Friday described the threat to break international law as a huge act of self-harm and said he feared Mr Johnson was leading the UK into battle with Europe for years ahead which would damage national prosperity. His comments followed warnings from fellow ex-premiers Sir John Major and Theresa May that the UK risks forfeiting the trust necessary to strike future deals with countries around the world. And former Conservative leader Michael Howard, a leading advocate of Brexit, said that Mr Johnson was effectively proposing to renege on his treaty with the EU. Thats not something a British government should do, Lord Howard told Sky News. There is no mandate from the British people to break treaties. An amendment tabled by Tory former minister Sir Bob and backed by Ms Mays deputy prime minister Damian Green would place a parliamentary brake on provisions overriding the withdrawal agreement, by requiring a separate Commons vote to approve the date on which they would take effect. But some rebels wanted to strike out any suggestion that the UK was ready to go back on a treaty negotiated and signed by the prime minister and hailed by him less than a year ago as a great and oven-ready deal. Veteran backbencher Sir Roger Gale told The Independent that there was a great deal of anger among Tory MPs, who were picking up very hostile responses to the PMs plans from Conservative voters. Its a matter of principle, said Sir Roger. If you sign an agreement, you honour that agreement. This country has had a long and proud tradition of playing it straight. It comes down to the difference between right and wrong and Im not sure that Downing Street knows the difference any more. Even if it is just sabre-rattling, it is a very dangerous game because it is damaging our reputation internationally. The cross-party House of Lords Constitution Committee - whose members include two Conservative former Northern Ireland ministers as well as the eminent QC Lord Pannick, who took on the government in last years Supreme Court battle over prorogation wrote to Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland to demand a statement on why he believes the bill is compatible with the UKs obligations under international law. In a letter signed by chair Baroness Taylor, the committee wrote: Any breach of international law threatens to undermine confidence in future treaty commitments made by the UK government and increases the likelihood that the governments of other countries would not comply with their international law obligations. Meanwhile, disquiet among civil servants was reflected in a barbed memo from the departing head of the governments Legal Department, Sir Jonathan Jones, who is working out his notice after quitting last week in protest at the bill. Writing to hundreds of government lawyers, Sir Jonathan said that the new head of the civil service Simon Case appointed by Mr Johnson as his cabinet secretary this week had issued a ruling that notwithstanding the breach of international law, ministers and officials would be operating within the terms of their codes of conduct when working on the bill. The outgoing Treasury solicitor pointedly noted that many government lawyers are rightly interested in the legal and constitutional issues surrounding the bill, and suggested that anyone with questions about the advice from Mr Case and attorney general Suella Braverman should raise their concerns with their line managers. Exasperation in European capitals at Mr Johnsons approach surfaced in a tweet from German ambassador to London Andreas Michaelis, who said: In more than 30 years as a diplomat I have not experienced such a fast, intentional and profound deterioration of a negotiation. If you believe in partnership between the UK and the EU like I do then don't accept it. But sources on the UK side played down the prospects of an imminent collapse of the talks process, insisting that progress had been made in talks this week between Mr Johnsons chief negotiator David Frost and the EUs Michel Barnier. Talks this week have been relatively more constructive than you might expect, but ultimately progress will be determined by whether we get more realism from them on the key areas of divergence, said a senior UK negotiating official. Whilst we are beginning to get discussions of substance of some issues, big important areas remain unresolved. We will carry on talking in Brussels next week. On subsidies we are asking that the EU agree with us what they have agreed with so many others in this area. Despite their insistence to the contrary, on fisheries their position is still a long a way from the huge change we need to get an agreement. London is furious at Mr Barniers public confirmation in comments following Thursdays talks that Brussels may withhold third party status from the UK after the end of the Brexit transition in January because of uncertainties about standards of animal health and sanitation once it stops following EU rules. The move would prevent the export of 5bn worth of food products a year to areas covered by the EUs sanitary regulations, which crucially include Northern Ireland. It was this threat which prompted Mr Johnsons explosive intervention this week. Sit in a corner till we rise: What SC told Nageshwar Rao, while holding him in contempt Former CBI chief Nageswara Rao slammed for calling Swami Agniveshs death good riddance India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 12: Former CBI interim chief M Nageswara Rao has stirred up a controversy after he termed renowned social activist Swami Agnivesh's death as "good riddance". Even as condolences poured in for social activist Swami Agnivesh, IPS officer M Nageswara Rao mounted a scathing attack on Agnivesh, who was often under attack by Hindu extremists for his comments and beliefs. "GOOD RIDDANCE @swamiagnivesh. You were an Anti-Hindu donning saffron clothes. You did enormous damage to Hinduism. I am ashamed that you were born as a Telugu Brahmin," Rao wrote while sharing the news of his death. He went on to call Agnivesh a "lion in sheep clothes" and added, "My grievance against Yamaraj is why did he wait this long!". The retired IPS officer's remark caused on outrage on social media with many calling out the serving IPS officer for his insensitivity Agnivesh, who was suffering from liver cirrhosis for a long time, died of multi-organ failure at a Delhi hospital on Friday. He was 80. His mortal remains were consigned to flames by Swami Aryavesh, the president of the World Council of Arya Samaj, at the Agnilok Ashram in Behelpa, Gurgaon around 4 PM. Before that, Agnivesh''s body was kept at his office at 7, Jantar Mantar Road for people to pay their last respects. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 12, 2020, 20:31 [IST] Veteran Bollywood and television actress Himani Shivpuri on September 12 said she has tested positive for COVID-19. The 60-year-old actress said she is receiving treatment at Holy Spirit Hospital in suburban Mumbai on the advice of her doctors. "The doctor suggested I should get admitted to Holy Spirit hospital because I am 60-year-old and I have history of diabetes. So, today morning I got admitted," Shivpuri told PTI. Shivpuri, who recently shot for comedy show Happu Ki Ultan Paltan, said even though adequate safety measures were followed on the sets, she still doesn't know how she contracted the disease. "I have no idea how I got COVID-19... Nobody seems to know where one would get it from," the actress 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 Shivpuri had revealed her COVID-19 diagnosis earlier in the day in a post on her official Instagram page. In her over three-decade-long career, Shivpuri has featured in many critically-acclaimed and blockbuster movies such as Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Raja, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Khamoshi, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Biwi No.1, Hum Saath-Saath Hain and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.... On the small screen, she has been part of shows such as Yatra, Sasural Simar Ka, Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi and Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani. As of September 11, Maharashtra's tally of COVID-19 cases crossed the 10 lakh mark, with the death toll touching 28,724.With inputs from PTI Haiti - Politic : Working meeting between the PM and the Superior Court of Accounts Friday September 11, as part of the Government's desire to strengthen synergy, coherence and harmonization between sovereign institutions, Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe accompanied by Ministers Nader Joaseus (Public Works) and Mrs. Marie Greta Roy Clement (Health) held a working session with President Rogavil Boisguene of the Superior Court of Accounts and Administrative Litigation (CSC/CA) who was accompanied by the advisers of the Court. The discussions focused mainly on draft contracts within the framework of public contracts between the Haitian State and local and foreign firms, consisting of the development of electricity, the construction of road infrastructure and the manufacture of masks to respond to the health emergency of the Covid-19 epidemic Prime Minister Jouthe and President Boisguene agreed to review the mechanisms for reviewing draft contracts and to complete the missing documents as required by the CSC/CA according to the Constitution and related laws. Were also discussed questions relating to the financial and material resources to be granted to the Court, which will soon move into its new Palace located in the Administrative City. The Head of Government is committed to instructing the authorities concerned to allocate, within the framework of the 2020-2021 budget, the necessary funds intended for the maintenance and the supply of electrical energy for the future building of the CSC/CA. HL/ HaitiLibre Vote-By-Mail Ballots Election office puts mail in ballots into a container George Frey/Getty Images Standing in front of a blue curtain adorned with the seal of the Republican Party of Texas, Allen West offered up what he deemed an "instructional video" for Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins. It had been a week since Hollins had announced his office would send an application for a mail-in ballot to every registered voter in the county all 2.4 million of them. Since then, his plans had sparked alarm among top state Republicans, leading to two lawsuits meant to halt it before he could get the applications out. Purporting to detail the difference between what Hollins, a Democrat, wanted to pursue and "what is really lawful," West who recently took the reins of the Texas GOP inaccurately claimed Democrats were pursuing a "wanton mailing out of ballots." "There's a wrong way and there's a right way," West said, touting the GOP's approach of contacting voters and reminding them to send in their applications. In reality, Hollins was merely sending applications for a mail-in ballot something West's own party has done for years. In recent weeks, voters across the state have been finding in their mailboxes unsolicited applications to request absentee ballots. Some of those mailers depicting images of President Donald Trump were from the Republican Party of Texas that West chairs. As states across the country scramble to make voting safer in a pandemic, Texas is in the small minority of those requiring voters who want to cast their ballots by mail to present an excuse beyond the risk of contracting the coronavirus at polling places. But the ongoing attempts by the White House to sow doubt over the reliability of voting by mail has left Texas voters in a blur of cognitive dissonance. Local officials are being reprimanded by the state's Republican leadership for attempting to proactively send applications for mail-in ballots, while the people doing the scolding are still urging their voters to fill them out. Story continues What was once a lightly used and largely uncontroversial voting option in Texas one even Republicans relied on is now the crux of the latest fight over who gets to vote and, equally as crucial in a pandemic, who has access to safe voting. "Ensuring vulnerable populations can vote by mail during a pandemic is designed to protect human life & access to the vote," Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said on Twitter this week after the county's mailing plan was temporarily blocked by the Texas Supreme Court. "Those who stand in the wayusing voter suppression as an electoral strategyare throwing a wrench in democracy. We'll keep fighting." "Between a rock and a hard place" With the novel risks of interacting with others in close quarters, the coronavirus pandemic forced widened awareness of voting by mail options in the country. Some states pushed forward to broaden eligibility for ballots that could be filled out at home and mailed in or dropped off. Other states began to take the initiative to send out applications to all of their voters. And still other states relied on universal vote-by-mail election systems that have existed for years with little controversy or questions about reliability. Texas kept its strict eligibility criteria and fought to fend off efforts by state Democrats, civil rights groups and individual voters to expand eligibility through the courts. That's left in place automatic eligibility for voters who are 65 and older a group of voters who are much more likely to be white and generally considered to make up part of the Texas GOP's base. Other voters qualify if they'll be out of the county they're registered in during the entire election period, if they're confined in jail but otherwise still eligible or if they cite a disability or illness. In the past, only a small portion of voters have used the vote-by-mail option. But even without expanding eligibility, local election officials are expecting a jump in absentee voters primarily among voters who have always been eligible but usually vote in person, but also among voters citing a disability or illness that could make voting in person a risky endeavor. While a lack of immunity to COVID-19 alone does not allow a voter to request a ballot based on disability, the Texas Supreme Court ruled it was up to voters to decide if that lack of immunity combined with their own medical history allowed them to meet the state's eligibility criteria. The state election code defines disability broadly, indicating a voter is eligible to vote by mail if they have a "sickness or physical condition" that prevents them from voting in person without the likelihood of "needing personal assistance or of injuring the voter's health." It's up to the voter to decide this, and election officials don't have the authority to question a voter's reasoning. "The statute leaves this decision up to the individual," Nathan Hecht, the chief of the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court recently told the Houston Chronicle's editorial board. "You can't ask them. There is no form they have to fill out, they don't have to swear to it, don't have to sign anything; all they have to do is say, 'I want (a mail-in ballot) because in my view I need one.'" But the partisan fight over voting by mail ushered in by the coronavirus pandemic has forced Republicans into what have at times seemed like conflicting positions. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick characterized efforts to expand mail-in voting during the pandemic as a "scam by Democrats" that would lead to "the end of America." In a rolling series of tweets, President Donald Trump has pushed concerns of widespread fraud which are unsubstantiated in mail-in ballots. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton quoted a local prosecutor saying voting by mail "invites fraud." Meanwhile, the Texas GOP sent out applications with mailers urging voters to make a plan to request their mail-in ballots. Fighting in court against Harris County's plan, Paxton's office argued "voting by mail is a cumbersome process with many steps to limit fraud." Luke Twombly, a spokesperson for the Texas GOP, confirmed the party had sent out ballot applications "like we do every year" to older voters and voters with disabilities that would allow them to qualify. Twombly did not respond to a follow up question on how the party determined voters who would be eligible based on a disability, nor did he respond to questions asking for specifics on the party's get-out-the-vote efforts tied to voting by mail. "The cynical explanation is that the intent here is to make it as easy as possible for Republicans to vote by mail but discouraging others and casting doubt over the process following the lead of the president," said Rick Hasen, an elections lawyer and professor at the University of California-Irvine. "I think that's a real fine needle to thread." It might be in the GOP's best interest to "encourage voters to vote safely" by mail, particularly as the state's vote-by-mail rules allow many of their base voters to be automatically eligible for an absentee ballot, but the president is complicating matters for them, Hasen said "They are caught between a rock and a hard place," Hasen said. Some Texas Republicans quietly express frustration that party leaders are casting doubt on a system that they have worked for years to cultivate. West and other prominent Texas Republicans have floated unsubstantiated concerns that increased mail-in voting creates opportunities for widespread voter fraud. In interviews with multiple Republican operatives and attorneys who have worked on campaigns in the state, all suggested privately that the modernized system precludes such a scenario. None of these Republicans would go on the record, for fear of alienating colleagues. There are some documented cases of fraud in mail-in voting in Texas. But like voter fraud overall, it remains rare. "This issue of fraud and voting fraud and all that was brought up years ago, 19 years ago when I was secretary of state," said U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat who was appointed Texas secretary of state by former Gov. George W. Bush, a Republican. "I looked at it as secretary of state, and it was so rare, so rare," Pointing to a 2018 Trump administration voter fraud commission study that did not find widespread fraud in the U.S. voting system, Cuellar said he finds the voter fraud rhetoric frustrating. "I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but those cases are few and far between," he added. To be sure, expanding the number of people voting by mail in Texas doesn't come without risks. There are real concerns that an increase in inexperienced absentee voters could result in increased mistakes on applications and mail-in ballots that could keep a voter from receiving their ballot or result in a rejected ballot. Texas voters must also navigate a mismatch between the U.S. Postal Service's mailing timelines and the state's deadlines for requesting and returning mail-in ballots. "We need to be careful about blanket sending out blanket applications," said Derek Ryan, a Republican voter data expert. "It's one thing to send an application to people over 65 who are eligible under state law. It's one thing to send voters that application; it's a different ball game when you're sending it to every voter in the county. It's obviously going to cause some confusion." Paxton's office echoed that concern in suing to stop Harris County's application mailings, claiming a mass-mailing would lead voters to "wrongly think they are eligible to vote a mail ballot." The state is also arguing local elections officials are only allowed to send applications to voters who request them. (The decision on whether a Texan who is younger than 65 is eligible to vote by mail lies with the voter. And there is no state law that specifically prohibits local election officials from sending out applications for mail-in ballots.) In an effort to combat confusion among voters, Harris County said it intended to send the applications for mail-in ballots with "detailed guidance to inform voters that they may not qualify to vote by mail and to describe who does qualify based on the recent Texas Supreme Court decision." In its mailers, the Texas GOP instructs voters to "take immediate action" by confirming they meet the eligibility requirements and filling out an application proactively sent out by the party. Ryan, the Republican voter data expert, suggested that a past Republican campaign emphasis on vote-by-mail lends credibility to the objections Republicans are raising in Harris County. "Voting by mail is our bread and butter," said Ryan, the Republican voter data expert. "I kind of dismiss that more ballot by mail votes automatically favor the Democrats over the Republicans. That might not necessarily be the case. I think that kind of says the Republicans who are opposed to it aren't necessarily doing it because they think it benefits the Democrats. They're doing it because of election integrity." But in light of those objections, the Texas Democratic Party painted the GOP's mailings to voters who did not request them as "a shocking display of hypocrisy." "It seems if Republicans had their way, the only requirement for Texans to cast a mail-in ballot would be 'are you voting for Donald Trump?'," Abhi Rahman, the party's communications director, said in a statement this week. The Texas Democratic Party previously announced it was sending out more than 815,000 applications for mail-in ballots to eligible Texas voters in August. Court battles continue Sixty days out from the election, the rules for voting by mail in Texas remain largely the same. Though the fight over absentee voting has progressed from a clash over who is eligible to a fight over who can automatically receive an application, some counties and both political parties are moving forward with mailing out applications to voters they believe are eligible to vote by mail. "There's a national agenda and Texas voters are being pawns of somebody else's national agenda," said Myrna Perez, director of the voting rights and elections program at the Brennan Center for Justice. "It's disappointing and I think you see evidence of this in the language and how people are talking about it and the campaign we're seeing. ...You see evidence of this in the way people act and what they expect is appropriate for their own voters." The Texas Democratic Party is still fighting in court to expand eligibility for mail-in voting for voters younger than 65, though it's becoming increasingly unclear if that litigation will be resolved in time for the general election. Meanwhile, Harris County has indicated it isn't backing down from its plan to send out applications to every voter even if those applications go out later than they planned. While the USPS has set 15 days out from election day as the cutoff for ballot requests, Texas allows voters to to get their requests in until a week and a half before that deadline. For the general election, that's Oct. 23. The Texas attorney general's office and Harris County convened Friday afternoon to confer on a hearing schedule. They'll be in court next week. Disclosure: The Texas Secretary of State has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Related Articles KITCHENER The show will go on at Eastwood Collegiate Institute. Home to the regions top aspiring teenage artists, the Kitchener high schools integrated arts program is adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. The painters will paint, the actors will act, and the dancers will dance. Though some of the specifics are still being worked out as students head back to school. Our goal is to provide the best experience we can, said principal Ryan Hume. We have a very passionate, creative group of teachers that want to give students the best experiences they can give them. Protocols for the visual arts are straight forward, said Hume, with the high school cohort system making it easier to social distance in the classroom. Students will also use all their own supplies. Theatre classes will also follow social distancing guidelines, made easier by the large use of space. And the same goes for dance classes as well, though they will not be dancing together in groups. Theres obviously limits to what they can do, but they can still practice their craft, said Hume. But where the trouble lies is in certain areas of the music program. Strings and percussionists will face few obstacles, as neither requires the mouth to create sound, but vocalists and wind instrumentalists are still waiting to hear what their classes will look like. The Ministry of Education has yet to give guidance on how those classes will move forward, but have banned indoor practice for both. Technology can be leveraged to allow the students to work remotely, and there is also the possibility of practicing outside barring the Canadian weather. We do have a number of students that came to our school for that exact reason, so were doing everything we can to make sure they continue to develop their musicianship, and theres a lot of elements we can focus on in class without their instrument or without singing, said Matt Drysdale. Drysdale is the schools head of music and also serves as the part-time guidance counsellor. He said his biggest worry for the musicians is how they can work as an ensemble, but he said hes confident they will still be able to establish different techniques one focusing on percussion ensembles to fill the void. Were going to have fun together, he said. Students were able to put on two virtual shows earlier this year after the pandemic sent everyone into remote learning, and Drysdale said it gives him optimism about what theyll be able to accomplish this year. Students come from as far as Guelph and Elora to participate in the program, and Hume said its important for the teachers to help build a community of inclusivity, where students can experiment and create. Hume refers to it as a place for young people to find their art and become part of the arts community an artist on their own can find it very challenging, but an artist in a community can find support, he said. To keep that community alive, the school is offering after-school online programs for students to try their hand at different art forms. Students will host and perform in their own video performances, with designated nights to premier the work. And theyve transitioned a travelling art show that usually travels to elementary schools into a video platform, with activities for teachers to engage their classes afterwards. Our teachers and students have already done some great thinking, and theyre certainly not going to be held back by the conditions that are in place, said Hume. Actor Rakul Preet Singh has shared how she was told about Arjun Kapoors Covid-19 diagnosis right before they were to start working on their upcoming film together. Rakul said she was on her flight to Mumbai when she heard about her co-star. Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, Rakul said, The plane was still on the runway when I got the call. Had I known even half an hour earlier, I wouldnt have boarded the flight. Rakul was to shoot with Arjun from September 7 to 14. When she heard about Arjun,she called up Telugu film director Krish, with whom she is working on another prject. Rakul asked him if they could prepone the shoot, originally scheduled for September 15 but it wasnt a possibility. Since they also had to get dates from other stars and permissions, we only started this Thursday, she said. Rakul later flew back to Hyderabad. The actor said that she was in Mumbai in August and the films crew was tested for Covid-19 ahead of the shoot. While Rakul tested negative, Arjun wasnt so lucky. I had tested negative the day before Arjuns report came. He didnt come in contact with anyone on the set. I traced back and figured that he might have come in contact with someone infected while I was shooting in Hyderabad, she said. Rakul added that she has been keeping in touch with Arjun and that he is doing well. Also read: Amitabh Bachchan unveils Crackdown teaser, Saqib Saleem and Iqbal Khan indulge in some hardcore chase sequences Arjun revealed his coronavirus diagnosis on Sunday. The actor issued a statement and said that he is asymptomatic and will be under home quarantine.It is my duty to inform all of you that I have tested positive for coronavirus, wrote the Panipat actor as he issued a statement on Instagram. He further shared that he is in home isolation and added, Im feeling ok and Im asymptomatic. I have isolated myself at home under the advice of doctors and authorities and will be under home quarantine. Later, his girlfriend Malaika Arora also tested positive for coronavirus. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON By David Tizzard A harsh and indiscriminate spotlight always shines on the issue of suicide in South Korea whenever a high-profile figure or celebrity makes what the local press euphemistically describes as an "extreme decision". Yet I have always found this unhelpful because these incidents are hyper-charged with emotion and in some cases politicized. The problem of suicide does not retreat just because politicians and pop stars are not choosing to end their lives. It remains here, among us, causing unbearable suffering. Unlike with the celebrities, however, much of this goes unreported. They are but mere statistics. And statistics never move us quite as much as they should certainly not like a narrative. But let us take a long hard look at them nonetheless. According to the latest OECD data, South Korea recorded more suicides than any other nation. The country has ranked first in suicide mortality among the 35 OECD countries since 2003: modernity and mortality have gone hand-in-hand. In 2018, for every 100,000 people in the nation, 26.6 individuals ended their own lives a total of 13,670 victims and a 2.3 percent increase from the year before. Suicides are defined as "deaths deliberately initiated and performed by a person in the full knowledge or expectation of its fatal outcome." When comparing statistics across such a diverse range of countries, one also has to account for cultural attitudes toward reporting of the act, forensic capabilities, and provisions for confidentiality, but whichever way you approach the figures for South Korea, they make unpleasant reading. Of particular note are the teen suicide rates. In 2018 they rose 22.1 percent and suicide has been the number one cause of death for young people since 2007. How such a devastating number of young children come to such conclusions is heart-breaking to consider. For those aged nine-24, more than nine of every 100,000 chose to end their own life. Unsurprisingly academic stress was the most cited reason, even for elementary and middle school students. Scientific literature suggests that these youth suicides present a variety of different characteristics according to the individual's developmental stage. Thus, recent studies demonstrate that in South Korea warning signs and communication of suicidal intent are likely to be vague among early adolescents. However, among older adolescents mental health problems may be more evidently related to suicidal ideation. Elementary school students were more likely to commit suicide during vacation when they found themselves trapped at home and away from their peers. Middle and high school students were more likely to commit suicide during the semester as academic pressure exacerbates stress. More broadly, suicides increase during the spring (1,409, 1,269, and 1,194 in March, April and May respectively) and decrease during the winter (falling to 958 in February). Gyeongi Province recorded the most suicides of all regions. Of the 13,670 suicides in 2018, men accounted for 72.1 percent and women 27.9 percent. However, while more men succeeded in taking their own lives, women made more attempts and consequently made more visits to emergency rooms. For the elderly, the suicide rate was extremely high. Among South Koreans over 80, 69.8 of every 100,000, committed suicide. Physical complications and a lack of support group was the most prevalent reason for this age group. Civilization and its discontents are rife. For all its many laudable and documented successes, Korea is riddled with intense competition and extreme expectations placed on people's shoulders. Moreover, there is a clear holdover of authoritarian ideas in which sacrifices must be made: students sacrifice their youth to pursue higher education, workers sacrifice their freedom to earn money, sons and daughters sacrifice their dreams for family respectability. Improvements are being made, but a lot of the time it seems that personal freedom and idiosyncratic personalities are not respected. Negative relationships with parents and peer groups exacerbate the situation. The abuse of power and position (gapjil) as well as long working hours that remove intimacy are contributing factors: a lack of physical contact known as touch starvation has been shown to increase stress, depression, and anxiety. There has been a social stigma against mental illness and discussing such issues publically. Some incorrectly fear that their medical records will affect their chances of future education or employment. Thus despite the great availability and access of mental health treatment, it is not used enough. Well-known psychiatrist Dr. Noh Gyu-shik suggests that, compared to the west, there remains a troubling perception that those who use such facilities are "weak willed", possess a "weak heart" or are "completely insane." He also cites the reverberating effects of Admiral Yi Sun-shin's (1545-1598) maxim: "Those who seek death shall live. Those who seek life shall die." But maybe rather than death there is hope that people may start choosing life should the society and its inhabitants provide a more welcoming environment. Cultural factors and social structures are changing. When public figures openly discuss their issues and experiences with mental health treatment, it has a positive impact and lowers social barriers. Girls' Generation's Taeyeon, BTS' Suga, IU, Park Hae-jin, Lee Byung-hun, and Jung Hyung-dong have all had their respective struggles made known to various degrees. Baek Se-hee's 2018 novel "I Want to Die, But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki" reached a new group of people and brought the more everyday concerns of mental health into the public eye. The tag-line on the book's cover reads, "There are many people living without realizing they're tired, suffering at the hands of meaningless emptiness." More recently, the 2020 romantic television drama "It's Okay to Not be Okay," starring Kim Soo-hyun and Seo Ye-ji, charts the journey of two characters seeking to heal each other's emotional and psychological wounds. The story also takes place largely around a psychiatric hospital and features characters with a great many different conditions. While some might suggest it has focused too much on the saccharine?love one expects from such Korean programming and failed to live up to the initial hype vis-a-vis its coverage of mental health, it still raises important questions about the way in which those with perceived mental health issues are silenced and exiled by an able-minded society. And then there are our own experiences. Last semester, I noticed that one of my more extravagant and fashionable students had a laptop adorned with swear words and stickers bemoaning the needlessness of life. While this could have simply been a sign of natural rebellion or an affinity for Rage against the Machine, I casually and subtly inquired whether she was okay one day after our lecture. "Of course I am," she said looking at me askance while she packed her things and then bounced out of the classroom in her customary manner. Not for the first time I questioned my nunchi and thought no more it. Once the semester had finished, however, the same student visited my office. She was different but not in a way that was immediately perceptible to me. "You were right," she told me as she sat down. I genuinely wondered what she was talking about. "When you asked me if I was okay after class three months ago. You were right. I wasn't okay. I just didn't really know it yet. Or I wasn't being honest with myself." She then related how that one simple question had prompted her to sit and listen to her thoughts and eventually open up to her mother. She received counseling with a professional and declared that it was a transformative and liberating experience, if not a little intimidating and challenging. It took one question. And that is all we need to do sometimes: stop competing, stop judging, and stop attacking. Instead, we must see people as something beyond clients, numbers, rivals, appointments, and other depersonalized objects. Let's try to see each other as something worthy of our attention; something worthy of life. Thursday September 10t was World Suicide Prevention Day. The phone number for the National Center for Mental Health is 02-2204-0114. David Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) is an assistant professor at Seoul Women's University where he teaches Korean Studies. He discusses the week's hottest issues on TBS eFM (101.3FM) on "Life Abroad" live every Thursday from 9:35 a.m. to 10 a.m. The campaign to improve public toilets for disabled people has received a boost after the Finance Minister gave a commitment to address the problem. Conor Murphy has told a leading disability rights campaigner that he plans to change legislation which would ensure more buildings in Northern Ireland have fully equipped disabled toilets. Christine McClements has been campaigning for a number of years for Changing Places toilets in more official buildings. Changing Places toilets are a vital facility as they are specialist toilets for people who are not able to access normal toilets, They have hoists and a large changing bench for adults which not only improve the safety of people using them, but they also ensure the dignity of users as they do not have to lie on the floor of public toilets. This is particularly important during the pandemic. Mrs McClement's 12-year-old daughter, Lilia, is disabled due to a rare genetic disorder and the family is restricted on where they can go as a result of the current toilet provisions. She said: "Where there is no Changing Places toilet available within a premises, I have no other option other than to take my precious daughter out of her wheelchair to lay her down on unhygienic public toilet floors. "My daughter deserves to be treated as a person of equal value, dignity and worth." East Londonderry MLA Claire Sugden has welcomed the commitment and urged Mr Murphy to act swiftly to address the situation. "The Finance Minister has recently given private assurances to Mrs McClements that building regulations will be changed to make changing places toilets mandatory in certain types of larger new-builds and renovations," she said. The Union of Students in Ireland has rejected calls for youngsters to avoid going home from college at weekends to reduce the spread of Covid-19. It follows comments by Professor Pol O Dochartaigh, chairman of the board of the CAO and deputy president of NUI Galway. He said third-level students who live away from home while they attend college or university should limit trips home to reduce the potential spread of Covid-19. Speaking on RTE Radio One's Today with Claire Byrne yesterday, the academic said he would prefer to see students stay at their college accommodation during the academic year and only visit home 'occasionally'. Read More He explained that third-level students were not like their secondary or primary-school counterparts, or workers commuting from home each day and back. "Students go on a weekly basis, they will be meeting others from all over the country and then going back into their home communities and that is a potential spreader," he said. "There's no doubt about that, for all of the universities, for all of the colleges in the country, so I think it would be really important that students, if at all possible, were to stay in the campus, in the university, in the college setting, for most of the semester." But Lorna Fitzpatrick, president of the Union of Students in Ireland representing around 374,000 third-level students nationally, said asking students to refrain from visiting their homes at weekends would be unfair. While she could not say exactly how many students live in student accommodation during the week and then return to their home counties at weekends, she said such a proposal "would affect a vast majority of students". And while she agreed it would be an altruistic gesture to help reduce the spread of Covid-19, she said it was not something that students should be asked to do unless it was mandated by Government. "If it was public health advice, we'd follow it," she told the Irish Independent last night. But she said it was asking a lot of students, especially those who have part-time jobs in their home communities at weekends, as well as those who want to return home to visit with their families. "It's unfair for an additional burden to be placed on students," she said. "I can understand what he is saying. But it should be up to the student's own personal choice." Prof O Dochartaigh said his recommendation was simply one students should consider. The drug angle in Sushant Singh Rajputs case has now taken an ugly turn as Rhea Chakraborty has reportedly confessed to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) that actress Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet Singh, designer Simone Khambatta, Sushant's friend and former manager Rohini Iyer and filmmaker Mukesh Chhabra also consumed narcotic substance. Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh are currently under the NCB's scanner after Rheas shocking revelations, according to Times Now. Since the time this news broke, people on social media have flooded Twitter with hateful comments for Sara. Saras name in Sushant-Rheas drug related angle has garnered immense backlash from people on Twitter. Heres how some of them have reacted: Me watching #RakulPreetSingh and #SaraAliKhan promote yoga and healthy food on their instagram. pic.twitter.com/97mV7cTvbq Deepash Shukla (@sab_mein_expert) September 11, 2020 #SaraAliKhan Roses r red, Violets r blue, Sara is drug addict, What can I do. pic.twitter.com/uYtd2o6Mhk Ruby Rai Official (@RubyRai83345701) September 12, 2020 Sara Ali Khan after heavy dose of drugs #SaraAliKhan rt kro pic.twitter.com/yGDjrjEm2J Ranjeet Singh (@RanjeetSbairwa) September 11, 2020 This isnt the first time Sara has landed herself in trouble though. In the past too, Saif Ali Khans daughter had landed herself in the soup with controversial and tone-deaf statements that irked people on social media. Heres a throwback to four such instances where Sara made problematic statements: Want to be fair? Put on some powder. Want to be tanned? Put on some bronzer Sara on colourism At an event with journalist Barkha Dutt, Sara spoke about the realities of racism and colourism in India. No, not really. In fact, Sara proved she has quite a lot in common with her father when it comes to making insensitive comments from a place of privilege. When prompted by an audience member, Sara responded, "If you wanna be tan, just put on some bronzer, and if you wanna be fair, put on some powder." She added, "It's not the end of the world, and it shouldn't define you at all." This definitely didnt go down well with her fans on social media. All Lives Matter Sara's tweet on racial discrimination Ofcourse she crossed out Black and then reduced it down to animal rights...that political science degree looking real good Sara Ali Khan pic.twitter.com/scdhLfA38y Bimbo Kapoor Ahuja (@prileykwest) June 4, 2020 When the whole world was fuming with rage in the wake of the tragic death of US citizen George Floyd and the subsequent protests against racial discrimination, Sara tweeted an All Lives Matter post that featured a few pairs of hands with different skin tones along with an elephant trunk. You might be wondering whats wrong with speaking up for equality, right? Theres none. Of course, all lives matter but using this slogan to counter the struggles of the historically oppressed black community, not so much. This took away the focus from the very issue that people were protesting against during that time. Subsequently, the actress faced severe backlash from the people on Twitter. When Sara made cultural appropriation Heres a sneak peek of what went behind the scenes of Sara Ali Khans #Filmfare cover shoot. pic.twitter.com/SGqLNjkBaT Filmfare (@filmfare) February 27, 2019 A while ago, Sara posed for a magazine shoot in Kenya with an African Masai tribal man dressed in his traditional attire posing behind her like a mere prop. Of course, people on Twitter called her out for her blatant cultural appropriation and disrespect for African indigenous culture. Not only was the imagery extremely racist, Saras inability to see it made it worse. But did she issue a formal note of apology? No, she did not. Sara on Koffee With Karan: Paisa is the highest metric for a suitor. Star World When Saif Ali Khan and Sara appeared on Karan Johars reality chat show Koffee With Karan, they made some controversial statements. When asked about the criteria for possible boyfriends, Sara said, "I want to marry Ranbir Kapoor. I don't want to date him. I want to date Kartik Aaryan," to which dad Saif added, "Has he got money? "You have money, you can take her!" Well, the father-daughter duo couldnt impress people on Twitter much with such statements. Dont forget to tell us your thoughts on this in the space below. Tech Stocks FANG Index Nearing Critical Support Could Breakout At Any Moment RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: The washout-low price move in FANG stocks may present a needed rotation in price before another upside move sets up. Tweezer Bottoms pattern and RSI pennant formation suggest very clear support levels. Watch how Volume and the VIX pick up over the next few days, and how price reacts to this bounce at 945. Our Custom FANG Index (consisting of Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, Amazon, Google, and Nvidia) shows the FANG Index, and technology sector, are trading just above critical support near 945. The congestion area on this chart between July and August just below this 945 level highlights the key resistance/support level that we are currently watching as price support. TWEEZER BOTTOMS MAY SUGGEST MORE UPSIDE POTENTIAL This Custom FANG Index Weekly chart clearly slows the Tweezer Bottoms pattern that formed in the markets after the close on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. This pattern suggests a very clear support level is found near the recent lows near 945. If this support level holds, then the FANG Index price should begin to bounce and move higher. If this support level is broken, prices may continue to push lower while attempting to find historical support levels. The Fibonacci Price Amplitude Arcs suggest a broader price frequency inflection point is also setting up near the recent peak. This Fibonacci Price Amplitude Arc suggests a major inflection point is taking place in the Custom FANG index right now. We believe the 945 level resulting from the Tweezer Bottoms pattern is a critical price level to support a future price rally in this sector. Lastly, we want to point out the Pennant/Flag formation in the RSI indicator over the past 8+ months (highlighted in RED). The combination of these technical patterns, as well as the new Tweezer Bottoms pattern, suggests the current breakdown to the 945 level may present a washout-low type rotation after the RSI Pennant Apex. Overall, this downside move in the FANG index represents a moderately strong APEX rotation. If this is a washout rotation, then we may be setting up for another big upside price move soon. Right now, we are cautiously watching the 945 level and expecting the Custom FANG Index to recover from these Tweezer Bottoms lows. We believe there is a very solid chance that the washout-low price move may present a needed rotation in price before another upside move sets up. Watch for the markets and technology sector to attempt a recovery as long as the 945 level on this Custom FANG Index chart holds. Isnt it time you learned how I can help you better understand technical analysis as well as find and execute better trades? If you look back at past research, you will see that my incredible team and our proprietary technical analysis tools have accurately shown you what to expect from the markets in the future. Do you want to now learn how to profit from these expected moves? If so, sign up for my Active ETF Swing Trade Signals today! If you have a buy-and-hold or retirement account and are looking for long-term technical bull/bear signals for when to buy and sell equities, bonds, precious metals, or sit in cash then be sure to subscribe to my Passive Long-Term ETF Investing Signals to stay ahead of the market and protect your wealth! 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. I am standing on a corner in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with three other guys. We are discussing which way to go to continue our exploration. Larry approaches and offers a newspaper to each of us. We each look briefly and hand the papers back. We say we are straight guys and not interested in gay places. We talk to him about what else was interesting in the area. Larry tells us we are different. We ask how? He says, Normally guys either buy the paper or throw it back with disgust or an insulting comment. You just continue the conversation. We reply that since he sells this paper, he probably knows a lot about this old town section. He then offers to take us on a tour. Making it clear that we were interested in history and architecture and not gay bars, we experience an interesting and delightful three-hour exploration of old San Juan. At the end, we offer to buy him a drink in gratitude. Over a beer, he tells us his story. He was a teacher in Chicago. After several years teaching, his contract was not renewed. Someone on the school board found out he was gay and did not want him around his children. Larry explains, I never said a word about gayness to students, but I came out of the closet to adult friends. Larry sent out 60 applications to schools over a wide area and did not get one response. He sadly commented, I came here because it was much better to be homeless in San Juan than in Chicago, especially during the winter. I make enough publishing my paper to get by. We grieved with him and said good-bye. Three of us were teachers; the other was a principal. We had become friends in a masters in education program the previous summer. We decided to take a weeks vacation together this year before summer school began. When we were back at the hotel, the principal felt sorry for Larry but said he could not hire him either. If he did this, the school board would certainly find out, and he would be terminated as principal. It was June 1970. Today, there is controversy among Catholic bishops about how to minister to members of the LGBTQ community. At the center of the controversy is a Jesuit priest, Father James Martin. Martin wrote a book, Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion and Sensitivity. Two recently appointed Cardinals support the book. Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark writes, In too many parts of our church, LGBT people have been made to feel unwelcome, excluded and even shamed. Father Martins inspiring new book reminds LGBT Catholics that they are as much a part of our church as any other Catholic. Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago agrees. He affirms what Martin was doing and points out that Pope Francis appointed Martin to a commission in Rome. However, other bishops have forbidden Martin to speak in their dioceses. On Sept. 30, 2019, Pope Francis invited Martin to meet with him in Rome. Some commentators believe that this was a signal to American bishops that Francis supported Martins work. When some American bishops met with Francis on Feb. 10, Catholic News Agency reported that Francis was upset with Martin, according to several unidentified bishops. Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, who attended the same meeting, disagrees. He said that the pope never spoke of Father Martin or his ministry in a negative way. Wester denied that the pope ever said that Martin was given a talking to. Contrary to what was reported anonymously, Francis was never angry or upset. The struggle in the Catholic church about treatment of LGBTQ members goes on. Recently, gay people have been fired from Catholic schools. Hopefully, the struggle of treatment of LGBTQ folks is over in the public workplace. On June 15, the U.S. Supreme Court announced the protection of LGBTQ workers from discrimination. By a 6-3 margin, the court declared employers cannot fire workers on the basis of sexual orientation. When I read the decision, I thought again about Larry. It was exactly 50 years ago we met him on a corner in San Juan. The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice, preached Martin Luther King Jr. It bent too slowly for Larry. The decision was 50 years too late for him. I felt a new and deeper sadness. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 ARCADIA From the old baldy trail to the marsh preserve, seasonal residents and tourists alike can discover an abundance of natural splendor in Arcadia. One thing they might not find as easily is a place to gather over a good cup of coffee. Coffee shops can be found in nearly every community in the region except for Arcadia. Now one group of Arcadians is looking to change that, and they are moving full steam ahead to find partners who can help create a world-class coffee shop and more that will serve the thousands who visit the community each year. The Arcadia Coffeeshop Exploratory Committee was recently awarded a $19,000 grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development to hire experts capable of completing a detailed market analysis and business plan. About a year ago, the community convened in a facilitated session to talk about our vision for the future and priorities for heading in that direction, said Ryan Tinetti, a local pastor who chairs the committee in a press release. Since the coffee shop and more was clearly the favored tipping point as a next step, we thought this would make a great proposal to USDA RDs Business Development Grant program. We could not have been more delighted when we learned we were successful. Laura Galbraith executive director of Venture North said in a press release that her organization is assisting the community organization. Were looking forward to helping the project succeed, Galbraith said. We give immense credit to the community and USDA RD for supporting a very creative approach for business development by completing much of the due diligence needed to attract the right entrepreneurial business to their community. Venture North is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that finances business and job growth in northwest Michigan. The Arcadia Coffeeshop Exploratory Committee was originally formed in the wake of community planning and visioning sessions conducted as part of the Sea Grant Sustainable Small Harbors program last October. This state- and federally-funded project aims to assist coastal communities in identifying planning objectives to ensure a secure future for public harbors. A number of us, after the visioning sessions that took place in Arcadia last fall, we were really energized by that and wanted to see that work not fall flat but keep going, Tinetti said. There were a lot of ideas that were generated out of that session but the one that got unanimous support and everyone was excited about was we need a great coffee shop in our community. More recently, the Arcadia Township Planning Commission has revisited their towns master plan to bring it in line with conclusions drawn from last years Sea Grant planning meetings, according to township treasurer Greg Wisner. Some people thought it would be nice to have a little bait shop or coffee shop down by the waterfront, Wisner said in a previous interview. Its all about what possibilities are here and what things do the citizens want to protect and whats important to the citizens that live here. While the master plan currently allows for smaller businesses like the proposed coffee shop in some locations in town, the updates are likely to restrict larger businesses within the waterfront district. The committee is disseminating a Request for Proposals (RFP) to consultants or consultant teams to work with a project leadership team to complete a detailed feasibility study and business plan and then help market both to organizations qualified and interested in starting the business. Proposals are due at 5 p.m. on Oct. 2. Proposals must include: Respondent qualifications and experience; How market and out of market surveys will be done; Research product demand and options; Identification of market territory and synergistic organizations; Workforce needs and availability; How the three year business plan will be completed along with financial projections; and The approach for identifying interested parties to develop the business. Ideally, wed have an organization by June or July of 2021 that is qualified and experienced to take the resources prepared and run a coffee shop and more that will be a community gathering place that will flourish in our community, said Tinetti. We feel this approach takes a lot of risk out of a startup and positions the community for more growth tied to a successful hub for friendship, good beverages and light food. We hope that RFP respondents will bring their creative interests and partners to this project and propose how they will collaborate with the greater Arcadia community. If the market analysis suggests that Arcadia could support a coffee shop, the next step would be to procure entities who want to then step in and solve Arcadias missing link by establishing either a nonprofit or for profit business. The purpose of the grant is to solicit organizations and firms to do the feasibility study. Were at the stage of discernment and figuring out if this is even possible, Tinetti said. While Tinetti cautions that people should not get the impression that this is definitely going to happen, he is hopeful that a coffee shop could thrive year-round in Arcadia. Right in the area we have good examples to how it can be, from Yellow Dog (Cafe) down in Onekama to something like Iron Fish (Distillery) that is totally exploding even though its in the middle of nowhere, he said. Tinetti said the committee will screen proposals by mid-October with a goal of completing interviews by the end of October and selecting a consultant to start the project in early November. Copies of the RFP are available by emailing Tinetti at r.tinetti@gmail.com or by calling (231) 970-0883. A 41-year-old Liverpool criminal - one of the two gunmen in the brutal feud-related murder of dissident republican Michael Barr - is also being investigated by gardai over the shooting of The Monk's brother, Eddie Hutch. The Herald can reveal that the investigation into David Hunter found he flew into Dublin from the UK on the morning of February 8, 2016 - the day that Eddie Hutch was murdered. Gardai have also found that Hunter flew back out of Dublin Airport the following day. "This flight pattern is definitely suspicious to say the least, considering all that gardai know now about David Hunter," a senior source told the Herald. "He was in the country for not much more than 24 hours and in this timeframe the murder happened. "He is being looked at for having had some role in the Hutch murder, but it has not yet been established what part, if any, he played," the source said. Eddie Hutch Snr (58) was shot dead at his home in Poplar Row, Ballybough, in Dublin's north inner city on the night of February 8 in revenge for the Regency Hotel bloodbath that had happened just three days earlier. There were a number of gunmen involved in the murder and there have been some significant arrests, but no charges yet. Meanwhile, the Herald can also reveal that gardai have identified a third suspect in the Michael Barr murder - the suspected getaway driver. "This investigation is far from over - a third suspect is expected to be arrested in the coming months," the source said. Convicted woman-beater David Hunter entered the Sunset House in north inner city Dublin when he and Eamon Cumberton (32) fired multiple shots at Barr (35), who was working in the pub on the night. The victim, who was well known to gardai, was hit seven times. Barr, a New IRA figure from Strabane, Co Tyrone, was blamed by the Kinahan cartel for sourcing the weapons used in the Regency Hotel attack in which key cartel player David Byrne (34) was shot dead. Sources said last night that they were unaware how much Hunter was paid for his role in the murder of Barr - one of 18 linked to the deadly Hutch/Kinahan feud. Hunter has been in custody on the Barr murder charge since March 2019 when he was arrested on foot of a European Arrest Warrant as he left Wormwood Scrubs Prison in London. Hunter, from Huyton, Mereyside, beat up his girlfriend and threatened to kill a member of her family in Liverpool in 2016 before going on the run. He was convicted of actual bodily harm in 2017 and jailed for 15 months. Hunter now faces the mandatory term of life in prison after being convicted of murder yesterday at the Special Criminal Court. Presiding judge Mr Justice Alexander Owens said that the evidence had been heard in a "compelling way" that Hunter was one of the two gunmen who entered the Summerhill pub on April 24, 2016, and murdered Barr by shooting him. Hunter's involvement in the murder had been "fully proved" and the three-judge court was "sure of his guilt", he remarked. The judge noted that the major part of a DNA profile taken from a ski-mask recovered during the investigation into the shooting of Barr matched and verified the profile of Hunter. Rejected The circumstantial evidence in the case "pointed inextricably" to Hunter's guilt and the facts taken together had established the father-of-five's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and no other rational explanation could be drawn, indicated the judge. Mr Justice Owens said the court rejected Hunter's explanation for his whereabouts on the night. He also said the whole 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 car to either use at the murder or in the getaway car. In a voluntary statement to gardai, Hunter said that 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 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 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 the judge, adding that it was not a "credible explanation" that the ski-mask had been left behind by him on a previous trip to Dublin. 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 five 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. Boiler The three men then got into a "possibly silver" Ford Mondeo and left the scene and gardai already in the area arrived at 9.42pm and put the fire out. The burning Audi A6 vehicle was examined and cocked and loaded weapons, ready for use, were found. Boiler suits, two ski masks and two rubber masks were also found in the rear seat. A phone, which had a number of missed calls, was found 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 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-mask's DNA profile formed 61pc 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. 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". Mr Justice Owens will hand down the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment on November 2 and remanded Hunter in custody until that date. Barr was a close pal of Kevin 'Flat Cap' Murray who died from motor neurone disease aged 46 in August 2017. Murray gained his nickname after he was photographed running from the hotel where David Byrne was murdered wearing the distinctive hat and carrying a gun. Barr, who was living in Finglas, was due to be sentenced three days after he was killed at the Special Criminal Court for handling stolen property. Earlier that month he pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to handling stolen electrical equipment at Finnstown House Hotel in Lucan. Speaking outside the Criminal Courts of Justice, Colin Barr, the dad of the victim, said the verdict gave the family "some satisfaction" that Hunter "was going behind bars". He said organised crime "has got no place in Ireland" and "without the gardai these people would not be behind bars" and added that Hunter had been "found guilty for all his lies". In what the United States boasts as the second breakthrough to normalise the situation in West Asia, Bahrain has signed a ''peace deal'' with Israel. This comes a month after United Arab Emirates (UAE) established full diplomatic relations with Israel, becoming third nation to do so in the region, after Jordan and Egypt. With these developments in the West Asia, US President Donal Trump claims that his administration has achieved major success in bringing peace in the region. However, not all has gone well with the neighbours of Israel and countries which have decided to recognise the Jewish state. READ | Israel, UAE to open embassies after diplomatic makeover: Here's all you need to know 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 READ | Trump To Host Israel-UAE Deal Signing Ceremony; Netanyahu 'proud' To Attend Historic Event Relation of Israel with other Arab countries The Jewish state of Israel was formed in 1948, and since then the country has fought eight wars with its Arab neighbours. These wars predominantly stemmed from the conflict between Palestine and Israel. After World War II, demand for a homeland for Jews in the Arab dominated Palestine grew. Back then, Palestine was under the British mandate, but when it ended in 1947, the United Nations (UN) proposed an Arab-Jewish partition of Palestine. This partition plan mandated 53 percent of the land to the Jewish-majority state and 47 percent to the Palestinian-majority state. The Arab dominated West Asia did not accept a Jewish nation giving rise to conflict in the region. While Egypt and Jordan established diplomatic ties later, other Arab countries are of opinion that they would withhold recognition till the formation of Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. However, there has been a major shift recently. 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 READ | Donald Trump Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize For His key Role In UAE-Israel Agreement Here's how the Arab nations reacted: Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed development and called it a 'new phase of peace'. Netanyahu said that it took Israel 29 days to reach the agreement with Bahrain. Netanyahu also confirmed that other Arab countries will establish ties with Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed development and called it a 'new phase of peace'. Netanyahu said that it took Israel 29 days to reach the agreement with Bahrain. Netanyahu also confirmed that other Arab countries will establish ties with Israel. Palestine : As the deal was announced, recalled its ambassador to Bahrain. The Palestinian Authority has condemned the deal calling it "a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause". In a statement, it said: "The Palestinian leadership strongly rejects and condemns the American-Bahraini-Israeli tripartite declaration. Foreign media quoted Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem saying that Bahrain's decision "represents a grave harm to the Palestinian cause, and it supports the occupation". The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), based in Ramallah called the normalisation "another treacherous stab to the Palestinian cause". : As the deal was announced, recalled its ambassador to Bahrain. The Palestinian Authority has condemned the deal calling it "a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause". In a statement, it said: "The Palestinian leadership strongly rejects and condemns the American-Bahraini-Israeli tripartite declaration. Foreign media quoted Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem saying that Bahrain's decision "represents a grave harm to the Palestinian cause, and it supports the occupation". The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), based in Ramallah called the normalisation "another treacherous stab to the Palestinian cause". Iran: In a statement, it said that now Bahrain is partner to crime 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." In a statement, it said that now Bahrain is partner to crime 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." Turkey : The Turkish Foreign Ministry in a statement condemned the agreement and said that it is yet another blow to 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. : The Turkish Foreign Ministry in a statement condemned the agreement and said that it is yet another blow to 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. UAE : The UAE foreign ministry has welcomed the move as the country established ties with Israel a month before. In a statement, it said: "The move represents a significant step towards an era of security and prosperity. It would expand the scope of economic, cultural, scientific, and diplomatic avenues of cooperation. : The UAE foreign ministry has welcomed the move as the country established ties with Israel a month before. In a statement, it said: "The move represents a significant step towards an era of security and prosperity. It would expand the scope of economic, cultural, scientific, and diplomatic avenues of cooperation. Saudi Arabia: The Saudi officials have maintained their silence on the normalisation deal (till the time of publishing the article). Just two days earlier, a statement released by the Saudi Foreign Ministry on remarks made by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud at Arab League meeting said that supported the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the borders before the 1967 Middle East war, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Saudi officials have maintained their silence on the normalisation deal (till the time of publishing the article). Just two days earlier, a statement released by the Saudi Foreign Ministry on remarks made by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud at Arab League meeting said that supported the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the borders before the 1967 Middle East war, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Jordan: In a statement, Jordan favoured the two-state solution, but took a balanced view on the deal. Country's foreign minister Ayman Safadi said that the necessary steps to achieve a fair and comprehensive peace in the region should come from Israel. In a statement, Jordan favoured the two-state solution, but took a balanced view on the deal. Country's foreign minister Ayman Safadi said that the necessary steps to achieve a fair and comprehensive peace in the region should come from Israel. Egypt: Taking to Twitter, President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said that the deal is an important step towards establishing stability and peace in the Middle East, and achieves a just and permanent settlement of the Palestinian issue. . 1/2 Abdelfattah Elsisi (@AlsisiOfficial) September 11, 2020 READ | Trump Announces Israel-Bahrain Peace Agreement In Less Than A Month Of UAE Deal Making way for Trump's Nobel Prize? The development also comes after US President Trump has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize by Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament, because Trump brokered the deal for the normalisation of ties between the Israel and UAE. With yets another peace deal, it seems Trump administration is paving way for his Nobel Peace Prize. The deals in the West Asian region comes after Trump's 'Middle East peace' plan announced in January failed to gain impetus. Trump had tasked his son-in-law Jared Kushner for bringing 'peace in the middle east.' With these deals seen to be as a major 'breakthrough', Kushner and Ivanka Trump claim that 'history' is made. The executive order issued by the Trump Administration required ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to either divest TikTok's U.S. operations or sell them. The Trump Administration initially gave ByteDance 45 days to make a decision and then extended the deadline to 90 days. It has been reported now that China may consider all together putting an end to TikTok's U.S. operations instead of selling them to an American company. Amidst U.S. and China's ongoing battle over political and economic supremacy, several companies are stuck in between, including Microsoft, Walmart and Oracle. ByteDance is, of course, struggling the most, especially after China revised its rules around tech exports, making the matter of selling TikTok more difficult for ByteDance. Moreover, the U.S. is not the only country that is planning to ban TikTok because of security concerns, but the app has already been banned in India. Apparently, the Chinese Government is looking at the potential TikTok sale as an act of submission, that it doesn't want to comply with. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit Paris, Sep 12 : More than 150 people were arrested on Saturday after hundreds of "Yellow Vest" protesters took to streets in the centre of Paris to oppose President Emmanuel Macron's fiscal, economic and social policies. Paris police department said 154 individuals had been detained by 13:00 p.m. (local time) in the capital for holding screwdriver, ice ax, cutting pliers and knives, Xinhua news agency reported. According to local reports, up to 5,000 protesters are expected to gather in the capital, including 1,000 members of the far-left anarchist group known as the "black blocs." On February 29, the French government decided to ban all public gatherings with more than 5,000 people due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The ban has been extended to October 30. In a bid to avoid the chaos in the capital, which had turned into battle field in previous "Yellow Vest" action, police prefect Didier Lallemant banned two demonstrations in the capital's main avenue, and ordered demonstrators not to gather near the Elysee Palace, the National Assembly and the Prime Minister's office. "Demonstrations are possible provided that they take place peacefully, that there is no destruction," said Lallement, calling for respect for barrier gestures. Other protests are also planned in Marseille, Toulouse, Lyon, Lille, Nantes, Nice, Bordeaux and Strasbourg. The "Yellow Vest" movement, a nationwide protest against weak economic performance and stagnant income increase, started as a campaign against surge in fuel prices in November 2018. A political appointee of President Trump has been interfering with COVID-19 reports by health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because their data doesnt match the optimistic messages sought by the White House. In one instance, CDC Director Robert Redfield and his scientists were accused of trying to hurt the president with their reports about COVID-19, according to POLITICO. The reported interference was learned a day after it was revealed that the same group of Trump loyalists were seeking to muzzle Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert. Since being named spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, Michael Caputo, the Republican Party operative and former Trump campaign official, and his staff have pressured CDC personnel to alter the wording of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Michael Caputo (left), who was named by President Trump as chief spokesperson at the Department of Health and Human Services this past April, has reportedly demanded that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield (right) and his staff alter their scientific reports so that they're in line with the White House's 'optimistic' message Since being named spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, Caputo, the Republican Party operative and former Trump campaign official, and his staff have pressured CDC personnel to alter the wording of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (above) The report has usually been published without any political interference and is a key method by which the CDC advises doctors and the general public about COVID-19. Caputo, who has no medical or health background, was named to the spokespersons position in April. Since then, he and his team have tried to stop the CDC from releasing some of its findings that do not line up with messaging from Trump, POLITICO is reporting. Caputo and his staffers reportedly tried to retroactively change agency reports which they claimed inflated the risks of COVID-19. The political appointees reportedly sought to make clear in the reports that American who became infected with the virus did so due to their own behavior, according to POLITICO. Another report which Caputo and his team objected to dealt with the CDC findings on how doctors were prescribing hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria drug touted by Trump as a treatment for COVID-19. A top Caputo aide reportedly has sought to muzzle Dr. Anthony Fauci (pictured), the nation's top infectious disease expert Medical professionals have stated that there is no therapeutic benefit to using the drug to treat COVID-19. According to POLITICO, Caputo and his staff delayed the CDC report for a month while they questioned the authors political motivations. The report, which was published last week, stated that the potential benefits of these drugs do not outweigh their risks. POLITICO cited an August 8 email in which a Caputo aide slammed Redfield and other CDC officials for using the agencys reports to hurt the President. CDC to me appears to be writing hit pieces on the administration, Paul Alexander, a political appointee, wrote. Alexander demanded that Redfield re-edit two published reports which he claimed overstated the risks of COVID-19 to children. Alexander also accused Redfield and the agency of undermining the presidents efforts to get schools reopened. Alexander wrote: CDC tried to report as if once kids get together, there will be spread and this will impact school re-opening . . . Very misleading by CDC and shame on them. Their aim is clear. He demanded that Redfield stop all future MMWR reports until the CDC changed its longstanding publication process and allowed Alexander to personally review the whole report before it was published. Alexander also demanded that the CDC let him make line edits. He also wanted the agency to make an immediate stop to the reports. Caputo recruited Alexander, an assistant professor of health research at Torontos McMaster University, this past spring to be his scientific adviser. The reports must be read by someone outside of CDC like myself, and we cannot allow the reporting to go on as it has been, for it is outrageous, Alexander told Redfield. Its lunacy. Paul Alexander, who is a senior adviser to Trump-appointed HHS assistant secretary for public affairs Michael Caputo, asked as recently as Tuesday for Fauci to avoid advocating for children to wear masks Nothing to go out unless I read and agree with the findings how they CDC, wrote it and I tweak it to ensure it is fair and balanced and complete. While CDC officials have pushed back on Caputos encroachment into their work, they have recently allowed his team to review the reports before their publication. Caputo defended the actions of his team in seeking changes to CDC reports, telling POLITICO that Alexander is an Oxford-educated epidemiologist who specializes in analyzing the work of other scientists. Dr. Alexander advises me on pandemic policy and he has been encouraged to share his opinions with other scientists, Caputo told POLITICO. Like all scientists, his advice is heard and taken or rejected by his peers. Caputo said it was appropriate for his department, HHS, to review CDC reports. Our intention is to make sure that evidence, science-based data drives policy through this pandemic - not ulterior deep state motives in the bowels of CDC, he said. Alexander is the same HHS official who has reportedly been working to stop Fauci from speaking publicly about the risks of COVID-19 in children. Emails obtained by Politico show that Alexander has been trying to instruct Fauci's staff about what he should say during media interviews. Alexander asked as recently as Tuesday for Fauci to avoid advocating for children to wear masks. 'Can you ensure Dr Fauci indicates masks are for the teachers in schools. Not for children,' Alexander wrote in an email to Fauci's spokesperson ahead of an interview with MSNBC. 'There is no data, none, zero, across the entire world, that shows children especially young children, spread this virus to other children, or to adults or to their teachers. None. And if it did occur, the risk is essentially zero.' In an August 27 email, Alexander wrote that he 'vehemently' disagreed with the infectious disease expert. That email was in response to a summary from the press office at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases about what Fauci planned to tell a Bloomberg reporter. 'I continue to have an issue with kids getting tested and repeatedly and even university students in a widespread manner and I disagree with Dr Fauci on this. Vehemently,' he wrote. Some emails show that Fauci's aides have pushed back against Alexander's requests. One scientist at the institute wrote to Alexander in late August, saying she disagreed with his suggestion that COVID-19 posed 'zero' risk to children. 'I am an infectious diseases physician on Dr Fauci's staff,' Andrea Lerner, a medical officer in the Office of the Director, wrote in the email. 'While transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 involving children are not fully understood, potentially complex and probably differ across age groups, I don't feel it is correct to say there is "no evidence, zero, that children spread this virus to children in schools or to adults." Or that, "They take influenza home but do not take COVID home".' She cited four different studies, including a CDC report on an outbreak at a Georgia summer camp that said 44 percent of children and young adults had tested positive in June. Alexander responding that it would be 'traumatic' for children to have to wear masks. He also attached a series of studies that he said showed there was 'little, if any evidence' that children are at risk. Fauci, who has been director of the institute since 1984, denied the suggestion that he was being muzzled. He said he hadn't seen the emails and that no one on his staff advised him on what to say. 'I would never be muzzled about anything when it comes to science and evidence and the facts,' Fauci told Fox News. In a statement, Caputo - who is Alexander's superior - said the official specialized in analyzing other scientists' work. 'Dr Alexander advises me on pandemic policy and he has been encouraged to share his opinions with other scientists,' Caputo said. 'Like all scientists, his advice is heard and taken or rejected by his peers. I hired Dr Alexander for his expertise and not to simply resonate others' opinions.' Fauci has, at times, been at odds with the Trump administration during the coronavirus pandemic. Fauci said on Friday he disagreed with Trump's 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 United States 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 United States was 'rounding the corner' on the crisis. 'I have to disagree with that, because, if you look at the thing that you just mentioned, the statistics ... they are disturbing,' Fauci said on MSNBC. 'We're plateauing at around 40,000 cases a day. And the deaths are around a thousand. Fauci said he hoped the country did not see a spike in cases after the Labor Day weekend as it did after other long holiday weekends since May. It was important to get those infection rates down before the autumn and winter seasons when people will be spending more time indoors. 'You don't want to start off already with a baseline that's so high,' Fauci said. Dr Fauci says U.S. won't get back to normal until late 2021 when a successful vaccine for COVID-19 could be widely distributed Fauci told NBC News' Andrea Mitchel that he is confident there will be a vaccine available by the end of this year or early 2021 Asked about the outdoor campaign rallies Trump has resumed before his November 3rd matchup against Democrat Joe Biden, Fauci said they are 'absolutely' risky. Fauci has previously warned that some schools in certain areas should be more cautious about reopening amid the pandemic. Fauci said schools in regions with low infections, which would be considered 'green zones', would have no problem reopening. 'If you're in a yellow zone, it's more of a risk, so you may want to modify your schedule,' he said. 'If you're in a red zone, there's a high degree of viral activity, I think you need to think twice before you get children to go back to school.' It comes after it emerged on Wednesday that Fauci had criticized Trump as 'rudderless' in dealing with the pandemic, according to Bob Woodward's bombshell new book. He made the comment to an associate, Woodward says. Trump's 'attention span is like a minus number,' Woodward quotes Fauci as saying. 'His sole purpose is to get reelected,' according to the book, which reports Fauci told other players that Trump 'is on a separate channel' and wasn't focussed in meetings. The release of the book excerpts came on a day Fauci said he is 'frustrated' by large political gatherings where many people aren't wearing masks even as he once again sought to temper what might come off as public criticism of Trump. Fauci called on public officials to 'set an example' following a Trump rally in North Carolina attended by thousands of people. Fauci, who for months has tried to balance his desire to share public health warnings without drawing headlines that put him at odds with Trump, was asked on 'CBS This Morning' if it was frustrating for him as an expert to see rallies with large contingents of unmasked people. 'The president continues to hold these massive rallies where people are not wearing masks including the president himself,' interviewer Gayle King asked Fauci. 'Well, yes, it is. I've said that often,' Fauci responded. 'That situation is we want to set an example. Because we know that when you do four or five typical kind of public health measures: mask, physical distance, avoiding crowds, making sure you do most things outdoors versus indoors,' he continued. 'Those are the kinds of things that turn around surges and also prevent us from getting surges. So I certainly would like to see universal wearing of masks,' he said. As soon as her three-year-old son could voice the words, he proudly insisted to his mother: 'I'm a girl'. Watching him happily playing for hours at home with his elder sisters' toys and clothes, Louise Anderson says she knew it was no passing 'phase', despite some trying to tell her otherwise. So much so that when 'Lucas' decided at the age of 12 to switch gender and become 'Ellie', it came as no surprise to family or friends who had witnessed a gradual and resolute childhood transformation from boy to girl. Over the next four years, the teenager, from Stirling, would plan her life meticulously, opting to undergo a course of hormone blockers with a view to eventually receiving regular injections of the female hormone oestrogen once she turned 16. But before all that she wanted to ensure one day she could still become the biological parent of her own child, and at the age of 14 opted to have her sperm frozen at a fertility clinic in Glasgow becoming one of the UK's youngest transgender children to do so. Pictured: Ellie Anderson, who passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest two months ago Now it is that simple act of forward planning which has seen Ellie's actions become the subject of an extraordinary ethical battle, as well as potentially a landmark legal case, that could have repercussions for the UK's human fertilisation laws. Two months ago, the teenager passed away, aged only 16, after suffering a cardiac arrest. The cause of her death has yet to be determined after a post mortem failed to shed any light on the tragedy, but for her grieving mother the sorrow of losing Ellie has been worsened by the fertility clinic now informing her they will have to destroy her samples in line with present guidelines. If Ellie had been in a relationship, her partner would have had the right to ask for her sperm to be retained. But that right cannot be transferred to her mother without a ruling from the highest civil court in Scotland. Louise Anderson's daughter Ellie opted to have her sperm frozen at the age of 14 at a fertility clinic in Glasgow after she decided to switch gender at 12. Pictured: Ms Anderson Pictured: Ms Anderson with her daughter Ellie in 2012, ahead of her death two months ago Determined to see her daughter's final wishes come true, Ms Anderson, 45, plans to launch a legal bid to save the samples in the hope she can one day find a donor egg and surrogate mother to have her grandchild. Last night, the former restaurant manager said: 'I'm not doing this because I'm clinging on to a memory. I'm doing this because Ellie asked me to and I made a promise I'm determined to honour. 'One of her greatest wishes was to become a mother. I supported her all the way through her short life and, if it's the last thing I do, now I want to support her in death.' The fact Ellie had already saved 3,000 towards the approximately 20,000 cost of engaging a surrogate only underscores for her family the need to honour her wishes. Ms Anderson added: 'Ellie made me promise if anything happened to her I would make sure her children were born. She wanted a boy and a girl and we had even discussed their names. As soon as Louise Anderson's three-year-old son 'Lucas' (right) could voice the words, he proudly insisted to his mother: 'I'm a girl'. Pictured left: Ellie Anderson 'It's a secret I want to hold on to for now in the hope one day her wish will come true but if she has a daughter, she wanted her middle name to be Louise. 'She told me, 'You've been a great mum, I know you'd be a great gran and just on the off-chance it could turn out one of my children is trans, who better to raise them? You would support them all the way.' Born in January 2004, the youngster was the sixth of Ms Anderson's seven children and from a young age showed a keener interest in Barbie dolls and dress-up costumes, than in cars or Action Men. By the time Lucas started school, much of his childish artwork in class often showed a boy with brown hair, like his own, standing beside a blonde-haired girl an image of the female he longed to become. Ms Anderson recalled: 'It started from such a young age, I knew it wasn't a phase. 'At the age of three, Lucas told me repeatedly he was a girl. I didn't care either way. 'Within a few years, he no longer answered to the name Lucas at home, but wanted to be known as Kylie after Kylie Jenner. I managed to talk him into Ellie.' Throughout primary school, Ellie continued to wear boys' uniform in class and answer to the name 'Lucas' but would change into her girls' clothes as soon as she returned home. It was only four months after beginning first year at St Modan's High School, in Stirling, that she decided to officially switch gender. Ms Anderson said: 'I knew this was her mind and there was absolutely no confusion. We had a couple of meetings with the school as it was a first for them and they needed to know how best to support Ellie and the other pupils, so there was a level of acceptance and no bullying. Despite the occasional comment, Ellie never experienced anything major. She was so strong about it and so brave. From that moment it was 'This is who I am', 'This is what I want to wear' and 'I want to be accepted'. 'She was sick of living a double life, going to school dressed as a boy but not identifying as a boy.' Shortly after her 13th birthday, she began gender identity counselling sessions with a psychologist at the Sandyford clinic in Glasgow, ahead of starting regular injections of hormone blockers. Ms Anderson, who had separated from her husband, Darren, a couple of years earlier, said: 'Ellie knew what she wanted and she had planned her future. Ms Anderson, 45, plans to launch a legal bid to save her daughter's sperm samples in the hope she can one day find a donor egg and surrogate mother to have her grandchild 'She should have started hormone blockers sooner than she did but she requested a referral to the fertility clinic at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. 'Her psychologist said it was the first time she'd had a trans child ask to freeze either their eggs or their sperm. 'She was so excited when she was told she could do it. It was my birthday soon afterwards and she gave me a card which made me laugh inside she'd written: 'Happy Birthday from me and your unborn grandchildren frozen in the clinic'.' Early in 2018, a delighted Ellie finally began two years of regular three-monthly hormone blocker injections. Turning 16 in January this year, she was due to have assessments with two psychologists before beginning female hormone treatment when the Covid pandemic caused the UK-wide lockdown. Her mother said: 'She was champing at the bit to get started and was due to start treatment in late July but died a few days before, without it ever getting under way.' The teenager's sudden death is still recorded as 'unascertained' pending further results following a post mortem. But what is known is, happy and full of anticipation that she was soon to fulfil her wish, Ellie left the family home around 9.30pm on July 22, the lengthy summer days, meaning there was still time to notch up her daily 10,000-steps fitness regime. Within 40 minutes, however, Ms Anderson found two police officers on her doorstep, propping up her daughter and saying a concerned member of the public had called them because she looked 'disorientated'. No ambulance was available because of an apparent backlog, so they brought her home. A shocked Ms Anderson recalled: 'I'm first aid trained, so I was trying to comfort Ellie, trying to reassure her everything would be fine, while the other police officer called repeatedly for an ambulance. 'That's when she started having small seizures. She looked scared but was lucid throughout because one of the officers called her Lucas at one point and she replied, 'That's not my name!' When the ambulance arrived nearly two hours later, Covid restrictions meant she could not travel with her daughter to hospital. By the time she arrived separately, the teenager had suffered a cardiac arrest and died. 'I was too late,' said a heartbroken Ms Anderson. 'The guilt of knowing she died without me there is almost unbearable and I'm still struggling to come to terms with it. 'When I finally got to see her, it looked like she was sleeping. I just wanted to climb into the bed beside her, wrap my arms around her and tell her it was going to be alright.' She added: 'We've still no idea what happened and I still feel angry it took so long for an ambulance. I've tried to work out why she died. 'I can't believe it was anything caused by the hormone blockers as she had been on them for two years without problems.' Unsurprisingly for someone who had mapped out their life plans so carefully, Ellie had also made her funeral wishes known to her mother. Ms Anderson said: 'Ellie loved talking to me about family history and wanted to be buried in her wedding dress. 'We never got to see that day, so I had to force myself to go shopping online for one to dress her in for the funeral. 'She loved having long, blonde hair and her make-up skills were exceptional. She wanted to be a hairdresser and was due to go to college after being given an unconditional offer. 'So I felt I had to make sure she looked perfect to have the send-off she would have wanted. She looked beautiful, lying there so peacefully in her white dress. I even managed to get a carriage, drawn by a horse with plumes of rainbow colours, to carry her coffin to the cemetery.' Thanks to the looming battle with the fertility clinic, who in a new development last week agreed to extend a temporary 'stay of execution' until November 30, it means, she says, there has been barely time to grieve. Her solicitor Virgil Crawford is now consulting with a QC with a view to seeking an 'action for declarator' at the Court of Session which would allow Ms Anderson to gain ownership of her child's sample. If unsuccessful, they intend to appeal to the Supreme Court. Yesterday, a spokesman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which runs the clinic, expressed sympathy with the family but insisted: 'The storage of gametes (sperm) is managed in line with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act and complies with the consents provided by the donors.' Gazing at photographs of her smiling daughter, Ms Anderson, who has also started an online petition urging Boris Johnson to change the law, hopes her fight will help others in dispute over fertility guidelines. She said: 'This is not about me being desperate for grandchildren my eldest daughter is due to have a baby soon. The law is out of touch and can't just be one size fits all, so I hope this will also help others. No matter what, this is going to court. 'Nothing will bring Ellie back but if I can do everything I can to make sure her children can be born one day, it's important to me. I'm determined they won't callously destroy her wishes.' Representative image live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More While all eyes are on reviving sentiments impacting the automobile industry, there is one segment that has quietly outperformed. The COVID-19 disruption notwithstanding, tractor volumes for the period January to August have sailed past volumes of the same period last year, thus becoming the first segment to achieve this. More on this later in the story, but before that here is a complete look at what made headlines in the auto space this week. A family pact between the Munjals is stonewalling Hero MotoCorps grand entry into the segment, even as its close rivals Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor Company start delivering electric scooters to their customers. The pact states that the Pawan Munjal-led Hero MotoCorp cannot use the Hero brand name to launch electric two-wheelers. Hero Electric, the company headed by Pawans cousin Naveen Munjal, has exclusive rights to produce and sell electric two-wheelers under the Hero brand. The disruption caused by COVID-19 has forced Ather Energy, the Hero MotoCorp -backed electric scooter maker, to abandon plans of developing an electric motorcycle and instead focus on strengthening its existing product line-up. The Bengaluru-based startup had set its sights on the electric motorcycle segment, which was a natural progression, after it had launched three electric scooters over the last seven years. Auto sales clocked their first double-digit monthly growth for the year , selling 14 percent more passenger vehicles (PV) in August versus the same period last year. Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) data shows that wholesale volumes (those bought by dealers) of PVs closed 215,916 units in August. Two-wheeler sales grew 3 percent to 1.55 million units compared to the same period last year. Royal Enfield, the niche motorcycle brand of Eicher Motors , said it will commence local assembly of motorcycles in Argentina in partnership with Grupo Simpa , a local distributor in the country since 2018. This is the first time in Royal Enfields modern history that motorcycles will be assembled and produced outside the companys manufacturing facilities in Chennai British motorcycle manufacturer Triumph Motorcycles has launched the Rocket 3 GT in India . The GT motorcycle comes with a price tag of Rs 18.4 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), which is just over Rs 40,000 than its predecessor, the Rocket 3 R. GT gets heated grips, a flyscreen and an adjustable backrest for the pillion. Powering the Rocket 3 GT will be the same 2.5-litre, 3-cylinder engine that does duty on the R as well. This engine churns out 167 PS of power at 6,000 rpm and 221 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. Even as PV and two-wheeler segments are coming out of the woods, tractor demand has gone through the roof. As per data shared by the Tractor Manufacturers Association (TMA), domestic sales of tractors jumped 75 percent during August to 64,729 units compared to the same month last year. Thanks to the roaring demand sales during the January-August period have gone past sales of 2019. This happened despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As per TMA, domestic sales during the eight months of the year so far stood at 435,351 units, a growth of 0.13 percent compared to the same period last year. Agriculture and allied sectors became the standout segment amid the dismal GDP performance of all other sectors. The agriculture sector clocked a growth of 3.4 percent in the first quarter of FY21. Growth came on the back of 23.9 percent contraction in GDP in the same quarter. Improvement in agricultural harvest, governments rural development schemes and record water levels in the reservoirs resulted in the boom in demand for tractors. Part of the uptick in demand can also be attributed to the ramp-up in production undertaken by all manufacturers after lockdown was gradually lifted. COVID-19 has largely affected urban areas of India, leading to calls of lockdowns to control its spread while also hitting the economy hard. Shamsher Dewan, Vice President, ICRA, said, The strong revival in tractor volumes in August were aided by healthy rabi cash flows across regions and progress of monsoon (in line with forecasts). Further, original equipment manufacturers have been ramping up production levels to stock inventory ahead of festive season and are gearing up for healthy sales for the rest of the year. ICRA has upwardly revised its industry growth forecast to 7-9 percent in FY21 from an earlier estimate of 2-4 percent growth, which was due to the uncertainty regarding the impact of the pandemic on the farming community. While uncertainty still continues to exist in relation to pandemic, the rural agri scenario which matters more for robust tractor demand, is supportive of growth. As for tractor market leader Mahindra & Mahindra domestic sales in August grew to 23,503 units, an increase of 69 percent year-on-year. Escorts, the only other listed entity from the tractor space, saw a 79 percent YoY jump in sales in August to 6,750 units. In a statement Hemant Sikka, President - Farm Equipment Sector, M&M, said, On the back of highest ever sales in July, we have clocked yet another highest ever sales in August. Continued positive sentiment due to increase in kharif sowing area, thereby indicating a bumper harvest, bountiful monsoon, strong rural cash flows and base effect are the reasons behind the increase. Hedge funds have been caught out by Royal Mail's share price rally after the company surprised the market with its performance during the pandemic. Short-sellers were forced to slash bets against the company's share price after the postal service revealed robust parcel deliveries. The shares have also been buoyed by speculation of a break-up. Royal Mail shares surged 25 per cent on Tuesday when it said it had delivered 177million more parcels in the UK in the five months to the end of August than in the same period last year a rise of 34 per cent. Caught out: Short-sellers were forced to slash bets against the company's share price after the postal service revealed robust parcel deliveries That was driven by a surge in online shopping during lockdown when many British stores were shut. Letter volumes were down as expected with many offices shut. Royal Mail's rally has squeezed out hedge funds betting against its share price using 'short' contracts where they borrow shares, sell them, buy them back at a lower price, before returning them to the lender and pocketing a profit. However, if the share price starts rising they stand to make a loss. And, following the rally, short positions on Royal Mail's shares have dropped from 7.5 per cent of the total number of shares to 4.2 per cent, according to disclosures of major short positions by the Financial Conduct Authority. US investment giant BlackRock and Swiss hedge fund Pictet Asset Management were among those winding up their short contracts. But the share price surge will have pleased Daniel Kretinsky, the billionaire known as the 'Czech Sphinx' for his inscrutability. He has built up a 13 per cent stake in Royal Mail and is now its largest shareholder. Kretinsky has yet to reveal his plans, but analysts believe he may push for Royal Mail to split off GLS, its profitable overseas parcel business. Royal Mail also hinted it could stop letter deliveries on Saturdays and said it would meet customers and other stakeholders in the coming weeks to discuss plans. Ofcom is currently reviewing the 'user needs' of Royal Mail. The regulator's report is due to be published in the autumn. Read what is in the news today. Politics The U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will open a regional office in Hanoi to coordinate, share experience in and tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of State said on Thursday following an online ministerial meeting hosted by the U.S. that took place with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The U.S. has pledged to provide nearly US$153.6 million in assistance to several projects of the Mekong countries, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun announced at the first Mekong-U.S. Partnership Ministerial Meeting on Friday. Society Vietnam reported an imported coronavirus case on Friday evening, raising its tally to 1,060, while recoveries reached 902 and virus-related deaths remain at 35, according to the Ministry of Health. A No. 41 bus running on the route between An Suong Bus Station in Ho Chi Minh Citys Hoc Mon District and Mien Tay Bus Station caught fire on Friday evening. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has signed decisions to appoint Ngo Thi Minh as the fourth Deputy Minister of Education and Training and Nguyen Ba Hoan as the fourth Deputy Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs. Designing works are underway for the construction of the Nhon Trach Bridge, which is estimated to cost over VND2.2 trillion ($94.8 million), to connect Ho Chi Minh Citys District 2 and Nhon Trach District in neighboring Dong Nai Province, the projects investor said on Friday. Business The Customs Department of Hai Phong City, located in northern Vietnam, has seized the largest ever shipment of counterfeit cigarettes with more than one million packs, worth over VND30 billion ($1.3 million), illegally imported from Cambodia to the port city. The Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade has issued a warning on potential health risks of Milk Lab Almond Milk 1L, produced by Australias Rio Coffee Ltd, and ordered a nationwide recall of the product. Education The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training has officially withdrawn the establishment licenses of all ten facilities of the Dai Bang (Eagle) English Center in the city because of its unlicensed operation. Lifestyle Vietnamese-American 2016 Pulitzer winner Nguyen Thanh Viet has been selected as the newest member of the Pulitzer Prize Board, according to an announcement on the awards official website. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Brian Austin Green's ex-fiancee Vanessa Marcil sided with his newly-estranged wife Megan Fox, and detailed the 'complete devastation' he put her and their son Kassius through in their ongoing 13-year court battle. The 51-year-old Daytime Emmy winner Instastoried that she 'actually has respect' for the Tennessee-born 34-year-old 'living her life for herself' and moving on with co-star Machine Gun Kelly. Marcil - who boasts 153K Instagram followers - wrote: 'Megan finally living her life for herself is in itself a gift to her children.' Gloves are off: Brian Austin Green's ex-fiancee Vanessa Marcil (L) sided with his newly-estranged wife Megan Fox (2-R), and detailed the 'complete devastation' he put her and their son Kassius through in their ongoing 13-year court battle Freedom: The 51-year-old Daytime Emmy winner Instastoried that she 'actually has respect' for the Tennessee-born 34-year-old (R) 'living her life for herself' and moving on with co-star Machine Gun Kelly (L, pictured August 5) Megan legally separated from the 47-year-old San Fernando Valley native for the second time in May after nearly a decade of marriage. Brian - who ended his two-year engagement to Vanessa in 2003 - was spotted Saturday sporting a camouflage neck gaiter and checkered Vans shoes to grab iced coffee to go in Calabasas. In 2006, Green and his former Beverly Hills, 90210 castmate began their bitter court battle for full custody of their 18-year-old son Kassius leading to him suing her in 2012 over $200K he allegedly 'lent her.' After the Cross 3 action star's 'frivolous' case was thrown out, he decided to cruelly cut then 11-year-old Kassius from his life in 2013 and did not see him again for five years. Marcil - who boasts 153K Instagram followers - wrote: 'Megan finally living her life for herself is in itself a gift to her children' October 12 family portrait: Megan legally separated from the 47-year-old San Fernando Valley native (L) for the second time in May after nearly a decade of marriage Caffeine fix: Brian - who ended his two-year engagement to Vanessa in 2003 - was spotted Saturday sporting a camouflage neck gaiter and checkered Vans shoes to grab iced coffee to go in Calabasas 'I speak, actually, very kindly about Kass' father. I just speak the truth now at my son's request in order to help my son heal and not shoulder these secrets anymore. If his father' actions reflect poorly on him that is his doing. Not mine,' Marcil (born Ortiz) replied to a fan. 'I speak with empathy regarding Kassius' dad considering the complete devastation that my son went through. My son and my family will tell you the same. I've had a rule all through our 13-year court case in my family that "no one is ever to say a bad word about Kass' dad." 'I just finally, now that Kass is grown, tell the truth regarding our court case and him cutting his son out of his life for five years. If you look back at our history, his father publicly tried to slander me, lie about me, shame me as a working mother, and take full custody of my son. I never commented. He admits this now. He's lucky that I don't "speak poorly" of him after what he put our innocent boy through.' Not amicable: In 2006, Green and his former Beverly Hills, 90210 castmate (L) began their bitter court battle for full custody of their 18-year-old son Kassius (R) leading to him suing her in 2012 over $200K he allegedly 'lent her' (pictured August 1) Healing wounds: After the Cross 3 action star's 'frivolous' case was thrown out, he decided to cruelly cut then 11-year-old Kassius (L) from his life in 2013 and did not see him again for five years (pictured May 22) Marcil (born Ortiz) replied to a fan: 'If his father' actions reflect poorly on him that is his doing. Not mine...He's lucky that I don't "speak poorly" of him after what he put our innocent boy through' Vanessa also made a dig at Brian, writing: 'He's very big on doing things that publicly make him look like a nice guy. However, it is who you are when no one is looking that shows your true character.' Green and Fox will next celebrate the 8th birthday of their son Noah Shannon on September 27, and they're also parents of six-year-old son Bodhi Ransom and four-year-old son Journey River. The BH90210 producer-star - who's recently canoodled with Courtney Stodden and Tina Louise - keeps busy with his podcast and his three-year-old tech venture InteliQore with Jennifer Flynn. Vanessa also made a dig at Brian, writing: 'He's very big on doing things that publicly make him look like a nice guy. However, it is who you are when no one is looking that shows your true character' 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. WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI Congresswoman Debbie Dingell announced Friday, Sept. 11, that areas in Michigans 12th congressional district will receive more than $5 million in housing grants, including $1.6 million coming to Washtenaw County. According to a release from Dingells office, the grants come under the Community Development Block Grant program, which is overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Funding for each area of the congressional district includes: Dearborn will receive $626,398 Dearborn Heights will receive $321,912 Lincoln Park will receive $178,712 Taylor will receive $325,478 Washtenaw County will receive $1,608,347 Wayne County will receive $2,375,129 The funds are to provide temporary financial assistance to meet rental obligations for up to six months. They are focused toward places with households facing higher risk of eviction, such as: Communities with high rates of individuals in industries with high job loss in states with high unemployment. Communities with high rates of businesses in industries with high job loss in states with high unemployment. Concentrations of those most at risk for transmission and risk of eviction, with higher amounts for states with high rates of coronavirus. With thousands out of work and struggling to get by, now more than ever do people need to know there are programs in place to help them afford rent, said Dingell. This money will provide a necessary and needed cushion for thousands of Michiganders. But the work doesnt stop here. With no end in sight to the economic devastation caused by this pandemic, Congress must get right back to work and ensure communities continue to receive the resources they need. READ MORE: Ann Arbor bans dedicated Airbnb short-term rental properties Ann Arbor purchasing Lurie Terrace for $4M to preserve affordable senior housing Ann Arbor affordable housing tax proposal heads to November ballot Murugappa Group (Source: www.murugappa.com_about-us) Shareholders of Ambadi Investments Limited (AIL), the holding company of the Chennai-based Murugappa Group, are set to take a call on appointing Valli Arunachalam to the board at the company's annual general meeting (AGM) on September 21. AIL is holding its AGM on September 21 and her candidature to the board is one of the agenda items. The company had sought certain documents from her in this regard a few weeks ago, which were also furnished by her, a source told The Economic Times. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. Arunachalam told the newspaper her appointment is on the agenda. I am glad the family seems to be seeing the light of day, and the board (which consists mainly of family members) has placed my appointment on the AGM agenda. Given the family controls the majority stake in the company, I would like to believe that it is a foregone conclusion that I will be appointed as a director at the AGM, she was quoted as saying. If appointed, 59-year-old Arunachalam, who has been in a long-drawn battle to be recognised as heir to her father MV Murugappan and his seat on the board after his death in 2017, would be the first woman director of the Rs 36,893-crore Murugappa Group. "I intend to carry out my duties as a director to the fullest extent. I am a senior technocrat and have tremendous experience in the business. I propose to leverage all of that experience and contribute to the growth of the company, and the business, she told the financial daily. Arunachalam, who is based in New York, said she was denied the board position despite being the heir and holding an 8.15 percent stake in AIL along with her sister and mother. "Our point has been simple, given our family has limited involvement in the businesses of the operating companies after my father passed away, we should be settled and the family can absorb our Ambadi stake. This is also consistent with my father's wishes," she said. Since her father represented their branch of the family on the AIL board, it was fair that they (Arunachalam, her mother and sister) had a position as a significant shareholder and promoter. Murugappa group executives did not respond to queries, the report added.AI Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 13:45:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writer Ni Ruijie, Victoria Arguello BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Argentine President Alberto Fernandez spoke highly of the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), hailing China's role "as a driver of demand and motorization" in trade connected to technology and knowledge. In a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua, the Argentine president said that the fair is an excellent opportunity for participating countries to strengthen competitiveness in the knowledge-driven economy. Fernandez was recently invited by the Chinese government to give a speech online in the CIFTIS opening session on Sept. 4, during which he said the event will bring opportunities for Argentina in the fields of technology, industry and e-commerce. "Participation in this fair is a proof of my government's commitment to the sector, and our conviction of the importance of the knowledge-based economy" for the economic well-being of both countries, he said. The Argentine government attaches great importance to trade in knowledge-based services and their derivatives, viewing them as a pillar of national growth as well as an important part of global trade, said Fernandez. "We bet on the knowledge-based economy as a sector that drives the development of our countries, and for this reason, we highlight the importance of platforms such as this fair," said the president. Noting that Argentina is the second biggest exporter of knowledge-based services in Latin America, Fernandez hopes to deepen ties with China, saying cooperation with China has benefited the industries of both countries. Bilateral cooperation in different fields are signs of their strengthening relationship, he said. The Argentine head of state took the close collaboration between the two countries in aerospace as an example, saying that the Argentine company Satellogic has used Chinese investment and services to send its satellites into orbit. As to the crisis brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the president expressed his confidence in a "speedy recovery" based on the solid and potential-enriched "bilateral trade with China," taking into account the complementarity of both economies. Enditem But by the time you mobilize the distribution of the vaccine and get a majority or more of the population vaccinated and protected, thats likely not going to happen until the end of 2021, Fauci told MSNBC. If youre talking about getting back to a degree of normality prior to COVID, its going to be well into 2021, maybe even towards the end of 2021. Workers would be able to take up to five days leave a year for IVF, endometriosis, vasectomies or serious menstrual pain under the first claim for reproductive health leave in Australia. The move would provide leave provisions for health workers experiencing symptoms or treatments linked to menopause, poly-cystic ovarian syndrome, sperm and egg donations or gender reassignment and has been backed by the ACTU. Kate Marshall, of the Health and Community Services Union initiated the push for reproductive leave after needing fertility treatment to have her daughters, Ava and Lucy. Credit:Eddie Jim Victoria's Health and Community Services Union has put the claim for leave and other flexibility around reproductive health issues to employers in the Victorian Hospitals' Industrial Association, and the national Health Services Union wants unions around the country to adopt similar clauses. ACTU president, Michele O'Neil backed the health union's claim that workers going through treatments including assisted reproduction, termination, prostate cancer and other conditions covered by the claim should not be forced to take sick leave or personal leave. The invitation was a deceptively plain and simple thing, just black type on white paper. AFTER CLOSURE Where are we now? Where do we go from here? What can we do as a community? The San Francisco AIDS Foundation was holding a town hall on the evening of Monday, Oct. 22, 1984, to discuss the recent closure of the citys bathhouses. If the flyer was simple, the matter of the closures certainly was not. The HIV/AIDS pandemic had brought death to San Francisco, and the bathhouses had been the topic of a pitched battle for the better part of a year. By the time city health officials announced the closure of 14 bathhouses, most of them gay, along with other clubs and bookstores that offered private rooms for sex, they had counted at least 175 dead. For city leaders, it was a matter of public health. For many in the gay community, bathhouses were where men would have sex with men, yes, but also places where they might build community. What mattered most? Public health or individual liberty? The Washington Post described the scene as the Bathhouse War. But this summer, 36 years later and in the midst of another pandemic, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to rescind the ban on bathhouses. The mayor approved the move on July 31. Brant Ward / The Chronicle 1984 It all started off with a conversation, as most things do, said Blade Bannon, a San Francisco activist and the man most responsible for the decades-later change in policy. Bathhouses exist in other states and countries; theres one just across the bay in Berkeley. Why not San Francisco? he asked a friend awhile back. And so he learned about the ban and started asking questions. Three and a half years later, he found himself testifying before the Board of Supervisors, closing the loop on a decades-long fight. Looking back now, it almost seems surreal. Wow. We did it, Bannon said. Nothing will actually change until the current pandemic has passed and broader restrictions on social distancing have been lifted, but supporters of the move say its long overdue if it was ever necessary in the first place. As conversations around COVID-19 and best practices for reopening and curbing the spread of the virus unfold daily, the parallels are hard to ignore. Back in 1984, even in the gay community, there was a certain ambivalence around the proposed bathhouse closure, said Cleve Jones, a longtime gay rights activist who writes about the topic in his autobiography When We Rise. These were very early days for the HIV/AIDS epidemic. There was no antibody test for the virus that was still a year off and the question of transmission was still unanswered. But gay rights were also tenuous at the time; sodomy laws were still pervasive and sexual liberation was seen as key to gay liberation. Nobody wanted to watch their friends die or wonder whether they might be next. It was just terrifying, Jones said. You had people who were afraid to go into a gay bar. You had people who were afraid to hug. At the same time, the bathhouses were central to self-expression and building community. On a good night I would have sex, but on any night, I would run into friends, we could sit in the Jacuzzi and gossip or plan our next political actions, Jones said. It was really hard for them to understand that it really was, for many of us, an important community experience that went beyond the sexual behavior that might occur on any given night. Showtime Then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein was clear she wanted the bathhouses closed. Randy Shilts, The San Francisco Chronicles first openly gay reporter, supported the move and was labeled a traitor for doing so. Meanwhile, the AIDS Foundation and activists saw the closures as shortsighted, arguing that the bathhouses could be potential hubs for sexual health education. Others, Jones said, worried that if the countrys most liberal and gay-friendly city moved to shut these spaces, it would send the wrong message and empower bigots nationwide. There were passionate voices in favor of closure and opposed to closure, and then there were an awful lot of people who just didnt know what the best thing was to do, and it was bitter and ugly, Jones said. Gay men were divided and arguing, but we also had that occurring under the microscope of public opinion. It was an extremely uncomfortable situation for all of us. Mervyn Silverman, the San Francisco director of public health, tried to walk a fine line. Again and again gay men told him: Please dont close the bathhouses; theyre the only places I feel safe. But he was tasked with maintaining public health. It was really crazy back then, he said in a recent interview. In the early years, none of us knew what in the hell we were doing. Ultimately, he decided the closures were necessary. The bathhouses, he said at the time, were fostering disease and death. He rejected the argument that the spaces could be used for prevention education. Having a sign in the bathhouse that said Sex is risky, he said recently, is like having a sign in the candy store saying Sugar is bad for you. Still, he was wary of any city mandate that might be easily overturned and instead set out to earn the support of the gay community. He didnt make much headway until one gay activist, Larry Littlejohn, moved to put the ban on the ballot. For nine months Littlejohn, incensed about what he saw as bathhouse owners half-hearted efforts at posting AIDS warning notices, had been pleading with the city health department to close the bathhouses, the Washington Post reported at the time. Now he was publicly filing notice that he would seek signatures for a ballot initiative that the people of San Francisco should be allowed to decide whether men could have sex in gay bathhouses. The prospect of a November ballot question was concerning some activists thought it would bring out an antagonistic electorate and tank the chances of two openly gay candidates running for public office. Supporting a move by the city was suddenly the lesser of two evils. Two weeks later, in April 1984, Silverman announced that bathhouses would be inspected and monitored and no longer offer private rooms. Things the way they are cannot continue, Silverman said at the time. By October, under those new rules, 14 bathhouses were ordered to close. Protesters compared the move to something out of Nazi Germany. Arthur Frisch / The Chronicle 1984 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. Thirty-six years later, the issue has cooled considerably. Drugs exist that all but prevent the transmission of HIV, even by those who carry the virus, and public health approaches to sexual education have modernized. The 1984 ban no longer made sense. These regulations have long outlived any usefulness they may have had, said Laura Thomas, the director of harm reduction for the AIDS Foundation. As Blade Bannon asked around, he found little resistance to lifting the ban. He started making his case before city health leaders the changes in sexual health, the relative safety of a bathhouse where others might be around, the opportunity these spaces afford those who are just coming out or might need a place to sober up after bars close. He had gone to the bathhouses from when he was 18. When I was that age, that was a safe place for me to go be myself, he told city officials. Make the healthy choice, the easy choice. Eventually Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who represents District Eight, which includes the Castro neighborhood, took up the cause with Bannon. There are bathhouses in cities around the world that are known to gay travelers and celebrated, Mandelman said. They can be an important part of queer communities cultural and economic life. Its hard to second-guess the decisions of a beleaguered Department of Public Health, (but) four decades later, the choices that they made then are not right for today. In late July, the ban was lifted without objection. All those years ago, the flyer asked: Where do we go from here? The question seems as timely as ever. Were in a moment of tremendous uncertainty, Mandelman said. The Planning Department just put out an LGBTQ heritage strategy. ... Theres a lot of anxiety, not just for the future of Castro as the gayborhood, but also the future of all types of queer establishments. Bannon said hes spoken to investors interested in bringing new bathhouses to San Francisco. COVID is not going to last forever, he said. And when the current pandemic fades, he and Mandelman hope the bathhouses will be a part of the economic recovery and the renewal of queer spaces lost over the past decade. There is going to be a moment when things turn around, and well have these empty spaces that we have to figure out what to do with, Mandelman said. I certainly hope that bathhouses are a part of it. Ryan Kost is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkost@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @RyanKost Calling the late social activist 'anti-Hindu', Rao claimed that Swami Agnivesh, who passed away on Friday, did an enormous damage to Hinduism As political leaders, activists and the general public condoled the death of social activist Swami Agnivesh, former interim CBI director and retired IPS officer M Nageswara Rao faced flak online for terming the Arya Samaj leader's death "good riddance". Calling the late social activist "anti-Hindu", Rao claimed that Swami Agnivesh did an enormous damage to Hinduism. GOOD RIDDANCE @swamiagnivesh You were an Anti-Hindu donning saffron clothes. You did enormous damage to Hinduism. I am ashamed that you were born as a Telugu Brahmin. Lion in sheep clothes My grievance against Yamaraj is why did he wait this long! he said. Thought the tweet has been been removed by Twitter, his remarks drew flak online. The Indian Police Foundation, an independent think tank, termed Rao's remarks a "desecration" of the police uniform and demoralising for the entire police force of the country. Tweeting such hate messages by a retired officer posing as an IPS officer - he has desecrated the police uniform which he wore and embarrassed the government. He demoralises the entire police force in the country, especially the young officers. https://t.co/qOiI8D6dkO Indian Police Foundation (@IPF_ORG) September 12, 2020 Historian S Irfan Habib also criticsed Rao. He tweeted: You are a disgrace. Can imagine what all you must have done as a police officer? Abusing the dead may be Hindutva but is certainly not Hinduism. Better late than never. Get yourself treated. https://t.co/Shh4zlmduc S lrfan Habib (@irfhabib) September 12, 2020 Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan also slammed Rao in a tweet saying that such an "uncouth fellow was made CBI chief". Right-wing activist Rahul Easwar also condemned Rao's statement in a series of tweets: I have always opposed Swami Agnivesh ji in debates. But humble submission to you nageswar sir is, at the time of death.. such harsh personal comments are unfortunate and sad. I vote for Modiji... But Dharma is not Right wing politics covering itself in spirituality either sir.. Rahul Easwar (@RahulEaswar) September 11, 2020 God save our faith and nation May Bhagwan Krishna save #Hindu & #Hindustan from #Hate Virus https://t.co/KKXnq0Fvna Rahul Easwar (@RahulEaswar) September 11, 2020 A champion of inter-religious harmony, Swami Agnivesh fought for the rights of bonded labourers, women and children. He was suffering from liver cirrhosis for a long time and died of multi-organ failure at a Delhi hospital on Friday. He was 80. His funeral was conducted according to Hindu rituals by Swami Aryavesh, the president of the World Council of Arya Samaj, at the Agnilok Ashram in Behelpa, Gurgaon around 4 pm on Saturday. Before that, Agnivesh's body was kept at his office at 7, Jantar Mantar Road for people to pay their last respects. Several political leaders, rights activists and the general public paid their last respects to the leader and remembered him as a "truly secular" person who fought for his principles. India saw 31 children die by suicide every day in 2020; experts say Covid upped psychological trauma NEET 2020: 19-year-old girl from Coimbatore commits suicide; second such death in a week India oi-Madhuri Adnal Madurai(TN), Sep 12: A 19 year-old medical aspirant died of alleged suicide here on Saturday, apparently 'apprehensive' over the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET), police said. The victim, identified as Jothisri Durga, was found hanging at her residence and a purported suicide note left behind by her said she was 'apprehensive' though others had high 'hopes' on her, they said. The death, which comes days after another medical aspirant in Ariyalur in the state allegedly committed suicide, drew sharp responses from Tamil Nadu political parties opposed to NEET, even as Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam of the ruling AIADMK expressed shock over the incident. DMK President M K Stalin said NEET "is not an exam at all." In a tweet, Panneerselvam expressed grief over such incidents concerning the students, who are the "pillars of future." "Students should learn to face any situation with guts and parents should aid them in this," the deputy CM, also AIADMK Coordinator, said. Stalin, Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly, expressed shock over the suicide but said killing oneself was not the solution. "We can realise from the death of Anitha (a medical aspirant who died of suicide in 2017) to Jothisri Durga that NEET is severely affecting students," he said in a tweet. "I repeat, suicide is not a solution; NEET is not an exam at all. #BanNeet_SaveTNStudents," he added. PMK MP Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, whose party is NDA constituent, condoled the student's death and expressed his sympathies with her family. "#SayNoToNEET #BanNEET," the PMK Youth Wing leader tweeted. His father and party founder Dr S Ramadoss also called for scrapping the exam. MDMK founder and Rajya Sabha MP Vaiko slammed the BJP-led Centre, saying suicides of students in the state was happening due to the "imposition" of NEET on them. Recalling various instances of suicides by students in Tamil Nadu, including that of Anita which had sparked an outrage in the state, Vaiko alleged that despite their high class XII scores, students from the poorer sections were 'filtered' in NEET and their medical dreams 'destroyed.' "Cancellation of NEET alone can prevent such deaths," he said in a statement. Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader and independent legislator, TTV Dhinakaran expressed anguish over Durga's death. On Wednesday,the Supreme Court had refused to entertain a batch of pleas seeking deferment or cancellation of NEET scheduled for Sunday. A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan had said that authorities will take all necessary steps for conducting the NEET-undergraduate exam amid the COVID-19 pandemic for admission in medical courses. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 12, 2020, 14:25 [IST] 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. Ronald Harwood, a British author, playwright and screenwriter who earned three Oscar nominations and won for the best-adapted screenplay in 2003 for The Pianist, died 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. 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 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 Harwoods works, The Dresser explored the world of performers and the theatre. It centres on an ageing, tyrannical Shakespearean actor and his backstage dresser, or personal assistant. It was based on Harwoods own experience as a young man working as the dresser for the English theatre actor Donald Wolfit. Harwoods screenplay for the 1983 film version of The Dresser, which starred Albert Finney as the actor and Tom Courtenay as the assistant, earned him his first Oscar nomination. His third and final nomination was for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007), another adaptation, this one based on a memoir by French journalist Jean-Dominique Bauby. Harwood came to writing after his initial attempts at a performing career flopped. I didnt write until 1960, till I got married, he said on Talking in the Library, a British online interview show hosted by Clive James. I wanted to be an actor. And I was a very unsuccessful actor for about six or seven years. Harwood became a prolific author who could seemingly do it all. He published numerous novels, two dozen plays and history of the theatre, All the Worlds a Stage (1984). He became an in-demand screenwriter as well once he mastered the craft. In the interview with James, Harwood recalled an early lesson in the screenwriting trade that he received from Alexander Mackendrick, the director of the 1965 film A High Wind in Jamaica. Harwood was hired to write the script, adapted from a novel by Richard Hughes. In my first draft of that script, I wrote about the storm. It starts with a storm coming in, Harwood recalled. I think my description took three pages. He said, All you have to do is: It gets rough. Ronald Harwood was born Ronald Horwitz on November 9, 1934, in Cape Town, South Africa, to Isaac and Isobel (Pepper) Horwitz. His mother was born in London and retained a love of English culture that she passed on to her son. Harwood grew up in South Africa reading Dickens and believing that London was the centre of the universe. When he was 17, he moved there. He enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and Anglicized his Jewish surname as part of his efforts to become a British stage actor. In addition to the theatre world, Harwood often used the period around World War II as a backdrop to explore characters who face complicated moral decisions. His play Taking Sides, for instance, examined the case of German composer Wilhelm Furtwangler, who was accused of aiding the Nazi regime. The play caught the attention of Roman Polanski, who asked Harwood to write the script for a film he was directing, The Pianist. That film tells the real-life story of the Jewish pianist Wadysaw Szpilman and how he survived in occupied Poland during the war. It won three Oscars for Adrien Brody, its star, and Polanski as well as Harwood and took Harwoods career to new heights. His later screen credits included the big-budget Baz Luhrmann epic Australia and Quartet, a quieter story of ageing musicians, directed by Dustin Hoffman, which Harwood adapted from his own play. Harwood was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010. In 1959, Harwood married Natasha Riehle. She died in 2013. His survivors include their children, Antony, Deborah and Alexandra Harwood. Shainu Mohan By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an effort to ensure proper medical care for the elderly in the district amid the pandemic, Kerala State Social Security Mission (KSSSM) has constituted mobile medical teams to provide home consultation to senior citizens. As per a recent survey conducted by Anganwadi workers, there are approximately 3.7 lakh elderly persons in Thiruvananthapuram.According to authorities, the initiative comes at a crucial time as Covid-19 cases may peak in the state by October making the elderly people prone to the virus infection. Recently, Health Minister K K Shailaja had also stated that the mortality rate may go up, calling for urgent attention to the wellbeing of the elderly in the state. In the wake of the impending situation, the KSSSM has assigned as many as eight mobile medical teams in the district. As part of the initiative, the mission has launched a Grand Care Call Centre. Similar initiatives in other districts including Ernakulam and Malappuram have been receiving encouraging response. District coordinator of KSSSM Savitha V Raj told TNIE that higher secondary teachers with sociology, psychology and social work backgrounds have been recruited to run the call centre. She added that over 20 students have also joined as volunteers. The call centre would be operating as a platform to coordinate with various other departments. The staff members work in four shifts with each shift comprising 10 members. They have made hundreds of calls already. The staffers call the elderly and enquire about their mental and physical health. We started operations three days back and around 150 people have been shortlisted for follow-up calls. Medical officers of the Vayomithram scheme will call these people and evaluate their health and a team would visit them if necessary, said Savitha. A mobile team comprising a general physician and staff nurse began home consultation on Friday. We will be providing speciality consultation for those in need via e-sanjeevani, the tele-consultation programme of the state government. We are planning to give free medicines for at least a month following consultation. Each volunteer is expected to call a minimum of 100 people per day. It will take around three months to cover all seniors in the state, she said. As per reports, the majority of people who requested medical aid reside outside the corporation limits. The elderly population in rural areas are the worst hit. Many of them are unable to get treatment because of the pandemic situation. Many are sharing other concerns too. Some are homeless. We will be coordinating with other departments to ensure that their issues get addressed, said Savitha. As medical aspirants gear up for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) to be held on September 13, the authorities at the 34 examination centres in Punjab have left no stone unturned to ensure the safety of the candidates amid the Covid-19 pandemic. An estimated 19,510 candidates from the state will appear in NEET and the National Testing Agency (NTA) has deputed five coordinators in different districts for the smooth conduct of the exam that was postponed twice this year due to the coronavirus outbreak. To ensure social distancing, the number of NEET exam centres in Punjab has been increased from 22 to 34. The NTA has set up 10 centres in Bathinda, six each in Mohali and Amritsar, five in Jalandhar, four in Patiala and three in Ludhiana. Paramjit Kaur, the principal of BCM Arya Model Senior Secondary School, Shastri Nagar, who is the coordinator appointed by the NTA for Ludhiana, said, All arrangements have been made according to the standard operating procedure. I have briefed centre superintendents and invigilators through webinars. Social distancing norms will be followed and other safety measures will be taken at the centres. There will be only 12 students seated in a classroom. The entry and exit will be staggered to avoid crowding. Besides, entry gates will be opened at all centres at 11am and after 1.30pm no student will be allowed to enter the premises. The three-hour exam is from 2pm to 5pm. According to NTA instructions, all staff members and candidates will be checked with thermo guns at the entry point and those having above normal body temperature or with Covid-19 symptoms will be isolated in a separate room. If a candidates temperature becomes normal in 15 minutes, he/she will be allowed to take the exam from the earmarked seats, else they will have to attempt the test from the isolation room. A candidate will be allowed entry with mask, gloves, transparent water bottle, small hand sanitiser and exam-related documents such as the admit card/identity card. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 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 viral video showed that reporters and camera persons of various TV channels were jostling and bunching up near the front rows to get a comment from Kangana after the plane landed at the Mumbai airport. 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. The video also 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 media persons 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 (PoK) and said she feared Mumbai Police more than alleged movie mafia. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 19:54:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Saturday to vehemently condemn the announced establishment of diplomatic relations between Bahrain and Israel. "Undoubtedly, the oppressed and right-seeking people of Palestine and the free Muslims in the world will never approve of normalization of relations with the usurping and lawless Israeli regime," the statement said. The Bahraini authorities have done a "fundamental mistake" "seeking shelter" in Israel instead of "gaining legitimacy from its people," it added. The framework of the United States' presidential election due in November is mentioned in the note as a reason for the government of Bahrain to "sacrifice the cause of honourable Palestine," it noted. The Iranian ministry warned that it will hold Bahraini authorities accountable for all the consequences of any action leading to Israel "creating insecurity in the Gulf region." Israel, said the statement, is "the constant source of threat to security in the region and the Muslim world and as the root cause of decades of violence, massacre, wars, terror and bloodshed in oppressed Palestine and the region." Enditem Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Winda Liviya NG (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 12, 2020 10:38 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c44620c7 3 Opinion PSBB,large-scale-social-restrictions,Jakarta-administration,anies-baswedan Free Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan announced on Wednesday night that he was pulling the emergency brake on the new normal and by Sept. 14, barring no unforeseen changes, the capital would be back to full large-scale social restrictions (PSBB). The government had been walking on a thin rope since the start of the new normal a few months ago, trying to get the best of both worlds a strong economy and public health. But recent numbers have shown that we have stumbled and lost in both counts. If there is anything we should be grateful for these days, it is that our government has the courage to admit defeat and is willing to return to ground zero and fight. Many may feel frustrated. Business owners are struggling with losses, employees are anxious about job insecurity and informal workers must feel helpless, worried about fulfilling the most basic needs of life: food and shelter. People in my immediate circle have been wondering if there is any point to reviving strict PSBB now, given the already high number of confirmed cases. It may seem like a lost cause, but its not. We need to understand that the new normal is evidently not suitable in practice. Since the start of the new normal, health protocols were gradually forgotten, causing rates of infection to skyrocket. Containing contagion is important, despite promises of a vaccine at the end of the year, because our medical resources are being quickly depleted, a number of medical workers have died and those who remain alive are facing unprecedented levels of physical and mental exhaustion. If we continued to let things take their natural course, by Sept. 17 all hospital isolation wards would be full. For intensive care units, the predicted saturation point was even closer: Sept. 15. We also need to think about what this means for patients with other medical conditions. They may not be receiving adequate treatment because of strained capacity and a fear of nosocomial infection. It is understandably difficult to empathize when all we see are cold, hard numbers, but we need to understand that the person who cant find a hospital bed could easily be any of us and that all the medical workers and victims who have died had their own identities, stories and unrealized dreams. The threat of famine, poverty and economic fallout from PSBB is real. However, continuing the new normal and adopting a we can just wing it attitude, would have been at the expense of many lives victims and frontline heroes alike. The pandemic would drag on for even longer, causing long-term irreversible damage to our economy and health. We are living in a dysfunctional world. To name a few examples, children cant go to school, people are living in isolation, vaccination rates have dropped due to fear of hospitals, and loved ones cant have proper closure during funerals because of COVID-19 burial protocols. We need to fix this soon. What can we do next? We need to fully support the government and see to it that we succeed this time. Individually, we can do so by following health protocols to the dot. No more half-hearted actions from the government or from us. Lets wash our hands, maintain social distance and stay home whenever we can. Within your immediate community, be the activist that everyone needs; encourage your friends, families, neighbors and colleagues to do the same. Help the less fortunate whenever possible. I believe there are many in Jakarta who live with privilege and are in the position to affect change. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, Be the change you wish to see in the world. [...] continuing the new normal and adopting a we can just wing it attitude would have been at the expense of many lives [...] --- PhD in medicine from the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, currently general manager of PT Winida Ayu Lestari. The views expressed are personal. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Protests were held in several Pakistani cities for a second day on September 12 over the alleged gang rape of a mother in front of her children, as police said they were launching a manhunt for the suspects. In the incident near the eastern city of Lahore on September 9 night, two armed men allegedly gang raped the woman after her car ran out of fuel on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway. Inam Ghani, Inspector General of Punjab Province, where the incident took place, told reporters on September 12 that police had identified the two suspects through DNA tracing. "I am hopeful very soon we will reach them and arrest them," he said. But the protesters are calling for the sacking of the lead police investigator assigned to the case, Omar Sheikh, who has said that it was the woman's fault for leaving the house at night and driving along a deserted road, instead of an alternative route. He also said she appeared to be under the impression Pakistan was as safe for women as France, "her country of residence." In Islamabad, several hundred protesters gathered while some held signs saying "hang the rapists." Hundreds, mostly women, also gathered in Lahore, Karachi, and even the conservative northwestern city of Peshawar. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said on September 10 that the horrifying gang rape of a woman is "a grim reminder that Pakistan has become an increasingly dangerous place for women." 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. Rights groups have said that Pakistan has not done enough to stem violence against women. With reporting by Reuters and dpa The stated purpose of the ordinances is to create one nation one market and provide farmers a choice on who to sell their produce to, however, agrarians fear they will not get the MSP for their crops as per the new laws The Central Government's three farm sector ordinances, supposedly for the betterment of agrarians, have met with stiff resistance from farmers and farm labourers in Haryana and Punjab and now parts of Uttar Pradesh. On Thursday, hundreds came out on streets in Haryana's Kurukshetra to oppose the new laws promulgated without deliberation in the Parliament. They even blocked the Delhi-Chandigarh national highway for a couple of hours, following which the police used force on the protesting agrarians. While on the one hand, the BJP-ruled Haryana government booked the Bhartiya Kissan Union (BKU) leaders and farmers over charges of blocking the national highway, damaging public property, attempt to murder, pelting stones at the police and rioting, on the other hand, some of its own leaders and allies extended the olive branch and supported the farmers' right to protest. The Congress has already offered its unequivocal support to the farmers with former chief minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda demanding roll back of the ordinances. According to NDTV, BJP's Haryana chief OP Dhankar on Friday formed a three-member committee comprising Hisar MP Brijendra Singh, Bhiwani-Mahendragarh MP Dharambir Singh and Kurukshetra MP Naib Saini to hold talks with farmers. But the matter is likely to gain steam in the coming days, once the Parliament meets for the Monsoon Session. What are the three ordinances about? Farmers in Haryana, Punjab and now parts of Uttar Pradesh, as well, have been protesting against three ordinances passed by the Union Cabinet during the lockdown. The first among them is the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance 2020, which allows farmers to sell produce outside the markets notified under the various state agricultural produce market laws (state APMC Acts). The second ordinance, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance 2020 overrides all state APMC laws with reference to the sale and purchase of farm products, and bring uniformity into contractual farming rules (and state APMC Acts) across India. It also amends the role of APMCs in case of contract farming. The third ordinances, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance 2020, has brought changes into list of essential items whose prices are regulated by the government. Why are farmers upset about these ordinances? Broadly, the stated purpose of these ordinances is to create one nation one market, and provide farmers with the choice to sell their produce for better price and also to attract private investment in the agricultural market. However, farmers fear that they will not get the minimum support price or MSP (set by the government) for their crops after the implementation of new provisions of the law. They also feel the new law will hit the current system of mandis badly. The Opposition Congress was swift to capitalise on the opportunity to criticise the government. The Congress has also suggested some changes in the ordinances to make them farmer-friendly. "These ordinances are against the interests of farmers. If the government wants to implement them, then it should ensure that no purchases are made below MSP. The government could bring in a fourth ordinance separately to provide a clear provision that if any agency buys the crop of the farmer below the MSP, then legal action will be taken against it," former Haryana chief minister and senior Congress leader Hooda said in a statement. Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said these ordinances will not only "destroy" farmers, but will also lead a blow to the mandi system and impact farm labourers and "arhitiyas" or commission agents as well. Surjewala raised various issues in the ordinances that would allegedly harm the interests of the farmers. There is also no provision in the ordinances for the protection of the rights of farm labourers or tenants, he said. "When the mandi system ends, the farmer will be dependent only on contract farming and the big companies will set the price for his crop. What is this if not a new zamindari system?" he asked referring to rules of contract farming notified under Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance 2020. "As soon as the mandis are done with, the livelihood of lakhs and crores of labourers, middlemen, book-keepers, transporters, etc, working in the grain-vegetable mandis will end automatically," he claimed. Surjewala alleged it was a "plot" to convert the "disaster of the farmers" into "opportunities" for a handful of crony capitalists under the cover of the coronavirus pandemic. With the abolition of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), farmers will neither get the "minimum support price (MSP)" nor the price of the crop according to the market price, Surjewala said. Furthermore, the farmers also demand the implementation of MS Swaminathan report by the National Commission on Farmers, which observed that a law should be made for MSP to be at least 50 percent higher than the weighted average cost of production and if the MSP is not paid, it should be a punishable crime, The Print reported. What does the government say? To allay fears of farmers, BJP leaders have maintained that minimum support price (MSP) mechanism will continue, and appealed to farmers not to believe those trying to spread falsehood in this regard. The ordinances seek to provide barrier-free trade for farmers' produce outside notified farm mandis, and empower farmers to enter into farming agreements with private players prior to the production for sale of agri-produce. The government had first announced these measures as part of the third tranche of the economic package announced in May following the crippling lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, the government had said that under the current system, farmers are required to sell their produces only to licensed middlemen in notified markets, usually in the same area where farmers reside, rather than in an open market, scuttling price discovery. This resulted in the stratification of buyers and fragmentation of markets and supply chain. Furthermore, such a restriction of sales allows a select few powerful vendors to control the market price. An article in Hindustan Times, favouring these reforms argues that the laws have become redundant and allows hegemony of a few wealthy marketeers, who are also the controllers of prices, demand and supply chains. The system, coupled with farmers' inability to predict their products' worth at the time of sowing, means that the farmers are always at a huge risk of suffering losses. The APMC system, instead of creating a free-flowing market where the profits can trickle down to the producers, keeps a few people in charge of running the show in each district or region. "Ushered in during the 1960s, APMC regulations were meant to protect farmers from distress selling. Over time, these have often acted as cartels and monopolies, evidence suggests. In December 2010, when onion prices peaked, a probe by the countrys statutory anti-monopoly body, the Competition Commission of India, revealed that one firm accounted for nearly a fifth of the total onion trade for that month at Lasalgoan APMC, Asias largest onion market in Maharashtras Nashik," the article reads. The government also says that these laws will not only eliminate free trade barriers in agricultural production, but they will also empower farmers to engage directly with potential buyers in advance of harvest. With inputs from PTI Panaji, Sep 12 : Union Minister of State for Defence and AYUSH Shripad Naik is likely to be discharged later on Saturday, according to a spokesperson for Goa's Manipal Hospital, where Naik is currently admitted to. Naik is undergoing treatment for Covid-19. "We are discharging Shripad ji today afternoon," Shekhar Salkar, a spokesperson for the hospital said in a statement. Naik was admitted to the private health facility on August 12, after he tested positive for Covid-19. A central team from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences was monitoring the Union Minister's health. Naik, a senior BJP leader is a Lok Sabha MP from the North Goa parliamentary constituency. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The demands on the caregiver are huge. Often people who are caregivers are people who are elderly themselves. They may have their own needs, their own emotional needs, their own physical needs, their own needs for intimacy, and so theyre getting a lot less coming in and theyre having to put out a lot more, Finkel explained. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 10) The country's COVID-19 task force has made a recommendation to President Rodrigo Duterte to relax the overseas deployment ban on healthcare workers, but there is no decision yet, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Thursday. He said the final decision is up to the president since he was the one who told the Inter-Agency Task Force that nurses should stay in the country as part of the "reserve force" should the COVID-19 pandemic worsen. "Mayroong proposal na i-allow ang nurses na naayos ang papeles as of August 28. Pero kinakailangang konsultahin ang Presidente kasi ang desisyon na mag-impose muna ng moratorium ay desisyon ng Presidente at ayaw naming pangunahan ang ating Presidente," he said in a media briefing. [Translation: There is a proposal to allow nurses with complete travel and employment documents as of August 18 to leave. But the President needs to be consulted because he was the one who ordered the moratorium. We don't want to preempt him.] Earlier this month, Roque said the government has no plans to overturn the deployment ban despite the clamor from hundreds of healthcare workers who are stuck in the country. He said that this was for the well-being of the medical workers who may contract COVID-19 if they work in countries with a high number of cases. The government has flip-flopped on the deployment ban. In April, officials announced the exemption of all medical workers who have competed their documents as of March 8, ahead of the imposition of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine. An August 17 resolution of the IATF stated the temporary suspension of the deployment of all medical and allied health workers, without mentioning any exemptions. That resolution was revised on August 20, with government allowing those who have secured contracts and overseas employment certificates before March 8 to leave the country to work. Boris Johnson is begging university leaders to send him hundreds of academics to save Britains chaotic coronavirus testing system from collapse. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the Prime Minister has written to the bosses of more than 50 top universities and medical schools to request their urgent support to man the Governments new mega-labs, which are short of staff as demand surges. His plea comes as thousands of people across Britain are still unable to get coronavirus tests. Some have been advised they must travel hundreds of miles to have a swab and there were last week reports of five-hour queues at some walk-in centres in Greater Manchester. Boris Johnson has pleaded with universities and medical schools to send him experts to allow him to staff his planned massive Covid-19 testing centres which are central to his plan to prevent a second spike Scientists claim the problems stem from the Governments network of privately run Lighthouse laboratories, which are now struggling to meet demand after scores of academics who helped set them up in March and April returned to their day jobs over the summer. In his personally signed letter to university chiefs, Mr Johnson asks that experienced staff, who have already helped to establish the Lighthouse laboratories, return and extend these programmes, training the next generation of staff. He appealed for 400 technicians, post-docs or graduate students with molecular biology experience to staff the Lighthouse laboratories in Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Manchester, Newport and Glasgow, and for qualified technicians/post-docs with management experience, to join the Test and Trace Laboratory Team to help manage our overall lab capacity. He also urged the academics to sign up for six to 12 months starting as soon as possible and promised the Government would reimburse them at their current university rates. Mr Johnson had vowed to establish a world-beating 10 billion testing system that would complete 500,000 tests a day by next month. However, the system is currently processing just 200,000, with more than 70,000 of those being done by NHS labs. Official figures show the time it takes to process the test samples is also lengthening with care home residents waiting an average of 83 hours for their results almost three times longer than in June. Mr Johnson wants 400 qualified technicians to staff his major labs across the country Jon Ashworth, Labours Shadow Health Secretary, last night said: This extraordinary begging letter from the Prime Minister is proof that testing, far from being world-beating, has become a fiasco on his watch. Ministers have left it too late to plan for this crucial moment. It was well-known that many Lighthouse lab staff would have to return to universities and research institutions and it was well known that with children going back to school and people coming back to the office that we would need extra testing and the capacity to process that testing. Allan Wilson, president of the Institute of Biomedical Science and an expert on testing, said: This letter from the Prime Minister demonstrates that there are staffing shortages in the Lighthouse labs. They have lost a lot of staff and now they are looking for the universities to replace staff or urging those who have left to come back. Sarah-Jane Marsh, the director of testing at NHS Test and Trace, last week admitted that people were unable to get coronavirus tests because laboratories had reached a critical pinch-point. Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs on the Health Committee last week that there had been a problem with a couple of contracts that would be sorted in a couple of weeks. Asked about Mr Johnsons intervention, a Department of Health spokesman said: We recently announced new facilities and technology to build our testing capacity further and process results faster. As this is built, more staff will be required and recruitment is taking place. lTrials of a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University are to resume after a pause due to a reported side effect in a volunteer. The New York Times reported the volunteer had been diagnosed with transverse myelitis, an inflammatory syndrome affecting the spinal cord. Health Secretary Matt Hancock welcomed the restart, adding: This pause shows we will always put safety first. The Madras high court on Friday issued notice to music composer A R Rahman on a petition filed by the income tax department alleging that he used a foundation, in which he is the managing trustee, as a conduit to evade tax and routed Rs 3 crore plus income to it. The income tax department moved the high court challenging the ruling of the income tax appellate tribunal here that set aside the order of the principal commissioner of income tax in Chennai. A division bench of justices TS Sivagnanam and V Bhavani Subbaroyan recorded the submissions made by the IT department and issued notice to the music composer. According to senior standing counsel for the income tax department TR Senthil Kumar, in the assessment year 2011-12, Rahman received income to the tune of Rs 3.47 crore in connection with an agreement made with the UK-based Libra Mobiles. The contract was to compose exclusive ringtones for the company and the term of the contract was for three years. As per the contract, Rahman instructed the company to pay his remuneration directly to the foundation managed by him, the department said. The taxable income must be received by Rahman and after due deduction of tax, it can be transferred to the trust. But the same cannot be routed through the trust as income to the charitable trust is exempted under the Income Tax Act, the counsel said. According to the petition filed by the income tax department, Rahman after receiving the IT notice had moved the income tax appellate tribunal in Chennai and the tribunal in September 2019 had held that the government of India had accorded post facto approval with respect to this contribution. The tribunal ruled in favour of Rahman finding that the amount was not taxable. The petition said the order of the appellate tribunal is erroneous in law and opposed to facts and circumstances of the case. Rahman had received Rs 3,47,77,200 from Libra Mobile during 2010-11 in his individual capacity as an artiste which must have been considered for taxation and this was not considered by the assessing officer in the reassessment order. The receipts by the trust are professional fees paid to the assessee for the services rendered by him. However, the assessee has not admitted these professional receipts in his return of income for the assessment year 2011-12. Instead of receiving the consideration as professional charges in his individual capacity, the assessee has got these payments diverted to AR Rahman Foundation which is registered as a tax-exempt entity under the Income Tax Act, the plea said. The amount that must have been received by Rahman as professional fee has been passed off as donation to the foundation. The tribunal failed to consider that the assessee who is also the managing trustee of AR Rahman Foundation has used it as a conduit for accounting his own untaxed income, the plea said. The assessing officer had not made any attempt to examine the various clauses of agreement nor tried to make enquiry to ascertain facts. Also, the AO did not gather any material during the course of reassessment proceedings to come to the very same conclusion arrived at during the original assessment, the plea added. 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 a statement to PTI, Rahmans management quoted the tribunals ruling in the musicians favour. The receipt of funds in the current matter has already been offered to tax in the hands of the A.R. Rahman Foundation which was appreciated by the Honorable Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Chennai Bench while it adjudicated the matter in favour of Mr. A.R. Rahman. We will continue to offer our full support and cooperation. May justice prevail, the statement read. Rahmans management said the foundation was established in 2006 with a vision to empower the underserved sections of society through education, unity, humanity and leadership. In the last 14 years, we have positively impacted the lives of students, retired musicians and those affected by Chennai floods and more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic, the statement read. Follow @htshowbiz for more Nine protesters have been issued trespassing summonses for marching onto a private St. Louis street in June, a demonstration that prompted a couple to emerge from their home with guns to confront the demonstrators. Mark and Patricia McCloskey were both charged in July with unlawful use of a weapon in the case that landed them a spot at the Republican National Convention last month. Police spokeswoman Evita Caldwell on Friday confirmed that nine protesters have been issued summonses but said the St. Louis City Counselor's office is still deciding whether to issue charges on the citations. The Rev. Darryl Gray, who led the protest, called the citations an attempt to intimidate peaceful protesters. Scroll down for video Mark and Patricia McCloskey are seen confronting protesters marching to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson's house on June 28 Protesters gather outside the home of Mark and Patricia McCloskey during a protest against racial inequality in St Louis, Missouri, on July 3 - five days after they brandished weapons at protesters 'We're not going to be threatened, and thats whats happening across this country,' said Gray, who was not issued a summons. 'Youve got local governments and states who are trying to charge protesters, financially charge them, wanting them to pay costs. Youve got others who want to make it a law against exercising our First Amendment right.' On June 28, about 300 people protesting racial injustice veered onto the private street. One protester said she was among the nine to be issued a summons for trespassing Protester Ohun Ashe suggested in a tweet that the trespassing summonses were not warranted The McCloskeys said demonstrators ignored a 'No Trespassing' sign and broke through a gate, but protest leaders said the gate was open. Mark McCloskey, 63, came out of the couple's Renaissance palazzo-style mansion with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a probable cause statement said. Patricia McCloskey, 61, emerged with a semi-automatic handgun. No shots were fired. Missouri law allows homeowners to use force, even lethal force, to defend their homes. But Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, a Democrat, said the guns created the risk of bloodshed. A police probable cause statement said protesters feared 'being injured due to Patricia McCloskeys finger being on the trigger, coupled with her excited demeanor.' Several hundred demonstrators on June 28 veered onto the private street where the McCloskey's Renaissance palazzo-style mansion sits Patricia McCloskey described how protesters 'broke an iron fence down' before 'trying to set fire to the mayor's house' The charges against the McCloskeys drew an angry response from President Donald Trump. The couple spoke on video at the RNC, saying they had a 'God-given right' to defend themselves and warning that unless Trump is reelected, America faces a future of lawlessness and mayhem. Meanwhile, Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has said he will almost certainly pardon the McCloskeys if they are convicted. Their case is still pending in court. While the McCloskeys face felony charges, trespassing is a lower-level crime that is handled by the city counselors office, not Gardners office. Deputy City Counselor Mike Garvin told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that his office wants to examine video from the protest 'to see where the accused trespassers were at the time.' Activist Ohun Ashe wrote on Twitter on Sept. 4 that she had received a summons for trespassing outside the McCloskeys' home. 'I had a gun waved in my face by them but trespassing is what matters?' she wrote. It wasn't clear why just nine of the estimated 300 protesters were issued summonses. Police declined comment beyond a brief statement acknowledging the summonses. A phone message left with the city counselor's office was not immediately returned. The Upper East Regional Imam, Sheikh Yusif Adams, has commended Vice President Bawumia for keeping faith with the Zongo community and helping other less privileged people. The Vice President, who is on a working visit in the north, joined Muslims in the Upper East Regional capital, Bolga, to observe Friday congregational prayers (Jummah) at the Bolga Central Mosque on Friday, September 11, 2020. Welcoming the Vice President, Sheikh Yusif Adam said the Vice President has not deserted his people, and commended him for his laudable interventions for the people of Zongos and beyond. The Imam said the congregation was delighted to reunite with Dr. Bawumia to pray together again, having joined them in the same mosque in the past. In a brief remark after prayers, Vice President Bawumia urged the congregation and Muslims in general, to continue to live in peace and harmony among themselves, as well as with others within their respective communities. Dr. Bawumia requested the Imam and the congregation to pray for victims of recent floods in the Upper East and North East Regions as a result of the Bagre Dam spillage in Burkina Faso and torrential rains in northern Ghana. Sheikh Yusif Adam prayed for the Vice President, President Akufo-Addo and the country. 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 Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: The Police on Friday evening arrested rape accused former SP minister Gayatri Prajapati after a fresh case was lodged against him on the charges of cheating, criminal intimidation, and forgery. Prajapati has been sent to a 14-day judicial custody. The former minister is believed to be conniving with the rape survivor to get the rape charges dropped. Prajapati was out of jail after he was granted a conditional interim bail for two months by the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on September 4 in the case of gang rape of a woman and molestation of her minor daughter. However, the former SP minister was yet to be released as he had still not fulfilled the bail conditions, said the police sources. ALSO READ | Rape accused former UP minister Gayatri Prajapati gets 2-month interim bail The former minister had been in jail since March 15, 2017, in connection with the case, the FIR of which was lodged by the then Akhilesh government on the intervention of the Supreme Court of India. Meanwhile, the fresh case of cheating and fraud was lodged against Prajapati by the rape survivor's lawyer Dinesh Chandra Tripathi at Ghazipur police station in Lucknow on Thursday. The police officials said although Prajapatis bail order stands, a lower court had ordered him to be in 14-day judicial custody in the fresh case lodged against him. Tripathi had given a complaint against Prajapati under charges of criminal intimidation, dishonesty, forgery for the purpose of cheating, and using genuine documents fraudulently. ALSO READ | Teenage girl raped, singed with cigarette butts by two men in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur: Police The lawyer had also mentioned the connivance of the rape survivor with the rape accused former minister in the case. He had alleged that Chitrakoot-based woman had earlier got an FIR registered against Prajapati on charges of her rape and molestation of her daughter but later she allegedly received money, plots, and houses from Prajapati to turn hostile in the case along with her daughter. The lawyer, who has been representing the rape survivor in the case against Prajapati, also claimed in the complaint, which led to the registration of fresh FIR against the former SP minister, that the rape survivor tried to turn the table on him (lawyer) and got a case of rape lodged against him in connivance with Prajapati at Gautampalli police station in Lucknow on July 7, 2019. Lawyer Dinesh Chandra Tripathi also alleged in his complaint that the rape survivor took a plot worth Rs 1.5 crore in posh Ashiana locality of Lucknow from Prajapati to make her daughter hostile in the case. He claimed that she started targeting him as he refused to give an undertaking in favour of Prajapati on her behalf that he had not committed the crime he was being tried for. Tripathi also charged Prajapati with giving him life threats. He claimed that the ex-minister had threatened to get him eliminated once he was out of jail. LOCAL BRIEFS: Farmers market, theater classes, nominate educators Here is a roundup of local briefs: Farmers Market seeks volunteers Henderson County residents can now visit one website, www.volunteerhendo.org, to find and sign up for volunteer opportunities at local non-profit agencies. The Friends of Downtown organization is looking for volunteers to assist with the Hendersonville Farmers Market at the historic train depot on Maple Street. Volunteers are needed to assist on Saturdays through Oct. 31. Volunteers are needed to help with setup, breakdown, greeting customers and cashiering. If interested, visit volunteerhendo.org or contact volunteer coordinator Malisia Wilkins at volunteer@liveunitedhc.org or 828-692-1636 ext. 1108. Ed Foundation accepting Hall of Fame nominations The Henderson County Education Foundation is now seeking nominations for the 2021 Education Hall of Fame. Honorees for the Hall of Fame have demonstrated measurable influence or made significant contributions to the growth and development of education in Henderson County. The Hall of Fame provides an opportunity for special recognition of men and women who have led our communitys focus on educational excellence in Henderson County for decades. The Hall also provides the community with a focus for preserving the countys exciting educational history. One of only five Education Halls of Fame in North Carolina, membership in the HCEF Hall of Fame involves the selection of up to five nominees for induction each year. More than 130 teachers, administrators, support staff, school board members and donors have been honored since the Hall of Fame was founded in 2003. Those selected for induction into the 2021 Class will be announced in February and honored at the annual Education Celebration event planned for April 27 at Jeter Mountain Farm. Members of the Hall are also honored in a display at the Central Office of the Henderson County Public Schools. Nominations of candidates for inclusion in the 2021 Education Hall of Fame class and required supporting materials must be submitted to the Foundation by Nov. 30. Detailed guidelines for nominations and selection criteria can be found at hcefnc.org/ourwork/halloffame. For questions call 828.697.5551 or email info@hcefnc.org. Delia Jovel Dubon wins Taylor Award During a recent virtual presentation, Community Foundation of Henderson County and the Arts Council of Henderson County presented local artist Delia Jovel Dubon with the Betty Taylor Memorial Award. A native of El Salvador who came to Henderson County in 2014, Dubon holds an undergraduate degree in journalism and a masters degree in political science. Her career has spanned from teaching Spanish in France to instructing local GED Spanish programs in Henderson County. As an emerging storyteller artist, Dubon will be using her award to study under a Master Storyteller so that she may advance her own craft that is focused on telling and recording stories of Latin American tales, myths, and legends. I am passionate about writing and have promoted arts and culture throughout my life, she says. Now I feel the commitment to use my skills to become a storyteller honoring my roots, my language, my culture and traditions. I have always wanted to be able to develop and integrate my personal passions into an artistic medium that involves education and culture. Betty Taylor was an artist for life after taking her first lesson at the young age of 8. After her death in 1990, her husband, Ross Taylor, made arrangements with the Community Foundation of Henderson County to establish the Betty Taylor Memorial Fund to promote emerging artists in need of financial support. Studio 52 announces virtual theater classes Flat Rock Playhouses Studio 52 is offering virtual classes this fall for students near and far. There are classes open to students in kindergarten all the way through high school seniors with options for acting and musical theatre. Classes will be taught by theatre professionals and Vagabonds including new Studio 52 Director of Education Anna Kimmell, Flat Rock Playhouse Artistic Director Lisa K. Bryant and Matthew Glover, Betsy Bisson, Tania Battista and Flat Rock Playhouse newcomer TJ Medel. The semester begins the week of Sept. 21 and runs for nine weeks. For younger artists, there are classes available for K-2nd grades and 3rd-5th grades where students learn the basics and fun-damentals of theatre including improvisation, acting through movement, and creative play. For older artists, there are classes for 6th-8th grades and 9th-12th grades that dive further into theatre and music theatre with self-scripting, scene work and audition prep. Full and partial scholarships are available through the Dave Hart Scholarship Fund. Scholarship applications are on the Studio 52 website and the deadline is September 4. For those inspired to donate, contributions to the Dave Hart Scholarship Fund are accepted on a rolling basis through the Flat Rock Playhouse website. Kimmell, the new director, comes to the Playhouse with years of performance and theatre education experience, most recently as director of education at Arkansas Repertory Theatre. A native of Atlanta, Kimmell is a former Flat Rock Playhouse apprentice. She says she is delighted to return to the beloved place that jump-started her career in professional theatre and instilled the guiding philosophy to play hard, work harder and nap wisely. Since that formative summer in 2007, Anna has performed in regional productions at Rhode Islands Theatre by the Sea, Colorados Lake Dillon Theatre, Virginias Mill Mountain Theatre, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Georgia Shakespeare and Theatre of the Stars, on The Wizard of Oz national tour and others. Theatre has never been more important than it is right now, she said. Not only do these classes give students a chance to connect through a shared passion and develop their talents in theatre arts, but theyre also learning valuable life skills like communication, problem solving, and creativity. All of these have proven instrumental during the Covid-19 pandemic. * * * * * For a full list of classes including dates, times and instructors visit frpstudio52.org. Register online or call (828) 693-073. Registration closes on Thursday, Sept. 17. United Way seeks volunteers to pack back-to-school kits The United Way of Henderson County is seeking support from across the community for the fifth annual Day of Action, taking place virtually across the county to help Henderson County Public Schools students and staff get back to in-person learning safely. United Way is spearheading an effort to fund and assemble 13,000 Back to School hygiene kits in preparation for the start of in-person learning later this month. Each kit will include hand sanitizer, masks, and helpful handouts about how students and their families can stay safe while at school or at home. Sponsored by Pardee UNC Health Care and in partnership with HCPS, Day of Action is traditionally a county-wide morning of service to help our local schools get ready for the upcoming school year. Last year, over 500 volunteers came together on 22 HCPS campuses to complete service projects. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Day of Action has shifted to just one project that allows for safe and socially-distanced volunteering by the community, in support of all HCPS students. United Way is committed to assisting our local schools as they are operating with new costs and severely stretched budgets, said UWHC Executive Director Denise Cumbee Long. HCPS has alerted us that many of our students and their families lack essential items - masks, hand sanitizer, and information about how to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Families will need these hygiene items and comprehensive information about how to stay safe, and our schools are the best way to reach families with school-aged children. "A safe return to school, even in a hybrid remote and in-person model, will help ensure our students can continue their learning, receive needed nutrition, increase access to behavioral health services, and re-engage with their peers in a positive setting," Associate Superintendent for Administrative Services and incoming Superintendent Dr. John Bryant said. "We know that many of our families have been experiencing increased challenges since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Resources like these Back to School Kits will be critical tools in preparing students for a healthy return to campus, while reducing risk of COVID-19 transmission." Volunteers are needed to help assemble sets of 100 kits, and the community is asked to donate funds for the purchase of materials in each kit. Individuals and organizations can sponsor one kit for $5, an entire classroom for $125, or any amount they choose. Pardee UNC Health Care is continuing their support as the lead sponsor for this annual event and Pisgah Health Foundation has awarded a grant that will be put towards the total cost of supplies. We are proud to join with United Way to mobilize community resources and make Day of Action happen in a different way this year," Pardee CEO Jay Kirby said. "We recognize that volunteers currently cannot gather at the schools to mulch, paint hallways and prepare for students to return, but that doesnt mean students dont need our help. By equipping each student with a hygiene kit, we can make a positive impact on the health of our students and teachers." Individual bottles of hand sanitizer for the 13,000 kits will be donated by local herbal products manufacturer Gaia Herbs. Sets of reusable cloth masks to fit middle and high schoolers were acquired through FEMA's free mask distribution. Smaller sized masks for elementary students, as well as bags and print materials, will be purchased with money raised through the Day of Action mobile site. Community members who want to volunteer and/or donate funds can do so easily by texting ACTION to 71777 or by visiting United Ways website at www.liveunitedhc.org, and clicking Day of Action on the homepage. Direct questions to Malisia Wilkins at volunteer@liveunitedhc.org or 828-692-1636 x1108. BANG. I didnt open my eyes, but my ears woke up. There had been a thump, a jolt. One of those quiet, early morning moments where any sound at all echoes out. I felt Mum peel back the covers next to me. Semi-conscious, I thought it was probably my sister Juliet doing something or other. Mum would find out. She was the lioness; we (I was just 11) were her cubs. BANG. This noise was different. Louder, closer, sharper I sat up, jumped up. I knew what that one was. A gunshot. The door to the hallway was open and Mum was lying on the floor, a white man towering over her, a gun in his hand. Her body was turned; she was faced more towards us than to him shed seen the man and tried to turn around to come back into the bedroom. My instinct was fury. Lee Lawrence, pictured, was aged 11 when the Metropolitan Police raided his family's home in Brixton, south London and accidentally shot his mother Cherry Groce in 1985 I jumped out of the bed, I screamed, over and over: What the f*** have you done? You shot my mum! You f***ing shoot my mum again and Im going to kill you! The man with the gun said: Somebody had better shut this f***ing kid up. My dad was next to me. In a quiet, calm voice he said: Lee. Lee, calm down. I looked up at him. In the blue light of the morning, I saw fear on his face. He looked terrified. My dad, my dad someone whod been in the Army, someone who worked as a security guard was scared. Noise suddenly rushed in everywhere, as if someone had unmuted a TV. More voices, dogs, more armed men appearing. Someone was shouting: Wheres Michael Groce? And then it struck me. In the middle of that hot pot of boiling-over rage, terror, confusion and noise, I realised they were police officers, looking for my brother Michael. The man whod shot my mum was a policeman. It didnt make sense, none of it did. I was fully awake and in a dream at the same time. Is this for real? Is this actually happening? Mum was wheezing on the floor, her face creased with pain, with worry. I cant breathe, she kept saying. I think Im going to die. I cant feel my legs. The bullet had gone through her shoulder, travelled down into her back, hit her spine and come out the other side. But we didnt know this at the time. Id been ushered out of the room after Dad told me to calm down. But Id fought my way back in. I wanted to go over to her. But with the policeman there, I couldnt. Mr Lawrence, pictured, saw his mother moments after she was shot, lying on the floor, bleeding. A police officer was standing over his mother who claimed she had 'just been grazed' Its just a graze, the policeman said. Shes just got a graze, thats all. I pointed to the dark patch of blood that had appeared out of her side. So why is she bleeding, I asked. The accidental shooting of my mother, Cherry Groce, by the Metropolitan Police in our home in Brixton in South London in September 1985 was a seminal moment, clearly not just for our family, but also for the community. In the immediate aftermath, Brixton exploded into a riot that was almost as bad as those that had taken place four years before, and which would see buildings and cars burned out, at least 50 injuries and one death. [In the aftermath of the 1981 Brixton uprising, a Government-commissioned report by Lord Scarman criticised police tactics, the way they treated the community, and said the force needed to be representative of the people it represented.] Of course, there are disturbing and depressing parallels to what happened to my mother and what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. Watching the footage, the first trigger for me was when Floyd said those three tragic words: I cant breathe. The sight of a white officer in an overpowering position over a black person took me straight back to that night and our home at 22 Normandy Road. Mum lying on the floor. A policeman towering over her. This is madness, I thought. For our family, that madness has been going on for more than 30 years. My mother was paralysed by the shooting, and as a result our family life was changed for ever. What made that madness worse were the decades that it would take to find not ornly the truth, but also justice something that became even more necessary when she died in 2011. Even though she had technically died of renal failure, there was no doubt in my mind that the ultimate cause of her death was the bullet fired that night by Detective Sergeant Douglas Lovelock, in a pointless raid looking for my brother who had been falsely reported to have fired a shotgun at the police that was hopelessly conducted. Cherry Groce, pictured in September 1985 in St Thomas' Hospital in London ten days after she was shot, spoke with Assistant Chief Constable of West Yorkshire John Domaille, who was investigating the incident. The bullet fragmented as it entered Ms Groce's body, leaving her paralysed. More than 20 years later, those bullet fragments became infected and took her life But even though I knew all this, I needed to prove it. And that proved to be a lot harder than I could have ever known. My search for truth and justice started the moment I saw Mum lying on the floor, bleeding. At the time I was only 11, but I can still remember the early hours of that morning all too well. I sat on the sofa alongside my sisters, frightened and confused. I wanted to see Mum, but the police wouldnt let us. It became quieter less shouting, less barking and I was tearful. We set each other off; pretty soon we were all sobbing. I was sat on my hands, rocking backwards and forwards, lost in my thoughts. What was going to happen to Mum? Was she going to die? No one could answer that, or say anything to reassure me. Eventually, I heard an ambulance siren. I saw it drive up and we stayed at the window, wanting to see Mum. The ambulance crew carried her out on a stretcher she saw our faces pressed against the window. She rustled up a fake smile and was trying to wave at us, as if to say she was OK, even though she was clearly anything but. Meanwhile, inside the local police station, DS Douglas Lovelock was being interviewed under caution. A protest had already gathered outside, and it was getting angrier and more confident as it was swelled by reinforcements. The uniformed officers outside the station struggled to maintain control. Then a brick was thrown. A window smashed. Riot police, 50 of them to begin with, were deployed to try to restore order. Weirdly, they didnt try to say my mum was alive. Instead, some of the police officers in the station shouted back, inflaming the situation still further. F*** off home, n*****s, according to one account. A community leader and a member of the church tried to talk, but even as the priest was passed a megaphone, someone in the crowd threw a petrol bomb at the front of the police station. The police and community leaders withdrew under a hail of bricks and stones. And that was when things really kicked off. The media and the authorities described the events that followed as a riot. I see them as an uprising. I dont condone the violence, of course not. Although I didnt witness what happened, I certainly saw the aftermath. I remember I could smell the high street before I saw it. There was this caustic stench that hung in the air, a bit like when you get a waft of a bonfire or a barbecue. But this smell was deeper, denser, more of a tang that gripped the back of your throat. Next, there was a crunch underfoot. Glass. Shop windows that had been shattered, showered on to the pavements like shards of confetti. The sound of a shop alarm going off. Ringing and ringing and ringing against the stillness of the Sunday morning. When I saw those streets, it reminded me of a war zone. The shooting of Ms Groce caused considerable anger in Brixton and prompted rioting We visited Mum in St Thomas Hospital near Waterloo two days after she was shot. She was in a room by herself. The first thing I noticed was that she had a large box, draped with a white sheet, covering her legs. I was so pleased and relieved to see that she was alive, but the box immediately worried and confused me. That wasnt where she had been shot. It was a tight fit in the room, with everybody squeezed in along the sides. We all stood there awkwardly. No one seemed quite sure what to do. There were so many people in the way, I couldnt reach round and give Mum a hug. I just wanted to feel her and be close to her. The doctor arrived. Im glad youre all here, he said. I can give you all an update on what the situation is. He glanced down at the clipboard he was holding and then back up. Im afraid that Mrs Groces injuries have resulted in paraplegia a paralysis of the legs and lower half of the body. He was very matter of fact. I didnt know what those terms meant, but understood the simplicity of what he said next. Shes not going to be able to walk again. The surgeons had operated on Mum with the aim of removing the bullet, but once it had entered her body, it had fragmented and become embedded in her spine. That was the root cause of why Mum wouldnt be able to walk again. The doctors had taken out as many of the fragments as they dared, but they couldnt get them all out without damaging her still further and risking her becoming even more seriously disabled than she already was. From then on, Mum had to be cared for full-time. That bullet didnt just change her life, it changed all of our lives. There would be many difficult moments, as we struggled to accept what had happened to her and to us. What made it harder was we never learned the full story and received the justice I felt we were owed. After Mum had been shot, there had been an internal police investigation, which led to charges being brought against the officer who fired the gun. But hed been found not guilty, and no public inquiry had followed. And then there were all the usual injustices that you would suffer if you were growing up as a black boy in the Brixton of the 1980s. Despite report after report, inquiry after inquiry, racism in the police was absolutely endemic. Although I wasnt a criminal, I certainly wasnt a saint, and one night I was arrested for riding on the back of a moped that a friend had stolen. When we were being bundled into the back of the police van, there was an officer, indicating with his thumb for us to get inside. Come on then, monkeys, he said. In you get. I was so surprised that it took me a second to register what hed said. But, just in case I was mistaken, the police officer repeated it. You heard what I said, monkey. In you go. My reaction was almost to giggle. It was so horrific and ridiculous at the same time, it was all I could do to stop myself from laughing. But it got worse. On another occasion, I was locked up after Id had an argument with a bus driver. While I was waiting, the small metal hatch on the cell door opened. I looked over from the bench I was sitting on, and there was a white police officer just stood there observing me. Lee Lawrence, he said with a kind of smirk on his face. Youre Cherry Groces son. At the mention of my mum, I jolted. I stood up and walked over towards the door. Thats right, I said. He sneered and said: Its a pity she didnt die. Before I could respond, he slammed the flap shut. I could hear his footsteps echoing down the corridor, and what sounded like a laugh. In some respects, it was good that I was stuck in that cell because I was absolutely steaming. I was bouncing off the walls with anger. It would be many years before I was able to find justice for my mother. With tragic irony, it would take her death in 2011 at the age of 63 for that process to start in earnest, to become something more than just a distant ambition, but something achievable. It started because my mum whod spent the last 26 years of her life in a wheelchair needed a post-mortem examination, because her doctor wasnt certain about what the cause of death was. Or rather, he was clear on the medical reasons why Mum died, but wasnt completely certain about what had caused them. The post-mortem report made very difficult reading, but the conclusion was a huge surprise. The pathologist said the bullet fragments had killed her. It was those fragments that had caused her paralysis and paraplegia, and it was the paralysis and paraplegia that caused a urinary tract infection and bronchial pneumonia, and it had been the urinary tract infection and bronchial pneumonia that had caused more infection and the acute renal failure that was the last straw. I had it in my hands: incontrovertible proof that, more than two-and-a-half decades after Mum had been shot by a policeman, his bullet had resulted in the end of her life. The pent-up need for action sat in my throat like a stone that was on fire. I was told it might go to an inquest. I didnt know how an inquest worked or what it could do after all, I was a London cabbie, not a lawyer but I knew that I wanted it. As a family, wed never had a chance to find out what really happened that morning when all our lives were turned upside down. Would the inquest give us an opportunity to do so? Over the following years, I found myself having to overcome the appalling obstacles placed in our way. While Lovelock, who had been promoted to the senior rank of inspector, and the Metropolitan Police had their legal representation paid for out of the public purse, my family did not. It took a petition and the efforts of our MP, Chuka Umunna, to persuade the then Minister of Justice, Chris Grayling, to grant us legal aid, and I am grateful he did so. Then there was the struggle to convince the coroner that my family needed to see an internal police report made in 1985 about the shooting. When I brought it up, the room went quiet and some of the lawyers shuffled in their seats. The coroner asked: Why do you want to see the report? I think its important for the case, for us to see what those findings were. Which findings? I dont know, I said. I dont know whats in the report because I havent read it. I think wed need a proper legal argument and justification as to why that report should be included before I could consider that request, replied the coroner. But we havent seen the report, I argued. I cant tell you whats important in the report until Ive been allowed to read it. And so on it went, until eventually the report was released to us. I could see why the Met didnt want to, because it concluded: The raid should not have gone ahead in the manner planned, due to the total lack of information the decision to continue the operation was not reasonable and grave risks were created both for the public and police, which should have been avoided. The behaviour of the police, and the incompetence of the operation, was just jaw-dropping. Our day in court finally came on June 30, 2014, when the inquest started. When I entered the witness box, emotions were boiling over inside me. I was nervous, I was frustrated, I was angry, I was hurt, I was grieving. I looked over at my sisters, who were sitting in front of the jury. They nodded back and I knew that I was doing OK. I looked at the jury as I spoke, determined for them to absorb what had happened to us. I said: This incident had a devastating impact on my mum and my family. This was life-changing for us. Weve always felt a sense of injustice and weve had to wait 29 years to finally get questions answered around what happened to my mum and the devastating effects that it had on her and our family. On the final day of the inquest, the coroner asked if the jury had been able to reach a conclusion as to how Mum had died. The foreman said yes, and read it out: Mrs Groce was shot by police during a planned surprise forced entry raid on her home, and her subsequent death was contributed to by failures in the planning and implementation of that raid. Its hard to describe exactly how I felt on hearing those words. Everything wed fought for, had hoped for, had come to fruition. And it was a gift for my mum it was the greatest gift that, in her absence, we could give to her. It was a bitter-sweet victory. The inquest process had been such a draining one: listening to the evidence, and then the waiting while the jury had made up their minds. The case had stirred up heartache, grief, fear and anger, and taken me back to that Saturday morning all those years ago. That was hard. And yes, even though we would eventually receive damages and a full apology from the Met Police, I just felt relief, and satisfaction, but not joy. But mainly I was sad that it had taken so long to get to that conclusion. After the inquest, the then Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said: I apologise unreservedly for our failings. I also apologise for the inexcusable fact that it has taken until now for the Met to make this public apology. Sadly, this means that the person who most deserved to hear the apology is no longer here. However, Cherrys children, her friends and others are here and they too deserve an apology. Lee Lawrence, 2020 Bank of Ceylon employees protesting outside the bank headquarters in Fort this week. They were seeking a change in the training period to two years from three years and say that even though the Prime Minister had agreed to the change, the board of directors hasnt made any change. Pic by Sameera Weerasekara. U.S. Says Kremlin Risks Turning Belarusian People Against Russia By Backing Lukashenka By RFE/RL's Belarus Service September 11, 2020 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. 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 Lukashenka's 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 Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-says-kremlin-risks- turning-belarusian-people-against-russia -by-backing-lukashenka/30833951.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 It's been a good week for Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC (LON:DPH) shareholders, because the company has just released its latest annual results, and the shares gained 6.1% to UK32.76. Revenues were UK515m, approximately in line with whatthe analysts expected, although statutory earnings per share (EPS) crushed expectations, coming in at UK0.33, an impressive 26% ahead of estimates. Following the result, the analysts have updated their earnings model, and it would be good to know whether they think there's been a strong change in the company's prospects, or if it's business as usual. We've gathered the most recent statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their earnings models, following these results. See our latest analysis for Dechra Pharmaceuticals Following the latest results, Dechra Pharmaceuticals' ten analysts are now forecasting revenues of UK564.9m in 2021. This would be a meaningful 9.7% improvement in sales compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to climb 14% to UK0.38. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of UK571.1m and earnings per share (EPS) of UK0.36 in 2021. So the consensus seems to have become somewhat more optimistic on Dechra Pharmaceuticals' earnings potential following these results. There's been no major changes to the consensus price target of UK31.34, suggesting that the improved earnings per share outlook is not enough to have a long-term positive impact on the stock's valuation. That's not the only conclusion we can draw from this data however, as some investors also like to consider the spread in estimates when evaluating analyst price targets. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Dechra Pharmaceuticals at UK35.15 per share, while the most bearish prices it at UK28.00. This is a very narrow spread of estimates, implying either that Dechra Pharmaceuticals is an easy company to value, or - more likely - the analysts are relying heavily on some key assumptions. Story continues Of course, another way to look at these forecasts is to place them into context against the industry itself. We would highlight that Dechra Pharmaceuticals' revenue growth is expected to slow, with forecast 9.7% increase next year well below the historical 19%p.a. growth over the last five years. Juxtapose this against the other companies in the industry with analyst coverage, which are forecast to grow their revenues (in aggregate) 8.1% next year. Factoring in the forecast slowdown in growth, it looks like Dechra Pharmaceuticals is forecast to grow at about the same rate as the wider industry. The Bottom Line The biggest takeaway for us is the consensus earnings per share upgrade, which suggests a clear improvement in sentiment around Dechra Pharmaceuticals' earnings potential next year. They also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, with the company predicted to grow at about the same rate as the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at UK31.34, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets. Following on from that line of thought, we think that the long-term prospects of the business are much more relevant than next year's earnings. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for Dechra Pharmaceuticals going out to 2024, and you can see them free on our platform here.. Plus, you should also learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Dechra Pharmaceuticals . 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. New Delhi, Sep 12 : A self-shot documentary capturing everyday life during lockdown, through the lens of 12 individuals from different walks of life, is a reminder of hope and being part of a global community in these grim times. Titled 'United by Hope', it features personalities like actors Richa Chadha and Kubbra Sait, and sportspeople like Dinesh Karthik and Bhaichung Bhutia, among several others. Shot entirely on the OnePlus smartphones, and produced by VICE Media, the 38-minute film comes as an ode to the community with the aim of highlighting how the collective strength and compassion of a community can help overcome any adversity. The makers observed that despite the range of differences in their backgrounds and lifestyles, a common emotion empowers every individual to navigate through their respective challenges: the emotion of 'Hope', which served as the invisible link of connection amongst the individuals despite the distance and their differences. Richa Chadha, who features in the film, shared: "2020 was supposed to be a big year for me, both personally and professionally. With everything coming to a standstill, I had a lot of time at hand to pursue my hobbies and enjoy the finer things in life. This is exactly when I was approached to be a part of 'United By Hope' and I didn't have to think twice before taking it on. The filming was very authentic and the fact that it was all done on a OnePlus phone, made the process very easy for me. It was completely new for me to have to do everything by myself - from my makeup, to framing, to finally filming each frame, As someone who has always been at the other end of the camera, I truly enjoyed every step of this fun journey." Turning the cast into crew as well, the making of the documentary was an act of bringing together people through technology - something also being witnessed worldwide during the ongoing pandemic. Shubham Dharamsktu shared: "As a traveler and travel content creator, I have always found my passion and solace in traveling. For me, traveling is meant to always provide a truly positive learning experience. Therefore, when the pandemic struck, and we heard about the several travelers who were stranded in India desperately looking for help, I knew I had to find a means to help them and offer a source of hope and positivity. On that note, when I was given the opportunity to film my daily life for United by Hope documentary, this to me was also a medium to show people how the most random acts of kindness and support towards your larger community can truly serve them with lasting optimism. It was a humbling experience to see that these foreign travelers who I was able to offer help to, eventually felt like they were a part of a close-knit community that supported each other despite the adversity. "In the wake of a pandemic that led to the world adapting to a sudden change of life, we often heard from our community across the globe on how it was impacting them leading to experiences which can be termed as humanity's greatest pause. This led us to embark on an experimental project and gage the range of emotions at play during the lockdown and how individuals from different walks of life dealt with this change in their daily lives," Siddhant Narayan, Head of Marketing - India, OnePlus, told IANSlife. Adding, "After we finalised the concept, we identified and chose 12 individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from athletes and artists, to popular gamer as well as frontline workers and individuals who went out of their way to serve the community in these challenging times. As we continued documenting the lives of each individual, our creative effort went on to showcase how the true strength of a united community prevails in these challenging times." The documentary is an interesting watch and is available on OnePlus India's YouTube and social media channels. (Siddhi Jain can be contacted at siddhi.j@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Ramu Patil By Express News Service BENGALURU: With Karnataka continuing its crackdown on drug peddlers, it has now come to light that nearly 90 per cent of the marijuana (ganja) supplied to the state comes from Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and other states. Over the last few days, the Karnataka police have seized huge quantities of ganja from several places, including a 1,350 kg-haul in Kalaburagi and 186 kg from Kolar Gold Fields (KGF). The ganja seized from Kalaburagi had come from Odisha. Sources in the Home Department told The New Indian Express on Friday that ganja cultivated in Maoist-affected areas is being brought to the state and the Karnataka police are working in close coordination with their counterparts in those states to crack down on such illegal activities. ALSO READ | Sandalwood drug racket case: Two more arrested A change in strategy going after the entire supply chain and not stopping with the arrests those involved in peddling small quantities of marijuana is said to be the major reason for the seizure of huge quantities of ganja in the last few days, especially consignments coming from other states. Takes a lot of time to track down suppliers After arresting people dealing in small quantities, police are focusing on establishing links till they get to the source. In the past, they had mostly focused on small peddlers. It takes a lot of work to track down suppliers and get to the source. The police forces in Maoist-affected areas are more focussed on fighting insurgency. Now we have to coordinate with them and track down the peddlers, mostly when they are transporting it, sources said. The drive against drug peddling has been intensified, especially after high-profile names from the Kannada film industry were exposed for their alleged links with the drug networks. ALSO READ | BJP protecting its MLAs in drug case: Siddaramaiah Such drives were conducted earlier too, but now it is being done more vigorously and we are cracking down on the entire supply chain. Fear should instilled in the minds of those involved in drug peddling that action will be taken against them under the stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, sources said. Director and Inspector General of Police Praveen Sood said they are coordinating with the police in Chhattisgarh and other states to track down the suppliers and take action. Getting tough on drug menace Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai too have reiterated that the government will continue to take tough measures against the drug menace. Bommai had recently directed the state police chief to coordinate with other states. Its a Monday in mid-August, five months into the grip of COVID-19, and a quintessential small family-owned business in Midland remains standing. Shiers Deli & Catering is closed on Mondays, but that doesnt mean its an off-day for the husband-and-wife team of George and Kristen Shier, who have owned and operated the deli and restaurant that bears their name since 2014. The restaurant business is a notoriously tough one, requiring a steady, almost maniacal ability to work long hours, often at the expense of family time or a social life. Even when youre closed, your mind is constantly thinking and evaluating, especially during these unprecedented times. You have to really love it, and the Shiers clearly have a passion for the food industry. Its food prep Monday and the Shiers would love to say they are preparing to re-open their quaint, UP-influenced restaurant for in-person dining. But thats not an option right now because the eight-table, 26-seat-capacity deli isnt large enough to allow for social distancing. So the Shiers, like many small business owners, are continually making adjustments and taking it one day at a time, said Kristen Shier. Thats all we or anybody else can do. Were open for take-out and delivery only. Shiers Deli & Catering may not have the name recognition of many other local eateries, but it has certainly earned the admiration of legions of loyal customers who swear by its UP-style pasties and smoked brisket, and offerings that include a house favorite, the Smokin Joe. Its like a Philly cheesesteak, said Kristen. It has a smoky flavor. George has a smoker and really has a system that brings out the flavor in our meats. If you like pastrami or prefer a reuben, coupled with a delicious bowl of soup, Chef George Shier will hook you up. His house-smoked meats and specialty pastrami and corned beef are all the rage among food lovers. Whether its a burger, a sandwich or anything else on the eclectic menu, the Shiers vision to offer distinctive, homemade food that customers crave is a hallmark of the business. As one customer put it: Ive been coming to their deli for years and have never had a bad meal. To me, consistency is key and Chef George never has a bad day, at least not when it comes to prepping and cooking food, anyway. Just an awesome little deli. A Midland native, George got his culinary training at the prestigious Johnson & Wales University. The Shiers lived in Colorado for about 10 years before returning to Midland in 2010. In Colorado, George began selling pasties out of a food truck and, struck by how much people liked them, decided to do the same in Midland. He sold the UP favorite and other handcrafted sandwiches at the Midland Brewing Company, where he struck up a friendship with the late Cliff Dawson, a veteran of the food and beverage industry, who lent his own flair for cooking and restaurant management to the mix. Cliff came to work for us when we opened the deli and catering business, said Kristen. He had a lot of restaurant experience in various capacities. Just a friendly guy. A big guy with a big personality. Customers loved him. He helped us a lot. He was born in the Upper Peninsula and lent that UP charm to our place. We all miss him. Kristen calls their restaurant and deli the best-kept secret in Midland. Six years into business and people say to me, Oh, we didnt know you were here. (Hint: look for the big red storefront awning). That is beginning to change, though, as Shier's won a Silver Award (best caterer category) and a Bronze Award (best sandwich category) in the MDN Readers Choice Awards. The recognition is a good thing for us, Kristen said. We rely a lot on word-of-mouth advertising, so its nice to get some formal recognition, too. The restaurant started using Door Dash delivery service just prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. Weve implemented it on a larger scale since COVID, said Kristen, noting that the majority of customers have been good about social distancing, wearing masks and following other health and safety precautions. The Shiers have been married for 19 years and have worked side-by-side for the past six. The couple that works together, stays together? "Its not all smooth asphalt road, said George, a smile creasing his face as he gets ready to operate for yet another week in the COVID-19 climate. There have been a few potholes over the past six to seven years. He added: We got married four days after 9/11 and here we are today dealing with COVID 2020. Were transitioning as best we can. And Midland foodies are all the better for the couples dogged determination to keep their labor of love, Shiers Deli & Catering, up and running. Just look for the big bright, red awning at 2218 North Saginaw Road, about one-half mile west of Eastman Avenue, on the north side of the road. Its worth finding. Laesch repeated what he has said about being against pay to play, and said he will take no contributions from any city employee or anyone who does business with the city. He has said he wants to cut the mayors pay 25%, and wants to create a green economy with incentives to bring in more green-related companies and jobs. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (September 12) will inaugurate 1.75 lakh houses built in Madhya Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural). The Prime Minister will participate in the inauguration ceremony via video conferencing and he will also address the crowd, highlighting some key aspects of the scheme. The information was shared by PM Modi on Friday via Twitter in which he also said that this is an important step in achieving the goal of providing houses to the poor by 2022."This is another important step in achieving the target of giving a house to every family in the country by 2022. These houses built under PM Awas Yojana-Gramin are proof that the corona pandemic too could not stop the development works," PM Modi Twitter post read. The PMAY is a housing initiative of the Government of India launched in 2015 to provide affordable housing to the urban and the rural poor. The target of PMAY is to build 20 million affordable houses by March 2022. RICHMOND For the third time in two weeks, lawmakers in the General Assembly voted down a measure aimed at rolling back qualified immunity for police officers. The bill, which died twice in the House only to twice be revived days later, hit what appears to be a more permanent dead end in the Senate, where lawmakers from both parties worried about the unintended consequences of allowing more lawsuits alleging police misconduct to go to trial. Its a big problem, said Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, who opposed the measure. I want to do something about it. But he and other lawmakers from both parties said that as drafted, the legislation would open police officers to petty lawsuits that go beyond the police brutality and excessive force complaints they said they wanted to address. The two Black senators who sit on the mostly White Judiciary Committee, along with the measures patron, Del. Jeff Bourne, D-Richmond, urged their colleagues to also consider the consequences of not advancing the legislation. Im not the least bit torn, said Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth. We have a movement behind us in terms of getting this qualified immunity bill passed. Im not the least bit confident that if we put this bill off to another session that there wont be any number of Brown and Black people who will be killed by police officers by the time we come back. Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, recounted a police officer shoving a gun into her 77-year-old fathers back after a neighbor called the police on him while he was watering flowers outside her home. For too long in Black and Brown communities, the tendency of police officers has been to shoot first and ask questions later, she said. Or to pull a gun and ask questions later. Law enforcement agencies and police groups have expressed near unanimous opposition to any change in the current law, which was established in the court system through judicial rulings and sets a high threshold for which misconduct allegations against police are allowed to be heard by a judge or jury. Democrats and Republicans on the committee said they wanted to eliminate roadblocks to lawsuits in cases of clear, intentional misconduct. But they said Bournes bill cast too wide a net and would open police to liability in cases where police were acting reasonably but made mistakes. Lawmakers promised to study the issue and reconsider it in January when the General Assembly reconvenes for its regular session. I commend Del. Bourne on what hes trying to do, said Sen. Richard Stuart, R-Stafford. But this is a really tough nut to crack. Bourne argued it wasnt as complicated as his colleagues were making it out to be, noting that his bill would simply allow more cases to proceed to trial, allowing a judge or jury to render a verdict based on the specifics of each case. Let me just suggest to each and every member on this committee a tougher nut to crack: Trying to explain to your 8-year-old son why he needs to carry himself differently and why Daddy might get nervous when a police officer pulls him over, he said. The Virginia Mercury is a nonprofit, nonpartisan online news outlet based in Richmond covering state government and policy. Sudanese official says dropping Christian education was error, but church leaders dont believe it Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The top official of Sudans education regulatory body claims he erroneously omitted Christian education on a list he sent to all public schools in August directing them to teach only the subjects on the list. Christian leaders have raised concerns that Christianity won't be taught in schools, despite the admission, because educators qualified to teach the subject haven't been hired. In Sudanese schools, Christian students are required to study Islam and some educators have forced students to convert. Director-General Omer Ahmed al-Garay of National Centre for Curriculum and Educational Research, said in a letter that he did not intentionally omit Christianity from school subjects in NCCER's previous directive, according to the U.S.-based Morning Star News. In reference to our previous letter dated Aug. 23, 2020, regarding the school subjects, we wish to consider the new timetable attached. The old timetable had unintended error, Al-Garay wrote. The official said many Christians called him to ask why Christianity had been omitted from the list of school subjects. I apologize to Christian brothers who called asking why Christianity was dropped out from the school subjects, Al-Garay wrote. Islam has long been taught in schools in Sudan and now deposed President Omar al-Bashir had vowed to adopt a stricter version of Sharia (Islamic law) and recognize only Islamic culture and the Arabic language after the countrys secession from South Sudan in 2011. While a transitional government, led by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, was sworn in last year, an Islamist deep state rooted in Bashirs 30 years of power remains influential. The apology of the director will not change the reality of the matter, the Rev. Yahia Abdelrahim Nalu of the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church, was quoted as saying. Christianity will continue to be in the timetable, but there will be no one to teach it in government schools, because there are no teachers appointed by the government to teach it, he explained. Christian students have to study Islam as a school subject and in some areas, they are often forced to convert, Nalu said. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom cautiously acknowledged improvements in the countrys religious and political atmosphere after the commissions chair, Tony Perkins, visited Sudan in February. We are grateful to Prime Minister Hamdok and other members of the countrys bold transitional leadership who met with USCIRF to convey their explicit desire to bring a new era of openness and inclusivity to their country that suffered for 30 years under brutal and autocratic religious repression, he said at the time, according to Crux. At the same time, we understand that the countrys challenges are deeply-rooted, and we urge the leadership to move quickly to turn that optimism into tangible and meaningful reforms for all people across Sudan, such as acting to formally repeal Article 126 of the 1991 penal code, which outlaws apostasy, he added. Prime Minister Hamdok and other transitional government officials met with USCIRF in Washington, D.C., during a visit last December the first time in three decades that Sudanese leaders had visited Washington, D.C. The officials also shared at the time how they planned to expand religious freedom in a country that is ranked as the seventh-worst in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USAs World Watch List. These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. Forget Australias shuttered international borders; right now we cant open up domestically. One take is this is a perfectly logical decision that will benefit us in the long run. Another take is that it is a political shambles, led by certain recalcitrant leaders, that just goes to show how hard creating travel corridors with other nations will be. As Western Australia refuses to endanger its flatlining rate of confirmed cases and its status as the only Australian state not in a recession (as the ABC reports, it has opted not to join the rest of the country in opening state coronavirus borders by Christmas), Queenslands state premiere is also playing hard ball on its border laws (anyone who comes from what Queensland considers to be a hotspot i.e. the whole of NSW, ACT and Victoria has to apply for an exemption to enter the state). Its not just private citizens being negatively affected: whatever your take on the wisdom of limiting interstate travel to the degree we are, the outcome is taking a serious toll on airlines. Qantas full year results for the financial year 2020 show the airline is down 91 per cent on the financial year of 2019, and shows a statutory loss before tax of $2.7 billion and a $4 billion revenue impact from the COVID crisis in 2H20. Much of this, clearly, is due to international travel restrictions. But safely opening domestic borders as soon as possible will help the airline recoup some of these losses moving forward and is a key move that will aid Austrlias aviation industry, Qantas argues. To that effect, Qantas has started surveying customers, encouraging them to share their thoughts and lend their support for safely restarting domestic travel as soon as safely possible. In a safely open our borders plea, Qantas requests decisions on domestic border closures be risk-assessed against an agreed set of medical criteria and a shared definition of what constitutes a COVID hotspot. While it might be a while before we can fly overseas again, were lucky there are so many amazing destinations right here in our own backyard. Not to mention friends and family we long to see again. But that can only happen if our domestic borders are opened. There is huge pent up demand for domestic travel with Australians wanting to get away on holiday after being stuck at home. We want to see Australians reunite with loved ones after months of being separated. And we want to see local businesses, and the one million people in the tourism industry, get back to work. The health response to this crisis is our most important priority. Qantas then provides customers with an information box in which those interested can register their support for safely restarting domestic travel. By completing this form you consent to Qantas providing this information to your State or Federal MP by way of letter to campaign for the opening of Australias domestic borders, where its safe to do so. Australian business has been pushing hard to open state borders during coronavirus. In an open letter in August, hundreds of tourism representatives, including Flight Centre Travel Group chief executive Graham Turner and Helloworld Travel executive director and chief executive Cinzia and Andrew Burnes, implored state political leaders to stop making ad hoc policy changes around border crossings, saying the uncertainty it was creating was having a devastating effect on the domestic tourism industry, the ABC reports. However, while they acknowledge calls for a more nationally coherent approach have merit, business groups pressuring politicians to reopen state borders quickly should not ignore the health and economic benefits of the coronavirus lockdowns, two leading economists say, (ABC). In other words: we dont want political grandstanding, or borders to be shut any longer than neccessary, but we must take a science based approach when opening them and take into account the social and economic costs of gettting things wrong, or opening prematurely. What will happen next? Watch this (air) space. Read Next The McKenzie River is one of Lane Countys gems. It is a place where we raft, fish, hike and gaze in awe at its crystal clear waters and tree-line shores. The drift boat was conceived to ply its icy waters, and the area is full of history and characters. Its a place people decided to make their homes and livelihoods. And sadly, it is a place where I have seen the unimaginable impact of the Holiday Farm Fire and its destructive march along the lower McKenzie. I was one of two journalists escorted by Oregon Department of Forestry public information officers up Highway 126 to Nimrod on Thursday. The devastation is shocking and numbing. Burned out vehicles destroyed by the Holiday Farm Fire sit outside a shop in Nimrod, Ore. Andy Nelson/Register-Guard/poolAP For many who live along the river, the losses will be severe and the grief profound. For those of us who love to visit the river, the landscape is altered in ways that are yet to become clear. But I saw first-hand the catastrophic effects of the fire on the land and structures along the McKenzie River and the capricious nature of the blaze as it raced eastward. Our trip was short and visibility often was limited to a few hundred yards because of thick smoke, giving just an overview of the fires impact. After leaving Springfield, we crossed a roadblock manned by Lane County sheriffs deputies at Walterville that keeps the road clear except for firefighters and other essential personnel. The Goodpasture Bridge has survived the Holiday Farm Fire near Leaburg, Oregon. Andy Nelson/Register-Guard/poolAndy Nelson/The Register-Guard via pool ODF Public Information Officer Marcus Kauffman emphasized that the trees in the burn area along the Highway 126 corridor are likely to be unstable and hazardous, and rockfall also is prevalent. It is not uncommon for trees to fall well after a fire because the trees' insides have burned out or because the soil has become unstable. We drove around several downed trees including one that was at least three feet in diameter. Heading east, the smoke began to thicken substantially after Leaburg. Through the haze, it appeared some familiar landmarks along this stretch of highway, like the Organic Redneck Growers Farm and small filbert orchards, are undamaged. Rounding the bend at Leaburg Lake, the dam is open, the lake is drained and the McKenzie River is flowing through the lake. Geese rested on the exposed land. It is an extraordinary site. According to EWEB spokesman Joe Harwood, the dam was opened to protect it from debris flows caused by the fire. The thick smoke makes it impossible to see across the lake to the opposite bank to assess any potential fire impacts. Although we did not see it, our escorts told us the Leaburg Hatchery has been spared. The community has fought hard in recent years to keep open the hatchery that attracts more than 70,000 visitors a year. Near the end of Leaburg Lake, Ikes Lakeside Pizza stands undamaged. One of the most recognizable landmarks along the McKenzie River, the Goodpasture Bridge, emerged from the haze and appeared unscathed to the naked eye. The bridge, built in 1938, is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a favorite stopping point for visitors. Entering Vida, Everyones Market, Vida Cafe and other structures along the highway are intact. We were unable to see more than a half mile so we couldnt assess any impacts in the surrounding hills. As we left Vida, the destruction began to intensify. There are structures that have been lost and burned out vehicles were visible. Public information officer Brian Richardson inspects a burned out vehicle outside a shop in Nimrod, Oregon. Andy Nelson/Register-Guard/poolAndy Nelson/The Register-Guard via pool The filberts at the historic Filacres farm stand in their long rows but the smoke blurs any view to the stately white home along the river. Ben and Kay Dorris Park, a popular take-out point for rafters on the McKenzie River, was heavily burned over. Darkened trunks stood silhouetted in the smoke. The sign to the park entrance sits on the ground toppled by the flames. Trees are blocking the road leading into the park and down to the river. As we continued east, some homes look untouched, but there are many where chimneys stand as ghostly sentinels over burned down homes. Familiar landmarks along the road businesses, cabins, homes are no longer there. Its disorienting and heartbreaking. Our final stop was at Blue River Services Center, where burned -out vehicles sit outside the shop. A puddle of molten metal is evidence of the intensity of the fire as it swept though the area. Heading back toward the Incident Command Post in Springfield, it is impossible to not think of the the people and communities who are affected by the fire. For those whose homes are now gone, and even for those that remain, the beautiful clear, cold water of the river still will be there. But there is no doubt the long road to recovery and rebuilding is just beginning. Photographer Andy Nelson of the Register Guard, anelson@registerguard.com, was allowed behind the fire lines as the media pool. A-Z Dental Care offers oral health care to patients of all ages at its West Covina office. Many more Americans than usual may be experiencing tooth decay. An August 3 article on Hospital and Healthcare reports on newly published findings of a significant increase in the number of Australian adults suffering from tooth decay as the COVID-19 global health crisis continues. The article reports that, compared to previous years where there were as many as one in four adults experiencing tooth decay, 2020 has seen the ratio rise to one in three Australian adults, which may be at least partially due to social distancing measures and economic downturn. West Covina-based dental center A-Z Dental Care says that, while the study focuses strictly on Australian adults, similar conditions in the United States suggest that comparable trends may be occurring here as well, and many more Americans than usual may be experiencing tooth decay. The center says that tooth decay is almost unavoidable without a proper dental hygiene routine, and limited access to dental services may only exacerbate the issue. The West Covina dental office notes that the first step to protecting ones oral health is regularly brushing teeth. While it may be tempting to forgo brushing after a midnight snack when people are tired, cleansing the mouth of acids and sugars before several hours of rest can do wonders for ones oral wellbeing, as damaging chemicals are removed and kept from further harming teeth overnight. The dental center adds that how one brushes their teeth is just as important. One may assume its orally virtuous to brush teeth as if one is scrubbing a frying pan with the hard side of a sponge, but harsh brushing will only serve to irritate the gums and wear down enamel. Instead, gentle yet firm brushing motions are ideal. For the sake of being thorough, brushing for about two minutes and flossing in between teeth will offer the best results. A mouth wash is also beneficial, the dental practice says, but it may be better to wait for at least 30 minutes before using one to give teeth time to absorb the helpful ingredients of toothpaste, notably fluoride. A-Z Dental Care notes that most patients are still able to be seen in a reasonably timely manner by the clinics dentist, Dr. Mirhamid Salek, a noted expert in orofacial pain. So, if a patient is suffering from an oral ailment or even needs regular preventive care, they dont have to wait for long provided they promptly schedule an appointment, the center says. Interested readers can learn more about A-Z Dental Care by visiting the dental offices website at https://www.atozdentalcare.com/ or by calling (626) 314-690 Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Spark New Zealand Limited (NZSE:SPK) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next four days. You can purchase shares before the 17th of September in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 2nd of October. Spark New Zealand's next dividend payment will be NZ$0.15 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of NZ$0.25 to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Spark New Zealand has a trailing yield of approximately 5.2% on its current stock price of NZ$4.77. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. So we need to investigate whether Spark New Zealand can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow. View our latest analysis for Spark New Zealand Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. Last year, Spark New Zealand paid out 108% of its income as dividends, which is above a level that we're comfortable with, especially if the company needs to reinvest in its business. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. It paid out 80% of its free cash flow as dividends, which is within usual limits but will limit the company's ability to lift the dividend if there's no growth. It's disappointing to see that the dividend was not covered by profits, but cash is more important from a dividend sustainability perspective, and Spark New Zealand fortunately did generate enough cash to fund its dividend. If executives were to continue paying more in dividends than the company reported in profits, we'd view this as a warning sign. Very few companies are able to sustainably pay dividends larger than their reported earnings. Story continues Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends. Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at Spark New Zealand, with earnings per share up 2.7% on average over the last five years. Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Spark New Zealand's dividend payments are effectively flat on where they were 10 years ago. To Sum It Up Has Spark New Zealand got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? While earnings per share have been growing slowly, Spark New Zealand is paying out an uncomfortably high percentage of its earnings. However it did pay out a lower percentage of its cashflow. Overall it doesn't look like the most suitable dividend stock for a long-term buy and hold investor. Although, if you're still interested in Spark New Zealand and want to know more, you'll find it very useful to know what risks this stock faces. Be aware that Spark New Zealand is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those makes us a bit uncomfortable... We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Claver-Carone will succeed current President Luis Alberto Moreno. The Board of Governors today also issued a resolution expressing gratitude to President Moreno for his service. Claver-Carone is currently Deputy Assistant to the U.S. President and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. National Security Council. He previously served as U.S. Representative to the International Monetary Fund and as Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Rollins College, Juris Doctor from The Catholic University of America and Master of Laws in International and Comparative Law from Georgetown University Law Center. To be elected President, a candidate must receive a majority of the total voting power of the IDB's member countries as well as the support of at least 15 of the 28 regional member countries (26 borrowing member countries, plus Canada and the United States). The IDB has a total of 48 member countries, with Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and offices in all borrowing countries as well as in Europe and Asia. The Board of Governors is the Bank's highest authority. Each member country appoints a Governor, whose voting power is proportional to the capital in the Bank subscribed by his or her country. Governors are typically finance ministers, central bank presidents, or other high-ranking officials. The Board of Governors holds annual meetings to review Bank operations and make key policy decisions. It also occasionally holds special meetings, including to elect a President. Mauricio J. Claver-Carone will be the IDB's fifth President. He follows Luis Alberto Moreno (2005-2020); Enrique V. Iglesias (1988-2005); Antonio Ortiz Mena (1971-1988); and Felipe Herrera (1960-1971). View IDB press release here. About the IDB The Inter-American Development Bank is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, the IDB is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social, and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance, and training to public- and private-sector clients throughout the region. PRESS: Paul Constance: +1-202-623-2572; [email protected] Pablo Bachelet: +1-202-623-1328; [email protected] SOURCE Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group Related Links http://www.iadb.org Since the Pilgrims arrived in 1620, American has attracted people who were willing to leave their home comforts behind and, at tremendous risk to themselves, carve out a vibrant new nation on land that the Native Americans, adventurers themselves, had only minimally tamed. Now, in 2020, our stalwart predecessors would never recognize, let alone acknowledge as their descendants, those people on the left whom Trump has emotionally destroyed. It's not me saying the American left has gone round the bend. It's leftists saying that. At Salon, there's a lengthy interview with a neuroscientist who explains that Americans "are being psychologically abused by Donald Trump." The result, he says, is a mental health crisis that will take years to resolve. Chauncey Devega sets the stage for the scientist's pronouncements. This is not the last four years as you understand them. It's an alternate universe. In Devega's world, Bob Woodward's revelation is not that, when little was known about the Wuhan virus, and after he'd already closed the borders to China and Europe, Trump resolved to be optimistic to prevent Americans from panicking. Instead, it means that Trump elected to commit mass murder against the American people. (Democrats now insist that panic would have been a better approach, although in February and March, they were ridiculing Trump for overreacting.) Devega also resurrects the claim that Trump called the virus a hoax. He neither knows nor cares that it's been irrefutably proven that Trump said that the Democrats would use the virus as a cudgel against him, just as they did with the Russia hoax. Devega now claims that Trump is guilty of "a crime against humanity " that "approaches a de facto genocide." He wants readers to know that "Trumpism is a death cult," with "human sacrifice as one of its central rites and rituals." For the "death cult" concept, Devega links to another one of his articles, which turns out to be about the fact that many people, especially Trump-supporters, don't like wearing masks. As you think about these accusations, remember that Devega is a member of the party that (1) caused a Wuhan flu genocide in nursing homes, (2) favors abortion until birth (or even after), (3) supports euthanasia, and (4) turns a blind eye to the black-on-black genocide in inner-city neighborhoods. Of course, Devega is a hysteric. What's unnerving is that he managed to find a respected (although monomaniacal) neuroscientist to join in his fantasy: Dr. Seth Norrholm is a translational neuroscientist and one of the world's leading experts on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and fear. He is currently the scientific director at the Neuroscience Center for Anxiety, Stress, and Trauma (NeuroCAST) in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. If you search up Norrholm, you discover that, while he is as highly positioned professionally as Devega claims, he is also pathologically obsessed with Trump and has no regard whatsoever for the Goldwater Rule. That rule holds that it's unethical for a psychiatrist to diagnose famous people without having examined them. In other words, whether or not he's genuinely a PTSD expert, Norrholm has put himself out as an unethical crackpot. In that vein, his pronouncements about the trauma Trump is inflicting on Americans would stun our hardy pioneer forebears. Norrholm's premise is that Americans are suffering from Trump-inflicted damage. He thinks part of the problem is that reputable media outlets refuse to acknowledge that Trump is abnormal, which makes it hard for the American public to understand that the president is a dangerous authoritarian. (Norrholm hasn't noticed that Trump is shrinking, not expanding, the government's authority.) "The assumption that he is somehow 'presidential' and acts in a normal way should have been discarded." Meanwhile, we poor fools who listen to Fox News are experiencing a "cult psychology, a shared psychosis where the members have to radically defend their positions because the alternative is admitting that they were wrong." Because Americans are being lied to by a mainstream media establishment that is too nice to Trump (I'm channeling Norrholm here), Americans are experiencing "an abusive relationship." The real abuse comes from Trump, but they keep thinking things will get better because the media cover for him. (Yes, Norrholm really does think the mainstream media are protecting Trump.) This emotional rollercoaster that Trump and the media are forcing on Americans is the same as having experienced Hurricane Katrina or a mass shooting except that it's worse. "With Trump and this national calamity, it is an ongoing event which involves repeated exposure to chronic stress." There's more of this politic thought masquerading as psychobabble, but you can see where it's going. The truth is that Democrats have been suffering a collective mental breakdown. We've seen it on the streets, at work, and on television. The problem, however, isn't Trump. The problem is that a generation of people who have been given awards their entire life merely for being finally lost hugely, not to a still tolerable Republican Deep Stater, but to an outsider intent upon destroying their increasingly malevolent nanny state. With the help of a despicably partisan media complex (and A.G. Bill Barr says that out loud here), we are witnessing an existential tantrum. Image: J.E.D. Esquirol drawing of a French patient in a straitjacket 1838. As the world every year mark the United Nations International Day of Charity on September 5, Caritas Ghana, the Development Agency of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference is credited to have undertaken numerous charitable activities aimed at bringing smiles to the faces of the indigent poor. A resolution adopted on December 17, 2012 by the UN General Assembly established the Day which expressly mentions Mother Teresa as a model of love for those in need who indeed had a life totally dedicated to serving the poor amongst the poorest. The example of Mother Teresa of Calcutta never stops attracting people all over the world including Ghana, believers and non-believers alike and such gesture has also been espoused by the Department of Human Development at the National Catholic Secretariat and Caritas Ghana for many years and during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Caritas Ghana was established in 1971 by the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference. Throughout Ghana, there are twenty dioceses and four Directorates: Social Development, Education and Religious Education, Health and Governance, Justice and Peace. It works in the following thematic areas: Social Development, Livelihood promotion, Social services, Promotion of Social and Environmental Justice, Public Policy Advocacy, Promotion of Pro-poor policies and Action Research. Institutional framework The Catholic Bishops Conference through its Charity organisation has over the years committed to the review and reform all current structures for the Service of Charity in line with the Motu Proprio (Intima Ecclesiae Natura). More specifically, it has adopted the Caritas model for the Service of charity so that the management standards and code of ethics can be better applied. Also, to better integrate the Service of Charity in the Churchs Pastoral Planning. As part of a restructuring process, a Department of Human Development (DHD) was established with a Medium-Term Programme 2012-2016 as the Departments framework for programme development, whose focus is Integrated and Holistic Human Centered Development. Among its most relevant service delivery projects within the country, Caritas Ghanas work includes promoting self-help projects in agricultural development, rural health and micro-credit for small businesses. It also coordinates relief operations after emergencies. Working on public policy advocacy on behalf of the poor and the promotion of the common good has become central to the Department of Human Development. One example is its effort to include the Right to Health in the new national constitution. On June 2, 2016, the Most Rev. Gabriel A.A. Mante, Bishop of Jasikan and Episcopal Chairman of the Department of Human Development at the National Catholic Secretariat said during the outdooring of the institutional framework for Caritas Ghana that This does not change the social services that the Church has always rendered to humanity in the areas of health, education, livelihood, relief and incomes but it does introduce significant changes in standard and quality of those services. We are taking our achievements to another level by establishing legal and institutional framework for our service of charity, which includes socioeconomic development and public policy advocacy for the common good, the Bishop said. In the words of the Most Rev. Joseph Osei-Bonsu, Bishop of Konongo-Mampong and the current Episcopal Chairman of Caritas Ghana, it is within good practices of organizational development for the Department of Human Development to have codified the experiences of rebuilding our services of charity along caritas model. As Episcopal Chairman for Caritas in Ghana, I am greatly delighted that the Church in Ghana is following a road-map well laid out for the institutional development of Caritas for a well-organized service of charity, the Bishop said. This feat could not have been successful without the mention of the Catholic Relief Services in Ghana which helped in forging a strategic partnership with the department of Human Development to pursue the cause of institutional development along the Caritas model. Some Caritas Ghana partnerships include the Christian Council of Ghana, Office of the National Chief Imam, STAR-Ghana, UNHCR and members from the Caritas confederation. According to Pope Francis, a Church without Charity does not exist and Caritas is the caress of the Mother Church to her children, her tenderness and closeness. This therefore encourages Caritas Ghana to share in the mission of the Church as an ordered service to the community. Inspired by Gospel values and the Catholic Social Teaching, Caritas responds to disasters, promotes integral human development and advocates on the causes of poverty and conflict. Caritas is organised at local (parish), diocesan, national, regional and international levels. National Caritas organisations are each autonomous under their bishops, but they combine as part of the Caritas Internationalis confederation, which is a body of the Universal Church. COVID-19 Interventions Over the last months within the COVID-19 era, Caritas Ghana has been collaborating with other Faith-Based Organizations under an interfaith alliance initiative in eight out of the 16 Political Regions of Ghana while supporting all 20 Diocesan Caritas Organizations. Caritas Ghana has focused on three broad area as follows: Improved access to accurate, reliable and timely information for citizens using the Interfaith Alliance network (FAITH in Ghana), improved access to emergency and relief support services by COVID-19 lockdown induced vulnerable populations and Enhanced accountability and responsiveness of government and its agencies on COVID-19 actions to citizens. Caritas Ghana has adopted a nine- month Emergency Response Plan provided by the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference to ensure that the poor and vulnerable receive critical and essential services during this challenging time of pandemic. As part of its charitable acts, Caritas donated relief items and token to victims of a fire outbreak demolitions at Agbogbloshie, a slummy area located in the heart of Accra this year and as well as boxes of packaged food items to Caritas Offices in the Accra, Cape Coast, Kumasi and Tamale Archdioceses for onward distribution to families and households. The most recent intervention by Caritas Ghana is the rolling out a GHc1million project aimed at tackling the economic impact of Pandemic with employment and market stabilization measures as well as mitigating the humanitarian consequences of the pandemic focusing on sustainable economic development measures. In order to be more responsive to the signs of the time; especially following the mind of Pope Francis, the Churchs Integral Human Development interventions had place greater emphasis on Migration, Justice and Peace, Poverty eradication, and Care for Our Common Home (Environment). Service of Charity Pope Francis call for professionalism in the Service of Charity has indeed encouraged Caritas Ghana to do more to increase the competencies of its Development Staff; especially at the Diocesan level. On the celebration of the UN International Charity Day, Mr. Akologo reflected on His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, President of the Caritas Internationalis theological message which he describes as profound, saying that Two special quotes I liked: What kind of persons are we forming in our youth?" Also "More than ever, we need today authentic charity from authentic persons". *As the day, September 5 also marks the Memorial Day of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, one of the dedicated Saints of the Caritas Confederation, Mr. Akologo described her as also a Saint whose spirituality and recourse, I seek refuge constantly, adding, She became a global icon and Nobel Laureate for her service of charity to the poor.* According to the Vatican Media, one tangible sign of this transversal strength of the Saint of the Neediest is the fact that Saturday, the anniversary of her death on September 5, 1997 and the liturgical memorial in her honour, the United Nations celebrates the International Day of Charity. Hence, on the occasion of the feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the President of Caritas Internationalis, shared with Vatican media a reflection on the Mother of the Poor and how her example of charity can help us to confront the pandemic. In his 2013 Lenten message, Pope Benedict XVI reminded Catholics that Faith and Charity can never be separated nor opposed to each other, just as faith by itself is not genuine without charity. "It would be too one-sided to place a strong emphasis on the priority and decisiveness of faith and to undervalue and almost despise concrete works of charity, reducing them to a vague humanitarianism," Pope Benedict said. "It is equally unhelpful to overstate the primacy of charity and the activity it generates, as if works could take the place of faith." With the marking of UN International of Charity on September 5, it is the hope that dialogue and building strategic partnerships on behalf of the poor in Ghana will be enhanced. This could involve Government, Other Civil Society Organizations and the Private Sector. India, China Agree to Protect Existing Border Agreements, Avoid Escalation of Tensions Sputnik News Daria Bedenko. Sputnik International 00:04 GMT 11.09.2020(updated 00:54 GMT 11.09.2020) The Indian Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, met in Moscow on Thursday on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to discuss the simmering tensions between New Delhi and Beijing. The Indian and Chinese foreign ministers released a joint statement on Thursday, agreeing that both sides will abide to existing accords and protocol on the China-India boundary so as to "maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas". The statement comes after India's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and China's Wang Yi "had a frank and constructive discussion on the developments in the India-China border areas" during a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting. "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 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. The statement also outlined that the ministers had agreed to expedite work to conclude new Confidence Building Measures as the situation eases. The consensus followed an escalation on the border between China and India, as clashes occurred earlier in the week in the disputed border area of eastern Ladakh. On Monday, the Chinese army said that it was forced to "take countermeasures" after Indian troops fired shots at People's Liberation Army border patrols. It was the first time that gunfire has been reported on the Line of Actual Control since 1975. The two countries have a long-standing border conflict, as, following the takeover of Tibet, there is no specifically-marked border in the Himalayas. The region has a Line of Actual Control, established after the 1962 war between the two nations, that divides the area into Indian and Chinese-controlled regions. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 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. In this age of social media, judges are increasingly becoming subjects of juicy gossip and slanderous posts, Supreme Court judge NV Ramana said on Saturday. Justice Ramana, who is in line to become the Chief Justice of India after the incumbent SA Bobde retires in April next year, was delivering an address at the virtual launch of a book authored by retired judge R Banumathi. Judges are self-restrained from speaking out in their own defense. So they are now being construed as soft targets for criticism, lamented Justice Ramana. He added, This issue is further complicated by the proliferation of social media and technology. Judges are becoming subject to juicy gossip and slanderous social media posts. Justice Ramana took the opportunity to talk about the life of judges and the need for their personal independence at the launch of the book titled Judiciary, Judges and the Administration of Justice. The senior judge was emphatic that the life of a judge is not a bed of roses. He said there is a misunderstanding that judges lead a life of luxury in their ivory towers. From my own experience, I can state that the life of a judge is not a bed of roses. The reality is quite different from what people comprehend. Best judges of the same are the family members, who are usually torn between restraints and relationships, said Justice Ramana. He added that judges are required to balance their social life and have self-imposed restrictions in order to be independent. It is completely upon the judge to maintain such self-imposed restrictions and the ways of doing this, said Justice Ramana. He quoted a statement made by Justice Aharon Barak, a former judge of the Supreme Court of Israel, who observed that a crucial condition for judicial independence is the personal independence of the judge. Justice Ramanas views found support in CJI SA Bobde, who said that judges are called upon to do the things that others tend to avoid. The CJI, in an apparent reference to the recent spate of criticism of the highest echelons of the judiciary, maintained, Freedom of speech of judges is curtailed by the same laws and machinery that uphold that freedom for others, who use it to criticise the judiciary and judges." He also emphasized on the need for judicial independence to go hand-in-hand with judicial accountability. If the public is to give profound respect to the judges, the judges should maintain dignified conduct and aloofness, he added. Ghost town: Retailers have been hit hard by the pandemic, with a massive drop in footfall in Dublin city centre. Photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins Retailers are fearful that weak sterling will help fuel a surge in online shopping at UK websites in the run-up to Christmas - exacerbating the disastrous impact the pandemic has had on their businesses. The value of sterling plunged this week as talks between London and Brussels on a trade deal faltered, making it more attractive for shoppers to splurge on goods from UK-based websites. The currency swing has also prompted fresh concerns that consumers here could flock to Northern Ireland to do their shopping in the coming months as volatility persists. The Government is being urged to roll out a major advertising campaign to encourage people to shop local, both physically and online. "A lot of companies are still in survival mode," said Arnold Dillon, director of Retail Ireland, which is part of business lobby group Ibec. "An additional Brexit shock is something that could be incredibly disruptive and potentially push more firms out of business. "With the exchange rate, we've been in this sort of territory before. "There would be a risk with potentially significant volatility in exchange rates over coming months. "What we would really want to desperately avoid is a situation where we see a return to very significant cross-border shopping." Shoppers flocked to Northern Ireland in 2009 when the euro neared parity with sterling. At its peak, 4.1pc of grocery sales to shoppers here were accounted for by retailers in Northern Ireland - about 10 times the figure that would be normally seen. But it's the impact of any surge in online shopping from sites such as Amazon in the coming months that could spell huge trouble for Irish retailers. For many small retailers especially, Christmas can be a make-or-break time, helping them to turn a corner to profitability for the year. But the pandemic coupled with the sterling plunge could play havoc with their businesses. Consumers here are likely to face paying tariffs on goods bought from the UK from January, which could see many use the coming months to capitalise on the strength of the euro and make purchases before any tariffs are imposed. The UK's Brexit transition period ends in December, and it looks increasingly likely that a trade deal with the EU won't be agreed. Duncan Graham, the managing director of Retail Excellence Ireland, a lobby group that represents more than 2,000 retailers, said he reckoned many retailers here had done about five years' work in boosting their online presence in the past five months. But he warned that shoppers needed to be encouraged to shop local and pointed out that 75pc of online purchases made by consumers in Ireland were made outside the country. "About 75pc of online purchases go out of the State," he said. "Buying local is really important between now and Christmas." City centres in particular have been hit hard, with many businesses that relied on footfall from office workers and shoppers left reeling as home working becomes the new normal. "What we have seen since lockdown is a real passion for local community and passion for doing the right thing by buying Irish," according to Mr Graham. "It's all very well and good shopping local in the middle of the summer, but it's a bit more difficult when it's cold and miserable in December and you've got your laptop in front of you," he added. "The message here is to think about what you're doing and keep it in the country." Three residents of two neighbouring First Nations have tested positive for COVID-19, marking what could be the first cases of the virus on reserves in Manitoba. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (495 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Three residents of two neighbouring First Nations have tested positive for COVID-19, marking what could be the first cases of the virus on reserves in Manitoba. On Friday, Fisher River Cree Nation announced that one of its members had a presumed positive test result for COVID-19, after being exposed to the virus while in Winnipeg earlier this month. Neighbouring Peguis First Nation confirmed two presumed positive cases, both of whom were a close contact of another case. They are still awaiting confirmation of the positive results. Peguis Chief Glenn Hudson said the news has been difficult for his community of about 10,000 people, which is located about 180 kilometres north of Winnipeg. "Theyre finding it very difficult, very sensitive obviously," Hudson said on Saturday. "I know there are a lot of people that are afraid of COVID-19. Were doing our best efforts to communicate with the community overall and to look at localizing where the situation exists and without having to identify the people specifically." The two Peguis cases are currently considered to be probable positives. They are awaiting confirmation from the province's Cadham laboratory, which is expected by Monday or Tuesday. The two individuals have been placed in mandatory isolation, Hudson said. Like other First Nations, Peguis has had a pandemic response team in place since March. The community is also working with federal, provincial and regional health authorities to take the appropriate steps to contain the spread. That includes planning to set up a testing site in Peguis, which officials are hoping to begin on Sunday. "We are prepared to deal with it," Hudson said. "We are certainly working with the federal government, and they have been good in terms of that support in addressing the issue. In terms of continued follow-up a lot of our team has been in place since day one, so theyre doing good work to contain this." 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. Mental health workers and nurses are also available to help support community members, Hudson said. In an online statement, Fisher River Chief David Crate said the person who tested positive in that community began showing symptoms on Sept. 8, after returning to the reserve from Winnipeg. They were tested the next day at Percy E. Moore Hospital in Hodgson, Man. Fisher River Health Services has already completed contact tracing, and all individuals who were in close contact with the person are now in 14-day self-isolation. Both communities are urging members to avoid identifying people who are impacted on social media, due to the stress and panic it may cause. "Stay vigilant, stay safe, stay strong and be respectful; we as a community will get through this together," Crate said in Friday's statement. In late August, leaders of Fox Lake Cree Nation warned residents about a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the nearby town of Gillam. An individual who contracted the virus as a close contact of someone in the Prairie Mountain health region, which includes Brandon, travelled to Gillam and started having COVID-19 symptoms while there. That person began self-isolating while they had no symptoms, before they received their positive test results, and no other positive cases have been announced in that area since. Travel to northern Manitoba is currently restricted to avoid spreading the virus. melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca British Airways boss has warned that the airline 'can only survive' if airport testing is introduced instead of a 14-day quarantine to encourage more Britons to fly again. British Airways chief executive Alex Cruz has said the aviation industry is fighting 'for its very survival' after losing 95 per cent of flights during the coronavirus lockdown. The airline is still only running at 30 per cent of capacity amid the Covid-19 crisis, the Daily Telegraph reported. Mr Cruz told the Telegraph: 'These are the toughest times in the history of the aviation industry. British Airways can survive, but only if the Government will work with us, rather than against us.' British Airways boss has urged ministers to introduce airport testing instead of a 14-day quarantine to encourage more Britons to travel again He has urged ministers to launch an immediate testing trial in place of the 14-day quarantine passengers are currently subject to when arriving back in the UK from high-risk countries. The BA boss wants to see testing quickly introduced on the critical London to New York air route, a bigger list of 'regional travel corridors' which include the US and air passenger duty waived for 12 months. Mr Cruz said airport testing for Covid-19 is vital for lifting quarantine measures and opening travel and business links that have been 'decimated, stifling economic growth'. He added: 'Thirty other countries have introduced airport testing to unlock the problem so, my question to Government is, why can't we? Ministers must work with international partners to agree on a universal arrivals and departures testing process. Just as safety agreements are mutually recognised internationally, so should health standards.' Mr Cruz criticised the Government for 'sitting on its hands' and delaying the go ahead for testing at Heathrow, where facilities have already been built and are 'ready to go'. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has indicated his support for a two-test approach, where passengers are swabbed on arrival in the UK and again five or eight days later. Those who have negative test results would then be released from quarantine measures, reducing the restrictions from the current 14 days. But no date has been set for the introduction of these plans, with more than 40 Conservative MPs urging Boris Johnson to introduce airport testing. Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, said: 'Aviation is in crisis and airlines and airports will go out of business if we cannot resume international travel.' British Airways chief executive Alex Cruz (above) wants to see testing introduced on the London to New York route and a bigger list of 'regional travel corridors', including the US This comes soon after British Airways owner IAG announced earlier this week that it is cutting flights due to coronavirus travel restrictions and quarantine requirements. Between October and December the group expects to operate 60 per cent less capacity than during the same period last year, compared with a previously planned reduction of 46 per cent. The firm said it continues to expect it will take until at least 2023 for passenger demand to recover to 2019 levels. It is not yet clear which BA routes will be affected. BA previously announced plans to cut 13,000 jobs and its competitors EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic are also slashing 4,500 roles. Aviation bosses have said the government's quarantine policy requiring people to isolate for 14 days after returning from high risk countries is also suppressing demand. In a joint letter to the Prime Minister today, the chief executives of Britain's carriers warn the UK is 'falling well behind international rivals' and say failure to re-open the skies will cost the economy 60billion. Owner IAG added that since July there has been an 'overall levelling off of bookings', IAG said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 10:57:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAPE TOWN, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday intervened in a probe of alleged improper deployment of public resources by senior government officials. This came after a high-ranking delegation of the ruling party African National Congress (ANC), which comprises Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule, flew to Harare, Zimbabwe in a state-owned jet at the taxpayers' expense. "In the interest of good governance and the prudent and ethical use of state assets," Ramaphosa has directed Mapisa-Nqakula to submit a detailed report within 48 hours on the circumstances that led to the minister sharing the flight to Harare with the delegation, the Presidency said in a statement. Earlier on Friday, the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) called on Ramaphosa to make an urgent public statement on how the ruling party has illegally benefited from an aircraft of the state he leads. The trip is "a flagrant blurring of state and party lines and abuse of state machinery," amounting to theft from the people by the ANC, said the DA. Ramaphosa said in the statement that he noted the public discussion that has been generated around the flight to Harare taken by Mapisa-Nqakula and other senior officials. Mapisa-Nqakula allegedly had the permission of Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula to travel to Zimbabwe to meet her counterpart to discuss defence-related matters in the region following a recent Southern African Development Community summit. The president "welcomed the interest shown by South Africans in this matter as an indication of the nation's vigilance against allegations of improper deployment of public resources," said the statement. Enditem This is part of Six Months In, a Slate series reflecting on half a year of coronavirus lockdown in America. As the number of Americans dead from the coronavirus nears 200,000, I struggle to get my mind around the weight of grief pressing down on our country. And the more I struggle, the more I return to my memories of a day, long ago, when I was a small child, home from school with a cold, playing in my room. I heard the whack as the mail was dropped at the front door of our New York apartment, the way it was back then, twice a day, morning and afternoon. Then heard something I had never heard before and was never to hear again: the sound of my mother screaming. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She wasnt a screamer. But on this day, April 10, 1945, a telegram had arrived from the War Department announcing that her youngest brother, my Uncle Burton, was missing in action. The war was almost over. The Americans were in Berlin, but my 21-year-old uncle was still flying his B-17 over Belgium. He was the navigator, and when the plane was struck and the communications knocked out, he left his seat in the rear of the plane and moved forward to tell the pilot where they were. He had listed my mother as his next of kin. A few minutes later, I heard our housekeeper phoning my grandmothers doctor, asking him to please go to her apartment because her son had just been reported missing in action and she was taking it very hard. Later, when my older sister came home from school, I was told to say nothing until after she had drunk her milk and eaten her cookies. When I was finally allowed to tell her the news, she buried her face in the sofa pillows and sobbed, It is not fair. He was my favorite. Advertisement Advertisement That evening, my grieving grandmother came for dinner. Our rabbi dropped by, too, to offer consolation and encouragement that missing meant there was still hope. The weeks that followed were flurries of phone calls as the families of crew members made contact with one another, sharing scraps of information. There was momentary jubilation when one crew member who had been rescued reported that he had seen four parachutes, days of false hope that maybe, just maybe, one of those had been Burtons. And then the letters and parcels we had sent him before he was reported missing were returned, each one bringing its fresh wave of grief. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When I contemplate the more than 190,000 Americans dead from this virus, I keep remembering the way this one death ravaged our family. For an entire year, my mother wore only black, and even after she felt able to return other colors to her wardrobe, she never stopped grieving. As long as she lived, she lit a candle every April 10. Years later, when we visited the memorial in Londons St. Pauls Cathedral to the dead Americans who had been stationed in Great Britain during World War II, she lit another candle. Advertisement My mother was 16 when Burton was born; losing him, my father always said, was like losing a son. As children, my grandparents had come to the United States from Hungary during the wave of Eastern European immigration at the start of the 20th century. They struggled, but by the time Burton arrived, the older sons had established themselves and were able to save the money to send him to college. He was the late child, the treasured Benjamin, on whom the familys hopes rested. He would have an easier timethey would see to that. Years later, while staying overnight at my grandmothers apartment, I awoke in the middle of the night to hear her sobbing. When I asked what was wrong, she said she was grieving for her lost son. And then she said words that haunt me still: I hope you never know what it is for a mother to bury a child. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The last time I saw this much-loved uncle, just before he was shipped overseas, he looked proud and resplendent in his uniform, with Army Air Force wings pinned on his lapel. He took my sister and me to Rumplemeyers and gave us our own miniature sets of wings. He seemed so grown-up. It wasnt until I turned 21 myself, and then saw my children and then my grandchildren turn 21, that I came to realize how young he was and what his deaththis one deathdid to our family. It affected each generation differently, of course, but each of us was marked by this loss. The greatest grief was my grandmothers, and then my mothers and her brothers. But my sister and I felt it too. That summer, I was at camp when the Japanese surrendered and the war was finally, totally over. Everyone was cheering and jumping up and down, but I remember I went into my bunk and cried. I knew my uncle was not coming back. No more ice cream treats. Advertisement Advertisement This same miseryor at least a variation unique to every familyis raking through America hundreds of thousands of times. Their lossestheir painwill stay with them as long as anyone in the family is alive to remember 2020. It is as if a suffocation has descended on our country seeping into its soil and soul. Wartime deaths, of which we have endured our share, at least are somewhat, sometimes, cushioned by the sense that such deaths have a purpose, that there was something worth fighting formaybe even worth dying for. But there is something particularly demoralizing, even destabilizing, about a capricious disease taking so many lives. It might be tempting to anesthetize ourselves against this unrelenting, daily loss by getting in the habit of ignoring it. But numbness cannot be the answer. That would not only be disrespectful to those who have been lost but also damaging to us individually and collectively. Although numbers are abstract and distancing, we can recognize that each cipher is a human being whose absence inflicts pain on circles of others. We Americans were particularly unprepared for this, believing that we were protected from such plagues of old, by the potency of our science. After all, we had drugs. We had vaccines. We had legions of smart, skilled people who were capable of vanquishing just about anything. At least in this country. And now these invisible droplets, carried in the essential air we need to breathe, are proving to be a terrible enemy. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Intellectual Patriots, an advocacy group, has assured the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of its renewed commitment by canvassing enough votes to retain the party in power. Members of the group resolved that with the challenges Covid-19 presented, its specific political strategy would be influenced by the current political climate where big gatherings and mass campaigning were not permitted. The group made this known during a training workshop for volunteers and supporters in Tema dubbed: Trainer of Trainees for Operation 34/34 which sought to among other objectives, retain the NPP into power and capture all 34 parliamentary seats in the Greater Accra Region. The workshop also focused on ways to operationalize their campaign strategy in preparation towards the December polls and further addressed the rudiments of canvassing for votes to re-elect the President for another term. Mr Joseph Gyamfi Yeboah, President, Intellectual Patriots, speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said volunteers were an essential part of every political campaign and it was the groups idea to invest and nurture solid volunteers and supporters for the party. According to him, a partys ability to drive an election victory in this years election would be essentially dependent on canvassing individual votes, including swing voters, and leveraging on other campaign tools rather than traditional rallies. He said the training equipped members of the group to proficiently present campaign messages in a manner that effectively reflected the needs of the electorate while keeping the perspective of the voter in mind. He said unlike our other opponents who have in recent times resorted to insults and making unguarded ethnocentric comments, were focused on presenting a strong message of our development strides, policies and programmes to the electorates in order to retain NPP party in power to improve lives. As advocates of good governance, Mr Yeboah explained that the group would continue to push for a decorous and issues-based campaign devoid of intemperate language that characterized elections in the country. He noted that the group was mindful of the Covid-19 pandemic and was collaborating with health personnel to guide members on how to carry out door-to-door canvassing to market the party and persuade undecided voters. Mr Yves Nii Noi Hanson-Nortey, NPP Parliamentary Candidate, Tema Central Constituency, who joined the group, commended them for their continuous support for the party. 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 in the second day of protests that have sparked fears of sectarian violence in Pakistan's Karachi, tens of thousands of anti-Shia protesters including a Sunni extremists rallied on Saturday Tens of thousands of anti-Shia protesters including demonstrators linked to Sunni extremists rallied in Pakistan's Karachi on Saturday, in the second day of protests that have sparked fears of sectarian violence. Vast crowds of men thronged downtown Karachi -- Pakistan's largest city and a major business and industrial hub -- many of them waving pro-Sunni flags and chanting Sunni-power slogans. The rallies follow a raft of blasphemy accusations against Shia leaders in Sunni-majority Pakistan after a broadcast of an Ashura procession last month showed clerics and participants allegedly making disparaging remarks about historic Islamic figures. Ashura commemorates the killing of the Prophet Mohammed's grandson Hussein at the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD -- the defining moment of the religion's schism and the birth of Shia Islam. A security official told AFP Saturday's crowd was estimated to exceed 30,000 people. There were no immediate reports of violence. The rally was organised by the Sunni organisation Jamaat Ahle Sunnat and by the hardline Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), which has organised huge and often violent protests over alleged blasphemy in the past. "If you play with the religious sentiments of the Sunni, we will not tolerate it," Karachi TLP chief Allama Abid Mubara told the rally. Sunni people could ultimately "get their heads cut off, but can also behead other people," he added. But Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, who was the event's main speaker, insisted the rally aimed to "promote peace." "Our movement is not against any sectarian group, our movement is against those individuals who desecrate our revered personalities," he said. Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in conservative Pakistan where laws can carry the death penalty for anyone deemed to have insulted Islam or Islamic figures. Even unproven allegations have led to mob lynchings and vigilante murders. Sectarian violence has erupted in fits and bursts for decades in Pakistan, with anti-Shia militant groups bombing shrines and targeting Ashura processions in attacks that have killed thousands. A crackdown by security forces culminated in July 2015 when Malik Ishaq -- the chief of banned Sunni group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) -- was killed in a firefight with police along with 13 fellow militants. The shootout wiped out much of the top leadership of LeJ, a driving force in the violence targeting Shias, who make up around 20 percent of Pakistan's 220 million population. Amir Rana, director for the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, warned Saturday's rally could stoke tensions. "It will have negative consequences and will increase the sectarian divide," he told AFP. Search Keywords: Short link: Deepak Sathish By Express News Service COIMBATORE: Advocating for a shift from the usage of thermal scanners to finger-pulse oximeters, health experts have termed the latter a life-saving tool as it helps a doctor determine oxygen saturation (known as spO2 level) in the blood and decide if a patient needs extra oxygen. While low-oxygen levels indicate damage in the lungs which in turn can mean a possible Covid-19 infection, thermal scanners are just to detect body temperature, they said. Former Director of Public Health K Kolandasamy said that the pulse oximeters, which costs around Rs 1,300, are a life-saving tool. "The normal range of spO2 level is between 95 and 100 per cent. If it is less than 95, it means a patient needs oxygen supplement through hospitalisation. If people under home quarantine have SpO2 level of less than 95, then they need to be treated." Kolandasamy added that medical students are encouraged to buy this instrument to have it with them whenever they need it. In Coimbatore, the pulse oximeters are used at ward-level fever camps. According to a source, a private laboratory here has diagnosed five patients with lung damage in the past five days with the help of the pulse oximeter. A health department official said that the majority of the Covid patients who died in Coimbatore because of lung damage, which could easily be detected using a pulse oximeter. "The patients with lung damage may succumb or live the rest of their lives with breathing difficulties after recovery. So residents can buy an oximeter and check the readings periodically. The usage of thermal scanners must be replaced by pulse oximeters in public and workplaces," the official said. A renowned Virologist T Jacob John said, "The pocket-friendly device must be used periodically and a decision must be taken if the readings go below 95 per cent." "Thermal scanners do not accurately gauge fever in a person. Using them gives us a false sense of security," John added. Pulse oximeter readings: Russia prepares additional request to Germany on Navalny case Iran Press TV Friday, 11 September 2020 10:20 AM Moscow has prepared an additional request to demand legal assistance from Germany in the case of Alexei Navalny, amid groundless accusations about Russia's involvement in purported poisoning of the opposition figure. Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs made the announcement in a statement on Friday and said Moscow plans to send investigators to work alongside German colleagues on the case, after reports emerged Navalny had come out of a coma. "This request will include an appeal to allow the presence of investigators from Russian domestic organizations examining the case, as well as the presence of a Russian specialist while our German colleagues are carrying out their investigation with Navalny, doctors and experts," the statement said. The ministry also requested permission to ask clarifying and additional questions in Navalny's case. The 44-year-old Navalny was taken ill on a domestic flight on August 20 and was later transported to the German capital, Berlin, where he was said to have been poisoned. His aides had already claimed that a cup of tea that he had drunk before the flight had been poisoned, blaming Moscow. But doctors at a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk where he was initially admitted said they had found no traces of poisoning in his blood or tissue samples, and underlined that the deterioration in his health had been caused by a sudden drop of glucose in his blood due to a metabolic imbalance. However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was quick to allege that there was "unequivocal evidence" that Navalny had been poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent and that she would consult NATO allies about how to respond. Western governments have since been attacking Russia with accusations that it poisoned Navalny. The opposition figure's associates, for their part, also claim that the purported use of Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent, allegedly showed that only Moscow could be responsible. The Russian government has fiercely denied any involvement in the so-called "poisoning" case. Moscow has already asked Germany for Navalny's medical records and warned other countries against jumping to conclusions without knowing the full facts. 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Theres a growing concern in Paraguay that former vice-president Oscar Amancio Denis has been kidnapped by a guerrilla group. Current president Mario Abdo Benitez visited the family of Denis on Friday (September 11), after reports hed gone missing from a ranch in the north of the country two days earlier. Local authorities report he may have been kidnapped by members of the Paraguayan People's Army guerrilla group. Denis was vice-president in Paraguay from 2012 to 2013 and his family has urged his abductors to release him because of fears for the 74-year-old's fragile health. COVID-19 test centres across the city are reporting a spike in demand over the past two weeks, with reports of long lines, and some people even being turned away. The increase coincides with families gearing up to send their children back to school for the first time since March Break and others returning to work in person. Banuta Rubess wasnt able to get tested this week despite visiting two separate sites on both Thursday and Friday due to long wait times. These lineups were scary, Rubess said. She first visited the Toronto Western assessment centre at Bathurst and Dundas on Thursday evening, but after lining up for half an hour, she was nowhere near her turn, and said she was told she wouldnt get in. She then tried her luck at St. Josephs testing site at around 6:45 p.m. When she arrived at that site, which operates every day until 8 p.m., she was sent away by security due to overwhelming demand. People were still arriving by the handfuls, she said. Rubess didnt give up and tried again to get tested the following day. But when she arrived late on Friday morning, she was met with the same long lineups at both locations and decided to go home because she couldnt wait that long. It was a bigger sinking feeling, Rubess said, disappointed she wasnt able to get tested two days in a row. Gillian Howard, a spokesperson for University Health Network, said they are experiencing long lines at the Toronto Western site. When the lines are long, we do give people in the lines an idea of how long they will wait, she said. Towards the end of the day we also stop people from lining up at the approximate point where we can do all of the swabs for those lined up. To extend hours they would need additional funds and staff, she said, and will work with Toronto Public Health and Ontario Health to determine whether the funds are available. Jennifer Stranges, a spokesperson for the testing sites at St. Josephs and St. Michaels hospitals, said that similar to other COVID-19 testing centres in the city, both sites have seen an increase in demand. On Thursday, 424 people were tested at the St. Josephs location, Stranges said. This is in contrast to 242 people tested a month prior on Aug. 7. Anecdotally, more people are coming in for tests who are returning to work, people that have received alerts through the new app and people who are visiting the elderly, immunocompromised or new babies, Stranges said in an email. Keeley Rogers, spokesperson for Trillium Health Partners, said their COVID-19 assessment centres have also seen increased volumes in the past two weeks, beginning the week before Labour Day weekend. Rogers and Stranges both said that if people are still in line to get tested as centres close, theyre asked to return the following day. They can also book an appointment online for Trillium Healths Drive-Thru assessment centre. The provinces COVID-19 data shows the number of tests processed in Ontario spiked significantly on Wednesday, when around 25,000 samples were processed provincewide, marking a 40 per cent increase from the previous day. On Thursday, around 32,500 were processed another spike of 31 per cent in the span of 24 hours. Thats the biggest single-day increase in the percentage of tests completed since July 28 and Aug. 5. Testing seems to spike around long weekends. Dr. Erin Bearss, medical director of the COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital, said theyve seen biggest spike in volume in the pandemic so far over the last couple of weeks. I would say were probably up by a third, maybe even double, she said. The assessment centre is only open in the mornings, but they were doing about 100 tests a day over the summer and are now averaging around 200. Its not clear why more people are coming in. I think people are out and about more, she said. I wonder if hearing that the numbers are going up has increased anxiety in some ways, if people are lowering their threshold to get tested just because theyre hearing that theres more COVID around. Weve been able to manage it quite well, Bearss said, mentioning increased staffing to respond to the volume, drawing on a pool of staff physicians who can pitch in when needed. They are also troubleshooting options to increase capacity, which could include extending hours, and increasing the space so more people can be swabbed at once. I think all of the assessment centres are working full tilt to respond to the needs of the community, and respond to the needs of the schools and everything, in the context of this pandemic, she said. North York General has called in additional staff to support a recent uptick of tests at its two assessment centres, said spokesperson Amanda Sexton. William Osler Health System spokesperson Donna Harris said in an email theres been a notable increase in volumes at COVID-19 testing centres since the start of September. They were averaging about 1,200 a day in August. In September this has increased to 1,400. There are likely many contributing factors for this increase in people seeking testing, including the likelihood that more people want to be tested in advance of schools reopening, she said. We are committed to testing as many people as possible daily at our COVID-19 testing centres. On some days, when our volumes are at their highest, we may ask people to return the following day for testing. There has been a similar increase at east Torontos Michael Garron Hospital, where the team has made some changes to help make visits quicker, including preparing swab kits for asymptomatic patients with appointments before they arrive. They are also opening community pop-up testing starting next week, as schools reopen, a spokesperson said. Womens College Hospital has also seen an increase over the last week at its assessment centre, said spokesperson Emily Hanft. However, there has not been a substantive increase in volume at Scarborough Health Networks two assessment centres, according to spokesperson Leigh Duncan. Joe Gorman, spokesperson for Humber River Hospital, said its Finch Avenue West assessment centre has also not seen a dramatic bump. Rubess said she gets tested every now and then out of precaution, like when she is about to see her elderly parents, or attend a small gathering. Though Rubess is aware of the risk of exposure at all times, she said testing negative is akin to a sigh of relief, as she feels shes not a danger to others around that time. Experts do caution that a negative COVID test is just a snapshot in time and should not be used as a free pass not to respect social distancing and masking recommendations. Rubess said shes been to the St. Josephs testing site in August. Back then, there would be about three or four people in line. Now, she says the lineups are 60 to 100 people long. She suspects that with increased interaction as the pandemic remains in full swing, more people are likely looking for testing. This is a very uncertain moment in Ontario and in Toronto, she said. Were a little worried that we went to a restaurant too soon, or that we had friends over in a distanced way too soon, she said. And the biggest worry for everybody is school. Nadine Yousif is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star covering mental health. Her reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Follow her on Twitter: @nadineyousif_ A correspondent for The New York Times covering Donald Trumps campaign rally in Michigan said she was removed from the event by members of his campaign. Ive just been kicked out of the Trump rally, said Kathy Gray, who was covering the rally in Freeland, Michigan on Thursday. She said on Twitter: First for me: Trump campaign tracked me down from pics i tweeted and escorted me out." According to a campaign official, Ms Gray wasnt credentialed as press while covering the event from inside the general admission area. The campaign told The Independent that she had to apply for credentials if she wanted to cover the event, or remain at the event as a guest if she wasnt there in her capacity as a member of the press. At the presidents re-election campaign kickoff in Tulsa, Oklahoma in June, campaign staff requested that police remove a woman from outside the event, though she had a ticket to attend. Sheila Bucks arrest was captured by live television cameras moments after she was seen praying outside the president's rally on 20 June wearing an "I Can't Breathe" T-shirt to memorialise black Americans killed by police. She was accused of "trespassing" by police and was pulled away from the city's BOK Centre. She was placed into a police cruiser and booked with "obstruction", according to police, though she wasn't impeding any foot traffic or blocking any access to the area. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is privately expressing concerns about Joe Biden's presidential campaign, according to three people with knowledge of the conversations, urging Biden's team to intensify its focus on pocketbook issues and appeals to liberal voters. Sanders, the runner-up to Biden in the Democratic primary, has told associates that Biden is at serious risk of coming up short in the November election if he continues his vaguer, more centrist approach, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive talks. The senator has identified several specific changes he'd like to see, saying Biden should talk more about health care and about his economic plans, and should campaign more with figures popular among young liberals, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. Asked for comment, Sanders's team provided a statement from Faiz Shakir, the senator's former campaign manager in the presidential race, saying that Sanders is "working as hard as he can" to get Biden elected but has advised some strategic adjustments. "Senator Sanders is confident that Joe Biden is in a very strong position to win this election, but nevertheless feels there are areas the campaign can continue to improve upon," Shakir said. "He has been in direct contact with the Biden team and has urged them to put more emphasis on how they will raise wages, create millions of good paying jobs, lower the cost of prescription drugs and expand health care coverage." Shakir said Sanders "also thinks that a stronger outreach to young people, the Latino community and the progressive movement will be of real help to the campaign." The Biden campaign declined to comment. Sanders led a surging liberal faction during the Democratic primaries and scored early successes in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada before ultimately falling short. His critique of Biden's approach reflects his status as a longtime stalwart of the party's left and a self-described democratic socialist. But it is rare for such a prominent party figure to repeatedly voice private criticisms of the party's nominee and acknowledge them publicly, especially in the campaign's final stretch. Sanders's decision to do so suggests the ongoing frustration among liberals, who urgently want Biden to defeat President Donald Trump but are upset that he has taken a relatively centrist path. Biden is determined not to play into attacks from Trump seeking to cast him as a radical or a socialist. The nominee has distanced himself from elements in his party calling for defunding the police, implementing a single-payer health plan and banning hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Sanders supports the latter two policies. Still, Sanders has worked hard to publicly support Biden, and Democrats are eager to avoid the divide between the senator and Hillary Clinton that hurt the party in 2016. On Saturday, Sanders is slated to host a virtual town hall that is expected to express support for Biden. But Sanders contends Democrats have the best chance of winning if they stress economic populism, those close to him said, rather than if they embrace a sole strategy of attacking Trump and avoiding hot-button issues. Until now, there had been few outward signs of discord between Biden and Sanders. Shortly after the senator ended his campaign in April, he promptly endorsed Biden, offering an unequivocal stamp of approval. Associates of both men say they personally like each other, having been Senate colleagues. After Biden emerged as the presumptive nominee, the two formed a series of task forces, made up of allies of both men, that crafted policy recommendations on health-care, climate change and other topics. In some ways, Biden has moved closer to Sanders's brand of populism as left-leaning activism has surged inside and outside the Democratic Party. He has talked of a Franklin D. Roosevelt-style presidency if he wins and urged sweeping change to combat the novel coronavirus, racism and other issues. But Sanders has come to worry about the Biden campaign's prospects, even as the Democratic nominee leads Trump in the national polls, associates said. Surveys in some potentially pivotal states show a closer race between Biden and Trump, stoking nervousness among Democrats still traumatized by Clinton's 2016 defeat. The people familiar with Sanders's private conversations said he has a expressed a sentiment that the liberal, millennial slice of the party has not received the attention it merits. As a candidate, Sanders drew big crowds of hundreds -- sometimes thousands -- of young, enthusiastic people with left-leaning views. Another Sanders concern, according to one of the people, is that the Biden campaign has kept its distance from some of the marquee surrogates who campaigned for Sanders and helped him attract a large following. Ocasio-Cortez, for example, has not campaigned closely with Biden. As a candidate, Sanders frequently emphasized his economic plans, which were geared toward curtailing wealthy and powerful interests and championing working-class people. Biden has recently been touting his "Build Back Better" plan, which calls for immense new investments in American jobs and industry. And in questioning Biden's outreach to Latino voters, among whom Sanders showed strength in the Democratic primary, the senator is touching on a topic that is increasingly on the minds of Democratic leaders. Polls have shown Biden leading Trump among Latinos, but not as widely as many Democrats hoped. As a result, fretful discussions are underway in the party about Biden's standing with Latino voters in battleground states such as Florida, Arizona, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, where Latinos could play a pivotal role in the outcome. With new funding from the Air Force, Boom plans to explore ways to customize the Overture both inside and out for government work. Boom Supersonic Aerospace startup Boom Supersonic just won a US Air Force contract to develop jets that can carry high-ranking government officials at faster than the speed of sound. The supersonic jet which could potentially even serve as Air Force One could cut trans-oceanic travel times in half, and would be ready in about nine years. Boom will launch a demonstrator aircraft later this year. Once it proves that its concept works, it will begin building a full-size supersonic jetliner. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Faster-than-sound travel is the way of the future for the US government. Aerospace company Boom Supersonic this week announced a contract with the US Air Force to develop a supersonic plane for transporting diplomats and high-ranking government officials. The contract will fund research into building new, mission-appropriate configurations of its conceptual supersonic passenger plane, called Overture. Boom has designed the Overture, which is still in development, as a single-aisle business class plane, with seats laid out in a 1-1 configuration. With the new funding from the Air Force, Boom plans to explore ways to customize the plane both inside and out for government work. "By cutting travel times we make it possible for US diplomats and executive leaders to connect more frequently in person, meeting challenges and defusing potential crises with a personal touch," Boom founder and CEO Blake Scholl said in a press release. "We are extremely excited to team with [Boom] as we work to shrink the world and transform the future of executive airlift," Brigadier General Ryan Britton, who directs the Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate, added. Boom plans to introduce a demonstrator airplane, XB-1, later this year, with flight tests beginning in 2021. Once the technology and engineering is proven safe and efficient, the company said it will begin test flights with the larger Overture airliner. Those flights are expected to begin in 2025, with final certification of the plane targeted for 2029. Story continues Boom says that the plane is designed to seat passengers in a 1-1 layout with a single aisle. Boom Supersonic According to Boom, the plane can succeed in a space where the only previous commercial option, the famed Concorde failed, thanks to improved economics achieved through newer, more efficient technology. Boom says the plane should be able to operate more safely, quietly, and cost-effectively than the Concorde, while cutting trans-oceanic travel times in half compared to today's passenger jets. Boom also says that passenger fares on the Overture can be lower than on the Concorde, due to the lower operating cost tickets are expected to cost about on par with today's long-haul business class tickets. Boom is not the only company that the Air Force has tapped to develop faster-than-sound travel. Last month, the Defense department awarded a contract to another startup, Hermeus, to develop a new Air Force One that can travel at hypersonic speeds, or Mach 5. Read the original article on Business Insider The maneuvers were designed to ensure that Perez, who had been with the police department of Connecticuts largest city for 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. More students for state medical faculties View(s): In a bid to produce more qualified medical professionals in the country, state university medical faculty admissions will be increased by 350 students. The aim of this decision by Education Minister G.L. Pieris is to give more enrollment opportunities for students to be admitted to the medical faculties of state universities , an Education Ministry official said. They will be admitted based on their results of the 2019 G.C.E. Advanced Level examination. We also hope to increase the number of future doctors in the country, the official added. The official also said the Presidents National Policy Framework aims to increase the total number of students currently admitted to the universities. This is the first time that such a high number of students are being admitted to the medical faculties of state universities. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been asked to take steps to increase the number of students enrolled in universities, the official said. The official also said Minister Pieris had conducted several discussions with university vice chancellors and medical faculty deans, on this matter. MUMBAI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday (September 12) conducted raids at almost seven locations in Mumbai and Goa in connection with the drug angle that has emerged in Sushant Singh Rajput death case. According to reports, a high-level meeting will take place at NCB Mumbai office later in the day to chart the next course of action in the case. In the latest development in the drug-related angle, Zee News has learnt that Rhea Chakraborty has reportedly confessed before the central probe agency that actress Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet, designer Simone Khambatta, Sushant's friend and former manager Rohini Iyer and filmmaker Mukesh Chhabra consumed narcotics substance. Sources said that Rhea told the agency that 80 per cent of Bollywood stars are on drugs. There are also reports that NCB is set to summon 25 prominent Bollywood stars in the drug investigations. Rhea, in her statement to NCB, had reportedly accepted her role in procuring drugs for Sushant and also handling the finances. Sources had earlier claimed that during her interrogation with the NCB, Rhea had revealed a few names of Bollywood celebrities who consume and procure drugs. As many as 15 B-Towners are now on NCB radar, and it has been learned that they belong to the B-category of actors. Among these celebrities, some are procurers of drugs and some are consumers, sources said, adding that the NCB investigation also revealed that there is some circle also who procures and supply drugs to celebrities. During the NCB investigation, it was found that Showik Chakraborty and Dipesh Sawant used courier service for the delivery of drugs from Sushant`s house to Rhea`s house in April, amid lockdown. Courier person has confirmed that he collected courier from Dipesh Shawant and was delivered to Showik Chakraborty amid lockdown, sources said. In the statement, the courier boy has revealed that he took courier from Sushant`s house from Dipesh and delivered to Rhea Chakraborty`s house where Showik Chakraborty received the packet containing half kilogram of drugs. According to sources, the phone number of Dipesh and Showik was saved in the mobile of courier boy. Call details between courier boy, Showik and Dipesh have also confirmed this movement of the drugs, sources said. Cross questioning has been done with Dipesh, Showik and Courier boy in this regard. On Friday, a special court in Mumbai rejected the bail plea of Rhea, Showik and others in connection with drug angle related to Sushant death case. The Special NDPS court also rejected the bail plea of Abdul Basit, Zaid Vilatra, Dipesh Sawant and Samuel Miranda, who were arrested by the NCB in the case. on Friday reported its highest single-day spike of 310 COVID-19 cases, taking the state's tally to 4,946, Health Minister S Pangnyu Phom said. "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. Urging people to wear masks and maintain social distancing norms, he said contact-tracing exercises have been activated. A total of 164 security personnel and 66 returnees from other states are among the fresh patients, Health and Family Welfare Department's Additional Director Dr Denis Hangsing said, adding that 80 people were detected positive for the disease during contact tracing. The northeastern state had reported its previous highest single-day spike of 276 cases on August 4. Ten patients - five in Kohima, four in Dimapur and one in Zunheboto -recovered from the disease during the day, Hangsing said in a bulletin. now has 1,134 active cases, while 3,791 people have recovered from the infection, 10 died and 11 patients have migrated to other states, he said. Eight of the 10 fatalities are due to COVID-19, the health official said. Dimapur reported the maximum number of cases at 2,478, followed by Kohima at 1,603, Mon at 299, Peren at 269 and Zunheboto at 117. Of the total COVID-19 patients in the state, 2,273 are armed forces personnel and 1,398 returnees. The recovery rate among COVID-19 patients in the state currently stands at 76.66 per cent. A total of 69,050 samples have been tested so far, the health official added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A family member of one of twelve Hong Kong activists who were detained as they reportedly sailed to Taiwan for political asylum, wipes her eyes during a news conference, held to seek help in Hong Kong, China on Sept. 12, 2020. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters) Families of Captured Hong Kong Activists Demand Their Return HONG KONGA group of Hong Kong families on Saturday demanded the urgent return of their pro-democracy activist relatives detained last month by mainland Chinese authorities as they tried to flee the city by boat to Taiwan. Relatives of six of the 12 detained activists donned masks and hats to shield their identities as they made their first public appeal for help and information on their plight, supported by several local politicians. Some sobbed and wept as they pleaded for those detained to be allowed to consult lawyers appointed by the families and not the Chinese Communist Party and to be allowed to call their relatives in Hong Kong. I cant imagine whats the worst case scenario, said a woman surnamed Li, whose son Li Tsz-yin, 29, is among those being held in a detention centre in the southern city of Shenzhen. These 20 days were very tough for us, we didnt know whether or not hes safe or alive. she said. They said they still had no information on the charges their relatives faced, and the Hong Kong government had given no concrete assistance. A boy aged 16 is the youngest being held. Family members of twelve Hong Kong activists, detained as they reportedly sailed to Taiwan for political asylum, hold a news conference to seek help in Hong Kong, China on Sept. 12, 2020. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters) Several need medication, the relatives said. The brother of one detainee, surnamed Tang, said he had no way of getting asthma and skin allergy prescriptions to his sibling. A spokesperson for the Immigration Department said staff were assisting in the case and were in regular contact with the families. The Chinese Coast Guard Bureau posted on its social media site on Aug. 27 that it had arrested at least 10 people on Aug. 23 after intercepting a boat off the coast of the southern province of Guangdong. Hong Kong media, citing unidentified sources, said the 12 were headed to Taiwan to apply for political asylum. Their arrests come as local activists and politicians fear a worsening clamp-down across the city as a sweeping new national security law imposed by Beijing in July takes full effect. The law means Hong Kong people can face mainland courts in serious national security casesa prospect that has alarmed many across the former British colony. Hong Kong has its own independent legal system and rule-of-law traditions vastly different from mainland China, where the justice system is ultimately controlled by the Communist Party. Hours before the families appearance, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States was deeply concerned about the activists. He noted they had been denied access to lawyers and local authorities had not provided any information on their welfare or the charges against them. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said earlier this week that if they had been arrested for breaking mainland law then they have to be dealt with according to the mainland laws. By Jessie Pang Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. US Ambassador to India, Kenneth Juster on August 31 was among the many personalities from all over the world who mourned the demise of former president and Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee. Juster took to his Twitter handle to share his condolences as he recalled the former Indian president's contribution to US-India ties. Juster said that Pranab Mukherjee contributed greatly to US-India relations, including the signing of the nuclear agreement between both the nations when he was the Minister of External Affairs under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government. Very sad to learn of Pranab Mukherjee's passing. Through his long career in public service, he contributed much to the U.S.-India relationship, including signing the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement when he was the Minister of External Affairs. Our condolences to his family. pic.twitter.com/usiUkhWJ1D Ken Juster (@USAmbIndia) August 31, 2020 Read: 'Irreparable Loss To Sangh': RSS Remembers 'soft-spoken & Endearing' Pranab Mukherjee Pranab Mukherjee, who had served as a Member of Parliament seven times, died at an Army hospital in New Delhi on Monday, where he had undergone brain surgery. Pranab Mukherjee was admitted to the hospital on August 10 after testing positive for COVID-19 while at the facility. The news of Mukherjee's death was announced by his son Abhijit at around 5:45 pm on Monday. Read: Pranab Mukherjee (1935-2020): Career Highlights As 2-time EAM, FM & 'Citizen' President Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi was among the first to pay tribute to the former statesman as he wrote on Twitter that he was blessed to have Pranab Mukherjee's guidance, support, and blessings since he took office in 2014. Pranab Mukherjee was one of the few leaders in India who was respected across party lines. Read: Government Announces 7-day State Mourning On Pranab Mukherjee's Death 7-day state mourning Bharat Ratna Pranab Mukherjee was 84 when he succumbed to his illness at the Army Hospital (Research and Referral) Hospital. His last rites will be held on September 1 at the Lodi Road crematorium in New Delhi. A seven-day state mourning from August 31 to September 6 has been announced by the government as a mark of respect for the great stalwart of Indian politics. Read: LK Advani Deeply Saddened By Pranab Mukherjee's Demise; Mourns The 'huge Loss' Pranab Mukherjee dies, US Amb Ken Juster recalls his contribution to US-India ties THE Government will soon penalise schools that are charging parents extortionate fees in local currency while demanding lower foreign currency amounts that do not correspond with the countrys Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) auction rate. Schools in the country are preparing for reopening, with Cambridge exam classes expected to begin tomorrow while Zimsec examination classes will reopen on 28 September. Schools were closed late in March ahead of the initial 21-day national lockdown, but reopened briefly for June examinations. The Governments warning comes amid revelations that some private schools are charging parents twice as much at the auction rate what they levy in foreign currency, as they try to force parents into paying their childrens fees in forex. According to last weeks auction, the Zimbabwe dollar is trading at $82,69 per US$1. At Christian Brothers College (CBC) in Bulawayo, parents are expected to pay either US$800 in cash or the equivalent of US$1 000 at the bank auction rate. Parents have an option of paying in monthly instalments, with the first one totalling US$300 then US$250 for three months using the bank auction rate for the next three months. At Petra College Senior, parents are expected to fork out US$775 in cash or the equivalent of US$1 400 at the RBZ auction rate. At Petra Junior, parents will pay US$500 in cash or the equivalent of US$900. Parents with children in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) will either pay US$450 in cash or the equivalent of US$800 at the auction bank rate. The fee is not for a term but for the remainder of the year, which is five months and is to maintain service and includes a return to school if that is possible, the school said in a notice to parents. Masiyephambili Primary School has pegged its fees at US$500 or $41 500, with the school listing its major cost drivers as staff salaries, Covid-19 PPE and data for E-learning. George Silundika High School in Nyamandlovu has set its fees at $27 000, although the school noted that the figure awaits the approval of the Provincial Education Director. Additionally, Form Four and Upper Sixth pupils are also expected to pay $4 960 and $5 760 respectively. O-level students at David Livingstone in Ntabazinduna are expected to pay US$300 or the local currency equivalent while A Level students will fork out US$350. A science levy of US$10 in addition to transport costs of US$2 will also be charged. At Coghlan Primary School in Bulawayo, parents will pay $528. Speaking to Sunday News yesterday, Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Cde Edgar Moyo said schools that were inflating their fees in local currency will be sanctioned. The first things that we should note is that as a country we have currency laws that govern how we should operate in all spheres of life. As a ministry we dont expect schools to set their own rate which is contrary to what has been set by the Reserve Bank. That would be breaking the law and if there are schools that are doing that then parents should come forward and report those schools to the relevant monetary and law enforcement authorities, Deputy Minister Moyo said. Michelle Murphy was 17 when she was sentenced to life without parole for the 1994 slaying of her baby. After serving nearly 20 years in prison, she was freed based on DNA evidence and was declared innocent of murdering her son. The Eastern Regional Chief Imam, Shiekh Yussif Amdani Suleiman, has called on Zongo youth across the country, to desist from electoral violence in the upcoming 2020 elections. In a media interaction with CTV News' Eastern regional correspondent Kamal Ahmed in Koforidua, the Chief Imam asked the Muslim youth to ignore offers from politicians who intend to incite violence in society. He said if any politician comes to them with the intention of violence, they should ask that person to go for his own children and relatives. Dont allow yourself to be lured with peanuts by politicians, Sheikh Suleiman said. The Imam entreated the Minister of Innercity and Zongo Development, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, to try his possible best to develop the Zongos through job creation and infrastructure. He said the inhabitants of Zongo areas in Ghana deserve better, adding that since we are now having such opportunities in governance through the Zongo Ministry, he should make the Zongos great. 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 STAMFORD - Mayor David Martin and city election officials are questioning the states formula for allocating federal money intended to help cover the cost of conducting the Nov. 3 election during a pandemic. Starting next week, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill will begin sending checks to town clerks and registrars of voters in Connecticuts 169 municipalities that amount to $2.3 million. Stamfords share is about $89,000. Martin said its more equitable than the allocation for the Aug. 11 primary, when Stamford got about $12,000 from the state but spent nearly $225,000. Stamford, with a growing population and significant economic diversity, never fits neatly into formulas set in Hartford, the mayor said. I understand that the secretary of the state has only so much money to hand out, but I think the formulas used are biased against the unique challenges Stamford faces, and we end up having to dig it out of our own pockets, Martin said. Im not upset that Hartford and Bridgeport get what they get they need the support, Martin said. But these formulas historically put Stamford at a huge disadvantage, especially when Stamford heavily funds the state. Turnout and use of absentee ballots in the contest between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are expected to break records. The federal grants are earmarked for expanding access to absentee ballots for voters leery of contracting COVID-19 at polling places; ensuring that polling places are safe; and hardening election cybersecurity against the threat of foreign interference. Gabe Rosenberg, communications director for Merrills office, said the grant money was justly distributed. Votes vs. voters We came up with formulas based on the number of registered voters and the number of polling places, and gave all towns a fair share, Rosenberg said. Its done proportionately, based on the towns needs. The state used a projection that 80 percent of Connecticut voters will turn out for the election. Municipalities will get $1 for each of the first 10,000 voters, and $2 for each voter after that. If the number of voters exceeds the projection, the town will get more money using the same formula, Rosenberg said. According to data from Merrills office, Bridgeport had the most registered voters at the time the allocations were decided - 74,848. Stamford was second with 69,532 registered voters, followed by Hartford with 60,899. But thats not the whole story, Martin said. I think participation rate is a more legitimate basis, particularly since our costs are higher here in the most expensive part of the state, the mayor said. Stamford had more actual votes cast in the last election than any other municipality. We may not have more voters, but we have more votes. Stamford, in fact, did have the highest number of votes cast in the 2018 gubernatorial election and in the 2016 presidential election, Rosenberg said. Beyond that, Martin said he is extremely concerned about the number of citizens who will register to vote on election day. In the 2016 presidential election, the line of people wound out of the registrars office on the sixth floor of the government center, along the hallways and out to the elevator banks, Martin said. The same-day set According to the states formula, the 20 towns with the most registered voters will each get $2,500 to safely accommodate election-day registrants. I think the line will be longer this year, and I cant let people up on the sixth floor because of coronavirus, so we have to figure something out, Martin said. I think $2,500 is ridiculous. I believe Stamford in the last elections had more same-day registrants than other cities in the state. In fact, Rosenberg said, Stamford ranked fourth in election-day registrants in 2018 and ninth in 2016. Then there are the voting sites. According to the states formula, the more polling places, the more grant money. New Haven ranks first in that category, with 40 sites. Bridgeport has 27, Hartford has 24, and Stamford is next with 23. The states formula gives municipalities $1,000 per polling place, so Stamfords share of that is $23,000. The largest portion of the grant money is earmarked for processing, mailing and counting absentee ballots. Merrills office projects that an unprecedented 66 percent of Connecticut voters will mail ballots. Its usually about 6 percent. If the states ratio is correct, 36,713 Stamford voters may use absentee ballots. But Town Clerk Lyda Ruijter said she thinks the number will be closer to 50,000. Stamfords share of the grant for handling absentee ballots, $63,426, is not enough, Ruijter said. The thing that will be most expensive for us will be labor - hiring seasonal employees and paying overtime to my staff, who will have to work weekends and evenings, Ruijter said. Not enough But the election disbursements are decided Stamford will get the third-highest amount, $88,926. Bridgeport is first with $98,539, followed by New Haven with $93,300. Its definitely not enough, said Lucy Corelli, Stamfords Republican registrar of voters. Connecticut has mostly small towns, and cities never do well with these formulas. Ron Malloy, the Democratic registrar, said he expects turnout in Stamford to hit 85 percent, not the states projected 80 percent. He also thinks the rolls will increase by 2,000 or 3,000 voters before election day, he said. Like the mayor, Malloy is concerned about how many people who will register to vote on that day. I think we will be inundated because of the number of people who have moved into Stamford in the last few years, Malloy said. Rosenberg said Stamford has yet to apply for another tranche of money matching grants to replace outdated equipment and to have the Connecticut National Guard assess cybersecurity risks and train employees to identify them. Theres a lot to do, with limited resources, before Nov. 3, Martin said. We will have a fair election where absolutely everyone can participate, he said. It will have to come out of our pockets to make certain it happens. acarella@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2296. 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." Pope Francis on Saturday met with family and friends of those who were killed in a stampede at a nightclub in the Italian town of Corinaldo in 2018. By Vatican News Almost two years ago, on the night of 8 December 2018, six people were killed in a stampede at a nightclub in Corinaldo, Italy. The day after the tragedy, Pope Francis prayed at the Angelus for the victims five young people attending a rap concert and a mother who was accompanying her daughter to the event and for the numerous people who were injured. On Saturday, Pope Francis met with family and friends of those who died. Thank you for coming to share your grief and your prayer with me as well, he said, adding, I remember that, when the tragedy occurred, I was shaken by it. As time goes by, he said, there is sometimes a danger of forgetting what has happened. The meeting on Saturday was meant to help the Church not to forget, to keep it in their hearts, and to entrust your loved ones to the heart of God the Father. Without addressing the causes of the tragedy, Pope Francis said, I join with all my heart in your suffering and your legitimate desire for justice. Noting that Corinaldo is located not far from the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Loreto, Pope Francis expressed his confidence that, in the moment of dramatic confusion during the deadly incident, the Blessed Virgin Mary, as a Mother, never took her eyes off [the victims] and that she accompanied them in her tenderness. Even when overwhelmed with chaotic events, when it may be difficult to pray, Mary does not forget the times we prayed to her throughout our lives, the Pope said. She certainly accompanied them to the merciful embrace of her Son Jesus. Speaking off the cuff, Pope Francis reflected on the fact that there are adjectives that describe those who have lost a spouse (widowed) or parents (orphaned). "But when one loses a child, there is no adjective", he reflected. "It is impossible to 'adjectivise' the loss of a child". "I lost a child.... This is your great sorrow." Pope Francis assured family and friends of the victims of the continued prayers and support of the Church and of their communities, and concluded the brief encounter with a blessing for all of them. At the end of the blessing, he invited all those gathered to say a Hail Mary and pronounced the victims names out loud: Asia, Benedetta, Daniele, Emma, Mattia ed Eleonora. The Medical Research Institute (MRI) has validated a serology assay which indicates that there is no cross-reaction of the SARS coronavirus with the human coronavirus and also set in motion two important research studies, while passing the 55,000 RT-PCR test score.This was as the first WHO External Quality Assessment Panel gave a 100% score on the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR tests to the laboratories of the MRI and the Karapitiya, Kandy and Anuradhapura Teaching Hospitals. A serology assay was conducted to assess inconclusive RT-PCR test results when there has been exposure to COVID-19; when someone is positive whereas all his/her family members are negative; check the extent of community spread of COVID-19; and in the case of hospitalized patients who continue to be positive over a prolonged period of time, said Consultant Virologist Dr. Jude Jayamaha of the MRI. He said that it was done under the guidance and direction of the Head of the Department of Virology, Dr. Janaki Abeynayake, to find out the specificity and sensitivity of ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay) with regard to the COVID-19 antibodies. We have validated ELIZA and are awaiting the reagent kits from Germany. The finding is that there is no cross-reactivity among fever patients (mainly dengue) in the pre- and post-COVID-19 era, said Dr. Jayamaha, who explained that what they wanted to find out was whether there was cross-reactivity between SARS-COV-2 before the pandemic. None was found. In the light of questions being raised as to how the new coronavirus seems to be less virulent in Sri Lanka, he said that the MRI is collaborating with the Hong Kong University (Prof. Malik Peiris) on a study titled Phylogenetic analysis of Sri Lankan COVID-19 strains over the past few months to ascertain clades (sub-divisions). This study being done over the last six months will sequence the genome of the viruses found in Sri Lanka. The results should be out in 2-3 weeks. Another study to Evaluate anti-viral activity of Ceylon black tea against COVID-19 is to be launched by the MRI in collaboration with the Tea Research Institute (TRI) with the support of Director Dr. Saman Hettiarachchi and HKU with the assistance of Prof. Malik Peiris. The MRI laboratory has been awarded the second prize in the oral paper presentation category at the annual academic sessions of the Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists, for its paper titled Establishment of in-house PCR assay to detect novel coronavirus. Meanwhile, the MRI has carried out 55,000 RT-PCR tests of the over 230,000 tests done so far countrywide at the 21 laboratories which include state hospitals and certain universities. Its not the number of tests that matter but having a strategy which incorporates the testing of representative samples, said Dr. Jayamaha. According to him the Health Ministry is doing extensive sampling from the community in every district and also among those in high-risk categories. The MRI has tested prison samples from Mahara and Welikada of those who have been recently remanded, while also testing samples sent by regional epidemiologists who have collected them from fishermen who return after long trips in multi-day trawlers. The MRI has increased its capacity from 400 RT-PCR tests to 500 per day, while also resuming other routine tests (72 in all) including serology and RT-PCR test for transplant patients, hepatitis serology and other viruses. Vaccines Sri Lanka has communicated an expression of interest The Health Ministry has communicated an expression of interest to the World Health Organization (WHO) with regard to any effective vaccine which may be produced against COVID-19, Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said. When asked about the vaccines against COVID-19, Dr. Samaraweera said that the government can purchase any reliable and good vaccine, which gets WHO pre-qualification, directly from the manufacturer. But if the demand from countries is high and the manufacturer cannot meet that demand, there is a facility called COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access) which will identify the requirements of each country and share out the vaccine in accordance with the requirement. COVAX will look at the economic status of a country and if there is a need, either provide the vaccine free or at cost, he added. Recently, WHOs Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus underscored that by pooling resources and acting in solidarity through the ACT (Access to COVID-19 Tools) Accelerator and COVAX Facility, the world can ensure that once a vaccine is available for COVID-19, it would be available equitably to all countries. The ACT Accelerator is a ground-breaking global collaboration to accelerate the development, production and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatment and vaccines bringing together governments, scientists, businesses, civil society, philanthropists and global health organizations. A pillar of the ACT Accelerator is COVAX, where countries have the opportunity to benefit from a portfolio of vaccine candidates by having early access to effective vaccines. COVAX will achieve this by acting as a platform that will support the research, development and manufacture of a wide range of COVID-19 vaccine candidates and negotiating their pricing through the support of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), GAVI (the vaccine alliance) and the WHO which are its coordinators. The GAVI Advance Market Commitment for COVID-19 Vaccines (GAVI COVAX AMC) is a financing instrument aimed at incentivising vaccine manufacturers to produce sufficient quantities of eventual COVID-19 vaccines and ensure access for developing countries. Around 92 low and middle-income economies are eligible to get access to COVID-19 vaccines through GAVI COVAX AMC with Sri Lanka being one of them. Currently, 172 countries and multiple candidate vaccines are part of the COVAX Facility. The race for a vaccine Russias Sputnik V Muscovites get the shots On the vaccine front, Russias potential vaccine Sputnik V got into Phase III clinical trials, with volunteers from Moscow getting the shot this Wednesday. Forty thousand volunteers of different age and risk groups are to participate in the trial. A study on Sputnik V published in the medical journal Lancet on September 4, found that it generated neutralizing antibodies in dozens of study subjects and had only mild side-effects such as fever and headaches on tested participants. The levels of neutralizing antibody response were similar to the immune response that people had after naturally recovering from COVID-19, according to the study. Russia licensed the vaccine for local use in August, the first country to do so and before clinical trial data had been published. Experts said the trials were too small to prove effectiveness and safety. Oxfords AZD1222 on hold The final trials of the potential vaccine AZD1222 created by the University of Oxfords Vaccine Group and the British-Swedish company AstraZeneca were put on hold on Wednesday after reports that a volunteer in the United Kingdom (UK) has been diagnosed with transverse myelitis, an inflammatory syndrome that affects the spinal cord. The Phase III trials for this potential vaccine involve around 30,000 volunteers in the UK, United States of America, Brazil and South Africa. Chinas CoronaVac safe for the elderly Sinovac Biotech Ltd., the Chinese developer of the CoronaVac potential vaccine said on Monday that preliminary results from an early to mid-stage trial showed that it was safe for the elderly. The immune responses triggered in the elderly, however, were slightly weaker than in younger adults. CoronaVac is also being tested in Brazil and Indonesia. It has already been given to tens of thousands of people, including about 90% of Sinovac employees and their families, as part of Chinas emergency inoculation scheme. Shillong, Jan 21 (UNI) Meghalaya on Friday recorded 331 new cases of Covid-19 infection, which increased the number of active cases to 1782 and one death due to the viral disease, besides 177 cases of recovery on Friday, health officials said. 21 Jan 2022 | 8:33 PM Ranchi, Jan 21 (UNI) The CBI on Friday told the Jharkhand High Court the two autorickshaw riders who hit Additional District Judge Uttam Anand were aware that the victim was a judge, Representing the federal investigative agency, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju quoted the Narco test reports and other findings of the CBI and said the duo riding the autorickshaw were aware that the person whom they were hitting was a judge. He said even in the narco test both the arrested have accepted that they knew the judge and in his hand, there was a handkerchief instead of a mobile. President Donald Trump awards the Medal of Honor to Army Sgt. Maj. Thomas P. Payne in the East Room of the White House in Washington, on Sept. 11, 2020. (Andrew Harnik/AP Photo) Trump Lauds Medal of Honor Recipient for Hostage Rescue WASHINGTONPresident 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 mission to rescue dozens of hostages who were set to be executed by the ISIS terrorist group 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 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. President Donald Trump presents the Medal of Honor to Sergeant Major Thomas P. Payne, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry in the East Room of the White House in Washington, on Sept. 11, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) 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 terrorists, 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 United States launched renewed military intervention in Iraq against ISIS in 2014. Twenty ISIS terrorists 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 terrorists began to detonate their suicide vests, causing the roof to shake, Payne said in a statement. ISIS terrorists 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. By Aamer Madhani and Jill Colvin The public has been warned a new crackdown on socialising is likely to last until Christmas and beyond, throwing their festive celebrations into jeopardy. Worsening weather will mean a difficult period until the spring, the chief medical officer predicted suggesting the ban on all gatherings of more than six people in England, indoors or outdoors, will remain in place. The restrictions are not expected to be reviewed for three months until the eve of the Christmas period amid worrying new evidence of Covid-19 infection spikes among young people. Boris Johnson tried to strike a positive note, claiming some aspects life could still be back to normal by Christmas, saying: We are aiming for that, we are driving for that. But Chris Whitty, the medical chief, laid bare the reality, warning: The period between now and spring is going to be difficult because this is a respiratory virus. He added: People shouldnt just see this as a very short term thing, they should see it over the next period. But I think putting an exact time on it is, I think, very difficult. As he spoke, it was revealed that the number of new Covid-19 infections had risen again to 2,659 over the latest 24-hour period but with only 8 further deaths over the last 28 days. Unveiling the new rule of six, the prime minister also announced: * A legal duty on pubs, restaurants and other venues to request contact details of every customer with 1,000 fines for failing to comply. * That passengers travelling to the UK will need to provide contact details before they depart, while the Border Force will step up enforcement with quarantine rules. * The brakes will be slammed on plans for trials of larger audiences in venues later this month, with a similar review of the hoped-for return of fans to stadiums from 1 October. * Covid-secure marshals will be introduced to enforce social distancing in town and city centres, helping local authorities. Boris Johnson: 'You must not meet socially in groups more than six' If we are to beat the virus then everyone, at all times, should limit social contact as much as possible, Mr Johnson said in a rare press conference. So in England, from Monday, we are introducing the rule of six. You must not meet socially in groups of more than six and if you do, you will be breaking the law. This will apply in any setting, indoors or outdoors, at home or in the pub. The ban will be set out in law and it will be enforced by the police anyone breaking the rules risks being dispersed, fined and possibly arrested. Mr Johnson also floated the idea of rapid and widespread tests, to enable people to enter venues, while admitting to problems of technology, resources and logistical challenges. The divide with his chief medical officer appeared clear, as Mr Whitty said of the current testing problems: Constraints are not magically going to disappear. Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, echoed that caution, warning: We would be wrong to assume this was a slam dunk. Infection rates among young people aged 20-29 in the UK have increased to more than 41 per 100,000 and were going up much more rapidly over the past few days, Mr Whitty said. From an average of 12.5 cases per 100,000 in the UK just a week ago, infection rates have shot up to 54.5 among the 19-21 age group and 48 for 17 and 18-year-olds. Overall, the UK infection rate is running at 19.7 per 100,000, on the brink of the threshold of 20 above which countries are considered for quarantine restrictions. But, asked if Christmas was now cancelled, a more upbeat Mr Johnson said: 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. He again raised hopes of a kind of passport, a freedom to mingle with everybody else who is similarly not infectious even though that project of mass testing is officially dubbed Operation Moonshot. We are aiming for that. We are driving for that. As I have said ... we cannot be 100 per cent sure that we can deliver that in its entirety. Patna: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) began preparing for the Bihar Assembly elections due later this year with JD(U) supremo and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar meeting BJP president JP Nadda for seat-sharing talks. Nadda was accompanied by deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, party national general secretary and state in-charge Bhupendra Yadav and state unit president Sanjay Jaiswal. The JD(U) national president, who was accompanied by key party aide Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan, accorded a warm welcome to Nadda, who hails from Himachal Pradesh but was born and brought up in Patna. At the meeting, held at the CMs residence, leaders of the two parties are understood to have discussed the key issue of seat-sharing among alliance partners in the NDA, which also includes Ram Vilas Paswans Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). The BJP leadership is also understood to have assured Kumar that it will intervene and iron out the differences that have of late cropped up between the JD(U) and the LJP on account of the belligerent stance adopted by the latters young president Chirag Paswan. The schedule for assembly elections in the state is likely to be announced in the coming days. The Election Commission has indicated that it would like to conclude the exercise before end of term of the present house on November 29. On the previous evening at a press conference here, the BJPs election in-charge for Bihar assembly Devendra Fadnavis had sought to make light of the acrimony between JD(U) and LJP and remarked "nobody is going to leave the NDA, though many may join us". The former Maharashtra Chief Minister had also attributed the sharp differences that have emerged between the two parties to "diverse ideologies a reason why we all are separate political parties, though united in purpose". Nadda, who arrived here on the previous evening on a two-day tour of Bihar, began his day by offering prayers at the famous Patan Devi temple in the old city, after which the Bihar capital is named. After the meeting with the chief minister, his itinerary includes launch of "Atmanirbhar Bihar Abhiyan" at the partys state headquarters followed by a visit to Muzaffarpur district where he will interact with women farmers and litchi cultivators at the village named after the legendary "Kisan Chachi", whose efforts at promoting entrepreneurship among rural women have earned her a Padma award. Nadda is thereafter scheduled to visit Darbhanga, and interact with farmers involved in fisheries and production of makhana (fox nuts), both of which are found in abundance in the Mithila region of north Bihar. . Counsel Working for US Attorney John Durham Resigns From Department of Justice A lawyer working for U.S. Attorney John Durhams office has resigned. Nora Dannehy has resigned from the Department of Justice, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Connecticut told The Epoch Times via email. The spokesman declined to answer why Dannehy resigned and whether she was working on Durhams investigation into the origins of Crossfire Hurricane, the FBIs counter-intelligence probe into former and current Donald Trump campaign associates that started in 2016. Emails sent to addresses listed for Dannehy bounced back. A phone call to a number listed for her went unanswered. Dannehy worked for the U.S. Attorneys Office beginning in 1991, eventually working her way up to acting U.S. attorney in April 2008. Dannehy left the office in December 2010 to become deputy attorney general for Connecticut. From 2013 to 2019, she worked for United Technologies Corporation. Durham announced in March of last year that Dannehy was returning to work for him to serve as counsel. Nora Dannehy has superior legal skills and an unmatched reputation for integrity, Durham said at the time. During her long tenure in the Justice Department, she led some of the most sensitive investigations ever undertaken by our office. I am thrilled that Nora has chosen to return to public service and look forward to working with her and relying on her counsel and decades of legal experience to further the cause of justice for the people of Connecticut and our nation. The Hartford Courant, citing Dannehys colleagues, reported that Dannehy had been part of Durhams team in Washington working on reviewing the FBIs actions against the Trump campaign. The colleagues, who were not named, said Dannehy doesnt support President Donald Trump and believed Attorney General William Barr was putting pressure on Durham to deliver results in the investigation before the Nov. 3 election. U.S. Attorney John Durham speaks to reporters on the steps of U.S. District Court in New Haven, Conn., on April 25, 2006. (Bob Child/AP Photo) Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) shared the story on social media, calling Dannehy a true professional from a distinguished family that has always adhered to the highest standards of the law. The departure is concerning, he added. The Department of Justice didnt respond to a request for comment. Durhams probe turned into a criminal investigation and his team last month scored a guilty plea from Kevin Clinesmith, a former FBI lawyer who was deeply involved in the bureaus work against then-candidate Trump. Clinesmith admitted to changing an email from the CIA to state that Carter Page, a former Trump campaign associate, did not work with the spy agency, when the email originally stated that he did. At the time, I believed that the information I was providing in the email was accurate, but I am agreeing that the information I entered into the email was not originally there and that I have inserted that information, Clinesmith said during the hearing where he made his plea. Movement from Durhams team is virtually undetectable in Washington, with few leaks about the investigation timeline or other details. Thats left people outside the investigation to share tidbits about the probe, which are observed with great interest both by people who believe crimes were committed and others who think none were. A spokesperson for former CIA Director John Brennan said in late August that Durham told Brennan he wasnt the subject or a target of a criminal probe. Barr has answered questions about the investigation in several interviews released this month, saying in one that its possible more criminal charges are coming and in another that the probe wouldnt affect the upcoming election. Barr has also said he is not feeling pressure to produce results after Trump said the attorney general should avoid a politically correct outcome. Trump told reporters Thursday that he couldnt say whether he has confidence in Durhams investigation. Im not involved in it. I purposely stayed uninvolved. Im, 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 wasnt. I think its better if our great Attorney General handle it. He has Durham, who is a very, very respected man, and were going to see what it is. I cant tell you that, he said. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said on Monday that documents hes reviewed indicate that a number of the players, the Peter Strzoks, the Andy McCabes, the James Comeysand even others in the administration previouslyare in real trouble because of their willingness to participate in an unlawful act. Strzok, McCabe, and Comey are former high-level FBI officials. Florida Ex-felons Must Pay Fines, Fees to Vote, Appeals Court Rules A federal appeals court ruled that Florida can bar ex-felons from voting if they owe fines and fees related to their sentences, reversing a lower courts decision that found the law unconstitutional. In a 64 ruling before the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit on Sept. 11, the judges sided with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, who has been defending the state law that required all ex-felons to pay off restitution, court fees, and fines before their voting rights are restored. The ruling could influence the November election as it now stands as a barrier for thousands of ex-felons who have completed all terms of their sentence including probation and parole, but are unable to pay off restitution, court fees, and fines as part of their sentence. The appeals court found that the felons who sued DeSantis and his administration over the law had not proven that the law had violated the Constitution. It also held that states are afforded the discretion in the disenfranchisement and re-enfranchisement of felons. If a State may decide that those who commit serious crimes are presumptively unfit for the franchise, Chief U.S. Circuit Judge William Pryor wrote in the majority opinion (pdf). It may also conclude that those who have completed their sentences are the best candidates for re-enfranchisement. The court also rejected the lowers ruling that the law invidiously discriminate[s] based on wealth. That decision was wrong. To reiterate, Florida withholds the franchise from any felon, regardless of wealth, who has failed to complete any term of his criminal sentencefinancial or otherwise. It does not single out the failure to complete financial terms for special treatment. And in any event, wealth is not a suspect classification, Pryor wrote. In May, U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle issued a permanent injunction to block the state law and declared parts of the law unconstitutional. He also ordered the state to put in place a new process that would help ex-felons determine whether they are eligible for vote. This pay-to-vote system would be universally decried as unconstitutional but for one thing: each citizen at issue was convicted, at some point in the past, of a felony offense, Hinkle said in his May ruling. In November 2018, Florida passed an amendment, commonly referred to as Amendment 4, to the states constitution that allows ex-convicts to vote upon completion of all terms of sentence including parole or probation, but excludes those who were convicted of murder or felony sexual offense. Before the amendment, all convicted felons were permanently disenfranchised without a grant of executive clemency. DeSantis subsequently signed Senate Bill 7066 (pdf) in 2019, mandating that all formerly incarcerated people pay off restitution, court fees, and fines before their voting rights are restored (pdf). The law faced intense opposition from voting rights advocacy groups, who argue that it denies people with felony convictions the right to vote and penalizes them based on their inability to pay off fees and fines. Several ex-felons and advocacy groups then brought a lawsuit against state officials, challenging the constitutionality of the requirement to pay off all legal financial obligations. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida consolidated the cases and issued a preliminary injunction in favor of the ex-felons, prompting the state to appeal. A panel in the court of appeals upheld the injunction in February. Julie Ebenstein, senior staff attorney with the ACLUs Voting Rights Project, who brought the suit on behalf of the ex-felons said in a statement that the ruling runs counter to the foundational principle that Americans do not have to pay to vote. The gravity of this decision cannot be overstated. It is an affront to the spirit of democracy. Meanwhile, ACLU of Florida Legal Director Daniel Tilley vowed that the legal fight isnt over. DeSantis spokesman Fred Piccolo told The Associated Press in an email that the courts decision upholds the meaning of all terms of a sentence means all terms. There are multiple avenues to restore rights, pay off debts, and seek financial forgiveness from ones victims, Piccolo said. Second chances and the rule of law are not mutually exclusive. Health care professionals in protective suits welcome patients to Direct Meds Inc. in Leonia, NJ. I am extremely proud of each and every staff member and health care professional on this team. Our compassionate employees prioritized the health and safety of our community at this time of crisis, regardless of the risks for their own safety. Direct Meds Inc. is continuing to provide precautions and steps to further its commitment of safety to its patients and health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Direct Meds Inc. has several pharmacy locations throughout New Jersey and the state of Kentucky, and is licensed in many states across the nation. Each pharmacy location adheres to the strict guidelines of the CDC and the pharmacy director. Throughout the entirety of the pandemic thus far and moving forward, all pharmacy locations have not and will not accept any walk-ins if the patient is not wearing a mask. Guests who enter the pharmacy are provided hand sanitizer, gloves and masks free of charge, if needed. Direct Meds Inc. encourages patients and staff to self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms before coming to the pharmacy. Patients or staff members who have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 infection or a high temperature present are encouraged to stay home. If any patients or family members have a high temperature and/or test positive for COVID-19, all exposed individuals are expected to take a COVID-19 test and quarantine. All healthcare workers at any existing pharmacy location are encouraged to monitor their family members symptoms as well. If any healthcare worker or a family member is exposed to the virus, came in contact with a person who has a confirmed case, or recently traveled to a hot spot, they will be excluded to quarantine for 14 days. Physical distancing is one of the most effective methods of preventing disease transmission or infection. Dr. Park, Pharmacy Director in Leonia NJ, has placed a limit on the amount of patients that can enter and sit inside of the pharmacy. Social distancing is enforced within the pharmacy and throughout the building. Treat every single person like they have Covid-19. That is the only way to ensure we are protecting everyone's safety, Founder of Direct Meds Inc., Dr. Munr Kazmir, informed the staff. Millions of Americans in the United States rely on community pharmacies for their medical care. Small community pharmacies are on the front lines with other healthcare workers to ensure that they have what they need to fight this pandemic and future health crises. Approximately 90 percent of the patients who receive medical care from Direct Meds Inc. are elderly. Direct Meds Inc. delivery services make it easier for elderly patients or patients with chronic conditions or immunosuppression to be treated without the risks of exposure and transportation barriers. Direct Meds Inc. has seen an increase in deliveries by 15 percent, since the start of the pandemic. Customers can receive their prescription medications by using the pharmacys delivery services, which offer free home delivery within 20 miles or 4 hours of each pharmacy location. Most of the pharmacys patients receive their medication, hospital gowns and personal protective equipment by delivery. Direct Meds Inc. is currently planning to implement a delivery service for at home testing with a licensed healthcare professional. The delivery staff at the pharmacy have all been tested for COVID-19 and are required to take their temperature daily. If a staff member conducting deliveries experiences symptoms of COVID-19, the individual will be immediately suspended from work, tested and required to quarantine for 14 days. After custom operating hours, a licensed pharmacist is always available to answer questions a patient may have about their medicine. Various staff members are multilingual, so patients need not be worried that their needs will go unnoticed or misunderstood. I am extremely proud of each and every staff member and health care professional on this team. Our compassionate employees prioritized the health and safety of our community at this time of crisis, regardless of the risks for their own safety, Dr. Kazmir said. Direct Meds Inc. will continue to closely monitor the situation as well as recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the New Jersey Department of Health, the New Jersey Board of Pharmacy as well as guidelines in other states Direct Meds Inc. operates in. Direct Meds Inc. will continue to make any additional changes to keep patients and staff healthy and to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our local communities. To learn more about Direct Meds Inc. and its work, call the toll free number (1) 800-216-0421 or visit https://www.directmedsusa.com. ABOUT DIRECT MEDS, INC Direct Meds Inc. is a unique discount pharmacy offering personalized customer service and free same-day delivery directly to your home. Founded in 1998, Direct Meds Inc. provides convenience and discounted prices for patients throughout the United States, while strictly adhering to safety and quality control for every prescription filled. Direct Meds Inc. is licensed to provide prescription medications throughout the United States and offers free same day delivery for patients within 20 miles or 4 hours of each existing pharmacy location. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 12) An overseas Filipino worker in Kuwait who was initially sentenced to death for the killing of his Filipina partner over a decade ago is now back in the country, thanks to the pardon granted by the Amir of Kuwait, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Saturday. The OFW, identified as Bienvenido Espino, who was released from a 13-year detention, is among the 314 overseas Filipinos whom the DFA helped bring home on August 30. They availed of the government repatriation program amid the coronavirus pandemic, the DFA said in a statement. It took more than 10 years for Espino to be granted clemency, the DFA said, adding that he received the Amiri pardon along with his fellow Filipino detainees at the Sulaibiya Central Jail. The DFA noted it has been 12 years since the Philippine government first sought the Amiri pardon for the convicted Filipino. A Kuwaiti court had handed Espino a guilty verdict on charges of murdering his partner in October 2007, and sentenced him to death by hanging in May 2008, the DFA said. The ruling was upheld by both the appeals court and the high tribunal in Kuwait in 2009. But Espinos punishment was revised to life imprisonment in 2013 after he received a tanazul or letter of forgiveness from the family of his late partner, which he got in exchange for blood money. The issuance of a tanazul led to the commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment in 2013, the DFA said. There's a question following me around lately that I'm almost afraid to ask, considering the collective consensus on coronavirus restrictions. It taps on my shoulder when I'm queueing at the traffic light system that now polices entry to my local supermarket. It nags at my brain at the sad sight of schoolgirls in college-crested face masks. How long are we going to keep this up? Is there any point where we say: enough - this is actual madness? It's like living in a bell jar. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said recently we will be living with restrictions until 2022. He better come up with something more ambitious than that in the Government's Living With Covid medium-term strategy, due to be published next week Even if we could afford to do that - which we can't - it's too high a price to pay in the possibly vain pursuit of beating a pandemic. We will have all lost our minds by 2022, living the life of retirees. Nobody wants to get this horrible illness - or worse, see a loved one suffer from it - but its real risk has mercifully lessened and it's a miracle of God that kids are mostly spared it. Yet questioning Ireland's cautious Covid policy risks branding yourself as one of the Monster Raving Loony Party - or alternatively, a nasty, self-serving arch-capitalist. That's a convenient social stigma that shuts down a vital conversation about when we'll get our lives back. Critics of Covid restrictions will often be met with what former Minister Michael McDowell called "shroud-waving" - an over-focus on possible negative effects for political advantage - or moral blackmail designed to deflect difficult questions. But it is right to ask if it is ethical to sacrifice one generation's quality of life in an attempt to protect every life of another. Are we living at all if we exist in a culture of constant fear? It doesn't make you a headcase to ask these questions: it makes you normal. It's not mad to consider the harms of extended restrictions are outweighing the real risk of the virus. More worrying is the psyche of those who are happy maintaining the status quo of what is effectively a soft martial law. They tend to be those who continued to work from home during the crisis and whose livelihoods were not affected. It was acceptable short-term when we knew nothing about the virus and were in a race against time. There is no justification for the continued railroading of civil liberties that affect every aspect of our lives. This is not the "new normal" - it's more like a form of mass neurosis. It's not living with the virus - it's fleeing it in fear and panic. No-one is assuredly right on this, but one thing is certain: the mental and social damage of this prolonged policy is on an unprecedented scale. At this stage it feels like a charade. It's not just human instinct: it's the obvious contradiction between the Government running around with its hair on fire while the facts show we have record low figures of hospitalisations and deaths. The obsession with case numbers is pushing a policy of safetyism and security theatre. Those in charge are acting more panicked now than they were at the height of it. Yes, the number of confirmed cases has multiplied. But people are not dying in anything like the same stark numbers: that is our essential concern after the trauma and grief we have been through this year. Dire predictions and lockdown threats are disproportionate. We need to focus on finding ways to free ourselves from the shackles of restrictions, at the risk of becoming institutionalised. Covid is now mostly infecting the young - those aged under 45 - which may be a factor in why the pattern of the virus has changed. That leads to another question: was this not exactly how it was supposed to happen? Slow spread of mostly mild cases amongst a younger, healthier population means developing higher levels of immunity in a manageable way. We all got on board in March having seen the horror so close to home in Italy. We were told lockdown was an emergency measure to ensure the health system did not collapse, to give our hospitals time to prepare. It was not meant to go on indefinitely. The HSE has had time to bolster its services. Other countries - such as Switzerland - are seeing this pattern of infections among the young as good news. Stefan Kuster, the Swiss head of communicable diseases, had a measured response as the country recorded its highest case rate since April: "At the moment, we're not talking of a second wave but a slow increase of infections." The only Government member who seems willing to convey a pragmatic, positive message is Tanaiste Leo Varadkar. This week, he said we should not obsess about daily rates. Hopefully, when the road map for the next six months comes out on Tuesday, it will include some ways out, perhaps in the form of rapid testing or antibody screening. It should address the reasonable questions at the back of many minds: How long do we intend to continue like this? And who is going to shout stop? Then Acting Secretary for Homeland Security Chad Wolf speaks about an initiative to prevent online child sexual exploitation, at the Justice Department in Washington on March 5, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) DHS Acting Secretary Wolf Subpoenaed by House Democrats Move follows department declining to have Wolf appear at public hearing on Sept. 17 Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, on Sept. 11 subpoenaed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acting Secretary Chad Wolf to testify at a public hearing on Sept. 17, titled Worldwide Threats to the Homeland. The subpoena was announced the same day that DHS stated that Wolf wouldnt be available to testify that day and offered to find a later date for his testimony. In a statement, the Homeland Security panel stated that the DHS had committed to Mr. Wolf testifying on Sept. 17, but Wolf reneged on the commitment on Sept. 8, which prompted the subpoena. Thompson, in the statement, accused Wolf of evading congressional oversight. In a Sept. 10 letter (pdf) to Wolf, Thompson accused him of reneging on his commitment to appear at the hearing. Thompson also wrote that there is no legal prohibition that would bar Wolf from testifying on Sept. 17. Thompson noted that the DHS informed the committee on July 23 that Wolf would be available to testify on Sept. 17, with formal invitations sent out on Aug. 25 once other federal agencies had agreed on the mutual date. Beth Spivey, the assistant secretary of the DHS Office of Legislative Affairs, in a letter on Sept. 11, responded to Thompsons letter, saying it would be inappropriate for Wolf to testify on Sept. 17 due to his pending nomination to be the permanent secretary of Homeland Security. Wolf was formally nominated to the post by President Donald Trump on Sept. 10. Related Coverage Trump to Nominate Chad Wolf for DHS Secretary She told Thompson that his arguments are without merit. She wrote that from the time of the formal nomination, Wolf became unavailable to testify before Congress on matters unrelated to his nomination and will regain the ability to do so when the Senate completes the confirmation process. The right of a presidents nominee to abstain from testifying on matters unrelated to his or her nomination while such a nomination is pending is an unwritten rule honored by chairmen from both sides of the aisle for many decades, she noted, adding that it is standard practice and has been the prevailing practice of past administrations. This Presidential nomination obviates any concern that the Acting Secretarys declining to testify at the [hearing on Sept. 17] was premature, conjectural or speculative, she added. The DHS had on Sept. 8 offered that the senior official performing the duties of Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli could testify instead, because he is, from the DHSs point of view, well-positioned to discuss matters related to the topics of the hearing, Spivey noted. If that didnt suffice, the DHS committed to help find a later date for Wolf to testify once the Senate completes the confirmation process, Spivey told Thompson. Ken Cuccinelli, acting Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, in Washington on Aug. 18, 2020. (Brendon Fallon/The Epoch Times) In the Sept. 8 letter to Thompson (pdf), the DHS stated that it had also informed the Senate of Wolfs unavailability. In that letter, Spivey wrote: It is important to note that, Acting Secretary Wolf offered to testify before the Committee in July on Worldwide Threats to the Homeland and in August on Civil Unrest. Unfortunately, the Committee was unable to schedule those hearings. In a Twitter post on Sept. 11, a DHS spokesperson claimed: If this hearing was legitimately about threats to the homeland, @HomelandDems would immediately accept our offer to have [Kenneth Cuccinelli] testify. Instead, this is just another example of DC swampland putting politics above public safety. In response, the House Homeland Security Committee wrote on Twitter hours later: This is yet another example of the Trump administration trying to evade congressional oversight of its failed policies. What is Chad hiding? Officials at DHS didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. Rome, Sep 12 : Serena Williams has withdrawn from the upcoming Italian Open after sustaining an injury to her achilles tendon, the organisers said on Saturday. The injury had also bothered her during her US Open semi-final defeat to Victoria Azarenka. "Serena Williams has withdrawn from the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, which gets underway behind closed doors at the Foro Italico on Monday, due to an Achilles injury," said the Italian Open. "I regretfully must withdraw from the Internazionali BNL d'Italia due to an Achilles strain. I'm so humbled by the continuous support from my fans in Rome and I look forward to making my return soon," Williams is quoted as saying in the tournament's statement. Williams had taken a medical time out during her semi-final against Azarenka on Thursday for treatment on her achilles. She eventually lost the match 6-1, 3-6, 3-6. The organisers further said that world no.6 and 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu has also pulled out of the tournament. In the men's field, US Open finalists Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev have both withdrawn from the tournament. World no.2 Rafael Nadal headlines the men's field. The defending champion will be playing for the first time since he won the Mexican Open in February. President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden both say they want to pull U.S. forces out of Iraq and Afghanistan. But their approaches differ, and the outcome of the November 3 election will have long-term consequences not only for US troops, but for the wider region. During his election campaign four years ago, Trump pledged to bring all troops home from endless wars, at times triggering pushback from military commanders, defense leaders and even Republican lawmakers worried about abruptly abandoning partners on the ground. In recent months he has only increased the pressure, working to fulfill that promise and get forces home before Election Day. More broadly, Trumps America First mantra has buoyed voters weary of war and frustrated with the billions of dollars spent on national defense at the expense of domestic needs. But it has also alienated longtime European partners whose forces have fought alongside the United States, and has bruised Americas reputation as a loyal ally. Biden has been more adamant about restoring US relations with allies and NATO, and his stance on these wars is more measured. He says troops must be withdrawn responsibly and that a residual force presence will be needed in Afghanistan to ensure terrorist groups cant rebuild and attack America again. That approach, however, angers progressives and others who believe the US has spent too much time, money and blood on battlefields far from home. Were getting out of the endless wars, Trump told White House reporters recently. He said the top people in the Pentagon probably dont love 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. He continued: Lets bring our soldiers back home. Some people dont like to come home. Some people like to continue to spend money. Biden, the former vice president, has sounded less absolute about troop withdrawal. In response to a candidate questionnaire from the Center for Foreign Relations, he said some troops could stay in Afghanistan to focus on the counterterrorism mission. Americans are rightly weary of our longest war; I am, too. But we must end the war responsibly, in a manner that ensures we both guard against threats to our homeland and never have to go back, he said. While both talk about troops withdrawals, each has, in some ways, tried and failed. Trump came into office condemning the wars and declaring he would bring all troops home. When he took over, the number of forces in Afghanistan had been capped at about 8,400 for some time by his predecessor, President Barack Obama. But within a year that total climbed to about 15,000, as Trump approved commanders requests for additional troops to reverse setbacks in the training of Afghan forces, fight an increasingly dangerous Islamic State group and put enough pressure on the Taliban to force it to the peace table. Biden was part of the Obama administrations failed effort to negotiate an agreement with Iraqi leaders in 2011, and as a result the US pulled all American forces out of that country. That withdrawal was short-lived. Just three years later, as IS militants took over large swaths of Iraq, the US again deployed troops into Iraq and neighboring Syria to defeat IS. With an eye toward the election, Trump has accelerated his push to bring troops home. Gen. Frank McKenzie, the top US military commander for the Middle East, said in recent days that by November, the number of troops in Afghanistan could drop to 4,500, and the number in Iraq could dip from about 5,000 to 3,000. John Glaser, foreign policy director at the Cato Institute, is skeptical of both candidates. He said Biden, if elected, will struggle with pressure to pull troops out, but will be drawn to getting things back to normal, which means being there for allies, reupping our commitment to NATO. Glaser said he believes Trump really wants to pull troops out, but is driven by his electoral self-interest. He wants to get out but he doesnt know how to do so in a way that doesnt feel like tucking tail and running. He added that if Trump is reelected, Im a little nervous that he will lose a little electoral incentive. If there arent votes to be against I frankly dont know what he will do. He could slip into another conflict, given his belligerence on any given issue. McKenzie and other military leaders, however, have consistently argued that conditions on the ground and the activities of the enemy must dictate troop levels. They suggest that the US must keep troops in the region to ensure enemies dont regain a foothold. Michele Flournoy, a former top Pentagon leader who is often mentioned as a potential defense chief in a Biden administration, warned against any precipitous withdrawal from Afghanistan that could jeopardize peace. In remarks to the Aspen Security forum, she said that while the US doesnt want to be in Afghanistan forever, a counterterrorism force should remain until a peace agreement between the Taliban and the Afghan government is solidified. Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said Trump will provide more money for the military while the Democrats probably will try to cut the defense budget. But he also echoed troop withdrawal concerns, reflecting a broader reluctance on the committee to abandon Afghanistan while the Taliban continue to launch attacks and a stubborn IS insurgency threatens to take hold. Everybody wants to be able to bring troops home from Afghanistan and elsewhere. I think the differences are largely about whether you only do it when certain conditions are met or whether you withdraw anyway and hope for the best, said Thornberry. Really what Im thinking of is the way President Obama withdrew from Iraq. ... We withdrew and kind of said Good luck. Obviously, things did not go so well. Professional freestyle motocross rider and rally car racer Brian Deegan is selling his modern North Carolina mansion for $4.95 million. Completed in 2018, the Morganton, NC, home brings a distinct California vibe to the Carolinas. Overlooking Lake James, the home features huge windows on the backside to show off the gorgeous views. Set on 5 acres with over 800 feet of beach frontage, the 7,699-square-foot residence has five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. Upon entry, you'll notice the glass everywhere, which allows for an abundance of natural light and gorgeous views. The chefs kitchen features a massive butler's pantry, along with ample countertop space. Adjacent to the indoor kitchen, youll find a tempting outdoor kitchen, complete with a grill and sink. The master suite has a private balcony overlooking the lake. The suite also has a massive walk-in shower and tub area enclosed with glass, as well as two large walk-in closets. A floating staircase leads up to top-floor bedrooms and down to the home's lower level. Below, you'll find the personal home gym area, a hot yoga room with a half-bathroom, sauna, guest suite, wet bar, and an office. Exterior realtor.com Glass hallway realtor.com Living area realtor.com Chef's kitchen realtor.com Master bedroom realtor.com Master bathroom realtor.com Back patio realtor.com Home gym realtor.com Three-car garage with workshop realtor.com Covered boat dock realtor.com Aerial view realtor.com High-end amenities include an intercom system and a pre-installed Sonos sound system. Gearheads will appreciate the three-car garage with epoxy flooring, plus a workshop area with built-in cabinetry. To enjoy all the lake has to offer, there's a covered dock for a boat and lake accessories. LYONS, Ore. - The fire was 15 miles away, so the Oregon family went to sleep but planned to leave soon. On Monday evening, Angela Mosso had packed a few things for the family to take with them and her husband, Chris Tofte, drove to town to borrow a friends trailer to carry the family, their dog and their belongings. But as family members slept, the Beachie Creek Fire bore down, the Statesman Journal reported. Eventually, it reached their house, turning a night of calm preparation into harrowing loss. Gov. Kate Brown said more than 40,000 Oregonians have been evacuated from their homes as two large windblown wildfires rage across the Pacific Northwest. About 500,000 people are in different levels of evacuation zones, either having been told to leave or to prepare to do so. Dozens of people are reported missing and at least six fatalities have been reported. Thirteen-year-old Wyatt Tofte of Lyons, Oregon, and his grandmother Peggy Mosso, 71, are among them. They died trying to escape the fire that engulfed their home Tuesday morning. The three initially escaped the house with their dog and three cats, setting out in one of the familys cars. But they didnt make it far. Lonnie Bertalotto, Angelas brother, thinks the tires melted and the car caught fire. As the flames grew around them, Angela Mosso realized she had to save Wyatt. She told him to run for it with the dog. She also realized that if she wanted to survive, she had no choice but to leave behind her mother, Peggy Mosso, whose remains were identified by the Marion County Sheriffs Office on Friday. She had a broken knee that was to be operated on in a few days, Bertalotto said Friday. Angela Mosso walked nearly three miles on the hot asphalt. Sometime around 4 a.m., Chris Tofte returned with the trailer, driving through a blockade that separated him from the inferno and his family. As Tofte struggled to navigate the dark, smokey road, he almost ran over a barefoot woman in her underwear with charred hair and a blackened mouth. Tofte helped her into his car, telling her that he was looking for his wife and son. She told him: I am your wife. Once in the car, Tofte turned around and sped back toward the blockade. He left his wife of 24 years with paramedics and turned back to find his son, Wyatt. But at that point, the fires had spread even farther. Tofte couldnt make it as far as he did the first time, so he searched for his son the next day and night. On social media, friends and relatives posted photos of Wyatt and thousands of people shared his image. Finally, on Wednesday, Tofte spoke with sheriffs deputies from Marion County. They said Wyatt was found behind the wheel of the familys vehicle back at the property with his dog Duke on his lap. Peggy Mossos remains were also found in the vehicle. I dont need to go into too much detail but obviously ... he turned around to go try and save his grandma, Bertalotto told The Associated Press. Angela Mosso is being treated at the Legacy Emanuel Hospital Burn Center in Portland. She was told Thursday that she lost her son and her mother. Bertalotto said he has not seen his sister or Tofte, his brother-in-law, since the fire because the hospital allows only one guest per patient to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Its just unbelievable when a fire can move that fast, he said. Everything was lined up to be a disaster ... and no one knew it. ___ The spelling of Tofte has been corrected on several references in this story. At Mount Sinai, Carr said, major new programs have been instituted around wellness and health that are integrated with anti-racism initiatives. But some approaches, such as shared yoga sessions and free counseling, do not fit the sensibilities of many ER doctors, he said. On the advice of an Army reservist on the staff, his team has set up a battle buddy system in which people are paired up and check in with each other regularly. Its so simple, he said. Watching death gets in your head, and explaining that to a civilian is hard. But everybody gets what peer support is. (Newser) Huge wildfires have combined and are closing in on towns and suburbs, rapidly deepening the crisis on the West Coast. "We are preparing for a mass fatality incident based on what we know and the numbers of structures that have been lost," Oregon's emergency management director said Friday, the New York Times reports. As the situation intensifies, a number of stories are pointing out that President Trump has remained largely silent about the wildfires. Politico Playbook reports that it's been three weeks since Trump weighed in publicly on the matter, and that was when he accused California of mismanaging its forests. Kevin Liptak at CNN reports that while federal money has been made available to states, Trump himself has neither spoken publicly nor tweeted about the fires since those California comments. story continues below At the Washington Post, an analysis critical of Trump by Amber Phillips runs through possible reasons and concludes: "When you mix together the fact that this crisis is happening in Democratic-run states, is closely tied to a scientific phenomenon he denies even exists (climate change), and requires a level of empathy to talk about (not a strong point of his), you get three potential reasons the president has been so silent on it." Meanwhile, VP Mike Pence has expressed concern. Saying his daughter and son-in-law live in California, Pence told Fox News that "our hearts go out to all of those enduring or threatened by these fires, and I want to assure everyone that we're going to make sure that those courageous firefighters, that homeowners and businesses have the full support of the federal government." (Read more wildfires stories.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-13 01:17:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi on Saturday launched campaign for its Zanzibar presidential candidate Hussein Mwinyi with promise to improve the archipelago's economic development. "If elected to the highest post I will make sure that our economy grows by at least 6.8 percent annually," said Mwinyi, the country's former Minister for Defense and National Service. The United Republic of Tanzania was formed on April 26, 1964, as a result of the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The Zanzibar government has its own parliament and president. Mwinyi, the son of former Tanzanian president Ali Hassan Mwinyi who served from 1985 to 1995, also vowed to provide free education, free medical care and clean water supply. If elected in the Oct. 28 general election, Mwinyi will succeed Ali Mohamed Shein, the 7th president of Zanzibar, who has been in office since 2010. Enditem Loading I ended up losing nearly $16,000, which was all my savings. Then I was scanning a website that features common pictures scammers use for fake profiles and there he was. I realised at that moment that he really was a scammer, but I was so in love it was a long time before I cut him off. If he had not been a scammer, he would have been the perfect partner when we were talking it was 18 months of sheer joy. I always thought of myself as quite intelligent and sophisticated so it comes as a surprise to me that this happened. 'It has put me off another relationship' Sarah*, 53, a Melbourne nurse, lost almost $20,000 over two years. I went on a dating site about eight years ago and connected with a man who called himself Charles. He said he was a vet working in Sydney. We were going to meet up, but he was called over to a farm in the UAE to immunise livestock. He made up an excuse about not being able to access medication after it was seized at the dock, and asked for $5000 for help. Initially I said no way. But then I thought maybe he really was in trouble so I decided to send some money. Id been talking to him for about four months by that stage, via [Facebook] Messenger. I would feel euphoric at times, like being on drugs. 'I never told my family and they still dont know. The embarrassment and the shame are the worst. It has put me off another relationship, and I still dont think I have fully recovered.' A few times I would say, "I think youre a scammer," and he would deny it. I would tell him he needed to prove it by coming over to visit, and he convinced me to send him money for a plane ticket. It went on for two years with me sending him money, but no trip forthcoming. Finally, he suggested we Skype and I saw he was an African man, not Charles. My father had just died and that was the final straw for me. I cut off contact and reported it to police. In the back of my mind I always knew, but I didnt want to believe it. There were lots of red flags: things moved much more quickly than usual in a relationship, and he said hed grown up in Germany but knew nothing about the country. Taking into account the interest on the credit card, I lost $20,000 and I nearly lost my house, too. I sold my car and saw a financial counsellor, and, after two to three years, I was back on my feet. I never told my family and they still dont know. The embarrassment and the shame are the worst. It has put me off another relationship, and I still dont think I have fully recovered. 'People around me were warning me' Jan, 67, handed over more than $260,000 to a scammer. She has since started the not-for-profit Life After Scams service. I moved to Melbourne to be closer to family when I was 59. Everything was going well and I had a good corporate job, so I decided to start looking for companionship, someone I could explore Victoria with. I put my profile on a dating site and connected with a man. He moved our conversations off the site very quickly. He would say things like, "I only want to talk to you. I think we are destined to be together. I have been waiting for you all my life." We were intimate, we had cyber sex, and he confessed his love for me. I had fallen in love with him and when he asked me to marry him I said yes. We spoke on the phone, texted and exchanged emails. We would video-chat although, rather conveniently, his camera wasnt working each time we spoke. Loading He purported to be a British engineer on a contract in Dubai, but there came to be a lot of problems: he couldnt access his money, he was robbed, in a car accident, in hospital. I would send him money, which he promised he would pay back, and he showed me his fake bank statements with millions in the bank. I made a conscious decision to lend him money out of love because I didnt want to be cynical, even though I knew he could be a scammer. People around me were warning me not to send money, but I was already in too far to hear that. Over the next month, I loaned him because I thought it was a loan $260,000. This included $166,000 from my self-managed super fund that I had put aside to buy a property and $30,000 I put on a credit card. Eventually, I sent my weekly pay. Finally, he said he was boarding a plane back to England and a few days later I realised he was never going to contact me again. I had only known him for 72 days. I suffered low-level depression for about 18 months, but my family was supportive in a non-judgmental way. I had to be creative about my finances but I was able to eventually get myself out of debt. Luckily, I am in a good rental situation at the moment, but I do exist solely on the age pension now. Signs of a love scammer They are quick to declare love. There are holes in their stories. They invent hurdles that prevent them from meeting in person. They quickly move victims from the online site to a private messenger chat. They supply a fraudulent image of themselves, which a quick Google Image search will reveal to be fake. Source: ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard. I have since started a not-for-profit, Life After Scams, to support other victims. This support is important because in the immediate aftermath you dont understand how it happened, and I know now that it is because of the hypnotic altered state youre in when you fall in love. However, people feel ashamed, and they dont tell anyone because of the shame. But that shame is very damaging to carry around alone. Lawyers for Donald Trump have filed a motion with a federal appeals court requesting that it reconsider its decision last month to allow Manhattans top prosecutor to obtain nearly a decades worth of the US presidents business and personal tax returns. The motion, filed with the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, argues that US District Judge Victor Marrero erred in giving Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance the OK to enforce what it called a dragnet subpoena into eight years of Trumps tax returns with the accounting firm Mazars USA and expand a criminal probe into the presidents business dealings. The filing further argues that Mr Marrero failed to consider the unlimited breadth and scope of Mr Vances subpoena, which Mr Trumps lawyers say was largely copied from an earlier subpoena by Congressional Democrats. Subpoenas issued to the President that are 'arbitrary fishing expeditions' or that are issued 'out of malice or an intent to harass' are invalid, the filing said. Mr Trump has fought releasing his tax returns since the 2016 campaign trail, becoming the first major party nominee in four decades to not make his returns public. He has repeatedly argued that, as president, he was categorically immune from state prosecutors subpoenaing his records an argument the US Supreme Court rejected in July. No citizen, not even the President, is categorically above the common duty to produce evidence when called upon in a criminal proceeding, Chief Justice John G Roberts Jr wrote in the majority opinion. We reaffirm that principle today and hold that the President is neither absolutely immune from state criminal subpoenas seeking his private papers nor entitled to a heightened standard of need". But despite rejecting Mr Trumps immunity claim, the Supreme Court did allow the president to object to the scope of Mr Vances probe. On 20 August, Mr Marrero refused to block the subpoena, saying that justice requires an end to this controversy". The seemingly endless appeals process will likely not be resolved before the November election, for which Mr Trump is seeking a second term. Mr Vance has argued that by continually dragging the matter through the courts, Mr Trump has effectively received the immunity he has always wanted. The Independent has reached out to Mr Vances office for comment. Oral arguments in the trial are scheduled for later this month. If comedian Mark Humphries has crashed your social media timeline with ludicrous claims that 5G has caused the outbreak of COVID-19 or helped fake the moon landing, then Telstra's latest campaign to combat disinformation is having its intended effect. Baseless 5G conspiracy theories have been bubbling away for years, pushing the falsehood that the electromagnetic energy levels used in 5G technology were harmful to humans. Protesters at an anti-vaccination, anti-5G rally in Sydney in May. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer But with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, established online anti-5G communities began retrofitting the virus into their existing theories, feeding into a melting pot of false information around COVID-19. Telstra's move to enlist Humphries in its latest campaign is a new approach for the telco that has, until now, relied on more serious methods to dispel the myths. Among them, it has created an online information hub with factual information from health authorities and government bodies testifying to the safety of 5G. A charge sheet related to the north-east Delhi riots case, filed last month by Delhi police, created a stir on social media on Saturday, after it emerged that one attachment to it has a statement by an accused, claiming that general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Sitaram Yechury, Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav, Delhi University professor Apoorvanand, former MLA Chaudhary Mateen and advocate Mahmood Pracha had instigated the protestors. To be sure, their names do not appear in the charge sheet itself. Delhi Police moved immediately to clarify that none of these people have been charged. The units spokesperson, Anil Mittal said, Nobody has been charged. We have not even made any recommendation to the court because they are not an accused. The names are part of the disclosure statement of one of the accused in connection with organising and addressing anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests. The disclosure statement has been truthfully recorded as narrated by the accused person. A person is not arraigned as an accused only on the basis of disclosure statement. However, it is only on the existence of sufficient corroborative evidence does further legal action is taken. The matter is currently sub judice. HT has reviewed a copy of the charge sheet. The statement in question was from a person called Gulfisha Khatoon, in which she names people who fuelled the feeling of discontent among protesters by calling CAA and NRC anti-Muslim... Khatoon, a student activist and alleged member of Pinjra Tod, was arrested on July 28 . Police have claimed that members of the womens collective Pinjra Tod, including Devanga Kalita and Natasha Narwal, orchestrated the riots by mobilising people through their speeches during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests. Responding to Saturdays online furore, Mahmood Pracha, said: Political masters in the Home Ministry are misusing police to remove me from the scene either by physically eliminating me or falsely implicating me in these cases. I have thoroughly exposed them by the process of law. Pracha is also Khatoons counsel in the case. Yechury too criticised Delhi Police. He tweeted, 56 people died in the riots. There are videos of people delivering inflammatory speeches but police are not taking any action against them. They have clear orders to suppress the oppression. There will be protests against this. DU professor Apoorvanand said the whole thing is disappointing because the actual violence is not a concern for the Delhi police. Delhi had suffered violence in February and we want to know the truth. Instead, Delhi police is deploying its energy, talent and time in weaving a fiction of a crime they know does not exist. To criminalise a legitimate act of protest against an act of the government is an ideological exercise and professional body like the Delhi police is not expected to be a part of it . Yadav and former MLA Chaudhary were not immediately available for comment. Colin, Sophie, Jan, Meghan and Craig Tyner who raised over 60,000 in aid of the Irish Cancer Society and the Wicklow Hospice Foundation by growing sunflowers at their farm in Minmore, Shillelagh, pictured with Sinead Tarmey of Wicklow Hospice. Photo: Mick Kelly A staggering 60,000 was raised for two worthy causes thanks to a field of sunflowers in Shillelagh. Minmore Farm welcomed visitors from around the country for three weeks during the month of August to see the sunflowers in bloom, People had the chance to enjoy the 3.5 acre field of sunflowers and to cut a few to take home with them. Honesty boxes were set up at the entrance to the field where people could leave a donation to support the Wicklow Hospice and the Irish Cancer Society. The project was the idea of the Tynan family of Minmore Farm. It proved to be a huge success, raising 60,941.60 which will be divided between the two charities. A cheque for 30,470.80 was presented to the Wicklow Hospice on Sunday. Speaking to this paper, farmer Colin Tynan said the amount raised was 'fantastic' and the family were 'blown away' by the success of the event. 'We raised ten times more than I'd expected. I thought if we got between 4,000 and 5,000, we'd be doing well,' he said. The field of sunflowers drew admirers from as far away as Counties Clare, Cork and Louth though Colin said most of the visitors had come from County Dublin. It was such a success that the Tynan family often worked 12 hour days during the three week period as visitors flocked to see the sea of sunflowers in bloom. Neighbours also stepped in to offer help with parking for visitors. A cheque was presented to the Wicklow Hospice at Minmore Farm on Sunday. In a post on social media, the Wicklow Hospice said: 'We are so very grateful. Thank you all and we hoped you all enjoyed the wonderful feel-good factor of a field of beautiful sunflowers.' Mr Tynan thanked those who made a donation in support of the two causes. 'I also wanted to thank our neighbours for all of their help, particularly with car parking. My family and I were doing 12 hour days from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. It was hard work but it paid off. 'However, the fundraiser would have been very difficult without the support of our neighbours. It was a lot of work, but it was really worth it,' Mr Tynan added. Tropical Storm Sally formed in the Gulf of Mexico near south Florida on Saturday, making it the earliest named "S" storm in recorded history. It was forecast to strengthen into a low-level hurricane before making landfall Tuesday along the Louisiana-Mississippi border. Update: Tropical Storm Sally's track has shifted west, and the storm is forecast to be a Category 2 hurricane at landfall. A hurricane watch was posted between Grand Isle and the Alabama-Florida border, including lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas and the New Orleans area. A storm surge watch was issued between the mouth of the Mississippi River and the Alabama-Florida border, including the hurricane watch area plus Lake Borgne and Mobile Bay. At mid-afternoon, Sally is moving west at 7 mph from near Naples, Fla., with sustained maximum wind gusts of 40 mph. Tropical Depression #Nineteen Advisory 4A: Depression Becomes a Tropical Storm. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 12, 2020 Forecasters said that the projection brings "increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and dangerous hurricane-force winds" between southeast Louisiana and the Alabama coast starting early next week. At 5 a.m., they said that the areas at greatest risk from storm surge - eight to 12 feet - were between the mouth of the Mississippi River and Biloxi, Miss.. Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas could get four to eight feet of surge. Portions of the New Orleans area hurricane levee system on the east bank of the Mississippi River, including in St. Bernard Parish and New Orleans East, are designed to protect from storm surge of 16 feet to 30 feet. Storm surge predictions were to be updated as forecasters were able to make better predictions later in the weekend. Beginning Sunday morning, the Hurricane Center predicted, the storm will produce three to 15 inches of rain, with localized amounts higher, in portions of southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi. New Orleans was expected to get six to eight inches of rain, Baton Rouge and Lafayette up to two inches. Get hurricane updates in your inbox Sign up for updates on storm forecasts, tracks and more. e-mail address * Sign Up The heaviest rain was expected to start Sunday and continue into the week, with water accumulation in low areas and spots with poor drainage making flash flooding "very possible" in southeast Louisiana. New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board staff said Friday they were "closely monitoring" tropical weather developments over the next several days, with two of 99 drainage pumps out of commission for repairs. One pump on Grant Street in New Orleans East is out of service pending electrical repairs, and another at Pump Station No. 13 in the southernmost tip of Algiers is under repair but was expected it to come back into service Saturday, "well ahead of major weather impacts." S&WB spokesperson Courtney Barnes said Saturday the system couldn't run all pumps at once, even if they all were in service. "We would overwhelm the canals," Barnes said. "We have extra pumps which provide redundancy or 'backup' pumping capacity. Even with the pumps that are out, we have enough pump capacity to drain the city in the event of a flood." Kevin Gilmore, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Slidell, warned that the system's prediction cone encompasses all of the New Orleans metro area. This may be a system thats impacting our area for a few days, Gilmore said, adding that because of the storm's location, the temperature of the water in the Gulf and other "favorable" atmospheric conditions, rain and storm surge could both lead to "very serious flooding concerns." Michael Lowry, a strategic planner for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also said the storm's slow crawl was particularly worrisome. "The slow movement later in the forecast is especially concerning for water impacts (storm surge, flooding rains)," he said on Twitter. "Louisiana to Florida keep an eye and ear to the forecast!" The storm was also expected to produce flash flooding across portions of southern Florida and prolong minor river flooding in central Florida through Sunday, along with other portions of the central Gulf Coast region through Tuesday. The forecast came as the National Hurricane Center was monitoring six disturbances in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, and as southwest Louisiana is still reeling from Hurricane Laura. Laura intensified more quickly than forecasters had initially predicted before making landfall as a strong Category 4 hurricane two weeks ago near Lake Charles. A tropical wave off the west coast of Africa was given an 80 percent chance of becoming a tropical depression by Monday morning and a 90 percent chance of formation by Thursday. It was unclear whether it will enter the Gulf of Mexico. Gilmore reminded residents that it's currently the historical peak of hurricane season, which lasts from June 1 to Nov. 30. He urged everyone to have a hurricane kit with water, flashlights, food, important documents and more in place. "This is the time to be prepared," he said. Press Release September 12, 2020 Let's beat COVID with PGH director, ex-DoH secretaries leading govt response: Pangilinan WITH the country's number of COVID-19 cases breaching the 250,000 mark yesterday (September 11), Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Saturday named at least three health experts who can lead government response to the ongoing health crisis. Calling out again the Administration's lackluster response to the months' long calamity, Pangilinan reiterated his urgent call to replace Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and the rest in the COVID-related task forces. "Problema ang leadership. Ano ang solusyon sa problema ng leadership? Palitan si Duque at mga nakapaligid dito at ilagay ang mahuhusay na public health experts," he said. Pangilinan said the country has plenty of people who can better lead in dealing with the pandemic. He said the government can tap the services of public health experts who can lead the government to lower COVID cases, higher recoveries, and a more comprehensive, logical set of guidelines that would create a better normal. "I nominate Philippine General Hospital Director Dr. Gap Legaspi, former Health Secretaries Manuel Dayrit or Esperanza Cabral," he said. "Hayaan natin ang mga mahuhusay na eksperto ang siyang mamuno ng IATF. Hindi tayo inutil. Maraming magagaling na eksperto na mga doktor sa bansa. Kaya natin talunin ang COVID-19 basta mahusay ang in charge," the senator stressed. For over a month now since August 6, the Philippines has been monitored to have the most number of COVID-19 cases with 252,964 as of September 11. Indonesia comes in second with 210,940, followed by Singapore at far third with 57,316 cases. "Kung karera ang kampanya laban sa COVID-19, ang ibang bansa sa Asya tulad ng Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, at South Korea ay tumatakbo nang mabilis patungo sa finish line, habang ang Pilipinas gumagapang sa pagkakulelat," the Liberal Party leader said. The Department of Health (DoH) reported 4,017 new cases yesterday (September 11), a number even higher than our neighboring countries' total number of cases. Thailand has a total of 3,461 cases while Vietnam has only 1,060. Malaysia has 9,810 cases. In other parts of Asia, China, where the virus is believed to have originated, has arrested the COVID spread at 90,127. South Korea has 21,919 cases and Taiwan is still so enviable at 498 cases. The rest of the countries in the region such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei have less than 10,000 cases. In his recorded address to the nation Monday night (September 7), President Rodrigo Duterte even encouraged embattled Secretary Duque to hold on to his post and reiterated that the health chief has his full trust. At the outset of the pandemic, the President installed retired military and police generals to lead the various task forces and groups in-charge of policy direction and daily activities aimed at containing the spread of the virus. Police personnel were deployed on the streets to arrest quarantine violators and to check on homes for COVID-positive patients. While at this, corruption allegations continue inside PhilHealth, the state insurer supposed to guarantee free COVID-19 testing and treatment of Filipinos. Pangilinan lamented that instead of gathering state resources toward relevant agencies and looking deep into evidence-based public health policy, the Administration made a display of its tough yet incompetent act. "Without sweeping changes in leadership and direction at the DoH and our COVID task forces, we can only expect the cases to rise and relegate the Philippines further to last in this battle against the virus," he said. (Figures from: https://www.csis.org/programs/southeast-asia-program/southeast-asia-covid-19-tracker-0 https://covid19stats.ph/stats/new-cases https://www.coronatracker.com/country/taiwan/ https://www.coronatracker.com/country/south-korea/) Representative Image Kabul [Afghanistan], September 13 (ANI/Sputnik): Clashes between the Afghan army and the Taliban in the country's southern province of Kandahar and eastern province of Nangarhar have left at least six insurgents killed and many others injured, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Saturday, citing officials. "This morning, the Taliban attacked a number of security checkpoints in the Maiwand district [Kandahar province]," Khwaja Yahya Alawi, a spokesman for the 205th Atal Corps, said. The attack was repelled by the Afghan air force, with the airstrikes killing six Taliban insurgents and injuring three others, according to the military official. Some of the Taliban's equipment was also destroyed, he added. In a separate clash in the Zojan Qala area of the Sherzad district of Nangarhar, a clash between the army and insurgents left at least 13 casualties on the Taliban's part, including nine Pakistanis, Attallah Khogyani, the governor's spokesman, said. The Taliban have not yet commented on the matter. (ANI/Sputnik) A Southern Oregon man is accused of arson in connection with a fire that has caused major damage to several towns in Jackson County. Michael Jarrod Bakkela, 41, has been arrested on two counts of arson, 15 counts of criminal mischief and 14 counts of reckless endangerment. The fire Bakkela is accused of setting 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. The Jackson County Sheriffs Office said in a news release Friday afternoon that on Tuesday evening, a resident of Phoenix saw a person, later identified as Bakkela, lighting a fire behind their house on Quail Lane. Because there was an impending blaze, the residents who saw him set the fire had to flee their home. When state troopers and sheriffs deputies arrived, they saw Bakkela standing close to a large fire that was threatening several homes. Bakkela was arrested and initially lodged in the Jackson County Jail on Tuesday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine. He remains in jail on the arson and criminal mischief charges. The Jackson County Sheriffs Office has confirmed that two people have been found dead in the aftermath of the Almeda fire. One, Tyler said, was determined to have been fire-caused, but was near the first origin of the fire not the one Bakkela started. He said its not yet clear whether the second death is connected to a fire. Officials say 50 people remain unaccounted for in the the Almeda fire. The Almeda fire is now 50 percent contained as of Friday morning, and has burned more than 5,700 acres. It has burned more than a thousand homes between the towns of Phoenix and Talent. Hundreds of businesses have also been damaged, and leaders estimate more than 2,000 residents have lost their homes this week. Drinking water has been shut off, and power remains out in both towns. A second wildfire, the South Obenchain fire, continues to burn in Jackson County. Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR Noelle Crombie and Jim Ryan of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this story. Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Dhaka, Sep 12 : The 50th edition of the biannual talks between the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) and its Indian counterpart, the Border Security Force (BSF) will take place in Dhaka from Sunday. BGB Director-General Major General M Shafeenul Islam and his newly-appointed Indian counterpart Rakesh Asthana will lead the six-day talks BGB's Pilkhana headquarters. The issue of killings on the Indo-Bangla border is likely to dominate the talks, BGB officials told IANS. Asthana will be accompanied by BSF sector commanders, officials of the Narcotics Control Bureau and representatives of the External Affairs Ministry. The Indian side will focus on issues such as cross-border smuggling, especially drugs; construction of different structures like barbed wire fencing and other installations; and fake currency. The Bangladesh side will concentrate on killings at the Indo-Bangladesh border which is an important issue to improve relations between the two forces, alongside other areas of mutual interest, said Lieutenant Colonel Fayzur Rahman, operations director of BGB. At least 33 Bangladeshi nationals were killed along the countries' frontiers until August 2020. According to the human rights group in Dhaka, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), 15 people were killed along the border in 2018. Meanwhile, officials in both New Delhi and Dhaka have said that at the end of the talks, the BGB and BSF chiefs were likely to sign a joint accord. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 12 Trend: A number of NGOs in Azerbaijan sent an appeal to OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Stephane Visconti (France), Andrew Shofer (USA), Igor Popov (Russia) and international organizations regarding the illegal resettlement of Armenian population to the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, occupied by Armenia, Trend reports with reference to the appeal. "According to our observations, Armenia is making attempts to illegally resettle the Armenian population from some Middle Eastern countries to Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent districts of Azerbaijan, which are internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan," the letter said. "The illegal activities of the aggressor-Armenia in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and our adjacent territories, as well as the policy of illegal settlement, are discussed among many Azerbaijani NGOs and we decided to appeal to international organizations," the NGOs wrote. "This is not the first time that Armenia, using the situation in the region for its purposes, has attempted to illegally resettle the Armenian population from some Middle Eastern countries to Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent districts of Azerbaijan. This process has started from the time of Tsarist Russia, accelerated during the Soviet period and still continues nowadays," the appeal said. "The fact of illegal settlement carried out by Armenia is also recorded in the reports of the OSCE fact-finding missions of 2005. The OSCE has sent fact-finding missions to the occupied lands twice and the report of these missions approved organized resettlement of Armenians to Karabakh. Furthermore, majority of our historical and religious monuments have been destroyed by Armenia. Our mosques, graves have been destroyed and our museums have been ravaged, he added. Azerbaijan restored an Armenian church in Baku and more than 5,000 books in Armenian language are kept in this church. This is the difference: their actions and our attitude," the appeal said. "Of course, these actions by Armenia are a gross violation of international humanitarian law, as well as the 1949 Geneva Convention and its additional protocols. The goal of the occupier Armenia is to artificially increase the number of Armenians in these lands, change the ethnic and cultural characteristics of the territories, and thereby carry out the annexation policy. According to the Rome Statute which regulated the International Criminal Court, it is also constitutes as a war crime," the appeal read. "These facts are not raised only by Azerbaijani side. According to Any Meljumyan, from Euriasianet.org, following a devastating explosion in Beirut, the Armenian government prepared an aid package to help ethnic Armenians in Lebanon emigrate to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. More than 1,300 Lebanese-Armenians have flown to Armenia and Karabakh as of September 2; 850 intend to stay long-term, Chief Commissioner of Diaspora issues Zareh Sinanyan told the news website Hetq," the letter said. "On September 1, 2020, the government of Armenia, began considering an aid plan to assist the repatriated from Lebanon, Sinanyan said. The package would include health, education, and social assistance and housing support, he said," the letter said. "Several more Lebanese-Armenian families have moved to Nagorno-Karabakh, according to the leader of separatists", Arayik Harutyunyan. The authorities have allocated 25 million drams ($50,000) and another 17 million drams ($35,000) from another humanitarian fund to help with the resettlement. Azerbaijani officials have objected to the resettlement to Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan," the letter said. "The fact of illegal resettlement is also proved by Armenian ordinary migrant families which are being resettled to Karabakh by Armenian government. It is quite possible, that families even didnt know that, their movement to Karabakh, organized by Armenian Republic is completely illegal and contradicts all related international humanitarian law rules (Here is the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smk4GN2qmz0&feature=emb_title). We, a number of NGOs in Azerbaijan, appealing to the international community to help to stop this illegal process and violation of international humanitarian law and committing a war crimes by Armenian Republic. OSCE Minsk Group of Co-Chairs, should immediately react to the process of illegal resettlement of Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh occupied region of Azerbaijan," the appeal said. The appeal was signed by the following: Mr. Ramil Isgandarli Head of the Legal Analysis and Research Public Union Mr. Vugar Ahmadov Head of the Azerbaijani-American Youth Association Mr. Ayaz Mirzayev Head of the Azerbaijan Journalists Network Public Union Ms. Shalala Hasanova Head of the Support to the Development of Public Relations Public Union Mr. Sabuhi Abbasov Head of the Azerbaijani-Slavic Youth Association Public Union Ms. Nushaba Mammadova Head of the International Dialogue and Development Alliance Public Union Ms. Irada Rizazade Head of the Public Association Social Welfare for the Citizens Ms. Shahla Nagiyeva Head of the Unquenchable Flame Cultural Relations Public Union Mr. Fakhraddin Hasanzada Head of the "Youth Education Center" Public Union Ms. Maryam Taghiyeva - Zeynalova Intergration of Azerbaijani Youth to Europe Organization Public Union Ms. Maryam Majidova Head of the National Assembly of Youth Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan Public Union Mr. Umud Mirzayev Head of the International Eurasia Press Fund Mr. Fuad Huseynzade Head of the Journalists' Support for Diaspora Activities Public Union Ms. Novella Jafarova Head of the Association for the Protection of Women's Rights named after Dilara Aliyeva Ms. Saadat Bananyarli Head of the Azerbaijan National Section of International Society for Human Rights Public Union Mr. Farid Shahbazli Head of the Young Reformers Public Union of Azerbaijan Ms. Saida Gojamanli Head of the Public Union for the Protection of Human Rights and Law Order Mr. Toghrul Allahverdili Head of the Diaspora Information and Awareness Public Union Mr. Fuad Abbasov Head of the Misra Information Exchange and Initiatives Public Union Mr. Ahmad Aliyev Head of the Youth Public Union for Democratic Azerbaijan. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday lashed out at the Maharashtra Government saying that their recent acts of intolerance had shaken up the entire nation. Calling them out over their attempts to block Republic Bharat and the forcible detention of our reporter Anuj, the Union Minister remarked that the Sena-led government was indulging in a 'murder of democracy', reminding the nation of the Emergency period. "The recent incidents in Maharashtra have shaken up the nation. They want to silence every voice and reaction against them. The way in which the Maharashtra government is going, this definitely reminds us of the time of emergency," said Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. "A photojournalist and journalist were standing outside a farmhouse and were sent to jail for merely asking whose farmhouse is this. These kinds of acts in a country like India are extremely condemnable and indecent. By trying to threaten Republic, saying we won't let cable operators air your channel, there could be no bigger attempt to murder democracy than this. Citizens will for sure question the government's actions in the coming times," he said. Sena tries to block Republic Earlier on Thursday this week, the Shiv Cable Sena issued an 'order' signed by Sanjay Rauts brother Sunil Raut to cable network operators in Maharashtra to block Republic Bharat and Republic TV, after Republic's investigative reports on the Sushant Singh Rajput case and the Disha Salian Case. Alleging 'insult' to CM Uddhav Thackeray, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and Maharashtra police, the body which heads several cable network operators across Maharashtra has ordered them to block the two channels with immediate effect. The Pramukh Margdarshak of this body is 'Saamana' editor and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut. However, in a major embarrassment to Shiv Sena, the Bombay High Court, on Friday has observed that Shiv Cable Sena is not a 'statutory body' to interfere or supersede Republic TV's contract with its cable network operators. The Court also observed that if the cable network operators breach their contractual relationship with Republic, then the channel can approach appropriate authority for relief. Read: Here's How To Sign The #CantBlockRepublic Petition & Defend The Democratic Right To Report Read: Shiv Sena Embarrassed, Bombay HC Says 'no Legality To Interfere With Republic Broadcast Sena goons assault Navy veteran In another condemnable incident, Shiv Sena goons attacked a 62-year-old ex-Navy officer over a Whatsapp forward on Friday. The CCTV footage from the area shows the goons dragging Sharma, slapping him as he tries to run away. The Whatsapp forward was a satirical cartoon featuring Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and his allies - Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi. Navy veteran - Madan Sharma, is currently under treatment at Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali. The 6 goons who were responsible for the incident are already out on bail in just 24 hours. Read: Navy Veteran's Emotional Daughter On Sena Attack: 'Police Wanted To Arrest My Father' Read: Navy Veteran Attacked: Shiv Sena Shakha Chiefs, 4 Others Get Bail Within 24-hour Of Arrest Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alicia Powell (Reuters) New York, United States Sat, September 12, 2020 08:01 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c445aa61 2 Lifestyle New-York-Fashion-Week,fashion-week,fashion,New-York-City,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free New York Fashion Week will look a little different this season, with the typical seven-day parade of events stripped down to five days because of COVID-19 restrictions, with online runway shows, and smaller, socially distanced audiences. Host IMG said it had worked closely with the governor's office to understand the protocols needed in order to have the shows running from Sept. 13-17. "We evolved the event and our offerings to designers to be able to create an event that's both safe and successful ... and that allows consumers to tune in to watch and participate," said global senior vice president of marketing and brand strategy at IMG, April Guidone. Highlights this season include Jason Wu, Rebecca Minkoff and Christian Siriano, who will show from his Connecticut home. Partnering with US hardware store Lowes, each designer will create sets "with home decor products they found at Lowes." Spring Studios, the normal home of New York Fashion Week, is also adapting. Read also: Video won't kill the catwalk, say critics of first digital fashion week "We are offering the rooftop at Spring (Studios) to designers for more traditional runway shows that may have a very small and limited, socially distant audience," said Guidone. Designers will use the indoor venues that previously hosted large runway shows to debut their collections in new ways, such as by creating films or content for social media. "And then we'll release that content on schedule as if it's live," Guidone said. The content, along with panels and special events, will be broadcasted on NYFW.com. The Council of Fashion Designers of America has also created a new digital platform, Runway360.com, to air various runway shows. Brooklyn-based model Anok Yai has been working in London since March and described the few shows she has done during the pandemic as "very strange". "Everything obviously is very spaced out," said Yai, noting that in the past 100 people would be in one room doing hair and makeup, but now it is less than a dozen. NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- American Jewish Committee (AJC) praised the Kingdom of Bahrain for its momentous decision to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel capping years of increasingly public contacts and affirmations of shared interest between the countries' leaders. The Bahraini decision, announced by President Trump, follows the historic agreement of August 13 to normalize relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel an agreement that included Israel's suspension of plans to annex parts of the West Bank. In 2019, Bahrain hosted the U.S.-sponsored "Peace to Prosperity" workshop to advance Israeli-Palestinian peace. AJC, the leading global Jewish advocacy organization, has been traveling to the Gulf region for more than 25 years, advancing mutual understanding and trust. Bahrain welcomed the first AJC delegation in 1995. "On our many visits to Bahrain, and meetings with Bahraini officials in the United States, we have seen the evolution of its leaders' deep-seated interest in advancing peace and regional cooperation, culminating in this bold decision to fully embrace Israel," said AJC CEO David Harris. "Historically, sustainable Arab-Israel peace agreements have been achieved with active United States leadership. The back-to-back agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and now Bahrain, were achieved with the full engagement of the U.S. Administration," said Harris. "We thank President Trump and his team who saw these possibilities, and welcome the winds of change in the Middle East that lay the foundation for greater peace, cooperation, and prosperity." AJC delegations have regularly met in Manama with the king, foreign minister, other senior government officials, and always spent time with the country's small, indigenous Jewish community, which dates to the 19th century. AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson leads the organization's outreach efforts in the Arab world and has participated regularly in regional strategic affairs conferences hosted by Bahrain. During a visit in March 2009, AJC President Richard J. Sideman presented King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa of Bahrain with AJC's Leadership for Peace Award at Al Safriya Palace in Manama. In September 2019, AJC honored Bahrain with its Architect of Peace award. The award was presented in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, in recognition of the vision of King Hamad, the role Bahrain has played in efforts to encourage understanding and interfaith respect and cooperation, and the courage, integrity, and humanity of the island kingdom's chief diplomat. Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, who served as the country's foreign minister until earlier this year, received the award on behalf of King Hamad and spoke to an AJC audience of the benefits of peace and cooperation throughout the region. "For the 25 years that AJC has been initiating and nurturing relationships across the Arabian Gulf, no government has been more welcoming and forthcoming than that of the Kingdom of Bahrain," said AJC President Harriet Schleifer, who presented the award to Shaikh Khalid. More than 40 years ago, "Sadat, a man of war, knew that at the right moment he would go to Israel and talk to the people," said Shaikh Khalid after receiving the award. To advance peace, "every moment is the right moment." "We in Bahrain want to do our part in achieving Israeli-Palestinian peace. This is something that can be solved if we want to solve it," he said. Houda Ezra Nonoo, the first Jewish ambassador posted abroad by an Arab country, who served as Bahrain's ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2013, addressed the AJC Global Forum in 2019, sharing her story of Jewish life in the Kingdom of Bahrain And last month, Shaikh Abdulla bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Ambassador of Bahrain to the United States, appeared on an AJC Advocacy Anywhere webinar on Iran during the Democratic National Convention. SOURCE American Jewish Committee Related Links http://www.ajc.org Sheriff's office announces fund to support family of Ryan Hendrix The Henderson County Sheriff's Office and North Carolina Police Benevolent Foundation have set up a website to accept donations to support the family of Sheriff's Detective Ryan Hendrix, who died Thursday as a result of his injuries by an armed suspect. "While we at the Henderson County Sheriffs Office will never be able to thank each person individually who has reached out with overwhelming love and support during the tragic loss of Detective Ryan Hendrix, we do want to share with our community how they could donate to the memory of Ryan if so led," the sheriff's office said in a statement. The Sheriffs Office has partnered with the North Carolina Police Benevolent Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization, to make the donation process easy. All of the proceeds go directly to the family of Detective Hendrix. Ryan leaves behind two children, ages 9 and 6 as well as his fiancee. This is the only official donation site. Visit the website to donate to the fund. Abimael Guzman was captured on September 12, 1992, marking the defeat of Shining Path the most bloodthirsty and cruel terrorist group the South American country has ever seen. National Police Special Intelligence Group (GEIN) found the place where he and other Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso or SL) leaders were hiding, by following SL Coordinator Luis Arana Sotil, after he met Carlos Inchaustegui, one of the house's guards. The dwelling in Lima's Surquillo district and its inhabitants Inchaustegui and Maritza Garrido-Lecca were surveilled for months by police officers dressed as street vendors and sweepers. The quantity of food purchased by the couple, the clothes in extra-large sizes, the medicine used to treat psoriasis (ailment Guzman was diagnosed with) and SL-related notes found in the garbage caught the attention of the police. On September 11, the day before Guzman's capture, officers saw the silhouette of a fat bearded man inside the house. He was lighting a candle during one of the blackouts common in the city at that time. The police raided the house the next day at 8:40 PM (local time). Two undercover agents disguised as boyfriend and girlfriend got inside the place as soon as Maritza Garrido-Lecca opened the door to say goodbye to their guests. Guzman was on the second floor, along with SL second in command Elena Iparraguirre also known as Comrade Miriam Laura Zambrano and Maria Pantoja. "There he was. The man was sitting and waiting for us. He knew he had lost," affirmed Luis Flores Soli, one of GEIN members who participated in the successful capture. The Inca nation's dark 1980-2000 terrorism episode is estimated to have claimed over 69,000 lives, according to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Much of said fatalities are attributed to Shining Path, responsible for brutal terror attacks such as the Tarata Bombing, as well as massive assassinations in rural Peru. (END) RMB/MVB Loading... Today, September 12, Peruvians commemorate 28 years of the capture of the most wanted terrorist in Peru, Abimael Guzman , leader of the once-deadly Maoist-inspired terrorist organization Shining Path.Publicado: 12/9/2020 7 things to do in and around Luxembourg this weekend Breonna Taylor FamilyBY: JOHN KAPETANEAS, LAURA COBURN, STEPHANIE FASANO, CHO PARK, SAMANTHA SERGI AND ANTHONY RIVAS, ABC NEWS This report is part of "Turning Point," a groundbreaking month-long series by ABC News examining the racial reckoning sweeping the United States and exploring whether it can lead to lasting reconciliation. (NEW YORK) It was just before 1 a.m. on a Friday night in March when 26-year-old EMT Breonna Taylor drifted to sleep with her boyfriend Kenneth Walker. They had been watching a movie as Louisville, Kentucky, police swept through several homes in the city tied to suspected drug operations. Taylor's ex-boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover, was a suspect in the officers' search. He was arrested 10 miles away from her home earlier that night. Police suspected that Glover had been sending mail to Taylor's apartment. Believing there may be drugs or money there, police arrived at her home with a warrant. Police say they announced themselves repeatedly, but Walker said Taylor repeatedly asked who was there and did not receive an answer. Fifteen minutes after arriving at Taylor's door, police would fire 22 bullets into the home, with eight striking and killing Taylor. The details in Taylor's death were unknown and overshadowed by other high-profile killings of Black men and then the COVID-19 pandemic. When George Floyd was killed in police custody in Minneapolis in late May and bystander video of the incident was shared on social media, the issue was brought front and center. People remembered Taylor's case, and calls for justice began to ring out amid the countrywide protests. The police did not find any drugs or money related to drugs in Taylor's home. The night Breonna Taylor died On the night Taylor died, Walker said in a statement that, contrary to police claims that they announced themselves repeatedly, neither he nor Taylor had heard police when they banged on the door before entering. He said Taylor called out at least twice, asking, "Who is it? Believing someone had broken into her apartment, Walker grabbed his legally owned gun. "I never even fired my gun outside of the range. I'm scared to death," he said in a statement that night. "When we get out of bed or whatever, like walking toward the door, the door comes off the hinges, so I just let off one shot." Officials allege Walker's shot hit Sgt. John Mattingly in the leg. "As soon as the shot hit, I feel the heat in my leg," Mattingly said in new audio from a police interview conducted the night of the shooting. "So I return fire with, I think, four shots." Two other officers executing the warrant, Detective Myles Cosgrove and Detective Brett Hankinson, also fired their guns into the apartment. "And it was simultaneous," said Mattingly, "Just boom, boom, boom ... and I think I got two more off around the corner of the door." "Next thing I know," Walker said later on that night, "she's on the ground and the door's busted open, and I'm yelling, 'Help,' because she's right here bleeding and nobody's coming, and I'm just confused and scared. Taylor's family learned about the incident in pieces. Her sister, Ju'niyah Palmer, said she'd heard about a shooting on their street and thought it involved two people who had gotten into an argument where one shot the other. Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, said she was asleep when Walker called her. "I said, 'Hello,' and all I could hear is Kenny crying," Tamika Palmer said. "And he said, 'Somebody kicked in the door and shot Breonna.' ... And he was screaming her name." Tamika Palmer said she dropped her phone and that when she picked it back, Walker's phone had disconnected. She rushed to Taylor's apartment. "We're [were] just standing out here and waiting and still begging to see Breonna," Tamika Palmer said. "And so, it's about 11 [o'clock] in the morning and the officer comes back over. He says, 'Well, it won't be much longer, and you guys will be able to go in.' And so I screamed at him, 'Why won't you just tell me where Breonna is? Like, why won't you?' And he said, 'Well ma'am, she's still in the apartment.'" Taylor's mom said that at that moment, even though the officer didn't say her daughter had died, she "knew what it meant. A crime scene analysis After analyzing over 1,200 photos of the scene obtained by ABC News, Robert Boyce, former chief of detectives for the New York Police Department, said that during the thousands of search warrants carried out by law enforcement across the United States, "gunfire is very unusual." "It's these horrible incidents that happen; that do happen, unfortunately," he said. "So it's important to understand and keep things serious. Had they been wearing body camera[s], you'll be able to hear the audio: 'Police, police police.' And that's important. We don't have that here. The photos showed how one officer, Hankinson, fired 10 shots from outside Taylor's home through her door. In a termination letter posted to the Louisville Metro Police Department's Twitter in June, Chief Robert Schroeder said Hankinson violated deadly force procedures when he "blindly" fired the rounds. "Somebody has to explain why he did that," said Boyce, an ABC News contributor who is not connected to the case. "Did he see the muzzle flash? Did someone point a gun at him? He has to explain that because ... he's covering the escape route. He's not part of the entry team. Cosgrove and Mattingly were placed on administrative leave and no charges have been filed against any of the officers. Daniel Cameron, Kentucky's attorney general, released a statement this week saying the investigation was still ongoing. Walker was arrested on the same night Taylor was killed and later charged with attempted murder and first-degree assault. His charges were eventually dropped. "My life changed forever," he said during a press conference earlier this month. "I was raised by a good family. I am a legal gun owner, and I would never knowingly shoot a police officer. I can no longer remain silent." Meanwhile, Lonita Baker, the attorney representing Taylor's family in a civil suit against the Louisville Metro Police Department, said they're still trying to determine why the police went forward with the search warrant after Taylor's ex-boyfriend was arrested. "That's one of those questions we're still trying to figure out," Baker said. "We know Jamarcus was apprehended, so why did they execute the warrant? And it's our belief, just based off of some of the things that happened, that the warrant was called off for Breonna's [home], but they chose to still execute it." "They sprayed the entire apartment with gunfire, the neighboring apartments with gunfire," she went on to say. "The firing of a single shot would not justify that. ... Even if drugs were found in her apartment, and they were not, even if money were found in her apartment -- it was not -- it would not justify Breonna's death in any way." Remembering Breonna Taylor Taylor's family said she was the type of person who wanted to help others, and that she had a "big heart," her sister said. "Sometimes too big." "She just wanted to make sure nobody else had to suffer," said Ju'niyah Palmer of her sister's work as an EMT and first responder. "If they didn't have anybody at home, that they would be able to have her. She would get close with her patients to the point where if it was a patient she knew would need her at the end of the day, she would extend her number to make sure her patient understands like, 'I care." Her mother said Taylor was full of life and a "much better version of me." "She's always been strong and just powerful, even as a kid. She always had her head on straight," Tamika Palmer said. Fighting for justice for Breonna Taylor, and so many more Taylor died just three weeks after Ahmaud Arbery was shot dead while jogging on a Georgia street and 10 weeks before video circulated showing Floyd dying as he gasped for air while a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck, the latter of which sparked worldwide Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality. During the ensuing protests, demonstrators not only chanted, "Say his name," for the countless Black men unjustifiably killed, but they chanted, "Say her name," for Breonna Taylor as well. "I've never seen a movement for a Black woman who was killed by police that touched people in Africa and in Europe and across the world," said Tamika Mallory, co-founder of Until Freedom, an organization dedicated to social justice and ending police brutality. Journalist LZ Granderson said it was the video of Floyd's death that sparked such intense outrage. "Breonna Taylor doesn't have a video; doesn't even have body cam," he said. But when word began circulating that "something like this occurred in Louisville, that's the reason why, in terms of the public's knowledge, that her name came after Mr. Floyd's." "We know that just by what we've seen over the years, and specifically even with Breonna Taylor's case, it took George Floyd being murdered in a brutal way to make people say, 'Wait a minute, there's a lot of things happening in here. There are people being killed all over the country,'" said Mallory. She said her organization, co-founded by Linda Sarsour, Mysonne Linen, and Angelo Pinto, had originally planned on being in Louisville for a month, but they decided to stay until there's an announcement on whether the officers involved in Breonna's death will be charged. The "Say Her Name" campaign, launched by the African American Policy Forum in 2014, has become a unifying mantra for advocates who wish to highlight the stories of women of color who've been victimized by police. "'Say Her Name' is designed to do just that: make it where we don't need to have a man killed or a focus on men in order for us to also acknowledge the women that we have lost and the challenges that women feel," she said. "And so, when people say 'Say Her Name,' it is to say, 'Give us priority. Give our lives attention. Give our death and our circumstances the same attention you would give to anyone else." As pressure mounts, the Louisville Metro Police Department recently announced the appointment of a new interim police chief, Yvette Gentry, the first Black woman to lead the department. However, Taylor's supporters said it's not enough. "Justice is the officers being held accountable for their actions in her death," Baker said. "But justice is also true, systemic reform. ... We need police reform immediately. And so, I think that if all we get out of this is that these officers are charged and arrested and convicted, we've not done enough with everything that's going on." Amid calls for justice for Taylor have been demands for a grand jury to convene. It remains to be seen whether that will happen. Until then, her family waits. Tamika Palmer said she misses her daughter "more than life." She said it's "amazing to have all these people standing up for her, saying her name." "I always knew should would be great," Tamika Palmer said. "I hate that she had to die to be great." ABC News' Karin Weinberg, Candace Smith, Steph Wash, Sabina Ghebremedhin, Keturah Gray, Muriel Pearson, Emily Wynn and Jahmia Phillips contributed to this report. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Madam Monica Ahulu, an Officer at the Social Welfare Department in the La-Nkwantanang Municipality, has called for a stop to violence against the vulnerable in society but rather there must be safety nets in place to support them. "You shouldn't be silent about any form of violence near you, especially Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), because it could affect the future of the youth and ruin their respective lives," she said. Madam Ahulu, who was a facilitator at community sensitisation programmes held at Oyarifa and Bawaleshi on ways to end Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, said members of the communities had a vital role to play in reporting SGBV issues to the relevant authorities for offenders to be penalised. The programme, organised by Global Action for Women Empowerment, in collaboration with Accelerated Rural Development Organisation, attracted community members including opinion leaders and the youth. It was on the theme: "Enough! Empowering Women, Girls, Boys, and Men to take Positive Action in ending Gender-based violence in Ghana." Mr John Mensah, Assemblyman of the Oyarifa Electoral Area, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said many members of the community were ignorant about laws that frowned on SGBV. He said the programme would help shape the attitude of members and prepare them to play their roles to curb the menace. Mr Mensah, however, bemoaned the behaviour of some community leaders, who shielded perpetrators of violence and called for a change in attitude. The sensitisation programme is part of a series of activities to be implemented as part of interventions in addressing SGBV. It is funded by the European Union and spearheaded by a consortium made up of Oxfam IBIS (Denmark), Oxfam Ghana, Oxfam Liberia, Foundation for Community Initiative, WiLDAF/Ghana and WiLDAF Mali. 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 BARCELONA (Reuters) - Princess Leonor, the heir to the Spanish throne, has gone into quarantine after a classmate at her school tested positive for COVID-19, the royal household said on Saturday. The 14-year-old daughter of King Felipe will be tested for coronavirus like other pupils in her class at the Santa Maria de los Rosales school in Madrid. The king and Queen Letizia will continue their royal duties for the moment, a spokesman for the royal household said, as Spain struggles to control a surge in coronavirus cases. Eight million Spanish children returned to school last week but some have closed or classes been sent home after pupils tested positive for COVID-19, while authorities in Galicia delayed the start of term by a week for pupils aged 14 to 18. Spain reported 4,708 new coronavirus infections on Friday, bringing its cumulative total to 566,326, the highest in western Europe, as its total COVID-19 death toll rose to 29,747. (Reporting by Graham Keeley; Editing by Alexander Smith) El Pais revealed on Thursday that US authorities are refusing to cooperate with a Spanish investigation into alleged illegal spying on Assange by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), unless they are provided with a raft of information including the details of witnesses whose identity has been kept anonymous for their own protection. The report is only the latest confirmation that the US attempt to extradite Assange from Britain, so that he can be prosecuted under the Espionage Act for exposing American war crimes, is a frame-up being carried out in defiance of basic legal norms. The US bid to block the Spanish investigation goes hand in hand with other abuses that have been on display in the first week of resumed British extradition hearings, which began on Monday. This included the filing of a new superseding indictment of Assange, just weeks out from the start of the hearings. The purpose was to overwhelm Assanges legal team and defence witnesses with thousands of documents after they had finalised their case. Judge Vanessa Baraitser, who is presiding over the show-trial, assisted these efforts, rejecting a defence request that new material in the indictment be excised, and then dismissing calls for a delay so that Assanges lawyers could respond to the allegations, which are substantially based upon the slanders of two FBI informants. US attempts to prevent the exposure of the CIA spying are of a piece with this. The surveillance is referenced in the skeleton defence argument for the current British extradition hearing, published online, where it is described as follows: First, his lawyers were targeted for surveillance operations and their meetings with Mr Assange were recorded by private security agents acting on behalf of the US whilst he was sheltering in the Ecuadorian Embassy. During this time, his lawyers were under physical surveillance by these agents and their offices were broken into Intrusion into Legal Professional Privilege of this nature is universally recognised as the very height of abuse of power. After outlining other abuses, of a similar nature, the defence argument explains: All this points to an agenda that is not confined to a bona fide prosecution. It also points to a clear disregard for the rule of law. It violated the sanctity of diplomatic premises. And it took place in this country, which is relevant to the question of abuse. Clearly, the Spanish investigation, which the US is seeking to stymie, has major implications for the extradition case and for Assanges fate. The revelations of the CIA spying were first brought to public attention by an El Pais article in October last year. It detailed allegations that UC Global, a Spanish security firm contracted by the Ecuadorian government to protect its London embassy, had entered into a secret agreement with US authorities to provide detailed surveillance of Assange, who was residing in the building as a political refugee. The same month, David Morales, the head of UC Global, was arrested by Spanish police, over a raft of accusations, which El Pais said included violating Assanges privacy and attorney-client privilege, as well as misappropriation, bribery, money laundering and illegal possession of arms. Morales was later released on bail, while the investigation has proceeded under the direction of Judge Jose de la Mata. David Morales [Credit: El Plural] The El Pais coverage, and other material that has been made public, alleges that Morales met with emissaries of the US intelligence agencies in 2015, and entered into an agreement to covertly surveil Assange on his behalf. He reportedly told subordinates that UC Global was now playing in the premier league, had gone over to the dark side and was working for the American friends, without the knowledge of the Ecuadorian authorities. The spying allegedly persisted until March, 2018, at which point UC Global no longer provided security at the London embassy. Material made public demonstrates the pervasive character of the spying, with video clips published online showing Assange meeting with his lawyers, friends and colleagues. In 2017, UC Global allegedly upgraded its spying mechanisms, allowing it to capture audio as well as video recording throughout the building. This was reportedly uploaded to a server, to which the US intelligence agencies had access. The personal information of Assanges visitors was stolen, including details of their phones which would enable remote hacking. Since the initial El Pais reports, the sinister character of the operation has become clear. In 2017, Morales allegedly asked his employees to provide information that could be used to leave the embassy unsecure, to facilitate the kidnapping of Assange. There were reportedly discussions about the possibility of poisoning the WikiLeaks founder. One employee was instructed to try and take a sample from the soiled diaper of Assanges infant child, to establish paternity. Even from material that has been publicly released, it is evident that Morales was working on behalf of the US state. Emails he sent in March, 2017, showed an IP address in Alexandria, Virginia, a hub of the intelligence agencies, just weeks after the establishment of an FBI counter-espionage squad whose activities would culminate in the laying of charges against Assange by the Trump administration. Investigative journalist Max Blumenthal, as well as others, have established the mechanisms of the arrangement, showing that the middle-man was the security company of Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire and one of Trumps leading donors. Morales liaised with Adelsons top security staff, who had the closest ties to the US state, as well as the American and Israeli intelligence agencies. Proof of the US involvement in the spying is also furnished by the fact that the information gathered was the basis for so-called active measures, i.e., political and legal attacks based on intelligence collection. Actor Stephen Hoo photographed by UC Global bringing Assanges baby into the Ecuadorian Embassy [Credit: El Pais] Most notably, on December 20, 2017 Assange met with Rommy Vallejo, the head of Ecuadorian intelligence, in the London embassy. The secret briefing was the last stage in preparations for Assange to leave the embassy on Christmas Day, under conditions of a diminished British police presence. Assange was going to use protections contained in the Vienna Convention, by being appointed a diplomat of Ecuador or another sympathetic government. A day later, on December 21, the US Justice Department issued an international arrest warrant for Assange, scuttling the plan. It appears unquestionable that this was because they had watched the entire meeting with Vallejo, captured on UC Globals spy cameras. In their attempt to block the Spanish investigation, the American authorities are seeking to prevent any judicial confirmation of this damning record, which brands the US-led pursuit of Assange as a gangster-operation in violation of innumerable international laws and domestic legislation across multiple jurisdictions. According to El Pais, US prosecutors recently sent a letter to Maria de las Heras, a liaison judge for Spain in the US, asking her to forward its contents to Judge Jose de la Mata of Spains High Court. El Pais stated that de la Mata had requested the details of IP addresses in the US that had connected to the server where the surveillance material on Assange was uploaded, located in the Spanish city of Jerez de la Frontera, where UC Global had its headquarters. The US refused to cooperate and sent their reply, which, according to El Pais, contains: a long list of questions regarding every aspect of his investigation, including who he believes that Morales was providing information to, or whether the judge thinks Morales was working for a foreign information service or as an agent for a foreign poweror whether it was simply a case of bribery. US prosecutors have asked for all this information to be relayed before October 16, otherwise we will assume that Spanish authorities are not interested and the request will be shelved. The US response is a tacit admission that everything that has been alleged by Assanges lawyers and in the press is true. If it were not, why would American authorities seek to stymie the investigation? The US letter also demanded the sources of information for most of the assertions made in the request for judicial cooperation. In addition to being a blatant act of judicial interference, in an investigation over which the US has no jurisdiction, this is a transparent attempt to intimidate witnesses, whose anonymity has been maintained to ensure their security. Previous UC Global staff, testifying against Morales, a former Spanish navy marine turned mercenary, and his CIA masters, have every reason to fear for their safety. When Morales was raided by Spanish police last year, a gun with its serial number filled off was among his possessions. Finally, it should be noted that in addition to establishing the lawless character of the British and US campaign against Assange, the revelations of the surveillance are a damning indictment of the corporate media. For years, they derided Assanges suggestions that he was the target of intensive US spying and dirty tricks operations as a groundless conspiracy theory. DES MOINES -- Two state agencies said they would crack down on restaurants and bars not complying with social distancing orders amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of complaints have been filed, but a month later, only two actions have been taken and one warning issued. The state Alcoholic Beverages Division and Department of Inspections and Appeals on July 30 announced their intention to issue fines and license suspensions in order to enforce social distancing requirements in bars and restaurants during the pandemic. Under Gov. Kim Reynolds public health disaster proclamation, bars and restaurants must ensure at least 6 feet of physical distance between each group or individual drinking or eating alone, and all patrons must be seated. For first offenses, businesses with an alcohol license could be fined $1,000 by the state Alcoholic Beverages Division, and restaurants may be issued a warning by the state Department of Inspections and Appeals. A second offense would result in a seven-day suspension of a business alcohol or food license; a third offense will result in the business losing that license. The Alcoholic Beverages Division, which provides oversight of bars and other venues that sell alcohol, has received 354 pandemic-related complaints. The division has opened 12 investigations and taken two actions, against Boji Nites, an adult entertainment club in Arnolds Park, and Dingus Lounge, a bar in Knoxville, both for failing to adhere to social distancing requirements. The penalties have not yet been determined. In that same time, the Department of Inspections and Appeals has received 154 pandemic-related complaints. It has issued a solitary warning, to Classic Deli and Ice Cream Shoppe in Brooklyn, for a first offense. That warning was the result of a routine inspection, not a complaint, a department spokesperson. The department does not levy fines; it can only revoke or suspend licenses to sell food. It has not taken either action. A spokesman for the Alcoholic Beverages Division said the process of opening a case, completing an investigation and submitting a report to the administrative actions unit can be time-consuming and varies quite a bit. We are working through them as quickly as we can while still ensuring due process, the division spokesperson said. As the regulator of the alcohol industry in the state, the ABD must protect the health, welfare, and safety of the citizens of Iowa, division director Stephen Larson wrote in a recent op-ed. Enforcing proclamation requirements protects Iowans. The Alcoholic Beverages Division has taken one other pandemic-related action: in March, Kelly OSheas Shamrock Pub and Grille in Burlington had its alcohol license revoked for three weeks after it had remained open during a period when the governor had ordered all bars and restaurants closed. Siouxland food (and drink) photos in the Journal in 2020 Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 32 times, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz SHANGHAI: China will release five Indian nationals it detained earlier this month in a region bordering Tibet, state-back tabloid Global Times reported on Saturday, citing unnamed sources. The five were Indian intelligence agents dressed as hunters, the paper said, disputing claims that they had been kidnapped. Bilateral relations have been unusually tense since a clash at a disputed border area in June that killed 20 Indian soldiers, with an unknown number of Chinese casualties. On Tuesday, following reports that five Indians from the state of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders Chinas Tibet, had gone missing, an Indian minister said that the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army confirmed they had been found in China. Their disappearance coincided with a border confrontation that week in the western Himalayas, during which both accused the other of firing in the air. The two sides have long observed a protocol avoiding the use of firearms in the undemarcated frontier, though violence has erupted in the past. On Thursday, Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar met in Moscow and agreed to de-escalate the border tensions. Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin said on the Chinese Twitter-like app Weibo that China-India relations were stabilising. Observers of Chinas foreign relations often watch Hus messages on social media to gauge sentiment from Beijing policymakers. It seems that the successive meetings between the Chinese and Indian defence ministers and foreign ministers have played a positive role in cooling the situation," Hu wrote. In addition, the Peoples Liberation Army defended every inch of the countrys land, and the Indian Army ultimately failed to take advantage of 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 Sept. 11, 1930: The Sunset Dairy will provide all milk and cream to be used by Christeen Chitwood at her cooking school this week. Guy M. Johnson is proprietor. --Looper Grocery offered five pounds of prunes for 39 cents and hamburger meat for 12 cents a pound. 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. The people of Fodome in the Hohoe Municipality have breathed a sigh of relief as the kingmakers of the Taxoe Clan in Fodome Helu, customarily, presented a new Togbega Gbedegbleme's Senior Omankrado for installation in pursuance of the Chieftaincy Act 759 of 2008, Section (62), Subsection (2) of Ghana, by the customs and traditions of Fodome Traditional Area. For fifteen years, this titled office has remained vacant after the demise of the Senior Omankrado of Fodome Traditional Area, Togbe Akuamoah II in 2005. The outdooring of the new Omankrado, Togbe Gbornugbe II, took place in a grand ceremony at Fodome Helu on Thursday, September 10, 2020, amidst a display of joy and cultural elegance. Before his enstoolment, Togbe Gbornugbe II is known in private life as Mr Gbornugbe Denis Komla and acquired an accomplished entrepreneurial skill in the pharmaceutical trade. By order of Fodome chiefship, the senior Omankrado, holds the key to Fodome. His is the right-hand chief to Togbega Gbedegbleme, the Paramount Chief of Fodome Traditional Area, and act as the senior attorney for all citizens and strangers who had any dealing with the paramount chief. As such, he acts as the primary agent for channelling all cases to the paramount chief. Also, the ritual embodiment of his titled office makes the Senior Omankrado the custodian of all laydown customs and rituals that pertain to Fodome on behalf of the paramount chief. Delivering his inaugural speech, Togbe Gbornugbe II has, first, affirmed his readiness to unite all chieftains in his clanthe Taxoe clan. He appreciated the chiefs, queen mothers, elders and all well-meaning individuals for showing support for him during his enstoolment. Exchanging the great oath of Fodome with Togbega Gbedegbleme Akpatsa II, the Paramount Chief of Fodome Traditional Area, he made a solemn promise to support Togbega Gbedegbleme Akpatsa II in particular and other titled rulers, in general, to bring change and development to the area. Also in the ceremony, the Paramount Chief of Fodome, Togbega Gbedegbleme Akpatsa II, who doubled as the chairman expressed his sincere appreciation to his citizens for their show of support throughout the event. Avowedly, the Paramount Chief declared to the chiefs and people his preparedness to install new occupants for other remaining titled offices under his authority, who are currently without chiefs as soon as possible. To this end, he particularly, mentioned clans like Totinyigbe clan and Dugba clan as next to follow with their installation in the coming days. Finally, Togbega Gbedegbleme Akpatsa II thanked everyone including the clergy and wished all guests a safe trip back to their destinations. Komla Lokoe [email protected] Bright yellow and turquoise posters featuring phrases like "We had mind-blowing consent," "I've never consented that hard in my life," and "We consented each other's brains out last night" that were created for the Missoula City-Countys Relationship Violence Services Prevention Division will soon be on display in a German museum. These posters have been around, they've gotten some national attention, and then out of the blue, we got a request from the German Hygiene Museum to feature our posters in an exhibit on human sexuality, Kelly McGuire, manager of the Prevention Division, said Tuesday in a meeting with the Missoula County Board of Commissioners. Local artist Josh Quick worked with Partners Creative, a Missoula-based marketing agency, to brainstorm and create the illustrations for the division's consent campaign, which aims to promote a positive consent culture and is part of a broader campaign to prevent sexual violence in the greater Missoula area called Make Your Move! "My style maybe creates a rounder edge for such a kind of edgy subject using cartoons," Quick said. The posters feature illustrations of couples talking, embracing each other, riding a tandem bicycle and laying side-by-side in bed. Since the campaign launched in 2017, the images and clever taglines have been featured across the state, in the bathrooms of restaurants and bars, testing clinics, and domestic violence and sexual violence prevention agencies. They're even visible at Missoula's Adam & Eve adult store, said Brenna Merrill, Make Your Move! coordinator. Merrill said the division has received a lot of positive feedback on the campaign, including letters from people expressing gratitude for the sex-positive nature of the materials. And now, they'll earn the county some pocket change with the museum agreeing to pay the county 150 Euros, or roughly $178, in exchange for permission to feature the posters for 10 years. A lot of sexual violence campaigns can be sad or depressing to look at, and this really promotes that like sex can be fun and relationships can be fun, Merrill said. I think that there are a lot of times when the word consent feels like it's this legally binding thing," Merrill said. "That makes sex not fun, and that's unfortunate because consent is really what it takes to make sure that you are liking what's happening...That process of checking is certainly important to make sure you're not breaking the law, but it's also to make sure you're having good sex." The campaign includes seven posters, two audio ads, and one video advertisement. Quick, who has done other work for the city and county including posters for the Western Montana Fair, said he was proud to be involved in the campaign. Whenever I can do something with my illustration style that seems helpful, it feels good, he said. In other local government news: Missoula County elected officials are chugging along with efforts to restore passenger rail service to southern Montana. The county is hosting the virtual Montana Passenger Rail Summit from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17, to educate and advocate for increasing rail connectivity across the region. Commissioners and other speakers will also discuss the recently-established Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority. Registration is free and is online at montanapassengerrailsummit.org. On Monday, the Missoula City Council will vote on a request to rezone 2920 Expo Parkway in Grant Creek Village for the building of a subdivision that would essentially double the population of the area. Many neighbors and community groups have expressed opposition to the rezone, which would allow for higher density development, citing traffic concerns. Developers are requesting to rezone a property in the Riverfront Triangle District, located between Broadway and the Clark Fork River, to allow for a taller building. No plans for the building have been finalized yet, but Nick Kaufman of WGM Group, representing the Wise Family Trust, said the idea is to build a mixed-use office and residential building. The Missoula City Councils Land Use and Planning Committee listened to a presentation on the proposed development agreement on Wednesday but did not take any action. The council will take up the proposal again at a future meeting. The Missoula County Elections Office sent out mailers this week to polling place voters to educate them about mail voting in advance of the all-mail general election on Nov 3. The Elections Office also sent mailers to inactive voters encouraging them to update their registration. Residents have also started receiving mailers from third-party organizations, which can be confusing, Missoula County spokesperson Allison Franz said in an email. The easiest way to tell if it's a legitimate mailer is to look for the Missoula Votes logo, Franz said. The office has also compiled outreach materials online at missoula.co/electionoutreach for organizations to distribute. More election information is online at missoulavotes.com. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 1 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. On the eve of the start of the historic peace negotiations between the Taliban and the elected Afghan government, a top American diplomat hoped that the warring factions can come to an agreement on a political roadmap to end the protracted war that has had. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is travelling to to be present during the kick-off of the talks. "For the first time in 40 years, Afghans will sit together, the government delegation that includes people who are not part of the government as well as four very distinguished women, civil society, political groups will be sitting with an authoritative Taliban delegation to discuss and hopefully come to an agreement on a political roadmap to end the protracted war that has had," said Special US Representative on Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad. In a conference call with reporters on the eve of the start of the long-awaited peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government, Khalilzad said that the people of demand an end to the war. "We support them in that effort. And this meeting tomorrow is one of the key requirements, a product of the US-Taliban agreement which was signed on February 29th," he said. The start of intra-Afghan negotiations can lead to the end of war and ensure that Afghanistan never again becomes a threat to any, he said in response to a question. That agreement had three other elements -- a timetable for phased and condition-based US withdrawal of forces; a commitment by the Taliban that they will not allow terrorist groups, including al-Qaida, to threaten the United States and its allies from the territories that they control and if they became part of a future government that commitment will continue; and a comprehensive formal ceasefire. That will be one of the subjects of the negotiations between the two sides, he said. On February 29, there was a declaration under which the Afghan government said that territory controlled by it and a post-peace Afghanistan would not allow terrorists such as al-Qaida to threaten the United States. "We also would like to clarify that these negotiations are an important achievement but that there are difficulties, significant challenges on the way to reaching agreement. This is a test for both sides, for the Taliban and the government, Khalilzad said. "Can they reach an agreement despite differences, in terms of their visions for the future of Afghanistan? We are prepared to assist if our assistance is needed, but this is a new phase in the diplomacy for peace in Afghanistan. Now we are entering a process that is Afghan-owned and Afghan-led, Khalilzad said. There will be no mediator and no facilitator when Afghans meet with each other. They will be talking to each other. The secretariat of the conference will also be carried out, that function, by the Afghans from the two sides, said the top American diplomat. Responding to questions, Khalilzad said that there are spoilers who don't want the peace process to take place or to go forward, and there are people who prefer the status quo to a peace agreement. There are people who prefer the US to remain entangled in a conflict in Afghanistan. A number of players are bad and some are at war also not only with the government but they are at war with the Talibans as well, Khalilzad said. One such group is Daesh, which has been responsible for quite a lot of violence in Afghanistan and it does not want the peace process to go forward. Khalilzad said that if there is peace between the Taliban and the government, Afghanistan will be in a stronger position to deal with the smaller groups that are part of the reality of Afghanistan. (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| 2020-09-12 20:02:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PARIS, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- More than 150 people were arrested on Saturday after hundreds of "Yellow Vest" protesters took to streets in the center of Paris to oppose President Emmanuel Macron's fiscal, economic and social policies. Paris police department said 154 individuals had been detained by 13:00 p.m. local time (1100 GMT) in the capital for holding screwdriver, ice ax, cutting pliers and knives. According to local reports, up to 5,000 protesters are expected to gather in the capital, including 1,000 members of the far-left anarchist group known as the "black blocs." On Feb. 29, the French government decided to ban all public gatherings with more than 5,000 people due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The ban has been extended to Oct. 30. In a bid to avoid the chaos in the capital, which had turned into battle field in previous "Yellow Vest" action, police prefect Didier Lallemant banned two demonstrations in the capital's main avenue, and ordered demonstrators not to gather near the Elysee Palace, the National Assembly and the prime minister's office. "Demonstrations are possible provided that they take place peacefully, that there is no destruction," said Lallement, calling for respect for barrier gestures. Other protests are also planned in Marseille, Toulouse, Lyon, Lille, Nantes, Nice, Bordeaux and Strasbourg. The "Yellow Vest" movement, a nationwide protest against weak economic performance and stagnant income increase, started as a campaign against surge in fuel prices in November 2018. Enditem Doha, Sep 12 : The much-awaited historic face-to-face talks between the representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban began in Doha on Saturday after several delays. The negotiations are intended to bring about a political settlement to a decades-long conflict that has taken many lives and destabilized the country, reports TOLO News. The intra-Afghan talks were part of the historic agreement signed between the US and the Taliban on February 29 also in the Qatari capital. The talks were to be held 10 days after the deal was signed but it kept getting delayed over the prisoner release issue between the Afghan government and the Taliban. The government claimed that it has freed all the 5,000 Taliban inmates, while the militant group has also completed the release of 1,000 government prisoners. Political parties and political movements called on the Taliban negotiators and the delegation representing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in the talks to show flexibility for the sake of peace and for Afghanistan's national interests, TOLO news reported. They said that the two sides shouldn't try to sacrifice the nation's interests for minor issues. Former President Hamid Karzai said that he hopes that intra-Afghan talks here yield a positive outcome. "At this very critical stage in the history of our beloved country, peace and security are the main priority of all people. I urge the negotiators to prioritize the large national interests of the country over the limited and temporary demands, and to act with a spirit of forgiveness and tolerance, focusing on the present and the future of our motherland," said Karzai. Meanwhile, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said that the peace process should be broad-based and inclusive. "The meaningful, broad-based and inclusive presence of the citizens and victims of war are among the important issues that need to be considered in the peace negotiation talks," said Zabiullah Farhang, media adviser to AIHRC. "Peace must ensure a durable stability in Afghanistan. The Islamic republic system, which has been achieved by the joint efforts of the Afghan society and many other countries, must be protected, because this kind of system will help us live together in a peaceful way and maintain relations with the international community," said Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, the leader of Hizb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami Afghanistan. "This is a historic opportunity for the people of Afghanistan, the peace negotiators from both sides need to play a historic role during the talks," said Abdul Qarloq, the deputy head of Junbish-e-Milli Islami party. "We have to be very vigilant that it will be a real peace," said Abdul Karim Khurram, former chief of staff of the president. "We hope to achieve the peace that our people want," said Wahidullah Sabaoon, the head of Hizb-e-Islami Mutahid-e-Afghanistan party. "Confidence-building measures are a key component of peace process," said Fazel Hadi Wazin, a member of the Hizb-e-Islami party. The opening ceremony will be attended by senior officials from different countries including US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and senior officials from the host country Qatar. The 21-member Afghan team is headed by former intelligence chief Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai. Abdullah will inaugurate the event with his opening remarks and will be followed by Taliban deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Pompeo, said the TOLO News report. Meanwhile, Pompeo, who arrived in Doha on Friday night, said in a tweet that Afghans deserve a country that isn't at war, and "we are here to support them in building a roadmap to a peaceful future". Mullah Mohammad Daud, a member of the Taliban's political office in Qatar who is attending the opening ceremony of the negotiations, says he is happy about the start of the talks, adding that "war is not good". Before heading to Doha, Abdullah, said: "This is a historic day. I am hopeful that the talks could lead to ending the war and restoring lasting peace in Afghanistan." Acting Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar said a ceasefire will be the first topic in the talks. "We hope that consensus is also built among the Taliban regarding peace," he added. Pooja On Rejecting Bigg Boss Telugu 4 Pooja Jhaveri revealed that she was also offered Bigg Boss Hindi hosted by Salman Khan. While speaking about rejecting both the shows, Pooja said, "In 2018, I was offered an opportunity to feature in both Bigg Boss Telugu and Bigg Boss Hindi. I turned it down because I am a simple individual who loves life without complications. My approach to complex things is pretty simple i.e. staying away from an argument than being a part of one. This year too, I was offered Bigg Boss Telugu, but I turned down the opportunity. Though, I am looking forward to watching it this year, as I have never really seen it. Also wishing all the participants lots of luck!" Pooja Jhaveri Shares Experience Working In South Film Industry Since Pooja Jhaveri has predominantly worked in South films, she shared her experience working in it. While sharing her story of entering South cinema, the 47 Days actress said, "South films happened to me by fluke. Honestly, I didn't know that south would be so welcoming and warm before my first film. I have learnt a lot through the years in terms of sincerity, discipline, passion for work both technically and creatively in this industry. All in all, I thrive to perform better in each film which inspires me to stand strong in the cut-throat competition that persists." Pooja On Challenges She Faced While Working In South Films Pooja Jhaveri hails from Vapi, Gujarat. Hence, languages like Telugu, Tamil and Kannada were completely unfamiliar to her. However, she worked hard on the dialect and managed to learn Telugu. "Frankly, my journey has been smooth so far in the industry & I have never really faced challenges of any sort. The only hurdle, I faced was getting versed with conversing in Telugu which gradually got better while shooting my first film." Future Projects Pooja Jhaveri was last seen opposite Satyadev in 47 Days. Directed by Pradeep Maddali, the Telugu film was released on June 30, 2020 on ZEE5. In future, she will be seen in Rukkumani Vandi Varudhu (Tamil), 8 (Tamil), Bangaaru Bullodu (Telugu) and Sarabhai (Gujarati). Two university students quit their day jobs at Telstra to launch a multi-million dollar phone charging company with just $12,000 in savings. Michael Wang and Mark Johnston, both still in their 20s, were working as sales consultants at the telco giant when Apple announced wireless charging technology would be enabled on its iPhone and AirPod products. The pair discovered there was a gap in the market for wireless car chargers, and decided to create their own brand through an international supplier. 'We knew the iPhone with wireless charging capabilities was launching and we wanted to start a new trend. We also complained about having messy cables in our car,' Mr Johnston said. Michael Wang (third from left) and Mark Johnston (far right) were working as sales consultants at Telstra while studying at uni The two university students immediately discovered there was a gap in the market for wireless car chargers, and decided to create their own brand through an international supplier SnapWireless' power banks, cordless car chargers and socket-based wireless pads can charge an iPhone at about 1 per cent every two minutes and one per cent every minute for the Samsung Galaxy In September 2017 and with $12,000 in savings, the pair launched SnapWireless, a portable wireless charging retailer on track to make $3.6million this year. 'We already had a bit of background in understanding tech. We knew with Apple launching it, there would be big hype behind it,' Mr Wang told SmartCompany. SnapWireless sells between 1,500 and 2,000 orders every month to customers in Australia, the United States and Europe through its online shop and in-store with Telstra. Mr Wang and Mr Johnston used their knowledge of how Telstra works to create a sales pitch the telco couldn't refuse. The entrepreneurs launched their products into 15 Telstra stores in their first six months of business, before the telecoms giant approved a statewide deal in South Australia. 'We were ahead of everyone else, even the bigger wholesalers,' Mr Johnston said. The pair cashed in on the lucrative social media market by sending products to influencers in exchange for Instagram posts and sponsored content The pair also cashed in on the social media market by sending products to influencers in exchange for Instagram posts and sponsored content. SnapWireless' power banks, cordless car chargers and socket-based wireless pads can charge an iPhone at about 1 per cent every two minutes and one per cent every minute for the Samsung Galaxy. Despite that being slightly slower than traditional cord chargers, the pair predict wireless charging will become commonplace. 'It's still a top-end thing to have wireless charging, but within two-to-three years, all phones will be charging wirelessly,' Mr Johnston said. Mr Johnston encouraged budding entrepreneurs to follow his seven-step guide to launching a successful online retailer. SnapWireless sells to between 1,500 and 2,000 orders every month to customers in Australia, the United States and Europe through its online shop and in-store with Tesltra The entrepreneurs launched their products into 15 Telstra stores in their first six months of business, before the telecoms giant approved a statewide deal in South Australia How to build an online business from scratch Step 1: Pick a niche: Tech, beauty or fitness Step 2: Pick a brand name and make a logo Step 3: Register a domain name online Step 4: Make a Shopify website Step 5: Link Shopify store to online website Step 6: Pick a theme and customise your website Step 7: Add your products to website Advertisement He advised other young Australians to find their niche, and recommends entering either the technology, beauty or fitness field. 'Tech is evolving so fast and there is so many products you can launch,' Mr Johnston said. 'Beauty products are always running out and people will pay a premium to look good, and fitness because people are always looking for new ways to stay fit and healthy.' Mr Johnston said deciding on a unique brand name and creating a logo comes next, and suggested using free website Canva. 'Once you have your brand name you need to register online. I use a free platform called Hostpapa,' he said. 'Step four is to build your website, I recommend using Shopify that has a 14-day free trial. It has free themes you can pick from and it doesn't require any coding.' Mr Johnston then advised linking the Shopify store to the online website, which can be done with just a few clicks. 'The last step is to add your products. You can add your product title, descriptions, images and the pricing, and then you're good to go,' he said. Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for second time Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A week after U.S.-brokered talks led to the leaders of rival nations Serbia and Kosovo to normalize their economic ties after decades of dispute, a Swedish parliamentarian has nominated President Donald Trump for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize his second nomination. 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, Member of Parliament from Sweden, Magnus Jacobsson, announced on Twitter with a copy of the full letter supporting Trumps nomination. Trade and communications are important building blocks for peace, Jacobsson added. While announcing the agreement between Serbia and Kosovo last Friday, Trump said his administration proposed a new way of bridging the divide after a violent and tragic history, and years of failed negotiations. By focusing on job creation and economic growth, the two countries were able to reach a major breakthrough something that nobody thought was going to be possible. And I think its going to work out very well. And were going to be working with them on economic cooperation across a broad range of issues, the president said at the time. Theres been tremendous death over a long period of time, and that all stops, he added. On Wednesday, a member of the Norwegian Parliament, Christian Tybring-Gjedde, nominated Trump for the worlds most prestigious prize, citing his 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. The agreement can open for lasting peace between several Arab countries and Israel, he explained. 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. Speaking with Fox News about his nomination of 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. In a joint statement last month, 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. Later, Trump said at a press briefing, 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 also noted 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. T rials of a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University will resume after they were paused when a patient fell ill. The late-stage studies were put on hold after a British participant developed severe neurological symptoms, AstraZeneca previously said. A spokesman for the pharmaceutical giant said the woman, who had received a dose of the experimental vaccination, reported symptoms consistent with transverse myelitis a rare inflammation of the spinal cord. In a statement on Saturday, Oxford University confirmed the trials would resume. The statement read: Globally some 18,000 individuals have received study vaccines as part of the trial. In large trials such as this, it is expected that some participants will become unwell and every case must be carefully evaluated to ensure careful assessment of safety. On Sunday our standard review process triggered a study pause to vaccination across all of our global trials to allow the review of safety data by an independent safety review committee, and the national regulators. All routine follow-up appointments continued as normal during this period. The independent review process has concluded and following the recommendations of both the independent safety review committee and the UK regulator, the MHRA, the trials will recommence in the UK." UK will get first access to Oxford vaccine, No 10 says It comes after the Governments chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance told a Downing Street press conference what has happened in the Oxford trial is not unusual. He added that similar events should also be expected in some of the other vaccine candidate trials. News site Stat first reported the pause in testing and said the possible side effect occurred in a testing volunteer in Britain, who was expected to recover. The vaccine is being tested in thousands of people in Britain and the United States, and in smaller study groups in Brazil and South America. Two other vaccines are in huge, final-stage tests in the US, one made by Moderna and the other by Pfizer and Germanys BioNTech. Despite some figures, such as President Donald Trump, insisting a vaccine will be ready in a matter of months, Oxford University has said a vaccine might not be ready before 2022. We have men, weapons and we control two-thirds of the country and the CNSP is no more legitimate than us, said Sidi Brahim Ould Sidatt, the president of the Azawad group. We have two choices to make now: Either we enter the transition process and have made a new constitution of Mali together in which we recognize ourselves, or we wait after the transition and we continue negotiations with the government that will be put in place. KYODO NEWS - Sep 12, 2020 - 17:40 | All, Japan TOKYO - Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force said Saturday it will conduct a joint exercise with the United States, South Korea, and Australia in the Pacific waters off Guam through Sunday. The drill, called "Pacific Vanguard," is widely seen as a veiled counter to China's increasing assertiveness in the Western Pacific. "It is really invaluable that the navies of four countries will get together again in Guam to participate in Pacific Vanguard at this difficult time we all face with COVID-19," said Vice Adm. Hideki Yuasa of the MSDF. "I strongly believe that our enhanced cooperation will certainly contribute to peace and stability in the Western Pacific as well as furthering our partnership," he said. The drill will bring together over 1,500 sailors from the four participating nations to reinforce practical cooperation, according to the U.S. 7th Fleet. The MSDF has dispatched the helicopter carrier Ise and Aegis destroyer Ashigara for the drill. 25-year-old woman whose throat was slit survives murder attempt by husband, rescued from highway Death of 5 COVID-19 positive patients at Thane hospital not due to oxygen supply issue: Committee IMD forecasts intense rain likely in Mumbai; 2 dead in Palghar, 1 in Thane Cyclone Tauktae: More than 2,000 houses, crops on 363 hectares damaged in Thane Within minutes, Thane woman gets three jabs of COVID-19 vaccine: Probe launched COVID-19: Rs 500 fine for not wearing face mask in Thane city India pti-Madhuri Adnal Thane, Sep 12: 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. The step is necessary in view of the rapid increase in positive cases in the city, the order said. Till Friday night, Thane city has recorded 29,463 coronavirus positive cases and 885 deaths. N95 masks to be most effective in stopping COVID-19 spread Other municipal corporations in Thane district have issued similar orders recently. The administration of neighbouring Palghar district has also instructed the people to use face masks. Those flouting the order will be penalised on the spot, a senior district official has said. West Whiteland Residents for Pipeline Safety posted this picture of a boom erected in White Marsh Creek Lake after what environmental groups say was 1,000 gallons of fluid used in horizontal drilling. Read more The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection on Friday ordered Sunoco to reroute a portion of its Mariner East 2 pipeline being dug in Upper Uwchlan Township, Chester County, after an August spill of 8,000 gallons of drilling fluid flowed into Marsh Creek Lake. Marsh Creek State Park, with its 535-acre lake, is one of the most heavily visited parks in the state, with more than a million visitors a year. The spill enraged residents and environmental groups, and the DEP ordered drilling stopped at the time. Though there is already a backup route as the result of a previous DEP order, rerouting the 20-inch pipeline could create a significant delay for Sunoco Pipeline LP. We are currently reviewing the DEPs Administrative Order and will continue to work closely with the DEP on this issue as we have done throughout the duration of this project, said Lisa Coleman, a spokeswoman for Energy Transfer, which owns Sunoco. Our first priority remains the safe completion and then operation of this important infrastructure project. The spill occurred Aug. 10, when crews were drilling horizontally to install the pipeline that would transport natural gas liquids. The section of pipeline runs along Little Conestoga Road in Upper Uwchlan Township, passing from the northwest to the southeast in the Marsh Creek Watershed. The drilling fluid typically contains a mixture of bentonite clay and water, and is classified as an industrial waste. The incident left a 15-foot wide by 8-foot deep sinkhole and impacted wetlands, two tributaries to the lake, and the lake itself. Officials closed off 33 acres of the lake from boating and other recreational uses. These incidents are yet another instance where Sunoco has blatantly disregarded the citizens and resources of Chester County with careless actions while installing the Mariner East 2 pipeline," DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said in a statement. We will not stand for more of the same. An alternate route must be used. DEP spokesperson Virginia Cain said Sunoco has 30 days to file an appeal of the administrative order to reroute the section. If it does, the matter would go before the state Environmental Hearing Board. Cain said Sunoco had to propose an alternate pipeline route in 2017 after a spill that year. She said Sunoco found at the time that the route was feasible. So, the new order states Sunoco must use that route. The new route would run for a little over a mile, and be north of where the current pipeline drilling is taking place. The route would cross under the Pennsylvania Turnpike, then run parallel to the highway, cross Little Conestoga Road, then turn south, and cross back again under the turnpike. It would still cross two waterways and forested wetlands, and would be closer to five homes. Alex Bomstein, an attorney at Clean Air Council, said Friday afternoon that he had just learned of the DEP order and could not comment on the new route. But he commended the DEP for stopping the drilling at Marsh Creek after the August spill. That Sunoco cannot go ahead at this horizontal drilling site is correct and absolutely necessary given that its track record demonstrates that its not going to be able to build this safely through Marsh Creek State Park, he said. After the most recent spill, the DEP assessed a $355,636 fine against Sunoco for violations related to the construction of the pipeline in eight Pennsylvania counties. That penalty was for violations that took place between August 2018 and April 2019 involving leaks or spills of drilling fluid during horizontal drilling to open a space through which a steel pipeline is installed. The incidents have led some environmental and residents' groups to call for a halt of the pipeline. Sunocos negligence has created a series of entirely predictable disasters, the most recent being the massive spill at Marsh Creek Lake," said Food and Water Action organizer Sam Rubin in a statement. This dangerous, unnecessary pipeline does not need to be rerouted. It must be shut down entirely. Ginny Kerslake, with the West Whiteland Residents for Pipeline Safety, agreed. This action by the DEP is the least they could do, Kerslake said. Energy transfer has shown time and again that it is either unable or disinterested in complying with the permits. It is high time the DEP revoked the permits and put a halt to this ill-conceived project that threatens our families communities and water resources. But the Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance, which advocates for energy projects, called the DEPs action a blow that could extend the disruption residents are already experiencing, and also threaten jobs. "Communities that thought this project was coming to an end now face potentially many more months of disruption, because this action has the potential of dramatically extending the construction life of a pipeline project that was nearly finished, the group said in a statement. Staff writer Andrew Maykuth contributed to this article. Monsta has also signed a deal to screen their upcoming animations in the APAC region including in Japan and Korea. 11 Sep Good news for "BoBoiBoy" fans as it's been confirmed that the third movie, "BoBoiBoy Movie 3", is all set to be released in cinemas in 2022. This was revealed by Animonsta Studios CEO Nizam Razak himself, who also shared several updates on their new projects, including their latest animated film "Mechamato Movie". "Initially, "BoBoiBoy Movie 3" was scheduled to be released in 2021 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of "BoBoiBoy", but it has been moved to 2022 to make way for the "Mechamato" franchise in 2021. "We are also planning to produce "BoBoiBoy Galaxy Special" to ensure there's something special for fans in conjunction with the 10th anniversary," he stated. "BoBoiBoy Galaxy Special" will be a special release for fans in celebration of the 10th anniversary of "BoBoiBoy". Aside from that, "BoBoiBoy" will also release a new mini-series called "Destinasi Terbaik" (The Best Destination), which aims to help the local tourism industry that has been badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The series is in the same vein as "Fly with Yaya". Monsta will help boost the local tourism industry with "Destinasi Terbaik". Monsta has also signed a deal with a major network to bring the "Mechamato" series to the APAC region, including Japan and Korea, in 2021. The new "Mechamato" series, set in a fictional city that is inspired by Malacca, will revolve around technology as well as culture. Each Monsta animation will focus on introducing local culture to international audiences. This showcases Monsta's commitment in promoting the nation's local culture to the world. The main characters in the series are Amato, MechaBot, Pian, Mara and Deep, with Bula and Bili as supporting characters. (Photo source: Nizam Razak's Facebook) For West Windsor teen Samvit Agarwal, it started off with a love for computer science. It turned into 300 students, 250 volunteers and plenty of happy parents. Agarwals non-profit organization, CS Remastered, guides kids from grades 3 to 12 with free computer science education. It has been the goal of the organization since it was launched in late 2018, but the coronavirus pandemic has made Agarwal and his team of volunteers more driven to give back. Ive been interested in technology for a long time and I began by helping kids in the neighborhood out with their technical projects, the 17-year-old student said. "I felt as though a lot of kids were interested in technology but didnt have the resources to start. I figured it would be great to create a program for kids to learn computer science and technology directly through CS Remastered. Before the pandemic, we taught in person at local libraries," Agarwal said. "We have seen an increase in participation and more people willing to participate. Moving the teaching to online has been pretty seamless. Agarwal and the other 249 high school volunteers use Discord to hold the tutoring. The app is a server that the volunteers can sort in ways to host one-on-one sessions in private rooms and post announcements and upcoming events for the students and their parents to make note of. It comes in handy because the organization has five different branches one in New Jersey, one in California, another in Ohio, one in China and the other in India. Its already plenty for Agarwal and company to keep track of, though the buck isnt stopping there. The plan is to continue growing. New Jersey is our biggest branch and I would say 170 to 180 of our volunteers are from here, he said. West Windsor, Robbinsville, Ewing are a few of the towns in the New Jersey branch. Along with the other four branches, we also hope to expand to neighboring states like New York and Pennsylvania soon. CS Remastered is still in the search for sponsors to pitch in with the donation of proceeds, although its teaming up with other non-profits in the meantime. Agarwal talked about a few of those relationships. Were partnering with a few other organizations, he said. Were partners with HomeFront NJ, which reaches out to kids in homeless shelters and we teach those kids basic programming/STEM education. We also work with Girls Who Code in an effort to start a branch there and increase STEM participation amongst females. The feedback among parents as well as the high school students has additionally left Agarwal with a grin. He shared a thank-you note from a parent of one of the New Jersey students. Dear CS Remastered team, I have heartfelt gratitude for your effort and time for selfless teaching. I wish you all success and happiness in everything you do. Another compliment read: Thanks for organizing. Matthew and Ishaan had a great time learning. Thanks to the volunteers who make it all happen. As Agarwals journey as the founder and president of CS Remastered rolls on, his journey in the computer science field is just getting underway. Its the West Windsor-Plainsboro South seniors passion and he hopes rewarding efforts like his non-profit organization will only benefit him with future endeavors. In college, I hope to do some combination of computer science and business, he said. "I want to expand with entrepreneurship and social impact. For most of us at CS Remastered, and me particularly, we enjoy taking something we love and making a positive impact on others," he added. "Seeing some of our students grow immensely in just a few months is amazing to see, and it validates the work we do. To get involved or register a student, go to the CS Remastered website. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Ryan Patti may be reached at rpatti@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Breathing easier Re: Building design needs breath of fresh air (Sept. 8) Brent Bellamys article goes a long way towards educating parents about air quality issues that will affect children returning to school. That said, additional quantification might help. For K-12 classrooms, the optimal rate for "importing" heated and/or air-conditioned outdoor air (and, by implication, exhausting stale air) should be somewhere between five and seven litres per second per person. How can a busy classroom teacher (and/or a worried parent) determine whether a classroom meets this admittedly ideal standard? Its difficult to assess the bacterial and/or viral "load" in any given indoor area. However, there is a surrogate measure of indoor air-quality; namely parts-per-million (ppm) "load" of carbon dioxide (CO2). Outdoor air normally contains 350 to 450 ppm of CO2. For indoor areas, the deemed "safe" levels of CO2 are 400 to 1,000 ppm. At those levels, and particularly at the lower end of the range, indoor air quality is relatively good. Thus, the risk of inhaling others viral droplets should be relatively low. Face masks and proper social distancing should suffice to provide a reasonable level of safety. In the range of 1,000 to 2,000 ppm, drowsiness begins to set in (obviously, not desirable for optimal learning). Additionally, theres the heightened risk of inhaling others viral droplets. For safety-oriented field-testing, CO2 "load" is a rough measure of indoor air quality and potential for interpersonal transmission of illnesses. However, it easily beats simply sniffing the air and making wild guesses. So whats a teacher and/or parent to do? Reliable CO2 meters are available for less than $200 each. Readings from those readily-available meters would allow responses relative to two variables; namely, the HVAC systems adequacy and/or the optimal occupant "load" for any given area within a school. Thus, if tweaking of the HVAC system is not feasible, the "adjustable" variable would have to be the number of students who can safely occupy any given space, given the HVAC systems capabilities. Yes, its rough-and-ready science, but it is likely more than many school boards have been doing and, as noted above, it likely beats whatever is in second place. Keith Bricknell Toronto, Ont. Border concerns The federal government has extended the Canada-U.S. land border closing until Sept. 21. Before another automatic 30-day extension is imposed on non-essential travel, I would hope Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government is taking into consideration the hundreds of thousands of snowbirds who winter in the warmer climes of the southern states. I understand the high risk of COVID-19 transmission associated with cross-border day and weekend trips (too much back-and-forth). However, snowbirds with winter homes pose very little risk as we would spend three to six months in our winter state, then return to Canada in the spring and self-isolate for 14 days. Currently there are no restrictions on flying to the U.S., so why not open the border to snowbirds who have residences in the U.S.? We can wear masks and practise COVID-19 safety measures in the warm weather as well as the cold weather. Most travel insurers have indicated they will provide coverage for medical emergencies, including COVID-19, once travel advisories are lifted. So, prime minister, when debating this issue around the cabinet table, please consider the snowbirds who have homes across the border. Terry Meindl Teulon Thin resume Re: Trump change? (Letters, Sept. 8) The job of a free press is to hold those in power to account, not to be cheerleaders for the incompetent and the corrupt. Despite his criticism of Free Press editorials, Kurt Clyde does not provide one example of anything positive that the megalomaniac running the U.S. asylum has done. Some readers just cant handle the truth. Gerri Thorsteinson Winnipeg Just another fossil fuel Re: Gas fuels optimism for resource minister (Sept. 8) This article ignores global warming in this form of progress. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is just another fossil fuel. True, its emissions when burned are less than those of oil and coal but it still pollutes the planet. The issue is the reality of high-paying jobs today versus a better society tomorrow. We are slowly learning that alternative energy such as geothermal will likely give us more money in the future and may produce a better world for children and grandchildren. But are we learning fast enough? Also, LNG is mainly found in a part of Canada that still remains as natural as we found it. These areas are now largely occupied by Indigenous people who realize that preserving nature is better than wealth today. The pipeline from northern B.C. to Kitimat is a classic example of this faulty economics. A median income for all is a start toward a greater equality that we know is socially better. Long-term investments ought to be in essentials like shelter and food and not in what will give the highest monetary returns today. We know that trickle-down economics, in which the richest people will share with others, doesnt work. Off-shore tax havens affirm this understanding. Investing in LNG will not prolong the worlds existence. Tapping into the Earths resources of sunshine and wind are a better choice for progress. Barry Hammond Winnipeg Who was that masked man? I am totally in favour of masks in liquor stores and in all indoor spaces, but I have to question the policy of removing your mask in order that the security guard sees your face. I can see it being valid if there is a concern that you were not of age to enter, but that would not be a problem for someone of my age. I questioned an employee, and their explanation was that it had to do with theft. Their explanation was to say that if my ID were stolen and someone stole liquor, I would be labelled as someone who stole from their store. I am sorry, I fail to see any rationale in this policy. Terry McCullough Winnipeg Done keeping up 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. Re: Kardashians leave TV, but theyre not going away (Sept. 11) Gracious sakes alive! We have been rescued. It has been announced that the televised reign of the Kardashians has come to an end. Who really cared about what this family of misfit men, women and children did on a daily basis? I truly feel sorry and sad for a society (or a large supporting portion of it) that actually showed interest in the Kardashians. I believe that they were only a rich, no-talent family that experienced difficulties in life that allowed their personal feelings and actions to be recorded. On a daily basis, other ordinary, everyday people like you and I experienced the same feelings, trials and tribulations and did not get paid for it. Robert J. Moskal Winnipeg The three have been named based on the statements of JNU students Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal, and Gulfisha Fathima of Jamia Milia Islamia The names of CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav, economist Jayati Ghosh and Delhi University professor Apoorvanand figure in a supplementary chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police in the February riots case, allegedly for "provoking and mobilising" anti-CAA protesters. Some of those named have also been charged with based on the statements of three students already arrested in the case asking the protesters to go to "any extreme", spreading "discontent" in the community by calling CAA/NRC anti-Muslim, and organising demonstrations to "malign the image of Government of India". Their names appeared in the supplementary chargesheet, a copy of which is with PTI, filed by the police on the riots in North East District between 23 and 26 February, which claimed 53 lives and left 581 injured, 97 of them with gunshot wounds. Later, after a political slugfest broke out on the issue, Delhi Police sources sought to downplay the entire matter, saying one of accused had disclosed these names in a disclosure statement. The Delhi Police has not filed a chargesheet "against" them, the sources told PTI, stressing that there is a difference between ''naming'''' of someone as an accused in a chargesheet and of mentioning a name due to certain allegations. After repeated attempts for his comments, Yogendra Yadav said, "I notice that the passing reference to me does not even contain one sentence from my speech. I find it surprising that the Delhi Police has made no effort to see the recording of my speeches all of which are in public domain." These eminent personalities have been named based on the statements of the three students women's collective Pinjra Tod members and JNU students Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal, and Gulfisha Fathima of Jamia Milia Islamia in the Jafrabad violence, from where the riots spread to other parts of north-east Delhi. All three are facing charges under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. In the chargesheet, which was made public just two days before the commencement of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Delhi Police has claimed that Kalita and Narwal admitted to not just their complicity in the riots but also named Ghosh, Apoorvanand and documentary filmmaker Rahul Roy as their mentors, who allegedly asked them to carry out the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and go to "any extreme". Their similarly-worded disclosure statements mentioned in the chargesheet claimed that the two JNU students said they organised the Daryaganj protest in December and the Jafrafad chakka jam (road block) against the CAA on 22 February, 2020 at the behest of Ghosh, Apoorvanand and Roy. Reacting to the charge sheet, Yechury hit out at the government through a series of tweets. "The Delhi Police is under the Centre and the Home Ministry. Its illegitimate, illegal actions are a direct outcome of the politics of BJP's top leadership. They are scared of legitimate peaceful protests by mainstream political parties and are misusing state power to target the opposition," he said. BJP's illegal intimidation won't stop people from opposing discriminatory laws like CAA. To assert that all Indians are equal irrespective of their religion, caste, colour, creed, region, gender & political affiliations is not only our Right but our Duty. We will exercise it. Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) September 12, 2020 Several others on Twitter also condemned the naming of the above-mentioned persons. This proves the malafide nature of Delhi police inv into the Delhi riots. Nothing could be more absurd than to accuse Sitaram Yechury, Yogendra Yadav, Jayati Ghosh&Prof Apoorvanand for instigating riots. Their speeches are available on video.This while Kapil Mishra&Co are let off https://t.co/DizUgGhPBc Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) September 12, 2020 At this rate, BJP and Home Minister Amit Shah are going to chargesheet and arrest all Indian citizens who spoke up against Citizenship Amendment Act. Meanwhile Ministers who provoked Goli Maaro chants will be rewarded. https://t.co/oUJinWsd5D Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) September 12, 2020 Delhi riots chargesheet silent on Kapil Mishra but includes Yechury & Yogendra Yadav Am now certain BJP govt will re-write history textbooks naming Nehru as chief instigator of Gujarat riots Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) September 12, 2020 Delhi Police Additional PRO Anil Mittal said, "The names are part of the disclosure statement of one of the accused in connection with organising and addressing the anti-CAA protests. The disclosure statement has been truthfully recorded as narrated by the accused person. A person is not arraigned as an accused only on the basis of disclosure statement." "However, it is only on the existence of sufficient corroborative evidence that further legal action is taken. The matter is currently sub judice," he said. Kalita and Narwal also told the police that Ghosh, Apoorvanand and Roy coordinated with the Islamist group Popular Front of India (PFI) and the Jamia Coordination Committee to mentor the Pinjra Tod members to carry forward their campaign against the CAA, according to the charge sheet. The police have used Jamia student Fathima's statement to corroborate the ensuing events. The chargesheet claims that apart from Yechury and Yogendra Yadav, Fathimas statement mentions Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Ravan, United Against Hate activist Umar Khalid and some leaders from the Muslim community including ex-MLA Mateen Ahmed, and MLA Amannatullah Khan. The document, quoting statements of those arrested, indicated that these people aided the conspirators. In her statement, Fathima said that she was told to organise the protest to "malign the image of the Government of India", the police claimed. In her statement, included in the chargesheet, she says that "big leaders and lawyers started coming in to provoke and mobilise this crowd, including (Umar) Khalid, Chandrashekhar Ravan, Yogendra Yadav, Sitaram Yechury, and lawyer Mahmood Pracha, etc". "Pracha said that the sit-in demonstration is your democratic right and the rest of the leaders filled the feeling of discontent in the community by calling CAA/NRC anti-Muslim" she said, as per the charge sheet. According to the chargesheet, Kalita added, "Umar Khalid had also given some tips for protesting against CAA/NRC." With inputs from PTI Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex have been branching out and finding new ways to make money. But unfortunately, their latest venture might be the final straw that ruins Prince Harrys relationship with his brother Prince William. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex | Stephen Pond/Getty Images Prince Harry and Prince Williams issues Fans of the royal family have been able to tell that there has been tension between Harry and William for a while. Now, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family has finally revealed what the beginning of those issues was. When Harry first began dating Meghan, William urged him to slow down and make sure he wasnt blinded by lust according to the book. Dont feel you need to rush this, William told Harry, according to sources. Take as much time as you need to get to know this girl, the book reads. While Harry was dating Meghan, the frequency of his visits to Prince George dropped drastically and it even created tension between Harry and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Though it was not necessarily her responsibility, Kate did little to bridge the divide, the book claims. She was fiercely loyal to her husband and his family. RELATED: Did the New Tell-All Book Cause Meghan Markle to Change Her Birthday Plans? The rift between the brothers was further depicted in the documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey. Inevitably stuff happens, Harry admitted. But were brothers, well always be brothers. Were certainly on different paths at the moment. Ill always be there for him and as I know, hell always be there for me. We dont see each other as much as we used to because were so busy but I love him dearly. Harry and Meghan stepping down from their positions as working royals earlier this year certainly didnt do anything to help mend the rift between the brothers, nor did Harry moving to the U.S. All of these issues compounded has left the brothers relationship in a very precarious position. Meghan and Harrys Netflix deal may be the end of Harry and Williams relationship Prince Harry and Meghan recently inked a multi-million dollar deal with Netflix to produce a number of films and shows. A documentary about Princess Diana may be one of the projects in the works. The Sussexes are discussing making a feature documentary on Princess Dianas family history and heritage, a source told Mirror. It is early stages but it is looking like it could happen. It will work as a tribute to Diana and build on all the incredible charity work she has done. Netflix would also love to make a documentary about Diana and it is something they have been pushing for. RELATED: Meghan Markle Holds Nothing Back in Speech Addressing George Floyds Murder While Harry would be well within his rights to produce a documentary to honor his late mother, insiders worry that if he does so without telling William, it could be the end of their relationship. William and Harry have a difficult relationship and they havent spoken for three months, the insider said. These plans could further antagonise their fallout. If it does happen William will be the first to know. Neither Harry or Meghan has mentioned the potential documentary. Tucked away in a forest canopy in the Texas Hill Country is one of Airbnb's most popular destinations for 2020. Airbnb found that a Hill Country tree house is as one of its most requested destinations nationwide. Perched high above ground, the Live Oak Treehouse boasts a whimsical, dreamy treetop bungalow. This luxurious, off-the-beaten-path Airbnb rental features a cozy book nook, hot tub, first-class amenities and refreshing views of Palo Alto Creek. The home's surrounding town of Fredericksburg has itself been crowned as one of the top 10 trending spots in the U.S. for a holiday getaway, according to a Sept. 1 press release from Airbnb. Airbnb identified a few defining trends for the fall in the release. Americans are feeling the longing to travel, but still staying to close to home, the company reported. Unique stays at cabins and tiny homes are becoming more popular. Travelers are doing more nearby stays within 300 miles, but there's been a slight uptick in searches for international destinations, according to Airbnb. TEXAS GETAWAY: This Texas city takes top spot as one of the America's best cities for quick getaways in 2o20 "With domestic trips accounting for the majority of bookings globally, and more than half of all bookings made in August** for trips within 300 miles of the guests origin, its clear that nearby escapes are here to stay this fall," Airbnb wrote. For travelers who could do without the treetop experience, there are several other options for your vacation getaway in Fredericksburg, including one of the quaint Sunday House historic cottages or this modern ranch-style house called The Hideaway. Here are some other popular destinations for fall, if you're planning for trips outside of Texas: 'All five will now be placed under quarantine as per COVID-19 protocols and thereafter be handed over to their families,' a defence spokesperson said Itanagar: Five youths who were allegedly abducted by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China near the McMahon line in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Subansiri were released on Saturday in Anjaw district, around 1,000 km away. The youths were handed over to the Indian Army by the PLA after completing necessary formalities, Tezpur-based defence spokesperson Lt Col Harsh Wardhan Pande said. "All five of them will now be placed under quarantine for 14 days as per COVID-19 protocols and thereafter be handed over to their family members," the spokesperson said. The development comes amid a prolonged border face-off between India and China in eastern Ladakh. The youths, who went hunting on 2 September, were allegedly whisked away by the Chinese troops from Sera-7, an Army patrol zone located around 12 km further north of Nacho in Upper Subansiri district. "Arunachal Pradesh is known for its rich natural heritage and adventurous people fond of exploring the nature for medicinal herbs and possessing traditional flair for hunting which involves surviving off the land for weeks in jungles and far-flung remote areas. During such adventurous forays, at times youth have inadvertently strayed to the other side of the Line of Actual Control," Pande said. All such individuals were brought back home safely following consistent efforts and coordination by the Indian Army, he added. September 11, 2020 Release Readout of Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper's Phone Call With Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper spoke with Bangladesh Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Hasina over the phone today on September 11, 2020. During the call, Secretary Esper commended the Prime Minister for Bangladesh's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent goodwill missions to its neighbors. The two leaders discussed their shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific that ensures the sovereignty of all nations, and specific bilateral defense priorities including maritime and regional security, global peacekeeping, and initiatives to modernize Bangladesh's military capabilities. Both leaders expressed their commitment to continue building closer bilateral defense relations in support of shared values and interests. https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2344103/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Thirteen international airlines have indicated their readiness to resume scheduled flights to Ghana following the opening of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), giving hope to the countrys troubled travel and tourism industry. Although some of the international airlines, including Ethiopian, KLM, BA, Emirates and South African Airlines, flew intermittently into the country when the borders were closed, they were mainly on charter basis. They have, however, switched and indicated to the airport authorities their intention to resume scheduled commercial flights, many of them starting from last Monday. Some of the big names are British Airways, Emirates, Air France, Brussels Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Egypt Air and KLM. Others are Turkish Airlines, Tap Portugal and Middle East Airlines, with regional airlines such as Africa World Airlines (AWA), Asky and Air Cote d'Ivoire assisting with the short haul routes within the sub-region. However, the flights per week have been scaled down from the predominantly six to 10 days a week flights to an average of four times a week. Information from the Ghana Airport Company (GACL) showed that about 22 airlines were operating at KIA before the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) broke out in the country on March 12, this year, and the airports were subsequently closed on March 22 as a precautionary measure to curb the spread of the virus. Charter to scheduled flights Among the airlines resuming commercial flights between last Monday and today are Delta Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Tap Portugal, Turkish Airlines, Middle East Airlines and Air Cote dIvoire. AWA, which was flying the domestic market when the restrictions there were eased, has also announced scheduled commercial flights to Lagos, Abuja, Freetown, Monrovia and Abidjan from yesterday, doing up to five times a week and three times at the least. Brussels Airlines, in a statement, said it had started its commercial flights between Accra and Brussels yesterday. Based on the market demand and the applicable travel restrictions, the airline has designed a reduced schedule, starting with two flights per week. Via its hub in Brussels, Brussels Airlines passengers have access to the rest of the airlines network, including connections to London, Brussels, Paris, Geneva, Berlin, Frankfurt, Milan and the United States and Canada, it said. Welcome news However, some of the travel and tour operators, car rental companies and shop operators at the airport have welcomed the news, saying it represents hope for their industry and shows that normal life is in sight. The Sales Manager of Adansi Travels Limited, Mrs Serwaa Boateng-Gbene, in an interview with the Daily Graphic on Thursday, in Accra, welcomed the resumption of business at KIA, describing it as a boost for stakeholders in the industry. Without the borders, especially, the airport, we have no business as travel and tour operators technically, although we can move around internally; but we need more international business to survive and so, resumption of business at the airport is welcome news for us and our business, she said. Mrs Boateng-Gbene said no amount of words could describe the negative impact of the pandemic and the closure of the airport to the travel and tour business in the country. All our businesses for this year have been cancelled. We had an agreement with a university in the United States of America (USA) to bring students on an exchange programme but it was cancelled due to the pandemic. Last year, for instance, we facilitated about 1,000 clients on various holiday destinations but with almost three months to end of 2020 we have done only 50 clients so far and this is against a target of 1,500 clients this year, she added. Disincentives The Business Development Manager of Krishna Travels, Mr Courage Tsegah, said the resumption of scheduled flights presented some form of normalcy to the travel and tour business. Considering the fact that we were out of business for six months, from March to August, this development is good news to us and it means we need to go back to work. While business has been relatively slow since the opening of the airport on September 1, he said the travel and tour industry was hopeful for an increase in business between October and November. We are hopeful that from October, business will begin to increase gradually to November. Since the general election is scheduled for December, we are not considering it because most of our clients wont like to travel at that period, he said. He added that mandatory tests at the airport for all passengers would increase the cost of travelling and, therefore, it served as a disincentive to the travel business. Visit to airport When the Daily Graphic team visited the airport last Thursday, it observed that there was a gradual improvement in daily activities at the Terminal Three as flight frequencies had increased compared to the reopening date (September 1). Seven commercial airlines, Emirates Airlines, British Airways, Asky Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Egypt Air, Tap Portugal and Middle East Airlines landed 852 passengers from various origins in Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa. The seven airlines also departed with about 384 passengers on the same day. Although flight frequencies have improved compared to the reopening date, most shops at the arrival lounge were still closed for business, with the exception of the financial service centre where almost all the financial institutions were in active operation. Only five out of the 12 shops, including restaurants, pharmacies, digital shops, hotel outlets and lounge at the arrival hall, were opened for business during the time of visit. Some drivers of car rental companies, such as Lets Drive, Mini Cab and KIA Cargo, had positioned themselves at the arrival lounge to attract clients. Hospitality An attendant at one of the hotels, Mr Jonathan Fares, said management of the hotel was putting measures in place to refurbish its outlets before it reopened for business in the coming days. Although our outlet, which also serves as an executive lounge is closed, we are currently putting measures in place to refurbish it since its been closed for six months, he added. A Driver at the Lets Drive Car Rental, Mr Daniel Opoku, stated that he had started recording a gradual surge in his business after the second week of reopening of the airport, though it was not the same as it was before the closure. He said he was optimistic that business would pick up with a boom in passenger numbers. A waitress of a restaurant at the arrival lounge, Ms Kukua Baiden, also said patronage at the restaurant was low, in spite of the rising flights frequency. Background The KiA reopened to commercial flights on September 1, this year, five months after it closed its gates to the world as part of the restrictions on movement to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the country. Chartered flights, including KLM, Tap Portugal and Titan Airways from London, Amsterdam and Lisbon, started arriving from 2:15 p.m. on the reopening day. Unlike previous arrangements, all passengers are now required to take mandatory tests at the airport after arriving in the country. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests machines have been installed to conduct tests and transmit results automatically to immigration terminals within 30 minutes. All arriving and departing passengers are also enjoined to observe the COVID-19 safety protocols, including social distancing and wearing of nose masks. 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 New York Sires Stakes Excelsior A finals were raced at Tioga Downs on Friday (Sept. 11), each for a purse of $50,000. Uhtred won the glamour boy division in the days fastest mile1:51.1with a gate-to-wire effort from post 9, giving driver Jason Bartlett his third stakes win on the day. A rallying Levine eked out second in a photo over My Pal Joe. Unraced at two, Uhtred was making only is sixth start and won for the fourth time. The Art Major colt has displayed unusual talent over that short span for trainer Carmen Auciello and owners Earl Hill, Jr. and Stephen Klunowski. Just Joshing (Marcus Miller) kicked off the stakes in the two-year-old filly trot with an upset of heavily-favoured Izzy Demsky for trainer Julie Miller in 1:58.2. The Chapter Seven lass sat a pocket trip behind the fave, then out-sprinted that one through the lane to post a half-length win. Andy Miller Stable, breeder Windsong Stable and Dumain Haven Farm share ownership of the winner who took a new speed mark in the process. Dresden (Scott Zeron) avenged the loss of the favourite in the opener when the freshman Roll With Joe pacing filly took Race 3 in a personal best of 1:54.1 over Carrington in a largely front-stepping effort. Dresden is a Henderson homebred trained to now three wins in four attempts by the venerable conditioner Chris Ryder. Zeron came right back to take the two-year-old colt trot with Linda Toscanos Roysons Punch, affording that colt an ideal trip after a hard leave to the lead and releasing heavily-favoured Barn Hall before overpowering that one in the shadow of the wire in 1:57. Toscano trains the Chapter Seven colt and owns as Camelot Stable in partnership with R and I Farms. Mullinax (Bartlett) took the freshman colt pace as a slight favourite in a forwardly-placed 1:53.2 effort. The wire arrived just in time for Mullinax as Hopnroll Heaven was gaining quickly and just missed victory. Mark Ford trains the winner, a son of American Ideal, for long time owner Bill Varney. "It's been a really hard year on everybody, and this is one bright spot. I certainly wish the late Ed Mullinax who the colt is named for, was here to have raced him. Ed was a great guy to do business with, but an even greater guy to hang out with. He was a good friend," said trainer Mark Ford, who bred the colt along with Mr. Mullinax. "All of the money Ed made in the business he reinvested and its a huge loss to all of us that he's gone. The owner of this colt, Mr. Varney, is another really stand-up guy." Tiogas leading driver Wally Hennessey caught the mount on C And Ts Credit when trainer John Stark, Jr. sent a powerful entry in the three-year-old filly trot. Hennessey had C And Ts Credit on the lead through a comfortable :58.1 half and that was enough to seal the deal as the pair won as they pleased in 1:55.1 over Soprese, who rallied late for the place. Frank Barbato and Sam Bova Racing are the proud owners of the winner, a daughter of Credit Winner. Bolt Of Beauty became Marcus Millers second stakes winner on the day. Away from the pylon post position, Marcus had the Bolt The Duer filly close through the early stages, then rushed Discoforadollar going into the last turn, opened her lead and held sway over Turnthefrownaround in 1:52.3. Erv Miller conditions the sophomore filly pacer for his own interest as Erv Miller Stable in partnership with Tanah Merah Farms and Sara Miller. Conquest AS (Bartlett) dominated the three-year-old colt trot field, going gate to wire with the greatest of ease in 1:55.1. Bartlett pointed him forward from the word go and the driver's work was largely done as the Conway Hall gelding did the rest. Bronze Yankee rode the pocket to finish second. Trainer Annette Lorentzen had her charge primed, the Lorentzen family owns and bred Conquest AS under the ACL Stuteri AB banner. Tioga Downs will close out the 2020 racing season with a 13-race card tomorrow with post time at 3:00 p.m. (EDT). (Tioga Downs) McG says that a different version of Terminator Salvation exists, and that he might be interested in releasing it (Image by Columbia Pictures) McG says that he has a darker cut of Terminator Salvation, his 2009 installment to the beloved sci-fi blockbuster franchise. The director made this admission to Comic Book Resources, but only after opening up about the mixed response to Salvation, which he insists isnt as bad as its initial reviews. Read More: Arnold Schwarzenegger Admits Terminator Salvation Sucked "It's interesting because I feel like we did so much right with Terminator but, ultimately, got just enough wrong that we got beat up a little bit by the fanbase and it really, really broke my heart. And now, strangely, I think the film has started to age better. Salvations reputation has certainly been enhanced because of the poor response to both 2015s Terminator Genisys and last years Terminator: Dark Fate. HOLLYWOOD - MAY 14: Director McG arrives at the premiere of Warner Bros. 'Terminator Salvation' at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on May 14, 2009 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) It was at this point that McG revealed that a different and darker cut to Terminator Salvation exists, before going into more detail about what he got right with the film, and why it ultimately didnt connect with audiences as it should have. There is a different cut: I have my own cut of that film and there's people online that talk about wanting to see that cut. And that's interesting! But I think I got a lot of things right with that. Read More: Christian Bale regrets doing 'Terminator: Salvation' as much as we regret watching it Obviously, I think [uncredited screenwriter] Jonah Nolan is a very, very serious writer and he did the best he could. And Christian [Bale] is maybe the most talented actor working today and Sam [Worthington] did a really good job also. I think I got to take the punch on that one for not quite nailing the landing on the final expression of that movie and, who knows, maybe the cut that I have of that movie hidden away is the answer. It's darker! [Laughs] I don't know, that's for the fans to say." Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Saturday announced a "robust" arms purchase programme and an overhaul of the country's military amid rising tension with Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean. What appears to be Greece's most ambitious military overhaul in nearly two decades was unveiled as it is engaged in a growing stand-off with Turkey over hydrocarbon resources and naval influence in the waters off their coasts. The bitter row between the NATO allies has roped in other European powers and even sparked fears of more severe conflict. "The time has come to reinforce the armed forces... these initiatives constitute a robust programme that will become a national shield," Mitsotakis said in a keynote address in the northern city of Thessaloniki. Mitsotakis said Greece would acquire 18 French-made Rafale warplanes, four multi-purpose frigates and four navy helicopters, while also recruiting 15,000 new troops and pouring resources into the national arms industry and cyber-attack defence. New anti-tank weapons, navy torpedoes and airforce missiles will be secured, the PM said. The initiative, which includes upgrades of another existing four frigates, is also designed to create thousands of jobs, he said. More details on the cost of the programme and origin of the weapons purchases will be announced at a news conference Sunday, a government source told AFP. - The French connection - Mitsotakis is believed to have hammered out the programme announced on Saturday after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron during a southern European leaders summit in Corsica this week. In contrast to other EU and NATO allies, France has strongly backed Greece in its burgeoning showdown with Turkey, as well as Cyprus. French Defence Minister Florence Parly welcomed the arms deal, saying it was the first time a European country had bought the Rafale warplanes. Dassault Aviation, which makes the planes, said it was "delighted" with the order. In a war of words that has become increasingly hostile, Macron has told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan not to cross "red lines" and has sent warships and fighter jets to the eastern Mediterranean. On Saturday, Erdogan told Macron "not to mess" with Turkey. The Turkish president also urged Greece to "stay away from wrong" actions backed by countries like France in the disputed waters. The row escalated last month when Turkey sent an exploration ship and a small navy flotilla to conduct seismic research in waters which Greece considers its own under postwar treaties. Greece responded by shadowing the Turkish flotilla with its own warships, and by staging naval exercises with several EU allies and the United Arab Emirates in its own show of force. The dispute has put NATO -- among others -- in a difficult position, with Mitsotakis saying last month the alliance's "hands-off approach" in not taking sides was "profoundly unfair". On Saturday, Mitsotakis said that Turkey "threatens" Europe's eastern border and "undermines" regional security. In an article published in The Times, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Le Monde this week, Mitsotakis reiterated his desire for dialogue with Turkey, provided it stops acting "like a provocateur." - No dialogue 'at gunpoint' - "We do need dialogue, but not when held at gunpoint," Mitsotakis wrote. "If we cannot agree then we must seek resolution at the (International Court of Justice at the) Hague," he said. Last month, Greece ratified a maritime border pact with Egypt seen as a response to a 2019 Turkish-Libyan accord allowing Turkey access to areas in the eastern Mediterranean where large hydrocarbon deposits have been discovered. Both Greece and Turkey have rejected each other's respective agreements as null and void. EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell has said that unless Turkey can be engaged in talks, the bloc could develop a list of sanctions at a European summit on September 24 and 25. Greece's last equivalent purchase spree was in the early 2000s with deals brokered or explored for German tanks and submarines, American warplanes and Russian defensive missiles and hovercrafts. But most of these plans were shelved owing to the cost of organising the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Some of the agreements were dogged by corruption and bribery claims that were later investigated by parliament. Two former Greek defence ministers were subsequently jailed. Search Keywords: Short link: How could two sisters end up with two such different lives? They look so similar. But one enjoyed a high powered career, the other's life ended in tragedy British author Tess Stimson reflects on the devastating loss of her younger sister Philly, and the different paths their lives took. Trinity River Conservation Camp crew members worked Friday on a flare-up from the Bear fire at Stringtown Road in Oroville, Calif. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) The turn in the wind was expected. The U.S. Forest Service and CalFire on Tuesday morning braced for 45-mph gusts across the large Bear fire that had been crawling through the Plumas National Forest dry and cool air coming from the northeast, so the fire would fan back on itself, onto miles of tinder primed by drought, four days of record heat and three weeks of low fire. The extreme danger was clear. They got that wind and more: gusts of 60 mph by 4 a.m. through Jarbo Gap, the hellish wind tunnel on the Feather River canyon that had spawned the Paradise fire two years before, and 45 mph in Plumas County, on the remaining hot edge of the dying Bear fire. Within hours, the Bear fire joined the list of wind-swept California that raced into communities before residents could flee. Incident records and interviews by The Times found that the protection of those in harm's way was hindered by evacuation orders that came by surprise, went unheeded and were impaired by a power outage. Now the Bear fire has joined the roster of California's deadliest wildfires, coming after blazes in Paradise and wine country killed scores and exposed lethal flaws in public warning systems. What failed? Technology? Or human nature? It was clear early Tuesday that the fire was exploding. By 10 a.m., the oxygenated fire jumped the Middle Fork of the Feather River and leaped into the crown of old-growth forest. It took off at a narrow, mad run, burning across 2,000 acres an hour and throwing out spot fires two miles ahead of the main front. It was on a trajectory to reach the city of Oroville by nightfall. One of three dozen fires set by lightning in mid-August, it had been left to smolder in the Plumas National Forest while attention was focused on fires near populated areas. The wakened giant sent so much smoke into the sky that many people in neighboring Butte County called 911 in panic. But rather than convey the concern firefighters were voicing among themselves, or the news that the fire was on the run, the sheriff's department used its Facebook platform to send a reassuring message just after noon: Story continues "There is no fire currently in Butte County." An hour later, the sheriff put two communities, Feather Falls and Clipper Mills, on notice with a warning about the fire across the county line. Evacuation orders didn't go out for five more hours, at 3:30 p.m., when the fire was halfway to affected communities. Most of the towns on the list had been given no warnings and had been without power since the night before, after Pacific Gas and Electric deliberately plunged them into blackout to avoid sparking fires. Long after evacuation orders via text, phone, Facebook messages and every possible kind of uniformed official, from probation officers to game wardens, going door-to-door with sirens people remained in the old mountain hamlet of Berry Creek when the flames came into town just before 10 p.m. What ensued were nightmarish stories, mad dashes for survival through burning canyons and bodies recovered the next day from the ash. Firefighters were unable to reach all those who were trapped during the siege. By 5 a.m. Wednesday, the wounded were triaged at a state fire post in town where many had sheltered. Ten bodies so far have been recovered from the Bear fire, and 16 people remain missing, as archaeologists from Cal State Chico sift through the char for remains. "We did the best job that we could, given the resources and time that we have," said Butte County Sheriff-Coroner Kory Honea, who has the grim job of overseeing the search for bodies. "That said, as I have said many, many times before, there is no way to guarantee 100% saturation of your message," he added. "There's no way to guarantee perfection. It's particularly difficult when we're dealing with communities in remote and rural areas that are hard to get to and sometimes have spotty coverage." Evacuation orders are a local decision, and the Butte County Sheriff's Department had limited information, a spokeswoman said. The department was not told the fire had crossed the river for almost an hour. At 12:30 p.m., more than two hours after the jump, CalFire incident managers suggested that the sheriff start evacuation warnings. "Their concern was that it was heading in our direction, and they didnt currently know where the fire was at," said sheriff's spokeswoman Megan McMann. But the Sheriff's Department could provide no information on how many residents of Berry Creek successfully received evacuation calls that came three hours later, nor could it say when deputies drove through with sirens. McMann did not respond to questions about whether the midday notice that there was no fire in Butte County ran contrary to what firefighters were seeing on the ground. About those who did not evacuate, she said, "You can't force people out." Residents of Berry Creek described a more nuanced situation reflecting the complexity of disaster response a community inured to neglect and economic hardship, with many households turning to each other and their social connections in a time of crisis. From their perspective, it didn't help that PG&E had turned off the power Monday night on people intending to stay and fight a fire, impairing communication. "People were frustrated, and they couldn't use their wells to save their damn houses," said Denise Bethune, 51, a 12-year resident of Berry Creek and member of the local fire council. She monitored the fire and left within an hour of receiving the evacuation order on her phone but knows plenty of people who did not receive it, including neighbors who live off the grid. Others including marijuana growers, both legal and those squatting on federal land at the behest of cartels say they don't trust authority figures. The community has no warning sirens. Sheriff's deputies drove through sounding the sirens on their cars, but the area is spread out. "There was a lot of tension; a lot of people were stressed," Bethune said. "But when you don't have power, and you don't have a cellphone, how you gonna find out?" Berry Creek is cradled by canyons and wild, scenic rivers. Its center consists largely of a school, a post office, a store, a gas station and three churches. The estimated population is 1,200. Motivated by the 2018 Paradise disaster a few ridges away, residents had begun to organize the local fire safety council to discuss communication and evacuation plans. Bethune said the social distancing requirements imposed by COVID-19 shut that down. "It's just frustrating when you know what needs to happen, but it's not a rich area per se ... and we don't get the attention," Bethune said. "We all say to ourselves, when it comes to safety and fire protection ... we have no government help." In a neighborhood down the hill from Berry Creek, Kelly Huth-Pryor received a call from her mother Tuesday, warning about the approaching Bear fire. Huth-Pryor and her husband had lost their mobile home in Paradise. They made a quick decision about the family house: "Not losing it again." She said they never received an evacuation order from the county and spent Tuesday watering down their land. It wasn't the fire but a lack of provisions, including gas for the generator, that forced them out Thursday. Even then, they stayed within the burn zone, aware that if they crossed evacuation lines, they could not return. Another resident, Jason Hill, said he left because of warnings he received from friends in the local fire department three hours before the official evacuation order. He said many in the community were more likely to rely on word of mouth and social media than official sources. "Some don't take it seriously," he said. "You have a lot of people out there giving real information, and then you have social media. A lot of people want to believe things that align better with what they want." Honea is a veteran of disaster response. The sheriff's evacuation miseries run from the 2017 threatened collapse of the Oroville Dam, in which thousands received little warning, to the 2018 fire that engulfed Paradise and neighboring mountain communities before orderly evacuations could be issued. That was California's deadliest wildfire: Most of the 86 dead were elderly residents caught off-guard, while others were trapped as they tried to outrun the fire on narrow mountain roads. After each disaster, Honea has promised improvements, from earlier action to less reliance on subscription-based phone alert programs. The Bear fire saw the use of a federal emergency broadcast alert, including a message narrowly targeted to campers in the woods. Police vehicles drove through the area sounding special "high-low" tones that residents were expected to know meant "Leave." The Bear fire was not unusual amid the hot, dry weather conditions and terrain of steep, wind-funneling canyons. Two years before, similar northeast winds sent embers aloft and pushed the Camp fire into the town of Paradise at twice the speed, burning some 4,600 acres an hour. In San Diego County, the Cedar fire in 2003 ran 17 miles in three hours; 15 people were killed. In the wine country of Napa, Sonoma and Lake counties, the Tubbs fire in 2017 traversed 12 miles in four hours, killing 22. A Times investigation found that while early Butte County disaster plans approved by the state warned of canyon fires driven by east winds, those references were dropped after 2005. To add to the hurdles faced by residents imperiled by the fast-moving, massive fire, counties posted evacuation maps that stopped at their borders. A Yuba County map ordering mandatory evacuations, for instance, not only was difficult to read but made it appear that the fire, and the danger, stopped at the county line. Butte County's evacuation maps did the same. "Why is a nearly unreadable map being put out for something as important as a mandatory evacuation? And why are evacuation advisories not being issued ahead of the mandatory areas? Wouldn't it be prudent to give people as much of a heads up as possible?" one Facebook user asked Yuba County on Tuesday. The written reply from the Yuba County Sheriff's Department: "thats all we have at the moment. Please use description of roads & regions above for better detail." Some firefighters also were critical of the response. One cited continued failure despite many evacuation disasters in Northern California. "I still see a major lack of foresight. There seems to be some unexplainable hesitancy to call for evacuations in a timely fashion," said a former area firefighter who asked not to be named, fearing backlash against herself and her family. She said the danger to Berry Creek was clear if one looked at the fire maps and wind speed and direction. Honea, for his part, emphasized the responsibility carried by those living in forested canyons where fire ecology is colliding with beetle infestations, overgrowth, logging and a warming climate. "That's why, for the last year or so, post-Camp fire, myself and my colleagues have gone round trying to impress upon people the importance of being prepared," Honea said. "The importance of maintaining situational awareness, understanding what's going on, especially if you live in a wild land, fire-prone area, and doing what you need to do to make yourself safe." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. It's seldom in K-dramas that an actress marches while dreassed in a military uniform. But once they do, these female celebrities will make your knees weak because of how impressive they look! Get to know these actresses who took on their respective military or police roles in action-packed and gripping shows. Major Sophie E. Jean From "Joint Security Area" Lee Young Ae is known in her unforgettable character as Major Jean in the classic film "Joint Security Area" in 2000. Here, she's a fearless military officer who investigates a gunfire incident in the Joint Security Area between North and South Korea. She keeps a calm and firm aura while questioning alleged men in uniforms representing the North and the South. Kim Hyang Ah From "The King: Two Hearts" Ha Ji Won dressed up as a North Korean military officer in a new era drama "The King: Two Hearts" in 2012. She is the daughter of a high ranking official who met a crown prince from South Korea in a joint military training. Their friendship blossomed romantically and got engaged. Cha Soo Hyun From "Signal" Kim Hye Soo played as a determined police officer and team leader of a cold case unit, Cha Soo Hyun, in the crime drama "Signal" in 2016. She portrayed two characters here: one in the past as a rank and file officer in the 1980s and the other one is the present who's a detective. Lieutenant Yoon Myung Joo From "Descendants of The Sun" Kim Ji Won in DOTS played as 1st Lt. Yoon Myung Joo in 2016. She is the brave soldier who proves her courage in the battlefield and her love for fellow officer Sgt. Seo Dae Young (Jin Goo). Lieutenant Son Ye Rim From "Search" f(x)'s Krystal plays as a special officer and lieutenant of CBR Defense Command (CBR - chemical, biological, and radiological). She is the meticulous and intelligent officer who will try to find out the mysterious incident that occurs in the DMZ. RELATED: Krystal All Geared Up for Her Role in Upcoming OCN's "Search" OCN's "Search" is an upcoming drama set to premiere in October 2020. Prisons could run out of space for new inmates within the next three years, according to a parliamentary report accusing the government of staggering failures. The Public Accounts Committee said almost two thirds of adult jails in England and Wales are already overcrowded and some high-security inmates were being left in low-security facilities as a result. Demand for prison places could outstrip supply by 2022-23, said a report released on Friday. We are not convinced that the Ministry of Justices plans to create more capacity will allow it to match the expected increase in the prison population whilst keeping prisoners safe. MPs found that demand for prison places had increased with the creation of numerous laws increasing sentences, while the construction of new jails had been delayed. The report said coronavirus had slowed the number of new inmates because of a pause in jury trials and fall in court cases being heard, but that robust plans were needed for future waves of the virus. It warned that a backlog of 524,000 criminal cases would eventually be processed and officials expect the demand for prison places to increase as courts and the CPS return to full capacity. MPs found that only 206 of 10,000 new for old places the government committed to create by 2020 have been delivered, leaving prisoners in unsafe, crowded conditions that worsen their chances of rehabilitation. The report said 500 places were being taken out of action every year because of poor maintenance, and that HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has a backlog of maintenance work expected to cost more than 900m. It highlighted budget cuts over the past decade and said outsourcing to private firms in a bid to save money echoed the disastrous 2014 reforms to the probation service, which was brought back under public control this year. The report said the Ministry of Justice had exposed taxpayers to higher-than-expected costs as a result of "inadequate planning, unrealistic assumptions and poor performance whilst managing facilities within prisons. Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk The scale of failure, in our prisons and in the disastrous probation reforms, is really quite staggering, said Meg Hillier, chair of the Public Accounts Committee. "The Ministry of Justice is still reeling from the long-term consequences of its unrealistic 2015 spending review settlement, but our whole society is bearing the financial and human cost of sustained under-investment. Even now, we are not convinced MoJ and HMPPS have the ingredients for an effective, sustainable long-term strategy. "We now expect a set of reports to be made to us over the coming months, assessing the realistic costs of their mistakes to date and how to fix them, and a credible new plan for a working prison estate and system that can reduce re-offending not just lock people in to this cycle of violence and harm. MPs also criticised the Ministry of Justice for an inability to answer "basic questions" about women's jails, with female inmates accounting for 5 per cent of the prison population. Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: Cramming more and more people into crumbling jails has succeeded only in exposing more and more people to crime, violence and despair. Each and every half-baked measure enacted for reasons of political expediency has demonstrated a lack of care for the people living and working in prisons and a lack of care for future victims of crime, who would be protected if the system worked as it should. Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust, called for the political obsession with imprisoning people for longer to stop. Nathan Dick, head of policy at the Revolving Doors Agency, said a large number of prisoners were on short sentences and called for alternatives. So many people in prison dont even need to be there, locked up needlessly for non-violent petty crimes when they actually need mental health support or help getting off the street, he added. The Ministry of Justices own analysis shows that replacing short prison sentences with community alternatives would mean 32,000 fewer crimes. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: We are investing 2.75bn to modernise the prison estate and deliver 10,000 new prison places strengthening security and boosting rehabilitation. Work is already underway on two modern prisons at Glen Parva and Wellingborough which will create 3,360 new places over the next three years. We also want to see fewer women go to prison in the first place, which is why we have invested in community services that support vulnerable offenders to turn their lives around and are trialling Residential Womens Centres as an alternative to custody. KYODO NEWS - Sep 13, 2020 - 20:00 | Arts, All, Japan Japanese filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa won the best director award on Saturday at the Venice International Film Festival, becoming the first Japanese director to take the award in 17 years. "Wife of a Spy" (Spy no Tsuma) follows the story of a couple in 1940 in the western Japan city of Kobe before the outbreak of World War II. A man accidentally stumbles upon a state secret and tries to bring it to light, while his wife takes action to ensure his safety. Actress Cate Blanchett, who headed the jury, told a press conference that selection of the Silver Lion winner had been a "difficult decision to make" but that the choice of Kurosawa was "undeniable in that final assessment." "It is a big surprise. I am feeling too happy for words," Kurosawa, 65, said in a video message sent to the festival. "I never dreamed I would receive such a pleasant present at my age. I think I did well to continue with filmmaking for a long time." Kurosawa became the third Japanese director to win a Silver Lion. He followed Takeshi Kitano in 2003 for "Zatoichi" and Kenji Mizoguchi in 1956 for "The Life of Oharu" (Saikaku Ichidai Onna). Kurosawa's film, starring Yu Aoi and Issei Takahashi, is set to be shown in Japanese theaters from Oct. 16. While the 77th Venice film festival in northern Italy went ahead despite the coronavirus pandemic, with strict measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus, Kurosawa and his cast decided not to fly to Italy. "If I was going to win an award, I wish I could have been (in Italy)," Kurosawa said during an online press conference held Sunday in Tokyo. He also said that when receiving the news that he had won the award, his wife said, "You wanted to go, didn't you?" The Golden Lion best film award went to "Nomadland" directed by Chloe Zhao of the United States. Kurosawa earned a name for himself globally with his 1997 horror-thriller "Cure." He has also won prizes at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2015, Kurosawa received the best director prize in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes film festival. Also in Cannes, his "Tokyo Sonata" won the jury prize in the same section in 2008. Among representative works of the director, who hails from Kobe, is the 2001 horror film "Kairo." The film was later made into a U.S. remake "Pulse" in 2006. In a statement, the Special Investigation Service (SIS) claimed on Friday that Vachagan Ghazarian abused his powers when he served as first deputy head of a security agency providing bodyguards to Armenias leaders. The statement said Ghazarian forced an employee of the State Protection Service (SPS) to work as a driver for his wife from 2015-2018. It said the SPS kept paying the drivers wages, which totaled 9.3 million drams ($19,000) during that period, even though he never reported for work. The law-enforcement agency added that Ghazarian was charged with abuse of power despite compensating the state for the damage. He will face between two and six years in prison if convicted. An Armenian media outlet reported late last month that Ghazarian is also suspected of forcing six other SPS officers to work as security guards at a Yerevan music club owned by him and his wife. The SIS statement said nothing about that. It noted only that the investigation is continuing. Ghazarian personally headed Sarkisians security detail for over two decades. He was arrested and charged with illegal enrichment and false asset disclosure in June 2018, less than two months after the Velvet Revolution that toppled Armenias former leader. He was subsequently also accused of tax evasion. A Yerevan court freed Ghazarian on bail a few months later, after he and his wife, Ruzanna Beglarian, agreed to pay taxes allegedly evaded by them. The SIS announced in October 2019 that the couple has completed the $6 million payment. In return, the SIS dropped the criminal charges. Law-enforcement officers found $1.1 million and 230,000 euros in cash when they raided Ghazarians Yerevan apartment in June 2018. The National Security Service (NSS) said he carried a further $120,000 and 436 million drams ($900,000) in a bag when he was caught outside a commercial bank in Yerevan a few days later. In early 2019, the NSS secured an even heftier payout, worth $30 million, from Serzh Sarkisians indicted brother Aleksandr. The money was held in Aleksandr Sarkisians Armenian bank account frozen by the security service following the 2018 revolution. Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday spoke to Madan Sharma, the retired naval officer who was attacked by six Shiv Sena workers in Mumbais Kandivli (East) area on Friday, after he allegedly shared a cartoon mocking Maharashtra chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray. Singh in a tweet said that such attacks on former servicemen were unacceptable and deplorable. Spoke to retired naval officer, Shri Madan Sharma who was attacked by hooligans in Mumbai and enquired about his health. Such attacks on Ex-Servicemen is completely unacceptable and deplorable. I wish Madanji a speedy recovery (sic), the defence minister tweeted on Saturday. Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis also condemned the attack on Sharma and termed the incident as state-sponsored terrorism. Fadnavis appealed to Thackeray to put an end to the goonda raj in the state. Fadnavis, who was in Ara, Bihar, to campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the polls in Bihar, said, What happened very wrong and was a kind of state-sponsored terror situation. I called upon Uddhav ji through my tweet to stop goonda raj. After we created pressure, the six accused were arrested. Earlier in the day on Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by leader of Opposition in legislative Council Pravin Darekar, along with Sharmas family, held a protest outside the office of additional commissioner of police (north region). Darekar and BJP Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Atul Bhatkhalkar demanded that the accused who were released on bail, should be booked under sections 326 (causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons and means), 452 and 450 (house-trespassing) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which are non-bailable offences. Sena shakha pramukh and workers mercilessly beat up Sharma. The accused were released on bail. The police should have booked them under the sections for trespassing and causing harm and for using dangerous weapons. We have been assured by the joint commissioner of police that these sections will be included after investigations. If they do not incorporate it, our protest will continue, Darekar told reporters. Denying any political interference in the case, joint commissioner of police (law and order) Vishwas Nangre Patil, who met the protesters, said the bail was granted to the accused in view of the Covid-19 situation. By evening, Samta Nagar police in Kandivli invoked a non-bailable section against the six accused. Senior inspector Raju Kasbe of Samata Nagar police station said that section 452 of the IPC was added in the case. When HT asked Kasbe why the section of house trespass was not added in the case, he said the incident took place outside the society premises. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena parliamentarian and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut issued a statement over the incident and said that nobody is above the law. Maharashtra is a law-abiding state. Those who take law in their hands, whoever they may be, will not be spared. This is the policy of CM Uddhav Thackeray. Yesterday in Mumbai, a retired naval officer was assaulted. The cartoon circulated by the ex-officer on the CM was defamatory. The attack was a spontaneous and furious reaction. But the attackers were immediately arrested and all the procedure was followed as per law, he said. Raut also slammed the BJP for making the incident a political issue. It is unfortunate that the Opposition party is making this a political issue. Patience should be followed by both the sides. People lose patience while criticising those on constitutional posts such as the prime minister, president, governor, chief minister, as there is unrestrained behaviour in the garb of freedom of speech and expression. Therefore, this is the time to respect one another and act responsibly. Maintaining peace in the society is as much the responsibility of the Opposition as it is of the ruling party, he said. Sharma had forwarded a cartoon of the CM in a WhatsApp group. On Friday, the six accused asked Sharma to meet them at his housing societys gate in Thakur Complex. After the veteran went there, the accused, including shakha pramukh Kamlesh Kadam, assaulted him. They punched and kicked me. My right eye has sustained injuries, Sharma said in the complaint. A Kolkata resident, arrested on Friday for allegedly making threatening calls to Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, had also made similar calls at residences of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, state home minister Anil Deshmukh and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Anti-Terrorism Squad officials said on Saturday. The accused, Palash Bose, had claimed himself to be a member of Dawood Ibrahim's gang while making these phone calls, they said. An official said Bose, 49, had lived in Dubai for more than 15 years and returned to Kolkata a few years ago. "He made these calls by using a SIM card which he had procured from Dubai," he said, adding that Bose told investigators that he had also used international SIM cards to make these calls. Police are trying to find out if Bose had any connections in Dubai, the official said. Kolkata Police had said on Friday that a team of Mumbai Police nabbed the accused from his Tollygunge residence for allegedly threatening Raut earlier. Bose had allegedly used internet calling services to call and threaten the Shiv Sena MP with dire consequences earlier this month. Raut had lodged a complaint following which Mumbai Police tracked the man's IP address and located him in Kolkata. During his arrest, Mumbai Police sleuths also seized the device allegedly used by him to call Raut and issue threat. Mumbai Police were given the transit remand of the accused till September 14. On Sunday, police had beefed up security outside Thackeray's residence 'Matoshree' in Bandra after an unidentified caller, claiming to be fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim''s aide, called the bungalow's landline number. State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had received threat calls on more than one occasion over his stance in connection with the controversy involving actress Kangana Ranaut. Deshmukh had received the calls from Himachal Pradesh and another location from different numbers on Tuesday and at around 6 am on Wednesday, sources close to him had said, adding that the callers asked the minister not to get involved in the controversy. Earlier also, an anonymous caller had phoned Deshmukh's Nagpur office, threatening him and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, a minister had said. The Shiv Sena and the actress are engaged in a war of words after the latter recently likened Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and also said she feared Mumbai Police more than the movie mafia. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is ruled by the Shiv Sena, on Wednesday pulled down some illegal alterations made at Ranaut's bungalow in suburban Bandra. The Bombay high court later granted a stay. General Secretary of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia has indicated that the next John Mahama administration in 2021 after winning the 2020 upcoming election will set aside specific fund for Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC). To him, the purpose is to streamline the fund in a manner that every Ghanaian will know how much has been allocated to the centre every year in order to manage the funds very well. Speaking in an interview on Okay FMs Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, the NDC Chief Scribe said that governments in the past have not committed any specific amount to the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC). He said that the Finance Ministers in the past releases whatever they like into the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) but has assured that the next Mahama administration will specifically wire 200 million every year into the MASLOC fund. It is in our manifesto that we will put aside specific amount [Ghc 200 million] for MASLOC every year. In the past, government did not have any commitment for MASLOC except that during budget the Finance Ministers release whatever they like into MASLOC fund. We have decided to streamline such funds very well so that everybody will know how much has been earmarked for the institution every year in order to manage the funds very well. In the 2020 manifesto of the NDC, it has been captured that the next NDC government will enhance the operations of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) to create jobs as part of our their one million job plan. Commit at least Ghc 200 million to MASLOC each year; form co-operatives of small artisans and traders and assist them with implements and small appropriate technological equipment for their trade e.g., corn millers, coconut sellers and oil palm producers; increase the minimum group amount to market women by one hundred percent (100%); work to increase the percentage of men who access loans from 10% to 40% and also establish a MASLOC office in each district. Touching on the plan of the next Mahama administration in terms of MASLOC repayment, Mr Asiedu Nketia said they will come up with a repayment plan for the people to follow. He again said that the disbursement of the MASLOC fund will be done that will focus on needy ones rather on the line of politics; thus, the next government will provide a specific flow of funds into the centre. First all of, the disbursement, we will as much as possible to depoliticise the disbursement and focus on need and also provide specific flow of funds into the institution, he assured. General Mosquito as he is affectionately called said that the NDC government will find a way to achieve their objective for the MASLOC as they have not gone into details as to whether MASLOC will be moved from the Presidency. We have not gone into details as to whether MASLOC will be moved from the President. When we come into power, we will know what to do to achieve our objective for the MASLOC, he indicated. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video TipRanks Every fisherman knows that theres good eating to be found on the seafloor and river bottoms. Flounder, halibut, sole, catfish bottom dwellers are known for their good taste. And sometimes, the same can be said in the stock market. Share prices can fall for a wide range of reasons, and the markets bottom fishers take advantage of that. The key is to find the best tasting morsels those stocks that are priced low, but undervalued, and are not falling due to some fundamental flaw. There are pl Lucy Boynton looked radiant as she joined shirtless boyfriend Rami Malek for a relaxing beach day in Brac, Croatia, on Thursday. The Bohemian Rhapsody stars, aged 26 and 39, appeared in good spirits as they joined a friend for the excursion. Lucy looked giddy as she displayed her toned figure in a black swimsuit with a stylish sheer cover-up. Radiant: Lucy Boynton looked radiant as she joined shirtless boyfriend Rami Malek for a relaxing beach day in Brac, Croatia, on Thursday The actress finished her chic swimwear look with a pair of oversized black sunglasses. Lucy left her blonde locks loose into a relaxed hairdo and appeared to go makeup-free, showcasing her radiant complexion. Meanwhile Freddie Mercury actor Rami displayed his toned torso as he went shirtless in a pair of black swimming shorts for a dip in the crystal clear sea. The Oscar-winning star appeared relaxed and care-free as he sat on the shore of the water soaking up the Croatian sun. Chilled: The Bohemian Rhapsody stars, aged 26 and 39, appeared in good spirits as they joined a friend for the excursion Good spirits: Lucy looked giddy as she displayed her toned figure in a black swimsuit with a stylish sheer cover-up Care-free: Meanwhile Freddie Mercury actor Rami displayed his toned torso as he went shirtless in a pair of black swimming shorts for a dip in the crystal clear sea Later in the day, Rami was spotted enjoying a stroll with girlfriend Lucy and their friend on the idyllic island. Rami and Lucy have been dating since 2018 after meeting on the set of Bohemian Rhapsody, where he played Queen frontman Freddie Mercury and she his one-time fiancee and companion Mary Austin. They were seen at various red carpet events throughout 2018 but their rumoured romance was not confirmed until April, when Us Weekly revealed that they were in fact dating. Chic: The actress finished her chic swimwear look with a pair of oversized black sunglasses Chilled: The Oscar-winning star appeared relaxed and care-free as he sat on the shore of the water soaking up the Croatian sun Love at first sight: Rami and Lucy have been dating since 2018 after meeting on the set of Bohemian Rhapsody, where he played Queen frontman Freddie Mercury and she his one-time fiancee and companion Mary Austin The outlet's source said: 'They met while filming Bohemian Rhapsody in London. He is so into her. He goes and visits her in London all the time.' Rami finally publicly addressed their relationship in January 2019 at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. He was accepting his Breakthrough Performance Award and said on stage: 'Thank you, Lucy Boynton. You have been my ally, my confidant, my love. Thank you so much.' Bohemian Rhapsody won four of the five Academy Awards it was nominated for. Along with Rami's win John Ottman took home the Best Film Editing honour, while team Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali earned the Best Sound Mixing honor. The film also won Best Sound Editing for John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone. The film also grossed more than $900 million worldwide. Dating: They were seen at various red carpet events throughout 2018 but their rumoured romance was not confirmed until April, when Us Weekly revealed that they were in fact dating German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said that the British economy would face consequences if the United Kingdom decides to break the divorce agreement with new domestic legislation. The post-Brexit trade talks between the UK and the European Union has descended into war-of-words after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hinted at a willful violation of the divorce treaty. After a meeting of EU finance ministers in Berlin, Scholz told reporters that no-deal Brexit would have very significant consequences for the British economy. He insisted that Europe has been preparing for the transition and would be able to deal with it, stressing that there wont be particularly difficult consequences for the bloc. "My assessment is that a disorderly situation would have very significant consequences for the British economy; Europe would be in a position to deal with it, and there wouldn't be particularly severe consequences after the preparations we have already made," said Scholz. Earlier, British PM had said that a no-deal exit would be a good outcome for the UK, triggering strong reactions from the 27-member bloc. UK government tabled a controversial new bill which will override parts of the Withdrawal Agreement struck with the EU ahead of Brexit. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that no-deal exit would undermine trust and break the international law. Read: UK-Japan Sign First historic Independent Post-Brexit Trade Agreement Read: UK, EU At Brexit Loggerheads Again; Legal Action Warned Against Johnson Govt's New Bill European Council President Charles Michel said that the Withdrawal Agreement was concluded and ratified by both sides and has to be applied in full. He added that breaking international law is not acceptable and does not create the confidence they need to build our future relationship. Maros Sefcovic, a senior EU official, called for an extraordinary joint committee meeting as soon as possible. We expect the letter and spirit of the #WithdrawalAgreement to be fully respected. I have called for an extraordinary EU-UK Joint Committee to be held as soon as possible - so that our UK partners elaborate and respond to our strong concerns regarding their announcement. pic.twitter.com/MhhWj9MUnC Maros Sefcovic (@MarosSefcovic) September 9, 2020 EU furious with UK 'attitude' The UK has been facing backlash for its alleged intransigent and unrealistic attitude during the Brexit trade talks, leading to a stalemate after several rounds of negotiations. In August, Germanys European affairs minister Michael Roth said that the UK needs to be more realistic and pragmatic in the Brexit negotiations. At a working seminar with French ambassadors in Europe, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that the European Union was united as ever to reach as the 27-member bloc prepares for an end of the transition period. Read: UK PM Defends Controversial Bill To Override Parts Of Brexit Divorce Pact Read: EU Raises Strong Concerns Over UKs Intention To Breach Brexit Agreement (With AP inputs) New Delhi, Sep 12 : To prevent the situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh from further escalating, the armies of India and China held an interaction on Saturday where they discussed withdrawing forces from the points where there are in eyeball-to-eyeball situations. Brigade commanders of both sides met at Chushul and held an interaction from 11 am to 3 pm but the talks remained "inconclusive". Both the countries' military delegates are continuously in talks since September 7, the day Chinese People's Liberation Army made a provocative move to occupy Indian territory at the LAC that was thwarted by the Indian Army. Both countries have now decided to hold their sixth round of top-level military talks within the next few days. The corps commanders - 14 Corps commander Lt-General Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military District chief Major General Liu Lin have not met since August 2. A senior government officer stated there is a complete breakdown of trust between both the militaries. China has mobilised thousands of soldiers, tanks and howitzers within shooting distance of each other in the Pangong Tso-Chushul area. Indian soldiers then swiftly seized tactical heights on the ridge line stretching from Thakung on the southern bank of Pangong Tso to Gurung Hill, Spanggur Gap, Magar Hill, Mukhpari, Rezang La and Reqin La (Rechin mountain pass), and other height features near Chushul to pre-empt the Chinese army activities there. The Chinese have since made multiple attempts to dislodge Indian troops from mountain heights. India has also found that the Chinese side has started troop, artillery and armour build-up in three sectors of the LAC -- western (Ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh). India and China are engaged in a four-month-long standoff at the LAC in eastern Ladakh. Despite several levels of dialogue, there has been no breakthrough and the deadlock continues. (Sumit Kumar Singh can be reached at sumit.k@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The Delhi Assemblys peace and harmony committee has summoned Facebook India vice-president and managing director Ajit Mohan in connection with complaints about the social media companys alleged deliberate and intentional inaction to contain hateful content in the country. The panel, headed by Aam Aadmi Party leader and MLA from Rajendra Nagar Raghav Chadha, has issued a notice asking Mohan to appear before it on September 15 on the Delhi Vidhan Sabha premises. Also Read: Plea in Supreme Court over data protection in UPI platforms The summons were issued on the basis of scathing depositions of key witnesses as well as incriminating material submitted by them on record, the committee said in an official statement Saturday. The notice came weeks after the committee in its second hearing on August 31 had said that prima facie it had found that Facebook was complicit in aggravating the Delhi riots in northeast Delhi in February, leaving 53 dead and over 400 injured. The committee is investigating the matter after it took cognisance of several complaints received from people based on an article published in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on August 14. The report titled Facebook hate speech rules collide with Indian politics stated that Facebook officials, especially its top public policy executive in India, Ankhi Das, allegedly cited business imperatives while choosing not to apply hate-speech rules to at least four individuals and groups linked with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India, despite their being internally flagged for promoting or participating in violence. Also Read: Back to roots: Facebook starts app within app called campus Delhi Police have not charged BJP leader Kapil Mishra in connection with the riots yet. Mishra was accused of delivering inflammatory speeches before the riots. Mishra, however, denied the charges and said that he had not violated any law. We hereby summon you (Ajit Mohan) to appear before the committee on September 15, 2020 at 12 Noon at MLA Lounge- 1, Delhi Vidhan Sabha, for the purpose of recording your deposition on oath and participating in the proceedings carried out by the committee, read the summons issued by Delhi Assemblys deputy secretary on September 10. HT has seen a copy of the notice. HT has contacted Facebook for a comment. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Editor's note: This is the first part of a two-part series looking at how farmers and artisans are reaching customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here for part two, a look at the future for Central Illinois farmers markets as winter forces them inside. BLOOMINGTON For over a decade, warm weather for Katie Bishop meant bundling up zucchini, onions, tomatoes and other produce, and hauling them from her Atlanta farm to the Downtown Bloomington Farmers Market. But this year was different. The COVID-19 pandemic's arrival in mid-March sent vendors like Bishop scrambling to get their products to customers. Bloomington's market was among those that pivoted to an online, curbside-pickup hybrid market in the spring before returning to modified operation in early summer. Some vendors also began delivering right to customers' doors. Demand was high. Particularly in the first weeks of the pandemic, grocery stores were struggling to work out kinks with their supply chains and surging demand. Some customers also were reluctant or unable to venture out because of concerns about the rapidly spreading virus. Bishop and her husband, Hans, of PrairiErth Farms took part in the curbside delivery option that Bloomington's market offered. "That was absolutely incredible in April and the early part of May, when the community was responding to COVID and there were food shortages," said Bishop. "The Downtown Bloomington Association really came through quickly on that. "It was great because we had all this product, and people wanted it, and we didn't feel safe distributing it." In mid-June, Bloomington's farmers market opened for the outdoor season with some restrictions. Live music, kids' crafts and other activities that fostered the market's community atmosphere are not allowed because of COVID-19 restrictions. Bishop and her employees returned to the market, pulling in sales and seeing customers again. But from the beginning, something didn't feel right to Bishop, who was worried for her employees' safety. When one of her employees tested positive for COVID-19, it became time to "make some tough calls." Though they treasured in-person interaction with their customers, the Bishops pulled out of the farmers market, citing concerns about keeping workers and employees safe. Left with an abundance of certain crops, Katie Bishop wasn't sure what her next move would be. That's when she learned about Market Wagon, a growing e-commerce business connecting farmers with customers through a "virtual farmer's market." Dozens of Central Illinois vendors have started using the service since it arrived in the region in June, offering weekly deliveries to 11 counties in the region. A new market Nick Carter, co-founder and CEO of Market Wagon, grew up on his family's Indiana farm but left at 18, noting that mass consolidation left less and less footing for smaller, independent operations. "The mantra in the '80s was 'get big or get out,' and we couldn't get big enough," said Carter, who went on to build a 10-year career in tech startups. As small farms began collapsing, facing loans, foreclosure and bankruptcy, many were left searching for an alternative route, Carter said. At the same time, a new type of consumer demand was growing. People wanted organic, pasture-raised produce and meat from farmers they knew and trusted. In order to farm for another generation, most farmers are going to have to find a way to diversify their income and bring their food to the marketplace, said Carter. That's where Market Wagon online at marketwagon.com or available as a smartphone app comes in. Launched in 2016, the service allows customers to place orders for items like heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn and fresh-baked sourdough bread from local vendors, just as they might order a product on Amazon. The items are then delivered to their doors on a set day. The service began operating in the Indianapolis area and has expanded rapidly, fueled in part by the closure of in-person farmers markets because of COVID-19 concerns. "The pandemic made food delivery a necessity for many households," he said. "At the same time it made farmers markets impossible. In June, the business arrived in Central Illinois with a regional hub located in Bloomington. The Central Illinois market serves 11 counties: McLean, Peoria, Woodford, Tazewell, Logan, DeWitt, Macon, Piatt, Champaign, Sangamon and Christian. Market Wagon now operates in 14 cities across seven states, and there are plans to increase its reach further. "We plan on having these open everywhere across the country," said Carter. How it works Market Wagon Central Illinois offers more than 500 products from 51 vendors and artisans. Products range from meat, dairy and seasonal produce to artisanal products such as jams, spices and seasonings, and baked goods. There are no subscriptions required, but there is a home delivery fee of $5.95. People can purchase a Wagon Pass $14.95 per month or $149 per year for free home delivery. Orders are shipped weekly on Thursdays from the Bloomington regional hub. Farmers and vendors drop off their products that morning and delivery drivers begin transporting them that afternoon. Insulated packaging, ice packs and other means are used to keep the products at the appropriate temperature. The service doesn't guarantee exact delivery times, but does send customers an email and text message to let them know their orders have arrived. "With COVID, I think people are looking for fresh goods and maybe arent making it out as often," said Robin Pletcher, Market Wagon Central Illinois hub coordinator. I think its a safe, easy way for customers to get their local goods." Supplemental income Many farmers markets were unable to operate due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, or they experienced a loss of customers for pandemic-related reasons. Some farmers, such as Bishop with PrairiErth Farms, didn't feel safe traveling to and from the markets. Market Wagon has helped some supplement that lost income, said Pletcher. Some of our vendors and our farmers actually have double jobs, so this is a secondary income for them and a way to support those additional expenses and costs that were building during COVID, she said. For Charlie Larkin, co-owner and operator of Above Normal Eggs in Normal, some sales have been down at in-person farmers markets. But, in general, he's noticed that more and more people want local produce these days. "Its just nice to get my name out there and possibly get into other farmers markets and stores in the future, said Larkin, who sells a variety of eggs, including chicken, duck and quail eggs. For Candice Hart, owner of Pollen & Pastry in Bloomington, and Jeff Hake, co-owner of Funks Grove Heritage Fruits & Grains, Market Wagon is another way to hit a new customer base. Both Hart and Hake offer products through a number of venues, such as farmers markets, store websites and other grocery stores. But Market Wagon is a source for a steady income stream in addition to their businesses. I think if Market Wagon continues on a weekly basis, I think its going to be a nice outlet for the off-season to be able to sell products on a weekly basis," Hart said. Its been a really great option for farmers to be able to have another outlet to sell our products. Others said they are reaching a wider customer base through Market Wagon as opposed to attending several small farmers markets in areas, saving time and money. "It just works very smoothly," said Hake. "It's been a great way to reach a whole new set of customers." A look at agriculture in Central Illinois Contact Sierra Henry at 309-820-3234. Follow her on Twitter: @pg_sierrahenry. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said that the fire incident that occurred at the head office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Thursday is an attempt to undermine the credibility of the forthcoming governorship election. The party made this known in a statement by its spokesperson, Eniola Olurotimi, on Saturday. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the fire, which was allegedly caused by an electricity surge, burnt no fewer than 5,141 card readers. It also affected the ICT Unit of the commission. 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 learned. Earlier, INEC spokesperson, Festus Okoye, told PREMIUM TIMES that the incident would not affect the upcoming election. He mentioned that the commission will bring more smart card readers from other states to replace the burnt ones. But in its statement, ADC expressed displeasure over the incident. The ADC as a party considers this (fire incident) very dramatic and an act of arson. The ADC as a party condemns, in all ramifications, this barbaric act that is likely coming from the ruling party with the sole purpose of destabilising the process of a free, fair and credible governorship election. The fire incident is an attempt to undermine the credibility of the electioneering process and ADC request that the Federal Government must replace the damaged smart cards before 10th October 2020, this is because manual vote counting would be most unacceptable in the coming election. ALSO READ: We hereby demand that INEC allow a just, free, fair and credible process in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State and avoid being used by the ruling party, the statement read. PREMIUM TIMES on Friday reported that the two candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) Eyitayo Jegede and Agboola Ajayi respectively condemned the fire incident. Meanwhile, the governor of the state, Rotimi Akeredolu, of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) pledged the states support for INEC. John Watson, then a Tory MP, knew he had a bit of a battle on his hands. He was addressing his audience about the benefits of nuclear power. Not an easy case to make with so many coal miners filling the chairs in front of him. But he felt pretty confident he could persuade them that working in a nuclear power station was far less dangerous than digging coal from deep underground. The industry, he said, had a fine safety record. No fatal accidents and your lungs didnt get filled with deadly coal dust. He was on a bit of a roll. Or so he thought. We will need more nuclear power. Far more even than the giant new Hinkley Point C plant (pictured) will generate when (if) it is switched on in 2030 Then a bluff old Yorkshireman stood up. Mr Watson, he said, are you trying to tell me that nuclear is safer than coal? Yes, John replied, thats exactly what Im saying. In that case, why didnt we drop a whole load o coal on Hiroshima? That was back in the 1980s. Mr Watson left politics a few years later. The debate over the safety of nuclear power continues. But he was right then and he is right today. And I write this as somebody who spent his teenage years under what we all called the shadow of the bomb. We were terrified of it. We had seen what it had done to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We knew the Soviet Union had the power to blow us all to kingdom come. True, we knew the United States could do the same to them. But we also knew the Wests policy was MAD. Literally. It stood for Mutually Assured Destruction. Hardly reassuring. And I write this as somebody who spent his teenage years under what we all called the shadow of the bomb. We were terrified of it. We had seen what it had done to Hiroshima and Nagasaki (above) I remember making a film for the BBC about the American deterrent. I still wince when I recall the sheer terror of sitting next to the pilot of one of the new B52 bombers as we skimmed over the hills of North Dakota at ridiculous speed, so low you could tell the colour of the sheeps eyes. And I will never forget the simultaneous feelings of awe and horror, standing in a deep bunker and looking up at the lethal beauty of a Minuteman missile towering above me. In the control room, I saw the two firing buttons that could send it on its way to Moscow. They were spaced at more than the width of a mans outstretched arms, so they couldnt be activated by one lone madman. The destructive power of those missiles compared with a modern nuclear weapon is that of a firecracker versus a bazooka. So, yes, I know the world is theoretically never more than a few hours from a nuclear holocaust. It would be foolish to believe that because the worst has never happened, it never will. Miss Lights has been campaigning on green issues since she was a child. She resigned from XR because she could no longer defend its tactics or some of its wilder claims based on no evidence. Above all, she could not accept its opposition to nuclear power But it is also foolish to allow the fear of nuclear weapons to colour our attitude to nuclear energy. One might be necessary to deter a reckless enemy. The other might prove crucial in a battle that is already under way: the one to save our planet from the horror of uncontrolled global warming. Which is why I found myself nodding in approval when I read the words of Zion Lights in this newspaper on Thursday. She had been the chief spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion, the organisation that ludicrously decided the best way to inform the public of the dangers of climate change was to deny people the chance to read about it in their newspapers hence some 60,000 regular Mail readers were unable to get their copy of the paper last Saturday. Miss Lights has been campaigning on green issues since she was a child. She resigned from XR because she could no longer defend its tactics or some of its wilder claims based on no evidence. Above all, she could not accept its opposition to nuclear power. She is one of a growing number of environmentalists who have come, usually reluctantly, to the conclusion that it is a vital weapon in the fight against climate change. The first to break ranks was Professor James Lovelock, the creator of the Gaia theory that the Earth is a self-regulating organism and a hero to environmentalists around the world. He caused a sensation when he pronounced that only nuclear energy can now halt global warming. That was in 2004. Since then, many leading greens have abandoned their opposition to nuclear power too. What they are not saying is that we dont need renewable energy. Wind and solar power are playing an increasingly vital part. There have been days in this country when all our electricity has come from sun or wind. But the sun doesnt always shine, the wind doesnt always blow and we still dont have the technology for storing enough energy to keep the lights on. Nor can we continue to rely so heavily on importing natural gas from abroad. No one is saying nuclear power is without its risks. But we have learned a lot since Chernobyl. The last serious accident was nearly ten years ago, when a tsunami wrecked the nuclear plant at Fukushima in Japan. Nuclear power is not just about keeping the lights on. It is about the future of our children and grandchildren. And theirs Some 2,000 people died in the chaotic emergency evacuation. Not a single death from radiation was recorded. Not then, nor since. Nobody knows how many will die from uncontrolled global warming. What we do know is that it is beginning to run out of control. When the world came together in Kyoto in 1997 to agree on a battle plan, there was hope that we might finally begin to reduce the amount of carbon we release into the atmosphere. The opposite has happened. More carbon has been emitted as a result of human activity since 1990 than in the entire previous era since the start of the Industrial Revolution. A vast proportion is produced in generating electricity. And we will need massively more in this country when petrol and diesel cars are banned only 20 years from now. Which means we will need more nuclear power. Far more even than the giant new Hinkley Point C plant will generate when (if) it is switched on in 2030. And the Government has made an almighty mess of its nuclear policy. As Alex Brummer pointed out in these pages, in a few short months two Japanese firms, Toshiba and Hitachi, have pulled out of contracts to build new plants in Cumbria and on Anglesey. And there are no more in the pipeline. Lord knows, this Government is very good at declaring emergencies. But its about time it recognised that global warming is on another scale, even compared with a nasty virus. Nuclear power is not just about keeping the lights on. It is about the future of our children and grandchildren. And theirs. A professor at Imperial College London has just won one of the most prestigious prizes in mathematics. Its worth $3 million. He has worked out how a spoon moves when it is stirring a cup of tea. Yes, yes . . . I know you could have told them that. Youve seen it often enough. And your explanation probably would not have taken up 180 pages of impenetrable equations. But this is the world-renowned Breakthrough Prize were talking about, and youll just have to take the judges word for it that nobody had ever been able to use equations to prove it until Professor Sir Martin Hairer produced his solution. Indeed, Im willing to bet that, unlike Sir Martin, you are not an expert in the theory of regularity structures in stochastic partial differential equations. I reckon my money is safe. But if he can tell us how a spoon moves when its stirring a cuppa, my suggestion is that the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, should call him in for a bit of guidance on his latest barmy proposals for how many relatives we can invite round to share that cuppa and maybe even a slice of Madeira cake too. Should be a doddle. A woman in Vietnams Central Highlands has been caught cultivating over 180 cannabis plants at her coffee plantation in Dak Nong Province. Police in Dak Song District, Dak Nong Province confirmed on Thursday they had examined the coffee plantation owned by Nguyen Thi Hoan and her husband. Officers discovered that a total of 183 cannabis plants, about 60 to 210 centimeters tall, were being grown among coffee plants in an area of 500 square meters. Cannabis plants are confiscated from a coffee plantation by police in Dak Nong Province, Vietnam, September 9, 2020. Photo: M.Q. / Tuoi Tre At the police station, Hoan claimed she had been cultivating cannabis since March. Further investigation is ongoing. According to Vietnamese law, growing cannabis is punishable by a fine worth VND2-5 million ($84-211) if the number of plants is under 500. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! New moderate income housing program could be on the way to Long Beach Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday held a crucial meeting with Bharatiya Janata Party president Jagat Prakash Nadda on seat-sharing among the National Democratic Alliance partners for the assembly elections in the state. IMAGE: Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U chief Nitish Kumar during a virtual rally, at the party office in Patna, on September 7, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo Nadda, who was accompanied by party colleagues like Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, national general secretary and state in-charge Bhupendra Yadav and state president Sanjay Jaiswal, called on Kumar at his official residence 1, Anney Marg. The Janata Dal-United national president, who was accompanied by key party aide Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan, accorded a warm welcome to Nadda, who hails from Himachal Pradesh but was born and brought up in Patna. At the meeting which lasted for more than half an hour, the leaders of the two parties are understood to have discussed the key issue of seat-sharing among alliance partners in the NDA, which also includes Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party. The BJP leadership is also understood to have assured Kumar that it will intervene and iron out the differences that have of late cropped up between the JD-U and the LJP on account of the belligerent stance adopted by the latter's young president Chirag Paswan. The schedule for assembly elections in the state is likely to be announced shortly. The Election Commission has indicated that it would like to conclude the exercise before end of term of the present house on November 29. On the previous evening at a press conference in Patna, BJP's election in-charge for Bihar assembly Devendra Fadnavis had sought to make light of the acrimony between JD-U and LJP and remarked 'nobody is going to leave the NDA, though many may join us'. The former Maharashtra Chief Minister had also attributed the sharp differences that have emerged between the two parties to 'diverse ideologies a reason why we all are separate political parties, though united in purpose'. Nadda, who arrived here on the previous evening on a two-day tour of Bihar, began his day by offering prayers at the famous Patan Devi temple in the old city, after which the Bihar capital is named. After the meeting with the chief minister, his itineraryincludes launch of 'Atmanirbhar Bihar Abhiyan' at the party's state headquarters followed by a visit to Muzaffarpur district where he will interact with women farmers and litchi cultivators at the village named after the legendary 'Kisan Chachi', whose efforts at promoting entrepreneurship among rural women have earned her a Padma award. Nadda is thereafter scheduled to visit Darbhanga, and interact with farmers involved in fisheries and production of makhana (fox nuts), both of which are found in abundance in the Mithila region of north Bihar. The phenomenon of film actors joining politics is nothing new. In fact, we live in a country where politics and showbiz are closely intertwined. The connection between the two industries goes way back in time. In the 1960s, Prithviraj Kapoor was the first movie star to enter parliament as a nominated member to the Rajya Sabha. We have had Amitabh Bachchan contesting the Lok Sabha elections in 1984. Over the years, we have also seen celebs like Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, Kirron Kher, Smriti Irani, Paresh Rawal participate actively in politics. But whats the future of this connection between the two big industries? We have zeroed down on seven famous Bollywood actors who can easily choose politics as a career and are apt candidates. 1. Kangana Ranaut For obvious reasons, she is an ideal candidate for the BJP. She can totally opt for being a politician as she has great oratory skills and is fearless too. She has been sharing her opinions on political issues without any hesitation for which she recently got Y-plus security too. So undoubtedly we see her joining politics in the near future. 2. Anupam Kher He is an ardent supporter of BJP and has been voicing his support for Kashmiri Pandits since long. If you have seen his videos on Instagram, you can see why we think he can be a potential candidate for the next elections. 3. Raveena Tandon Raveena Tandon is someone who has a very neutral approach to things - the recent example being her tweets on Sushant Singh Rajputs case. Seeking justice for the late actor, Raveena questioned possible political vendettas behind the death probe and wrote, "Crushing, Demolishing, Mayhem. Sad Sad. All that's happening. Two women, two sides, are they being used as pawns to vent out dirty political vendettas? Murder,Nepotism,Suicide,Family Grief,MentalHealth,Mafia,Vendetta,Cops,Journalism,Politics,Drugs,Films. We think it was a sensible way of approaching the matter and not letting the main cause die because of other aspects. Raveena is also known for her work towards the education sector. And despite getting offers from BJP, Congress, and Trinamool Congress, she didnt join politics. About time we guess. 4. Anurag Kashyap Anurag Kashyap's Twitter timeline proves that he can be vocal about almost every issue. Recently, he even went to Republic TVs office to give Arnab Goswami the 'excellence in journalism award', which actually was a pair of slippers. So, we can totally imagine him as a krantikari politician. 5. Taapsee Pannu Taapsee Pannu is also someone who we think can be fit for politics. She too never minces her words and is quite vocal when it comes to addressing political issues. She is again someone who believes in neutrality and we need people like her who are not extremists. In an interview with IANS, she said, I am in the center of things. I dont believe in left-wing politics or right-wing politics. I express my views on things that affect me. I have expressed my views on bad things and whenever something good has happened in our country, I have talked about it proudly. I feel both sides have their own point of view. No one asked for a sign from me and whatever I have to say I say it through social media platforms. 6. Saif Ali Khan Wondering why is he a part of this list? Well, he is someone whos well-read and aware of the cultural-political scenarios of the country. We genuinely need some intellectual politicians like him to be a part of the system. 7. Twinkle Khanna In politics, we need people who know how to shut down the haters and Twinkle Khanna is an ideal candidate for that. She is known for her witty and sarcastic comebacks, besides her awareness on issues of feminism and patriarchy. Got any other Bollywood celeb on your mind? Let us know. MADISON, Wis. - Rapper Kanye West does not qualify to be on the presidential ballot in battleground Wisconsin after missing a filing deadline, a judge ruled late Friday, upholding a bipartisan decision by the state elections commission. The decision is likely to be rapidly appealed to the conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court. That court put the mailing of absentee ballots on hold Thursday while it considers whether Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins should be added. The delay is being closely watched in Wisconsin, a swing state that President Donald Trump narrowly won in 2016 and that polls show is tight again this year. State law requires ballots to be mailed by Sept. 17 to more than 1 million voters who have requests on file. There is also a Sept. 19 deadline in federal law for mailing ballots to overseas and military voters. Those deadlines could force the Wisconsin Supreme Court, controlled 4-3 by conservatives, to act within a matter of days on who should be on the ballot. The state elections commission has argued that printing new ballots this late would not only be expensive, but could also cause confusion and disorder and may not even be feasible. In Wests case, Brown County Circuit Judge John Zakowski ruled that the state elections commission was correct in determining that the musician narrowly missed a 5 p.m. filing deadline to get on the presidential ballot. The unfortunate fact is this dispute could have been avoided had the West representatives simply arrived earlier, the judge said. Candidates need to plan ahead and arrive in time to get into the building and file the papers in the office of the commission prior to the deadline, there are no exceptions under the statute or the relevant case law. West had argued that the deadline did not expire until 5:01 p.m. and regardless of the timing, commission staffers still accepted the papers. The commission voted that West had missed the deadline either by a few seconds or several minutes. According to the lawsuit, commission staff should have unlocked the buildings doors at 4:30 p.m. to accommodate late-arriving filers. But the commissions building has been locked since the coronavirus pandemic began. Wests campaign workers had to call the commission shortly before 5 p.m. to get them to unlock the doors. A commission staff member said Wests representatives didnt place the nomination papers on the counter until 5:01 p.m. By the time the papers were organized and officially accepted, it was several minutes past the 5 p.m. deadline. Wests attorneys did not immediately return a message seeking comment. West announced a presidential bid in July, saying hes seeking the nations highest office on a ticket he calls the Birthday Party. Democrats claim Republicans are pushing Wests candidacy in swing states to siphon the Black vote from Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Whether West and Hawkins are allowed on the ballot could have a significant impact in razor-close Wisconsin. The Green Partys 2016 presidential candidate, Jill Stein, won 31,006 votes in the state, more than Trumps 22,177-vote margin over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Thousands of ballots across the state have either already been mailed or were being prepared to be sent when the state Supreme Court hit the pause button on Thursday. The elections commission did not have an exact count as to how many ballots were sent. 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. Election officials have been urging voters to return their ballots as soon as possible because of concerns with slower mail delivery and the expected unprecedented number of absentee ballots. 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 coronavirus pandemic. Central New York Two food giveaways on Tuesday, Sept. 15, will distribute more than 40,000 lbs of food in Fulton and East Syracuse. One event will happen at Catholic Charities of Oswego in Fulton at 808 West Broadway beginning at 10 a.m. At that event, 315 20-lb boxes with produce, meat and dairy will be given to each vehicle while supplies last. The other event will happen at Abundant Life Christian Center in East Syracuse at 7000 All Nations Blvd. beginning at 2 p.m. Volunteers at the event will distribute 540 boxes of produce, 180 boxes of meat and 360 boxes of dairy items. Drivers will get one of each box, weighing 20 lbs, while supplies last. At both events, all drivers and passengers are required to stay in their vehicles. Food will placed in their cars' trunks or back window. Walk-ups are not permitted. No paperwork or registration is required for either event. The groceries are being distributed via the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and Nourish New York, along with the American Dairy Association North East and Renzi Foodservice. Contact reporter Patrick Lohmann at (315)766-6670 or PLohmann@Syracuse.com. Bamako, Mali (PANA) - Two officials of the Water and Forestry Service were abducted and executed Thursday by unidentified gunmen, a reliable source told PANA here Saturday Domestic credit rating agency ICRA on Friday upgraded its ratings assigned to various debt instruments of the private lender. The rating agency has upgraded Infrastructure bonds and Basel II compliant lower tier II bonds to 'BBB' (Stable) from 'BB+' (Rating watch). Basel III compliant tier II bonds were upgraded to 'BBB-' from 'BB'. Basel II compliant tier I bonds and upper tier-II bonds were upgraded to 'BB+' (Stable) from a default (D) rating, Yes Bank said in a filing. ICRA said the rating upgrade factors in the sizeable capital raise of Rs 15,000 crore in July 2020, which has resulted in an improvement in the capital ratios of Yes Bank. The ratios are now comfortably above the regulatory levels. The capital raise follows the Government-approved reconstruction scheme implemented in Q4 March 2020, under which equity capital of Rs 10,000 crore from SBI and other domestic institutions was infused into the bank. The rating upgrade also factors in the improvement in the bank's liquidity position after the stability and subsequent increase in its deposit base. While the improvement in the capital position remains a key positive for the bank, the Covid-19-induced stress on the residual corporate book as on 30 June 2020 (~5% of standard advances were overdue) are likely to keep the credit costs at elevated levels in the near term. The management has guided towards a slippage of ~5% in FY2021. Despite having the flexibility to restructure loans, ICRA estimates that the slippages and credit costs will remain high in a stress scenario. Yes Bank has fully repaid Rs 50,000 crore towards the Special Liquidity Facility (SLF) extended by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), well before the due date. 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. The bank was under moratorium for 13 days in March 2020. It resumed full-fledged banking operations from 18 March 2020. This came after a consortium of eight public and private banks, led by State Bank of India, agreed to infuse capital into Yes Bank to rescue it from the brink of a collapse. These financial institutions had together pooled in Rs 10,000 crore as investment at Rs 10 per share in Yes Bank when it faced pressure from depositors. Shares of Yes Bank hit an upper circuit of 5% at Rs 14.61 on Friday. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, left, and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban group's top political leader sign a peace agreement between Taliban and U.S. officials in Doha, Qatar. The Taliban say the long-awaited peace talks with the negotiating team selected by the Afghan government are to begin on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar. The announcement on Sept. 10, came in a statement from the Taliban in Qatar, where the insurgents maintain a political office, and also as an announcement from Qatar's foreign ministry. (AP File) Doha: Afghanistan's government and the Taliban will meet for peace talks in Doha on Saturday in a bid to end nearly two decades of war, though a quick breakthrough seems unlikely. The US-backed negotiations come six months later than planned owing to bitter disagreements over a controversial prisoner swap agreed in February. Talks will begin a day after the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks which led the US to invade Afghanistan and topple the Taliban regime that had been sheltering Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. 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," said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who will attend the talks' opening. President Donald Trump, up for re-election in November, has pushed hard to end America's longest war and wants all foreign forces to leave Afghanistan by next year. A comprehensive peace deal could take years, and will depend on the willingness of both sides to tailor their competing visions for the country. 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. Ending the war "My beard was black when the war began, it is snow white now and we are still in war," said Kabul resident Obaidullah, 50. "I don't believe the war will end that soon, I am sceptical about the talks because both sides want their full agenda and their system enforced," added the retired civil servant. Many Afghans fear any Taliban return to power -- partial or in full -- could lead to a return of Islamic sharia law. The insurgents claimed victory in February after signing a Qatari-mediated deal with Washington that laid out a timetable for talks. Qatar has quietly led mediation efforts which have been complicated by violence in Afghanistan and the coronavirus crisis, with Doha's chief negotiator Mutlaq al-Qahtani stressing on Thursday "the power of diplomacy". Doha invited the Taliban to open a political office in 2013 and helped broker February's troop withdrawal deal between Washington and the Taliban. The arrangement has led to tense moments like when the Taliban raised their flag above the office, sparking fury in Kabul. On Friday two Afghan national flags were carried into the Doha luxury hotel that will host the talks as turbaned Taliban queued alongside media and caterers to have coronavirus tests ahead of the gathering. It is apparent that an easing of tensions at the border and a disengagement of troops is on the cards, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi and China's President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Qingdao, Shandong province. Photograph: Aly Song/Reuters A joint statement wasn't anticipated after the talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Moscow on September 10. In diplomatic terms, a joint statement signals that a 'critical mass' developed through the three-hour long discussion between the top diplomats. Of course, much of the understanding reached will not be put in the public domain, but it is apparent that an easing of tensions at the border and a disengagement of troops is on the cards. The Chinese account assesses that the two foreign ministers have created 'favourable conditions for a possible future meeting of the leaders of the two countries.' Doesn't this add up to a breakthrough? It does. That there isn't going to be a war makes this a big breakthrough. So indeed, that deck is cleared for a summit meeting. 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 joint statement outlined a 5-point consensus. First, the two countries reaffirmed the 'series of consensus' reached by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at their meetings in Astana (June 2017), Wuhan (April 2018) and Chennai (October 2018), which had committed the two countries to a cooperative relationship. Second, a 'quick disengagement of border troops is envisaged, so that the two militaries will maintain a proper distance and ease tensions.' Third, the existing agreements and protocols in bilateral boundary affairs shall be adhered to and the two militaries shall 'maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters.' Fourth, the two special representatives will continue 'dialogue and communication' on the boundary question and the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on China-India Border Affairs will hold meetings. Finally, once the tensions ease, new CBMs will be concluded to 'maintain and enhance' peace and tranquility in the border areas. Reading between the lines, the joint statement never once mentions the Line of Actual Control . Instead, the expression used is 'border areas'. This suggests that there isn't going to be any return to thr status quo ante as of early May, which has been an Indian demand. The Indian Army reportedly occupied certain 'dominating heights' through the past week. But nothing has been mentioned in the joint statement in this regard. Conceivably, the Indian troops's mortal enemy in those dominating heights will be not the PLA, but the harsh winter that is approaching in another 6 weeks or so. Maintaining a military presence in such inhospitable terrain entails heavy costs in life and treasure and will put an intolerable strain on our resources. Succinctly put, what emerges from the joint statement is a mutual desire not to escalate the conflict situation and a shared opinion that a de-escalation of tensions is in the mutual interest. However, there is lingering uncertainty as regards the way forward. To my mind, the creation of a buffer zone (a demilitarised zone) at this point will be the best way to ensure peace and tranquility on the border on a durable basis. Paradoxically, the crisis today also is an eyeopener. We peered into the abyss and didn't like what we saw. Prime Minister Modi is a charismatic leader who can pitch high for a settlement of the boundary question. He is a strong leader who can take difficult decisions and cut the Gordian knot. IMAGE: External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and China's Wang Yi at the RIC Summit. Photograph: Kind courtesy Dr S Jaishankar/Twitter Clearly, India has shifted from the position that unless the PLA withdrew from 'Indian territory', bilateral ties cannot be 'business as usual'. In a huff, India began imposing sanctions against China. But the joint statement underscores that the two countries continue to uphold the 'series of consensus' reached at the leadership level -- where a key template is their common conviction that China and India are not competitive rivals or each other's threats, but cooperation partners and each other's developmental opportunities. A Xinhua dispatch from Moscow giving a resume of the 'full, in-depth discussion' between the two foreign ministers says, '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 Chinese and Indian leaders have met several times and reached a series of important consensus on the development of bilateral relations, he said.' Clearly, sanctions must go. They have no place in the relationship. They would hurt us more than the Chinese. The trade and economic ties are useful and critically necessary, especially at times such as this, to leverage a reset in the relationship. We must learn from Japan and Vietnam. This rethink must be welcomed. But it is an abhorrent idea for sections of Indian opinion who are weaned on the belief that China has committed aggression by invading 'Indian territory' and must be punished. Social media is full of venomous attack on the Indian 'sellout' at the Moscow talks, the 'evisceration' of the LAC and so on. However, that is primarily because the Indian narrative is seriously flawed. There is going to be a serious problem ahead for the government to 'upgrade' the Indian narrative at this late stage. The fact of the matter is that the Chinese had never accepted the LAC on the map or had delimited the LAC on the ground per the 1993 agreement. They consistently held the view that the November 1959 claim line constituted the LAC. In the circumstances, how the disengagement and de-escalation can be worked out remains to be seen. Looking back, the government's move on August 5 last year to change the status of J&K and thereafter to include Aksai Chin as part of the Union Territory of Ladakh triggered a sequence of events culminating in the Chinese side changing the status quo on the ground and creating 'new facts on the ground'. India lacks the capability to challenge the Chinese action. But the country was led to believe otherwise. Per the Indian narrative, Indian armed forces have the capability to give a 'bloody nose' to the PLA. So, there is bound to be a sense of disappointment today. India is paying a very high price for the strident nationalism and xenophobia that was whipped up by the ruling elite. The Indian narrative is divorced from realities. The nation is bogged down in a raging epidemic and a deepening economic crisis. A vaccine to contain the pandemic will not be available in the market before the second half of next year. Meanwhile, the epidemic will remain as the 'new normal'. A war with China will set back the country's development by a decade. It is unthinkable. Suffice to say, Jaishankar was given a weak hand to negotiate. And he has made a good job of it. The biggest gain is that a war has been averted and a new phase of constructive engagement of China with a sense of realism becomes possible. This is a moment of truth to rethink the entire foreign policy trajectory the government followed in recent years. Equally, it must be borne in mind that a replay of the 'forward policy' that in 1962 plunged the country in a ruinous war was best avoided. The Mission Creep in the name of 'infrastructure development' in Ladakh inevitably met with a Chinese rebuff. All sorts of jingoistic notions stemming from the militarisation of India's foreign policies in the past decade or so precluded rational thinking. The criticality of Aksai Chin region for China's national security needed no iteration. Yet, we chose to meddle. Fundamentally, India needs to come to terms with China's rise and should have the composure and maturity to regard it as an inexorable historical process. The country is caught in a time warp -- entrapped between Parliament on one side and an ill-informed nation on the other side. Our zero sum mindset has done colossal damage. We must jettison it forever and refocus on constructively engaging China so as to take advantage of that country's meteoric rise for our country's development, which is the number one priority today. Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar, a frequent contributor to Rediff.com, served the Indian Foreign Service for 29 years. Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com Hundreds of Belarusian women on Saturday marched in Minsk city centre to continue calls for the resignation of President Alexander Lukashenko. Footage from Belarus' capital showed a large police presence at the demonstration and some protesters being arrested. Security forces also detained a number of participants at similar demonstrations earlier in the week. Protesters in Belarus have spent a month denouncing the results of the countrys August 9 presidential election as rigged and which saw Lukashenko win a sixth term. WASHINGTON - Explaining his deceptive assurances about the pandemic, President Donald Trump suggested he was doing what Winston Churchill had done, soothing the public in a time of danger. That's not how it went down in World War II. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event with steelworkers in the backyard of a home in Detroit, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) WASHINGTON - Explaining his deceptive assurances about the pandemic, President Donald Trump suggested he was doing what Winston Churchill had done, soothing the public in a time of danger. That's not how it went down in World War II. Churchill did not tell Britons that Nazi Germany was under control or that, "like a miracle, it will disappear, to cite Trump's words on the virus. The British prime minister spread fear, as well as resolve, as he summoned Britons to national purpose against the hideous apparatus of aggression enslaving swaths of Europe and soon to be turned upon us. Trump's statements about the pandemic have been rife with misinformation from the start. But journalist Bob Woodward's new book, Rage, reveals Trump admitting to using distortion as a tactic as he underplayed the threat of COVID-19 to Americans and young people in particular, while knowing better. The president said his purpose was to avoid panic. Details from the book and its recorded interviews with Trump dropped during a week of intense politicking as the campaign for the Nov. 3 election entered its homestretch. As the rhetoric flew, both Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden exaggerated their influence in reviving the auto industry. In a mix-up, Biden vastly overstated military COVID-19 deaths. Trump thoroughly misrepresented Biden's positions. BLOOD, SWEAT, TEARS TRUMP on Churchill during the German bombing of London: He always spoke with calmness. He said, We have to show calmness.'" remarks to Michigan supporters Thursday. TRUMP: As the British government advised the British people in the face of World War II, Keep calm and carry on. Thats what I did.'" Michigan remarks. THE FACTS: Historians take sharp issue with that. Churchill understood that candour in crisis was vital, tweeted Erik Larson, author of The Splendid and the Vile, a history of Churchill and Britons during the German bombing campaign known as the Blitz. He did not sugarcoat the German threat. Fellow historian Jon Meacham responded to Trump with a quote from Churchill himself, rendered with Twitter abbreviation: 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 fools paradise." The slogan to Keep calm and carry on was printed on British posters in preparation for war but did not gain favour and the posters were soon scrapped. In his first BBC broadcast as prime minister, in May 1940, Churchill described in chilling detail the remarkable advance of German armoured columns and infantry through the ravaged French countryside and said it would be foolish to disguise the gravity of the hour. He said that hideous apparatus of aggression which gashed Holland into ruin and slavery in a few days will be turned upon us. I am sure I speak for all when I say we are ready to face it; to endure it. The Blitzkrieg started that September. While Trump was repeatedly minimizing the danger of the outbreak in his public remarks, he was telling Woodward that he knew the virus was deadlier than even a severe seasonal flu, that he was struck by how easily it spread and that plenty of young people were contracting it. I wanted to always play it down," he said in March. "I still like playing it down. Because I dont want to create a panic. ___ VIRUS TRUMP: We are going to have vaccines very soon, it may be much sooner than you think. news conference Thursday. TRUMP: Youll have this incredible vaccine, and ... in speed like nobody has ever seen before. This couldve taken two or three years, and instead its going to be its going to be done in a very short of period of time. Could even have it during the month of October. news conference Monday. THE FACTS: Hes almost certainly raising unrealistic hopes as the November election approaches. The Food and Drug Administration already has told manufacturers it wont consider any vaccine thats less than 50% effective. Getting the right math before November, as Trump has promised, is incredibly unlikely, said Dr. Larry Corey of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute, who is overseeing the U.S. governments vaccine studies. Public health experts are worried that Trump will press the FDA to approve a vaccine before it is proven to be safe and effective. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the governments top infectious diseases expert, has said he is cautiously optimistic that a coronavirus vaccine will be ready by early next year. Even then, Fauci made clear that the vaccine would not be widely available right away. Ultimately, within a reasonable period of time, the plans now allow for any American who needs a vaccine to get it within the year 2021, Fauci told Congress last month. Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, also expressed cautious optimism this past week that one of the vaccines being tested will pan out by year's end. But he warned: Certainly to try to predict whether it happens on a particular week before or after a particular date in early November is well beyond anything that any scientist right now could tell you. The particular date is Nov. 3, Election Day. ___ TRUMP: The approach to the virus is a very unscientific blanket lockdown by the Democrats. news conference Thursday. TRUMP: Bidens plan for the China virus is to shut down the entire U.S. economy. news conference Monday. THE FACTS: Thats not Biden's plan at all. Biden has said he would shut down the economy only if scientists and public health advisers recommended he do so to stem the COVID-19 threat. He said he would follow the science, not disregard it. Biden told ABC last month he will be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives when he was asked if he would even be willing to shut the country again. I would listen to the scientists," he said. If they said to shut it down, I would shut it down." FILE - In this Sept. 9, 2020, file photo Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden leaves after speaking during a campaign event on manufacturing and buying American-made products at UAW Region 1 headquarters in Warren, Mich. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File) ___ TRUMP: When Joe Biden was vice-president, his failed approach to the swine flu was disastrous. ... And 60 million Americans got H1N1 in that period of time. ...We did everything wrong, it was a disaster. news conference Thursday. THE FACTS: This is a distorted history of a pandemic in 2009 that killed far fewer people in the United States than the coronavirus is killing now. For starters, Biden as vice-president wasnt running the federal response. And that response was faster out of the gate than when COVID-19 came to the U.S. Then, the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions flu surveillance network sounded the alarm after two children in California became the first people diagnosed with the new flu strain in this country. About two weeks later, the Obama administration declared a public health emergency against H1NI, also known as the swine flu, and the CDC began releasing anti-flu drugs from the national stockpile to help hospitals get ready. In contrast, Trump declared a state of emergency in early March, seven weeks after the first U.S. case of COVID-19 was announced, and the country's health system struggled for months with shortages of critical supplies and testing. More than 190,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. The CDC puts the U.S. death toll from the 2009-2010 H1N1 pandemic at about 12,500. ___ AUTOS BIDEN: President Obama and I rescued the auto industry and helped Michigans economy come roaring back." tweet Wednesday. THE FACTS: Biden is assigning too much credit to Barack Obama and himself for saving the auto industry. As an initial matter, what the Obama administration did was an expansion of pivotal steps taken by Obamas predecessor, President George W. Bush. In December 2008, General Motors and Chrysler were on the brink of financial collapse. The U.S. was in a deep recession and U.S. auto sales were falling sharply. GM, Chrysler and Ford requested government aid, but Congress voted it down. With barely a month left in office, Bush authorized $25 billion in loans to GM and Chrysler from the $700 billion bailout fund that was initially intended to save the largest U.S. banks. Ford decided against taking any money. Once in office, Obama appointed a task force to oversee GM and Chrysler, both of which eventually declared bankruptcy, took an additional roughly $55 billion in aid, and were forced to close many factories and overhaul their operations. All three companies recovered and eventually started adding jobs again. ___ TRUMP: We brought you a lot of car plants, you know that right? ... I saved the U.S. auto industry." Michigan rally Thursday. BIDEN, on Michigan's economy: "Donald Trump squandered it and hardworking Michiganders are paying the price every day. tweet Wednesday. THE FACTS: Both Trump and Biden are overstating it. Trump did not wreck Michigans economy, but he certainly didn't bring an auto industry boom, either. In fact, the number of auto and parts manufacturing jobs in the state fell slightly between Trump's inauguration and February of this year, before the coronavirus took hold. When Trump took office there were 174,200 such jobs, and that dropped to 171,800 in February, according to Labor Department statistics. While most plants shuttered for about eight weeks after the pandemic hit, many are back running near capacity again, at least for now. In July, the most recent figures available, Michigan had 154,400 auto and parts manufacturing jobs. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, recently said the states economy was operating now at 87% of pre-pandemic levels, citing figures from Moodys Analytics and CNN. ___ ENERGY and ENVIRONMENT TRUMP: Instead of focusing on radical ideology, my administration is focused on delivering real results. And thats what we have. Right now we have the cleanest air ever weve ever had in this country lets say over the last 40 years. remarks Tuesday in Jupiter, Florida. FACTS: Hes not responsible for all of the progress far from it. All six air pollution measurements monitored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency showed that in 2019 the U.S. air was the cleanest on record. But the most important pollutant, tiny particles, was essentially about the same as 2016, only down 1%, according to Carnegie Mellon University environmental engineering professor Neil Donahue. The same figures also showed that air pollution rose in the first two years of the Trump administration before falling greatly in 2019. Donahue and three other outside experts in air pollution said the president was wrongly taking credit for what years, even decades, of ever-increasing emissions restrictions caused. H. Christopher Frey, an engineering professor at North Carolina State University and former chief of the EPAs air quality scientific advisory board, said that current trends in air quality are for reasons irrespective of, or despite, policies of the Trump administration. Instead he and Donahue attributed it to a shift from use of dirtier coal a shift the Trump administration has fought against and to newer, cleaner cars replacing older vehicles. ___ TRUMP: Were showing that we can create jobs, safeguard the environment and keep energy prices low for America and low for our citizens. And you see that. You also see it when you pump the gas in your car and youre sometimes paying a lot less than $2 lately. So were doing well. Florida remarks. THE FACTS: Trump is wrongly taking credit. Gasoline prices didnt fall because of the Trump administration. They plunged because the coronavirus forced people to abandon their offices, schools, business trips and vacations. Reduced economic activity related to the COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in energy demand and supply patterns in 2020," said the U.S. Energy Information Administration. World demand for oil has fallen by 8 million barrels a day, the agency estimates. Underscoring the connection to the pandemic shutdown, U.S. gas prices were at their lowest in April when people were staying home most now are up 33 cents a gallon on average, the agency says. ___ TROOPS TRUMP: Were pretty much out of Syria. news conference Thursday. THE FACTS: Not so much. Last year close to 30 U.S. troops moved out of two outposts near the border area where a Turkish attack on the country was initially centred. But the U.S. currently has about 700 troops deployed to Syria, a number that hasn't changed a lot lately. ___ BIDEN: Troops died in Iraq and Afghanistan: 6,922. ... Military COVID deaths: 6,114. Folks, every one of these lives mattered. remarks Wednesday in Warren, Michigan. THE FACTS: Hes way off on the number of coronavirus deaths in the U.S. military. According to the Defence Department, just seven members of the military have died from COVID-19, including reservists and those in the National Guard. The Biden campaign acknowledged he had misspoken. citing overall coronavirus deaths in Michigan instead of U.S. military deaths in a mix-up. ___ NATO TRUMP: If you look at NATO, with the exception of eight countries were one of them every country is way behind. Theyre delinquent, especially Germany, in paying their NATO bills. ... And theyve increased their spending now $130 billion, going up to $400 billion a year. Its all because of me. news conference Monday. THE FACTS: He's incorrect on several fronts. First, countries dont pay to be in NATO and dont owe the organization anything other than contributions to a largely administrative fund that Trump is not talking about. Member countries are not delinquent on NATO bills. Nor have collections increased, as he asserted. Trumps actual beef is with how much NATO countries spend on their own military budgets. He's pressed them to spend more. So did Obama. And in 2014, during the Obama administration, NATO members agreed to move toward spending 2% of their gross domestic product on their own defence by 2024. Trump then mangles what happened next. In December, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that by 2024, military spending by non-U.S. members of the alliance will have increased by $400 billion since 2016 because of commitments from the member states. That's $400 billion cumulatively over eight years. It's not $400 billion a year," as Trump put it. And it's not all because of me. ___ NOVEMBER ELECTION TRUMP, retweeting an Associated Press analysis projecting the number of ballots that get rejected will soar this fall because of increased mail-in voting: Rigged Election! tweet Tuesday. THE FACTS: No, defective ballots do not equate to fraud. The overwhelming majority arent. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, the vast majority of ballots are disqualified because they arrive late, a particular worry this year because of recent U.S. Postal Service delays and an expected surge in mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic. Ballots also are deemed defective if there is a missing signature common with newer voters unfamiliar with the process or it doesnt match whats on file. In addition, some states require absentee voters to get a witness or notary to sign their ballots. None of those are fraud, said Wendy Weiser, director of Brennans democracy program at NYU School of Law. When suspected cases are investigated for potential fraud, studies have borne out the main reason for defects is voter mistake. The AP analysis published Monday found that rejections of absentee ballots could triple compared with 2016 in some battleground states, potentially tipping the election outcome. It said voters could be disenfranchised in key battleground states and that nullified votes could be even more pronounced in some urban areas where Democratic votes are concentrated and ballot rejection rates trended higher during this years primaries. Thats far from an election rigged against Trump. ___ Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Associated Press writers Lauran Neergaard, Seth Borenstein, Josh Boak, Christopher Rugaber, Robert Burns, Lolita C. Baldor and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar in Washington, James LaPorta in Delray Beach, Florida, Tom Krisher in Detroit, Alexandra Jaffe in Warren, Michigan, and Tom Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE A look at the veracity of claims by political figures. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apnews.com/APFactCheck Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck Homeland Ghana Educational Foundation, an NGO that is focused on making education in the Upper West region of Ghana is set to embark on a toilet and changing room building project that is aimed at helping girls stay in school without any problems with sanitation and hygiene during their menstruation periods The foundation seeks financial support to build a feminine hygiene friendly facility in a basic school at Siniensi in the Upper West Region of Ghana. This follows a report that covered a young girl called Angela who revealed her discomfort and how she had to stay out of school during her menstrual period because of the unavailability of sanitary pads, embarrassment and the lack of changing facilities. It is well known that education has the potential to improve the lives of girls and women directly and indirectly. It allows them to have greater control of their lives and provides them with skills to contribute to the development of their societies. Despite the obvious benefits of girls Education to national development, research findings indicate that girls dropout rate from school is higher in Ghana than that of boys. To identify why girls in particular drop out of school is difficult because the phenomenon is influenced by a multiplicity of factors including the following; economic, household, school level. Under school-level factors, one that is striking great effect is the unavailability of toilets and access to feminine hygiene supplies or feminine facilities. In this regard, research indicates that female students were more likely to be absent if their toilets at school were dirty. In addition, it has been identified in the Ghana (especially Northern Ghana) that, some female students are often absent in class during menstruation and frequent absence lead them to drop out from school. This situation of inadequate sanitation facilities in schools massively affect girls' dropout because this inadequacy indicates that schools are not safe for girls. Though lack of facilities and poor hygiene affect both girls and boys, sanitation in schools has a strong negative impact on girls. UNICEF (2006) observe that in Africa, the lack of basic sanitation is the cause of decreasing enrolment of girls in secondary schools. Similarly, UNICEF (1998) observe that if the toilets are shared by girls and boys or are closely located in schools a significant number of girls may eventually drop out because of harassment and lack of privacy. It is in light of this that the Homeland Ghana Educational Foundation takes it upon itself to embark on a project to build a toilet facility and a changing room where girls can change away from the boys and feel safe at school. The project is set to kick-start at one of the partner schools of foundation that is located at Siniensi. It has been noted according to reports and surveys made by the foundation that availability of toilets can encourage children, especially girls, to go to school and remain in the school system. As such, the aim of this project is to help keep girls in school where they cannot absent or drop out because of issues surrounding their menstruation. It must be noted that when a girl reaches puberty, access to a toilet facility at school can be the decisive factor of whether she continues with her education. The majority of research tells us that it is girls who pay the biggest price for poor sanitation. This is because periods are painful and in several sub-Saharan Africa cultures, it is a largely associated with a lot of taboos. Homeland Ghana Educational Foundation is an NGO that prioritizes keeping girls in school and providing them with dignity. And since November 2019, Homeland Ghana Educational Foundation has donated sanitary pads to 100 girls on a monthly basis. The foundation is appealing to the general public, other NGOs and corporate bodies to support them on this building project by way of donating funds. To support this project, kindly donate through: Buco Bank Limited Homeland Ghana Educational Foundation Acc no: 4011310000437781 Branch: Builsa Community - Sandema or MTN Mobile Money: 0542439896 (Awaafo Isaac - Co-founder/Fundraiser) Cllr Rory O'Connor has called for free parking for healthcare workers for the duration of the pandemic. He said in a notice of motion, that this would include the display of appropriate identification on the dashboard. The response from officials was that there is a free car park at Ravenswell Road seven days a week. 'I'm disappointed in the response,' said Cllr O'Connor. 'That's obviously very limited in that those spaces get taken early in the morning.' He said that it would be a small way to say thank you. District manager Lorraine Gallagher said that she had spoken to the head of finance who said that the best thing to do would be refer it to the law department of Wicklow County Council as there are bye laws in place. He also said that they would have to look at income loss and offset that against other spends, as income is at crisis point. Cllr O'Connor said that it had been done in Dublin and their model could be cloned. 'It won't affect income overall,' he said. 'They deserve it at the end of the day.' Cllr Joe Behan said that instead of clapping for carers, this is an actual practical support. 'The government is supposed to be replacing lost funding,' he said. He said that in the former location of the present chief executive, Carrick on Shannon, there is free parking for anyone. 'We decide the bye laws,' said Cllr Behan. 'This is delegated to us and nothing to do with Wicklow. We could decide if we wanted to have free parking everywhere. I don't think it should be referred to a law agent or finance officer. 'I think it's a great idea,' said Cllr Behan. Administrative officer Triona Irving said that the district administrator had said that if the council was advising people to put there identification on show in cars, it could indicate they were away from them for a long period and could result in vandalism. Cllr O'Connor disagreed and said people wouldn't necessarily be gone from their cars for long periods. 'I love the idea, I think it's excellent,' said Cllr Flynn Kennedy. 'We have a huge population of people in the healthcare sector,' she said. 'My only question is how to identify all those workers and how far do we extend it?# District manger Lorraine Gallagher said that the council had recently lit up the building in honour of emergency workers and healthcare workers. 'They have done fantastic work,' she said. She added that there are people who have been working in essential services which are not healthcare. Cllr Flynn Kennedy asked for more information for the next meeting on how such a scheme would work. Cllr O'Connor said that he will write to Dublin. Naya Riveras autopsy, investigative and toxicology reports have revealed some of the circumstances surrounding her death in early July. Rivera's body was found on 13 July after the 33-year-old went missing from a rented pontoon boat on the California lake, where she was swimming with her four-year-old son five days earlier. Soon after, an autopsy confirmed that the Glee star had drowned by accident. According to USA Today, who obtained an investigative report by the Ventura County Medical Examiners Office, Rivera suffered from vertigo to the point of vomiting that would get worse when she was in the water. It states that Rivera controlled her symptoms with antihistamines, and that the actor had previously been treated for her vertigo at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles. The report also shines some light on the events that preceded her drowning. The actors four-year-old son, Jorsey Dorsey, told Riveras mother, Yolanda Previtire, that he and Rivera had counted one, two, three together before jumping off the boat into the lake. Rivera is most famous for playing Santana Lopez on the musical comedy-drama Glee' Shortly after they jumped, Rivera instructed Dorsey to return to the boat and helped him onto the vessel, the report says. Rivera then yelled for help and put her arm in the air before disappearing below the water. The child was later found on the boat alone by another boater. He was asleep and wearing a life vest. The death certificate says she died within minutes, according to reports. Toxicology tests found caffeine and low levels of amphetamine and diazepam in Riveras system. The autopsy also found a blood alcohol concentration of 0.016 per cent. The investigative report found that Rivera was prescribed Adderall for anxiety and an unknown medication for a sinus infection. All the member airlines of oneworld have committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, thus becoming the first global airline alliance to unite behind a common target to achieve carbon neutrality. The alliances 13 member airlines plan to achieve this target within the existing environmental framework previously agreed to by governments, including through the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The airlines will develop their individual approaches to reach the target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, through various initiatives such as efficiency measures, investments in sustainable aviation fuels and more fuel-efficient aircraft, reduction of waste and single-use plastics, and carbon offsets among other measures. Several oneworld member airlines are already actively prioritising a range of environmental sustainability initiatives. IAG (the parent of member carriers British Airways and Iberia) was the first airline group worldwide to commit to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Japan Airlines and Qantas have also targeted net zero carbon emissions by 2050, while Finnair aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. Several other initiatives, including the use of more sustainable materials, investing in more fuel-efficient aircraft and the development of sustainable aviation fuels are already in progress at many member airlines. British Airways, for example, is part of an initiative to turn household and commercial waste into renewable jet fuel. American Airlines has undertaken an extensive fleet replacement initiative that has welcomed more than 500 new, more fuel-efficient aircraft into its fleet in place of less-efficient planes, and it has also begun adopting sustainable aviation fuel. The net zero carbon emissions target announced yesterday is among several environment and sustainability initiatives that oneworld member airlines are collaborating on, through a working group co-led by IAG Group Head of Sustainability Jonathon Counsell and Qantas Executive Manager Sustainability and Future Planet David Young. Chairman and Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: "The commitment of oneworld member airlines to reach net zero emissions by 2050 underlines the importance that we as an alliance have placed on becoming a more sustainable industry." "Despite the challenges we are all facing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we have not lost sight of the responsibility we have to reduce emissions in the long term and this announcement reflects the strength of that commitment," he stated. IAG Chief Executive Luis Gallego said: We strongly support and congratulate oneworld for its commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. Despite the current crisis, its absolutely critical that the industry plays its full part in addressing climate change. We were the first airline group worldwide to commit to achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 and well continue to lead the industry's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. American Airlines Chairman and CEO Doug Parker said: Were proud to join with our oneworld partners to commit to a more sustainable future for our industry. Each step we take to reduce our impact on the environment from improving efficiency to adopting low-carbon fuels contributes to our vision of taking care of customers and team members for generations to come. The American Airlines team is ready and willing to do what it takes to reach this ambitious and important goal. Finnair CEO Topi Manner said: Finnair is happy to be part of this important initiative that shows the way for the industry. In addition to determined actions that reduce global emissions today, we must also seek future solutions to solve the climate challenge of our industry and to maintain the positive impacts aviation has for the society an example of this is Finnair participating in research in zero emission synthetic fuels. Japan Airlines President Yuji Akasaka said: Japan Airlines fully recognises that the airline industry will play a vital role in promoting a sustainable future and proudly supports the alliance in achieving net zero carbon emissions by the year 2050. In recent years, the JAL Group has invested in the development of sustainable aviation fuel to help contribute in building a firm supply chain for the airline industry. CEO Rob Gurney said: "Alongside our member airlines, oneworld is proud to be the first alliance to commit to net zero emissions by 2050 and play a role in making the industry more sustainable." "We want to thank our member carriers for their support and recognise IAG and Qantas for the leadership they have shown as we committed together to this goal," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday announced a separate state-funded scheme to provide subsidized rations to the nine lakh beneficiaries not covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), as he launched the Smart Ration Card scheme to cover 1.41 crore beneficiaries across the state. The total number of beneficiaries in the state empowered to get their quota of foodgrains from any ration depot in the state will thus go up to 1.50 crore. Under the Smart Ration Card Scheme, 37.5 lakh cards will be distributed to eligible beneficiaries this month. Amarinder said the Centre had capped the maximum number of beneficiaries to 1.41 crore and despite repeated requests had not agreed to provide subsidized rations to the deserving nine lakh people not covered under NFSA. His government had therefore decided to cover all such left out eligible persons under a state-funded scheme, details of which will be announced shortly. Launching the Smart Ration Card scheme virtually, he said it would help curb corruption and give beneficiaries the freedom to buy from any depot. Describing it as a major step towards empowering people, he said it will end the exploitation of beneficiaries by unscrupulous ration depot holders. The Chief Minister lashed out at the BJP-led central government for attempting to destroy the spirit of Punjabs farmers, who have toiled for the country and fed the nation, through the farm ordinances. These ordinances are aimed at ending the MSP regime and will hit the farmers hard, he said. In a symbolic gesture, he handed over the smart ration cards to four beneficiaries here at the Secretariat, after which all ministers and MLAs distributed cards in their respective districts and constituencies. Referring to the SYL issue, Amarinder said it was another problem Punjab was facing and while he had recently had one meeting with the Union Water Resources Minister and his Haryana counterpart, the problem continues to haunt the state. Pointing to the melting glaciers and the receding ground water level in the state, he said the situation was critical and the state simply could not afford to give any water to other states. Earlier, Punjab Minister of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Bharat Bhushan Ashu pointed out that the state government, in line with its promise to make the system transparent, had already introduced e-POS system to check pilferage. The smart cards will enable beneficiaries to take ration from any shop, thus ending the monopoly of the depots. Bio-metrics of the card holder will be matched with the data stored in a chip on the smart ration card to prevent any fraudulent transfer of food grains. One card will suffice for the entire family. 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. Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik has launched a scheme to improve the socio-economic condition and hone the skills of thousands of sanitation workers in the state. Patnaik said while launching the scheme that despite several strides in various sectors in India, sanitation workers have been deprived of safety, dignity and decent livelihood, apart from suffering social stigma and exclusion. Our conscience can never be calmed if we dont take steps to correct this injustice. My government has therefore decided to launch a scheme called Garima, a Scheme to ensure Safety and Dignity of Core Sanitation Workers, Patnaik said on Friday, according to news agency PTI. Odishas Garima scheme is a humble tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary, who fought throughout his life for the rights, equality and social dignity of the underprivileged people, he added. Here is all about the scheme: * The Garima scheme will be implemented in all the 114 urban local bodies (ULBs) in Odisha and benefit about 20,000 core sanitation workers and their families. * A dedicated corpus fund of 50 crore will be created, and a state commission for core sanitation workers will also be constituted, Patnaik said. * Pratap Jena, the states minister for housing and urban development, said the scheme is first of its kind by any state in India to provide a comprehensive package, institutionalizing and regulating the core sanitation services, providing service level benefits, social security and financial benefits to core sanitation workers and their families. * A statewide survey under the new programme will identify workers engaged in core sanitation work, regulate sanitation service organisations, introduce a special wage category apart from other allowances. * All core sanitation workers will receive training to improve their skills. They will also have access to counselling support to acquire new skills and financial support if they choose an alternative livelihood if they want to. * The benefits also include the introduction of a special category of wages for core sanitation work, the introduction of risk and hardship allowance, financial assistance to the families in the event of accident or injury, financial support in the form of house grant and purchase of two-wheelers to the extent of 90% of the cost. * Access to Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPF), retirement benefits, post-service benefits and illness allowance will provide further financial security to the core sanitation workers and their families. * The government will also provide welfare benefits like health and life insurance, disability support, periodic health check-ups, housing, educational support, mobility support and mobile support. (With agency inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Under the EU emissions trading system (ETS) factories and power plants have to buy pollution permits to cover the greenhouse gases they emit, while airlines must do so for flights within Europe The world's biggest carbon trading market faces a major overhaul under European Union climate change plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions faster this decade, a draft seen by Reuters shows. Under the EU emissions trading system (ETS) factories and power plants have to buy pollution permits to cover the greenhouse gases they emit, while airlines must do so for flights within Europe. The draft document, which confirms that the European Commission will next week propose that the EU sets a target to cut emissions from 1990 levels by "at least 55%" by 2030, lays out options it is considering to deliver the new goal. The Commission said it did not comment on leaked documents. The existing target of a 40% cut by 2030 will not be enough for the EU to meet its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. The new target, which needs national goverment and European Parliament approval, could be met both by reducing production of greenhouse gases and removing them from the atmosphere. It would also require a tighter cap on the amount of permits in the carbon market, and the rate at which this cap drops each year would need to go beyond the planned rate of 2.2%, the draft said. The Commission, which will propose a law containing the ETS reforms by June 2021, will assess what this means for the amount of free permits given to industry, a system designed to avoid companies relocating outside Europe to avoid carbon costs. An initial analysis found a "significant amount" of free permits would still be available under a tighter cap, the draft said. The Commission will also propose reducing free permits for airlines, while changes to fossil fuel taxes could also help cut emissions, which could make jet fuel more expensive. The draft confirms plans to expand the ETS into new sectors, including "at least intra-EU maritime transport", and possibly road transport and buildings. However, it said the ETS should not replace existing emissions-cutting policies - such as the bloc's emissions limits for cars, which would be made more ambitious. Search Keywords: Short link: By PTI MUMBAI: Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Friday denied that he expresed disapproval about demolition at actor Kangana Ranaut's bungalow here. Sources had said the governor had summoned Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's principal advisor Ajoy Mehta on Wednesday, when the demolition was carried out, and conveyed his displeasure. To a reporter's question here on Friday, Koshyari said, "I haven't expressed resentment anywhere." The Mumbai civic body demolished the alterations allegedly made without its approval at Ranaut's 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 table book 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. ALSO READ | Maharashtra govt thinks war against corona over, only battle left is against Kangana: Fadnavis The term of the 12 sitting MLCs appointed under the Governor's quota ended in June. "I haven't 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 President's 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. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has visited two Yorkshire farms to see the government's post-Brexit Environmental Land Management scheme in action. Farmers in North Yorkshire are testing the scheme, which will replace the EU's CAP, to help shape any future approach to payments and public goods. The ELM scheme will see farmers paid for work that enhances the environment, such as tree or hedge planting and river management to mitigate flooding. Moving away from the EU's system that pays farmers for the total amount of land farmed, the scheme will instead pay for public goods. Defra farming minister Victoria Prentis and local MP and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, visited Richmond and Wensleydale to see two tests and trials in action. Farmers in Wensleydale are looking at whether they can deliver better outcomes for the environment when given greater flexibility and autonomy to manage their land. Elsewhere, land managers of the Barningham Estate Farmers Group are exploring ways to encourage farmers to work together to achieve environmental goals. Defra said it was looking to work together with farmers to harness their ideas and gain their feedback by testing and trialling elements of the new scheme. Mr Sunak said farming was 'vital' to the rural economy and communities: "From the Upper Dales to Great Ayton, through marts at Hawes, Leyburn and Northallerton, farming touches every part of my constituency. Visiting the Payment by Results pilot in Wensleydale gave me the chance to see first-hand that giving farmers freedom over how they manage their land, can lead to better environmental results. I am confident that the future of farming is a bright one and I will do everything I can to help our farmers capitalise on the great opportunities ahead. Ms Prentis and the Chancellor were able to meet with farmers in Wensleydale involved in a Payment by Results pilot, launched in 2016. Two areas in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire and in Norfolk and Suffolk have taken part, looking at environmental objectives to match the needs of each area. The 18 farmers participating in Wensleydale have freedom to choose how they manage their land to enhance the environment. They have also benefitted from the advice and training sessions provided by Natural England and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. Defra said the first major assessment of this pilot, published last year, demonstrated that the project was boosting local wildlife and motivating farmers to develop nature-friendly practices. Ms Prentis and Mr Sunak also heard how farmers on the Barningham Estate are testing a new system for planning and delivering environmental management on land. The farmers are using a variety of farming systems and a tapestry of important habitats, including blanket bog, wetlands and SSSI ancient woodland. The trials come ahead of the Agriculture Bill returning to parliament next week, which sets out legislation to transform British farming by delivering the new ELM scheme. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rachel Savage (Reuters) London Sat, September 12, 2020 13:31 496 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c446b993 2 Science & Tech Instagram,Racism Free Instagram has apologized to a Black British plus-size model after she said its repeated removal of images showing her covering her breasts with her arms betrayed "racial biases" in its algorithm. Nyome Nicholas-Williams won the backing of high-profile campaigners including the actress Jameela Jamil and feminist activist Gina Martin for her campaign to have the images of her reinstated. In an open letter to the company posted on her Instagram, @curvynyome on Thursday, she said the images were still being removed from the platform weeks after she received assurances the issue would be resolved. Instagram apologized and said both its algorithm and human moderators had wrongly identified the images with breast-squeezing, which the platform bans because of its association with pornography. It said it would update its policies to ensure that people with different body types were not treated unfairly. "If you are white, rich, and conventionally sexually attractive, it seems you can post as you wish and what you wish," said Nicholas-Williams in her letter, signed by 19 people including the transgender model Munroe Bergdorf. "But if you are part of a marginalized group you are subject to the results of a biased algorithm." Recent concerns over racial bias in algorithms range from facial recognition misidentifying non-white people to students at schools with past poor performance and high proportions of ethnic minorities having exam results downgraded. The model's campaign, under the hashtag #IWantToSeeNyome, comes amid growing pressure on companies to address alleged racist biases in their technologies in the wake of global Black Lives Matter protests. She said slimmer, white celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Emily Ratajkowsji, posted photos that showed more of their bodies and had not had them removed. Read also: French museum sorry after woman forced to cover neckline A spokeswoman for Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, said it was updating its policies. "We are committed to addressing any inequity on our platforms," Tara Hopkins, head of Instagram public policy for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, in a statement. "We expect to update Instagram and Facebook's shared breast squeezing and covering policies next month, to make sure different body types aren't treated unfairly." Gina Martin, who successfully campaigned for "upskirting" - covertly taking intimate photos of someone without their consent - to be criminalized in Britain, said Black women's concerns over censorship must be heard. "They are often hyper-sexualized far, far more than white women often are," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "It's basically anti-racism conversations that need to be happening." Topics : Instagram Racism Historian Joseph Scalice delivered a lecture on August 26 that provided a detailed exposure of the assistance provided by the Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in the rise to power of the current fascistic Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Scalice also examined the programmatic roots of this betrayal in the Philippines of Stalinism and its subordination of the working class and peasant masses to the so-called progressive wing of the bourgeoisiein this case Duterte. Jose Maria Sison [Source: YouTube, Jose Maria Sison] In an interview published a day before the lecture in a special edition of the CPPs publication Ang Bayan, CPP founder Jose Maria Sison sought to preempt the event with a slanderous and completely unsubstantiated attack on Scalice as a paid CIA agent and Trotskyite. Sison also accused Scalice of red taggingidentifying organisations in the National Democratic movement with the CPP and thereby targeting their activists for persecution or assassination. Not only are the political ties between the CPP and its front organisations widely known, but the chief political responsibility for Duterte and his death squads lies with Sison and the CPP who helped him to power. Sison followed up his extraordinary attack on Scalice with a second interview in another special edition of Ang Bayan on August 31 devoted to defending his claim, based on the Stalinist two-stage theory, that the Philippines is a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society. According to the two-stage theory, countries such as the Philippines first require a bourgeois democratic revolution to enable a protracted period of capitalist development thus relegating any fight for socialism to a second stage in the distant future. The panicked and hysterical reaction by Sison clearly points to a party in deep political crisis, which is itself bound up with the worsening crisis in the Philippines itself accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid deterioration of the global economy. Having assisted Duterte into office and initially backed his murderous war on drugs, the CPP, in line with powerful sections of the Philippine bourgeoisie, is turning towards Vice-President Leni Robredo, and attempting to cover its tracks by flagrantly lying about its past record. The opportunist manoeuvres of the CPP over decades have alienated broad layers of youth and working people, a fact which was reflected in the wide interest in Scalices lecture. As Ang Bayans introduction to Sisons second interview noted, there is marked increase in intellectual and political discourse on the matter especially among the Filipino youth. It is not enough, however, to be disgusted with the CPPs treachery. It is necessary to understand its theoretical roots in Stalinism and to take up the revolutionary alternative of Trotskyism that Stalin and his henchmen sought to bury beneath a mountain of lies, and to silence with their murderous purges. Leon Trotsky Sisons second interview, defending his politically bankrupt semi-colonial, semi-feudal thesis, is a desperate bid to stem the haemorrhaging of support for the CPP, and to suppress any questioning in its ranks. The Philippines certainly remains an oppressed country dominated by imperialism but to claim that it is semi-feudal flies in the face of reality. Focused exclusively on national developments and national conditions, Sison argues that the economy in the Philippines is a peculiar stunted stage of partially developed national capitalism, that he terms semi-feudalism. What dominates in the Philippines and other countries of a belated capitalist development are not feudal or semi-feudal relations, but the world capitalist market and capitalist economic relations. Whatever remnants of pre-capitalist society continue to exist are entirely subordinate to the requirements of capital, especially international finance capital. Sisons false assessment of Philippine society is to justify the CPPs opportunist search for alliances with the so-called progressive wing of the national bourgeoisiewhich has resulted in one disaster after another for the Philippines masses. Following the Maoist variant of Stalinism, it is also the basis for an orientation, not to the working class, but to the peasantry and peasant guerilla warfare as a means of putting pressure on the national bourgeoisie. The CPP, unlike many of its counterparts around the world, is yet to exchange its M-16s and military fatigues for seats in parliament and corporate boardrooms, but it is not for want of trying. Its de facto alliance with Duterte, which led to members of its front organisations assuming posts in his administration, was just the latest attempt. Meanwhile in the countryside, its armed wing, the New Peoples Army, is diminished in size and areas of operation, and has fragmented as local units have forged their own ties with local businesses. Sison first elaborated his semi-colonial, semi-feudal thesis in his book Philippine Society and Revolution under the pseudonym Amado Guerrero. It was false 50 years ago, and it remains false today. In his interview, he performs elaborate contortions in an effort to prove that the peasantry still constitutes the majority of Philippine society despite the huge growth of the proletariat above all in the greater Manila area with its population of 20 million and the huge changes not only to the Philippine, but also the global economy. The Philippines, he claims, is not fully capitalist because it lacks a self-contained industrial base with its own machine-building industry and cannot produce machine tools, vehicles, computers, basic chemicals, medicines and other capital goods and major manufactures. Yet with the globalisation of production over the past 40 years, no country in the world has a self-contained industrial base. All, including the very largestUS imperialismare integrated into the processes of production of global capitalism. The Third International After Lenin by Leon Trotsky This points to the fundamental flaw in Sisons argumentthe parochial national framework of his analysis. Leon Trotsky explained in his critique of the draft program of the Third International in 1928 that in the present epoch of imperialismof world economy and world politicsnot a single communist party can establish its program by proceeding solely or mainly from conditions and tendencies of development within its own country. The alternatives are, as Trotsky explained, the program of socialist internationalism or socialism in one country, the program of Stalinism. More than 90 years on, it is even more evident today that the working class can solve none of the problems it confrontsthe huge gulf between rich and poor, looming environmental disasters, anti-democratic and dictatorial methods of rule and the growing danger of world warwithin the framework of the nation. The oppressive conditions facing workers in the Philippines, not to speak of the millions of Filipinos forced to work overseas, are the product of global production processes dominated by finance capital that can only be fought by building an international movement of the working class. Sison refers to the social disasters produced by the so-called neo-liberal policies associated with global capitalism. However, the globalisation of production over the past 40 years is not simply a policy that can be turned on and off, but is the result of profound objective changes in the world capitalist system. Sison hails Mao and Stalin for supposedly building socialism in one country in China and the Soviet Union, but can offer no explanation for the restoration of capitalism in both countries. The globalisation of production undermined all programs of national reform based on national economic regulation, producing deep crises in the shut-in, autarkic economies of China and Soviet Union. Having based their entire existence on a rejection of the perspective of world socialist revolution, the Stalinist and Maoist apparatuses liquidated what remained of the gains of the Russian and Chinese revolutions and opened their doors to global capital. Sisons falsifications in the political sphere parallel those in the theoretical sphere. In his desperation to defend his claim that the Philippines is semi-feudal, he dredges up the old Stalinist misrepresentations of Trotskyism and manages to cram them all into a single sentence. The Trotskyites, Sison declared, are pushing the long-discredited Trotskyite line that there ought not to be two stages in the Philippine revolution because socialism is already the immediate issue, that there is no need for the peoples democratic revolution, that the peasantry and the middle bourgeoisie are reactionary forces that should be kept out of the national united front, that the strategic line of protracted peoples war by encircling the cities from the country should be discarded and that the workers must do all the revolutionary struggle and share no power with the peasant masses. Firstly, the two-stage theory was not the perspective of Lenin and the Bolsheviks, but of their political opponents, the Mensheviks, who sought to subordinate the working class to a section of the Russian democratic bourgeoisie and its party, the Cadets. Like Lenin, Leon Trotsky, in his theory of Permanent Revolution, established that the capitalist class in countries of a belated capitalist development like Russia and the Philippines was organically incapable of carrying out the tasks of the democratic revolution. It is not that the democratic tasks carried out in the great bourgeois revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuriesincluding national independence, democratic rights and agrarian reformdo not exist. Rather the bourgeoisiesubordinate as it is to global capital on the one hand, and tied by a million strings to the big landowners in the countryside on the othercannot carry them out. It was confronted by the 20th century with its mortal enemy the proletariat that poses a direct threat to its interests. A revolutionary upheaval on the scale needed to refashion society necessarily leads to the mobilisation of the working class that will fight for its class interests and threaten the private ownership of the means of production. It is a gross misrepresentation to declare that Trotskyism regards the peasantry as a reactionary force. What Trotsky did explain in his Theory of Permanent Revolution was that the peasantry, as a heterogeneous, dispersed class of landowners, was incapable politically of acting independently. Its upper stratum merged with the big landowners and rural businessmen while its lower layers reached into the landless peasants and rural proletariat. As such, the peasantry will follow one or other of the two main classes in the citiesthe bourgeoisie or the working class. Thus, it falls to the working class, supported by the peasantry, to carry out the bourgeois democratic tasks. But in doing so, the proletariat necessarily uses its own class methods and begins to make deep inroads into capitalist property relations. That is, the democratic tasks merge with the commencement of socialist tasks. The chief objection to Trotskys Theory of Permanent Revolution prior to 1917 was that the seizure of power by the small Russian proletariat surrounded by a sea of peasants would be premature. However, in the epoch of imperialism, the death agony of capitalism, which opened up in 1914, the world capitalist order is more than ripe for socialism, it has begun to rot. The seizure of power by the working class in any one country necessitates its extension on an international scale and merges with the struggles to overturn capitalism globally. It was this perspective of world socialist revolution, at the heart of Trotskys Theory of Permanent Revolution, that guided the October Revolution that led to the seizure of power by the Russian working class. The new Soviet government immediately legitimised the seizure of the landed estates by the peasantry and turned to the international working class for support. It was not the size of the Russian proletariat, or for that matter the size of the Philippine working class in 1969 or today, that was decisive but rather its character as an international class and its central role in the means of production in confronting the capitalist class. Moreover, as any examination of the early years of the Soviet Union makes clear, the conception that guided Lenin and Trotsky was not the Stalinist caricature of a simultaneous revolutionary uprising. For them, what was essential was the development of the Third International as the world party of revolution to develop, reinforce and co-ordinate the struggles of the working class provoked by the crisis of global capitalism. Stalins rejection of this perspective and his adoption of the nationalist outlook of socialism in one country led to the undermining and betrayal of the revolutionary struggles of the working class and ultimately to capitalist restorationas Trotsky predicted as early in 1936. In the case of China, it was the Maoist variant of Stalinism, which was based on the peasantry and armed guerrilla warfare, that produced the deformed workers state that emerged from the 1949 revolution. Mao and the Chinese Communist Party, resting on its peasant armies, deliberately suppressed the struggles of the working class before and after the revolution. Even more rapidly than in the Soviet Union, Maos version of socialism in one country ended in a blind alley from which Mao sought to extricate China by turning to US imperialism with Nixons visit in 1972. This paved the way for capitalist restoration from 1978 onwards. The lecture by Dr. Scalice provides an important antidote to the lies and falsifications of Sison and the CPP and an exposure of their Stalinist politics. There was and is a consistent revolutionary alternative to Stalinism based on Marxism and the perspective of world socialist revolutionTrotskyism, as fought for by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). Amid a resurgence of the class struggle internationally, what is required is theoretical and political clarity on the reasons for the past defeats and betrayals and the building of revolutionary leaderships based on the political lessons of the struggle of the Trotskyist movement against Stalinism and its apologists. We encourage workers, youth and intellectuals to begin this process by making a serious study of the works of Leon Trotsky and the ICFI. Early this month, the Sri Lankan cabinet approved a draft 20th amendment to the constitution, which would give sweeping dictatorial powers to the executive president if approved by the parliament. President Gotabhaya Rajapakses Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) government is planning to ram the bill through parliament in October. Sri Lankas attorney general has given legal approval to the amendment and ruled that it can be imposed without a referendum, as constitutionally required, if enacted by a two-thirds majority of MPs. The SLPP won about 145 seats in the 225-member parliament at the August 5 election, and is expected to secure, via backroom wheeling and dealing, the support of enough parliamentarians for a two-thirds majority. Rajapakse and his SLPP campaigned during the presidential and general elections for repealing the 19th amendment of the constitution, which restricted certain presidential powers. This was necessary, they claimed, in order to establish strong and stable government to develop the country. This is a lie. President Rajapakse, who came to power by hypocritically exploiting popular opposition to the previous regime of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, wants dictatorial powers in order to take on the working class. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the countrys economic, social and political crisis. Anger is rising amongst workers and the poor against escalating government and employer attacks on jobs, wages and living conditions. The 19th amendment, which limited some of the presidents executive powers, was passed by the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration in April 2015. These restrictions include: the president can only appoint top state officials and judges on the recommendation of a Constitutional Council; the president has to seek prime ministerial advice in the selection of ministers and the allocation of their functions; the president can only hold two terms and cannot dissolve parliament until it has completed four and half years of its five-year term. Sirisena won power by promising to abolish the hated executive presidency, which was established in the 1978 constitution. In fact, two presidents before SirisenaChandrika Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksemade the same promise before they came to power, only to abandon it and then use the executive powers to the maximum. Like his predecessor, Sirisena ditched his pledge and introduced the 19th amendment. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and various pseudo-left groups falsely proclaimed Sirisenas amendment as a victory for democracy. Apart from retaining the presidents two-term limit, the SLPPs draft 20th amendment plans to remove all current constitutional restrictions and hand to the president the following powers: The president can appoint and remove the prime minister and is not required to consult with the prime minister in the appointment of ministers. Currently, Rajapakse unconstitutionally heads the defence ministry and overseers 23 key state institutions. The president can sack the parliament after it has completed just one year of its five-year term. The president will be immune from any litigation, including criminal prosecution, and no fundamental rights cases can be filed against him. The president can also appoint chairmen of commissions on elections, police, public service, human rights, bribery, corruption and finance, as well as top judges, the attorney general and other high officials. These appointments can be discussed with a proposed Parliamentary Council, whose members will include the prime minister, parliamentary speaker and the opposition leader. It will not be mandatory for the president to be involved in the Parliamentary Council. The government would also be empowered to pass urgent bills in the parliament within 24 hours, thus avoiding any legal challenge from the countrys highest court. Modifications to any bill in parliament cannot deviate from its merits and principles, meaning parliament cannot make major changes. This clause was not in the 1978 constitution. President Rajapakse, however, wants to go beyond these anti-democratic measures. He claims, in fact, that the current constitution has been amended 19 times because of its unsuitability, and has called for a new constitution based on one country, one law for all the people. Such a move would undermine existing laws related to the Tamil and Muslim minorities and further entrench communalist discrimination. Rajapakses cabinet has appointed a nine-member experts committee, mainly consisting of Rajapakse lackeys, to draft a new constitution. Sri Lankas current constitution was established in 1978 by the then United National Party (UNP) government, which appointed J. R. Jayewardene as the countrys first executive president, transformed the parliament into a rubber stamp and the judiciary into a pliant institution. The 1978 constitution was established to drastically change the Sri Lankan economy and integrate it into globalised production by gutting the social rights of workers and the poor, creating cheap labour conditions and crushing all social opposition. After systematic anti-Tamil communal provocationsa vicious weapon used by successive regimes to divide the working class and to weaken it in the wake of the 1948 formal independencethe Jayewardene regime began what became a three-decade long civil war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The executive powers were also used to sack around 100,000 public sector employees, who, in July 1980, began a general strike against the governments attacks on living and social conditions. The current Rajapakse-led government, however, is not simply returning to the 1978 constitution. The Sri Lankan capitalist class is mired in a deep crisis due to the collapse of exports, tourism and remittancesa result of the growing impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Economic growth is estimated to be negative three percent this year, under conditions where the cash-strapped government has to pay $US4 billion annually, until 2024, on foreign loan repayments. More than 400,000 jobs have been destroyed in the manufacturing sector, with workers wages in the private sector being cut by at least 30 percent, according to a labour ministry survey. Social tensions are rising throughout the country as part of the growing resistance of workers internationally. Rajapakses preparations for autocratic rule are in line with the moves of his international counterparts towards fascistic and dictatorial forms of rule. In the US, President Donald Trump is seeking to mobilise fascist elements, while unleashing repression against workers and those protesting against police violence. In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janatha Party government is intensifying its anti-Muslim attacks and whipping up extreme-right elements to use against workers and the poor. Rajapakse has already inserted serving and retired military officers into his administration and is creating the framework for a presidential dictatorship, based on the military. Sri Lankas so-called opposition parties have no fundamental differences with the governments moves towards dictatorship, and are equally fearful of the growing opposition of workers and the poor to capitalism and to Sri Lankas ruling elite. The UNP, Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB), TNA, JVP and the Muslim parties have strengthened Rajapakse and his government, attending two all-party meetings on March 24 and April 2, praising the presidents response to COVID-19 and offering their assistance. On August 20, all the opposition parties endorsed the presidents parliamentary policy statement without a vote. This week the SJB held a protest in the Colombo suburbs and pledged to defeat the 20th amendment by mobilising the people. This rhetoric is aimed at hoodwinking the population and diverting it into dead-end parliamentary appeals. Similarly, the JVP is seeking to politically disorient the working class by covering up the real dangers posed by the Rajapakse governments dictatorial plans. Addressing a September 4 press conference, JVP leader Anura Kumar Dissanayake declared that the new constitutional amendment was not in the interests of the country but to politically benefit one sectioni.e., the Rajapakse family. Likewise, pseudo-left formations, such as the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), have lined up with these right-wing parties, and the trade unions, to block any independent mobilisation of the working class. Addressing a September 4 press conference, FSP educational secretary Pubudu Jayagoda declared that the autocratic rule of an individual will bring horrific disaster to the country and issued a pathetic appeal to government MPs to oppose the 20th amendment. Following the August 5 general elections, Jayagoda declared that the FSP was ready to work with left, petty-bourgeois and progressive sections of the right-wing parties on common issues. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) is the only organisation that has consistently warned the working class about the growing danger of authoritarian rule in Sri Lanka. No amount of appeals to the government or the opposition parties will change the right-wing anti-democratic agenda being advanced by the Sri Lankan ruling elite. The working class can only take forward the defence of its democratic and social rights by breaking from every faction of the capitalist class and mobilising around its own independent interestsi.e., on the basis of a revolutionary socialist program. This means fighting for a unified struggle of workers across ethnic lines and to rally the rural poor in the fight for workers and peasants government based on an international socialist program. KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City police are investigating a double shooting where a woman and a child were shot before their car crashed into a house Friday. According to Kansas City police, around 5:45 p.m. Friday, someone fired shots into a car that was occupied by a woman and a child, striking them both. The historian, 75, claims he is the victim of 'metropolitan wokeness' David Starkey has claimed 'there will be book burnings next' as he slammed Black Lives Matter for having 'the same values as ISIS'. The historian, 75, made the claims in his first interview since saying slavery was not genocide because there are 'so many damn blacks' around. He has since resigned his honorary fellowship at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, and Canterbury Christ Church University terminated his role as visiting professor. Lancaster University also revoked his honorary degree and branded his comments 'abhorrent'. But Mr Starkey has hit back, claiming Black Lives Matter's toppling of statues are the same values as ISIS and accused his critics of 'Salem-style puritanism'. He told the Telegraph: 'We are going to see book burnings next. The British Library is now purging its shelves.' The Tudor historian said BLM was trying to 'delegitimise' Britain's past, claiming supporters were beginning with a conclusion and adapting the facts to suit it. Mr Starkey also spoke about Black Lives Matter, adding: 'The values that we're talking about - the values of statue toppling. These are the same values as ISIS.' Pictured: BLM protesters chuck Edward Colston's statue in Britsol into the ground in June He also turned on the universities, branding them 'woke superspreaders' who 'wear a cloak of impenetrable virtue'. He said: 'Right over the country, you have these kinds of implantations of Metropolitan wokeness. From the London riots and BLM to the 'poppy fascism' of Remembrance Day: Dr David Starkey's long list of rows David Starkey attracted widespread outrage in the wake of the 2011 riots, when he said: 'The whites have become black; a particular sort of violent destructive, nihilistic gangster culture has become the fashion.' He compounded the offence in many people's eyes by adding that the outbreak of violence proved Enoch Powell's notorious 'rivers of blood' speech was accurate 'in one sense'. The next year, Mr Starkey used a speech in the Palace of Westminster to compare Alex Salmond to Hitler, saying the then-First Minister thinks that 'the English, like the Jews, are everywhere'. In 2009, he courted controversy by criticising the public attention on Henry VIII's wives, saying: 'It's what you expect from feminised history, the fact that so many of the writers who write about this are women and so much of their audience is a female audience.' After the convictions in 2012 of the Rochdale sex-trafficking gang, most of whom were British Pakistanis, the historian suggested their values were 'entrenched in the foothills of the Punjab or wherever it is'. Earlier in 2011, Mr Starkey angered royalists when he said that the Queen had 'done and said nothing that anybody will remember' during her record-breaking 63-year reign, adding that she views her duties as 'ordinary and humdrum'. In the past, the writer has embraced his reputation for being rude and abrasive, admitting that he has a tendency towards 'self-indulgence and explosion and repartee'. And most recently in 2019 the TV historian claimed Remembrance Sunday has become a 'crazy religious ritual' that imposes 'poppy fascism' on everyone in Britain. Advertisement 'The universities are acting rather like Covid spreaders, these are the super spreaders.' He added his critics, including, he said, the BBC, would have 'cheerfully bruned me at the stake'. Mr Starkey sparked anger when he used the phrase 'so many damn blacks' during an interview with Brexit campaigner Darren Grimes for YouTube channel Reasoned UK. He said during the June 30 video: 'Slavery was not genocide, otherwise there wouldn't be so many damn blacks in Africa or in Britain, would there? 'An awful lot of them survived and again there's no point in arguing against globalisation or Western civilisation. 'They are all products of it, we are all products of it. The honest teaching of the British Empire is to say, quite simply, it is the first key stage of our globalisation.' He added: 'It is probably the most important moment in human history and it is still with us.' It sparked a huge backlash, including from former chancellor Sajid Javid, who said Mr Starkey's 'racist' comments were a 'reminder of the appalling views that still exist'. Mr Starkey later issued an apology, admitted his 'bad mistake' has cost him 'every distinction and honour acquired in a long career'. He said his 'principal regret' was that his 'blundering use of language' could endanger people's right to freedom of speech. On the phrase 'so many damn blacks', he said: 'It was intended to emphasise, in hindsight with awful clumsiness, the numbers who survived the horrors of the slave trade. 'Instead, it came across as a term of racial abuse. This, in the present atmosphere, where passions are high and feelings raw, was deplorably inflammatory. 'It was a bad mistake. I am very sorry for it and I apologise unreservedly for the offence it caused. 'I have also paid a heavy price for one offensive word with the loss of every distinction and honour acquired in a long career. 'Moreover, this misunderstanding of my words in no way reflects my views or practice on race. 'I have lived and worked happily and without conflict in multicultural London for almost 50 years and I spent much of the podcast discussing bi-culturalism as a key to the success of Britain's multicultural society.' Addressing the public reaction to his words, he added: 'Central also to British history is a tradition of free speech. The Tudor historian said BLM (pictured, a march over Cecil Rhodes statue at Oxford University in June) was trying to 'delegitimise' Britain's past, claiming supporters were beginning with a conclusion and adapting the facts to suit it 'If that tradition is suppressed on questions of race, resentments will fester rather than disappear. 'My principal regret is that my blundering use of language and the penalty it has incurred will further restrict the opportunities for proper debate. 'For it is only open debate that will heal the divisions in our society that the Black Lives Matter movement has both exposed and expressed.' SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China banned pork imports from Germany on Saturday after it confirmed its first case of African swine fever last week, in a move set to hit German producers and push up global prices as China's meat supplies tighten. China's ban on imports from its third largest supplier comes as the world's top meat buyer deals with an unprecedented pork shortage after its own epidemic of the deadly hog disease. The ban on Germany, which has supplied about 14% of China's pork imports so far this year, will push up demand for meat from other major suppliers like ... 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 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday cheered his counterpart and Japanese PM Shinzo Abes Twitter thread for underlining Indias ties with Japan, terming it as a glimpse of the robust bilateral ties between the two countries. Great thread, offering a glimpse of the robust India-Japan friendship as well as the strong potential of our partnership in the times to come. The lovely photographs, shared by my good friend PM @AbeShinzo have brought back fond memories of our many interactions, PM Modi said in a tweet. Great thread, offering a glimpse of the robust India-Japan friendship as well as the strong potential of our partnership in the times to come. The lovely photographs, shared by my good friend PM @AbeShinzo have brought back fond memories of our many interactions. https://t.co/vROSKis2CC Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 12, 2020 Lauding Indo-Japan ties, Japanese PM Abe on Friday had shared pictures on Twitter from his trip to India in 2015 and 2017, in addition to pictures from PM Modis visit to Yamanashi in 2018. PM Abe, in his tweets, said Japan has signed an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement (ACSA) with India. The agreement will promote closer cooperation between our self-defense forces and the Indian Armed Forces and serve as a major cornerstone for Japan and India to actively contribute to international peace and security, Abe said. PM Abe said he had held summit talks with PM Modi over the telephone and welcomed the signing of the agreement. He and PM Modi shared the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, Abe said adding that both the countries have been successful in rapidly strengthening the relationship between Japan and India. Emphasising on regional peace and stability, Abe said Japan will be arm in arm with the US, Australia and other countries and must continue to play a major role in ensuring peace and stability of this region and the world. Bahrain announced Friday it would become the latest Arab state to recognize Israel, a triumph both for the Jewish state and US President Donald Trump who is looking for pre-election wins. The deal is another step in a cherished dream by Israeli and US conservatives to win Arab recognition of Israel without establishing a state for the Palestinians, who quickly denounced Bahrain. The announcement, weeks after the United Arab Emirates also said it would recognize Israel, comes against the backdrop of soaring tensions with Iran, an arch-enemy for Gulf Arabs, Israel and the Trump administration. Here are how the developments affect the key players: Why is Bahrain recognizing Israel? Bahrain, a Sunni-ruled kingdom with a large Shiite population, has especially tense ties with Iran and relies on the United States, which stations its Fifth Fleet on the tiny Gulf island. Trump reversed course from his predecessor Barack Obama by selling weapons to Bahrain despite human rights concerns and has encouraged the kingdom to strengthen unofficial ties with Israel, with Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner last year launching the administrations Middle East plan in Manama. Will Wechsler, director of the Middle East program at the Atlantic Council think tank, said that Gulf Arabs were also reacting to a perceived US withdrawal from its leadership role, which they found hugely concerning." With historic Arab power centers Cairo, Damascus and Baghdad focused inward, the Gulf states are increasingly worried by the influence of non-Arab players Shiite clerical state Iran, Muslim Brotherhood-linked Turkey and Vladimir Putins assertive Russia. What youre seeing now is the emergence of a new coalition to be able to fend off those parties," Wechsler said. Israel and Gulf Arabs are not natural allies. There are cultural differences, but they are all being overcome right now because they share this perception in geopolitics and of opportunities," especially economic, he said. Big victory for Israel The recognition is a coup for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will come to the White House on Tuesday to sign with both the UAE and Bahrain. The Arab states are the first to recognize Israel in more than two decades, bringing the Jewish state closer to its goal of acceptance on the world stage and further connecting it within the region, including through direct flights to the Gulf. Netanyahus main concession was to give up a controversial plan blessed by Trump to annex much of the occupied West Bank but it is no closer to allowing a Palestinian state, a goal the UAE and Bahrain say they still support. Wechsler said that annexation would have been a massive strategic disaster" for Israel and the normalization deals effectively forced it to avoid shooting itself in the foot" especially with the possibility that Joe Biden defeats Trump in November. The Palestinian Authority called the agreement by Bahrain another stab in the back" amid fears its cause for an independent state is losing steam among Arab governments. New achievement for Trump Trump has spared no self-praise over his achievement, with the White House trumpeting that the president had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize which requires only a submission from a lawmaker. With the deal, Trump can make an even stronger case that he has been an ally of historic proportions to Israel after bucking the international consensus with steps such as recognizing Jerusalem as its capital. Israel enjoys wide support within Trumps crucial electoral base of evangelical Christians. Bahrains announcement came just as Afghanistans government opens talks with the Taliban, moving Trump closer on another key international goal. Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, welcomed the Bahrain agreement but questioned Trumps role. And he said the agreement did nothing to reduce tensions with Iran or move toward a Palestinian state. The agreement is mostly the result of shifting interests and alliances that have been in motion for many years," he said. 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." The DGCA has warned that airlines violating social distancing norms will face a suspension of two-weeks. The authority issued an official statement regarding the same after a media persons were seen violating the norms on and IndiGo Mumbai-Chandigarh flight on which Kangana Ranaut was flying. From now on, in case any such violation occurs, the schedule of flight for that particular route shall be suspended for 2 weeks unless airline takes punitive action against violators the DGCA said in a statement. The regulator had asked for a report from IndiGo airlines on the alleged violation of safety and social distancing protocols by media persons in its Chandigarh-Mumbai flight that had actor Kangana Ranaut as a passenger, senior officials said on Friday. We have seen some videos wherein media persons 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," said a DGCA official. Also Watch: 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 media persons were also on board the same flight. As per the Civil Aviation Ministrys 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". The airline issued an official statement regarding the same that read: 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." M embers of congress are demanding action be taken against Netflix after the release of a controversial new film, Cuties. Critics have blasted the film, which is available on the streaming service, for showing pre-teen girls performing sexualised dance routines. Outrage has spilled over on social media with tens of thousands of people calling for a boycott of Netflix over the film, angry that its young stars are portrayed in a sexualized way. US politicians are now calling for a possible investigation by the Department of Justice, with some even accusing Netflix of distributing child pornography. Indiana Representative Jim Banks, a Republican, said he was joining fellow Republican Senator Tom Cotton in calling for the Department of Justice to bring legal action against Netflix. He tweeted: "As a father of three young daughters, I find Cuties sickening. Glad to join @SenTomCotton in calling on the DOJ to bring charges against Netflix for distribution of child pornography." Democrat Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, a former US presidential candidate, wrote: "Child porn "Cuties" will certainly whet the appetite of pedophiles & help fuel the child sex trafficking trade. 1 in 4 victims of trafficking are children. It happened to my friend's 13 year old daughter. Netflix, you are now complicit." California Republicans DeAnna Lorraine and Beatrice Cardenas also joined the chorus on social media Ms Lorraine tweeted: "Child pornography is illegal in America." "As the mother of an 8-year old girl, I STRONGLY support #CancelNetflix," said Ms Cardenas. A change.org petition calling for people to cancel their subscriptions to the streaming service because of the film has received 600,000 signatures while "#CancelNetflix" has been trending on Twitter. Netflix has defended the controversial film as "a social commentary against the sexualisation of young children", and encouraged people to watch the movie before passing judgment. The story follows Amy, an 11-year-old Senegalese girl living in Paris who rebels against her conservative family's traditions when she becomes fascinated with a "free-spirited dance crew", and dramatises the difficulties of growing up as a young girl in a sexualised media culture. In a video explaining why she made the film, writer-director Maimouna Doucoure said she considers it be "a deeply feminist film with an activist message" that is a "mirror of today's society, a mirror sometimes difficult to look into". She said she got the idea after seeing a group of 11-year-old girls dancing in a way "you would see in a video clip" during a neighbourhood gathering in Paris. The director said she spent the next year and a half meeting with hundreds of pre-teens to learn about how they felt about their femininity in today's society, and how they felt about their self-image in the era of social media. Doucoure said: "Our girls see that the more a woman is sexualised on social media, the more she's successful. "And the children just imitate what they see, trying to achieve the same result without understanding the meaning. And yeah, it's dangerous." She added: "(Amy) believes she can find her freedom through that group of dancers and their hyper-sexualisation. But is that really true freedom? Especially when you are a kid? Of course not. Amy will, at the end, realise she can control her own path." The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019, where Doucoure won the world cinema dramatic directing award. A Netflix spokesman said: "Cuties is a social commentary against the sexualisation 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." Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-13 00:25:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday welcomed the start of negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar. "The start of intra-Afghan peace negotiations today in Doha between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban presents a major opportunity to achieve the long-held aspirations of the people of Afghanistan for peace," he said in a video message. Afghans themselves must determine the content and nature of the negotiations. An inclusive peace process, in which women, youth and victims of conflict are meaningfully represented, offers the best hope of a sustainable solution, he said. All parties must do their part to ensure that women participate in a variety of roles, and that the peace process reflects the experiences and expertise of Afghan women in all their diversity. "I have been encouraged by the two cease-fires this year. As the negotiations commence, I urge the redoubling of efforts to protect civilians and to de-escalate the conflict, in order to save lives and to create a conducive environment for the talks. It is my hope that progress toward peace can lead to the return of millions of Afghans displaced internally and across borders, to their homes in a safe, dignified and orderly manner," said Guterres. It is of crucial importance that all Afghan leaders and members of the international community do everything possible to make peace a reality, he said, pledging the readiness of the United Nations to support the process of intra-Afghan peace negotiations and the sustainable development of the country. Enditem Portland: Deadly wildfires raging across Oregon kept half a million people under evacuation alert on Saturday as President Donald Trump announced plans to visit California for a close-up view of damage wrought by the largest fires in the state's history. Thousands of homes have burned down in recent days in Oregon, which has become the latest epicentre in a larger summer outbreak of fires sweeping the western United States, collectively scorching a landscape the size of New Jersey and killing at least 25 people. In California, tens of thousands of firefighters were battling 28 major wildfires across California as of Saturday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Most were being contained to some degree except for one in Siskiyou County, which grew out of control. The White House said Trump will meet with local and federal officials in McClellan Park near the California state capital of Sacramento on Monday after travelling to Nevada for a fundraiser and a pair of rallies for his campaign to be re-elected in November. He has been sharply critical of California in the past for allowing conditions that he says permit wildfires. 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: September 12 : Varun Dhawan, who is yet to resume shoot post lockdown, shared an adorable picture with his ladylove Natasha Dalal on his social media and brightened up a gloomy Saturday. Taking to his Instagram handle, the Street Dancer 3D actor shared a photo, where he is seen posing with Natasha Dalal at a swimming pool. The couple looks lovey dovey as they pose for the camera. Varuns captioned the photo as, No I wont be afraid just as long as you Stand by me As soon as the photo was shared, Bollywood celebs like Karisma Kapoor, Aparshakti Khurana, Tahira Kashyap, Nushrat Bharucha, Manish Malhotra, Mouni Roy, Amy Jackson and others posted love-struck and heart emojis in the comments section and showered love on the couple. Earlier in the year, it was reported that Varun and Natashas wedding has been confirmed in 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it got delayed. Varun and Natasha were in school together and since then they were friends until mid-20s when they started dating each other. On the work front, Varun Dhawan will be next seen in David Dhawans Coolie No 1 along with Sara Ali Khan. It is rumoured that the film will get an OTT release and will clash with Akshay Kumar starrer Laxmmi Bomb on Diwali 2020. FILE PHOTO: A Danske bank sign is seen on a bank's headquarters in Copenhagen COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danske Bank admitted on Friday it had known for years that it was collecting outdated or excessive debt from customers and had not properly addressed the problem. Denmark's financial watchdog last week launched an inquiry into how Danske had wrongly collected debt from up to 106,000 customers since 2004 due to IT system errors. "There has been knowledge about at least parts of the problem in different parts and levels of the organisation, including leaders, during the years," Denmark's largest bank said in a statement. "Despite attempts to manage the problems, the underlying data flaws were never fully addressed, and unfortunately this has caused the issues to continue for several years," it said. Danske is reviewing all potential cases to ensure customers are fully compensated. It estimated between 10,000 and 15,000 customers are entitled to compensation and said it will review all cases by July next year. The erroneous debt collection had also potentially resulted in customers paying the wrong interest on debt collection fees, erroneous data for court cases, agency fees and the inaccurate reporting of customer tax information, Danske Bank said. As of Sept, 1, a total of 395,638 Danish crowns ($63,015) had been paid back to 326 clients, a majority of which had been compensated less than 1,000 crowns, Danske said. The bank said on Thursday that as part of the review it would pause collecting debt from 17,000 customers. ($1 = 6.2785 Danish crowns) (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Nikolaj Skydsgaard; Editing by Alexander Smith) The Oregon wildfire has caused the death of a 13-year-old boy, who was found dead inside a car with his dog on his lap on Tuesday in Marion County. Wyatt Tofte and his dog were found in a car after a long search. His family assumed he ran into the car, probably thinking it would protect him and his dog from the raging fire surrounding them. Tofte and his dog were not the only casualties in the family as his grandmother, 71-year-old Peggy Mosso, also died inside another car, which was engulfed by flames as her daughter Angela, Wyatt's mother, was trying to save her. Angela survived but was in critical condition after she suffered full-body burns. Her husband, Chris, also survived the Oregon wildfire. Chris had searched for his family while the fire was raging on around them. He later found his wife, whom he did not recognize at first, wandering along the road to their house. He had even told her that he was searching for his wife and son, to which Angela replied that she was his wife. A family statement on a CNN report said that they are devastated over Wyatt's loss, whom they described as kind-hearted, and his beloved grandmother. A spokesperson for the Tofte family, Susan Vaslev, described Wyatt as the sweetest little boy who loved to fish and play video games. He was not only sweet but polite as well, added Vaslev. The statement also said that they want to thank all emergency personnel and other people who helped in the search. They also said that their family appreciates the love and support that they have received during this terrible tragedy. According to a Global News report, a total of four people, including Tofte and Mosso, have died in the Washington state and Oregon wildfire. About 20 have also died middle of August in wildfires in the California state. The Oregon wildfire had almost destroyed the two small Phoenix and Talen cities that are home to 11,000. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said the death toll could grow from four because many people have been reported missing. The fire prompted about 500,000 or one in every eight residents to be placed under an evacuation order while firefighters continued fighting against the blaze. The Oregon wildfire razed thousands of homes in just a matter of days and burned more than one million acres in the state. However, Brown reported that the weather, which caused the fast widespread of the fire, has finally improved and is a big help to the firefighters, according to a report on the Oregon Live. Fire protection chief at the Oregon Department of Forestry Doug Grafe said that firefighting teams continue to battle 16 large fires. But they are succeeding because of cooler temperatures and more moisture in the air. Their fight against the Oregon wildfire is bound to progress as improved weather is predicted to continue until early next week. Check these out: Second Stimulus Check: Could Get You Up to $1,200 Based on Your Dependents Dining in Restaurants Increases COVID-19 Risk Oregon Wildfires Burned 1,400 Square Miles, Forced 500,000 People to Flee Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have seized 14.62 kg silver ornaments while they were being smuggled into Bangladesh from West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, a spokesperson of the paramilitary force said on Saturday. Acting on a tip-off, BSF personnel at Hakimpur border outpost carried out a search operation on Friday and noticed three-four persons trying to drop something into the Sonai river, which forms the India-Bangladesh international border in that region, he said. On being challenged by the troops, the suspected smugglers fled the spot, leaving behind a bag containing silver ornaments worth Rs 6.47 lakh, the spokesperson said. The seized items have been handed over to the Customs office at Tentulia, he added. A Springfield alderwoman's question about a Labor Day boat parade on Lake Springfield in support of President Donald Trump has -- perhaps inadvertently -- turned up the political heat as the November election nears. The event was one among many boat parades held across the country over the holiday weekend to show support for Trump's reelection. Several participating vessels were decked with pro-Trump flags and other paraphernalia as they paraded around the lake. Ward 6 Ald. Kristin DiCenso asked City Water, Light and Power officials and city attorney Jim Zerkle at Tuesday's committee of the whole meeting if a permit was necessary for the event and if one had been obtained. DiCenso said she was enjoying a day at the lake with her son and niece when she noticed the parade of boats "hooting and hollering and tooting their horns and having a jolly old time on Lake Springfield," which is city-owned property. DiCenso said she fielded several calls complaining about the parade. Brown told council members that a permit had not been requested and Zerkle, though acknowledging that a 'boat parade' was not something the city typically deals with, said it was likely allowed under the First Amendment. "Generally speaking, the courts are going to protect freedom of speech," Zerkle said. "So, absent a public safety concern -- boats too close, driving too fast, unsafe activities by way of jumping out of the boats into the water, things of that nature -- there's going to be a preference to support the First Amendment." The question was asked and answered and the discussion was seemingly over within five minutes. But, it turns out it was only the beginning. On Thurdsay, DiCenso became the target of fierce criticism from Sangamon County Republican Party chairwoman Rosemarie Long, who was responding to information on a flyer that's been making the rounds on social media. The flyer claimed that DiCenso, following Tuesday's meeting, had described the boat parade as "horrid and unacceptable" and that she had plans to propose an ordinance that would prevent the displaying of political signs and flags on lake property. The flyer has been distributed to various lake clubs and to lake lease owners. Long, speaking at the party's committee call, said she was "getting goosebumps because I'm so mad" about the claims. "I cannot tell you how upsetting this is to me," Long said. "What happened to freedom in this country, in this town, in this county when they just think about not letting you place your American flag in your yard?" But, DiCenso flatly denied the claims made in the flyer, saying they contained "completely made up statements." She also said she has never proposed preventing political signs or flags from being displayed on lake property and has no plans to introduce such a plan. Several aldermen reached Friday, including Ward 10 Ald. Ralph Hanauer, said DiCenso has never mentioned such a proposal to them. Hanauer said that he doesn't "think everything's accurate that was in the flyer." Long declined to disclose who sent her the information or identify the "sources" cited in the flyer. "I just just feel everyone is jumping at any chance to do away with our American way of life," Long said. "And just even because a group was out having a good time on the lake, now, all of a sudden, 'Oh, we got to get a permit, we've got to make them do this, we've got to make everyone do this.' I just think every little thing the American people try to do anymore is trying to be taken away from them." DiCenso said the controversy is an example of the Sangamon County GOP "just looking for something, for anything" to drum up during an election year. "My question wasn't out of line," DiCenso said. "I never mentioned any candidates' name. I just said there was a boat parade. I'm asking what the regulations are. If an alderman can't ask that question at city council without the other side launching a full-blown smear campaign along with graphics and a pamphlet, then something's really wrong in the city." Though the Springfield City Council is technically a non-partisan body, council members typically identify with and are supported by one of the two major political parties. DiCenso and Alds. Shawn Gregory, Doris Turner, Erin Conley and Jim Donelan identify as Democrats while Alds. Chuck Redpath, John Fugenzi, Andrew Proctor and Ralph Hanauer are Republicans. Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, who previously lost a Democratic primary for Congress, identifies as an independent. The council typically keeps the focus on issues facing the city. But, in a country deeply divided along partisan lines and with less than two months before a heated presidential election, national politics have inevitably seeped down. Hanauer briefly challenged DiCenso on her questioning of the parade Tuesday, calling it free speech. But even then, there was levity at the end of the conversation, with DiCenso jokingly telling Hanauer "and now we know who you're voting for," implying his support for Trump. Hanauer replied, "I don't think there was any doubt on that." Still, reached Friday, Hanauer said he thinks DiCenso would not have brought up the topic if it were a boat parade for a candidate she supports. "What rubbed me wrong on this was if it would have been a boat parade with a Democrat candidate on, Kristen would have never said anything about it," Hanauer said. But, DiCenso said that is not the case. "I'm all for free speech," DiCenso said, noting that an American flag hangs on her porch and four political signs are in her front yard. "But we're talking about municipally-owned property." "We have rules and regulations on our property, we have speed limits on the lake, you have to wear a life jacket, we have lake police," DiCenso said. "Again, if you have events or activities that the lake you have to have a permit. I was just asking a question." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Bolivias interim govt is asking the ICC to investigate ex-president Evo Morales over blockades denying health access. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has been asked for the first time to decide whether deaths linked to the coronavirus pandemic may constitute a crime against humanity after Bolivia asked the court to investigate former President Evo Morales and his supporters. Led by interim President Jeanine Anez, the Bolivian government last week accused Morales and his Movement for Socialism (MAS) party of causing peoples death by blocking their access to medical supplies and oxygen. But some experts say the ICC referral is a politicised exercise since it comes amid continuing tensions spurred by Bolivian election delays, which have drawn criticism and raised concerns the interim government is trying to hold onto power. Unsurprisingly, the referral has particular targets in mind in this case, an opposition movement and this will undoubtedly be seen as a political referral, said Ottilia Maunganidze, head of special projects at the Institute for Security Studies, a think-tank that works on governance and justice issues in Africa. In its written submission to the ICC, Bolivias interim leadership argued that roadblocks set up by supporters of Morales in August led to the death of several people and anxiety in the rest of the population. The roadblocks erected amid protests against the decision to delay elections intentionally [caused] great suffering to the civilian population, the filing alleges. Morales resigned in November 2019 after weeks of mass protests over disputed election results [File: Agustin Marcarian/Reuters] Morales, Bolivias longest-serving leader and its first Indigenous president, resigned in November 2019 after weeks of demonstrations sparked by a dispute over election results. The ex-president, who is now living in exile, accused his opponents of conspiring against his government. The case gives the court the opportunity to think about whether the systematic denial of healthcare provision is a crime against humanity, Mark Kersten, a consultant at the Wayamo Foundation, a Berlin-based nonprofit that works on the rule of law, told Al Jazeera. Political polarisation Bolivias Supreme Electoral Tribunal postponed elections from September 6 to October 18 following warnings from medical experts that it would be unsafe to hold the election during the pandemic, which has hit the country hard. The pandemic struck as political tensions continue to divide people in Bolivia. An Amnesty International report issued last month accused the countrys interim government of harassing and threatening perceived political opponents. Human Rights Watch also said on Friday that terrorism charges levelled against Morales stemming from the November violence were politically motivated. Morales had been accused of encouraging protests and roadblocks during the nationwide unrest. Ramiro Orias, programme officer at the Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF) in La Paz, said the referral should be understood in the context of the current political polarisation in Bolivia. Bolivia is currently experiencing a moment of intense political and electoral polarisation, said Orias, adding that this division extends to how citizens feel about the ICC referral itself. Whereas some citizens are supporting the referral since they think that the harm and deaths caused by actions promoted by Morales should not go without punishment, social sectors that support the previous Morales government [do] not think that there should be accountability and they say the process is political, Orias told Al Jazeera. He said under those conditions, an international justice mechanism is needed. ICC referrals Still, referrals to the ICC from Latin America have been rare. A group of six states Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay and Peru made one in 2018 over the situation in Venezuela, and Caracas filed its own referral in 2020. Mark Drumbl, a law professor at Washington and Lee University in the US state of Virginia, said, Many referrals may be deployed by one side to stigmatise the other side, but international laws application is always political. Drumbl said the ICC in recent years has pushed to expand what constitutes international crimes. This referral fits in this band. I anticipate more of these moves in the future, especially in the field of public health, he said, adding however that it may be difficult to show intent in these cases. New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj on Saturday claimed that a massive scam" took place in UP in the name of procurement of medical items during COVID-19 pandemic. He claimed that in Uttar Pradesh, corruption was being done by increasing the price of thermometers and oximeters by 300-500 per cent in 65 districts. The BJP government of Uttar Pradesh issued an order saying that every panchayat will get a coronavirus kit from the state government. This kit will have one oximeter, one infrared thermometer, around 500 masks, 5 litre of sanitizer etc. One kit costs around Rs 2,700 to Rs 2,800, however, the same can be done within Rs 2,000," he said. But unfortunately, at various places of Uttar Pradesh, corruption is being done by increasing the price of thermometers and oximeters by 500 per cent, 400 per cent and 300 per cent," he claimed. He demanded an independent probe on the matter. 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 upcoming Expo 2020 Dubai shines spotlight on innovative best practices solving some of the worlds biggest challenges under the Global Best Practice Programme. An environmentally-friendly water treatment plant that has created a wetland in Omans desert, a project from the UK building battery-powered underwater fishing lights to reduce unwanted catch, and a UAE-based educational platform that harnesses artificial intelligence to personalise learning experiences for students are among the second stream of projects under the programme. The 20 hand-picked initiatives, known as Untold Stories, have joined the programmes inaugural cohort of 25, whose simple, effective and locally-based solutions address some of the worlds biggest challenges, including those laid out in the Sustainable Development Goals 17 global goals designed to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The Global Best Practice Programme highlights the importance of bringing together creative minds to develop innovative solutions and is an integral part of Expo 2020s commitment to encouraging positive change through cooperation and knowledge sharing. Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau and Chair of the UAE National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, said: "These 20 selected projects are already having a real, positive impact on peoples lives, at a time when millions face significant challenges in their lives." "With its own area to showcase at Expo 2020, our expanded Global Best Practice Programme is a testament to our continued commitment to projects that the world needs now and reflects the UAEs wider efforts to drive positive change across a range of key issues globally," he noted. Al Hashimy said projects under the programme will benefit from a unique platform that will bring together change-makers from around the world, facilitating knowledge transfer, global collaboration and inspiring concrete action towards the SDGs, in line with its theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. Launched in 2018 under the theme Small Steps, Big Leaps: Simple Solutions for Sustainable Impact, the Programme honours a 2010 Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) mandate for all World Expo hosts to create a platform that spotlights tangible solutions that can be replicated, adapted and scaled for greater global impact highlighting World Expos as powerful platforms for inspiring change and driving human progress. Dimitri Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), said: "At their core, Expos are educational events that share knowledge and disseminate the latest and most useful innovations for the benefit of all. Uniting the practical perspective of Expos with their core themes, best practices educate and inspire visitors by showcasing tried and tested solutions that can be adopted globally." "We are delighted to witness the growth of the Best Practice Area at Expo 2020 Dubai and look forward to seeing its continued development as we drive forward in solidarity towards a brighter future, he added. The new projects augment the 25 selected last year under the programmes first stream, a call for proposals that received 1,175 submissions from 141 countries, highlighting the global breadth of impactful, proven initiatives coming from and having an impact in all areas of the world. Expo 2020 will offer a unique platform to showcase these solutions, sparking ideas, enhancing collaboration and inspiring further positive change. They include the Nimr Water Treatment Plant in the south of Oman, one of the largest projects of its kind in the world. Significantly reducing the environmental footprint of the Nimr oilfields south of Muscat, the plant a constructed wetland has recovered more than two million barrels of crude oil from produced water and transformed arid desert into a resilient eco-system.-TradeArabia News Service The Ministry of Transport says stakeholder consultations on the possible use of motorcycles for commercial purposes okada will resume in October this year. According to the Ministry, the stakeholder engagements started sometime in March 2019 to November 2019. A statement dated Friday, September 11, said the first consultations involved various organizations such as the Ghana Institute of Planners, National Road Safety Authority, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, Motor Traffic and Transport Department, Okada Riders Association, Ghana Insurers Association, Ghana National Fire Service, National Ambulance Service, Ghana Red Cross Society, National Disaster Management Organization, Road Safety Advocates and Transport Unions (GPRTU, GRTCC, PROTOA, etc). It added that, in addition, four major hospitals namely Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Tamale Teaching Hospital, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the Greater Accra Regional Hospital were visited to obtain first-hand information on the toll of Okada related injuries on the administration and operations of the health facilities. The announcement by the Transport Ministry comes in the wake of debates occasioned by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, Mr John Mahama, that he would legalise the okada business should he be voted for come December 2020. But the statement from the Ministry of Transport indicated that the Akufo-Addo-led administration upon assumption of office, sought to assess the implementation of the Road Traffic Regulations, and, in the process, consulted stakeholders, industry players and interest groups on the provisions in the law. Subsequently, it said the Ministry, between March and November 2019, held consultations with various organizations, regional administrations and local authorities. It explained however that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the final stage of the stakeholder engagement had been scheduled to commence in October. It will be recalled that in January this year, the Ministry of Transport told the Parliamentary Select Committee of Roads and Transport that it had commenced a review of the Road Traffic Regulations 2012, L.I. 2180 to make changes and amendments to the existing law. Source: Graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 23:51:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, presides over a bi-weekly seminar held by the CPPCC National Committee in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese national political advisors discussed the difficulties faced by technological innovation-based enterprises in their development and put forward corresponding suggestions at a bi-weekly seminar on Friday. The seminar was organized by the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body. Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, presided over the seminar. Wang stressed deepening system and mechanism reforms and improving innovation policies and measures to promote the healthy and steady development of such enterprises. From the perspective of technological research and development, financial guarantee, policy and talent support, 11 political advisors contributed their wisdom, while 35 political advisors voiced their opinions through a mobile platform of the CPPCC National Committee. Political advisors suggested giving full play to the main role of enterprises in technological innovation, improving fiscal and tax policies to support enterprise innovation, and expanding financing channels for these enterprises. They also proposed encouraging enterprises to carry out global innovative cooperation on the basis of observing common international practice. Enditem HYDERABAD: Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has been provided the Y-plus security cover after her father requested the Himachal Pradesh government for her safety, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said. He said according to Kangana's father, the actress was responding to social issues which caused 'heartburn' to some people in Maharashtra. "Kangana's father wrote a letter to the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. He also met the CM and submitted a memorandum that his daughter was being subjected to harassment. Based on his request, the Himachal CM informed the Centre about the situation, Reddy was quoted as saying by PTI. The decision to provide the security cover was taken after several Shiv Sena leaders threatened Kangana to not to return to Mumbai following her controversial 'PoK' remark. Kangana was given Y-plus category security and is protected by about 10 armed commandos round-the-clock after she and some of the Maharashtra politicians indulged in a bitter war of words over the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June and also other issues. The 'Manikarnika' actress, often in the news for her provocative statements, is locked in a public spat with the Shiv Sena, which heads the ruling coalition in the state, after she drew comparision of Mumbai to 'Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir', that irked the ruling party in the state. On September 9, Kangana's office at Pali Hill in Bandra faced action and a portion of it was demolished with a bulldozer and excavators for 'illegal alterations' by Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The European Film Academy and the Berlin International Film Festival, known as Berlinale, have jointly called for the immediate release of renowned Iranian lawyer and human rights defender, Nasrin Sotoudeh, featured in Jafar Panahi's Golden Bear-winning "Taxi." Ms. Sotoudeh has been on a hunger strike since August 10, protesting the dire condition of political prisoners and demanding their immediate release amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak. A mother of two, Sotoudeh won the American Pen Association Award in 2011. Two years later, Sotoudeh, along with Iranian director Jafar Panahi who was also sentenced to prison, won the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize. Sotoudeh appeared in a sequence from Panahi's film "Taxi," which won the Berlinale's Golden Bear Award in 2015. As the last passenger of Panahi's "Taxi," Sotoudeh talked about her commitment to defending political prisoners across the Shi'ite clergy-dominated Iran. Before landing in Tehran's notorious Evin prison, Sotoudeh represented dozens of political, women, and students' rights activists in the courts presided by the Twelver-Shi'ite clergy and ultraconservative judges. She was initially arrested in September 2010 on charges of spreading anti-regime propaganda and conspiring to harm state security and was imprisoned in solitary confinement. Less than four months later, the Iranian judiciary sentenced her to eleven years in prison, barring her from practicing law and leaving the country for twenty years. Later that year, an appeals court reduced her sentence to six years, and her practice ban to ten years. However, in June 2018, she was again arrested, and on March 12, 2019, she was sentenced to jail in Tehran after being charged with several national security-related offenses. One judge told Iran's official News Agency (IRNA) that she was imprisoned for seven years, while other sources reported that her sentence included ten years in prison and 148 lashes, or that six other verdicts equaled a sentence totaling 38 years. Based on the Iranian Islamic penal code, Sotoudeh is obliged to serve twelve years of her sentence behind bars. Berlinale and the European Film Academy also called on all film and cinema lovers and cultural institutions worldwide to join the American PEN Association's call for Sotoudeh's release. In addition to the statement published on the official website of the PEN's website, the director of its "Freedom of Expression at Risk" wing, Karin Deutsch Karlekar, expressed concern over Sotoudeh's health and fate in prison. As Karlekar said in a statement on August 28, "Nasrin Sotoudeh spent her life defending the human rights of Iranians, especially women. On August 11, she started her second hunger strike this year to protest the maltreatment of Iranian political prisoners vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has ravaged the country's prisons. She is now facing the direst of consequences for her activism and expression. Her life hangs in the balance. We call on Iran's government to rescind the unjust sentences meted out to Nasrin and other political prisoners." Referring to Iran's pressure on Sotoudeh's family, especially the freezing of their bank accounts, PEN says that all charges against the civil activist should be dropped as soon as possible and threats against her family should be stopped. Trump brags of saving Saudi Crown Prince over murder of Khashoggi Iran Press TV Friday, 11 September 2020 1:04 AM US President Donald Trump brags he shielded Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the gruesome murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to an explosive new book. Talking to journalist and writer Bob Woodward, Trump defended bin Salman over the assassination inside a Saudi consulate in Turkey. "I saved his ass," Trump told Woodward for his upcoming book "Rage," according to an excerpt published on Thursday by Business Insider. "I was able to get Congress to leave him alone. I was able to get them to stop," Trump said. Khashoggi, who was a critic of bin Salman, was hacked to death and his body was dismembered at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018. A UN report found that there was "sufficient credible evidence" to pin the murder on bin Salman and he should be investigated for it. The Washington Post, for which he was a columnist, reported in November 2018 that the CIA had concluded that bin Salman had personally ordered his killing by a hit squad at the consulate. The victim used to criticize bin Salman's policies, including the deadly war the kingdom is leading against its impoverished southern neighbor Yemen. Trump has said that he was "extremely angry and very unhappy" about Khashoggi's murder, but claimed that "nobody has directly pointed a finger" at bin Salman. Trump has played down the Khashoggi murder case, and instead, repeatedly cited the profits that the US economy reaps from maintaining good business relations with the Saudis, particularly the Crown Prince bin Slaman. Trump has described the Saudi crown prince as a "friend". "It's an honor to be with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, a friend of mine, a man who has really done things in the last five years in terms of opening up Saudi Arabia." In one of his interviews with Woodward, Trump said that bin Slaman denied involvement in the murder. "He will always say that he didn't do it," Trump was quoted. "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," the US president said. The murder of Khashoggi triggered uproar but the Trump administration has stood by the Crown Prince, and even bypassed Congress for an $8 billion arms deal. Trump defended his stance by pointing to Saudi Arabia's purchases of US weapons. "He says very strongly that he didn't do it," Trump told Woodward. "Bob, they spent $400 billion over a fairly short period of time." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Navy says no crude oil escaped the cargo of the New Diamond, but leaked diesel reached the Indian Ocean. Sri Lankas navy says its divers have fixed a fuel leak from the engine of a fire-damaged oil tanker off the islands east coast, in a salvage operation after the huge week-long blaze. While the navy on Saturday said no crude oil has escaped the cargo of the New Diamond, leaked diesel fuel had created a two-kilometre-long slick in the Indian Ocean. The fuel was seeping into the water through damaged pipes connected to a ballast water intake on the ships starboard side, according to a navy statement. That leak was plugged on Friday along with an inlet on the port side of the Panama-registered tanker, it said. Dutch salvage company SMIT said its experts had boarded the crippled vessel and found the 270,000-tonne crude oil cargo unaffected by the fire. The cargo tanks with the crude are intact, the firm told AFP news agency in The Hague on Friday. Discussions are ongoing on the destination of the vessel to transfer the crude. The Greek-owned tanker, which is carrying about two million barrels of oil, caught fire on September 3 and is currently 45 nautical miles (83 km) off Sri Lankas east coast. Marine disaster Sri Lankas environmental authorities fear a marine disaster if the tanker is allowed to transfer its oil to another ship in the countrys waters. The fire was completely doused on Wednesday, but an unspecified amount of the ships 1,700 tonnes of fuel leaked when storage tanks ruptured in the blaze that destroyed the engine room and much of the vessels structure. The Sri Lankan navy, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and tug boats that were involved in fire-fighting are still in the area, the navy said. It added that an Indian aircraft used to spray chemicals to disperse the diesel slick in the past two days was on standby. Sri Lanka has asked the ships owners to tow it away from the countrys exclusive economic zone, 370km (231 miles) from its coast. Sri Lankan authorities are seeking to avoid damage to the coastline like that suffered by Mauritius after a Japanese bulk carrier, MV Wakashio, struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island on July 25 and began spilling oil on August 6. Sri Lankas Marine Environment Protection Authority has said it plans to take action against the ships owner under the countrys laws to protect the marine ecosystem. The New Diamond issued a distress signal a week ago while passing Sri Lanka on its way to the northeast Indian port of Paradip when a boiler exploded, killing a Filipino crewman. The remaining 22 crew were rescued. The large crude carrier was chartered by the Indian Oil Corporation to import oil from Kuwait to a refinery in Paradip. A Liverpool criminal who was one of two gunmen involved in the murder of dissident Republican Michael Barr is being investigated by gardai for involvement in the killing of The Monk's brother, Eddie Hutch. David Hunter (41) was yesterday convicted by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of murdering the manager of the Sunset House pub in Dublin more than four years ago He had denied the Kinahan Cartel murder of 35-year-old Barr at the pub. In January 2018, Eamonn Cumberton (32) of Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7, was also convicted of murdering the Tyrone native. A massive investigation into Hunter revealed he flew to Dublin from the UK on the morning of February 8, 2016 - the day that Eddie Hutch was murdered, the Irish Independent can reveal. And gardai have established he flew back out of Dublin Airport the following day. "This flight pattern is definitely suspicious, to say the least, considering all that gardai know now about David Hunter," a senior source said. "Hunter was in the country for not much more than 24 hours - and in this timeframe the murder happened. "He is being looked at for having had some role in the Hutch murder but it has not yet been established what part if any he played in the fatal shooting," the source added. Eddie Hutch Sr (58) was shot dead at his home in Poplar Row, Ballybough, in Dublin's north inner city on the night of February 8, in revenge for the Regency Hotel bloodbath which had happened just three days earlier. There were a number of gunmen involved in the murder and there have been arrests but no charges yet in that case. Gardai have identified a third suspect in the Michael Barr murder - the suspected getaway driver. "This investigation is far from over - a third suspect has been identified and is expected to be arrested in the coming months," the source said. Convicted woman beater Hunter entered the Sunset House in north inner city Dublin on the night when he and Cumberton fired multiple shots at Barr who was working in the pub on the night. The victim, who was well known to gardai, was hit seven times. Barr, an IRA figure from Strabane, Co Tyrone, was blamed by the Kinahan cartel for sourcing the weapons used in the Regency Hotel attack in which key cartel player David Byrne (34) was shot dead. Gardai believe Cumberton became involved in the Barr murder after owing a significant cocaine debt to the cartel. Seizing two Golden Deer Awards, female director Yang Lina's Spring Tide has become one of the biggest winners of the just-concluded 15th Changchun Film Festival, which dropped its curtain on Thursday night. A scene in the film Spring Tide. [Photo provided to China Daily] A biennial international movie event held in Changchun, capital of Northeast China's Jilin province, the festival was held between Sept 5 and 10. A native of Changchun, Yang -- who invited producer Cheng Qingsong to share the trophies -- took home best director and the jury grand prize at the Golden Deer Awards, the top honor of the festival. Starring actresses Hao Lei and Elaine Jin, Tide tells the story of a female journalist who lives with her tough mother and young daughter. Despite residing under the same roof, their conflicts cause a great deal of strife, provoking reflection over the gaps between different generations in China. One of Northern Ireland's most influential magazines, which gave an alternative outlet away from the mainstream media to politicians and activists here throughout the Troubles, is being revived eight years after it disappeared from the shelves. But the editorial team behind Fortnight, which more often than not belied its title by coming out on a monthly basis, have insisted the special edition, which has been timed to mark the 50th anniversary of the magazine's first appearance in 1970, won't be a journey into the past, but rather a platform to look ahead to the future. The brainchild of the first publication, Tom Hadden, has also been the driving force behind Issue 479 and he has gathered together an impressive cast list of writers and analysts, who he says are addressing the new economic, political and constitutional uncertainties. But if you press him hard enough about Fortnight's history, Hadden, who was an academic lawyer back in the day, will regale you with anecdotes of David Trimble writing anonymously for the magazine; of publishers refusing to print it because of its forthright views on internment and of Ian Paisley standing almost alone among politicians in wanting to have absolutely nothing to do with the publication. Hadden, who's originally from Portadown, says it was on his return from England at the start of the Troubles that he wondered what he could do to progress dialogue in Northern Ireland. "At the start, I got in touch with a lot of my contacts to ask them if they would write for a new magazine about politics, culture and the arts and I was pleased that many people agreed to do so usually without a fee. Initially, the magazine was printed in Lurgan, but the firm we used threw us out because in 1971 we said that internment was a really bad idea." The ever-resourceful Hadden was not to be silenced. He and his colleague Martyn Turner, the artist who designed many of the Fortnight covers, bought a printing machine and a plate-maker and for almost four years brought the magazine out themselves, working from an attic in James Street South in the centre of Belfast before a bomb outside again threatened to put them out of business. "However, we bought our own premises in Lower Crescent for a song and we stayed there for the next 30 years," says Hadden, who was the first of a series of editors like Andy Pollak, Robin Wilson, Malachi O'Doherty and Canadian Leslie Van Slyke who were all given free rein to bring their own individual stamps to the magazine. Pollak, who was freelancing for the Irish Times in Belfast, was the editor for four years in the 1980s. "Fortnight gave me the opportunity to publish stuff the more risk-averse Irish Times wouldn't," says Pollak. "I loved that little bit of extra freedom. It was one of the most enjoyable periods of my journalistic career - and I wasn't paid a red cent for it." In the revived Fortnight, Pollak cites one example of a story that he was able to dig into deeper involving the Kincora scandal. He writes: "The spring 1982 issue contained hitherto unreported information about William McGrath, the housefather at the Kincora boys' home in east Belfast, who had been convicted of raping and grossly abusing boys in his care, who was close to Ian Paisley and other senior political and military figures and who headed his own small, very strange loyalist paramilitary grouping, Tara." Hadden says Fortnight's sales were never massive and times were invariably hard. "We were selling between two and three thousand copies, which was more than similar magazines like the Spectator and the New Statesman. But, in reality, we were struggling along on a shoestring." Hadden says that, from the outset, the aim of Fortnight was clear: "We were trying to assist the two communities here to agree some sort of compromise that would allow us to get on with our lives and allow the peace process to proceed. "Quite a lot of the 'really heavy' stuff was by me and Kevin Boyle (the late human rights lawyer). We worked together over the years to persuade the two governments that they needed to get their act together to join in managing a difficult place like Northern Ireland." Down the years, major political figures throughout Ireland and in embassies across the world not only read the magazine, but also contributed to it. Says Hadden: "There was something - and there still is - about the Fortnight image and tradition. "People from both sides - from all sides - wanted to have a place where they could write sensible things, though whether anybody listened is quite another matter." Hadden, who never severed his links with the magazine, looks back with pride on the 40-odd years of Fortnight's contribution to the Northern Irish debate and he remembers editing one of the first contributions by Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams. "I rewrote it and sent it back to him for his approval and he was pleased," says Hadden, who worked alongside the future Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble in the law department at Queen's. "He was one of a number of people who wrote under the pseudonym of Calvin McNee, whose Christian name was later changed to Columbanus. David was quite happy to write anonymously for a number of years." John Hume also wrote for Fortnight, but Ian Paisley always said "no". Expand Close Influential: editions of Fortnight magazine throughout the years / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Influential: editions of Fortnight magazine throughout the years Hadden says the "suspension" (as he calls of it) of Fortnight in 2012 was partly attributable to his reluctance to embrace the digital era. "I was wrong to resist the change," Hadden admits. "Everything here was settling down a bit, it was more peaceful and there wasn't quite as much need for a magazine like ours. "But in today's Ireland, with all the uncertainty around us over calls for unity on the island, there is definitely scope for another Fortnight." The first issue of the "new" Fortnight will be available later this month online and in printed form from the No Alibis bookshop in Belfast and Hadden hopes that fresh and younger voices will take the magazine forward. His sentiments are endorsed by Belfast-born playwright Anne Devlin, who is Fortnight's literary editor. Her passion for the magazine and its heritage is unbridled, especially as Fortnight published the work of so many contemporary Irish poets like Seamus Heaney, Derek Mahon, Michael Longley, Tom Paulin, John Montague, John Hewitt and Paul Muldoon. Expand Close Influential: editions of Fortnight magazine throughout the years / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Influential: editions of Fortnight magazine throughout the years Devlin recalls: "I was in Germany for 30 years, but I had Fortnight on subscription. If you wanted to know what was going on, Fortnight was the place to look. So, when Tom Hadden approached me with the idea of helping with the Fortnight revival, I was only too happy to get on board." Devlin says that she, like Hadden, hopes that there's more life in Fortnight, but cautions: "We need to hand the baton to younger people, but the great thing is that they are out there. They have also grown up in the digital age and they are the ones who will have to take on the issues and the movements of today." Fortnight Issue 479 will be available online and in printed form from No Alibis bookstore, Botanic Avenue, Belfast later this month Met Dept. in a storm: More than US$ 2m down the drain By Namini Wijedasa View(s): View(s): The Met Department has failed for the past thirteen years to install a Doppler radar system in Sri Lanka and more than two million dollars from a World Meteorological Organisation-administered trust fund was squandered on one unsuccessful project which started as early as 2007. The costs incurred have been a complete loss by now, the Auditor General has held in a new performance audit of the Met Department. Sri Lanka still has no Doppler radar system to facilitate early warnings. But the trust fund agreement was signed with the WMO in May 2007 for its installation. A second project funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for two Doppler radars in Puttalam and Pottuvil has only been inching forward since June 2017. The extent of land needed for the initiative has not been properly identified and there are still no survey plans. Various approvals are pending. And land acquisition is very slow, the Auditor General says. The Doppler weather radar is an essential precipitation (drizzle, rain, hail, etc) observing system for large scale areas, according to the WMO, and an important tool in severe weather warnings and disaster management, among other things. Under the first project, the WMO awarded the procurement contract for the radar to a US company. The building of a 20m tower to house the radar started at Gonapola in the Kalutara district in 2011. But construction was delayed by a rock layer which had gone undetected as requisite soil tests had not been done. The access road was in bad condition even in March last year. Both tower and road were built by the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB) which the Met Department handpicked in 2010 contrary to tender guidelines. The Auditor General slams the CECBs work saying the building and installation of equipment such as generator and air conditioner were not in proper quality. The Auditor General also questions the selection of the site. It says the WMOs advisers and representatives, despite charging high fees, had failed to provide adequate consultancies. Worse problems then emerged with the Doppler radar equipment which was procured by the WMO with little Met Department involvement. The contract valued at US$ 1.68mn went to the American Institute of Enterprise Electronics Corporation. But it was found that some parts were damaged, forcing them to be shipped back to the manufacturing plant. The Auditor General indicates that the poor quality of the building at Gonapala contributed towards this outcome. The Met Department assured the radar supplier that the worksite was suitable for installation but it was not. For instance, the equipment room was waterproof rather than sealed. The radar repair costs were to be borne by the trust fund but it was later determined that the price was too high. The period within which the repairs were to take place also lapsed. The contract order placed in December 2016 by the supplier was US$ 361,629 but, by March 2018, it rose above a million dollars owing to the condition of the equipment parts. The Auditor General says there had been a delay of more than three-and-half years to send the parts back to the supplier for repairs. The air-conditioners were not on, rainwater had leaked into the installation where the equipment was stored and there was moisture on the walls. Worse, components worth over Rs 8mn were stolen by January 2016. The Met Department did not receive any compensation for these losses, despite coverage to the value of US$ 1.3mn from Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Ltd. At the time of inspection in March last year, the Gonapala site was in shambles. A section of the access road was in very poor condition with sections that were dangerous to travel on. The fence was cut, allowing easy access. The building doors were open and the generator was decayed to the point of disuse. Fixtures were stolen. There were rainwater leaks and the iron staircase was rusted. The equipment room was wet and the doors and windows dilapidated. There was no water or electricity. As the Nov. 3 General Election approaches, mailboxes, in-boxes, and voice mail boxes are becoming clogged with messages soliciting voters support for a particular candidate or political party, and in some cases, just trying to get participation. Unfortunately, that mix includes some who want people not to vote and to distrust the electoral system, particularly the security of mail-in ballots. The state attorney general this week said his office is getting reports of robocallers spreading false information to discourage voting by mail, a process taking on increasing importance in the COVID-19 pandemic. Automated robocalls are telling Pennsylvania voters that their personal information will be shared with law enforcement or debt collectors if they use mail-in ballots. Not true. These false, targeted robocalls are another desperate tactic to scare eligible Americans from participating in the election, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. Dont listen to their lies vote. We will protect every eligible ballot. Officials are investigating the robocalls, calling them blatant attempts to suppress mail-in voting. But while election officials are cautioning voters about false information, they are at the same time encouraging them to trust letters from several nonprofit groups offering application forms for mail-in ballots. State and county election officials stress that these letters from nonprofit groups like the Center for Voter Information and the Voter Participation Center are legal and are not an attempt to steal or nullify votes. Center for Voter Information CEO Tom Lopach said the organization has sent more than 3.8 million vote-by-mail ballot applications to registered voters in Pennsylvania, and more than 295,000 Pennsylvania voters have already sent them to local election offices. The forms his group is mailing are the same official ballot applications as those sent by Pennsylvania election officials, he said. Since we are nonpartisan, we do not send mailers based on party affiliation, he said. The letters provide application forms, often with voters information already filled in, so those wishing to register or seeking a mail-in ballot would just need to send the application to their county elections office and wait for approval, according to election officials. And in answer to the inevitable questions about duplicate ballots, Berks elections director Deborah M. Olivieri clarified that no matter how many applications a voter receives or sends in, youll only get one ballot. Mass use of mail-in ballots is new in Pennsylvania, the result of voter reform laws unrelated to the coronavirus but nonetheless welcome as an alternative to voting in person for those with concerns about virus spread. The new laws allow for anyone to vote by mail as long as registration and mail-in application deadlines are met. Ballots must be returned by mail or in person at the county board of elections or designated dropboxes and received by 8 p.m. on Election Day in order to count a requirement that has led to scrutiny on the postal service and warnings of uncounted ballots. Customers who opt to vote by mail must understand their local jurisdictions requirements for timely submission of absentee ballots, including postmarking requirements, officials said. In Pennsylvania, the ballot must be received not postmarked by Nov. 3. And those mass-mailed ballot applications? They also are causing some concern after a batch sent by the Center for Voter Information in Virginia inadvertently had return envelopes addressed to the wrong election office, according to The Associated Press. The Pennsylvania Department of State advises anyone using those applications to make sure their personal information and the return addresses are correct. Election officials say the best way to request a mail-in or absentee ballot is to request one online through the states votespa.com website. That way you can track your application to see when its approved and when your ballot is mailed to you and received at the elections office. It also makes it much easier for county elections workers to enter data from each of the ballots returned by regular mail. The bombardment of information can easily create voter frustration and confusion. County election officials are working hard to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to register, to vote safely and in a timely manner and to participate in this historic election. Dont let the confusion distract you: Get ready to vote by mail or in person. Request a ballot if choosing mail; be sure youre registered at your current address. Vote carefully to avoid errors, and vote with confidence. The bombardment will end Nov. 4, but your choices will determine what happens beyond that date. Democracy depends on your involvement. When COVID-19 caused a national lockdown in March, millions of Canadians lost their jobs, had their hours cut, or started working from home. As the provinces began reopening their economies, many of those jobs or hours returned for men, anyways. New research shows that womens participation in the workforce is at a historical low, and that racialized, low-income and immigrant women have been especially hard hit by the pandemics economic impacts. Women lost twice as many jobs or hours as men in the aftermath of March lockdowns due to COVID-19, and have recovered those jobs or hours much more slowly, according to labour force data from Statistics Canada. A July study from the Royal Bank of Canada found that womens participation in the labour force is at its lowest in 30 years. Listen to Rosa Saba discuss how the pandemic has been another setback for women And an Ontario Chamber of Commerce report released Sept. 9 on the gendered economic impacts of COVID-19 warns that while the long-term impacts have yet to be seen, the pandemics disproportionate impact on women could undo years of progress. Experts say that without extensive government intervention, this large step back could be permanent. This is a business issue. Its an economic issue, said the reports author, Claudia Dessanti. Decades of progress could be at risk. In March alone, women between the ages of 25 and 54 lost more than twice as many jobs as men, according to Statistics Canada data cited by the chamber report and between April and August, job recovery rose by more than 200,000 for men, but less than 132,000 for women in Ontario. Women have returned to work much more slowly, Dessanti said, especially women with children. We think of ourselves as a very progressive country and we are, she said. But we still know that unpaid family care work is just overwhelmingly taken on by women in households. The imbalance of family work has always been an issue, said Dessanti, but the COVID-19 crisis brought it to the forefront. The pandemic has revealed that while many gains have been made for women in the workforce over the past decades, not all women have benefited, said Chanel Grenaway-Mills, a consultant who works with non-profits and the public sector on intersectionality, equity and anti-Black racism. The privileged few are now struggling with child care, education Its now shedding light on what under-represented or racialized women have been feeling all along, Grenaway-Mills said. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of care work, much of which is done by women, she said, and she hopes that government and industry will take this into account as they move forward. Its also important for businesses and organizations to look around the table and see whos missing, she said. Without proper support, the participation of women in the workforce could go backwards permanently, Grenaway-Mills said. Though many workplaces have shifted to remote work, many women have still been forced to leave their jobs to care for children, since the breadwinner with the higher salary more often the man is likely the one who will continue working when child care becomes an issue, said Andrea Gunraj, vice-president of public engagement for the Canadian Womens Foundation. Marginalized workers have felt these impacts the most, especially since working from home with flexible hours is a privilege only afforded to employees in certain types of jobs, she said. This just goes to show that womens progress in the labour market has been uneven, said Gunraj. Its been more in the area of precarious work and lower-paid work, work that has less hours, that has less benefits. She said the new federal temporary caregiving benefit, which provides $500 per week for up to 26 weeks for people staying at home to care for dependants such as children or family members with disabilities, is a positive step, but that the EI program needs permanent modernization. As well, she said the public and private sectors need to look to recovery with an intersectional and gender-based lens. Now is the time for companies and organizations to think about what theyre going to do for their workers to make sure that they have a worker base when all this is over, said Gunraj. In the short term, governments need a plan for a possible second wave of the virus that ensures that women and marginalized people arent as unfairly impacted as they were by the March lockdown, Dessanti said. If we dont really get serious about womens economic recovery in the budgets that are coming out and the strategies that are being developed within government ... we really do risk setting the clock back on not just womens gender equality, but also on economic growth, she said. A national survey released Sept. 10 of more than 1,000 Canadian adults by Pollara Strategic Insights in partnership with The Prosperity Project found that a third of women have considered quitting their jobs to take care of their at-home responsibilities during the pandemic. Less than 20 per cent of men considered the same. The Prosperity Project was founded in May 2020 to research and support women in the economic recovery from COVID-19. Its various initiatives include short- and long-term research into womens spending power and workplace participation, through an intersectional lens that takes into account racialized and otherwise marginalized women. Founder Pamela Jeffery said the organizations national survey confirmed her worst fears: that women are being hit harder by the pandemic than men. We thought we had crushed a lot of these stereotypes, she said, adding its clear that more needs to be done to prevent women from leaving the workforce. Jeffery is calling on governments to take a page out of Quebecs book and offer flexible, accessible child care to all families. Many women, particularly racialized women, dont have control over their schedules. They dont have the option of working from home. Therefore they need to have the security of knowing that there is a place that they can take their child or children. She said businesses and organizations also need to take a good look at their own workforce and make sure theyre doing everything they can to support women and racialized employees, including creating representation targets. Those barriers need to be removed by employers, she said. If a large number of dual-income households become single-income households, the economic impact will be widespread, Jeffery said. The economic consequences of what were seeing through our research could be catastrophic, because of the impact on household spending, she said. Katherine Scott, senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, believes a crisis is brewing, especially with school restarting. The motherhood penalty is a very real thing, said Scott, referring to the amount of work women take on as mothers. Scott said women who face additional societal barriers such as women of colour or women with disabilities have been even more deeply hit by the pandemic, and are often the ones on the front lines risking their lives in the health-care sector. Child care should be made more accessible, as part of the recovery, Scott said, adding it pays for itself, putting more tax money into the economy. She wants to see the federal government provide funding to the provinces and territories to boost their child-care systems, which she believes should move away from being market-driven and into the public sector. These types of programs really do generate a series of economic benefits that sort of radiate out from just the individual family to the whole economy, she said. The federal government has put up a strong short-term response, said Scott. Now is the time for long-term solutions. Read more about: Conor McGregor Retired former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor was arrested in Corsica recently and questioned about allegations of attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibition. The AFP news in France reported that authorities informed them McGregor was the subject of a hearing by the police following a Sept. 10 filing of a complaint against him. Following a complaint filed on September 10 denouncing acts that could be described as attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibition, Mr. Conor Anthony Mac Gregor [sic] was the subject of a hearing by the police, read the prosecutors office's statement to the AFP. The AFP also reported that McGregor's attorney, Emmanuelle Ramon, called the allegations "abusive" and relayed that McGregor had been released with no charges filed against him. McGregor's representatives told TMZ, "Conor McGregor vigorously denies any accusations of misconduct. He has been interviewed and released." In a separate statement to MMAFighting, McGregor manager Audie Attar was emphatic in stating, "I am irate and putting out a warning loud and clear: Conor McGregor is not and will not be a target for those seeking to score a headline or a payday." https://twitter.com/AFP_Sport/status/1304816412372934656?s=20 TRENDING > Before they were champions: Watch Conor McGregor defeat Max Holloway Conor McGregor is still retired... or is he? McGregor has not set foot in the Octagon since his 40-second knockout of Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in the UFC 246 main event in January of this year. His initial plan at that time called for McGregor to fight at least three times during his "2020 season." That was prior to the global pandemic and the near worldwide shutdown that occurred. Amidst the shutdown, McGregor abruptly announced his retirement on June 6 via his social media platforms. Though he hasn't fought since January and remains steadfast that he is retired, McGregor cracked the door open a bit recently. Story continues McGregor tweeted on Sept. 11 that USADA arrived at his yacht to test him as part of the UFC Anti-Doping requirements. He insisted that he is still retired, but indicated that he acquiesced to the testing. "What's going on here UFC? USADA have just arrived to my yacht this morning for testing? I've retired guys!" McGregor wrote. "But go on then, I'll allow them to test me. It's all natural here baby!" In doing so, McGregor apparently has not informed USADA that he is retired. As long as his test results are negative, he remains eligible to fight at any point in the near future. https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/1304320924854910976?s=20 Flashback: Conor McGregor & His Team Go on Rampage at UFC 223 Media Day (Subscribe to MMAWeekly.com on YouTube) 'It Is Time To Help': Belarusian Opposition Leader Rebukes EU For Failure To Act Against Lukashenka By RFE/RL's Belarus Service, Current Time September 11, 2020 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 Republic's 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 Council's 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 Kremlin's 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. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/it-is-time-to-help- belarusian-opposition-leader-rebukes-eu-for-failure-to- act-against-lukashenka/30832752.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 Kiara Advani may only be a few films old, but her luxury bag collection is as massive as any established Bollywood diva. The actor who has starred in movies like Kabir Singh and Good Newwz is often spotted flaunting a variety of extremely expensive handbags from the latest collections of luxury brands including the likes of Christian Dior, Valentino, Chanel and Givenchy. The actors envious bag collections boasts of a variety of styles, from totes and clutches, to sling bags and fanny packs. However, it was her handy black Valentino tote that caught our eye. While we rarely get a glimpse of our celebrities around town anymore, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, Kiara was spotted rushing in and out of dubbing for Laxxmi Bomb, and casual grey athleisure sweats with hot pink detailing, along with a matching grey mask were the actors OOTD. The actor added oomph to her look with her silver sneakers, but it was her black Valentino tote with the brands logo stitched over in white that won us over. This isnt the first time Kiara has been spotted with the bag, the actor has quite an affinity for her roomy totes, and is often seen with them at the airport when she is travelling. This particular Valentino tote is priced at a whopping Rs. 2,02,965 (as per Desi Martini). Kiara also has a blue Givenchy tote that costs around Rs. 1.3 lakh, and another black and white Christian Dior bag which costs around Rs 1.8 lakhs. Kiara is starring alongside Akshay Kumar in Laxxmi Bomb, the remake of a South horror comedy. It is directed by Raghava Lawrence and is produced by Cape of Good Films, Tusshar Kapoor, Shabinaa Khan and Fox Star Studios. The film was initially set for an OTT release on Akshay Kumars birthday, on September 9, but has peen postponed. Reports suggest this is on account of some pending post-production work and that the producers want a big theatrical release for the film as coronavirus lockdown restrictions are easing. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Photo: Facebook Louay Zouhairy A man serving a life sentence for fatally stabbing a 19-year-old Burnaby man in a swarming attack in Whistler five years ago intends to apply to Canadas highest court for leave to appeal his sentence, according to a Crown prosecutor. Louay Zouhairy was two weeks away from his 18th birthday when he stabbed Luka Gordic in the heart during an attack by up to 15 youths outside of a 7-Eleven in Whistler on the 2015 May long weekend. Because of the seriousness of his crime, Zouhairy was sentenced as an adult to life in prison with no chance of parole for seven years and a publication ban cloaking his identity as a young offender expired 60 days after an appeal of his sentence was dismissed by the B.C. Court of Appeal in June. On Thursday, Gordics family found out that Zouhairy now has a new lawyer and intends to apply to appeal his sentence at the Supreme Court of Canada. If the leave to appeal application is granted, the SCC will proceed to hear the appeal based on written and oral arguments, similar to the process at the B.C. Court of Appeal, stated a letter from Crown prosecutor David Layton to Gordics mother, Clara Gordic. Layton said the Supreme Court will only agree to hear the appeal if Zouhairy can show his case raises a novel or important question of law. This is a demanding test, and only about 15% of leave to appeal applications are successful, Layton said. He said he expected Zouhairys lawyer to file his written materials in the next six to nine weeks, and then the Crown will have 30 days to file a written response. It usually takes about two to four months after the parties materials are filed for the SCC to release its decision on the leave application, according to Layton, and the SCC simply allows or dismisses the application, not giving any reasons for doing so. Gordic had been in Whistler with some friends for a B.C. Day long weekend trip when he was stabbed to death outside a 7-Eleven at 12:34 a.m. on May 17, 2015. Zouhairy stabbed Gordic three times, including a fatal stab to the heart, and later told a psychiatrist that killing him had been almost a religious experience, according to court documents. I recall looking at him in the eye there was fear, Zouhairy told the psychiatrist. Zouhairy said his life got brighter in an instant. I felt woke, Zouhairy said. That God just slapped me right in the face Something super, powerful, gave me a punch right in the heart. An electric shock of clarity. I came back to earth that second he looked at me. We made eye contact my knife was still in him. The attack took just 17 seconds but left devastation in its wake. I have PTSD, Clara Gordic said during a recent phone call. I think about it every day. It doesnt leave you. I can take medication, this and that, but you never forget. Our whole family, it doesnt matter what we do, Lukas always on our mind. The attack was sparked by a message Gordic had sent to 18-year-old Arvin Golic earlier that night, confronting him about mistreating his ex-girlfriend and telling him to stop. Golic was later convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in the attack. Golic and Zouhairy had been best friends since meeting in Grade 5, according to court documents, and the pair had descended into a life of crime together by the time of Gordics killing. Zouhairy, who attended Burnaby Central Secondary before being expelled in Grade 9 and then being expelled from an alternate program, estimated hed robbed people of cell phones and cash near a transit station 10 to 15 times before being convicted of assault in 2014 for a robbery with Golic, according to court documents. After that, Zouhairy said he started robbing street-level drug dealers, who carry large sums of money. These robberies involved him carrying a gun, which he cocked to intimidate or used to pistol-whip his victims, states a February 2019 sentencing ruling by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Terence Schultes. Zouhairy was born in Saudi Arabia and lived there until he was about 10, according to court documents. The family came to Canada in 2008, originally living in Burnaby. While his other family members are now Canadian citizens, Zouhairy currently has only his permanent resident status, which may have implications for him after he serves his sentence, according to Schultess ruling. Clara Gordic said shed like to see Zouhairy deported. He should be sent back, she said. The European Commission is considering legal action against the UK, with the possibility of significant financial penalties, over Boris Johnsons attempt to override the Brexit withdrawal agreement, according to a leaked Brussels document. The document, obtained by The Independent, states that the provisions of the prime ministers UK Internal Market Bill, unveiled on Wednesday, represent a clear breach of the international treaty. And it warns that the prime ministers plan to waive export procedures on goods travelling from Northern Ireland to the British mainland would require checks to be made instead at the Irish border - something which both sides have vowed to avoid to preserve peace and stability. Simply by tabling the proposals, the UK government has put itself in violation of the good faith obligation under the withdrawal agreement negotiated and signed by Mr Johnson, and could be taken to the European Court of Justice even before the bill becomes law, the document stated. And Brussels would be legally entitled to suspend its obligations under the withdrawal agreement and under any trade deal struck with the UK if Britain fails to pay its fines. Confirmation that Brussels is preparing for a court showdown emerged as Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic travelled to London for emergency talks with Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove. The meeting was agreed after Brussels responded with anger to Mr Johnsons bid to tear up provisions of the withdrawal agreement designed to prevent the establishment of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Downing Street insists that the bills measures are a safety net to avoid inadvertent consequences of ambiguities in the withdrawal agreement, though Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis admitted that they break international law. Suspicions are rife in Brussels and Westminster that the row has been cooked up by the Johnson administration in order to provide cover for the prime minister ahead of an economically damaging no-deal Brexit in January. Todays document - marked Draft - the UK Internal Market Bill" and circulated in Brussels on Wednesday - identifies six sections breaching the withdrawal agreement, which came into effect on 31 January this year. It notes that since that date, under international law, no party can unilaterally change, clarify, amend, interpret or disapply it any more. The document stated that infringement proceedings against the UK could be begun before the transition period ends on 31 December and before the Internal Market Bill is adopted. Given the length of the pre-litigation phase, it is unlikely that the case against the UK can be brought to the Court before the end of the year, it said. However, infringement procedures for facts occurred before the end of the transition period can be brought to the Court during four years after the end of the transition. After the end of the transition, legal action could be taken at the ECJ or through the dispute settlement mechanism agreed under the withdrawal agreement, either of which could result in financial penalties. In case of non-payment or persisting non-compliance, the complaining party is entitled to suspend its obligations arising from the withdrawal agreement - with the significant exception of the provisions relating to citizens - or from the future EU/UK agreement, the document said. It was a tough decision for Sylvia Martignani, a mother of three, who wasnt sure if she wanted to put her youngest daughter Elise on a school bus this week for the seven-year-olds first day back at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic elementary school in Newmarket. I was overly anxious, because usually she takes the bus with her older sister, said Martignani. And her older sister is really good at taking care of her. But this years staggered entry for students meant Martignanis elder daughter Julia, who is nine, wont start school until Tuesday. In the end, Martignani and her husband sent Elise on the bus after sitting down the night before to answer an Uncle Buck-like slew of questions from the seven-year-old: What if I lose my mask? What if I want to itch my nose? What if my mask gets wet? What if I sneeze in my mask? Can I take it off at any time? Martignani says protecting kids from the invisible threat of COVID-19 has become all-consuming for many parents. Theres a lot of mom-guilt out there, says Martignani, who belongs to a Facebook group of York Region moms that has more than 12,000 members. Martignani is the chief operating officer and managing partner of a daycare in Mississauga and her husband works from home. Their son Timothy is four. Yes, we all acknowledge the fact that mental health is important and that normalcy resuming routine and education is of paramount importance for children, said Martignani. But, in the same breath, were also afraid to make a decision and then look back and say I could have avoided this. I could have avoided a trip to the ICU. Parents arent the only ones making the agonizing last-minute decisions about transportation to and from school. Bus drivers across the province are also analyzing the risks of COVID-19 and many are opting out. In Sudbury, 23 school bus routes were cancelled on Monday, the day before the start of school, because there were not enough drivers, a shortage blamed on COVID-19. Numerous routes were cancelled in Grey-Bruce and Thunder Bay, where the Student Transportation Services of Thunder Bay, which runs busing, warned of a severe driver shortage. The York Catholic District School Board, however, is not reporting a shortage of drivers and one reason could be that thousands of students have opted out of busing in the region. The Catholic boards buses typically carry about 19,000 students, but this year 7,502 students assigned to transportation have opted for online learning or out of the service, said a board spokesperson. Another 13,000 students assigned to transportation in the York Region District School board have elected for online learning or opted out of the service, according to a spokesperson for the board. In a normal year, 37,000 students in the York public board use busing, which is shared with the Catholic board. In Toronto, the public board is also reporting a huge decrease in the number of students using transportation this year. About 37,000 students will use busing provided by the board, down from the typical number of about 50,000 a year. The decrease is due to about 8,000 students opting out and another 5,000 empty seats that the board would have offered to students, but is reserving, as a means to maintain physical distancing on the bus where possible, said Kevin Hodgkinson, general manager of the Toronto Student Transportation Group. The group runs busing for the Toronto Catholic and public boards. Although some buses may run at capacity, with younger kids three to a seat and older ones two to a seat, Hodgkinson said that others might have only a handful of students. He said it really depends on geography, population density and distribution of students. But even with the decrease in students, bus operators for the Toronto board are indicating a shortage of dedicated drivers, although Hodgkinson said they have sufficient reserves to cover off the routes at this time. As of last week, we were 27 drivers short in a system of over 1,800 buses, so it is less than 1.5 per cent of the fleet, said Hodgkinson in an email Wednesday. Our carriers are required to carry five per cent spare drivers so those drivers will be filling in on those routes until a dedicated driver is secured and they continue to recruit and train drivers each week. He said there could be changes over the next two weeks as drivers review their new routes, perform their dry runs, and get through their start-up meetings with their companies. In a normal year, bus drivers would have already received their schedules, said Debbie Montgomery, who is president of Unifors Local 4268, which represents unionized drivers in parts of southern Ontario, including the GTA. Montgomery drove a school bus for 28 years in Peel and Toronto. By about the middle of August, drivers have selected routes. Theyre out driving their buses around, doing what we call dry runs to see how the route is working, said Montgomery. Were in contact with the parents of the children we pick up. Were sorting out last minute issues, and, by the time we hit the long weekend, we can actually put our feet up. But that didnt happen this year, and the delays in scheduling, combined with the threat of COVID-19 and the added responsibilities that came with it, may have led to drivers quitting, said Montgomery, who noted that about half of them are retirees. Up until yesterday, there wasnt a day that I didnt get a phone call from somebody who said theyre not returning, said Montgomery in a phone interview Friday. They just cant risk it. And some of what Im seeing and hearing is people are just shooting an email the day of. Im sure they had a heck of night deciding that, because this was a huge struggle for them, she said. Most of them do the job because they like it, said Montgomery, who estimated unionized drivers make from $17 to $20 an hour. It gives them a reason to get out of bed in the morning. But this year shes heard complaints about a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and that some drivers were told at the last minute that they had to make seating plans for students. Just try to imagine you pull up to a stop and you may have a list of children, but somehow you have to take their names, check them off, watch for traffic, make sure theyre in their proper seats, said Montgomery. And horns are blaring behind you because youve been about four minutes doing this. The added responsibility and the lack of physical distancing, when there could potentially be more than 70 kids on a bus, may have also played a part. Its the fact that this is a very confined space, said Montgomery. It only takes one in a space like that to make things a little bit scary, frankly. For now, Martignani says that she will continue to put her daughter Elise on the bus, where she will be joined by her sister Julia on Tuesday. After her first day back at school, Elise told her mother there were only four kids on the bus and that she wasnt in a very big class. She ate lunch in her classroom, but went outside afterwards and played with kids from other grades. It just brings normalcy back to our routine, said Martignani. Shes used to going on the bus all year last year with her sister. The fact that she could go this year without her sister made her feel like Oh, look at me! Im all grown up now, she said. Of course, her sister is going to join her next week. But she was so excited to go back to school. JERUSALEM Israel will reinstate a strict new countrywide lockdown this week amid a stubborn surge in coronavirus cases. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the announcement in a televised speech Sunday. Beginning Friday, the eve of the Jewish New Year, schools, restaurants, malls and hotels among other businesses will shut down and restrictions on movement will be imposed. The lockdown is expected to last at least three weeks, when measures may be eased depending on morbidity. Israel has seen a spike in cases over recent weeks that more tempered measures failed to bring down. It now has one of the worlds worst outbreaks, adjusted for population. Israel earned praise earlier this year for its initial handling of the coronavirus domestically, moving quickly to seal the countrys borders and appearing to bring the outbreak under control. It has since been criticized for opening businesses and schools too quickly and allowing the virus to spread once again. ___ HERES WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK Virus America, six months in: Disarray, dismay, disconnect Trumps virus debate: Project strength or level with public Coronavirus complicates wildfire cvacuations on West Coast. With many teachers opting out of returning to the classroom because of the coronavirus, schools around the U.S. are scrambling to find replacements and in some places lowering certification requirements to help get substitutes in the door. Central Americans whove been cleared to reunite with their families in the U.S. are facing a major obstacle: the coronavirus pandemi c. Only about 338 of 2,700 people approved to come to the U.S. through a small refugee program have arrived since a court settlement more than a year ago. ___ Follow APs pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: LONDON -- The U.K., which has suffered Europes deadliest coronavirus outbreak, has recorded more than 3,000 new cases of COVID-19 for the third day running for the first time since May. The Department for Health and Social Services reported a further 3,330 cases on Sunday, taking the three-day tally above 10,000. Though a ramp up in testing accounts for some of the increase, its clear that the U.K. has seen the virus spread in recent weeks. Daily cases are more than double those reported a couple of weeks ago, a change that has stoked concerns of a second wave of the virus. To get on top of the flare-up, authorities have tightened a number restrictions to everyday life. For example, the British government said social gatherings in England will be limited to six people from Monday, both indoors and outdoors, and that rule-breakers will face fines. Daily deaths remain very low but the worry is that the rise in cases, even if confined to younger people, will lead to a rise in hospitalizations in coming weeks and potentially of more people dying. The U.K. has an official virus-related toll of over 41,600 people who died within 28 days of testing positive. ___ OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahoma health officials reported six additional deaths from the coronavirus on Sunday as the states death toll surpassed 900. The Oklahoma State Department of Health said the states death toll is now at 905. Health officials also reported 695 new cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. The total number of reported cases so far is now at 69,354. Health officials say more than 58,000 people have recovered from COVID-19 in Oklahoma. There are currently almost 10,000 active cases in the state. ___ CHICAGO Chicago schools reported roughly 84% citywide attendance for the first day of remote classes, but some schools had fewer than half of the students log in. The Chicago Tribune reported that attendance went up citywide at more than 500 schools for the first three days of remote classes, including 90.2% on Thursday. Some schools reported 100%, but others lagged behind. Teachers say students who didnt show didnt have devices or reliable internet access. Chicago school officials say theyre still trying to close the digital divide by offering 100,000 devices for students. ___ ROME Italy added another 1,458 coronavirus infections to its official tally on the eve of the return to school for most Italian students for the first time since March. Another seven people died over the past 24 hours, bringing Italys official COVID-19 toll to 35,610, the highest number in Europe after Britain. The Health Ministry issued its daily update Sunday as Premier Giuseppe Conte urged Italian students to embrace the new school year with enthusiasm but responsibility. Italian schools closed nationwide on March 5 and never reopened as Italy became the epicenter of the pandemic in Europe. Most of Italys recent infections during its six-week spike in cases have been among young Italians returning from vacation. The average age of those infected, which had dropped to the low 30s in recent weeks, is beginning to rise again, presumably as young people infect more vulnerable older relatives. ___ ATHENS, Greece Greek health authorities announced 207 new coronavirus cases Sunday, including 29 international arrivals. There were also three deaths. Total confirmed cases now stand at 13,240, about two-thirds of them since the beginning of August. Deaths are 305. The median age of those falling sick is 39, while that of those dying is 78. Monday marks an important step towards a return to a kind of normal, with the opening of schools. Teachers and students will be wearing masks. In the face of some parents protesting against masks and a few rallies against their use, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he would not hesitate to go after conspiracy theorists. ___ DES MOINES, Iowa Iowa officials said the number of coronavirus cases in the state increased by 814 Sunday and two additional deaths were reported. Health officials said that as of 10 a.m. Sunday 74,361 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported since the pandemic began. Of that total, 1,218 people have died and 53,120 have recovered, according to the states online virus tracker. The state said Iowa had an 8.9% positivity rate over the past 14 days, but six Iowa counties reported positivity rates over 15% over the past 14 days. The high rate means that public schools in Sioux, Lyon, Bremer, Plymouth, Carroll and Chickasaw counties may be able to apply for a state waiver to provide instruction entirely online. State officials said 274 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 Sunday, down from 290 on Saturday. The number of patients battling COVID-19 in intensive care also decreased to 79 on Sunday from Saturdays 90 patients. ___ BEIRUT More than 3 million Syrian students started school in government-held areas Sunday, marking the first school day amid strict measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, state media reported. Syria, which had a population of 23 million before its conflict began in March 2011, has registered 3,506 confirmed coronavirus cases as well as 152 deaths in government-held areas. The actual number of cases is believed to be much higher, as the number of tests being done in the country is very low and many people in rural areas are unaware they are carrying the virus. Coronavirus tests at private clinics cost around $60, far to expensive for most Syrians, whose average salary is less than $100 a month. The government conducts about 300 free tests each day for people showing symptoms. Among the precautionary measures taken by the Ministry of Education were the sanitizing of all classrooms, walls, floors, stairs and bathrooms of schools, state news agency SANA said. Students temperatures will be checked as well. ___ SEOUL, South Korea South Korea says it will ease social distancing rules in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area following a declining number of new coronavirus cases. Health Minister Park Neung-hoo told an online briefing Sunday that the greater Seoul area recorded about 80-110 new virus cases each day last week, down from 110-180 in the previous week. Under eased rules that are effective from Monday for two weeks, Park says authorities will lift a ban on dining at restaurants after 9 p.m. in the Seoul area. Theyve been allowed to provide only takeouts and deliveries after 9 p.m. since late August. ___ BEIRUT The U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon along the border with Israel said Sunday that 90 of its troops have tested positive for COVID-19. The force, known as UNIFIL, said in a statement that 88 of the troops are from the same contingent and two others are from another country. Only four presented symptoms. It said the 90 troops are in complete isolation and it is carrying out contact tracing. It said the coronavirus cases did not affect activities of the force. UNIFIL, which has some 10,300 peacekeepers, said last month that 22 soldiers had tested positive for the coronavirus. ___ PARIS Frances health agency says that the country crossed the threshold of 10,000 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours the most since widespread testing began in May. Public Health France reported 10,561 new cases Saturday, compared to 9,406 fresh cases the day before. France is one of European countries that has been the hardest hit by the virus, with a total of 30,910 people having died. Prime Minister Jean Castex pledged on Friday that there would be a reduction in waiting times for tests, faced with what he described as a manifest deterioration of the situation. Around 10 millions tests have so far been carried out. ___ BERLIN Austrias leader says his country is seeing the start of a second wave of coronavirus infections. He is appealing to his compatriots to comply with newly reinforced rules to keep down infections. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced Friday that the government would reimpose measures such as an obligation to wear masks in shops to curb a rise in new infections. Austria recorded 859 new infections on Friday, the highest daily figure since late March. Kurz stepped up his rhetoric on Sunday. He told the Austria Press Agency in a written statement that what we are experiencing at the moment is the beginning of a second wave. He added that developments in the capital, Vienna, are particularly dramatic, with the city accounting for around half of new cases. Kurz said that Austria will soon hit the 1,000 per day mark. He called on Austrians to reduce social contacts, wear masks and keep their distance as well as possible. He predicted a tough autumn and winter, though he stuck to his assessment that things should be largely normal by next summer. ___ PRAGUE Coronavirus infections continue to grow in the Czech Republic, reaching a record level for the fourth day this week. The Health Ministry says the day-to-day increase in new cases reached 1,541 on Saturday, a record high for the country. Health Minister Adam Vojtech said nobody expected such a spike. The Czech Republic has had 35,401 cases overall, including 453 deaths. ___ NEW DELHI India has registered a single-day spike of 94,372 new confirmed coronavirus cases, driving the countrys overall tally to 4.75 million. The Health Ministry on Sunday also reported 1,114 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total fatalities up to 78,586. Even as infections are growing faster in India than anywhere else in the world, the number of people recovering from the virus has also risen sharply. The countrys recovery rate stands at 77.77% and nearly 70,000 recoveries have been reported every day in the month of September, according to the Health Ministry. The ministry attributed Indias COVID-19 recovery pace to aggressive testing and prompt surveillan, but experts say India needs to test more due to its huge population. Its climbed to the second worst-hit country behind the United States, and is now testing more than 1 million people every day. Indias Parliament is expected to resume work on Monday with strict physical distancing. Parliament adjourned in March just before a nationwide lockdown was announced to contain the pandemic. The harsh lockdown caused a severe economic crisis, with Indias economy contracting nearly 24% in the second quarter, the worst among the worlds top economies. US Department of State Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad in a press briefing on Friday, September 11 said that moving forward, US policies and dealings with Afghanistan will be based on the direction on the peace negotiations between the Afghan government and Taliban. After months of anticipation, the Taliban on Thursday announced that they were willing to begin peace talks with the Afghanistan government. The Afghan peace talks are due to take place on September 12 in Doha, Qatar. Read: US Will Reduce Its Troop Strength In Afghanistan To 4,000 In A Very Short Period Of Time: Trump Intra-Afghanistan talks to determine Future of US-Afghan relations Khalilzad said, "The future of Afghanistan is obviously after the Afghans to decide, but we would like to see Afghanistan that is sovereign and that is unified and democratic, and the United States will decide its policies or its relations with Afghanistan, based on the decision and agreement that Afghanistan makes, and the implementation of those agreements." The peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government is expected to pave the way for future peace and end the bitter four-decade-long conflict. The prisoner exchanges that were agreed upon by Washington and the Taliban during the start of the year have allowed the peace talks to move to the next phase. The Afghan peace talks will take place in Qatar since the Taliban has a political office and will be attended by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Read: Pompeo On 'contentious' Upcoming Afghanistan Talks 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. Read: Afghanistan Reopens Schools After Five Months Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Read: US Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo To Attend Intra-Afghan Peace Talks In Qatar Coronavirus infections are doubling every seven to eight days in England, according to a major testing programme, amid worrying signs of an increase in cases among the elderly. Researchers at Imperial College London (ICL) said they had found evidence of an epidemic in the community that is not a result of increased testing capacity and warned the R rate of transmission could be as high as 1.7. They sounded the alarm as the UK reported the highest daily number of new coronavirus cases since mid-May: 3,539, up from 2,919 the previous day. ICLs Real-time Assessment of Community Transmission (React-1) study commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care said its latest findings, from 22 August to 7 September with 150,000 volunteers, indicated that cases doubled every 7.7 days. It is estimated that 13 people per 10,000 were infected in England in the same period, compared with four people per 10,000 between 24 July and 11 August highlighting the growing transmission of the virus. The study also claims the reproduction rate of the virus now stands at 1.7 based on swab tests among volunteers. An R rate above 1 signifies exponential growth. The studys figure is separate from the governments official R rate produced weekly by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE). Professor Paul Elliott, the director of the major programme at Imperials School of Public Health, said: Our large and robust dataset clearly shows a concerning trend in coronavirus infections, where cases are growing quickly across England and are no longer concentrated in key workers. What we are seeing is evidence of an epidemic in the community and not a result of increased testing capacity. This is a critical time and its vital that the public, our health system and policymakers are aware of the situation as we cannot afford complacency. The Department of Health said the report highlighted the need for vigilance from the public, adding that cases are on the rise across all adult age groups below 65 and all areas of the country, with the highest rates in Yorkshire and the Humber, the northeast and northwest. The department added the findings reinforced the need for restrictions unveiled earlier this week that will restrict social gatherings indoors and outdoors to six people in the first national curbs on freedoms since the lockdown was eased in England. Stricter local lockdown measures were also announced for Birmingham and the neighbouring boroughs of Solihull and Sandwell on Friday. From next week, residents are banned from socialising with people outside their own household. Lockdown measures are also being tightened from midnight on Friday in Lanarkshire due to a rise in cases, the Scottish government said. Boris Johnson: 'You must not meet socially in groups more than six' Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said: Weve seen all across the world how a rise in cases, initially among younger people, leads to hospitalisations and fatalities. The pandemic is not over, and everyone has a role to play to keep the virus at bay and avoid further restrictions. Its so important that everyone abides by the law and socialise in groups up to six, make space between you and those outside your household, get a test and self-isolate if you develop symptoms and wash your hands regularly. It is vital you engage with the NHS Test and Trace service if contacted to provide details of your close contacts and self-isolate if you are asked to do so. Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said Fridays increase in infections was a reminder of the ongoing risk. Most of these cases are people tested in the community, she added. Although younger people continue to make up the greatest share of new cases, we're now starting to see worrying signs of infections occurring in the elderly, who are at far higher risk of getting seriously ill. A further six deaths were reported on Friday, bringing the total number who have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive test to 41,614. Separate figures released by the Office for National Statistics showed that the number of new daily infections in private households in England has increased by 60 per cent. An average of 3,200 positive cases were estimated to have been reported between 30 August and 5 September, the ONS said. This is up from an average of 2,000 people per day between 19 and 25 August. The ONS estimates that around one in 1,400 people outside of hospitals and care homes had coronavirus in the week up to 5 September. Sweeping organisational changes in the Congress party are being seen by many leaders as heralding the beginning of a generational shift in the grand old political organisation and several of them said the revamp will consolidate former party president Rahul Gandhi's position in the party. An overwhelming number of new appointees across the party's organisational structure -- from the highest decision-making body CWC (Congress Working Committee) to the special committee formed to assist interim party chief Sonia Gandhi -- are known as Rahul Gandhi's confidantes. The revamp exercise is also a clear signal to the party dissenters that the high-command will not act under pressure, several leaders said. While Sonia accommodated three of the 23 ginger group members who recently wrote to her seeking large-scale organisational changes, she literally snubbed the main demand of the dissenters regarding elections to the CWC. The only letter-signatory to have found a major role in the party is Mukul Wasnik, named one of the six members who will assist the Congress president till the next AICC session takes place. While Wasnik remains a general secretary, several top leaders from the letter-writing group -- Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal, Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tewari -- have been left high and dry. Azad has been dropped as general secretary but retained in the CWC as a regular member along with Sharma. Party insiders see the latest reorganisation as a move to lay the ground for the return of Rahul Gandhi to the helm of All India Congress Committee as and when the next session is held. At least 11 of the 26 permanent invitees to the CWC are known within the party as Rahul Gandhi's aides. Among the 22 regular CWC members also, the presence of K C Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala, Ajay Maken, Jitendra Singh and R S Meena will serve to strengthen Rahul Gandhi's hands. Of the nine special invitees to the CWC, seven are seen as Rahul Gandhi loyalists, while 13 of the 17 in-charges appointed for various states are known as his close associates. Even among the nine general secretaries, Surjewala, Singh, Venugopal, Maken are known as members of Rahul Gandhi's group. Some party leaders feel Sonia Gandhi has also used the experience of the old guard and the talent of the young brigade in the new organisational structure. Former union minister Ashwani Kumar said the organisational changes in the Congress bear the quintessential Sonia Gandhi imprint. "The announcement signals a balancing of experience, loyalty and youthful energy and a roadmap for generational change. In retaining some of the letter writers in important roles, the leadership has sought to give a quietus to internal dissent while asserting authority," he told PTI. Kumar said the appointments indicate the shape of the future leadership of the party and the limited duration of the special committee's tenure indicates the possibility of a new leadership structure in the near future. "An overwhelming acceptance by the partymen of the changes shows that the practice of nominations to party posts through a consultative process has found acceptance in the party," he said. "The litmus test for Congress, however, is to accurately assess public mood on vital issues and where necessary to change public perceptions in a show of transformative leadership. "The future will depend upon the party's ability to catch the imagination of the people through transformative leadership," Kumar said. Another leader said, "Sonia Gandhi has done the balancing act of listening to all voices, yet carrying out a generational shift in the party." Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik, who had tested positive for COVID-19 earlier, has been discharged from the Manipal Hospital in Goa on Saturday after recovering. Naik said he was doing well while leaving the hospital for his residence. As the minister was leaving the hospital staff clapped for him and bade him goodbye. Before going home, Naik went to a temple along with the team of doctors including Indian Medical Association's Goa unit former chief and medical expert from Manipal Hospital Dr Shekhar Salkar and offered prayers. The Union Minister had been admitted to the hospital a month back, on August 12. A team of medical experts from New Delhi had arrived in Goa for treating him. The team included Dr Rajeshwari, Head of Critical Care Medicine, AIIMS, Dr Anant Mohan, Head of Department of Pulmonary Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, Lieutenant colonel Munish Kumar, Transplant Anesthesiologist, Army Hospital (R & R), New Delhi and Lieutenant colonel M Shyam Critical Care specialist, Army Hospital(R and R), New Delhi. The medical team had constantly monitored his health condition at the hospital. They also briefed Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Naik's health and had expressed his satisfaction with the treatment being received by Naik. (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.) Just two years ago, Missourians overwhelmingly supported Amendment 1, also known as Clean Missouri, which called for redistricting to be done in a fair, nonpartisan way to eliminate gerrymandering. But now, members of the Missouri Legislature have drafted a measure that would overturn the will of the people (Redo of Missouri redistricting voter summary final, Sept. 4). That legislation is Amendment 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot. The reasons the legislators gave for reversing Clean Missouri were as insulting to Missourians as they were ridiculous. Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, claimed that the 67% of Missourians who voted in favor of Amendment 1 in 2018 did not know what they were voting for. And because lawmakers think we are either ignorant or gullible, Amendment 3 is intentionally deceptive. It presents itself as ethics reform. The real purpose of Amendment 3, however, is to return us to the old way of having the governor appoint a bipartisan committee to draw new voting districts after the 2020 census. If and when that committee cannot agree, a judge would have the final say. This process allows politicians undue influence in determining voting districts in order to control who their voters are. To protect fair maps and democracy in Missouri, it is important that we come together in November to defeat this audacious attempt by politicians to protect their self-interests. Vote no on 3. Jane Cox St. Peters Johnny Depp is taking a moment to thank his fan base as his very public legal war against ex-wife Amber Heard continues. The Edward Scissorhands star, 57, took to his Instagram Friday with a nostalgic-feeling video showing him seated at a desk, penning a letter of gratitude. The text was copied into the caption of the post, which read: 'Hello All! I just wanted to thank you all once again for your constant and loyal support throughout many long and interesting episodes of my life... Moment of gratitude: Johnny Depp took to his Instagram Friday with a nostalgic-feeling video showing him seated at a desk, penning a letter of gratitude 'I am only here because of you and I'm only here for you!!!' the caption continued. 'All thanks and love to you for all, JD' The post comes as Depp received word Friday from a Virginia court that there will indeed be a delay in the defamation trial he is bringing against Heard in the American courts... but not for the reason he had intended. The text read, in part: 'I just wanted to thank you all once again for your constant and loyal support throughout many long and interesting episodes of my life' Seen on Instagram in his new film Waiting For The Barbarians: These posts come as Depp received word Friday from a Virginia court that there will indeed be a delay in the new defamation trial he is bringing against ex Amber Heard As reported by Deadline, Circuit Court Chief Judge Bruce White has delayed the trial from January 11, 2021 to to May 3, 2021 due to continued concerns over coronavirus. Depp had initially filed a motion on August 21 to have the upcoming $50M defamation trial delayed so he could begin filming Fantastic Beasts 3 in London. The Cry Baby actor filed court documents in a Fairfax County, Virginia court requesting the trial be delayed until anywhere between March and June of 2021, once filming was completed. His ex Amber, 34, in turn filed a motion opposing the request. The court had initially set the trial to run from January 11, 2021 to January 28, 2021, though Warner Bros. recently revealed they plan to start filming Fantastic Beasts 3 in October in London, which will run through the end of February. Delayed: Depp had filed a motion to have his upcoming defamation trial against Heard delayed, so he can film Fantastic Beasts 3 in London Depp is slated to return as Gellert Grindelwald, who was teased in a brief cameo in 2016's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, before his starring role in 2018's Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Filming had been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but now that conditions are improving in London, Warner Bros. has scheduled the sequel to start filming in early October. 'When the Court set the current trial date in this case, Mr. Depp understood that Warner Bros. planned to shoot Fantastic Beasts 3 in London long before January 11, 2021,' an excerpt from the court filing reads. Gellert: Depp is slated to return as Gellert Grindelwald, who was teased in a brief cameo in 2016's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, before his starring role in 2018's Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald 'COVID-19 disrupted the studios plans, causing repeated postponements. With conditions in London having improved somewhat, Warner Bros. has now set a shooting schedule that conflicts with the trial date in this case,' the excerpt continues. The court documents also included a letter sent by Warner Bros. Senior Vice President of Legal Affairs, Glenn A. Eckerle, revealing the production schedule. 'Johnny Depp ("Artist") is currently scheduled to render services on the picture in London on an exclusive basis commencing in early October, 2020 and running through and including the middle part of February 2021,' the excerpt reads. Sequel: 'Johnny Depp ("Artist") is currently scheduled to render services on the picture in London on an exclusive basis commencing in early October, 2020 and running through and including the middle part of February 2021,' the excerpt reads The court filing adds that Depp has no control over the production schedule, and he would be in breach of contract if he wasn't able to film the sequel. 'Though Mr. Depp is eager to proceed to trial, he faces an untenable situation over which he has no control. Good cause therefore exists to continue the trial date,' it adds. The filings added that Heard would not, 'suffer any unfair prejudice' from the trial being delayed until later in 2021. No control: The court filing adds that Depp has no control over the production schedule, and he would be in breach of contract if he wasn't able to film the sequel Heard has also said to have agreed to meet on September 11 to discuss the potential delay of the trial date. Depp recently wrapped up his libel trial against the Rupert Murdoch-owned U.K. publication The Sun, though no verdict has been issued yet. The 16-day trial ended in London in late July, with Judge Justice Nicol expected to deliver a verdict sometime in September. Libel trial: Depp recently wrapped up his libel trial against the Rupert Murdoch-owned U.K. publication The Sun, though no verdict has been issued yet Venice: Nomadland, a US movie about a community of van dwellers traversing the vast American West, won the Golden Lion award for best film at the Venice film festival on Saturday. The film, directed by US-based Chinese director Chloe Zhao, stars Frances McDormand as a widow in her 60s who turns her van into a mobile home and sets out on the road, taking on seasonal jobs along the way. The festival on the Lido waterfront was the first such event to go ahead in front of live audiences since the coronavirus pandemic all but shut down the world of showbusiness. "Thank you so much for letting us come to your festival in this weird weird weird world and way," McDormand said in a video message, with Zhao standing by her side. Chaos theory is a branch of mathematics, at the heart of which lies the principle that order and chaos are not necessarily polar opposites. Dominic Cummings appears to have imported this theory into the British political system. Britain's threat to break international law over the Withdrawal Agreement with the EU is a deliberate act of disruption, intended to deliver an enhanced trading deal. The move has Mr Cummings' name stamped on it as indelibly as a place name running through a stick of rock. Boris Johnson's chief adviser is someone who spreads chaos deliberately, viewing it as a useful tool for changing outcomes. Others believe chaos to be destructive, of course. A central tenet of the chaos theory is that within a complex pattern there is a simple one underpinning it: order from disorder. And so we see it here. Method exists in the apparent madness we are witnessing from the British government - it is a bargaining tactic as the clock winds down towards midnight on a free trade agreement with the EU. How many more weeks of wide-boyism and brinkmanship from the Johnson administration before any possible deal is dead in the water? Five? Seven? We are looking now at a crash-out Brexit. The omens suggest December will be turbulent. January will be bumpier again. Diplomacy has been turned out to forage as best it can. This is scorched earth negotiating. And politics is no longer the art of possible - anyone doing business with Team Johnson must master the art of the impossible. The deal being undermined by Britain's Internal Markets Bill was signed into law little more than a wet weekend ago - a matter of months, in point of fact. Her majesty's government has reneged rapidly. The EU would be within its right to walk away, concluding that any further negotiations are a waste of resources. Good money after bad. Short-termism is Mr Johnson's guiding star. Maybe he always intended to back out of the treaty - "disapply" part of a contract that was painstakingly stitched together and designed to prevent checks at the Border. Or maybe he's just trying it on. Non-unionist parties in the North, as well as parliamentarians in the Scottish and Welsh assemblies, are horrified. Repercussions can be expected. To call this disunited group of nations the United Kingdom is to abuse language - the union is under strain, it is destined to fragment. A no-deal Brexit will increase the logic of a Border poll in Ireland. As for next May's Scottish elections, the Scottish National Party will run on another referendum manifesto. Meanwhile, the Tories hold the levers at Westminster and, oddly, seem to relish the idea of turning England into a rogue nation. Is that their idea of taking back control? Violating the law "in a specific and limited way" is still breaking the law. Conservative grandees such as John Major and Theresa May are uneasy and have said so publicly. A senior civil servant has resigned. To date, the EU has been measured in its official response while privately furious. Ireland is treading a fine line - it needs to continue making its voice heard (arguably more forcefully than Micheal Martin is doing currently), while leaving the nitty-gritty to Michel Barnier's unit because the EU leads the negotiations. Mr Johnson is adopting a deliberately provocative stance. Perhaps he is trying to quarrel with the EU, incite an intemperate response and engineer an escalation, giving him an excuse to walk away. Although failing to secure a trade deal with his country's closest and largest trading bloc, ie the EU, is akin to committing economic hara-kiri. But Ireland will suffer in the process. In the absence of a trade agreement, Ireland will be the worst hit of the EU27 - exports to Britain face punitive tariffs and some businesses will no longer be able to trade. The pandemic makes a difficult situation worse. In its parallel universe, Brexiteer opinion holds that Britain's exceptionalism will shield it from the consequences of a hard Brexit. Prepare for an avalanche of plucky WWII rhetoric - the Dunkirk spirit and so on. Brexiteers are correct in so far as the rich will be protected - the Cummings, Johnsons, Rees-Moggs et al - but many people will lose their jobs and experience deprivation. Those who have little will end up with less. Some $1trn (845bn) in potential trade with the US is now in jeopardy. "Their self-determination is up to them. Our trade agreement is up to us," warns Nancy Pelosi, speaker in the House of Representatives. She makes it clear no US-UK trade agreement - "absolutely no chance" - will pass through Congress if Britain should undermine the Good Friday Agreement. Mr Johnson's draft bill is intended to unpick the Northern Ireland Protocol. So, the Tories are setting out to climb Everest wearing flip-flops and without any Sherpa guides. Indeed, tearing up an international deal at the precise time Britain is trying to sign international deals with other countries is inherently problematic. Britain agreed its first post-Brexit trade deal yesterday, with Japan. While the timing is opportune, the agreements are not exactly stacking up. It bears repeating: this is its first deal in four years and three months since that landmark vote back in 2016, when the world was young. It makes sense to trade with neighbours - cheaper and easier; transport costs are lower and perishable goods have less time to pass their use-by date. But Britain appears to be hooked on the idea of trading with far-flung nations. Logic has left the building. It's worth noting that despite the parliamentary majority Mr Johnson won on the basis of a lie - he had an "oven-ready" deal to "get Brexit done" - there is a question mark over whether this bill can make it through the British parliament. It goes before the House of Commons on Monday, where the Tories have a weighty, 80-strong majority thanks in part to Nigel Farage, whose party didn't stand against Conservative candidates. Some senior Tories will rebel - up to 30 has been speculated, which seems high. But the government has the numbers to act with impunity. However, there is also the question of ratification by the House of Lords. Come what may, Britain has suffered reputational damage as a result of this wheeze. Even if Mr Johnson does an about-turn - and he has previous in that regard - his behaviour betrays an integrity deficit and won't be forgotten in a hurry. But the British government is in the hands of people who care nothing about honour. They are indifferent to the way they are undermining their country's credibility. Any temporary blips in status will be worth it because they'll get back their blue passports and no longer be a so-called slave nation. Or so their blinkered mentality has it. Meanwhile in Ireland we watch, we wait, we do our sums - and prepare for no deal. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 09:11:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- China has never interfered in the internal affairs of the United States, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday at a press conference after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. China has never interfered in the internal affairs of other countries, and, of course, it has never interfered in the internal affairs of the United States, Wang said, adding that it is China's diplomatic tradition and the Chinese way to handle affairs, as well as a basic principle of international relations. Now is the time that China asks the United States not to interfere in China's internal affairs, he said. The National People's Congress, China's top legislature, has never discussed or introduced bills on internal affairs of the United States, but the U.S. Congress has been constantly rolling out bills on China's internal affairs, he added. The United States has gone too far, Wang said, adding that some people in the United States should manage their own affairs first, abide by the norms of international relations, and stop interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. Enditem - Instagram comedian Maraji recenlty revealed how her heart was broken in an emotional social media post - Maraji said that her boyfriend of two years left her for someone else - The funny woman broke down in tears while recounting the sad experience to fans PAY ATTENTION: Click 'See First' under 'Follow' Tab to see Tuko.co.ke news on your FB Feed Popular Instagram comedian Maraji recently took to her social media page to share a personal sad story with her fans and followers. The comedian revealed, in a heartbreaking video, that she was dumped by her boyfriend. READ ALSO: Wasafi musician Lava Lava discloses Tanzanian musicians make more money in Kenya than at home Comedian Maraji who was dumped by her boyfriend. Photo: Maraji/Instagram Source: UGC READ ALSO: Promoter Mtetezi begs Uhuru to reopen clubs, says gengetone artistes are languishing in poverty According to her, they have been dating for two years. Maraji stated that they were first friends before it led to a relationship and it felt like God blessed her with someone who she liked to talk to and laugh with. However, she was surprised when her ex-lover called it quits for not doing anything wrong to him. Meanwhile, she revealed that he called their relationship off because he likes someone else. "Recently, I was dumped by my ex for no apparent reason. So, apparently, he likes someone else. It's been a really tough month for me because it happened just last month," she said amidst tears while expressing gratitude that people have been very supportive of her. The comedian noted that she was sharing her story for people who think that she is always laughing and does not go through sad moments like the one she is going through. READ ALSO: Serge Aurier: Brother of Spurs star Christopher shot dead in France READ ALSO: Mwanamke Mkenya afariki dunia baada ya kugonjwa na lori Marekani "I just wanted to show you this part of me because it always feels like I'm laughing all the time but the truth is that bad things happen to me too. I cry too sometimes. You're not alone," she said. In other news, TUKO.co.ke earlier reported how a man recently expressed heartbreak after he was dumped by a lady he sponsored abroad to study. A social media user by the name Sxmto who was the friend of the man said that he paid the lady called Chidinma's full tuition, visa processing, ticket, and organised everything that may need to be put in place for her to be successful in her academics. Sadly, Chidinma broke his heart as she shared a photo of a ring on her finger and captioned it "I said yes." Sxmto noted that his friend was so heartbroken that it took five months to console him. 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 iinstantly. My children are not a curse - Judy Kemuma | Tuko Talks | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Anyone familiar with South Delhis Sarojini Market knows that its one stop for great deals in shoe string budget. But with the local shopping scene taking a hit during the pandemic, hows Sarojini faring? I recently ventured out to shop at Sarojini after months and the shopping scene was lit! So many shops are offering discounts and deals that the shopper in me was forced to bring home an entire new wardrobe, gleams Srishti Shrivastava, a banking professional who recently went to Sarojini market to shop for herself as metro has resumed and now #girlsquad dates can start with my BFFs. But the one thing thats most important in any girl squad date is the #OOTD. Luckily, with all the pay cuts, Sarojini is the new Zara for me. The shopping scene at a street market like Sarojini has changed amid the pandemic. Customers and shop keepers are taking precautions alike. Why I love Sarojini is because its a steal! Right from 50 to 7000, one can find beautiful bags, sandals, belts, accessories, clothes and jewellery. The only concern for me was about buying clothes from the stall without trying them. Before Covid-19, I didnt have the fear of wearing a tee shirt on top of my clothes to check the fit. However, now, I wear gloves and trust my better sense at picking out the right size for myself. Sometimes I carry my old tee shirt and show it to the shop keeper and ask him to give me my size. Whatever clothes I buy from the stalls, I always come home and wash them first, adding sanitiser to the washing mix, says Pooja Gupta, an IT professional. Face masks, sanitiser bottles and other guards are on as street shopping occupies most in Sarojini. (PHOTO: Amal KS/HT ) Sarojini Market has always been a bustling spot with some denizens visiting the place to specially grab a bite of their favourite street food. However, it looks like denizens might have to wait for the stalls to re-open again. Momos, shakarkandi and bhutta are my go to snacks while shopping. I miss munching on them! Sarojini is a delight to shop and snack on budget! I recently bought some gorgeous jewellery and a pair of denim jeans for a steal! While buying clothes amid pandemic, it did cross my mind that so many people wouldve tried it on before me. But, jewellery ka aisa koi scene nahi, says Akanksha Sharma, a blogger who has been enjoying shopping at Sarojini market in the unpredictable Delhi weather. We are offering 10% off on all clothing. Youngsters have begun to come in increasing numbers amid unlock 4.0. From the shop keepers to the clients, everyone is taking precautions while shopping. From temperature checks to regular sanitisation, and masks being made mandatory inside the shop, we have taken all the necessary precautions. Achcha lag raha hai dekh ke ki ab market me thodi raunak hai itne mahino baad, says Krish Kalra, owner of an apparel shop in Sarojini Nagar Market. Author tweets @FizzyBuddha Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Mumbai, Sep 12 : Amid rising tension between Kangana Ranaut and the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government, the Bollywood actress plans to meet Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Sunday. It is believed that the actress wants to inform the governor about her ongoing tension with the state government before leaving Mumbai. She is scheduled to meet the governor at 4.30 pm on Sunday and expected to leave the city on September 14. Asked where she was headed, Kangana's team told IANS: "Owing to security protocol we cannot disclose details of her travel." The tension between Kangana and the state government began after she made derogatory remarks about Mumbai, comparing the city with POK and calling the city's police force a "sham". Following this, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh reportedly said that the actress has "no right to stay" Mumbai. Just a few days after Kangana's sarcastic exchange with Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation initiated a demolition drive at her office building. Meanwhile, Kangana arrived in Mumbai on September 9 with the Y-plus security provided to her by the Central government. AustralianSuper chairman Don Russell wants state and territory governments to take a bigger role in helping struggling industries and creating a pipeline of infrastructure projects backed by the country's $3 trillion superannuation pool to aid the economic recovery. Dr Russell, a principal adviser to former treasurer and prime minister Paul Keating during the 1990s recession, said the coronavirus crisis had shown the need for premiers and chief ministers to get more involved in the economy rather than relying on the federal government. Dr Don Russell was an adviser to Paul Keating during the 1990s recession and is now chairman of AustralianSuper. Credit:Ben Rushton "Traditionally economic management has been seen as a federal matter but ... because so much of the virus response was focused on state responses, the premiers will be required to take responsibility for how their state comes out of the recession on the economy side," Dr Russell said. "I suspect there will be a lot of pressure on the states." State and territory governments choosing to take a hard line on border closures at the expense of local industries, such as tourism, would be expected to financially support the sectors harmed by their decisions, he predicted. In particular, he referred to Queensland, where the tourism industry significantly contributes to the state's income and tough border restrictions are in place. Chinese-Indian foreign ministers reach consensus beyond expectations; peace depends on India keeping promise: expert Global Times By Xie Wenting Source: Global Times Published: 2020/9/11 12:03:06 The joint statement and five-point consensus reached by both Chinese and Indian foreign ministers in Moscow on Thursday evening marked a substantial step in cooling down the current border situation, exceeding the expectations of most international observers and creating favorable 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. China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization foreign ministers' meeting in Moscow on Thursday evening and the meeting lasted nearly three hours. The highly anticipated meeting was viewed by experts from both sides as a last resort to peacefully resolve the recent border clashes, after previous meetings at the commander levels as well as last week's defense ministers' meeting in Moscow failed to garner true results. 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, given India's past history of breaking consensuses reached at such meetings, some Chinese experts stressed that it's still too early to pin high hopes on its implementation. 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. "However, since Modi 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 should remain on high alert. Given the country's sluggish economy and poor epidemic control, the Modi government may continue to try and stir up border tensions in an attempt to deflect the public's attention. These border tensions are used as chips to fool the public, he noted. Becoming China's enemy not good Analysts said that the agreement reached this time is also largely due to strong support from the Chinese military. In a video recently released by China Central Television, the Chinese People's Liberation Army logistics soldiers were seen transporting hot food with ground vehicles, but also using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) packed with food, water and medicine in areas where the roads were blocked, automatically delivering the "care packages" to frontline soldiers. 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 India, words are not enough," Hu said. Hu noted that India's recent moves show that some forces there are trying to portray China as India's second-biggest enemy, with its first being Pakistan. "A series of hostile moves from India show it wants to de-couple from China, and replace China. However, this can never be realized. Going against China will only hurt Indian citizens," he said. India recently tightened its visa policy on Chinese, and banned 59 apps linked to China, alleging that they are used in activities "prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, the security of the state and public order." After Thursday's meeting, Indian media kept a low coverage of the outcome, and some tried to stir up trouble like questioning whether the result shows India gave up its territory in the meeting. On Twitter, many Indians expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome, demonstrating strong nationalism and a warmongering spirit. Some accused Modi of having no courage to say "No" to China. In contrast, the outcome of the meeting was widely reported on Chinese media. On Sina Weibo, most Chinese citizens said they "love peace" and believe the country is not afraid of a war if India fails its promise. Hu Shisheng, director of the Institute of South and Southeast Asian and Oceania Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations of Peking University, told the Global Times on Friday that Indian media lacks self-discipline. There are many media outlets in India and the competition is intense. So the media organizations like to hype topics to cater to the public's nationalist sentiment. 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. As nationalism prevails in India, it becomes a true test of Indian top politicians' wisdom not to be misdirected. The Indian government should have the ability to restrain and prevent radical military actions, he stressed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has said that significant differences remain at the end of the latest round of trade talks, and accused the UK of failing to engage on major issues. And Mr Barnier confirmed that there was no agreement on the crucial issue of whether the UK will be granted third party status giving it automatic rights to export food products into the EU customs area after 1 January. The issue is at the heart of the current row over the Brexit withdrawal agreement, as UK ministers believe that if the designation is withheld, exports of food from the British mainland to Northern Ireland could be blocked. Speaking shortly after completing the eighth round of talks on an EU/UK trade deal with Boris Johnsons chief negotiator David Frost, Mr Barnier made clear that no significant progress had been made. And he said the EU was intensifying its preparedness work to be ready for a possible disruptive no-deal Brexit at the start of next year. In comments ahead of the talks, both Mr Johnson and Lord Frost cast this week as a critical moment to make a breakthrough in the stalled trade talks, calling on Brussels to show realism and reach a deal by the PMs self-imposed deadline of 15 October. But following three days of discussions in London, Mr Barnier said: Significant differences remain in areas of essential interest for the EU. He said the UK continued to refuse indispensable guarantees on fair competition and social, environmental, labour and climate standards in return for access to the European single market. And he said the British side had not engaged on other major issues, such as credible horizontal dispute settlement mechanisms, essential safeguards for judicial cooperation and law enforcement, fisheries, or level playing field requirements in the areas of transport and energy He called for more clarity about Great Britains future animal sanitation and health standards after it stops observing EU rules on 1 January. The many uncertainties on the issue meant it was currently not possible to grant the UK third-party status, he said. And he added: To conclude a future partnership, mutual trust and confidence are and will be necessary. The chief negotiators and their teams will remain in contact over the coming days. At the same time, the EU is intensifying its preparedness work to be ready for all scenarios on 1 January 2021. Makarand R Paranjape By Pranab Mukherjee, the 13th President of India, passed away on August 31. Thirteen, it is said, was his lucky number. For years he lived in a modest bungalow, 13 Talkatora Road, much below his entitlement. When allotted to him, he was warned of the unlucky number. In Hindu shastra, the number 13 is actually lucky because it means Trayodashi. If you do anything on that day, it will give good, positive results, he reportedly said on 16 June 2012. And then moved straight into one of the largest residences in the world, the 500-room Rashtrapati Bhavan. If you invert the date of his death, it is also 13. The unassuming leader who would be Prime Minister but became President instead was also known as the man who knew too much. Each night, for decades on end, he recorded everything meticulously in his secret journals. Half of Lutyens Delhi and the remaining half of the rest of political India was quite afraid of how revealing and explosive these fabled diaries would be. But after he became President, there was no more mention of them. Some said he ordered them burned. When asked, he quipped that they were literally washed away during the flooding of his Greater Kailash home. His presidency was unmarked by major controversies, but few remember that he dismissed more mercy petitions than most, 30 out of 34 to be precise. It was his visit to the RSS headquarters on 7 June 2018, a little less a year after he demitted office, that caused a greater furore. His own daughter Sharmistha lashed out against him on Twitter the day before: Hope @CitiznMukherjee now realises from todays incident, how BJP dirty tricks dept operates. Even RSS wouldnt believe that u r going 2 endorse its views in ur speech. But the speech will be forgotten, visuals will remain & those will be circulated with fake statements. She was wrong; she had not foreseen how shrewdly her father would handle the situation. Though he paid respects to Sangh founder Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, he did not quite endorse Hindutva. Instead, invoking Bal Gangadhar Tilak, M K Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel and others, he said, The soul of India resides in pluralism and tolerance. Secularism and inclusion are a matter of faith for us. It is our composite culture which makes us into one nation. Indias Nationhood is not one language, one religion, one enemy. Early next year he was awarded the Bharat Ratna, Indias highest civilian honour. Prime Minister Modi called to ask for my acceptance at 6 pm on 25 January, he said with a smile in an interview, The President is waiting for my call with your approval. ... So, I gave my consent. Modis respect for him is well known. The photo of his touching Pranab-das feet has circulated quite a bit. Modi paying his last respects to the departed former president was also nationally televised. Here we come to the interesting paradox of Indian political leadership. There are two opposing types of leaders that Indians most respect. To the first category belong the charismatic and visionary. In recent times, Mahatma Gandhi and Narendra Modi best exemplify it. But equally important is the quiet, steady, self-effacing and dignified leader, who achieves much without flamboyance or flashiness. Pranab-da represents the latter type. More than almost any other contemporary, he held the most important Cabinet portfolios of Finance, External Affairs and Defence, besides being leader of the Rajya Sabha, before occupying the highest office of the land. Except for a five-year limbo from 1984 to 1989, he was at the heart of Indias political life for an astonishing half-a-century, way back from 1969, when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi gave him a Rajya Sabha ticket, to his death. His seeming ordinariness made him non-threatening and innocuous to his superiors as well as colleagues. But Pranab-da was far from mediocre. His nine books, especially the trilogy, The Dramatic Decade: The Indira Gandhi Years (2015), The Turbulent Years: 19801996 (2016), The Coalition Years: 19962012 (2017), attest to his superior skills of observation, analysis and above all, ability to get along with both friends and adversaries. He was a great consensus builder. Apart from a couple of lacklustre functions at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, I had the privilege of personally meeting Citizen Pranab on 10 October 2019. He had agreed to Chair the Radhakrishnan Memorial Lecture of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study with H.H. The Dalai Lama as the speaker. But he pulled out citing ill health. When my wife and I called on him, he looked really indisposed, hardly smiling or making any conversation. He said he couldnt travel to Shimla. I clarified that the lecture was to be in Delhi. He repeated, somewhat testily, Cant you see, I am not well. I presented him a copy of my book, Swami Vivekananda: Hinduism and Indias Road to Modernity. For a moment, his face lit up as he leafed through the volume. Then he became glassy-eyed and dull again. Now reading the dozens of tributes and obits dedicated to him, what I find remarkable is that no one has a bad word to say about him. His career was as blemishless as it was long, unmarred by any personal, financial or political scandal. He left behind a good name and sterling legacy of public service. Makarand R Paranjape Director, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla. Views are personal (Tweets @MakrandParanspe) Dubai, Sep 12 : The honesty of an Indian expat shone through the outbreak of Covid-19 and financial crunch all around as he returned an unattended bag containing $14,000 in cash and gold worth 200,000 dirham to the police here on Saturday. Rich James Kamal Kumar handed over the bag to the Al Qusais Police Station after finding it unattended. Senior police officers presented him with a certificate of appreciation for alerting the authorities and highlighted their keenness to strengthen the concept of community partnership, reported dubai92.com. Kumar also thanked the Dubai Police for the recognition, and added that it made him proud. Coronavirus FAQ What is the coronavirus? The coronavirus outbreak started in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and has spread worldwide. The new virus causes a disease known as COVID-19. The virus is part of a larger family of coronaviruses, which can lead to illnesses ranging from a mild common cold to more severe respiratory diseases such as SARS and MERS. Who is at risk and what are the symptoms? Public health experts say the new coronavirus is more contagious than the seasonal flu. The majority of people who become sick experience mild symptoms, but some become more seriously ill. People who contract the virus can develop pneumonia, and some have died. People who are elderly or have underlying medical issues are at greater risk of becoming more severely sick. Symptoms of the virus include a cough, fever and shortness of breath. What should I do if I develop symptoms? The North Dakota Department of Health advises that people call their health care provider to tell them about recent travel or exposure, and to follow their guidance. Try to avoid contact with other people in the meantime. What can I do to prevent the virus from spreading? The health department advises that people wash their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer for at least 20 seconds. People who are sick should stay home from work or school, both to protect themselves and others with whom they would come in contact. Avoid touching your face, cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue or an elbow, clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces, and avoid contact with people who are sick. Where can I find more information? People with coronavirus-related questions can call the state health department hotline at 866-207-2880. Those who need medical advice should contact their health care provider. The health department's online coronavirus page: www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's online coronavirus page: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov Concern was building that if the farmers refuse to budge, the National Guard would be sent in again and there could be violence. The farmers say theyre worried about having enough water for their crops. When they took control of the dam Tuesday, they closed the valves that were releasing water from the reservoir. Overnight, power to the La Boquilla dam site in Chihuahua was cut and there were reports that cellphone service there had also dropped, making activists suspect a move by authorities to evict them could be imminent. Mexico has fallen behind in the amount of water it must send north from its dams under a 1944 treaty, and time is running out to make up the shortfall by the Oct. 24 deadline. Colombia anti-police protests leave 13 dead BOGOTA, Colombia Two days of protests in Colombia over the death of a man in police custody have left 13 people dead and over 400 injured, authorities said Friday. The violence rocking Bogota following Javier Ordonezs death spilled into a second night of smaller protests and clashes with police late Thursday. Rumor mill: According to fresh rumors, it seems a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti may be in the works, with a launch that may even preempt the vanilla RTX 3060. If this happens, the most logical explanation would be Nvidia is flexing its muscle to steal as much thunder from AMD's Big Navi release as possible. The supposed RTX 3060 Ti would launch in October, the same month that Nvidia's upcoming RTX 3070 is supposed to arrive. As for when we could expect a standard RTX 3060, that's presently unclear. Early 2021 seems like a safe bet, though. According to hardware leaker @kopite7kimi on Twitter, the RTX 3060 Ti will be based on the GA104-200 silicon. For reference, the RTX 3090 and RTX 3080 both use GA102 variants, while the RTX 3070 also uses silicon carved from GA104 (GA104-300). SKU0 GA104-400 PG141/142 GDDR6X/6 8GB 3072=3070Ti SKU10 GA104-300 GDDR6 2944=3070 https://t.co/p3mfchajfR kopite7kimi (@kopite7kimi) July 7, 2020 As for specs, the RTX 3060 Ti could use up to 4,864 CUDA cores, 152 Tensor cores, 38 RT cores, and 8GB of GDDR6 clocked at 14Gbps over a 256-bit wide bus. There doesn't appear to much information regarding clock rates, ROPs, etc. Supposedly the RTX 3060 Ti would arrive with a TDP of 180W, marking a 40W reduction over the RTX 3070. If the rumored specs are true, it looks like the RTX 3060 Ti will be targeting RTX 2080-like performance, potentially at a $399 price point. Pricing could end up being closer to $450, depending on how Nvidia wants to position it in the product stack. Meanwhile, the standard RTX 3060 may offer performance similar to the RTX 2070, and probably at a price closer to $350, but at this point these are merely educated guesses. What's for certain is that Nvidia will be watching AMD closely to see what its RX 6000-series cards are going to look like in October, and will adjust accordingly. The Ondo State House of Assembly has expressed confidence that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would conduct free and fair governorship election in the state on October 10. Bamidele Oleyelogun, the Assemblys Speaker, stated this on Friday while leading other lawmakers to the scene of the fire incident at the INEC Office in Akure. The fire destroyed a container that housed no fewer than 5,000 card readers on Thursday night. Mr Oleyelogun said that INEC had been conducting successful elections in the state without being found wanting, adding that nobody could be blamed for the fire. The speaker noted that as legislative members, they were assured that nothing would change the date of the election. He, therefore, urged the commission to do thorough investigation to forestall a recurrence, saying that any person found culpable should be made to face the full weight of the law. Earlier, Rufus Akeju, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), INEC, told the lawmakers that in the process of being proactive, to ensure that everything was put in place for the forthcoming polls, the incident occurred. Mr Akeju stated that the burnt container was dedicated only to the smart card readers, adding that in preparation for the elections, the card readers were being charged when the inferno occurred. The REC, however, promised the lawmakers that the card readers would be replaced without affecting the conduct of the elections. He noted that the incident would not affect the credibility of the elections, adding that the commission would provide a level playing ground to all the political parties. We know that all eyes are on the poll, not only in Nigeria, but the whole of Africa. We will be proactive, remain an unbiased umpire and conduct a successful election, he said. (NAN) The Purple Air air-quality map on Friday Sept. 11, 2020, shows most of the west coast with hazardous levels of pollution from wildfire smoke. Screenshot As record-breaking fires wreak havoc on the Western United States, they're also releasing massive amounts of smoke and ash into the atmosphere, adding to the region's health woes. Portland, Oregon suffered from the worst air quality in the world for days. It's currently second only to Vancouver, Canada, which is choking on smoke from the U.S. blazes. Seattle ranks third, San Francisco seventh and Los Angeles ninth, according to IQAir. To find out where and when it's safe to go outside again, residents are flocking to air quality apps and websites like AirNow and PurpleAir in addition IQAir. They're also snapping up air quality sensors made by these and other groups to monitor pollution levels on their own properties, along with air purifiers to keep their homes and offices breathable. On September 9, 2020, as skies above Oakland and San Francisco turned an eerie dark orange from the smoke, about 600,000 people visited the PurpleAir air quality map in a single day, according to Google Analytics data the company shared with CNBC. The vast majority of those visitors were from California. Site visits from users in Oregon and Washington were picking up on the 9th and 10th, as well, as Oregon prepared to evacuate some 500,000 people from harm's way. PurpleAir CEO Adrian Dybwad told CNBC, "We feel glad to be able to help people measure and understand where the smoke is, how far it is traveling and where they might go to get clean air. But it is a very strange feeling when your business does well in the middle of such tragedies." PurpleAir sold 1,000 sensors in recent weeks Founded in 2015, PurpleAir creates its map with data that streams in from the sensors that the company makes at its Draper, Utah, headquarters, which cost between $199 to $279 apiece. The company employs just 12 full-time employees but is looking to double that this season, and has about 9,000 of its sensors installed around the world up currently, up from about 6,000 at this time last year, Dybwad said. About 1,000 sensors were sold in the past few weeks, as lightning storms sparked an early fire season in California. The map is free and has no ads, and offers a simple color-coded key that shows just how bad the air is outside. A green dot means it's mostly clean. Orange means that sensitive groups will likely be affected after 24 hours, while red means everyone may be affected. The worst color, a dark purple-maroon, warns "Health warnings of emergency conditions if they are exposed for more than 24 hours. The entire population is more likely to be affected." On the worst days of the 2020 fire season, like Sept. 11, most of the west coast is covered in purple-maroon dots. Vehicles are seen along Interstate 80 as flames from the LNU Lighting Complex Fire are seen on both sides on the outskirts of Vacaville, California, U.S. August 19, 2020. Stephen Lam | Reuters Readings on the PurpleAir map can appear higher than the measurements on the AirNow site managed by federal agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and NASA. Dybwad explained why: "Our sensors, essentially, shine a laser beam and when particles float through or are sucked through that beam of light, they count and assess the reflections. The more, and brighter the reflections generally, the more particles. The density that the sensor assumes can be slightly off depending what it is measuring, like wood smoke versus gravel dust, for example." Wood smoke particles generally have a density of 1.5 grams per cubic centimeter, and gravel dust particles are typically 2.8 grams per cubic centimeter in density, he noted. For now, PurpleAir aims to show people where the intensity of air pollution is generally worsening or improving every few minutes, and whether the air is risky or healthy. "We don't need to be splitting hairs all the time whether it is purple or very purple, we know the intensity of the pollution is bad," said Dybwad. "Other companies try to hide their data, so you have to pay to log in to see it. Our philosophy is openness." Other air quality companies are working on more precise measurements of particulates we breathe. Aclima, a startup funded by the Schmidt Family Foundation, Emerson Collective and other environment-minded investors, is working on sensors that can measure particles and greenhouse gases, like ozone, to generate hyperlocal air quality data that is purchased and used by regulators and scientists, primarily. The startup's CEO and founder, Davida Herzl, said her systems work with a mix of technologies, including laser-based and electrochemical sensors and machine learning software, all combined into a kind of lab in a box. The systems are portable enough to go in the back of a passenger vehicle, which can rove around any town that needs to be monitored closely in the face of a new environmental threat. They can even generate readings of how air quality varies from one end of a city block to another. The start-up is selling its data and systems to regulatory agencies like the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in California. They use Aclima data for emission reduction planning, and enforcement against polluters. Herzl said the company is monitoring air quality in an area that covers about 10 million residents, mostly in California with some in New York. She expects to double that coverage in the next six months. Swiss air quality company IQAir, which also operates the AirVisual app, sees spikes in website visits and sales of air filtration systems whenever there's a significant environmental event like the fires now raging in the Western states, or the Australian wildfires in 2019, which burned 72,000 square miles of land, killed 34 people, and drove billions of animals out of their habitat. For example, IQAir's CEO for North America, Glory Dolphin Hammes, told CNBC the company gained over 1 million new visitors to its air quality maps from August 17 to September 10 as fires broke out across the state of California, burning a record amount of acreage. Over that same period, new visitors to air quality maps for cities in Oregon and Washington on IQAir.com increased by more than 18,000% and 38,000% respectively. The company has more than 80,000 sensors measuring air quality around the world, with a majority in North America today, and some positioned at U.S. embassies around the world. Glory Dolphin Hammes (CEO) IQAir North America, Inc. IQ Air Inc. While it's obvious that people should avoid going outside when the sky turns dark and orange with smoke, air quality problems and associated health risks remain even when skies appear normal, Hammes noted. "We take air quality for granted all too often. You'll see a blue sky and assume you can breathe clean air as well. Tragic events like wildfires can bring a discussion about air quality to the forefront. But we want to make air quality visible and a topic of discussion all year round," she said. Because the company sells air purification systems, not just sensors, some of its focus has shifted in 2020 to helping measure air quality and improve ventilation in more schools, hospitals and industrial settings. The rise of free, online air quality maps marks a massive shift in consumer awareness of air pollution, according to environmental journalist Amy Westervelt, creator of the climate change podcast Drilled. Westervelt says coal, manufacturing and other industries lobbied hard for government to treat air emissions data like a trade secret. But given sophisticated enough sensors, and data coming from consumers and open-source groups, industry won't be able to hide its impact on the air we breathe forever. "I think this 'airpocalypse' could put an end to environmental disinformation," said Westervelt. "You can't message your way out of it when the sky is on fire and nobody can leave the house." WATCH: West Coast wildfires continue with at least 15 people dead A Kolkata resident, arrested on Friday for allegedly making threatening calls to Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, had also made similar calls at residences of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, state home minister Anil Deshmukh and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, ATS officials said on Saturday. The accused, Palash Bose, had claimed himself to be a member of Dawood Ibrahims gang while making these phone calls, they said. An official said Bose (49) had lived in Dubai for more than 15 years and returned to Kolkata a few years ago. He made these calls by using a SIM card which he had procured from Dubai," he said, adding that Bose told investigators that he had also used international SIM cards to make these calls. Police are trying to find out if Bose had any connections in Dubai, the official said. Kolkata Police had said on Friday that a team of Mumbai Police nabbed the accused from his Tollygunge residence for allegedly threatening Raut earlier. Bose had allegedly used internet calling services to call and threaten the Shiv Sena MP with dire consequences earlier this month. Raut had lodged a complaint following which Mumbai Police tracked the mans IP address and located him in Kolkata. During his arrest, Mumbai Police sleuths also seized the device allegedly used by him to call Raut and issue threat. Mumbai Police were given the transit remand of the accused till September 14. On Sunday, police had beefed up security outside Thackerays residence Matoshree in Bandra after an unidentified caller, claiming to be fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim"s aide, called the bungalows landline number. State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had received threat calls on more than one occasion over his stance in connection with the controversy involving actress Kangana Ranaut. Deshmukh had received the calls from Himachal Pradesh and another location from different numbers on Tuesday and at around 6 am on Wednesday, sources close to him had said, adding that the callers asked the minister not to get involved in the controversy. Earlier also, an anonymous caller had phonedDeshmukhs Nagpur office, threatening him and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, a minister had said. The Shiv Sena and the actress are engaged in a war of words after the latter recently likened Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and also said she feared Mumbai Police more than the movie mafia. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is ruled by the Shiv Sena, on Wednesday pulled down some illegal alterations made at Ranauts bungalow in suburban Bandra. The Bombay High Court later granted a stay. Some California residents are standing their ground and refusing to leave their homes as fires continued to burn across the state. Nine people are so far confirmed dead, and 19 are missing, after weeks of record heat fueled the continuing crisis, with almost 15,000 firefighters currently up against 28 major wildfires. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued by Plumas, Butte and Yuba County Sherriff offices this week. During a tour of the damage on Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom said California was currently battling five of the 20 most destructive fires of the past century, with more than 3 million acres destroyed this year alone. Despite the threat of danger, some people are refusing to run. James Hancock, 52, and wife Eleonore Davis, 62, who live on a Native American reservation near the town of Tollhouse, under an evacuation order for the nearby Creek Fire, said they're "not leaving". "I don't feel it's going to come this way," Mr Hancock told Agence France-Presse (AFP). While their children and grandchildren evacuated, AFP reports, they stayed with no water and no electricity in the central California home near Fresno, near the Sierra National Forest. "Our ancestors didn't have any of that and they did fine," Mr Hancock said. "The police have come, they ask me if I know the evacuation procedures. They come often because there has been some looting. The Hancocks are one of 44 families that remain on the Cold Springs Rancheria of Mono Indians reservation, as some prepared to evacuate should the fire get close. Ronald Bugskin, 50, has a trailer packed should the wind change and the fire turn towards Tollhouse. "I hope I don't have to leave," Mr Bugskin told AFP. The Creek Fire has burned more than 175,000 acres (274.8 square miles), six times the size of San Francisco, and is not expected to be contained until mid-October, according to Cal Fire. More than 360 buildings have been destroyed and 14,000 are under threat. Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Ramey told AFP that he was aware evacuating was frustrating for locals, but that they always recommend they leave if they're in warning areas. Trump administration officials asked to review and change scientific reports by the Centres for Disease Control and Protection to ensure they did not contradict the presidents optimistic view of the coronavirus pandemic, a report claims. Communications aides allegedly tried to intimidate the CDC into altering reports, Politico reports. One of them, Michael Caputo, told the outlet that he was guarding against ulterior deep state motives in the bowels of CDC. Donald Trumps messages to the public have frequently attacked the shutdowns in place to prevent the further spread of Covid-19, including a recent tweet in which he claims New York City mayor Bill DiBlasio and state governor Andrew Cuomo are destroying the place by allowing safety measures to remain intact as the city slowly reopens. The aides, who are politically appointed to the Department of Health and Human Services, have demanded access to the CDCs weekly scientific reports charting the progression of the virus. Politico and three sources familiar with the situation reviewed the emails and determined their tone to be one that seeks to intimidate the reports authors and dilute the information made available to health officials in the process. According the three people familiar with the situation, the CDC has largely fought back in at attempt to maintain clear and honest reporting on the spread. Allegedly, though, they are increasingly willing to allow political officials to review the reports and change the wording to reflect a less dire situation than initially described. Authors of the CDCs weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) include several career scientists, many also holding PhDs, including Editor-In-Chief Charlotte K Kent, who has nearly three decades of experience directing the development, implementation, and evaluation of surveillance, epidemiologic, and health services research, and in managing public health programs at the local and federal level, including internationally. Mr Caputo is a former Trump campaign official and staunch loyalist to the president with no scientific experience who was installed as the health departments spokesperson in April to allegedly assert more control over the narrative painted by scientific reports. The MMWR has largely operated without political interference according to longtime health department officials, but since his assignment to the position, Mr Caputo and his team have reportedly attempted to include caveats to the CDC reports including a retroactive addendum that infers sick Americans have contracted the virus due to their own personal behaviour and not as a matter of failings on the administrations behalf. Another report Mr Caputo halted from public viewing was one on hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug praised by Mr Trump for its effectiveness in treating Covid-19, in which the authors determined "the potential benefits of these drugs do not outweigh their risks." Mr Caputos team questioned the authors political leanings as reasoning why they would publish findings that go against the presidents assertions. One email sent to CDC director Robert Redfield and other officials that was widely circulated inside the department and obtained by Politico saw Mr Caputo accuse the agency of trying to hurt the President, while appointee Paul Alexander called the scientific findings hit pieces that undermined Trumps calls to reopen schools. Dr Alexander has displayed indignation, telling CDC director Robert Redfield and other officials, The reports must be read by someone outside of CDC like myself, and we cannot allow the reporting to go on as it has been, for it is outrageous. It's lunacy. Mr Caputo told Politico: Dr Alexander advises me on pandemic policy and he has been encouraged to share his opinions with other scientists. Like all scientists, his advice is heard and taken or rejected by his peers. He said it was appropriate for the health department to review CDC reports, adding: Our intention is to make sure that evidence, science-based data drives policy through this pandemic not ulterior deep state motives in the bowels of CDC." 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) The prime minister emphasised how the villages where the houses are being built were being empowered by installing optical fibres, providing WiFi connectivity and developing roadways so that people living in this rural areas could have access to amenities necessary for development. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that the Centres flagship housing scheme for the rural poor stresses on transparency and the government is now reaching out to the poor instead of the other way around.The Prime Minister was speaking after inaugurating 1.75 lakh houses built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural) in Madhya Pradesh. PM Modi was participating in the Grih Pravesh programme through video conference. In 2014, past experiences were studied and then changes were made in the old scheme, further the PM Awas Yojana was implemented with an entirely new thought. Preference was given to transparency in the selection of beneficiaries to Grih-Pravesh, Modi said. Earlier the poor used to run behind the government, now our government is reaching out to the people. No ones name can be added or deleted from the list (of beneficiaries) on anyones wish, from selection to construction a scientific and transparent method is being adopted, Modi said. He also said that now houses are being constructed taking the local requirements into account and even the usage of materials which are readily available in the region is being promoted. Be it the PM Awas Yojana or the toilets being constructed under the Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan, they are not only benefitting the poor but are also big sources of employment and empowerment. These schemes are playing a big role in changing the lives of our brothers and sisters living in the rural areas, Modi said. The Prime Minister said that apart from building houses, the Centre through PM Garib Kalyan Yojana is also ensuring water connection to them, apart from construction of roads, wells, and other facilities for the betterment of the villages.I had said on August 15 from the Red Fort that in the next thousand days optical fibres will be laid out in six lakh villages in the country. Earlier, the plan was to make the fibre reach two and a half lakh panchayats in the country, but now the pledge is to make it reach every village, Modi said. ALSO READ: Soil of Afghanistan should never be used for any anti-India activities: Jaishankar Modi also interacted with some of the beneficiaries of the project during the event. Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, BJP MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, among others also took part in the program held today. ALSO READ: PM Modi inaugurates 1.75 lakh houses built under PM Awas Yojana in MP Boris Johnson faced fresh pressure last night over his Covid clampdown after Tory donors warned that draconian measures were strangling the economy and deterring workers from going back to their offices. The rule of six, which bans groups of seven people or more meeting socially from tomorrow, has been introduced despite most city centres and Whitehall offices being deserted. Soviet-born British businessman Alexander Temerko, who has given more than 1.2 million to the Tories over seven years, told The Mail on Sunday that protecting the economy should be the priority. Boris Johnson faced fresh pressure last night over his Covid clampdown after Tory donors warned that draconian measures were strangling the economy and deterring workers from going back to their offices Without a strong economy, the NHS will be in grave danger. We must get people back to work immediately. The Civil Service must do the same, he said. The Civil Service must be the example of the Governments policy of a full return to work. This is vital for our economy. Workers in offices increase productivity in jobs and boost local economies that rely on them. Safeguarding the health of our economy is the key to saving our public health and society, too. We need mass testing, robust track-and-trace, and safe offices to get our economy working again. And today in this newspaper, hotelier Sir Rocco Forte, who gave the Tories 100,000 last year, said: The whole country shouldnt be forced to lock down and follow restrictions because of a group of people who are at risk. We should be allowed to get on with our lives in the normal way. Sir Rocco, who took three weeks to recover from coronavirus in March, said he has no plans to donate to the Tories again, adding: At the moment I cant afford to. It is understood that members of the exclusive Leaders Group of wealthy donors, who enjoy dinners with Boris Johnson and the Cabinet after paying 50,000 or more a year, have raised concerns over the latest clampdown. A Leaders Group insider said: They dont like being told what to do, they dont like being told to go into groups of six or lockdown or anything like that. In the main, they say weve got to keep the economy going. They say this is undemocratic. Theyre not happy about the way the Government has handled Covid, theyre unhappy about Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and the whole going back to school thing. They feel that was handled badly. One donor who had given the party a total of 1 million over ten years resigned last month, although it is understood the lobbying row that engulfed Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick was also a major contributory factor. The anger of party donors comes amid a continuing split in the Government between the hawks, led by Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who are worried about the lasting damage being done to the economy by restrictions, and the doves, led by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who want to give priority to measures to stamp out the virus. The rule of six, which bans groups of seven people or more meeting socially from tomorrow, has been introduced despite most city centres and Whitehall offices being deserted. Bolton centre is pictured above on September 8th Mr Sunaks allies believe that Mr Hancock has been captured by Government scientists such as Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, believing they have too much influence over No 10. One said: If Whitty had his way we would still be in full lockdown. Mr Hancock will tomorrow announce a memorial to frontline health staff who died during the pandemic. The 13ft bronze sculpture will be at St Thomas Hospital in London, where Mr Johnson was treated for the virus. Every NHS worker who died will have their name on the stone plinth. A Leaders Group source said last night that membership of the club always ebbs and flows. On Tuesday, the Office for National Statistics will publish its latest figures on unemployment and universal credit claims. Meanwhile, the Chancellor will attend a ministerial committee to discuss the broad economic picture, including how to make businesses winter-proof. As the number of coronavirus infections continues to increase in the UK, the government has been accused of scapegoating young people for spreading the virus as businesses search for ways to mitigate the spread to avoid closures. England saw the highest weekly increase in positive cases in the seven days to 2 September since May. The government is also concerned about importing the virus from abroad as Britons go on holiday, and have added several more countries to the travel quarantine list. Here is your daily briefing of coronavirus news you may have missed overnight. Portugal mainland added to no-go list, islands exempt Mainland Portugal has been added to the UKs travel quarantine list, meaning British travellers currently on holiday in the country will have to self-isolate for 14 days unless they can return to the UK by 4am on Saturday morning. However, the islands of Madeira and Azores have not been placed on the list. Mainland Portugal is joined by Hungary, French Polynesia and Reunion Island. Sweden has been moved to the quarantine exemption list. Highest weekly increase of coronavirus cases in England since May - new statistics The number of weekly coronavirus infections in England has risen by 43 per cent, according to the latest government data. 9,864 new positive cases were reported in the seven days up to 2 September, marking the highest weekly figure since the end of May. Positive cases for Covid-19 have been rising since the start of July and are now 12 per cent higher than the number recorded when Test and Trace was first launched. Yorkshire pub bans people under 25 amid concerns over rising infection rates A pub in North Yorkshire has banned all customers under the age of 25, as young people are being increasingly blamed for the rising spread of Covid-19. Maggie Holmes, owner of the Oddfellow Arms, introduced the policy after a number of young people tested positive for the virus in the village of Sherbern-in-Elmet. She said: Ive taken the decision because my demographic is not primarily that age bracket and I just want to ensure that Im not closed again like I had to do for four months. Government announces Christmas truce on evictions for renters in England and Wales The government has announced a ban on eviction enforcement in the run up to and during the Christmas period in England and Wales. Bailiffs also cannot enforce evictions in regions under local lockdowns at any time, where those conditions include restrictions on gathering in homes. Housing secretary Robert Jenrick said: We have protected renters during the pandemic by banning evictions for six months - the longest eviction ban in the UK. To further support renters, we have increased notice periods to six months, an unprecedented measure to help keep people in their homes over the winter months. The six-month notice period was announced as part of the extension on the governments eviction ban last month and will remain in place until at least March next year. Covid antibodies decline rapidly one month after leaving hospital, study suggests Coronavirus antibodies significantly decline in the month after patients are discharged from hospital, a new study suggests. Over 80 per cent of Covid-19 patients who recover have varying levels of antibodies, but only a small portion created a potent response to the virus if reintroduced to it. Researchers from Nanjing University Medical School in China monitored antibody responses and found that one in five patients did not have the antibodies capable of fighting the virus after being discharged from hospital. Antibody levels in patients also declined significantly between three and four weeks later. Baby Lives Matter activist beaten, bloodied by Antifa rioters in Portland Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A pro-life activist and independent journalist says he was beaten by a group of Antifa and other left-wing rioters in Portland, Oregon Tuesday as violent protests and riots continue to engulf the city after more than three months. Tayler Hansen, who is is known as the founder of the Baby Lives Matter movement, took to Twitter on Wednesday to detail an attack he suffered at the hands of four violent activists wearing Antifa black bloc attire. Hansen, who has made headlines for painting the phrase BABY LIVES MATTER on the streets in front of abortion clinics nationwide, had been covering the riots and unrest in Portland for several days prior to the attack. He was even arrested over the weekend along with several Antifa activists, writing on Twitter that he spent a night in the dog house with those I was there to expose! Following his release from jail, Hansen returned to the streets of Portland to film the chaos Tuesday night. It didnt take long for him to become the target of violent protesters. Last night in Portland I was beaten bloody by four people in Black Bloc Heres the story pic.twitter.com/7xTopp692t Tayler Hansen (@TaylerUSA) September 9, 2020 Last night in Portland I was beaten bloody by four people in Black Bloc, Hansen wrote on Twitter. A photo of Hansen with a bloody wound on his chin accompanied the tweet. That tweet was part of a lengthy thread where Hansen explained the events that unfolded in Stumptown the previous night. It started with a press member recognizing me, he proceeded to get his phone to show a group of Black Bloc what I believe to be my Instagram, Hansen recalled. I fled and changed my disguise, and returned once they had arrived at a different location. Hansen provided video evidence documenting two suspicious men addressing him by name on a Portland street corner. That encounter was preceded by a Twitter user announcing Hansens presence in the area and accusing him of saying that he infiltrated antifa. As I was standing on the corner two suspicious men were looking at me and talking amongst themselves, they walked by and directly addressed me by my name. Heres the video of them acknowledging my presence. pic.twitter.com/HllDYWyCBT Tayler Hansen (@TaylerUSA) September 9, 2020 I began walking away, a few blocks down there was a group of four dressed in Black Bloc waiting for me around the corner, Hansen explained. They proceeded to beat me. I was punched in the face, thrown on the ground where they began kicking me in the back and hitting me in the face again. As they fled one yelled Stay out of Portland b****! he added. I am thankful they stopped the beating when they did and didnt use weapons to inflict harm or death upon me. The attack on Hansen comes just over a week after a Trump supporter was shot to death in Portland by a left-wing protester sympathetic to the anti-fascist movement. The suspect of that attack was shot and killed by Portland police last Thursday when they tried to take him into custody. In August, another man was hospitalized after he was beaten by Portland demonstrators. Hansen first gained national attention after painting a mural reading BABY LIVES MATTER across the street from a Planned Parenthood clinic in Salt Lake City, Utah in July. The pro-life activist felt compelled to start painting the murals after racial justice activists began painting the phrase Black Lives Matter on streets across the U.S. as part of the nationwide demonstration against the killing of African-Americans by police officers. [Ten] unarmed Black Americans were killed by police in 2019. They have murals all around the country. Almost 400,000 innocent babies were murdered by Planned Parenthood in 2019. Its about damn time they get a mural too, Hansen proclaimed in a tweet at the time. Hansen has also painted Baby Lives Matter murals in Washington, D.C., Richmond, Virginia, and Charlotte, North Carolina. He is six murals away from achieving his short-term goal of painting 10 Baby Lives Matter murals. As the Baby Lives Matter movement expands nationwide, other pro-life groups have followed Hansens lead. Over the weekend, members of Students for Life of America, Human Action Coalition and the Frederick Douglass Foundation teamed up to paint the phrase Black Preborn Lives Matter in front of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Baltimore. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP and Youth Congress late on Friday took out marches to the Secretariat demanding the resignation of Higher Education Minister KT Jaleel. Four BJP workers, including the partys former district chief S Suresh as well as three Youth Congress activists, injured in the police lathicharge, were admitted to hospital. The Youth Congress workers arrived in front of the Secretariats North gate around 9 pm where they burnt Jaleel in effigy. Later, they tried to break through the police lines. Following this, the police resorted to the use of water cannon twice to disperse them. When some of the workers argued with the police personnel, it incensed the latter and they resorted to caning. Protestors demanding the resignation of KT Jaleel | Vincent Pulickal In the ensuing melee, three workers were injured. Soon after, BJP supporters, including women, led by partys district president V V Rajesh, reached the spot and raised slogans against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Jaleel. They too burnt Jaleel in effigy. Again the police resorted to lathicharge and four workers were injured. BJP state chief K Surendran arrived at the spot and said the party workers will not run away due to the police action. The party will on Saturday observe a black day across the state. The Cantonment police have registered a case. No need to resign, SAYS CPM TPuram: Amid calls from the UDF and BJP for K T Jaleels resignation, the CPM leadership has rejected the same. Gathering information as part of an ongoing probe is a normal procedure and hence there is no need for the minister to step down, said S Ramachandran Pillai, CPM politburo member. LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan too said theres no need for the minister to resign in the matter. Vijayaraghavan rejected allegations that ED interrogating the minister has brought shame upon the LDF government. The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Mohammadu Mohammed, at the weekend, lamented the destruction of properties and deaths from incessant communal clashes in Ebonyi State. He said the clashes have assumed a higher dimension and called for an end to them to prevent an escalating humanitarian crisis in the area. He spoke at Ohatekwe, Ikwo local government area of the state while distributing relief materials to displaced persons from the local government council. The Director stated further that the agency was aware of the various communal clashes such as boundary disputes, internal political manoeuvring, traditional title tussle, among others. He noted that the boundary clashes include those between communities in Ikwo, as well as Ikwo and their neighbours in Cross River State. The agency is aware of the border/land boundary dispute that erupted between Ikwo and Cross River communities in April 2013; also, in June 2016 another report of crisis from the area reached us while the third was reported in January this year. Communities involved have been completely displaced and their farmlands declared buffer zones. It is, therefore, a sad note to lose lives, property and those affected pass through the trauma of displacement over crises which has recently assumed greater dimension, he said. Mr Mohammed, however, urged most communities to shun communal crises, noting that it is regrettable that youths of these days no longer have regard or fear for human lives or respect for tradition and constituted authorities. Ebonyi, hitherto known for peace, unity and love for communal development, is gradually turning into a theatre of hostilities, he added. The relief materials were approved by President Muhammadu Buhari through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. Mr Mohammed, represented by the Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Fred Anoziem, said that the materials which comprised foods and non-foods essential materials were aimed at providing succour to the victims of various intra and inter community crises in Ikwo. He stated that the benefiting communities include Ochuenyum, Ofenekpe, Agubia and parts of the Alike community. The Member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency, Chinedu Ogah, commended Mr Buhari for approving the fund for the materials and assured that the materials would be adequately distributed to the benefiting communities. The lawmaker said that he was liaising with his colleagues from Cross River State in the House of Representatives to find a lasting solution to the intractable interstate boundary disputes. Though the relief materials are meant for three communities, we are going to extend the materials to other victims in Igbudu and Ekpomaka communities, as well as other victims of conflicts because more are coming, he said. The Executive Secretary of Ebonyi Emergency Management Agency, who represented governor David Umahi, commended the lawmaker for effective representation of his constituents. The materials distributed include; 503 bags of 5 kilogrammes parboiled rice, 503 bags of garri, 403 bags of beans, 61 bags of iodised salt, 125 bags of granulated sugar, 147 cartons of seasoning, among others. Non-food materials included 1500 pieces of blankets, 1500 pieces of mosquito nets, 1000 pieces of foam mattresses, 1200 pieces of ceiling boards, 1400 bags of cement, among others. Nine of the worlds biggest pharmaceutical companies have just promised not to apply for regulatory approval for any new COVID-19 vaccine before it has gone through all three phases of clinical study. Why would they do such a thing? Youd be surprised if brain surgeons got together and promised not to operate while drunk, or if the bus drivers union publicly pledged that its members will not drive recklessly. They dont do that because operating sober and driving carefully are just part of the job. So is ensuring that new vaccines are safe and effective. Yet nine major players in the international pharmaceutics market AstraZeneca (U.K.-Sweden), BioNTech (Germany), GlaxoSmithKline (U.K.), Johnson & Johnson (U.S.), Merck (Germany), Moderna (U.S.), Novavax (U.S.), Pfizer (U.S.) and Sanofi (France) all felt obliged to reassure the public that they wont cheat. Whats up? Obviously, its the perception that other players in the same market may indeed be cutting corners. Usually the Trump administrations actions are viewed with weary resignation by the rest of the world, but it would still be a very big deal if the United States started distributing a vaccine that had not been properly tested. Yet the signs are that thats just what is going to happen. Last month at the Republican National Convention Donald Trump told the delegates and the country: We are developing life-saving therapies, and will produce a vaccine before the end of the year, or maybe even sooner. On Sept. 4, the U.S. governments Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told American health officials that limited COVID-19 vaccine doses may be available by early November 2020. More specifically, the CDC urged state authorities to consider waiving requirements and grant permits to McKesson Corporation so they can start distributing a vaccine by Nov. 1. You dont need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. The presidential election is on Nov. 3, two days later: thats long enough for the glad news to get around and floating voters to be swayed in favour of Trump, but too short for any defects in the rushed vaccine to come to light. Donald Trump is going to liberate Americans from the curse of COVID in a little less than two months. If the vaccines miraculous properties subsequently fade, even if it turns out to kill large numbers of people, that wont matter. The votes will have been counted, and Trump will be back in office for another four years. That, at least, is the scenario that is currently envisaged by the people around Trump. It is a plausible one, especially if the race has tightened by then. Just 100,000 votes in three states, mostly from people who had previously voted Democrat, put Trump in the White House in 2016. A miracle vaccine could certainly swing that many votes again. The nine pharmaceutical majors who felt the need to issue a historic pledge to uphold scientific and ethical standards were doubtless driven by this scenario. Even if there really has been an American breakthrough, they would still have to cope with the publics suspicion that Trump is cheating and the mistrust that will also attach to any other early vaccines. It is possible that the vaccine or vaccines that Trump is about to unleash on the American public really do work and are safe. It would be a historic first in the development of vaccines having a COVID vaccine ready for general use by next June or July would normally be seen as a remarkable achievement but miracles do happen. The problem is that they dont happen often, and if the full testing regime is not followed, you dont know if this is one of those times. Its only because the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine was going through the full third phase of tests, involving tens of thousands of individuals and many months of testing, that they spotted a bad reaction requiring hospitalization on Wednesday and paused the tests. The American miracle vaccine will only start third-stage tests at the same time that it is made generally available. Pauses like AstraZeneca/Oxford Universitys happen often in the development of a vaccine, and the pause will probably only be temporary. But even a very low-frequency bad reaction can be a mass killer when tens of millions of people are being vaccinated, and these are not desperately sick people willing to risk anything for a cure. They are people in good health, and you mustnt kill them. Gwynne Dyer s new book is Growing Pains: The Future of Democracy (and Work). Read more about: Tata Motors Ltd has initiated the process of selling stakes in units Tata Technologies Ltd and Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Pvt. Ltd as part of its ambitious plan to turn debt-free in three years, three people aware of the plans said. The divestment plans are critical for the parent of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Automotive Plc, which saw its net consolidated debt soar to 68,000 crore as of 31 July from 48,000 crore as of 31 March following extensive cash burn due to disruptions from the coronavirus outbreak. Tata Motors has resumed talks with multiple stakeholders for potential equity stake sales in its software arm (Tata Technologies) and in the Hitachi joint venture," said one of the three people, requesting anonymity. The intent is to monetize non-core assets and the exercise has begun with these two companies," the person added. Tata Motors was in unsuccessful talks with American private equity firm Warburg Pincus three years ago for a potential stake sale in Tata Technologies. While Tata Motors has decided to sell stakes in these two companies first, 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. There is nothing fresh to share beyond what was said in the AGM (annual general meeting)," a Tata Motors spokesperson said when asked about the stake-sale plans. N. Chandrasekaran, chairman, Tata Motors, told shareholders at an annual general meeting last month that while the management plans to make the automaker debt-free in three years, it is already taking action to generate free cash flows across its India and JLR businesses. The group will also look to unlock non-core investments," Chandrasekaran had said at the meeting, adding that Tata Motors group has halved its overall investments for this fiscal. Tata Motors global vehicle wholesales in the June quarter, including its British unit JLR, fell 64% from a year earlier to 91,594 vehicles. This contributed to a 48% drop in consolidated revenue at 31,983 crore, and a consolidated loss of 8,438 crore in the quarter. Tata Motors has been taking various steps to control costs and save cash to generate free cash flows while shoring up liquidity to sail through the current crisis. The companys cost and cash-saving plans look to achieve cumulative savings of 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 2.5 billion (from 4 billion earlier) at JLR and to 1,500 crore (from 4,500 crore) at its domestic business this fiscal. The Tata Motors management wants to make the India business free cash flow positive by FY21, JLR by FY22 and passenger car business by FY23. As part of the plan, it recently hived off its passenger car business into a separate legal entity and has been in talks for a strategic partnership for this business as part of its deleveraging 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 Srinagar Former J&K chief minister and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Saturday said there should be progress in investigation into the killing of three Rajouri men in an alleged fake encounter on July 18 this year, after the families wrote a letter to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday. He added DNA samples of family members had also been collected to substantiate their claims, but reports had been delayed. DNA samples were collected almost a month ago on August 13. The families have every reason to fear a cover-up, given the inordinate delay in receiving the DNA test reports. I hope their letter to the LG will result in progress now, Omar tweeted on Saturday Three young men, Ibrar Ahmad, Imtiyaz Ahmad and Ibrar Ahmad, who were also related to each other, had been gunned down in an encounter on July 18. DNA samples from families had been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) Srinagar, and the FSL at Chandigarh. Sources said the government had received the FSL report from Srinagar lab, but its content had not been made public. Our children had left for Shopian on July 16, in search of work where one of our relatives Imtiyaz Ahmad works in the house of the Lambardar. After a couple of days, we lost contact with the children. So, we decided to lodge a missing complaint, the letter says, adding that on August 10, they came to know, via social media, that all three had been killed in an encounter on July 18 . We identified them from viral pictures of bodies. On August 13, a Shopian police team collected DNA samples from us. We were assured that the DNA report would be out within ten days. To date, we have not been informed about the reports, the plea to the Lt Governor continues. Our children had no connection with militancy. For this, we are even demanding an inquiry. They were killed in cold blood, and were merely students and labourers. We are demanding an impartial and fair inquiry into the killings as well as the DNA reports, so that things can be made public, reads the letter, while seeking personal intervention of Sinha. The families mention sacrifices they made for the country, with many of their members still serving in the army, and a few even fighting in the Kargil War. Mumbai: The Mumbai Police arrested at least six people on Friday (September 12) in connection with an assault on a retired Indian Navy officer here over a WhatsApp forward. The six arrested include Shiv Sena leader Kamlesh Kadam and five party workers. According to reports, all six accused were arrested by Mumbai police overnight after an FIR was registered in connection with the incident. According to the police, the Sena workers allegedly thrashed the ex-navy officer for forwarding a cartoon on WhatsApp which made fun of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. The ex-navy officer was identified as Madan Sharma (65), who sustained an eye injury in the assault. The entire incident was recorded on a CCTV camera. The incident took place in Lokhandwala Complex area in suburban Kandivali. A case has been registered against the goons under IPC Section 325 (causing grievous hurt) and provisions related to rioting. Speaking to ANI on Friday, Madan Sharma, the former Navy officer said that he was attacked after he forwarded a message on Whatsapp. "Eight to ten persons attacked and 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," Sharma said. Live TV Dr Sheela Sharma, daughter of the former officer said that he was attacked by people from the Shiv Sena after the received threats for forwarding a message on Whatsapp."My father received threats for forwarding a message. A number of people from the Shiv Sena attacked him. Later, the police came to our residence and insisted on taking my father with them. We`ve registered an FIR," she said. Reacting to the incident, Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed shock and slammed the Thackeray government calling it as 'Gunda Raj'. He appealed to the state`s Chief Minister to take action against the accused. "An extremely sad and shocking incident. A 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," Fadnavis tweeted, along with a picture of the officer. Extremely sad & shocking incident. Retired Naval Officer got beaten up by goons because of just a whatsapp forward. Pls stop this GundaRaj Hon Uddhav Thackeray ji. We demand strong action and punishment to these goons. https://t.co/g4fQ5xfPYz pic.twitter.com/p1vdP2P0m8 Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) September 11, 2020 BJP MLA from Kandivali East Constituency Atul Bhatkhalkar has vehemently criticised the entire incident and asked for strict action against the culprits. The administration has come under withering criticism for not acting aggressively enough to confront the virus and failing, for example, to push through bureaucratic red tape in the pandemics early stages to develop diagnostic tests that would work. White House officials say the president is now doing exactly what his opponents have assailed him for not doing: exerting pressure to develop safe and effective drugs and vaccines as quickly as possible because people are sick and dying, not because of the timing of the election. The rushed plasma approval rollout is far from the only aspect of the government response to the virus that was shaped by pressure from the White House. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have repeatedly waffled on how much testing is recommended and for whom, and according to emails first reported on Friday by Politico, political appointees at the Department of Health and Human Services have tried to revise or delay C.D.C. reports on the coronavirus they believed were unflattering to the president. The Food and Drug Administration first gave emergency authorization for use of hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19 after Mr. Trump promoted it, only to be forced to reverse itself. But the battle over approval of convalescent plasma is particularly telling because it involves many of the players who would figure in a far more momentous decision over whether to authorize an emergency approval for a vaccine. Over the summer, the debate over plasma evolved from a purely scientific discussion about its merits to a kind of political loyalty test, laid bare in presidential remarks in the days before the announcement. In a news briefing on Aug. 19, Mr. Trump complained that people over there an apparent reference to the Food and Drug Administration wanted to limit plasma treatment until after the election. In a Twitter post three days later, he accused deep state officials at the agency of slow-walking approvals of Covid-19 vaccines and treatments to harm him politically. Like other approaches to dealing with the virus, convalescent plasma was a subject of scientific debate and disagreement. The pale yellow liquid that remains after blood is stripped of its red and white cells, it has been used since the 1890s to treat infectious diseases, including the flu, SARS and Ebola. Regulators at the Food and Drug Administration, which approves new treatments, were willing to evaluate convalescent plasma for emergency approval on the basis of tens of thousands of case studies from a federally supported Mayo Clinic program. Dr. Collins and other officials at the N.I.H. wanted its benefits tested with randomized trials, for which scientists across the country had struggled to recruit patients. Although N.I.H. did not have regulatory authority, the administration wanted agreement among all the health agencies on moving ahead with expanded use of plasma. Arklow RNLI lifeboat returned with the occupant of the dinghy who was unharmed in the incident Arklow RNLI were called into action on Sunday afternoon, following a report of two people in the water clinging to an inflatable boat. They launched at approximately 3.50 p.m. following a request from the Irish Coast Guard. The volunteer crew responded quickly. Within minutes of the request, they were aboard RNLB Ger Tigchlearr and underway. In good conditions, the All-weather Trent Class lifeboat made its way to the reported position near Mizen Head. Once on scene the casualty vessel, a very small inflatable boat, was located just a short distance off Mizen Head. The crew established there was one person aboard and there had been no one else in the water in danger. Initially the person aboard the small boat tried to make his way back to shore and the lifeboat stood by while the casualty tried this. But, given the rocky nature of the coastline at this location and the tidal conditions at the time, this proved difficult. It was then agreed that the safest thing for the casualty to do was to come aboard the lifeboat. Once aboard the lifeboat, the casualty was checked and did not need any medical assistance. The lifeboat then returned to Arklow where all aboard came ashore safely. Arklow RNLI's Volunteer Crew for this rescue were: Coxswain Ned Dillon, Mechanic Michael Fitzgerald, Leigh and Daniel Downey, David Molloy and Michael Mordaunt. Following the incident, Mark Corcoran, Volunteer Press Officer and Community Safety Officer at Arklow RNLI said: 'Thankfully this afternoon was relatively calm, had conditions been worse the situation might not have ended so well. In recent weeks, there has been a lot of rescues all around our coastline of people from small inflatable boats and toys, we'd like to remind people of the real risk of drowning when you go to sea on vessels of this nature, even on the calmest days. 'These types of boats and toys are not fit for the conditions you will experience along our coastline. 'Please always remember to wear a lifejacket and carry a means of calling for help. Please do this to ensure we have the best chance possible of getting you in time to affect a rescue. We would like to once again remind people to Respect the Water,' Mr Corcoran said. Paul Walker is most remembered for his role as Brian O'Conner in the Fast & Furious franchise. The birth anniversary of Paul Walker, the actor best known for the Fast and Furious series, is being observed today. Walker, whose life and career was untimely cut short, has a number of memorable roles to his name. He has stellar performances in films including Into The Blue, Eight Below, Varsity Blues, Joy Ride, Timeline. The last film of the actor was Fast & Furious 7. He died in a tragic car accident in California on 13 November 2013. On Paul Walker's birth anniversary here's looking at 5 of his best films: The Fast and The Furious The film sees Paul Walker play Brian O'Conner, an undercover LAPD cop who undertakes a job to find a crew of hijackers connected to street racing around the world. However, his professional stance takes a backseat when he becomes friends with Dom (Vin Diesel) and the crew of hijackers and even develops feelings for his sister Mia (played by Jordana Brewster). This cloud his judgement and he initially does not believe in the evidence right there in front of him. What happens next forms the climax of the story. Into The Blue The actor essays the role of Jared, a diver who lives in the Bahamas with his girlfriend. He dreams of finding a sunken pirate or merchant ships full of gold. While his dream does come true, it comes at a cost. He has run-ins with drug cartels and even has a friend killed by a shark. The film highlighted Walker's ability to play a variety of roles. The Lazarus Project In this 2008 thriller film, Walker essayed the lead role as Ben Garvey, a reformed criminal who is imprisoned again and this time with a death sentence after a heist goes wrong leaving his brother and two others dead. Instead of getting a lethal injection, the character finds waking up at a psychiatric hospital. However, he is determined to reunite with his daughter and wife. Eight Below Paul Walker plays Jerry Shepard, a guide at an Antarctica research base. The film sees a UCLA professor arrive at the base and push Shepard to take him to Mount Melbourne to find a rare meteorite from Mercury. However, the trip goes awry and the professor is injured. Shepard and the professor are rescued but the dogs are left behind. Shepard, believing the pilot will return within days for the dogs, ties them up securely. It takes a month for Shepard to get back to his dogs and he tries to gather funds to retrieve them. The film follows the dogs as they try to survive the conditions and see the loss of two of their own. The film concludes with the reunion between Shepard and the remaining six dogs. Joy Ride Paul Walker plays the role of Lewis Thomas who decides to drive home for the summer and offers to pick up his childhood friend and crush, Venna (Leelee Sobieski) on the way back. The trip, however, takes a turn for the worse when he stops in Utah to bail out his black-sheep brother Fuller (Steve Zahn). Fuller decides to install a CB radio and the two begin listening in on truckers and eventually decide on playing a prank on one of them. State auditors slam 20A; nearly 120 state-owned companies exempt from Auditor Generals scrutiny By Namini Wijedasa View(s): View(s): Nearly 120 State-owned companies including the debt-ridden SriLankan Airlines will be exempt from Government audit under the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution. Among scores of other business entities to be excluded are Lanka Electricity Company (LECO), Sri Lanka Insurance, Lanka Hospitals PLC, Litro Gas Lanka Ltd, Lanka Sathosa, multiple plantation and electricity companies and Lanka Coal Company Ltd. The draft proposal this week drew strong protest from the Sri Lanka Audit Service Association (SLASA). When State-owned companies, in which the Government is majority shareholder, are audited by private entities, the reports are not required to be submitted to Parliament, the union said. This would undermine Parliamentary financial oversight. It was for this reason that the Constitutions Article 154(1) was introduced and according to this, the Auditor-General shall audit all departments of the Government, the Office of the Secretary to the President, the Office of the Secretary to the Prime Minister, the Offices of the Cabinet of Ministers,the independent Commissions, as well as public corporations and businesses registered under the Companies Act in which the Government, a public corporation or a local authority holds 50 percent or more of shares. The 20th Amendment, however, removes companies from the equation, stopping at local authorities, public corporations and business or other undertakings vested in the Government under any written law. The provision regarding companies was included in the Constitution because the Auditor Generals Department earlier had problems examining the processes that led to an institutions accounts being a certain way, SLASA President E.A.D. Prasad Prasanna said. Accounts are just income and expenses. But finance is a process that includes tenders and management decisions. These need to be examined to see what went wrong and where the problems lie. And that was facilitated by the 19th Amendment. When we tried to examine bond issues before 2015, we faced resistance from the Central Bank which said we did not have authority, he said. If we look at Auditor Generals reports before that period, we will see fewer details about the process. The 20th Amendment also seeks to abolish the National Audit Service Commission which, the union says, was established to comply with international and global requirements related to independence in public finance and governance. And it does not propose an alternative. The qualifications required of an Auditor Generalwhich were more defined under Article 153(1) of the Constitutionhave been removed and the method of appointment changed to allow direct nomination, by the President, without the Constitutional Councils involvement. The Amendment also impinges on the independence of the Auditor General by placing him within the definition, once again, of public officer. Article 170 of the Constitution had held him as exempt. The proposed changes go against international conventions, traditions and norms as well as the Governments declared policies, the union states. Compliance with financial and other regulations matters when the major shareholder of a company is the Government and the main investment is from the State, said a senior auditing source. Private auditors dont look at compliance and dont report to Parliament. This violates the Constitutions Article 148 which says Parliament shall have full control over public finance. Most investments are public funds. The major shareholder is the Government and their returns should also come to the Government because investments are made to get returns, he said. Ten days after they strayed across the border during an expedition to hunt and collect medicinal herbs, five youths from Arunachal Pradesh were handed back to India on Saturday by the Chinese authorities, Indian Army officials confirmed. Indian Army took over all five individuals at Kibithu on 12 September, 2020 after completing all necessary formalities, Lieutenant Colonel Harsh Wardhan Pande, PRO (Defence) based at Tezpur in Assam said in a release. The individuals will now be quarantined for 14 days as per Covid-19 protocol and thereafter be handed over to their family members, it added. Union sports minister and BJP MP from Arunachal West Kiren Rijiju tweeted: All the 5 Indian youths from Arunachal Pradesh who were received at Kibithu by our Army from PLA are fit and fine. However, they will be quarantined for a specified period. According to the army, this was the third such instance of youths from Arunachal Pradesh living near the Indo-China border straying inadvertently to the other side of line of actual control (LAC) during adventurous forays. Indian Army has always been proactive in tracing the lost locals and helping them return home. Three such incidents took place in the current year in Upper Subansiri and West Siang district including the latest one, the release said. All such individuals were brought back home safely after consistent efforts and coordination by Indian Army in the past, it added. The 5 youths from Tagin tribe, who used to work as porters for Indian Army, had gone missing on September 2 reportedly from Sera-7 in Upper Subansiri district on the Indian side of the McMohan line bifurcating Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet autonomous region (TAR) of China. Also Read: India, China statements show divergence remains Following their disappearance, a brother of one of the missing youths posted on social media that they had been abducted by PLA. The same accusation was made by Tapir Gao, BJP MP from Arunachal East and Congress MLA from Pasighat Ninong Ering in their tweets. Responding to a hotline message sent by Indian Army, the Peoples Liberation Army had informed on Tuesday that the youths have been found on the Chinese side and their condition was fine. Also Read: Only one man holds key to Chinas moves The disappearance of the youths and the allegation of their abduction by PLA had added to the heightened tension between both countries. On Monday, Chinas state affiliated Global Times tweeted quoting Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian. China has never recognized so called Arunachal Pradesh, which is Chinas south Tibet region, and we have no details to release yet about the question on Indian Army sending message to PLA about five missing Indians in the region. MPs are telling Boris Johnson to stop dragging his heels on the coronavirus inquiry he promised, by ensuring it is ready to start in January. The investigation must also be headed by a visibly impartial figure after Tory allies were appointed to other key roles who should undergo scrutiny first, their report says. The call comes amid growing criticism that the prime minister is refusing to say when the inquiry into his much-criticised handling of the outbreak of the pandemic will get underway. Mr Johnson announced it in early July, with details promised in due course, but Downing Street has said nothing since despite the gathering fears of a second Covid-19 spike. Instead, Mr Johnson has been branded a coward after the U-turn that saw him agree to meet campaigners for the inquiry only to back out. The report, by the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, suggests it is too late for recommendations to contribute to the response to a possible second wave of infections over the winter months. And it acknowledges it will be impossible for every area to be covered in a timely manner by the inquiry. But it lays down what Mr Johnson should do, stating: Public trust must be secured from the outset by appointing a chair who is visibly impartial, and appointed through a process that is transparent. The description of the role should be published, including the skills and experience required, and the preferred candidate subject to a hearing before the relevant select committee before assuming the role. Coronavirus: London on lockdown Show all 29 1 /29 Coronavirus: London on lockdown Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street Photos Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown An empty street in the heart of Chinatown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Making sure I stay two-meters apart DArblay Street, Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Communities have been coming together in a time of need Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Stay Safe Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty streets around Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street, one of Londons busiest tourist streets turns quiet Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub Angela Christofilou William Wragg, the committees chairman, said the inquiry must be set up as quickly as possible, with the aim of taking evidence at the start of 2021. The sooner it is established, the more quickly we can see positive results, the Conservative MP said. The report also raises the alarm over a lack of parliamentary scrutiny over the many hurried changes made to coronavirus restrictions by ministers. At the height of the pandemic, that was not possible, but it states: It is crucial that the government is held to account for how it uses its powers. In the past six months, restrictions designed to combat the spread of Covid-19 have not received the parliamentary scrutiny they merit. Emergency legislation enacting the mandatory use of face masks on public transport was not debated until over a month after it was announced. Mr Johnson conceded the inquiry, after months of stonewalling, after being told the UK had suffered one of the worst death rates in the world and Europe's worst death rate for health and care workers. In response, he said: "I do not believe that now, in the middle of combating a pandemic, is the right moment to devote huge amounts of official time to an inquiry. But of course we will seek to learn the lessons and certainly we will have an independent inquiry. No start date has been given since. The retrial comes after the Court of Cassation cancelled in 2017 previous jail sentences against the defendants and ordered their retrial A Port Said criminal court sentenced to life on Saturday the leader of the banned Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie and other figureheads in the organisation over a violent 2013 incident in the governorate that followed the ouster of late president Mohamed Morsi. The Brotherhood leaders, which include Mohamed El-Beltagy, Safwat Hegazi and nine others, were sentenced to life in prison in a retrial over a Port Said police station incident that followed the violent dispersal of Islamist Rabaa and Nahda sit-ins in August 2013. The retrial comes after the Court of Cassation cancelled in 2017 previous jail sentences against the defendants and ordered their retrial. The prosecution charged the defendants with the murder of five people, the attempted murder of 70 others, vandalising public and private property, the theft of ammunition and weaponry from Port Saids El-Arab police station, and inciting violence and chaos. Saturdays sentence is not final and can still be challenged in front of the Court of Cassation. Life imprisonment is 25 years in prison according to Egyptian law. The life sentence against Badie is the latest in several life imprisonment verdicts in violence-related charges, totalling over 100 years. Search Keywords: Short link: ICASA has announced that the auction for high demand spectrum will be completed no later than 31 March 2021. Previously, ICASA had said the spectrum auction would take place at the end of this year. The date for the publishing of the Invitation to Apply (ITA) documents which were meant to be published earlier this year will now take place no later than 30 September 2020. Both Vodacom and MTN have previously stated that the release of additional spectrum will allow them to reduce their pricing of data and cover more South Africans with high-speed Internet. According to ICASA, reasons for the delay include the release of COVID-19 emergency spectrum being prioritised, the fact that ICASA was inquorate for nearly three months, and additional considerations relating to the viability of the national WOAN. ICASA added that it considered the following inputs from stakeholders when developing the ITAs: The development of various empowerment obligations to be imposed on the successful bidders in the auction process including a requirement to support Mobile Virtual Network Operators. The requirement for successful bidders to support the WOAN through procurement of a minimum 30% national capacity. The imposition of empowerment obligations on the WOAN in order to ensure that it is a credible empowerment tool that will assist ICASA to achieve the sectors transformation agenda. The structuring and framing of the [spectrum] lots in a manner that balances the objective to promote effective competition, facilitate new entrants and raise revenue for the fiscus. ICASA has also completed a process to determine the fair economic value of the five spectrum bands that will be made available for auction and spectrum that will be made available to the WOAN taking into consideration the current state of competition in the South African market, said ICASA chairperson Keabetswe Modimoeng. What this means for mobile carriers The delay to the spectrum auction will have an effect on mobile networks that were hoping to use this new spectrum to improve their network quality and coverage. While the allocation of temporary spectrum was done to help these networks, this spectrum does not offer the same benefits that permanent spectrum allocation will offer. In research by World Wide Worx, mobile networks noted that the emergency spectrum they received particularly in the 700-800 MHz bands is dirty spectrum. This dirty spectrum offers inferior performance due to interference. The 700-800 MHz emergency spectrum can only be used for experimentation and innovation for now, claimed MTN. One of the biggest challenges is around the usability of the emergency spectrum band we were issued, agreed Vodacom. We would like to see a complete migration path to getting analogue out of and digital into those bands. However, while the temporary spectrum therefore has limited value, mobile networks have nonetheless expressed satisfaction to MyBroadband regarding the fact that ICASA has articulated clear plans and timelines for the publishing of the ITAs and the auctioning of spectrum. This feedback from South African mobile networks is below. Vodacom Vodacom told MyBroadband that it is happy with ICASAs confirmation of the date range for the spectrum auction process. Vodacom is encouraged by the announcement from ICASA as it provides certainty regarding the next step of the permanent spectrum assignment process i.e. the timing of the ITA, said a Vodacom spokesperson. It also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the mobile network landscape. In the interests of consumers, we encourage ICASA to expedite the ensuing auction process in a manner that will ensure continued quality service delivery. MTN MTN executive for corporate affairs Jacqui OSullivan said MTN welcomes the clarity that ICASAs announcement has provided regarding the date of the high demand spectrum auction. MTN believes that the licencing of high demand spectrum remains crucial in facilitating the deployment of digital infrastructure to South Africans to provide all our people with access to the economy and to bridge the digital divide that is currently so vast between the haves and have-nots, said OSullivan. South Africa should play an active role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and a prerequisite for that is spectrum that will streamline a digital economy and lifestyle for the future. OSullivan said that MTN hopes ICASA will extend the deployment of temporary spectrum until the auction takes place. This will allow operators to continue providing seamless connectivity to our people, said OSullivan. She noted that the permanent spectrum, once received, will mean that operators have guaranteed right of use of the spectrum. This will allow operators to deploy spectrum at a wider scale. Cell C Cell C said that its turnaround strategy will see the mobile operator shift from a build and buy strategy to a model where it roams on other networks infrastructure. We are comfortable that together with our roaming agreement partners we are able to manage traffic between networks to find the most efficient way to connect our subscribers, said Cell C. It also noted that it already has capacity on its own network because of measures it took last year to manage network traffic more efficiently. These measures included the discontinuation of its fixed-LTE services and the reduction in loss-making subscribers. Rain Rain CMO Khaya Dlanga said the network is sympathetic to the challenges ICASA faces and has no comment about the delay. Regardless of the delay, Rain will continue expanding both the 4G and 5G network in order to provide South Africans with affordable unlimited data, said Dlanga. One of the benefits of a permanent allocation of spectrum will be aggressive infrastructure spending in building networks which will bring some relief to certain sections of the economy, he said. Dlanga said that the best part of the allocation of permanent spectrum will be lower prices for consumers. Liquid Telecom Liquid Telecom told MyBroadband that the new delay to the spectrum auction is unfortunate. Licensing of additional high-demand spectrum has been a significant obstacle to South Africas ambition of ubiquitous and more affordable wireless broadband services, said Liquid Telecom. However, it noted that the issue and the process being undertaken is complex. Liquid Telecom is of the view that it is more important that the process to be followed is robust, has integrity and is appropriate to the South African requirements, said Liquid Telecom. Accordingly, a slight delay in the design phase to ensure the integrity and appropriate nature of the process will hopefully obviate any challenge or delay to the process itself. Liquid Telecom said that it has deployed open-access wireless networks and the availability of the appropriate additional spectrum, along with robust rules on spectrum utilisation will mean these networks have higher capacity and are more reliable and efficient. In due course, that efficiency should translate into better and cheaper services, subject to the spectrum acquisition cost being affordable. Now read: The best data bundles to stream Netflix and YouTube in South Africa Bob cartoon, September 13 Britain is preparing to opt out of major parts of European human rights laws, risking an explosive new row with the EU. Boris Johnson's aides and ministers are drawing up proposals to severely curb the use of human rights laws in areas in which judges have "overreached". The plans under discussion include opt-outs from the Human Rights Act, which could prevent many migrants and asylum seekers from using the legislation to avoid deportation and protect British soldiers against claims relating to overseas operations. The Act allows British courts to apply the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The move sets up a major new confrontation with the EU, which has been demanding that the UK commits to remaining signed up to the ECHR and keep the Human Rights Act in place as the price of future "law enforcement co-operation" between the bloc and Britain. As Boris Johnson faced a major revolt over his decision to alter the EU divorce deal over its provisions on Northern Ireland (see video below), Sir Keir Starmer accused the Prime Minister of "reigniting old rows" over Brexit instead of focusing on the response to coronavirus. Writing in The Telegraph, the Labour leader said: "We should be getting on with defeating this virus, not banging on about Europe. Get on with Brexit and defeat the virus. That should be the Governments mantra." That suggests Sir Keir intends to court many of the voters won over by Mr Johnson's "Global Britain" agenda in a sign of his determination to part from Jeremy Corbyn's approach, and the Labour leader claimed the Prime Minister's approach to the Withdrawal Agreement "risks holding Global Britain back". Work examining potential opt-outs from the Human Rights Act is being carried out in several Whitehall departments, including Number 10, the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence. Dominic Cummings, the Prime Minister's most senior adviser, has previously attacked the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg for judgments, based on the ECHR, blocking the deportation of "dangerous" foreign criminals. Mr Cummings has warned that voters would expect the jurisdiction of European judges to end in the UK as part of the Brexit process. Story continues Dominic Cummings has said voters would expect the jurisdiction of European judges to end in the UK - Eddie Mulholland The ECHR, and its European Court of Human Rights, are part of a completely different legal system to the EU. They are both part of the Council of Europe, which has 47 member states including Russia and the UK. The disclosure comes after The Telegraph revealed in February that Mr Johnson was refusing EU demands to guarantee that the UK would continue to be bound by the ECHR after the end of the transition period in December. EU negotiators have been attempting to make future collaboration on law enforcement conditional on the UK retaining the existing Human Rights Act a demand that British negotiators are understood to be continuing to resist in the talks. The Conservatives' 2019 election manifesto promised a review of the legislation, saying: "We will update the Human Rights Act and administrative law to ensure that there is a proper balance between the rights of individuals, our vital national security and effective government." The Government is expected to announce details of a formal review in the coming weeks. However, work is already under way to examine ways to curb the use of the legislation in asylum cases to avoid deportation as well as its use in legal claims against British soldiers. One option is to amend the Human Rights Act or disapply its provisions from new laws, such as the Overseas Operations Bill, which is due to be brought back to the Commons next week. Other options include less radical changes designed to affect how judges interpret the law rather than changing the substance of the Act. The Overseas Operations Bill creates a "presumption against prosecution" against service personnel after five years, which ministers have said "sets the legal bar for prosecution significantly". It also amends the Human Rights Act to include a specific "duty to consider derogation" from the Convention in cases where soldiers are engaged in operations abroad. However, several senior Tories are concerned that the clause fails to amount to a full opt-out because it simply relies on an emergency brake in the Convention that can only be triggered in a "public emergency threatening the life of the nation". Ministers are discussing ways to legislate for a firmer opt-out at a later date. Government figures want to roll back the influence of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg - Vincent Kessler/Reuters Senior Government figures want to roll back the influence of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, which several Cabinet ministers have accused of distorting the 67-year-old European Convention on Human Rights. In March, Martin Howe, an influential Brexiteer QC, suggested that the Government could use its majority to declare that laws such as those providing safeguards to soldiers would apply "notwithstanding" the Human Rights Act. Writing in The Telegraph, he set out the proposal as a possible temporary measure that could be used to curb the use of human rights laws in UK courts. Senior Tories insist the ECHR was never intended to be used in the way it is now relied on in asylum cases, but that the Strasbourg court has effectively created new legislation that goes significantly further than the 1953 convention. The Human Rights Act enables British courts to apply the ECHR so cases do not need to be taken directly to Strasbourg. The latest disclosures come after Mr Johnson accused the EU 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 Withdrawal Agreement using the Internal Market Bill, on which MPs are due to vote this week (see Michael Gove discussing the Bill in the video below). As party whips telephoned would-be rebels over the weekend, Tobias Ellwood, the Tory chairman of the defence select committee, said: "Unamended, I cannot support this Bill. Let's secure Brexit but remember what we stand for. "Already this Bill is damaging brand UK, diminishing our role-model status as defender of global standards. As we go to the wire, let's see more British statecraft, less Nixonian Madman Theory." In his article, Sir Keir confirmed that Labour intends to oppose the Internal Market Bill as it stands, writing: "If the Government fixes the substantial cross-party concerns that have been raised about the Internal Market Bill, then we are prepared to back it. "But if they do not, and the talks collapse, then it is their failure and incompetence that will have let the British people down." In a joint intervention on Sunday, Sir John Major and Tony Blair will urge MPs to vote the Bill down if Mr Johnson fails to remove the provisions on Northern Ireland customs rules that Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland Secretary, admitted would "break international law in a very specific and limited way". They will say: "We both opposed Brexit. We both accept it is now happening. But this way of negotiating, with reason cast aside in pursuit of ideology and cavalier bombast posing as serious diplomacy, is irresponsible, wrong in principle and dangerous in practice." Flash 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. Over the course of the war that would define his adult life, the commander said he saw a direct correlation between increased violence by the United States and its allies and increased support for his movement. As the United States ramped up the war against the Taliban with heavier use of airstrikes and more-frequent night raids in 2009, men from his town and neighboring villages began to approach him, asking how they could help the Taliban. SAN FRANCISCO - The cityscape resembles the surface of a distant planet, populated by a masked alien culture. The air, choked with blown ash, is difficult to breathe. There is the Golden Gate Bridge, looming in the distance through a drift-smoke haze, and the Salesforce Tower, which against the blood-orange sky appears as a colossal spaceship in a doomsday film. San Francisco, and much of California, has never been like this. California has become a warming, burning, epidemic-challenged and expensive state, with many who live in sophisticated cities, idyllic oceanfront towns and windblown mountain communities thinking hard about the viability of a place many have called home forever. For the first time in a decade, more people left California last year for other states than arrived. Monica Gupta Mehta and her husband, an entrepreneur, have been through tech busts and booms, earthquakes, wildfire seasons and power outages. But it was not until the skies darkened and cast an unsettling orange light on their Palo Alto home earlier this week that they ever considered moving their family of five somewhere else. "For the first time in 20-something years, the thought crossed our minds: Do we really want to live here?" said Mehta, who is starting an education tech company. It would be difficult to leave. They love the area's abundant nature and are tied to Silicon Valley by work and a network of extended family members, who followed them west from Pittsburgh. But Mehta says it is something she would consider if her family is in regular danger. "Yesterday felt so apocalyptic," Mehta said. "People are really starting to reconsider whether California has enough to offer them." This is the latest iteration of the California Dream, a Gold Rush-era slogan meant to capture the hopeful migration of an old nation to a new, rich West. For generations, the tacit agreement for California residents resembled a kind of too-good-to-be-true deal. Live in the lovely if often drought-plagued Sierra, or beneath the beachfront Pacific Coast cliffs, and work in an economy constantly reinventing itself, from Hollywood to the farms of the San Joaquin to Silicon Valley. But for many of California's 40 million residents, the California Dream has become the California Compromise, one increasingly challenging to justify, with a rapidly changing climate, a thumb-on-the-scales economy, high taxes and a pandemic that has killed more here than in any other state. During the course of his term, President Donald Trump has singled out California, a state he lost by 30 percentage points, as an example of Democrat-caused urban unrest, irresponsible immigration policy and poor forest management, even though nearly 60 percent of the state's forests are managed by the federal government. Several are burning today, with millions of acres already scorched. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has responded specifically in some cases, but in others, he has invoked the California Dream, an adjective attached to no other state. In his January 2019 inaugural address, Newsom warned that "there is nothing inevitable about" that dream. "And now more than ever, it is up to us to defend it," he said. As the state's climate has shifted to one of extremes, soaking wet seasons followed suddenly by sharp, dry heat and wind, no region has been safe from fire. This year - even before peak fire season has gotten underway - widespread fires have forced evacuations, from San Jose in Silicon Valley to the distant hamlet of Big Creek along the western slopes of the Sierra. More than two dozen major fires are burning around the state and have consumed a record 3.1 million acres of land, more than 3,000 homes and at least 10 lives. Los Angeles has reported the worst air quality in three decades as a result of fires surrounding that city, already notorious for orange air and seasonal dry cough. Wine Country is burning for the third year straight, with a number of vineyards lost. Homes have been destroyed far to the south in San Diego County, and more than 200 campers had to be airlifted to safety amid the Creek Fire, still burning hot and fast between Fresno and Mammoth Lakes. The mountains behind Santa Barbara County, which gave way after being burned bare by the Thomas Fire three years ago, have turned a worrisome gray-brown tinder in recent weeks. Those slopes, prepared by one of the state's largest fires in history at the time, slid during rain-saturated mudslides in January 2018. Twenty people were killed in the wealthy enclave of Montecito, sweeping some from inside their foothill homes all the way to the sea. The mandatory evacuation orders issued then included the home recently bought by Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, newcomers to Santa Barbara's shifting climate. "Hopefully, this is a wake-up call," said Anne-Marie Bonneau, who two decades ago left her home in Ontario, Canada, for the Bay Area but misses the clean air and less-fractious political environment beyond the northern border. "What is it going to take for this country to do something about the climate crisis? Millions of people are affected by this." She sees what is happening in California as just the beginning of what is to come across the continent. "As always, California's sort of on the leading edge," she said. "We're always ahead of everybody." Kim Cobb is among the climate scientists who, for years, have warned that the consequences of a warming planet will grow more intense, more deadly and more costly over time. But even she has been startled by the scenes unfolding across the West as wildfires rage this summer. "It's an entirely different thing to look at this footage and hear the sobbing voices of people who have lost loved ones and property and livelihoods," said Cobb, a professor at Georgia Tech's School of Earth and Atmospheric Science. "It's shocking for us emotionally, as well as for any global citizen who is watching this." She is also adamant that on our current trajectory, the worst lies ahead. "The science couldn't be any clearer on this point. The links between warming temperatures and these wildfires are clear," Cobb said. "This is going to get a lot worse. . . . I know that challenges the imagination." The fire fallout and the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed 14,000 people in California, have provided a kind of CT-scan view of the state and its many inequities. Accounting for 61% of cases, Latinos comprise the vast majority of the coronavirus victims, an infection rate disproportionately high given that they make up just 35% of the overall state population. Many are the "essential workers" serving food, picking crops and living lives that are not privileged enough to take refuge in the safety of telecommuting. During the summer, the novel coronavirus and wildfires have revealed much for Californians: who stays safe from fire and disease, who keeps their jobs, who waits at home for a shrinking benefits check, and who has a soft-landing evacuation site or a hard shelter bed. This is the debit side of the California Compromise. It is an economy, the world's fifth largest, that is built by government policy and private enterprise to favor the skilled in Silicon Valley, Hollywood and the wealthy everywhere else. The rest of California is increasingly a service economy that pays a far larger share of its income in taxes and on housing and food. Median income in the state is $75,277. The median home price in San Francisco is $1.3 million, nearly twice that of Los Angeles. The state government is doing next to nothing to close the gap. Three years ago, state lawmakers approved the nation's second-highest gasoline tax, adding more than 47 cents to the price of a gallon. With home prices skyrocketing along the coast, service workers in particular are moving farther inland from their jobs and into fire country, meaning they are paying far more as a share of their income on fuel just to stay employed. The taxes raise more than $5 billion in annual revenue for roads and transportation projects. But the sometimes hours-long commutes, with affordable housing so far from job centers, also undermine the state's goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2045, an achievement that could alleviate some of the extreme weather. A poll conducted late last year by the University of California at Berkeley found that more than half of California voters had given "serious" or "some" consideration to leaving the state because of the high cost of housing, heavy taxation or its political culture. The draw for some, and the magnet that keeps many here, is the state's breathtaking physical beauty, family history and a liberal political culture appealing to supporters, many of whom in the north are inheritors of a counterculture ethos. Through legislation or direct action at the ballot box, California voters established the country's first "sanctuary state" for undocumented immigrants, built from the ground a vibrant justice-reform movement, and committed to some of the boldest environmental protection goals in the country. In addition, a measure to restore affirmative action to college admission decisions, banned since 1996, is on the November ballot. The legislature just created a committee to study the cost of reparations to racial and ethnic groups the state has historically mistreated. Marijuana is legal. So are hallucinogenic mushrooms in Oakland. The political gulf once ran between north and south in California, a Bay Area vs. Los Angeles standoff for power and resources. Now the delineation is east and west, including between liberal San Francisco and towns such as Oroville, now threatened by fire. Sarah and Joey Wilson, a therapist and the owner of a gold mining supply shop, respectively, live 15 minutes from Oroville in Kelly Ridge and are experienced evacuees. But what most bothers them, beyond the frequent fires, is encroachment by the government on their outdoor lifestyles. Lakes that Joey used to fish are now off-limits. State-erected gates now block public roads he used to drive to access recreational land. And regulations have limited some kinds of gold prospecting, the hobby that supports his business. "That's actually probably made us want to move more than something like this," Sarah Wilson, 45, said of the close-by wildfire flames. The loyalty to liberal politics serves as an anchor for many of the state's urban - and most-entrenched - residents. But it has only light, if any, appeal to newcomers or those here specifically for work. Peter Alvaro has lived in his rent-controlled apartment in the heart of San Francisco since 1999, when he moved from New Jersey for a taste of the city's famed counterculture. He knows the fires will only get worse, as they have steadily in the past three years. But Alvaro feels his identity is tied up in the city and in the surrounding nature. He loves raising his two daughters here, going to the beach three times a week and watching the city constantly change around him. Many of the people leaving San Francisco are tech workers, newly freed from the city they helped make so expensive by the ability to work remotely during the coronavirus outbreak. "The tech workers weren't necessarily attached to the city, they came here because there was opportunity," said Alvaro, a professor of computer science at the University of California at Santa Cruz. "I hope the city can regrow some of the unique character that was lost in the last boom. The fact that young, wealthy adults are fleeing is good for the culture." Just after the first fires started last month, Gary Cook and his wife packed their three rescue cats into a rented SUV and drove from Napa to their new home in Idaho. After 18 years in Wine Country, Cook and his wife felt California was not right for them anymore. It was not the fires, which Cook said were not an issue for him, but the area's cost of living, high taxes, power outages and political climate. Cook, who recently retired, felt that as a conservative, he no longer had a voice politically in California. "There were significant changes going on that changed our outlook on the whole California dream," Cook said. He said he will miss Napa's famed restaurant scene. Idaho is laid back, and the people are more aligned with his views, but it is more of a steak-and-potatoes kind of place, he says. Business is booming for Scott Fuller, who runs a real estate relocation business. Called Leaving the Bay Area and Leaving SoCal, the company helps people ready to move away from the state's two largest metro areas sell their homes and find others. Nevada, Arizona, Texas and Idaho are the top four states his clients are buying in, and many tech workers are trying out smaller industry hubs such as Denver, Austin, Phoenix and Seattle. Since the pandemic began, he also has been helping people move to less-populated areas within the state such as Placerville or Lake Tahoe. But that trend could reverse quickly because of the record wildfire season, which has been burning around those regions. "For a lot of people, [California's] losing its luster," Fuller said. "For the average person who maybe came out here for the weather, I think they're saying the trade off is just not worth it any longer." It has been hard to locate a place on the map, outside the city centers, where a fire has not cropped up in the past month. Some are burning deep in wilderness, a possible long-term benefit for the health of the forests struggling now for the same scant water supply, and others along costal stretches that have never seen fire in modern history. Others are haunting the dry foothills where fire - and death - have been commonplace in recent years. Just a few miles north of Oroville lies the Sierra foothill town of Paradise, having burned to the ground in just hours on Nov. 8, 2018, in a wind-whipped tragedy of historically deadly proportions. Eighty-five people died, many simply overwhelmed by the sprinting flames as they tried to flee in cars and on foot. The Bear Fire is at Paradise's door again, with much less there to burn as the city slowly rebuilds. Now a thick layer of black and white ash covers the streets, sidewalks and shops of Oroville, a city of 15,000 people that swelled by 25 percent virtually overnight with evacuees from the fire in Paradise, also known as the Camp Fire. The fire followed a near-disaster by a year when the Oroville Dam spillways almost failed with the flooding of the Feather River, threatening to inundate the city. It is difficult today to find an Oroville resident who did not know someone who perished or lost a home in the Camp Fire. Now, amid a pandemic, the fast-moving Bear Fire is forcing new evacuations as it burns northeast of town. The fire already has wiped out the small town of Berry Creek, which sits just north of Lake Oroville. Just outside of Oroville, police cars block entry to the roads that lead to the lake, which this time of year would normally be abuzz with Jet Skis and motorboats. But few residents of Oroville, a conservative, roll-with-the-punches kind of frontier place, are discouraged enough to leave California. More than natural disasters, many residents say it is the liberal overreach of the Democrat-dominated government of their state that has them frustrated. In 2016, Trump won Butte County in a state where he was trounced almost everywhere else. "California is always going to be California," said Judy McClure, 69, a retired school librarian. Rather than leave, she said, she would like to see the government loosen regulations and allow more aggressive forest management to prevent bigger fires. "There's too much government," she said. - - - Albergotti reported from Oroville, Calif.; Dennis reported from Washington; and Wilson reported from Santa Barbara, Calif. A champion motorcycle racer has relived the day he desperately tried to save a fallen rider's life. Toby Price, 33, from the Gold Coast, will never forget the day he came across Portuguese competitor Paul Goncalves, 40, in the Saudi Arabian desert. The pair were competing in the 2020 Dakar Rally, one of the world's toughest and deadliest races, when Price found Goncalves bleeding and unresponsive. 'I knew it wasn't going to be good as soon as I saw him. All the blood. There was just so much blood,' he told The Daily Telegraph. World champion motorcycle racer Toby Price (pictured), 33, from the Gold Coat, has relived the moment he desperately tried to save his fellow competitor at the Dakar Rally in January Price (pictured at the Dakar Rally) came across Portuguese racer Paul Goncalves crashed in the Saudi Arabian desert and attempted to perform CPR to revive the 40-year-old The endurance motorcycle world champion began the seventh stage of the 12-part race five minutes behind Goncalves on January 12. He took off across the Riyad desert and was almost 300km into the 546km course when an alarm went off on his GPS. Price saw a figure in the sand and found Goncalves sprawled on his back and 15m away from his still running bike just after 10.00am. He checked his fellow rider for a pulse and felt nothing. 'I kind of knew how bad it was before I checked but I had to do it anyway. I had to do whatever I could to assist,' Price said. The two-time champion radioed for help and attempted to perform CPR. He struggled to clear Goncalves' airways 'because there was too much blood' and performed chest compressions until the rescue helicopter arrived at 10.16am. Price remained at the rider's side for the next 80 minutes, passing medical equipment to the paramedics and even carrying Goncalves to the helicopter. Price (pictured) said he still struggled with the horrific experience and it made him question whether he should continue competing. He is about to start training for the 2021 Dakar Rally The scene of Goncalves' fatal crash on January 12 pictured. At least 28 competitors have died in the 40 years since the deadly Dakar Rally competition began THE DAKAR RALLY The Dakar Rally is a cross-country motorsports race founded in 1977 It is considered one of the deadliest and most difficult races in the world The race usually takes place in January and spans across two weeks Drivers race across desert terrain The competition has been held on multiple continents including Europe, Asia and the Americas Cars, bikes, quads and UTV vehicles are all involved in competing At least 28 racers have died in the competitions history Advertisement It was later revealed Goncalves died instantly with the impact of the crash. 'The organisers received an alert at 10.08am and dispatched a medical helicopter that reached the biker at 10.16am and found him unconscious after going into cardiac arrest. 'Following resuscitation efforts in situ, the competitor was taken by helicopter to Layla Hospital, where he was sadly pronounced dead,' an official statement said. Price described struggling to revive Gonclaves as 'the worst thing I have ever been through'. 'I still struggle with it now. I tried to bring him back but couldn't. Being there and being able to do nothing about it is a very hard thing to take,' he said. Dutch rider Edwin Straver was also later killed in a low speed crash at stage 11 of the race. Price overcame the tragedies to finish third and claim his fifth Dakar podium. He said the horrific experience had made him question whether the dangerous race was 'worth it' but will arrive in Spain this week to start preparing for his seventh Dakar Rally. Various cars, bikes and quads compete in the deadly race which has seen 28 of its competitors die in its 40-year history. New Delhi, Sep 12 : In order to provide reliable information faster for people everywhere, Google is conducting more than 1,000 tests per day on an average to maintain quality in its Search and News platforms. Since 2017, the company has done more than one million quality tests to deliver high-quality information to billions of Search users, informed Pandu Nayak, Google Fellow and Vice President, Search. "With new things happening around the world every day, the information landscape can change quickly. To understand how our systems are performing when news breaks, we've developed an Intelligence Desk, which actively monitors and identifies potential information threats," Nayak said in a blog post on Friday. The Intelligence Desk is a global team of analysts monitoring news events 24/7, spanning natural disasters and crises, breaking news moments and the latest developments in ongoing topics like Covid-19. "Over the past few years, we've improved our systems to automatically recognise breaking news around crisis moments like natural disasters and ensure we're returning the most authoritative information available," Nayak said. "We've improved our detection time from up to 40 minutes just a few years ago, to now within just a few minutes of news breaking". To date, people have seen fact checks on Search and News more than four billion times, which is more than all of 2019 combined. Google recently donated an additional $6.5 million to help fact-checking organisations and nonprofits focus on misinformation about the pandemic. The funding was given as part of Google News Initiative (GNI) which is also providing an online resource hub, dedicated training and crisis simulations for reporters covering Covid-19 all over the globe. Detectives have released the names of two men found in a torched vehicle Monday morning on the West Side. Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque police spokesman, said the bodies were identified as Eric Carbajal, 36, and Nathan Garcia, 39. He did not say how either man died. The men were discovered around 9 a.m. in a burnt-out Chevy Equinox in the 4500 block of Rincon NW, near Central and Atrisco. Detectives are still looking for Dakota Briscoe, 34, the man accused of lighting the vehicle on fire before pulling a gun on two separate neighbors and carjacking one of them. Police have since recovered the car Briscoe carjacked from the neighbor but he is still on the loose. There is currently a warrant out for his arrest charging him with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, burglary of a vehicle, aggravated burglary and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle. By PTI WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden both say they want to pull US forces out of Iraq and Afghanistan. But their approaches differ, and the outcome of the November 3 election will have long-term consequences not only for US troops, but for the wider region. During his election campaign four years ago, Trump pledged to bring all troops home from endless wars," at times triggering pushback from military commanders, defense leaders and even Republican lawmakers worried about abruptly abandoning partners on the ground. In recent months he has only increased the pressure, working to fulfill that promise and get forces home before Election Day. More broadly, Trump's 'America First' mantra has buoyed voters weary of war and frustrated with the billions of dollars spent on national defense at the expense of domestic needs. But it has also alienated longtime European partners whose forces have fought alongside the United States, and has bruised America's reputation as a loyal ally. Biden has been more adamant about restoring US relations with allies and NATO, and his stance on these wars is more measured. He says troops must be withdrawn responsibly and that a residual force presence will be needed in Afghanistan to ensure terrorist groups can't rebuild and attack America again. That approach, however, angers progressives and others who believe the US has spent too much time, money and blood on battlefields far from home. We're getting out of the endless wars, Trump told White House reporters recently. He said the top people in the Pentagon probably don't love 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. He continued: "Let's bring our soldiers back home. Some people don't like to come home. Some people like to continue to spend money. Biden, the former vice president, has sounded less absolute about troop withdrawal. In response to a candidate questionnaire from the Center for Foreign Relations, he said some troops could stay in Afghanistan to focus on the counterterrorism mission. Americans are rightly weary of our longest war; I am, too. But we must end the war responsibly, in a manner that ensures we both guard against threats to our homeland and never have to go back, he said. While both talk about troops withdrawals, each has, in some ways, tried and failed. Trump came into office condemning the wars and declaring he would bring all troops home. When he took over, the number of forces in Afghanistan had been capped at about 8,400 for some time by his predecessor, President Barack Obama. But within a year that total climbed to about 15,000, as Trump approved commanders' requests for additional troops to reverse setbacks in the training of Afghan forces, fight an increasingly dangerous Islamic State group and put enough pressure on the Taliban to force it to the peace table. Biden was part of the Obama administration's failed effort to negotiate an agreement with Iraqi leaders in 2011, and as a result the US pulled all American forces out of that country. That withdrawal was short-lived. Just three years later, as IS militants took over large swaths of Iraq, the US again deployed troops into Iraq and neighboring Syria to defeat IS. With an eye toward the election, Trump has accelerated his push to bring troops home. General Frank McKenzie, the top US military commander for the Middle East, said in recent days that by November, the number of troops in Afghanistan could drop to 4,500, and the number in Iraq could dip from about 5,000 to 3,000. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. No human losses have been reported in the fire that erupted in the port of Beirut on September 10, a month after a massive explosion hit the same location, Zartonk dailys editor-in-chief Sevag Hagopian told Armenpress. Fortunately, the recent fire didnt cause human losses. Lebanon is in difficult situation, but we hope we will overcome this difficulty as well, he said. A large fire broke out just over a month after a huge explosion in the Lebanese capital, which was caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate detonating at a warehouse in the port, reports BBC. In addition to the fatalities, thousands were injured and as many as 300,000 left homeless by the 4 August explosion. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan 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. I cant stand Julian Assange. He is almost everything I do not like. I doubt we would get along if we spent an evening together. I have evidence of this. Some years ago, we clashed rather nastily at a London drugs legalisation debate in which we disagreed totally and, as I recall, he abused me and I was quite rude back. His world is not my world, and his people are not my people. I think he did a grave wrong by jumping bail. Among other things, this left a lot of his friends, who had trusted him, having to forfeit money they couldnt afford which they had put up as surety. The growth of an imperious, iron-bound security state in Washington DC has been one of the most dispiriting developments in this fast-darkening world. Mr Assanges revelations exposed many of these bad things, plainly in the hope of stopping them injustice, brutality, secret imprisonment, torture and rendition And now I have said that, I wish to add that I am wholly, furiously against the attempt by the United States government to extradite Mr Assange from this country, now under way at the Old Bailey. I think it is wrong in principle. I think it is clearly a political case and should be rejected on those grounds alone, if there were no others available. Extradition on political grounds is expressly prohibited by Article 4 (1) of the 2003 Anglo-US Extradition Treaty. But despite such protections, that treaty, agreed in the Blair era, was, like so much of that governments actions towards Washington, weak, servile and unfair. And the courts have not done very much to defend British national sovereignty when it has been invoked. I cant stand Julian Assange. He is almost everything I do not like. I doubt we would get along if we spent an evening together. I have evidence of this, writes Peter Hitchens, pictured above Astonishingly, it allows the US to demand extradition of UK citizens and others for offences allegedly committed against US law. This is so even though the supposed offence may have been committed in the UK by a person living in the UK. Do we really want the hand of a foreign power to be able to reach into our national territory at will and pluck out anyone it wants to punish? Are we still even an independent country if we allow this? The Americans would certainly not let us treat them in this way. It is unimaginable that the US would hand over to us any of its citizens who had been accused of leaking British secret documents. Yet if Mr Assange is sent to face trial in the US, any British journalist who comes into possession of classified material from the US, though he has committed no crime according to our own law, faces the same danger. This is a basic violation of our national sovereignty, and a major threat to our own press freedom. I think that no English court should accept this demand. And if the courts fail in their duty, then I think that any self-respecting Home Secretary should overrule them. For this extradition is a lawless kidnap. I love the rule of law, one of the main guarantees of freedom in the world. I used to think that this was one of the things that made the US a great country. But I have watched the decline of their legal system in dismay, worse even than the decay of our own. The growth of an imperious, iron-bound security state in Washington DC has been one of the most dispiriting developments in this fast-darkening world. Mr Assanges revelations exposed many of these bad things, plainly in the hope of stopping them injustice, brutality, secret imprisonment, torture and rendition. The prevention of these things is not some wild revolutionary cause. It is the duty of Christians and conservatives to oppose such wrongs as much as it is the duty of anybody. If not more so. Let me explain why this extradition is wrong. First, the actions of Mr Assange, in publishing huge numbers of confidential US government files, are not a crime. He was acting under the protection of US law as a journalist, publishing information he had received. If he were a US citizen, he would without doubt be protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution which declares: Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of the press. Knowing this, Mike Pompeo, then director of the Central Intelligence Agency, said on April 13, 2017, of Mr Assange and his WikiLeaks colleagues: They have pretended that Americas First Amendment freedoms shield them from justice. They may have believed that, but they are wrong. He also said: Julian Assange has no First Amendment freedoms. Hes sitting in an embassy in London. Hes not a US citizen. It is not clear quite how even the CIA director could make that judgment. He also made a long and excoriating personal denunciation of Mr Assange and WikiLeaks. Mr Pompeo has since been promoted by Donald Trump to the still more important post of Secretary of State. If any British official or Minister of similar standing had made these statements about a person accused of a crime in a UK court, the trial would have to be stopped on the grounds that it had been hopelessly prejudiced. It is hard to see, in this case, how an English court could place Mr Assange into the hands of a justice system where the equivalent of a Cabinet Minister can freely denounce the accused before a jury has even been sworn in. Interestingly, a very similar event has happened before. During the Vietnam War, almost 50 years ago, the courageous and principled Daniel Ellsberg, a former lieutenant in the US Marines, did much the same. He supplied the so-called Pentagon Papers to the New York Times. Eventually every court, of law and of public opinion and of history, concluded that Mr Ellsberg a US citizen operating in the US was not only innocent but justified in his actions. They also concluded that the US authorities of the time had behaved atrociously. Thugs hired by the White House even broke into Ellsbergs psychiatrists office, looking for dirt on him (and failed to find any). The US government tried to prosecute him under that countrys Espionage Act, though he plainly was not a spy, just as Mr Assange is not a spy. The documents were of no military value to an enemy. But they were deeply embarrassing to the US government, showing that they had systematically lied to the American people and to Congress about the disastrous Vietnam adventure. Almost everyone now accepts that Ellsbergs action did America a favour, and hastened the end of this futile and bloody episode. You can certainly argue that the WikiLeaks papers could have had a similar effect on the Iraq War and many other questionable foreign policies and actions. They were deeply inconvenient to many of the more worrying parts of the American state. That, not alleged espionage, is why the US government is now so angry with Mr Assange. Significantly, Daniel Ellsberg himself is now one of Mr Assanges foremost supporters. The other powerful evidence that this is a political extradition, and not a genuine criminal case, is its extraordinary timing. The leaks took place in 2010. Around the same time, in a TV interview, Donald Trump said WikiLeaks was disgraceful and suggested there be a death penalty for its actions. But prosecutors working for the Obama administration (2009-2017) decided, for legal reasons, not to prosecute Mr Assange almost seven years ago. They concluded that charging Assange would have meant they would then have to prosecute any journalist who published information alleged to endanger national security. That would have violated the US constitution. A former spokesman for the Department of Justice, Matthew Miller, told the Washington Post in November 2013: If you are not going to prosecute journalists for publishing classified information, which the Department is not, then there is no way to prosecute Assange. But by April 2017, with Donald Trump in the White House, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions had completely reversed this position. He announced at a press conference in El Paso, Texas, that the arrest of Mr Assange was now a priority. Mr Trump has, in fact, veered wildly on the issue. When WikiLeaks published emails from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clintons campaign, Trump and his campaign gleefully seized on them. Mr Trump at one point even said I love WikiLeaks and rejoiced that the source was like a treasure trove. But his love quickly faded once he was in the White House and increasingly reliant on Washingtons security and military apparatus. Then things became even odder. Mr Assanges supporters say that in August 2017, a US Congressman, Dana Rohrabacher, visited Mr Assange in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, accompanied by a Trump associate called Charles Johnson. The Assange campaign say this strange delegation offered Mr Assange a pardon. In return he would have to say Russia was not involved in leaking the Democratic National Committee emails which Mr Trump had made such effective use of in the election campaign. Mr Trump has, unsurprisingly, denied that Mr Rohrabacher made any such offer on his behalf. Mr Rohrabacher was quick to back up the President. But what if this astonishing thing is true, along with the Assange teams claims of surveillance and break-ins against them? By April 2017, with Donald Trump in the White House, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions had completely reversed this position. He announced at a press conference in El Paso, Texas, that the arrest of Mr Assange was now a priority. Mr Trump has, in fact, veered wildly on the issue A non-political criminal prosecution would not have been subject to such wild political veering and switching. Nor would it have been openly supported by senior government figures. There is a final part of this which is deeply alarming. If the UK gives Mr Assange to the US Federal authorities, he passes for ever into a prison system quite different from ours. You may think, and I would agree with you, that our penal system has a lot wrong with it. But the USAs has different faults. It can be astonishingly cruel to unconvicted defendants, placing them under special measures that mean they are almost wholly cut off from normal human society. If Mr Assange is then convicted by a US court, and this is statistically very likely, he could face decades in a modern dungeon such as the notorious Supermax prison at Florence, Colorado, more or less buried alive with little hope of ever seeing freedom again. He is far from well at the moment. Those who know him fear that this might be more than he could bear. Mr Assange is not a terrorist, a spy or a killer. There is as far as I know no evidence that any of his disclosures has, in fact, led to any harm being done to anyone. WikiLeaks redacted documents to avoid such harm, and tried to prevent unredacted publication of material in its possession. The idea that he should face the strong possibility of being entombed alongside terrorist killers does not really meet any test of justice. Like me, you do not have to like him, or agree with him, to see this. It is easy to defend those we like and approve of. But it is in my view far more important to protect those we dislike and disapprove of, if they face injustice. The late Imam with the vice president and president. 12.09.2020 LISTEN It is unusual for the Council of elders to bring this matter to public attention, but as circumstances demand, it is worthy to make our position known to all well-meaning Ghanaians. The Head and Council of elders of the family of the late Dr. Suleman Mahama Haroon Bakuri has turned down the GH20,000 donated by the Vice President, His Excellency, Alhaji Dr. Mahamud Bawumia. We the elders of the family wish to state that, the donation though well-intentioned is belated as the final funeral rites have already been performed. Besides, the Vice President never showed up in person to mourn with the family when he paid a visit to the region on the 7th of September, 2020. The money was only sent through the constituency Chairman of the NPP for Wa Central which is unethical. Furthermore, when the embattled Imam was blockaded from performing his religious duties at the Central Mosque by the Regional Minister and the REGSEC and he called on the Presidency to bring the Minister, Hon. Hafiz Bin Salih to order, the Presidency never responded. The Regional Minister used the powers vested in him by the Presidency to promote and support a rival faction as they purport to allegedly depose the Imam. The Imam lamented, that the very party he is accused of being sympathetic to when he offered prayers for the leaders of the NPP and the nation during their visit to the Region at the Central Mosque on Friday to fraternize with the Muslims in the run-up to the 2016 electioneering campaign is now the party that supports rivals factions to depose him. Isnt it ironic, that neither the President nor his vice found it worthy to attend any of his funeral celebrations nor visit the family to mourn with them even when they visited and toured the Region, yet find it expedient to send money through others to be donated to the family? The family however wishes to express its sincere gratitude to the last minute kind gesture by the presidency and wish to state that it however came too late when the final funeral rites has been performed. The family wish to state however, that it would continue to pray for good health for the President, his vice, Ministers of State and all our national leaders and also pray for Allah to give them wisdom and guidance to continue to lead the nation on the path of progress, development and prosperity. ASALAAM ALAIKUM Thank you. ALHAJI ISSAKA MAHAMA BAWMARA (HEAD OF THE LIMANYIRI FAMILY) SPOKESPERSON: ALHAJI IBRAHIM SEFA (SANTAMA) (0268396330) Australia is relying too heavily on product recalls to keep children safe, instead of proactively keeping unsafe items off the shelves, a Queensland researcher says. QUT's Catherine Niven has completed her PhD, which examined how Australia deals with product recalls compared to other countries, in particular to United States. A Queensland researcher is calling for Australia to get proactive about product safety standards instead of relying on recalls. Credit:iStock Dr Niven found that from 2011 to 2017, Australia had nearly as many product recalls as the US, despite that country having a consumer market 18 times larger. "We have a very reactive system in Australia, which puts a lot of pressure on regulators to do surveillance and then issue recalls," she said. Woman arrested on murder charges in 2018 death of Cairo, Illinois, man found in river in Kentucky Mumbai: Six people have been arrested so far in connection with the attack on a former Navy officer here, Mumbai Police said on Saturday. Six people have been arrested so far in connection with the attack on a former Navy officer here, Mumbai Police said on Saturday. All the six accused were arrested by the Mumbai police overnight after an FIR was registered in connection with the incident. Speaking to ANI on Friday, Madan Sharma, the former Navy officer said that he was attacked after he forwarded a message on WhatsApp. Sharma said that eight to ten persons attacked and beat him up after he received threatening calls for a message that he had forwarded, he had worked for the nation his entire life. He said that a government like this should not exist. Dr Sheela Sharma, daughter of the former officer said that he was attacked by people from the Shiv Sena after the received threats for forwarding a message on Whatsapp. She said that her father received threats for forwarding a message, a number of people from the Shiv Sena attacked him. She said that later, the police came to their residence and insisted on taking her father with them. They had registered an FIR. Also read: PM Modi inaugurates 1.75 lakh houses built under PM Awas Yojana in MP Also read: Delhi metro reopens all routes, to run from 6 am to 11 pm Reacting to the incident, BJP and opposition leader in Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis had expressed shock and appealed to the states Chief Minister to take action against the accused. Also read: With spike of over 97k new cases, Indias Covid-19 tally breaches 46L mark Yermak said the ceasefire established in late July had been the longest one since the beginning of war in Donbas. Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak has said both enemies outside and inside Ukraine tried to disrupt the truce in Donbas. "The Ukrainian delegation has returned with the main result, namely we have received overwhelming support from all the participants in the Normandy format regarding the ceasefire, it will be extended, despite attempts to disrupt it," he said during a media briefing on the results of the meeting of political advisors to the Normandy Four leaders held on Friday, September 11, an UNIAN correspondent reports. "Unfortunately, it does not suit not only our enemies outside, but also enemies who oppose it inside the country. Not everyone needs peace," the official said. Read also"One-time inspection" in Donbas could take place in a few days KravchukYermak said the ceasefire established in late July had been the longest one since the beginning of war in Donbas. "This is very important for us," he added. "One-time inspection" in Donbas Students whose lives have been ruined after being wrongly accused of cheating in English language tests will not be able to have their cases reviewed, the Home Office's top civil servant has said - despite admitting parallels between the scandal and Windrush. Almost 34,000 international students were accused of cheating in English language tests in 2014, and with no proper right to challenge the decision, told they had no right to stay in the UK. Six years on, many of these individuals continue to assert that there are innocent, and have been plunged into hardship as they are not allowed to work and have had to save thousands of pounds to appeal their allegations in court. Speaking to the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday, Matthew Rycroft, the departments permanent secretary, said he agreed that the Home Office should have taken a more vigorous approach to protecting those wrongly caught up in the process. But when asked by Labour MP Stephen Timms whether these individuals would have the opportunity to have their cases reviewed, Mr Rycroft said: The Home Office decided not to set up a set of reviews like that, but as Ive said there is a legal route open to anyone in that category. The Home Office was accused by the National Audit Office (NAO) last year of failing to ensure innocent people were not wrongly targeted after an investigation by the BBCs Panorama exposed systematic cheating at some colleges where candidates sat the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC). A report by the watchdog found that ministers had failed to provide people who were wrongly accused with an adequate opportunity to clear their names. Following the publication of the NAO report, former home secretary Said Javid told parliament that the Home Office was looking into whether there was a need for those who feel they had been wronged to be able to ask for their case to be reviewed. During the evidence session on Thursday, Mr Timms said there was a large number of students in the UK whose lives were completely in limbo because of a false cheating allegation, and that there was no way for them to clear their names other than a lengthy, expensive and very difficult legal process. He added: The Home Office should give innocent people the opportunity to clear their names. In response, Mr Rycroft said he totally agreed, but continued to assert that the legal route was enough, adding: I do think that route is open to them. Individuals have always had the right to challenge through appeal, through judicial review. But we must also remember that if someone had an invalid certificate, it was because there was a heavy body of evidence that they were not genuine and that they were not caught up in it, but they were part of it. The permanent secretary said there were some parallels between the English language test scandal and Windrush, but said they were on a different scale, to which Mr Timms responded: Visas have been taken away from well over 30,000 students, the language testing scandal is on a big scale. Speaking to The Independent after the evidence session, Mr Timms said: The English language test scandal is Windrush all over again. "The permanent secretary appeared to agree with me that there should be a mechanism for innocent students to clear their names. But the only route is through the courts. The costs are immense. Most students who have done it pay 10,000 to 15,000 and they are not allowed to work. "I welcome the Home Secretarys commitment to implement all of the Windrush Lessons Learned recommendations. But the lessons are being ignored in handling the language testing scandal. As in Windrush, there is a complete failure to engage beyond individual cases. "Learning the lessons from Windrush would mean creating a mechanism for innocent students to clear their names. Home Office failed to ensure innocent students were not wrongly detained in cheating scandal report finds It comes after The Independent spoke to individuals accused of cheating who feel they have been forgotten and have struggled more than ever during the pandemic as they continue battling to clear their names. A recent survey of 138 students affected by the Toeic scandal, carried out by charity Migrant Voice and Bindmans Law Firm, found that one in four were struggling to buy essentials such as food, while 14 per cent were having difficulties paying rent or had been made homeless. Seven respondents said that they were solely relying on family to survive; four had no money to carry on fighting against their allegation, and four mentioned having suicidal thoughts. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold accused the United States Postal Service of misleading American voters and decided to do something about it. Griswold said on Saturday that she filed a lawsuit against the Postal Service, hours after she accused it of sending information that could be confusing to voters. Griswold says in the lawsuit that the USPS has sent out information to Colorado voters that include false statements. The state also filed a temporary restraining order against the Postal Service to block it from mailing any more of the postcards to homes in the state. Advertisement 51 days until the election. Just filed a lawsuit against the @USPS for sending misinformation about mail ballots to millions of voters. Was that on your 2020 bingo card? Jena Griswold (@JenaGriswold) September 12, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Postal Service intends to mail an official notice to all Colorado voters that provides false statements about voting in Colorado, reads the lawsuit. These false statements will disenfranchise Colorado voters, including its uniform military and overseas voters; mislead them about Colorados election procedures; infringe Colorados constitutional rights to conduct its elections; and interfere with the secretary of states ability to oversee Colorado elections. Advertisement Advertisement We also just filed a temporary restraining order against @USPS. Their postcards containing wrong election info have been sitting in a warehouse in Denver, and they refuse to not send them. So were asking a judge to stop them! Jena Griswold (@JenaGriswold) September 12, 2020 Griswold wrote a Twitter thread late Friday in which she accused the USPS of sending out the same postcard about absentee voting to homes across the country even though different states have different rules. For states like Colorado where we send ballots to all voters, the information is not just confusing, its WRONG, Griswold said in a tweet late Friday. I will do everything in my power to stop @USPS from sending misinformation to voters. Advertisement I just found out the @USPS is sending this postcard to every household and PO Box in the nation. For states like Colorado where we send ballots to all voters, the information is not just confusing, its WRONG. (Thread) pic.twitter.com/RoTTeJRJVl Jena Griswold (@JenaGriswold) September 12, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Griswold shared a copy of the postcard on Twitter. To protect Colorado voters and our election system, our team worked late into the night to file suit against #USPS, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser wrote on Twitter. The lawsuit claims that the postcard has several pieces of incorrect information for Colorado voters. Griswold says secretaries of state from other states have reached out and are considering filing their own lawsuits. Advertisement Advertisement To protect Colorado voters and our election system, our team worked late into the night to file suit against #USPS. We are taking action, working with SOS @JenaGriswold, to stop the Postal Service from misinforming Colorado voters and interfering with our election. Thread pic.twitter.com/A1ntbk7Ax9 Phil Weiser (@pweiser) September 12, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Griswold claims that in order to avoid just this type of situation, secretaries of state had asked Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to review the postcard before it was sent out to voters but he refused. This may have started off as a well-intentioned effort by @USPS, but their refusal to listen to election experts combined with the recent postal slowdown in some parts of the country is beyond suspect, Weiser wrote. Advertisement The USPS pushed back against the criticism, saying the postcard is part of a broad campaign to educate the public about the Postal Service and mail-in ballots. The non-partisan campaign neither encourages nor discourages mail-in voting, a USPS spokesperson said in a statement Friday night, rather, it is designed to reach and inform all voters about the importance of planning ahead if they plan to vote by mail. Advertisement This is not the first time Colorado has been at odds with the USPS and marks the latest instance of concern among Democrats that Postal Service leaders are not properly preparing for what is expected to be a huge surge of mail-in ballots for Novembers election. Just a few days ago, Colorado joined 13 other states filed a lawsuit calling on a judge to block the Postal Service from implementing changes to the mail service that interfere with Americans daily lives and the November 2020 election. The lawsuit claims DeJoy violated federal law when he implemented radical changes at the Postal Service with very little notice, causing irreparable harm, including delays in delivery of time-sensitive materials from medications to legal notices to ballots. Last month, Griswold slammed Trumps opposition to increase funding to the postal Service, characterizing it as voter suppression. Manama, Sep 12 : Senior Bahraini officials on Saturday welcomed the kingdom's normalization with Israel as a contributor to regional security and stability, the state Bahrain News Agency reported. "The move will serve Bahrain's top interests and help consolidate (regional) security and stability, and promote progress and prosperity," said Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa. National Guard Commander Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa said the "courageous" agreement on peace with Israel aims for a more secure, stable and prosperous future for all peoples of the region, as well as supporting the legitimate Palestinian rights, Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, the National Assembly, the Bahraini Parliament, also highlighted in a statement "just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution" to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Ahdeya Ahmed, President of Bahrain Journalists Association, tweeted on Saturday that his country has always supported the Palestinian rights and will continue its efforts to achieve a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to create a stability that reflects on economic, political and social sectors. Bahrain is the second Gulf Arab state that has announced normalization with Israel in the past month after the United Arab Emirates did so on August 13. Egypt and Jordan signed their peace deals with Israel in 1979 and 1994 respectively. The US-brokered peace agreement between Bahrain and Israel is scheduled to be signed on September 15 in Washington. SRINAGAR: In a major breakthrough, the security forces on Saturday recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch, thwarting an attempt by anti-national elements to carry out subversive activities in the border district. According to a J&K Police official, a joint operation comprising Army, Mendhar Police and SOG (Jammu) was launched to intercept the couriers of arms, ammunitions and explosives along with other subversive material after receiving specific intelligence inputs. During the joint search operation, three Chinese pistols with six magazines and 70 rounds, 11 hand grenades, a wireless set, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), two batteries, two flags, a mobile phone, a charger and a pen drive were recovered, a J&K Police officer said. Two Overground Workers (OGWs) linked to terrorists were also arrested during the operation carried out jointly by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of J&K Police and the Indian Army in Mendhar sector, the official said. He said the operation was launched on specific information to intercept the couriers of arms, ammunition, and explosives along with other subversive material which was smuggled from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The material was supposed to be carried from the forward area to the hinterland for subversive activities, the officials said. He added that a case was registered against the arrested duo and further investigation is on. In this connection, a case FIR 217/ 2020 under relevant sections of Unlawful Activity Prevention Act has been registered at the Police Station Mendher, the J&K Police official said. Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak said that Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman, Coordinator of the Trilateral Contact Group Heidi Grau and Head of the OSCE SMM in Ukraine Yasar Halit Cevik took part in the meeting of the Normandy Four's advisers on September 11 in Berlin, which means the exit of interaction and work of two formats to a higher level. "During this meeting, it was for the first time in the past several years, Ambassador Grau and Ambassador Cevik, who are leading the process in Minsk today, were present. This means that interaction and coordinated work of the two formats have reached an even higher level, and we expect concrete results. This will happen next week, September 15, when the TCG videoconference will take place," he told reporters in Odesa during a working trip with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-13 00:58:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NUR-SULTAN, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- China and Kazakhstan will continue to boost cooperation in various areas in the post-epidemic era, visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Saturday while meeting with Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi. Kazakhstan is an important Eurasian country and a friendly neighbour of China, said Wang, adding that China always gives priority to its relations with Kazakhstan in its overall foreign policy, especially the neighborhood diplomacy. He said that the heads of state of the two countries, who have forged firm mutual trust and friendship, have been providing strategic guidance to the healthy development of the bilateral ties and mutually beneficial cooperation. The two heads of state agreed to lift the bilateral relationship to a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership last year, Wang noted, adding that the two sides should implement the consensus reached by the leaders in various fields, make it a common cognition of all walks of life in the two countries, so as to consolidate public support for the bilateral ties. The two sides should jointly well preserve the hard-earned China-Kazakhstan relations and make sure that their relationship will not be disturbed and maintain a sound and steady momentum of development, he said. Wang said the two countries have helped and supported each other in the fight against COVID-19. At the time when the prevention and control of COVID-19 have become a regular practice, the two sides should strengthen all-round cooperation in the post-epidemic era in an orderly manner, implement the docking of the joint construction of the Belt and Road with the Bright Path new economic policy and further tap the potential of cooperation in various areas, he added. With the China-Europe freight train service becoming a land transportation artery like a modern railway version of camel caravans across Eurasia, Kazakhstan's role as a strategic hub for transit transport has become more prominent, Wang said, adding that China is ready to scale up the cross-border railway and highway transportation and accelerate exploration to restore and enhance the cargo capacity at border crossings. The two sides will build the Silk Road of Health, Wang said. China will continue to support Kazakhstan in its fight against COVID-19, share its experience in epidemic prevention and control and treatment of patients and strengthen cooperation in the research and development of vaccines and medicines until the epidemic is defeated in Kazakhstan, he noted. The two sides will also build the Digital Silk Road to strengthen cooperation in the digital economy, Wang said. China has recently proposed its global initiative on data security, which aims to promote the formulation of global data security rules and build an open, cooperative and secure global data space, Wang said. China welcomes joint efforts of all countries including Kazakhstan to advance the process and is ready to strengthen communication and coordination with the Kazakh side to jointly combat disinformation, said Wang. For his part, Tleuberdi said Kazakhstan always places ties with China as its foreign policy priority, and the Kazakhstan-China relations have made great strides despite the epidemic, with the two sides maintaining high-level exchanges and constantly-deepening good-neighbourliness and friendship. The two heads of state decided to build the permanent comprehensive strategic partnership last year, which lifted the bilateral ties to a new level, he said. Kazakhstan speaks highly of the decisive anti-epidemic measures taken by China and appreciates China's support to Kazakhstan in the fight against COVID-19, said the minister. He said that the two sides should resume normal exchanges between various departments and at various levels as soon as possible, resume port customs clearance and freight transportation, and tap the cooperation potential in the fields such as infrastructure, investment, trade, transportation and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Kazakhstan supports China-proposed initiatives, such as building a global community of health for all, he said. The Kazakh side also supports the "Global Initiative on Data Security" launched by China, said Tleuberdi, adding Kazakhstan is willing to make this a priority in the bilateral cooperation and work with China to combat disinformation. The two sides also exchanged in-depth views on the regional and international issues of common concern, and announced the launch of a program to facilitate personnel exchanges for the resumption of work and production in the two countries. Enditem These babies arent cheap, though. The most affordable bike in the companys inventory is a used 383, priced at $45,500 compared to the original price of $50,500. There are, however, people who prefer to put their own touch on the V8-converted Boss Hoss, and this gets us to Janne Uskali.Editor-in-chief at Bomber Magazine in Finland, the Finnish motorcycle enthusiast and rider is responsible for a one-off creation that he calls the Bee-One Cycles Bomb Boss. Tipping the scales at 600 kilograms including Janne, the bike was completed in 2019 after four years of elbow grease.The Bomb Boss is centered around the ZZ4 crate engine, based on the L98 from the 1985 to 1991 Corvette. Right off the bat, the eight-cylinder mill develops 355 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. The ratings quoted by Janne are 350 horsepower and 443 pound-feet, and the additional torque may have something to do with the NASCAR-style side exhausts.Apes Metalshop Oy in Helsinki is the shop responsible for the triple clamps that attach the 63-millimeter inverted forks to the frame. Another highlight comes in the guise of the Vee Rubber 360/30 by 18-inch rear tire, a massive piece of rubber compared to the 300/35 by 18-inch rears of the Boss Hoss Standard and Super Sport bikes. So why did Janne need such a huge tire?Well, he likes riding like a man on a mission, lighting up the rear and power sliding the motorcycle in the twisties. Given the torque of the ZZ4 crate engine and the riders style, it comes at no surprise why the rear tire measures 360 millimeters in width and features an aspect ratio of 30.Currently a one-off build, the Bomb Boss may be put into production according to Ultimate Motorcycling . We are thinking that if there are people like me who like to ride and get this kind of overdose motorcycle, we could do it for them as customers, Janne told the cited publication. Even as tributes and condolences poured in for social activist Swami Agnivesh, who passed away on Friday, a retired police officer has caused outrage by calling the renowned activist an anti-Hindu in saffron robes" and referring to his death as good riddance". Taking to social media platform Twitter, IPS officer M Nageswara Rao mounted a scathing attack on Agnivesh, who was often under attack by Hindu extremists for his comments and beliefs. GOOD RIDDANCE @swamiagnivesh. You were an Anti-Hindu donning saffron clothes. You did enormous damage to Hinduism. I am ashamed that you were born as a Telugu Brahmin," Rao wrote while sharing the news of his death. He went on to call Agnivesh a lion in sheep clothes" and added, My grievance against Yamaraj is why did he wait this long!". While Nageshwar is not a serving officer anymore, he has formerly served as the interim director of the Crime Branch of India for a short spell in 2019. The insensitive comment comes just a day after the death of the renowned activist and former Haryana Education Minister, who passed away after due to liver cirrhosis in the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in Delhi after being critically ill. Raos comment caused on outrage on social media with many calling out the serving IPS officer for his insensitivity, especially following the death of an esteemed public figure. Social activist and philanthropist Harsh Mander took to the microblogging to share his outrage. Very sad to read this tweet by a serving police officer, flaunting such uncivility & communal bias re Swami Agnivesh, a man far taller & better than he will ever be, just after his passing. That he feels he can display his bigotry so brazenly reflects on those who lead the nation https://t.co/5Xcar3yYFj Harsh Mander (@harsh_mander) September 12, 2020 Very sad to read this tweet by a serving police officer, flaunting such uncivility & communal bias re Swami Agnivesh, a man far taller & better than he will ever be, just after his passing. That he feels he can display his bigotry so brazenly reflects on those who lead the nation," Mander wrote. Rao comments also earned flak from other IPS officers such as RK Vij who called Raos tweet and sad" and an insult" to human life. Insult to human life. Sad. https://t.co/BZtsYTL0wp RK Vij, IPS (@ipsvijrk) September 12, 2020 The former CBI interim-chief was even called out by the Police Foundation of India, an independent think-tank that serves as a forum for serving and retired police officers. Historian Irfan Habib also responded to the tweet. Tweeting such hate messages by a retired officer posing as an IPS officer - he has desecrated the police uniform which he wore and embarrassed the government. He demoralises the entire police force in the country, especially the young officers. https://t.co/qOiI8D6dkO Indian Police Foundation (@IPF_ORG) September 12, 2020 You are a disgrace. Can imagine what all you must have done as a police officer? Abusing the dead may be Hindutva but is certainly not Hinduism. Better late than never. Get yourself treated. https://t.co/Shh4zlmduc S lrfan Habib (@irfhabib) September 12, 2020 Other Twitter users also expressed their disbelief at the tweet. It's worrisome to see a retd IPS officer spewing so much hate. I am no fan of the deceased nor do I hold any great impression about him. But this hate filled tweet is highly subjective. Aren't cops supposed to be objective in their approach towards others? Aishwarya Palagummi (@APalagummi) September 12, 2020 Even Lord Ram did not become happy on Rawan's death. He became happy only for that the truth won over the untruth.This is absolutely shameful. I hope @IPS_Association is taking note of this tweet. https://t.co/RRJDl9EVvF Shuheb Ahmed (@shuhebspeaks) September 12, 2020 A true hindu is about being a good human being. If you were any of it, you wouldn't speak ill of the dead. Hindutva radicals are although a pro on it. They are the ones that are described in Kalyug! HD (@Hoimee) September 12, 2020 A defiant Rao, however, doubled down on his previous tweet bt tweeting, Correction: Read Wolf" for Lion" in the above tweet". Correction: Read "Wolf" for "Lion" in the above tweet. M. Nageswara Rao IPS (@MNageswarRaoIPS) September 12, 2020 Swami Agnivesh was at forefront of social reform and against oppressive government regimes ever since 1977 when he resigned from the post of Haryana education minister after the state governments inaction against police who opened fire on protesting bonded labour. More recently, Agnivesh came under attack from the right-wing after and was even allegedly attacked by the BJPs youth wing in Jharkhand in 2018 after he said that the ice stalagmite statue inside Amarnath was just an ordinary formation that held no special religious significance. Many at the time had accused the Arya Samaji reformer of being anti-Hindu and insulting Lord Shiva. Swami Agnivesh was once again attacked in Delhi a month later. Congress president Sonia Gandhi will be travelling outside the country for a routine medical check-up which could not take place earlier due to the ongoing pandemic situation, party officials said on Saturday. The Congress president will be accompanied by her son and party leader Rahul Gandhi. Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi is travelling today onwards for a routine follow up & medical check up, which was deferred due to the pandemic. She is accompanied by Sh. Rahul Gandhi. We take this opportunity to thank everyone for their concern & good wishes. Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) September 12, 2020 Both Opposition leaders will give the upcoming monsoon session in Parliament a miss which starts on Monday next week. HT had reported that many senior lawmakers are likely to give the much-awaited monsoon session of Parliament a miss, on account of fears of exposing themselves to the coronavirus disease despite efforts from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha authorities to ensure a safe session. Also read: Several senior leaders may skip monsoon session due to Covid-19 The list includes senior political leaders who have been advised to exercise caution during the ongoing Covid-19 disease outbreak. Former prime minister and senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh is likely to attend Parliaments inaugural session but is expected to skip rest of the session on advise from his doctors. The 87-year-old political leader has been strictly asked to not leave home by his doctors. Another Congress leader and former defence minister AK Antony, 79, may not attend the House daily but be there on some days, HT had reported. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has also said some of her senior party leaders who are old or suffering from an ailment will skip the upcoming parliament session. The ongoing pandemic has raised concerns among leaders across party lines who have decided to skip the parliament. Two days before the session is expected to begin, India reported globally the highest ever recorded cases of Covid-19 97,570 in a span of 24 hours. India reported another 1,201 deaths Saturday, bringing total deaths to 77,472, the third highest in the world. Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu have been personally overseeing all preparations to implement Covid-19 safety protocols . On Thursday, Birla spent a few minutes in the gallery of the Lok Sabha to supervise how MPs will participate in the proceedings. Arab consensus long held Arab states will normalise ties only if Israel meets a number of conditions for Palestinians. Palestinians in Gaza burned pictures of Israeli, American, Bahraini, and United Arab Emirates leaders on Saturday in protest against the two Gulf countries moves to normalise ties with Israel. Bahrain on Friday joined the UAE in agreeing to normalise relations with Israel, a move forged partly through shared fears of Iran but one that could leave the Palestinians further isolated. The Gaza protest, attended by a few dozen people, was organised by the ruling group Hamas. We have to fight the virus of normalisation and block all its paths before it succeeds to prevent it from spreading, said Hamas official Maher al-Holy. Demonstrators set fire to images of US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the UAEs Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. While the United States, Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain hail the diplomatic moves as a significant step towards peace and stability in the Middle East, the Palestinians see it as a betrayal. They fear a weakening of 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. Despite a deep political rift going back to 2007, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority (PA) has a limited rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and his Hamas rivals have been united against the Gulf states move. Military alliance In the West Bank, Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat said the diplomatic push will not achieve peace if the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not resolved first. The Bahraini, Israeli, American agreement to normalise relations is now part of a bigger package in the region. It isnt about peace, it is not about relations between countries. We are witnessing an alliance, a military alliance being created in the region, Erekat said. Iran, meanwhile, said on Saturday that Bahrains move meant it would be complicit in Israeli policies that threatened regional security, Iranian state television reported. Irans Revolutionary Guards said Bahrain would face harsh revenge from its own people and the Palestinians over the Gulf states move. Turkey also condemned the deal saying it undermined the Palestinian cause and would further embolden Israel to continue its illegal practices and attempts to make the occupation of Palestinian territories permanent. Bahrainis opposed to their governments agreement to establish diplomatic relations with Israel vented their frustration on social media on Saturday, underlining the complexities of the Gulfs rapprochement with Israel. The hashtags #Bahrainis_against_normalisation and #NormalizationIsBetrayal were trending on Twitter after Trump announced the deal late on Friday. Bahrain, a Sunni-ruled kingdom with a large Shia population, shares with Israel a deep enmity towards Iran, and relies on the United States, which stations its Fifth Fleet on the tiny but strategic archipelago. Palestinians carry placards during a protest in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday [Said Khatib/AFP] Black day Bahrains Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said the deal represented a historic step towards achieving peace in the Middle East, but the PA and the Hamas condemned it as another stab in the back by an Arab government. Unlike the UAE, opposition to normalisation runs deep in Bahrain, which has a history of open politics even if it has been suppressed over the past 10 years. Former MP Ali Alaswad wrote it was a black day in the history of Bahrain. The kingdom a small archipelago located between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran has been hit by waves of unrest since 2011, when security forces crushed Shia-led protests demanding reforms. Opposition group Al-Wefaq criticised the normalisation deal. The agreement between the despotic regime in Bahrain and the Zionist occupation government is a total betrayal of Islam and Arabism and a departure from the Islamic, Arab and national consensus, it said on Twitter. Other anti-normalisation groups, based in Bahrain and abroad, expressed their anger in statements sent to media calling the deal shameful. Deteriorating unity Sari Nusseibeh, a former top PLO official, said the Palestinian leadership was very upset. But I dont think they are more upset than in the past about the Arab world in general. Palestinians have always complained that the Arab world has not stood behind them as they should have, said Nusseibeh. The Palestinian cause had already become less central as the region has been rocked by the Arab Spring upheavals, the Syria war, and the bloody onslaught by the armed group ISIL (ISIS). At the same time, hostility has deepened between Saudi Arabia and Iran. There have been all kinds of problems in the Arab world disputes, revolutions, civil wars, tensions between different Arab countries, said Palestinian analyst Ghassan Khatib. Palestinians are now paying the price for the deterioration in Arab unity. The PA maintains the validity of the so-called Arab consensus and rejects the notion that it is isolated. That consensus has long held that Arab states will only normalise ties if Israel meets a number of conditions. One demand is for Israel to withdraw from the territories it occupied in the Six-Day War of 1967. Another is to agree to a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and a third to find a just solution for the millions of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. We hope that the Arab countries will remain committed to this consensus, said Jibril Rajoub, a senior Palestinian official, adding straying from it will lead to nothing. Those who are violating the Arab consensus will be isolated in the long term, he warned. Palestinians condemn the normalisation of ties between Israel and Bahrain in Gaza [Mahmud Hams/AFP] Choosing sides One Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, shared the view that at the moment the Palestinians dont really have a way out. They are also stuck because of those who want to support their cause, whether it is Turkey or Iran. Iran already has relations with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and slightly cooler ties with the PA. The Palestinian cause has also received backing from Turkey, a regional power increasingly at odds with Israel and that militarily backs a rival faction in the Libya war to the UAE and Egypt. Turkey does have an ambition to lead this cause and is pointing to the hypocrisy of both Arab states and the West for not emphasising this issue enough, said Gallia Lindenstrauss of Israels National Institute for Security Research. Rajoub insisted: We are not ignoring any country. Turkey is a regional superpower, its an Islamic country and we are on good terms. Well keep cooperating with everybody. But Khatib argued the Palestinians should keep their distance. Its not wise for the Palestinians to be caught within the regional tensions and competition between regional superpowers, he said. If you side with Iran, youll lose Saudi Arabia. If you side with Turkey, youll lose someone else. Its better for the Palestinians to keep a safe distance from these different regional superpowers. By PTI NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said the peace process in Afghanistan must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country as he joined the inaugural session of the intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha through video conference. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Jaishankar's participation was in response to an invitation extended to him by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. An official delegation led by Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran division) in the MEA participated in the inaugural ceremony in Doha, it said. Negotiators from the Afghan government and the Taliban will hold talks as part of intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha to bring lasting peace to Afghanistan. In his address, Jaishankar reaffirmed India's long-led position that any peace process in the country must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled. He also said that the Afghan peace process has to respect the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and preserve the progress made in the establishment of a democratic Islamic republic in Afghanistan. Jaishankar said the interests of minorities, women and vulnerable sections of society must be preserved and the issue of violence across the country and its neighborhood has to be effectively addressed, according to the MEA. "The friendship of our peoples is a testimony to our history with Afghanistan. No part of Afghanistan is untouched by our 400-plus development projects. Confident that this civilizational relationship will continue to grow," the external affairs minister tweeted. Jaishankar referred to the millennia-old relationship between India and Afghanistan, which he said had withstood the test of time. "The external affairs minister highlighted India's role as a major development partner of Afghanistan with over 400 projects completed in all the 34 provinces of Afghanistan," the MEA said in a statement. It said he wished for the success of the intra-Afghan negotiations in delivering to the people of Afghanistan what they have longed for - a peaceful and prosperous future in an independent and sovereign nation, the MEA added. Last month, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani agreed to release 400 Taliban prisoners, paving the way for the beginning of the long-awaited peace process aimed at ending nearly two decades of conflict in the war-torn country. India has been a major stakeholder in the peace and stability of Afghanistan. It has already invested USD two billion in aid and reconstruction activities in the country. India has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned, and Afghan-controlled. India has been keenly following the evolving political situation after the US inked a peace deal with the Taliban in February. The deal provided for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, effectively drawing curtains to Washington's 18-year war in the country. The US has lost over 2,400 soldiers in Afghanistan since late 2001. India has also been maintaining that care should be taken to ensure that any such process does not lead to any "ungoverned spaces" where terrorists and their proxies can relocate. India has been calling upon all sections of the political spectrum in Afghanistan to work together to meet the aspirations of all people in that country including those from the minority community for a prosperous and safe future. (Natural News) The U.S. may have to deal with more storms and dry conditions as a La Nina brews in the Pacific Ocean. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that surface temperatures in the Pacific have dropped to below-average levels, indicating that a La Nina is on the horizon. They also stated that theres also a big chance that the extreme weather pattern would persist until winter next year. With a La Nina looming, states experiencing dry, warm conditions may have to brace for worse weather while areas recently affected by hurricanes may see more rain than usual. The news comes as wildfires in California continued to rage in the wake of the heatwave over the Labor Day weekend, while a majority of the western United States experienced at least moderate levels of drought in August. Meanwhile, the Gulf Coast is still reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, which claimed nearly 30 lives. La Nina to bring more storms, dry conditions According to NOAA, temperatures dropped across the eastern and central Pacific regions in August while atmospheric circulation exhibited anomalies over the surface. A La Nina typically begins with the buildup of below-average subsurface waters in the tropical Pacific, leading to stronger easterly winds and colder surface temperatures. A La Nina triggers weather changes in major parts of the globe, including North America. The northern half of the U.S. mainland typically experiences more rain and colder temperatures while the southern half experiences drier and warmer conditions. According to Michelle LHeureux of NOAAs Climate Prediction Center (CPC), The current NOAA CPC outlook for the upcoming winter is showing a tilt toward drier conditions for the southern tier of the U.S. and wetter conditions over the northern tier of the U.S. La Nina can aggravate existing weather conditions in many states. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported that about a third of the nation endured at least moderate levels of drought in August. Most of the affected areas were in the mid- and the southwestern U.S., such as Utah, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico. More than 93 percent of these four states were experiencing some level of drought. Meanwhile, more than half of California is experiencing drought. The state went through a heatwave over the Labor Day weekend, which saw temperatures rise and caused demand for electricity to skyrocket. The California Independent System Operator recently issued an Emergency Alert warning of possible rolling blackouts if residents do not conserve energy. No blackout occurred and the alert was eventually lifted at night. As the states wildfires have burned across more than two million acres of land, rainfall will provide firefighting efforts a much-needed boost. But with La Nina looming, several areas are predicted to receive less rain, which, along with the Santa Ana winds, may exacerbate the wildfire season. (Related: California wildfires burn record-breaking 2 million acres (and counting).) This time of year, the Southwest is typically dry, and the onset of La Nina will likely not change this expectation, explained LHeureux. The CPCs latest drought outlook also suggested that drought conditions in the southwest may continue and even worsen going into the fall. Also, the most significant effects of La Nina are usually not felt until the winter months, added LHeureux. La Nina can also raise the number of storms forming in the Atlantic. Hurricane Laura recently hit the Gulf Coast, forcing evacuations in Louisiana and Texas as winds blew at 150 miles per hour. The hurricane recorded its 27th death when a 58-year-old woman from Rapides Parish in Louisiana died due to a heat-related illness. Authorities said that the woman was inside a trailer without electricity. As La Nina brews in the Pacific, many states may have to ramp up preparations to mitigate losses. Climate.news has more on extreme weather conditions. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk WearTV.com PMEL.NOAA.gov EarthObservatory.NASA.gov Drought.gov Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment It is no coincidence that Christians and Jews are finally coming together in the very same city where they parted ways more than two thousand years ago. I am often reminded of King Solomons words: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1). The twenty-first century has brought a new season of change, and for anyone with faith, who has eyes to see, it is clear that we have a grand purpose under heaven and the time to act is now. But to determine the best course of action, it is important to first reflect on how far we have come, in a relatively short span, and where we currently stand in the big picture. Throughout time, the Jewish people have remained steadfast and overcome grueling obstacles from a period where polytheism pervaded Roman culture to when General Titus destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem and sent them into a prolonged and stormy exile. For two thousand years, the Jewish people were dispersed across the world, ruthlessly persecuted for their faith. Yet they remained a people apart, preserved their sacred traditions, and never abandoned hope that they would one day reunite in their homeland. Today, the Jewish people are finally back in Israel and against all odds, Israel continues to flourish. Enthralled visitors and inspired immigrants pour in from around the world. Some travel there to marvel at the plethora of modern innovations; others come to breathe in the spiritual air while walking along the same ancient streets where biblical personalities rose to prominence. Just being in the land provides a religious experience. In the same vein, the Ministry of Tourism in Israel has a fantastic slogan: If you like the book, you will love the country. But after light comes darkness. And history repeats itself. The age-old virus of anti-Semitism has resurfaced and is spreading in the form of anti-Zionism. Israel faces daily threats of terrorism stemming from neighboring governments that espouse the teachings of radical Islam, deny Israels right to exist, and seek Arab domination over the entire land they call Palestine. Arab broadcasts throughout the Middle East are flooded with violent animosity toward Jews. Young schoolchildren are educated about the evil intention of the Zionists and encouraged to engage in violent activity. In America, hatred takes a shrewder form. Anti-Israel bias has penetrated the liberal media and academia, where many professors feed their students an oversimplified and distorted view of the conflict, driven primarily by resentment. Until recently, Israel like the Jewish people throughout history stood alone amid a hostile environment and needed to continually defend itself from libelous accusations. Now, for the first time, Israel has a global network of advocates. Bible-believing Christians on different continents are openly backing Israel, willing to swim against the current and stand up for what is right. Recognizing this surge of support coming from Christian communities led to the formation of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus in 2004. This caucus, consisting of a cross section of Knesset members, provides a forum for direct communication and coordination between the Knesset and Christian organizations around the world. Representatives from both groups now meet face to face to discuss the most critical issues. The popularity of the KCAC serves as a signal to the world of the close ties between these two groups based on their faith and common values. News of the caucuss accomplishments has galvanized Christian grassroots supporters of Israel, who are using faith-based diplomacy to effect positive change. In America, Bible-believing Christians have a president who has implemented significant changes in line with their views both by rectifying the grave mistakes of the previous administrations and by taking bold new steps. This current leadership reflects a new trend. Previously, Bible-believing Christians looked for a squeaky-clean candidate with a conservative background and wholesome family values to represent them. While campaigning, these men made all the right assurances; yet when elected to office, they were not able to follow through. Every presidential candidate since 1995, for example, pledged to move the embassy to Jerusalem; none of them did it. The election in 2016 marked a shift wherein Bible-believing Christians opted to elect someone who they believed had the fortitude to deliver on his promises. While Donald Trump didnt fit the profile of a Christian leader, they determined it preferable to have someone strong and able to represent their views. Trump proved to be the right choice as one of the few politicians who kept his word. Because Bible-believing Christians in America have a leader like President Trump who is willing to listen to them, weve seen some of the most critical changes in Americas relationship with Israel, which now gives real peace a chance. The only path to peace comes from following the biblical guidelines recognizing the Jewish peoples connection to the land of Israel and ensuring the safety of its citizens rather than taking the politically correct route at the expense of Israels well-being. For men and women of faith, Trumps policies on Israel, driven by his Christian supporters, are part of a series of biblical prophecies. To counteract the malign efforts of Israels enemies, a great global awakening has occurred wherein men and women of faith are rising in their political echelons. Christians around the world will continue to support candidates, like Donald Trump, who are willing to implement policies in line with the biblical values they treasure. Today, it is Christians, not countries, who are standing with Israel. Adapted from TITUS, TRUMP, AND THE TRIUMPH OF ISRAEL Copyright 2020 by Josh Reinstein. Published by Gefen Publishing. Coming September 1, 2020 wherever books are sold. The Ohio Harness Horsemens Association will return to the Morgan County Fairgrounds in McConnelsville, Ohio to provide second day live coverage of the seven-race card on Saturday, September 12. Post time for the first race is 1:00 p.m. Replays of the races will be available on the Trot and Pace Marketing website, trotandpacemarketing.com, following the completion of racing. The race programs for Morgan County is available on the OHHA website. The Ohio Harness Horsemens Association will continue coverage of live racing on Sunday, September 13. The OHHA will stream the Montgomery County races from Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway. First post time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. both days. The Ohio Harness Horsemens Association will be live streaming Ohio fair races throughout the summer. For a complete schedule go to OHHA.com. (Ohio Harness Horsemens Association) Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 18:18:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SARAJEVO, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Over the past several years, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) has become a corridor as well as a "bottleneck" for tens of thousands of migrants from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, who are heading towards Western Europe, hoping for a better life. Taha Yonus, 46, from Iraq is one of them. He and his family fled the country after his father received death threats. Taha, his wife Wahbeya, and their four children aged 17, 15, seven, and three years old started their long journey to Germany, where they hope to build a better life. According to the latest official data, 6,000 to 7,000 migrants are estimated to be in BiH. Some 4,400 are accommodated in seven camps in the Una-Sana Canton (USC) in the northwest of the country and in the area of the capital Sarajevo. Though conditions in most of the camps are bad, thousands of migrants have experienced worse while living on the streets or in makeshift accommodation, mostly in the USC and in the Tuzla Canton (TK), some 120 km north of Sarajevo. The complex humanitarian situation has been additionally burdened by the COVID-19 pandemic. "Despite all these difficulties, I am confident that together we can make a difference and be responsible for everyone's benefit," said Azra Ibrahimovic-Srebrenica, 41-year-old manager of the Temporary Reception Center for migrants in Usivak near Sarajevo. The center has been run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) -- the leading agency in providing a humanitarian response to migrants in BiH. Currently, the IOM is running seven similar facilities in the USC and the Sarajevo Canton. Ibrahimovic-Srebrenica said that working from home was not an option and the IOM staff have been present non-stop in shifts, providing support to the beneficiaries while simultaneously applying all preventive measures. As a result, no positive cases have been reported in the Usivak camp so far. Established in late 2018, the Usivak camp is now home to more than 800 migrants, most of whom are from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Morocco, and Syria. Among the migrants, there are many minors who are on their own and without their families, Ibrahimovic-Srebrenica told Xinhua. She said that she was a refugee herself in the early 1990s after the war broke out in BiH. "Since I have personal experience of depending on humanitarian aid, I didn't have to think twice when the opportunity came to work as a humanitarian and help people in need. I worked for years for several Italian humanitarian organizations before I joined the IOM," she said. Ibrahimovic-Srebrenica added that it was a challenge to maintain peace and order inside the camp when restrictive measures were first introduced, with people ending up without access to shops, banks or post offices. "This is a situation in which any minor discussion can turn into violent conflict and fight. By joint efforts with my team, we managed to overcome these past months without any significant incidents," she said. She said that misunderstandings and conflicts are not uncommon in places where people from different environments and cultures are living side by side while also facing difficulties. "The biggest challenge is to heal the wounded souls," she said, noting that physical wounds heal much faster than psychological traumas that people, especially children, are experiencing on their quest to reach their dream destination. Ibrahimovic-Srebrenica said that her biggest satisfaction comes from seeing the smiles of the people who are thankful for her and her team allowing them the dignity they deserve as humans, despite their situation. One of the grateful residents of the Usivak camp is 27-year-old Ramin Ahmed from Afghanistan. He fled the country fearing for his life, after witnessing colleagues die in a bomb explosion near his office. "I want to go to France; I want to work and continue my education," Ramin told Xinhua, adding that he misses his parents and friends. "I will never forget the hospitality of people in BiH. I have no words to express my gratitude," he said. Enditem Standing in front of Auburn University's Samford Hall on a warm, clear Friday morning, Lt. Col. Nate Conkey addressed the group before him with a message of remembrance and one of thanks. The outdoor ceremony highlighted six new cadets willing to serve their nation and remembering the lives lost 19 years ago on a similarly clear Sept. 11 morning. This is a big moment, said Conkey in addressing those at the days official swearing-in ceremony for the newest cadets of the U.S. Army Reserve Officers Training Corps, or ROTC, at Auburn University. Thank you for being willing to take this step. Its a benchmark to greatness. Conkey spoke about the significance of the day, recalling how on Sept. 11, 2001, he listened by radio to the days horrifying, unfolding events and wanted to do his part to defend his country. We absolutely have to remember, he said, adding that in a moment on that day, lives were changed. The new cadets made that commitment official as they recited the Oath of Enlistment. They agreed to join the four-year leadership training program in exchange for scholarships that cover tuition expenses at Auburn. To the letter writer who expressed concern about President Donald Trump not respecting people (Those whom Trump disrespects include many of his supporters, Sept. 2), I respect your service as a Vietnam veteran and I also understand your feelings regarding Trump. In early 2016, I wrote similar letters to The Plain Dealer expressing my opinion that we already had one narcissistic, arrogant president and we didnt need another. However, when Trump became the Republican nominee, voting for the alternative (Hillary Clinton) was not an option. The politicization of the Justice Department and FBI by the Obama administration was already apparent, and under Hillary it would have gotten worse. Nevertheless, it was admittedly an uncertainty as to how Trump would perform. Fortunately, Trump has followed through on his promises. And, recognizing the complications related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in spite of the continuous obstacles thrown up by the Democrats, he has had resounding success. However, despite the misdeeds of the past administration, the Democrats' continuing denial that they occurred means the threat to the rule of law will continue. Therefore, once again, for the sake of the rule of law, I believe it is imperative that Trump be reelected. Jim Johnston, Avon Lake Boris Johnsons attempt to tear up his own Brexit withdrawal agreement is facing certain defeat in the House of Lords, Lord Heseltine has said. The former deputy prime minister was the latest in a string of Conservative grandees to denounce the move, after Sir John Major joined Theresa May in warning that the prime minister risked forfeiting trust in Britain around the globe. As the European Commission demanded urgent talks to discuss Mr Johnsons plans, Sir John warned the UK risked losing something beyond price that may never be regained. Meanwhile, Downing Street suggested that ambiguities in the text of the agreements protocol on Northern Ireland were left in the treaty because of Mr Johnsons haste to meet his own self-imposed deadline to take the UK out of the EU. Asked why the problems - which Mr Johnson now claims are so serious that he needs to break the law to provide a safety net for Northern Ireland - were not thrashed out at the time he agreed the deal last autumn, the PMs official spokesperson said: It was agreed at pace in the most challenging possible political circumstances. He said Mr Johnson had hoped that issues of concern could be sorted out later in a UK/EU Joint Committee led by cabinet minister Michael Gove and European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic. Recommended What changes to Brexit agreement mean for Ireland The PMs UK Internal Market Bill, published today, includes plans to allow UK ministers to override the treaty agreement by unilaterally waiving customs documents on goods travelling from Northern Ireland to the British mainland and tariffs on exports travelling the other way and limiting the EUs ability to curtail their use of state aid subsidies. As talks to avert a looming no-trade deal Brexit continued in London, commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she was "very concerned" by the initiative, which she said would "undermine trust". "Very concerned about announcements from the British government on its intentions to breach the Withdrawal Agreement, she tweeted. This would break international law and undermines trust. "Pacta sunt servanda [agreements must be kept] = the foundation of prosperous future relations." Her warning was of a kind with Sir Johns claim that going back on an international treaty risked wrecking the UKs reputation around the world. For generations, Britain's word - solemnly given - has been accepted by friend and foe, said the Conservative former prime minister. 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." Lord Heseltine said the bill would be blocked by peers in the House of Lords horrified by the prime ministers behaviour. "I wouldn't have thought it had the ghost of a chance, the former deputy prime minister told Times Radios John Pienaar. The chief whip in the Lords, the government chief whip, has indicated anxiety about this. "No Conservative government that I can think of would ever have done anything like this. They are saying now, 'Oh well, the withdrawal agreement was negotiated in a rush and there were some mistakes'. But if they were acting in good faith wouldn't it have been wise to have gone back to the Europeans and said, Look, we all knew it was a bit of a rush? Wouldn't it have been better to try and sort it out without threatening, without doing so at a time when we are poised on the risk of a no-deal Brexit to add to the absolute decimation of Covid? It is unbelievable that a Conservative government is behaving in this way." Ministers have argued legislation is necessary to protect the Northern Ireland peace process if the two sides are unable to agree a free trade deal before the current Brexit transition period runs out at the end of the year. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 18 January 2022 Surfers enter the sea as the sun rises over Tynemouth on the North East coast PA UK news in pictures 17 January 2022 Bonhams Danny McIlwraith holds a Nigerian polycrome carved wood mask during a photocall for the sale of the Jim Lennon Collection at Bonhams in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 16 January 2022 The moon rises above the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, Hampshire PA UK news in pictures 15 January 2022 Demonstrators outside Downing Street during a Kill The Bill protest against The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in London PA UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year PA UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic Getty UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA In the Commons, Mr Johnson defended the legislation, saying it provided a "legal safety net" to protect against "extreme or irrational interpretations" of the Northern Ireland provisions of the agreement which could lead to the creation of "a border down the Irish Sea". However, Mr Sefcovic said he had told Mr Gove in a phone call on Tuesday that the Withdrawal Agreement is not open for renegotiation and we expect the letter and the spirit of the Withdrawal Agreement will be fully respected. A UK government spokesperson said it welcomed Mr Sefcovic's request for an additional meeting of the joint committee and would look to agree a date with his team. Irish prime minister Micheal Martin phoned Mr Johnson to set out in forthright terms his concerns about latest developments in London on Brexit, including the breach of an international treaty, the absence of bilateral engagement and the serious implications for Northern Ireland". And Joe Bidens chief foreign policy adviser indicated that the Democratic presidential nominee would not look kindly on anything which disrupted the balance over border arrangements established in the withdrawal agreement. Anthony Blinken said: Joe Biden is committed to preserving the hard-earned peace and stability in Northern Ireland. As the UK and EU work out their relationship, any arrangements must protect the Good Friday Agreement and prevent the return of a hard border. In a further sign of unease in Washington, Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, warned there was absolutely no chance of a US-UK trade deal passing Congress if Mr Johnsons actions damaged the Good Friday Agreement, which she described as treasured by the American people and an inspiration to the world. The UKs former ambassador in Washington, Sir Kim Darroch told the BBCs Newsnight he was not surprised that the head of the governments legal department had quit over Mr Johnsons plans. You really cant unilaterally rewrite an international agreement, he said. We just dont do that. First of all I think that it risks the Good Friday Agreement peace settlement in Northern Ireland, if you end up having to impose some sort of hard border. Second I think it blows the chance of a UK-EU free trade deal. Michel Barnier has already made that clear and the Irish government has made it clear. In a further move, business secretary Alok Sharma announced he would table secondary legislation to remove "redundant" EU state aid rules from the UK statute book. In a Commons written statement, he said that from 1 January the UK would follow World Trade Organisation rules and parliament alone would have the power to regulate subsidies for business. The bill, tabled in the Commons, states that "special regard" must be given to Northern Ireland's place in the UK internal market and that there should be no new checks on goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain. It gives ministers the power to modify or "disapply" rules that come into force from the start of next year if the UK and the EU are unable to come to alternative arrangements through a trade deal. Similar powers would apply over the issue of state aid, effectively giving the UK the ability to override obligations within the Withdrawal Agreement agreed prior to Brexit. In a shocking development, six Shiv Sena goons who were arrested for allegedly attacking 62-year-old retired Navy veteran - Madan Sharma - has been granted bail on Saturday. The bail comes within 24-hours of arrest, and Mumbai Police has reportedly said that the sections on which they were charged were bailable offence and hence bail was granted. Mumbai police on Friday night, arrested two main accused - Shiv Sena Shakha chiefs Kamlesh Kadam and Sanjay Manjre. The Samta Nagar police station had registered an FIR against Kamlesh Kadam and his 8-10 associates in connection to the case. Apart from these shakha chiefs, four more were arrested, but now all of them have been granted bail. READ | Navy veteran's emotional daughter on Sena attack: 'Police wanted to arrest my father' 62-year-old Navy veteran attacked On Friday, Shiv Sena goons allegedly attacked an ex-Navy officer over a Whatsapp forward. The 62-year-old retired Navy veteran - Madan Sharma, is currently under treatment at Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali. CCTV footage from the area shows the goons dragging Sharma, slapping him as he tries to run away. Sources report that Sharma- a Kandivali resident, was attacked by goons led by a Shiv Sena 'Shakha' head, who allegedly barged into Sharma's compound. Calling the ex-Navy officer to come out of his house, the Sena unit chief allegedly attacked him. The Whatsapp forward was a satirical cartoon featuring Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and his allies - Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi. READ | Two Shiv Sena Shakha Chiefs Arrested For Assaulting Navy Veteran After Complaint Navy Veteran's Son Slams Sena Speaking to Republic TV, a day after the ex-Navy officer was attacked by Shiv Sena goons, his son Sunny said that situation in Maharashtra is worrisome. He narrated the brutal incident that took place on Friday and how Sena goons attacked his father. He said that his father is recovering but the doctors have said that internal injuries will take a month or two to heal. Ex-Navy officer's son said: "The situation in Maharashtra is such that whosoever expresses their view, they are being threatened and beaten. They are beating 65-year old, they go and raze someone's home, it's like Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. I want to thank you the other Navy veterans and BJP leaders. If they would not raise their voice, they would have put my father in jail. Now they can threaten me and my family." READ | Shiv Sena embarrassed, Bombay HC says 'no legality to interfere with Republic broadcast Daughter demands 'President's rule in Maharashtra' Sharma's daughter opened up on how Shiv Sena goons attacked him over a WhatsApp forward. Mentioning that her father received 10-15 threat calls after forwarding a cartoon, she revealed that her father was beaten without any provocation. Moreover, she added that police personnel came to her house one hour later allegedly to arrest Madan Sharma. Thereafter, she contacted local BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar following which she received assistance. The retired Navy officer's daughter demanded strict action against the goons. Additionally, she called for the imposition of President's Rule in Maharashtra, citing that nobody was safe in the state. READ | Navy Veteran's son slams Sena after attack on his father: 'Maha's situation is like PoK' READ | 'Shameful', fume Bollywood stars on Shiv Sena goons' attack on Navy veteran HOUSTON, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emerson Firm, PLLC (Emerson), a law firm in Houston, Texas, announces that it is continuing its investigation regarding the alleged mishandling of individuals personal financial data by Yodlee, Inc. (Yodlee). One of our colleagues recently filed a class action complaint on behalf of individuals whose financial information was collected and stored by the fintech app Yodlee. The defendants are Yodlee and Envestnet, Inc. (Envestnet). Yodlee is aa subsidiary of Envestnet which provides unified wealth management technology and products to financial advisors and institutions. Their flagship product is an advisory platform that integrates the services and software used by financial advisors in wealth management. Yodlee is one of the largest financial data aggregators in the world. Its business focuses on selling highly sensitive data, such as bank balances and credit card transaction histories, to advertisers, investors, researchers, and other third parties. Yodlee's software is designed to act as an intermediary to connect bank accounts to apps such as PayPal; however, users are not informed that Yodlee gathers their information, or that Yodlee stores their information long after using it to facilitate the connection. Reports have revealed that Yodlee is mishandling the data by distributing it in unencrypted plain text files. As a result, class members are at risk for fraud and identity theft. If you are a person in California or elsewhere in the U.S. whose accounts at a financial institution were accessed by Yodlee using login credentials obtained through Yodlee's software incorporated in a mobile or web-based fintech app that enables payments or money transfers then you may be affected. If you are concerned about your rights in this situation, please contact plaintiffs counsel, Emerson, via e-mail to John G. Emerson ( jemerson@emersonfirm.com ) or at the following toll-free number: 800-551-8649. Story continues A recent Vice News report revealed Amazons longstanding surveillance operations, systematically targeting and monitoring the companys own workers on private Facebook Groups, with particular emphasis on posts calling for workers to organize or strike [1]. The investigation unveiled an intricate spying operation on Amazons Flex Drivers, independent contractors who make possible the companys last mile delivery. Amazon utilized the domain www.sharkandink.com as a spacewith no obvious connection to the conglomerateto compile the reports. A login page included in the files obtained says: the information related to different posts reported out from various social forums are classified. DO NOT SHARE without proper authentication. Most of the Post/Comment screenshots within the site are from closed Facebook groups. It will have a detrimental effect if it falls within the reach of any of our Delivery partners. DO NOT SHARE without proper authentication. Amazon utilized a well-organized team, called the Advocacy Operations Social Media Listening Team, to monitor the posts of workers. Posts are monitored in real time through a Live tool and sorted into various categories such as Media Coverage, and are further subdivided to handle more specific topics such as Strikes/Protests: DPs planning for any strike or protest against Amazon, and DP approached by researchersDPs being approached by researchers for their project/thesis, with researchers referring to journalists and DPs referring to Delivery Partners, another term for Flex drivers. Particularly significant posts are brought to the attention of Amazons leadership. According to an investigation published by Open Markets this month, navigation software for Amazon delivery drivers, called the Rabbit or Dora, is used to recommend and monitor routes and track the workers productivity. The software only factors in 30 minutes for lunch and two separate 15-minute breaks during the day, and further demands that employees deliver 999 out of every 1,000 packages on time or face termination. Within fulfillment centers, employing over 600,000 workers, Amazon workers face a similar regime of surveillance. Upon entering the warehouse workers have to dispose of all personal belongings except a water bottle and a clear plastic bag of cash. During the workday, Amazon watches over warehouse employees with a high-tech Panopticon of security cameras. Workers productivity is timed by a scanner, and if they are not quick enough they risk termination. At the end of their workday, warehouse employees are screened to ensure that they have not stolen any items. Large television sets throughout the facilities often display former employees who were caught stealing and were subsequently terminated and/or arrested. This is to frighten and intimidate workers with proof of the efficacy of the constant surveillance. Surveillance is used in conjunction with managers to prevent workers from organizing. According to Hibaq Mohamed, a stower in Minneapolis quote in a recent report: Managers are always hovering around. They feel comfortable physically harassing people; thats a regular thing...The workers who speak up, they feel threatened physically and mentally...When they want to know something, the management, they use that camera. When were organizing, when there was a slowdown of work before the pandemic in my area or my department, then we [workers] would come together and talk. But [the camera] is how they can come so quickly and spread workers out. Private groups on Facebook and social media in general have become a way for workers to break the isolation promoted by management and connect with fellow co-workers. A recent example of the power of social media is the case of Jana Jumpp, a former Amazon employee who has compiled intensive data sourced from workers across the United States, showing infections and deaths from COVID-19 hidden by the company. Amazon, which owns 32 percent of the worlds online cloud infrastructure, is well aware of the power of online forms of communication and is ramping up its surveillance apparatus for the primary purpose of tracking workersin great part by hiring corporate employees with spying expertise developed through state and military service. The company recently advertised job postings for an Intelligence Analyst and Sr. Intelligence Analyst, and subsequently took them down after the candid description of the job responsibilities received significant attention. These jobs fall under Amazons Global Security Operations (GSO) and Global Intelligence Program (GIP). The job listing read, Analysts must be capable of engaging and informing L7+ ER Principals (attorney stakeholders) on sensitive topics that are highly confidential, including labor organizing threats against the company, establish and track funding and activities connected to corporate campaigns (internal and external) against Amazon, and provide sophisticated analysis on these topics. L7 means the seventh rung on Amazons corporate ladder. Jeff Bezos, CEO and worlds richest man, is L12. ER means employee relations. An Intelligence Analyst is essentially a spy for the company, informing those in leadership positions within the worlds largest corporation of anything that threatens their profits, primarily the organized resistance of workers. The demand for this type of high-level corporate goon has grown sharply since 2018, from 7 posts featuring the terms GSO or GIP in July of 2018 to 46 as of September 8, 2020, according to a report compiled by Thinknum. In a more recent description of the position of Intelligence Analyst on LinkedIn, Amazon specifically writes: Previous experience in Intelligence analysis and/or watch officer skill set in the intelligence community, the military, law enforcement, or a related global security role in the private sector is a preferred qualification. A search on LinkedIn of Amazon GSOC(Global Security Operation Center) employees yields results such as John A. Barrios, a senior manager of GSOC who formerly worked for the FBI for over 11 years, and Nathan Nguyen, a GSOC manager and former Intelligence analyst from the US Army. When the keyword Amazon Intelligence is entered, Joel Rodriguez, the Head of Amazon Intelligence in the Americas and a former Senior Intelligence Officer in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and former Intelligence Analyst for the Department of Justice, is one of the results. Keith Alexander In addition to its mid-level staff, Amazon has integrated leading figures of the US military apparatus into its company leadership. General Keith Alexander, the former National Security Agency (NSA) chief, will be joining Amazons board of directors, the central body responsible for overseeing the operations of the global conglomerate, with almost 800,000 full time employees. Alexander led the NSA from August 2005 to May 2010. From 2010 to 2013 he was head of Cyber Command, which has as its mission, according to the Department of Defense, to ensure US/Allied freedom of action in cyberspace and deny the same to our adversaries. As whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed, the NSA, alongside the CIA, created a massive spying apparatus with the goal to collect all the worlds digital communications, store them for ages and search through them at will. The agencies created programs which could forcibly enter an individuals electronic device and store their private information without consent, violating the constitutionally guaranteed right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures. Edward Snowden is now exiled in Russia for exposing this criminal conspiracy against democratic rights, and has been hounded by both US capitalist parties, the Democrats and Republicans. Amazon is in the process of rapid expansion, with plans to invest tens of billions of dollars over the course of the year in order to greatly increase the companys domination across myriad sectors of the economy. However, the growing militancy of Amazon workers, spurred by inadequate safety measures during the pandemic, threatens to derail their plans. Over the past several months, Amazon workers have engaged in localized spontaneous strikes around the US, together with strikes by thousands of workers in Europe. This has been alongside massive protests against police brutality around the world. At present, a growing strike wave of teachers, students and workers opposed to re-opening the economy during the pandemic is emerging, which threatens to encourage broad layers of Amazon workers to take strike action. Increasingly fearful of rank and file workers, and viewing them as the biggest threat to the companys profits, Amazon is ramping up its spying operations, in line with its growing integration with the US military and intelligence apparatus. The news of General Alexander joining Amazons leadership was revealed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing two days ago. Amazons management, composed of leading members of the capitalist class and headed by the worlds richest man, intend to use the expertise cultivated by its former state and military staff against domestic terrorism as a weapon against rank and file workers, who are increasingly connected through online forms of communication. Amazon is not unique in using these methods. In 2015, Walmart hired an intelligence-gathering service from the military contractor Lockheed Martin to survive and weed out workers resistance. Amazon workers must not be intimidated. The corporations surveillance crackdown is not a show of strength, but of weakness. It is terrified of the growing resistance of rank-and-file workers. In order to defend their lives and livelihood, teachers and autoworkers, with the support of the World Socialist Web Site, have formed rank and file committees, democratic organizations in the fullest sense of the term, as the beginning of a great struggle to unite all sections of the working class in a fight to ensure their safety and build a better world. We encourage Amazon workers to contact us at the International Amazon Workers Voice. We will respect your anonymity and do everything we can to protect your identity from company spies. Militia Member Arrested for Allegedly Menacing With Gun During Riot A member of the Redneck Revolt militia was arrested on Friday for allegedly pointing a rifle at an occupied vehicle during a riot in Colorado last month. Sherrie Smith, 36, of Fountain, Colo., was taken into custody on multiple charges, including felony menacing, felony riot, and several misdemeanors. The Colorado Springs Police Department said Smith and two others, 20-year-old Charles Johnson of Colorado Springs and 33-year-old Lloyd Porche of Denver, committed crimes during rioting in the city on Aug. 3. The riot targeted a police sergeants residential home. Police obtained arrest warrants for the trio as well as search warrants for the homes of Smith and Porche. Local police received assistance from federal agents in the probe. Smith told a local paper, the Colorado Springs Independent, several years ago that she became extremely active in politics after President Donald Trump entered office, leaving voicemails for her representatives, visiting Congressional offices, and doing other work. But after she got locked out of a representatives office, she was convinced her the tactics needed to change. Thats when I was like, we need to stop being polite. They work for us and if they dont want to hear me, Ill make sure they do, she said. Smith and her husband came into contact with so-called anti-fascist activists, or Antifa members, many of whom have stated openly that they support using violence against opponents. They soon became familiar with Redneck Revolt, which provides security for left-wing protesters. According to the groups website, it is a national network of anti-racist, anti-fascist community defense firearms projects from a broad spread of political & cultural backgrounds. Many of the groups branches choose to become John Brown Gun Clubs. Attorney General William Barr named the club as one group in Antifas sprawling network, telling NBC this week that chants from a number of gatherings signal the groups believe theyre revolutionaries and engaged in a revolution. People described as Antifa militants smash windows and set a fire to the Sacramento District Attorneys Office on Aug. 27, 2020. (Sacramento District Attorneys Office) An individual who took part in a riot in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Aug. 3, 2020, whose identity is being sought by law enforcement. (Colorado Springs Police Department) Smith told the paper that Redneck Revolt and Antifa shared tactics but claimed the former was committed to defensive action and an organizational structure. Were not looking for confrontation like they are, she said. Smith told the same paper this week that she did attend the protest that devolved into a riot, claiming the fact she openly carried a firearm led to her being charged. Its retaliation she said. My firearms legal. Every firearm we own is legal. I was carrying, legally. The protest was moving constantly thats the regulation for protest in a residential area. This is an attempt to scare me and stop me from what Im doing. Colorado Springs Police Chief Vince Niski said his department supports everybodys rights, but not committing illegal acts. As a department, we are committed to ensuring everyones rights. That includes protecting those who wish to speak against us and law enforcement as a whole. But what we cannot allow is for illegal behavior in our city. Niski said in a statement. Officials said they expect to make additional arrests in the future. They published an individual dressed in all black, with a brown vest, who was brandishing a rifle at the riot, and asked for public assistance identifying the person. At least 10 people have been killed in the past week throughout Oregon. Officials have said more people are missing from other fires, and the number of fatalities is likely to rise, though they have not said how high the toll could go as they search. In California, 24 people have died, and one in Washington state. Thousands of homes and other buildings have burned. Johnson Requests Inspector General Probe Into Wiped Mueller iPhones Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) on Friday requested that the Department of Justice inspector general investigate the wiping of iPhones used by members of the special counsel team which ran the Russia investigation. These reports are troubling and raise concerns about record retention and transparency, Johnson wrote in a letter to the DOJ Inspector General (IG) Michael Horowitz on Sept. 11. Therefore, I respectfully request that your office open an investigation into this matter to determine what, why, and how information was wiped, whether any wrongdoing occurred, and who these devices belonged to. Documents released by the DOJ on Sept. 10 include a log of devices showing that multiple employees wiped their phones before the devices can be reviewed to determine if they contained government records. An Epoch Times analysis of the log shows that at least 22 phones were wiped. Related Coverage Mueller Team Wiped at Least 22 Phones Before They Could Be Checked for Records Johnson also asked to whether Horowitz is already aware of the matter and whether it is possible to retrieve text messages from the phones. He asked the IG to respond by Sept. 18. Sen. Chuck Grassley on Friday demanded more information about the wiping of the phones from the DOJ and the FBI. 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 special counsel iPhone log shows that data was completely wiped from at least 22 phones, 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. On two occasions, the phone apparently wiped themselves. 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. 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. Prosecutor General of Ukraine Iryna Venediktova said that she does not intend to resign from this position. "I did not write a statement [of resignation] of my own free will, neither yesterday, nor a week ago, nor a month ago, nor when I was appointed to the position. There is no such statement," she said in an interview with the Freedom of Speech television program of Savik Shuster ". Venediktova said that she was not going to write such a statement, because it was "irresponsible." "It is easy for me, I wrote the program of the presidential candidate [Volodymyr Zelensky], I wrote the program of the Servant of the People party, I was in the pool of experts. For me this is all serious, I did not come to sit in my chairs, I came to change. There is a chance, and I will not miss it," she said. Venediktova said that if the Verkhovna Rada decides that it is time for Venediktova to leave the post of prosecutor general, then the MPs will do so in the manner prescribed by law. "They will collect signatures, call me, I will answer all questions, they will vote, and we will see what will happen. Until the Verkhovna Rada shows its will, I remain in the position of the Prosecutor General," she said. Venediktova said that now she has something to do. "I am creating a strategy for the development of prosecutor agencies, a concept for the development of law enforcement agencies. It is impossible to live in a state without a strategy, without a plan, at least for some perspective. Therefore, it seems to me that it is very important for the law enforcement agencies to write this plan and update everything. This is very interesting to me now," she said. According to her, the reboot of the regional prosecutor's offices started, new regional prosecutor's offices were opened. "We are now working very closely with regional prosecutors. We will finish with them, and I think that at the end of the month we should start with qualifying examination of local prosecutors. Therefore, there is a lot of work, and I am busy now with what I do," she said. Nancy Menees Hardesty was so enamoured of a writing assignment in an adult education class that she ignored future assignments even as she kept taking the classes so she could continue developing what turned out to be her first novel. Its essentially the story of my grandmother from age 14 to 21, Hardesty said of The Bonnet Book: Diary of an Orphan Train Hatmaker, which was released earlier this month. The challenge for me was to try to get into her mind and understand what happened. The story has many ties to Jacksonville and Illinois. Hardesty was born in Jacksonville to Mary Kay Hardesty Menees and Charles Menees. Mary Kay lived at No. 7 Duncan Place as a child and went on to attend MacMurray College. Charles Menees grew up in Virginia and attended Illinois College, majoring in journalism. Mary Kays father, Tully Overall Hardesty, was a doctor in Jacksonville and, while Hardestys parents were living in the St. Louis area by then, all of the couples children were born in Jacksonville and delivered by their grandfather, Hardesty said. I spent my summers at Duncan Park, Hardesty said Thursday from her home near San Francisco, where wildfires were raging the sky was orange all day Wednesday, she said. But it is not orange today, which is good; its just cloudy. While taking a writing course at Stanford University, Hardesty was asked to write about a family member. She had always been close to her grandmother, Blanche Bonnie Spencer, and decided to write about her life as a child of the orphan trains. The words flowed. I thought I had tapped into her spirit or her history or her bloodstream or all of these, Hardesty said. I felt compelled to keep going. I stayed in two or three courses at Stanford and had the same professor. Whatever assignment he gave, I just kept writing about my grandmother. He encouraged me, so I had a cheerleader from the very beginning. Still, writing the book was not a quick experience. Hardesty spent six years doing research, trying to fill in the blanks of what she was able to find in family history. By the time Hardesty knew her grandmother, Blanche Spencer had changed her name to Bonnie. When she was alive, I didnt know her early history, Hardesty said. That early history started in Oraville, a small community in southern Illinois. Blanche Spencer wasnt an orphan, but her father, a teacher, put her on a so-called orphan train a welfare program that sent orphaned and homeless children by train to foster homes sending her away from her family in hopes of giving her a better life. My conclusion Hardesty said. They had six children they were trying to feed on a minimal salary and his job was only part-time. I think he put her on the train for two reasons. One, there was one less mouth to feed. Blanches father also had heard that the orphans could further their education, learn foreign languages and skills. She was his smartest child, Hardesty said. He probably felt she was most able to adapt. In reality, she became a servant for two little girls and she was denied further education, so she got very creative and educated herself through books. After seven years working as a nursemaid, she was sent to hat-making school and became a hatmaker. A short apprenticeship later and she ended up in Oklahoma City, making hats for people attending the 1910 state fair. A small diary, which Hardesty dubbed the bonnet book and from which she pulled the title of her novel, and a trunk that belonged to Bonnie remain in the family. The trunk was used to carry her hat-making supplies. She got her first freedom, her teenage freedom, through books and her adult freedom through her hat-making skills, Hardesty said. I think this young woman was an early example of girl power. While based on her grandmothers true story, Hardesty considers the young adult novel to be historical fiction, she said. There were places I didnt have enough information to fill in the details, she said. I had to use my instincts when I did not have factual information. Still, it is as true to her grandmothers story as Hardesty could manage, she said. Thats an appealing story small-town girl makes good, she said. Not big, but good. Its not big and its not glamorous and its not Hollywood. Its just a small-town girl who has had success in her life. Nancy Menees Hardestys The Bonnet Book: Diary of an Orphan Train Hatmaker, is available through Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle versions. By Express News Service KOCHI: For Babu, who has undergone 860 dialysis procedures, and Sindu Ashok Kumar, another patient, the wait for a kidney donor finally ended, thanks to the family of a 37-year-old social worker T Byju. After Byju was declared brain dead on August 22 and passed away soon, his family decided to donate his organs to five people. In life, Byju was a selfless social worker and they wanted his goodness to reflect even during his death. Babu, 56, who was undergoing treatment under Dr George K Ninan for the last nine years was in the waiting list of Mrithasanjeevani, a Government of Kerala initiative for organ donations, for the last five and half years. Meanwhile, Sindhu, 44,a patient of Dr Aby P Abraham, had been waiting for a donor since 2013, when she was diagnosed with kidney ailments. Babu with Dr George P Abraham, Dr Georgy K Ninan& Dr Datson George On August 23, the kidneys were transplanted at VPS Lakeshore Hospital, Kochi, following which Babu and Sindu was discharged on September 5 and 8 respectively. Dr George P Abraham, chief transplant surgeon and urologist at VPS Lakeshore Hospital, said the surgeries started at 7am and lasted over seven hours. Nephrologists Dr Aby Abraham, Dr Georgy K Ninan, Urologist Dr Datson George, and Anesthesiologist Dr Jaya Susan Jacob were also part of the team who conducted the surgery. Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut will meet Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Sunday in the backdrop of the escalating animosity between the actor and the Shiv Sena. The actor is believed to apprise the governor of the situation before she leaves Mumbai on September 14. The meeting is scheduled at 4.30pm. The Bollywood actor drew the ire of the Shiv Sena after she compared Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir in one her tweets regarding Sushant Singh Rajput death investigation case. The actor allegedly received threats from Sena leaders following which she was accorded Y plus security. On September 9, she arrived in Mumbai amid tight security. On the same day, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation conducted a demolition drive at her Mumbai office, razing the portions which were illegally built. The Maharashtra government has, however, distanced itself from the demolition drive and said the government had nothing to do with the BMC decision. Also Read: Even if they try hard to scare me, Kangana shares meme. Uddhav is depicted as Ravana The tussle between the actor and the party continued with Kangana taking a potshot at Shiv Sena becoming a shadow of Congress. The party too took a jibe at the actor in its editorial on mouthpiece Saamana, saying several artists have achieved success in the industry due to talent and not religion. Artistes from all over the country are benefitting from the fruits of the foundation laid by Dadasaheb Phalke, the editorial said. Those who come to Mumbai to try their luck in this industry first stay on the footpath and then shift to Juju, Pali Hill and Malabar Hill to build their bungalows. All these people have always been grateful to the city and the state which allowed them to chase their dreams and make it big. They have never betrayed Mumbai but have also contributed to the growth of the city, the Saamana said. Many artistes have been awarded Bharat Ratna and also Nishan-e-Pakistan, it noted. (With agency inputs) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 12) In a matter of two days, 98 more private schools offering basic education informed the Department of Education they will suspend operations for the academic year 2020 to 2021. DepEd Undersecretary Jesus Mateo told CNN Philippines Newsroom Weekend that as of Friday, September 11, there are 846 private education institutions that were not operating amid the shift to distance learning and low enrollment turnout. DepEd data as of September 9 showed that 748 schools were suspending operations. READ: 748 private schools suspend operations this school year, DepEd says Karamihan po dito 'yung mga elementary, Mateo said. [Translation: Most of those stopping operations are elementary schools.] He said that to date, 398,000 learners who used to go to private schools have transferred to public schools where costs are lower, reflecting the impact of the economic crisis brought about by COVID-19. But the official urged parents and guardians who may have qualms about sending their children to a new type of school to reconsider their decision. He argued that the kids may have a hard time catching up with lessons once they skip one academic year. Based on a DepEd order, late enrollees can be accepted in schools as long as they meet 80 percent of the prescribed number of school days for each school year and the quarterly requirement to pass the grade level as governed by the latest existing applicable DepEd issuances. Turkey Slams Southern EU States' Declaration Supporting Greece Amid EastMed Tensions Sputnik News 14:20 GMT 11.09.2020(updated 14:26 GMT 11.09.2020) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Turkish Foreign Ministry has condemned the declaration adopted at the Summit of the Southern EU Countries that expressed full support and solidarity with Cyprus and Greece in the face of Turkey's drilling activity in the Eastern Mediterranean and also proposed expanding sanctions against Ankara. The leaders of the so-called Med7 nations France, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Cyprus and Malta held a summit on the French island of Corsica on Thursday. They expressed 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" in a joint declaration. "The statements on the Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus issued in the joint declaration are biased, disconnected from the truth, and lack a legal basis," Turkish Foreign Ministry's spokesman said as quoted in a statement. The Turkish-Greek tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean escalated after Ankara began exploration drilling in the Greek-claimed waters in early August. Athens considers this territory to be its exclusive economic zone and has mobilized its armed forces to high alert, vowing to protect its sovereign rights by all means. Meanwhile, the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey have been engaged in a prolonged dispute over the offshore drilling rights since the discovery of the first gas deposits off the coast of the island in 2011, with Ankara rejecting the exclusive economic zone claims of Nicosia. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 23:50:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Iran reached 399,940 on Saturday, after an overnight registration of 2,139 new infections, the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education announced. Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for the ministry, reported at her daily briefing that 1,138 of the new COVID-19 patients had to be hospitalized in the last 24 hours. By Saturday, the pandemic has claimed 23,029 lives in Iran, up by 116 in the past 24 hours, Sadat Lari said. She added that 344,516 patients have recovered so far in Iran and been discharged from hospitals, while 3,768 remain in critical condition in intensive care units. The number of laboratory tests for COVID-19 carried out in Iran has now reached 3,532,873, according to the ministry's figures. The risk of infection is high in 13 out of 31 Iranian provinces, and 15 others are on alert over the virus. 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 A marijuana smuggler from Houston has pleaded guilty to speeding away from the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 35, according to court documents. Christopher Sedrick Brown, 47, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, the U.S. Attorneys Office said on Friday. The marijuana weighed 291.6 pounds and had an estimated street value of $90,000. Brown will remain in custody pending his sentencing. He faces a punishment of five to up to 40 years in federal prison. U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation with assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case. Brown arrived at the checkpoint at about 9:45 p.m. April 20 in a semi-tractor. A K-9 unit then allegedly alerted agents to possible contraband within the vehicle. Brown allegedly allowed an agent to look inside the cab. The agent detected a strong odor of marijuana and referred Brown to secondary inspection, states the arrest affidavit. But Brown ignored the instruction and drove off from the checkpoint. Agents said that Brown was driving erratically and traveling at 94 mph, according to court documents. A DPS trooper then located the tractor-trailer near mile marker 45 of I-35 North. Records state the trooper tried to pull over the tractor-trailer for not having reflective tape on its right mud flap. Brown did not stop, and a pursuit ensued, the affidavit states. He exited I-35 on exit 47 and drove on the east frontage road, reaching speeds of 110 mph. Brown eventually stopped on mile marker 59 in La Salle County after crashing into the thick brush, according to prosecutors. A DPS criminal investigator located Brown walking on the I-35 frontage road and arrested him. A search of the cab yielded eight marijuana bundles. Judges have become soft targets with the advent of social media and have been subject to relentless criticism and juicy gossip, Supreme Court judge, Justice NV Ramana said on Saturday. Justice Ramana, who is the second senior-most judge at the Supreme Court after Chief Justice of India (CJI), SA Bobde, said judges have to be very circumspect when it comes to their social life since they have no platform to respond to criticism and can speak only through their judgments/ judicial work. Judges are restrained from speaking out in their own defence. Today, judges have become soft target of criticism and especially with social medias advent, judges have become subject to juicy gossip. There seems to be a misunderstanding that judges lead a life of luxury in their ivory towers. That is not true. Judges have to balance their social lives in order to be independent, he said in his speech at the launch of a book authored by recently retired Supreme Court judge, Justice R Banumathi. CJI Bobde concurred with Justice Ramanas views saying Freedom of speech of judges is curtailed by the same laws and machinery that uphold the freedom for others who use it to criticise the judiciary and judges. Justice Banumathis book titled Judiciary, Judges and the Administration of Justice was released by CJI Bobde who handed over the first copy to Justice Ramana. Justice Ramana will take over as CJI from Justice Bobde on April 24, 2021 and will serve at the helm for nearly 1.5 years before he retires in August 2022. Last week, another Supreme Court judge, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul had said that courts today are increasingly being asked to decide on political matters which are brought before it under the guise of public interest litigation and they face a lot of criticism due to the handling of such cases. Courts, he maintained, have limitations and have not been been tasked with the responsibility of running the system and cannot perform the role of the government. He, therefore, called for a constructive approach while criticizing the court and its judgments. I do believe that we have adopted a Constitution where we have an elected government in power. Segregation of powers requires the judiciary to perform its role and executive to perform its role. Courts cannot be unelected governments, Justice Kaul had said at a webinar organized by non-governmental organization, CAN Foundation. CJI Bobde on Saturday also said that due to the Covid-19 and the accompanying restrictions which led to shutdown of courts across the country since March, there will be a surge in pendency of cases and suggested mediation as one possible way to tackle the arrears. There will be huge pendency of cases due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I dont think there is a way out of it but only a way through it. I think it can be resolved through mediation. I am not suggesting that we should go for mediation in every case but I dont think we can go about it in the usual way. We will have to put our minds together (to find a solution), he said. The CJI also highlighted the significance of mental health during Covid-19 times saying the Supreme Court has come up with an initiative to provide mental health support and the secretary general will be making an announcement in this regard soon. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON (Photo : (Photo Illustration by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)) WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 07: In this photo illustration, the TikTok app is displayed on an Apple iPhone on August 7, 2020 in Washington, DC. On Thursday evening, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that bans any transactions between the parent company of TikTok, ByteDance, and U.S. citizens due to national security reasons. The president signed a separate executive order banning transactions with China-based tech company Tencent, which owns the app WeChat. Both orders are set to take effect in 45 days. (Photo : (Photo Illustration by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)) NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 03: In this photo illustration, a mobile phone featuring the TikTok app is displayed next to the American flag on August 03, 2020 in New York City. Under threat of a U.S. ban on the popular social media app, it has been reported that Microsoft is considering taking over from Chinese firm ByteDance. World-popular short video streaming application, TikTok's mother country, China, reportedly disregards fierce US competition and ban in the country, despite the nearing September 15 deadline for continued operations to American soil. China prefers the application's shutdown rather than a sale over US companies. China is not looking back and portrays no remorse or regrets over a new statement that prefers the US' ban on TikTok. China looks out for Beijing-based company, ByteDance, and does not want the app developers to suffer on forced sale to American companies with Microsoft and Oracle. According to Reuters, three Chinese officials who wish to remain anonymous have direct knowledge of China's decision and opinion regarding the TikTok-US deal. The East Asian giant prefers to impose a 'mighty image' and not 'crumble' to Washington's executive order. ByteDance's forced sale to US companies will allegedly make the app developer and China look weak in the eyes of the Americans, according to sources. Despite this turn of events in China's decision on TikTok's sale, ByteDance is reportedly not advised by its government to shut down the application, TikTok, in the US or any other markets. The report also says that two of these Chinese officials confirm that China will use any means necessary to delay the deal reached by ByteDance. China's technology export list dated August 28 contains ByteDance's TikTok algorithms are included in the said list and are utilized to give the Chinese government stakes in the US-TikTok deal. The plan was altered in the last week of August, showing distaste on President Trump's executive order against ByteDance and TikTok. ALSO READ: Chinese Regulations Give TikTok Hardship to Sell Operation Rights to US-Will ByteDance Miss September Deadline? US-TikTok China Dispute: Is this the end of TikTok in the Country? The beginning of August saw President Donald J. Trump's iron fist against Chinese application, TikTok that suggests that the company is in works with the Chinese government to siphon sensitive and private American data. ByteDance repeatedly denies this issue. POTUS Trump threatened a ban against the application but soon changed his decision to letting TikTok's operations remain provided that an American company buys it. Recent news even presented that several Chinese regulations may slow down the US-TikTok deals beyond the September 15 deadline. The Chinese law asks that the deal's paperwork and agreement go under strict review before being passed along to the company. Technical and Financial issues will be the primary concern of the review that the Chinese government will focus on. ByteDance, LLC., has no say whatsoever with its government's decision and how it affects the deals that are currently taking place. TikTok's Haven-Singapore is the Future of App's Global Expansion ByteDance and TikTok are reportedly moving forward with its Global Expansion and right in the crosshairs: Singapore. The Chinese application's new focus is moving on to a new headquarters located in the 55-year-old country known for its advancement and order. Singapore already received a billion-dollar proposal from ByteDance and TikTok for a digital bank license request and its operation's headquarters for the Asian market. Despite the US government's dispute, ByteDance still makes this bold move and proceeds to move forward with the application's growth. ByteDance aims to open up and employ more than 200 employees for its SG headquarters for three years. ALSO READ: LEAK: YouTuber Shows iPhone 12 Rear Shell with LiDAR Placement and Three Cameras; First Look at Apple's New Edge Design This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Alonzo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. For someone who dreams of only money and dispute, it comes as little surprise that Kennedy Agyapong has on countless occasions been at the centre of litigations. By his own profound quote, he relishes these moments and any chance to pick a bone with someone is a moment to savour. Kennedys fights know no boundaries. From judges to the clergy to journalists, none has been left out of his obsessive fights. But the few times his verbal attacks have landed him in a lawsuits and Kennedy Agyapong has been found wanting. Below are five instances Kennedy Agyapong has been hauled before the law Treason charges in 2012 Charges of treason, felony, attempted genocide and engaging in terrorist acts were slapped on Kennedy Agyapong for some comments he made on Oman FM. In the aftermath of the mob attack on Ursula Owusu, Kennedy reportedly declared war in the country and vowed to organise supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to defend themselves because the police had failed to protect them. He was however acquitted and discharged. Kennedy Agyapong sued over Adam Mahamas death in 2015 Mike Ampong, a former Greater Accra executive of the NPP sued Kennedy Agyapong for some comments he made regarding the death of Upper East regional chairman of the party, Adams Mahama. Kennedy was dragged before the court after he alleged that Kwadwo Mpianim and Paul Afoko were behind the death of Adams Mahama. Anas sues Kennedy Agyapong The airing of the famous Number12 documentary resulted in media attacks on Anas Aremeyaw Anas by Kennedy Agyapong. Kennedy Agyapong made some comments which were deemed to be defamatory by Anas and he went to court to clear his name. A GH25m defamation suit was filed at the High Court against Kennedy Agyapong. Kweku Baako wins defamatory cases against Kennedy Agyapong Kweku Baako dragged Kennedy Agyapong to an Accra High Court in 2018 for defaming him. After two years of legal battle, judgement was passed with the Assin Central MP on the losing side. Kennedy Agyapong was asked to pay GH100,000 in damages to Baako. Contempt charge, 2020 The latest is a summon by High Court judge Amos Wuntah Wuni for contempt after Kennedy Agyapong threatened him. Kennedy Agyapong insulted the judge on Net2 after he granted an injunction against him. He has in a statement apologized to the judge and asked for forgiveness. 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 Victoria has recorded 41 new cases and seven more deaths as anti-lockdown protesters vow to take to the streets of Melbourne again on Sunday. The latest figures released on Sunday morning take the state's death toll to 723 and the national count to 810 since the start of the pandemic in late January. While Melbourne will remain under stage four lockdown until at least September 28, stage three restrictions in regional Victoria are expected to ease within days. It comes after the state recorded just 37 new cases and six deaths on Saturday- the lowest number of new infections since the second horror wave of the virus began 11 weeks ago. It's also the fourth consecutive day Victoria has recorded less than 50 new cases in a 24-hour period. Police expect more anti-lockdown protesters to swarm the streets of Melbourne on Sunday after they made 14 arrests and issued 51 infringement notices during a 'Freedom Walk' rally on Saturday. Protesters have vowed to take to the streets again on Sunday but won't reveal locations until shortly prior to the rally. Pictured is a man being arrested by police on Saturday Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to release more details about the latest cases at his daily press conference later on Sunday. Melburnians will enjoy slightly more freedom from midnight tonight when their daily exercise time is doubled from one hour to two. The city's strict night curfew will also be reduced by an hour to start at 9pm instead of 8pm. There's growing hope stage four restrictions will be lifted in two weeks if the rate of new daily cases stays under 50. But Premier Andrews hasn't ruled anything out. 'Data trumps modelling every time. Actual numbers, today's number, not what we thought we would have today. That is much better than any assumption you can make,' he told reporters on Saturday. 'This is not an academic exercise, this is live, it's real and we have to lock in some settings and then push to achieve those targets. 'We will keep putting the data in every single day, we'll keep running the models and we'll see how things unfold, day on day, week on week, and we'll use common sense.' Anti-lockdown rally organisers have higher hopes for Sunday's event but won't reveal the locations until 20 minutes before prior in a bid to outsmart police. A mask-wearing protester has already been arrested as police prepare for an anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne on Saturday. More protests have been planned for Sunday Victoria has recorded 41 new cases and seven more deaths on Sunday. Pictured are deserted streets during peak hour in Melbourne on Friday 'Plenty of people showed up, but the police planning prevented people from grouping up, so they had to scatter,' one group admin posted on Facebook on Saturday. 'Tomorrow the police will be on the back foot, and we'll be able to rise.' Police have warned of similar arrests and vowed to issue more $1652 fines if Sunday's protests go ahead as planned. 'Police had significant prevention activity in the lead up to and duration of today's which included visiting 90 persons of interest to urge them not to attend,' a police statement on Saturday said. 'Our investigations into this protest will continue, and we expect to issue further fines once the identity of individuals has been confirmed.' 'Anyone thinking of attending a protest can expect the same swift and firm response from police as has occurred today and at previous protests that were in breach of Chief Health Officer restrictions.' Melburnians will see some lockdown restrictions relaxed from midnight tonight, including more time to exercise and the night curfew reduced by one hour Officers on horseback and in riot gear were seen marching across the city in preparation for the protest that was due to kick off at 11am on Saturday in the city's Tan walking track. Demonstrators were taken away in handcuffs as police tried to avoid a repeat of last week's protest that saw violent clashes leading to 17 arrests. One man was arrested on Saturday after holding an anti-lockdown sign and calling out to police outside the Shrine of Remembrance. The man told News Corp he wasn't a conspiracy theorist but was anti-government and nodded when asked if it was 'worth the fine'. Police are seen taking away the man who said he wasn't a conspiracy theorist but was anti-government and anti-lockdown Officers in riot gear were seen patrolling outside the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne on Saturday afternoon Another mask-wearer was seen being spoken to by an officer while holding a sign that read: 'I am just exercising...my human rights' Police have closed in on the Shrine of Remembrance as they prepare for the 'Freedom Walk' that was due to kick off at 11am in Melbourne Police detain a woman without a mask in Melbourne on Saturday. The 'Freedom Walk' was due to start at 11am as Melburnians vowed to walk for their 'freedom' Police have set up a checkpoint near the Shrine of Remembrance as they try to shut down the planned protest on Saturday Police confront one man who was at the protest in Melbourne on Saturday before being taken away by officers Police take the demonstrator away in handcuffs in Melbourne during the Freedom Walk protest on Saturday afternoon One protester was taken into the back of a police paddy wagon after he was arrested during the Freedom Walk rally in Melbourne Police lock up a protester inside a paddy wagon after arresting people at the Freedom March on Saturday Police moved to the Shrine of Remembrance and surrounding areas and set up checkpoints. Helicopters will also patrol the Tan track as officers block main roads to stop protesters. Another mask-wearer was seen being spoken to by an officer while holding a sign that read: 'I am just exercising...my human rights'. One elderly woman had her details taken by police after she held up a sign with the message: 'open our churches'. One woman was dramatically restrained on the ground by multiple officers at the Observatory Gate because she wouldn't give her ID, the Herald Sun reported. She was shoved into the back of a police car while screaming to be let go. 'They've arrested me because I won't say my name. I've been in Melbourne all my life, I just want to go for a walk,' the woman said. Meanwhile a man with a picture of Premier Daniel Andrews stuck to the back of his face shield paraded through the protest while another had a mask saying 'sack Daniel Andrews'. A couple were also seen walking through the Tan singing 'I Am Australian' while strumming a guitar. A 'Freedom Walk' planned for Saturday was allegedly organised by sacked Clive Palmer political candidate Tony Pecora (pictured) Meanwhile a man with a picture of Premier Daniel Andrews stuck to the back of his face shield paraded through the protest Another man is detained by police at the Freedom Walk protest in Melbourne on Saturday Two Victorian police officers lead another demonstrator away from the protest on Saturday A woman is placed in handcuffs on Saturday as police attempt to shut down an anti-lockdown protest thousands had vowed to attend A line of police officers is seen outside the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne on Saturday morning. Thousands had vowed to attend the protest Police direct a man to move away during the Freedom Walk rally in Melbourne on Saturday morning Victorian police officers swarm the streets of Melbourne on Saturday. Some officers were on horseback or in riot gear The 'Freedom Walk' is believed to be the doing of sacked Clive Palmer political candidate and conspiracy theorist Tony Pecora, 43. Mr Pecora was arrested by police after allegedly planning the event and charged with two counts of incitement. The 43-year-old allegedly created the event on social media under the alias Arkwell Tripellego. He believes the deadly coronavirus was 'genetically engineered by world banks to kill off weak humans'. He then quoted Midnight Oil, allegedly telling police if someone contracted coronavirus at one of his events 'it would be better to die on your feet than live on your knees'. Organisers say the event will be legal and only available for people who live within 5km of the Tan. 'Come together, get healthy and talk about getting our freedoms back,' the event says. There are talks surrounding another protest on Sunday. MELBOURNE'S ROADMAP OUT OF COVID-19 LOCKDOWN - WHAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO DO AND WHEN: Step one: Came into effect on September 14 Step two: Came into effect on September 28 Step three: When there is a daily statewide average of five new cases over the past 14 days. The original aim was for October 26, brought forward to October 19 after the 14-day average of new cases fell below initial expectations, but again put on hold after new case numbers plateaued. This has now been revamped to be a series of 'mini-steps' and more gradual easings as the numbers proved difficult to shift. Step four: The move to step four will come when there have been no new COVID-19 cases in the past 14 days. The aim is for this to come into place on November 23 COVID Normal: After 28 days of no new COVID-19 cases, things will return to normal. FREEDOMS YOU GET AT EACH STEP OF EASING Step one - came into effect September 14 - Curfew has been eased to 9pm-5am - People can still only leave home for the four reasons (shopping, exercise, work and care or medical attention) - Public gatherings increased to two people, or a household, for a maximum of two hours - Singles can have one nominated person to their home as part of the 'singles social bubble' - Childcare and early educators to remain closed - Schools will continue to learn remotely unless they have exemptions - Adult education to continue to be done remotely, unless they have exemption - Only go to work if you are in a permitted industry - Cafes and restaurants will continue with take away only - Retail businesses will remain open for essential shopping, with others only operating with click and collect - Only one person per household can do the essential shopping Step two - came into effect September 28 - Melbourne's curfew lifted - Public gatherings increase again to five people from a maximum of two households - Childcare and early educators can re-open - Schools to continue with remote learning, but Prep to Grade Two and Year 11 and Year 12 students will gradually return to class in Term 4 - There will be an increase to permitted workplaces Step three - originally expected October 26, brought forward to October 19 - There are no restrictions on leaving home - Public gatherings increase to 10 people together outdoors - A 'household bubble' will be introduced, so five people from one house can visit another - Remote learning to continue, but Grades 3 to Year 11 can gradually return to class - Adult education to continue to be done remotely, but hands on classes will see a phased return to onsite - Work from home is encouraged - Up to 10 people can eat together at restaurants and cafes, with the majority of tables outdoor - Retail shops to reopen, with hairdresses operating under safety measures but beauty stores to remain closed - Real estate agents can conduct private inspections by appointment - The one person per household limit on shopping is to be revoked Step four - November 22 - Public gatherings to increase to 50 people outdoors - Up to 20 visitors can attend a home at any one time - All adult education will return to onsite with safety measures in place - Groups limited to 20 indoors and a maximum of 50 patrons per venue - All retail stores to reopen, while real estate agents can operate with safety measures and by keeping a record of attendants Step five - COVID normal: - Public gatherings have no restriction - There will also be no restriction on visitors to homes - Phased return to onsite work for work from home workers - Schools to reopen as normal - Restrictions on hospitality removed, but venues to continue keeping records Advertisement Marty Focker, who previously went viral after he was fined for having a barbecue in his neighbour's backyard was also arrested on Saturday. 'I'm not sure how far my house is but he ( police officer) said it's a bit further away,' Mr Focker said. His neighbour who was also arrested at the 'Freedom Walk' questioned why he wasn't allowed to be there. 'I'm walking, yes I'm 5km away but this is the place to be today,' he told police as they arrested him. 'You guys are all here, why can't I come here?' In a statement Victoria Police said it was 'disappointing to see individuals putting the lives of Victorians at risk'. 'Police responded to protest activity across Melbourne today, where approximately 100 people attended various locations,' the statement read. There are talks surrounding another protest on Sunday as police march through the city on Saturday. A man is seen being questioned by police Police detain a man during the protest on Saturday. Demonstrators claimed the march was legal but police will fine anyone they suspect of breaching coronavirus restrictions A protester is spoken to by police during the rally through the Tan in Melbourne on Saturday afternoon Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius (pictured) slammed anybody thinking about attending the march On Friday, Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius unleashed on anybody thinking about attending the march and warned police would be out in full force. 'I feel a bit like a dog returning to eat his own vomit,' he said. 'I am incredibly frustrated. If people were less selfish and a bit more grown up, we wouldn't have to keep doing this. 'Don't take us for fools. We'll have no hesitation in issuing fines.' Mr Cornelius said as well as the $1,652 fines, people could be charged in court and forced to pay up to $20,000. A woman is dragged away by police after attending the protest on Saturday. Police warned those breaching restrictions would be fined $1,652 A man wears a face shield with Mr Andrews' head on the back while speaking to police at the march Police carry a bicycle into the paddywagon after arresting a cyclist during the marches One man was arrested after calling out to police and showing them an anti-government sign on Saturday morning Mr Andrews also pleaded with people not to take part. 'All you're potentially doing is spreading the virus,' he said on Friday. Mr Pecora was granted bail on Friday with conditions disallowing him from using social media or contacting other organisers. Under Stage Four restrictions Melburnians can only leave their homes for exercise if they stay within five kilometres of their house and only for one hour. They can exercise with one other person. It comes a week after last Saturday's 'Freedom Day' protests that erupted at the city's Shrine of Remembrance with police tackling demonstrators to the ground and dragging them away in handcuffs. Thousands turned up to the protest - many without masks - but they were no match for the wall of police officers. Police arrested 17 people and issued 160 fines to those at last week's protest. Meanwhile, Mr Andrews has announced regional Victoria is on track to ease coronavirus restrictions in a matter of days as cases across the state continue to plummet. Another demonstrator is taken away in handcuffs by police. Victoria recorded 37 new coronavirus cases on Saturday Police on horseback are seen during the Melbourne Freedom Walk rally on Saturday A police officer with riot gear stands outside the Shrine of Remembrance on Saturday. Authorities had hoped the poor weather would keep protesters inside Victoria marked its ninth day in a row of double digit figures on Saturday with just 37 new coronavirus cases - its lowest daily increase since June 26. Mr Andrews said there are only 58 active coronavirus infections in regional Victoria and no new cases since Friday's update. He remains hopeful the Stage Three restrictions will be eased by the middle of next week, allowing regional Victoria to be 'essentially open'. 'Regional Victoria remains on track to be open to take not one but two steps,' Mr Andrews said on Saturday. 'It is very good news for regional Victoria and I hope every single person in metro Melbourne is looking to the numbers in regional Victoria and seeing what can be delivered. 'Regional Victoria is so close, just a few days and they will potentially be able to take not just a single step but two of those steps and be essentially open.' Police arrested several protesters on Saturday in Melbourne. Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said officers would not hold back to anybody attending BJP leader Ram Kadam on Saturday condemned the alleged brutal assault by Shiv Sena leaders on Madan Sharma, a 62-year-old retired Navy veteran, over a Whatsapp forward. He demanded strict action against the Shiv Sena culprits that allegedly thrashed Sharma who is presently undergoing treatment. The BJP leader asked what the Shiv Sena is afraid of, that they are making such mistakes and heading towards 'destruction'. 'Shiv Sena should not dare to do such things', he warned. Speaking to Republic TV, the BJP leader said, "the Indian soldiers protect the country without thinking about their lives and there are instances when they sacrifice their lives for the nation. Whenever we meet such Armed personnel our hand should raise to salute them but unfortunately, the Mumbai Shiv sena leaders have thrashed a veteran navy officer....Shivsena has insulted all the army personnel serving for the country by brutally assaulting the ex-navy officer. Shivesena should be ashamed of itself for this act. We demand that the Maharashtra govt should take stern action against the culprits and punish the leaders who dared to thrash the navy veteran". 'No one is safe' Meanwhile, BJP IT Cell Head Amit Malviya also condemned the attack on the former Navy veteran and castigated the Maharashtra Government for misusing state machinery to curb inconvenient truth. Taking to Twitter, Malviya wrote, "This is brazen misuse of state machinery by Uddhav Thackrey to curb inconvenient truth. From accomplished filmmakers, actors, women, journalists, professionals, and now even veterans, ruling MVA is crushing them all with impunity. No one is safe." This is brazen misuse of state machinery by Uddhav Thackrey to curb inconvenient truth. From accomplished filmmakers, actors, women, journalists, professionals and now even veterans, ruling MVA is crushing them all with impunity. No one is safe. State has gone rouge. (Thread) https://t.co/Ak2KStLAEM Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 12, 2020 READ | Navy veteran's emotional daughter on Sena attack: 'Police wanted to arrest my father' 62-year-old Navy veteran attacked On Friday, the Shiv Sena goons allegedly attacked an ex-Navy officer over a Whatsapp forward. The 62-year-old retired Navy veteran - Madan Sharma, is currently under treatment at Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali. CCTV footage from the area shows the goons dragging Sharma, slapping him as he tries to run away. Sources report that Sharma, a Kandivali resident, was attacked by goons led by a Shiv Sena 'Shakha' head, who allegedly barged into Sharma's compound. Calling the ex-Navy officer to come out of his house, the Sena unit chief allegedly attacked him. The Whatsapp forward was a satirical cartoon featuring Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and his allies - Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi. READ | Police team attacked by villagers in Ghaziabad Mumbai police arrest two Meanwhile, Mumbai police on Friday arrested two main accused - Shiv Sena Shakha chiefs Kamlesh Kadam and Sanjay Manjre for attacking ex-Navy officer Madan Sharma over a Whatsapp forward. The Samta Nagar police station had registered an FIR against Kamlesh Kadam and his 8-10 associates in connection to the case. Apart from these shakha chiefs, two more have been arrested. There are a total of six arrests in the case so far. READ | Kangana Ranaut reacts after Shiv Sena goons attack Navy veteran, calls it a 'Shame' READ | 'Called to talk, thrashed without listening': Ex-Navy veteran attacked by Shiv Sena goons By Express News Service KOLKATA: The ruling Trinamool Congress has launched an overhaul of its ground-level apparatus in north Bengal, where the party faced BJPs onslaught in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The party has inducted several turncoats and offered them positions in the party hierarchy. In the last two-and-half-months, many BJP activists have switched to the ruling party in north Bengal where the TMC had lost all eight Lok Sabha seats last year. In four districts of north Bengal, over 650 political workers joined the TMC recently from different parties and 432 of them belong to BJPs karyakartas, said a senior TMC leader. In the next years election, the BJP will feel the heat over NRC in north Bengal. Citing an example, the leader said BJPs mandal president Sandip Ekka joined the TMC in Alipurduar district on August 4. He is from Kalchini assembly constituency and an influential political leader. His joining will ensure an impact on at least 20,000 voters in our favour, said the leader. The BJP has rubbished TMC claim. People will laugh at the TMC they are staging the joining drama everyday by portraying their own men as BJP karyakartas, said Sayantan Basu, BJPs general secretary in Bengal. The Nigeria Army has extended Operation Sahel Sanity, which is fighting banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling in the North West, to December. The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, made the disclosure at a press conference at the Army Supper Camp 4, Faskari, Katsina, on Saturday. Mr Buratai, a lieutenant-general, said after careful review of the exercise, the operation was considered necessary to be extended to sustain successes achieved within the period and enable troops root out all forms criminality from the zone. He said that the operation was also extended to the North Central to ensure peace in all parts of the country. We will continue to improve on information gathering. Although the gallant troops suffered from the terrain which gave them poor access to some areas during encounter, Nigerian Army was on top of situation, he said. ALSO READ: He commended the host states Zamfara and Katsina for continued support and cooperation especially in the area of information sharing. He said that communities must be ready to expose criminals among their friends and relatives, else, the consequences would get back to them. (NAN) A FINE Gael councillor in Waterford is facing a High Court legal battle with his own local authority over alleged breaches of waste management laws. Declan Doocey, a councillor in Lismore and a former mayor of Waterford, runs a collection service for waste farm plastics in Waterford county and the surrounding areas. Waterford City and County Council is alleging breaches of sections 57 and 58 of the Waste Management Acts. This relates to holding, recovery or disposal of waste in a manner that causes or is likely to cause environmental pollution. The local authority is being represented by Mason, Hayes and Curran, while Mr Doocey has retained the services of Patrick J OMeara and Co. Mr Doocey denies wrongdoing. He told the Sunday Independent that Chinas environmental crackdown in recent years had resulted in a collapse in the exporting of plastic waste to the country. The Chinese market collapsed in 2017 and it has had an awful knock-on effect on exporting plastic, he said. The council, because of my position, played hardball with me. He said he has evidence to show he had sought to remedy the issue in recent years and said he was confident he would clear his name. He has run the company with his wife since 1999. Mr Doocey was elected a Fine Gael councillor in the county in 2004 and served as mayor in 2018. In a statement, the local authority said: In July 2020, Waterford City and County Council through its solicitors Mason Hayes and Curran commenced High Court proceedings pursuant to sections 57 and 58 of the Waste Management Acts 1996 -2011 as against Declan Doocey of Ballinraha, Lismore, Co Waterford. As the proceedings are currently before the High Court, Waterford City and County Council will not be commenting any further on the matter at the present time. Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. Assam likely to have nearly 90,000 new Covid-19 cases in Sept: Himanta Biswa Sarma Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday that the state could see nearly 90,000 new Covid-19 cases in September if the present trend of a surge in patients continued. We recorded 68,000 new cases in August and around 29,000 cases in the first 10 days of this month. At this rate, we would have around 90,000 new Covid-19 cases by the end of September, he told journalists in Guwahati. Read more Over 130,000 cancer patients treated in Tamil Nadu since March: State govt Tamil Nadu health minister Dr C Vijaya Baskar on Saturday said that the state government has provided cancer-related treatment to over 130,000 patients in government hospitals and government college medical hospitals across the state since March. Read more Former Union minister Tariq Anwars elevation in AICC hints at partys focus on Bihar The elevation of former Union minister Tariq Anwar in the All India congress committee (AICC) as general secretary and his inclusion in the top policy-making set up seem to have put Bihar on the partys priority list ahead of the assembly polls. Read more Liberia declares rape a national emergency Liberian President George Weah has declared rape a national emergency and has ordered new measures to tackle the problem after a recent spike of cases in the poor West African state. The moves comes after thousands of Liberians protested rising incidents of rape in the capital Monrovia last month, in a bid to draw attention to the countrys alarming rate of sexual assault. Read more IPL 2020: Brendon McCullum was one of our heroes while growing up - KKR fast bowler Lockie Ferguson We all have our favourite teams while growing up but how many of us end up representing the same team as a player a few years later? New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson is one of those rare ones to have realised that dream when he picked up by IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of last years IPL. Read more I used to be a drug addict: Kangana Ranauts video from March goes viral as Bollywood tackles allegations of drug abuse A video of Kangana Ranaut claiming that she used to be a drug addict is going viral on Twitter. The video was posted on Kanganas Instagram account in March when she was in her home town of Manali. Read more Reporter shares funny video of two people sneakily ruining his piece to camera Two individuals have now sparked a laughter fest among people, after they were recorded sneakily ruining a reporters piece to camera. Joe Tidy, cyber reporter for the BBC News, himself took to Twitter to share the hilarious video and now it has made many laugh out loud. Read more Kiara Advanis OOTD for Laxxmi Bomb dubbing: Grey sweats, silver shoes and Rs 2 lakh Valentino bag Kiara Advani may only be a few films old, but her luxury bag collection is as massive as any established Bollywood diva. The actor who has starred in movies like Kabir Singh and Good Newwz is often spotted flaunting a variety of extremely expensive handbags from the latest collections of luxury brands including the likes of Christian Dior, Valentino, Chanel and Givenchy. Read more Apple September 15 event: iPad, Watch SE, Series 6 and more expected We are just a few days away from Apples September 15 Time Flies event. However, we arent completely in the dark though. There have been enough rumours and leaks hinting whats there to come. Experts say that this event will be different from the typical iPhone launch event that Apple usually has in September every year and that we may not even see an iPhone this time. Read more Watch| Covid: Delhi airport first in India to get test lab; how itll work | Explained Scooter companies have also voiced concern that the provision will hurt their bottom lines. Retrofitting scooters to add the lock-to capability could cost millions of dollars, some companies said. And the cost comes as scooter companies have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Major players such as Lime, Bird and Lyft have had layoffs in recent months and downsized operations across the United States. Davos types issue a new "with us or against us" ultimatum eerily reminiscent of the old 9/11 world... 9/11 was the foundation stone of the new millennium ever as much indecipherable as the Mysteries of Eleusis. A year ago, on Asia Times, once again I raised a number of questions that still find no answer. A lightning speed breakdown of the slings and arrows of outrageous (mis)fortune trespassing these two decades will certainly include the following. The end of history. The short unipolar moment. The Pentagons Long War. Homeland Security. The Patriot Act. Shock and Awe. The tragedy/debacle in Iraq. The 2008 financial crisis. The Arab Spring. Color revolutions. Leading from behind. Humanitarian imperialism. Syria as the ultimate proxy war. The ISIS/Daesh farce. The JCPOA. Maidan. The Age of Psyops. The Age of the Algorithm. The Age of the 0.0001%. Once again, were deep in Yeats territory: the best lack all conviction/ while the worst are full of passionate intensity. All along, the War on Terror the actual decantation of the Long War proceeded unabated, killing Muslim multitudes and displacing at least 37 million people. WWII-derived geopolitics is over. Cold War 2.0 is in effect. It started as US against Russia, morphed into US against China and now, fully spelled out in the US National Security Strategy, and with bipartisan support, its the US against both. The ultimate Mackinder-Brzezinski nightmare is at hand: the much dread peer competitor in Eurasia slouched towards the Beltway to be born in the form of the Russia-China strategic partnership. Somethings gotta give. And then, out of the blue, it did. A drive by design towards ironclad concentration of power and geoconomic diktats was first conceptualized under the deceptive cover of sustainable development already in 2015 at the UN (here it is, in detail). Now, this new operating system or technocratic digital dystopia is finally being codified, packaged and sold since mid summer via a lavish, concerted propaganda campaign. Watch your mindspace The whole Planet Lockdown hysteria that elevated Covid-19 to post-modern Black Plague proportions has been consistently debunked, for instance here and here, drawing from the highly respected, original Cambridge source. The de facto controlled demolition of large swathes of the global economy allowed corporate and vulture capitalism, world wide, to rake untold profits out of the destruction of collapsed businesses. And all that proceeded with widespread public acceptance an astonishing process of voluntary servitude. None of it is accidental. As an example, over then years ago, even before setting up a privatized Behavioral Insights Team, the British government was very much interested in influencing behavior, in collaboration with the London School of Economics and Imperial College. The end result was the MINDSPACE report. That was all about behavioral science influencing policymaking and most of all, imposing neo-Orwellian population control. MINDSPACE, crucially, featured close collaboration between Imperial College and the Santa Monica-based RAND corporation. Translation: the authors of the absurdly flawed computer models that fed the Planet Lockdown paranoia working in conjunction with the top Pentagon-linked think tank. In MINDSPACE, we find that, behavioral approaches embody a line of thinking that moves from the idea of an autonomous individual, making rational decisions, to a situated decision-maker, much of whose behavior is automatic and influenced by their choice environment. So the key question is who decides what is the choice environment. As it stands, our whole environment is conditioned by Covid-19. Lets call it the disease. And that is more than enough to beautifully set up the cure: The Great Reset. The beating heart The Great Reset was officially launched in early June by the World Economic Forum (WEF) the natural habitat of Davos Man. Its conceptual base is something the WEF describes as Strategic Intelligence Platform: a dynamic system of contextual intelligence that enables users to trace relationships and interdependencies between issues, supporting more informed decision-making. Its this platform that promotes the complex crossover and interpenetration of Covid-19 and the Fourth Industrial Revolution conceptualized back in December 2015 and the WEFs choice futuristic scenario. One cannot exist without the other. That is meant to imprint in the collective unconscious at least in the West that only the WEF-sanctioned stakeholder approach is capable of solving the Covid-19 challenge. The Great Reset is immensely ambitious, spanning over 50 fields of knowledge and practice. It interconnects everything from economy recovery recommendations to sustainable business models, from restoration of the environment to the redesign of social contracts. The beating heart of this matrix is what else the Strategic Intelligence Platform, encompassing, literally, everything: sustainable development, global governance, capital markets, climate change, biodiversity, human rights, gender parity, LGBTI, systemic racism, international trade and investment, the wobbly future of the travel and tourism industries, food, air pollution, digital identity, blockchain, 5G, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI). In the end, only an all-in-one Plan A applies for making these systems interact seamlessly: the Great Reset shorthand for a New World Order that has always been glowingly evoked, but never implemented. There is no Plan B. The Covid-19 legacy The two main actors behind the Great Reset are Klaus Schwab, the WEFs founder and executive chairman, and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. Georgieva is adamant that the digital economy is the big winner of this crisis. She believes the Great Reset must imperatively start in 2021. The House of Windsor and the UN are prime executive co-producers. Top sponsors include BP, Mastercard and Microsoft. It goes without saying that everyone who knows how complex geopolitical and geoeconomic decisions are taken is aware that these two main actors are just reciting a script. Call the authors the globalist elite. Or, in praise of Tom Wolfe, the Masters of the Universe. Schwab, predictably, wrote the Great Resets mini-manifesto. Over a month later, he expanded on the absolutely key connection: the legacy of Covid-19. All this has been fully fleshed in a book, co-written with Thierry Malleret, who directs the WEFs Global Risk Network. Covid-19 is described as having created a great disruptive reset of our global, social, economic and political systems. Schwab spins Covid-19 not only as a fabulous opportunity, but actually as the creator(italics mine) of the now inevitable Reset. All that happens to dovetail beautifully with Schwabs own baby: Covid-19 accelerated our transition into the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The revolution has been extensively discussed at Davos since 2016. The books central thesis is that our most pressing challenges concern the environment considered only in terms of climate change and technological developments, which will allow the expansion of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In a nutshell, the WEF is stating that corporate globalization, the hegemonic modus operandi since the 1990s, is dead. Now its time for sustainable development with sustainable defined by a select group of stakeholders, ideally integrated into a community of common interest, purpose and action. Sharp Global South observers will not fail to compare the WEFs rhetoric of community of common interest with the Chinese community of shared interests as applied to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which is a de facto continental trade/development project. The Great Reset presupposes that all stakeholders as in the whole planet must toe the line. Otherwise, as Schwab stresses, we will have more polarization, nationalism, racism, increased social unrest and conflicts. So this is once again a youre with us or against us ultimatum, eerily reminiscent of our old 9/11 world. Either the Great Reset is peacefully established, with whole nations dutifully obeying the new guidelines designed by a bunch of self-appointed neo-Platonic Republic sages, or its chaos. Whether Covid-19s ultimate window of opportunity presented itself as a mere coincidence or by design, will always remain a very juicy question. Digital Neo-Feudalism The actual, face-to-face Davos meeting next year has been postponed to the summer of 2021. But virtual Davos will proceed in January, focused on the Great Reset. Already three months ago, Schwabs book hinted that the more everyone is mired in the global paralysis, the more its clear that things will never be allowed (italics mine) to return to what we considered normal. Five years ago, the UNs Agenda 2030 the Godfather of the Great Reset was already insisting on vaccines for all, under the patronage of the WHO and CEPI co-founded in 2016 by India, Norway and the Bill and Belinda Gates foundation. Timing could not be more convenient for the notorious Event 201 pandemic exercise in October last year in New York, with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security partnering with who else the WEF and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. No in-depth criticism of Gatess motives is allowed by media gatekeepers because, after all, he finances them. What has been imposed as an ironclad consensus is that without a Covid-19 vaccine theres no possibility of anything resembling normality. And yet a recent, astonishing paper published in Virology Journal which also publishes Dr. Faucis musings unmistakably demonstrates that chloroquine is a potent inhibitor of SARS coronavirus infection and spread. This is a relatively safe, effective and cheap drug whose significant inhibitory antiviral effect when the susceptible cells were treated either prior to or after infection suggests a possible prophylactic and therapeutic use. Even Schwabs book admits that Covid-19 is one of the least deadly pandemics in the last 2000 years and its consequences will be mild compared to previous pandemics. It doesnt matter. What matters above all is the window of opportunity offered by Covid-19, boosting, among other issues, the expansion of what I previously described as Digital Neo-Feudalism or Algorithm gobbling up Politics. No wonder politico-economic institutions from the WTO to the EU as well as the Trilateral Commission are already investing in rejuvenation processes, code for even more concentration of power. Survey the imponderables Very few thinkers, such as German philosopher Hartmut Rosa, see our current plight as a rare opportunity to decelerate life under turbo-capitalism. As it stands, the point is not that were facing an attack of the civilization-state . The point is assertive civilization-states such as China, Russia, Iran not submitted to the Hegemon, are bent on charting a quite different course. The Great Reset, for all its universalist ambitions, remains an insular, Western-centric model benefitting the proverbial 1%. Ancient Greece did not see itself as Western. The Great Reset is essentially an Enlightenment-derived project. Surveying the road ahead, it will certainly be crammed with imponderables. From the Fed wiring digital money directly into smartphone financial apps in the US to China advancing an Eurasia-wide trade/economic system side-by side with the implementation of the digital yuan. The Global South will be paying a lot of attention to the sharp contrast between the proposed wholesale deconstruction of the industrial economic order and the BRI project which focuses on a new financing system outside of Western monopoly and emphasizes agro-industrial growth and long-term sustainable development. The Great Reset would point to losers, in terms of nations, aggregating all the ones that benefit from production and processing of energy and agriculture, from Russia, China and Canada to Brazil, Indonesia and large swathes of Africa. As it stands, theres only one thing we do know: Thomas Barwick | DigitalVision | Getty Images Do they count the expenses covered by the PPP loan and seek deductions for them when they hash out their third-quarter taxes? Or do they allow those items to be covered by the loan but avoid deducting the costs which could result in a higher estimated tax payment for the third quarter? "The problem is that they don't know if they're getting forgiveness and there's a good chance that someone who's applying for forgiveness won't know by the end of the year," said Ed Zollars, CPA at Thomas, Zollars & Lynch in Phoenix. "Currently I would tell clients that if you want to be safe and we're talking about estimates, then treat the expenses as non-deductible so that you've overpaid," he said. A forgiveness bottleneck The Small Business Administration, which is overseeing the PPP loan program, opened its window to accept forgiveness paperwork from banks in August. However, applicants and tax professionals have been waiting for action from Congress to see if legislators finally address the deductibility issue before they apply. Banks have also held off on forgiveness in anticipation of possible regulatory and legislative changes. As the year progresses, tax professionals are presenting clients with a choice: deduct the business expenses and potentially pay less in estimated taxes for now, or don't deduct the costs but possibly pay more in taxes for the quarter? "You'll present them with the two situations," said Dan Herron, CPA and principal of Elemental Wealth Advisors in San Luis Obispo, California. "Either they want to be conservative and pay in, and they don't care if they get a huge refund," he said. "Or some are aggressive and want to pay the least amount possible." Appetite for risk dowell | Moment | Getty Images How a business owner might proceed depends on whether they're aggressive about tax savings, and if they have the cash to pay higher estimated taxes. "You need to have the cash in the bank if you're going to be conservative," said Zollars. "You might decide to be aggressive if you don't." Without an intervention from Congress, people who attempt to write off business expenses that were covered by a PPP loan could owe the IRS down the line if the loan is forgiven. Or they could wind up facing scrutiny from the taxman a costly proposition if an entrepreneur tries to fight for the deductions in court. "You can win the case and still end up negative cash," said Zollars. "By the time you pay the legal fees for tax court, you're already in five figures," he said. "You would've been better off paying the tax." A rocky end to 2020 A small country of 28 million, and a brutal proxy war between regional and global powers being fought on its soil Yemen and its people have seen the worst possible human-rights violations in the past few years and continue to face unimaginable hardship. Even before Ansar Allah and military units loyal to the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh (the Houthis) took control of the capital Sanaa by force in September 2014, Yemen had been a hot spot of political intrigue in the Middle East. From March 2015, things only went further downhill due to military intervention by coalition forces led by Saudi Arabia and UAE, armed by US, UK and European powers. Raised in Sanaa, and deeply affected by the direction her country was taking, Radhya Almutawakel began working in human rights in 2004 after completing a Bachelors degree in mass communication and two diplomas in gender studies and political science from Sanaa University. Soon after, she met fellow activist Abdulrasheed Alfaqih and, in 2007, they founded Mwatana for Human Rights, an independent organisation working to defend and protect human rights in Yemen. The two got married in 2011. Since then, Radhya has taken the voice of ordinary Yemenis to the UN Security Council, US Congressional committees and many international forums, briefing them on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Last year, Time magazine named Radhya one of the 100 most influential people in the world. US senator Bernie Sanders wrote that she deserves recognition as one of the truly courageous among us. For the 43-year-old, however, the conflict has become personal. In November 2014, her father Mohammed Abdulmalek Almutawakel, a professor and a well-known face of the political opposition, was assassinated in Sanaa while walking down the street. We still dont know who assassinated him, says Radhya, whose mother Amal too passed away in December last year. The youngest of six siblings, all of them highly educated, Radhya and her husband decided against having kids of their own. We are not brave enough to have children in such a situation while we are both working in a very difficult field, she says. Radhya with part of Mwatana's team 2020 Sana'a-Yemen Based in Sanaa, Radhya spoke to eShe about the current situation in Yemen, how the global community has responded, and how Yemeni women are bearing the brunt of the countrys civil war. Whats Mwatanas position on the current crisis in Yemen that has pitted powerful Western and Sunni powers against the local Houthis, apparently supported by Iran and Qatar? It is important to highlight that it is not a Sunni versus Shia conflict. It is a proxy war among local powers and two regional powers, Saudi Arabia and Iran. We stand against the war as principle and against its horrible human-rights violations that are committed by all parties to the conflict. We are documenting these violations through our field investigative research methodology all over Yemen. We publish all our reports and other publications in Arabic and English on our website Mwatana.org because we believe that information is power and it is our responsibility to build a human-rights memory that can be used for advocacy and accountability. We also have a team of lawyers who follow the cases of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance. They provide legal support and have assisted in the release of many victims. Mwatana is also doing a lot of advocacy work internationally and working with its international human-rights partners to protect civilians, end impunity and enhance accountability. For example, in 2018, Mwatana along with European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, and Rete Italiana per Il Disarmo, filed a criminal complaint against the managers of RWM Italia S.p.A. and senior officials of Italys National Authority for the Export of Armament (UAMA) to the public prosecutor in Rome. The complaint focuses on the air strike of Deir Al-Hajari on October 8, 2016, which killed six civilians. It alleges the criminal liability of RWM Italia S.p.A. managers and of UAMA officials for the export of at least a part of the deadly weapon used in the strike to Saudi Arabia or another member state of the Saudi-led military coalition. According to some reports, almost 82 percent of the Yemeni population is now dependent on humanitarian aid. Is aid from global humanitarian bodies reaching the right people? The role of humanitarian agencies is crucial at the moment particularly with the absence of a state that can provide people with basic services. All parties to the conflict have contributed to the worst man-made humanitarian crisis and engaged in the obstruction of humanitarian supplies, including food and nutritional supplements, which has a particularly acute impact given the millions of Yemenis already living under the threat of famine. Mwatana has documented dozens of incidents of obstructing humanitarian access and humanitarian supplies by all of them. With its major port being destroyed by the Saudis, ordinary Yemenis have limited access to food, medicines and their daily needs. Please share the situation from the ground, and how is the local populace coping? Yemenis are not starving; they are being starved. All parties to the conflict the Saudi/UAE-led coalition, Ansar Allah armed group (Houthis), the internationally recognised government and other armed groups have violated the right to food and used starvation as a weapon of war. They have impeded and blocked humanitarian supplies including food and nutritional supplements, blocked and closed ports and airports, conducted airstrikes and shelling on food warehouses. Besides this, many Yemenis have not been receiving their salaries for years. This is one of the things that broke the back of Yemenis. Yemenis dont want to keep depending on humanitarian aid; they want to be able to work and feed themselves but parties to the conflict have made this normal choice very difficult. Because of this man-made crisis, humanitarian conditions in Yemen continue to deteriorate, increasing the risk that Yemen will sink into the worlds worst famine in 100 years if the war continues. Yemeni government soldiers were brought to India for treatment with support from the UAE government. Do the local Houthis also get similar support for medical treatment from Iran/Qatar? As stated earlier, this is a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and its allies on one hand and Iran on the other. The reports of the UN Panel of Experts on Yemen established by the Security Council have indicated Iranian support to Houthis. However, I dont have information about the details of this support. How has coronavirus affected the Yemeni population? How is your organisation helping to create awareness about it? Yemen couldnt face a very preventable disease like cholera and we were vulnerable in the face of COVID. It has reached Yemen in a situation where the state and healthcare system have collapsed, most of medical workers are not receiving salaries for years, people cant stay home, and very easy steps for protection are not easy for them. Many Yemenis dont even have access to clean water and soap. Radhya in front of ICC, The Hague Although the first case of COVID was confirmed in Yemen in March 2020, months after the pandemic has spread all over the world, no one was ready, not even different authorities across Yemen. Doctors were left alone without any kind of protection. They didnt have simple things like masks and suits. We lost many medical workers and professionals in the pandemic. The COVID mortality rate in Yemen is 28 percent [editors note: as of September 5, 2020, over 1980 COVID-19 cases and over 572 deaths have been reported in Yemen] more than five times the global average and among the highest COVID-19 mortality rate in the world. However, we dont know the real numbers. Hostilities didnt stop even during the pandemic. Mwatana with other NGOs issued a statement demanding warring parties to release arbitrarily held and vulnerable detainees and improving detention conditions; a complete and credible ceasefire; an end to all attacks against civilians; and adopting a human rights-based response to COVID-19. Mwatana also launched a campaign to release detainees and those who are forcibly abducted or detained under the pretext of COVID. What are your organizations findings on disappeared persons in Yemen, and attacks on healthcare and journalists by Houthi-run bodies? All parties to the conflict in Yemen have used arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance and torture against perceived opponents, and those they believe to be followers or supporters of their opponents. The warring parties have also used such violations against civilians in order to impose their authority in the areas under their control. On June 30 this year, Mwatana published a report In the Darkness about the abusive detention, disappearance and torture in Yemens unofficial prisons. Since 2016, Mwatana has documented 1605 incidents of arbitrary detention, 770 incidents of enforced disappearance and 344 incidents of torture, including 66 deaths in detention centres across Yemen. The Houthis, the internationally recognised Yemeni government, and UAE forces and UAE-aligned armed groups including the Southern Transitional Council all bear responsibility for these numbers. In addition to the appalling and degrading conditions of detention, with detainees being cramped by the dozen in narrow cells, the Saudi/UAE-led coalition airstrikes have struck detention centres at least four times. Moreover, on April 11, 2020, the Specialised Criminal Court in Sanaa sentenced to death four journalists who had been awaiting trial since 2015. They were part of a wider group of 10 journalists who were formally charged in December 2018 with a series of offences, including spying, which carries the death penalty. They were arrested by Houthi on 2015. They were arbitrarily detained, held in solitary confinement at length, tortured and mistreated while in captivity, and were not formally charged until more than three years later. On healthcare side, Mwatana documented 120 attacks on health facilities and medical personnel by all parties to the conflict in Yemen between 2015 and 2018. They resulted in the death of 96 civilians and health workers and wounded hundreds of others. In a report released in March 2020 by Mwatana for Human Rights and Physicians for Human Rights, we published a report called I Ripped the IV out of My Arm and Started Running. It illustrates how these attacks were carried out and how they have contributed to the disastrous humanitarian situation in Yemen. The Saudi and Emirati-led coalition, the Houthi armed group, and the internationally recognized government of Yemen have all contributed to the collapse of the healthcare system. There are conflicting reports on the number of civilians killed in Yemen since 2015. But all conclude that the number includes thousands of women and children, with even schools and hospitals being bombed by Saudi forces and shelled by local groups like Houthis. Have your efforts to raise awareness about this yielded any response from the UN or other international bodies? After a lot of efforts, civil society and some supportive states like the Netherlands finally succeeded in 2017 at the Human Rights Council to push for an international investigation into violations committed by all parties to the conflict. It was not an easy battle as the Saudi/UAE-led coalition and their allies like the US, the UK and France were not supportive of such steps. It is still not an easy battle every September, including this year, at the Human Rights Council to renew and strengthen the mandate of the Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen. Efforts by civil society also succeeded in shedding light on the suffering of civilians in many levels and to influence the narrative of war. This eventually encouraged some EU states to stop selling weapons to Saudis and Emiratis. Such efforts and pressure were one of the reasons behind what is called the Stockholm Agreement where the voice of civil society and its advocacy work participated in shaping important issues that the parties could address together in order to build confidence and create momentum towards a comprehensive solution. However, Yemenis are still suffering, war didnt stop, violations didnt stop, states like US, the UK, and France didnt stop selling weapons to their allies, and there is a huge lack of accountability. Moreover, the UN has removed the Saudi-led coalition this year from an annual blacklist of parties violating childrens rights, despite the fact that the coalition killed and injured hundreds of children last year. Radhya and Abdulrasheed Women are the worst to suffer in situations of civil war. Please share the ground reality about the condition of Yemeni women at this time. The story of Yemeni women is like the story of Yemen itself. The situation in Yemen was never good but we used to at least have a shape of life, a shape of state, a kind of diversity in civil society, media and political parties. Similarly, the situation of women was never good but there was some progress regarding human rights over the years at different levels. But the war that started in 2014 has destroyed everything. Women today are victims of airstrikes, ground shelling, sexual violence, child recruitment, detention, starvation and many other violations. Besides that, their daily life became more complicated with the absence of state and control of different armed groups. However, they are still struggling in different ways to keep life going, and many of them are trying to help victims and calling for peace and accountability. You said that Trumps veto earlier this year amounted to an announcement of continued suffering for millions of civilians in Yemen. The US has vested economic interests in continued war in Yemen. Please comment. Yemeni civilians are suffering due to two ugly facts. The first is that financial interests are more important than the blood of innocent people. The second is that the international system enhances impunity more than accountability. In spite of all the great efforts from many representatives at the US Congress to stop the negative involvement of the US in Yemens war and to stop its weapons deals with Saudis and Emiratis, the US still continues its arms deals and puts zero effort to enhance accountability or push parties to the conflict toward a peace agreement. Peace in Yemen is very possible but it needs political will from the international community. Moreover, in any peace agreement in future, it is necessary to consider accountability as one of the key factors to establish permanent peace. You and Abdulrasheed were at Columbia Law Schools Practitioner-in-Residence program. What are your thoughts on the American education system and the role its media has played in informing Americans about the Yemeni crisis? Abdulrasheed and I spent only one month at the Practitioner-in-Residence program at Columbia Law School (CLS) Human Rights Clinic, but it was just a start of a long partnership between Mwatana and CLS that lasts until now. We are doing many reports and advocacy work together. This experience was unique for us because the Human Rights Clinic at CLS follows an educational system that gives students the chance to practise human-rights work and not only study it theoretically. During that month, we have conducted many useful workshops and advocacy activities about Yemen. We share our experience and work with new students every year. Our partnership with CLS is one of the partnerships that I and Mwatana are really proud of. I have also been invited by different universities in the US to talk about Yemen but that doesnt help me to evaluate the education system at the United States and cant determine to what extent they know about Yemen. I can say, though, that since 2017 and increasingly after the assassination of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, the Yemen crisis has started to be more highlighted in the US media but it is still limited and inadequate compared to the scale of the crisis. In spite of all efforts, Yemen is still an ignored war. Prior to Game 7 between the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors, Celtics wing Gordon Hayward was spotted on the court jogging tenderly through a few drills and putting up some shots on his injured right ankle. Hayward suffered a Grade 3 ankle sprain in Bostons sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, an injury that was projected to keep him out at least four weeks. After briefly leaving the bubble to be with his pregnant wife and daughters, Hayward returned this week and was released from quarantine on Friday. Now, according to a report from TNTs Rebecca Harlowe, Hayward should be ready to return to action sooner rather than later. Brad Stevens confirmed that Hayward is nearing a return in his post-game comments. I think hell be back at some point in that series, but I dont know when, Stevens said. Thats big for the Celtics, who held off the Raptors in a heavyweight bout -- claiming a 92-87 victory on Friday to advance. Boston missed Hayward quite a bit against Toronto, as the Raptors threw out a series of difficult zones that held the Celtics in check. The Celtics will need Hayward against the Heat. Miamis defense isnt as strong as Torontos, but the Heat throw out several zone defenses as well. Haywards ability to shoot, make plays for others and score in the mid-range could be crucial in an attempt to make Miami pay for non-traditional alignments. Hayward is still expected to leave the bubble again for the birth of his son, which reportedly is expected to occur near the end of September. A recent ESPN article suggested Hayward might remain in the bubble based on an Instagram post by Haywards wife Robyn in which she said the next time she saw Hayward, he would no longer be the only boy in the family. That, however, has not been confirmed by Hayward or the team. In any case, the Celtics will be happy to have Hayward back whenever they can have him. The patchwork lineups in his absence made for some uncomfortable matchups, and his ability to do a little bit of everything -- and to create shots for himself -- is invaluable in a playoff series. Related content Heres everything the Boston Celtics said after their Game 7 win over the Toronto Raptors Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat: Eastern Conference finals will begin on Tuesday Jayson Tatum leads Boston Celtics past Toronto Raptors, into Eastern Conference Finals Josh Kelly was growing tired of doctors suggesting that an itchy, inflamed rash on his legs might be caused by a common bacterial or sexually transmitted infection. He had every right to be. The happily married saxophone player had been with wife Maggie for 10 years and felt stereotyped as an up-and-coming musician on the Melbourne jazz scene. But after two years of shoulder-shrugging from a string of specialists, he convinced himself that the spotted, eczema-like irritation which first flared in the shower one evening in June 2018 must be caused by the stress of his cut and thrust lifestyle. It was a fair assumption by the 28-year-old who had recently welcomed his first child, a son named Remy, with Maggie, 32, all while running their boutique gift shop on Thornbury High Street. So when Josh was diagnosed with stage two blood cancer on August 19 this year after a scan revealed two large tumours in his chest, he felt 'angry and disappointed'. He told Daily Mail Australia it's 'really disheartening' to reflect on the time that's been wasted without any treatment. Scroll down for video Josh and Maggie Kelly with 18-month-old son Remy at Think Thornbury, their boutique gift shop 10 kilometres north of Melbourne CBD Josh said he underwent countless STI screenings, including one for HIV, as well as being tested for Lyme disease which doctors believed he could have contracted in budget accommodation while touring in Europe. 'I said to them, "you realise I'm married and have a child?" - we were tested for all of that during Maggie's pregnancy,' he said. 'It felt like a sweeping generalisation about young people being really promiscuous. Neither of us have been with anyone else in 10 years.' Doctors' fixation on STIs resulted from Josh's unusual readings of CRP, a protein made by the liver in response to inflammation in the body. CRP tests help to diagnose myriad inflammatory diseases from autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus to reproductive infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea. Typical readings for healthy patients fall between one and three milligrams of CRP per litre of blood, while levels between three and 10 milligrams suggest the presence of illnesses like diabetes or hypertension. At one test Josh returned a reading of 160, but consistently passed STI screenings with a clean bill of health - leading doctors and dermatologists to shift their focus to the possibility of a staph infection, a relatively harmless bacterial skin condition. And despite the development of additional Hodgkin's lymphoma warning signs like fatigue and night sweats in early 2019, it was a common staph infection that he was repeatedly prescribed antibiotics and anti-septic body washes for. Josh (pictured with a newborn Remy) urges young men to take note of changes in their body 'no matter how insignificant symptoms may seem' It wasn't until he saw a naturopath at the start of the COVID-19 crisis in March - almost two years after his first symptom - that anything more sinister was suggested. The naturopath referred Josh to an immunologist who studied his records and sent him for a CT scan which finally revealed the cause of his complaints: two tumours deep in his lung cavity, one more than 7cm long. Maggie said she finds it difficult to comprehend that her husband has been sick with cancer 'this whole time' despite innumerable dismissals by medical professionals. Now the couple are bracing for six months of gruelling BEACOPP chemotherapy, a potent cocktail of drugs that offers the best chance of destroying Josh's cancer. Josh (pictured with Maggie) said it is 'really disheartening' to reflect on the time that's been wasted without any treatment The talented musician now faces an uncertain future as he undergoes six months of gruelling chemotherapy, which can cause serious side effects that damage the lungs and heart First symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma Excessive tiredness, fever, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, itchy rashes and painless swelling of lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin. Source: Cancer Council Australia Advertisement Josh Kelly is one of roughly 600 Australians diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma every year. It is a rare disease that accounts for just 0.5 percent of all cancers diagnosed in Australia, and one most likely to occur in people aged between 15 and 25 or those over 65 years old. But as Josh's story proves, the disease can develop at any time, even in people at the peak of their physical health. Hodgkin's is notoriously difficult to diagnose because symptoms are vague and easily confused with those of relatively harmless illnesses like bacterial infections just like Josh's were. Unlike cervical, breast and colon cancer, there are no screening programmes for Hodgkin's and it cannot be diagnosed with a generic blood test, leading health organisations to label it a 'silent killer'. Warning signs include itchiness, inflamed rashes, fatigue and night sweats all of which Josh experienced as well as painless lumps in the neck, armpits or groin and unexplained weight loss. 'It's so frustrating,' he said. 'I put my trust in doctors assuming they were doing the best they could do. I understand it's hard to diagnose, but why was it not on their radar this entire time?' Josh and Maggie enjoy their last days as a duo in February 2019, one month before Remy was born In its initial stages, most forms of lymphoma are highly treatable and associated with long-term survival, which means early intervention can be the difference between life and death. It's even curable at stage four when tumours have spread to organs outside the lymphatic system. But patients like Josh Kelly still face incredibly difficult decisions about treatment which causes serious side effects that could change the course of their lives. While BEACOPP chemotherapy offers the best chance of destroying cancerous cells, it can also lead to chronic heart problems and irreparable lung damage a bitter pill to swallow for a brass-playing jazz musician who relies on that organ for his art. 'They're really confident that this is treatable, but this is still going to be with me for the rest of my life,' he said. 'The side effects on my lungs, it's really concerning for me as a sax player.' Hodgkin lymphoma explained Hodgkin lymphoma is a rare form of cancer that starts in a type of white blood cells called lymphocytes. The disease begins in a lymph node, usually in the neck, then spreads through the lymphatic system from one group of lymph nodes to another. Hodgkin lymphoma represents just 0.5 percent of all cancers diagnosed in Australia. About 11 percent of all lymphomas are types of Hodgkin lymphoma, while the remainder are non-Hodgkin. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma may arise in lymph nodes anywhere in the body, whereas Hodgkin lymphoma typically begins in the upper body, such as the neck, chest or armpits. Hodgkin lymphoma is often diagnosed at an early stage and is therefore considered one of the most treatable cancers. Approximately 600 people in Australia are diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma every year, most commonly younger people aged 15 29 and older people over the age of 65. It is more common in men than women. The causes of Hodgkin lymphoma remain largely unclear, but risk factors include family history - with those who have a parent or sibling who has had Hodgkin's slightly likelier to develop the disease - certain viruses, including glandular fever and HIV, and a generally weakened immune system which can occur because of autoimmune conditions or lengthy periods taking immunosuppressant drugs. Source: Lymphoma Australia Advertisement Maggie said she finds it difficult to comprehend that her husband has been sick with cancer 'this whole time' despite innumerable dismissals by medical professionals And like all types of chemo, the treatment will affect Josh's fertility, leaving him with a 50 percent chance of conceiving naturally again. It's only this that brings an audible tremor to his wife's voice as the young couple consider the prospect of a future dictated by IVF. 'I feel really sad about it,' Maggie said. 'It's pretty devastating. We decided to have another child at the start of the year, but now.. I feel incredibly lucky to have Remy, but we'd really love to have another.' Josh and Maggie decided to have another baby so that Remy would have a sibling to grow up with, but his devastating diagnosis has put those plans on hold indefinitely With an incredibly tough road ahead, close friends have started a crowdfunding campaign to offset Josh's loss of income while he undergoes treatment. Donations - which reached almost $46,000 at the time of writing - will be used to pay for living expenses, childcare and the financial hardship that will come from Maggie managing their small business alone. Eager to help others avoid the battle he is facing, Josh urged young men to take note of changes in their body 'no matter how insignificant symptoms may seem'. 'It might be nothing but it doesn't hurt to get stuff checked and find out,' he said. 'I think I'd say I have a lot less trust in doctors now. For the rest of my life I'll be taking more responsibility for my health and following up on everything.' Maggie added: 'I'm just so grateful we found someone who finally listened.' For more information on Hodgkin's lymphoma and other types of blood cancer, please visit Lymphoma Australia or the Australian Cancer Council. French health authorities reported 10,561 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, a new daily record as the number topped 10,000 for the first time since wide-scale testing was launched in the country. British clinical trials for the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine have resumed following confirmation by the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority that it was safe to do so. Clinical trials were suspended this week due to an illness in a study subject in the UK. More than 28.5 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the coronavirus and nearly 916,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. About 19.2 million patients have recovered. Here are the latest updates: Saturday, September 12 23:25 GMT Vatican says return to in-person masses urgent The Vatican says its necessary and urgent to return to in-person Masses as soon as anti-coronavirus measures permit. The head of the Vaticans liturgy office, Cardinal Robert Sarah, says in a letter to bishops conferences Saturday that virtual liturgies, while useful, were no replacement for the real thing. He says physical presence by the faithful in churches was vital, indispensable, irreplaceable. While some Catholic priests claimed coronavirus lockdowns that shuttered churches infringed on their religious liberty, Pope Francis adhered to Italys strict lockdown. 21:38 GMT UN steps up COVID-19 measures at Syrian refugee camps in Jordan The UN refugee agency is stepping up efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 among tens of thousands of Syrians in camps in Jordan after the first cases were confirmed last week, the head of the agency in the country said. The UNHCR confirmed three cases in the countrys largest camp for Syrian refugees, Zaatari, near the border with Syria, and two cases in a smaller camp, Azraq. The infections in the two camps that house a total of about 120,000 refugees were the first confirmed cases since the pandemic was first reported in the kingdom last March. 21:15 GMT Turkey reports 1,500 new coronavirus cases Turkey reported 1,509 more coronavirus cases, bringing the countrys overall infection count to 289,635, according to the Health Ministry data. The number of COVID-19 fatalities in Turkey increased by 48 over the past day, reaching 6,999. The number of patients in critical condition now stands at 1,241, the data showed. 20:20 GMT Israeli protesters keep up pressure on Netanyahu over corruption Thousands of Israelis protested against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem over his alleged corruption and the governments handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The crowd rallied outside Netanyahus residence, blowing whistles, waving signs and flags and calling for his resignation. Smaller protests were held along bridges at major intersections in cities across Israel. Israeli media estimated that about 10,000 people attended what has become a weekly demonstration in Jerusalem. The protests built up over the summer as COVID-19 cases spiked. 18:33 GMT French daily COVID-19 cases hit new record French health authorities reported 10,561 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, a new daily record as the number topped 10,000 for the first time. A previous record of 9,843 new infections had been reported on Thursday. The death toll since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak this year in French hospitals and nursing homes has reached 30,910, with 17 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, it added. Officials have become increasingly concerned about the infection figures, even if the death toll and admissions to intensive care are well below the highs recorded in March and April. France outlined plans to speed up testing and toughen measures in certain cities as the government seeks to avoid a repeat of the nationwide lockdown earlier this year [File: Christophe Ena/Reuters] 17:58 GMT Angola doctors march against virus-linked police violence Hundreds marched in Angolas capital Luanda to protest against police brutality after a doctor caught breaching anti-coronavirus rules died in custody. Police claim Silvio Dala, 35, suffered a heart attack after he was arrested for driving without a face mask on September 1. But questions were raised after Dalas body was sent to the morgue covered in blood with scarring to his head. The doctor is believed to be the latest victim of security forces violently enforcing lockdown rules in the impoverished southwest African country. 17:36 GMT Coronavirus kills businessman uncle of Syrias al-Assad Syrian businessman Mohamad Makhlouf, uncle of President Bashar al-Assad and father of top tycoon Rami Makhlouf, died of COVID-19, two sources close to his family told AFP. Makhlouf, 88, the maternal uncle of al-Assad, was once seen as a pillar of the regime of Hafez al-Assad, the late father of the current president. His grandson, also called Mohamad Makhlouf, mourned his death in a message posted on Instagram. Makhlouf, one of the most prominent Syrian businessmen during the 1970s and 80s, was taken to hospital in the capital Damascus on August 23, local media reported. 16:41 GMT French PM to end self-isolation after another negative COVID-19 test French Prime Minister Jean Castex has tested negative for COVID-19 again and will come out of self-isolation, a week after being in contact with someone who had a positive result, his office said. Castex had already tested negative for COVID-19 since sharing a car last weekend with the director of the Tour de France cycle race, who later tested positive. On Friday the prime minister outlined plans to speed up testing and toughen measures in certain cities as the government seeks to avoid a repeat of the nationwide lockdown earlier this year. France is grappling with a resurgence in coronavirus cases [File: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters] 16:08 GMT UK records 3,497 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 The United Kingdom reported 3,497 confirmed new cases of COVID-19, according to government data, compared with 3,539 a day earlier. It also reported nine more deaths from the coronavirus. Fridays figure was the largest number of daily cases to be reported since mid-May, and the UK is to bring in a new ban on social gatherings on Monday to curb the rise in infections. 15:32 GMT Myanmar residents barricade city streets as coronavirus cases rise Some residents of Myanmars biggest city used pieces of wood and corrugated iron to make barricades around their neighbourhoods, trying to keep out COVID-19 as the country grapples with the second wave of infections. The Southeast Asian nation has reported a total of 2,625 coronavirus cases and 15 deaths. The number of infections has quadrupled since mid-August, when the virus resurfaced in the western state of Rakhine after weeks without a domestic case. Last week, government authorities issued stay-at-home orders for residents, and airlines and buses suspended services in and out of the city. 15:09 GMT Pfizer, BioNTech propose expanding COVID-19 vaccine trial Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE have proposed to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand the enrollment of their phase three pivotal COVID-19 vaccine trial to up to about 44,000 participants, the companies said. The initial target figure for the trial was up to 30,000 participants. 14:17 GMT AstraZeneca resumes COVID-19 vaccine trial after UK green light British clinical trials for the AstraZeneca and Oxford University coronavirus vaccine have resumed following confirmation by the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA) that it was safe to do so, the company said. The late-stage trials of the experimental vaccine, one of the most advanced in development, were suspended this week after an illness in a study subject in the UK. The standard review process triggered a voluntary pause to vaccination across all global trials to allow review of safety data by independent committees, and international regulators, AstraZeneca said. 13:25 GMT Oxygen gets scarce in parts of India as COVID-19 cases rise Oxygen supply is getting scarce in some parts of India hard hit by coronavirus, hospital and local government officials said, as the country reported a record daily jump in cases for a second consecutive day, logging 97,570 new infections. In some parts of the country, medical oxygen was becoming hard to find. Dr Amit Thadhani, medical director of Niramaya Hospitals in Panvel, a suburb of Indias financial capital Mumbai, said the shortage in his area was acute. If we ask for 50 cylinders, we may get about five to seven, he said. An official from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation in a neighbouring suburb said they had received reports from multiple hospitals about dwindling oxygen supplies and made requests to state authorities. Hello, this is Arwa Ibrahim, taking over the coronavirus live updates from my colleague Tamila Varshalomidze. 12:40 GMT German national boxing team infected with coronavirus The entire German national amateur boxing team has been infected with coronavirus at a training camp in Austria. The infection affects 18 athletes as well as seven coaches and supervisors, sporting director Michael Mueller told the dpa news agency after Der Spiegel news magazine had first reported it. Fortunately, there are no serious cases. Some had mild symptoms such as sore throat while others felt nothing, Mueller said. 12:20 GMT Expert says UK on edge of losing control of virus outbreak As infection numbers surge in the United Kingdom, a leading health expert warned that the country is on the verge of losing control of the outbreak. The UK recorded more than 3,500 new infections within a day on Friday, the highest level since mid-May. I think one would have to say that were on the edge of losing control, Mark Walport of the UKRI, a research institute, told the BBC. 10:25 GMT UAE reports 1,007 new cases, highest since outbreak The United Arab Emirates reported 1,007 new cases of the coronavirus, its highest daily number since the pandemic broke out. The country conducted more than 95,000 tests and registered one death and 521 recoveries. Until last month, there had been a generally falling trend after the UAEs new daily cases peaked to 994 in May, but numbers have surged from 164 cases on August 3. #UAE Health ministry conducts further 95,287 #COVID19 tests, announces 1,007 new cases in 24 hours, 521 recoveries, one death #WamNews pic.twitter.com/zelyTSdrSF WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) September 12, 2020 10:00 GMT Hungary daily cases near 1,000, schools to stay open Hungarys daily new coronavirus cases reached a record 916, by far the highest since the onset of the pandemic as schools reopened and strict measures that helped contain the pandemic in the spring have yet to be reinstated. Even as cases rise, the number of people dying from the disease has remained fairly low, with two elderly patients with chronic pre-existing conditions dying from complications of the coronavirus in the past 24 hours. The governments coronavirus task force said active cases reached 7,134, but Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who attended a session of the task force early on Saturday, said schools can stay open and life must go on. 09:50 GMT Taiwan plans to sign up for COVAX vaccine allocation scheme Taiwan will sign up to the COVAX global vaccine allocation plan to ensure it will be able to access a COVID-19 vaccine when one becomes available, the islands health minister said. Chen Shih-chung told reporters in Taipei that the government had engaged lawyers to enter discussions about signing onto the scheme. Taiwan is also researching its own vaccine, a process Chen said was going smoothly. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the GAVI vaccine alliance are leading the COVAX facility, aimed at helping buy and fairly distribute vaccination shots against the novel coronavirus around the world. An Indonesian woman wearing a face mask walks past a railway station in Jakarta, Indonesia [Ed Wray/Getty Images] 08:45 GMT Indonesia reports 3,806 new coronavirus cases Indonesia has reported 3,806 new coronavirus infections and 106 deaths, data from the health ministry website has shown. Saturday marked the fifth consecutive day that Indonesia registered daily infections of more than 3,000, bringing the total number of cases to 214,746. Total COVID-19 deaths rose to 8,650, the highest in Southeast Asia. 08:40 GMT Philippines reports 186 more coronavirus deaths, record daily toll The Philippine health ministry reported 186 more deaths related to the novel coronavirus, a new daily record and the highest single-day fatality rate recorded so far in Southeast Asia. In a bulletin, the ministry said total deaths have increased to 4,292, while confirmed cases rose by 4,935 to 257,863. The Philippines has the most COVID-19 infections in the region. 08:35 GMT Spanish princess quarantined after classmate diagnosed with COVID-19 Princess Leonor, the heir to the Spanish throne, has gone into quarantine after a classmate at her school tested positive for COVID-19, the royal household said. The 14-year-old daughter of King Felipe will be tested for coronavirus like other pupils in her class at the Santa Maria de los Rosales school in Madrid. The king and Queen Letizia will continue their royal duties for the moment, a spokesman for the royal household said, as Spain struggles to control a surge in coronavirus cases. 07:20 GMT Czech Republic reports record one-day rise in new cases The Czech Republic reported its largest one-day rise so far in new coronavirus infections, recording 1,447 cases, according to health ministry data. The country has seen one of the biggest spikes in cases among European countries in recent weeks. It tightened restrictions on mask-wearing this week although it aims to avoid bringing back measures that would hurt businesses. 07:10 GMT Crowds rally in New Zealands Auckland against lockdown Large crowds rallied in Auckland against the governments social distancing restrictions imposed on the countrys largest city after an outbreak of the novel coronavirus last month. Local television footage showed tightly packed crowds, with many people not wearing masks, with estimates of the attendance varying in reports between a thousand and a few thousand people. We are all here today because we believe we need to stand up for our rights, the public Television New Zealand cited Jami-Lee Ross, the leader of the Advance New Zealand party, one of the organisers of the protest, as saying. 07:07 GMT Hello, this is Tamila Varshalomidze in Doha, Qatar, taking over the live updates from my colleague Zaheena Rasheed in Male, Maldives. 05:23 GMT India reports record daily jump for second straight day India reported a record daily jump in coronavirus cases for a second consecutive day, logging 97,570 new infections, according to data from the federal health ministry. With total cases of more than 4.65 million, India is the worlds second-worst affected country, trailing only the United States, which has more than 6.4 million cases. But the growth in infections in India is faster than anywhere else in the world, with cases surging through urban and rural areas of some large, populous states. 04:10 GMT Australia coronavirus deaths pass 800 Deaths related to the novel coronavirus in Australia reached 803, but new daily infections in the countrys largest hotspot of Victoria continued to fall. Victoria state reported six new deaths related to the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing its total to 716, or more than 90 percent of all deaths in Australia. However, new cases in the countrys second-most populous state continued to fall from a peak of more than 700 in a single day in early August. It reported 37 new cases on Saturday, its lowest since late June. 03:25 GMT US budget deficit hits record $3 trillion The US budget deficit hit an all-time high of $3 trillion for the first 11 months of this budget year, the Treasury Department said, as a result of the governments massive spending to try to cushion the impact of a coronavirus-fuelled recession. The deficit from October through August is more than double the previous 11-month record of $1.37 trillion set in 2009. At that time the US government was spending large sums to get out of the Great Recession triggered by the 2008 financial crisis. With one month to go in the 2020 budget year, which ends on September 30, the deficit could go even higher. The Congressional Budget Office is forecasting the deficit this year will hit a record $3.3 trillion. 02:24 GMT Canada reports zero COVID-19 deaths for first time since March Canada reported zero COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours for the first time since March 15, according to public health agency data. Canadas death toll from the pandemic stood at 9,163 as of September 11, the same as the number of the deaths reported on September 10, government data showed. The number of positive cases rose by 702 to 135,626 on September 11 from the previous day, the data showed. 01:37 GMT US expelled 8,800 migrant children under coronavirus rules Donald Trumps administration has expelled about 8,800 unaccompanied migrant children intercepted at the US-Mexico border since March 20 under rules seeking to limit the spread of the new coronavirus in the US, according to court documents. The Justice Department filing to the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals said the Trump administration had expelled 159,000 migrants overall, and 7,600 family units. The border rules, implemented on March 21, scrap decades-old practices under laws meant to protect children from human trafficking and offer them a chance to seek asylum in a US immigration court. 01:09 GMT Mexico tops 70,000 COVID-19 deaths The confirmed coronavirus death toll in Mexico has surpassed 70,000 after the government reported 534 new deaths in the past 24 hours. Making matters worse, 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. Mexico also reported 5,935 new infections, bring its total caseload to 658,299. 00:35 GMT UN General Assembly calls for solidarity to overcome pandemic The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution on tackling COVID-19, calling for intensified international cooperation and solidarity to contain, mitigate and overcome the pandemic. The resolution, adopted by a vote of 169-2, also urged member states to enable all countries to have unhindered timely access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable diagnosis, therapeutics, medicines and vaccines. The resolution, which is not legally binding was approved over objections from the US and Israel, which protested against a successful last-minute Cuban amendment that strongly urges countries to oppose unilateral economic, financial or trade sanctions. 00:01 GMT Englands coronavirus cases double every week A study of coronavirus infection in England showed that the epidemic is doubling every seven to eight days, with an increase in positive cases in all age groups below the age of 65. The finding came in a study of more than 150,000 volunteers, who were tested between August 22 and September 7, by Imperial College London and polling firm Ipsos MORI. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the pandemic is not over, and everyone has a role to play to keep the virus at bay. Separately, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, which advises the UK government, said the viruss 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. 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 11, go here. India logs over 3.17 lakh new Covid cases in last 24 hours; daily positivity rate up at 16.41 per cent COVID-19 fatalities may be much more than what is being reported New AI-based test uses X-rays to detect Covid in a few minutes Ensure coronavirus patients not denied beds, get prompt treatment: Health ministry to pvt hospitals India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 12: The Union Health Ministry on Saturday urged private hospitals providing COVID-19 treatment to ensure that patients, afflicted with the viral disease, are not denied beds and they get prompt care. The ministry, in collaboration with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and AIIMS, New Delhi, at a virtual conclave with private hospitals providing COVID-19 treatment emphasised the collective goal must be to have a health system that is available, affordable and accessible to all. During the meeting, the importance of timely treatment of comorbid patients to reduce fatality was stressed upon. Hospitals were encouraged to protect healthcare workers by adopting all practices on infection prevention and control and keep the staff motivated, the health ministry said. Hospitals were also asked to ensure seamless admission of patients. The importance of evidence-based treatment protocols and reducing heterogeneity in treatment of COVID-19 patients was also underscored, it said. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan inaugurated the virtual conference. "He reiterated the government''s resolve to ensure that COVID-19 patients must not be denied beds and must be provided prompt treatment," the health ministry said. "The collective goal must be to have a health system that is available, affordable and accessible to all. He highlighted that the aim of the Centre along with the states and Union Territories is to achieve a mortality rate of less than one per cent," the ministry said. The conclave was organised to provide a platform for discussion on clinical protocols and best practices in COVID-19 management towards reducing avoidable deaths. According to the ministry, while COVID-19 has posed unprecedented challenges to the country''s healthcare systems, there have been proactive responses from the government as well as the private industry. "The conclave was organised to share the best practices and effective treatment modules being implemented by the public and private sector hospitals in the country." The health ministry also encouraged the hospital representatives to share their key concerns and challenges being faced while managing COVID-19 in their facilities. The best practices included discussion of the teleconsultation sessions conducted by AIIMS, New Delhi, through the e-ICU, Centers of Excellence (CoE) and clinical grand rounds to enhance the clinical management capacities of the ICU doctors in various states and union territories, the ministry said. This, supplemented by various other focussed strategies of containment, prevention, early identification, has resulted in higher recoveries and steadily declining mortality. At the meeting, senior doctors from private hospitals also shared their experiences and challenges about their battle against COVID-19. Concerns about the delayed referral of patients from smaller facilities and financial stress owing to the lack of health insurance were also discussed. The conclave was attended by more than 150 hospital representatives, senior doctors and clinicians from across the country, the ministry said. ICMR Director General Prof Balram Bhargava, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal, FICCI President and Apollo Hospitals Enterprises JMD Dr Sangita Reddy, Chair, FICCI Health Services Committee and Chairman, Medica Group of Hospitals Dr Alok Roy were also present at the meeting. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 12, 2020, 22:17 [IST] Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 21:13:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Aerial photo taken on July 16, 2020 shows the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai) Some U.S. politicians have turned a blind eye to the problems at home and showed unusual "concern" about internal affairs of other countries instead, said a spokesperson of the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese foreign ministry in the Hong Kong SAR. HONG KONG, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese foreign ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Saturday urged some U.S. politicians to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs as a whole. A spokesperson of the commissioner's office expressed strong disapproval of and firm opposition against the groundless remarks by the U.S. politicians about a case still under investigation, which involves Hong Kong residents suspected of illegal border-crossing. The spokesperson said China is a country under the rule of law. Chinese judicial authorities handle cases in accordance with the law, protect the legitimate rights of criminal suspects, and deal with cases involving the mainland and Hong Kong in strict accordance with the "one country, two systems" principle. The U.S. side has no right to meddle in China's internal affairs. The spokesperson pointed out that while the United States is fraught with economic and social challenges, with racial conflict flaring up and COVID-19 infections and deaths remaining high, some American politicians have, however, turned a blind eye to the problems at home and showed unusual "concern" about internal affairs of other countries instead. "We strongly urge U.S. politicians to abide by international law and the basic norms governing international relations, mind their own business, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs as a whole," the spokesperson said. US Navy to Hold 'Valiant Shield' War Games Near Guam With Over 100 Aircraft Sputnik News 22:06 GMT 11.09.2020 Massive new war games later this month will feature a US aircraft carrier, amphibious assault ship and dock landing ship, as well as more than 100 aircraft, the US Pacific Fleet announced on Friday. The eighth Valiant Shield naval war games will be held off the coast of Guam between September 14 and 25 and will feature more than 11,000 personnel and more than 100 aircraft, the US Navy said in a Friday news release. Participants will include Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, the first-in-class amphibious assault ship USS America, the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans and the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Germantown, along with multiple other surface vessels. The exercise will also feature elements from the Air Force, Army and Marine Corps. "Exercises such as Valiant Shield allow US forces the opportunity to integrate warfighting concepts such as all-domain strike group operations in a joint high end warfare training environment to continuously improve joint lethality," Rear Adm. Michael Boyle, director of maritime operations for the US Pacific Fleet, said Friday. "It is vitally important that we demonstrate to our allies and partners our strong commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific." The drill comes just weeks after the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises held off the coast of Hawaii that featured navies from nearly a dozen nations. RIMPAC's scope was significantly subdued compared to past years, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Navy noted in the release that "in coordination with military medical personnel and public health personnel, every aspect of Valiant Shield 2020 has been analyzed to ensure the appropriate mitigation measures are taken against COVID-19." The US also held several naval drills in the Philippine Sea and South China Sea in recent months involving three different aircraft carriers - a clear message to China that the US intends to back up its objections to Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea with force. Washington has also stepped up maritime bomber patrols and flown multiple daily spy plane missions in the waters off China's coast. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The number of deaths globally linked to the coronavirus outbreak has now passed 900,000, as the pandemic continues its grip on the UK and the rest of the world. In the UK, the number of daily infections have increased steadily since late August. As of Wednesday, 2,659 more people tested positive for Covid-19, prompting the government to impose a ban on gatherings of more than six people indoors and outdoors, effective from 14 September. Here is your daily briefing of coronavirus news you may have missed overnight. Christmas celebrations could be cancelled as coronavirus restrictions set to stay in place Covid-19 is posing a threat to Christmas celebrations this year as the public has been warned a new crackdown on socialising is likely to last until Christmas and beyond. The chief medical officer Chris Whitty predicted the period between now and spring is going to be difficult and warned people not to view the restrictions as a very short term thing. It comes as the government banned all gatherings of more than six people in England amid a rising number of infections. Boris Johnsons plans for mass coronavirus testing may not work, warns governments top scientific adviser Ministers are hoping to deliver daily tests for millions in an ambitious programme codenamed Operation Moon Shot, but chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance has poured cold water on the plans. Boris Johnson said on Wednesday, in his first Downing Street press conference since July, that the 100bn Moon Shot project could produce a test to tell people within 15 minutes whether they are infected. But Mr Vallance cautioned just moments later: There are, as always with technologies, unknowns and we would be completely wrong to assume this is a slam dunk that can definitely happen. Coronavirus patients at increased risk of collapsed lung - study A new study has found that coronavirus patients are at increased risk of a collapsed lung. About one in 100 of those admitted to hospital with the virus suffered from the lung complication, known as pneumothorax, sometimes called a punctured lung. The condition occurs when pockets of air get into the space between the lungs and the inside of the ribcage, which puts pressure on the lungs and can prevent them from fully expanding. Scientists in Cambridge urged medics treating Covid-19 patients to be alert to the possibility of a punctured lung even in people who would not be thought to be typical at-risk patients. Donald Trump admits he may have underplayed dangers of coronavirus to avoid panic The US president has made a remarkable admission that he publicly downplayed the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic in an attempt to reduce panic. Asked about comments he made to journalist Bob Woodward for an upcoming book, the president said: If you said in order to reduce panic, maybe thats so. Its just another political hit job. He said being honest in public would mean youre going to have bigger problems. I dont want people to be frightened, he added. We want to show confidence, we want to show strength. By 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. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A wedding DJ is behind a vigilante group of 20 men carrying out covert Channel 'patrols' to turn back migrant boats before they reach UK waters. Jeremy Davis from Wolverhampton said he had spearheaded two 'missions' off the coast of Dover since setting up the Little Boats website. He claimed he and 20 others - mainly former soldiers and boat owners - wore night vision goggles and used a speedboat for the operations. The disco and weddings DJ added they would listen to police and coastguard radio messages to hunt down migrants. Mr Davis said the group wants the government to stop the boats making the journey across the English Channel from northern France. The crisis intensified yesterday as the number of migrants arriving in small vessels since the start of the year passed 6,000. More than 200 men, women and children are thought to have reached British soil from France aboard more than 20 inflatable boats and dinghies yesterday. It means around 6,050 have made the illegal crossing this year compared with 1,850 in the whole of 2019. Jeremy Davis (pictured) from Wolverhampton said he had spearheaded two 'missions' off the coast of Dover since setting up the Little Boats website The crisis intensified yesterday (pictured) as the number of migrants arriving in small vessels since the start of the year passed 6,000 More than 200 men, women and children are thought to have reached British soil from France aboard more than 20 inflatable boats and dinghies yesterday (pictured) Mr Davis, who is in his 50s and is married, lives in Wolverhampton but was born in London and has previously lived in Portugal and Wales. He said the Little Boats flotilla stumbled across four migrant vessels during their two 'missions' but could not get them to turn around. He told the Times: 'Keyboard warriors don't get anywhere, demonstrations do nothing. 'We do not want to be running around disrupting towns and cities but we are going to do a few things that ruffle feathers.' It means around 6,050 have made the illegal crossing this year compared with 1,850 in the whole of 2019 (pictured yesterday) Migrants picked up at sea while crossing the English Channel are brought into the Marina in Dover on an RNLI lifeboat yesterday His comments come a week after far-right activists descended on Dover to protest against the constant flow of migrants coming in through the port town. Demonstrators fought with anti-racism protesters after setting up a road block into the town. Mr Davis said he and the other members have no intention of hurting the migrants, adding the group was the 'law-abiding silent majority'. His website says: 'We are covertly sending targeted patrols out into the Channel to engage and attempt to safely ward off undocumented illegal migrants in boats coming to our shores until the government finally act.' A Home Office spokesman said: 'There is no excuse in any circumstances for harassing those arriving in the UK. 'Members of the public should report any unusual or suspicious activity to their local police and must not take direct action against any individuals or groups.' BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 12 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Two Italian municipalities purchased a platform for monitoring the compliance with safety rules during the COVID-19 quarantine period, which was tested by Kazakh ICS Holding Qazaqstan, Kazakhtelecom JSC, a representative of ICS Holding Qazaqstan told Trend. The company official also said that customers from the manufacturing sector showed interest in the system. These customers plan to use it to monitor compliance with quarantine measures at their enterprises. ICS Holding Qazaqstan, in partnership with Kazakhtelecom JSC, tested the platform for video analytics with the ability to monitor compliance with safety measures and wearing personal protective equipment indoors during the quarantine period. In addition to monitoring whether the person is wearing personal protective equipment, the detectors are also able to record the observance of a safe distance between people, presence in restricted areas and determine the human body temperature. The company official also commented on how the coronavirus pandemic affected the activities of the company itself. "Despite the fact that we easily managed to reorganize the work of the office to a remote mode, not all our clients and potential customers were able to quickly get accustomed to this update. It is important for us, as a young business in the Kazakhstan market, to hold face-to-face meetings and discussions with clients, but during the pandemic, this was impossible. In this regard, we made adjustments to our plans for new orders," the official said. ICS Holding Qazaqstan was established in Sept. 2019 following official announcement by its parent company - Russian X-Holding. ICS Holding Qazaqstan is a joint venture with Kazakhstans CyberSystems and CyberGate companies. X-Holding is a Russian multidisciplinary IT company, the main targets of which include investments, management and consolidation at the telecommunications market. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh 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. British boxer Umar Sadiq says he is recovering well after being taken to hospital coughing up blood and requiring oxygen following his defeat to Fyodor Chudinov, according to reports from Russia. Sadiq reportedly fell ill immediately after his defeat by technical knockout in the fight in Khimki, near Moscow. And according to Russian outlet TASS, the 32-year-old super middleweight felt disorientated and was given immediate medical assistance by doctors minutes after the fight. British boxer Umar Sadiq (above) is reportedly in hospital following defeat to Fyodor Chudinov Sadiq took some punishment in the corner and was reportedly left coughing up blood The referee waved the fight off as he failed to stop the barrage of punches from his opponent A video of his stoppage loss shows Sadiq taking an onslaught of punches and failing to defend himself properly after being pinned up against the ropes in the corner, with the referee quickly waving the contest off. The report says an ambulance was then called after he fell ill during a routine doping control and he was reportedly then rushed to hospital. 'Umar was hospitalized,' a source was quoted as saying, with the routlet adding the boxer began to 'cough up blood'. After a number of boxing fans raised concern for the fighter on social media, the man himself confirmed he was 'good thanks' after one user passed on his well wishes to him. #BoxeoEnTyCSports Tremenda rafaga de Chudinov para vencer a Sadiq por KOT y quedarse con el titulo. El nigeriano dio pelea hasta el round doce, pero el ruso lo doblego a falta de menos de tres minutos para el final. Mira la velada EN VIVO aca: https://t.co/eHCtBjAnlP pic.twitter.com/nV2CQGo8vY TyC Sports Play (@TyCSportsPlay) September 11, 2020 Sadiq felt disorientated after the fight and felt ill again during a routine doping control Sadiq's defeat came just 40 seconds into round 12 of the WBA gold belt bout, but it represented just his second loss in a 12-fight career to date. The Ilford boxer - who was born in Nigeria - has six knockouts among his 10 professional wins, and has been preparing for a British title shot against Lerrone Richards. However, after discovering his fight with Richards would not take place in September, Sadiq decided to fight Chudinov. Sadiq's defeat after 40 seconds represented just his second loss in a 12-fight career to date The British boxer was only informed of the fight three-and-a-half weeks ago, and after undergoing a coronavirus test and finalising an agreement last week he flew out to Russia. However, he came up short against former WBA world champion Chudinov, who is now on a nine-fight winning streak. The Russian is pushing for a mandatory title challenge against current WBA champion Callum Smith, with his win on Friday making him the form runner to face the Brit next. Azerbaijan and Ukraine support each other's territorial integrity, including in international organizations. Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Ukraine Elmira Akhundova said this during a meeting with Director General of Ukrinform Oleksandr Kharchenko on September 11. Azerbaijan and Ukraine consistently support each other's territorial integrity. The fact that Azerbaijan supported the inclusion of the issue of Ukraines temporarily occupied territories in the agenda of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly is one of the latest confirmations of our consistent support for its territorial integrity. In political relations, Baku and Kyiv have complete mutual understanding. We can firmly rely on it to deepen bilateral cooperation in other areas, primarily in economic, transport and investment, the Azerbaijani ambassador said. During the meeting, the parties also discussed issues of information cooperation, in particular, the partnership between the national news agencies of the two countries - Ukrinform and AZERTAC, as well as the intense activity of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Ukraine. As Ukrinform reported, the agenda of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly included the issue of the situation in the occupied territories of Ukraine. The 75th session of the UN General Assembly will open on Tuesday, September 15, 2020. The UN will mark its 75th anniversary with a one-day high-level meeting at the opening of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly. This special event will take place on September 21. The first day of the high-level General Debate will be Tuesday, September 22. ish Five people have been arrested in Great Britain and 1m of cocaine has been seized as part of an investigation into a suspected Northern Ireland crime group. National Crime Agency (NCA) officers, supported by the PSNI, made the arrests on Thursday, with three men arrested in the Essex area and two in in North Wales. Three lorries were also seized. The NCA said the men are suspected of being involved in the importation of class A drugs from the continent. Four of those arrested are known to be based in Northern Ireland, the other man is from the north of England. They are all aged between 21 and 59. Specialist Border Force officers were called in to conduct detailed searches of the lorries. In one, a complex concealment was located, which once opened was found to contain around 21 kilos of cocaine. At the same time officers from the NCA and PSNI time carried out searches at a number of properties in Northern Ireland. The investigation has also been supported by An Garda Siochana and the Organised Crime Task Force. The five men were questioned by NCA officers, and have now been released on bail. NCA Regional Head of Investigations Gerry McLean said: This is a highly significant operation in terms of our activity to target organised crime impacting on Northern Ireland. Expand Close Wrapped drugs found in a lorry. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Wrapped drugs found in a lorry. In making these seizures we have both prevented a large quantity of drugs from reaching our streets, and denied criminals an important avenue for smuggling. Id like to thank colleagues from the PSNI, Garda and Border Force, without whom we wouldnt have been able to achieve the results we have so far. Our investigations will continue. Detective Superintendent Rachel Shields, from the PSNIs Criminal Investigation Branch said: Our detectives have been working in collaboration with the NCA in relation to this operation for some time. These arrests and seizure are significant in terms of the quantity seized, and in terms of the disruption caused to organised criminals. We will continue to work closely with, and support the NCA in their work to disrupt the nefarious activities of organised crime groups. Killing of Willy Monteiro Duarte, 21, after apparently coming to rescue of friend being attacked has shaken country. Hundreds of people including Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte have attended the funeral of a young Black man whose brutal beating death has shaken the country. Willy Monteiro Duarte, 21, was reportedly assaulted after he apparently came to the rescue of a school friend during an altercation on Sunday in Colleferro, a small town east of Italys capital, Rome. Four suspects have been arrested, including a pair of brothers with police records, but to date, prosecutors have not indicated if the slaying was racially motivated. At Saturdays funeral procession, crowds of people, mostly wearing white shirts, walked towards a stadium where Monteiro Duarte a well-liked trainee chef was honoured, clapping in respect as his coffin was carried out. It was a strong show of solidarity for the young man, who was described as hard-working and upstanding by those who knew him. Ciao Willy Conte, who called the family to express his condolences, has demanded justice for the killing. In a statement, he asked rhetorically what it means that someone could be killed in Italy for having tried to help a friend. Will we tell our children to turn their heads away? Not to intervene to quell disputes or to try to protect weaker friends or friends in obvious difficulty? Conte said. I dont think this can be the answer or the way forward. Rather, we must multiply our efforts in every location and context, so that our children grow up with the culture of respect for everyone. Colleferro on Monday declared a day of mourning as did the nearby town of Paliano, where Duarte who was born in Rome and whose family is from Cape Verde lived. Monteiro Duarte was a great guy who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, Palianos Mayor Domenico Alfieri said on Facebook. His photo appeared on the front pages of Italys main newspapers on Monday, with one saying: Ciao Willy, killed for his generosity. The independent Lunaria monitor warned last year that racial attacks have been on the rise in Italy, a development it said was linked to the countrys hostile political atmosphere. Last month, a 25-year-old Senegalese man was beaten up on a beach in Tuscany by two Albanians in an apparent racist attack, the ANSA news agency said. Photo: (Photo : Facebook/Rockaway Times) Former NYPD detective, Debra McCarthy, was inspired to look for her biological parents after her family and friends died from the 9/11 terror attacks. Using her well-honed sleuthing skills, she was able to find both her birth parents. A woman who looked like her The 51-year-old female sergeant told PEOPLE that she saw a woman who looked just like her. She was standing in the narcotics division's main area days after the terror attacks. She had always wanted to search for her real family but she did not pursue it because she was afraid of hurting her adoptive mother. McCarthy was adopted since she was two, and she had a deep desire to look for her blood-related family. When she saw her doppelganger, she started looking for her family of origin. See also: 13-Year-Old Utah Boy with Autism Allegedly Shot by Police After Having Breakdown Importance of family Apart from that, seeing the collapse of the Twin Towers had made McCarthy see how important her family and loved ones are. That horrific day, 87 of her friends and family got lost. She and her husband, FDNY Battalion Chief Thomas McCarthy, lost relatives and friends who attended their wedding. McCarthy was on maternity leave after giving birth to her first child. The terror attacks made her think of the babies who died, as she brings babies to funerals. Never Forgotten: How 9/11 Sparked a Family Reunion Not long after September 11, 2001, a day that changed America... Posted by Rockaway Times on Friday, September 4, 2020 Used her skills for the search For the next few weeks and months, McCarthy started looking for her parents as her husband looked for bodies in the rubble. She was able to find her mom, thanks to the skills she had honed after working as a police officer for three years. Other than that, she had also worked as an undercover vice and narcotics detective for seven years. See also: San Diego Teen Sews Unique Dolls for Children with Medical Conditions Her mom told her that her dad, Charlie Sullivan, had been looking for her for years. She explained that she was an only child, so he called every year on McCarthy's birthday. Finally, McCarthy met her birth dad in Breezy Point, where she had started her career as a patrol officer. Family reunion She and her dad planned a family reunion, including a wide array of Irish and Italian aunts, uncles, and cousins, weeks later. Her Aunt Mary and Uncle Patsy told her that she came at a good time because they had lost their son and nephew during the attack. See also: Blind Mom Saw Unborn Baby Thanks to Doctors Who Gave Her 3d Printed Ultrasound Scan Funny thing is that the woman she saw at One Plaza who looked a lot like her was her cousin, Sgt. Mary Young. McCarthy is extremely grateful that her biological family welcomed her with open arms. While so much had happened that day, her story is proof that there is still a glimmer of hope in our lives. She also said that their story is about loss, love, and never giving up on finding your family. United Airlines Flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, was delayed. By the time four terrorists took control of the Boeing 757, some of the 40 passengers and crew who were able to make phone calls could glean that other flights that morning had been hijacked and crashed. Those onboard took a vote and decided to fight back, diverting the doomed airliner from wherever the terrorists were planning to continue their attack and bringing it down in a field in Shanksville, in rural western Pennsylvania. Are you guys ready? Lets roll, said passenger Todd Beamer, audible through an open connection on the planes in-flight telephone, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported days later. Lorraine G. Bay, the third-most-senior flight attendant for United out of Newark, wasnt among those able to able to reach loved ones that morning, her cousin Ed Root said Saturday. But her family has an idea that she was doing her best to do her job in those terrifying last moments. She was just one of those people who would -- if somebody was really nervous flying, she would find that person and make sure that they were comforted, said Roots daughter, Emily Schenkel. Family of Lorraine Bay, a flight attendant on United Airlines Flight 93, gather Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, in Bethlehem, clockwise from top left, Emily and Stu Schenkel and their son, Nick; Emily's dad, Ed Root; the Schenkels' daughter, Lanie; and Nancy Root, who is Ed's wife and Emily's mom. Ed Root and Bay were cousins. Flight 93 was hijacked by terrorists and crashed Sept. 11, 2001, into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing 40 passengers and crew members.Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com Root and his wife, Nancy, both of Allentown, and Schenkel and her family from Bethlehem spoke with lehighvalleylive.com on Saturday, one day after visiting the the Flight 93 National Memorial for the 19th anniversary service dedicated to the 40 victims. Root spoke during the service, his second time doing so. Each time, hes focused on more than just his personal loss and honoring the volunteers who came out to help the day of the crash and who continued to help the ambassadors, as theyre known as well as the survivor organizations formed to keep the victims' memory alive. Its always an honor to represent the 40 heroes of Flight 93 and an honor to represent all the family members of the heroes of Flight 93, as well as the partners of this whole event -- the ambassadors, the Park Service people, the Friends of Flight 93, said Root, who is vice president and a past president of the Families of Flight 93 group. Schenkel is treasurer, and she just joined the Friends of Flight 93. Root visits the crash site regularly, having missed just two of the anniversary services, but also accompanying Bays widower, Erich Bay, on her birthday each July and at Christmas. Erich and Lorraine Bay were married for 22 years, and lived in East Windsor, New Jersey. Each visit brings a range of emotions: sadness, of course, but also fond memories of those lost, and a genuine happiness to see the National Park Service staff, volunteers and others who maintain the memorial and help to interpret its meaning. Normally, Families of Flight 93 President Gordie Felt speaks, but he was asked this year to help dedicate a memorial to his brother, passenger Edward Felt. He had asked me back in February before all this COVID stuff and everything else came up if I would take his place this year, Root said. The survivors' families agreed to close this years memorial service to the general public, due to concerns about crowding during the continuing coronavirus pandemic. This years anniversary also fell during the run-up to a closely contested battle for Pennsylvania between President Donald Trumps re-election campaign and his Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden. 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., Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. Ed Root's cousin was flight attendant Lorraine Bay.AP Photo/Alex Brandon Trump also spoke Friday in Shanksville, where Biden made an appearance and spoke with victims' families afterward, once the memorial site was reopened to visitors. There was no campaigning Friday at the Flight 93 National Memorial, which has had bipartisan support since its design was chosen in 2005 by a jury on which Root served on up through the 2011 dedication of the Wall of Names, 2015 opening of the visitor center, 2018 completion of the Tower of Voices and installation in the tower just this year of 40 unique chimes, Root said. Both sides of the aisle have been unbelievably supportive, Root said Saturday. And President Trump and the vice president, Biden, were both there to honor the families and friends of the passengers and crew of Flight 93. So politics took a day off yesterday. During the service, Ed and Nancy Root accompanied Trump and first lady Melania Trump in laying a wreath at the memorial. Later, Biden had a moment with Nick Schenkel, son of Emily Schenkel and her husband, Stu. Hes a seventh-grader at Northeast Middle School. Their daughter, Lorraine, who goes by Lanie, is named for Lorraine Bay. The Roots' son, Derek, also has a daughter whose name honors Bays memory: Abigail Grace Root, Grace being Bays middle name. Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks with Nick Schenkel, a seventh-grader from Bethlehem, as his father, Stu Schenkel, left, looks on during a visit to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.AP Photo/Patrick Semansky Biden during his visit to Shanksville visited the local fire company, where he made good on a past promise to bring beer the next time he was in town, retrieving six packs of Bud Light and Iron City for volunteers, according to a report from the candidates press pool. Trump, in his remarks, singled out U.S. Marine Corps veteran Jason Thomas, who on 9/11 helped dig through the rubble of the World Trade Center for 20 hours, leading to the rescue of two New York City police officers who were trapped. The president also spoke of David DeMato, an officer in the Navy Reserve who drove the day of the attacks to Manhattan from Chicago, where he worked as a police officer, to help. At the Flight 93 memorial, only relatives of those who died and their guests are allowed at the actual crash site. The Roots and Schenkels took Thomas and DeMato with them to the hallowed ground Friday. We got to talk to them and everything afterwards, so it was really fascinating to meet them because they were both really heroes of the day, Ed Root said. Lorraine Bay is remembered by her family as a very positive, thoughtful and generous woman. She kept a box of greeting cards, organized by occasion and recipient, Emily Schenkel said. Two of Bays colleagues received cards postmarked Sept. 11, 2001, indicating that they were mailed that morning, according to Bays page on the National Park Service website for Flight 93. All the stories that she would tell about different flights, and she would tell them about sometimes where they had trouble or somebody was crabby or whatever, but all her stories kind of ended with a laugh or a smile -- she always made the best of it, Root said. And that was just her personality. I always kind of think in a way shes just kind of looking at us, smiling, just kind of shaking her head and being very humble." Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. BEIJING - China has announced new restrictions on the activities of U.S. diplomats working in mainland China and Hong Kong, in what it called a justified response to similar measures imposed on Chinese diplomats in the U.S. last year. In a statement posted online late Friday, a foreign ministry spokesperson said the rules would apply to senior diplomats and all other personnel at the American Embassy in Beijing and consulates throughout China. However, the spokesperson said China supported normal exchanges and co-operation between all sectors of the two countries and said the restrictions could be lifted if the U.S. were to revoke the measures it imposed last October. 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, the spokesperson, who wasnt identified, said. No details were given about the new restrictions. U.S. diplomats already face limits on what parts of the country they can visit and even access to college campuses. The U.S. rules require Chinese diplomats to report travel and meetings in what was seen as an attempt to prevent interference within the overseas Chinese community and foreign students. Washington has also complained about a lack of reciprocity in access to media, saying Chinese diplomats are able to put their views across U.S. outlets while Americas representatives are shunned by Chinese state media. Most recently, the State Department protested over the refusal by the Communist Partys flagship newspaper Peoples Daily to publish an op-ed by Ambassador Terry Branstad. The paper responded that the piece did not meet its editorial standards. China-U.S. tensions over trade, technology and a multitude of other issues have increasingly spilled over into the areas of diplomacy and media, with the U.S. ordering the closure of the Chinese Consulate in Houston in July. China responded by ordering the closure of the U.S. Consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu, a double blow because of the missions key role in monitoring activities in the restive Himalayan region of Tibet. The U.S. also capped the number of Chinese citizens working for state media outlets in the U.S., leading to the effective expulsion of 60 reporters, and has reduced the length of visas for others from one year to three months. That has brought renewed pressure on U.S. outlets in China, and Beijing has delayed renewing credentials for several of their journalists pending a positive response from Washington. Read more about: Some investors rely on dividends for growing their wealth, and if you're one of those dividend sleuths, you might be intrigued to know that Belvoir Group PLC (LON:BLV) is about to go ex-dividend in just 4 days. Ex-dividend means that investors that purchase the stock on or after the 17th of September will not receive this dividend, which will be paid on the 30th of October. Belvoir Group's upcoming dividend is UK0.054 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of UK0.068 per share to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Belvoir Group has a trailing yield of approximately 4.5% on its current stock price of 1.52. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. So we need to investigate whether Belvoir Group can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow. View our latest analysis for Belvoir Group Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Belvoir Group is paying out just 24% of its profit after tax, which is comfortably low and leaves plenty of breathing room in the case of adverse events. Yet cash flow is typically more important than profit for assessing dividend sustainability, so we should always check if the company generated enough cash to afford its dividend. What's good is that dividends were well covered by free cash flow, with the company paying out 18% of its cash flow last year. It's positive to see that Belvoir Group's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut. Click here to see how much of its profit Belvoir Group paid out over the last 12 months. Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Story continues Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. It's encouraging to see Belvoir Group has grown its earnings rapidly, up 21% a year for the past five years. Belvoir Group looks like a real growth company, with earnings per share growing at a cracking pace and the company reinvesting most of its profits in the business. Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Belvoir Group has delivered an average of 2.0% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past eight years of dividend payments. Earnings per share have been growing much quicker than dividends, potentially because Belvoir Group is keeping back more of its profits to grow the business. The Bottom Line Has Belvoir Group got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Belvoir Group has grown its earnings per share while simultaneously reinvesting in the business. Unfortunately it's cut the dividend at least once in the past eight years, but the conservative payout ratio makes the current dividend look sustainable. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention. With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. To help with this, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Belvoir Group that you should be aware of before investing in their shares. We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. In some cases, the exams are geared specifically to applicants to engineering or other Stem programmes, but others pave the way for entry to a broad range of courses. Stock photo: Getty Many third-level colleges run special Maths exams to give students who haven't achieved the necessary grade in the subject another opportunity to meet the minimum requirement. Most are confined to existing CAO applicants for the college in question, or a particular course or courses. In some cases, the exams are geared specifically to applicants to engineering or other Stem programmes, but others pave the way for entry to a broad range of courses. The papers are not the same as the Leaving Cert, but the topics will be familiar to students. There are no extra points awarded, but candidates who succeed in such an exam and who meet all other entry requirements for the course, have a good chance of an offer in a future CAO round. Every year, many students benefit. Some colleges have already held their exam. Anyone interested should check with a relevant college, or its website, about arrangements, including fees and pre-exam tutorials, but below is a guide: Cork IT: Tuesday, September 15 at Bishopstown Campus for CAO applicants to any programme that requires minimum Maths grade. Applications, via Cork IT website, will close at 1pm on Monday. There are two papers, one at Ordinary level which is compulsory, and a second, at Higher Level for those seeking a H4 equivalent. There is a 30 fee for paper 1 plus 20 for paper 2. A pass in paper 1 allows applicants to replace LC Maths requirements 06/H7 with an 06/H7 in another subject. Galway Mayo IT: Thursday, September 17 for CAO applicants who do not achieve the required grade in the Leaving Cert. The exam will be based on Ordinary Level syllabus. A pass will meet minimum Maths requirements for most GMIT programmes. Galway Roscommon ETB will run an online preparatory course from September 14-16. Course fee is 50 and exam fee 30. Letterkenny IT: Enabling Maths Course will run over eight days, September 15-18 and September 21-25, with an exam on September 25, for vacant places on any of its courses. The exam will be Ordinary Level standard. There is no fee. IT Sligo: Monday, September 14, at IT Sligo, for CAO applicants who did not meet the entry requirements for the institute's programmes. Two exams are set, one equivalent to Ordinary Level and the other at Higher Level standard. A pass will be deemed equivalent to meeting the Maths entry requirements. Free online pre-degree Mathematics Open Course (MOOC), geared to Higher Level Maths, is available. IT Tralee: Online exam on Wednesday, September 16 for CAO applicants interested in any of its programmes that require certain minimum levels of performance in Maths. Applications accepted up to Tuesday. 30 fee. Maynooth University: Online exam, Wednesday, September 16 for applicants to Electronic Engineering, as an alternative to H4. Two-hour exam based on the content of Higher Level Paper 1 Students who register will be automatically enrolled for optional online preparatory course on September 15. Registration required. NUI Galway: Monday, September 14 for CAO applicants to School of Engineering who do not meet the Maths grade (H4 for BE Programmes, H7/O3 for BSc Project & Construction Management, H6/O2 for BSc Computer Science & IT). TU Dublin: Online exam on Monday, September 14 for applicants to Level 8 TU805 Engineering (General Entry) who have not achieved a H4. There is no fee. No tutorials in advance. University of Limerick: Tuesday, September 15, at UL campus, for CAO applicants to Faculty of Science and Engineering programmes, who did not achieve the requisite grade in Maths Higher Level. Two-hour paper. Waterford IT: Friday, September 18 at WIT Main Campus for students who have not achieved required grade in maths for entry to the institute's courses, with the exception of all nursing programmes and BEng (Hons) (Common Entry). Paper is based on the Ordinary Level syllabus. Applications open until 5pm Tuesday. 35 fee. Biden Pays His Respects to 9/11 Heroes Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden flew to Pennsylvania to pay his respects at the 9/11 memorial. That was after he attended a ceremony in New York City, honoring the people we lost that day. New Delhi, Sep 12 : Delhi Police are verifying the authenticity of an email sent by retired IPS officer Julio Rebeiro questioning the probe into the Delhi riots cases. Reberio said that the Delhi Police are taking action against "peaceful protesters", while ignoring those who made hate speeches which triggered the riots in North East Delhi in February this year. The email written to Delhi Police Commissioner S.N. Shrivastava read, "The Delhi Police have taken action against peaceful protesters but deliberately failed to register cognizable offences against those who made hate speeches which triggered the riots in N.E. Delhi. "It troubles sane and apolitical persons, like me, why Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma have not been arraigned before the Courts of law while deeply-hurt Muslim women, peacefully protesting against discriminations based on religion, were lodged for months together in jail!" The letter added, "The not-so-subtle attempt by the Delhi Police to entangle true patriots, like Harsh Mander and Prof. Apoorvanand, in criminal cases is another matter for concern. We, the police forces in the land, and its leadership drawn from the Indian Police Service, have a duty and obligation to respect the Constitution and the enacted laws, impartially without regard to caste, creed and political affiliations." The email also requests the Delhi Police Commissioner to revisit the police actions, saying: "Kindly revisit the actions of the police under your command in Delhi to determine if they have been true to their oaths taken at the time of their induction into service." The Delhi Police on Saturday confirmed receiving the mail but added that they are verifying the veracity of the mail. "An e-mail purportedly sent by Julio Rebeiro has been received today in which he has raised concerns regarding the investigation of NE Riots. Rebeiro is a respected police officer. Since the officer in whose name the email has been received has not been in touch with Delhi Police in the recent times and especially in the past 6 months, we are trying to ascertain the veracity and the genuineness of the mail," the Delhi Police said. The Delhi Police also responded to media reports which mentions them naming academicians and politicians in the supplementary chargesheet of the case related to the Jaffrabad riots. The police said that it has been mentioned in one of the news reports that the names are part of the disclosure statement of one of the accused in connection with organising and addressing anti-CAA protests. "It is worth mentioning that the disclosure statement has been truthfully recorded as narrated by the accused person. A person is not arraigned as an accused only on the basis of a disclosure statement. However, it is only on the existence of sufficient corroborative evidence that further legal action is taken. The matter is currently subjudice," a senior Delhi Police officer said. Sharon Stone is ready to the confront the age-old belief that looks arent everything. In a recent interview with the Telegraph, the actress revealed that she does not agree with the looks dont matter narrative. Sharon Stone (Rich Polk / Getty Images for IMDb) Because its a big, fat, stupid lie, the star of "Ratched" on Netflix explained. And by the way you dont even realize how much they matter until they start to go. Stone, 62, used this disbelief as fodder for her exercise regime, even throughout quarantine. The actress has kept up an intense daily workout schedule at home in lieu of hitting up a gym. This includes 30 squats and lifting seven-pound lead balls when shes watching television. As for her other beauty secrets, Stone is keeping it low-maintenance these days and is blocking out any unwelcome opinions. Im done letting other people tell me how my face and body are, for one thing: This part is not OK and those big cellulite close-ups, she said. All womens bodies have those kinds of things, but weve looked at too many pantyhose pictures where the models were actually young boys, and seen too many fashion shows featuring 14-year-old Romanian girls. Stone continued, adding, You dont have to stay a beautiful girl for ever, and we really have to start dealing with the fact that its cool to be a grown-up and intelligent woman. If your partner doesnt understand that, hes not an adult and you shouldnt be with him. The Basic Instinct star echoed a similar sentiment in a 2019 interview with Allure, explaining, "I started to understand that I was going to go for being more like a European woman who got more beautiful with age and who could understand that women are more beautiful than girls because they know something." She also mused that people don't always respond to attractive women in the nicest way. People are incredibly unkind," she said. They think if you're beautiful, you must be stupid, you must be shallow. If you're beautiful, we should make you feel small or less. Every person has gifts. And if beauty is one of them, we should accept it and enjoy it as a gift from nature... If someone's beautiful, for Gods sake, let them be beautiful." Coca-Cola in Western Europe has announced on September 7 that it is taking another important step on its journey in eliminating the use of virgin resin-based plastic that they use in their bottles. Coca-Cola in both Netherlands and Norway said that they would transition to plastic bottles made from 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET). Before them, the Coca-Cola in Sweden has already announced the same transition back in December 2019, making them the first market to switch to 100% rPET. Coca-Cola in the Netherlands is scheduled to launch its new bottles by October 2020, in which all its locally produced small plastic bottles are already 100% rPET, including other brands like Sprite and Fanta. Large plastic bottles will follow by 2021, which makes the Netherlands as the second market to make the transition to its locally produced portfolio. Reducing Carbon Footprint Coca-cola in the Netherlands hopes that the transition of using rPET will eliminate the use of more than 10,000 tons of new virgin resin-based plastics, which amounts to a 21% reduction in the carbon footprint of its plastic bottles per year. Moreover, Coca-Cola Norway will also transition to using rPET by the first half of 2021 for all their plastic bottles. They hope to remove 4,300 tons of new virgin resin-based plastics per year that will reduce their carbon footprint by 28% from the plastic bottles they produce each year before the switch. The primary reason for the switch in Netherlands and Norway is the effective deposit return schemes and rapidly expanding operations in the two countries, which guarantees supply to produce rPET. In a press release, Coca-Cola revealed that the well-designed Deposit Returns Schemes play a significant role in delivering a circular economy for PET bottles in both countries, which boosts the collection of PET bottles and increases the quality of PET material collected with less contamination, which makes it easier to recycle. But there are some packaging where the transition will not be applied. These include the Netherlands Coca-Cola/Fanta orange 250ml, Sprite 375ml, and Aquarius/Minute Maid 330ml as these products are produced in Belgium and France. Nevertheless, Coca-Cola said that it only represents 3% of the total sales in the Netherlands. The switch is also not applicable in Coca-Cola Norway's Fuze Tea and Powerade brands. Read Also: [WATCH] Biggest Coca-Cola Eruption Ever! Russian YouTuber Uses 10,000 Liters of Coke Coca-Cola's Pledge According to reports, the transition is part of a joint Sustainability Action Plan called This is Forward by Coca-Cola Company in Western Europe and their primary bottler Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP). They have pledged that by 2025, they will collect a can or bottle for each item sold, ensure that their packaging is 100% recyclable, and to ensure that by 2025, 50% of the content of its PET will come from recycled materials which shall give birth to their ambition to use zero virgin oil-based PET in its bottles. In fact, CCEP has just introduced the CanCollar, which is a paperboard packaging for multipack instead of the usual plastics being used, and it is 100% recyclable replacing the current hi-0cone solution, which potentially saves 18 tons of plastic per year. The CanCollar is made without using any adhesives or glue, which keeps its total carbon footprint and production cost at a minimum. In addition, the CCEP said that this would prevent the need to use more than 11,000 tons of virgin plastic each year across Western Europe. Read More: Coca-Cola to Invest in a Billion Peso Recycling Facility in the Philippines Check out more news and information on Coca-Cola on Science Times. Agnes Callamard told the House Intelligence Committee on Friday that Jamal Khashoggi still deserves justice. The US House Intelligence Committee has heard testimony on the security relationship with Saudi Arabia and the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. It has been nearly two years since the journalist and US resident went missing after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Multiple investigations have concluded he was killed and dismembered by a team of Saudi operatives. Al Jazeeras Heidi Zhou-Castro reports. Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer were among MPs seen sporting sheafs of wheat on their lapels as they faced off in the Commons at PMQs. Despite eliciting memories of Theresa Mays naughtiest admissions, the decorations were in fact in aid of Back British Farming Day, which falls on 15 September this year. Organised by the National Farmers Union for England and Wales (NFU), the event is aimed at celebrating the British farming sector and to encourage politicians to ensure it is prioritised during future trade deals. Wearing a sheaf of wheat on Wednesday, the prime minister rejected a plea to introduce emergency work visas after an MP said crops were rotting in his constituency due to labour shortages. On this Back British Farming Day, we are in harvest time and all is not safely gathered in, Tory MP Sir Roger Gale said In three weeks, Thanet Earth in my constituency, one of the largest glasshouse companies in the country growing tomatoes, has had to trash 320,000 worth of produce because of no pickers and no drivers. Because of a lack of labour force, the crops are rotting in the fields and on our trees. Sir Roger added: Will the prime minister seek to introduce immediately a Covid recovery visa, so that this years crops are not lost? Boris Johnson said: He is absolutely right in what he says about the importance of buying British and eating British. Our food is the best in the world. The prime minister added: He is right to address the problem in the supply chain that we are currently seeing but we are taking steps, and of course this has been a problem for a long time but what we have is the Seasonal Agricultural Workers scheme, which we will use to ensure that British farmers get the labour that they need. Additional reporting by Press Association Murder-convict MP taking oaths: AG wont appeal against CAs order By Ranjith Padmasiri View(s): View(s): The Attorney General does not intend to go before the Supreme Court to appeal against the interim order issued by the Court of Appeal ordering the Prisons Commissioner General to allow murder convict Premalal Jayasekara to attend Parliament sittings, the Sunday Times learns. This is despite the AG earlier taking up the position in the Court of Appeal that according to Article 89(d) of the Constitution, a person under sentence of death was disqualified from being an elector. The AG had also cited Article 91(1)(a), which notes that no person can be elected as an MP or sit and vote in Parliament if he becomes subject to any of the disqualifications specified in Article 89. In its judgment, however, the Court of Appeal noted that Articles 89 and 91 do not prohibit the oath taking of an elected Member of Parliament when his election remains valid and unimpeached. The absence of any prohibition in the Constitution on oath taking appears to be an intentional omission and we would make the observation that as long as the election of the Petitioner remains valid and effectual, he cannot be prevented from attending Parliament and taking his oaths, the CA said in its judgment. The Court said its view was that the Petitioner would be clothed with all the rights of an elected Member of Parliament. Nevertheless, it also noted that the question of sitting and voting in Parliament did not arise before it as it is the province of the Speaker or any other competent body to deal with that matter. The MP took his oaths and spoke in Parliament amidst angry protests by Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya MPs who wore black shawls followed by a walkout. The MP went back to prison after Parliament sittings. Kevin Dobson, the actor best known for playing Telly Savalass protege on Kojak and Michelle Lees love interest on the prime-time soap opera Knots Landing, died on Sept. 6 at a hospital in French Camp, Calif. He was 77. His brother Brian said the cause was complications of an autoimmune deficiency that led to heart failure. A New York City native, Mr. Dobson began acting in the late 1960s, working odd jobs at odd hours so that he could attend auditions during the day. He landed his first TV role in 1968, playing a governor on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live. He went on to play numerous characters with a New York flair, and often a convincing New York accent, on crime and medical series like The Mod Squad, Emergency! and Cannon. Arizona State University (ASU) and the University of Chicago researchers have determined that certain carbon-rich exoplanets, could be made of diamonds and silica, if the circumstances are right, Science Daily reported. In a new study published recently in The Planetary Science Journal, the team of researchers stated that stars and planets are formed out of the same cloud of gas, hence their bulk compositions are similar. Stars that have a lower carbon to oxygen ratio will have Earth-like planets comprised of silicates and oxides with a very small diamond content orbiting them. Also, Earth's diamond content is about 0.001 percent. lead author Harrison Allen-Sutter of ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration told Science daily, lead author Harrison Allen-Sutter of ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration. So, the exoplanets that orbit stars with a higher carbon to oxygen ratio are more likely to be rich in carbon. The hypothesis proposed by 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, says that these exoplanets that have a high carbon content could convert to diamond and silicate in the presence of water, which is found in the universe abundantly in non-liquid forms, creating a diamond-rich composition. The researcher tested this hypothesis by mimicking the interior of carbide exoplanets using high heat and high pressure. This was done with the help of high-pressure diamond-anvil cells at co-author Shim's Lab for Earth and Planetary Materials. Even though life on other planets hasnt been found yet, however, the search continues. "Regardless of habitability, this is one additional step in helping us understand and characterise our ever-increasing and improving observations of exoplanets. 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," Allen-Stutter said. A surge of COVID-19 cases in several Pacific states has sparked fears of uncontrolled outbreaks across the region. Hundreds of new cases have emerged in the past month, with many governments relaxing previous measures to control the virus, in order to open up their disintegrating economies. The far-flung islands of the Pacific previously escaped high levels of COVID-19. However, the contributing factorsremoteness, small and scattered populations and the difficulties of travel and transporthave proved to be no defence against a rapidly worsening health and social crisis. On July 15, French Polynesia re-opened to international visitors, in a desperate bid to resurrect its moribund tourism industry. The first COVID-19 outbreak between March and June, which affected 62 people, had been brought under control with a lockdown and border closures. Now, with some 3,000 people landing in Tahiti each week, the number of cases has ballooned by 891 since early August to 953. They are mostly in urban areas, but also in Bora Bora, Raiatea, Huahine and Hao. Flights from Los Angeles arrived after US tourists, among others, were cleared to enter without needing to quarantine. President Edouard Fritch acknowledged that the COVID-19 crisis had worsened in the US, and would do so in the French territory as well, but claimed that if French Polynesia failed to open up the consequences would be catastrophic. Five Tahitian trade unions last week dropped empty threats of a general strike after the government remained adamant it would not reintroduce a two-week quarantine for arriving travellers. A union spokesman said they were told that the authorities hoped there would be eventually collective immunity, i.e. the criminal policy of herd immunity demanded internationally by business interests. School attendance remains compulsory, despite strike calls by teachers for tougher containment measures, and fruitless appeals by teacher unions. The largest number of cases is in the US state of Hawaii, with nearly 7,000 infections and 49 deaths. In late August, Governor David Ige imposed a 2-week lockdown for the island of Oahu to stem a spike in cases, which had risen to more than 200 a day. A similar order, declared in March, had previously pushed daily infection numbers down. The US Surgeon General, Jerome Adams, who was in Hawaii, described the move as only a temporary reset while contact tracing and isolation measures were enacted. Designated essential businesses have remained open, including child-care, construction, healthcare, grocery stores, gas stations, banks and financial institutions, and hardware stores. Public schools, and the University of Hawaii still have in-person classes, but private schools have been able to conduct studies online. In the Western Pacific, the US territory of Guam has close to 700 active cases, including 53 in hospital and 12 in intensive care, with 21 deaths. Scores of infections have been traced to US military personnel, as deployments to major bases have continued, with the Trump administration allowing the virus to run rampant in military facilities. The aircraft carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt, docked in Guam in March, in the midst of a mass outbreak of COVID-19 on board. Hundreds of sailors were quarantined in local hotels and crowded into the naval base gym. Some 1,156 infections among the crew were not counted in Guams figures, but local officials have detailed nearly 200 military-linked cases on the island, including 35 personnel from the Andersen Air Force base, who broke quarantine to visit local restaurants. Guams governor, Lou Leon Guerrero, has extended a public health emergency until the end of September, saying: We are in very dire straits. We are in very desperate times. Our island right now is sick. The Guardian quoted Felix Cabrera, of the governors physicians advisory group, who warned that with the fragile healthcare system stressed to the limit, the situation is going to get worse before it gets better. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Pacifics largest country, the number of confirmed infections has escalated from 11 in mid-July to 488, including five deaths. The cases, which first appeared among health workers at the Port Moresby General Hospital, have now spread from the capital to half the countrys 22 provinces. With fewer than 16,000 tests conducted among the population of 9 million, the real infection rate is likely many times higher than the official figures. A recent lockdown of Port Moresby was lifted after just a fortnight and domestic travel re-opened. Prime Minister James Marape declared PNG would not go back into lockdown, despite the escalating case numbers. COVID-19 not only affects us health-wise but also economically, Marape said. That is why we will not have another lockdown. We must adjust to living with the COVID-19 we will not shut down our country again, he insisted. This deadly decision portends a social disaster in one of the worlds most impoverished countries. The ramshackle health system is already being overwhelmed. According to the Pacific Community development agency, only 55 percent of people in the Pacific have access to clean drinking water. World Visions PNG director, Heather MacLeod, told the Guardian that without clean water people cannot protect themselves, and the likely result will be a spread of the disease on a massive scale. The PNG government last month blocked the arrival of a flight carrying 180 workers from China, after Chinese mine operator Ramu NiCo., which runs the Ramu Nickel mine, revealed 48 employees were given a coronavirus vaccine in a possible unauthorized trial. PNGs pandemic response controller, David Manning, banned the workers in the best interests of our people. Demanding explanations from Beijing, Health Minister Jelta Wong said that if the shoe was on the other foot, China would be up in arms. The relationship has been tested here, she warned. The incident underscores the deepening geo-strategic tensions generated across the region as the COVID-19 crisis intensifies. At the forefront is Washingtons stepped-up confrontation with, and preparations for war against China. US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper made a flying visit to Hawaii, Palau and Guam last month, condemning Chinas purported malign activities in the region, and seeking to buttress American influence. Esper had earlier promised Palaus president, Tommy Remengesau Jr, that the Trump administration would help secure COVID-19 vaccines for the country, when one became available. Palau, with a population of 20,000, 1,500 kms east of the Philippines, is currently re-negotiating its so-called compact of free association with Washington. Remengesau has used assertions of growing Chinese influence to call for greater US involvement. Ahead of a meeting with Trump last year, he urged a stronger US presence in the Pacific, we want to see that happen. While Palau has welcomed Chinese tourists and investment, the former US trust territory remains firmly under the wing of Washington, which provides defence, funding, and access to social services. Palau is one of four remaining Pacific nations that recognise Taiwan, after Solomon Islands and Kiribati switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing last year. Following Espers August visit, Remengesau revealed that, in a hand-delivered letter, he told Esper he was eager to host land bases, port facilities and airfields for the US military, as well as a US Coast Guard presence. At the end of 2019, New York University (NYU) launched an elaborate academic research center, the Center for Social Media and Politics (CSMaP), set to examine the production, flow, and impact of social media content in the political sphere. This new initiative is an extension of, and now houses, NYUs Social Media and Political Participation Lab (SMaPP), launched in 2012. The establishment of the center at NYU, a private elite university with close ties to the state, reflects the ruling classs increasing concerns over the political effects of social media, which enable the free exchange of ideas, including growing oppositional views not found in mainstream media, and the organization of mass protests independent from bourgeois political parties and organizations. Voicing this concern, a 2018 report published by the Atlantic Councila leading think tank for American imperialismsummarized a US Defense Departments Special Operations Command conference on Sovereignty in the Information Age, stating that technology has democratized the ability for sub-state groups and individuals to broadcast a narrative with limited resources and virtually unlimited scope. By contrast, In the past, the general public had limited sources of information, which were managed by professional gatekeepers,meaning bourgeois media outlets, such as the New York Times. CSMaP goals and research What is striking about the work of CSMaP is that it is above all concerned with understanding how social media is and can be used during mass protestsboth by protesters, and governments. CSMaPs website explicitly states that it is focused on researching the impact of social media on politics and how it influences political attitudes and behavior. This includes traditional political behavior such as voting, as well as unconventional political behavior such as engaging in protests or demonstrations, it adds. NYUs Center for Data Science where the Center for Social Media and Politics is housed The center is trying to understand not just mass behavior, but elite behavior and the intersection of elite behavior and mass behavior as facilitated by social media. Does social media make it easier for mass opinion to be observed by elites? Further, and most revealing, CSMaP writes that it seek[s] to understand how authoritarian regimes respond to online opposition, and how the tools they have developed in doing so are reverberating in democratic politics. This line of research is significant due to its implications of assessing the feasibility of using authoritarian measures in blocking social opposition within so-called democracies, such as the US. One of 37 scholarly journal articles from CSMaP, listed on its website, is the 2019 report, Social Networks and Protest Participation: Evidence from 130 Million Twitter Users, published in the American Journal of Political Science on the role of social ties in the decision to protest. By examining a large dataset of geolocated tweets surrounding the 2015 protests in Paris following the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack, the report offers the first large-scale empirical support that individuals are influenced by one another in social networks when deciding whether to participate in protests and that social media networks play a meaningful role in individuals protest participation. The study emphasizes the importance of this research due to the worldwide wave of twenty-first-century protests and their role in policy change and the overthrow of governments. Framing protests as something that need to be controlled or suppressed, the paper, in a not-so-subtle way, gives expression to the ruling classs growing concern over international protests. Another study from CSMaP, Digital Dissent: An Analysis of the Motivational Contents of Tweets From an Occupy Wall Street Demonstration, published in Motivation Science in 2018, investigated the social and psychological factors that motivate participation in political protest, by focusing on [Twitter] messages written by potential protestors. The study illustrates the promise of applying machine-learning techniques to analyzing new data sources, such as social media messages, to study protest activity. It affirms the value and viability of using social media platforms as real-time windows into the motivations of would-be protesters by train[ing] models that can analyze message contents as nuanced and complex as these psychological variables. In other words, it emphasizes the need for, and opportunity to conduct, social media-based surveillance of protesters. Who stands behind CSMaP? The full significance of this research into the role of social media in mass protests can only be understood if one examines the scope and funders of CSMaP. CSMaP is, by university standards, a huge undertaking. The website lists over 50 faculty members, administrators, postdoctoral researchers and students from different disciplines, including political science, computer science and biology, who work at the center. This makes CSMaP as big as or bigger than many NYU academic departments. The center is co-directed by three NYU professorspolitics professor Joshua Tucker, who is the director of NYUs Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia, a writer for the Washington Post s Monkey Cage blog, and author of Communisms Shadow: Historical Legacies and Contemporary Political Attitudes; politics professor Jonathan Nagler, who is the director of NYUs Politics Data Center; and Richard Bonneau, who is a professor of biology and computer science and the director of the Center for Genomics and Systems Biology. Members of CSMaP frequently publish articles on their research in the Washington Post, which is owned by Jeff Bezos, the head of Amazon and the richest person in the world. CSMaP was established with an impressive $12 million in funding: $5 million from the Knight Foundation, $5 million from the Charles Koch Foundation, and additional funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Gates Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, Intel Corp, the US National Science Foundation and the Siegel Family Endowment. The Charles Koch Foundation is a prominent funder of libertarian causes and the Republican Party. It was founded by and is named after Charles Koch of Koch Industries, who is one of the richest people in the world with a net worth of $45 billion. His foundation has long been a major funder of over 300 US universities. The underlying motives of this funding were outlined clearly by Charles Koch himself in 1974. In a speech given at a private conference on The Anti-Capitalist Mentality, Koch stressed the obligation to fight for the restoration of the free market and the survival of private enterprise. He offered chillingly direct statements on the role academia should play in this: The educational route is both the most vital and the most neglected. We desperately need to develop additional talent capable of doing the research and writing that undergird the popularizing of capitalist ideas. The educational method enables the businessman to work effectively without exposing himself to the same public criticism that the other methods, particularly politics, seem to evoke. The Knight Foundation has a $2.2 billion endowment and is currently headed by Alberto Imbarguen, who has been a member of the US Secretary of States Foreign Affairs Policy Board, the Council on Foreign Relations Board, and has sat on the boards of American Airlines, PepsiCo and AOL. The establishment of NYUs CSMaP was part of a $50 million investment by the Knight Foundation for researching technologys impact on democracy, giving $5 million each to five leading US universities to establish similar research centers and more than $10 million to already established research initiatives at five other universities. These include centers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Indiana University, Stanford University, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Wisconsin at Madison and Yale University. The origins of CSMaP and the campaign for internet censorship The majority of these social media research center initiatives are based on the conception that the campaign over the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US elections must be used to escalate censorship of the internet, especially social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. While the work of CSMaP itself focuses on analyzing the dynamics of social media use in protests and politics, the formation of the Center emerged out of this broader push by the ruling classunder the guise of combating disinformation and protecting democracyfor internet censorship. The formation of the Center followed the publication of five reports over the past three years by NYU Sterns Center for Business and Human Rights on combating fake news and advocating ramped-up internet censorship by social media companies. One of these reports from March of last year was entitled Tackling Domestic Disinformation: What Social Media Companies Need to Do. It bluntly states that the time has come for the platforms to block content. NYU Sterns report from September 2019, Disinformation and the 2020 Election: How the Social Media Industry Should Prepareboth reports were funded by the Knight Foundation, Craig Newmark Philanthropies and George Soros Open Society Foundationsstates that though the 2018 midterm election did not feature much Russian interference, foreign, and now domestic, malign content and disinformation are likely to play a role in the 2020 presidential election. Echoing the case for censorship, it states that social media companies ought to not merely reduce its visibility, but remove the material altogether. In addition to warning that unwitting Americans could be manipulated into participating in real-world rallies and protests through the spread of ideas on social media, the September report also warns that Iran and China may join Russia as disruptive sources of disinformation in the 2020 election, but states that most purposely false content in the US is generated by domestic sources. It goes on to sayin apparent disappointmentthat misleading domestic content is difficult to separate from ordinary political expression, which is protected under the First Amendment. Moreover, despite previously distancing itself from the call for open government censorship, the latest NYU Stern report from June 2020, Who Moderates the Social Media Giants? advocates for social media companies to explore narrowly tailored government regulation, in addition to its call for Facebook to double the number of [content] moderators from 15,000 to 30,000, and calling for YouTube and Twitter to follow suit. The purpose of such content moderators is to censor independent journalism, while promoting authoritative media, such as the New York Times. Google, under the same pretext, modified its search algorithms to demote left-wing, antiwar, and socialist websites, foremost among them the World Socialist Web Site . These discussions clearly underlay the formation of CSMaP. In a CSMaP press release, NYU President Andrew Hamilton, who takes home an estimated $2 million every year, emphasized the need for taming this multi-headed, regenerative digital hydra [the internet] in order to steady us in these dizzying and divisive times. A main point that needs to be emphasized in regards to this disinformation and censorship campaign, pointed out by the World Socialist Web Site in the November 2019 article, The Democrats campaign for internet censorship: Who is to determine what are lies is the following: All the dishonesty of the campaign for internet censorship is contained in the failure to answer, much less consider, one central question: Who is to determine what is true and what is false? What constitutes lies, deliberate and malicious lies, known lies, deliberately misleading content, untruthful statements and disinformation? The authoritative media and politicians, both Democrats and Republicans, lie constantly. They lie about the underlying motivations for their actions, dressing up imperialist crimes in the language of human rights or claims about weapons of mass destruction. All of bourgeois politics is, in fact, deliberately misleading content, in one form or another. Conclusion The push by the ruling class for internet censorship and a close examination of the role of social media in mass protests is indissolubly bound up with the breakdown of capitalism and the advanced preparations for the suppression of growing unrest through dictatorial measures. In response to the mass protest movement that swept the US and the world after the police murder of George Floyd, Trump staged an attempted military coup. The US president has also openly incited fascist violence against protesters and immigrants, and has declared that he might not leave the White Houseeven if he loses the elections to the Democrats pro-war candidate Joe Biden. The Democratic Party has offered no opposition to these crackdowns on democratic rights, instead appealing to the military and facilitating the violent repression of protests in major American cities. Now, the US ruling class has stepped up its unsafe back-to-work and school reopening campaigns amidst the still-raging pandemic after pouring trillions into the bailout of Wall Street and big business and after cutting off federal unemployment compensation to the working class. What both parties fear above all is the growing reemergence of the working class internationally which poses a direct threat to the entire capitalist system. It is for this reason that millions of dollars are flowing from philanthropic organizations into academic think tank-like centers for studying the role of social media in protest movements and advocating for internet censorship, whose real target is not foreign bots, but the working class. These developments are not unique to the US. Along with the growth of authoritarian rule and far-right tendencies, government-imposed internet shutdowns have been on the rise internationally. According to a new report by digital rights organization Access Now, there were 213 documented internet shutdowns in 2019 in 33 countriescompared to 25 in 2018with India responsible for more than half. The report states that fake news/hate speech was the most common official justification for ordering shutdowns in 2019, with protests being the most common observed cause. Elaborating on these findings, the study points out: In examining the data from 2019, it is evident that when a government says it is cutting access to restore public safety, in reality it could mean the government anticipates protests and may be attempting to disrupt peoples ability to organize and speak out, online or off. Similarly, a government claim that a shutdown is necessary to fight fake news, hate speech, or incendiary content could be an attempt to hide its efforts to control the flow of information during periods of political instability or elections. The international rightward shift toward authoritarianism and subordination of academia to the political objectives of the ruling class must be exposed and fought on the basis of a socialist and revolutionary program. We urge all students and youth who are ready to take up this fight to join and build the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, the youth section of the Socialist Equality Party, at NYU and other colleges and universities. Police will not be able to enforce the new rule of six coronavirus restrictions amid public confusion and rising crime, officers have warned. There was uncertainty about what the new law would cover on Friday afternoon, as the wait for updated regulations to be published continued. Police officers had not seen details of the new restrictions or received guidance on how they will be enforced. Boris Johnson announced the change on Wednesday but like other coronavirus laws MPs have not been able to scrutinise them before they come into force on Monday. The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers in England and Wales, said there had been confusion for the public and many people dont know exactly what the law says. Chair John Apter called for the government to start an effective information campaign, adding: For policing, these constant changes to legislation are becoming the norm. The pressures on policing have increased significantly over recent months, and this latest change will add to this pressure. Brian Booth, chair of the West Yorkshire Police Federation, said it was not helpful to have grand announcements that were not followed by detailed guidelines. Everybody is in the dark, it shouldnt be like that, he told The Independent. If the government says theyre going to infringe on peoples lives, they have to tell them how. In an interview on BBC Breakfast, health secretary Matt Hancock said the new rules would be rigorously enforced by the police, but officers have warned that forces no longer have the capacity to proactively check if people are following them. Figures released by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) show that crime has risen back to pre-coronavirus levels following a sharp drop during the tightest period of lockdown. Coronavirus: London on lockdown Show all 29 1 /29 Coronavirus: London on lockdown Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street Photos Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown An empty street in the heart of Chinatown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Making sure I stay two-meters apart DArblay Street, Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Communities have been coming together in a time of need Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Stay Safe Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty streets around Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street, one of Londons busiest tourist streets turns quiet Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub Angela Christofilou Mr Booth said officers simply cant enforce the new restrictions, adding: We just dont have the resources, the world has woken up again and its busy. Were back to dealing with threat, risk and harm - domestics, assaults, missing people, mental health incidents, road accidents and everything that comes under normal policing. Resources are outstripped with that demand, never mind adding on Mrs Miggins reporting that seven people are having a barbecue next door. Zoe Wakefield, chair of Hampshire Police Federation, echoed the warning and said the police cannot be expected to deal with everything. She added: There is much confusion among the public. Calls to the police and crime levels are almost as they were pre-Covid. The police do not have additional resources to allocate to Covid-related matters, so this places extra demands on officers who are already working near capacity. Mr Booth said police wanted to support the public health response but have to prioritise incidents where there is an immediate risk. Concerns have been raised over the potential for people to hold large parties and unruly gatherings over the weekend as a last hurrah before the new law comes into force at midnight on Sunday. Mr Apter said: There is a real risk some members of the public will take advantage of the current situation and treat this weekend as a party weekend ahead of the tighter restrictions being introduced on Monday. Alcohol and warm weather are not a good combination at the best of times. Using the current situation as an opportunity and excuse to party would be incredibly irresponsible and put pressure not only on policing, but potentially on the ambulance service and NHS. Mr Booth said he was more worried about social mixing during university freshers weeks and urged people to voluntarily comply with regulations to slow worsening Covid-19 infection rates. We really need the public to step up to the plate because if we dont get this right and have a second spike, there will be a catastrophic effect on the countrys finances and we will be living with the consequences for the next 10 to 15 years, he added. The Cumbria Police Federation urged the public not to shoot the messenger over the new restrictions, which will be punished by default 100 fines, reduced to 50 if paid within two weeks. Chair Paul Williams said: We understand why this is happening I just hope that the public who will understandably be frustrated will not seek to take it out on those officers trying their best to ensure the guidelines are being adhered to. For this to work, the message has to be loud and clear from the government to prevent confusion and help us do our job. Martin Hewitt, chair of the National Police Chiefs Council, urged people to follow the new law voluntarily. Everyone has a role to play limiting the outbreak by following the regulations, including those about gatherings which are now limited to six people both indoors and outside, he added. Officers will continue to be out in communities - engaging, explaining and encouraging people to act responsibly. We will take enforcement action where necessary. Several MPs complained that parliament was not able to debate the new law on Friday. Raising a point of order in the Commons, Conservative MP Sir Christopher Chope said: I'm very concerned about the lack of opportunity for people, the public first of all, to see the text of these new regulations and I'm also concerned about the continuing reluctance of the government to give any opportunities to members to debate this. "What we are talking about is the most draconian introduction of new restrictions on our liberty with criminal sanctions and we need to be made aware of what's happening and given the opportunity of debating it." Responding, Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said: Can I say I share your disappointment as well. I think we should all be informed and the country should also know what's going on. Families are ditching their inner-city apartments for suburban homes by the ocean during the coronavirus pandemic. Over the last 12 months, homebuyers in Sydney have increasingly opted to search for properties near beaches, reserves or national parks and away from the CBD. The realestate.com.au study of 'high intent' buyer activity online discovered beach areas to the far north and south of Sydney were among the most popular suburbs. Families are ditching their inner-city apartments for homes on the outskirts. Pictured: Newport Beach on Sydney's Northern Beaches Wamberal on the Central Coast was identified as the most in-demand suburb with homebuyers - despite being more than 80 kilometres north of Sydney MOST POPULAR SUBURBS FOR PROSPECTIVE BUYERS IN AND AROUND SYDNEY OVER THE LAST YEAR HOUSES 1. Wamberal 2. Newport 3. North Narrabeen 4. Glenbrook 5. Gymea Bay 6. Collaroy 7. Lindfield 8. Dural 9. Hornsby 10. Leonay UNITS 1. Kirribilli 2. Freshwater 3. Cammeray 4. Wollstonecraft 5. Newtown 6. Alexandria 7. Girraween 8. Marrickville 9. Drummoyne 10. Artarmon SOURCE: realestate.com.au Advertisement A spike was also recorded in south-western suburbs, with buyers snapping up homes in Leppington, Austral and Gledswood Hills. Inquiry levels for these suburbs had doubled when compared to a year earlier, as they have sufficient properties eligible for government buyer grants. Nerida Conisbee, the chief economist at Realestate.com.au, said the demand for house and land packages in the city's outer suburbs was growing. 'It's clear that a longer commute doesn't bother people as much as it might have before, which makes sense if you're only going into the office once or twice a week,' Ms Conisbee said. 'First homebuyers seem to be more willing to purchase house and land packages in fringe suburbs and more people want space.' Over the last 12 months, homebuyers in Sydney have increasingly opted to search for properties near beaches, reserves or national parks and away from the CBD. Pictured: A home at North Narrabeen Pictured: A home in Glenbrook, about 70 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD Wamberal on the Central Coast was identified as the most in-demand suburb with homebuyers - despite being more than 80 kilometres north of Sydney. Prospective buyers looking for a home in the suburb would be less than a kilometre from a waterway, with Wamberal Lagoon or Wamberal Beach nearby. The research found buyers seeking to acquire a unit were also searching areas close to water, including Freshwater, Kirribilli and Cammeray. Ms Conisbee suggested spending more time at home during the coronavirus crisis may have encouraged families to prioritise lifestyle over accessibility when buying a home. Julio Cesar Montenegro entered into eternal rest on Thursday September 10, 2020 at the age of 79. Mr. Montenegro is preceded in death by his father, Julio Montenegro Rego and mother, Rosario Lopez Arias. He was born in La Habana, Cuba and left to Spain in 1970 to be reunited with his father and sister where he lived till 1974. He was given his Refugee Visa in 1974 and traveled to New York, New York. He was then hired by International Stores as a Warehouse Manager arriving in Laredo, Texas in July 1974 where he met the Love of His life Moraima Gallego. They married on December 18, 1974. After International Stores, he worked as a Truck Driver for Laredo Hardware, that is located on Market St. After that, he embarked in his own business opening his first store CAPRI STOP & GO on McPherson Rd and then opening his second store CAPRI STOP & GO on March 1981 which is still operating on 1001 Market St., Laredo, Texas 78040. He enjoyed very much being around his family, friends and customers. He enjoyed the visits and conversations he had with his customers. At the store he handed out pens and yearly calendars as a token of appreciation to everyone that went to the store. He was always seen smoking his Cigar and was known to many as EL CUBANO. Even though he wasnt from here, he was glad to be here in Laredo, Texas and considered himself a Laredoan. He loved going to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, where he had many, many friends. Julio enjoyed spending time with his friend and compadre +Nati Lozano from El Gastronomico along with others that would frequent the bar. Delhi airport on Friday evening started a facility to test passengers arriving at international terminal for Covid-19. It is not mandatory for international passengers to take the test at the airport. If a person tests negative for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) at the airport, (s)he will be exempted from the mandatory institutional quarantine, officials said. Currently, all international passengers arriving in Delhi need to be institutionally quarantined. Those with a connecting Vande Bharat flight are allowed to quarantine themselves at their destination. Those carrying an RT-PCR negative report are allowed to journey onward and can seek exemption from institutional quarantine too. For this exemption, the RT-PCR test has to be conducted at least 96 hours before the journey. WATCH | Delhi airport first in India to get Covid test lab; how itll work: Explained Also Read: Indias Covid-19 recovery rate rises to 77.7%. These 5 states are ahead of others HT had reported on August 18 about the proposed facility. The Delhi airport operator DIAL (Delhi International Airport Ltd) has collaborated with a Delhi-based laboratory which is associated with the Delhi government to test Covid-19 samples. An official from the airport said passengers can also book a slot for their tests online prior to their arrival in Delhi to avoid queuing up and waiting for their turn. The facility started operating on Friday evening. Weve started getting requests for slots. Bookings can be made through the Delhi airports website on a first come first serve basis. Because test results will take around six hours, passengers who have a connecting flight are requested to maintain a gap of around 8-10 hours, the official added. Also Read: Violations of in-flight norms will invite suspension of scheduled route for 2 weeks: DGCA The facility has been constructed in a 3,500 square metre area at the multi-level car park of Terminal 3. It is the first such arrangement among Indian airports. Because the results of samples collected at the laboratory will be declared in around 4-6 hours, until the results are confirmed, passengers can wait in the lounge or stay in a hotel, another official from the Delhi airport said, requesting anonymity. The lab is equipped to handle up to 2,500 samples per day. In case of a positive result, the passenger will be either sent to a hospital, institutional quarantine or home quarantine, as applicable as per the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) protocols. This will help the authorities keep infected passengers away from others. Those testing negative can continue on their journey, the airport official said. Another airport official, who wished not to be named, said the charge for the test at the airport will be Rs 5,000, which will cover a passengers stay, food and beverages at the lounge till the time the results are out. Private legal practitioner, Maurice Ampaw has claimed that most men of God are battling with depression as doing the Lords business has become frustrating. He added that its about time men of God acknowledge the fact that they get depressed and seek counseling as well as medical care to save them from embarking on regrettable acts. Citing an example to buttress his claim, he indicated that members are not going to church in recent times because of the coronavirus scare and due to this, pastors are going bankrupt. He entreated fake pastors to diligently walkout from the business and be motivational speakers. Men of God are going through a lot of depression. Even this coronavirus, members are not coming to church, they have a lot of frustration going on, the kingdom business has become a very frustrating business. Theres pressure on them, they are resolving other peoples problems when theirs keep on compounding and so I think that men of God must begin to understand their calling. In fact, those who have not been called, please walkout from the ministry. Go and be a motivational speaker where you can do all kinds of things to survive but in the Ministry, when you are going through depression, acknowledge that you are going through depression, go and seek the face of God, go for vacation, go and do some prayer and fastingand tell God to deal with your depression and also go and seek counseling. His comments come on the back of the recent shooting incident that happened in the United States involving a Ghanaian pastor. The man of God shot his 27-year-old to death after the duo encountered marital challenges. The deceased, who was shot multiple times by the husband was an employee of the Navy Federal Credit Union, in the USA. 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 Although the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) under Commander-in-Chief Xi Jinping wants to expand the territorial map on the basis of Green Line defined by a 1959 map circulated by Prime Minister Chou En-Lai under leader Mao Zedong, the Chinese position on resolving the border issue with India has changed over the decades as per convenience of the ruler of Beijing. After Mao Zedong changed the facts on ground by building the Lhasa-Kashgar highway (number 219) through Aksai Chin in 1956, Prime Minister Chou En-Lai in 1960 offered his Indian counterpart Jawaharlal Nehru to resolve the border on as it is where it is principle. This meant that China was recognizing Indian sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh or North-East Frontier Agency as it was known then, while India would recognise Beijings claim to Aksai Chin south of Haji Langar pass. This was never accepted by India and was one of the most important reasons behind the Chinese aggression in 1962. Today, China is in adverse possession of more than 38,180 sq km of Indian land including 5180 sq km of Shaksgam valley gifted by Pakistan in 1963. ALSO WATCH | India, China formulate 5-point peace plan during Jaishankar & Wang Yi meet On February 14, 1979, then Vice Premier and later paramount leaders Deng Xiaoping met Foreign Minister (later Prime Minister) Atal Behari Vajpayee and offered a package deal for resolve the boundary issue. Deng said that Chinese were willing to make concessions on the eastern sector to India, while New Delhi should make similar concessions in the western sector. While the concessions were not specified, Deng said that the resolution of the border could be shelved to the next generation as long as both sides maintain a stable situation on the border. Deng reiterated this proposal in 1985 also. The Chinese position again took a radical turn after the 1986 Somdorong Chu incident in north Arunachal Pradesh. In 1987, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Shuqing told his Indian counterpart Secretary (East) A P Venkateswaran in New Delhi that China was looking for concessions both on eastern and western sectors in order to solve the boundary issue. Deng was the leader of China and Chairman of the all powerful Central Military Commission. Since then a plethora of agreements and protocols have been signed to maintain peace and tranquility on the 3488 km Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. After the Special Representative dialogue was set up between India and China to resolve the boundary issue in 2005, 22 meetings have taken place between Indias National Security Advisor and Chinese State Councillor but the boundary issue has hardly moved towards resolution. China still calls Arunachal Pradesh South Tibet and India boundary in Ladakh claims all of Aksai Chin. While there is hope that the present stand-off between PLA and Indian Army may result in at least exchanging of maps in western sector so that each side knows the others positions and claims, the Chinese belligerence and deliberate provocation from Depsang to Pangong Tso this year does not augur well for peace. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Women are three times more likely to be subjected to threats and acts of sexual violence and assault than men on the street, a damning new report has found. The study, carried out by Citizens UK, recounts horrific hate crimes suffered by women, spanning from a Muslim woman punched in the face at a traffic light in Birmingham to a Jewish woman being smashed against the wall and threatened with sexual assault while being bombarded with anti-semitic abuse in Manchester. Campaigners warned that although women are radically more likely to suffer hate crimes on the street, there is no proper method for them to report misogyny or for the police to record such information. The report, which polled more than 1,000 people and ran focus groups, found those who are subjected to hate crimes are more likely to experience suicidal thoughts than those who suffer assault. Rabbi Robyn Ashworth Steen, Rabbi of Jacksons Row Synagogue in Manchester who is a spokesperson for Citizens UK, said: Im sad to say that there are some shocking stories from my community ranging from misogyny, transphobia, homophobia experienced on the streets of Manchester. Weve shared evidence with the government review that community safety remains a top concern as women, as Jews, as people who are gay. This abuse sadly hasnt gone away since lockdown. Researchers, who spoke to people in Birmingham, Newcastle, Cardiff, London and Manchester, called for misogyny to be recorded as a hate crime by all police forces. Current hate crime law stipulates there are five strands which are kept tabs on: race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and disability, but misogyny is absent from this list. Imam Abdul Basith Mohammed, of Newcastle Central Mosque, said: Attacks against Muslim women are a clear and present danger and are having a hugely damaging effect on their wellbeing, and confidence using public transport or going to public places. This must end. We need a better reporting system to ensure people feel confident that they will be taken seriously. Nottinghamshire Police became the first police force to expand the scope of hate crime to include misogyny back in 2016. Sue Fish, a former police chief constable who spearheaded making misogyny a hate crime in Nottinghamshire, argued the reports findings shine a light on the need for all police forces in England and Wales to follow their lead. Ms Fish, who urged the government to roll out reforms, said: Making misogyny a hate crime was one of the simplest tasks Ive ever done working in the police and yet the results that we saw were incredible. Some of the feedback we had was that women, for the first time, described themselves as walking taller and with their heads held high. In Nottinghamshire, we started rolling a small stone down a hill, and its gathering moss, gathering traction, and has the potential to make a huge difference to the lives of all women, and also men. Out of 46 English and Welsh police forces, seven forces currently record misogyny as a hate crime. The Law Commission review into how to include misogyny in legislation on hate crimes, which was postponed due to the coronavirus emergency, will open for consultation on 21 September. Sylvie Pope, who helped spearhead the campaign for misogyny to be treated as a hate crime, recently told The Independent police forces across the UK should immediately start recording misogyny as a hate crime. Ms Pope, who founded the Greater Manchester Citizens misogyny hate crime campaign, explained the new measures do not create any new crimes but instead offer the police a way to implement prevention strategies. She said the campaign was not aiming to lock men up or drag them through the criminal justice system but was instead about prevention and awareness. The campaigner said: Misogyny is an intersectional problem. On an everyday basis, women are experiencing street-based harassment, violence and harassment in the workplace and domestic abuse. It perpetuates a culture where women dont feel safe. Women from all different backgrounds face this. But women from black and minority ethnic backgrounds experience higher levels. They experience overlapping forms of hatred." Labours metro Mayors have lent their support to a parliamentary proposal launched by Stella Creasy, Labour MP for Walthamstow, which is centred around making the police start recording misogyny as a hate crime. OTTAWA - Federal officials are ironing out the details of a program to help cities buy properties left vacant due to the pandemic so they can quickly create affordable housing. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A new home is built in a housing development in Ottawa on Tuesday, July 14, 2020. Federal officials are ironing out details of a planned program to help cities buy properties left vacant due to the pandemic so they can quickly create affordable housing units, which mayors say is desperately needed. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA - Federal officials are ironing out the details of a program to help cities buy properties left vacant due to the pandemic so they can quickly create affordable housing. The government has considered the property acquisition program for months as it looks to keep people from falling into homelessness heading into the winter with temporary shelter measures set to expire. That could lead to overcrowding in existing emergency shelters, or push more people onto the street and create the conditions for the novel coronavirus to spread among people who are already vulnerable. Sources who have been part of discussions with federal officials about the scope of a program, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail private conversations, say the Liberals are considering whether to announce a program before their throne speech later this month or to wait and include it in the speech. Mayors of Canada's biggest cities hope for the former. The municipal leaders say they could use the money quickly to buy buildings set to be sold soon, rather than have to wait months or years for the construction of new affordable units. "We think this is a no-brainer," said Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson. He added that cities hope the Liberals move this fall to help local groups "secure these properties and get people off the street before they endure another winter and a pandemic, which is just a morally unacceptable option to leave people out in the cold in a public health emergency." The Liberals were first approached with the idea months ago and have expressed a keen interest in conversations with mayors and housing providers over the summer. Officials from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., which oversees much of the government's decade-long national housing strategy, held one-on-one consultations in July and August to figure out logistics. Among the challenges: how to approve a housing provider for funding quickly, in a market where others could swoop in and buy hotels, motels, warehouses or multi-unit residential buildings. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities this week asked the Liberals for just over $4 billion in new grants to fund purchases of up to 22,000 units. The proposal is one of many being floated to the government as it seeks ideas for an economic recovery package. Federal departments have been asked for potential spending items, which could become part of an economic update or budget later this fall. Iveson, who heads FCM's group of big-city mayors, said the purchasing program could help local housing providers nab distressed properties at reduced prices. He said housing vulnerable populations like the homeless would also reduce health care and policing costs. "If we're going to borrow hundreds of billions of dollars to get through this pandemic, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could end homelessness, reduce the likelihood of an outbreak in this community of vulnerable people, at precisely the time that a second wave is the greatest risk?" he said. Cities like Edmonton rented hotel rooms early on in the pandemic to make up for public-health restrictions that limited the capacities of emergency shelters. Some of them almost eliminated homelessness for a few weeks. An over-riding concern from those inside the government is how to quickly get money out the door, particularly in places like Toronto where the cost of renting is very high. "If I was the government ... I would like to be seen as moving now on some of these things while the opportunity is there in the marketplace," Toronto Mayor John Tory said in an interview. "And the federal government could say, look, not only did we move at wartime speed during the pandemic to make this money available to the cities, but they produce the housing most importantly at wartime speed." Tory said it would cost his city less to acquire buildings to be used for housing homeless people than to rent hotel rooms indefinitely. City budgets have also been pummelled by COVID-19, with revenues from transit services collapsing and recreation programs having to close. Cities that want to spend more on housing will have to decide where to cut services or capital projects, or whether to raise property taxes. The Liberals promised aid to cover the shortfall weeks ago, but Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart said his municipality's coffers have yet to see the money, which is subject to negotiations with the province. His city's homeless census in March counted some 2,000 people on streets or in shelters. Stewart estimated the number has grown as people's incomes have crashed and strained their ability to keep up with rent a situation he said is playing out in other cities nationwide. Stewart on Friday called an emergency council meeting to kickstart a process to determine how much it might cost to lease or buy buildings to deal with Vancouver's homelessness problem. He said in an interview prior to the meeting that he just wants an indication from the federal government of its intentions so his city and others can plan. "It's a national problem. COVID is a national emergency, so we need the indication early," Stewart said. "I needed the money yesterday." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2020. Protesters march by locals, bikers, and Trump supporters who were counter-protesting a Black Lives Matter march in Ridley on Aug. 1. Read more For 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the same amount of time that a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on the neck of a Black man named George Floyd, hundreds of people dropped to a knee in a Kennett Square intersection. Naomi Simonson, who organized the event, looked around and wept. She had grown up in Kennett, attended high school steps away, and in her 20 years never knew whether her mostly white neighbors and friends cared about the struggles of Black people like her. The sight of the crowd felt like an answer, she said. I was looking around to see people I grew up with and their parents, Simonson said, and some police officers stopping traffic were on their knees, too. That was when I became emotional. Two months later, in Ridley, there was emotion of a different kind as an angry white mob met Black Lives Matter protesters with shouts of Kneel to your masters," No one cares, and Go home. Replied one protester: This is my home. Across the Philadelphia suburbs this summer, residents held protests, marches, and rallies in towns that are predominantly white and may have never before seen racial-justice protests. Stuck at home due to the coronavirus, which also disproportionately strikes Black and brown communities, they watched the local and national uprisings unfold on TV. They had free time to educate themselves, reflect on their privilege, and organize and attend protests. The events ended up both denouncing and exposing racism in their communities. While Philadelphia is majority-minority, with Black people accounting for more than 42% of the population, its collar counties Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery are on average 80% white and 10% Black, according to census data. Across the river, the New Jersey suburbs Camden, Gloucester, and Burlington Counties are on average 75% white and 16% Black. But some areas are even more homogeneous. In Bucks County, for example, less than 5% of the population is Black; in Chester County, that number is closer to 6%; and in some towns along the affluent Main Line, its about 3%. Most suburbs began thriving around the time of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, as whites fled diversifying cities such as Philadelphia, said Sarah Willie-LeBreton, who serves as provost, dean of the faculty, and professor of sociology and Black studies at Swarthmore College. So in the past, some white people were involved in racial liberation movements, she said, but not in the suburbs. Throughout June, suburban residents made their voices heard nearly every day in different towns outside Philadelphia. In recent weeks, these demonstrations have continued but become far less frequent. Its too early to tell what long-term impact this summer will have on Phillys suburbs, and on hundreds of other small and midsize American towns. But people involved in the movement have been heartened by the initial response increased conversations about race; greater commitment by white people to educate themselves on racial injustice; less hesitancy to speak up against racism; and more openness toward participating in demonstrations. Taking a stand in suburbia Suburban protest organizers like Simonson could have journeyed to the city for large protests. The massive events which were largely peaceful, but a few gave away to violence and destruction sprung up across the country and world in June after Floyds killing, and then again in August after a Kenosha, Wis., police officer shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the back seven times. READ MORE: How George Floyd changed Philadelphia, a city 1,100 miles from where he was killed But many suburban activists said they asked themselves: Why should we have to leave our neighborhoods? Why cant we make a statement right here, in white communities where it is easy to disconnect from the oppression of Black and brown people? READ MORE: Protests ripple across Philly suburbs, from the Main Line to Norristown. Its not a one-race problem. Its a human problem. Before their protests, organizers werent sure how many of their neighbors would be moved enough to come out on hot summer days in the middle of a pandemic. Simonson thought only her friends would show up to the Kennett Square protest. Lindsay Wetmore-Arkader expected 50 to 100 people would come to her Main Line Families for Black Lives Matter Solidarity event in Ardmore, she said, but a couple of hundred did. Taj Gray-Vause, who organized the Main Line for Black Lives march, anticipated 100 to 200 people. Thousands came. The demonstrations brought moving scenes of solidarity such as a mass of mostly white people marching down Lancaster Avenue, and mothers pushing strollers as they chanted, Black Lives Matter. We wanted [Black people] to know we stood with them, Wetmore-Arkader said. Yet the demonstrations also brought hateful, racist backlash, just as they had in big cities and small rural towns across the country. READ MORE: Small-town Pa. protests are a sign of big changes While disturbing and sometimes frightening, some suburban activists say this kind of response can make it harder for white residents who do not have the lived experience of being victims of racism to stay on the sidelines as the racism of their neighbors is out in the open. Obviously those displays are horrible, said Meredith Meisenheimer, a white woman who is involved in the Black Lives Matter movement in Stratford, Camden County. But one thing they do is put to rest the idea that racism doesnt exist here. At the same time, a lack of in-person resistance, particularly in wealthier towns, can be deceiving, said Willie-LeBreton, the Swarthmore provost. Affluent people who hold deep-seated racist beliefs are more likely to keep them to themselves or voice them only in spaces where they know their views are shared, she said. They are less likely to counterprotest an antiracism march, which could cost them a high-powered job or social status, she added. No one cares': Protesters face explicit resistance After Floyds death, friends Taylor Shiflett, who is Black, and Ashley Dolceamore, who is white, wanted to get more involved in local protests, but they struggled to find Black Lives Matter events near their Collingdale-area homes. So they founded their own group, Delco Resists. They say the work has been rewarding but tiring, because of negative responses and racist interactions along protest routes. It can be a little disappointing to put in so much work and see how much hate is in peoples heart, Dolceamore said. Vitriol was on full display in early August when Shiflett, Dolceamore, and hundreds of others marched through Ridley Township, eventually taking over MacDade Boulevard. The demonstration began peacefully, with a few white onlookers spontaneously joining in as the racially mixed group marched by their homes. But it devolved as groups of angry white people, many on motorcycles and in pickup trucks, drove along the route, cutting in front of protesters, revving their engines, and blanketing the crowd with thick black exhaust. As the protest passed a park, dozens waved American flags, blasted patriotic music, and shouted in an attempt to drown out the message. As tensions rose, two white fists raised out the front windows of a passing car. One maskless man followed the protesters, and chanted, All Lives Matter. Later, when the protesters took a knee to honor Floyd and other victims of racism and police brutality, a counterprotester shouted, Kneel to your masters! Annette Deigh, 41, a Black woman from nearby Morton borough, and her children, Donyae, 3, and Donlyn, 8, went to the protest because they were tired of seeing such hatred in their town. This is really important for us to fight for, she said, noting they had been victims of racism fairly often and she was "not surprised at all to see the resistance. Donyae and Donlyn wore shirts with the words My skin color is not a crime and held signs that read My thoughts matter and My future matters. While white people outnumber minority populations in the suburbs, Black people are out here, too, their mother said. Measuring progress in predominantly white towns How does one gauge progress in towns that are home to so few people of color? Three months after the height of the protests, can activists measure whether the initial enthusiasm was performative or indicative of change to come? It depends on whom you ask. In Stratford, a predominantly white township of about 7,000 in Camden County, supporters of racial justice have recently been listening to the experiences of Black people, Meisenheimer said, and asking them what theyd like to see change in their town. Racism in the school system is a top priority, she said. On the Main Line, Gray-Vause echoed this concern, adding that school curricula should address African American culture and history. I dont think there will ever be some concrete win and then its going be like Hey were done,' " Meisenheimer said. Delco Resists is continuing its work, too, and planning more protests. Willie-LeBreton, of Swarthmore College, said she has been pleased to see an increasing number of Black Lives Matter lawn signs near her home in Media, the Delaware County seat. Similar messages, some handwritten in crayon or even mowed into lawns, can be spotted in front yards throughout the suburbs. Ive got some colleagues who say, Those are just signs,' she said. But I think signs are very symbolic, and symbolism matters. She said she also believes the proliferation of suburban rallies and the increase in conversations about race show the movement is making an impact in the suburbs. Im curious as to where the conversations are going to lead us, she said. While promising, the conversations are also exhausting," she said, and white people who are newly committed to the movement have never felt this way before. Black people have experienced the exhaustion for a long time, she said. If people in predominantly white communities can carry through on the mission of recent protests, she said they could prompt changes in the way companies approach hiring and schools teach students about U.S. history and racism, cause officials to address affordable housing in the suburbs, and result in community partnerships with police departments. Thats a big if, though, she said. What happened in the suburbs this summer "is the first step, but its only the first step, Willie-LeBreton said. "It is not sufficient. By Christian Kraemer and Michael Nienaber BERLIN (Reuters) - 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 had been addressed. Stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency often backed by traditional assets, 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 EU's regulatory framework for stablecoins should preserve the bloc's 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 it's 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. Story continues 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 declined to comment. It has previously said that it welcomed regulatory scrutiny. "We're 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, it's something that cannot be jeopardized or weakened by any kind of project including the so-called Libra project," Le Maire added. (Reporting by Christian Kraemer and Michael Nienaber in Berlin; Additional reporting by Tom Wilson in London, Editing by Alexander Smith and Elaine Hardcastle) The European Union stepped up planning for a "no-deal" Brexit after the UK 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. It 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. Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said the attempt to override parts of the Withdrawal Agreement is "irresponsible," "dangerous" and eroding trust. "There will not be an agreement if Britain threatens to undermine previous agreements, he told the Agricultural Science Association (ASA) annual conference in Cork yesterday. Coveney also revealed that the Irish government received no warning about the British government's plans to overturn parts of the withdrawal agreement. We got nothing, no calls, no emails, no heads up, nothing. Instead, he said they found out by reading a headline in The Financial Times. Mr Coveney said he believes the way the UK government conducted businesses this week was a deliberate strategy to create tension in the negotiations, in an attempt to derive some advantage for the UK on some issues theyre seeking concessions on. My reading of it from the EU side is that it has backfired fairly spectacularly, he said. Taoiseach Micheal Martin also addressed the issue saying the "uncertainty" around the Brexit situation is "particularly unhelpful" to the agricultural food industry. Read More UK and Japan agree free trade agreement In terms of the most recent developments, the Taoiseach said, Europe is very steadfast in terms of its affirmation of that withdrawal treaty, and the absolute obligation on all parties including the UK, to adhere to that. The Taoiseach said he has been consistently pressing with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the optimal agreement for Ireland is a free trade one, with no quotas or tariffs. The EU has demanded that Britain scrap the plan to breach the divorce treaty. "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 eurozone finance ministers. "It is imperative that the government of the United Kingdom respond back to the call from the (European)Commission." 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 Britain's exports to Japan would be tariff-free. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the bloc was increasing its planning for a no-deal Brexit. "Nobody should underestimate the practical, economic and social consequences of a 'no deal' scenario," he said. Additional reporting Reuters The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is planning to have new regulations for 2024 in order for a film to be nominated in the Best Picture Category. The Guardian called it sweeping eligibility reforms to the best picture category intended to encourage diversity and equitable representation on screen and off, addressing gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity and disability." The most important rule concerns on-screen eligibility. To meet the onscreen representation standard, a movie must either have at least one lead character or a significant supporting character to be from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group; at least 30% of secondary roles must be from two underrepresented groups; or the main storyline, theme or narrative must be focused on an underrepresented group. According to the Academy, underrepresented groups include women, people of colour, LGBTQ+, people or people with disabilities," The Guardian averred. Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement: The aperture must widen to reflect our diverse global population in both the creation of motion pictures and in the audiences who connect with them. We believe these inclusion standards will be a catalyst for long-lasting, essential change in our industry." The second most significant rule states that for a film to be nominated it must have at least two leadership positions or department heads to be from underrepresented sections of society and at least one from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group. And so on. While the move seems indeed noble, it may prove more of an obstacle rather than helpful in promoting a movie. More significantly, in the creation of one. A producer will have to now start looking for means to meet these requirements. This can result in every possible Best Picture Oscar aspirant trying to have, let us say, a Red Indian actor or a black guy or even a tribal. What if the story and the script do not warrant this? So, a writer would have to pen a plot with such characters. Or, try and adapt a novel (these days there are so many of this) that will be considered as appropriate for gaining entry into the Oscars race. The long and short of this is that this could mean that some great pieces of fiction will be beyond the reach of the screen, and story writers would have to struggle to get such rules in place! Not an easy task. I firmly believe that cinema is a marvellous art form that must not be shackled in any way. I have also been against the recent demand for equal representation for women in film festivals. As Thierry Fremaux, who heads Cannes, said a couple of years ago, but are enough women making movies". He had a point. He was criticised for not having enough women directors among the official titles. Yes, women may say that they do not get funding in the first place to make movie. I know dozens of men who also do not get any support to create a film, despite the fact that they may have excellent scripts. So, they go in for crowd funding. Let us assume a scenario in which a festival like Cannes or Venice or Berlin is mandated to give equal representation to men and women. So, if there are 50 titles in total, one has to find 25 women directors. So, what can happen, a festival in order to meet this requirement, may fill up the slots with films that may not be worthy of inclusion. (Once, I argued with the Director of the International Film Festival of India about the compulsion of having to necessarily fill up the 21 slots in the Indian Panorama section. I said that if we the jury do not find 21 titles worthy of being part of this category, we should settle for a lesser number. What is the point in screening garbage in an international festival and in a section that is supposed to show the cream of Indian cinema!) I have heard women auteurs like Mira Nair, Deepa Mehta, Nandita Das, Angelina Jolie, Kathryn Bigelow (whose Zero Dark Thirty, 2012, was nominated in five Oscar categories, including Best Picture), Haifaa Al-Mansour (the first Saudi woman to helm a movie), and Nadine Labaki (from Lebanon whose 2018 Capernaum won the Jury Prize at Cannes) among others saying in the course of informal chats and interviews that they would rather be known as directors, not women directors (entitled to special privileges or quotas). This will not augur well for their artistic capability. So, I fear that the Academy may well make it difficult, if not impossible, for many films to join the Oscars race in 2024. Of course, the Oscars are not the end all and be all, but some great cinema may sink into oblivion, because it may not be allowed to compete in what has arguably come to be regarded as a benchmark for great movies. And the fact is, we all take a special interest in those films that have got the Oscars nod or have won the trophy, thus giving these titles a chance to be seen and written about. (Gautaman Bhaskaran is author, commentator and movie critic) Renewed Hope As India's COVID-19 Vaccine Covaxin Shows Success In Animal Trials On Macaques Image For Representation/Reuters The hunt for a vaccine against COVID-19 in India has cleared another milestone as domestic vaccine maker Bharat Biotech announced that the animal trials of its candidate Covaxin were successful. It said the results demonstrated the protective efficacy of the vaccine in a live viral challenge model. Read on Canada Reports Zero COVID-19 Deaths For First Time Since March Agencies Countries across the world are trying their best to limit the damage caused by the novel coronavirus-induced pandemic. While most of them strive to curtail the death toll some are even getting closer to achieving the feat of reporting no new deaths in one single day. Canada reported zero COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours for the first time since March 15, according to public health agency data released. Canada's death toll from the pandemic stood at 9,163 as of September 11, the same as the number of the deaths reported on September 10, government data showed. The number of positive cases rose by 702 to 135,626 on Sept. 11 from the previous day, the data showed. Read on Wildfire Situation In California Is Bad, NASA Images Show Wall Of Smoke On Entire US West Coast twitter Nasa Earth 2020 seems to be bringing with it the wrath of nature. First with coronavirus pandemic and now wildfires. As if forest fires, wildfires weren't enough in the Amazon rainforests and Australia earlier this year, now it is some US states that are facing the brunt. The US state of Oregon is currently battling unprecedented record-breaking wildfires, which have taken a few lives, according yo the National Fire Information Centre. Oregon Governor, Kate Brown warned that the devastation could be overwhelming from the US fires which happened on Monday during wind storm that included gusts. "This could be the greatest loss of human life and property due to wildfire in our state's history," Brown told reporters. Read on UP Villagers Rescue Crocodile Stranded In A Pond In Monsoon, Take It Hostage & Demand Rs 50,000 AFP Uttar Pradesh, India's most populated state is as complex as its diversity, and every so often throws in some surprises. In a rather unusual case of animal rescue, the residents of a village in Uttar Pradesh found a crocodile lurking in the local pond and saved it. But the story did not end there, they hatched a plan to use it to demand a ransom from the authorities. Read on Two Men In Delhi Allegedly Thrash Another Man As They Got Irritated By His 'Excessive Honking' Wikipedia - Representational Image In a recent incident, a man was thrashed by two others as they got disturbed by his honking in Delhi. Police have arrested two men who allegedly thrashed a 28-year old man who had annoyed them with his honking in an effort to move a cow to make way for his vehicle, police said on Friday. Read on A secret service agent accused of putting a Time magazine photographer in a chokehold and throwing him to the ground during a trump rally has been cleared of any wrongdoing, according to a report by Politico. Chris Morris, a photographer for Time, said an agent at the 2016 rally choked him and slammed him to the ground as he tried to step outside a media pen at the event in Virginia when a protest erupted. Video footage of the incident posted to Twitter showed the photographer on the ground, kicking out at the agent as if to protect himself. Another video shows the photographer cursing the agent prior to the physical altercation, saying: F*** you. He also seemingly put his hand on the agents neck to demonstrate the choke hold the agent had placed on him. A Department of Homeland Security inspector general report and other documents obtained exclusively by Politico found the agent William Figueroas actions to have been reasonable. The agent denied that he intended to choke the photographer and investigators said that if the agent ended up holding the photographer by the throat, it was an accident, according to the website. The probe, which spanned nearly two years, concluded that the chokeslam, which went viral at the time, was a legitimate use of force to resolve a potentially dangerous situation. 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 DHS watchdog office declared in its report, Politico reported. Press advocates have strongly condemned the outcome of the report, and have said the decision reflects wider concerns about press suppression in the US. 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, an amateur photographer and photojournalist advocate, told the outlet. Mr Morris, who declined to be interviewed regarding the incident at the time on what he said was the advice of a Time lawyer, spoke out about the incident for the first time, saying he was disappointed with the decision. The photographer said that the report was in many ways factually inaccurate due to the lack of his statement. There are so many inaccuracies in the thing because I wasnt able to give my side of the story, but now Im glad I didnt give my side of it, the photographer told Politico. Im a journalist Im white, he added. I can only imagine what black people or others in society go through when they go through something with law enforcement and then they read about it in a police report. Federal prosecutors decided not to bring charges against either Mr Morris or Mr Figueroa. The decision coincides with heightened scrutiny of the Trump administrations treatment of members of the press following protests that erupted across the country in the months following George Floyds death in May. Continued arrests of members of the press during the coverage and militant treatment of protesters caused widespread outrage. Among many incidents, Independent journalist Andrew Buncombe was detained, shackled, and assaulted after being arrested while covering protests in Seattle. In Minneapolis, a CNN reporter and crew were arrested live on air. Journalists and photographers should not be confined to press pens for widely attended public events, Mr Leahy added in a statement to Politico. They should not be body-slammed. And they certainly should not be shot with rubber bullets or teargassed for simply doing their jobs and covering demonstrations, as they have been in Portland under the Trump administration. This is America, after all, where our Founders wisely determined that a free press is essential to a free society. Brooks received his draft notice at the age of 31 In the year 1909, William Howard Taft served as President, The NAACP was founded and Lawrence Brooks became the newest edition to his family in Norwood, Louisiana, right outside of Baton Rouge. Today, Brooks is known as the oldest known U.S. WWII veteran after turning 111-years-old. Brooks served as a support worker in the Armys 91st Engineer Battalion, a majority African-American unit stationed in New Guinea and the Philippines during the war. He reached the rank of private first class. He received his draft notice at the age of 31. During that time the Selective Service required all men younger than 45 to register. He was sent to Baton Rouge and Lake Charles, then San Antonio and Beaumont, Texas, and finally Fort Polk, where the group participated in the famous Louisiana maneuvers during the spring of 1941. World War II veteran Lawrence Brooks, 107, salutes the speakers honoring him from the stage at The National World War II Museum in New Orleans on Monday, Sept. 12, 2016, during a birthday celebration for Brooks. (Chris Granger/NOLA.com The Times-Picayune via AP) Brooks did not serve in combat. Black units in the segregated armed forces, including the 91st Engineer Battalion, were subject to mostly physical labor. The Army discharged Brooks on Nov. 7, 1941, after his one-year obligation ended, only to get called on again a month later after Pearl Harbor. In 1942, the 91st battalion spent 48 days on the Queen Mary in a voyage from New York to Australia, a voyage made longer as the liner zigzagged to avoid German submarines in the Atlantic and Japanese ones in the Pacific. Brooks served as an orderly for three officers fetching them meals, cleaning their uniforms and sheets, and shining their shoes. Brooks said he accepted the work as just another duty that somebody had to do. Read More: Wall of veterans protect demonstrators in Portland An old sergeant told me that the best thing I could do was do what I was told, and keep my mouth shut, Brooks said. But Id already been able to get along with everybody. Theyd get up early in the morning and have me drive them somewhere, Brooks said of the officers. Then Id go back to my bunk and sleep. They just sort of took a liking to me. They treated me like a soldier and not their servant. Story continues The 91st battalion would eventually transfer to New Guinea where Brooks encountered a near-death experience. An incendiary bomb destroyed the tent that he shared with seven others while they were watching a movie nearby. Another time, an engine went out on a flight back from Australia, and he and the crew had to throw bails of barbed wire overboard to lighten the load. Brooks prides his services in the military even though race relations during that time were far from ideal. Black soldiers in the war also fought issues such as discrimination and hostility at home. Rob Citino, Senior Historian at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, says the U.S. military then had racist characterizations of African-American soldiers during the war. You couldnt put a gun in their hands, he says of the then-prevalent attitude. They could do simple menial tasks. That was the lot of the African-American soldier, sailor, airman, you name it. Happy 111th birthday to our oldest living WW2 veteran, Lawrence Brooks. I salute your service and your lifetime of determination. pic.twitter.com/09a37yv6Yv Dr. Mark T. Esper (@EsperDoD) September 12, 2020 We went to war with Hitler, the worlds most horrible racist, and we did so with a segregated army because, despite guarantees of equal treatment, this was still Jim Crow America, Citino says. African Americans were still subject to all kinds of limitations and discrimination based on the color of their skin. I think they were fighting for the promise of America rather than the reality of America. The military was not formally desegregated until President Harry Truman forced it with a 1948 executive order. For Brooks, who served in the Army between 1940 and 1945, that order would come too late. Of the 16 million U.S. veterans who fought in World War II, only about 300,000 are still alive today. A still spunky and spry Brooks credits a healthy lifestyle, deep faith and love of people for his longevity. Brooks was widowed in 2005 when his second wife, Leona, died shortly after the couple was evacuated by helicopter following Hurricane Katrina. He is a father to 5 children (2 deceased), 13 grandchildren and more than 20 great-grandchildren. Read More: Trump calls fallen US veterans losers, suckers: report Every year since 2014, the National World War II Museum in New Orleans throws Brooks a birthday bash. However, since the pandemic, plans have changed. This year the museum asked people across the country to mail the 111-year-old birthday cards. We just thought there has to be some way that we can still celebrate him in a way that is safe but also gets more people involved, said museum spokesperson Amber Mitchell in an interview with CNN. If we arent able to gather in ways that were used to, we can always invent new ways to connect or rediscover old ways, like you would with a birthday card. Several hundred gifts and cards have already arrived. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post Oldest U.S. WWII Veteran, Lawrence Brooks, turns 111 appeared first on TheGrio. S everal bus passengers were threatened with a meat cleaver in south London, police said. Scotland Yard are appealing for information after a man chased another passenger from a bus after being challenged about not paying his bus fare. The incident took place on the Route 2 bus on Upper Tulse Hill, Brixton, on August 9 at 6.50am. Less than an hour later the same man threatened a number of people at a bus stop in Elephant and Castle. Officers said the man also made a homophobic comment before boarding a Route 196 bus. Police are appealing for help tracing a man who was captured on CCTV. Anyone with information is asked to call the Roads and Transport Policing Command via 101 quoting reference Cad 2611/09Aug. If you wish to report anonymously please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or report online. Keeping in view the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state, the Odisha government on Saturday allowed the sale of Favipiravir tablet and Remdesivir injectable formulation in stores for the treatment of coronavirus patients. Directorate of Drugs Control, Odisha in accordance with the direction of the Drugs Controlled General of India (DGCI), issued an order allowing the market sale of the medicines under the prescription of medical specialists only, an official said. It said the drugs will be available to the patient or patients representative following furnishing residence proof. Informed consent of the patient or his/her representative in the prescribed form is mandatory before initiating the treatment," the order said. The order also said that the drug will be made available to the patient/ his representative only through in-house retail chemists attached to hospitals/nursing home shaving valid drug licences. Where there is no in-house retail chemist shop in the hospital/ nursing home, the local Drugs Inspector will identify one or more retail chemist shop through whom the drugs will be made available, it said. The retail chemist shop will mandatorily retain a photocopy of the prescription, photocopy of written consent of the patient or his/her representative, residential proof of the purchaser and his/her contact details before supply of the medicines as record for verification in addition to fulfilment of other conditions under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules. Remdesivir formulations are required to be supplied for use only to the hospitals/institutions to ensure proper use of the drug under the Restricted Emergency Use. In no case Remdesivir formulation is to be sold to any patient/his representative directly, it said. The retail chemist shall furnish details of purchase/sell of the above drugs to the respective range Drugs Inspector on a weekly basis, the order said, adding that in case the Pushing for new roads to reelection, President Donald Trump is going on the offense this weekend in Nevada, which hasnt supported a Republican presidential candidate since 2004. Trump is confronting local authorities by holding public events Saturday and Sunday after state officials blocked his initial plans for rallies in Reno and Las Vegas because they would have violated coronavirus health guidelines. Its the kind of political fight that Trumps team relishes and underscores the growing importance of Nevada in Trumps quest for 270 electoral votes as the race against Democrat Joe Biden looks tight in a number of pivotal states. Trump narrowly lost Nevada in 2016 to Hillary Clinton, and the state has trended further toward the Democrats in the past decade. But Trumps campaign has invested heavily in the state, relying on its ground game to turn out voters. Democrats, by contrast, have largely relied on virtual campaign efforts during the pandemic, save for the casino workers Culinary Union, which has sent workers door to door. The Democrats are scared. They know President Trump has the momentum, said the state GOP chairman, Michael McDonald. Both candidates have spent about $4.5 million in Nevada, while Trump has made $5.5 million in future reservations in the state and Biden has allocated $2.5 million, according to the ad tracking firm Kantar/CMAG. The Trump team originally planned rallies at airport hangars in Reno and Las Vegas, but those were scuttled by state officials due to concerns the campaign would not abide by Covid-19 restrictions. State Republicans blamed Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak for trying to hurt the presidents reelection chances. Sisolak has limited in-person gatherings indoors and outdoors to 50 people since May, a recommendation based on White House reopening guidelines. Instead, Trump scheduled an event in Minden, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) south of Reno, on Saturday night. He planned to host a Latinos for Trump roundtable Sunday morning in Las Vegas, followed by an evening rally at a manufacturing facility in neighboring Henderson. Privately, the Trump campaign welcomed the fight, believing it highlighted a reelection theme: Trumps insistence that the nation has turned the corner on the pandemic, while Democrats, including Biden and governors, are hurting the nations economy and psyche with stringent restrictions. The pandemic, which has killed more than 190,000 Americans, still claims 1,000 lives a day. The fact that Donald Trump is even considering holding these unsafe events in the midst of a global pandemic is just the latest example of his poor judgment and complete disregard for Nevadans public health and safety, said Madison Mundy of the state Democratic Party. The White House announced Saturday that Trump will visit California on Monday to receive a briefing on the devastating wildfires racing through the region. He has largely been silent on the blazes, which Oregons emergency management director said was a possible mass fatality event. Some Democrats fear a possible Trump momentum gain in Nevada, with the president showing increasing support from Latinos and noncollege educated white voters, two important constituencies in the state. The tightening race in a number of the most contested states has led to a renewed effort for Trump to expand his electoral map. The campaign has lavished attention on three Great Lakes states that flipped his way narrowly in 2016. Several polls earlier this summer suggested Trump may be in trouble, but a handful in both Pennsylvania and Wisconsin following the nominating conventions showed a close race. Polling in North Carolina and Florida also shows a competitive race, and there is increasing concern within the Trump campaign about Arizona. Once considered fairly safely in Trumps column, Arizona has been ravaged by the coronavirus and the Trump team has grown worried about a slip in support among the states older residents. The president on Monday planned to return to Arizona, which he has visited multiple times since he resumed traveling during the pandemic. If Arizona slips away, Trump campaign officials privately acknowledge that it would complicate his path to 270 electoral votes. If he loses Arizona, winning Wisconsin the most likely Midwest state for Trump to retain would not be enough even if he keeps Florida and North Carolina. It would require him to win somewhere else, which has led to a renewed focus on Minnesota, New Hampshire and the at-large congressional districts in Nebraska and Maine. Nevada has become a particular focus, in part because Las Vegas is an appetizing location for Trump to raise money. He scheduled at least one high-dollar fundraiser there over the weekend as well as one in Washington before he flies west as he looks to assuage growing concerns that he could fall short of cash. Couples were asked for $150,000 for the Las Vegas fundraiser. The Republican National Committee said the $18 million expected to be raised over the weekend, including from an appearance Saturday at his hotel in Washington, would be shared by Trumps campaign, the committee and several state GOP committees. Trump and Republicans raised $210 million in August, a robust sum but far behind the record $364.5 million taken in by Biden and his party that month. Though the Trump campaign has insisted that it has more resources on hand than it did at this time in 2016, whispers about a financial disadvantage led Trump himself this past week to suggest he may put some of his own fortune into the race. Nevadas financial health is dependent on the national economy doing well because the state draws so much revenue from tourism. When the pandemic hit, Nevadas casinos and all gambling shuttered for about 11 weeks, and the state is trimming about one-quarter of its budget at a time of sky-high unemployment. Greece and the Rafale Saint-Cloud, France, September 12, 2020 Greece announced today its intention to acquire 18 Rafales to equip its air force. This announcement illustrates the strength of the partnership that has linked the Greek Air Force and Dassault Aviation for more than 45 years, and demonstrates the enduring strategic relationship between Greece and France. Greece ordered 40 Mirage F1 from Dassault Aviation in 1974, then 40 Mirage 2000 in 1985 and finally 15 Mirage 2000-5 in the year 2000; this latest contract also includes the modernization of 10 Mirage 2000 to the 2000-5 standard with a large contribution from Greek industry. "I am delighted with this announcement, which reinforces the exceptional relationship we have had with Greece for nearly half a century, and I thank the Greek authorities for their confidence in us once again. Dassault Aviation is fully mobilized to meet the operational needs expressed by the Greek Air Force, and thus contribute to ensuring Greece's sovereignty and the safety of the Greek people," said Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. ABOUT DASSAULT AVIATION: With over 10,000 military and civil aircraft delivered in more than 90 countries over the last century, Dassault Aviation has built up expertise recognized worldwide in the design, development, sale and support of all types of aircraft, ranging from the Rafale fighter, to the high-end Falcon family of business jets, military drones and space systems. In 2019, Dassault Aviation reported revenues of 7,3 billion. The company has 12,750 employees. dassault-aviation.com PRESS CONTACTS: Corporate Communications Stephane Fort - Tel +33 (0)1 47 11 86 90 - stephane.fort@dassault-aviation.com Mathieu Durand - Tel +33 (0)1 47 11 85 88 - mathieu.durand@dassault-aviation.com Defense Communications Nathalie Bakhos - Tel +33 (0)1 47 11 92 75 - nathalie-beatrice.bakhos@dassault-aviation.com Photos HD : mediaprophoto.dassault-aviation.com Story continues Videos HD : mediaprovideo.dassault-aviation.com Attachment UK fighter jets have intercepted two Russian bombers off the Scottish Coast, defence chiefs have said. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that the RAF Typhoons, which are based at RAF Lossiemouth, were scrambled after the Russian aircraft 'entered the UK's controlled zone of international airspace'. The Russian planes were identified as TU-142 Bear F maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. Handout photo dated today issued by the MoD showing a Eurofighter Typhoon (near) and a Russian Bear F aircraft (far), one of two Russian aircraft the Typhoon has been sent to intercept off the Scottish Coast Handout photo dated today issued by the MoD showing a Russian Bear F aircraft, one of two Russian aircraft the Eurofighter Typhoon has been sent to intercept off the Scottish Coast Handout photo dated today issued by the MoD showing a Eurofighter Typhoon landing at Leuchars Station after returning from a Quick Reaction Alert to intercept two Russian aircraft off the Scottish Coast The MoD spokesman added that monitoring the zone ensures the safe passage for all other aircraft, including civilian transatlantic airliners that are under UK civilian air traffic control. The Quick Reaction Alert Typhoons are currently based at former RAF Leuchars on the east coast of Scotland. This is now the British Army's Leuchars Station, the home of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. The breach of UK airspace comes days after British fighter jets and a warship were deployed to the Arctic Circle amid concerns Russia is exploiting new shipping lanes that are emerging as the ice caps melt. Two RAF Typhoons and the Type 23 frigate HMS Sutherland were sent to the High North to assert freedom of navigation rights. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said British forces were in the Barents Sea and as close as 50 nautical miles from the Russian coast. The Russian navys Northern Fleet is based in nearby Severomorsk. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Mr Wallace accused Russia of unlawfully asking countries to clear their route 48 hours before transiting the Barents Sea. And he revealed that the High North will now become a normal area of operations for the Navys surface fleet. Speaking from the Gulf, Mr Wallace said: With the thawing of the passageways up at the High North, over the last few years it has got more contested. HMS Sutherland (front), USS Ross (right) RAS (Replenishment at sea) with RFA Tidespring (back, left) while operating together in Northern Waters Crew members of HMS Sutherland help conduct RSA while operating with USS Ross and RFA Tidespring in Northern Waters 'The reason some of this has become more contentious is if it becomes a more substantial shipping route, it has the potential of cutting transit time from China to Europe by almost half. He said the new routes were therefore very lucrative, but for some countries it was an opportunity to inappropriately challenge the norms of navigation. The Russians are experimenting with new weapon systems and new submarines and for us it is in our interest to make sure we protect the northern approaches to Europe and our own homeland. Being forward of your own homeland is one way to make sure you protect that. Pictured: The HMS Sutherland during operations with the USS Ross and RFA Tidespring off the North Coast of Scotland The principle of upholding international maritime law is very important for a country like Britain, which seeks to trade and represent free trade. He said the deployment was not designed to be provocative, adding: It is just enlarging what we do, being more present and more forward. An MoD spokesman said: The High North is witnessing a change in its security environment and represents a key area of interest for the UK. Recent Russian attempts to control freedom of access and navigation in the region are of concern to the UK and our partners. The UK is leading a multi-national task group of warships and aircraft in the Barents Sea. HMS Sutherland, supported by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker Tidespring, commanded a task group comprising the US Navys Arleigh-Burke class destroyer USS Ross and the Norwegian frigate Thor Heyerdahl. The area where they are operating in conditions close to freezing is considered one of the worlds most challenging environments. The ships undertook training to develop their abilities to work together while asserting our nations commitment to upholding peace in the region, the MoD said. More than 1,200 military personnel from the three nations took part, supported by US P-8 Poseidon and Danish Challenger maritime patrol aircraft, along with RAF Typhoons and a refuelling tanker. The operation is the first time the UK has operated Typhoons in the High North. HMS Sutherland led the ships through a series of exercises, testing their abilities to conduct surface and anti-submarine warfare. Commander Tom Weaver, task group leader and commanding officer of HMS Sutherland, said: It has been thoroughly rewarding to operate in the High North. This operation has been an amazing opportunity to hone the skills of my ships company, not only in this challenging and demanding environment but also to work more closely with key allies in an incredibly important region. Although rumors of widespread looting in evacuated areas have spread rapidly on social media, law enforcement officials throughout the state are saying these claims are inaccurate. Many rumors and conspiracy theories have surfaced during historically destructive and deadly fires in Oregon. Much like rumors claiming anti-fascists were operating a coordinated arson campaign throughout the state, claims of widespread looting are not true. Its typical for law enforcement agencies to step up patrols whenever residential areas are evacuated, to thwart any would-be thieves. But police agencies in evacuation zones have publicly confirmed just five cases of people breaking into vacant homes or businesses as of Saturday evening, several days after the fires began. In Jackson County, where nearly 20,000 people are under Level 3 go now evacuation oreders, the sheriffs office said it could not provide a specific number of theft cases tied to the fires. There have been a few incidents, but they are not widespread, said Mike Moran, the Jackson County Sheriffs Office spokesperson. We have made arrests. One person was arrested for allegedly breaking into a grocery store in Lincoln City, and two people were arrested for allegedly burglarizing evacuated homes near Detroit in Marion County. At this point we have not experienced any significant amount of looting in the evacuation areas in Lincoln City, said Sgt. Jeffrey Winn, with the citys police force. The Lane County Sheriffs Office received two reports about home break-ins, but the cases have not yet resulted in arrests, according to the Lane County Sheriffs Office. Sgt. Carrie Carver said concerns about break-ins are always heightened after evacuations, because evacuees often leave homes unattended and are unable to bring all valuable items with them. More than 8,000 people are under Level 3 evacuation orders in eastern Lane County. Like other jurisdictions facing evacuations, the Lane County Sheriffs Office has help from outside agencies. Oregon State Police is assisting with increased patrols, and the Oregon National Guard is helping maintain roadblocks into evacuated areas. In Clackamas County, where more than 50,000 people are under Level 3 evacuation orders, images of armed people in Molalla concerned about looters and arsonists have spread widely on social media. Its been blown way out of proportion, Frank Schoenfeld, Molalla chief of police, said Friday. There have been no confirmed cases of looting in town. On Saturday, police in Molalla arrested a local man on theft-related charges. Police said he tried to burglarize a local towing company and then stole a utility terrain vehicle from a locked facility at Molalla Middle School Thursday. The Clackamas County Sheriffs Office, which patrols the area outside Molalla, did not return a request for comment about any theft cases at the time of publishing. In Douglas County, where three fires have caused nearly 650 people are under Level 3 evacuation orders, the sheriffs office has been providing additional patrols in evacuation areas. Thus far, there have not [been] any reports of looting, Sgt. Brad ODell said. No arrests have been made. The sheriffs office in Marion County, where two people were arrested after allegedly attempting to evade law enforcement and were found in possession of stolen items, said there has been a small issue with theft in evacuated areas. More than 5,500 people in the area are under Level 3 evacuation orders. Marion County Sheriffs deputies, in coordination with nearby Linn County Sheriffs deputies, have provided extra patrols around the clock in evacuated areas. It is not a widespread issue at this time, said Ethan Griffith, senior deputy sheriff in Marion County. This story has been updated. -- K. Rambo krambo@oregonian.com @k_rambo_ The West York Police Department on Friday arrested and charged a 23-year-old with rape, as well as several other felony offenses. Dangelo Manns is currently in police custody, according to the departments Facebook page. Authorities said they received input from the public, which helped them, along with the York City Police Department and York County District Attorneys office locate him. In addition to rape, he has been charged with involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, burglary, terroristic threats, and other offenses. A woman contacted police after she said she awoke around 6 a.m. to find a man in her home, who was armed with a knife. He threatened her and raped her, she said. The woman was treated by specially trained forensic nurses at York Hospital. Police said Manns had also tried to gain entry into at least one other borough residence 30 minutes prior, but he was chased away by someone in the house. Both residents told police they didnt know Manns. We are relieved to report that this individual is off the street and no longer a threat, the department wrote on its Facebook page. We would again like to thank the public for the outpouring of information which was readily shared with us based upon our request for help. READ MORE 1 injured in Steelton stabbing; suspect in custody: police These people were charged with crimes yesterday in central Pennsylvania Police looking for 3 who broke into East Pennsboro high school SARS-CoV-2 testing possible for those wishing to go abroad Foreigners living and working in Vietnam and Vietnamese citizens needing to go abroad for work or study who require a certificate stating they are free of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus will be considered for testing, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH). The Ministry of Health issued an urgent dispatch on September 11 asking the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Peoples Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to direct the implementation of SARS-CoV-2 testing for such persons. Diplomatic representative agencies, UN organisations or agencies in Vietnam, and organisations and businesses that send Vietnamese citizens to work and study abroad are responsible for preparing specific lists to send to the standing agency of the MoHs National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control or standing agencies of the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in provinces and cities nationwide, for consideration and instruction. Those providing testing services are responsible for performing testing and issuing certificates, as appropriate, to individuals and organisations. They must also carry out quarantining measures for those testing positive and report to authorised agencies implementing preventive measures in line with regulations. Every person and business must become familiar with new normal: PM Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked that each person and enterprise in Vietnam familiarise themselves with the new normal, while chairing a cabinet meeting on COVID-19 prevention and control on September 11. No new cases of community transmission have been reported for nine days and a continuous increase in the number of recoveries show that the disease has been brought under control nationwide, he said. He reiterated the need, however, to remain vigilant, especially in the health sector and at hospitals, as there remains a risk of the disease breaking out once more, especially with several re-opening measures being applied in the time ahead. Vietnam must continue working on the dual targets of disease prevention and economic development over the remainder of the year to achieve a positive growth rate, possibly 3 percent, he emphasised. He asked ministries, sectors, and localities to create the conditions necessary for trade to flourish, and required localities to stay ready to attract investment, especially from major partners. The Government leader asked the health sector to coordinate with ministries, sectors, and localities to publicise the latest disease prevention and control measures and to monitor and test all people entering Vietnam once international commercial flights resume. He urged the Transport Ministry to direct airlines to consider resuming commercial flights to and from several nations and regions and opening flights for those transiting through Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Laos, and Cambodia. The ministry was also requested to coordinate with the ministries of Health, National Defence, Public Security, and Foreign Affairs when considering issues relating to the re-opening of international flights, including selecting prioritised passengers and airports, monitoring and quarantining passengers, and taking test samples. He asked the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Transport to consider increasing the frequency of flights to and from countries that have not been so hard hit by the disease, to bring Vietnamese citizens home and facilitate investors, experts, and managers coming to the country. The ministries of National Defence and Public Security and localities need to control and strictly punish those illegally entering Vietnam, while the ministries of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Finance, and Planning and Investment are asked to continue submitting to the PM measures to carry out the second phase of the social welfare assistance package and propose other packages in support of others, especially the unemployed. Numbers of COVID-19 cases continue increasing in some SEA nations A man registers for COVID-19 testing in Manila capital of the Philippines on September 3 (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) Some Southeast Asian countries continued to record sharp rises in the numbers of COVID-19 cases on September 11, with the Philippines still the biggest hotspot in the region. The Philippine Department of Health confirmed an additional 4,040 infections of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the biggest daily rise over the last 12 days, raising the COVID-19 tally in the nation to 24,947 the highest in Southeast Asia. The country also saw 42 more related deaths, bringing the total fatalities to 4,066. Under-Secretary of Health Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Philippines is promoting the capacity of the whole healthcare system, with a focus on increasing beds at public hospitals. The government will also increase COVID-19 testing laboratories and quarantine facilities while installing more bedrooms for medical workers, she added. In Myanmar, 115 new cases were reported on September 11, one day after new lockdown measures had been imposed in an effort to contain the second wave of infections. COVID-19 cases in the country now number 2,265, including 14 deaths. The Myanmar Government on September 10 requested people to restrict travel, except for emergencies. Local airlines also announced the suspension of services until the end of September. On September 11, Malaysia reported 182 new coronavirus infections, the biggest increase over the last three months. As a result, the number of COVID-19 patients in the country now totals 9,810, including 128 deaths. Meanwhile, Brunei went through the eighth straight day without any new cases on September 11, keeping the number of infections at 145 with 139 recoveries. One imported COVID-19 case on September 11 Vietnam recorded one new imported COVID-19 case who was put under quarantine following arrival on September 11 evening, according to the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control. The 21-year-old patient residing in Thanh Hoa returned to Vietnam from Russia on September 8. He tested positive to SARS-CoV-2 and is being treated at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanois outlying district of Dong Anh. The country has so far confirmed 1,060 infection cases, 691 of them are locally-transmitted. The same day, nine patients in Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Quang Nam, Dak Lak and Hai Duong were given all-clear from the virus, raising the total number of recovery cases to 902. There have been 35 deaths from the disease to date. Among patients under treatment at medical establishments, 16 tested negative once, 17 twice and 21 others the thrice. As many as 35,799 people who had close contact with patients or entered from pandemic-hit areas are under quarantine, 603 of them are in hospitals, 16,432 in other establishments and 18,765 at homes. Amid the complicated developments of COVID-19, the ministries of health, information and communications have called on residents to install Bluezone app to receive infection risk alerts. Nearly 350 citizens brought home from US Vietnamese authorities and representative agencies in the US, Vietnam Airlines and US authorities have coordinated to arrange a flight to repatriate close to 350 Vietnamese citizens on September 10 and 11. The passengers from many states of the US included children under 18, the elderly, the ill, stranded tourists, students completing their learning courses and facing accommodation difficulties, and those facing other difficulties. Vietnamese representatives in the US assisted the citizens in completing procedures to travel to gather in international airports in San Francisco and Los Angeles cities. Security, safety and hygiene measures were carried out throughout the flight to protect their health and prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. Right after landing at Van Don airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh, the passengers and crewmembers received health check-up. They were sent to concentrated quarantine facilities in line with regulations. In the future, more flights are set to be conducted to repatriate Vietnamese citizens with disadvantaged circumstances, depending on their need and quarantine capacity at home. Thai firms offer help in Vietnams anti-COVID-19 efforts Thai Ambassador Tanee Sangrat handed over supplies for Vietnams fight against COVID-19 to the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee in Hanoi on September 10. He presented 1,000 cartons of canned fish and 25,000 face masks worth 1 billion VND (43,200 USD) in total. This was the second time he had visited the headquarters of the VFF Central Committee to offer support in this regard. Congratulating Vietnam on its achievements in the COVID-19 fight, the ambassador said Thai businesses in the country have joined hands with a view to helping the country tackle difficulties caused by the resurgence of the disease. For his part, President of the VFF Central Committee Tran Thanh Man thanked the ambassador and also Thai businesses, saying their good deeds will lend strength to the Party and States efforts to contain the outbreak. He also expressed his belief that, with their experience, the two countries will reap better results in COVID-19 prevention and control, thereby creating the conditions for enterprises from both to bolster operations. ADB approves 500 million USD loan to boost Philippines disaster resilience The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a 500-million-USD policy-based loan to allow the Philippines to quickly access emergency financing in the event of disasters triggered by natural hazards or public health emergencies. The Philippines has been hit by several major disasters in recent years, including typhoon Haiyan in 2013, the Taal volcano eruption in January 2020, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, ADB Vice-President Ahmed Saeed said in a statement. "This new contingent disaster financing instrument will help the government manage fiscal risks posed by those shocks and lessen the economic and social impacts on people's livelihoods and the country's economy," Saeed added. ADB Financial Sector Specialist for Southeast Asia Benita Ainabe said the Disaster Resilience Improvement Programme will support government policy reforms aimed at ensuring the government to quickly address the needs of vulnerable segments of the population following disasters. It will also strengthen the Philippines' overall response to disasters and pandemics. Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is among the most disaster-prone countries in the world, including active volcanoes, frequent earthquakes, and an average of 20 typhoons per year with floods and landslides. Nearly 75 percent of the country's population are vulnerable to multiple natural hazards, and such disasters worsen poverty in typhoon-prone provinces along the country's eastern seaboard. According to the ADB, disasters cost the Philippines 0.7 to 1.0 percent of GDP every year, including about 43.5 billion pesos (roughly 890 million USD) caused by earthquakes and around 133 billion pesos (roughly 2.7 billion USD) from typhoons. The bank has provided at least 1.8 billion USD in loans and grants to assist the Philippine government in its urgent COVID-19 response. About 200 protesters and community members gathered outside the Ontario Ministry of Indigenous Affairs at Bloor and Church streets on Saturday demanding an end to anti-Indigenous police violence. With their message Land Back written in red paint in the intersection, as well as on banners carried through the streets, protesters chanted, prayed and gave speeches demanding an end to the criminalization of Six Nations Land Defenders. The protest follows a series of arrests after Six Nations of the Grand River community members occupied a proposed housing development site in Caledonia, an hour outside of Toronto, saying the project violates Haudenosaunee sovereignty. The main demand of the protest is for the OPP to stop arresting land defenders who are supporting the camp at 1492 Land Back Lane, said Subhanya Sivajothy, a supporter of the rally in a press release. Community members are engaged in a traditional decision-making process, but the threat of violent police enforcement prevents them from solving this as a community, said Sivajothy. Protesters began occupying the site on July 19 and renamed it 1492 Land Back Lane. According to their Facebook page Mackenzie Meadows is one of several housing developments within the area that are directly violating the sovereignty of the Haudenosaunee. On Aug. 5, The Ontario Provincial Police used rubber bullets and tasers to forcibly remove protesters from the housing development site. Nine people were arrested when the OPP enforced a court injunction on the camp. After community members returned, an additional 15 people were arrested at work and in their homes. Those arrested include 17 people from across the GTA and Six Nations, journalist Karl Dockstader and Ryerson University Yellowhead Institutes researcher Courtney Skye. On Aug. 25, a judge extended a second injunction, which prevents protesters and people from blocking or eliminating accessibly to roads in Haldimand County. RELATED STORIES Star Columnists Opinion Arrests at Six Nations Land Back Lane protests against a Caledonia housing development show the ugly face of colonial violence I find it very courageous of them to occupy that land and demand for it to be recognized, said Russ Diabo, a member of the Mohawk Nation at Kahnawake who is a First Nations policy analyst and guest speaker at the protest. I dont think they had many choices, because these issues have festered and have been unresolved for a long time, he said in a phone interview. Correction Sept. 14, 2020: This story was edited to correct the spelling of Karl Dockstaders surname. Zena Salem is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email: zsalem@thestar.ca Chinese spy ship spotted off Taiwan's east coast for two days ROC Central News Agency 09/11/2020 03:22 PM Taipei, Sept. 11 (CNA) A reconnaissance vessel of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has been spotted off Taiwan's east coast over the past two days during a Taiwanese missile testing exercise, a military source said Friday. According to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, military radar detected the PLA reconnaissance ship about 40 nautical miles off Hualien County at 4 p.m. Thursday. The vessel was then seen about 90 nautical miles off Hualien early Friday, slowly moving southward, the official said. It was spotted at a time when the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, Taiwan's state-owned weapons system development institution, was testing missiles on Wednesday and Thursday. Meanwhile, the Navy also detected three U.S. amphibious assault ships about 51 nautical miles east of Orchid Island on Monday, sailing north. Responding to the military movements, Ministry of National Defense spokesman Shih Shun-wen () told reporters that the military is closely monitoring the situation around Taiwan and will ensure the country's security. (By Tyson Lu and Emerson Lim) Enditem/J NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Former Sligo participants of a development programme aimed at female entrepreneurs in rural locations have urged others to apply. This is the sixth year of the government-backed ACORNS programme which has never been more vital than in the current climate. ACORNS is a highly-successful initiative for early-stage female business owners in rural areas and is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under its Rural Innovation and Development Fund. A total of 50 new business owners will be selected for ACORNS 6 which will run from October 2020 to April 2021 with no charge to participants. The deadline for applications is September 21, 2020 and the programme is open to those with new businesses or an idea for a new venture. Sligo's Aisling Kelly of WB's Coffee House and The Sligo Oyster Experience and Katrina McDaniel of Kate Connolly Jewellery are previous participants and are still part of the ACORNS community. Both urge others to join the programme. Aisling says: "ACORNS did exactly what it says - 'accelerates' you and your business. My Lead Deirdre McGlone and the girls in our group were fantastic support and I am so thrilled that I got a chance to take part." The latter part of the previous cycle of the programme - ACORNS 5 - coincided with the nationwide restrictions to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. This had a severely negative impact on businesses across Ireland and the participants were not immune to their effects. ACORNS immediately moved online, and the final round table sessions and workshops were held remotely. However, supported by their Lead Entrepreneurs, 75% of ACORNS 5 participants pivoted their business to take account of the changed circumstances and 27% reported a positive impact. Past participants of ACORNS are also offered the opportunity to participate in a further development phase and to join the ACORNS Community, to ensure they continue to reap the benefits of the programme and of the valuable connections they have made through broadening their support network. ACORNS is based on peer support and collaborative learning and each participant will have the opportunity to learn from successful female entrepreneurs called Lead Entrepreneurs who have started and grown businesses in rural Ireland. Acting in a voluntary capacity, this year's 'Lead Entrepreneurs' are: Anne Reilly of Paycheck Plus, Co Louth; Caroline McEnery of The HR Suite, Co. Kerry; Eimer Hannon of Hannon Travel, Co. Meath; Larissa Feeney of Accountant Online, Co Donegal; Triona MacGiolla Ri of Aro Digital Strategies, Co Galway and Mary B Walsh, Ire Wel Pallets, Co. Wexford. Any woman with a new business based in rural Ireland, or an idea for a new venture they want to get off the ground, can register their interest at www.acorns.ie. 'Isn't it tragic, comic as well as ironic that the people who owe their allegiance to the Constitution of India are declared deshdrohis without an iota of evidence?' 'But this mistake has to be corrected and those who actually and directly fomented the Bhima Koregaon riots and the masterminds behind these people will have to be exposed now.' Congress leader Dr Nitin Raut, is the energy minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra. Dr Raut, who was at the meeting called by Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar to consider formation of a special investigation team to probe the Bhima Koregaon violence, reveals to Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com what was discussed at the meeting. What happened at the meeting that Mr Sharad Pawar called to discuss the formation of an SIT to probe those responsible for the Bhima Koregaon violence? A serious discussion took place highlighting the context and the background of the Bhima Koregaon march by Dalits every January 1. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj united various sections of Maharashtra's mavalas to establish Hindavi Swaraj. The foundation of this was the pride and self-respect of the ryot (common people). This legacy later fell into the hands of the Peshwas (the descendants of advisors to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj during his reign) and though under Peshwai (the rule of the Peshwas) the Maratha empire expanded geographically, the social structure and ideology on which Shivaji's Hindavi Swaraj was built saw sharp fissures. The Peshwai, especially towards its demise, saw a deep erosion of these values giving birth to Brahminical dominance over the downtrodden making the lives of the latter miserable. The social structure that emerged enslaved the downtrodden. The British empire, which had set foot in India, had slowly begun to expand its rule over India in the 17th century. They employed Indians in their army without discriminating on the basis of caste or religion. During the fag end of the Peshwa rule, on January 1, 1818, in the battle fought at Bhima Koregaon (near Pune) between the Peshwas and the British army, which comprised of 832 soldiers, of which 500 were Mahars, the Mahars routed 25,000 soldiers of the Peshwas. Despite the odds, the Mahar soldiers of the British army exhibited exemplary courage and routed the army of the Peshwas. The battle had epic proportions and, obviously, assumed historical significance, especially for the Mahars, who till then were exploited by the Brahminical order established by the Peshwai. That thousands of years of exploitation, hatred and insults was avenged by this Mahar army in the historic battle of Bhima Koregaon, and it later came to signify Mahar pride and a sense of triumphalism over centuries of dominance and misery. To pay homage to the Mahar soldiers who laid down their lives for the cause of the British empire, they built a Shaurya Stambh (a monument to symbolise the courage of the Mahars). When Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar came to know about it, he went to the Shaurya Stambh and paid his respects to the bravery of the Mahar soldiers and their historical victory over Brahminical hegemony. Since then, every year on January 1, Mahars and the downtrodden from across Maharashtra and India congregate at Bhima Koregaon to express their solidarity to the cause of the downtrodden. One must remember that even before the birth of the Hindu Mahasabha, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, the Marxists, this event at Bhima Koregaon had assumed greatness. Importantly, the Mahars before, who became Buddhists later, were staunch supporters of Shivaji and Sambhaji Maharaj and have always prided themselves for that. When Sambhaji Maharaj was brutally tortured and his body was torn into pieces and strewn around, Gopal Gaikwad, a Mahar, who stayed near Waduz, which is very close to the Shaurya Stambh, had the courage to gather all the pieces together and performed Sambhaji Maharaj's last rites without bothering about reprisals from the Mughals. This example is always cited to prove how staunchly the Mahars supported the Hindavi Swaraj rule established by Shivaji Maharaj. However, to avenge the insults and miseries heaped upon them by the Peshwas, the defeat of the Peshwas has come to symbolise the resurrection of Mahars from thousands of years of Brahminical slavery. After discussing the backdrop to the significance of Bhima Koregaon event for the pride and self-respect of Mahars and Dalits of the state, the meeting also threw light on how the then BJP government, which ruled the state to establish the RSS's agenda, created an environment to break the back of the Bhima Koregaon congregation where Dalits go to remember the bravery of their forefathers, and once and for all to satisfy their ideological masters, the RSS. The violence that erupted on January 1, 2018, at Bhima Koregaon was fomented by Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide, egged on by the then BJP government which polluted the environment and tried to engineer a divide between the Marathas and the Mahars. We have evidence to prove how Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide gave incendiary speeches against the Dalits before the January 1, 2018 event, incited the Marathas by trying to portray the Shaurya Stambh as the symbol of Maratha defeat, which actually is a symbol of the defeat of the Peshwas, their Brahminical hegemony. IMAGE: Milind Ekbote, left, and Sambhaji Bhide have been accused of instigating the violence over the bicentenary celebration of the Bhima-Koregaon battle. Ekbote was arrested, but released on bail. Bhide has not been arrested so far. Even the then Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis admitted on the floor of the Maharashtra legislative assembly that prima facie Sambhaji Bhide and Milind Ekbote seemed to have been involved in the violence of January 1, 2018. Despite such an admission one wonders why his government did not arrest the two under charges of creating communal disturbances in the state. Instead, Devendra Fadnavis's BJP government used the violence to embroil the progressive public activists, who under the banner of the Elgaar Parishad, had gathered at the historic Shaniwarwada (the seat of the Peshwa rule) in Pune on December 31, 2017, and declared them anti-national. Former Supreme Court judge P B Sawant and former Bombay high court judge B G Kolse Patil had organised these protests where they made the gathered crowd take an oath on the Constitution to protect the secular and democratic fabric of our nation. This event was attended among others by Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani, Radhika Vemula (mother of Rohit Vemula, the Dalit student who committed suicide), Adivasi activist Soni Sori, Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar, Bhim Army president Vinay Ratan Singh, and student leader Umar Khaled. In the presence of around 35,000 people, the Elgaar Parishad made them pledge their allegiance to the Constitution and fight the fascist forces that were trying to establish their sway over India. Given these two events organised around the same time a huge crowd had assembled in Pune. The Bhima Koregaon violence was planned by the BJP government in Maharashtra to teach the followers of Dr Ambedkar a lesson that was meant to permanently discourage them for rising against the Brahminical order. All these issues were discussed threadbare and in the light of these facts we have decided to ask the Maharashtra government to start fresh investigations to look into the riots that took place after the Bhima Koregaon event on January 1, 2018. While it is easy to blame the then BJP government for not arresting the alleged accused according to you, what stops the Maha Vikas Aghadi government from arresting Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide now? While we wanted to set up a special investigation team to probe the role of Ekbote and Bhide in the Bhima Koregaon violence, the Union government decided to bring in the National Investigation Agency to allegedly investigate the role of Elgaar Parishad in promoting anti-India activities. Now that the NIA is investigating the Elgaar Parishad case, we have always been demanding a SIT to probe the role of Ekbote and Bhide in the riots. The SIT that we are asking for will have different terms of reference and jurisdiction than what the NIA is probing currently. Just because Elgaar Parishad leaders spoke against the atrocities of the Narendra Modi government doesn't make them deshdrohi (anti-nationals). Isn't it tragic, comic as well as ironic that the people who owe their allegiance to the Constitution of India are declared deshdrohis without an iota of evidence? But this mistake has to be corrected and those who actually and directly fomented the Bhima Koregaon riots and the masterminds behind these people will have to be exposed now. So, we are asking for a SIT probe into the role of those who incited people to resort to violence against the Dalits on January 1, 2018. The meeting that took place did not have a single minister or leader from the Shiv Sena. Are all the three constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress on the same page for setting up an SIT to probe those responsible for the Bhima Koregaon violence? This government belongs to the Maha Vikas Aghadi and is led by the leader of the Shiv Sena. Only Dalit leaders were invited for the meeting where they made their presentations. These Dalit leaders and activists want the formation of an SIT to find out the masterminds behind the Bhima Koregaon violence. In the early days of the MVA when there were just six ministers, I had also pushed for the same demand when I met Pawar saheb. Following that, Pawar saheb was in discussion with Uddhavji (Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray) to set up an SIT. But corona happened and this demand was kept on the backburner for some time. But at the meeting yesterday (September 10) it was decided that I along with state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and Additional Chief Secretary, home, Sitaram Kunte will together look at the legal provisions based on which we will decide the composition and functioning of the SIT, fixing its jurisdiction, and its terms of reference. We have about one week's time to do that. Is the Shiv Sena on the same page? It was part of the Devendra Fadnavis government, which, according to you, did not arrest Ekbote and Bhide. If the Shiv Sena was part of the Fadnavis government then, today we are part of the MVA which is led by Uddhavji Thackeray of the Shiv Sena. We have complete faith that he will give justice to our demand. It is on record that Bhide wanted to meet Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, but the latter flatly refused to meet him. This instance should suffice to send a signal to those who think that the Shiv Sena is not on the same page with us about our demand for the SIT. Why is Sharad Pawar so keen to set up an SIT to probe the Bhima Koregaon violence? It wasn't Pawar saheb who demanded a probe into the role of masterminds in the Bhima Koregaon violence. It was Dr Nitin Raut and Varsha Gaikwad (the Congress MLA from Dharavi) from the Congress and Harshali Poddar of the Republican Panther Party on behalf of various Dalit organisations in Maharashtra, who are demanding composition of this SIT. Pawar saheb called this meeting to discuss what happened during those two days and nights in Pune and only coordinated among various leaders. He wants to get the bigger picture from all the Dalit leaders and other stakeholders in the MVA. China has mobilised thousands of soldiers, tanks and howitzers within rifle range of Indian Army deployment at Spanggur Gap in the southern part of Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh, sources said, even as Indian troops are on high alert. The Chinese People's Liberation Army made provocative military deployments at Spanggur Gap, which is between Gurung Hill and Magar Hill, from August 30 after Indian soldiers seized tactical heights on the ridge line on the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). "Seeing the Chinese PLA troop and guns mobilisation, the Indian Army too made mirror deployments at Spanggur Gap. Both the countries' troops and guns are within shooting range," said a government official. Further, sources said, China has deployed its militia squads to "consolidate the border" and "stabilise Tibet region". They have been tasked to try and dislodge the Indian Army soldiers from the tactical heights. The militia is an irregular mix of mountaineers, boxers, members of local fight clubs and others. Most of the members are raised from the local population. "Militia is basically a a reserve force of the Chinese's People Liberation Army. They are deployed during war time situations and to help the PLA in its military operations," said a senior government officer. The officer also said that Chinese militia also conducts independent operations and provides combat support and manpower replenishment to the PLA. Indian Army has clearly reiterated that the forces will retaliate if Chinese troops make provocative military moves. At the northern bank of Pangong Lake, sources said that even as PLA troops continue to occupy positions on Finger 4 mountain spur jutting into the lake, Indian soldiers have occupied some heights overlooking their positions. "Our troops have occupied some heights overlooking the positions occupied by PLA," said a source. The north bank of the lake is divided into 8 'Fingers' that are contested by both sides. India claims Line of Actual Control at finger 8 and had been holding on to area till Finger 4 but in a clear alteration of status quo the Chinese have been camping at Finger 4 and have set up fortifications between Finger 5 and 8. Movement of Chinese troops, vehicles and new defence mechanisms of Chinese are visible in the north, south banks of Pangong Lake. In some places heavily armed troops are in close proximity. To de-escalate the situation, armies of India and China are holding interaction daily. 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. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE: BWA). On August 26, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced that the Company had agreed to a $950,000 fine to resolve charges that, from 2012 to 2016, it failed to estimate more than $700 million in liabilities associated with future asbestos claims. KSF's investigation is focusing on whether BorgWarner's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to BorgWarner's shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws. If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of BorgWarner shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-bwa/ to learn more. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors in seeking to recover investment losses due to corporate fraud and malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. Contact: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner [email protected] 1-877-515-1850 1100 Poydras St., Suite 3200 New Orleans, LA 70163 SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Related Links http://www.ksfcounsel.com (Natural News) If you were living in a dystopia, how would you even know it? (Article republished from LifeSiteNews.com) The current situation certainly raises the question, as we experience unprecedented restrictions on individual freedom adopted in response to the Chinese coronavirus, coupled with left-wing riots that undermine the legitimacy of Americas core institutions. Its becoming clear that these social changes are dystopian, not merely because they are harmful and coercive, but because they seek to replace the American way of life with a new social order rooted in utopian visions. In a January 2019 essay on the overuse of the word dystopia in American political discourse, Miami University of Ohio professor Ryan J. Barilleaux wrote that the defining features of an actual dystopia are social regimentation, dehumanization, abuse of technology, state terror, a new class of rulers, propaganda instead of truth, inevitable totalitarianism, and the tragedy of the individual. When combined, these features sketch the map of dystopia, wrote Barilleaux. Dystopia is what results from the attempt to create utopia, he explained. Consider the society of Brave New World, which is horrible precisely to the extent that the World State was designed to be exactly as it is. This years warp-speed cultural transformation has brought about all of Barilleauxs hallmarks of a dystopia. The utopia todays bureaucrats and elitists are striving toward is a global, communistic police state. This police state is sold to ordinary people not as that, but as a safe, virus-free society. Who wouldnt want that? Its architects admit that they wont stop at a vaccine. We will not, we cannot go back to the way things were, World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said August 21. Nonsensical virus prevention measures forcing people to wear masks alone outside, curfews suggesting that the virus is more deadly at night than during the day are priming the public to submit to increasingly arbitrary forms of government control and surveillance. Social regimentation The social regimentation of our new COVID world is ritualistic and religious. Hand-washing, staying physically away from others, walking only in certain directions at the grocery store, and not socializing are sacrosanct practices. Snitch lines, bizarre rules about which doors students can use, all-online classes but no cancelation of room and board fees, testing pods, and COVID symptom-tracker apps are all part of the American college experience now. So are social distancing rules limiting human contact, dorm visits, and parties. Will this mean the death of hook-up culture? Will virtual sex and more pornography simply fill its gap? Or will sexual license trump Wuhan virus prevention measures, just as Antifa and BLM riots have been exempt from the supposedly anti-coronavirus standards now applied to churches? Dehumanization and the tragedy of the individual Face masks, now required in public or to enter businesses in many places, are one of the most obvious mechanisms of dehumanization. Other people are now faceless potential virus-carriers to be avoided at all costs. Enforcing limited or no social gatherings also dehumanizes the population. Humans are social creatures. Can existence be joyful, meaningful, and fulfilling if human contact is as severely limited as it has been ordered to be? The crushing discouragement of family life is not only dehumanizing, but also one of the coronavirus power-grabs greatest contributions to the tragedy of the individual. As Barilleaux explained: The ultimate result of dystopia can be seen in the tragedy of an individual. In dystopian stories and novels, the [protagonist] (such as John the Savage or Winston Smith) is crushed or nearly so as a way to make clear just how brutal the prevailing order is. In the real dystopias of modernity, individuals come to symbolize the oppression of the regime: the survivors of Hitlers death camps, figures such as Andrei Sakharov and Alexander Solzhenitsyn, or Otto Warmbier, the American student who died from mistreatment while in North Korean custody. Todays suffering individual is best exemplified by Shelley Luther, the Texas beauty salonowner arrested and jailed for opening her business. A judge said she could avoid jail time by apologizing for being selfish and paying a fine, but she refused to bend the knee, as her lawyer put it. For every fighting Shelley Luther, how many Americans are there who simply gave up their dreams of running a small business because the coronavirus and its accompanying restrictions robbed them of all ambition and hope? Abuse of technology and state terror Big tech and liberal establishment media censor any news that counters the narrative that the coronavirus which the vast, vast majority of healthy people survive is the most serious disease of the century. A press conference by the pro-hydroxychloroquine Americas Frontline Doctors group was infamously scrubbed from social media despite its massive support, even from President Trump. At the beginning of the lockdown, authorities in the United Kingdom used drones to capture footage of and subsequently shame people who were exercising. A social distancing robot dog which looked eerily like a machine from Black Mirror prowled a Singapore park telling people to stay apart. In Kentucky, supposedly virus-positive individuals have even been fitted with electronic ankle monitors. Unmasked Utah kindergarteners now face misdemeanor charges. Police in Victoria, Australia have been granted authority to enter homes without a warrant to carry out spot checks. The combination of 21st-century technology and petty, power-hungry bureaucrats (as my grandmother astutely put it, some people like to exercise what little authority they have) has created a perfect storm. And terror isnt coming only from the state: tech companies voluntarily pick up the slack for government incompetence. A new class of rulers [D]ystopia empowers a new class of rulers and uses propaganda and state terror to maintain the power of the regime, wrote Barilleaux. Dystopian regimes employ propaganda (Freedom is Slavery, Community, Identity, Stability, Workers of the world, unite!) to mislead the populace and state terror (disappearances, reeducation camps, gulags, the Thought Police, the Firemen of Fahrenheit 451) to enforce conformity. Our new class of rulers are public health experts. Many of these people say there are an infinite number of genders, men can get pregnant, a human in the womb with a beating heart is just a clump of cells, and children should be able to attempt to change their sex. They are now the ones whose interpretations of data and projections (projections being guesses) are infallible. Questioning them is to deny science, a cardinal sin. Propaganda instead of truth The coronavirus outbreak has produced a host of creepy war is peace phrases such as staying apart keeps us together and social distancing. Actually, staying apartkeeps us apart. Staying as far as possible from other people isnt socialits anti-social. This has never been about a virus For todays revolutionaries, this was never about any virus; rather, it is about a crisis that can be used to usher in a new world order, a new normal, where human beings live in fear and under constant surveillance by an all-powerful regime. In this atomized, isolated state, the populace is easier to control, and the supposedly virus-free utopia can be brought about. However, nothing in history is inevitable. Dystopias are created only by and through the consent of those who stand by and say nothing while their liberties are taken. Americans mustnt give tyrants a single inch. The time to fight is now, before its too late. Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com The press conferecnce held by First News on September 9 Tri Viet Publishing House, registered as First News Co., Ltd., announced at a September 9 press conference that it has filed a lawsuit at the Peoples Court of District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City. Nguyen Van Phuoc, CEO of local publisher First News told VIR, First News, as well as other Vietnamese publishers, assert that manufacturing and printing fake books are a violation of the Copyright Law, Berne Convention, and the Law on Publication. It is also a violation of Article 192 of the Criminal Code 2015. Over the past two weeks, Lazada was accused of abetting the sale of fake books. Accordingly, First News publication named Muon Kiep Nhan Sinh and more than 600 printed items were illegally printed and have been offered for sale by many vendors on the platform. First News prints only one version of a book, however, fake booksellers have many versions with very low prices. First News has 1,000 books but has to compete with more than 3,000 fake and smuggled books, said Phuoc. Readers and dealers find it increasingly difficult to distinguish fake and authentic books due to the growing skills of counterfeiters. This has resulted in an 80 per cent plunge in customer footfall at its bookshops, according to First News. In the lawsuit, First News requested Lazada to immediately close the stores selling counterfeit books that the publisher has detected. The publishing company also asked Lazada to take measures to manage, control, and prevent the sale of counterfeit books on its trading platform, as well as make sure bookstores and book vendors can prove the legal origin of the books being traded. Right after First News press briefing, Lazada issued a press release stating, We always abide by the prevailing rules, and take measures to strictly manage our platform to bring the best possible experience for brands, vendors, and customers. We have been making more efforts to deal with all related complaints in accordance with the current law, the document states. It, however, did not directly respond to the allegations made by First News. Phuoc elaborated that along with filing the lawsuit against Lazada, First News is collecting evidence relating to the sale of fake books on other e-commerce sites such as Sendo and Shopee, which often offer big promotions on book items. He said that over the past two years, the company has many times contacted the platforms to report violations of its copyright in the vain hope that the vendors would be closed. They [the e-commerce platforms] said that they are only platforms letting vendors operate by charging a 13 per cent commission on their revenue. Therefore, they said they are not responsible for the performance of the vendors, said Phuoc. Responding to queries about fake books, a representative of Sendo told VIR that it regularly rechecks all book items traded on its platform to ensure compliance with its strict requirements, which include vendors getting licences to export and import printed materials from the Ministry of Information and Communications. Echoing this, the representative of Shopee told VIR that the company will collaborate with local authorities to inspect related violations. At the same time, the platform also asserted that it is doing all in its power to crack down on vendors selling fake and smuggled goods or items violating intellectual property rights as soon as receiving reliable reports, following Decree No.52/2013/ND-CP and Circular No.47/2014/TT-BCT. We only partner with genuine sellers who can submit the required documents and materials proving that the items they put on sale are authentic, said the representative, adding that to date, Shopee has yet to receive reliable allegations from First News. According to the publishing house, many "fake versions" of its books with poor quality and errors have been sold on Lazada since the beginning of 2019. An extraordinary row has erupted over Hollywood actor Tom Hanks as politicians point fingers over who allowed the star to enter Australia. The controversy was sparked when the A-list star entered Queensland from the US on Tuesday night and was granted an exemption from the state's strict border rules. Queensland's Deputy Premier Steven Miles has accused Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton of 'lying' about letting Hanks into the country, news.com.au reported. An extraordinary row has erupted after Hollywood actor Tom Hanks (pictured left with wife Rita Wilson right) was granted a special exemption to enter Queensland on Tuesday Federal Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton (pictured) lashed out at the Queensland government for allowing celebrities to enter the state but keeping ordinary families apart Hanks touched down in the Gold Coast alongside cast, crew and 11 family members to continue filming an Elvis Presley biopic directed by Baz Luhrmann. The actor, who caught coronavirus while filming the movie in March, is completing his mandatory quarantine at a resort in Broadbeach rather than a state facility. Mr Dutton attacked the Queensland government on Friday over the star's exemption. 'If you are Tom Hanks from California, you are okay. If you are Tom Hanks from Chermside or Castle Hill, sorry, you are not coming in,' he said. Mr Miles hit back at the Home Affairs Minister on Saturday, saying the Australian Border Force would have granted him permission. 'And what that means is that when Peter Dutton launched that extraordinary attack during the week, he was lying. 'He was saying that it was us that let Tom Hanks in, when in fact it was him and his own department that let Tom Hanks in,' Mr Miles claimed. Deputy Premier Steven Miles (pictured) said Mr Dutton was 'lying' and it was his department and the Australian Border Force who granted Hanks permission to enter the state Hanks will portray Elvis's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, in the blockbuster movie scheduled for release in 2021. Queensland's borders are closed to Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has also come under fire for inconsistency on border rules after letting hundreds of AFL players, WAGs and staff enter Queensland via special luxury quarantine while keeping ordinary families apart. The premier refused to take any responsibility for her border decisions and said Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young made the call to prevent nurse Sarah Caisip from farewelling her father with her family in Brisbane on Thursday. Ms Caisip, who lives in coronavirus-free Canberra, applied for an exemption last month to visit her sick father Bernard Prendergast in Brisbane - but it took 20 days to get approved and he died of liver cancer two days before her flight. Mr Hanks (pictured left with wife Rita) is filming an Elvis Presley biopic on the Gold Coast 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 The young woman, who is in hotel quarantine in Brisbane, was banned from attending her father's funeral on Thursday because officials believe she is a Covid-19 risk. Prime Minister Scott Morrison had asked Ms Palaszczuk to make an exception but the premier refused and accused him of 'bullying and intimidating' her. 'I said to the prime minister, I would refer it to the chief health officer and I did that,' Ms Palaszczuk said on Friday morning. Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young has defended granting exemption to Hollywood staff and AFL players because they provide revenue for the state. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Dutton and the Department of Home Affairs for comment. Pawan Kalyan took to his social media today to thank actor-nephew Ram Charan for his kind gesture and keeping his promise right. Power Star thanked the Rangasthalam actor for donating Rs 7.5 lakh (2.5 lakh each) to the families of three Pawan fans (also Jana Sena party members) who were electrocuted to death, while erecting a banner for Pawan Kalyan's birthday, in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district. Pawan Kalyan wrote, "My heartfelt thanks to Sri Ram Charan for his kindhearted gesture of sending Rs 7.5 lakhs (2.5 to each) to the deceased Janasainiks families who had lost their lives in a tragic accident in Chittoor. Your compassionate gesture will be remembered. Thank You." The Mega Power Star replied back to him with folded hand emoji. According to Jana Sena Party's press release, the deceased were identified as Arunachalam (28), Somasekhar (30) and Rajendra (32). 3 more fans were injured during the unfortunate incident that occurred on the eve of Power Star's 49th birthday on September 1, 2020. The actor also expressed his deep respect to the fans and extended his support by donating Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased. Stylish Star Allu Arjun also came forward to lend support to the families by donating Rs 2 lakh each. On the professional front, Pawan Kalyan is currently busy with Venu Sriram's Vakeel Saab. He is also a part of Radha Krishna Jagarlamudi's and Harish Shankar's action-romantic drama tentatively titled PSPK 27 and PSPK 28 respectively. Pawan Kalyan Starrer Vakeel Saab's Final Copy Will Be Ready By December, Says Director Venu Sriram Pawan Kalyan's Vakeel Saab To Start Rolling From September 2020! Read Deets Inside! Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 19:10:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Four civilians were killed and five others wounded on Saturday by an explosion in the countryside of the northeastern Syrian province of Hasakah, state news agency SANA reported. The blast was caused by an explosive device, which went off in a marketplace in Ras al-Ayn, a city controlled by the Turkey-backed rebels in Hasakah, SANA said. The four killed were three women and an old man and some of the wounded are in critical condition, it added. Meanwhile, the city was also rocked by a separate explosion of a booby-trapped motorcycle, leaving damage only. They are the latest in a string of explosions that hit Ras al-Ayn as a result of the state of lawlessness in the region. Ras al-Ayn and other cities in northern Syria have been controlled by the Turkish forces and Turkey-backed rebels since after a Turkish campaign against Kurdish-controlled areas in Syria in October 2019. Enditem The former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has said Nigeria is slowly becoming a failed, divided state, and the poverty capital of the world. Mr Obasanjo who said he has never seen the country in such a bad state, blamed the current state of the country on poor management of the nations diversity. He made the statement in Abuja at a consultative dialogue attended by various socio-cultural groups including Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum, Northern Elders Forum, Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo and Pan Niger Delta Forum, Punch Newspaper reports. While he warned against the call for war and secession, the former president said for Nigeria to successfully tackle its challenges, the problem of disunity must first be addressed. I do appreciate that you all feel sad and embarrassed as most of us feel as Nigerians with the situation we find ourselves in. Today, Nigeria is fast drifting to a failed and badly divided state; economically our country is becoming a basket case and poverty capital of the world, and socially, we are firming up as an unwholesome and insecure country. And these manifestations are the products of recent mismanagement of diversity and socio-economic development of our country. Old fault lines that were disappearing have opened up in greater fissures and with drums of hatred, disintegration and separation and accompanying choruses being heard loud and clear almost everywhere. Addressing the leaders of the socio-cultural groups at the meeting, Mr Obasanjo said if Nigerians are ready to live together in understanding, mutual respect and love with equity, justice, inclusiveness while engendering sense of belonging and unity of purpose, internal issues of terrorism, organised crimes, banditry, kidnapping, human trafficking, drug, money laundering and corruption will be dealt with. Constitution Review, a waste without end The former president further described the proposed review of the Nigerian constitution as a money-gulping activity and veritable source of waste without end. One major problem, he said, is little or no dialogue as leaders keep old prejudices and biases. He also praised groups like the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) for openly posing the constitutional review as well. That ray of hope was somewhat manifested in the last 10 days or so when the Northern Elders Forum and Yoruba Summit Group complemented each other in their separate press releases on the Senates idea of inviting submissions from Nigerian public for constitution amendment which had been regular money-gulping activity by every National Assembly session since 1999, a veritable source of waste without end. I believe one of our major problems in the past was that we did not dialogue enough, we talk at ourselves and selfishly keep old prejudices and biases. If we show understanding, give-and-take, love of one another and commitment and love of the country, we will do what is right and stand firmly together for the good of all, he said. Mr Obasanjo expressed optimism that the consultation among the several groups would enlarge the circle from the mini-dialogue group in bits until a national dialogue that could save Nigeria from disintegration was reached. His comments come about two weeks after the NEF opposed the proposed review of the Nigerian constitution by the Senate describing it as a waste of time and resources. The forum said the huge monetary allocation for the constitution review process since 1999 has made little or no meaningful impact on the lives of Nigerians Too much ado about 2023 Only self-deluded people would claim that all is well in Nigeria, Mr Obasanjo said as he wondered why leaders are more fixated on the 2023 elections rather than addressing the ills ravaging the nation. I believe Nigeria is worth saving on the basis of mutuality and reciprocity and I also believe it can be done through the process of dialogues rather than talking at each other or resorting to violence. It will amount to dangerous and destructive self-delusion for anybody to claim that all is well in Nigeria today. Some people are obsessed with 2023, I believe that with death, destruction, debt, disease, deceit, disbelief, disenchantment, doubt and suspicion around, we need to see our way through to 2023 and beyond in some form of unity of purpose, reasonable security, shared values, true democratic practice, inclusiveness and shared society. That is why we are here. No constitution is even permanent; it is dynamic with time and experience. Elites from other tribes responsible for Nigerias current state BMO Meanwhile, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has blamed the failed state of the nation on the elite from other tribes. Chairman of the group, Niyi Akinsiju, while reacting to the Mr Obasanjos comments, said Nigerian political elite complain just like he is doing now when their personal interests are not being serviced. He insisted the President Muhammadu Buhari is doing a good job and moving the nation in the right direction. One would expect people like former President Obasanjo to behave like a statesman and not serve as a distraction. The President Muhammadu Buhari is doing what every sensible leader should do put the interest of the majority of Nigerians first. Most of our fault lines which Obasanjo is talking about today are creations of the selfish interests of the elite which have no economic consequences. Most of our elite advance these fault lines to further their interests, Punch quoted him as saying. Sacramento, California: Wildfires that have already destroyed at least half a dozen small towns in the northwestern United States raged largely uncontrolled on Friday as California`s governor called the fire season evidence of a climate emergency. As of Friday afternoon about 500,000 people in Oregon were on notice to be ready to flee advancing flames, and crews picked through the smoldering rubble of destroyed homes in search of fatalities. "This is a climate damn emergency. This is real and it`s happening. This is the perfect storm," California Governor Gavin Newsom told reporters from a charred mountainside near Oroville, California. 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 most devastated areas. Beatriz Gomez Bolanos, 41, told her four children to close their eyes as fires burned on both sides of their car as they made their escape from the Bear Creek Mobile Home south of Medford as sparks began to rain down on their house. "Everything is gone. We have to start again from nothing, but we are alive," said Gomez Bolanos. Molalla, a community about 25 miles (40 km) south of downtown Portland, was an ash-covered ghost town after its more than 9,000 residents were told to evacuate, with only 30 refusing to leave, the city`s fire department said. The logging town was on the front line of a vast evacuation zone stretching north to within three miles (4.8 km) of downtown Portland. The sheriff in suburban Clackamas County set a 10 p.m. PDT (0500 on Saturday GMT) curfew to deter "possible increased criminal activity." Oregon Governor Kate Brown told a news conference that 40,000 people were under mandatory evacuation alerts. Some 500,000 residents were under evacuation advisories of either red "GO!" warnings to leave homes immediately, yellow "BE SET" warnings to leave at a moment`s notice, or green "BE READY" alerts, she said WEATHER MAY AID FIREFIGHTERS Forecasts for a drop in winds, higher moisture levels and rain were expected to help firefighters in towns like Molalla, at the mercy of wind strength and direction after two of Oregon`s largest wildfires merged into one. The death toll from the siege of West Coast fires that began in August jumped to 24 after seven people were reported killed in a fire burning in mountains around 85 miles (137 km) north of Sacramento, California. Oregon`s governor said dozens of people were reported missing after fires in Oregon`s Jackson, Marion and Lane counties. More than 68,000 people were under evacuation orders in California where the largest fire in state history has burned over 740,000 acres (299,470 hectares) in the Mendocino National Forest around 120 miles (190 km) northwest of Sacramento. 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. Paradise, a town blasted by California`s deadliest wildfire in 2018, had the world`s worst air quality index reading at 592, according to the PurpleAir monitoring site, as two of the state`s largest blazes burned on either side of it. Police opened an arson investigation into the fire that destroyed much of Phoenix and Talent in Oregon. 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. Noeleen Foley's recollection of growing up beside Woodstown Beach in Waterford has been included in a unique collection of short stories celebrating individual connections with Ireland's rivers, lakes and beaches. Storytelling is alive and well in all parts of Ireland, as evident from entries to a national story writing competition called 'Stories from the Waterside', which ran in April and May during the Covid-19 lockdown. It focused on collecting stories based on people's memories and reflections around their local river, lake, wetland or coastal area. The competition was organised by the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) in partnership with the Heritage Council and the Heritage Officers Programme, Waterways Ireland and Inland Fisheries Ireland. The shortlisted and winning stories have been published in 'Stories from the Waterside', a unique collection of personal stories connected with Ireland's rivers, lakes, estuaries and beaches. 'Woodstown - Tra Mhillis Summer 1958' by Noeleen Foley was one of the selected entries to feature in 'Stories from the Waterside'. She said: 'I was overjoyed to be included. It's the first time I have never been published. It has certainly given me plenty of confidence and I would like to get more of my short stories published. It's very difficult to judge your own work so I feel a sense of validation now that my short story on Woodstown has been published.' Noeleen grew up in Co Waterford and moved to Arklow 35 years ago. She first took up writing about five years ago and is part of a local writers' group in Arklow. 'I love writing and have always liked English. Our writers' group used to meet up every two weeks at Arklow Library before Covid. We are very much supported by the library and just prior to lockdown, the library unveiled an in-house banner for us called the 'Writers Room'. Hopefully we will be able to return to Arklow Library soon enough. I did a course with Eleanor O'Reilly as well, and she has been very supportive too.' The inspiration behind her entry came from childhood memories growing up in Waterford. 'I write a lot about my childhood. All these memories just came flooding back to me. I prefer short stories anyway. I love the work of Clare Keegan for example.' Another County Wicklow writer also features in the book. Erica Birchall of Dunlavin's 'The fish that got away' recalls the occasion she and her brother attempted to catch a large fish in the river Greese. Commenting on the winning entries included in Stories of the Waterside, Donal O'Keeffe, Community Water Officer with LAWPRO, said, 'It's great to have had such local interest in a national competition. Congratulations to Arklow's Noeleen Foley and Erica Birchall from the Dunlavin area for getting their stories into this great publication 'Stories from the Waterside.' The book can be downloaded from waterandcommunities.ie and is also available in hard copy. WASHINGTON : The US has signed a framework for defence cooperation with the Maldives to deepen engagement in support of maintaining peace and security in the strategic Indian Ocean, the Pentagon has announced, as the Trump administration looks for strengthening alliances in the Indo-Pacific to counter Chinas growing presence in the region. The framework for defence and security relationship was signed in Philadelphia on September 10 between Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia Reed Werner and Maldivian Minister of Defence Mariya Didi. . "The framework sets forth both countries' intent to deepen engagement and cooperation in support of maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean, and marks an important step forward in the defence partnership," the Pentagon said. The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean. During discussions after signing the agreement, Mariya said the framework will strengthen defence and security cooperation between the two countries, Maldivian portal Sun Online reported. Mariya said that peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean region is tied to the best interests of both countries. She stressed the importance of bilateral dialogue and engagement, against a backdrop of growing transnational threats such as piracy, violent extremism, terrorism, and illicit trade, which she said remained relevant, even amidst the coronavirus pandemic. According to a statement released by the Defence Ministry, the framework outlines a number of bilateral activities, including senior-level dialogues, discussions, engagements, and opportunities in areas such as maritime domain awareness, natural disasters, and humanitarian relief operations, the report said. Mariya said that the Maldivian government sees the framework as an important milestone" in defence and security cooperation between the Maldives and the US. Werner and Didi also discussed US support for the island nation in its response to COVID-19 and areas for future cooperation, and agreed to work toward scheduling the first Defense and Security Dialogue, the Pentagon said. Both sides reiterated their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific that promotes the security and prosperity of all nations in the region, the Pentagon said. The Central Indo-Pacific includes the numerous seas and straits connecting the Indian and Pacific oceans. The resource-rich Indo-Pacific region is where China has been trying to spread its influence. The US has also been pushing for a broader role by India in the strategically important region. China is eyeing to expand its influence in the Indian Ocean region. China has already taken control of Pakistan's strategic Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea. China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and with Japan in the East China Sea. Both the areas are said to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources. Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims in the waterway. 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 [This article was originally published in 2017] To start your day right, you've got to get into some good habits. Following are eight morning rituals that may seem hard to adopt but will ultimately help you reap major rewards, if you stick with them. Wake up painfully early Sorry, night owls. It's time to adapt. In a poll of 20 executives cited by Laura Vanderkam, a time-management expert and the author of "What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast," 90% said they wake up before 6 a.m. on weekdays. PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, for example, wakes at 4 and is in the office no later than 7. Disney CEO Bob Iger gets up at 4:30 to read. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is up at 5:30 to go jogging. Recommended The military secret to falling asleep in two minutes Yes, this might sound awful, but if you get to sleep earlier, that'll numb the pain of such early wake-ups over time. The bottom line: Productive mornings start with early wake-up calls. Start the day right with exercise Yeah, there are superhumans among us who crave that pre-sunrise workout (that, or they're just really good liars). Still, for everyone else, waking up at the crack of dawn to sweat and get sore probably doesn't sound ideal. But the morning is probably the ideal time to exercise. By starting your day with exercise, you'll prevent yourself from putting it off. Think about it this way: If some of the busiest people in the world can find time to workout, so can you. For example, Vanderkam notes that Xerox CEO Ursula Burns schedules an hourlong personal-training session at 6 a.m. twice a week. US President Barack Obama starts out each day with strength and cardio training while Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey does three repetitions of a seven-minute workout, Anisa Purbasari reported for Business Insider. "These are incredibly busy people," says Vanderkam. "If they make time to exercise, it must be important." Eat a decent breakfast Skip the cereal and whip yourself up a breakfast with protein. As Entrepreneur reported, it's better to kick off the day with some eggs than digging into carbs. Everyone's busy. It might seem difficult to find the time to cook a whole meal in the morning, but it'll energize you and help keep your appetite in check. ( Tackle your high-priority projects The quiet hours of the morning can be the ideal time to focus on an important work project without being interrupted. What's more, spending time on it at the beginning of the day ensures that it gets your attention before others kids, employees, bosses use it up. Vanderkam uses the example of a business strategist who dealt with so many ad hoc meetings and interruptions throughout the day that she felt she couldn't get anything done. She started thinking of the early mornings as project time, and chose a top-priority project each day to focus on. Sure enough, not a single colleague dropped in on her at 6:30 a.m. She could finally concentrate. Work on your side hustle Your side project is easy to skip when you've been in meetings all day, are tired and hungry, and have to figure out what's for dinner. That's why many successful people put in an hour or so on their personal projects before they officially start their days. A history teacher at the University of Chicago told Vanderkam that she spent the hours between 6 and 9 working on a book about the religious politics of West Africa. She was able to read journal articles and write several pages before dealing with her teaching responsibilities. By carving out the time in the morning to write, and making it a habit, she could follow through. She's not in bad company. According to the Telegraph, Ludwig Beethoven, John Milton, Kurt Vonnegut, Maya Angelou, and Victor Hugo all tackled their creative projects in the morning. Have sex - or just talk to your partner In the evening, it's more likely you'll be tired from the day's activities. That's why many successful people make connecting with their partners a morning ritual. Besides, Vanderkam wonders, what could be better than predawn sex to energize you for the day? After all, regular sex may make you smarter, boost your income, and burn calories. Even if they're not getting frisky every morning, many couples use the early hours to talk. For instance, she notes that a BlackRock executive and his wife commute from the suburbs into New York City every morning. They spend the hour-plus trip discussing their lives, finances, household to-do lists, and plans for the week. Enjoy the silence Life can get crazy. It's often hard to find any moments to spare in your busy schedule. If you're always rushing around in the morning, it's difficult to imagine being able to spare any time to have a quiet moment. But practicing mindfulness isn't a waste of time. Try to reserve a few minutes for silent contemplation at the start of every day. You can use those peaceful moments to meditate, envision your future success, pray, or reflect on what you're grateful for whatever works for you. That short pause can put you in a great mindset for the rest of the day. Stick to the plan you made the night before No matter how you spend your morning, you set yourself up for a successful morning by creating a game plan the night before and sticking to it in the morning. It's always helpful to have everything you need for the day laid out and ready to go when you wake up. Make sure you're stocked on whatever you need for breakfast. Write out a little schedule on what you need to accomplish the next day. This all sounds pretty simple, but when you're getting home at night, it's very tempting to just crash on the sofa with a glass of wine and leave all the thinking for tomorrow. Read more: This chart is easy to interpret: It says we're screwed How Uber became the world's most valuable startup These 4 things could trigger the next crisis in Europe Read the original article on Business Insider UK. 2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter. Mumbai, Sep 12 : The assault on retired Indian Navy officer by Shiv Sainiks in Mumbai over a social media message continued to reverberate in the political arena as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday condemned the attack and called up the victim to wish him a speedy recovery. Rajnath called up retired Chief Petty Officer Madan Sharma, 65, to enquire after his health in the wake of Friday's attack even as the four accused arrested in the case were bailed out on Saturday. "Such attack on an ex-servicemen is completely unacceptable and deplorable," Singh tweeted. Following Sharma's complaint, the Samata Nagar police late on Friday arrested four accused -- Shiv Sena Shakha Pramukh Kamlesh Kadam and his accomplices Sanjay Manjare, Rakesh Belvekar, and Pratap Soond. Additional Commissioner of Police (North) Dilip Sawant said that they were booked on various charges, including unlawful assembly and rioting. The accused had pounced on Sharma outside his residence in Lokhandwala complex on Friday afternoon after he forwarded a cartoon on a WhatsApp Group of his society, depicting Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray prostrating before the pictures of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar. A CCTV clip of the society posted by local Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Atul Bhatkalkar showed the attackers chasing Sharma, dragging him by the collar, pulling his shirt, and attacking him while society security personnel did not intervene. Sharma apparently escaped serious injuries but ended up with black and swollen eyes. He later lodged a police complaint, even as several BJP leaders slammed the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Sainik Federation President, Brig Sudhir Sawant (retd) dubbed the incident "highly condemnable", saying the members will discuss it at an online meeting on Sunday before deciding their future course of action. The state government also came under fire from Leaders of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis (Assembly) and Pravin Darekar (Council), besides other leaders who urged the government to "stop goonda raj". Two Russian fighter jets have crashed in Libya since being deployed to countrys civil war on the side of Gen. Khalifa Hifter earlier this year, a senior US military official said today. The US Africa Command believes more than a dozen Russian aircraft, first reported to have been deployed to Libya in May, are being flown by Wagner paramilitary pilots. It is not clear whether the two MiG-29s were shot down, suffered mechanical failure or crashed because of pilot error, Rear Adm. Heidi Berg, director of intelligence for US Africa Command, told reporters by phone today. The first MiG crashed June 28, the other on Monday. A video circulated on social media earlier this week in which a Russian-speaking pilot appeared to have landed in the desert with a parachute before being rescued by a Hind helicopter, which was painted in camouflage resembling that used by the Libyan National Army. In the video, the pilot said he was no more than 70 kilometers (43 miles) from an airfield but did not specify which one. Berg said today that at least 14 Russian fighter jets are based out of Libyas Jufra and Khdim air bases. In May, the US military released aerial imagery showing MiG-29 and Su-24 aircraft on the ground in Libya, raising concern that the Kremlin was trying to tip the scales on behalf of Hifter in his fight against the UN-backed government in Tripoli. AFRICOM said at the time that the fighter jets had been flown from Russia to Syria, where they were repainted before continuing on to Libya. These fighters are engaging in combat activity. We have seen them conduct ground strikes, Berg told reporters. They are not there for training the Libyan National Army. We also know that they are not that good, she said, referring to the two crashes. Russias government denies it has military forces in Libya. Berg countered that narrative, saying AFRICOM assesses that it is likely that Russian military regulars are in the country, given how the Kremlin has deployed Wagner in other conflicts. Some 338 Russian cargo flights arrived in Libya from Syria between November 2019 and the end of July, Berg said, citing the same number found in a United Nations report reported on by Reuters last week. Last autumn, the US military assessed that Wagner only had a handful of operatives in Libya, Berg said. Russian IL-76 aircraft travel from Syria into Libya regularly, AFRICOM spokesman Col. Christopher Karns told Al-Monitor in July. That number is now believed to be 3,000 Wagner fighters, as well as some 2,000 Syrian mercenaries fighting on Hifters side. The US military also assesses that Turkey has brought some 5,000 Syrian fighters to fight on behalf of the UN-backed government in Tripoli, and that Ankara has fielded several hundred regular forces. For now, the cease-fire called for last week by Tripoli-based Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj and Tobruk-based parliament Speaker Aguileh Saleh appears to be holding, despite the Libyan National Army's vocal rejection, Berg said. She said it is not clear whether that is out of respect for ongoing diplomatic efforts, or a need for both sides to resupply. The State Department is exploring options with other nations for a demilitarization of the strategic coastal city of Sirte and the potential establishment of joint security cooperation as trust-building measures between the rival Libyan governments. The United States has repeatedly called on foreign militaries to leave the conflict. AFRICOM commander Gen. Stephen Townsend warned in January that Turkeys increased military support for Libyas Tripoli-based government risked drawing in further Russian support for Hifter. If Russia gains control of Libyas oilfields via Wagner and introduces long-range air defenses to Libya, it could undermine potential for a future a solution to the war and pose a security threat to NATOs southern flank, US officials have said. Berg said AFRICOM does not assess that Russia has deployed long-range air defense systems such as the S-300 or S-400 to Libya. But she acknowledged that the mobile Russian SA-22 Pantsir defense system shot down an Italian drone and at least one US Reaper drone last year. That has raised concerns among US military officials that Wagner personnel may misidentify aircraft in the multinational conflict. The United Arab Emirates, Egypt, France and other countries have reportedly conducted airstrikes on Libyan territory during the war. Berg said that although suspected Wagner forces appear to be capable of deconflicting airspace along the Sirte-Jufra line, they have also declared no-fly zones in international airspace near Libya, leading to concerns that Russias irregular forces are pushing to expand their geographic control well beyond their legal remit, Berg said. Earlier this week, two nuclear-capable US B-52 long-range bombers flew alongside Moroccan and Tunisian fighter jets in show-of-force missions over the southeast Mediterranean. AFRICOM spokesman Col. Christopher Karns said the joint bomber exercise was not specifically directed at Russias presence in Libya. Statements by the command said the exercise was to show the US commitment to its partners in Africa. If Russia and China notice, that's not a bad thing, Karns told Al-Monitor via email. Featherhood Charlie Gilmour W&N 16.99 Rating: Like many children, Charlie Gilmour never had much success with goldfish and hamsters and mice. No matter what you do, it seems like they always end up in the same place: a shoebox at the bottom of a shallow grave. Charlie with his pet magpie, Benzene. Benzenes bad habits were legion. The better he was treated, the worse he behaved But then in his 20s his girlfriend Yana brought back a fledgling magpie her sister had found in a South London gutter lurching towards the kerb like a drunk staggering down an alleyway. The little bird had been abandoned and was facing death from dehydration or being run over. At first, Gilmour was wary, but his girlfriend was made of stronger stuff. Yana is incapable of encountering a broken object without wanting to pick it up and make it better. Together, they fed grubs, worms and tiny balls of lamb mince to the magpie but then Yana had to go away for a week, leaving Gilmour to cope with it alone. I stare down at the bird. The bird stares steadily back at me Ive never felt so seen by an animal. One thing led to another, and before long the magpie had the run of the house. As Gilmour points out, magpies have a bad reputation. Historically, they have been accused of everything from theft to eating the eggs of other birds to assisting in witchcraft and alone among wildlife refusing to mourn the death of Jesus Christ. Gilmours magpie, now named Benzene, may not have been guilty of all these offences, but he (or, as it turns out, she) was certainly no stranger to bad habits. Only the dottiest reader could come away from this book imagining that a magpie makes the perfect pet. Benzenes bad habits were legion. The better he was treated, the worse he behaved. Magpies and other corvids are notorious hoarders, stashing stray bits of food wherever they go. Accordingly, Benzene tucked gobbets of raw meat all over the house. Any crevice will do: the USB port of my laptop, the eyelets of Yanas work boots, the folds of a discarded sock At any given moment, Benzene would swoop down on Charlie and Yana, employing them as sedan chairs to ride around the house. Whenever they ate, he would squeal to be fed. In return, Charlie would find his hair filled with partially consumed titbits, ready for snacking on later. The better the bird grew at flying, the more unnerving he became. Nothing is now safe from his destructive curiosity; no calm moment protected from the possibility of a sudden rush of wind and the feeling of talons sinking into your scalp. Most terrifying of all, Benzene once swooped down on a woman and whipped the contact lenses from her eyes. Charlie Gilmour swinging from the Cenotaph in 2010. For this offence, at the age of 21, he was sentenced to 16 months in prison Benzenes hidey-holes, and his propensity for theft, became more and more elaborate. Beneath a dirty tea-towel at the bottom of a wicker basket, Charlie and Yana discovered a treasure trove of stolen goods including pebbles, lighters, coins, screws, safety pins, string and sealing wax. Whenever they left the house, they would return to havoc: soil from a potted plant strewn over the floor, a jar of pens upended, Yanas sewing box disgorged. A spool of black thread has been unwound and tracked around our bedroom, criss-crossing from one end to the other At the very end of the line is the magpie, caught helplessly in a net of his own construction, no doubt regretting the decisions that led him to this point. Books about pet birds tend to revolve around the authors identification with the bird, and Featherhood is no exception. Just like Benzene, the young Charlie Gilmour had also been caught helplessly in a net, though that net was not entirely of his own construction. IT'S A FACT Magpies are able to recognise their reflections in a mirror. Only certain apes, elephants and dolphins share this ability. Advertisement His father was Heathcote Williams, a hippy Old Etonian cult poet, a bad combination even at the best of times. Williams had abandoned Charlie and his mother without warning when Charlie was just six months old. One day, Williams was there, living with them on a cottage on a big estate, and the next he was gone, hiding down the road in the main house, owned by an old school friend, Peregrine Eliot, the 10th Earl of St Germans. Hes having a breakdown and he doesnt want to see you, explained Eliot to Charlies mother. You cant expect him to play mummy bear, daddy bear and baby bear for ever, you know. The book is, among much else, a damning insight into the self-centred narcissism of the hippy mentality. Williams seems to have convinced himself that looking after a mother and child would interfere with his work as a poet, so he ditched them. He then spent the rest of his life producing long, rambling works which on the surface may seem to be love letters to whales and elephants, but which are in truth fuelled by a deep hatred of human beings. Late in life, in a rare gesture towards fatherhood, Williams sent the grown-up Charlie one of his terrible ranty poems: The business of America is business And its number one business is war, Using Hollywood to peddle its values It turns the world into its whore. Having read it, Yana tersely observed: Did he really need to abandon his family to concentrate on writing stuff like that? Perhaps inevitably, Charlie spent his childhood and youth yearning for the father who had vanished. His mother had married the kindly David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, who then legally adopted him, and provided him with a dream childhood: full of care and affection; campfires and dogs. But all the while, young Charlie longed to see the father who didnt want to see him. Theres no accounting for the perversity of the human mind. Like a tongue seeking out a sore tooth, my mind kept on probing the tiny hairline fracture running through this perfect picture. When Charlie was aged 12, Williams finally agreed to meet him for a meal at Paddington station, and again, the week after. But then, just as abruptly, he stopped answering Charlies emails. A year or two later, Charlie found Williamss phone number, and rang it. While Charlie was gabbling down the line, he hung up and never answered my calls again. I blamed myself, writes Charlie. I hadnt been interesting enough, or clever enough, or as rebellious as I needed to be to hold his attention. From then on, Charlies life went off the rails. Aged 13, he started drinking spirits and smoking cannabis. At university, he stopped going to lectures, and began to lose control. Zonked out with a lethal mixture of tranquillisers and brandy, he joined the student protests against the Cameron/Clegg coalition, and ended up, out of his mind, swinging from the Cenotaph. For this offence, at the age of 21, he was sentenced to 16 months in prison. A prison officer greeted him by saying: Come with me. Theres someone wants to meet you. He then locked him into a cell with a murderer. Hes asked me to break your neck, declared the murderer. And are you are you going to do it? asked Charlie. Course not. I hate that w***er, he replied. Charlie emerged from prison in a heightened state of paranoia, convinced that all cars displaying remembrance poppies were going to try to run him over. Meeting Yana was his first step to redemption, followed by the unexpected appearance of Benzene the magpie. From early on, he felt that acute sense of empathy that sometimes springs up between birds and people. After teaching Benzene to fly back when he whistled, he remembers feeling a rush of exhilaration as he drops onto my wrist, as if I were the one to have just shot through the air. He was aware, though, of the dangers of identifying with it to a degree that is quite possibly psychologically unhealthy: the bird as abandoned offspring, as an adoptee, a prisoner, a paranoid entity. Nevertheless, Featherhood is a book about this identification, and much else besides. When I first heard about it, I feared that it would be a misery memoir by a pampered rich kid who had gone haywire, with a crazy corvid thrown in for good measure. But it is infinitely more interesting and subtle than that. It is wise, self-aware, never forced, often funny, beautifully crafted, and, in the end, as moving as Kes, that other great work about a boy who is given the gift of liberation by a bird. BERKELEY (BCN) A $50,000 reward is being offered for information that could help solve the shooting death 10 years ago of a Chilean man in Berkeley, police said Saturday Adolfo Ignacio Celedon Bravo and his fiance were walking home from a party at 3:41 a.m. on Sept. 12, 2010, when they were confronted by two men at the corner of Adeline and Emerson streets, according to police. Bravo was shot and his fianc was punched in the face by the robbers, who then fled in a dark older model SUV, police said. Bravo, known to his family as 'Fito', had moved to Berkeley to be with his fiance. He was killed on his 35th birthday. The Consulate General of Chile in San Francisco released a statement about the case this week, saying that it was a high priority for the Chilean government, and requesting "the community and witnesses of the assassination to provide to the Berkeley police any information helpful to solve this murder." Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call the BPD's Homicide Unit at (510) 981-5741 or the 24 hour BPD Non-Emergency number of (510) 981-5900. 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 Boris Johnson government on Saturday called on Afghan and Taliban participants in the peace talks in Doha to seize the opportunity to end decades of conflict in Afghanistan, hoping for a quick ceasefire in the war-ravaged country. Describing the UKs military and diplomatic efforts as critical in supporting Afghanistan over the past 19 years, officials said British aid expertise had helped millions of children go to school and provided life-saving food to those in need. UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab said, Today is a moment that I hope leads to real, positive change in Afghanistan. All sides need to seize this opportunity to work towards an inclusive and sustainable peace. A comprehensive ceasefire should be agreed quickly for the sake of the Afghan people who have suffered for too long. The UK, as the third-largest troop contributor to the Nato mission, has most recently supported the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces with training, mentoring and financial assistance. Over the last three years, the UK has pledged up to 750 million in humanitarian and development support, besides a recent aid package to tackle the combined threat from the pandemic and famine in developing countries. Part of this funding will help Afghans - who have faced shortages because of conflict, drought and the economic impact of the coronavirus - have enough money to be able to buy food for their families, officials said. Britains contribution to the international mission in Afghanistan began in 2001 to prevent terrorist groups using Afghanistan as a safe haven to launch terror attacks. The UKs combat mission ended in 2014. Since then, the UK has been working in partnership with Nato allies to support Afghanistans security, development and governance, which officials said has been crucial to tackle threats to the UK, including from organised crime, drugs and international terrorism. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON When President Obama was elected, he pledged to remake America. It is a shame he did so much damage to the fabric of America in eight short years. Here is a sample of recent events that show how far morality has declined in the U.S.: The Netflix movie Cuties sexualizes very young girls. Somehow that abuse of children didn't make the nightly news. Maybe the Obamas and Prince Harry and Meghan should be asked what they think of Netflix since they make so much money from them, despite having no experience producing films. But this wasn't the half of it. How about this? New California bill would lower penalties for adults who have sexual relations with a minor A new bill headed to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk would lower penalties for adults who have consensual sex with a minor if the offender is within 10 years of age with the victim. "If signed into law, a 24-year-old could have sexual relations with a 15-year-old child without being required to register as a sex offender[.]" While California politicians are focused like a laser beam on keeping people from gathering at businesses, going to church, wearing masks, or gathering on beaches, now's the time they decide to lessen the penalties on pedophiles who abuse and groom children? Somehow, children who can't legally do much have the ability to consent to sex with adults. Isn't it nice that these children are disposable? It is no wonder most of the media buried the Epstein story for years to protect the Clintons. The abused young girls were disposable. The media, entertainers, athletes, and other Democrats will boycott states that limit abortion or have people use facilities that match their desired body parts, but they won't boycott Iran, Cuba, or China. Can anyone spot the hypocrisy? We see lots of pro athletes and entertainers who will gladly trash the U.S. and disrespect the flag and national anthem, but never do we see them criticize China, which abuses so many. The greed overcomes their morality. Like this: Disney criticized for filming 'Mulan' in China's Xinjiang Disney is under fire for filming part of its live-action reboot "Mulan" in Xinjiang, the region in China where the government has been accused of human rights abuses against Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities. It was immoral and deadly for Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York and other governors to force nursing homes to take in sick people to kill vulnerable residents but the media cheers Cuomo and lies when they blame Trump for the deaths. It is immoral for politicians to keep so many businesses and schools closed long after the curve has been flattened and then blame Trump for the job losses and their intentional destruction of the economy. The mental, physical, and financial health of tens of millions are intentionally being destroyed because of the coming election. It is immoral for supposed journalists, mayors, and governors to watch radical leftists, Marxists, and anarchists harm people and destroy businesses and cities while claiming they are mostly peaceful protests. Then, when it is clear that the violent protests are harming Biden, they lie and proclaim that Trump is causing the violence. It is immoral that government officials are waiting until after the election to open the schools, but that is what an L.A. County health official admitted. That shows how little they care about the children and how much they care about power. Shouldn't it make the nightly news when health officials are basing their decisions on an election date instead of science? The Obama/Biden was the most corrupt, criminal administration any of us has ever seen, yet the media cheered or covered up all the abuse of power, obstruction of Justice and other crimes. The media and other Democrats spend a lot of time rewriting history to intentionally mislead the public, but the truth should matter. I realize that this is repetitious, but Trump and his supporters are attacked every day, and we must stay on offense or America will be permanently destroyed: Obama and his minions continually lied to the American people to take away choices on health care. Obama used the IRS to target political opponents. (Isn't this a violation of the Hatch Act?) Obama illegally spied on thousands of Americans, including some journalists. The Obama administration shook down corporations at Justice, the EPA, and the CFPB and established slush funds which were used for political purposes and to give kickbacks to political supporters. (Aren't these clear violations of the Hatch Act?) The Obama administration continually lied through the media to get the deal done with Iran which pledges death to America and death to Israel. Massive amounts of money were given to the Iranians, which allowed them to sponsor terrorism. Obama dictatorially stopped a long investigation into a billion-dollar a year drug-running investigation into Hezbollah to appease Iran. On 9-11-12, Obama and Hillary didn't lift a finger to save Americans under attack in Benghazi. Instead they concocted a lie about a video to protect their political power. Obama/Biden blocked vouchers for poor kids to have school choice. Obama dictatorially and unconstitutionally implemented DACA. Instead of the media and other Democrats caring about this clear abuse of power, they cheered. Obama dictatorially allowed boys and men to go to womens' restrooms and threatened to cut off funds if schools didn't comply. The Democrats went from saying they believed in limited abortion to unlimited abortion and even allowing children to die after birth without health care. Obama/Biden refused to give Ukraine defensive weapons to appease Vladimir Putin. No one cared about all the women Bill and Hillary physically and mentally abused and sought to destroy as they craved political power. The women were disposable. The Obama/Biden saved their most criminal, corrupt acts until 2016 when they used massive amounts of government personnel and money (isn't this a violation of the Hatch Act?) as they sought to destroy Trump and elect the criminal Hillary as President. Woodward, Bernstein and other supposed journalists not only didn't care about the crimes, they have participated in perpetuating the lie of Russian collusion to the public for years and supported endless investigations by the lying Schiff and Nadler. But according to Woodward, Bernstein and most of the media, it is Trump who is unfit to be president and Trump's supporters are immoral, along with every other name they can think of. Never Trumpers, most of the media and other Democrats say we need to elect Biden to get back to normalcy and for unity. What pure B.S. There was nothing normal about the Obama/Biden years. They were corrupt and set out to destroy the private sector and make the government more powerful. They continually abused their power and sought to destroy political opponents. Exactly which of the socialist policies would the Republicans feel unified with? Why would Republicans ever unify with helping the tyrants in Iran or destroying the U.S. economy with some version of the green new deal? Image credit: Screen shot from camera aimed at a television set, processed with FotoSketcher. File Photo Itanagar: Five youths who were allegedly abducted by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China near the McMahon line in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Subansiri were released on Saturday. The youths -- Tanu Bakar, Prasad Ringling, Ngaru Diri, Dongtu Ebiya and Toch Singkam were handed over to the Indian Army by the PLA after completion of necessary formalities, Tezpur-based defence spokesperson Lt Col Harsh Warrdhan Pande said. Advertisement India and China "All five of them will now be placed under quarantine for 14 days as per Covid-19 protocols and thereafter be handed over to their family members," the spokesperson said. Taking to Twitter, Chief Minister Pema Khandu thanked the Army and the Union government for securing their return. Advertisement "Absolutely glad to know that five of our Arunachali youths have been safely handed over to Indian Army by Chinese PLA. I am wholeheartedly thankful to the (Union) Govt and the Indian Army for their persistent effort in securing their return," he posted on the microblogging site. Pema Khandu The development comes amid a prolonged border face-off between India and China in eastern Ladakh. Advertisement Five of seven youths, who went hunting on September 2, were allegedly whisked away by the Chinese troops. The youths, engaged as porters by the Indian Army, were reported missing by their families on social media. Britain has secured its first major post-Brexit free trade deal with Japan worth an estimated 15bn, the international trade secretary Liz Truss has announced. This is a historic moment for the UK and Japan as our first major post-Brexit trade deal, the cabinet minister 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. The UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was agreed in principle by Ms Truss and Japans foreign minister, Motegi Toshimitsu, in a video call on Friday. The government said businesses will benefit from tariff-free trade on 99 per cent of exports to Japan, delivering a 1.5bn boost to the UK, claiming manufacturers, food and drink producers and the tech sector will see the greatest benefits. The Department for International Trade added negotiators secured more generous access for malt producers, with Japan guaranteeing market access for UK malt exports under an existing quota than the EU quota. The deal with Tokyo comes after the negotiating teams hit an unlikely flashpoint in August over preferential treatment for blue cheese makers in the UK, with Ms Truss keen to agree better terms than those agreed with Japans recent EU deal. It was not immediately clear whether the cabinet minister had achieved this objective. Recommended Welcoming the news, Carolyn Fairbairn, the 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. She added: The government and business now need to work together to make the most from the deal. Its huge opportunity to secure new Japanese investment across a wider range of sectors and UK regions. But the agreement comes as the government faces the prospect of talks collapsing with the EU - the countrys biggest trading partner following an incendiary move to override key aspects of the Brexit withdrawal agreement in legislation being introduced in the Commons next week. After an emergency meeting on Wednesday at Whitehall between EU officials and Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic said Boris Johnson had seriously damaged trust as he set a 20-day deadline for No 10 to drop the Internal Markets Bill or face legal action. In a year of wondering what could possibly come next, the next things just keep on coming. After eight months, theyre starting to add up, say mental health experts. And theres lots of 2020 left, plenty of time for more next things. Ive been hearing the word apocalyptic a lot, said San Francisco psychiatrist Scott Lauze. Im doing a tremendous amount of hand-holding these days. You cant even rely on the color of the sky anymore. Lauze, in private practice for three decades, said he had never seen the call for his services take off like right now. In the past two months, there was a significant uptick in demand, he said. In the past two weeks, my practice has exploded. Pandemic, social unrest, heat waves. Wildfires. Smoke. Mass evacuations. Therapists call them stressors, and there has been no shortage of things to get stressed over. And this just in: ash raining from the heavens, and darkness at noon. I couldnt fall asleep, said San Francisco nurse Valieree MacGlaun, who works the night shift and was walking home Friday on Divisadero Street from the VA hospital in her scrubs. She said she feels overwhelmed, though her job is to help other people overcome feeling overwhelmed. This is my calling, she said. But you have to take care of yourself. Connie and Michael VonDohlen flew from their home in Tennessee to San Francisco on Wednesday to attend their daughters wedding, just in time for the dark orange daytime skies that made some locals say it felt like living on Mars. Streets were deserted. The VonDohlens, who dont seem to shock easily, said they were shocked. We thought we had gone into the Twilight Zone, Michael VonDohlen said. I was expecting zombies to jump out from every doorway. The fires, added to the pandemic, and the inability to escape all that adds to the potential for hopelessness, said emergency room psychiatrist Yener Balan, head of behavioral health services at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Calamity and malaise are part of the human condition, he said, and pondering the world wars endured by prior generations can put a virus or a wildfire in perspective. As a species, we are resilient, he said. Many generations have seen this level of calamity. Taking care of oneself, living in the moment, checking in with family and friends, getting enough exercise and sleep those are the keys to coping, Balan said. And turning off the TV and the computer when enough is enough that helps, too. It also reduces exposure to the added stresses of a national election and its apocalyptic nuances. Just when you think youre beginning to deal with one disaster, another one comes along, said David Spiegel, a psychiatry professor at Stanford University. Patients who have been stable are experiencing an exacerbation of depression and anxiety. The year 2020, he said, is turning out to be a remarkable test of everyones ability to cope. 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. Trying to cope in Alamo Square, while holding three dogs on a leash, was professional dog walker Michael Waddell. He used to wear a plain mask, for the virus. Now he wears a mask with an air filter, for the virus and the smoke. Different disaster, different mask. Two in 5 U.S. adults say they are struggling with mental health or substance abuse since the pandemic hit, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety disorder were triple those of last year, the report added. Even if psychiatrists are doing more business these days, Waddell said, dog walkers arent. Business has largely fallen off as people staying home can walk their own dogs. Waddells usual complement of dogs is six. Losing half his income, Waddell said, has added more to my immediate stress than the smoke or the wildfires. Dogs, who have no problem living in the moment, help. So do hobbies, said Melissa Smith, who was waiting for 5-McAllister bus. She said her therapy was to try old lady hobbies. This is the perfect excuse to take up knitting, she said. Its a good outlet for the frustration. You need something to channel your energy. Smith was on her way home, where the knitting was waiting. What better place to practice peace than the middle of a storm? she said. I just think, after this, we are all going to be so resilient. Steve Rubenstein and Nora Mishanec are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com nora.mishanec@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF @NMishanec 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. A hint of fall this week gave us a reprieve, however temporary, from a summer that was long and hot and steeped in shared stress. No one in the United States was spared the effects of a mismanaged pandemic, a battered economy and national protests over blatant racial injustices. God, we needed a cool breath of air. In the midst of so many crises, though, we failed to notice that over the summer a group of 167 San Antonio educators from pre-K to post-graduate were preparing themselves to quell other kinds of heat those that land in educational settings and, if handled compassionately, can be cooled. Those who attended the first San Antonio Compassionate Institute are being called compassionistas, or compassion fellows. They went through compassion integrity training put on by the Atlanta-based Center for Compassion, Integrity and Secular Ethics. Its goal is to build systemic compassion into every action, decision or policy an institution performs. Think: where a city constructs or repairs sidewalks to help low-income residents trying to safely get to bus stops or how a school handles an act of hate on campus or a child expressing suicidal tendencies. The San Antonio Compassion Institute brought together facilitators from all over the world, including Ireland, Spain, Kenya, India and the United Kingdom, to San Antonio albeit virtually. Some led sessions at 2 oclock in the morning their time. SPENCER SELVIDGE / for the San Antonio Express-News Eighty-five percent of the citys educational institutions enrolled representatives in the institute; 100 percent of colleges and universities signed up. The citys living peace laureates, a remarkable group of leaders that now number more than 20, covered the $10,000 tuition bill. City officials said San Antonio became the first city among the worlds 450 recognized compassionate cities to conduct an institute. Compassionistas attended twice-weekly sessions over five weeks this summer and will gather monthly over the 2020-2021 academic year in 12 smaller cohorts. Theyll compare notes. They called the training therapeutic and transformative. A special education teacher from the East Central Independent School District said she hopes to give students, especially those whove experienced trauma, the skills needed to develop resiliency, so that theyre not defined by their past or present. On ExpressNews.com: Commentary: Changing hearts to recognize racism The project was set in motion in 2017, when San Antonio signed on to the international Charter of Compassion. At the time, the City Council passed a resolution that encouraged educational institutions to explore and teach compassion. It was presented not as a feel-good goal but as one based on data that shows how compassion benefits people, institutions and the bottom line. Its better known as the Golden Rule, often quoted from the Gospel of Matthew as, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Ann Helmke, the city of San Antonios faith-based liaison and its point person on developing compassion, says the institutes goal is to engender compassion in local institutions systemically, not necessarily in the application of a curriculum. Mayor Ron Nirenberg and his staff were among the first to undergo compassion training. So far, about 800 San Antonians have taken some form of compassion training, Helmke said. On ExpressNews.com: Brooks: This only happens when a heart is empty In honor of the institutes first corps of compassionistas, the citys Parks and Recreation Department will plant 20,000 trees, or groves, on each of their campuses. Already, 15,000 have been planted. To measure the impact of compassion training, Helmke said data will be collected from each educational institution. Already, impact has been felt. UT Health San Antonio will add a Compassionate Integrity course into the curriculum at each of its schools, Helmke said. Alamo Colleges plans to offer a shortened version of compassion integrity training to its administrators and executive leadership team, she said. A representative of the Atlanta-based center that put on the institutes sessions said San Antonios program will benefit other cities, serving as a template. San Antonio will serve as a case study, too. Another institute will be planned for summer 2021, when temperatures will be hot and the nation still may be wrestling with a pandemic, a bruised economy and movements demanding racial and economic justice. No decisions have been made yet, Helmke said, but it may include the citys business, law enforcement and health care leaders. Elaine Ayala is a columnist covering San Antonio and Bexar County. To read more from Elaine, become a subscriber. eayala@express-news.net | Twitter: @ElaineAyala Two Sharia court judges from Zamfara State were kidnapped while on transit from Niger Republic on Friday, an official has said. The judges, Sabiu Abdullahi and Shafii Jangebe, were abducted on their way back to Zamfara after a trip to Niger Republic. Mr Abdullahi is also the deputy chief imam of Usaimin Jummuat Mosque in Gusau. His colleague, the chief imam of Umar bin Khaddabi Jumaat mosque, Gusau, IUmar Kanoma, confirmed the incident during Friday prayers. The two judges were travelling back home following a programme they attended in Niger Republic, the cleric added. We appeal for prayers from Muslims faithful and the general public for the safe release of the judges who were abducted on their way back from Maradi in the Niger Republic, he said. The imam called on governments at all levels to secure lives and properties. It is not clear where exactly the judges were abducted. The police spokesperson, Muhammad Shehu, did not respond to phone calls and a text message requesting information. VIENNA (Reuters) - Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Saturday reiterated his opposition to taking in asylum seekers from the destroyed Moria refugee camp in Greece, prompting criticism from his government coalition partner the Greens and from the opposition. The fires at Europe's largest refugee centre, which left more than 12,000 people without shelter, have returned the spotlight to issue of refugees and migrants coming to the European Union, which has struggled to find a response. Germany and France have agreed to take in nearly 400 minors who have been moved from the island of Lesbos to the Greek mainland, but other EU countries including Austria, Poland and Hungary oppose any such support. In a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY0oxksRNOI posted on YouTube, Kurz compared the Moria situation with the summer of 2015 when many asylum seekers tried to reach rich western European countries via the so-called Balkan route. He said the "terrible pictures at the train station in Budapest" led to European politicians giving in to the pressure and opening borders. "If we give in to the pressure now, we risk making the same mistakes we made in 2015. We risk giving people false hopes," Kurz said, adding that he would promote a "holistic approach" at European level. "What it does not need is symbolic politics," he added. Kurz's Green Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler, who favours taking in Moria migrants, said more and more people - local communities, members of Kurz's conservative party, religious organisations and NGOs - supported such an initiative. Kogler made the remarks in an interview with ORF radio that was aired on Saturday but was recorded before Kurz's video was published. He had nothing to add, a spokeswoman said afterwards. The head of the Social Democrats, Pamela Rendi-Wagner, said on Twitter that "saving life is never symbolic policy". The country's Catholic Bishops Conference urged the government to take in a "fair contingent of refugees" and said in a statement the church was ready to accommodate a number of them. In Lesbos, police fired teargas on Saturday during a protest by angry inhabitants of the destroyed camp, who demanded to leave Lesbos as authorities started building a new encampment for them. (Reporting by Kirsti Knolle; Editing by Frances Kerry) Bharat Biotech announced that its potential COVID-19 vaccine -- Covaxin -- was found to generate robust immune responses in rhesus macaques or monkeys, preventing infection and disease even upon high amounts of exposure to live SARS-CoV-2 virus. The Hyderabad-based firm said data from the study on primates substantiate the immunogenicity of the vaccine candidate. Covaxin developed by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Bharat Biotech, is being tested at 12 institutes across India. Currently, the vaccine that contains inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus is undergoing Phase II clinical trials. Twenty macaques were divided into four groups of five animals each, it said. One group was administered with placebo, while three groups were immunised with three different vaccine candidates at zero and 14 days. 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 All the macaques were challenged with SARS-CoV-2 14 days after the second dose. The results demonstrated that monkeys that received Covaxin have shown protective efficacy, increase in SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG and neutralising anti-bodies, reducing replication of the virus in the nasal cavity, throat, and lung tissues of the monkeys. The company stated that there was 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. The study results were published in preprint server, which means it isn't peer reviewed. Bharat Biotech proudly announces the animal study results of COVAXIN - These results demonstrate the protective efficacy in a live viral challenge model, Bharat Biotech tweeted on September 11. State health officials say three staff members of Maryfield Nursing Home in High Point tested positive for COVID-19, while declaring a previous outbreak among five staff at Guilford County Detention Center is over. No residents at Maryfield have tested positive for the highly contagious coronavirus, according to a report released Friday by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. The facility at 1315 Greensboro Road did not immediately respond to a voicemail seeking comment late Friday afternoon. It's unclear when staff tested positive for COVID-19 because those details are not included in the report available to the public online at covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard/outbreaks-and-clusters. NCDHHS updates its figures on Tuesdays and Fridays for congregate living facilities that are experiencing an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. These outbreaks are defined as two or more laboratory-confirmed cases. An outbreak is considered over if there is no evidence of continued transmission within the previous 28 days. No other Guilford County facilities with ongoing outbreaks had new cases since Tuesday's report from the state. Our health leaders try to assure us hospitals are safe places to visit with respect to COVID-19 Concern as Victorians stay away from emergency departments (The Age, online, 11/9). These promises ring hollow after my experience at the emergency department of a major public hospital in Melbournes south-east less than three weeks ago. While my son received excellent medical care, I was alarmed at conditions in the triage area. Patient numbers appeared to significantly exceed one person per four square metres the hospital later confirmed they were supposed to abide by this rule. Hand sanitiser was not easy to find either. My local supermarket does a better job of placing it where it practically impossible to miss. I also didnt see any surface cleaners at work during the five hours we were at the hospital. Face masks to fit children werent available either. If these shortcomings are so apparent to me, how can we be confident hospitals are doing everything they can to protect staff and the community? With healthcare workers accounting for a frightening proportion of Victorias current caseload, our family is hoping no further hospital visits are required. Cathy van der Zee, Ashburton Think of greater good In all the comments lambasting Premier Daniel Andrews for the curfew (Premier cops flak on rights, The Age, 12/9), there seems to be a lack of real concern for citizens health. Leaders should be working together more to stop the virus. I rather suspect Tim Wilson, in fabricating a human rights abuse over the issue, is trying to impress his more selfish constituents in Goldstein. The Age recently reported a survey showing that more than 70 per cent of approximately 2000 respondents were in favour of Andrews handling of the pandemic. The curfew is about to be eased and people should think of the greater good rather than push their individual barrows. Jan Marshall, Brighton Pipe down back there Can the back-seat drivers please stop chanting Are we there yet? Everyone knows it doesnt get you to your destination any faster, and it annoys the heck out of those on the same journey. Linda Skinner, Mooroolbark The curfew is working In May this year 25 US cities imposed curfews. Scores of other cities around the world have done the same in recent months. In fact many new curfews have been imposed after premature easing of restrictions, but in Victoria the curfew is regarded as an absolute shocker in some quarters. Some radio talkback hosts can do little else but undermine the governments efforts to reduce movement. In fact the monitoring of traffic flows has shown that the curfew has massively reduced movement around the city. And of course this is the whole idea. Reduce unnecessary movement, and you reduce the the spread of the virus. Its as simple as that. The cheap shots from some areas of the media are despicable political opportunism. This behaviour wont get us out of lockdown any faster and may actually do us harm. Tim Mahar, Fitzroy North Its in the mail, really I now know why Australia Post is in so much trouble. I bought a small item online that was sent from NSW and after two weeks the item has been processed at the Sydney NSW facility, then at the Strathfield NSW facility, then at the Lidcombe NSW facility and it is on its way to (yes, you guessed it) the Chullora NSW facility before even crossing the border into Victoria. We bought a book from Book Depository that only took seven days to get here from halfway across the world. What a bureaucratic mess Australia Post is, the CEO and board should be shamed and sacked. Michael Younes, Oakleigh Selective compassion The supreme irony. Prime Minister Scott Morrison calls upon the Queensland Premier to show some compassion and allow an ACT woman to attend the funeral of her father while at the same time he is totally hard-hearted about keeping asylum seekers locked up for years on end with no release date in sight. Yes, it was Fathers Day last Sunday for that poor woman, but it was Fathers Day for a lot of those refugees too. Prime Minister, lets see if you can show these asylum seekers some of that same compassion you call for. Walter Valles, Clayton South Trite and unhelpful Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-13 05:48:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LIMA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Peru's regional governors are demanding respect for constitutional order and have voiced their support for President Martin Vizcarra, who is facing impeachment proceedings. The president of the National Assembly of Regional Governments (ANGR), Servando Garcia, urged the legislators who voted in favor of a motion to impeach the president to act calmly and in the interests of the country. The Peruvian Congress recently approved the initiation of impeachment proceedings that would possibly remove the president from office due to Vizcarra allegedly misusing public funds through the Ministry of Culture. Garcia said that "it would be unreasonable" to leave the presidency vacant during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has caused 716,670 cases of infection and 30,470 deaths. The governor of the Peruvian region of Lima, Ricardo Chavarria, also expressed his support for Vizcarra, whose term will finish on July 28, 2021. "An electoral process is underway to elect the next government, for which a presidential vacancy does not help the country at all," he said. Vizcarra said the impeachment proceedings are a "conspiracy" hatched by his political opponents who are looking to obstruct his government's anti-corruption reforms. The president has also received support from major unions, former presidents, and leaders of the country's main political parties. The motion to impeach will be debated and voted in Congress on Sept. 18. Enditem LIMA, Peru Perus congress voted on Friday to begin impeachment hearings against President Martin Vizcarra over allegations of obstruction of justice, a move that could result in his swift removal from office just as the country faces one of the worlds worst coronavirus outbreaks. The political crisis was set off by the release in Congress on Thursday of audio recordings that appear to show the president instructing officials to lie about an influence-peddling scandal. The impeachment is the latest battle in the protracted standoff between Mr. Vizcarra, a popular centrist former governor, and a divided congress hostile to his attempts to pass anti-corruption measures and change the countrys judicial and political system. In January, the tension led to a snap congressional election. Now the standoff could interfere with the countrys response to the coronavirus. Texas voters got some good news this week about their right to cast a ballot, and ordinarily that wouldnt even be news. But at a time when the right to vote or the way you vote is under increasing attack, any positive news on this issue is welcome. The recent win came in the form of a ruling from a federal judge that election officials must notify voters that their mail ballot has been rejected because of a signature issue. This would give them an opportunity to correct the issue, which may be something as simple as a middle initial left out or added. In the words of U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia, the Texas secretary of state must inform local election officials within 10 days that they must provide voters with a pre-rejection notice of a perceived mismatched signature and a meaningful opportunity to cure his or her ballots rejection. Signature questions can occur with mailed ballot because voters are required to sign their ballot envelope, which is an appropriate safeguard. But if the signature differs too much from the one in the official database, or, for example, someone spells out a middle name instead of using an initial, the ballot could be rejected. The vast majority of these issues do not involve fraud, which thankfully remains quite rare in Texas elections. But if the signature difference is too great or an election official is too picky the mailed ballot could be rejected. And it does happen. More than 5,000 voters had their ballots rejected during the 2016 and 2018 elections because of real or perceived signature mismatches. If a valid ballot is unfairly rejected because of a technicality, a Texan has been deprived of his or her right to vote. That should never happen, and voting procedures should be designed to enhance legal participation instead of reducing it. The only bad news about this ruling is that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has appealed it the Fifth Circuit Court. Were not sure why he would object to something as simple as giving a voter a chance to clear up an unintentional discrepancy, but thats the state of electoral politics today. Texas would have seen more voting by mail this November if state officials hadnt opposed a move to let anyone under 65 vote by mail instead of just those who can certify that they require an absentee ballot. Other states have made this reasonable accommodation because of the pandemic, and theres no reason that Texas couldnt be one of them. Whether you do it in person or by mail, please make sure to vote, regardless of which party or candidate you support. The last day to register for the general election in Texas is Oct. 5. The last day to apply to receive a ballot by mail is Oct. 23. If either one of those dates applies to you, please take care of it soon. Dont wait until the last minute. Lets set a turnout record this fall a high one. The announcement came less than a week before Trump hosts a ceremony to mark the establishment of full relations between Israel and the UAE 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 state's relative isolation in West Asia and find common ground with nations that share US wariness of Iran. Trump announced the agreement on the 19th anniversary of the 11 September, 2001, terrorist attacks following a 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 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. Friday's 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. Bahrain's foreign ministry welcomed the deal and said that Hamad had praised US 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 region's 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. She has an extensive wardrobe full of Chanel handbags and stylish outfits. And Myleene Klass proved she had transitioned perfectly from summer to autumn on Saturday as she made her way to Global Radio studios in central London. The presenter, 42, cut a chic figure in a maxi printed dress as she headed inside to present her Smooth FM show. Wow! Myleene Klass wore a flawless outfit on Saturday as she made her way to Global Radio studios in central London to present her Smooth FM show The billowing black maxi dress sheathed over Myleene's slender figure and came complete with a cowl neckline and a speckled pattern of autumnal hues. Myleene displayed her love for Chanel with a pendant necklace from the brand and a cherry quilted handbag that rested on her waist. The radio host donned a pair of black sandal heels and protected her eyes with '60s inspired shades as she strutted towards the entrance. Sensational: The broadcaster, 42, wore a billowing black maxi dress with a cowl neckline and a speckled pattern of autumnal hues which she accessorised with eclectic jewellery Designer touch: Myleene displayed her love for Chanel with a pendant necklace from the fashion brand and a cherry quilted handbag that rested on her her waist Myleene donned an eclectic collection of jewellery including large hoop earrings for a touch of glamour and styled her caramel tresses in voluminous waves. The brunette beauty's latest appearance came after her recent social media run-in with a troll who claimed her boyfriend Simon Motson will cheat on her. Myleene 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.' It appeared to be a dig at her ex-husband Graham Quinn, who left her on her 34th birthday in 2012. The marriage breakdown 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. Fire back: The star recently celebrated her five year anniversary with her PR executive beau, 45, and shut down claims that he has cheated on her in a pointed social media response 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. The pair welcomed their first child together, son Apollo, 13 months, in August last year. WASHINGTON Heres a look at how area members of Congress voted last week. There were no key votes in the House this week. U.S. Senate Wisconsin judge: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Brett H. Ludwig to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Ludwig has been a bankruptcy judge in the district since 2017, and before that was a commercial lawyer in Milwaukee. The vote on Wednesday, Sept. 9, was 91-5. Yeas: U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, both R-N.C. Pennsylvania judge: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Christy Criswell Wiegand to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Wiegand has been an assistant U.S. attorney and civil attorney in the district since 2004; before that, she was a private practice lawyer in Washington, D.C. The vote on Wednesday, Sept. 9, was 82-14. Yeas: Burr, Tillis A visit at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, Great Britain, is always a special thing. For anyone, not just the recently unveiled second-generation 2021 Ghost. But how about meeting some of the finest, oldest, and most exclusive vintage Rolls-Royce models has created in the years before the Second World War that would certainly qualify as a once in a lifetime opportunity. 17 photos 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 Boris Johnson is facing a damaging defeat that would block imports of chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef, in a fresh blow to his hopes of a post-Brexit trade deal with the US. Peers are poised to slam the brakes on any watering down of food and animal welfare standards to stop ministers selling the country down the river, one former government adviser told The Independent. The move, in a vote as early as this week, would give teeth to a new advisory body, handing it the power to ensure the longed-for deal with Washington does not allow in low-quality food. We are all confident that our amendments will go through, said Baroness McIntosh, a Conservative peer and former shadow minister. The revolt is also being led by Lord Curry of Kirkharle, who carried out a landmark policy review on farming and food in 2002 and who cast doubt on ministerial pledges not to dilute standards. They want to leave their options open, they dont want to have their hands tied thats the bottom line, the crossbench peer warned. We dont want our food supply undermined by imported food from countries with poorer animal welfare standards, selling our food production down the river by negotiating cheap deals. The House of Lords clash on the Agriculture Bill is a fresh headache for the prime minister already entangled in the furious row over his plans to renege on his Brexit agreement and deadlocked trade talks with the EU. The US has made opening the door to its lower-grade agricultural goods a red line in separate talks Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, insisting during a visit in January that it must be part of any deal. It prompted Liz Truss, the trade secretary, to propose lifting the ban on acid-washed chicken and hormone-fed beef, with higher but gradually reducing tariffs as a sop to critics. The consumer group Which? has branded a US deal the greatest risk to food safety since mad cow disease 20 years ago, warning the UKs food safety revolution is in jeopardy. Hopes of a US trade deal are already in deep trouble, with furious Congressional leaders insisting they will block it if the Brexit agreement on Northern Ireland is unravelled. Now UK peers are confident the government will struggle to overturn a defeat giving effective blocking powers to the new Trade and Agriculture Commission, when the bill returns to the Commons. Unease is growing on the Conservative benches, where 18 Tory MPs staged an unsuccessful revolt in May in an attempt to impose a strict legal bar on any diluting of standards. The Agriculture Commission has been criticised for being advisory only, and for lasting for only six months, despite admiration for its chair Tim Smith, a former head of the Food Standards Agency. The amendments would ensure the commission is retained for at least four years, make it independent of the Department of Trade and require it to sign off any trade agreement. It reflects the confidence that the body will never sanction lower standards, achieving the same objective as an outright legal guarantee, one peer said. Baroness McIntosh said ministers would otherwise be able to slip through changes using regulations without full scrutiny with environmental safeguards and workers rights also at stake. There is an absolute need for this, so the government cant change food safety or animal welfare standards at the stroke of a pen, she said. Consumers want to see these high standards in place and farmers want to know that if they meet these high standards which they are willing to do they are not going to be undercut. Labours Lord Grantchester, who will push for an outright block on lowering standards, said: The government claims to have taken on the concerns of parliamentarians as well as supermarkets and consumers by establishing a new commission. But it is toothless, will only exist for a few months, and has no powers to stop the import of inferior products. But a government spokesperson said: Our manifesto commitment could not be clearer we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards. It is illegal to import chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-fed beef into the UK and any changes would require new legislation to be brought before this parliament. We remain focused on getting a deal that works in the best interests of our farmers and consumers. by In this weekends Wall Street Journal I review Alex Rosss important new book Wagnerism. I write in part: Great works of art are so powerfully imagined that their intent and expression mold to changing human circumstances. But the operas of Richard Wagner are arguably unique in this regard: No other creative genius in the Western canon so unerringly holds up a mirror to time and place. . . . Thomas Manns claim that Wagner was probably the greatest talent in the entire history of art cannot be dismissed as hyperbole. Alex Rosss Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music takes up Wagners protean impact with unprecedented scope. In other writers accounts, Wagnerism ends with World War I in Europe and America and, slightly later, in Soviet Russia . . . But in Mr. Rosss wide-ranging chronicle, Wagners influence outside the world of music keeps on going . . . No previous writer has so copiously chronicled the sheer ubiquity of Wagner in important novels, poems and paintings. The result is an indispensable work of cultural history, offering both a comprehensive resource and a bravura narrative. While the existing Wagner literature is vast and defies generalization, the best-known studies range from passionate advocacy to equally impassioned denunciation. Mr. Ross, who came late to Wagner, is a centrista circumspect, at times even diffident, Wagnerite. He writes: The behemoth whispers a different secret in each listeners ear. Mr. Ross . . . is able to become many listeners. Relatedly, there are limits to his degree of engagementand Wagner is about commitment, however dangerous or misguided. These limits frame and modulate Mr. Rosss extraordinary book. . . . The author upon whom Mr. Ross lavishes the most attention is Willa Cather, whose Wagnerismin her life as in her fictionwas an explicit leitmotif. . . . Cathers achievement, [he] summarizes, was to transpose Wagnerism into an earthier, more generous key. She offered grandeur without grandiosity, heroism without egoism, myth without mythology. Brunnhilde stays on her mountain crag, hailing the sun: no man breaks the ring of fire. But is that all? In the early 20th century, most American Wagnerites were women, for whom Wagner was an antidote to lives marginalized in a mans world of work and money. And so it was with Cather, whose most insightful Wagner commentary diagnoses Kundry, in Parsifal. One of Wagners most original creations, Kundry oscillates between extremes of submission and domination. Cathers Kundry, at the Met, was Olive Fremstad, a Wagner soprano, Callas-like in veracity and intensity, with whom Cather became friends. Of Fremstads Kundry, Cather writes that it is a summary of the history of womankind. [Wagner] sees in her an instrument of temptation, of salvation, and of service; but always an instrument, a thing driven and employed. . . . She cannot possibly be at peace with herself. . . . A driven creature, [she is] made for purposes eternally contradictory. Mr. Ross cites this commentary without comment. But read Cather, and read about Fremstad (who twice married abortively, identified with Ibsens women and chopped wood in Scandinavian forests), and it all fits together. Wagner, for Willa Cather, was more than an inspirational artistic model: He was a therapist, a medium for self-understanding and empowerment. This dimension of the Wagner experience is equally inescapable in considering the vexed topic of Wagner and the Jews. . . . The peculiar intensity of affinity Wagner could arouse in Jews was perhaps most notably evinced by Hermann Levi, who conducted the premiere of Parsifal at Bayreuth. To his father, a rabbi, Levi wrote: The most beautiful thing that I have experienced in my life is that it was granted to me to come close to such a man, and I thank God daily for this. Or take the case of Gustav Mahler, who, as Mr. Ross observes, once argued that the devious dwarf Mime, in Siegfried, was intended by Wagner as a persiflage of a Jew. Mahler then added: I know of only one Mime, and that is me. There is, however, more to this aside. Mahler also said: No doubt with Mime, Wagner intended to ridicule the Jews with all their characteristic traits . . . the jargon is textually and musically so cleverly suggested; but for Gods sake it must not be exaggerated and overdone. . . . You wouldnt believe what there is in that part, nor what I could make of it. For Mahler, Wagner exquisitely understood the Jew in Mime. Mr. Ross ventures in a useful direction in considering the special appeal of Lohengrin for Jewish listeners: The opera romanticizes the figure of the itinerant outsider who stands apart from the normal community, much as many Jews perceived themselves within German society. As a lifelong Jewish Wagnerite, I would go the distance: Wagner is the supreme poet of homelessness, the master musical portraitist of marginality. He is Siegmund, an orphan of ambiguous parentage, who exclaims: I am always unpopular. . . . Misery is all I know. He is Wotan and Tristan, who drop out. He is Hans Sachs, a lonely philosopher of pessimism. He is the cerebral Loge, whose irony is quick and irredeemable. As for Wagner himself, he suspected his actual father to have been Jewish. He fled the law as a political exile. He was always in debt. His enemies were numerous and powerful. His health was poor. That he was himself a paradigmatic outsider explains many of the most impassioned, most therapeutic manifestations of Wagnerism, beginning with his appeal to gays and women, to whom he seemed, as to so many Jews, one of us. And so he is also Parsifal, who may be read as androgynous; or Senta, Sieglinde and Brunnhilde, driven to flout convention because of oppressive circumstancesbecause of a brutish husband or clueless father. . . . Peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government opened in Qatar Saturday, for what US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called a "truly momentous" breakthrough in 19 years of war. Negotiations will be arduous and messy, delegates acknowledged at an opening ceremony in Doha, and are starting even as deadly violence continues to grip Afghanistan. "We will undoubtedly encounter many challenges in the talks over the coming days, weeks and months," Pompeo said as he called for the warring sides to "seize this opportunity" to secure peace. "Remember you are acting not only for this generation of Afghans but for future generations as well, your children and your grandchildren." Nineteen years since the US-led invasion that toppled the Taliban, Afghanistan's war still kills dozens of people daily and the country's economy has been devastated, pushing millions into poverty. Abdullah Abdullah, who was previously Afghanistan's chief executive and is heading the peace process for Kabul, said 12,000 civilians have been killed and another 15,000 wounded just since the US signed a withdrawal agreement with the Taliban on February 29. Abdullah called for an immediate, humanitarian ceasefire -- but his plea went unanswered by Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who made no mention of a truce in his opening remarks. The Taliban have long worried that reducing violence could lessen their leverage. Instead, Baradar repeated the insurgents' message that Afghanistan should be run according to Islamic law, highlighting what likely will be the main sticking point in negotiations. Abdullah did suggest that the Taliban could offer a truce in exchange for the release of its jailed fighters. "This could be one of their ideas or one of their demands," Abdullah told AFP. A comprehensive peace deal could take years, and will depend on the willingness of both sides to tailor their competing visions for Afghanistan and the extent to which they can agree to share power. Story continues The Taliban want to reshape Afghanistan as an Islamic "emirate", while the adminstration of President Ashraf Ghani wants to maintain the Western-backed status quo of a constitutional republic that has enshrined many rights, including greater freedoms for women. - Women's rights - Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide urged all sides to include "women, victims and minorities and other stakeholders" in the process, saying such inclusivity is the key to an enduring accord. Four of the 21 people on the Kabul negotiating team are women. Not surprisingly, the Taliban, who stripped women of all basic freedoms while in power from 1996-2001, had no females on their team. In a statement, Ghani called for "a lasting and dignified peace" that preserved "the achievements of the past 19 years". Kabul negotiator Habiba Sarabi told AFP the start of talks had been "very positive". "Everybody including Secretary Pompeo shared their solidarity, from the Taliban side also. ... We're on the way to building the trust," she said. Zalmay Khalilzad, the US envoy who led talks with the Taliban, said the timetable for foreign troops to quit Afghanistan by May remained on track, and that he wanted a comprehensive ceasefire before then. "The hope is ... there will be a reduction of violence immediately," leading eventually to a permanent ceasefire, Khalilzad said. He cautioned that Washington would not underwrite a future Afghan state that was not in line with "universal values" -- including women's rights. "There is no blank cheque," Khalilzad said. - 'Power of diplomacy' - The foreign ministry in Iran, which had worked alongside Western powers to help drive out the Taliban from Afghanistan after the 2001 US-led invasion, welcomed the start of the Doha talks. "Dialogue and negotiations" are the solutions to Afghanistan's problems, the ministry said in a tweet, calling for the withdrawal of foreign troops from its neighbour. The US-backed negotiations come six months later than planned owing to disagreements over a controversial prisoner swap agreed in February. They are being held in a luxury hotel in Doha, where chairs were dotted at socially distanced intervals facing a banner emblazoned with the words "Afghan Peace Negotiations" in four languages. Doha also hosted the signing of the US-Taliban deal in February that paved the way for peace talks. The Taliban claimed "victory" after that deal, and see their bargaining position as stronger now than at any time in the last two decades. A who's who of international stakeholders in the Afghanistan conflict spoke at the opening ceremony, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg. Qatar has quietly guided the process, which has been complicated by violence in Afghanistan and the coronavirus crisis. Doha's chief mediator Mutlaq al-Qahtani stressed "the power of diplomacy". Doha invited the Taliban to open a political office in 2013 and helped broker February's US-Taliban deal. Since that agreement, the insurgents have continued to launch daily attacks and targeted assassinations. The Afghan defence ministry told AFP clashes had been reported in more than 20 provinces in the past 24 hours. burs-gw-wat/hkb Flash The United Nations on Friday welcomed the outcome of a meeting in Bouznika, Morocco, between representatives of the two rival legislatures of Libya. "We welcome every inclusive political initiative and effort to support a peaceful resolution of the crisis in Libya. This includes recent efforts by the Kingdom of Morocco, involving delegations from the High State Council and the House of Representatives. We take note of the joint statement issued by the participants at the end of the meeting as well as their plan to resume the dialogue later this month," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a statement. "We also welcome the talks in Montreux, Switzerland, with key Libyan stakeholders, which were facilitated by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue," it said. Building on these and other consultations, the UN Support Mission in Libya will launch the arrangements needed to resume the fully inclusive Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, which last met in Geneva in February 2020. The United Nations calls on the international community to support this process, said the statement. The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is seeking to make the welfare of physically challenged persons a top priority in its next administration should the party win the 2020 December 7th elections. According to Dr. Michael Kpessa-Whyte, former Executive Director of the National Service Secretariat (NSS) and NDC member, the manner in which physically challenged persons are referred should be revised. He argues that tagging them as Persons with Disability does not exude enough respect. According to Dr. Whyte, the next NDC government will adopt the United Nations reference for disabled persons, which is differently-abled persons, in order to elicit the needed respect. Going forward, even the term persons with disability should be looked at again. As you very well know, the United Nations does not refer to them as persons with disability. They refer to them as differently-abled persons and that kind of nomenclature is probably the kind of approach we want to adopt going forward so that people can respect them in such order, he said. Dr. Whyte, who spoke on Citi FM's Voters Diary programme, explained that the NDC will conduct a separate population census for such persons. He said the move will help the government better allocate funds for the group. It is important to recognize that in the same document, we did indicate that in 2021 national population census that is to be undertaken, the government will provide additional support and funding so that there will be on the side census for disabled persons as well. And once that number is known, once as a country, we come to establish firmly the threshold of persons with a disability we have, then we will be in the right position to determine by what quantum the District Assembly Common Fund for persons with disabilities should be, he noted. The National Democratic Congress, in its newly launched Peoples Manifesto indicated that the next NDC government will increase the percentage of the District Assemblies Common Fund reserved for persons with disabilities as well as establish a disability fund in the districts. ---CitiNewsRoom A Paediatrician at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Dr Emmanuella Amoako, has called for support for the treatment of childhood cancers to ease the financial burden on parents and guardians. She suggested the possible adoption of children with cancers by organizations and other well-meaning individuals to reduce the burden on affected families. Dr Amoako noted that the high cost of treatment of cancers on families left many families frustrated and unable to continue with treatment. Defaulting treatment, she noted, could lead to disastrous consequences. She made the call when the Coordinator for World Child Cancer, sub-Saharan Africa, Mr Emmanuel Ayire Adongo, visited the facility to ascertain the effect of the organisations support to some cancer patients at the hospital. The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital Currently, she said, 16 children were receiving treatment at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital out of the 32 children who began receiving treatment last year. We have lost some and referred some too. Some have also defaulted due to financial constraints, she noted. Support Love Your Melon (LYM), an apparel brand with a mission to improve the lives of children with cancer, has donated $30,000 to support projects in Ghana through the World Child Cancer organisation. Mr Adongo indicated that the support could not have come at a better time considering the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic had taken a huge toll on Ghanas health system, with many services disrupted and healthcare staff struggling to manage the twin challenges of childhood cancer and COVID-19. Global situation Globally, 70 per cent of cancer-related deaths will occur in Lower and Middle Income Countries (LMICs), with 24.1 million new cases occurring by 2030 (IARC, 2019). According to the United Nations, considering the consequential socio-economic effect of cancers, dipping the global burden was a pre-requisite for addressing the social and economic imbalances, stimulating economic growth and accelerating sustainable development. Cancer and deaths Childhood cancer has been identified as one of the major causes of death among children between zero and 19 years, with 300,000 new cases expected to be diagnosed each year globally. Mr Adongo said the recent support from LYM worth $30,000 would help reduce the financial burden on patients and families, specifically helping with transportation and diagnostic costs. That, he said, would reduce the catastrophic financial burden on patients and families, preventing those with limited means from falling further into poverty. MOU Mr Adongo indicated that the donation had allowed for the expansion of childhood cancer services through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with three additional health facilities, including the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH) and the Agogo Presbyterian Hospital, who had already started dispensing funds to families. Other health facilities also benefiting from the LYM funds are Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). Cancer centre Mr Adongo said in order to improve childhood cancer management in sub-Saharan Africa, World Child Cancer was supporting the oncology unit of the child health department of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to develop the first Centre of Excellence for paediatric oncology in West Africa to provide universal, accessible and locally owned cancer services. He said the centre was currently strategically positioned to provide critical skills and improve the quality of paediatric cancer care in the sub-region and had become the regional hub of training paediatric oncologists, as well as nurses, pharmacists, surgeons, radiologists, pathologists and haematologists across sub-Saharan Africa. Again, he said the centre would act as a model to demonstrate how childhood cancer could be treated successfully and cost-effectively in other comparable settings. World Child Cancer Ghana and partners are very grateful to Love Your Melon for their generous donation which will continue to have a significant impact on the lives of children with cancer. Ezras story Mrs Ruth Koomsons seven-year-old Ezra Hagan has been diagnosed of Leukemia Lymphoma, a type of childhood cancer. Ezra was started on chemotherapy and received three cycles of chemotherapy and achieved clinical remission but defaulted due to financial constraints. The relapse Ezra came back later with a relapse. His mother said they could not continue with the treatment due to financial constraints. I hawk used clothings and there are four other children, she said. Dr Amoako said Ezra had been restarted on chemotherapy and seemed to be responding. The WCC and LYM support helps her with her transportation and diagnostic expenses. However, she indicated that treatment and diagnostic investigations for his condition would last three years at a total cost of GH30,000. Dr Amoako said the support from WCC and LYM, as well as others which might hopefully come from benevolent institutions, would cushion patients like Ezra. As the world marks childhood cancer awareness month this September, it is expected that all will support in ways huge and not so huge to help children fight cancer. 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 A Sydney woman's family has been forced to delay their father's Queensland funeral to avoid the lonely send-off Sarah Caisip was forced to give her father this week. Roy McFaul, 84, died in Mackay Base Hospital on September 3 with his son, Peter McFaul, and other family members beside his death bed for about nine hours. Sydney woman Sandra McFaul (left) has been in quarantine with partner Fiona Barnett ahead of her father's funeral in north Queensland. However, his sister, Sandra McFaul, did not have that option as she was in Sydney. "She managed to get the application approved for entry into Queensland on Saturday [September 5]," Mr McFaul said. Image: NASA via AP In 1970, Jim Estes made his first trek up to Alaskas Aleutian Islands. He was greeted by an ocean filled with furry faces. Everywhere the young biologist looked, there were sea otters lollygagging on kelp beds, shelling sea urchins, exchanging their signature squeals. Back then, crowds of these charismatic creatures shrouded the sprawling archipelago, congregating in rafts and bunches, as many as 500 at once, said Estes, an ecologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz. There were so many of them, we couldnt keep track. Now, Estes said, more than 90% of those otters are gone. In just a few decades, this bustling civilization has withered into a ghost town. You can travel down 10 miles of coastline and never see an animal, he said. The loss is more than cosmetic. In the Aleutians delicate seascape, otters hold the entire ecosystem together. As they have disappeared, the rest of the local food web has started to crumble a process thats been accelerated and compounded by climate change, Estes and his colleagues report in a paper published Thursday in the journal Science. Without otters to keep them in check, populations of sea urchins have boomed, carpeting the sea floor in spiny spheres that mow down entire forests of kelp. Now, even the living, red-algae reefs on which the swirling stands of kelp once stood are in peril. These long-lived reefs are disappearing before our eyes, said Doug Rasher, a marine ecologist at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Maine and the studys first author. Softened by warming and acidifying waters, the coral-like structures have quickly succumbed to the urchins tiny teeth, which can annihilate years of fragile algae in a single bite. The findings point to the importance of otters in the Aleutians, where the marine mammals act not just as predators, but protectors, maintaining biological balance through their voracious appetites. A single sea otter can scarf down nearly 1,000 sea urchins a day. They eat them like popcorn, Estes said. The amount of things they control in this ecosystem is pretty astonishing, said Anjali Boyd, a marine ecologist at Duke University who wasnt involved in the study. For their size and how cute they are, they are aggressive eaters. Aleutian sea otters have been in flux before. Fur traders in the 18th and 19th centuries hunted the animals to the brink of extinction, allowing sea urchin numbers to skyrocket, Rasher said. Although the urchins eagerly descended upon the local smorgasbord of kelp, the bubblegum-pink reef beneath them seems to have persisted in part because healthy algae produce a protective limestone layer that can thwart even the most determined grazers. When otter populations recovered after trapping was restricted, the reef rebounded, too. But against the backdrop of climate change, Rasher said, the reefs safety net is gone. In the past several decades, a glut of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has acidified ocean waters, making it harder for algae to armor themselves. The reefs are producing less dense skeletons, Rasher said. And temperature exacerbates that issue. To quantify the damage, Rasher and his colleagues braved high winds and freezing waters to collect samples over several years of the dwindling algae and analyzed them in the lab. When the oceans had been healthy, the team found, nips from urchins had barely scuffed the algaes surface. But met with weakened reef layers, urchins excavated chasms several millimeters deep the equivalent of up to seven years of growth. From 2014 through 2017, some reefs shrank by up to 64%. Where algae had once coated the Aleutian sea floor like a swath of pink pavement, only patches remained. Warmer temperatures also speed animal metabolism, driving urchins to eat even more enthusiastically than usual. Given those two things happening simultaneously, its really getting hit from both sides, said Alyssa Griffin, an ocean biogeochemist at the University of California, Davis, who wasnt involved in the study. The algaes decline also seems to be speeding up. When the researchers grew urchins and algae under conditions that simulated the preindustrial past, the present and a projected future in the lab, they found that contemporary circumstances spurred urchins to gnaw away at algae up to 60% faster. Changes yet to come will likely prompt the grazers to pick up the pace even more, the teams analysis showed, barring sweeping change in carbon emissions. Just seeing that trend is staggering, Boyd said. The findings add yet another example to the list of ecosystems being ravaged by an ever-warming world, and underscore how food chain alterations and climate change can disastrously collide. Predator loss can impact the environment in ways we havent even thought of, Griffin said. But these hidden relationships might contain hints of remedies. Repatriating otters could help reefs in the near-term, Rasher said, perhaps buying us time to get our act together in terms of curbing global carbon emissions. That could be a difficult task, given the probable cause of the Aleutian Islands stunning vanishing of otters. Estes suspects that starving orcas perhaps deprived of their preferred gray whale prey by industrial whaling have turned in desperation to the little mammals, which they can gulp down by the hundreds or thousands a year. That could make it hard to sustain larger otter populations: Once introduced, they might just disappear all over again. Estes, who is 74, hasnt visited the Aleutians since 2015. He doubts he will live to see the otters return. But he holds out hope that the islands will someday boomerang back to the breathtaking ecosystem he witnessed as a young man. There was this incredible diversity, he said. It was spectacularly beautiful. By Katherine J. Wu c.2020 The New York Times Company MOSCOW: Belarus police detained dozens of protesters on Saturday as thousands of people gathered in the capital Minsk demanding the release of a jailed opposition leader, the latest in a wave of mass protests following a disputed election. Maria Kolesnikova, 38, has emerged as a key opposition figure after others were either jailed or forced out of the country, including Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya who challenged President Alexander Lukashenko in the presidential election. Protesters say the Aug. 9 election was rigged to hand Lukashenko a phoney landslide win and that Tsikhanouskaya - who has since fled to Lithuania - was the real winner. Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years, denies this and has said foreign powers are behind the protests. At least 5,000 protesters, many of them women, gathered in central Minsk on Saturday, chanting Go away!" in reference to Lukashenko, and Masha" - a common alternative for Maria - in support of Kolesnikova, a Reuters witness said. Sveta is my president, Masha is my queen," read one of the slogans held up in the crowd. Police starting detaining people shortly after the protests started at 1200 GMT, putting at least 40 into police vans in the first hour of the rally alone, according to the witness. Kolesnikova was driven to the Ukrainian border earlier last week after being seen snatched off the streets of Minsk and into a van by masked men. According to two allies who were with her, she prevented being expelled from Belarus by tearing her passport up into small pieces and throwing it out of a car window. She is now detained in Minsk, and faces a potential long prison term over accusations of trying to seize power illegally. Tsikhanouskaya,who stood against Lukashenko in place of her better-known husband who was detained before election, called on Saturday for the police to stop cracking down on dissent. Violence you are putting on women is disgraceful," she said in a statement. Anyone who commits a crime against peaceful protesters will be called to answer." (Writing by Maxim Rodionov and Katya Golubkova; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Pravin Char) 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 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. BEIRUT As Lebanon struggles to cope with the aftermath of the deadly Aug. 4 port explosion and a long-crippled economy, hundreds of thousands of people are sinking deeper than ever before. And with no signs of an international bailout, no effective political strategy in sight and a staggering rise in COVID-19 cases, many of the nearly 2 million Syrian and Palestinian refugees large numbers of whom are unregistered are among the most vulnerable casualties of Lebanon's state of demise. If 1,000 people die right now, nobody cares. Governments only think about business and their own benefits we are just cards they play, we are just numbers, said Dr. Fares Alghadban, 35, a Syrian refugee who for nearly three years was the only physician in his war-ravaged town of Zabadani in the suburbs of Damascus. Alghadban spoke with Al-Monitor in Beirut about how he surreptitiously escaped to Lebanon in 2017 after the Syrian regime accused him of supporting and tending to rebels. You cannot imagine what it was like. So many of my friends and family members died some in front of my eyes. I am a family doctor, but I did surgery, I delivered babies, I did everything I could for everyone. I wanted to help everyone. When he first arrived in Lebanon, he, like most Syrian refugees, didnt have legal residency or permission to work. For the first year, he worked at a vegetable market to make ends meet for his family of five. And while he still cant legally work as a physician in Lebanon, with the support of a British friend and fellow physician, the doctor has established a charity mobile medical clinic that drives around Lebanons Bekaa Valley and supports the various needs of not just Syrian refugees but the vulnerable Lebanese community. When the Beirut explosions happened, I drove down in my van and started helping the wounded. The tragedy was just like what I witnessed back home in Syria, he said. For Alghadban and thousands of other refugees and migrants the trauma of explosions, war and displacement is an ever-present reality in a place they once deemed as a safe haven. Lebanon a small coastal nation of 5.5 million remains host to the largest number of refugees per capita in the world. None of the Syrian refugees, however, live in officially established refugee camps or communities. More than half of the Lebanese population live in poverty now, with 23% facing extreme poverty, said Elena Dikomitis, advocacy and information adviser for The Norwegian Refugee Council in Beirut. She told Al-Monitor that for the Syrian refugees that number has reached a staggering 83%. Dikomitis said that in the absence of legal employment and adequate shelters and because of substandard living conditions, in Beirut as well as other areas across Lebanon, refugees often live invisible lives. The refugee council says the number of Syrian refugees without legal residency has continually increased and in 2019 reached over 78% of the refugee population. In part as of result of the impact of COVID-19 and the economic downfall in Lebanon, refugees often are the first in line when it comes to forced evictions and homelessness. Dikomitis said funding for refugees' shelter needs is only 8% of what is needed at normal times, meaning further pain for Syrian and Palestinian refugees in the coming months. What we are facing today is a catastrophe that comes on top of everything else that Lebanon is struggling to deal with, she said. Looking at the crumpled balconies across the street through her broken window, Dalia Gh. (a pseudonym used to protect her privacy) recalled the exact moment of the port explosion. My mom had called me on the telephone from Damascus to tell me that theres a fire in the port. It didnt take long until I heard boom. I was screaming and crying, and she heard it all. I feel so bad; I feel so bad that she had to go through that, Dalia said in a tense voice. Dalia, a journalist who is pursuing a master's degree in public policy, is an only child and left Damascus in the earlier days of the Syrian conflict in 2012. She is not a refugee, but a young immigrant who left her home country to attend university in Beirut and live in Gemayzeh a place she used to call the coolest neighborhood in the world. Even though she is a student and an immigrant, she still hasnt been able to get a proper residency permit from the Lebanese authorities. My hope here has died. I only have hope in people my age; I dont have hope in the state any state. She told Al-Monitor that she never wanted to leave for the West believing and hoping that one day she would be able to contribute to her community by staying and working in the region. However, those hopes have died as a result of the state of affairs in post-explosion Beirut and President Bashar al-Assads Syria. If theyre going to kill my ambition, if theyre going to kill me, if theyre going to kill my friends, then I cant do anything. So I might as well leave and try to do something from outside, she said. She speaks with a near-perfect American accent she said she mastered by watching Nickelodeon shows on satellite TV as a teenager in Damascus a place she cannot call a safe homeland. It literally feels like nowhere is safe. Im supposed to feel safe with my parents, but I cant even do that. Im also scared for them. She attributes her fear of returning to Syria to the lack of job opportunities, the country's severe security presence and censorship that threatens her as a journalist, as well as the possibility of contracting COVID-19 and potentially infecting her parents in a country where ,according to Dalia, finding proper health care is nearly impossible. Many experts say Lebanon brought on some of its own problems through policies that were not thought out all the way through or at least not adjusted to account for changing circumstances. Will Todman, an associate fellow in the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that for the past couple of decades the Lebanese government deliberately put restrictions on refugees in an effort to prevent them from establishing permanent ties. Todman told Al-Monitor that this short-termism policy toward refugees is contributing to the current socioeconomic problems. Since the massive blast last month, the Lebanese government has still not complied with the international communitys call for reform; thus, much of the foreign financial aid is being held back until such changes take place. All this pressure is now topped with new US government sanctions against two former Lebanese government officials whom the United States claims have ties with Hezbollah. In his second visit to Lebanon since the port explosion, French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters that he needs to see real reform from the Lebanese leaders. This comes at a time when the collective sentiment on the ground in Lebanon is in praise of civil society and nongovernmental organizations for picking up the rubble and holding the nation together in the face of tragedy. As Alghadban was preparing to drive back to his family in the Bekaa Valley, he told Al-Monitor, Its the people who are doing what the government has to do theyre the only ones supporting one another. For Alghadban and Dalia, no matter where they go or what the future holds the trauma of life in two broken countries is too deeply rooted to forget. I feel like wherever I go, Im not going to relate to anybody there. Nobody is going to understand what Ive been through. I correlate being Syrian to something so negative and something thats stood in my way my whole life. said Dalia. Dalia recalled the fourth day after the explosions, when there were only four or five Syrian victims among the official list of the deceased. She said many nongovernmental organizations in the field later confirmed that that number exceeds 50. You then question why are there no Syrians on the official list? Then you realize its because theyve gone unaccounted for. So, just as their lives were unaccounted for, their deaths have also gone unaccounted for. There were so many Syrians who worked at the port but even in death they didnt count their bodies. Pharma giant AstraZeneca on Saturday said it had resumed a Covid-19 vaccine trial after getting the all-clear from British regulators, following a pause caused by a UK volunteer falling ill. 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. ALSO WATCH | Delhi airport first in India to get Covid test lab; how itll work: Explained AstraZeneca announced on Wednesday it had voluntarily paused its trial of the vaccine developed alongside Oxford University after the volunteer developed an unexplained illness. An independent committee was drafted in to review safety, in what the company and the World Health Organization described as a routine step. The committee has concluded its investigations and recommended to the MHRA that trials in the UK are safe to resume, AstraZeneca said. AstraZenecas vaccine candidate is one of nine around the world currently in late-stage Phase 3 human trials. In the United States, the company began enrolling 30,000 volunteers across dozens of sites on August 31, and the inoculation is being tested on smaller groups in Brazil and elsewhere in South America. The AZD1222 vaccine uses a weakened version of a common cold-causing adenovirus engineered to code for the spike protein that the Covid-19 coronavirus uses to invade cells. After vaccination, this protein is produced inside the human body, which primes the immune system to attack the coronavirus if the person is later infected. AstraZeneca is committed to the safety of trial participants and the highest standards of conduct in clinical trials, Saturdays statement read. The company will continue to work with health authorities across the world and be guided as to when other clinical trials can resume to provide the vaccine broadly, equitably and at no profit during this pandemic. All Grown Up Five years after completing her Neapolitan quartet, Elena Ferrante has the #8 book in the country with The Lying Life of Adults, a sumptuous novel, our review said, narrated by the adolescent only child of a middle-class Neapolitan couple in the early 1990s. Originally planned for June, the books pub date was shifted to September, a move that seems not to have hurt Ferrantes trajectory. Atmospheric Conditions Debuting at #16 in childrens fiction, Punching the Air is a YA novel-in-verse by poet and activist Yusef Salaam, one of the Exonerated Five (formerly known as the Central Park Five), and Ibi Zoboi, whose childrens and YA novels include the National Book Awardnominated American Street. They craft a powerful indictment of institutional racism and mass incarceration, our starred review said, through the imagined experience of Amal, a Black, Muslim 16-year-old facing imprisonment. In a conversation PW published in August, the coauthors discussed the roots of their collaboration. The Central Park Five changed my perspective as a sixth grader, Zoboi told Salaam, who was 15 at the time of his wrongful conviction. When other incidents took place in high school and college, it radicalized me. In Clubland Septembers Read with Jenna pick, Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, lands at #4 in hardcover fiction. Its Gyasis meticulous, psychologically complex second novel, our starred review said, after 2016s Homegoing, which also received a starred PW review and numerous other accolades. She draws on personal experience in her new book, which examines the consequences of a Ghanian familys immigration to Huntsville, Ala., the review said. At once a vivid evocation of the immigrant experience and a sharp delineation of an individuals inner struggle, the novel brilliantly succeeds on both counts. New & Notable GRIME AND PUNISHMENT (Dog Man #9) Dav Pilkey #1 Childrens Fiction, #1 overall Pilkeys part-dog, part-human police officer tops the charts with this ninth installment; book 10, Mothering Heights, is set for spring 2021. Release to date sales for the series top 9.7 million print units. ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE Louise Penny #1 Hardcover Fiction, #2 overall In this 16th outing for Chief Insp. Armand Gamache, head of homicide for the Surete du Quebec, he travels to Paris ahead of his grandchilds birth and becomes embroiled in the investigation of a probable homicide involving his family. Pennys nuanced exploration of the human spirit continues to distinguish this brilliant series, our starred review said. Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Saturday backed party leader Rahul Gandhis views on loss of jobs and the Indian economy and said that it was facing a terrible crisis while industries were shutting. Speaking to the media here, he said: What Rahul Gandhi says is absolutely justified; the BJP had promised to give 2 crore jobs every year if it came to power at the Centre. On the contrary, crores of jobs have been lost in the past few months. Salary cuts are happening; China has entered our border areas in Ladakh; however, other issues are being discussed to divert public attention." He said that the entire country will stand by the Indian government if it took any action on these issues. Rahul Gandhi had earlier tweeted, Modi Govts well-planned fight against Covid has put India in an abyss of: 1. Historic GDP reduction of 24% 2. 12 crore jobs lost 3. 15.5 lac crores additional stressed loans 4. Globally highest daily Covid cases & deaths," Gandhi said in a tweet. But for the government of India and the media sab changa si (all is well)." Pilot also appreciated the initiative taken by a special committee appointed by the Congress high command, led by Rajasthan affairs in-charge Ajay Maken, to collect feedback from Rajasthan people on various issues. Thousands of party workers have given their feedback to Maken, who also lent an ear to their grievances in an open environment. The party looks motivated and so the workers are jubilant," he added. A COVID-19 control post in northern Hai Duong province (Photo: VNA) Hanoi Vietnam recorded no new COVID-19 infections on September 12 morning, keeping the total number at 1,060, of which 691 are locally transmitted cases. As many as 35,390 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or entered Vietnam from pandemic-hit regions are being quarantined nationwide, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. The Subcommittee for Treatment said up to 902 out of the 1,060 patients have made full recovery. Among the active patients, 16 tested negative for coronavirus SAR-CoV-2 once, 17 twice and 21 three times. Meanwhile, four patients are in a critical condition and face a high risk of death. The country has so far recorded 35 deaths, mostly of them were elderly people with serious underlying diseases. The ministry has called on every Vietnamese person to follow the message Mask-Disinfectant-Keeping Distance-Avoiding crowded place-Health declaration to live safely with the pandemic. The ministry recommended each citizen make a health declaration on the NCOVI app and install the Bluezone application to be warned of the risk of COVID-19 infection. If you think it is time to re-evaluate the privacy and security features of your messaging app: you're not alone: many others around the world are doing the same, including The White House. This article will explore a comparison between up and coming messaging application SnatchApp and established names in the industry, WeChat and WhatsApp. Particular attention will be paid to the individual application's safety and security features. Safety and security features are typically ranked highly among users. Security features that will be explored include: End-to-End Encryption Disappearing & hiding messages Hidden messaging Secure texting and voice and video calling Online status Brothers and co-founders of SnatchApp, Avi and Henri Benezra, have highlighted how important user privacy and security is to the company. Avi Benezra (CTO) has mentioned why prioritising user privacy and overall security is one of the company missions by saying, "Developing a messaging application that provides innovative methods of protecting user privacy has been one of our goals since SnatchApp's inception. We want our users to have 100% control and privacy over the content they choose to share." End-to-End Encryption What exactly does 'end-to-end encryption' mean? Put plainly, this is a system of communication where only the communicating users can read the messages. No third party, i.e. the application you are using, should be able to decrypt the messages and access your text/media. Therefore, privacy and security remain protected. SnatchApp: Does provide end-to-end encryption. The encryption is multi-layered for increased peer-to-peer communication protection. Additionally, the user's messages are not stored by the application after they have been delivered. WeChat: This application famously does not provide end-to-end encryption to its users. There is no setting in place to help prevent third parties from accessing your private information. WhatsApp: Does provide end-to-end encryption. No third party will be able to access your personal messages. Disappearing & hiding messages This is an interesting feature which can provide many uses as well as benefits for a messaging application. The way it operates is that users simply set when they would like the message to "destruct" and the sent message will disappear when the timer goes off. The timer can be set for a few seconds or even for a few hours which offers great flexibility of communication between users. When would this feature be useful? Protecting privacy is typically at the top of many application-users' lists, particularly applications that deal with text, audio and video communications. Example: You need to send your credit card pin code to your son who is purchasing some items on your behalf. Banking and account information is particularly sensitive and must be discussed only in the safest of situations. This feature will allow you to send the code and set a message expiration time. Therefore, should anyone get hold of your phone without your permission, they will not be able to read your private messages as, if you set them to disappear, they will not be there for intruders to read thanks to this feature. SnatchApp: Does have the disappearing and hiding messages feature. WeChat: While there is no option to hide your messages with this messaging application, users are able to unsend messages, and therefore, in a way, make messages disappear. Therefore, once a message is unsent, neither the sender nor the receiver will be able to read it as it will no longer be there. WhatsApp: Does not have the disappearing and hiding messages feature. However, it has been reported that this feature is under development for the application. Note: With SnatchApp, users are able to send a verified encryption key to others to protect the contents of the message even further. SnatchApp ensures each encryption key is distributed securely between sender and receiver. Hidden messaging Not to be confused with the above feature of 'hiding messages', is hidden messaging. A familiar situation to many would be that someone peeked over their shoulder and read a private message intended only for the receiver. Do any of the messaging applications employ a hidden messaging system? SnatchApp: Yes, SnatchApp allows a sender to send a message with an envelope. An envelope appears first on the receiver's device, displaying an envelope and not the private message. The message is hidden and sensitive messages are protected. WeChat: Does not have the hidden messaging feature. WhatsApp: Not hidden messaging per se, but you are able to create hidden chats or hidden conversations with WhatsApp. This allows users to set up private conversations with specific contacts. Secure texting and voice and video calling To know that your texts and calls are safe and hidden from spying ears and eyes is a comfort most need to have when dealing with the online world. Choosing a messaging application that provides you with this feature can be a make or break deal for some. Which of our chosen applications has this feature? SnatchApp: Yes, all texting, voice and video calling is secure and encrypted. WeChat: No, this has the potential to make your texts, voice and video calls vulnerable to hackers. WhatsApp: Yes, all texting, voice and video calling is secure and encrypted. Online status Choosing your online status setting varies from person to person. Some like to display when they are online, others like to remain incognito to avoid answering messages while others do not even know what their setting is. The point is, it is nice to have the option. Whatever you set your status to is completely up to you and in the user's control. Additionally, it is advantageous to have the feature that permits users to control the delivery status of the messages that contacts send you. SnatchApp: Allows you to choose whether or not to show you are online. This application also allows users to control the delivery status of the messages that others send you. WeChat: There is no alert or marker indicating a user's online status. WhatsApp: This application will show that you are online whenever you click to enter the application. Unfortunately, there is no setting option to change this. WhatsApp indicates when a message has been read with a blue tick. This can be changed to avoid this. However, people who have sent you messages will not be able to see whether you have read their message or not and similarly, when you send messages out, you will not be able to see whether the recipients have read your messages. Concluding thoughts If one takes a step back, the security and privacy features offered by SnatchApp are not only inventive and unique, but are also valuable to the user - hence not surprising that the media hailed this as a revolution in messaging apps. Compared to the company's competitors, SnatchApp may offer features others do not. It is important to consider the features of disappearing and hiding messages, hidden messaging, end-to-end encryption and controlling one's online status. Major competitor, WhatsApp, does not offer all of these features, neither does WeChat, Skype or Zoom. Therefore, this messaging application may be able to fill any gaps in your online communication channels/methods. It is clear that SnatchApp has a company mission of protecting user privacy and not only matches up to industry giants, but -in certain areas- defeats them. To try out the most appropriate version of Snatch App for your device, select one of these options: Snatch App Web: https://snatchapp.me/en/ iOS version: https://apps.apple.com/app/snatch-app/id1225178149 Android Version: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Snatch App Windows Dekstop: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/p/Snatch App/9nblggh526j6?cid=msft_web_chart&rtc=1&activetab=pivot:overviewtab While the impact of Leo Linbeck IIIs family business on the Houston region has long been symbolized by multistory cranes and multiton earthmovers, its a heart pump the size of a slightly used crayon that may be more representative of the Houston natives object of attention. Named for the street that runs through Texas Medical Center, his Fannin Innovation Studio is a research and development firm that specializes in taking medical devices and therapies from the proverbial drawing board to the doctors office by either helping found companies for those products or negotiating licensing agreements. Seeded in part by Linbeck Construction, founded by Linbecks grandfather in 1938, Fannin and its group of 20-odd doctors, MBAs and engineers (Linbeck being both an engineer and MBA) specializes in working with inventors, building out their ideas into prototypes and finding financiers and entrepreneurs to create the companies that will get the products through clinical trials and beyond. On HoustonChronicle.com: Houstons US Med-Equip acquires New Jersey medical equipment rental company By filling a void somewhere between doctors, venture capitalists and biotech giants, Fannin grew out of Linbecks love of tinkering, his exposure to Silicon Valley (hes holds an MBA from Stanford Universitys Graduate School of Business, and has taught there for 15 years) and his first-hand knowledge of Houstons medical industry via his familys construction and real-estate development entities. Believing that Houston lacked the tech-startup infrastructure thats fueled other regional economies, Linbeck, through his familys companies, began funding Fannins predecessor company in 2005. Fannin has generated revenue from a combination of licensing fees and equity slices from its companies' funding rounds, though Linbeck indicated that larger returns may be realized once its companies' products go to market. He views Fannin as a cross between a real estate developer and a movie studio, shepherding ideas, reducing the risk of failure and spinning off companies to get the products to market and often retaining a majority stake in those companies. He estimated that Fannin has raised about $150 million through funding rounds and grants, and is currently involved in about a dozen projects in various stages. Houstons got this huge health care infrastructure, so it just seemed like there was an opportunity. I would fly out (to Silicon Valley) to see what was going on, and I thought, Why couldnt it happen here? he said. Case in point is Procyrion, maker of the tiny heart pump. About seven years ago, Dr. Reynolds Delgado, a cardiologist affiliated with the Texas Heart Institute and Baylor College of Medicine, approached Linbeck with the idea of a miniature heart pump that could be inserted via catheter instead of requiring open-heart surgery. Fannins team designed and engineered the product - called Aortix System - before bringing in upper management and helping to secure financing. The company has had four funding rounds totaling more than $59 million and Aortix received breakthrough device designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year. The product may go to market as early as first-quarter 2021, according to Delgado. Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox I went to (Linbeck) with the idea, and not much more, and they took it from there, Delgado said. The VC guys usually cut you out of the deal, but I still have my founders ownership stake, which is substantial. Meanwhile, Fannins relatively small size has allowed it to ramp up its efforts this year to address the coronavirus pandemic. The most notable example is Pulmotect, which received its first funding round in 2016 and which has accelerated its development of a COVID-19 treatment this year. The company in May received FDA approval to start two COVID-19 Phase-2 clinical trials. The U.S. Small Business Administration's Houston chapter recenbtly awarded Linbeck, Fannin Managing Partner Atul Varadhachary and Chief Financial Officer Mark Worschehits Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Recipient of the Year award. Linbeck, who declined to disclose Fannins annual revenue, allows that most medical-advancement ideas result in failure, estimated that Fannin turns down about 95 percent of the ideas its pitched. Still, he recognized his unique position to be able to invest in these medical efforts without expecting an immediate return, and remains philosophical about Fannins mission. Most things that are really important take about a decade to get done, he said. In three more years, well be an overnight success. 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. Mumbai: 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. 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 The 'Grace' investigation into claims of sexual abuse at a State foster home has been granted a fourth extension on delivering its report - pushing back the start of inquiries into 46 other cases at the home. Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness, who was key to highlighting the case while Dail Public Accounts Committee chair, said the latest delay was a "scandal". He was "incensed" by the way the severely disabled woman and other alleged victims were being treated by the State. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly recently granted an "interim extension" to the commission, which was due to be completed more than two years ago and has cost over 5m. He is due to meet with its members later this month to "consider its rationale for the application" for more time. The first phase of the commission's work is to investigate the role of public authorities in the care and protection of Grace, who resided with a former foster family in the south- east of Ireland between 1989 and 2009. The current application for extra time is in addition to the two 12-month extensions granted in May 2018 and May 2019 and a 10-week preliminary extension granted in May 2020. The May extension, granted in part due to the impact of Covid-19, gave it until July 24 to identify the time it required to complete its phase one work and to report. But Mr Donnelly received correspondence on July 22, in the form of an eighth interim report, including an application by the Farrelly Commission for another extension. "I think it's an absolute scandal that a further extension would have been granted," said Mr McGuinness. "Mr Donnelly should have sought a meeting with the commission before granting an extension and he should have insisted on the report being completed. It's extremely unfair not only on the families, but it's an awful reflection on the State, that they would do this to those who are non-verbal, can't act for themselves or defend themselves and are waiting for a response from the State. It's totally unacceptable." In a statement, the Department of Health said Mr Donnelly and Minister for Disability Anne Rabbitte are considering the request for a further extension and will meet the commission to discuss. "The ministers will decide on the Farrelly Commission's request following their meeting with the commission," said a spokesperson. "The ministers intend to publish the commission's interim report on the Department of Health's website shortly." The commission, chaired by barrister Marjorie Farrelly, began its work in May 2017, and is examining the abuse allegations in two stages. The first stage is based on the allegations involving Grace. The second stage, which will only begin when the first stage concludes, involves further allegations involving the 46 other vulnerable people who were placed in the home in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. The commission was announced in February 2016 by then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny following serious concerns raised by a whistleblower. The concerns involved a non-verbal woman with severe intellectual and physical disabilities who has been given the pseudonym Grace, who was placed at the home at various times between 1989 and 2009. During this period, Grace is alleged to have suffered significant physical and sexual abuse. Concerns were first highlighted about the home as far back as 1992 and 1995. However, for still unknown reasons which have led to health service and political responsibility questions, no action was taken at that time. Grace was still at the home until 2009, when a whistleblower began to raise concerns. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accused the European Union of threatening to impose a food "blockade" between Britain and Northern Ireland that could tear the UK apart, throwing new fuel on the fire of simmering Brexit talks. Writing in Saturday's Daily Telegraph newspaper, Johnson said the EU's stance justified his government's introduction of new legislation to rewrite its Brexit withdrawal treaty -- a bill that is causing deep alarm among his own MPs. Talks between London and Brussels on a future trading relationship are deadlocked as both sides struggle to prise apart nearly 50 years of economic integration, after British voters opted for a divorce. Absent a deal by the end of this year, when the full force of Brexit kicks in, Johnson said the EU was bent on an "extreme interpretation" of rules for Northern Ireland. "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," he wrote. "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." - 'Ridiculous' - The EU has threatened Britain with legal action unless it withdraws the contentious legislation by the end of September, and leaders in the European Parliament on Friday threatened to veto any trade pact if London violates its promises. Johnson's accusation drew scorn from Luis Garicano, a Spanish member of the European Parliament. "I think it's pretty ridiculous. I think Mr Johnson insists on having his cake and eating it," he told BBC radio on Saturday, noting that the treaty's protocol on Northern Ireland was plain to see when the prime minister signed it in January. The government's claim that the treaty contains unforeseen problems was also undercut by a Financial Times report Saturday that British civil servants explicitly highlighted the potential issues in January, at least a week before Johnson signed it. Under the EU withdrawal treaty, Northern Ireland will enjoy a special status to ensure no return of a border with EU member Ireland, in line with a 1998 peace pact that ended three decades of bloodshed. The food dispute centres on the EU's refusal so far to grant Britain "third country" status, which acknowledges that nations meet basic requirements to export their foodstuffs to Europe. The EU is worried that post-Brexit Britain could undermine its own food standards, as well as rules on state aid for companies, and infiltrate its single market via Northern Ireland. After another difficult round of trade talks this week in London, chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier said "many uncertainties" remained about Britain's food export regime after January 1. - 'Harmful act' - "More clarity is needed for the EU to do the assessment for the third-country listing of the UK," he said in a statement, ahead of another round of talks next week in Brussels. Johnson said his government remained committed to finding agreement with the EU by the end of the year. "But we cannot leave the theoretical power to carve up our country - to divide it - in the hands of an international organisation," he wrote, calling the new UK Internal Market Bill a "legal safety net". The prime minister's article appeared after he held a chaotic videoconference on Friday evening with mutinous Conservative MPs who are aghast at the prospect of the government tearing up an international treaty. Senior Conservative backbencher Robert Neill was unimpressed by Johnson's calls to push the bill through and prevent a renewal of the Brexit infighting that paralysed parliament last year. "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," Neill told Channel 4 News. The government crowed at one breakthrough Friday in clinching its first post-Brexit trade pact, with Japan. But critics noted it would boost Britain's long-term economic output by just 0.07 percent, and that trade with the EU is far higher This month, David Tennant will take on one of his darkest roles to date. In ITVs Des, he plays Dennis Nilsen, the notorious Muswell Hill Murderer who killed at least 12 young boys and men in North London from 1978 to 1983. Tennant is the latest in a long line of actors to dramatise the lives of some of the worlds most prolific murderers and its easy to see why such a part would be appealing. Playing a serial killer allows an actor to show their range and move away from being typecast. For those whove gone before them, such roles have been known to make a career, winning Oscars, Golden Globes and Baftas for those who take them on. However, portraying serial killers obviously comes with its own set of challenges. These are people audiences know well, so do they mimic them word for word or do their own interpretation, knowing that people at home can compare them to the TV reports of their childhoods, now tracked down in seconds online. Theres also the issue of sensitivity: nobody wants to be accused of exploiting trauma or trivialising events that still have an impact on people today. The actors on this list perfectly walk that fine line, providing heart-rendering performances that manage to humanise killers just enough without ever excusing what they did. Here are 20 of the best performances of real-life serial killers to ever hit the screen Cameron Britton as Ed Kemper in Mindhunter (2017) Netflixs Mindhunter featured a number of real life criminals in its two seasons, but it is Cameron Brittons turn as Ed Kemper, the so-called Co-ed Killer who murdered 10 people including his own mother, that sticks in the mind of everyone who watches. Theres a chilling, matter-of-fact politeness in the way Britton lists off his crimes and how he did them that gained the actor critical praise, as well as an Emmy nomination. Samantha Morton as Myra Hindley in Longford (2006) It takes an impressive actor to play the most evil woman in Britain but in 2006s Longford, Samantha Morton showed that she was up to the challenge. Seen through the eyes of Lord Longford (Jim Broadbent), a man looking to pardon Moors Murderer Hindley, viewers were presented with an unexpectedly soft-spoken, feminine version of the killer as she drifts between both performative and genuine repentance, but one worthy of a Golden Globe. Chilling: Cameron Britton (centre) as Ed Kemper in the Netflix series 'Mindhunter' (Courtesy of Netflix) Ross Lynch as Jeffrey Dahmer in My Friend Dahmer (2017) First on the list of former Disney Channel stars portraying serial killers, we have former Austin and Ally star and R5 member Ross Lynch as teenage loner Jeffrey Dahmer. Depicting Dahmer as an awkward outcast, we see the beginnings of his fixations bubbling to the surface, with the film leading up to the moment Dahmer kills the first of his 15 victims. Its a deft performance from Lynch, who has since reverted to his teen show roots in Netflixs The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in Monster (2004) At this stage it feels cliched to call an actor unrecognisable in a role, but few have been as transformative as Therons Aileen Wuornos in Patty Jenkinss Monster. With bleached blonde eyebrows, dirty clothes and the glamour the former model was known for stripped away, Therons Oscar-winning portrayal of a sex worker who killed seven men in an alleged act of self defence marked her out as an actor to take seriously. Ross Lynch as Jeffrey Dahmer in 'My Friend Dahmer' (Spirit Entertainment) John Carroll Lynch as Arthur Leigh Allen in Zodiac (2007) Adding John Carroll Lynch to this list feels dangerous, as the Zodiac Killers identity is still unknown in one of the USs most prolific unsolved cases. David Finchers Zodiac puts forward Arthur Leigh Allen (Lynch) as a lead suspect and despite the director asking Lynch to play the role Allen as if he was innocent, theres something in his demeanour that leaves that door impossible to shut for good. Whether he did it or not, the smooth, measured words, I'm not the Zodiac. And if I was, I certainly wouldn't tell you" are guaranteed to send a shudder down your spine. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Richard Attenborough as John Christie in 10 Rillington Place (1971) John Christies story is a truly chilling one. Strangling at least eight women to death in his flat in the 1940s and Fifties, he initially stood as a prosecution witness after another tenant in his building (John Hurt) was arrested for the crime, sending him to his death. As Christie, Attenborough peppers Christies unassuming nature with a sinister edge, in what The Independent described as a memorably creepy performance. Zac Efron as Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) Theres nothing Hollywood loves more than casting a hunky actor in an unsuspecting role. In serial killer Ted Bundy, a man whose looks were so prolific teenage fangirls reportedly attended his trial, they have the perfect opportunity to do just that. In casting Efron as the man responsible for at least 30 deaths, director Berlinger was accused of glamourising the story and feeding into that story but the former High School Musical star gives an unexpectedly understated performance as Bundy. This charming man: Zac Efron as Ted Bundy in 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile' (Wicked Nevada, LLC) Brian Dennehy as John Wayne Gacy in To Catch a Killer (1992) Dennehys performance as one of the USs most prolific serial killers in 1992 made-for-TV movie To Catch A Killer is a masterful character study. It seems impossible that the initially cocky Gacy, showboat so confident he would inviting surveillance detectives to drink with him, could deteriorate to turning himself in in paranoia, but Dennehy manages to present that unravelling with subtlety and skill. Michael Reilly Burke as Ted Bundy in Ted Bundy (2002) The nature of Bundys story - his perceived good looks, the women he targeted, his fanbase - means directors tread a difficult line when it comes to dramatising his story. Matthew Brights 2002 film Ted Bundy fell on the wrong side of that line, debuting to a generally poor critical reception with reviewers labelling it exploitative. However, the films star Burke was praised for his creepy performance of the charming killer, in what would go on to be the only lead role of his career. Andy Serkis as Ian Brady in Longford (2006) London-born Serkis may seem like an unusual choice to play the Glaswegian accomplice to Mortons Hindley, but with his faultless accent and chilling demeanour, we never doubt him for a second. With Hindley professing her remorse to Longford, it is Brady who is painted as the more guilty party in the murder of five children, with Serkis capturing a slimy nastiness sure give you nightmares. Tony Curtis as convicted serial killer Albert DeSalvo in 'The Boston Strangler' (20th Century Fox) Tony Curtis as Albert DeSalvo in The Boston Strangler (1968) After a strong end to the 1950s which saw Tony Curtis star in Some Like It Hot, The Sweet Smell of Success and The Defiant Ones within the space of two years, the 1960s saw the actor mired in a run of forgettable comedies. To break the rut, he took on the role of Albert DeSalvo, the infamous Boston Strangler who murdered 13 women in Massachusetts in the early 1960s. DeSalvo was imprisoned for his crimes in 1967 and stabbed to death six years later; Curtis earned a Golden Globe nod for his chilling portrayal. Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates in Psycho (1960) Anthony Perkins chilling turn as the cross-dressing motel murderer Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho remains one of cinemas all-time greatest depictions of pure, deadly evil. Bates was in fact loosely based on the real-life killer Ed Gein, sometimes referred to as the Butcher of Plainfield or the Plainfield Ghoul. Gein, a Wisconsin farm owner, was convicted of two murders and other counts of corpse mutilation, and many reports have focussed on his unhealthy, obsessive relationship with his late mother. Kathy Bates as Madame Delphine LaLaurie in American Horror Story (2013-14) LaLaurie, born in 1787, was a New Orleans socialite who tortured and murdered slaves in her Louisiana home. After rescuers attending to a fire in her mansion in 1834 discovered evidence of her atrocities, her property was attacked by an angry mob and she fled to France. Kathy Bates, known for playing Stephen Kings fictional psychopath in Misery, embodies LaLaurie well in the Coven season of American Horror Story. Anthony Perkins' (left) famous 'Psycho' character was inspired by real-life killer Ed Gein (Universal) Maxine Peake as Myra Hindley in See No Evil: The Moors Murders (2006) Samantha Morton isnt the only actor to have convincingly played notorious Manchester murderer Myra Hindley. Peake won acclaim for her disturbing portrayal of the felon in the two-part ITV series See No Evil, which also starred Mission: Impossibles Sean Harris as Hindleys partner in crime, Ian Brady. True crime dramas often run the risk of poor taste, but See No Evil was made after years of research, with approval from Hindleys victims families. Oliver Cooper as David Berkowitz in Mindhunter (2019) Mindhunter featured several great serial killer performances across its two-season run; Oliver Coopers was up there with the best. Dave Berkowitz, known to most as the Son of Sam, committed eight shootings between the summer of 1976 and 1977. His crimes made him something of a celebrity - not least due to his sensational confessions, in which he alleged he had been convinced to carry out the murders on the order of a demon that had taken the form of his neighbour Sams dog. Dominic West as Fred West in Appropriate Adult (2011) West may still be best known as the dysfunctional Baltimore police detective Jimmy McNulty in The Wire, but in 2011 he thrived in this role on the other side of the law. As Fred West, the killer who claimed the lives of at least 12 young women in Gloucester between 1967 and 1987, he was unnerving and convincing; Monica Dolan was similarly compelling in the role of Wests infamous wife and co-killer, Rose. Sheen (right) played the temperamental spree killer Kit, based on Charles Starkweather, in 'Badlands' ( 1973 Warner Bros. ) Martin Sheen as Kit Carruthers in Badlands (1973) Terrence Malicks masterful debut film Badlands was inspired by the real-life story of spree killers Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate. As Starkweather - reworked into the character of Kit Carruthers - Sheen is blisteringly good, a volatile, dangerous rogue with a kind of dark charisma. Across his long and varied career, Sheen wouldnt often play villains, but as Badlands shows, he had one hell of a knack for it. Michael Rooker as Henry Lee Lucas in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) The man who inspired the 1986 film Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Henry Lee Lucas, confessed to killing hundreds of murders, claiming he had committed around one a week from 1975 to 1983. Investigators disproved the majority of these claims, but convicted him of 11. The film was scandalous in its time, but Rookers turn as the murderous drifter remains haunting and potent to this day. John Cusack as Robert Hansen in The Frozen Ground (2013) The 2013 thriller The Frozen Ground was dismissed by many critics upon its release, but its two lead performances - from Nicolas Cage, as State Trooper Jack Halcombe, and John Cusack, as real-life killer Robert Hansen - are a definite high point. The real Hansen, known as the Butcher Baker, abducted, raped and murdered 17 women in Alaska between 1971 and 1983. After his arrest in 1983, Hansen was sentenced to 461 years in prison. Ice cold: John Cusack as Alaskan serial killer Robert Hansen in 'The Frozen Ground' (Koch Media) Sonny Valicenti as Dennis Rader in Mindhunter (2017) Another Mindhunter guest star, this time Sonny Valicenti, who excelled in the role of Dennis Rader, known as the BTK killer. Another US-based criminal, Rader ritualistically killed 10 people in Kansas before his apprehension in 2005. The moniker BTK was self-coined - an acronym for blind, torture, kill - and before his capture, Rader would send taunting letters to police and newspapers outlining the details of his crimes. Melania Trump's former best friend has claimed that the first lady's marriage to President Donald Trump is a 'transactional' trade in which he gets 'arm candy' and she gets security. 'I do believe it's a transactional marriage. Donald got arm candy,' said Stephanie Winston Wolkoff in an interview with the BBC on Friday. 'Melania got two dynamic decades. She was a young model, she didn't have success yet. She met Donald, she married, she became an American citizen, they had a son and ten years after that she's the first lady of the United States,' Wolkoff said. 'I do believe it was a magic moment, and I also believe it was a made-for-TV moment.' 'I do believe it's a transactional marriage. Donald got arm candy,' said Stephanie Winston Wolkoff in an interview with the BBC on Friday Donald Trump and Melania Knauss (seen together on Friday) were married in January 2005 in Palm Beach, Florida, where the reception was held at Mar-a-Lago Donald Trump and Melania Knauss were married in January 2005 in Palm Beach, Florida, where the reception was held at Mar-a-Lago. It was Trump's third marriage, and the couple have one son, Barron, together. In the interview, Wolkoff also referenced Melania's appearance on the cover of Vogue in a February 2005 feature on the wedding, a major coup for the then-professional model. 'The Vogue cover legitimized Melania, legitimized Donald as well,' said Wolkoff. Wolkoff has been hitting the interview circuit to promote her new book, Melania And Me, which hit #3 on the USA Today bestseller list this week. Melania Trump has slammed her former friend, dismissing her claims as 'delusional & malicious gossip' in a tweet that did not mention Wolkoff by name. In the interview, Wolkoff also referenced Melania's appearance on the cover of Vogue in a February 2005 feature on the wedding The first lady has increased her national profile in the past week as her husband enters the final phase of his re-election campaign. She addressed the Republican National Convention last month as part of her effort to win President Donald Trump a second term. On Thursday at the White House she hosted a 'Recovery at Work: Celebrating Connections' Roundtable to talk about drug addiction and recovery. 'The coronavirus pandemic has increased feelings of loneliness and sadness. For vulnerable populations, it has also increased the risk of substance abuse. But the American people are strong and always set-up to help one another in times of need. My husband and this Administration are also committed to making sure no one is left behind and the forgotten man and woman are forgotten no more,' she said. But she's also seen numerous headlines surrounding the publication of Stephanie Winston Wolkoff's memoir 'Melania & Me.' Wolkoff, who worked on the Trump inauguration and as an unpaid adviser in the East Wing in the early days of the administration, offered details on the tense relationship between Melania Trump and her stepdaughter Ivanka Trump. She also revealed Melania uses a private email account, which President Trump criticized Hillary Clinton for doing during their bitter 2016 campaign. Melania Trump lashed out at 'delusional & malicious gossip' after her former best friend's book was published Wolkoff told The Washington Post: 'Melania and I both didn't use White House emails.' The first lady is said to have used a private Trump Organization email account and an email from a MelaniaTrump.com domain as well as iMessage. The messages were said to show her discussing government hires, state visits and schedules, the Easter egg roll and her Be Best initiative. The East Wing said Melania Trump has followed the requirements of the Presidential Records Act. Stephanie Winston Wolkoff's book 'Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady' was released on September 1 'In consultation with White House ethics officials, from the beginning of the Administration, the First Lady and her staff have taken steps to meet the standard of the Presidential Records Act, relating to the preservation of records that adequately document official activities,' Stephanie Grisham, chief of staff to the first lady, said in a statement. In 2018 The Washington Post reported that Ivanka Trump sent hundreds of emails about government business from a personal email account to White House aides, Cabinet members and her assistant. Ivanka dismissed any comparison to the use of private email by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, which prompted an FBI investigation and inspired the 'Lock Her Up' chant at Donald Trump's 2016 campaign rallies. Use of personal emails is allowed but it is illegal to discuss anything classified. Wolkoff also admitted to recording her conversations with Melania, but defended doing so, saying she did it for protection. She told The Post she started recording Melania in February 2018 until they stopped talking or texting on Jan. 1, 2019. She said she decided to do so the day after the White House terminated her contract, out of fear of becoming a 'fall guy' amid scrutiny of inaugural spending intensified. Stephanie Winston Wolkoff came under fire after details were revealed about the money she was paid for her role in planning Donald Trump's 2016 presidential inauguration - above she's seen with Melania Trump at a January 2017 dinner ahead of the inaugural 'I didn't record a friend. I would never record a friend,' Winston Wolkoff told The Post. 'But this is very important she was no longer my friend when I pressed record. Wolkoff left the East Wing in February 2018 after The New York Times, in February 2018, published an article revealing the inauguration cost $107 million - twice what Barack Obama's first inauguration cost - and that Wolkoff's firm received $26 million of that money. Most of that money went to vendors Wolkoff's firm hired to produce the events. Wolkoff argues the story was planted by her enemies in the White House and by those who didn't want to answer to the where much of the inaugural money went. 'That's the question that everyone should be asking,' she told ABC News last week of the $107 million raised. She said she received $480,000 for her three months of work on the inauguration - 'a fee of less than one half of one-percent.' Her memoir details her 15-year friendship with Melania, who she first met while she was working at Vogue magazine. It's the first book about Melania Trump to emerge from her inner circle and Wolkoff charts a disillusionment with the first lady, writing that she thought Melania was different but realized 'A Trump is a Trump is a Trump. All along, I thought she was one of us. Bat at her core, she's one of them.' Ivanka Trump, President Trump and Melania Trump together last week for the president's address to the Republican National Convention There are several gossipy bits in the 339-page book, including the revelation Melania laughed during the 2016 campaign after the infamous 'Access Hollywood' tape came out and revealed Trump saying he liked to grab women 'by the p****.' Wolkoff claims the first lady also scoffed at Michelle Obama's time in office. She reportedly once said 'Did Michelle Obama go to the border? She never did. Show me the pictures!' The book also paints an unflattering portrait of Ivanka Trump, showing her as eager to run the show and claiming she was trying take over many of Melania's first lady duties. 'Ivanka was very focused on Ivanka,' Wolkoff writes. The White House has disputed much that is in the book, arguing Wolkoff has some 'imagined need for revenge.' 'Anybody who secretly tapes their self-described best friend is by definition, dishonest,' Grisham told DailyMail.com in a statement last week. 'The book is not only full of mistruths and paranoia, it it is based on some imagined need for revenge. Wolkoff builds herself up while belittling and blaming everyone she worked with, yet she still managed to be the victim. Sadly, this is a deeply insecure woman whose need to be relevant defies logic.' We're all in this together. That's the message Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious-disease expert, delivered when he spoke with Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Sept. 11 about the progress of the fight against coronavirus. And he had hopeful predictions about why science indicates a COVID-19 vaccine can work, along with prescriptions about long-term changes we can make to mitigate future pandemics. Read on, and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had Coronavirus. 1 woman scientist in white labcoat holding syringe needle and brown bottle "We have been living with coronaviruses forever. There were four of them that cause about 15 to 30% of all of the common colds that we repetitively get in the winter," Fauci pointed out. "In 2002, we had the first pandemic coronavirus with SARS, jumped species from a bat to a civet cat to a human 8000 cases, almost 800 deaths. Ten years later in 2012, we had MERS the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome which is still smoldering in Saudi Arabia. Now, in 2019-2020, we have COVID-19." Fauci says that if we want to prevent future outbreaks, an all-encompassing vaccine is crucial. "Somebody is trying to tell us we'd better develop a universal coronavirus vaccine," he continued. "Because we've already in 18 years had three pandemics associated with coronaviruses." 2 man holding pill glass of water at home on the sofa "We need drugs to keep people out of the hospital, and we don't have a lot of those direct antivirals," said Fauci. "One of the things that I was just talking about this morning on our morning daily meeting is the need to get a HIV ART [anti-retroviral] type drug for COVID, which you can give orally for a few days. You don't need to give it the lifetime the way we do with HIV, but you just need it in that window when people are either going to do fine or going to deteriorate and require hospitalizations. So we need to move on that." Story continues RELATED: Everything Dr. Fauci Has Warned About Coronavirus 3 octor injecting at patient's arm "Lucky for us, vaccine efforts in COVID-19 are really based on knowing that the body can and does induce an effective immune response," said Fauci. "The vast majority of peoplemore than 85%have either mild to modest disease and the overwhelming amountmore than 90-plus percentrecover completely. So if the body can mount an immune response that recovers completely, I wouldn't say it's easy, but it is highly likely that we are going to get an effective vaccine." 4 patient with doctor "We have to have globally, literally universal health coverage," said Fauci. "That's really essential." He pointed out that hospitalizations and deaths from COVID are three to five times greater among Black Americans than whites. "The social determinants of health are impacted very, very much by universal health coverage," he said. "You wouldn't have so many of the things that you have in the African-American community with diabetes, obesity, hypertension, chronic lung disease, kidney disease, if you had universal health coverage, you would mitigate that considerably." RELATED: 98 Symptoms Coronavirus Patients Say They've Had 5 "The average person in the United States has really got to get on board with realizing that we live in a global community," said Fauci. "A pandemic by its definition of the word 'pandemic' means it's global. So it's going to affect us, like it or not. But also we really do need to hang on to something that is distinctly part of our society and our culture. I hope we don't lose it. It looks like somehow it's drifting away that moral responsibility that we have to take a global view when it comes to diseases." 6 Men and guys out drinking beer at a bar "When you're dealing with a situation that requires behavioral change, we in the United States have a significant issue that I'm very disappointed in," Fauci said. "It was stunning to me that in some states and cities and counties, you would see television clips of people crowded indoors at bars, which is a superspreading event if you ever saw it." Young people think they can't get sick, "but what they forget is their societal responsibility to not propagate the outbreak because if they get infected, they're likely going to infect someone else who then might infect someone who really is vulnerable and will have a serious severe consequence." 7 Scientist examining bacterial culture plate in a microbiology research laboratory "The one thing that bothers me is the amount of things that aren't evidence-based, and we've seen examples of that in the United States like claims that certain drugs have a great positive effect when there's no scientific evidence whatsoever that they have a positive effect," Fauci said. 8 A woman comes out of the cafe door onto the street and holds a water bottle. 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. A lab analyst for the San Francisco medical examiners office has been arrested and charged in Utah after he was allegedly found with an evidence bag of methamphetamine, a case thats touched off a sweeping review by the district attorney. The allegations against Justin Volk, 40, could potentially impact hundreds of criminal cases in San Francisco, as prosecutors work to determine the degree of Volks involvement in each case and whether they might be tainted. When individual law enforcement officers or staff at the medical examiners office engage in serious misconduct or potentially criminal misconduct ... it substantially undermines my offices ability to prosecute cases, said San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin. Prosecutors rely heavily on the credibility of the witnesses and investigators who help build each case. If that credibility is tarnished, it can have major impacts on the underlying case, including a dismissal. An initial assessment shows Volk was involved in 2,500 cases in the past eight years with the medical examiners office, including 500 death investigations and toxicology testing for 1,200 sexual assaults and 800 DUIs. Volk did not immediately return requests for comment. Hes been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation, said Bill Barnes, a spokesman for City Administrator Naomi Kelly, who oversees the medical examiners office. Kelly requested that the city controller conduct an assessment to determine whether all prescription and illicit drug evidence at the medical examiners office is properly stored and accounted for in the log. Depending on the outcome of that assessment, the controllers office may conduct a broader probe of the medical examiners office policies and procedures for handling evidence. On Aug. 31, Volk was pulled over on Old Highway 91 in Ivins, Utah, after a sheriffs deputy recorded him driving 16 mph over the posted speed limit, according to the Sheriffs Offices probable cause statement. Volk told the deputy he was headed back home to San Francisco when the deputy noticed a small backpack on the floor of the passenger seat, a lunchbox on the passenger seat, and a bottle with what appeared to be urine inside, the document states. Volk was asked to step out of the vehicle while a K-9 conducted a search. The dog indicated drugs were present, and Volk was placed in handcuffs, according to the document. During a search of Volks car, deputies retrieved an evidence bag inside a piece of luggage, the probable cause statement said. The evidence bag contained a large crystal looking item, as well as some smaller bags of a crystallized substance and another small bag with a white powder substance. A later test confirmed the large crystal item was methamphetamine, the document said. Deputies additionally found a paper from the San Francisco medical examiners office and two pipes usually consistent with smoking methamphetamine, according to the document. A separate bottle contained 14 pills later identified as acetaminophen and hydrocodone, the document said. The deputies arrested Volk and sat him in a patrol car while they processed evidence. While doing so, the deputies reported hearing a banging noise from the patrol vehicle and found Volk inside banging his head against the window, the document said. Volk was found breathing but unresponsive, but medics found no wounds on Volk and cleared the scene, according to the document. Washington County, Utah, prosecutors have charged Volk with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was booked on Aug. 31 and released that same evening on $10,000 cash bail, according to sheriffs officials. A LinkedIn profile for Volk states that he has been working as a lab analyst in San Francisco for 13 years. San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju said Volks arrest casts a dark shadow on the credibility of the MEs office. My office will be seeking records on Mr. Volk from the MEs office and demanding an independent audit of the MEs office, Raju said in a statement. Justice simply cannot happen when the medical examiners employees tasked with providing objective and unbiased scientific evidence and opinion lack integrity. 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 a Friday interview, Boudin said prosecutors are now undergoing a massive and labor-intensive review of cases that Volk had touched over the years and that were prosecuted by the District Attorneys Office. The highest priority of cases are those still open, he said. Prosecutors will also need to determine how much of a role Volk played in each case that resulted in a conviction and whether other, independent evidence supports the verdict. This couldnt have come at a worse time for our office, Boudin said, noting that the office is short-staffed and facing budget cuts. We must now clean up a mess that implicates a vast number of old prosecutions. The district attorney said his office has called Volk as a witness in approximately two dozen cases in the past eight years. However, Boudin added, that number drastically understates the scope of his involvement in cases that the office has investigated and prosecuted. Not all of the 2,500 cases in which Volk played a hand resulted in a criminal charge, Boudin said. His office is still trying to determine the amount of those that did. At least one, he said, involved a person convicted of murder. The allegations against Volk are reminiscent of the case against Deborah Madden, a former San Francisco police lab technician whose admission that she skimmed cocaine from the office resulted in the dismissals of hundreds of drug cases. The disclosure additionally led to a temporary closure of the lab in 2010. Madden was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys Office and ultimately pleaded guilty to misdemeanor cocaine possession. In 2013, she was sentenced to a year of home confinement and a $5,000 fine. The forensics labs for the medical examiners office and San Francisco police are separate entities and handle different types of evidence. The police labs work includes evidence involving firearms and DNA samples. The Medical Examiners Office conducts investigations involving dead bodies and blood testing for DUI cases. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador are reporting a newly confirmed case of COVID-19, as well as one presumptive case. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/9/2020 (495 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador are reporting a newly confirmed case of COVID-19, as well as one presumptive case. The confirmed case is a man in his 40s from central Newfoundland who returned to the island following a visit to Alberta, where he was asymptomatic. He has been self-isolating since arriving home, and contact tracing is underway. The presumptive case involves a contractor from New Brunswick who had travelled to the Iron Ore Company of Canada mine in Labrador City. Staff at the mine used screening protocols, which will be followed up by testing through the provincial Public Health laboratory. Health officials say the contractor is self-isolating and has been following Public Health guidelines. With the new confirmed case, Newfoundland and Labrador had two active cases of COVID-19 as of Saturday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2020. A top Republican representative introduced a legislation that would create a payroll tax holiday from September 1 until the end of this year. A day after the Democrats rejected the Republican-led "skinny" stimulus bill, Rep. Kevin Brady, a GOP representative from Texas, introduced a legislation that would create a payroll holiday tax until the end of this year to make sure that Americans will have enough money to spend amid the pandemic. The proposed legislation aimed at forgiving taxes deferred under the memo of President Donald Trump issued last month, along with the executive order on the extension of unemployment benefits. If Brady's bill would be approved, it will reduce the 6.2 percent employee-side Social Security tax to zero in the last four months of this year. Additionally, it would also implement a similar tax cut for self-employed people. According to a published article on The Hill, the bill would make transfers to the fund from the general fund to prevent the payroll tax holiday from hurting the Social Security trust fund. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has immediately issued guidelines after Trump released the memo in delaying the collection of payroll taxes. Employers have to recoup the deferred taxes during the first four months of 2021. The payroll taxes deferral is optional, and some businessmen are not planning to implement the memo because it would be difficult for them to collect the taxes next year. Trump has mentioned that he is planning to terminate the payroll taxes once he gets reelected. The main goal of Trump's memo and the proposed legislation is to help millions of Americans amid the country's economic fallout because of the global pandemic. "The essential workers who keep this country running through the pandemic deserve a pay raise. This bill forgives the payroll taxes deferred by President Trump to help working families, many of whom now rely on a single paycheck," Brady said. Brady also clarified that his proposed legislation would be applied to all workers in the country and not only to those whose taxes are currently being deferred. According to the memo released by the Joint Committee on Taxation, employers would file amended returns to the IRS for periods when they over-withheld payroll taxes. This is just one of the steps that Republican lawmakers are doing to help millions of Americans who continue to suffer amid global pandemic, especially that the Democrats again rejected the GOP's proposed stimulus bill. It is still uncertain if either the Senate or Congress will make another draft of a new stimulus bill. However, Trump is reportedly planning to take executive actions to release stimulus checks using the unspent budget, even without the Democratic-led Congress' approval. Chek these out! An aerial dance performance and art installation finished its debut run at Courthouse Arts Centre last weekend. 'Threshold Ritual Haunting' is an immersive aerial dance installation and performance created by Katie Joyce Holmes who is Artist in Residence at the Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely. Katie Joyce Holmes, from Ballymanus, lives in Tinahely and has been Artist-in-Residence at the Courthouse since 2018. She created a multi-dimensional performance art piece that was inspired by her local ecology, local theologies, ideas of home, ritual and natural devotion. The show involves a scheduled aerial dance performance and a permanent immersive art installation to create an experience that explores how we can untie our anchors to the past to be fully present in the multiplicities of now. The installation and performances cycles over a three-week period for a show that has taken anything from 10 years to three years to four months to create. Combining aerial dance and a large-scale projected animation in collaboration with Bray artist Liing Heaney, the installation also involves poetry, 2D and 3D art pieces and music. Liing Heaney was animator and co-designer on the project with Katie. 'Threshold Ritual Haunting' invites the audience to immerse themselves in our new worlds, its new rituals and new goddesses for the duration of their visit. Using the tenets of prayer, repetition, rhythm, movement and feeling, they will be transported to a place in the right now. Ambitious and experimental in its realisation and its production, this was the Courthouse's first in-house production, a fruitful harvesting of a residency in partnership with Katie, since 2018. The show was produced by cultural producer Maeve-Ann Austen and was funded by The Arts Council of Ireland, Wicklow County Council Arts Office and Creation Aerial, which focuses on aerial training and movement research. 'Threshold Ritual Haunting' was the Courthouse Arts Centre's first show since cultural institutions were permitted to re-open. Audience members were brought by staff to socially distant spots where they remained for the duration of the 20-minute performances. Katie Joyce Holmes is an artist whose work was originally in poetry and text, but in the past five years has embraced aerial dance, dance and visual art. Her current interests lie in ritual, devotion, environment, ecology, theology and the cycles, repetitions, rhythms and tensions inherent in all of these worlds, tangible and intangible. The local environment and landscape of the south Wicklow hills and uplands are an essential element in all of her work. She has previously created work in the Dublin Fringe Festival and in various art projects, collaborations and residencies around Ireland. Katie is Associate Artist at Creation Aerial in Dublin. Liing Heaney's work has been shown at the Project Arts Centre, the Dublin Fringe Festival and Signal Arts Centre in Bray. A graduate of the National College of Art and Design, she has received many artist awards. For more details, visit www.courthousearts.ie. A day after a court ruled against him, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday appealed an order that allowed mail-in ballot applications to be sent to all of Harris Countys 2.4 million registered voters. Paxton indicated in a press statement that he expects that the court should rule by Monday. The proposed mass mailing would sow confusion because applications would go to all registered voters, regardless of whether they legally qualify to vote by mail ballot and regardless of whether they even want to vote by mail, a news release from Paxtons office said. Texas law requires the clerk to send applications to voters who specifically request them. Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins said Saturday that applications to voters under 65 are in production and will be sent out soon. His office already has sent out vote-by-mail applications to registered voters 65 and older. Were disappointed that the attorney general is fighting so hard to keep information and resources out of the hands of Harris County voters, but, sadly, we arent at all surprised, Hollins said. The Harris County Clerks Office will continue to do everything we can to protect Texans right to vote, and we know that the law is on our side. Paxton had argued that county officials outreach effort overstepped their constitutional authority, violated Texas election law and would lead to fraud. State District Judge R.K. Sandill denied Paxtons request for a temporary injunction, stating that nothing in the Texas Election Code outlawed Hollins plan. 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. As the election nears, mail-in ballots have become a key issue for the Trump administration and Republicans around the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Texas is one of a few states that require residents to have a valid reason to vote by mail. gabrielle.banks@chron.com 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.' Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now. An unsettling yellow-brown fog has steadily crept over L.A.'s skies this week, banketing the city in a smoky haze, as wildfires continue to burn across the state. Apocalyptic hues and falling ash are most visible in the neighborhoods dotting the foothills of Angeles National Forest. Those areas are dangerously close to the Bobcat Fire, which has been burning for six days, expanding to 26,368 acres as of late Friday afternoon. Roughly the last 12 hours as seen from Mt. Wilson Observatory, courtesy of @AlertWildfire #BobcatFire pic.twitter.com/8qyzTuQivo Brian Frank (@frankreporting) September 11, 2020 The fire is now inside the city limits of Monrovia, and multiple areas are under evacuation orders. Smoke advisories have been extended through Saturday Sept. 12. According to the AQMD, local air quality is also being impacted by the major fires burning in Central and Northern California. The smoke from the Bobcat and El Dorado fires is visible on satelitte imagery, and smoke from all of California's fires has apparently reached as far as Europe. People asking why it's so smokey in LA... pic.twitter.com/REE6a3FQ7x Jacob Margolis (@JacobMargolis) September 10, 2020 Clouds of ash and thick smoke are impacting visiblity on nearby roads and highways, and can have serious health affects. Exposure to smoke can cause scratchy throats, headaches, chest tightness, and eye irritation in even the healthiest people. Fire-impacted air can also inflame already existing conditions like allergies, ashtma, and inflamatory lung diseases like COPD. Perhaps most distrurbing is the possiblity that smoke from the wildfires could be especially dangerous to those recovering from COVID-19, as well as pregnant women, seniors and children. Courtesy South Coast Air Quality Management District Authority Air Quality Index Data as if 5 p.m. Friday via AirNow "These are not just inert particles," Dr. Zab Mosenifar, a lung specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, told KPCC/LAist. "These particles are sulphur dioxide, nitric oxide, ozone (trioxygen) -- these are very, very bad players." Dr. Mosenifar says he's seen a significant increase in calls from his patients since the fires began. Experts say if you see or smell smoke, you should stay inside, run your air conditioning (if you're one of the lucky ones who has it), and avoid exercising. As for the science of air quality, it's likely more strange and complicated than you think. You can check the air quality near you here. LAist photographer Chava Sanchez has spent the last two days in the San Gabriel foothills. Here's what he saw. The sun sets on a smokey day over the 605 freeway south. Smoke hangs in the sky from the Bobcat Fire in the Angeles National Forest. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Immaculate Conception church and school in Monrovia against a backdrop of smoke from the nearby Bobcat Fire. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Smoke rises from the Bobcat fire in the Angeles National Forest on September 9. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) The sun sets on a smokey day over the 605 freeway south. Smoke hangs in the sky from the Bobcat Fire in the Angeles National Forest. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Mt Wilson Observatory covered by a blanket of smoke as the Bobcat Fire rages nearby. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) The Bobcat fire as seen from the 210 freeway near Monrovia. The skies over Monrovia looked apocalyptic as smoke rose from the Bobcat fires in the Angeles National Forest. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Orange hued smoke fills the skies above the San Gabriel Valley as the Bobcat Fire spreads. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Cars driving on the 210 freeway under a blanket of orange smoke from the nearby Bobcat Fire. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) San Marino Fire Department truck waits near homes in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) An LA County Fire helicopter deployed to combat the Bobcat Fire flies over a resedential neighborhood in Monrovia. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Houses on the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains have been given evacuation warnings. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Power lines against a smoke filled sky in Monrovia as the Bobcat Fire rages through the Angeles National Forest. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Orange skies over a smokey street in Monrovia. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) A man bikes through smokey streets in the San Gabriel Valley as smoke from the Bobcat fire blankets the area. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Palm trees sway in a orange hued sky due to the smoke from the Bobcat Fire in the Angeles Forest. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Thick plumes of smoke rise from the Bobcat Fire in the Angeles National Forest. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Orange skies over smokey streets in Monrovia. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) An LA County Fire helicopter flies towards the Bobcat fire. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Smoke rises from the bobcat fire as it burns through the Angeles Forest. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Ash from the Bobcat fire on the windsheild of a car. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Road Closures because of the Bobcat fires in Sierra Madre. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) The Bobcat fire erupted in the Angeles National Forest and has spread over 23k acres filling the Los Angeles are with ash and smoke. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) The sun peeks through the smoke filled sky at 11 am on September 10. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) FIRE RESOURCES BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 12 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Trying to strategically alter the demographics of the occupied Karabakh region of Azerbaijan is a crime against humanity, Ankara-based political analyst and researcher Ali Bakeer told Trend. Bakeer said there have been international reports that upon the tragedy that has happened recently in Lebanon the Armenian government has decided to transfer some of Lebanese families of Armenian roots to the occupied Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. "Of course this decision will open the door to the transfer of a bigger number of families, maybe hunderds of Lebanese families of Armenian roots to the Karabakh region occupied by Armenia, which in itself is a great violation of the international law and is also a serious violation of the humanitarian law. Trying to strategically alter the demographics of the occupied Karabakh region and applying demographic engineering on the people there is a crime against humanity, so no one, no international organization will sympathize with such practice of the Armenian government or of other governments," Bakeer said. He emphasized that changing the demographic structure of the Karabakh is a crime and the Armenian government should be held accountable for neglecting international laws and norms that specifically deal with such an issue. "As long as there is no pressure on that government unfortunately such illegal and criminal acts will continue. So, I think that there is a need for international community to stand up against such practices and decisions by the Armenian government, especially this one," Bakeer said. Bakeer once again emphasized that the whole international community knows that Karabakh is an occupied region of Azerbaijan and there is no legitimate background for Armenian government to do anything but to give up its occupation policy. 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. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has cut the sod for the construction of an accident and emergency centre at the Dormaa Hospital in the Dormaa Municipality in the Bono Region. The project is part of a 140-million fund secured by the government for the construction of some health facilities, including 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. Upon completion, the 45-bed accident and emergency centre would have a 12-bed Triage, 33-bed ward, surgical suite, imaging services, laboratory, plaster room and a laboratory, a statement from the Presidency said. Significance At the ceremony at Dormaa last Thursday, President Akufo-Addo said the people of Dormaa, with a population of about a million, deserved a befitting modern accident and emergency facility to replace the existing one. I am reliably informed by the Minister of 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 added. President Akufo-Addo said the project was being undertaken at great cost to the taxpayer and, therefore, appealed to the chiefs and people of Dormaa to help ensure that the infrastructure and equipment were duly maintained for the benefit of all. On behalf of the government and people of Ghana, the President expressed gratitude to the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) which, he said, continued to partner the government to bring health care to the doorstep of ordinary citizens. I am very hopeful, by the grace of God, that we are on the threshold of something remarkable in Ghana, he added. Appreciation The President expressed appreciation to the chiefs and people of Dormaa for the unflinching support they had given his administration. Ghana's Political History - 70th Anniversary Photo Exhibition One of your own, your excellent Member of Parliament (MP) for Dormaa Central, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, is the Minister of Health who has conducted himself with great credit, 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 said. Source: Graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-13 00:12:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HEFEI, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- More than 600 projects with a total investment of 600 billion yuan (about 87.7 billion U.S. dollars) were signed Saturday during the online World Manufacturing Convention held in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province. China's domestic market has huge growth potential and the development of the country's manufacturing industry will bring the world greater investment opportunities and broader investment prospects under the new economic development pattern of "dual circulation," said Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen at the opening ceremony of the convention's Jianghuai Online Economic Forum. Xu Lijin, chairman of Efort Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd., who took part in the online deals signing, said he has full confidence in the future as China's economy is resilient and dynamic. The World Manufacturing Convention was held online for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It focused on promoting high-quality growth of manufacturing and digital economy as well as on guiding the digital eocnomy to deeply integrate with the real economy. Zhang Xi, vice governor of Anhui Province, said 1,073 projects with a total investment of 962.2 billion yuan were signed during the World Manufacturing Convention in 2018 and 2019. By the end of August, 1,008 projects had finished company registrations and 880 projects had started construction, Zhang said. Enditem F ulham vs Arsenal - LIVE! Arsenal's debutants starred as they kicked off their Premier League season with a comfortable 3-0 victory over recently-promoted Fulham. Willian finished his first match since the move across London from Chelsea with three assists, while Gabriel headed home Arsenal's second to start his own Gunners career in ideal fashion. Fulham's return to the top-flight got off to a difficult start when Alexandre Lacazette capitalised on a loose ball in the eighth minute to give the Gunners an encouraging beginning to the new season. Gabriel's header after half time strengthened Arsenal's grip on the game and was quickly followed up by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's curled strike which secured all three points. Simon Collings is at Craven Cottage, with Malik Ouzia running you through the action... Cant see the Fulham vs Arsenal LIVE! blog? Click here to access our desktop page. How to watch on TV today and live stream details TV channel: The match will be televised live on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate, with coverage starting from 11:30am. Live stream: BT Sport subscribers will be able to stream the match online via the video player and the BT Sport app.